Ocean Wisdom - Fight Club (Album)
One of the UK’s most prominent rap talents, Ocean Wisdom crashes back into the ether with his highly anticipated album Fight Club – the first new body of work in over three years – released via his own label Beyond Measure Records, distributed by Believe.
A clear marker of the electrifying legacy he’s firmly building to achieve, the North Londoner unleashes a timeless body of work; with cut-throat lyricism and menacing soundwaves laying groundwork to instil the same collaboration, style and disruption that helped shape inner-city sound and culture bursting throughout London and beyond. With heavyweight verses from some of the most respected emcees incl. Method Man, Giggs, Ghetts, D Double E, Suspect, Backroad Gee, P Money, Novelist, Frisco, K Koke and Buggsy, Fight Club embodies Ocean’s self-assured pursuit for progression as he quickly becomes a torchbearer for UK rap once again.
Sharp and dexterous from the offset, the 20-track album is an enigmatic display of power and vulnerability, transporting us into pure rap bliss as Ocean’s lightning-fast bars carry the weight of his adversities and an internal battle with his own toxic alter ego.
Opening with the infectious “Came Back”, rare collaborations like “Come To The Club” ft. Ghetts & BlackRoad Gee set serious levels as the trio trade complex rhyme schemes in effortless fashion before shifting focus to lead track “Beware” – a sinister offering that opens pockets for Giggs’ ominous, rumbling baritone to shine with typical finesse as he flexes on affiliates around him.
Further highlights come from the hazy “Round Him” ft. Suspect, the potency of “Midnight” ft. Novelist, the grime-infused “Stinkin’ Piff” and the murky “Stubborn Again” ft. D Double E: “Couple trips to Hatton Garden, neck and wrist all shiny and golden” he pleads as the two deliver some of their most poignant bars to date.
With Ocean’s Jamaican heritage nodding through his musical identity, the elusive rap icon has tapped into the creative energy surrounding him from an early age. Born in Camden exposed the young artist to many muses and influences across music, fashion and community; most notably his father who would guide him through classic 90s sounds.
Ocean quickly developed a serious technical passion for music creation and song writing, spending his adolescence studying rap legends from Eminem to Dizzee Rascal while gaining introspection from the adversities of inner-city life and the consistent pressures faced on the roads. This hunger for story-telling ultimately fuelled his breakout debut single “Walkin’” (10M+ streams) in 2015, earning him immediate attention across the landscape.
Initially signing to High Focus Records, Ocean issued his first two explosive projects through the label: 2016’s Chaos ’93 and 2018’s Wizville, home to his smash hits “Revvin’” featuring Dizzee Rascal and “Ting Dun” recruiting Method Man – certifying Ocean as a breakthrough name on both sides of the Atlantic.
The rising star would later create his own label Beyond Measure Records, carving out new spaces that defy expectations for emerging rap talent in the UK. Releasing his mixtape Big Talk Vol. 1, Ocean continued to make his mark on the culture with rare, significant crossovers with some of the most serious rappers in the landscape in Freddie Gibbs, Ghetts and LD, alongside one of the most culturally resonant DJs in the world, Fatboy Slim.
Continuing to develop Ocean’s diverse musical makeup, his acclaimed album Stay Sane was unleashed in 2021, featuring further homegrown talent including Kojey Radical, Novelist, Maverick Sabre, Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn – and an incendiary UK headline tour across iconic stages including O2 Forum Kentish Town.
With a clear vision to re-establish himself as one of the UK’s true great rap lyricists, Fight Club will no doubt carve Ocean’s name and legacy into London’s bustling music and arts culture.