“Izzy and Camden, so I’m a lil’ bit Cockney” says Ambush Buzzworl on ‘Tommy Shelby (OutDRILL)’, the closer of his new ‘Ask My Brother’ mixtape.
You may know the name from his now classic, street hit, ‘Jumpy’, a dedication to his home borough in London’s North West. The song’s release was followed by collaborations with Skepta, Chipmunk and Suspect before a tour with Giggs, who serves up a double dose on the mixtape, appearing on both ‘Silly Events’ and ‘Mass On Sunday’. Other notable features include D Double E, C-Biz, H-Moneda, RA and Buzzworl compadre, Presi Pros.
For fans of Ambush, ‘Ask My Brother’ is a long time coming, it’s been eight years since his last project, ‘About My Business’. In between these releases, he shook up the scene with countless bangers, from ‘Sauce (Freestyle)’ to ‘Already’ to ‘Man Can’t’, though his music career was sidelined by a couple of jail stints.
‘Ask My Brother’ serves as a treat, dropping in the midst of a global pandemic, coinciding with a civil rights movement. The conversation about police brutality isn’t new to Ambush, he’s been talking about it for years, take his 2018 release ‘Day Ones’ on which he speaks about his cousin Nuno being killed by the police. There’s a depth to his music that separates Ambush from the majority of UK rappers, along with an attention to detail that ensures this project shines.
Steadily crafting audio for rap Anglophiles, Ambush weaves essential aspects of London culture into his tales, as demonstrated on the stand-out song ‘Eastenders’. Throughout the project, he notes the influence of areas like Islington and Camden on his style, making him “a lil’ bit Cockney” while retelling stories from these places and how they’ve contributed to his PTSD. Overall he’s one of the best in the city and we can’t take ‘Ask My Brother’ off repeat!
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