Young Coventry artist Pa Salieu has been one of the most exciting new talents coming out of the UK for some time now. His versatility is bolstered by a willingness to experiment and a strong connection to his Gambian identity, creating an interesting fusion of Afroswing, dancehall, and drill aesthetics.
The young rapper started the year with a runaway hit, dropping the video for "Frontline" and garnering huge co-signs from UK heavy-hitters J Hus and SL.
Despite being shot in the head in February outside a Coventry bar, he has kept the ball rolling with a slew of successful singles, exploding onto the scene with sheer talent and personality. Less than a month later, his collaboration with SL "Hit the Block" was featured on Virgil Abloh's lockdown playlist for Vogue.
He continues this run with "My Family", enlisting East London rapper BackRoad Gee for an aggressive dancehall-inspired tune. The pair have been teasing the song since a snippet from the recording session surfaced on social media, prompting enthusiastic anticipation from fans. With this single, Pa Salieu solidifies himself as an unstoppable rising force in the UK scene.
With production from London-based team The FaNaTiX, it looks like Pa Salieu and BackRoad Gee have an international hit on their hands.
Quotable Lyrics
Mazza, mazza
Ride for my killy killy
No cap, buss a bell
Make it ring like that
Have you ever seen a madman giggle like that
You don't roll up a brudda like that, you don't smoke like that