Welcome to JP’s UK Culture Picks, your one-stop monthly column for all the best in UK music and culture! Expect everything from my favourite tracks and albums of the month to random YouTube finds, fire food spots to club night recommendations. You can find me on IG: @josephjppatterson.
Santan’s Sermon...
No music video. No IG snippets. No radio single. No press: Just a title, a release date, and some visually-arresting artwork and photography... That confidence can only come from having faith in a higher power. The Boy Who Played The Harp, Dave’s third studio album, is a sermon written by Santan, for Santan—anyone else that can take something away from it is a plus.
One of the most introspective British rap albums you’ll have heard in this lifetime (and the next), every track unveils a new vulnerability—from both the past and the present. Similar to when I first heard Stormzy’s Gang Signs & Prayer in 2017, The Boy Who Played The Harp cut deep unlike most secular-rap albums, the theme of faith resonating with me in a close-to-home kind of way. My dad is a Pentecostal minister, and has been for over 50 years. I was raised in the church, baptised in Jesus’ name, and I believe in the power of the Holy Ghost. But have I fallen short of God’s glory throughout the years? It’s shameful to say: but more times than I can count! Still, I strive to do better, daily: to become a stronger believer, for my steps to be ordered by the Lord.
In this world of sin, only a power mightier than yourself can help guide you through, and this fight between the flesh and the Spirit is evident in Dave’s latest work. Here is a man with the world at his feet, with millions of fans and likely the same amount of M’s in the bank—but something’s missing; he knows his walk with God, the one who blessed him with all of this abundance, isn’t as strong as it could be—but still: he’s striving to do better, to become a stronger believer. “Father God, forgive me/It’s been a couple years, there may be more that I ain’t prayed/Even longer I ain’t been to church—God, I'm ashamed/Embarrassed of my ways, but still, I’m asking for your grace,” Dave raps on “175 Months”. Where the rapper looked to a therapist for guidance on his debut LP, Psychodrama, and to those around him on We’re All Alone In This Together—on TBWPTH, Dave looks up, hands folded, asking the giver of life to show him the way while knowing life’s vices will continue to show up: today, tomorrow, and the day after that.
Inspired by the story of David in the Bible—the young shepherd and harp player who defeated Goliath, ended up becoming King David, and wrote many of the songs of Psalms—Dave’s faith seeps through on almost every track on TBWPTH: be it upfront in his bars, in the angelic tones of Tems, Jim Legxacy and James Blake, or in the gospel-tinged melodies used in production; it’s like he’s having an evangelical service for one, preaching to himself a message of repentance and redemption. Fellow Top Boy Kano shows up on “Chapter 16” almost like an Elder/a Deacon, uplifting and supporting Dave in his hour of solace: “You got a lot of years ahead of you/Some years’ll worsen you, and some will better you/If it’s not positive, drop it, the street’s residue/But keep a piece of yourself when you’re selling you/This game ain’t for the throne, and Kings are checkable.”
This sermon is personal—he’s being generous by sharing it. The Boy Who Played The Harp is Dave’s Matthew 3:12: separating the wheat from the chaff (the righteous from the wicked) or, in Santan’s case—separating real fans from the fake. Since it’s dropped, I’ve seen a number of viral tweets calling the project “mid”, with some “fans” unhappy with the lack of “Clash” or “Sprinter” moments (i.e. radio hits and club heaters). But if you understand rap, you’ll know that artists have seasons and, evidently, Santan isn’t in the season of superficial, celebratory moments—he’s in search of purpose. And if you can’t rock with him now, on this soul-searching journey, can you really call yourself a fan?
This isn’t for the basic listener; you’ll have to have been tried in the fire—spiritually speaking—to grasp the full meaning of this project. Is The Boy Who Played The Harp “too deep”, or are you just not spiritually in-tune to be able to hear it? I honestly don’t think Dave made this album to appeal to the wider public; he spoke his truth, made his art, and set himself free. Call it selfish, but like queen Mimi said—he did it, not for us but for himself. And you can only but respect it. He may have even helped fix UK rap along the way...
