Krept & Konan flip the script with two contrasting mixtapes

Now mixtapes are taking over the mainstream airwaves, an ingenious way for an artist to keep their name filtering through car stereos and intrusive headphone listeners throughout the year.

Krept & Konan come correct, treating us to two tapes for the price of one. 7 Days 7 Nights showcases the two sides of their musical history – the floor-rumbling club bangers, and their late-night, roll-up anthems.

7 Days takes care of business, providing 11 tracks of club-ready beats, guaranteed to get any crowd hyped. “Champions League” kicks off the mixtape with menacing strings and swelling bass, peppered with lyrical takedowns aimed at the inferior rappers in the game.

The trap influence flows through “Told You”, “Wo Wo Wo” and “On My Life” – featuring Grime’s young king Skepta. Things are turned up a notch as R.A steps into the booth on “Khalas” – his lyrical hunger seems to spur Krept & Konan on, with all three MCs battling it out for the ‘hardest verse’ crown – a contest too close to call.

7 Days continues to deliver the speaker rattling rhythms, keeping the UK vibe going with guest spots from Stormzy and J Hus. The most intriguing track is “Cold Summer” (Krept Freestyle), a dancehall bathed anomaly that stands out amongst the rest of its competitors. This is also the moment where Krept is at his most vulnerable. The ‘fronting’ in his lyrics is left well behind as he favours a more introspective view on race, religion and feminism.

7 Nights is the other side of the coin, a late-night/early morning, haze-infused listen. The opening skit sums up the mission statement of the mixtape, and possibly a phrase that Krept & Konan have heard many times in their lives. “You need to make a nice song that I can listen to at night-time; not this grime, rap, shouting stuff.”

“Don’t Lie” relies upon the woozy production that The Weeknd perfected during his early mixtapes – swirling chords breeze past your ears as the honey-dripped harmonies fade in and out.

The US influence is more apparent on this side of the page, not only in the production but with the guests featured too – with Jhené Aiko and Tory Lanez coming along for the ride. The UK is still represented though, as upcoming vocalist Hudson East appears three times over the 10 tracks. 7 Nights is a strong R&B album, but it just doesn’t have the same impact of 7 Days. Each track seamlessly blends into the next, making it a listen that can easily pass you by if left to its own devices.

There are always two sides to every story, and two sides to the same coin. No matter which side appeals to you, one thing is for certain – Krept & Konan continue to be heroes of the UK underground scene.