Offie Mag

1997. The Hong Kong handover, the death of Princess Diana and Notorious B.I.G., and the release of the third-best Air Max ever made.

A lot went down in ’97, and MC nineteen97 has just dropped his new track ‘8quid’.

My mum used to give me £8 a week for lunch. By Friday I’d still have enough for a KA and a fudge. Money stretched further back then. Here, the Coventry rapper is making every penny of his bars count. From start to finish, there’s no loose change in the pocket.

The beat is heavy and stripped-back. The bass is the backbone, the only real constant, while bursts of percussion and scattered vocal samples bring subtle twists to its haunting mood.

We’ve said it before, but it’s always refreshing to hear rap from outside London. The Midlands has something to say, and ‘8quid’ is worth every penny.

Words from Louis Rowland