P.S. Nicole Blakk is the future; Dave’s ear was really to the ground with that one, featuring her on the track “Fairchild”. And re: the bar where he raps: “We don’t need no commentators, we could leave that to the sports/Just listen to the music, why do you need somebody’s thoughts? Some of it’s constructive, but most of it is forced,” a few music commentators took that to heart, as if Dave was dissing music critics and journalists. But he does value us: I was personally invited down by his team to listen to the album a week before its release, but I couldn’t make it. If he didn’t care, neither would his team. Cee Valentina hit the nail on the head: “I don’t take what he’s saying to mean we don’t need ‘commentators’ at all. I think he’s saying we don’t need music commentary as it is now: focusing too much on numbers as if music is the same as sport, giving their opinion without understanding the context or nuance behind it.”
This bassline track features one of the best 16s I have heard this year…
I’m a retired bassline raver (long live Niche!) but I still like to tap into that scene every now and then to see what’s happening: who’s popping, and what new sound-plugins producers are using for that infamous bass-wobble. I came across the producer TeeDee’s project, Bad Boy Dubz, at the top of this year (it dropped on New Year’s Eve but it still counts over here), and the track “All The Things” features one of the best MC verses that I’ve heard all year. Respect to KAV on the second verse, but it’s the opening one from Kannan that takes it for me. The Sheffield spitter attacks the womper-stomper-of-a-beat with local greeze chat and braggadocious gas, with so much confidence that you cannot not believe him... There must be something in the water up North.
The rise and fall: What has happened to our legendary freestyle platforms?
When I think of iconic UK rap freestyles, the first one that comes to mind is K Koke’s Fire In The Booth from 2010. Raw, unfiltered street rap from the Stonebridge legend, it’s a freestyle that has become embedded in the scene—we should all know it word-for-word by now. Sadly, though, the platform which housed that super-legendary freestyle has gone downhill over the last five years. And look, I get it: its founder, Charlie Sloth, is busy dealing with his multimillion-pound Au Vodka brand, so quality controlling who steps to the mic may not be his main priority. But, for its legacy sake—it should be. If you look through the FITB YouTube channel today, while some great talents are still being spotlighted, there are more artists who aren’t up to the level to warrant said spotlight—they’re just. not. ready. And that’s where quality control comes in.
But the most recent shocker was when the FITB IG page posted an AI Tupac and Biggie freestyling, and even giving Au Vodka a shout-out. Do I need to spell out what’s wrong with that picture? I think it’s clear: money has blinded the initial vision, and FITB isn’t the only one. Too many sub-level rappers are also getting Daily Duppy freestyles—which used to be reserved for the legends in the scene—and the importance it once held is now no more. Mixtape Madness, meanwhile, continue to do a great work with their Next Up? freestyle series, as well as hosting Fumez The Engineer’s popular Plugged In. Joey Clipstar’s Hardest Bars—which platforms (good) up-and-coming talent—always deliver too. Now more than ever before, UK rap needs its freestyle platforms, but the scene as a whole needs to return to a level of quality to reclaim the spot it once held in British music.
Malika’s “Go” going viral proves the love for UK funky is still there
UK funky lives on—in our hearts, our souls, and on the dancefloor. Malika’s “Go”, one of the genre’s defining anthems, has recently found new life on TikTok, where a fresh generation of music lovers is moving to its beat. I caught up with the London-based singer-songwriter to talk about the Crazy Cousinz-produced breakup banger, and to ask whether UK funky is finally ready for its second time in the sun.
JP: 16 years after the release of “Go”, the track has just gone crazy viral. How does it feel to know that even younger generations are tapping into your UK funky classic?
Malika: It’s incredible! We recorded the song in 2007, and it has now gone viral four times in the last 12 months: on DJ AG’s livestream, at Krept’s birthday bash, then at the Red Bull Culture Clash and, in the last week, all over TikTok. I think funky came around at such a pivotal time; we were teens and young adults and it was very much our homegrown sound—plus the internet, TikTok, trends, and specifically the DJs have helped keep the sound and our songs alive.
JP: What was it about the live performance at 1Xtra that you think people loved in that viral clip? Your vocals were literally the same as the track!
Malika: [Laughs] Thank you! Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. I’ve been singing since I was 5 years old, so I’m used to hearing me sing [laughs]. Aside from that, though, I think it went viral because it’s the culture’s song. At this point, we’ve voted for Giggs’ “Talking Da Hardest” to be the cultural National Anthem, but I keep being told that “Go” is definitely the culture’s break-up anthem at this point.
