Llondon actress thrives off imitation, but his newest single “rich and famous” shows signs of moving past an era of mimicry. From an early whiny-voiced catalogue that felt ripped straight off an unreleased Bladee album, to recent glitchy, dream-like tracks that evoke shades of recent UK underground graduates Fakemink and Feng, the rapper’s sound has essentially shifted according to whatever’s popular at a given moment. Thankfully, his new song takes the trappings of mere influence a step further, sporting a semblance of originality fans can hang their hat on.
Sonically, “rich and famous” is not entirely disparate from what’s been done before: it lightly evokes Jim Legxacy, leaning into a layered rhythm, which gives way to a groaning vocal tone that would not feel out of place on Yung Lean’s Poison Ivy. That said, actress thrives here by putting a personal touch on the space between, moving between a wobbly growl that attaches to the bass behind it and an intentionally faded mumble accentuated by shouted ad-libs. Mishmashed together, these aspects coagulate into a decently cogent, entertaining track— one that certainly marks a high point for innovation within the rapper’s catalogue thus far.
Caught in an odd intersection between internet-famous genres, Llondon actress seems primed to eventually combine the ethos of the modern UK underground with a Drain Gang-esque sensibility, spurred into life by a continued personal addition of vocal variety. His newest song’s lyrics revolve around his desire for notoriety and success, and one day, his sound may be potent and unique enough to fulfill this wish and propel him into the mainstream. Until the innovations hinted at on this track are fully realized, though, he will remain squarely underground.