REAL BACK IN STYLE
WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS O’CONNOR
JANUARY 1ST 2024
“The struggle, that’s what made you, why you running from it?” (P, Payper, Real Back in Style).
A prominent bar that resonates with myself, this bar gives me chills when I listen, from head shakes to shudders. I feel Potter’s vulnerability, sleeved heart and prosperity was delegated and executed precisely within this album.
Rather than just a collective of songs, I love how Potter painted his world and took us on a journey of hardship, betrayal and pain (to say the least) with his past endeavours to a glorious, respected and righteous position. “We got all the money now, they’re at a disadvantage, they lookin’ at me funny now, I grew up disadvantaged’ ‘ (P, Payper, Blame Brexit). From where Potter began and the holes in which he ‘climbed out’ it really is an ironic and inspiring position we see him in. From “10 toes down” to arguably the best rapper in the UK space, undoubtedly this album was due to be an instant classic and give us a layer of who Potter Payper is beneath who his fans are shown.
Additionally, skipping ahead to the latter segment of the album, I find inspiration in how the title of the album reflects so appositely. ‘Real’ is all Potter presented to us, even from the harsh, hard-hitting side of songs like ‘Toy Story 2’ where he delves into the harsh reality of the lifestyle he lives/lived*. This was a highlight of the album and anticipated for over 5 years after the prequel. I love the honesty and how Potter portrayed certain feelings to really create a compelling scene that the listener could captivate. A bar that stands out for me is “my brothers bleeding out I need to call the ambulance, there’s murder in the air I don’t like the ambience” (P, Payper, Toy Story 2). For some reason, I can always picture this bar, I can’t exactly understand why, but I think it’s because of Potters cadence, or possibly the mixing by Lewi White and Will Lite, his expression, almost like his vocals are stretching leaving space for ambience to set in feels so real, as if he is reliving this segment as he raps it.
Furthermore, delving back in to the earlier section of the album, bars like “then it’s freedom itself, I wouldn’t know the blessin”, “I feel so loved and hated at the same time ‘Cause you’re here now, but you weren’t when your time was needed” and lastly “if I wasn’t let down all my life, broke with no hope all my life” (P, Payper, All My Life) really signal the holes in Potters heart, it presses weight into the listeners, giving a chance to relate and really feel what Potter is portraying. I think these bars are a pivotal development for the album as it gives us an early encounter to who Potter really is, it shines a light beneath the rapper which he does so well, I just feel in these examples and the album as a whole something Potter is very good at is indulging who he is beneath the music, but still using music to articulate and communicate this to his listeners.
On top of that, Potter captivates the use of compelling communication and storytelling brilliantly in ‘Scenes’, my personal favourite of the album. Potter gives the listeners a chance to explore different imagery and layers of who he is and does it very well, especially in reflection to the title. “Scene 10 I’m possessed because I used to be poor”. (P, Payper, Scenes). This correlates to what I was saying in the last section, but within this song and alongside the music video, Potter’s imagery is precisely captivated. Even though it rolls in from ‘Toy Story 2’ and out to ‘Corner Boy’, the producers of the album really laid a blueprint to other artists in terms of a well-structured clerical sequenced album. I also like the incorporation of the closing scene and his use of word play, which is safe to say Potter has mastered.
In my opinion, as a listener I think the production on this album needs to be highlighted as a big factor of why I and a lot of people agree on this being ‘Album of The Year’. Each song complements Potter so well, from his cadence on each beat, roll in and out’s, his delivery, pitch, flow and especially the intensity of Potter’s voice. He really put more than just a paper and pen behind this sequence, you can tell the levels Potter dove into are so strategic and smart that it just furthers compliments moving Potter towards the top of the UK scene.
Lastly, on a personal level I want to thank Potter for the release of this album, he showed vulnerability and a more mature perspective on life than past projects, that I feel more people can relate to and find development in themselves with this album and reflect, especially with songs like ‘White Ash’. Even though the ‘Training Day’ trilogy is classic, I think this album deserves to be spoken about alongside them. It really shows a different side to Potter, I almost feel as though I know more about who he is and his message after listening. I praise his prosperity, tenacity and standpoint on what ‘real’ is to him.
