South Birmingham rapper Jaycen Spades’ new EP Tyseley Resident features some truly brilliant lyrics and masterful production in what is already one of our favourite releases of the year. We wouldn’t be surprised if 2023 was a standout year for the new rapper.
Tyseley Resident begins with the slow, atmospheric ‘Right Now!’. A lo-fi track, Jaycen’s lyricism and flow really shines through, with a particular highlight being “Couldn’t tell that she liked man back but it’s calm cuz she hinted/Now her clothes on my bedroom floor or Depop check she don’t really use Vinted“. The stripped-down backing really helps elevate both the rapper’s voice and lyricism, making for a perfect introduction to the EP. Following ‘Right Now!’ is ‘Feel Like This’; originally released as a standalone single in March 2022, ‘Feel Like This’ begins with the rapper declaring that “Despite her assumption I’m from South in Brum not London”, and at times the song itself feels like an ode to Birmingham. Far more energetic that ‘Right Now!‘, ‘Feel Like This’ serves as a fantastic demonstration of the range of Jaycen’s vocal ability.
The third track on the album and, in my opinion, the highlight of the EP, is ‘Jenny’. Lyrically Jaycen’s best, including the frankly genius “I don’t wanna war with the kids like Kony”, the song deals with what is clearly some emotionally-fraught and intense subjects, yet at no point does it feel decidedly heavy-handed or “preach-y”. Jaycen’s vocals suit the song perfectly, allowing the lyrics to flow nicely with the backing track. The production of the song is also brilliant; produced by the up-and-coming & extremely talented George Armstrong, who has worked with the likes of Ashbeck, Joe James, and Kae Kuzi, the track makes use of this beautiful piano throughout, really adding to the emotional effect of the song.
Following on from ‘Jenny’ is ‘Waluigi’, another brilliant track which just further highlight Jaycen’s talent lyrically and vocally. More upbeat that the previous track, Waluigi is probably the biggest “hit” on the EP. The fifth and final song on the album is ‘Blackcurrant’. A Loyle Carner-esque track, ‘Blackcurrant’ continues on the lo-fi stylings featured on some of the other tracks on the EP. Influenced heavily by jazz rap, ‘Blackcurrant’ is an absolutely brilliant track, and definitely the perfect end to a really incredible EP.
Rating: 8.5/10
Tyseley Resident is out now and is available on Spotify. Be sure to check it out for yourself!