Today, London-based lyrical MC Geoblu shares his new mixtape Geo Who? out now via NLV Records.
Having begun writing music at the age of 13, Geo Who? highlights Geoblu’s deep-rooted love for words and poetry, and the force of joint creative ambition. A culmination of 15 tracks developed since 2017, Geo Who? is a dive headfirst into the world of Geoblu, drawing from his early influences that ebb and flow between old-school hip-hop and grime, and brought to fruition with his long-time collaborator Swick (M.I.A., Diplo).
“Swick and I have worked on this project since 2017. It’s amazing to finally get this out. In all honesty, complications relating to the pandemic hindered the release. But it still sounds fresh as ever,” he reveals. “‘Geo Who?’ sounds like my later teenage years. It showcases all kinds of emotions, from pure excitement and energy. With my gritty and grimy lyrics, and Swick’s dramatic and dynamic production, this one is truly a force of nature.”
Since 2019, the pair have released a steady run of music, with past releases featuring UK heavyweights including ‘Greaze’ with Songer, ‘Drained’ with Capo Lee, and ‘Lingo’ with Kamakaze, all of which appear on today’s release alongside brand new features from the likes of SBK, Manga Saint Hilaire, Grim Sickers and last month’s single ‘Wait’ featuring Gabriel Waves among others.
A project that rallies the community he has built over the past decade immersed in the UK rap underground, of the mixtape’s collaborations Geoblu shares“It was incredibly fun to work with Danny (Swick) on this project. Swick is a musical genius with a sixth sense. I would want him to add something, express it badly, and he would know exactly what I meant. The energy we had in the studio was unmatchable. His beats are just so dynamic. By this I mean the opposite of repetitive, always moving, frenetic. This combined perfectly with my gritty, erratic flows. Witnessing his wizardry was a formative experience in my early days in music.
Gabriel Waves is an overlooked SoundCloud legend with some of the cleverest lyrics I’ve heard. Manga, who first appeared in Roll Deep, is one of my favourite grime artists of all time. SBK’s pure passion and appreciation for the craft of grime music shines. Grim Sickers brings some of the most energy I’ve ever seen, both in his music and on live sets.”
A staple of the UK underground, Geoblu has fostered a strong sense of community through his work as both a performer and curator. His London-based flagship event series, Geo Presents, has showcased artists such as Bawo, Deema, DXVL, Danny Sanchez and Ashbeck. He has also hosted weekly radio shows including The Geoblu Show on Fuse FM and London Underground on Itch FM, and is a regular guest on Reprezent Radio. Alongside this, Geoblu previously served as labelhead of Bonzeye, an imprint of UK label Black Butter Records dedicated to supporting emerging underground talent.
Geo Who? is out now, buy/stream here
TRACKLIST
1. Who’s That
2. Wait (feat. Gabriel Waves)
3. Neo (feat. Elcee the Alchemist)
4. Devilish (feat. Manga Saint Hilare)
5. Frostbite
6. Neck
7. Headlights
8. Upright (feat. sbk)
9. Lingo (feat. Kamakaze)
10. Repeat
11. Greaze (feat. Songer)
12. Drained (feat. Capo Lee)
13. Fist
14. Proper (feat. Grim Sickers)
15. Gatekeeper (feat. Musti)