Freestyle ends up in the UK Top 20…
[Video][Website]
[6.14]
Megan Harrington: Like my favorite horror movies, “WickedSkengMan 4” eschews the fine line between scary and funny, instead opting to be both. The production sounds suited to a video game level set in a fun house, but Stormzy is the very opposite of 8-bit, leaning in and out, chest puffed. He peels off one-liners (his worst day is your best day) that might sound silly in another context, another song, and makes them sting because he believes they’re true.
[8]
Micha Cavaseno: Despite working with an EP that was ultimately a bunch of mediocre rap tunes, a decent single with no hook by the most boring producer in grime, and playing weed-carrier for Skepta’s comeback, Stormzy has maintained his status as one of the “ones to watch.” Part of this is his return to what initially begun his buzz, the Wicked Skengman freestyle series. His prior installment in the series titled “Shut Up” by fans had him brusquely dismissing the sly sneak disses of the ever almond-headed Chipmunk over the ever-inspirational “Functions On The Low” beat by Ruff Sqwad’s XTC and demonstrating Stormzy’s new-found confidence, but its here over the slinky ragga bounce of JME’s “Serious” that he seems dead set on taking on all challengers. His flows still suffer a stiffness that one doesn’t overcome with concerts and freestyles but with radio sets, which makes Stormzy’s reliance on grime nostalgia less a gesture of loyalty to the scene and more mercenary trend-feasting. But his bars are brash and punchy, and he has a confidence that comes with pride in knowing that so many people are rooting for him.
[7]
Jonathan Bogart: Has grime really not changed all that much in the ten years since I last bothered to pay attention to it? I like Stormzy’s presence and the way he copes with the very not-distinctive beat, but I feel like I could have been saying that about every grime single I’ve heard since Dizzee Rascal’s heyday.
[6]
Will Adams: I kinda want to pop open the Ableton project for this and nudge Stormzy’s (impressive) freestyle to the left ever so slightly, as it currently sounds a hair behind the beat. But then I might get distracted by retooling the beat to make it more compelling.
[5]
Alfred Soto: I wish I could distinguish the subtleties of grime from its banalifies, for I’ve admired almost every Stormzy track’s flow and the way he tugs against the rhythm. This one is no different.
[7]
Thomas Inskeep: Serviceable grime freestyle with a good, if unexceptional, beat.
[5]
Iain Mew: Grime has had its share of crossovers in the last couple of years, but here’s something newer: the latest instalment in a freestyle series, in the UK top 20, if only for one week. The live version gives more idea of what’s special, or at least the crowd adds a build to the best lines that gets lost in the flatter studio one. He’s good on how he got here (graveyard shifts on YouTube, “went Jools Holland in my tracksuit”) and I like the football references going from the Messi generic to the Lukaku specific, but his steady, patient flow doesn’t give enough not to wish for a hook.
[5]