Bawo, the soothing sound emitting from West London continues the hot streak with an abundant debut EP, showcasing his ever-so apparent desire to step out the typical ‘rapper’s’ comfort zone in the seamless ‘Live & Let Thrive’ EP.

Bawo releases ‘L&LT’ tailing the heavenly ‘Starts With a Text’ that gave us a glimpse into the potential within this highly anticipated EP, setting the bar high for our expectations - and I can certainly assure you the man didn’t fall short. This project consists of just over six-soothing-minutes of soulful soundscapes, meditative pen-smithery and overall just a bunch of absolute bangers to be honest.

Bawo ties in the narrative of prevailing amongst adversity through and through, setting the pace with the introspective ‘I Hated My Name’ produced by Andy Quint, which sees Bawo tackling the prejudice cycle that’s blindly over looked here within the UK - giving some of us a moment to reflect on the subtle privileges we take for granted.

Sonically, Bawo is, for the lack of a better term, a complete musical chameleon throughout this offering - adjusting to whatever genre he’s given and absolute killing it, truly showcasing his multifariousness in all its glory. Entries such as ‘Don’t Lie on My Head’ see the West-Londoner hopping on one of the smoothest garage-inspired rhythms I’ve heard in a minute, tying in choppy cadences within those ‘that’s an oi move for me lowe it’ bars, alongside consoling melodies and vocal backings - shoutout to Kxmel on the production, the man went crazy (plus that producer tag slaps).

Oh, but you thought the multifariousness stopped there? See, that’s the thing you’ve got to ‘Get with the Times’, as Bawo only makes it crystal clear why his name is in everybody’s mouths right now, with a soothing drill-infused rhythm produced by yp chill, consisting of ethereal pitched flutes, sinister hi-hats and of course some muddy 808 slides, as Bawo breaks off into that intoxicating ‘nuh-key-aaa (nokia) simpler times’ flow - seeing the musician keeping us on our toes as per usual.

Coming to the tail end of this bountiful EP, Bawo see’s us off with a nonchalant offering ‘Building Castles’, placing those laid-back vocals on the highest of pedestals - as the musician paints a picture of a late night encounter with a romantic interest, setting the hazy atmosphere with that silky hook: ‘enchanté, chop it up like plantain, do you wanna bun one way’ - if this track doesn’t scream prime Bawo then I’m not sure what does - also props to Kxmel once again on the production and make sure to check out the visuals courtesy of Josh Moseley, they won’t disappoint.

Now I know I may be a little late on this review and I’m sure many of you have already had the time to take this one in, but if not then I’d highly suggest you set some time aside for this project and get to terms with the name - as the soothing display of experimentalism Bawo represents within this offering is truly unmatched, showcasing his desire to surpass the bar he continuously sets with each offering. So go check out the West-Londoner’s fresh entry and show some love!