On "Teach Me," Tottenham's
Headie One kicks things off with his usual flair. Over the bleak sonics of London's drill scene, the rapper gives a calculated account of trap and rap dominance, coldly lamenting his youngers' inability to "see the bigger picture." But just a minute in, things take a dark turn: "Somebody call God for me, tell him this is daylight robbery" the rapper belts with uncharacteristic despair, warping basses bleating and blaring in the background. What follows is a cutting tale of discovery, psychology, and family pain: "Pa was struggling to cope with me, he started to wish he aborted me/Harry tried everything, even tried therapy, could never tell what was wrong with me." Introspection has always been an undercurrent of
Headie's work, but on
EDNA it manifests in full capacity. Named after his late mother, the rapper's debut album is both a reflection of his life and of his career, paying homage to his diverse sonic palette while offering lyrical insight into his journey thus far. The album's cover, featuring a monochrome
Headie looking contemplatively at his birth tag, sets the tone succinctly; there's a fundamental weight here, a completeness of identity not quite realized thus far.
Musically,
EDNA is set out like a banquet of the rapper's work, tapping every style in the scene for a comprehensive portfolio of his career. While a little light on his drill origins -- "Triple Science" should prove a favorite for early fans -- the project compiles trap, rap, drill, and more in a surprisingly varied affair. The sheer variety on offer could run a risk of jarring, but the project's sequencing is impeccable; we're transported from complete vulnerability to floor-shuddering anthems without as much as a hitch. If
Music X Road was the sound of
Headie expanding his repertoire, then
EDNA is the sound of its mastery. Elevated by nuanced lyricism and layered production, each of
Headie's previous styles is lifted and polished: "Hear No Evil" perfects the rapper's strain of aggressive trap, "Try Me" is "All Day" with double the chest-thump, and "Parlez-Vous Anglais" adds a classy dimension to
Headz and Aitch's back-to-back bars. Bound to no compromises, every song does what it says on the tin, and then some.
When guests arrive,
Headie welcomes them with familiar sonics:
M Huncho and
Young Adz are right at home on trapwave fusions,
Young T & Bugsey and Aitch let the braggadocio shine on radio-primed anthems, and
Mahalia and Haile land smoothly on the project's softer cuts. Even overseas stars meld firmly into the U.K. sound, with
Drake's "Only You Freestyle" and
Future's "Hear No Evil" verses paying impressive homage to the local scene. The resulting project is
Headie's most complete and compelling set to date. Pulling out all the stops for an expansive statement of self, in
EDNA the Tottenham great provides an impeccable portfolio of his varied sonics, concretizing his place among London's finest. ~ David Crone