If there’s one collaborative mixtape that you need in your life during the miserable weather this February, it’s England Be Wise, the collaboration between the UK’s Toddla T and Jamaica’s Protoje.
Throughout the release Reggae meets Grime, Dubstep and Drum & Bass as Toddla T selects the beats and Proteje “merks every riddim to the highest degree”, bringing that Jamaican flavour to some of the deepest, hardest beats of the moment. With the wickedest selection of unexpected beats ranging from Skepta’s ‘That’s Not Me’ to jungle classic ‘The Burial’ from Leviticus, Krept & Konan’s ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ and Schoolboy Q’s ‘Collard Greens’, Toddla T serves up a musical fusion to remember. Talking about the project Toddla T said,
“I was such a fan of him any way, this was a great project to get my hands on because I get to indulge in what he does. The whole UK VS Jamaica thing has been prominent in our music and culture for years and years so all I’m doing is doing my spin on it: blending the Reggae with Grime, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, plus they’re all cousins of each other anyway, so for me it was very organic and a fun project and an honor to work with such a great artist from Jamaica.”
Playing on the title of Protoje’s huge track, ‘Kingston Be Wise’, which happened to be the track that first grabbed Toddla T’s attention, the pair have mixed it up to create a one-off, eclectic, zestful tape full of gems that you’ll only hear once in a lifetime. So as the title suggests, be wise, listen up and download your copy of this musical treat below!
Matt Tarr
@MattTarrJourno