Yeah - I think that kind of broken delivery, where the word is broken and the syllable hangs to time better with the beat, is simply an aesthetic decision. I like it personally, it adds variety to the sound. It's less melodious but I also think that it's more punchy and demanding of the audience's attention and that's what Akala wants: to inform the audience.
Not really mate.. You have to stay on beat everytime. But akala lyrics is more advanced than him Staying on this beat.. He was abit off but it still listenable and UK grime doesn't sound like this.. akala is the first one to rap a certain way. But still dope
Not just Brits but Americans who recognize that the UK scene is leaps and bounds superior to the BS that’s considered rap in this country. Akala, Lowkey, English Frank, Mic Righteous, etc >>> than anything we have here
That delivery is classic UK hip-hop/grime flow. Ain't no problem there. I can understand it sounds strange to an ear used to classic American hip-hop though
I disagree with the last bit. I'm from Essex and grew up listening to US hip hop mostly, not UK, yet Akala sounds like a Rap God from an alternate dimension where everybody just talks like that all the time lol. Being from here helps definitely, but then I suppose we probably do have a wider sphere of influences in UK rap, Grime, Drill or whatever when compared to how prejudiced some American hip hop heads can be to anything that isn't classic American Hip hop. Like the reaction from the Hip Hop community to Gambino's Awaken my Love, or Andre 3000's Love Below. If they aint rapping, name dropping and swagging then some just won't give it a chance.
The style Akala is spitting in is more common to UK rap, which are typically on 140bpm beats with sort of dark hard af beats - so a very aggressive tone of spitting has developed. Akala's style is great to the ear of someone who loves UK rap, but I get that kind of spitting might be weird if you don't hear it often.
We're all about bars in the UK, that flow he did was deliberate, so many rapper's so we respect uniqueness, even if it means sacrificing the flow to get your point across. Reverse rolls And we burgle the burgelers We burn clothes When we murder the murderers Point blank with revolving revolvers We don't pray on weak We assault the assaulters
Akala is the master of knowledge and I 10/10 recommend his 4th fire in the booth if you want flows but his 3rd one is also very good. However, if you want slick bars listen to "Wretch 32 & Avelino - Fire In The Booth". On everything that i love, you will be able to see UKs lyrical ability in a way Americans can fully appreciate. I don't usually comment so I hope you see this.
Akalas flow is 10000000% deliberate. Rhythmically he is lightyears ahead of most. And the 'stacatto flow' is all part of his unique talent. I happen to love his flow. A lot of UK artists are influenced by MC's like Skibadee (dnb) and the way they deliver lyrics and so use their vocals more like an instrument.
SkepticSkye I agree that there is 100 percent a class issue in the uk but sorry you can't deny there is not also race relation issues in uk aswell ....
SkepticSkye yes I agree race relations defo worst in the USA for African Americans and minorities but we can't ignore that don't have those problems in the Uk am not saying we have to compare it to USA but we have to understand that uk has its own problems that black Brits and minorities in uk have to face aswell
Depends where about you live, south London and Manchester etc there is a lot of race problems however it's more of a prejudice towards others rather than actions. Northerners in the UK are studied to be 40 years behind the rest of UK in accepting different race/color of people. So yes the UK does have racism and quite badly, go croydon and try find a white male walking down the street at 11pm at night.
Racism is everywhere, but imo, for how multicultural it is, England is the most tolerant country in the world. My family consists of Irish, Jamaican and Indian and we've never experienced anything serious. I suppose there are more prominently white cities in England that are less tolerant, just goes to show people are able to get along when we integrate properly.
You're lucky then. I come from similar background to you I'm of Irish and polish background but one side of my family is Jamaican. My mix raced auntie has been racially abused countless times growing up, bullied, spat at, beaten. I also have black friends who've had fireworks put threw there letterbox and windows bricked. I think it depends where your from a lot. However I think that racism is a lot more discreet in the Uk compared to the US, but it's still there.
Dan ny Yeah racism is everywhere like I said. I live in Birmingham though which is less that 50% white I think. Black and white people are pretty well integrated here.
Birmingham here too. My family is of Northern Irish heritage and found this city the most welcoming in the UK because of it's diversity. However, racism in the UK is much more insidious than it is in the US. In the US racism is so overt in terms of how it's discussed, but here in the UK it's very much under the surface. The UK still has the same discrepancies in the percentage of prisoners that are ethinc minorites compared to ethnic minorities as a percentage of the overall population. It still has the same discrepancies of percentage of people who die whilst in custody who are minorities, again, compared to ethnic minorities as a percentage of population. The Stop and Search powers the police have too, involve stopping young black males far more than any other group of people, when we know that statistically there's no more chance of them committing crime than any other group. In a similar manner to the US, the systemic racism very much exists (in terms of state systems set up to give minorities the least chance, or a slimmer chance than white people, to prosper), and I would have said that people in the UK are probably far more accepting of others due to the diversity. However, since the Brexit vote, racists everywhere seem to be empowered and hate crime has rocketed. Which I think shows just how insidious racism is in this country. I do think Birmingham is the exception rather than the rule if I'm honest (but I might be biased being a Brummie).
