Track Listing
Intro
Mount Rushmore (feat. Kano & Wretch 32)
Double Standards (feat. Sampha)
Anakin (Red Saber)
Blood On My Hands (feat. Unknown T)
Stylish Nxxxa (feat. Lancey Foux)
Laps (feat. Moonchild Sanelly)
Twin Sisters (feat. Skrapz)
Mine (feat. Shakka)
More Than I Required (feat. Jay Angelo) [Interlude]
Hallelujah (feat. Dexta Daps)
Gbedu (feat. Harry Aye)
Tumbi
Blessings (feat. Muzi)
Grateful (Interlude)
Street Politics (feat. Tiggs Da Author)
Jonah’s Safety (feat. Pip Millet)
Expiry Date (Outro)
When it comes to British hip hop, there’s arguably nobody stronger in the scene right now than Ghetts. With rapid, venomous lyrics, contrasting beautifully against the choral, simplistic beats, On Purpose, With Purpose may be 2 years in the making but damn is it worth the wait.
Boasting a playtime of just over an hour, this LP is sandwiched between a truth-laden and emotionally charged intro and outro, diving into Ghetts’ past, reflections on his career and the impact that’s had on his family relations.
The album has a good deal of variety when it comes to content, with the usual bouncy tracks like Laps and Twin Sisters (which both released earlier this year) diving into relationships and grinding whereas Double Standards and Jonah’s Story are much more hard-hitting, discussing the societal woes and double standards (no pun intended) plaguing the UK and the world at large. Both of these songs really help elevate this above the usual hip-hop fodder of falling into a bucket list of brags.
Ghetts’ strength has always been in his ability to make these strong, cleverly written raps look effortless and that much is especially true on this LP. Ghetts has clearly gone all out here, with a delicious cocktail of different influences blended together. There are sprinklings of grime, a bit of R&B, a touch of Reggae and darker hip-hop tracks. The rhymes work brilliantly and effortlessly through all of this, and it help that the album flows really well, with a smooth transition from one track to the next.
However there are a few tracks that blur into the background and don’t quite stand out as well as they perhaps should. In fact, Tumbi is arguably the weakest track on the album. But given how many solid bangers there are here, that’s not so much a complaint, more of a personal nit-pick.
All things considered, Ghetts absolutely knocks it out the park with On Purpose With Purpose. There are some excellent tracks here, and this sets a high standard in 2024 for best hip hop album. This is definitely not one to be missed.
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Verdict - 8.5/10
8.5/10