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#REVIEW Kwengface Delivers Brand New Mixtape 'YPB: The Archive'

#REVIEW Kwengface Delivers Brand New Mixtape 'YPB: The Archive'

Author: Tom Dingley | Saturday 11th June 2022

Peckham's very own Kwengface is back with a brand new project 'YPB: The Archive'.

This project is the second to come from Kwengface to date and encapsulates why he is one of the most highly respected and exciting drill rappers about right now. With his high energy delivery and beat selection, along with the choice of features throughout this project, the project is everything fans will have wanted from Kwengface and more.

The project opens with 'Runtz' - produced by Fiz and Ludo - and showcases Kwengface talking his talk over some heavy 808's and flowing over it as smoothly as you like. The slightly dark and eerie production makes this track what it is in the sense that the lyrical content and the beat go hand in hand to make sure that the authenticity is there, as well as making the track sound as good sonically as possible. Offloading effortless and hard-hitting bars like "I heard youts tryna come to my mums, I sleep with a ting I will blow off your humpty" which in the tone of voice and over this slightly menacing drill beat, sounds as authentic as it gets.

The first of the features on this project comes on 'Step Out' and it comes from New York drill artist Dusty Locane and the differences in styles on this track compliment each other beautifully. Kwengface's high energy, upbeat flow and the way he lets off his bars, and Dusty Locane's deep, husky tone of voice and cadence cut through the beat in different ways but the contrast in sounds works so well on this track and they clearly agree as this is not the first track they have worked on together, previously working together on 'Steady' and the chemistry was therte from the start. The music video for 'Step Out' is on YouTube now and it is a movie.

Other features on the project include the legend that is Dizzee Rascal on 'One Eye Open', a collaboration that sounds so clean due to both rappers having that high energy, bouncy flow and Dizzee over this drill beat is a combo that just works. CB features on 'Plankton' which is a punchy track, and both rappers absolutely do their thing on this one, sliding through the smooth, ever so slightly vocal laced beat cleanly and delivering their bars with ease. The feature that really stands out for its repeat value and dynamic sounds in terms of the artists on the track comes on 'Guns & Kettles' with French The Kid. Kwengface's uncompromising energy and French The Kid's weaving of melodic vocals to hard-hitting bars are a combination that work incredibly well together on this track and it is definitely a collaboration I believe fans will be demanding for more of in the future.
The most unexpected track on the project comes by way of 'Let Me In' where we get a more vocal performance from Kwengface. Using autotuned vocals, we see yet another side of Kwengface and one that is new to hear but it is refreshing to see as it shows that Kwengface is not only completely unafraid to try something new, but also he is able to do it to a level that sounds good and having the bravery to do that and switch things up deserves a lot of respect and hopefully this is a style we see Kwengface deliver more of in the future.
One of the tracks that is going to have fans in a chokehold because of how infectious it is and how different it is comes on 'Excuse Me Ms.' as it is a switch up in terms of the production style from what we are used to hearing Kwengface rap over. Produced by Nyge and sampling a young Chris Brown's legendary 'Yo (Excuse Me Miss)', Kwengace delivers a banger which is certainly a tune for the ladies but with Kweng's signature drill twang to it and displays yet another layer to the talent that Kwengface possesses.
Overall the project showcases Kwengfaces range of styles, whilst also sticking true to himself and giving us that high-energy, unapologetic and uncompromising signature style that we have come to know and love from Kwengface and everything from the beat selection, to the placement of each track on this project, to the choices of features makes this a must-listen project for not only Kwengface fans but drill fans in general.
'YPB: The Archive' is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music right now, so run that up and support as much as you can, this is a solid body of work.