Project Review: K-Trap Continues To Elevate On ‘The Last Whip II’

It is difficult to think of a more impactful artist within the UK scene than K-Trap over the last 12 months. While the likes of Central Cee and Digga D might be making more of a name for themselves overseas, Trapo has been cementing his status as a legend closer to home. Last year’s track, ‘Warm’, was an instant classic, becoming a staple for DJ’s up and down the country, and it (almost) feels like this song has taken the baton from Giggs’ ‘Talkin’ The Hardest’. We also saw the release of ‘Trapo’ last year, as well as ‘Joints’, a collaborative project with UK Rap legend Blade Brown earlier in 2022. With some artists it can feel as if having such a consistent output of tracks can stunt the quality of the songwriting, but K-Trap hasn’t really put a foot wrong over the last year. His latest project, ‘The Last Whip II’ sees the South London rapper at the peak of his powers, expanding into different sounds and living up to the lofty expectations that are set for him.

The project kicks off with ‘Spoilt’, a lead single which sets the tone for the rest of the tape. The clarity of Trapo’s flows, as well as the visceral subject matter of his bars are what set him out from the rest of the pack. There is a certainty in the rapper’s delivery that helps drive forward his lyrics. We can see examples of this on ‘Duck & Dive’, as well as ‘Charts’ later on in the tape, where K-Trap raps, ‘It’s mad how they want me at the MOBOs, But the feds want me in a Volvo’, showing the dichotomy between his life as an artist and his life on road. 

K-Trap’s sound is instantly recognisable, from the Drill production motifs to his iconic ‘mmm, mmm’ ad-lib. ‘The Last Whip II’ however does offer a fair amount of variety across the 19 tracks, giving us a taste of the potential growth in Trapo’s music over the next few years. On ‘Interlude’, we hear a softer side of the rapper, accompanied by an instrumental made up of dreamy strings. There is also a good use of features to bring variety to the production, whether that comes from Odeal’s wistful vocals on ‘Eloquent’, or from more of a Trap wave with M Huncho and S Loud on ‘Shipping Costs’, and ‘Major Scrape’. With such a long tracklist it is important to keep the project sonically diverse in order to keep the listener interested throughout, and K-Trap has succeeded in doing so by calling on the right features at the right time.

While it is thus clear that K-Trap’s use of features on the tape bring variety, other features on the tape have really brought out the best in him when it comes to bars. Headie One’s appearance on ‘Extra Sleeve’ works perfectly with Trapo’s dark opening verse, while Krept and Konan bring one of the most outstanding moments across the project on ‘Who Wanna’. Krept’s switch of flow in particular is sensational, while K-Trap’s hook complements each verse excellently. It would also be wrong not to mention ‘Molly Mae’, featuring Youngs Teflon, as when the two rappers go back to back on the second half of the track, both prove why they are some of the best talents to ever come out of this country. Across the tape, when K-Trap spars with some of the very best that the UK has to offer, he does not come up short on any occasion. 

‘The Last Whip II’ therefore shows an artist at the top of his game. K-Trap has risen to hero status within Drill and the general UK Scene over the last few years, and this project only goes further to cement his legacy. Trapo’s signature style can be heard throughout the 19 strong tracklist, but the use of production and features have forced the rapper into exploring different sounds, giving the tape enough sonic variety. There is no stopping K-Trap at the moment, and it feels as if it is only a matter of time before his career explodes into the mainstream, where I have no doubt he can find success without compromising his sound.

Project Rating – 4.5/5