Immigrant

Fimiguerrero is outrageously talented, asserting himself into the current wave of UK Rap with an unshakeable stance. “Immigrant” is an embodiment of confidence, Fimi is boisterous and proud,he knows what he wants and most importantly, what he stands for.

The album kicks off with a self titled intro, ‘Immigrant’ is an ironic opener as it’s not welcoming, it’s bleak and unfiltered. Fimi intentionally laces in a personal propaganda, he’s starting off the album by bringing listeners into his own perspective of the immigrant experience; tying in realism with his own personal ideology. The beat isn’t complicated, allowing him to bring in the added complexity with his lyricism, this is Fimi’s own spin on conscious rap, “Me and you we aint no equivalent” is almost a euphemism for a black man’s role in society, especially an immigrant in foreign lands. Fimi understands the place an immigrant takes on in society, utilising his own experience to speak on the perks of being able to reverse this stereotype as now he has the funds to be treated as a citizen. Your capital can change your whole life experience;  Fimi has familiarised himself with this phenomenon, reaping the benefits that comes with the luxuries of a life comparable to that of an average white man “The money give me the white man privilege”.

Fimi continues to align us with his moral code in “school dinner” , another extension of insight into his immigrant experience. A song that includes an enticing anecdote on his own childhood experiences, it’s a song that has many different references to his upbringing; “I see my uncle” is repeated throughout the whole tune. He is still bringing light to the unruly differences of being raised in a culture that’s not inclusive to his own people, Fimi does this with a sense of humour almost as he ties his own observations with the stereotypical assumptions that British people associate with immigrants. ‘School dinner’ in itself is self aware, relating to the ideas that the masses feed into society; understanding how the racism in the UK tries to make up the assumption that “illegal immigrant”’ come to take people’s jobs… even down to school dinners. 

Moving away from realism, Fimi re-introduces us to his ego, re-establishing his brashness with lyrics that coincide with his self confidence. ‘Pull up’ is cocky, nothing short of stereotypical Nigerian characteristics. Fimi isn’t shy of his roots, explaining how his lineage is transparent in his current personality, living through him. This acquired self assurance continues through his next songs that include us into the pleasures of his life; the luxuries of his elevated lifestyle is something he hasn’t had a hard time getting used to “we count money, smoke weed, fuck barbies”. 

The next three songs might be my top three, starting with ‘Farabale’ a direct translation from Yoruba, Fimi’s native tongue. This song is grounded in Nigerian heritage, even including a collaboration with Nigerian artist Odunsi (the engine), Fimis adding layers to the persona he’s curated, he does it with ease speaking with direct certainty. He’s reminding us that he’s independent and he got his own “I told her farabale, just chill, I got lit and I didn’t sign a deal”. It’s undeniable that Fimi understands his own sound and is able to experiment with different genres with ease, ‘Touch me’ is a song that is fundamentally Fimi, an amalgamation of playful lyricism and a beat you can’t keep up with, still Fimi finds time to expand his artistry even more, bringing in more complex production and even sampling “One man- Raw” by Vybz Kartel. A highlight of the album is of course, ‘Doppelganger’, a song that features an artist that is clearly one of Fimi’s inspirations; Lancey Foux. A duo that is well complemented to each other ‘doppelganger’ is another untouchable collaboration from the duo, Fimis delivery merged with Lancey’s excitable lyricism, creates a tune that’s too catchy; leaving it stuck on repeat. With good cause. It’s almost ironic that two artists that mirror each other so well collaborated on a song called “Doppelganger”.

Fimi finalises this album with ‘bloodonmyface’ a song with a little bit more sentimental value, it samples “Closing In” by Imogen Heap. Fimi narrates his childhood experiences, letting us know how he’s learnt so much from his walks of life. This song is a testament to what he’s learnt from being an immigrant as well as what he’s learnt himself. It’s a validation for all the frustration that’s felt when growing up as an immigrant, acknowledging the differences in how he was raised.

Immigrant is a memorable sophomore album, containing so much potential it’s evident that Fimi really knows how to curate his own niche. For an artist that’s relatively new, that takes a lot of talent.It’s clear that Fimi is an artist to make sure you’ve heard of, “Immigrant” is easily one of my favourite albums of the year so far.