Royal Blud

Leicester grime MC Kamakaze teams up with producer Massappeals to release their debut 'Royal Blud' EP on Astral Black. The five track collection follows a string of absorbing collaborative releases on the forward-thinking label, including projects from JD. Reid & ItsNate and Slugabed and Ed Scissor.

'Royal Blud' is the first project from Kamakaze (aka Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Matt Robinson) who made a big impact musically in 2016 with attention-grabbing freestyles on SBTV and JDZ Media as well as leading his hometown to the finals of Red Bull's national Grime-A-Side battle tournament.

Named as a nod to their regal surroundings growing up - Massappeals lived on Queens Drive whilst Kama came up in Knighton - the EP was born out of a natural chemistry cultivated since the latter was 15. "Kama is one of the most talented people I know," says Massappeals. "And it was a pleasure to work with him." While he's already proven himself as an MC, 'Royal Blud', demonstrates his ability to craft compelling songs, holding his own throughout the EP without the need for features.

The East Midlands MC has a sharp clarity when rhyming over the blistering pace of grime bangers 'Year Of The Kamdog' and 'Pull Ups', but reloads aren't the only goal. Kamakaze wants to be able to create songs that connect to different situations, and Massappeals has given him the beat selection to do so. "It's mad easy working with Mass because the diversity is there," he explains. "He can make a beat to suit a mood perfectly."

'Royal Blud' demonstrates a further versatility as he allows himself to show tenderness breaking down a confusing relationship status on 'Wifey' (which also demonstrates his singing skills) and pens a tribute to camaraderie on 'Where Is The Love My G?' Kamakaze displays early signs of a rare talent; the ability to pen songs that will apply to a broad audience, without compromising his grime credibility.