REVIEW: M Huncho, From The Blocks To The Suburbs
M Huncho returns to Rough Trade Bristol for the second year in a row to perform for and meet fans in an intimate setting in celebration of his brand new album My Neighbours Don’t Know
Words & Images: Mitchell Williams, @mitchellvisuals
My Neighbours Don’t Know draws on M Huncho’s movement from the blocks to the suburbs, the title directly referencing his success in the music industry, whilst reflecting on and keeping his working class roots at the core of his mind.
Featuring singles such as crazy titch, myb (referencing his independent team Mind Your Business), and my personal favourite of course. It’s inspiring to have another record so soon after last year’s release Chasing Euphoria, but Huncho delivers again with a breath of fresh air; this record refines the autotune formula, becomes increasingly personal and brings us closer than ever to his creative process.
It’s impossible to write about Huncho without discussing his extremely unique aesthetic. We’ve all seen artists, particularly rappers opt for being masked up, whether for anonymity or cosmetics. Huncho debuted wearing a plain black balaclava, but soon after opted to design his own mask which has evolved over the years.
The only artist I think has come close to sharing this aesthetic would be the late MF DOOM. Today, the mask is branded by the phrases related to his previous projects 48 (48 Hours EP), 1st (Huncholini the 1st LP) and Utopia (Utopia LP). I can only wonder where DNA, Chasing Euphoria and now My Neighbour’s Don’t Know will fit?
This was the busiest store session I’ve attended so far – the heat alone from the live room was enough to keep the energy up before Huncho even graced the stage. We didn’t need the lights of the actual venue, for once the music started, the entire room was lit up by phones. Mostly showing off new singles from the record, Huncho filtered in a few classics such as the hit Tranquillity and a personal favourite Wait Til’ I Finish.
Huncho ensured every fan had their own moment, no autograph was the same as the last in the swarm of fans. I couldn’t even see the back of the line from the front.
Passion from fans was through the roof, as many brought their own personalised items and merchandise to be signed. One fan brought a printed poster of themselves meeting Huncho only a day prior, whilst another came accompanied with a piece of their car dashboard! A first for me, but I can only imagine how it’d feel to cruise around with Huncho’s autograph on my dash!
I took a lot of phone photographs for fans during the meet & greet and spoke to plenty more; I’m not exaggerating when I say not a single person left without a huge smile on their face.
M Huncho showed Bristol that he truly values us as a city and a community and will be returning soon as part of his upcoming full UK tour.
