Bugzy is probably not in your top ten, but regardless he is a very unique MC. Why is that? Let’s find out..

The first time I heard Bugzy was sometime during the 2015 Chipmunk vs everyone beef. Of course the court of public opinion held Chip as a pagan, so anyone could take some shots at him and gain some attention. Bugzy’s first diss track to him “Relegation Riddim” is the most viewed of all today because simply put he destroyed him. Over a fairground style Zdot beat, Bugzy comically clowned Chip, from his hairstyle

“With that shit on the back of his head he looks like Sonic the Hedgehog from SEGA”

to Chips popstar image, even interpolating his bars and hook on the song

“I think Chipmunk might just run out of bars, Bugz can’t run out of bars/You were a popstar last week now it looks like Chips run out of stars”

For me, this led to checking out more of his work, and the more I heard, the more I was impressed. Fast forward over three years, and Bugzy’s doing well for himself. He may not have the accolades in the grime community for being a hard hitter or a pioneer, but according to the 15 year olds at the basketball court he’s one of the main rappers high schoolers are listening to these days.

but, why is this the case? It’s not like his punchlines and metaphors are particularly interesting (cringe inducing at times) and he often has attempted ‘pop’ crossovers that have been to little avail. There’s also the fact most of his songs can be stripped down to a formula: a few video game references, talking about his hometown, and how his whip goes 0-60 in half a second (which Chip used against him when the beef was reignited). Nothing special right?

I think what makes Bugzy an interesting and unique MC however is his story telling, how he can ‘paint pictures’ as he loves to say. He’s the type of artist who really wears his heart on his sleeve, perhaps the UK’s version of the ‘sensitive thug’ rappers they have in the US. Bugzy goes deeper than a roadman making a love tune however, as he often talks about his turbulent and traumatic upbringing in vivid detail. With a generation who’ve grown up with single parents, it’s easy to see why this appeals to them. Examples of this can be seen in his most viewed song “M.E.N”

“So I jump in the S-line driving fast/Hope I don’t bump into my stepdad/’cause they say that mental abuse is worse than physical abuse and I wanna get him back”

We all have problems, and Bugzy eloquently puts you in the passenger seat of his, as many of his lyrics lament the depression he feels despite all the money he’s made, and if all the bad actions he did will ever be cleared from his conscious. In his favourite song of mine “Changes“, over a beautiful piano instrumental you really find the essence of Bugzy.

“Looking at my phone waiting for a notification/Or a text message I just want a conversation/I just need that, real feedback/Please feed my ego/Cause psychologically my family’s got me feeling feeble”

This is a far cry from your average rapper bragging about his chains and rockstar lifestyle. We’ve all been in that mood. Lonely, waiting for a text to pick you up or give you some sort of attention. Most rappers dont talk about it though, and not in the straightforward manner Bugzy does. Though almost all rappers do have their times of introspection, Bugzy above all else is raw and authentic when he does it. He is aware he is no perfect man, aware of his many flaws, and bears them for us all to listen to and relate to. It’s for this reason that Bugzy will always be a special MC to me, despite the amount of mixed crossover music he releases. Keep painting like Vincent Van Gogh, and let those moments where we see his true appeal shine continue.