Slowthai is back with his latest single, “I Know Nothing,” another gritty missive from the UK rapper that takes aim at societal ills.
“I Know Nothing” illustrates the contemporary adversities that have continuously pushed him into a box he doesn’t want to be a part of.
The rapper teamed up with Beats by Dre to soundtrack their new “Defy the Noise” campaign, which also features a short film that includes professional footballers such as Alessia Russo, Kingsley Coman, Bukayo Saka, and Fabrizio Romano.
Coming off his 2021, second studio album, Tyron, Slowthai has been on an incredible run of features. He has appeared on everything from Denzel Curry’s star-studded new project, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, to Demon Time by Mura Masa to James Blake’s most recent album, Friends That Break Your Heart.
Maneuvering between hip-hop and the pop world, Slowthai distorts the guitars in the instrumental and spills his soul about aging in a world that focuses on the exact opposite; Slowthai focuses on wisdom and self-actualization in a world of success and instant gratification.
The UK artist challenges his listeners to contemplate the world around them, switching the flow from eerie to manic, with rock n’ roll guitar chords built to knock powerlines down. As Slowthai puts it: “‘I Know Nothing’ is a fight back against those people who are so quick to put the blame on the younger generation.
In a world full of misinformation and judgment, it only reveals the true intentions of how miserable people’s lives must be as they are so quick to jump on the bandwagon and applaud or point out people’s failures or vulnerabilities. Instead, we should be lifting people up when we see them fall. Social media can and should be used as a tool for connection and good, but instead, it serves to gloat and punch down. It fails to show the harsh reality we live in, which can lead to isolation and depression. Let’s lift each other up.”