Melo - KwolleM

Following his 3-year release hiatus, 2023 saw fashion tycoon/producer KwolleM return to hip-hop with his long-awaited sophomore album, Melo, accordingly named after his new-born baby daughter. A (suitably) mellow, rich rap tell-all on the journey through fatherhood and the vulnerability involved in it, this album shines fresh light onto the UK rap scene with its wholesome fusion of ‘mellow-grime’ and the rappers outlook on the future of his parenting. The record brings some big names to the table, such as Joe James, AJ Tracey, Ashbeck and Tinchy Stryder to name a few, all bringing something fresh to the producers’ signature styles.

The opening track ‘GIRLDAD’ sets the precedent for the vibe of the record almost immediately, starting us off with a pre-recorded voice note of KwolleM’s excitement settling into being a father. A technique that we see him use often throughout the record to give listeners better unconstructed insight to his emotions in the process of raising a child, even granting his daughter artist credit for a voice recording of her laughter later in the opener. The combination of such distinct UK trap music elements (the fast-paced snare beats, digitalised & warped melodies and heavy bass claps) with lyrics such as “got a few Barbies on ice right now, Disney Plus membership on ice right now” is a juxtaposed pairing I can’t say I would ever have expected to hear, but can say I enjoyed. Taking all the playful glitz and glamour involved in raising a daughter in his stride and into his music, ‘Barbie dolls’ and ‘bedtime stories’ previously act as criminally undiscussed topics of lyricism for artists in this genre.

The majority of the tracks seem to begin with softer or lighter melodies before shortly coming in with the rap beats. ‘Mainstream’ and ‘End of Time’ even slightly resemble a lullaby prior to the bass and beat drops, using light, high pitched xylophone sounding notes, resembling the likes of a vintage ballerina jewellery box; A clever way to further incorporate the overarching father/daughter relationship in with his East London grime roots. The record in its totality is in abundance of music genres, mixing the evident mellow-grime, with rap, drill and R&B elements leading track 6 ‘Talk To Me’, emphasised by the soulful voice of dexter in the newsagent. ‘DND Interlude’ takes on a different genre to the rest, adding garage and drum & bass to the mix with a techier, faster tempo sound.

Something I notice upon each listen is similar soundbites to other artists in related music lanes, whether it be a deliberate inspired input or just a coincidental observation of mine. The repeated digital vocals heard towards the latter of ‘No Heart’ remind me of old school M.I.A production styles from her MATANGI album, as well as the high-pitched synths finishing off ‘Mainstream’ resembling previous Skepta productions, a likely sample due to their previous music collaborations. Whilst this could be merely chance, a deliberate emulation of their styles would be a respected way to emphasize the talents of previous likely artists whilst also making the sound unique and applicable to KwolleM’s own pioneered production lane.

A stand-out track for me would be track 9, ‘Thinking it Thru’ for its distinct style shift midway thru the song. Beginning with light piano chords and synth melodies behind another wise, existential voice recording, the first half of the song captures the ideal mellow-rap sound. Joe James’s gracious tone and emotive bars accompanied by the digitalised minor synth chords and soft drum/cymbal beats embody the mild yet intense feel desired in chill rap tracks alike. Yet around the halfway mark the track fades to a halt before swiftly reviving with a completely flipped sound, featuring guitar chords and shaker pulses. Joined by the vocals of Tommy Genesis this verse, James revisits his opening lyrics brought to us in a new buoyant, R&B dance beat style.

As much as I enjoyed the final track ‘110’s’, for the most part bringing a solid close to such an exciting, well-produced record, the final few seconds, a typically vital moment for albums to draw their work to an effective finish, left me wanting more. The track disappeared into nothingness without warning and didn’t seem to give the closure of the piece any justice. In spite of the underwhelming exit to this project, being at the forefront of mellow-grime with an intense knowledge for fusing other subgenres into his works, the production styles and collaborations present to collate this record stand as some of KwolleM’s finest work. A truly sturdy, uniformed, easy listen.