British Trap Lancey Foux Returns with 'BACK2DATRAP'

Written by Peter Garcia

The king of British trap, Lancey Foux, returns with his full-length project since 2022s, LIFE IN HELL, and the mixtape name could not be more fitting. The London-born and based artist’s work is characterized by an audacious blend of hip-hop, rap, and alternative influences, showcasing versatility and thematic depth, but also an ability to create monstrous, mosh-worthy belters. His last project took his work in an unseen melodic and ethereal direction, with ambient anthems like “SPIRIT of X2C” and unique collaborators like Kaytranada and 070 Shake, but it’s clear he was missing the alarming yet hallucinatory trap sound that brought his name worldwide.

Produced in full by frequent collaborator Bally, BACK2DATRAP returns to the distorted 808s and incomprehensible synth lines that Lancey is known for gliding over. Foux’s heavily autotuned vocals fit right at home over a flurry of stuttered electronic hi-hats and snares. The intro track “YESYOUARE” and subsequent “ADHD” kickstart the high-octane tape, ending with a seamless transition into track three and the only feature on the project from St. Louis icon SexyyRed. On “MMM HMM,” Foux and Red flow over a quasi-dancehall rhythm, tinged with the classic harsh Bally sounds, making for an energetic cultural alloy from an unheard-of duo. 

With another seamless transition, we’re launched into the speedy “COUPE GTS,” featuring one of the most charged instrumentals on the record. Lancey delivers fleeting bars as his typical ostentatious self, repping London to an extreme while showcasing his global nature. He continues this theme on “WORLDBOSS FLOW,” a direct shout out to Jamaican legend Vybez Cartel and a London Patois outro from an unnamed female voice hyping Lancey up for the rest of the project. 

With the following three tracks, “GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS,” “GOGO TRAP,” and “DO YA POSE,” Lancey takes a break from his fashion flaunting and trap talk to illustrate his various sexual escapades around the world. From Budapest to Marrakech, Pakistan to Sudan, he lists his various ‘gyal’ while arcade-ish rage beats pump behind him. 

With the finale, “LAST BREATH,” Foux takes a darker turn for one of the only times on the project, choosing to highlight his toils for success in music. Bally delivers the smoothest and most spellbinding trap beat of the year, with ethereal plucks that drop into a brooding bass and a bullet spray of percussion. Lancey harkens back to the gritty realities of his childhood and reflects on a continuous need for strength and focus to be the best at his craft, the perfect mentality to leave his fans excited for what's to come.