Up-and-coming British rapper Seyi O challenges his listeners to embrace the pressure in his debut EP, “Retain The Pressure.”

Applying pressure on all fronts, Seyi O is taking his musical craft to the next level, and you better be prepared because he is about to give rappers out there a run for their money. After encouragement from friends and being recognized by ‘BBC Music Introducing’, Seyi O is now dedicated to carving out his own niche in hip hop music by creating art specializing in composition and raw inspirational realism.

Seyi O has endlessly been putting in the work to craft his signature sound, and it looks like his grit and incessant determination have finally paid off; here is the first of hopefully many projects to come: “Retain The Pressure,”  his 4-track debut EP that features one of the best performances I have listened to from a budding rapper.

“Retain The Pressure” is all about embracing that pressure in all aspects of life and letting it catapult you into greatness; you know, instead of folding under pressure, how about you use it to your advantage and let it drive you, inspire you, and motivate you to keep moving forward.

These are some of the things that really define legends and virtuosos from just ordinary folks: their ability to turn impossible, seemingly ugly circumstances to their advantage and turn situations around…that is all you need to arm yourself with!

I like how the four tracks have been designed–I don’t know if it’s just pure coincidence or it was premeditated the way the tracks “Lift It” and “These kinda days” are heavy and adrenaline-rushing, backed by equally bold lyricism, and in subtle but brilliant contrast, “Different kind love” and “Letter to you if you need it” are slightly laid-back both in melodicism and lyricism, delivered smoothly and with more lighthearted tones but equally meaningful and in service of the EP’s major theme!

And let’s talk about that lyrical masterclass achieved in “Lift It.”  The way Seyi O just goes ham on the beats, unleashing some thought-provocative and punchline-heavy bars, will undeniably shock and awe you in equal measure. His wordplay is simply second to none, and the way he does it so effortlessly needs to be adopted into the curriculum of rap schools.

“These kinda days” is another delivered with some fierce determination to put across his message in a way that sticks. Borrowing inspiration from those days when one feels defeated and on the verge of giving it all up, Seyi O lyrically rubber stamps that it is then that you are mentally prepared to re-evaluate your whole life…why it is that you are alive and not dead, and what you can do to keep moving!

This first-class poetic lyricism leaves nothing to be desired as he takes his listener through his own thought process in such a way that they will resonate with everything he says.

“Different kinda love” is very smooth and vibey. This is a love-inspired ballad that really reflects on embracing the pressure to face the aisle and commit to an eternal love-fueled pact with your partner…till death do you part. I love how the backing female vocals and singing infuse the track with that healthy dose of R&B that is heartwarming and eargasmic!

“Letter to you if you need it” is a laid-back masterpiece revealing Seyi O’s truest thoughts and emotions in the most poetic and creative way. This track is meant to be an encouragement to anyone feeling a little weighed down by the pressure to turn it around and let it fuel him to an enduring victory!

“Retain The Pressure” certainly scores high when it comes to debut excellence…this is a collection anyone would be comfortable listening to. We can only hope that it is the first of many because Seyi O has certainly got our attention now!

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