Come on guys its been forever since you did this! Please react to akala's FITB 2,3 and 4, yes I know you don't wanna do fire in the booths, but this not just some guy trying to be conscious, Akala is a big deal, spreading his knowledge at Oxford, and conventions alike. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! (Oh and not to mention that he did all this without being signed)
i was always disappointed you guys didn't go and check out his FITB Pt4. He's ten years into his career at that point and his flow is on point. He rides the beat crazily in that one and still spits as much knowledge. Hope you guys might go try it.
You need to do a reaction to part 4, part 1 was 12 years ago now and his development as an artist since then is incredible. Part 4 is hands down the most mind blowing fire in the booth performance I've ever seen, Charlie had to pick his jaw up from the floor after.
Fam is a commonly used term of endearment in the UK so I wouldn't worry about using it Also great to see such an in depth analysis of UK rap/grime from a US perspective. There's a lot you could react to. Similar to this is Lowkey's fire in the booth, for less political stuff try Skepta, Stormzy and Aj Tracey
Fam is also an old school slang term that was used in the 90's in New York. We were referring to the ''corny'' TH-cam context fam is used in. ''Heyyyyy TH-cam family'' blah, blah. Lol. We don't like to sound too ''TH-camy'' bro.
The UK rap style is very inspired by old school jungle and garage which has a lot of emphasis on rhythm . It's basically like the flow and cadence was it's own drumset.
Primary and secondary, secondary is your high school. As for the delivery, this is grime, not typical rap. Grime is essentially bouncing off the beat, riding it. Not just flowing with it like generic rap. It's goes from slow to fast at various points. You can even skip a beat and gain it back double time afterwards.
I like you guys, but you really messed up with this reactiuon and analysis. You clearly misunderstood his flow and timing. This FITB is pure perfection.
you NEED to watch part 4...seriously, its mind blowing, I honestly cannot believe you have not done it yet, you really need to do it...not for us...for yourselves...its that good
Yisss! thankyou! i hope yall watch the rest of them aint even watched it yet lol Grime is generally faster though so i hope you get used to the faster flow
Cant believe my ears ! Akala is weaving and skipping around the beats in which he has total command. I really hope you guys have read the comments and now appreciate his style. He's a wordsmith and a beatsmith . Proper x
Yo guys! Love the reactions, but I noticed when you pointed out he seems "rushed" when he's delivering the bars, not emphasising the punch of the bar - I felt like mentioning, that Akala bases it all on flow. With the "Eco-nomics" bar where he pauses on Eco, he pairs that with the first part of that line. Where he drags out the "IF" and takes a slight pause before "We" so it's more about his flow than his punch line emphasis - Akala has always been about matching up the structure of a bar to the beat, weaving on and off tempo, more than he's about smashing home a killer rhyme with a punchline that's emphasised. Anyway, love the reaction keep it up! You should do Akala FITB part 4 as it's off the charts on lyrical content Edit: A good comparison to this would be Eminem's opening on Syllables, if you've heard that. Where it's all about the structure of words and how you can make them sound. Rather than a scheme with a heavy punch on it :) Edit 2: Just got to the part where you said you feel it may be deliberate, it is - I get people might not be a fan!
Great feedback sir. It's interesting because many of his core fans are saying that his flow improved substantially in pt4 of this series. His content and lyricism is great so we'll definitely get back to him.
Yeah, I can agree with that. His flow is miles and miles ahead in pt4 and his new Visions EP to now, however I personally feel that a fair amount of the time he still follows a similar structure. The Visions EP video he has on YT is also worth checking out - Appreciate the effort you guys put into the reactions, actually breaking the lyrics down and enjoying them music. Top job and much love from the UK
I would highly recommend listening to Akala part 4 if you want to see technical ability, there isn’t anyone the same. He’s a poet, never sold out and spreads knowledge.
llennoco22 absolute fire. Wretch kinda overshadowed av in that but Avelino absolutely shone in his daily dappy.. Wordplay was crazy.. I still think narsties fitb is the best tho.. Heavy hitting grown man bars
His flow and delivery is absolutely flawless. It's because you're not used to hearing it, that it may sound off. But this man is one of the greats. He knows his shit!
Just to give you guys some info, that's and old freestyle so his flow is strange. His most recent ones are a lot better. He has a PhD himself, in Egyptoloy. Also, as you heard in the freestyle he owns business and property. One business he founded is call Hip-hop Shakespeare. He takes kids overseas and educates them on knowledge and truth. Great dude. I'm happy to see a reaction from you guys on this video, Wasn't expecting that at all! Hope to see more Akala reactions in the future! Good job. Best reaction channel.
UK hip hop and grime, as I understand it, differs from US hip hop in part because of its stronger roots in dub, jungle and drum n bass, all of which feature super fast MC-ing. 2-Step and Garage are similar: super fast MC-ing. What's impressive about Akala is that he maintains that pace and packs it with a lot of knowledge, messages and politics.
You've just reminded me of *Chicken Shop Shakespeare* who did a short video at *Valley Parade* in 2016. The narrator *Lladel Bryant* just happened to bump into our craziest and most famous fan while he was doing his Shakespeare speech, yet he didn't break character. That fan who's called *Charlie* probably didn't have a clue what was going on, not that he would've noticed anyway, even if he hadn't been drinking. *Charlie* kept going on about someone called *Martell* whoever that is.
