Slowthai, an English hip hop and grime star, is marmite to many. And his music is not an easy listen. But his latest single, Yum, is pushing the boundaries and making people notice. Tyron Kaymone Frampton (born 1994), aka slowthai, is a British rapper and grime artist. His first album, Nothing Great About Britain, was nominated for a Mercury Prize and at slowthai’s 2019 Mercury Prize ceremony performance, he held a fake severed head of British prime minister Boris Johnson on stage. Severed heads aside, slowthai is clearly dealing with some serious demons on his second record, UGLY. The video to the single Yum, a cross between Requiem for A Dream and Trainspotting and directed by Crowns & Owls, depicts the young rapper dealing with depression, mental breakdown, paranoia, and substance abuse. It is powerful stuff and does not necessarily make you feel good. The music adds an industrial punk feel to his rapping style, with shades of Sid Vicious and Pistols lurking in the shadows. Slowthai might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he is worth listening to, and then perhaps left alone for a while or even for good.
