Dave — The Next UK Sensation?

Songs that prove the British rapper is in a lane of his own

Lewis Pearce
Rock n’ Heavy
Published in
6 min readAug 7, 2021

Image from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/08/dave-psychodrama-review-best-british-rap-album

It’s fair to say U.S Rap has made more of a splash across the pond than vice versa. States Rap has been big in Britain since the Golden Age of the 1990s, whereas Grime music has failed to capture an American audience since its revival in the early 2010s. Some U.S rappers have attempted to bridge the gap, with prolific acts like Drake and Kid Cudi featuring arguably the most well-known UK M.C Skepta on their albums, but this is only the beginning. The biggest growth in the last few years on the scene has been by Dave, who has displayed both an eye for a hit and honesty rarely seen in Grime. Here are some of his defining songs, which showcase his potential to break American dominance.

Heart Attack & My 19th Birthday — Two of the most honest rap songs ever written

Image from https://www.geo.tv/latest/344630-dave-drops-two-new-tracks-titanium-mercury

The most comparable artist to Dave is Kendrick Lamar, due to his wordplay, his flow, his dark subject matters, and his honesty. On Heart Attack, standing at nearly 10 minutes, Dave lays out all his worries and past drama in an engaging manner. Touching on things such as abuse, immigration, knife crime, and love, not since Lamar’s U has somebody revealed their mind-state in such a devastating way, and the outro featuring a recording of his mother in tears at her struggles migrating to the UK from Nigeria breaks your heart one more time. It is arguably his best track and one of the best grime songs of all time.

My other selection, My 19th Birthday Party, is more reminiscent of old school Drake, where he addresses his fears, his depression, his relationships, and his poverty. Again, the song is nearly 9 minutes, but it keeps you invested throughout, letting you peer behind the veil of what a young black man from London experiences personally on a daily basis. Dave has a knack for making long tracks that cover a wide range of topics, which could arguably be the subject matter of a whole album, but every idea feels fleshed out and fully explored. Another great example of his brutal honesty on full display.

Black & Question Time — Songs which could easily fit on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly

https://news.sky.com/story/brit-awards-2020-best-album-winner-dave-calls-boris-johnson-a-real-racist-11937468

Another great aspect of Dave’s music is his use of topical issues putting his own opinion on the subject. First, there is the powerful Black, which sees the UK artist addressing what it means to be black in the UK and even around the world, and even as somebody who has not experienced the inequality, he explains it so well you can see it around you. This song was further immortalised through his performance of it at the Brits Awards Show, where he added further topical lines about the UK Prime Minister, the Grenfell Disaster and Meghan Markle’s media harassment, and it is rightfully considered as one of the best live performances of all time, regardless of genre.

My second choice is one of his earlier songs, Question Time, which refers to the British television program which allows members of the public to ask questions of political leaders. It sees Dave addressing contemporary UK issues, such as Brexit, the NHS, the Grenfell Tower Disaster, and even U.S politics. Another long song, but one which touches a lot of important subjects and its political angle is like nothing else currently coming from the UK.

How I Met My Ex & Both Sides of a Smile — Tragic love stories

Image from https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/celebrity/dave-my-rap-success-has-given-mum-bragging-rights-a4176571.html

Whilst some of his other songs address trouble with relationships, How I Met My Ex is the best example of a song revolving around love. It goes through them meeting, him falling in love, and soon him becoming distant and jealous of her life. The minimalistic backing track makes the song more potent and tells you the story has a tragic end. He eventually realises his behaviour is halting her ambitions and his jealousy is out of realising somebody could treat her better than he could. I have never heard a love song that has resonated so much, and I advise all those who have had their heart broken to give this track a listen.

My second pick is the recent Both Sides of a Smile, which is not just a sad love song, but also features Dave talking about his upbringing and his criminal past. However, the middle of the song is arguably the best part, where it sees Dave and his significant other going back and forth in an argument, which shows how Dave sees himself and how he again struggles to put his partner first. It is an introspective look at the artist, and the person behind the music. The track also features a beautiful vocal performance by James Blake throughout, and several great music compositions which chop and change.

Lesley & Drama — Brilliant storytelling ability on display

Image from https://www.thefader.com/2021/07/06/dave-were-all-alone-in-this-together-release-date

Lesley sits as Dave’s longest track, and its length allows him to tell a cinematic story of love, abuse and tragedy. If you carefully listen to the lyrics, you can see the tale unfolding, and a swell of percussion builds towards a tragic ending. Dave seemed to reveal this track was based on a relative’s experience, so it must have been hard for him to write this song. It definitely gives off Sing About Me vibes, and its message is simple — women need more support to leave abusive relationships. Its message, supported by this story, is unbelievably strong.

My other choice is Drama, which is dedicated to Dave’s brother, who is currently imprisoned for his hand in a murder in 2010. He goes over his lack of a father figure and his brother being imprisoned, which led to Dave being the man of the house as a child, and it's crazy to think how sad of a life he has had. It is the perfect closer to a strong album, and is a beautiful song for his brother.

Thiago Silva (Feature) & Location — Some of the biggest Grime tracks in recent years

Image from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58029355

Now, for less heavy songs. Thiago Silva is arguably Dave’s biggest hit, with the joint track with AJ Tracey being arguably the biggest grime banger in years when it dropped in 2016. It was further popularised through the fan Alex, the teen who came onto the stage and rapped the entire track in front of a crowd at a festival in front of the two rappers. It is still a popular track now, and is one of the most memorable grime tracks when people mention the genre.

Location, featuring Burna Boy, is another huge hit by Dave, which was everywhere a few years ago. It is more of a laid-back track, with dancehall roots, and is probably Dave’s most “pop” track, and is a part of a slew of tracks of his which are popular in the mainstream. However, these two tracks are not the songs which will define his career — it is those listed above.

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Published in Rock n’ Heavy

Rock n’ Heavy is Medium’s longest-running music publication, dedicated to rock, pop, rap, and all music genres that define pop culture and shape the soundtrack of our lives.

Written by Lewis Pearce

25. First Class Law (LLB) Degree Graduate based in North-West England. Writing on a mixture of topics, including music, film and football. Challenge, don't hate

No responses yet

What are your thoughts?