"economics" its said that way to keep perfect timing and to rhyme better, its his flow.... If u hear his flow, u expect to hear economics said the way he said it
Akala, Mic Righteous and Lowkey are on another level for real 3 of the best lyricists out there in my opinion! Id love to see you guys do a Mic Righteous fire in the booth reaction!!!
I am glad you enjoyed Akala, he has now done 4 parts now and I know you have said previously that you don’t want to do Fire in the booths but have a look at Part 4 as it’s 10 years after this one And it is on par with this one with knowledge and even better in parts. Also keep up the good work.
The whole point of akala fire in the booth is knowledge not to make a hot track , he has a set time to say what he needs to say and this was his first big stage moment
yooo, his part 4 is where his flow is fucking incredible, that was when he was alot younger. His flow has been praised by charlamagne: "it was retarded".
when he mentioned "secondary" near the beginning, he was referring to secondary school, in the UK we call schools primary, secondary then college then university
Hi guys, one of your British watchers here. Secondary is what we call High School. Also, racism is still a big problem. You find a lot of black communities living nearer the city centres (I assume it's the same over there), however as guns are completely illegal here, it's Knife Crime that is the big problem. I'm up in Manchester so there was a big issue in the 90's where a lot of gangs managed to get hold of guns and the press coined the term "Gunchester" for the city. I might be wrong but I don't think this was specifically black people, it was all people on the wrong side of the law. London is still suffering a lot from racial issues I think. I must say it's great to see a channel of two clearly educated guys thoughtfully breaking this stuff down. I'm 33 and I feel like I'm constantly watching kids reacting to this and not really listening. You've got yourselves another subscriber anyway. Keep up the good work gents. I wrote this on my phone on the train so forgive me if there's a ton of spelling mistakes. Have a good one guys.
I must add, the comment about the black communities being nearer city centres was about me assuming that there's still a lot of issues there. Forgive me. Check out the first part of his Part 4, it's some of his best work
He raps about his older bars. I had a mixtape of his in 2005 and he used well known 50 cent beat. And yeah he matched some hook notes to keep it recognizable, but he was very much woke already. Even a decade and a half ago he delivered a very real ans intelligent message. If you imagine a college kid driving around Southern California pumping a UK rappers mixtape people werent ready for. I got some hate, but I was and am a die hard hip hop fan, and even 15 or so years ago I heard it and I knew he would do big things. Everytime I find something new its even better. And his movement working with the youth is an incredible idea. Who we leave the planet to how do we prepare them the best we can ect, talk about someone who sees the big picture. Just thought Id drop 2 cents from an american who was lucky enough to start following Akala long before he was known in the states. In my opinion he is in the Nas tier of MC. UK style is a different pattern then US and fans arent always ready for it, but lyrically and artform wise. He is more hip hop then 90% of the US big names.
His flow and cadence are on point to us in UK, why, because we have multi layered dance scenes whose foundations are built on 3/4 timings and syncopated beats, broken beats etc.. His lyrical flow, at times, is a reflection of that time signature. If you listen to more UK mcing styles you will hear all the different styles and get more familiar with the word play that replicates the beats they are rapping over. Enjoy guys
Akala .. top five of all time.. under valued and rated.. Best ever in UK. As for his style.. its not waiting for the beat its a style he uses. I love it.
Racism in the UK.. I'm a 41 year old ' father of 4 from Manchester . I grew up on a council estate (projects to yourselves ' regarding housing).By a single mother.. 3 boys 1 girl.. My youngest brother and sister are black (or mixed race as it's classed these days.) my younger brother was born in 1980 and my sister in 1991..stark contrast.. My brother was called all the names (which I can't relay as I have never used such words ' and won't) my sister wasn't.. Yes people could argue that my sister had 3 big brothers to whoop anyone's arse if they uttered such horrible shiznit. True.. But she was only called a couple of times.. My brother it was a weekly or sometimes daily. I know because I was the one that whooped there arse,s for letting that detrimental shite flow outta there mouths.. Now it's more ignorance than racism I believe.. Forefathers have a lot to answer for.. Akala is one of my favourite poet's.. 1💛 USA.. #Trumpisajokestill
primary school is age 4/5-10/11 and secondary school is age 11/12-15/16 Those who are or aren't into reading but love Akala's work need to get his book, Natives. One thing though, whether you like his flow or not, Akala is all about spreading knowledge and it's all in the lyrics.
Am I detecting a little UK hostility from the dude wearing glasses? Lol . We are all one guys :) Akala is creative genius at work. As also are y'all who are doing this. Exercise the right brain ❤
Love you guys. Where else can i find reactions to Akala and Pantera in one place? Not only that you actually have great insights. Great to see someones first impressions of great tracks that i ve had spinning for some time. Keep up the good work. Ps Im part of your british "fam" but actually over here in Australia.
You really should react to akala - fire in the booth part 4, his flow has improved so much (part 1 was almost 15 years ago). Part 4 is unreal you’ll like it. Please react!!
I know this is a few months old now but I had to comment. This is Akala through and through, the flow is reminiscent of early 00's grime and pirate radio. If you havnt already, then I recommend looking into Akala's work in, and out of the booth.
