I vividly remember my first concert: a free show hosted by the boundary-breaking UK rap crew House of Pharaohs near London Bridge. A member of that crew, BlazeYL, is one of my favourite UK rappers and rapping along to his verse on ‘Lit Like London’ was the highlight of my night. His energy, bouncy flow and the way his bars dance on the rhythm of the beats make his rapping truly unique.

“Blaze makes it clear that genre boundaries do not apply”

Blaze makes it clear that genre boundaries do not apply. He doesn’t categorise himself as a drill artist. Nor does he fully encapsulate the “alt UK hip hop” sound. With his lyrical poetry, Blaze is innovating a fresh concept he calls “New Wave” – a mosaic of different sounds from his upbringing (rap, trap, drill, grime), often accompanied by lush jazz samples. Released at the end of May, his first solo mixtape, The Cost of Being, exemplifies this.

The mixtape’s cover art shows him perched on a leather couch in front of his estate. Throughout the work, he consistently thematises his upbringing and the community – as well as the hardships – that come with growing up in London’s estates. When asked by Wordplay Magazine about the vision behind the mixtape, Blaze shared, “the name came from cost of living crisis and the world we live in… [No] matter what your profession there is a struggle and a cost of being.” He emphasised that thematising perseverance and free self-expression was also a key component of his vision.

“This anthem of longing feels like sitting at the back of a bus watching a cloudy sky”

The opener, ‘Toxic Minds’, feels submerged in deep melancholy, its instrumentals characterised by a synth laced with watery reverb. “I miss you like the rain in June,” introduces the echoey chorus, while the video features hues of blue on a backdrop of grey London. This anthem of longing feels like sitting at the back of a bus watching a cloudy sky while rain pelts the windows. The tune features North London native AntsLive, known for his heavy flow and surrealist visuals. In the chorus, joe unknown – described as having ADHD-fuelled, manic, punk-inspired vocals – brings a surprisingly new, sombre sound.

The second track, ‘Inconsiderate’, encapsulates the BlazeYL sound I’ve loved since secondary school. On a jumpy, ringtone-like beat, Blaze spits characteristically cheeky, tongue-twisting lyrics. The video flips between the hair shop, Pirate Studios, Tennessee Chicken and the streets of Lambeth, paying homage to the local, community spaces referenced throughout the track. The lines, “Aunty at the hair shop said I’m different/ We all know that I’m different,” solidify the track as a love letter to Black British culture.

“Blaze spits characteristically cheeky, tongue-twisting lyrics”

‘Str8 Outta Kennington’ features NSJ Mali as well as Blanco’s signature warm yet mellow voice. A dreamy, reversed jazz sample accompanies the rappers’ winding flows about their upbringings in South London, NSJ revealing that he “lived opposite to Blaze” and that Blanco was only “a two-minute walk” away. Kennington is a hub of rap music and, despite his success in recent years, Blaze remains grounded in his roots, celebrating his home through his lyrics and visuals. Indeed, by using digital cameras to film nostalgic videos in corner shops, at Carni and on the streets of London, Blaze has constructed a distinctive visual identity.

‘Come Alive’ starts with a sample of grainy, lush chords. Throughout the track, these keys continue to decorate Blaze’s dynamic vocals with glitchy arpeggios. Another ethereal sample can be heard on ‘Let It Fly’ – an excerpt from a SoundCloud demo of UK electro-pop singer Kenya Grace, whose angelic vocals on EDM beats have been compared to PinkPantheress and Charli xcx.

I love that Blaze has experimented with more mellow sounds while staying true to his bouncy, high-energy style. The Cost of Being makes a significant contribution to the UK rap scene this year, building a cohesive and authentic audiovisual identity for BlazeYL through the spaces that made him while showcasing his undeniable lyrical mastery and flow. A testament to his growth and creativity, this mixtape is an exciting precedent of what is to come from the Kennington native.