FEATURE:
Revisiting…
Bree Runway - 2000AND4EVA
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WHEREAS I normally include albums…
PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Diamond for DIY
in this feature, I am highlighting a mixtape in this Revisiting… 2000AND4EVA is the debut mixtape from the Hackney-born rapper, it confirmed Runway as one of the hottest talents in the world. A rising talent who, with the mixtape, released her strongest work to date, I think many will ask if an album is arriving this year. The work of a remarkable artist, 2000AND4EVA was released on 6th November, 2020. Released during the earliest stages of the pandemic, it wasn’t an ideal situation and time to put out such a stunning work. That said, Bree Runway did do promotion for her mixtape. I am going to come to a couple of reviews for a mixtape that, to me, needs to be revisited now and heralded. Whereas there is not the same attention and focus on mixtapes and E.P.s compared to albums, there was a lot of fascination and interest around her. DIY inducted Bree Runway into their Class of 2021 in 2020. They were keen to chat with an amazing artist who signed to EMI Records in 2018 and released the E.P., Be Runway, in 2019:
“Growing up, Bree’s influences were as diverse as her sound suggests. Obsessing over everyone from emo rockers The Used (“I definitely found my crew in that scene”) to Lady Gaga, she even took to wearing a singular leather glove and carrying around a teacup in homage to Miss Germanotta. “I took it on the train,” she notes of the latter. “That’s 100% true.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Diamond for DIY
A melting pot of different styles and ideas, Bree’s fresh approach to pop is breathing new life into the UK music scene. Across the pond, she cites the likes of Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Doja Cat as changing what it looks and sounds like to be a pop star. But over here, she’s carving her own path. “I feel like, in the UK, people often bash what they don’t understand rather than opening themselves up to something different,” she reckons as to why our pop stars all seem to fit a certain mould. “And not to sound mean, but I can see that sheep culture thing here,” she continues. “Like, ‘Let’s only hype up what everyone else is hyping up’, rather than stepping out of line and hyping something else that’s a bit different. But it doesn’t really bother me honestly, because I’m not a sheep, so whatever.”
Bree’s individuality is her superpower, but she didn’t always see it that way. As a child growing up in East London, she was badly bullied, with colourist remarks prompting her to bleach her skin in the hope she’d be accepted into the fold at school. But despite a difficult childhood and an emotionally tough year (Bree lost pregnant friend, YouTuber Nicole Thea, this summer; a track on the mixtape is dedicated to her), Bree radiates positivity and confidence, no signs of past or recent trauma weighing her down. In a year packed with so much negativity, we could all use a little schooling on how to lift the fog.
“There are two things you need to make use of: awareness and choice,” she says more convincingly than any £70-an-hour therapist. “You need to be aware of what makes you feel lesser than you are. And you also have to realise you have the choice, like, what do you want to do with this feeling? Do you just let it weigh you down and waste your life?
However, as well as investing in herself, it’s Bree’s prioritisation of solid female friendships that has helped her grow into the self-assured artist she is today. Her best friend is Victoria’s Secret model Leomie Anderson who, after years of bullying, helped Bree see herself as beautiful and embrace her dark skin. The pair met at college and are tight to this day. “I’m such a girls’ girl. I just love being close to great girls where we lift each other up, we support each other’s ventures. It’s more than just looking pretty in pictures – you can genuinely be each other’s backbones. That’s very, very, very very important to me,” she stresses.
And it shows. For ‘2000AND4EVA’, Bree amassed a small crew of exciting female artists to jump on her songs (Rico Nasty and Maliibu Miitch, alongside Tate and Missy) - women who celebrate their differences and won’t be defined by industry standards.
“When you’re stepping out into music, you can think, ‘I better do what people would like and I better do what’s popular’,” she says of her earlier, R&B-focused sound. “But again, the choice thing: if it doesn’t feel good and it doesn’t feel completely natural to you, then don’t do it. I’m so much more than what I was doing when I first started. The amount of people that listen to me, the different countries, the amount of fan accounts… The conversations are different, the opportunities are different, everything is different. That saying is true: when you work hard for a year, things can really really change.”
Being a pop star in 2021 is harder than it was twenty years ago. In the early noughties, Lady Gaga could control the image she projected to the world, not setting foot outside without an encasing of bubble wrap, a dress made of flesh or, at the very least, a really, really uncomfortable pair of shoes. It all helped build the cult of Gaga. But in an always-on social media age where everyone, famous or not, is expected to share constantly, is that level of stardom still achievable?
“There’s a Bree Runway gloss, and I love my stuff looking star-studded, but sometimes I don’t mind breaking out of character and showing people how silly I am or how funny in a very non-corny way, because I actually am really funny, aren’t I?”
Oh. We’re supposed to answer. “Yes, yes. You’re really funny, yes.” It’s the only hint we’ve had all day that Bree needs any kind of validation. We’re kind of flattered”.
Before I conclude, I want to bring in a couple of reviews. Although Bree Runway is played on radio and the songs from 2000AND4EVA were commended, one does not hear as much buzz now as there should be. NME reviewed one of 2020’s best releases. They have been a supporter of Bree Runway for a long time - so it is no surprise that they had a lot of good things to say about 2000AND4EVA:
“Bree’s fearless versatility on the mixtape further challenges any remaining assumptions that Black musicians can’t partake in certain genres. By successfully balancing a number of different flows and deliveries across its nine tracks, Bree is able to showcase myriad personalities throughout ‘2000AND4EVA’. One such illuminating comparison can be made between ‘APESHIT’, a chugging fusion of hip-hop and rock, and ‘Damn Daniel’, her colourful, ‘80s-inspired pop collaboration with Yung Baby Tate.
