devlin: bud, sweat & beers

There is something about North America Rap/Hip-Hop I just don’t get. I am by far an expert on that genre, but you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy something, right? Kanye West’s latest got great reviews everywhere and I can’t even listen through it once. The last Rap/Hip-Hop album from North America I truly enjoyed was Madvillain’s Madvillainy—which came out 6 years ago! On the other hand, I absolutely love the UK Rap/Hip-Hop scene, better known as 2-Step or Grime. For me, it is more open and diverse in terms of style and lyrics... there’s no set formula, so you never know what you are going to get as. Devlin’s long-awaited debut, Bud, Sweat & Beers is the latest addition to the ever-growing list of great 2-Step/Grime records! Fans of the Tales From The Crypt mixtape know what to expect in this debut—clever wordplays, as well as emotional lyrics and stories. Bud, Sweat & Beers is quite intense, it offers a grime view on the world/society today. A lot of the subject matters are gloomy; for instance, Devlin raps about poverty in "Community Outcast": "I represent for the homeless/Let down by a nation/More interested in war and invasion/When children are sleeping at railway stations..." (one of my favourite lines on the album) and discussing various wrongs of the world through God’s eyes in "Our Father". However, there is optimism in track like "Finally"—a beautiful/aspiring song about not giving up on what you love doing. At times, Devlin comes off as a little arrogant and self-centered (like in "Brainwashed"); but to be fair, he has to right to brag, Bud, Sweat & Beers is brilliantly poetic! It will definitely appear on my year's end list!