Only Real – ‘Lemonade’
Remember Jamie T? The London rapper who tore through your summer seven years ago with beautifully written tracks like ‘Sheila’ and ‘Kings and Queens’? Yeah, that’s him. Well, Niall Galvin, AKA Only Real, is all set to take his crown and fill the void that Mr T left when he sadly swapped the microphone for…other pastimes.
Armed with the evocative lyrics and observational wit of Mike Skinner and King Krule’s ear for a heavy beat, Galvin is fast becoming west London’s answer to the plethora of talented young rappers on the east side of the city.
The baby-faced 22-year-old describes his style as “repping real”, and on hearing ‘Lemonade’, you’ll understand why. Press play, and you’re dropped straight into a pounding beat that makes you feel like your stomach is twisting inside out. As soon as you start recovering, Galvin jumps on you, throwing words down your ears like punches in a bar fight. “Kick the shit, my lips know this, they owned in the playground owned it in ways now, as long as the greyhound,” he sings.
Galvin’s west London is very different to the one hidden beneath silver spoons, Range Rovers and those wankers from Made in Chelsea. His topics range from drugs to “merking people”, and he manages to frame it all through the lens of a cheeky chappy you could introduce to your mother but maintains the edge that suggests he’d try to make a move on her.
If he manages to keep his feet on the ground and avoid the ‘over-indulgence’ that consumed Jamie T, west London could find itself the centre of a scene that would be most unwelcome to the Tarquins and Harriettas that call it home. What a great reason to buy his record.
Stream the song below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.