Throughout the past decade, P Money has been able to cement his position as a skilled MC in the UK scene. From freestyles to features, clashes to mixtapes, the South London rapper has consistently delivered lively lyrics alongside fast-paced flows which have come to characterise his distinct sound.
P Money’s infectious energy has impressed many over the years and last year the Godfather of Grime, Wiley, decided to pay homage to the rapper by releasing a track titled “P Money”. Despite P’s frequent output of music and various live performances, P Money has not released a solo studio album but that is due to change at midnight. Live + Direct is dropping on the 25th November and will serve as the artist’s first official LP. If his current catalogue of music is to go by, we can expect banger after banger on the project.
While we wait to hear what P Money has been working on, let’s reflect on some of the hits he has gifted us with over the years.
“10/10”
With its deep beat drop and P’s skippy flow, “10/10” was easily one of the biggest tracks to come out of the UK in 2015. The Sir Spyro-produced banger sees P Money shout out areas such as Manchester, Scotland and Leeds on the hook and the visuals display the MC shelling down shows in such areas. From mosphits to gunfingers, the video captures just how contagious P’s energy is. He effortlessly spits on the forceful instrumental and the outcome is a heavy banger.
“Slang Like This”
2010 was a year in which many grime artists experimented with different styles and genres and P Money wasn’t excluded from this trend. On “Slang Like This”, P Money teamed up with the production collective True Tiger to deliver what is now a dubstep anthem. Despite crossing over to another genre, P didn’t dilute his sound and uses the track to shed light on some popular British slang terms. Since 2010, the rapper has gone on to collaborate with a number of big dubstep artists and producers. P Money’s presence in the electro scene highlight the fact that he’s not an artist who can be boxed in.
“Gunfingers” (ft. Jme and Wiley)
“Gunfingers” is a recent track from P Money and it’s due to feature on Live + Direct. The track is a tribute to the infamous gunfingers symbol that we all do when we’re in the zone and P Money is one MC we can rely on to get us amped. Compared to his usual bold vibe, “Gunfingers” is a lot more laid-back, but that doesn’t take away from its quality. Also featuring on the single are two artists who aren’t strangers to seeing gunfingers when they perform – Boy Better Know’s Jme and the aforementioned Wiley. As expected, both artists provide sick verses and both appear in the visuals which is a miracle if you’re familiar with Wiley’s history. The set of the video is an estate in London – a setting with a strong connection to the grime genre.
“Paradise” (ft. Desperado, Ruger, Blacks & Little Dee)
P Money is one of the founding members of the grime collective OGz and over the years they have linked up on several projects. Earlier this year, they teamed up once again and put a spin on Coolio’s famous hit “Gangster’s Paradise” to detail the harsh realities of street life. Each member provides their own unique style and perspective to create a clear image of the environment in which they grew up in. The black and white visuals reflect the dark tone of the tune and emphasise the points being made on the track. “Paradise” isn’t the typical banger we would expect from OGz but it’s very relevant and very powerful.
“What Did He Say”
Almost a decade ago, P Money released this aggressive yet playful banger and the title of the track quickly became P’s signature reload line. The track is made up of three raw verses and a catchy hook, which suggest although P Money wasn’t an established artist when he recorded “What Did He Say”, he already knew the formula for making a full-length hit. Shortly after releasing the massive tune, P Money enlisted members from his OGz crew to jump on the remix and unsurprisingly, the remix was just as big. P Money was making moves prior to “What Did He Say”, but the track enabled him to prove he’s an MC who’s here to stay.
Originators
Although it may not sound like one, “Originators” is a full-on love song. However, with The Heavytrackers behind the production and a story about a lady who falls in love with grime, “Originators” is probably one of the most unconventional love tunes; but it works nonetheless. The track begins with P Money introducing a woman to the world of grime, before she quickly realises “it’s mad” and grows into a fan of the culture. This love song may not get you in your feelings but it’ll definitely have you feeling hyped.
“Sounds And Gimmicks” (ft. Dot Rotten)
As well as being one of the top MCs from the grime scene, P Money is also a big fan of the genre, and nowhere is this more evident than on “Sounds and Gimmicks”. On this particular track, P is joined by Dot Rotten (now known as Zeph Ellis) to show their appreciation to several grime legends by referencing classic ad-libs and phrases. From Nu Brand Flexx’s hit “Gash By Da Hour” to Skepta’s timeless phrase “What do you mean”, Sounds and Gimmicks is full of nostalgia and P Money creatively refers to these lines to detail a few funny stories. The track is one of the standout tunes from P Money’s 2008 EP P Money Is Power, which is a project deserving of its own appreciation tune.
Featured image by Ashley Verse.