Black Josh - Heartbreak Hostel (Album)

Iconic Manchester rapper and cult figure Black Josh has unveiled hotly-anticipated new album Heartbreak Hostel, out now on BLAH Records.

Showcasing his artistic range and creative diversity, Heartbreak Hostel is a complex, personal record conveying an array of emotions and styles. The 15-track release opens with the title track, a majestic cut pairing affecting jazz trumpets with Josh’s lucid flow - setting the tone for the rest of the LP in the process. Then comes the rousing, high-energy ‘All Gd’ and R&B-infused ‘Day Ones’ featuring bars from Children of Zeus originator Tyrer, the first of a handful of collaborations with Josh’s friends and contemporaries.

Further collabs come in the form of ‘Pepsi’, a trap-inspired modern jam with UK rap talent Lancey Foux, Shei and Ian Leone, ‘Want The Sun’ featuring the soulful vocals of London-based innovator Kenzie TTH, the paranoid, trip-hopesque ‘Cult Swag’ which pairs Josh’s angsty bars with Cult of the Damned’s menacing vocals, and ‘Black Airforce’, a bass-heavy trap banger, again featuring Leone.

Heartbreak Hostel also features two tracks that have already been released as singles, the cold, percussion-driven paranoid energy of ‘Get Meh’, and the trademark clever wordplay and hard-hitting flow of ‘The Birds’. Closing things out, the ethereal jazz vibes of ‘Sample’ ensures the LP finishes on an endearingly celestial note.