It’s so cool when an artist is 11 albums deep and is still taking risks and growing.
Fliptrix has been one of the most important voices in UK hip hop for 20 years, and he just dropped his best album since 2014’s Polyhymnia. On Elevation, he puts together an hour that will give you enough of what you expect from him (urgent boom bap), but also offers UK grime, synth-based rhythms, many tempo and flow changes, and, more than anything else, vision. I’m a fan of UK rap in general and Fliptrix specifically, but I do have to admit that much of sounds the same (especially a lot of the High Focus roster), and when I say “sounds the same” I mean “sounds like Fliptrix/Leaf Dog/Verb T/etc.”
The guest list is eclectic, too, which adds to the adventurousness of the album. Ragga artist General Levy and grime rapper (and professional footballer) Kamakaze join more familiar Fliptrix partners like Jazz T and Da Fly Hooligan–and there’s a posse track as well, which is a lot of fun.
A new Fliptrix album is always cause for celebration, but this one is exceptional. If you don’t know his music, it’s a great place to start.
