On “Jewels” Camden rapper Awate proves grime is not the only thriving force in UK hip-hop

17 October 2017, 12:14 | Written by Aaron Powell

(Tracks)

(Awate)

Bringing together elements of jazz and hip-hop from decades gone by, his new single, “Jewels” – taken from his debut album Happiness – greets you off guard with a walking bass that explodes into life with early '50s jazz riffs that wouldn’t look out of place foregrounded by an intense Bond scene.

The drama of the beat provides a platform for Awate’s golden-age flow, giving more emphasis to his gritty, hard-hitting bars that speak fluidly of social injustice and police brutality: "They ask me, where is the black face now / It’s between the officers boot and the cold hard ground."

In less than three minutes, "Jewels" packs a punch that hits so hard that it’ll lodge in your auditory cortex. Embrace it.

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