NEWS
Pa Salieu has continued his comeback run and dropped two new powerful freestyles, ‘Epiphany’ and ‘Crash’. Check them out below.
The BRIT-nominated rapper was discharged from prison last month after serving roughly 21 months in prison. Back in 2021, he was convicted of possessing a bottle as an offensive weapon and a second count of violent disorder, stemming from a 2018 fight following the stabbing of his friend Fidel Glasgow, grandson of The Specials’ Neville Staple. Shortly after his release, he dropped the massive comeback single, ‘Belly’.
Today (October 11), he continued his streak by dropping the double single ‘Epiphany/Crash’ – both songs being produced by Salieu’s frequent collaborators, Felix and AoD. On ‘Epiphany’, Salieu holds a mirror to systemic corruption and global injustices, going after the current and former British Prime Ministers: “Greed always falls in power, ask Boris [Johnson] / Puppets always looking confused, fuck Rishi [Sunak] / I used to vote for Labour, now I don’t know what to do / No hope, fuck Keir Starmer, he a puppet too.”
The Coventry star also brings up his time in prison and many societal issues such as poverty, war, prison reform and climate change: “They’ll be no more ego, when we learn how to take the truth / Take away the evil politician, no corruption.”
In contrast, ‘Crash’ is focused on offering an intimate glimpse into the Gambian-British rapper’s journey through pain and adversity – showing his vulnerability and painted a portrait of himself seeking redemption: “The lord will not favour the man of corruption / But I still try heart full of kindness / Never been perfect, I pray for more guidance.”
Speaking on the inspiration behind the freestyles, Salieu said: “While I was in jail, I realised how fortunate I was to always have my thoughts for company. My mind was my escape, and I fell in love with the pen and paper and that’s when I had an epiphany – I have a voice, a platform, and something meaningful to say.”
“Growing up in a Pan-Africanist family, I was raised with a strong sense of history, and I know the power of words,” he continued. “Reading Tupac’s [1999 poetry collection] The Rose That Grew from Concrete inspired me, especially the way he expressed himself through poetry. I love philosophy, history, culture and humanity. ‘Epiphany’ and ‘Crash’ are raw reflections of that, taken directly from my jail notes.”
The double single came a month after ‘Belly’, which peaked at Number Four on the UK official singles chart. The 27-year-old then shortly followed up with ‘Allergy’. The latter song soundtracked Arsenal’s recent North London Derby ‘hype film’ and will feature on the EA FC 2025 soundtrack.
The last body of work Salieu released was his 2021 EP ‘Afrikan Rebel’. In a four-star review, NME shared: “Pa Salieu is forever championing his heritage as a proud fan and contributor to Africa’s growing subgenres all over the continent. He might be known here in the UK as an alternative grime ground-breaker, but he is truly more than that when he dabbles in making music with his fellow Africans. Taking his rebellious nature in his stride, ‘Afrikan Rebel’ is a great EP to tide us over for his debut album proper.”
The rapper also performed at the 2022 edition of Glastonbury at Worthy Farm, which earned him a glowing five-star review from NME. Sam Moore wrote: “Let’s hope he’s prepared for a good few more years of this, then: watching a talent like Salieu put in such a polished and poised performance at the world’s biggest music festival so early in his career bodes very well indeed.”
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
