- Dark, war-ready grime from a scene veteran and his latest partner in crime.
- Flowdan's career has spanned grime's entire timeline, from the early days of garage collective Pay As U Go Cartel through the Roll Deep years to recent dubstep-inspired collaborations with Kahn and The Bug. His latest project features Snowman Baby, a rising MC with strong grime roots, having passed through the Aftershock crew back in the day with the likes of Tinie Tempah and Terror Danjah. Back then, he was known as S-kid. Under his new name, Snowman Baby has mainly stuck to smoother, Afrobeats-inspired jams, like his recent collaboration with former Sugababe Mutya Buena. On Black Rain he shifts to dark, brooding grime, assisted by one of the scene's most legendary names.
The lead single "Shooting Range" encapsulates the EP's dark, almost ambient mood, with its choral samples and ethereal synth pads, and Flowdan's instantly recognizable booming voice. "Limited space in my circle / How many times have I told you? / Toxic with an attitude so I spread bad vibes on a circuit"—straight-shooting and deep-voiced as ever, this is quintessential Flowdan. Offering a lighter touch on the EP's opener "Big Dilemma," Snowman Baby provides splashes of humour in lines like "Man don't care about Covid / Still give man the jab like Bruno."
Black Rain also showcase Flowdan's ongoing commitment to the UK's underground music scenes—lyrical references to Spentshell, the label and agency he founded in 2018, bring to mind exciting young MCs like Saint P and GHSTLY XVIII, which his platform has showcased. Despite his previous clout in the game as S-kid, it would be fair to add Snowman Baby to that list, while Flowman continues to strengthen his veteran status and drive his peers. As he says himself on "Big Dilemma," "It's a lot more than riddim and chattin.'"
Tracklist01. Big Dilemma
02. Black Mask
03. Front Page
04. Nine Night
05. Shooting Range