Introspective, witty, musical: like fine wine Ghetts progresses from his more frivolous and hedonistic grime roots to produce a mature and rounded album. Conflict of Interest (2021) set the bar high, and On Purpose, With Purpose hoists itself over it.
I would recommend listening to On Purpose, With Purpose for the first time without looking at the track list, to share in my excitement at its immediately recognisable features. Kano and Wretch 32 are fitting on ‘Mount Rushmore’, considering they would incontrovertibly be pictured if grime had an actual Mount Rushmore. But when a grime veteran extends a hand to a grime contemporary, the result is ‘Blood On My Hands’. At the first grunt of “listen!”, Unknown T steps up to the plate boldly and beautifully, injecting energy off the back of a classic, quick-flow Ghetts verse. Expanding from grime, Skrapz, Lancey Foux, Tiggs Da Author, and Sampha are distinct and socially prevalent – and as such, know exactly what is expected of them when providing a feature. Ghetts also uses his acclaim to give a platform to up-and-comers. East London’s Harry Aye stands out with vibrating afro-fusion melodies.
In this regard, Ghetts identifies the cultural imbrication of grime and afrobeats or dancehall. Sitting in this space are ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Blessings’, ‘Tumbi’ and most impressively, ‘Gbedu’: the name of the percussion instrument on the track, used traditionally in Yoruba music which literally translates to ‘big drum’. If you, like many, seek African and Caribbean sounds as the warmer months approach, On Purpose, With Purpose will get you excited for those summer evenings lazing in a field.
Some bars seem uninspired and somewhat tautological – we are well aware that “they don’t wanna put no cash into the NHS”. But elsewhere, he brings poeticism to common grime themes which affected him as a youth (“a hero if I kill for my country/and a villain if I kill for my postcode”), alongside issues affecting him now, as a father (“Steve Jobs never let his kids use an iPad”).
Other lyrical performance warrants a deep breath, particularly the penultimate track ‘Jonah’s Safety’, which covers themes of postnatal depression and abortion laws – crucially underexplored in rap and reminiscent of Dave’s ‘Lesley’. Only a mature perspective can appropriately tackle such sensitive and heavy topics particularly as a man who can never fully sympathise – but Ghetts exhibits almost ethereal empathy. We are in an era where rap icons, uninspired by adult life, turn to concept flute albums; or worse, try and cling to their youth, acting (and dating or marrying) half their age. Ghetts emblazons his experience with the avidity of someone fresh on the scene. In a way, the scene being unrecognisable to his heyday, he is fresh on the scene. On Purpose, With Purpose is Ghetts’ Galápagos Islands: showcasing his evolution.
Image Credits: “Ghetts for YO! MTV Raps (2019)” by MTV UK is licensed under CC BY 3.0.