Every artistic endeavor of Tyron Frampton — known to the masses by his stage name slowthai — can be most fittingly described as a statement. His first full-length album, Nothing Great About Britain, held no punches when brutally remarking on the systemic inequalities pervading the UK, often employing a twisted humor to such grim subject matter. He followed this critically-acclaimed debut with the release of TYRON last year, a double album that masterfully embodied the duality of braggadocio and introspection of which he is composed. slowthai’s creative choices are unwaveringly bold, and his latest single i know nothing is no exception.
The structure of i know nothing markedly contrasts with that of Tyron’s previous releases, as the track begins with a stream-of-consciousness section of spoken word. Over an eerie, dusty piano loop, slowthai abandons the conventions of hip-hop by rapping what troubles his mind without putting it into rhyme — almost as though he does not wish for his message to be lost in translation. In this opening verse, he comments on the misguided tendencies of his generation, such as framing one’s life around money and a mortgage, seeking validation from peers through social media, and generally living a lie within a “system that’s failed us.” He concludes articulating his frustrations by adding, “Sometimes I look in the mirror and reflect on what I used to be, before the people I love started using me.” By bringing himself into the mainframe, slowthai insinuates that he fell victim to the same tendencies he observes among his peers as soon as he amassed a following.
A booming kick knocks at the entrance of the chorus, as slowthai repeats the line, “I know nothing, I’m just getting older.” A trap clap and an electric guitar join the chorus, giving listeners the illusion that the remainder of the track would unfold over this collection of sounds. The track quickly pivots, however, when slowthai repeats the opening verse and chorus over a blaring rock band, his vocals increasingly more aggressive and distorted over the shred of the electric guitar and the drum fills. A message once delivered through a measured and composed filter breaks free from its shell — a fitting sonic representation of slowthai and the desire for him and his generation to escape the greed-riddled system in which they are trapped.
Listen to i know nothing here:
