It's not possible to mention UK Drill without leading the conversation back to Digga D. Known for his hard-hitting and fast spitting raps on life in the inner city, he dominates the scene, with numerous hits on the charts. This project is on the same trajectory. His latest mixtape, ‘Noughty By Nature’, is a feat of a project, sixteen tracks working to redefine the status quo of UK drill.
The mixtape stays true to his style. Littered with talks of violence, clarting, shanks and opps, Digga D never strays from his ‘trapper’ alter ego. "Anything you hear I’m rapping about is all facts, nothing’s fabricated" he boasts in ‘Intro’. He knows of the lifestyle, having navigated the scene as he grew up exposed to a different side of the capital city. But look wider and deeper into his lyricism, and the complexities of his character and life as a youth are brought forward. Not every rapper on the scene has to deal with a Criminal Behaviour Order dangling over their head. But Digga D is always sixteen steps ahead of this.
With blurred-out names and locations, hidden behind a DJ scratch here and there to keep the Met Police at bay, Digga D delivers on his intent to be direct and hard as he does what drill is supposed to do. Whether it's Digga D or Daps, both characters have a chest-puffing style of confidence. Collaborating with some of the biggest names in rap, Digga D pushes his career to new heights. Bagging features with American rap stars like Moneybagg Yo and B-Lovee, as well as British powerhouse AJ Tracey, act as a seal of approval on the scope of his talents.
Digga D proves to be a rapper growing and changing. Tracks like ‘Let It Go’ provide a touch of pop to his traditional sound. Instead, he proves that experimentation is the key to success, his ambition to continuously recreate and strengthen his craft a driving force. The piano ballad that is ‘Addicted’ emphasises that he is more than just another drill rapper. No, he is a standout MC, one that can bounce between hard-hitting flows and expressive rap accounts.
He also works to celebrate and mirror his idols. Like many UK rappers, he jumped on to the sample wave, repurposing old school noughties hits into new drill raps. Songs like ‘Hold It Down’ and ‘pump 101’ are what this new sound of drill is all about, taking old 50 Cent masterpieces and reinventing them in his own tone.
But ‘Noughty by Nature’ truly shines when he does what he does best. Speedy wordplay against a club-thumping beat is what makes this a memorable mixtape. From ‘Stuck in the mud’ to ‘What you Reckon’, Digga D is quick and snappy, delivering lyrics that push you to listen again and again. With the confidence that knows he is a star ( he raps ‘I’m as hard as Stromzy and Dave, what a statement to make but I say what I say and I mean it’), Digga D proves he is greater than just another rapper. He is an icon.
9/10
Words: Cora Jordon
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