Still yet to turn twenty, Stevenage-born SBK is one of the country's fastest upcoming MC's. Today (5 February), he drops his brand new EP Uphill Struggle, a six-track firestarter that features beats produced by himself and Husky Loops' Danio Forni.
"How can you say grime is dead?" he spits on 'Go Pro' over skewed beats, "SBK I been doing it all year." It's a centrepiece track to a big, faultlessly-produced pack of hits. "Fuck your path," he adds, "I'm on my own one."
We asked SBK to let us into the scenes behind each of the tracks on Uphill Struggle. Find out about them here:
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'Tsunami'
Tsunami was a track that just came to life in the blink of an eye. The beat was so beautiful, and it was so easy to write the song after hearing the melody. It kind of reminds me of the streets, but I wouldn't say it's inspired by other artists. It's inspired by my life experiences and goals, like most of my music. It was a solid expression of how I felt about life in general in that moment. A friend of mine called Eliza told me not to get lost in the raves and partying when I moved to London. What she said to me stuck with me. It was about not getting lost in the 'wave', so that's why it's called 'Tsunami'.
'Comfy'
The grimiest track on the EP, Comfy was yet another easy song to write because it was so natural to me. Grime is my complete comfort zone so when Danio Forni produced this stunning rhythm with a killer guitar sample, the lyrics just began flowing. I talk about how I want to succeed and try to express how much I want to win, but ultimately I could never show entirely how much I want to on just one song. I think this is the closest I'll get though. Listening to 'Comfy' now feels like a celebration.
'Different'
'Different' is probably the least mainstream track on the EP and I think that's quite suitable. I express how I'm not the same as a lot of others and try to keep the theme of honesty and transparency with the listener. I just wanted to show who I was whilst maintaining rough and stern imagery in the bars. The production is the most 'out there' too. Danio did a great job with playing real samples and piano in this track. This one is for the Grime heads.
'Go Pro'
This track is so simple but infectious. I had these lyrics for a long time and was spitting them on radio sets in London for years before I made the song, but I think I brought that energy to a track at the right time. The beat is simple and the lyrical message is clear. I note the way I see myself and my journey, like starting with a cheap computer, finding myself and even mentioning issues I've been through with the police, but I see this track as the most whimsical compared to the others. It's fun and that's how I felt when I made it.
'Uphill Struggle'
Danio really helped with the hook on this track with his vocals, and I think it's one of the strongest on the EP. It mixes Grime in the verses with a much more commercial feel in the hook, and I think that's something that's rarely worked in general, however I think we nailed it. I really highlight my journey in little gems throughout the EP but here I talk about growing up with nothing and my moral compass. Even something as small as saying that stealing is wrong. It's another huge part of the soundtrack of my journey so far.
'Maybe'
Getting deeper here on the final track, this is where I'm most honest in the record, even if I was trying to be the entire time. Growing up in poverty is what inspired this track and I believe my realisation that I'm actually worth something is what I'm trying to put onto other people here. Danio came through with the serene hook once again, summarising the message of the song, which is that everyone is worth something and is here for a reason. Why do I have the right to tell people this? How do I know this? Because I was just like them, and now I believe in myself. It's a journey I want to kickstart for others.
Uphill Struggle is out now.
