SL drops brand new mixtape ‘Different Dude’, foundation news

SL launches new mixtape,

 ‘Different Dude’

Photo credit: Bafic

“One of the most intriguing prospects in UK rap…SL’s talent is unmistakeable” The Guardian“A welcome reminder that age is no barrier to greatness” Dummy“Conversational, unhurried…sonically expansive” CLASH“An already-unmissable new talent” NME“Unique…gripping” Pigeons & Planes“Madness” FADER

SL has today released his brilliant new mixtape, ‘Different Dude’ – featuring explosive recent single ‘Felt Tips’, new track ‘Need More’, and collaborations alongside Unknown T, Nafe Smallz and Ayo Britain. Listen to the tape here.

‘Different Dude’ coincides with a deeper period of personal growth for SL. Earlier this summer the still-just-19-year-old set up a foundation in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and has pledged to donate a minimum of £100,000 to charitable causes that empower young people from all ethnicities across the UK (before extending the reach to his grandparents’ community in Nigeria). It’s a principle SL put into practice around the launch of ‘Felt Tips’, where he paid a surprise visit to his hometown of Croydon’s Lanfranc Academy to distribute back-to-school bags. SL then went viral earlier this month with his trip to Roca Juniors FC to distribute more, a community-based club founded in 2016 to support career and entrepreneurial experiences through football (SL was joined on his appearance by rappers OFB and BANDOKAYt). Just yesterday, SL was greeted by excited school kids as he gave out free food at a South London branch of Morley’s (with much more planned soon).

Dropping with little warning today, ‘Different Dude’ sees SL graduate from one of the UK’s most exciting underground artists into a star determined to make a difference. He first went viral whilst himself still at school, when early tracks like ‘Tropical’ and ‘Gentleman’ blew up online (all done in secret, so he could complete his GCSEs). The ambition, though, was apparent from the start. Having been raised on golden-age kingmakers like Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, and Jay Z, it’s SL’s multi-faceted approach – where the production, cinematic visuals and compelling storytelling all go hand-in-hand – that have seen his formative work carve out a singular lane in contemporary music. Off just three projects to date (‘Everything Good Is Bad’, ‘Selhurst SE25’ and now ‘Different Dude’), you witness not just a Croydon MC coming of age, and paying tributes to his roots: SL is that rare talent with one eye on the urgency of British youth culture, and another on rap’s world stage…

With early co-signs spanning JME, Stormzy and Drake to Virgil Abloh and now-collaborator Kenny Beats, SL has amassed a huge global audience on his own distinct terms: over 300M global total streams and 7 charting singles later, it’s all done (for now) behind his mask. On ‘Different Dude’ and his foundation, however, SL appears to have drawn a line between his past, and the confidence (musically, and socially) to determine the future. Whilst retaining his elusive profile, SL’s rise is to watch a young, private man take his place as a voice of his generation.

SL – ‘Different Dude’

1. Different Dude
2. Need More
3. Felt Tips
4. Trenches (ft. Ayo Britain)
5. Quarantine Freestyle
6. Now & Then
7. Excuse Me (ft. Unknown T)
8. Who Knows
9. Super High (ft. Nafe Smallz).
10. Bye Bye

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Different Dude’ artwork

Listen to ‘Different Dude’ here

Listen to ‘Felt Tips’ here

 Watch the video here

Listen to ‘Selhurst SE25’ here