REVIEW: East London Rap Icon Potter Payper Unveils Highly Anticipated ‘Thanks For Waiting’ Mixtape

As we cross the one-year mark of top 3 charting, straight-rap, minimal feature mixtape ‘Training Day 3’, East London native Potter Payper returns with an expressive body of work titled ‘Thanks For Waiting’. Refusing to take his foot off the gas, Potter Payper’s work rate for the last 12 months and onwards has been incredible to witness. Potentially the most hands on rapper in the music scene, Potter Payper pushes his heavy need to succeed into the booth providing effortlessly timeless music. When talking UK street rap music, real rap music of the past decade – where the best are discussed, Potter Payper’s name will always get a mention. Roughly 10 years of holding weight in the rap game, Potter is still here, loudly, and unapologetically. The rawness and transparency that translates through his music is captured by listeners every time. 

Coming from a hard life, that reality is often transformed into lyrical content. Potter is known best for his deep-felt storytelling abilities, laying his experiences down on a verse. With the soaring success of ‘Training Day 3’ – a near to perfectly constructed, album-worthy mixtape, Potter Payper is now in a position where expansion and experimental ideas can come into place, leading up to the making of ‘Thanks For Waiting’. The 18-track mixtape running from “Intro” to “Outro”, is a cohesive project with a range of sounds new and renowned to Potter Payper’s “expected” approach to music. Being Potter Payper’s first ever feature-heavy project, it is only right he pulled in the names he knows best. Track 2 “Eastender” with Homerton star Unknown T, is undeniably one of the best feature tracks on the tape. Going back-to-back, Potter claims “The track with Unknown T was made with performing live in mind”. Following strong features include “Never” ft Haile, “Gangsteritus” ft Tiggs Da Author and notably – “Foreva” Ft Potter’s good friend Smurke, carrying the hook with his powerful vocal melodies. Not all the features lived up to their expectations and possibly could have given more, although the credibility remains in the idea of Potter’s ability to adapt to others’ sounds and alternative genres like Drill, Afro-fusion etc in comparison to strictly rap. Potter evidently allows the feature to make it to their style of song, then finds a way to execute it in his fashion.

Without a doubt, Potter Payper will always give us what we love best – a rap track. “For The Block”, “In My Sleep” and in particular “Gangsteritus” all live up to the insanely executed rap elements Potter bodies. Through lyrical wordplay, recognisable flows, and vocal tones – Potter’s unique delivery stands out extensively, making him the respected rapper he is. Subsequently, Potter also once again gifts us a track for the girls – similar to “The Mrs”, “What She Like” and “With Me”, Potter drops “I Just Need” talking on the type of girl he wants in his life – bringing in the female audiences.

From sampling to using distinctive production elements, the enhancing beat selection across the project stands out hugely. With production from Bay, Nyge, Fumes, Quincy Tell’em, Cage Got That Cold, AJ, R14 and more, collectively allow the mixtape to fulfil its intended potential!

Overall, Potter Payper really does step outside his comfort zone with this project. Experimenting with new artists and sounds, Potter has been able to give people a taste of what he is capable of. With a fusion of genres and types of attentive production, Potter proves to be able to do it all in a way that makes sense to himself and his own sound. As a whole, the fluidity of the project is evident and cohesive, noticeably picking up considerably towards the end – keeping audiences engaged. The features chosen were all justifiable and worked well, with some standouts and for a mixtape, prior to the anticipated debut album; ‘Thanks For Waiting’ is a refreshing execution from Potter Payper that will not only satisfy older listeners but also draw in and please new ones too. The balance is correct, with a track for everyone.

Rating – 8/10