Words: @sjriptweets
Marking the release of his fifth album, which lands five and half years after his last, GRM breaks down five reasons why Mr Flow of the Year is still the don.
Versatility
First and foremost, Kano can flip his style like no other. He has broken ground on collaborations with the likes of Hot Chip and Damon Albarn, while still flexing alongside urban kingpins like Ghetts and Giggs. The new album does grime, and hip-hop, with a bit of calypso and dance, in a way that only KA can.
And it’s not just the music. His role as ice cold, chop-a-couple-finger Sully in Channel 4’s ‘Top Boy’ may have fitted a grime artist, but that Mercedes advert?! Wow. You know you’ve made it when you’re getting driven down sunny cobbled streets…by a model…in a Merc… even if she does blank. Kano’s versatility goes beyond the music and sets him apart from the crowd.
Longevity
Longevity is what separates the great from the good, the Jays from the Freeways. In a genre where MC’s can lose their shine as quickly as they get it, Kano’s permanence is a reflection of his skill.
From barring with Titch and Esco back in the days, to the Made It moment, through to the Craig David collabo, to now, it feels like a generation has grown alongside Kano, meaning that if they did a grime equivalent of that black and white rap legends poster, KA would be front and centre.
It’s still got that road feel
The transition to success can be challenging for grime artists, as their brand often relies on a (excuse the cringe) ‘street image’. If, on the first album, MCs are talking skengs and white, that’s fine, on the second, hmm, ok, but by album three everyone knows it’s Ricky Rozay fugazi. Kano is on album number five, however, and has still got that authentic road feel.
This authenticity is because Kano’s appeal comes from his flows, lyrics and artistic choices, rather than a tendency to namedrop a criminal activity every two bars. The DIY vibe of videos like “Hail” and “New Banger” feel creative but also, crucially, real.
Flow
Kano claimed to have the Flow of the Year back in 2014, and while GRM has not carried out a comparative analysis of flows for the current annum (watch this space), he is still going in in that department.
Take Little Simz “Dead Body Part 2 + 3” – Kano goes from energy-fuelled multiple syllables and internal rhymes, to melodic and casual, to off-beat yardie-sounding monotone in the space of about thirty seconds. KA has still got it with the flows, keeping him at the pinnacle of the grime conversation.
He has fun with it
You may have noticed that grime acts can take themselves a tad seriously (search ‘Dizzee mook’ in YouTube if not), but not KA. From getting lenged around in a supermarket trolley in “New Banger”, to some symphony dons skanking with their brass on “3 Wheel Ups”, to the global #selfie hype of “Garage Skank”, Kano has fun with it.
Maybe with age and longevity comes a slightly less fierce sense of pride, or maybe he’s just more jokes. Either way, Kano shows you can keep it fun while keeping it ‘ard.
‘Made In The Manor’ is out now. Buy the album on iTunes here or stream it on Spotify here.