Pa Salieu – ‘Afrikan Alien’ review: an empowering, uplifting return

Pa Salieu is not wasting his second chance. Tipped as UK rap’s next flag bearer back in 2019, the Gambia-born Coventry-raised star backed up the hype with his boundary-breaking 2020 debut mixtape ‘Send Them To Coventry’ and the awe-inspiring ‘Afrikan Rebel’ EP. But, in 2022, the NME 100 alum’s rise was brought to a thudding halt by a 33-month prison sentence for his participation in a 2018 nightclub brawl.

Ever since his release this September, he’s been on a great musical run. His time inside has sharpened his critical eye, giving new depth to his lyrics and helping shape his recent singles (‘Belly’, ‘Allergy’ and ‘Epiphany/Crash’) into philosophical gems that aid the mind as well as the soul. The rapper serves up a lot more food for thought on ‘Afrikan Alien’ – a delightful return that sees Salieu offer something higher in a lofty mixtape.

It kicks off with the transcendent ‘Afrikan Di Alien’, where Salieu takes the role of a counsellor. He cruises over a mesmerisingly luxurious beat full of playful guitar riffs and charming piano chimes, dropping proverbs throughout. “Anger makes you look weak when really you’re a genius / It’s common sense,” he asserts. “Eradicate any type of energy that pins you down, but demonstrate / The way you wanna win and reap your destiny.” As he shares these nuggets of wisdom, Ghana’s Black Sherif sweetly uplifts things and takes you to the brink of a spiritual awakening with his heartfelt delivery of the song’s chorus.

There has always been this balance between cheekiness and philosophy in Salieu’s work, but in the mixtape’s singles, he perfects it. ‘Belly’ – the soulful track he used to signal his big comeback – is a laidback song that reflects on the heartlessness of hustling while fusing Afro-pop and melodic rap to create an irresistible tune to crank your neck to. ‘Allergy’, meanwhile, is a sonic representation of that laser focus and relentless drive as he honours the early sounds of Afrobeats with rolling drums similar to the sprightly zest of highlife.

Salieu reserved some more of those sounds for ‘Afrikan Alien’. ‘Dece (Heavy)’ lives up to its title: the progressive Afro-grime song’s bellowing bassline and syncopated drums strike with such weighty and unrelenting precision for a kinetic blend that pulls you deep into its groove. Those who listen to the tape will be rewarded tenfold when they discover ‘Ya Zee’ – an earworm in every sense of the word. The darting synths burn in your brain as Salieu bigs up his chest (“Guess who’s back, still sexy, ya zee?”) while joking about being a “hippy” in his signature gruff tone. Mixing braggadocio with a bit of comedy, it’s the perfect song to stunt on the haters with.

The recently-liberated star rarely misses on ‘Afrikan Alien’ – aside from ‘Soda’, which is a poor attempt at jumping on the Afro-piano wave. But, from showing off his surprisingly angelic vocal chops on ‘Round & Round’ to delivering introspective gems birthed from his self-reflection, this tape is an enchanting glimpse into the inner workings of the rapper. This is not the same Pa Salieu we knew before. This is a new man who should be happily accepted and embraced back into the burgeoning UK rap scene. Welcome back, Pa Salieu.