Continuing to prove why he’s one of the most revered lyricists in the rap game, Avelino deploys his signature penmanship to tell the story of his upbringing on new single, ‘BAD BRITAIN’.
Featuring fellow UK rap star Kojey Radical, and WSTRN vocalist Haile, the vibrant track (produced by FaNaTiX) sees Avelino reflect upon the moments that helped shape him, using wordplay-laden verses to express himself with a “unique clarity”. Setting his own existence in the context of the country he grew up in, he blends the elation for all his success, with commentary on the fire that forged him.
Commenting on the message and essence of the track, the ‘Boasy’ rapper says: “It was great to link up with Haile again after all these years, and also to have Kojey join us on the track, especially because the song’s called ‘BAD BRITAIN’. We’re three lions; three dreadlocked artists coming together, it feels fitting.”
“In essence, ‘BAD BRITAIN’ is about the habit of turning good into bad, because in slang, bad means good. As Haile says in the chorus, regardless of what’s going on out there, or what adversities or hurdles may come our way, we know God’s got us, and we know we’ll prevail. That’s the mindset that gets us out of the trenches, that gets us out of the difficult situations from growing up on a council estate. ‘BAD BRITAIN’ to the world and back!”
Since bursting onto the scene with a series of now legendary freestyles, Avelino’s 2015 mixtape with Wretch32 ‘Young Fire, Old Flame’, catapulted the Angolan-born, Tottenham-bred artist to the upper echelons of the UK rap scene.
Collaborations followed with heavyweights Skepta, Dave and Stormzy, who namechecked him in his now legendary rollcall of UK artists during his 2019 Glastonbury set, alongside plaudits from the likes of Annie Mac, Complex, DJ Target, Vice and NME, who’ve hailed him as one of the country’s “finest lyricists” for his succession of mixtapes.
Now, over ten years deep into his career, his critically acclaimed debut album ‘God Save The Streets’ topped the Independent Album Charts, receiving huge praise from the likes of The Observer, The Independent, Evening Standard, NME, Rolling Stone UK, and Complex.
Download / stream ‘BAD BRITAIN’ here.