MoStack is finally blessing us with another project in the form of High Street Kid 2. After mixtapes, freestyles, EPs and more feature hooks than you can count, the Hornsey hailing artist is sure to bring fans another great project to add to is already impressive catalogue.
Mostack is often championed for his melodic delivery, charisma and animated style but Mo also has a serious talent for wordplay that we think needs celebrating.
Before High Street Kid 2 drops, we went through MoStack’s catalogue and pulled out nine of his hardest bars, from various points of his career. Let us know your favourite MoStack lyric on the socials!
1) “I only trust girls on days that don’t end with a ‘y’, don’t ask why, you can’t ever see trust” from “Fashion Week”
First up, we had to acknowledge this viral line from “Fashion Week” that rivals “too much sauce” and “drip” for its popular Instagram caption usage.
The line uses “y” and “why” as homophones interchangeably to deliver a humorous yet socially relevant bar that perfectly illustrates this generation’s trust issues in romantic relationships.
As social media continues to chronicle the latest dramas involving cheating, fraudsters, set-up chicks and fake Instagram lifestyles, Mostack’s line on “Fashion Week” said what many were thinking; trusting someone is near-impossible these days.
As well as being the latest line for mandem to use on social media and incorporate into their daily lingo, girls, of course, flipped the line to express their own frustrations with the opposite sex by changing “girls” to “boys”.
Watch the video to “Fashion Week” below and hear the famous bar that nearly caused a gender war to erupt.
2)“I never let them know when I’m getting gwop. You won’t see I ball (eyeball) like Fetty Wap” from “Stop Lying Pt.2”
Taking it back a little bit is this line from Mostack’s 2016 mixtape Gangster with Banter. The mixtape was a strong 21 track long project that housed link-ups with many including Sneakbo, Yungen and Scammy.
Mostack was well ahead of his game with this project and it proves that the artist was spinning listeners with his bars long before he was receiving mainstream recognition.
Good wordplay often relies on references to popular culture and using the same word in different ways. This line is a perfect example of this and listeners will quickly pick up on Mo’s mention of American rapper Fetty Wap who at one point, only had one eye.
3) “Ugly girls trying to think they’re on fleek. ‘I woke up like this’, bitch go back to sleep. I don’t give no fucks like a virgin, if you was the last girl on Earth, I would shoot myself and make you the last person, you think I care if you’re hurting?” from the “Fuck Your Man” Tim Westwood Remix
Speaking of the Gangster with Banter mixtape, the project also houses the cheeky Steel Banglez produced track “Fuck Your Man”. Mostack questions a girl in his lyrics on why she has chosen another lover over himself. Many will relate to his predicament.
The next bar on our list is taken from the remix to this track which Mostack performed for Tim Westwood over the instrumental to Beyoncé’s 2011 hit “Best Thing I Never Had”.
Mo spits venom with this one and his anger and emotion produces a vicious set of lines that picks up on popular culture catchphrases and later fires them back out with malice.
The anger and hurt behind this line had made it a fan favourite and his use of “I woke up like this” whilst freestyling over a Beyoncé instrumental is no coincidence; Mo not only laces his lyrics with wordplay and cultural phrases, he is also able to intelligently make off the cuff connections with every aspect of his musical performance.
4) “I can’t wait to be a millionaire. And all the old friends that holla will get a million air” from Mostack’s 2015 Fire in the Booth freestyle
Keeping on the freestyle theme, we have this line taken from Daley’s 2015 Fire in the Booth freestyle for Charlie Sloth.
Mostack was hungry and eager to blow in this freestyle. The artist begins by retrospectively speaking on his humble beginnings and his struggles on the road.
As the freestyle progresses, we hear how life is starting to change for the artist and this line which juxtaposes colloquial terms with dictionary defined meaning of words to craft a well thought out bar, was a wish that Mostack spoke into existence and following his hard-earned success, it is likely that many of Mo’s old and fake friends are currently getting aired.
