UK rapper Kojey Radical has announced his first full-length LP, Reason to Smile, to be released via Asylum and Atlantic records. To be released on the 4th of March 2021, the album will feature artists including Masego, Cashh, Wretch 32, and his own mother. Despite releasing a number of EP’s and having many features, this will be his debut album.
Reason to Smile will feature two singles of his that have already been released, “War Outside” featuring Lex Amor, and “Gangsta”. The former track “War Outside” garnered wider attention earlier this year after featuring on the most recent FIFA soundtrack, promoting his listenership far beyong UK borders. Watch the video for “War Outside” below:
Kojey Radical has been a big name in UK music for a while. The track “Cashmere Tears” became a huge hit, resonating with fans beyond UK rap for its late-night chill beat, with the lyrics “I like that” almost becoming his signature. Appearing alongside UK rap legend Ghetts, he featured on the massive “Bad After We”, taken from Shy FX’s Raggamuffin Soundtape. The versatility in his voice to seduce and sedate on one track to growl and scare on another has made him an interesting figure in UK rap, a vocal style similar to Backroad Gee. It will be interesting to see how he balances these energies on the upcoming project, or whether he ditches the scare tactics entirely for a broader sound.
Judging by the two aforementioned singles, “War Outside” and “Gangsta”, we can infer that he is trying to land a middle ground between the chill vibes we heard on tracks like “Cashmere Tears” and the club vibes akin to artists like Kaytranada. Indeed, “War Outside” reads much like a Kaytranada track, with squelchy bass-beats, shuffling hi-hats, and glistening keys. He has always had this tendency for club-like beats, as seen on his track “Selfish” from his early EP 23 Winters. That EP also contained some dark and heavy tracks, like “Rents Due”, a beat that would instill the fear of God into any man. This is the kind of versatility we have come to expect from Kojey from the very beginning, and the kind we’d expect in plentiful supply on his upcoming album.
Though a speculative point, one can expect something on the harder side with a feature from Cashh, who, on his most recent album Return of the Immigrant, included some drill beats. Especially from Wretch 32, we’d be expecting Kojey to get a bit grimey with it. But we never know; Cashh may want to bang a hook, Wretch might be spitting some chill bars. We will have to wait and see, and I’m sure many fans are waiting with baited breath for a debut LP from such a UK heavyweight.
