Youngs Teflon
‘Olopa’
(Atlantic)
YOUNGS TEFLON DROPS NEW TRACK ‘OLOPA’
“Youngs Teflon is owed his Flowers” – Complex UK
“The South London Spokesperson bringing back the raw essence of rap” – TRENCH
“Youngs Steflon is one of the UK greats” – GRM Daily
Today, South London rap virtuoso Youngs Teflon drops his new track ‘Olopa’, produced by BRM You can listen to the track here.
‘Olopa’ follows on from his previous offering ‘Carlo Gambino’. In the Nigerian Yoruba vernacular, ‘olopa’ translates to the police, with Youngs Teflon stating he doesn’t want to run from anything but the police. With his distinct flow and rapid bars, the revered rapper is steeped in authenticity, telling his truth exactly as it is.
Speaking on the track Tef explains;
“I was in Ghana at the time and wanted to create an up tempo track compared to the slower more boom bap music I was making previously. As soon as I heard the beat, the first line instantly came to mind, it felt like I was running on the beat. Being in Ghana I kinda felt the need to speak to my Nigerian roots hence why I added Yoruba, my native language to the hook. I thought it would be cool to also educate the listeners on what our word for police is. For the verses I wanted to keep them pretty simple, cadence wise but also added a lot of double entendres for added detail”.
The visuals shot in Portugal, shows Youngs Tef on the basketball court shooting hoops. Directed by By The East (Gugzay [Skepta, Cortiez] & Tyrus [Headie One, Sainte]), we see a more playful side of Teflon, relaxing and appreciating his surroundings, creating a deliberate juxtaposition to the track. Watch the video Here.
Youngs Teflon is an artist who’s remained authentic to his storytelling. Although his music talks about the fast life, his core values of refusing to jump on trends and chase fame has only reinforced his undisputable and unique artistry. Tef neglects opportunities to create chart friendly tracks, instead, he remains true to his art and integrity, paving the way for a host of UK talent who wish to follow in his footsteps.
Touted as your ‘favourite rapper’s rapper’ and with GRM Daily declaring him a ‘national treasure,’ Youngs Teflon landed his big break by the late Jamal Edwards, founder of SBTV. As Teflon began to make strides in his career, 2010 saw him drop two mixtapes, Over The Head and Call Of Duty, the latter of which solidified his status as one of the country’s finest rappers. In 2014, Teflon released his debut mixtape The Renaissance and in 2015, dropped his second mixtape titled Tracksuit Diaries to great acclaim.
Over the next few years, he went on a hiatus but returned to the scene with a flurry of stellar tracks. 2019 saw Youngs Teflon drop a three-part project titled Blood Swgg and Tears, and last year dropped his mixtape All Eyes On Me AgainstThe World, followed by his most recent project, Purple Hearts – a collaboration with Tiny Boost.
With a Dave collaboration under his belt, a stunning GRM radio w/The Compozers performance and co-signs from the heavy weights of the UK rap scene, Youngs Teflon is about to cement his status as everyone’s favourite rapper.