As others pointed out he isn't off beat its to do with grime bpm and also breaking words like E-Conomics is allowing him to rap using iambic pentameter
London in particular is probably the most tolerant and ethnically diverse city in the world, however outside of London; expect to find an abundance of racism and discrimination!!
to my british ear his flow, timing, lyrics are perfection.
my american ear agrees with you 100%
Exactly
Akala is an education
Yeah - I think that kind of broken delivery, where the word is broken and the syllable hangs to time better with the beat, is simply an aesthetic decision. I like it personally, it adds variety to the sound. It's less melodious but I also think that it's more punchy and demanding of the audience's attention and that's what Akala wants: to inform the audience.
Akala is dope g
Akala has transcended rap. He's an activist, community philanthropist, public speaker and hopefully will become recognised as a national treasure.
100% this
Don’t forget author. I’ve just bought his book “NATIVES - Race and class in the Ruins of Empire”.
Also a prophet
@HomelessRichGuy yip it is.... Was baked out of my mind when I typed that... He's a very gifted fella though that's for sure
published author now
He’s not trying to catch up with the beat or going too fast for the beat. It’s just the style of UK grime and it sounds fast because of the accent.
Yh but Music has rules not flowing on beat is going against the rules of music it's as good as not song anything, but I respect he's message
Not really mate.. You have to stay on beat everytime. But akala lyrics is more advanced than him Staying on this beat.. He was abit off but it still listenable and UK grime doesn't sound like this.. akala is the first one to rap a certain way. But still dope
Tru dat!
Still Mind but dey don knooo they ain’t ready for Akala 🔥🔥🔥
It’s because to get as much content as he does in his bars he has to empathise the following bar that has less content to stay on flow
Every British person is (quite rightly) fuming in these comments... Akala’s pen and flow is UNMATCHED
I wish I could like this 100000 times
I was coming here to say just that!!! How👏🏼Dare👏🏼They 👏🏼
Not just Brits but Americans who recognize that the UK scene is leaps and bounds superior to the BS that’s considered rap in this country.
Akala, Lowkey, English Frank, Mic Righteous, etc >>> than anything we have here
@@AstnPw3rs respect to you from a British person!
@@samazon6693 it's jealousy, pure and simple.
That delivery is classic UK hip-hop/grime flow. Ain't no problem there. I can understand it sounds strange to an ear used to classic American hip-hop though
He's going back and forwards across the beat. It's an acquired taste but I get it.
I disagree with the last bit. I'm from Essex and grew up listening to US hip hop mostly, not UK, yet Akala sounds like a Rap God from an alternate dimension where everybody just talks like that all the time lol.
Being from here helps definitely, but then I suppose we probably do have a wider sphere of influences in UK rap, Grime, Drill or whatever when compared to how prejudiced some American hip hop heads can be to anything that isn't classic American Hip hop. Like the reaction from the Hip Hop community to Gambino's Awaken my Love, or Andre 3000's Love Below. If they aint rapping, name dropping and swagging then some just won't give it a chance.
His flow and timing is perfect absolutely perfect, it's pinpoint broken down into note values and thats why it fits.
Its not rushed, its Grime
140 yeah keep to the beat
The style Akala is spitting in is more common to UK rap, which are typically on 140bpm beats with sort of dark hard af beats - so a very aggressive tone of spitting has developed. Akala's style is great to the ear of someone who loves UK rap, but I get that kind of spitting might be weird if you don't hear it often.
Yeah facts! Dub/Jungle/Drum and bass culture .
secondary is high school, so around 12yrs old
We're all about bars in the UK, that flow he did was deliberate, so many rapper's so we respect uniqueness, even if it means sacrificing the flow to get your point across.
Reverse rolls
And we burgle the burgelers
We burn clothes
When we murder the murderers
Point blank with revolving revolvers
We don't pray on weak
We assault the assaulters
Well said.
Lowkey - Fire in the booth, one of the very best ever in the UK and is a must see
woohooo
I agree
They brothers. Both Grenfell Speakers. Akala is an ex rapper turned philosopher/author.
They did it and said it was shit these guys are wack
love how you guys study the lyrics in depth too, so few reaction videos even listen properly to lyrics. Props to you from UK
Akala is the master of knowledge and I 10/10 recommend his 4th fire in the booth if you want flows but his 3rd one is also very good. However, if you want slick bars listen to "Wretch 32 & Avelino - Fire In The Booth". On everything that i love, you will be able to see UKs lyrical ability in a way Americans can fully appreciate. I don't usually comment so I hope you see this.
Thanks for the feedback sir! We'll look into your suggestions.
Lost In Vegas Akala's 'Visions EP', please.. Thanks.
I second this! Akala is one of a kind, master of knowledge
Everything you have just said is spot on
11 months passed ..how about now for some other AKALA fitbs
Akalas flow is 10000000% deliberate. Rhythmically he is lightyears ahead of most. And the 'stacatto flow' is all part of his unique talent. I happen to love his flow. A lot of UK artists are influenced by MC's like Skibadee (dnb) and the way they deliver lyrics and so use their vocals more like an instrument.
