By: Darkstargraver

British Zambian rapper, singer/songwriter DarkStarGraver is one of the most exciting new acts on the UK rap scene. Reminiscent of hard-hitting sounds like rappers Octavian, Skepta, Denzel Curry, A$AP Rocky, and Kojey Radical his sound catches your attention immediately. Originating from Portsmouth, England this emcee is ready to show the world why he is up next to blow. On his debut Ep Burning Bridges, you will hear the rapper spitting some of his most lethal bars.

Led by introductory tracks “CodeRED” and “Snakes & Ladders”, Burning Bridges serves as an opening statement for the budding rapper. As he hones in his craft, this release has established himself as the forefront of the emerging Hip Hop scene in Portsmouth, DarkStarGraver draws his influences from diverse cultures and backgrounds, having experienced life all over the UK in his very young 22 years, from Birmingham to Kensal Green to Richmond to Glasgow – travels and experiences which have shaped his perspective, musical tastes and styles, as is evident on his new Burning Bridges EP

Sonically, Burning Bridges sees DarkStarGraver taking an international approach, working with producers from Russia, Germany and America to help map out the global rap sound of the record, including Minnesota producer P.SOUL, who has worked with YBN Cordae, Trippie Redd, XXXTENTACION, and Joey Bada$$, Russian beatsmith Roman RSK, whose credits include producing for Nasty C, The Underachievers, and ELLEVN, and NC-based producer Airavata, who has worked with German chart-topper Apache 207, French pop star Maxenss, and Venezuelan trap music frontrunner Big Soto.

As for the themes the Burning Bridges EP addresses, DarkStarGraver is vulnerable from the start. As he discusses fake love and cutting off dead weight on the defensive ‘Without A Heart’ and the EP’s title track “Burning Bridges”, and on “Last One Standing”, “Snakes & Ladders” and “CodeRED”, he is in defiant self-motivational mode, while ‘Seeing The Signs’ sees him learning a hard lesson on trust and loyalty, with the Portsmouth rap artist coming to terms with the conflict in his life and letting go on ‘Walk On By’, and finding the peace he needs to move forward on ‘Winning Lane’.

Speaking about the inspiration behind his Burning Bridges EP, DarkStarGraver says, “this project explores the mental & spiritual changes I went through, my personal chrysalis from light to dark, the road from chaotic rage into compassion & tranquillity. It’s all about the paths we can take, even the track titles make reference to this, as well as the artwork being a Japanese Torii Gate, which symbolizes the transition from the mundane into the sacred. Around the time of writing this ‘Burning Bridges’ project, I came to realize that the people I had close to me weren’t on the same vibration as me, when I was striving for more in my life.

“I’m not afraid of showing my deepest vulnerabilities or being open with my emotions, I feel it’s important to share my personal truths, and while this can be intense, I want to be real with my thoughts and experiences” stated the international emcee. “Making this EP was a moment of self-discovery for me, as I had to let go of the people and things that were no longer doing any good for me, in order to serve my highest purpose. I had to burn a couple bridges along the way to find peace within myself, this feels like a real journey start to finish”.

Be sure to press play below to stream DarkStarGraver’s Burning Bridges EP.

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