As Tottenham MC Irving Adjei’s moniker attests, childhood nicknames are rarely affectionate. So-called because his mates thought his head looked like a 50p piece, Headie One’s debut shows him stepping up following a series of highly-regarded mixtapes.
Brooding drill dominates throughout but there’s plenty of experimentation. The mellifluous gospel-tinged title track and dancehall groove of album highlight Rubbery Bandz couldn’t be more different.
Headie wears his idiosyncrasies as an MC with pride throughout, punctuating his flow with ad-libs and enigmatic turns of phrase. He’s at his most uninhibited on Ball in Peace, referencing his formative years on the Broadwater Farm estate and his brushes with criminality (“I’m either OT dealing with drugs/ Or in the hood it’s armed police”). All Day shows his more playful side, with cheeky references to Kanye and footballer N’Golo Kante mixing the irreverent with the incandescent.
The success of lead single 18HUNNA — the most memorable Dave collaboration since Alex from Glastonbury — made Headie One the highest-charting drill rapper ever, and while collabs with Skepta and Stefflon Don also impress on Music X Road, it’s Headie One’s candid delivery and irrepressible talent that comes through the clearest. Ahead of the game, you could say.