JP: When you made the song with Crazy Cousinz, did you ever see it becoming such an important track in Black British music history?
Malika: I didn’t, no. Growing up, my dream was to be the UK’s version of Whitney Huston or Brandy, so I was always aiming for the stars. But at this point, I actually get emotional singing “Go” because I feel like this song isn’t actually mine—it truly belongs to the culture, which is a really beautiful thing. Not many people know that I own the master, and it’s actually a remix of an R&B song I made with my friends Starz and Hypertone. I then entered an MTV competition called Hugo Urban Rules and was picked to win by Estelle, who had just dropped “American Boy” at the time, and Sabrina Washington from Misteeq. My then-manager, Ian Henry, suggested getting this remix done by some guys called Crazy Cousinz, and here we are 16 years later.
JP: Can UK funky have the real resurgence that it truly deserves?
Malika: Truly, I don’t know. It should, because there is a cultural calling for it—for sure. But for whatever reason, the powers that be are overlooking its relevance. We’re seeing a huge renaissance in the pop space with the ‘90s and 2000s bands reuniting and charting, and the same love and opportunities should be extended to the UK pioneers of garage, funky and grime, whose music has been the soundtrack to all of our lives for the past 20 years—including the A&Rs in the labels, who continue to dance but ignore the impact and relevance.
JP: What do you have coming up that we should be looking out for?
Malika: I’m in the early stages of producing a documentary about the music industry ,particularly around garage, grime, UK funky and UK rap. It’s due for release in 2027. I also have a music consultancy company called Sounds Write where we consult for labels, managers and artists on creative, strategy, rights and registrations. We also contribute to panel discussions and offer workshops for aspiring industry professionals. And then, of course, I’ll do some songwriting or a quick performance of “Go” if and when I’m asked [laughs].
Inside DESI TRILL, the record label and platform bringing South Asian talent to light
Shabz Naqvi has always had an ear for what’s next. From helping shape the sound of UK garage as part of the legendary So Solid Crew, to becoming a respected producer and music executive working with the likes of K Koke and Roc Nation, his career has been rooted in innovation and cultural movement. Now, Naqvi is stepping into a new era—one that’s unapologetically global and proudly brown. His latest venture, DESI TRILL—launched in partnership with Jay-Z’s longtime business associate, Ty-Ty Smith—is more than just a record label. It’s a platform, a movement, and a mission: to put South Asian talent on the world stage. Guided by its bold tagline, Brown Is Everywhere, DESI TRILL—distributed by Universal Music Group—aims to bridge the gap between hip-hop, R&B, and the vibrance of South Asian soundscapes.
I caught up with Shabz to find out more.
JP: Yes, Shabz! We’ve known each other for way over a decade now. It’s always good to see people from back in the day still disrupting things in the industry in a bid to make change. Obviously, I know your work as part of the legendary So Solid Crew, but we worked together a few times when you managed K Koke in the early 2010s, when he was signed to Roc Nation. How has life been from then till now? What are you doing these days?
Shabz: What’s good, J! Yeah, man, we’ve been rocking for a minute, and it’s a blessing for us to still be here. This game is like musical chairs [laughs]. Life has been life-ing: lockdown came and threw the whole word off; technology has been moving at the speed of light. So it’s just been about navigating through all that while still balancing the real fundamentals of what brought me to music. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to work on Rapman’s Blue Story and Supacell. That was brilliant. I also had the pleasure of joining the dots with BackRoad Gee and Jay-Z for my brother, Jeymes Samuels, and his dope movie, Harder They Fall. Now, though, I’m focusing on DESI TRILL: a South Asian, global-focused, 360 entertainment platform.
JP: The 2010s road rap scene was a golden era in Black British music—for me anyway. As someone who was working in and amongst it, how do you view the scene today from how it was back then? Anything you’d change? Anything you’re proud of?
Shabz: The game has evolved, in a sense of volume and accessibility. What was special about that era was that it was a little raw, and discovering your go-to artist was a little more exciting as you had to be on the streets to hear about it.
JP: You are now the Co-founder of DESI TRILL with TyTy, Jay-Z’s right-hand-man at Roc Nation. He was also the person you connected with for the K Koke deal, right? That shows that you do good business because, after all these years, you guys are working together again. How did you two come up with the concept of DESI TRILL?
