London, UK rapper 1Kasss is running his race on his terms and breaking the mould in the same breath. By fusing his life experiences into his music, audiences are sure to get an authentic form of representation from him. His latest release The 1 Is Silent, which serves as his debut body of work is a 6-track project in collaboration with producer JayTrill who produced the entire project. The title is a reminder of the correct pronunciation of his moniker (pronounced as Kas) and more importantly a statement of his rising status in the UK rap game.

The first track “Trill” has a dark and brooding texture with punchy drums underpinned by 1Kasss’s laidback but authoritative flow. Here, he details his work ethic and how his go-getter mindset gets him results. Lines like “Ama chase that money even if my leg breaks/Had to let her go, she kept on bringing headaches/You ain’t competent, I told you in the best way” give a snapshot of his mission parameter and set the tone for the rest of the project. The next track “Into me” has a mellow and surreal soundscape and sees 1Kasss’s reflecting on his experiences with women and how he manoeuvres through the ups and downs of relationships or better yet situationships. He is quite irreverent in his outlook and approach, reminding audiences that he has no time for games and any lady who is not feeling his style. The emo-trap “Right” is a collaboration with Yinks and dives into a tale of lovelorn emotions and fiery passion between two lovers as they work things out. The beat is dreamy and sublime while 1Kasss’s playful melodic flow takes the cake with Yinks autotuned vocals augmenting the chorus section.

“Make you mine” is introduced by a rich synth pluck that slowly builds into a downtempo drum groove underpinned by atmospheric textures.  1Kasss continues with his playful and detailed depiction of his playboy lifestyle as he moves through the city with no strings attached. This is followed by “All we do”, with its bouncy drums, surreal strings and soothing melodies laced with bilingual elements. The track is another aspirational tune that explores how he balances his successes, love, pain and loss in the same breath. The final track “Nothing was the same” recruits SABZ and Z£KI for a 3 man posse cut that helps close things out. The production is lush and atmospheric and the rappers employ distinctly different melodic flows steeped in the go-getter mentality and lifestyle of youngmen trying to find their footing in a crazy world.

Overall, The 1 Is Silent, is concise and true to its theme. 1Kasss plays the lead with much gusto as he doesn’t mince his words and gives audiences a genuine take on his persona. His extensive use of melodic flows and cadences is engaging too and while some of the choruses don’t break new grounds, they do get the job done and lovers of trap-soul/drill will enjoy this.