With over a decade of experience under his belt as a member of iconic collective Roll Deep, Manga Saint Hilare has established a name for himself as one of the most talented wordsmiths in the grime scene. The seasoned lyricist has teamed up with 22-year-old London-based producer and recent Beat Boss contestant Lewi B for a new, fourteen-track release entitled Outbursts from the Outskirts, which sees Manga document life as an “overlooked outsider” in the music industry and calls upon a whopping sixteen guests to provide their own introspective verses.

The themes of isolation and desperation are woven deeply into the project, and are most intensely conveyed through its four skits, or ‘outbursts’. The first three of these recruit young MCs Izzie Gibbs, Snowy and Maxsta, all of whom get up close and personal for 32 bars over the same instrumental, before Manga concludes the album with a lengthy version of his own, spitting:

I was tirelessly trying to find my tribe, ‘cause I don’t belong

I was looking for things that were right there around me, all along

How could I get this so wrong?

Manga dropped by the site to hook us up with some verified annotations, providing a unique insight into the cultural and personal references on the album. On “Outsiderism”, for example, he samples one of Wiley’s appearances on the now-defunct West London pirate radio station Freeze FM:

The project takes a creative approach to the use of samples and interpolations. Grim Sickers’ chorus on “Shell” is loosely based upon his recent hit “Kane,” which uses repetition to create a unique and memorable style of delivery. Similarly, Jamakabi’s chorus on the album’s second single, “Slew,” closely resembles his 2006 bassline classic “How We Do.” Towards the end of the project, “Young” sees Manga and Jammz share fond memories of former flames, set against the backdrop of Plan B’s 2010 single “Love Goes Down.”

Numerous hidden treasures for listeners are also scattered throughout the project. These include an uncredited verse from legendary MC Mercston, seamlessly slipped onto the end of lead single “Different Pattern,” a fleeting appearance from Sharky Major on “My One,” and a motivational speech from JGrrey to close the album.

Check out all the lyrics to Manga Saint Hilare and Lewi B’s 'Outbursts from the Outskirts' below:

1.“En Dehors“ feat. Mikill Pane

2.“Outsiderism”

3.“Never Been” feat. Traxx

4.“Different Pattern” feat. Jme & President T

5.“My One” / “God Save the Queens”

6.“Outburst001” feat. Izzie Gibbs

7.“Far Away”

8.“Shell” feat. Grim Sickers

9.“Outburst002” feat. Snowy

10.“Never Invited” feat. Flowdan & Novelist

11.“Slew” feat. P Money & Jamakabi

12.“Outburst003” feat. Maxsta

13.“Young” feat. Jammz

14.“Outburst004”