Shabz: It’s a pleasure for me to still be with TyTy, someone I have known for 20 years now, but who I’ve also admired and looked up to. Our relationship started on the foot of admiration for the art of music, and then we slowly grew to know we come from a similar place, with similar codes. Ty is a genius! DESI TRILL was a brainchild I’ve had for many years, to bridge the gap with South Asians and the sounds of hip-hop, R&B and dance music. I mentioned it to Ty because I needed his guidance and he loved the concept immediately; he knows all about breaking down doors to be heard. We then together went off and started building the foundation.
JP: Do you think South Asian artists have been given a fair shot over the years?
Shabz: I feel like platforms have never been built to communicate their greatness and culture to the rest of the world. But that’s what DESI TRILL is now here to bring.
JP: Is your aim to sign and develop South Asian artists from the UK or do they have to directly be from Pakistan and surrounding countries? What’s the criteria?
Shabz: The main criteria is that you’re representing your dialect and culture. There are so many layers to what “South Asian” means—Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indian and more, with languages like Tamil, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and more. We’re looking for artists who bring that to life in their music. English is cool, too, but there should be a balance and a nod to your roots through your mother tongue. This isn’t about dividing people by race—it’s about creative expression that carries cultural truth and identity.
JP: We’ve had a fair few Brit-born South-Asians do their thing over here—the biggest would probably be Jay Sean. To remind readers, can you share some others to jog everyone’s memory?
Shabz: Punjabi MC has to be at the top of that food chain, especially for his Jay-Z feature! Bally Sagoo is another pioneer who actually made it onto Top Of The Pops back in the day with a full Hindi-fusion song. And we can’t forget the Original Nuttah himself, Apache Indian, aka UK Apache. There’s loads more, but I had to respectfully highlight these brothers.
JP: Mass Appeal have also ventured into countries like Pakistan, signing rap acts like Talha Anjum and Umair more recently. What are your thoughts on that? Are they your competition?
Shabz: We need more Mass Appeals and more DESI TRILL! Look at hip-hop: there was Def Jam, Murder Inc., Roc-A-Fella, No Limit, SoSoDef, LOUD—and the list continues. They all contributed to make the culture of hip-hop and push Black music into everyone’s home. I love what Mass Appeal are doing, and I am personally friends with some of their team from India. I’m here to support and grow us all!
JP: Who is signed to your label and who do you have your eye on at the moment?
Shabz: Right now, we’ve got DJ LYAN, Mumzy, Naisha, Yung Sammy, Natania and Subhi on the roster. They’ve each making serious moves in their own space, from DJ LYAN’s track “DESI TRILL” being featured in FIFA 25—the first ever Punjabi song to do so—to Mumzy’s “Ki Kori” making history as the first ever Bengali track on FIFA 26, both representing their dialects and cultures through their music. Natania and Subhi have this year worked with DJ Khaled and Cardi B on the song “Higher Love”, which was on The Smurfs movie soundtrack; Naisha also collaborated with Skrillex, and YUNG SAMMY went viral in India with his single, “Silence”. All of it stays true to our mission: pushing global sounds while staying rooted in our mother tongues and our culture. If you want to dive in, just search DESI TRILL on YouTube and hit that subscribe button! It’s amazing music.
JP: What’s your hopes and dreams for DESI TRILL?
Shabz: Legacy is the purpose. Building a staple brand no different to labels and platforms like Virgin, Island Records and more, where they exist in every country representing a sound and culture. But DT is South Asian. Our staple brand identity strap line is Brown Is Everywhere, and that’s what we want to rep globally—wherever we’re placed on this earth and galaxy!
Tracks Of The Month
Tracks added for October 2025:
Dave f/ Kano, “Chapter 16”
Saint Ludo & Kasst 8, “Subliminals”
JayaHadADream f/ Frisco, “Hideout”
Skepta & Finessekid, “Sirens (From Ireland)”
TR Gobrazy, “I Was Shook”
TR Gobrazy, “Rice And Stew”
Ceebo, “Pentecost Of Living”
Skye Newman, “FU & UF”
tendai, “Red Wine”
Mobb Deep f/ Nas & Jorja Smith, “Down For You”