2018 has been a great year for the spirit of conscious hip hop in the UK reviving itself as an evolution rather than an imitation. Golden Era revivalism has existed since the 1990s drew final breaths (and undeniably that outlook has spawned some great music in the years since) but there’s something tangibly different about the recent slew of artists drawing from that essence at the same time as sounding viable for 2018 and beyond. Stanza Divan is yet another piece of evidence in an increasingly strong case that UK hip hop’s time might soon come. While the genre is still slept on at large, the likes of Stanza are poised as ambassadors for the possibility of a wider wake-up.
The combination on of Divan in full effect with fellow Leicester resident Jafro bringing the melody is ill. With deep bars and an anthemic hook that nudges the finished product into something accessible, the mixture of sounding honest and polished at the same time on ‘Warriors’ makes these guys a threat.
Support the cause here: stanzadivan.bandcamp.com