Dynamic and fearless drill artist Bella-Monae has jumped in the booth with hugely respected South London lyricist Kairo Keyz, to bring the heat with new track ‘1-2-5’ which dropped on 25 th January 2024, alongside its pure vibes visualiser featuring UPTXWN and NDOTZ here.
With lyrical delivery in Spanish and English that sets her apart from her peers, Bella-Monae is already turning heads as a rising star of the scene. ‘1-2-5’ sees her deliver playful, yet blistering storytelling in distinctive machine gun style. Dropping verses about not wanting to fall in love, because she knows she will fall hard for a real grown man who looks after her. Kairo Keys exchanges versus with Bella-Monae and drops the cold, yet catchy chorus with raw energy.
Slickly shaped and produced by one of the hottest underground beatmakers YKThePlug (Potter Payper, Amaria BB, Ambush, Cashh), who delivers a hard, stepping riddim with added percussion from whistles and banjo, that will undoubtedly be an earworm.
The visualiser, directed by hugely in demand J Dot TV Media (B-Lovee, LeoStayTrill, Ceechynaa, Kyle Richh) sees Bella-Monae walking the streets of Hackney by night
dropping bars, with dance trio UPTXWN, led by NDOTZ, shelling it with a dance that could stick around a while on dancefloors and TikTok.
Bella-Monae’s lyrics go “Bandana on my head know my edges stay flat. Eye contact don’t believe in cap I can’t fall in love I won’t make it back. Fall in love ‘cause I cook them okra soup with the pounded yam. Chop for two like boy dem wam. Fly me abroad like he’s gyal dem brown and tan. He’s a real grown man he’s a real grown man.”
Londoner Bella-Monae has seamlessly fused her Spanish and Jamaican heritage with the raw and gritty essence of drill, creating an original and authentic sound that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Bella-Monae made her debut last summer, bursting into the scene with tracks ‘Guia’ and ‘Gunman’ and collaborations with artists like M1onTheBeat, D38, Kairo Keyz and Scorcher. Her lyrical prowess and resolute determination have seen Bella-Monae tour the UK last year supporting rapper Mist.
Kairo Keys has had a meteoric growth in the London drill scene over the past four years, building a reputation for shelling it with his bars, beat selection and influential character. Dropping lyrics and stories with skill and confidence has seen Keys tunes go viral, with a string of bangers that have racked up millions of streams such ‘Tech Fit’ featuring Squeeks, ‘Only Fans’, ‘Mileage’, ‘Keyz Style’, ‘Foot Patrol’, ‘G5Style’, ‘Rubbed’, ‘Air Jordan’, ‘Back2Back’ with Central Cee and ‘Get You Off My Mind’ with Crystal Millz.
Bella Monae (Image supplied)
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