As drill continues to dominate the UK’s contemporary hip-hop scene, there are few artists that opt for an alternative approach quite like Piers James. The Essex-born producer, singer, and rapper exemplifies the remains of a dying breed, which garner praise from the likes of GQ, MTV, Pigeons & Planes, Complex and more. Piers provides us with his own UK twist on hip-hop, jazz, and r&b through incredible production and storytelling on his new album, A Dying Breed, Pt. II. Themes of love, self-growth, oppression, and racism all appear in the project, similarly to the discographies of his greatest influences.

He credits his musical influence to legendary artists within the dying breed of creatives such as Kanye West, J Dilla, Andre 3000, and Pharrell. Their influential production/storytelling combinations are evident throughout the project, especially Pharrell and 3 Stacks which he pays homage to in my two favorite tracks from the album, “What Roses Smell Like” and “Best Out Here”. The former is a jazzy, love-hate, self-reflective track clearly influenced by the Outkast hit, “Roses”, where Piers gets himself feeling like “a young Andre 3000”, confronting his own inner conflicts. “Best Out Here,” which was previously released as a single, embodies Pharrell’s signature strummy guitar and percussion that makes your whole body groove in combination with a wavy hook and smooth flow that creates a fresh summertime jam.

As a person born and raised in the US–and I’m sure many others will agree–there’s something about UK accents that just hit different. Piers James has no issue providing a variety of vibes and feelings throughout the album with his own unique signature. There’s a little bit of something for everyone in this project. Be sure to check it out and keep your radar pointed his way in the future.