Track of the Week: East

Leicester’s silver-tongued superstar Sainté is back to his effortlessly charismatic best with East, featuring upcoming Maryland coroner Joony.

The East Midlands talisman shot to acclaim with his four-pronged EP Local Mvp. The project combined the grit of UK underground rap with the breezy vibes of West Coast Hip Hop to unparalleled effect, quietly disrupting the landscape of UK alt rap, the impact of which we are still seeing today. After such a defiantly creative debut body of work, his follow up Out the Blue was somewhat of a mixed bag; but the moody ambience of No Love and the exhibitionist feel of Summer Is Blue, compensated the lack of artistic progression on some of the other cuts. 

East is Sainté’s second release of the year, following the ambitious, ambiguous and adept double-single Queen / Aim. The new track sees Sainté bring a snappier, more focused flow over a sparse Cali-influenced instrumental, offering enduring bars throughout his verse and hook. Joony is an superlative addition to the tune, riding the beat silkily as a side dish to Sainté’s tasty performance. 

Now that Knucks has gone clear, UK alternative rap is in need of a new king. If he continues to finesse his style whilst experimenting and progressing, Sainté could soon find himself embellishing the crown.