Race in th UK is not a big deal (for the most part) We have more of a class problem in this country.
Thank you for the feedback on this! I was waiting for someone to give some perspective.
SkepticSkye I agree that there is 100 percent a class issue in the uk but sorry you can't deny there is not also race relation issues in uk aswell ....
Kwes Awotz I didn't but it's not compared to the US (relatively speaking)
SkepticSkye yes I agree race relations defo worst in the USA for African Americans and minorities but we can't ignore that don't have those problems in the Uk am not saying we have to compare it to USA but we have to understand that uk has its own problems that black Brits and minorities in uk have to face aswell
Depends where about you live, south London and Manchester etc there is a lot of race problems however it's more of a prejudice towards others rather than actions. Northerners in the UK are studied to be 40 years behind the rest of UK in accepting different race/color of people. So yes the UK does have racism and quite badly, go croydon and try find a white male walking down the street at 11pm at night.
Every time I listen to Akala you can feel the third eye opening
Racism is everywhere, but imo, for how multicultural it is, England is the most tolerant country in the world. My family consists of Irish, Jamaican and Indian and we've never experienced anything serious. I suppose there are more prominently white cities in England that are less tolerant, just goes to show people are able to get along when we integrate properly.
Thanks for the feedback on this!
You're lucky then. I come from similar background to you I'm of Irish and polish background but one side of my family is Jamaican. My mix raced auntie has been racially abused countless times growing up, bullied, spat at, beaten. I also have black friends who've had fireworks put threw there letterbox and windows bricked. I think it depends where your from a lot. However I think that racism is a lot more discreet in the Uk compared to the US, but it's still there.
Dan ny Yeah racism is everywhere like I said. I live in Birmingham though which is less that 50% white I think. Black and white people are pretty well integrated here.
Birmingham here too. My family is of Northern Irish heritage and found this city the most welcoming in the UK because of it's diversity. However, racism in the UK is much more insidious than it is in the US. In the US racism is so overt in terms of how it's discussed, but here in the UK it's very much under the surface. The UK still has the same discrepancies in the percentage of prisoners that are ethinc minorites compared to ethnic minorities as a percentage of the overall population. It still has the same discrepancies of percentage of people who die whilst in custody who are minorities, again, compared to ethnic minorities as a percentage of population. The Stop and Search powers the police have too, involve stopping young black males far more than any other group of people, when we know that statistically there's no more chance of them committing crime than any other group.
In a similar manner to the US, the systemic racism very much exists (in terms of state systems set up to give minorities the least chance, or a slimmer chance than white people, to prosper), and I would have said that people in the UK are probably far more accepting of others due to the diversity. However, since the Brexit vote, racists everywhere seem to be empowered and hate crime has rocketed. Which I think shows just how insidious racism is in this country.
I do think Birmingham is the exception rather than the rule if I'm honest (but I might be biased being a Brummie).
I kinda agree tbf. I hear much more outwards racism towards them than towards blacks.
Come on guys its been forever since you did this! Please react to akala's FITB 2,3 and 4, yes I know you don't wanna do fire in the booths, but this not just some guy trying to be conscious, Akala is a big deal, spreading his knowledge at Oxford, and conventions alike. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! (Oh and not to mention that he did all this without being signed)
By secondary he means secondary level of education i.e high school so in uk he would be around 13
Thank you!
Aaron Daly yeah secondary meaning secondary school
Aaron Daly we would be 10/11
James Spruce sorry I'm from Ireland thought it was the same
No worries , generally 11 to 16 here
This man is not a rapper he is a black poet, and artist a leader.
i was always disappointed you guys didn't go and check out his FITB Pt4. He's ten years into his career at that point and his flow is on point. He rides the beat crazily in that one and still spits as much knowledge. Hope you guys might go try it.
You need to do a reaction to part 4, part 1 was 12 years ago now and his development as an artist since then is incredible. Part 4 is hands down the most mind blowing fire in the booth performance I've ever seen, Charlie had to pick his jaw up from the floor after.
Fam is a commonly used term of endearment in the UK so I wouldn't worry about using it
Also great to see such an in depth analysis of UK rap/grime from a US perspective. There's a lot you could react to. Similar to this is Lowkey's fire in the booth, for less political stuff try Skepta, Stormzy and Aj Tracey
Fam is also an old school slang term that was used in the 90's in New York. We were referring to the ''corny'' TH-cam context fam is used in. ''Heyyyyy TH-cam family'' blah, blah. Lol. We don't like to sound too ''TH-camy'' bro.
dont listen to skepta stormzy and aj tracey. just no
Lost In Vegas lol so funny that someone from the UK is explaining fam to an American. Pretty sure it started here in America
The UK rap style is very inspired by old school jungle and garage which has a lot of emphasis on rhythm . It's basically like the flow and cadence was it's own drumset.
Secondary is from aged 11 to 16
Got it! Thank you!
Secondary school basically high school in England
Stevi Boi only we don’t carry on till 18
Yep. 11 - 16. Was at my school lol.
High school, I guess?
His giving young blacks a history lesson , show respect
Listen to his FITB part 4 - it's a madness
Becky C agreed
PART 4 !!
the best one. has me in tears every time
I couldn't stop listening to it.
