Rizzle Kicks
It feels strange to be calling Rizzle kicks a new band, as they have been kicking around for a few years now. Rizzle kicks first caught my attention with Jordan's (a.k.a. Rizzle) mostly solo, and borderline genius mixtape "Minor breaches of discipline" On it Jordan fully indulges his largely indie musical influences rapping over everything from The White Stripes, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys to sampling tracks by M.I.A. and Adele. The mixtape saw Jordan going from nostalgic and confessional ('My Hometown') to fully embracing what it means to be a teenager in the UK with all the freedoms the age carries ('I'm 17' and 'Girlfriend') And is no doubt one of the best things to come out of British Rap for years. Fastforward roughly two years and Rizzle Kicks are now a duo, Jordan's rapping now complimented by his long-time best friend and soulfully voiced Harley (a.k.a. Sylvester). Harley's voice compliments Jordan's rapping expertly and has even seen Rizzle Kicks transform into genuine mainstream prospects. New tracks such as 'Down with the trumpets' and 'Prophet' combine Jordan's down to earth yet often witty rapping with massive choruses to rival the best of Britain's contemporary pop exports of the past few years.
With the UK rap/pop cross-over scene thriving at the moment for some of the wrong reasons (We're looking at you Devlin and Chipmunk) how refreshing to hear some genuine young talent who you wouldn't actually mind clogging up the charts. Having signed to Island, Rizzle Kicks have all the framework in place to win over many a fan, if not for the distinctly relatable social commentary in their lyrics, then for their damn catchy feel-good tunes. Long live Rizzle Kicks.
http://www.rizzlekicks.com/
By Toby McCarron
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