Album review: SWIDT, The Most Electrifying EP

Onehunga hip-hop crew SWIDT. Photo / Supplied

The Most Electrifying feels like an EP Swidt put out just to let us all know that they can.

The first track, Who Run It, is a teeth-baring, chest-pounding reminder that Swidt is here and in control, with lines such as: "As soon as I get in the booth I become Oprah ... yeah I think that I'm Oprah / 'Cause you getting bodied, you getting bodied, you getting bodied".

But evidently no longer content with simply targeting other rappers, Swidt is coming at New Zealand too, calling out our societal flaws one banger at a time.

Praise is a smooth but hard-hitting middle finger to New Zealand's rampant tall-poppy syndrome, as Swidt demand the right to celebrate their numerous wins.

Then, on No Emotions in the Wild, they target toxic masculinity and the pressure to "be a man", rapping about suicide and a lack of support - particularly among Polynesian people.

"My cousin said keep it gangsta, real men don't cry tears / From the start in the high chair 'til they're gone in a casket" ... "Too many of my people falling 'cause they're not supported".

Each track leads perfectly into the next and between the seamless flows, the stunning feature from Kiwi R&B star Villette, the distorted vocals on Facts and the insane production and beats throughout, the EP sounds as slick as hell.

Not only have Swidt proven their place at the top of NZ hip-hop, they've proven they have much more to say and better yet, why we should listen.

SWIDT, The Most Electrifying EP

Artist: SWIDT
Album: The Most Electrifying EP
Label: Universal Music
Verdict: A super slick release with a message for NZ