KAM-BU only ever seems to astound those tapping into his genre-warping soundscape - and his debut album ’BLACK ON BLACK’ is the utter embodiment of not just this, but everything he and those before him have worked for to raise this young prodigy into the flourishing sound that he is today.

Sitting at twenty-four cycles around the planet and originally blooming out of the East-Midland’s *big up* hub of Nottingham; South West-London raised musician KAM-BU is continuously ascending with his deep-cutting presence in the industry - bringing a soul-touching breathe-of-fresh air courtesy of the rapper’s conscious-seizing pen-smithery, providing representation for the unheard; speaking on community, race and politics. 

KAM-BU officially stepped onto the scene in 2018 with his debut release ‘Butterfly Kick’ featuring one of his many go-to peoples behind the keys, PULLEN - bringing us our first taste of the un-box-able force with a window into KAM-BU’s sonic canvases that seem to forever change; from that snappy percussion and speaker-rattling bass, to the switch-up with that smooth four-on-the-floor tempo before signing it off. 

Although, it was during the height of the pandemic that brought KAM-BU to the forefront with that insanely colddd link-up on ‘Different’ with the Sensei himself: Lord Apex. Everything about this one is just different; from the bone-chilling instrumental courtesy of PULLEN, to KAM-BU’s infectious energy, to that goat’d entry from Apex ('man you know what I do, man you know what I’m on, aye pass me the bong’). It’s safe to say after this certified classic, KAM-BU was posted under all the right radars for all the right reasons, and rightly so. 

However, less of me reminiscing the old bangers, KAM-BU’s approach has only continued to bloom ever since this; seeing an already polished artists flourish into an experimental mastermind, bringing a freeing form of consciousness to the game, that is truly embodied with the introduction of his empowering ‘BLACK ON BLACK’ project.  

‘Its an ode to our ancestors’ KAM-BU says in a string of crackled dialogue from the introspective radio-tuned ‘Intro’, before guiding us into the orchestrally weighted ‘BLACK ON BLACK’ single, as KAM takes us on a rollercoaster of a journey; reflecting on the path that has come to make him the man he is today (‘Windrush, Grandad’s clan/events from my past had my soul split/never liked the god, so I prayed to the moon/our days coming soon’).

Social-consciousness runs deep throughout this offering, as KAM-BU speaks on matters such as the youth; questioning the rationality behind some of their actions, but wondering why they may have fallen upon the path: ‘I refuse to condone all the splashing and dipping and chinging, but youth clubs are missing/how can man be different from living in a system that don’t benefit them’ on the beautifully composed ’10 toes’. As well as, his frustration towards the injustice faced by those that lost their lives and livelihoods to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017; ‘justice for Grenfell, it weighs on my brain, it should weigh on your heart/imagine if they’d bun down all their yards’ coming from the richly strung ‘Plane Ahead’. 

I could honestly write a dissertation on this one, you know; it’s truly in a league of its own, and the fact it’s a debut album? Baffling - but I guess I’ve got to wrap this one up sooner or later, so it’s only right that I send off the track-list with the wheel-up worthy link-up alongside new-age rap pioneer Knucks on ‘Call Me Back’. Returning to his musical roots, KAM-BU hits up PULLEN and Venna for this number; jumping on a drill-infused production as the two light-off bar-for-bar, unleashing some gritty word-play and head-rattling flows; venting the frustration of having peering eyes relentlessly on their backs, further personified by the paranoia-driven documentary-style visuals directed by Jay Green. Flawlessly wrapping up this debut project with what I’d say zero to criticise.

KAM-BU has not only engraved his own presence through the world sonically with this debut project, but his family’s, community’s and ancestor’s that came before - as he says for himself; “it’s a thank you for the risk they took and the culture they brought, which we proudly celebrate and continue to expand and evolve with.” Honouring them in the most beautiful fashion within this tribute; inviting us into a part of his lineage’s history and empowering the tales their descendants shall go onto create.