The way Knucks has continuously elevated in the music scene has been an absolute delight to watch. He’s always been gifted on the mic, and when it comes to his pen game, there aren’t many rappers in the UK doing it like him right now. He has mastered the ability to use great cadences, while spitting some bars filled with substance and others that are silky but still pack a punch. Everything Knucks says has a purpose.
With his incredible new project Alpha Place recently dropping, we thought we’d take a look at 9 of the hardest bars delivered by Knucks on the project. Let us know some of your favourites on the socials!
Knucks Ft Venna – “Alpha House“
“Ten years old in beef, dad thinks street’s takin’ over me. Mumsy prayin’ for me, but there ain’t enough beads on the rosary. Raised by the wolves from young, but still in the jungle like Mowgli.”
Here Knucks touches on his upbringing and getting into the streets at a young age despite his mum and dad trying to steer him down the right path. Knucks references Mowgli from the classic animated movie Jungle Book to further paint the picture of his block being the jungle and him being a product of that environment.
Knucks – “Hide & Seek“
“So why they puzzled? It’s all routine, they clock us shottin’, they called police. Ain’t no drill when the feds all sweep. The pain don’t kill, we just get more fiends.”
Knucks uses an exceptional double entendre to illustrate how the pain of continuously getting locked up doesn’t kill you in the streets. When you get out, you just get more fiends to sell to, but also the pain doesn’t kill them as they use substances such as morphine to cope with the mental strains the hood life brings.
Knucks Ft M1llionz & Shae Universe – “Decisions”
“Still tryna make a killin’, the thing is the paigons tryna do the same thing. Ain’t just prayin’ on my downfall, they prayin’ I’m out more, patiently waitin’. If you never lived like this, how can you weigh the mistakes that I’m makin’?”
With these bars, Knucks describes how he’s aware that his opps aren’t just praying for his downfall. They want to be the ones to personally cause it. So anytime he’s out and about, he has to keep his head on the swivel.
Knucks – “Leon The Professional“
“They say on the street he a phenom when he squeeze dons it’s phenomenal. Make a change off a name like a hitman and will hitman if it’s reasonable.”
Playing on the 1994 action movie Leon, Knucks raps about a mysterious hitman in North London who will sort out all of your problems in spectacular fatal fashion for a reasonable fee.
Knucks – “Send Nudes“
“All them chicken head girls, I ain’t miss them, “Farewells,” what I wished them. It went straight off the rail like sh*t then. In the woods, man felt like Tristan.”
Spitting about girls he’s been with whom he never had strong feelings for, and how things ended abruptly with them. Knucks brilliantly references the NBA player Tristan Thompson, who cheated on his long-time girlfriend Khloe Kardashian with Jordyn Woods. These might be some of the wittiest bars on the whole project.
Knucks Ft Stormzy – “Die Hard“
“Wa-wa-wanna take it there, I take it back further. Knucks is headin’ the rebellion like I’m Nat Turner. Mans word, I can never be a man’s worker. Work the plan, we can never let the plan work us.”
Knucks makes it clear that he’s leading the new generation like no other right now. So as he manoeuvres in the music industry, he will continue to go down his own unique path.
“Checkmate“ Feat Lex Amor
“Me, my thoughts, and I. My resort through the awkward times. How many times have I fought with pride? The fights that I fought from this fort of mine. Phonin’ phones, but who’s callin’ mine? No one’s around for the tears of the clown, but surprised when the jokes ain’t fly. Aight, it’s cool, it’s fine.”
These are some of the best bars on the project as they carry great substance. As men, we rarely speak about our emotions. When you aren’t mentally feeling at your best, you just suck it up and deal with everything on your own as you feel like nobody genuinely cares.
Knucks does an excellent job sharing his message on this important topic. The same friend whose always cracking jokes and smiling in your face could be dealing with some serious demons behind closed doors all by himself. This is something everyone should keep in mind. Always check up on your friends!
“Three Musketeers“
“The nerds that he worked for taught him to fire up a bird like the kernel. Who you callin’ a chicken? If all went to sh*t, I was pickin’ the bird call.”
Knucks points out the irony in guys calling him scared, when if his boy gets caught, he’ll be the one calling up Knucks in a fright from the jailhouse.
Knucks – Los Pollos Hermanos
“Made in the manor like Kano, where the able yutes are moving ‘caine. Searching for P’s on my P’s and Q’s, man step out the queue you can lose your place.”
Playing on the UK rap legend Kano’s Made In The Manor album, and his classic “P’s and Q’s” anthem, Knucks drops a little game on how things work in the streets. The wordplay here is elite, as he also uses the biblical reference of Cain and Abel to highlight how normal it is for people to get involved in the street life and start selling drugs where he grew up. He shows how it was a never-ending cycle. If one person gets locked up, there’s another impressionable kid ready to take their spot.
With Alpha Place Knucks has dropped one of the best projects of the year. He gives you bars with food for thought, but also some on a mischievous vibe with production that fits his sound perfectly.
He has just secured his first-ever top 5 project on the official UK Charts. The only way is up for Knucks, so if you haven’t already, make sure you take in ‘Alpha Place’ below!