London-based rapper and producer Knox Brown has spent the better part of this decade carving out music for juggernauts like Beyoncé, Jay Z, Mary J. Blige, Emeli Sandé, and Timbaland. In 2016, he made his own statement with his debut EP, Searching, a six-track collection that featured appearances from Anderson Paak, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Kojey Radical.
Now, he’s ready for a followup, which he’s been working on for the last 12 months. In anticipation, he’s been rolling out one single after another for the next month. Already, we’ve heard the blissful soul of “Always”, a groovy morning jam that finds Brown hopping from verse to verse as if he’s going to get coffee a la Baby Driver.
Today, he’s giving us “FLEX”, a poolside anthem that recalls those sunny days of mid-’90s hip-hop, back when the sun was balmy and the mood was anything but post-apocalyptic — you know, like it actually is today. “All I ever wanted was a chance to flex with you,” he sings, charming over production that would give Yeezy a tingly feeling.
Stream below.