Wretch 32 - HOME?

for Overblown Magazine

With a career spanning almost two decades, one of Britain’s most gifted storytellers, Wretch 32, returns with sharper lyricism and emotional depth in his sixth studio album, Home?.

With a focus on the British-Caribbean diaspora who settled in estates across London, Wretch offers a rich depiction of his communities. Home? serves as a heartfelt exploration of belonging, identity and the Black British experience. Centred around the question ‘where is home and how do you define it?,’ the album uses reggae, dancehall and grime to create the foundation for his stories of Tottenham, Britain and beyond. In harmony with the sound, the lyrical depth creates an emotionally resonant experience, defining the album as a generational story. Home? exceeds the memories that have shaped him, it is a testament to those that came before him.

In the early grime days, the North-London MC intertwined poetic lyricism with the hunger and authenticity of grime’s beginnings. Jumping into ‘Seven Seater’, the album starts with a ‘venomous nostalgia’ as Wretch goes back to back with his grime peers, Ghetts and Mercston. The track satisfies long term fans as they spar, exchanging blows of undisputed talent.

The feel-good tracks utilise a stripped back afrobeat rhythm. ‘Like Home’ showcases the beautiful harmonies of Nigerian singer Teni, complemented by Wretch’s soulful and intricate wordplay. In ‘Me & Mine’, Wstrn brings a colourful and dynamic instrumentation that blends the afro-infused track with steel drums, as both tracks celebrate rich and heartfelt Caribbean soundscapes.

‘Nesta Marley’ (ft Skip Marley) and ‘Bridge Is Burning’ (ft Protoje) continue the uplift through the positive vibrations of Reggae. The Caribbean instruments compliment Wretch’s meditative lyrics as he “uses every breath for the voiceless” and reiterates “blessed and anointed,” to wear his guidance and gratitude on his sleeve. On HC Podcast, Wretch mentioned that “in music I was found and in life I was lost.” There’s a sense of affirmation in the sounds that define his identity and the reggae soundtrack that filled his home. While his musical heritage is firmly established, his Black-British identity and feeling of belonging remain contested.

‘Home Sweet Home’ sees Wretch and Kano discussing their feelings of belonging as they reflect on their estate upbringing. The piano keys and violins highlight their criticism of the injustices faced by Black-British communities. ‘Black and British’ (featuring Little Simz and Benjamin A.D), is an empathetic and reflective record that explores family, marginalisation and trauma. “Granny came here to build a future, it was based on pure hope,” Wretch 32 raps. “But the road weren’t paved with gold, it was paved with ‘go home’.” Simz picks up the baton; articulating her mother’s struggles as a single parent from a black British perspective. Similarly, ‘Windrush’ (ft Cashh) delivers an assertive message that exposes the hypocrisies of societal appropriation of black cultural expression while ignoring the struggles.

Home? is woven together by stories of his grandparents’ activism and his community’s voices detailing the immediate realities following the Broadwater Farm Estate riots in 1985. These snippets of speech reveal the history that has preceded his entry into the world, followed by his upbringing in a politically conscious household.

In trying to define what home means, the closing songs look inwardly to explore themes of love and loss. Wretch 32’s legacy is a testament to those that came before him and his art, through Home? his depiction of the Black British experience touches generations after him.

Check out the article for Overblown Magazine: https://overblown.co.uk/reviews/album/wretch-32-home-review/