5) “Dad hardly visits and that’s uncool. Fucking hell, you should’ve been my uncle. Keep it real here (real hair) no Rapunzel” from Mostack and J Hus’ Tim Westwood Crib Session
Rum and coke, salt and pepper, chicken and chips; a few iconic duos that are great separately as well as great together. Mostack and J Hus add to this list too. The two have collaborated on several tracks at every stage of their career including the massive track on Hus’ album, Common Sense, “Fisherman” and the massive remix to “No Buddy” which also featured Chip and Paigey Cakey.
The fifth line on this list is taken from Mostack and J Hus’ 2015 Tim Westwood crib session. Flowing over several instrumentals including Nicki Minaj’s “Truffle Butter” and 50 Cent’s “Piggy Bank”, Hus and Mo go bar for bar with each other and hype each other up with ad-libs throughout.
The standout line from this freestyle is not the first time Mo has expressed frustration in his music about his absentee father, but the skilful delivery of this one makes it unique. “Uncool” and “Uncle” used as both a rhyming pattern and a homophone is a prime example of Mostack’s careful lyricism and his clear talent for wordplay, again proved later in the line with “Keep it real here (real hair) no Rapunzel”.
6) “If I grab her by 9, I’ll have her back by 10” from Mostack’s 2019 Daily Duppy freestyle
It would be impossible to speak about Mostack’s freestyles and not mention his most recent Daily Duppy freestyle. Appearing in a red jacket and as animated and confident as ever, Mostack absolutely tore up the Daily Duppy mic. Views don’t lie, at the time of writing, Mo has the second most viewed Daily Duppy ever. A separate piece on nine of the best bars just from his Daily Duppy could easily be written.
“If I grab her by 9, I’ll have her back by 10” is a standout line from this freestyle purely because it encapsulates and represents everything Mostack is as an artist; lyrically talented, playful, charismatic and funny.
The lighthearted nature of this line due to the smartly laced sexual innuendo that is likely to have gone over your head on the first listen is exactly why Mostack is one of the sickest in the game, he drops intelligent yet fun bars without appearing phased or like he’s even trying.
7) “Came in late, blame it on the black people’s timing. I turn 4 to 8 cos I’m doubling (Dublin) like Ireland” from “Mash Up”
Speaking again on J Hus who Mostack notably shouted out infinite times in his Daily Duppy freestyle which you just watched above, the two dropped “Mash Up” in 2017 and quite frankly, mashed up the instrumental with insane skill and constant elite level lyricism.
Mostack intentionally comes in late on the beat when he delivered this line which again illustrates his talent for adding meaning to all aspects of his performance. The use of “doubling” and “Dublin” is a given but the delivery of this line alone needs a special mention and owes Mostack celebration as one of the most talented artists in the game.
8) “I’m laughing, the only time they’ll have me in stitches” from the “Liar Liar” remix
Mostack’s 2016 remix to his track “Liar Liar” received some staple verses from Krept and Konan and J Hus. Every single artist on this track brought wicked bars and wordplay to be rivalled. Krept especially was praised highly for his skill on this track but not allowing himself to be upstaged, Mostack offered a new verse on this remix with bars and wordplay that kept him in battle with his track-mates.
The lines “I’m laughing, the only time they’ll have me in stitches” and “You’re the gyaldem’s joker. She’s sitting on your face, you’re the gyaldem’s sofa” are among the many examples of comical wordplay that Mostack makes heavy use of on this track along with Krept, Konan and Hus.
9) “I saw this gyal at the zebra crossing, black and white gyal, man it felt like a zebra crossing” from “What I Wanna”
Last but not least, Mostack’s playful performance on his recent hit “What I Wanna” deserves an honourable mention. Lines like “She’s like ‘when are you free?’ Never bitch, I cost” and “I saw this gyal at the zebra crossing, black and white gyal, man it felt like a zebra crossing” are conscious and insightful plays on words that reflect the carefree nature and energy of the track.
Mostack clearly chooses bars and structures them based on the energy of the song’s composition; a skill that not all artists embody.
We’re excited to hear what other great lyricism MoStack blesses us with on High Street Kid 2. If you missed it, be sure to check out our list of essential MoStack tracks right here!