Living inside of my own brain, walking the London streets on a rainy day, thinking about those that came before me. Living inside my own brain, stepping into a pirate radio station on a London council estate, with the dank smell of weed everywhere and sounds of pit bulls barking in the background. Living inside of my own brain, looking up to a Manchester sky, wondering how did I get here, and thinking about the creative giants that were here before me. Living inside of my own brain, looking at working-class British youth making a whole lot out of nothing, and being unified by their creative spirit. These are thoughts that will never leave my mental plane.
The UK artist BLACKHAINE is a product of colliding cultures that have come together to create his unreal sonic art. His music wordplay is abstract while always remaining on point. His debut record Armour, produced by Rainy Miller, is a surreal audio offering that will have you transfixed from the very first moment you press play! The opening track, “Blackpool,” is a dreamy bleak soundscape that is totally fucking awesome! There is a grimy vibe to the UK that is not talked about often, but on this record, it’s highlighted, while still being uplifting.
BLACKHAINE taps into our inner pain to give a look into another reality that we all need to see and hear! Real talk, I have always been a fan of MCs from the UK, and now that I know this artist I listen to him on the daily. He is also an avante garde dancer and I think his off-kilter body movements impact his off-kilter wordplay! What’s rad is that he spits over cold cinematic beats but never loses his soul or sounds contrived. The sense of passion and freedom that he exhibits is punk AF to me. His most recent EP And Salford Falls Apart will push you into a universe where CCTV is normal, but world leaders are the ones being watched. With each listen to a BLACKHAINE song, you will hear something new.
I feel honored that I can turn y’all on to such a talented human being. The UK gave us MO WAX, Roots Manuva, Lewis Parker, Space Afrika, Tricky, Dave, Aba Shant-I Sound, UK Drill, Grime, The Wild Bunch, and now BLACKHAINE. Check out his visuals and immerse yourself in his discography!
