With an
appreciation for marijuana almost as great as his contempt for political
authority, UK rapper, Coops, has positioned himself well to be the British
Invasion’s next heavy hitter.
“Another
dream gets sold, but that don’t mean it leads to the gold” he spits over the
swelling ambience of “So Cold”, setting the stage for the “weed rapper with a
conscience” persona with which he navigates the tape. Gang culture,
abandonment, an unjust justice system--these topics are all fair game under
Coops’ microscope. It is the uninhibited honesty with which he critiques the
world around him that makes Lost Soul relatable to listeners in London
or New York or Timbuktu.
Musically,
Lost Soul delivers on the melancholy promise that its title implies.
Despite the fervor of Coops’ lyrics his delivery feels more like matter-of-fact
observance rather than attack mode. Combine that with the warm croon of Sophie
Faith (“Make Things Right”, “So Cold”) and a simple smooth bass riff + boom bap
beat formula and you’ve got a tape that is extremely easy to listen to. The
momentum does lull a bit in the second half though, and left this listener
hoping that Coops will take more risks production-wise in future tapes.
Perhaps, try on some beats that match the energy and adamancy of his poetry.
Nonetheless,
Lost Soul gives international hip hop
heads more than a few reasons to keep an eye on the British scene. Coops is
joined by a band of UK spitters including P Freestyle, Twitch and Elz whose
verse on “Odyssey” adds to one of the catchiest tracks of the project.
“Lost
Soul is a reflection of my generation, both musically and spiritually,”
said Coops on what drove him to create the project. “I'm trying to bring back
some of that soul that music had when I was growing up.” A tall order, but in
the case of an MC whose latest feats include opening a sold out show for Nas, I
have little doubt he’s up for the challenge. With a retro jazz essence and
unabashed storytelling style, it won’t be long before we are hearing more buzz
for this kid stateside.
- Syron Townsend
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