M Huncho – Get Out EP

After a Summer dominated by every other postcode, North West has got herself a new trailblazer M Huncho. It kicked off when M Huncho’s viral Mad About Bars debut back in April set him a tough feat to clear with an EP and whether he’s pulled it off is tough to call. Kenny Allstar’s ear for talent is undeniable though, and Get Out EP speaks volumes.

M Huncho’s Get Out EP paints a portrait of his life and projects his future aspiration for more without the excessive gravity and emotion that comes with a sob story. The “better place” he describes is a distant cry from his current reality, yet he celebrates his recent successes while maintaining a sense of self in humble beginnings. The charting of his journey is stalled by the first two tracks, however. “What Can I Do” and “Camo” are slow growers. At first, they seem like red herrings, their placement stalling later greatness. Best tackled in duos that up the anti every level, the Get Out EP’s gradual build turns out to be well worth the delayed start.

A relaxed flow of real rap sauced over consistently class beats differentiates Huncho from the commercially overproduced mediocrity that many UK rappers fall into, as our eardrums are immediately drawn to the intention behind his words. “Reload and Repeat” followed by “Wish Me Well” is near genius and show a versatility in collaboration that not many can achieve without becoming feature whores.

Get Out is both a car banger for motorway trips and a solitary listen for quiet evenings in until “A Man” brings you all the way out of your shell. “Fuck you pay me” seems to be Huncho’s way of declaring that he’s coming for everything we know and ends the tape on a quality note, leaving you wanting just a bit more of someone whose face you wouldn’t recognise if he walked past on the high road. In a way, it’s a perfect end to a near perfect extended play.

By design, the ambiguity of Huncho’s appearance is a bit of a dichotomy since there is no chance of ever matching the sound to the face. But the anonymity also grants him a persona bigger than a body itself and makes it smart to get behind him at this point. No flagging predicted.

I will be at his headline show on the 18th January, at The Borderline, Orange Yard, Manette St, Soho, London W1D 4JB. Tickets go live on Thursday

By Danielle Koku