Problematic popped up at the end of 2016 and had been the only solo offering the Mancunian prince of lyricism had put out since his Bumba EP. It quickly became my favourite Skittles track (closely followed by the title track of his previous release, the brilliant Poor With £100 Trainers ) so when I heard there was a new full length project in the wings, the excitement levels rapidly rose.

To reference my Pokedex, on the surface Poor On Purpose is the Ivysaur to Poor With £100 Trainers’ Bulbasaur; a musical evolution. Upon first listen I was a little confused with the general direction of the album; it seemed quite sporadic at times. Half of the album was very lyrical and had a hint of nostalgic melancholy, whereas the other half has a proper funky,lively feel with lots of laughs in between. It took me another listen to really appreciate the balance between order and chaos within this body of work.

As you’d expect, the album blends the LEVELZ lyricist’s deep and thoughtful rhymes with his trademark humour; a real slice of Skittles life pie - complete with a dollop of slapstick cream and the obligatory Zeko’s tune skit ‘cherry on top’.

As a lyricist myself, my standout track kept switching between the DRS assisted Remember Your Name, the earlier mentioned Problematic and Innit. As inspiring as all of these tracks are, I think my inner raver and funk addict took over and picked Let The Bass Drop. I've always been a big fan of Truthos Mufasa and hearing his singing perfectly matched by Skittles flawless flow and rhyming pattern, makes it a heavy rotation on my Spotify playlist!

For me, this album has it all; from pure artistry to my favourite use of skits (jokes n dat), which had me creasing all the way through.

Poor On Purpose is out now so do yourself a favourite and give it listen/ download here

Words by Kyle Fate Gonsalves