“Clash” by Dave (ft. Stormzy)
Perhaps the easiest way to describe the present-day British rap scene is as it being virtually identical to that of the United States’ except for two distinct factors. First is that, considering this is in fact Britain we’re talking about, many of the lyrics rely on slang and references derived from that region of the world.
And secondly, whereas there are invariably references to violence, British rap doesn’t tend to be as overtly hostile as that of America’s. Perhaps such is to be expected considering that gun laws are a lot more stringent across the pond.
“Clash”
So with that in mind the lyrical aspect of “Clash” which is causing the most headlines is that fact that Stormzy uses the opportunity to diss a musical rival known as Chip. And the reason we say reportedly is because Chip’s name is never dropped in the song. Instead Stormzy makes certain comments which listeners versed in their feud have identified as being veiled jabs.
And it would seem that they are correct. How so? Because Chip himself is said to have promptly dropped his own counter-diss songs, bringing Dave into the fray also.
Dave
And as for the main vocalist, what he is primarily rapping about is his wealth, his women and his crew. Again, from the lyrical standpoint it isn’t anything exceptional, especially compared to some of Dave’s works from times past. But apparently the rapper felt the need to let the world know that he is in fact chillin’.
Stormzy
Stormzy’s verse is also similarly braggadocious, though to a lesser extent as far as money and women are concerned. Instead the primary focus appears to be on beef, as alluded to earlier. As a matter of fact the title of this song is said to be a British synonym for battle rap. And out of the two vocalists, it is only he who appears to be aiming his words at someone in particular.
Long and Short of “Clash”
So conclusively, from a lyrical perspective we’ll just label this a standard rap song. Or put differently, the intended purpose is apparently to convince the audience that the featured artists are rich, street-dominant and able to attract women.
Have Dave and Stormzy collaborated before?
This is the first collaboration that Dave has ever dropped with fellow Briton hip-hop star Stormzy. As of the release of this track on 9 July 2021, those two individuals can be considered the top rappers in the United Kingdom.
For instance, Dave’s 2019 debut full-length, the critically-acclaimed Psychodrama, was a UK Albums Chart topper, in addition to being certified platinum by the BPI and earning an Album of the Year Brit Award in 2020.
Meanwhile Stormzy is the more established artist and at the moment may be the top Black musician from the UK overall. That is to say that both of his full-lengths thus far, 2017’s Gang Signs & Prayers and 2019’s Heavy Is the Head, have topped the UK Albums Chart also. Furthermore, he is one of only a handful of rappers from Britain with true international recognition.
Additionally Stormzy has quite a few UK Singles Chart number ones under his belt also, including a couple alongside an even better-known British vocalist, Ed Sheeran.
Facts about “Clash”
This song is the lead single from Dave’s second LP. The said LP is titled We’re All Alone in This Together. The entire project is a product of Neighbourhood Records.
“Clash” was written by Dave, Stormzy and Luke Grieve. And the producer of the track is one of the main vocalist’s regular collaborators, Kyle Evans.
There are a number of celebrities namedropped in the lyrics. They include –
- musician Jorja Smith
- politician Jeremy Corbyn
- entrepreneur Alan Sugar
- actress Viola Davis
- professional soccer manager Pep Guardiola
