An independent rapper, producer and sound engineer from Preston, BLKY (Liam Blake) is an artist truly dedicated to his craft. As he started rapping from the age of ten, to now releasing collaboration projects and building up his own brand for over a decade, BLKY’s music is known to be rooted in authenticity that shapes his identity and real life experiences that resonates with many.
Stamp of Approval is the first song and title track from the duo’s coming debut EP in mid-September, and it is the perfect opener to this milestone for the pair. The start with the funky saxophone hook already intrigued me for this one. While BLKY wastes no time coming in with his ride on the funk-trap beat with a fast-paced flow. Transitions between rhyme schemes makes his verse really fun to listen to.
The swinging between on and offbeat flows also makes the feature rapper and BLKY’s mate from Preston, HBD (Hennessy Benny D)’s entry seamless in the track. While the lyricism is playfully clever, it just has that little more authenticity coming from BLKY as he speaks of the struggles of being independent for so long, and the realities of doing so in today’s day and time.
The hook, ‘Put the city on the map for em’ feels that much more satisfying when you understand the narrative behind — as two mates trying to put Preston ‘on the map’ through years of hard work.
The 4-track EP is said to have written with G-funk-influenced sounds and more witty lyricism, and so gained even more anticipation from me for its official drop on the 18th September.
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