Headie One is experiencing his first taste of mainstream success. His politically charged performance at the BRITs last month - the most praised of the night - applauded the work of Marcus Rashford and Covid-19 key workers, and rebutted the racial and negative stereotypes of drill. Despite this mainstream success, on his new track Pound Signs produced by Likkle Dots and Es, Headie One returns back to his drill roots. Though his debut album Edna offered us eclectic genres, he’s set to remind us he’s still the Prince of Drill. Packed with his usual quippy bars, Headie’s almost-lazy signature flow sounds at home on this beat.
Directed by Daps - one helmed for videos for Kendrick Lamar and Migos - this is arguably his best visual to date. The video opens with an excerpt from a vintage interview with Bob Marley, before Headie starts rapping about how money doesn’t equate to personal fulfilment. Drawing heavily on inspiration from Quentin Tarrantino’s 1992 classic heist film Reservoir Dogs, Headie finds himself playing a game of Russian roulette. It’s a figurative and literal image of him gambling with his wealth and life.