Last Friday AJ Tracey dropped new 9-track EP ‘Secure the Bag’, the follow up to last year’s ‘Lil Tracey’ EP, compiled of eight tracks with AJ in his element.

With production once again handled mostly by Nyge, the pair’s chemistry keeps improving and is boosted by a top notch support cast of Jme, Craig David, 67 and others. With this in mind, we ran through ‘Secure The Bag’, picking out highlights, to see if AJ’s risen to the challenge.

Track 1: Blacked Out

“Man did Belgium twice in a week / Then I flew Bordeaux for a slice of the cheese / So many shows that a man can’t sleep / I ain’t even really got time for a beat”

Charting his rise over the last two years, AJ has joined the ranks of a select few, taking the grime sound internationally.

Track 2: Luvd U

“I catch feelings way too quick, but I lose them so much quicker / My old girls arse was thick but my new girls arse is thicker”

AJ’s spin on a personal love record – gotta admit, it’s not the best reasoning here but can’t fault the honesty.

Track 3: Quarterback

“And I still miss the drop if I want / Turn up finesse the chick then I’m gone”

A brand new spin on his most effective reload bar.

Track 4: #LA4AWEEK

“Yack in my cup and it’s fizzy / Always on the hunt for the lizzy / Girls didn’t wanna see me but they wanna see me now, cos they see me with Drizzy”

We’re still not over the hashtagged all-caps title thing but can’t complain on anything else with AJ on top form over hypnotic Nyge production.

Track 5: Tour Team (Feat. 67)

“I hit tunes out the park / Jump on a track, shout four / Big tours full of jawns / No Snapchat allowed on board”

Just as Chip expressed on last months “Snap Snap” – MCs against Snapchat is the campaign and its a growing movement right now.

Track 6: Bird Call

“Notting Hill or Ladbroke Grove, due to move out to a creek / Mini-uzi looking peak, couple issues for a neek / All these pagans tryna creep, faded every single week / Mummy called me saying cut it out, I said it really isn’t deep.

A rare personal moment as he lays out both his aspirations and fears in the same four bars.

Track 7: Alakazam (Ft JME & Denzel Curry)

“Got the game in a headlock, if I see the cop that killed my brother / Believe he’ll die from the headshot”

For his highlight verse on “Alakazam”, Florida rapper Denzel Curry impresses with the flow and also offers up an alternative to combating police brutality.

Track 8: Shisha

“Don’t be looking for no smoke cos it’s free my guy, my akhs coming with smoke like a shisha pipe”

One of the best hooks on the project, AJ switches up the flow accordingly on Shisha, dropping cheeky rhymes over a dancehall-influenced riddim.

Track 9: You Don’t Know Me (Ft Craig David)

“Don’t think you know man cos of Insta / Man I live a movie like pixar /  Never took a L, I’m the Victor Wanyama defending that fixture”

Fact check: Wanyama has taken many Ls but Spurs hate aside – Craig David sounds great here on the surprise feature of the EP. A collaboration some may have seen coming back in August, as the singer shared his appreciation for both AJ and Big Zuu on Twitter.

This tune is too hard bro! A mad ting @ItsBigZuu @SIRSPYRO ?You know me,you & @ajtracey got to get in & lace right? https://t.co/V7rGc5HLMi

— Craig David (@CraigDavid) August 9, 2017

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Listen to AJ Tracey’s new EP ‘Secure the Bag’ here.