I could praise Tony Bontana by comparing him to a number of my favourite abstract rappers – his choices in beats are particularly MIKE-esque – but to be completely honest, his true strength lies in the fact that nobody else really sounds like him. He’s from Birmingham but he clearly isn’t trying to sound like any other UK rapper. The dude’s a dreamboat; he raps as if the meaning of life is buried in his thoughts, introspectively and nostalgically like a series of flashbacks. If you want a rapper to warp you back to the vantage of your youth, Tony is your man.

I first heard him whilst listening to Radio 6 over a month ago. They played Battered Chips, which captures the wistfulness that props up most of his songs with a blend; a dazed, Sigmund-produced instrumental so chopped-up that it produces a natural, tropospheric echo, and a hook from Tony that complements, but also juxtaposes, the beat by confidently moving forward (“leave yesterday behind, I’m living in the moment…”) amid the bittersweet haze of nostalgia. Another recommended song of his, Selly Oak Park, uses a tearful jazz sample to extend the imagery of Tony’s words; his love of his parents and their encouragement of his music career, and how they live in synonymity with Birmingham’s urban life, a revelation that song titles such as those mentioned will clue you in on. I’m from the same neck of the woods as him, but his tendency to morph Birmingham into a strange utopia surely has the potential to entrance even those who are alien to the second city. He’s atmospheric, his beats are atmospheric, combining to make UK rap as picturesque as possible, whilst clearly being respectful to his hip hop influences.

That said, Tony is extra-curricular; he’s a guitarist, as influenced by The Cleaners from Venus as he is his favourite emcees. He plants his flag within the spectrum of hip hop, but his open-mindedness opens up a depth in his music, unsettled where basic beats, basic subject matters, and basic flows are concerned. Some of us find safety in predictability, but Tony Bontana finds safety in being his own beast, unconfined by what is typically expected of a modern rapper, favouring picturesque combos of beats, flows and introspection over norms.

Tony Bontana’s next album, entitled My Name, is due to be released on February 27th. He has countless other albums under his belt; highlights include 2024’s L’Humanite, and last year’s Sunday Service.