Sam Wise- Sorry You Were Saying (SYWS)
Born and raised in Kennington, and prominent member of South London rap collective House of Pharaohs, Sam Wise is one to watch out for. He’s making a positive statement in the UK scene, featuring on Octavian’s ‘100 degrees’ last year and has also received acknowledgment from JME for his song ‘Rack Up’.
Sam expresses an effortless & upbeat vibe in his music, and his material brings with it impressive visuals. His debut mixtape ‘Sorry You Were Saying’ proves that the Kennington native is one to keep an eye on.
Speaking to The Face about his new project. He explains SYWS as an introduction to himself and what he wants to contribute to the UK rap scene. This is represented quite brilliantly within the first few minutes into the mixtape in ‘Velour intro’ “We will prosper we will conquer, despite this I live in sonder, humble trust me, love me, hug me, correct me, but let me be me”. Expressing a will to succeed but acknowledging the importance of remaining humble, and remaining single minded and true to himself.
The deepness of his lyrics is consistent throughout the EP, in ‘Frustrated’ a melodic, guitar and synth-heavy production is another great moment, with the talented rapper talking about frustrations in terms of relationships and the negative habits which society impose on us. “Money money money, doesn’t make us happy but we all chasing money” / “The trap made me buy Gucci, the culture made me buy Gucci, I didn’t even like Gucci, am I brainwashed am I choosy?”. If i’m honest I could sit here for days and dig out his lyrics, a testament to Sam and the insightful messages which he is trying to deliver in his music.
The features on the album are also impressive. Fellow South London native Blanco appears on ‘Follow the Leader’ reflecting on his mental health and experiences growing up in London and the harsh living environment that it can present. ‘Follow the leader’ offers a different side to Wise, who you wouldn’t really associate with a darker drill beat, but clearly provides an example of his talent and versatility. Masterpiece is on ‘Loophole’ which is an introspective track talking about love and its frustrations.
My personal favourite on the EP has to be ‘Birdseye view’ which brings with it impressive visuals, which show Sam standing tall above the skyline as he inhales his successes and lays waste to doubters.
Sam wise has shown that he’s no average UK artist. An ability to jump on different genres, deliver meaningful lyrics while also maintaining an upbeat and refreshing sound.
Check out SYWS below
