
Mercury Prize has revealed this year's 12 shortlisted albums
Twelve albums are in the running, with the ceremony heading to Newcastle in October.
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About This Track
A collaboration between Dave and Central Cee, 'UK Rap' sits on the final track of their joint EP. The song is built around a shared chorus in which both artists riff on the same premise: a woman who'll only listen to UK rap if it's them. Central Cee's verse spins out a catalogue of flexes and relationship scepticism, whilst Dave's adopts a harder edge, moving between boasts about wealth and a casual misogyny that the song seems to treat as the natural language of the form. There's little irony in the delivery, little distance between artist and persona. The track moves quickly through its three minutes, both rappers trading bars with the kind of ease that suggests genuine chemistry. Central Cee leans toward narrative detail and specificity; Dave favours punchlines and one-liners. Neither slows down to let the beat breathe, which gives the whole thing a breathless, almost frantic quality. It's the sound of two confident performers competing for space on the same record, each trying to land the sharper line.
"UK Rap" is a track by Dave, from the album Split Decision, released 5th June 2023. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 16 articles about Dave.
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