I wish they would
Akalas flow is amazing!! This fire in the booth was 10years ago!! You need to check out 2,3 and the most resent - No 4 is just incredible.
7:19 - the moment they realise Akala has total control of the beat
Primary and secondary, secondary is your high school.
As for the delivery, this is grime, not typical rap. Grime is essentially bouncing off the beat, riding it. Not just flowing with it like generic rap. It's goes from slow to fast at various points. You can even skip a beat and gain it back double time afterwards.
I like you guys, but you really messed up with this reactiuon and analysis. You clearly misunderstood his flow and timing. This FITB is pure perfection.
We are woke in Britain guys, we fight for justice and equality EVERY day.
This is straight up one of the greatest things that has happened in UK music.
you NEED to watch part 4...seriously, its mind blowing, I honestly cannot believe you have not done it yet, you really need to do it...not for us...for yourselves...its that good
You guys have done this perfectly with the lyrics together. Please react to Lowkey - Fire in the booth if you can!
Thanks Bilal!
Lowkey’s FITB 2 outta be studied as literature
This is UK freestyle in a nutshell. I assure you the delivery of the "e-conomics" line is completely deliberate.
I clicked on this video so fast haha. Great reaction. Love it when you react to British artists. 👍
Thank you!
Its 140bpm. Its grime. Hip hop is like 90bpm so grime is alot quicker. We do rap on beats same tempo as say a bonethugz,twista,nolimit n them
I saw this and dropped EVERYTHING!
Mic Righteous
Ms. Banks
Stormzy
Kamakaze
Lowkey and Logic
all have dope Fire In The Booths to listen to
Salute!!
finally a reaction video that analyses the lyrics. Thanks guys
i don't usually like it when reactors break the video, to talk to much, but this is something else i like.
Thank you!
Ya it's comes from sincerity
Love this video, guys. Thanks. Akala is a giant of a man. I love people discovering him. Be he speakin’ or spittin’.
Keep analysing the lyrics guys that's what makes it a great vid❤️
Thanks Rahul!
Yall need a reaction to part 2,3 and 4 ASAP, been sleeping on Akala; his progression is like fine wine
Yisss! thankyou! i hope yall watch the rest of them
aint even watched it yet lol
Grime is generally faster though so i hope you get used to the faster flow
grime is faster than hip -hop it might take a minute for your ears to palette it, but real understand real so im sure you'll get it
Thanks for watching Isatou! Maybe so. We'll be checking out more from Akala at some point.
Lost In Vegas keep grinding! I appreciate yall content and opinions
Cant believe my ears ! Akala is weaving and skipping around the beats in which he has total command. I really hope you guys have read the comments and now appreciate his style. He's a wordsmith and a beatsmith . Proper x
Yo guys! Love the reactions, but I noticed when you pointed out he seems "rushed" when he's delivering the bars, not emphasising the punch of the bar - I felt like mentioning, that Akala bases it all on flow. With the "Eco-nomics" bar where he pauses on Eco, he pairs that with the first part of that line. Where he drags out the "IF" and takes a slight pause before "We" so it's more about his flow than his punch line emphasis - Akala has always been about matching up the structure of a bar to the beat, weaving on and off tempo, more than he's about smashing home a killer rhyme with a punchline that's emphasised. Anyway, love the reaction keep it up! You should do Akala FITB part 4 as it's off the charts on lyrical content
Edit: A good comparison to this would be Eminem's opening on Syllables, if you've heard that. Where it's all about the structure of words and how you can make them sound. Rather than a scheme with a heavy punch on it :)
Edit 2: Just got to the part where you said you feel it may be deliberate, it is - I get people might not be a fan!
Great feedback sir. It's interesting because many of his core fans are saying that his flow improved substantially in pt4 of this series. His content and lyricism is great so we'll definitely get back to him.
Yeah, I can agree with that. His flow is miles and miles ahead in pt4 and his new Visions EP to now, however I personally feel that a fair amount of the time he still follows a similar structure. The Visions EP video he has on YT is also worth checking out - Appreciate the effort you guys put into the reactions, actually breaking the lyrics down and enjoying them music. Top job and much love from the UK
Akala fire in the booth pt 2 , 3 , 4
Come in guys have been wanting you do these for ages
Day 6: Mural Lupe Fiasco
takes 2 lines to realize you're listening to a lyrical masterpiece.
Angel Manriquez i like lupe fiascos 'battlescars'. He is defo an underated rapper.
I would highly recommend listening to Akala part 4 if you want to see technical ability, there isn’t anyone the same. He’s a poet, never sold out and spreads knowledge.
Avelino & Wretch32 fire in the booth, unmatched.
llennoco22 absolute fire. Wretch kinda overshadowed av in that but Avelino absolutely shone in his daily dappy.. Wordplay was crazy.. I still think narsties fitb is the best tho.. Heavy hitting grown man bars
Chris James run man down like an African security guard working in boots, my flows f****d like tracksuit bottoms with shoes 😂😂😂
His flow and delivery is absolutely flawless. It's because you're not used to hearing it, that it may sound off. But this man is one of the greats. He knows his shit!
