Three albums in, people might feel they have the measure of even the least predictable musican. Tyron "Slowthai” Frampton has always been an outlier as a rapper from Northampton, not London, and while his unhinged videos, gigs in his underpants, and chaotic, controversial awards show appearances have made him stand out further, they might also have turned him into something of a cartoon. “People see you as a character. They don’t actually know who you are. You’re stereotyped as the nutter who gets in his boxers,” he has said in the run-up to this release.
So, time for a reset. “UGLY”, which he now has tattooed beneath his left eye, has two meanings, the literal one and an acronym: “U Gotta Love Yourself”. The new music, however, is largely lacking in those positive connotations. It’s menacing, extreme, rooted in punk and post-punk rather than hip hop, and the lyrics frequently sound despairing. It’ll probably lose him a fair number of fans, those who prefer the fun stuff, but its honesty is often breathtaking.
