Tarju Le’Sano Puts the Spotlight on the 0121 with ‘Digbeth Kids’ (Review)

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One of the rising stars in the second city’s rap scene, Tarju Le’Sano is certainly going places. Last year saw performances at Glastonbury and a sold-out show in Italy while being spotlighted by 1Xtra and Ministry of Sound. He has also made noise with his collaborations alongside local talents like Reepa and Indigo Marshall, London rapper sbk, and Glasgow jazz project corto.alto. We can’t also forget that he founded the 93:00 Records, which includes Marshall, Raffa OG, and Rhexis, who all feature on this project.

‘Digbeth Kids‘ marks his first project and gives us an insight into his journey and his outlook on the 0121 and the world around him. Digbeth for those that don’t know is at the heart of Birmingham’s culture scene, providing spots for the ravers and up-and-comers to shine. It must also be noted he is the main writer and producer on the EP, so this is certainly his story.

Speaking of stories, ‘Our Story‘ kicks off the release. The track has a synth-heavy production with a soul/R’n’B influence, including a nice use of trumpets. Le’Sano shows off his versatility through his passionate performance, whether rapping or singing. It’s a good intro to the themes on display throughout the 20 minutes of music we get.

Next up is the appropriately titled ‘The Storm‘ which immediately grabs your attention with the thunderstorm at the start. The beat is very subtle, primarily orchestrated by the kick drum, allowing the words to take centre stage. Here the message is bigging up the team and how they are about to take over. Although, Raffa OG’s contribution looks more at day-to-day life, whilst showing off his vocal chops and rapping ability. It’s a decent track, but it feels like it is missing something.

The only track that Le’Sano doesn’t produce is ‘Welcome‘. Rhexis takes charge of the production here which has an almost horror sound, using wavey synths and subtle guitar licks. The beat matches the nature of the track which focuses on racism in society. References are made to people abandoning their activism after the Black Lives Matter protests, showing up, but then backing out. However, he also makes reference to the comradeship between the Black and Irish communities. It’s a showcase of community and highlights more needs to be done in the fight against division. Further to this, it’s well rapped with all artists, including Tom Ford, giving good performances.

Next up is ‘Kingdom‘, where our lead goes into his own head as he references the challenges of growing up. In contrast to this, he questions whether he should be celebrating as much now he is in a better place. This is another example of his abilities as a storyteller, being able to hook you, while contrasting themes. The beat works with the subtle kick drum alongside the piano, with the bass coming in after the chorus. However, that chorus does contain a mix of background vocals and singing that doesn’t quite click. On the whole, the track delivers.

We then get a Shakespeare reference with ‘Othello‘, a play where the title character is tricked into believing his wife has committed infidelity. While the track doesn’t directly reference this, he speaks on being a product of his environment growing up. These people who influenced him now look at him differently for moving on, but he can’t look back. The way his vocals are distorted adds emphasis to his words, complimented by the soulful/blaring synth beat.

We then close with two tracks with label mate and fellow rising star, Indigo Marshall. She brings a melodic delivery and certainly hits the high notes on ‘Where I’m From‘. The track focuses on the second city and how he doesn’t recognise where he grew up. This includes directly referencing the cuts to the arts by politicians including ex-Mayor, Andy Street. Despite these struggles, which he is right to highlight, he asks for people to come together.

‘Yeah Yeah‘ then closes proceedings with Michael Bird and Marshall both bringing their A-game vocally. The track starts with a sample of him being introduced at a show, which feels fitting for the closer. He flows nicely over this jazz rap instrumental, basically bigging himself up and his talents. One of the project’s standout lines is here, “Second city boy, but I’m in first place.”. It is a simple, but effective way of showcasing his confidence, and ends the project on a high.

Tarju Le’Sano showcases his talents here as an MC, producer, and even a singer. His variety in production and storytelling abilities particularly impressed me, indicating he is more than just a singles artist. The guests came to the table and put their best foot forward. Looking at the 93:00 roster, they have a bright future ahead. The theme of growth and change is carried well and brought with a good flow from start to end. As far as first projects go, there is room for improvement, but some great material here and I can’t wait to hear more.

Rating: 8/10

Tarju Le’Sano is on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Read more music reviews here and stream the album below or buy here. Tickets to his headline show are also available.

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