Pa Salieu Returns With 'Belly'

These past few months there has been discourse on the state of UK rap, and it’s subgenres. Repetitive, flat and at risk of falling into the trap of chasing streaming numbers and TikTok sounds, it felt like we weren’t beating the allegations of complacency.

That’s why, like when ‘Frontline’ was first released and then the critically acclaimed EP Send Them To Coventry dropped, Coventry rapper Pa Salieu was a breath of fresh air

The Gambian-born and Coventry-raised rapper is one of the UK’s most authentic voices of the new generation. And hitting the ground running with his first release since 2022, Belly, produced by his long-term collaborators Felix Joseph and AoD combines interchangeable flows rapping with crispness before vibing on a melodic and catchy hook.

Directed by Earthboi, the video sees Pa Salieu, the former BBC's Sound of 2021 winner hanging around his estate and depicting everyday life around him.

The insightful track reveals his ambition, and his desire to better his life to be able to take care of family and friends. But he also has an eye on his enemies.

He raps, “Stubborn to the bone, see me walk with chest / feel that shlah, that’s the style and flex / true when the money come full, them vex.”

Listen here