Just to give you guys some info, that's and old freestyle so his flow is strange. His most recent ones are a lot better. He has a PhD himself, in Egyptoloy. Also, as you heard in the freestyle he owns business and property. One business he founded is call Hip-hop Shakespeare. He takes kids overseas and educates them on knowledge and truth. Great dude. I'm happy to see a reaction from you guys on this video, Wasn't expecting that at all! Hope to see more Akala reactions in the future! Good job. Best reaction channel.
Thanks Andre! We appreciate the info on Akala.
Lost In Vegas Also, check out his lectures in Oxford University.
UK hip hop and grime, as I understand it, differs from US hip hop in part because of its stronger roots in dub, jungle and drum n bass, all of which feature super fast MC-ing. 2-Step and Garage are similar: super fast MC-ing. What's impressive about Akala is that he maintains that pace and packs it with a lot of knowledge, messages and politics.
You've just reminded me of *Chicken Shop Shakespeare* who did a short video at *Valley Parade* in 2016. The narrator *Lladel Bryant* just happened to bump into our craziest and most famous fan while he was doing his Shakespeare speech, yet he didn't break character.
That fan who's called *Charlie* probably didn't have a clue what was going on, not that he would've noticed anyway, even if he hadn't been drinking. *Charlie* kept going on about someone called *Martell* whoever that is.
The edgy delivery is his style. This man is amazingly intelligent, educated, and can teach you...end of.
"economics" its said that way to keep perfect timing and to rhyme better, its his flow.... If u hear his flow, u expect to hear economics said the way he said it
Please, please.... PLEASE! Do his part 4... It's arguably the greatest freestyles of all time. I'd hate to think you gave up on part 1
React to lowkey fire in the booth
Sara Mohammad yes! 👍
Yes Watch that one you wont be complaining about lowkeys flow, Thats for sure
Sara Moe Lowkey - 'end of neo liberalism' and 'ghosts of grenfell'. Check em out!
Yes
Lowkey fire in the booth part 2!
You missed the part where he said "I've got half the hood screaming knowledge is power!!!" Before that "power" scheme at the end 💯🤯🔥
React to Akala fire in the booth part four. Different level. God bless !
Came across from your metal loving fanbase but I freaking love me some Akala!! Mad flows and incredibly smart dude. Glad you covered him.
Please React To the other ones.. Part 2,3 & 4 .... you wont be dissapointed.
Akala, Mic Righteous and Lowkey are on another level for real 3 of the best lyricists out there in my opinion! Id love to see you guys do a Mic Righteous fire in the booth reaction!!!
The flow thing is also a throwback from 70's 80's regea. Of course reggae would have been a lot slower though
I am glad you enjoyed Akala, he has now done 4 parts now and I know you have said previously that you don’t want to do Fire in the booths but have a look at Part 4 as it’s 10 years after this one And it is on par with this one with knowledge and even better in parts. Also keep up the good work.
6:20 what are u talking about, that's just his flow.
Havent watched your reaction yet can’t wait as I think it’s gonna blow your mind ❤️❤️🇬🇧👍 here goes 👍
"Secondary" secondary school, high school basically
I'm from the UK and I think these guys were respectful and honest with there comments
Lowkey fire in the booth is one of the greatest - 2010!
Ocean wisdom - Walkin ridiculous flow and wordplay
The whole point of akala fire in the booth is knowledge not to make a hot track , he has a set time to say what he needs to say and this was his first big stage moment
yooo, his part 4 is where his flow is fucking incredible, that was when he was alot younger. His flow has been praised by charlamagne: "it was retarded".
when he mentioned "secondary" near the beginning, he was referring to secondary school, in the UK we call schools primary, secondary then college then university
Avelino and Wretch 32 fire in the booth
Must watch this
yo wretch 32 part 3 fitb was insane
Nade S yes! That one actually, fuck it both!
Yes!
Must!!!
Part 4 is a must guys. Love from the UK
Hi guys, one of your British watchers here. Secondary is what we call High School. Also, racism is still a big problem. You find a lot of black communities living nearer the city centres (I assume it's the same over there), however as guns are completely illegal here, it's Knife Crime that is the big problem. I'm up in Manchester so there was a big issue in the 90's where a lot of gangs managed to get hold of guns and the press coined the term "Gunchester" for the city. I might be wrong but I don't think this was specifically black people, it was all people on the wrong side of the law. London is still suffering a lot from racial issues I think.
I must say it's great to see a channel of two clearly educated guys thoughtfully breaking this stuff down. I'm 33 and I feel like I'm constantly watching kids reacting to this and not really listening.
You've got yourselves another subscriber anyway. Keep up the good work gents. I wrote this on my phone on the train so forgive me if there's a ton of spelling mistakes. Have a good one guys.
I must add, the comment about the black communities being nearer city centres was about me assuming that there's still a lot of issues there. Forgive me.
Check out the first part of his Part 4, it's some of his best work
Thank you sir! That was very informative. We appreciate the info.
I'm from the UK and second what Vonvard says.
Raza Rahman thanks Raza!
