Feng is another rising artist from the burgeoning UK Rap scene of the last few years. Unlike his peers like Fakemink and Jim Legxacy he's been much more divisive. What The Feng is his debut EP and project overall, coming in at a round 10 tracks.
Kids from the west is an okay intro, quickly showing the strengths and weaknesses of the release. Credited to Boxxy, the production is satisfying with a nice rhythm and vocal chop on it. It feels like a fresh take on older production from the first wave of Cloud Rap. The problem is Feng himself, who just isn't good at rapping and writing. It's a shame because he differs from other rappers of this era as he tries to actually be more conscious and introspective, an inversion of the usual dope-eyed cynicism or hedonism of the underground. It's admirable but he unfortunately often has awkward flows with lyrics that sound juvenile in both their quality and motifs.
„We're the kids from the West
Fly like a kite, we dress to impress
All of the boys, yeah, they think they the best
And the girls always wearin' tight dress
We're the kids from the West
Black and white like the board for chess
We don't care what colour you are
We're the same, but our faces aren't“
Middle-school tier rhymes sadly, despite the effort to have a nice message in it. Soul 2 Soul is a much better track, with lyrics encouraging women to value their bodies more. His flow is again a bit clumsy but the hook, rapping and beat are all much better than the intro. Memories is more positively emblematic of this EP, with lyrics that he himself acknowledges are mundane but that's the appeal. Even when he's not too technically skilled, Feng is at least very genuine in his music even when it comes off as bland. This and many of the other songs are just too short though, they would've benefited from 2nd verses in the same topics. Something else I appreciate is the boyish charm he exhibits on many songs, like his endearingly simple mentions of God or the way he talks about girls on songs such as Ayia Napa. Even the way he talks about relationships is youthful yet surprisingly memorable, like XY's:
„Checkin' on your Instagram, I really shouldn't 'cause it makes it worse
I can't leave a comment, but I like your Gucci purse
But I know someone bought it for you, so it really hurts“
Who do u wanna be is again juvenile in the way it's formatted around a question kids get asked in school, but the lyrics are uplifting and the Arizona-produced beat is one of the best here. The last stretch of tracks is like the others charming with solid production.
What The Feng is a promising debut from Feng, showing why he's unique in the current underground. With better rapping and longer tracks, a great album could be made with the same pillars as this. A breath of fresh air in modern Rap.
7/10
See also: Llondon Actress, Fakemink
Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud
- kreyzi
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