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.”
NEWS
Rappers are always debating who belongs on the greatest of all time lists, and now Max B is putting his own name beside some of New York’s biggest legends. Conversations about the GOATs of Hip Hop have been part of the culture for years, and during a recent sit down on Million Dollaz Worth of Game with Gillie and Wallo alongside French Montana, Max made it clear where he believes he stands among NYC rap icons.
“Look, after Big, Jay, and Nas, you can put me on that mothf*cker right after that,” Max said confidently. “That’s how I feel about it after that. I can prove it.” He continued by saying, “After them, you can’t really... put ’em up.” Wallo stepped in to make sure Max truly believed he deserved to be mentioned beside the heavyweights of Hip Hop.
“So, after Big, Jay, Nas, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane...” Wallo started to say before Max cut him off. Gillie then brought LL Cool J into the discussion as well. Max responded, “When it comes to creativity, or just consistent songwriting, I just don’t think anybody got the catalog to match me. Look at my catalog! Look at my tapes! Look at my domains!... Look at the Coke Wave!”
French Montana also jumped into the conversation, pointing out that some rappers only stay hot for a short moment before fading out. Wallo pushed back by mentioning that Big Daddy Kane has managed to remain respected for decades. Max quickly dismissed that argument. “Kane? I ain’t seen Kane? When’s the last time you seen Big Daddy Kane? N*gga, I just did 18 years, I ain’t seen Kane, he wasn’t even on the kiosk! Big Daddy Kane?!”
Do you think Max B’s legacy really puts him above some of the other legendary New York emcees? Watch the clip below and decide for yourself.
