Serious Games

verb t returns with arguably his best work to date. years in the making 'serious games' reflects the growth of a hungry young rapper into a more mature artist at the height of his creativity. this is very much a personal self-portrait. known for his trademark deadpan delivery and effortlessly intricate flow, verb t's dry wit, deep ruminations and well-observed life commentary can be heard throughout as he tackles a range of subject matter. whether exploring the line between creative fantasy and the everyday realities of fatherhood on 'i'm a hero', addressing the 'monkey-see, monkey-do' nature of pop culture on 'impressionable minds' or pledging his love and commitment to the mother of his children on 'let me stay' it's clear that verbs is a cut-above the uk's current crop of 'pop-rap' clones. he even proves that he can give them all a run for their money on the radio-friendly 'bounce with me' which features the sultry vocals of graziella, probably best known for her stint on x-factor as the centrepiece of miss frank. production comes courtesy of chemo, jon phonics, jj malone and verbs himself. ranging from straight-up bangers to soulful head-nodders and even experimental electronica, the rich sound-scapes reflect the diversity of lyrical content throughout. guest vocalists jehst, kashmere, kyza, dubbledge, skrein and fliptrix all add their own splash of colour to the canvas and the resulting picture is a marvel to behold. 'serious games' is a consistently strong body of work with a clear direction and yet another example of why ynr wears the crown when it comes to homegrown hip hop with style and substance.