Rob One - African

Here's something a little bit different. Rob One originates from Jo-burg, South Africa, but I believe has been in the UK for a while now, as The Guardian amongst others have published his work as a music critic. There is some genuinely original lyrical content on this album, such as the 2 part espionage story, Shots Fired, or Rob One detailing his struggles with learning Zulu on Broken Language. I will say that the beats aren't always to my taste, occasionally over-relying on synths, and coming off a little bland as a result. What stands out though is the conscious attempt of the MC to bring some fresh concepts. He doesn't quite nail it every time, but with topics as diverse as post-apocolypse survivor stories, and flying, on top of a few more run-of-the-mill hip-hop staples, you can only applaud the effort.