So when Skittles PR team sent over 'Poor With £100 Trainers' I have to acknowledge my immediate skepticism. This just made it all the more surprising, to discover that 'Poor With £100 Trainers' is, im my view, the biggest breath of fresh air since Example's 'What We Made'.
As an MC, Manchester's Skittles aka Liam Kelly, is way ahead of his 'Grime-turned-pop-turned-UK Hip-Hop competition. With a mature and meticulous flow, complete with meaningful, heartfelt lyrics, which are in turn laden with complex metaphor and intricate rhyming structures. Skittles is clearly on top of his game. Throughout the album his lyrical talent shines through, whether in the dark paranoia of 'Shottin', the laid back leisure of 'Watchin You', or the socio-political commentary of the album's namesake track 'Poor With £100 Trainers'.
Never the one trick pony, Skittles is also a talented composer, having been responsible for a great deal of the album's production, which for the most part is solid if a little conventional.
A particular personal highlight is the nostalgia laden 'Spiffy and Eclipse', especially for those of us that remember "Adidas Poppers....Opal fruits...and LA Light trainers".....if you're a 90s child, this track will absolutely bring back fond memories.
This may be a debut album, but it's by no means amateur, while not every track on the album is a winner, and there are a few skits, which while amusing, seem to be playing the album filler role more than anything else. Nevertheless the highlights of this album more than justify the investment for Rap/Hip-Hop fans, especially those that prize genuine lyrical talent and expression over gimmicky auto-tune pop music by numbers.
At it's best 'Poor With £100 Trainers' is a showcase of superb young talent, yet the fear remains.....let's hope Skittles continues to bring us more highly crafted and meaningful music, instead of going the route of endless UK MCs (Plan B, Example, Kano, Wiley) all the way to (hip)-pop.
Check out the album sneak-peak preview medley below (which I should point out barely gives scope of the albums stand out tracks) and see for yourself.
'Poor With £100 Trainers' drops Worldwide on March 12th via Estate Recordings
SKITTLES - Poor With £100 Pound Trainers (sneak peak shadow section) by Skittlesuk
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