He raps about his older bars. I had a mixtape of his in 2005 and he used well known 50 cent beat. And yeah he matched some hook notes to keep it recognizable, but he was very much woke already. Even a decade and a half ago he delivered a very real ans intelligent message. If you imagine a college kid driving around Southern California pumping a UK rappers mixtape people werent ready for. I got some hate, but I was and am a die hard hip hop fan, and even 15 or so years ago I heard it and I knew he would do big things. Everytime I find something new its even better. And his movement working with the youth is an incredible idea. Who we leave the planet to how do we prepare them the best we can ect, talk about someone who sees the big picture. Just thought Id drop 2 cents from an american who was lucky enough to start following Akala long before he was known in the states. In my opinion he is in the Nas tier of MC. UK style is a different pattern then US and fans arent always ready for it, but lyrically and artform wise. He is more hip hop then 90% of the US big names.
Akala's on another level. Guy is a true intellectual. Could listen to his raps all day...
Subscribed, you guy's are dope. Respect from the UK.
His flow and cadence are on point to us in UK, why, because we have multi layered dance scenes whose foundations are built on 3/4 timings and syncopated beats, broken beats etc.. His lyrical flow, at times, is a reflection of that time signature. If you listen to more UK mcing styles you will hear all the different styles and get more familiar with the word play that replicates the beats they are rapping over. Enjoy guys
his delivery is just different...pay attention to the content! you misunderstood his style and flow.....!
Akala .. top five of all time.. under valued and rated.. Best ever in UK. As for his style.. its not waiting for the beat its a style he uses. I love it.
Racism in the UK.. I'm a 41 year old ' father of 4 from Manchester . I grew up on a council estate (projects to yourselves ' regarding housing).By a single mother.. 3 boys 1 girl.. My youngest brother and sister are black (or mixed race as it's classed these days.) my younger brother was born in 1980 and my sister in 1991..stark contrast.. My brother was called all the names (which I can't relay as I have never used such words ' and won't) my sister wasn't.. Yes people could argue that my sister had 3 big brothers to whoop anyone's arse if they uttered such horrible shiznit. True.. But she was only called a couple of times.. My brother it was a weekly or sometimes daily. I know because I was the one that whooped there arse,s for letting that detrimental shite flow outta there mouths.. Now it's more ignorance than racism I believe.. Forefathers have a lot to answer for.. Akala is one of my favourite poet's.. 1💛 USA..
#Trumpisajokestill
Thank you for sharing this!
Your not from wythenshaw are you?
UK rap is completely different to US rap. It’s based on West Indian patois.
This video is like 7 years old! Listen to Akala - Fire in the booth PART 4! Released much more recently! Flow has improved and it's much better
His knowledge is so current now and check out his daily duppy it's amazing 👏🏻👏🏻
Yes there certainly is racism in U.K. But not compared to us, maybe my view is rose tinted because I'm from London
Thank you for the feedback!
primary school is age 4/5-10/11 and secondary school is age 11/12-15/16
Those who are or aren't into reading but love Akala's work need to get his book, Natives. One thing though, whether you like his flow or not, Akala is all about spreading knowledge and it's all in the lyrics.
Am I detecting a little UK hostility from the dude wearing glasses? Lol . We are all one guys :) Akala is creative genius at work. As also are y'all who are doing this. Exercise the right brain ❤
Love you guys. Where else can i find reactions to Akala and Pantera in one place? Not only that you actually have great insights. Great to see someones first impressions of great tracks that i ve had spinning for some time. Keep up the good work.
Ps Im part of your british "fam" but actually over here in Australia.
Akala is a college professor with a PhD. He regularly appears on political and news programmes and is also an author.
Glyn Gasson he isn’t but that’s not a bad thing. He does lecture though the guy is a genius.
Akala is a gem of a human, he is so wise and only talks absolute facts. The godfather of UK rap for sure.
Secondary as in secondary school which is high school. That's my guess anyway, I'm from the UK.
👍🏾👊🏾✌🏾🇳🇬🇺🇸
You really should react to akala - fire in the booth part 4, his flow has improved so much (part 1 was almost 15 years ago). Part 4 is unreal you’ll like it. Please react!!
I'm subbing. This is the best reaction I've seen. Please check out Mic Righteous Fire In the Booth and Akala part 4 (very different from this one)
Thank you for supporting!
yeah defo, akalas part 4 was fucking insane, his flolw improved so fucking much
13WildGoose I agree.. One of the better reactions I've seen.. Exited to see more UK shit from these guys
Man finally real analysis much love gents..sub"d
Secondary refers to our schooling system, we attend infants and then juniors leave juniors at age 10/11 and then go to secondary school :)
I know this is a few months old now but I had to comment. This is Akala through and through, the flow is reminiscent of early 00's grime and pirate radio. If you havnt already, then I recommend looking into Akala's work in, and out of the booth.
The rhythm he is using is more U.K. Grimme than U.S. Rap.
As others pointed out he isn't off beat its to do with grime bpm and also breaking words like E-Conomics is allowing him to rap using iambic pentameter
London in particular is probably the most tolerant and ethnically diverse city in the world, however outside of London; expect to find an abundance of racism and discrimination!!
most racism i ever had was in london. birmingham lad .
Lol such a mad sweeping statement! London is like a different country to the rest of England. But that comment just isn't true at all.
Akala is super intelligent with his spits. Big Love. Mans got sillz. UK Love