There’s more than one rapper called V.I.C. We’re talking about the one from England, who has shared a new mixtape called ‘VÄRIANT’, which is sounding pretty great on our first listen.

There’s echoes of trap in there, as well as UK drill, afrobeat swagger, and a load more too. You’ll hear it when you press play, but he’s got his own lane which he’s really playing with.

V.I.C. says: “VÄRIANT embodies everything I’ve discovered I am – different. From the way I think to my daily routine, to how I came into music, to my early life. I’ve always felt different, always been the odd one out. I came to the UK from Nigeria at the age of 9 and was usually the only Black kid around, struggling to find identity. My journey into music has been sheer determination and learning to embrace imperfection, which I later discovered is exactly what creativity is. So, once I got to a point where I was finally confident with my pen, my skill, and my ability to tell stories, I decided to push my creativity and embrace my difference with this five-track project.” 

“I think nowadays, being different and individual is a superpower – and that’s what I hope VÄRIANT embodies. Pushing yourself into uncomfortable places to see what comes out – because what comes out is your true, unfiltered self.”

Go find the mixtape on Spotify or wherever you get your music. Here’s the fine ‘Wasteman’, which features.