Rap-rock is a tough genre to crack. When it’s good, it feels groundbreaking, even after all these years, and reaffirms your belief in alternative music. When it’s bad, it’s embarrassing. In recent years, there’s been a rise in British artists mixing heavier music with grime and hip-hop, with Bob Vylan, Nova Twins and Kid Bookie among those showing the world how it’s done. But still, it’s with some hesitation that you approach a new album in the genre. Thankfully, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, for Delilah Bon's second album, Evil, Hate Filled Female, is one worth celebrating.
Lauren Tate's experiences of misogyny and rape culture in the music industry while fronting Barnsley feminist punk band Hands off Gretel inspired her alter-ego solo project. And with Evil, Hate Filled Female she's fighting back, detailing a series of revenge fantasies which give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Slay, queen!’
Delilah Bon’s interpretation of rap rock is not a simple fusion of trap beats and electric guitars. Evil, Hate Filled Female is chaotic and innovative, with elements of gothic, dark cabaret transforming opener Hey World, Drop Dead Delilah and the title track into unhinged, punk circuses.
Maverick and The Internet are more traditionally heavy songs showing off Tate's metal influences. On the former, she channels her rap-rock peers Nova Twins as she screams out “I will not be treated like shit” with searing emotion. On the latter, there are hints of Eminem (minus his recent shock-value transphobia) as she rails against the hateful cesspool of social media.
On the album's closing track, the lavish Committed A Crime, she returns to theatrical extravagance, this time taking on the personas of her haters, critics, and concerned parents as she stands trial for her provocative lyricism. It’s campy and ironic, reminiscent of Emilie Autumn’s high-concept goth operas, highlighting the skill and finesse of her rock and rap sides in equal parts.
