Hope - Can’t Box Me (Official Video)

Today [19th May 2023] Multi-disciplinary creative, actor and musician, Hope, shares his poignant new single “Can’t Box Me”, dropping alongside a captivating video, directed by Rasaq Kukoyi, shot in Seaford. The follow-up to his smash 2022 single, “Stop The Rain” (reaching over 2.4 mil streams), “Can’t Box Me" is an introspective yet optimist R&B/rap hybrid on which Hope muses on creativity and artistry, exploring his journey in music as another medium of expression, alongside his well-established acting career. The video follows Hope through his journey. Moving between scenes under a pastel-hued sky and the chalk cliffs of the UK coastline, watching voice-of-a-generation and fellow Top Boy star, Kano’s inspirational speech on artistic freedom, through to performing alongside a neon-lit box, Hope muses on his creative expression and refusal to be boxed in as solely an actor.

Hope’s distinctive, velvet vocals glide effortlessly over stripped-back percussion and lush melodic pads. Interspersed with his slick bars, it’s clear to hear a wealth of inspiration in Hope’s sound. Drawing from the influential sounds of UK music and 90’s R&B as well as emotive hip-hop from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Hope’s music is also punctuated with elements of UK rap, afrobeat, pop and beyond. Sonic influences aside, his main inspiration for music is life - listen and you’ll sense that inimitable essence of London life.

Speaking on “Can’t Box Me”, Hope says:“‘Can’t Box Me’ explores the frustration of being ‘boxed’ into one medium and not taken seriously when branching out. Artistry can be expressed in multiple ways. For me, I'm an actor who branched into music who can still be successful in both.”