slowthai continues to set the pace in a league of his own, linking up with the enigmatic and prolific A$AP Rocky, on the fierce, vividly astute and engrossingly ominous ‘MAZZA’. The latest in a run of single releases before February’s album drop, the new cut is another gargantuan statement of intent from the Northampton rapper, showing the extent of slowthai’s artistic influence, with the ability to secure one of the biggest rappers in the world for a feature. On MAZZA, the pair compliment each other with affliction and nuance, with coma-inducing production, bold, robust delivery and transcendent lyricism.

The instrumental is sonically fulfilling and compelling, with the distorted, gritty synth sample merged with full-blooded drums and bass. As is often the case with slowthai, ad-libs and vocal sampling add endless texture to the soundscape, acting almost as an element of instrumentation. Two of the most striking spitters in the current game, both artists bring an array of inducing, avant-garde flows, charismatic lyricism and singular phrasing. Each bar feels like it is there for a reason, with neither thai nor Rocky wasting a word.

A perpetually progressive persona, slowthai once again shows why he is one of the most talked-about UK rappers around.