Thankfully, as she dips her toes into these various genres, the mixtape doesn’t come across like a sonic mishmash of ideas and experimentation, as Bree instead reaches an equilibrium where her multiple musical personalities converge into a signature sound. Every part of this mixtape feels well thought-out, from the plain-spoken lyricism to the impressive roll call of featured guests.
It’s almost no surprise to see Bree’s musical ‘mommy’ Missy Elliott collaborating with her on ‘ATM’, as the vibrant hip-hop track oozes with witty one-liners such as Elliott’s “I got so much drip you can see me surfing”. Bree’s main lyrical themes, meanwhile, collide as images of wealth, sex and opulence fuel the chant “ATM, push my button again”.
‘2000AND4EVA’ also features Maliibu Miitch’s husky stint on the luxurious anthem ‘Gucci’ and a new version of Bree’s September single ‘Little Nokia’, now featuring Rico Nasty. Although her appearance is brief, Rico doesn’t shy away from displaying her high-powered and dynamic style, complementing the thunderous, electric production that rings out. This energy remains high in Bree’s irreverent freestyle ‘No Sir’ and the reggae-infused ‘Rolls Royce’, which features such boastful lines as: “Skin dark like the window tinted / I’m already better than this next bitch”.
One track that makes a successful departure from Bree’s usually theatrical sound is the minute-long interlude ‘Nicole Thea & Baby Reign’. Serving as a sombre tribute to her late friend Thea — a popular YouTuber who passed away earlier this year while eight months pregnant with her son Reign — the stripped-back song implores the listener to focus on the poignant, emotionally wrought words sung by Bree: “I’ll see you on the other side”.
As a debut full-length project, ‘2000AND4EVA’ is a menacing and carefree offering — one in which Bree Runway manages to be bold, belligerent yet vulnerable throughout — from a different and altogether exciting new pop star”.
CLASH were among those lining up to show their praise of Bree Runway. One hit of 2000AND4EVA and it definitely stays with you! This is what they had to say when they spent time with an incredible collection of songs:
“Clocking in at just over 17 minutes long with an impressive slew of features from Yung Baby Tate, Malibu Miitch and Rico Nasty, not to mention one of Bree Runway’s most-cherished icons Missy Elliott, the London native has used her ever-growing platform to touch on various topics including colourism, stereotypes for Black women in the music industry and more. Filled from start to finish with an assortment of flavoursome textures and complex layers, ‘2000AND4EVA’ is set to represent the new generation of ‘the Black female in pop’; Bree Runway has took it in her stride to dismantle the narrative and pave a lane of her own.
Opening the mixtape with the rolling licks of an electric guitar, ‘APESHIT’ instantly emerges you into a Rockstar-esc realm. Bursting through with a bouncing and anthemic energy, the female force laces the backdrop with an unquestionable female prowess enriched with a roaring confidence and sass. Swiftly transitioning into a rhythmic and hip-moving breakdown, Bree Runway unleashes a run of infectious bars all whist boasting her ability to switch up her flow. Effortlessly moving into the distorted sounds of ‘LITTLE NOKIA’, this track is embellished with roaring guitars that play as a seamless contrast against Bree’s slick vocals and seeping harmonies.
Having co-written all eight tracks alongside some of the industry’s highly talented producers including Moon Willis, LIOHN, Finn Keane and more, Bree Runway has been able to capture a sound fit for every personality. Shining a luminous light on diversity, ‘2000AND4EVA’ weaves a warm essence of inclusivity from start to finish.
Calling on one of her biggest idols for ‘ATM’, this is without a doubt one of the stand-out tracks from the mixtape. Clearing the way for an anthemic, infectious and bold hook, this track is filled with a piercing energy from the onset. Brimming with cinematic effects, Bree Runway and Missy Elliott go back to back on this bad b chant! However, that wasn’t the powerhouse’s only feature, enlisting American hit-makers Maliibu Mitch and Yung Baby Tate, both ‘DAMN DANIEL’ and ‘GUCCI’ are filled with a seductive and commanding feel that are bound to leave you up and moving.
Paying a heart-felt and moving tribute to her late friend, ‘NICOLE THEA AND BABY REIGN’, this track slows things down for a second as the East Londoner unveils a more vulnerable and warming side to her. Encouraging her listeners to feel-out the pain behind the loss of a loved one; clocking in at just over one minute long, Bree’s angelic vocal tone and wordsmith take centre stage as she sings; “I’ll see you on the other side / This pain I know will pass us by / I know that all these tears will dry”.
Weaving in and out of the warm reggae rhythms that illustrate ‘ROLLS ROYCE’, we find ourselves stumbling out of the mixtape through the crunching sounds of the ‘NO SIR FREESTYLE’. Embodying the meaning of reckless, this potent cut smoothly shifts into ‘LITTLE NOKIA’ featuring no other than pop-rap queen Rico Nasty. Bouncing off each other’s thrilling energy, this collaboration serves at the ultimate powerful link up.
In creating a bold, dynamic and cohesive body of work, this mixtape only solidifies Bree Runway’s rise to fame. Having re-written the rule book and put her own stamp on music, the luminary is proving herself as one to watch this coming 2021”.
In this feature, I look back on albums (normally) that were popular and well-reviewed when they were released, yet do not get as much focus and airplay as they should a time later. 2000AND4EVA was a real revelation in 2020. It still sounds astonishing now. I think this year will be a massive one for the London rapper. A brilliant artist with a massive future, 2000AND4EVA is a terrific mixtape! If you have not heard it, then you really need to listen to it…
AS soon as possible.