By V1NE has reached deep in his bag for his mixtape, ‘I’m Just Tired’. This project shares multiple experiences with living in the gritty inner-city community of London, which has influenced the mixtape’s title. ‘I’m Just Tired’ features fellow rappers Eerf Evil, Deuce Lumiere, Louis The Hippie, Getaway and Joe Beard.
VINE successfully established a gloomy, poignant ambience for the mixtape as he raps on the harsh reality of the deviant street culture. His authentic lyricism lives up to the mixtape’s title as his storytelling exposes the Newham rapper’s sad disposition. His genuine lyricism enables the listeners to relate to the chilling, emotional accounts he shares throughout the mixtape. This is evident in songs, such as ‘Brown’ featuring Deuce Lumiere, ‘Dry Tears’, ‘Newham’ featuring Eerf Evil, ‘Bermuda Highball’ featuring Getaway and ‘Star Lane’. V1NE, in these songs, utilise his voice to express the distraught he bears when facing these challenges. For example, his friends’ involvement in violence, near-death experiences, injustice from the government and police and trauma.
Although V1NE is agitated by the harsh reality of his socio-economic background, the Newham rapper showcases his resilience to the struggles he comes across. He prevents his character from being defined by the area’s hardship as he uses his mental toughness as a survival mechanism. In the song, ‘Nehwam’, he raps, “In this life, we take a lot of Ls, but we had to learn to take it on the chin”. This strong mindset expressed in his lyrics reflects his desire to be undefeated. Other songs, such as ‘Corsa Music’, featuring Louis The Hippie, reflects his mental toughness as a sign of maturity. V1NE mentions in ‘Corsa Music’, “Do you even feed your mum, spend your P’s on a gun, and then you wonder why it’s hard to get yourself out of the slum”. His lyrics highlight how he is smart enough to resist street life as he sees the bigger picture. The skit in ‘Newham’ links to this lyric, as V1NE disregards his crew’s excitement over attacking a foe by referring to the situation as unnecessary.
Overall, this body of work successfully exhibits the harsh reality of inner city culture. Hearing V1NE’s storytelling is wondrous for the ears. The projects authenticity is unquestionable, not to forget his incredible lyrical ability. Hopefully, V1NE has more music on the way for us fans to relish.
Check out V1NE ‘I’m Just Tired’ below.
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