yusef slim | Our Thoughts On Mania EP
We have written yusef’s name in lower case according to his preference.
Providing a surreal intonation on UK Drill, South London rapper yusef slim returns with Mania EP. The four-track project is a tactile expression of yusef’s psyche as he zooms in on themes surrounding drugs, trauma, and his personal struggles with healing. The thudding kicks, tight hi-hats and discordant basslines of Drill nicely accompany all the elements of yusef’s original work.
“Acid rain in my brain, trip like I can’t deal with the passa”
The opening track, I Just Ghost - which features unmistakable hints of Drill - matches perfectly with the rapper’s lyrical fluidity and vivid references without taking away from the avant garde. yusef later slows it down for us in the follow up track, Kaká, with a mellow opening melody before throwing in an upbeat tempo to compliment his sporadic delivery on the track. Kaká has already hit 68K plays, having been supported by Spotify editorial playlists Shisha Lounge, Fresh Finds Hip Hop and Dummy Mag’s Brand New - The Best New Artists.
Proudly repping the ends in Croydon Zoo, yusef utilises a wavy Far Eastern sample in Fake Taxi. Both tracks profoundly show yusef’s refusal to shy away from unveiling his battles with social injustice and racism.
In Croydon Zoo, we observe a more serious side to yusef, as he delves into unavoidable discussions of police brutality and the tensions brought about during lockdown.
"Trying to live, no stress.
I don't want to die; they don't want to see me protest"
yusef experiments with different sounds and eccentric basslines on this project [I Just Ghost]. His way of chopping and changing the energy in each track works harmoniously with how he switches his flow to match them. It was refreshing to see yusef’s different layers and the versatility of each element involved in creating Mania.
Overall, this project is a vibe. From the production to the lyrics, we can see that yusef slim is definitely in his own lane.