Lorenzorsv is one of the nine members of the West London Hip-Hop collective Nine8, and his new EP ‘Dice’ shows the emcees versatility over a short collection of inventive beats. 

Nine8 have been building buzz for a while now, and Lorenzo is living up to the bar they’ve set. Since age 12, the British up-and-comer was making grime tracks, and it has since evolved into this skilfully crafted project, with no room for filler. 

The lyrical Londoner’s talent is on full display as soon as you hear the painfully short intro track ‘Cycles’ which leaves you desperate for more. The string-heavy production is murderous, and reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’. Lorenzo floats over the track effortlessly, coming at the listener with his catchy, bouncy flows. He spits every bar with urgency, and his delivery will stick in your head as he rattles off lines like “I was studying for exams, whilst bro said gimme that, gimme that phone”. 

With barely enough time to wrap your head around the deadly intro, Lorenzo takes us ‘Forward’ with the next track, produced by Mac Wetha, and INTCWMJO. The beat is luxurious, and could definitely be a hit with Sophie DeMasi’s dreamy guest vocals. 

The next track, ‘MCT’, features talented rapper NAYANA IZ, who is a great companion to Lorenzo’s already captivating charm. The song comments on themes of race with the powerful hook – “man can’t tell me this or that, man can’t tell me I’m not black, man can’t say my hairs too thick, man can’t say I don’t suit that”. Lorenzo raps with such confidence, despite being told his supposed worth by other people in society. The production is colourful and detailed but leaves enough room for the young rapper to spit one of his most thoughtful verses.

On the EP’s piano led outro, the rising artist gets introspective about his loneliness, opting for a more melodic route to close the curtains to. Each of these tracks showcases why Lorenzo is a near flawless performer, utilising his arsenal of razor-sharp wordplay and catchy melodies.  

At just 18, he hopefully has a long career ahead of him. This 10-minute helping of tracks is a brilliant taster for what is surely to come. You can stream ‘Dice’ here.