TINYMAN - 'The Mountains'

There are so many rappers out there, especially in the UK that struggle with progression of their sound, or the ability to create something different or appealing. It’s a tough genre to crack, but it’s something TINYMAN has always managed to do. ‘PBH (Positivity Breeds Happiness)’ was a bouncy track that did exactly what it says in the title, providing summertime feels with the organ blaring and TINYMAN's soulful voice soothing your soul.

TINYMAN blends every inch of his lyrical prowess and penchant for experimentation into four minutes with his new track ‘The Mountains’, and you’re left in awe of what he’s managed to achieve. Taking inspiration from his journey to the Cypriot mountains, the dark and piercing vocals of Middle Eastern harmonies provide the strict melody in the background, as Tinyman raps with authority. The electronic influx of sounds fills out the percussion, bringing a solid mix of new ideas with an Arabic flare. It’s different and probably shouldn’t work, but it shows where his head is at in the studio, and that’s high above his peers.

It’s unlike the tracks he’s done before, making the American west coast sounds of ‘Orphan Flow Vol.5’ and ‘Orphentic’ sound like a completely different artist. It’s a serious and reflective track, ending with a morph into slowed down and tender vocals over an electric guitar, which is a complete change from the pace of the first three and a half minutes. ‘The Mountains’ is a message to other hip hop artists, letting them know that TINYMAN is back with a new sound, and as he says through various points in the track, TINYMAN is ‘back like I never left.’

Words by Chris White