The Best British Rap Verses Of The Month (MOBO Awards Edition)

We dissect the best bars of the past four weeks.

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Following the lead of our Complex Music fam overseas, we too will be giving props to the best rap verses of each month. From mixtape tracks and freestyles to carefully selected album sleepers, Complex UK will search far and wide to show you just how high the level of lyricism can be in the Queen's country, showcasing the versatile styles (and flows) within our forever-flourishing rap and grime scenes. For the month of September, we've put together a special MOBO Awards edition of The Best British Rap Verses Of The Month. Click through below to see our top picks.

Words by Tobi Oke


 

4. Wiley — "Standby"

Date: September 9, 2015

"Back up in the city where I should be, I ain't really winning like I could be, gotta do a whole lot of shows a year, so man ah cushty/ See me doing it again, you ain't gotta push, you see on top of the shelf, well that's a place I will never let an A&R put me/ Tried it before, one week it took me, and the following weeks the clubs wanted to book me/ Hey, I don't wanna boast but I can do, cos I burn tracks like how the sun tans you, people wanna smile up, smile in your face, when you're not around the people can't stand you/ I'm a Cowie, I'm Kylea not Andrew and I like what I hear like the fans do, the one thing you gotta make sure of, that it's you and your team who help brand you."

The MOBOs announced this week that Wiley—the godfather of grime—will take home the inaugural Paving The Way Award at the ceremony, which takes place in the city of Leeds on Nov. 4. Dropping "Standby" in the second week of September, the MC further proves why he's deserving of such high praise as he deliveres taut flows over an Eski-licked production.

3. Bonkaz & Avelino — "Shine"

Date: September 6, 2015

Bonkaz: "Forget the game and a match I keep setting it, that's some tennis shit, I got a nigga on my phone tryna sell a brick/ He must think I'm writing songs for the hell of it, my nigga I just signed on, no benefit, (just benefits), now all these bitches tryna Bond on some Etta shit."

Avelino: "But I'm too busy in the lab or on a set with him, I'm such an Oddchild that I can't relate to relatives, I'm rolling with my idols now I call em big bros, they just tell me heads high kill em with the flow."

Bonkaz: "Kill em with the fade, I can kill em with the fro."

Avelino: "Might do a Lil' Twist, this Young Money's gotta grow."

Bonkaz: "Coming with my Gs I ain't coming on my own, coming out of Heath, I'm the one that's on the throne, win, win, win, win, like a hundred in a row."

North-meets-South LDN, as two pioneers of the #NewGen connect for the swagged-out groove of "Shine". Released at random, Bonkaz and Avelino show surprisingly strong chemistry on the track, interweaving bars and each playing with different melodies. A video for this is said to be on the way, and Bonkaz is up for Best Newcomer at this year's MOBO Awards.

2. Section Boyz (Inch) — "Lock Arff"

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Date: September 1, 2015

Inch: "Rifle ah pop arff, nuff gyal get wuk arff, unnu take unnu top arff, this about fi get lock arff/ Man, war is war, bro got the key for the car, bro got the sweets for the star, man ah rise and pop arff/ Mad champy get buss arff, that's a shutdown lock arff, man side road block arff, man I'll knock your block off/ Bro took that top arff, there ain't no time for no stop arffs, mad brassiere get pop arff, man ah rise and pop arff."

Perhaps the most anticipated release of the month, Section Boyz managed to break into the UK album chart with their Don't Panic mixtape, with lead single "Lock Arff" setting the tone right at the top of September. Strong verses all round, it's Inch on first verse duties who stands out the most, crafting the track's infectious hook and continuing his verse in the ragga-tinged style he explored earlier in the month on "Shelly Ann". We knew the Croydon crew were going to win this year, so it was no surprise that the MOBOs put them in the Best Newcomer category.

1. Stormzy — "Wicked Skengman (Part 4)"

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Date: September 10, 2015

Stormzy takes the crown, yet againthis time with the fourth installment of his Wicked Skengman series. When JME produced the instrumental for "Serious", it's unlikely he knew it would break into the charts (via a freestyle) almost ten years later. Stormzy's month was then capped off as he picked up MOBO nominations for Best Male, Best Video and Best Grime Act. And quite frankly, I wouldn't bet against him going for the triple scoop.

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