For a while there, it looked as though we’d lost Yungen. Part of a wave of UK rap talent re-writing the rules, the South London artist took a step back following the release of his ‘Project Purple’ tape. Placing his own life first, he began recalibrating his creativity, focussing on other ways of making music.
Making his return in 2021, a flurry of singles increased the hype around his comeback to boiling point. Out now, solid new mixtape ‘Passionate & Paranoid’ makes good on those promises, while leaving open fresh pathways for future creative evolution.
‘Passionate’ is a punchy opening gambit, the spacious almost jazz-like production affording room for those introspective bars. The tape then switches gears, with ‘Popstar’ introducing a fresh directness, showing that Yungen has the chops to make the Top 10 swagger of his peers.
The highlights come thick and fast on a remarkably consistent project. Ghetts feature ‘Batmobile’ leans in on those trippy drill snares, while also sitting at a spine-shattering grime tempo. Yungen finds room for his recent Daily Duppy, a freestyle display that shows the MC at his most eloquent.
‘Passionate & Paranoid’ is at its best when Yungen favours directness, however. ‘Monopoly’ is the gutsy tale of his comeback, a pull-no-punches message of verbal dexterity. Avelino spars on the swaggering ‘Boyz In The Hood’, which seems to relocate G-Funk aspects within a UK framework. The project’s other main feature ‘Trails And Tribulations’ boasts Krept and Konan, and it locates the balance between depth and street level appeal.
A forceful yet compact project, ‘Passionate & Paranoid’ illustrates the raw talent at Yungen’s disposal, while also presenting new challenges. A release that puts him straight back to the forefront, it’s a vital cross-section that depicts one of UK rap’s voices in full flow.
7/10
Words: Robin Murray
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