Slowthai is far from a conformist. Since emerging in 2019 with the critically acclaimed, Nothing Great About Britain, he became a singular voice in the UK scene. It earned him praise from artists like Skepta and A$AP Rocky, who tipped their hats to his punk-rock ethos and abrasive energy. However, even with a unique sound, he didn’t allow the praise to define him. With his follow-up project, he pushed against the status quo even further with a triumphant comeback after a brush with cancel culture.
Today, the rapper unveiled his latest body of work, UGLY – an acronym for U Gotta Love Yourself. The latest project boasts no credited features across the 12-song tracklist. The assistance isn’t needed, as he links with an impressive roster of producers on the project including Kwes Darko, Dan Carey, and more to bring the project to life. He remains in the punk rock pocket but fuses together glitchy electronic sounds that bring a flare of intensity to the tracklist.
Slowthai – UGLY
Ahead of the project’s release, slowthai unloaded a number of singles on his fans such as “selfish,” and “Feel Good.” In a statement, he explained that his latest body of work is a reflection of dealing with the persona that comes with the territory of being a musician while remaining authentic to himself. “People see you as a character. They don’t actually know who you are. You’re stereotyped as the nutter who gets in his boxers,” he said. “I was doing that to show that you should be free at shows and enjoy yourself but you choose to see me as an idiot.”
“It doesn’t matter what or who people think you are, you’ve just got to stay true and respect yourself,” he continued. “I have UGLY tattooed on my face because it’s a reminder to love myself, rather than put myself down constantly or feel the impression people have of me should determine who I am as a person.” UGLY is certainly one project that’s going to remain on repeat for the coming months. Check his new album above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.