One of my biggest regrets this year in terms of music discovery is not getting onto 808INK sooner. The talented hip-hop duo from South Lundun, consisting of producer/rapper 808Charmer and Mumblez Black Ink, come through with their new project When I’m About, You’ll Know, Pt. 2, a follow up album to When I’m About, You’ll Know. Spanning 15 songs, the record is a colourful and engaging listen, highlighting their talents as musicians and songwriters. Their rise this year is one of the most exciting things to happen within the UK music scene, hands down, and this new project is a beaming example of this.

I don’t even know where to start at this point. The production? Ridiculous. I literally stopped at “Blessed Up” and replayed that joint about 50 times before moving to the next track. How you could sample Modjo’s classic 2000 house track “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” and make it so dope with the heavy 808s, synths and kicks is beyond me. Tracks such as “Continue” with Prynce Mini bring out heavy dancehall vibes, and “Rememo” features this wonky bassline that perfectly complements the rhymes and flows. This is the case on all, if not most tracks on this album. Counting blessings, living life, women and success are all lyrical themes on the album, and all of them give an insight into their lives and thoughts. Features include Prynce Mini, the king Kojey Radical, who brings the heat on “Trophies,” which also includes one of my favourite beats on the album, and Sam Wise from House of Pharaoh’s. They all bring their unique energy which just bring more personality to this incredibly dope project. WIAYK2 exceeds all expectations and just makes me want to go back to the first WIAYK2 project and vibe to that.

Listen to WIAYK2 below via Spotify, and don’t forget to support! Go listen to WIAYK too while you’re at it!