blair babies.

Ceebo doesn’t shy away from vulnerability in his latest mixtape, blair babies. An honest projection of the unruly experience of a Black British Gen Z, it serves as a voice for the true disparity that’s been forced upon the generation of “New Labour.” An introspective exploration of the bleak reality of the aftermath of Tony Blair’s constructions and its obviously pessimistic children raised alongside them, Ceebo intentionally sets a clear agenda to examine and unfold the true meaning of a ‘Blair Baby’ within this mixtape. An impactful perspective on the undeniable truths of Black Brits today.

Opening with 1997–2007, Ceebo sets a clear intention with the conception of this tape: it’s to be taken in clear, loud, and unforgettably informative. Starting off his mixtape with a confidently told piece, it isn’t unusual for Ceebo to leave room for spoken word. Looking at his trajectory from LAMBETHNOTLA to blair babies, Ceebo will always find time to speak his truth. blair babies are, quite literally, in his own words, “a lost tribe” a generation of, to put it simply, sad children born under the mistakes and brutal horrors of decisions made long before we were even born. This monologue acts as a prelude to what he’s about to depict within the tape. Ceebo allows us to gain a clear insight into what he thinks of the political climate of today and what that therefore defines for the children of tomorrow. It touches on the abhorrent leftovers we’ve been left to navigate as a generation defined by the aftermath of unjust horrors such as postmodernity and the shadows of Thatcherism.

Ceebo manages to perfectly encapsulate the dichotomy of the blair babies’ existence in times that could so well be seen as the “end.” The everlasting effects of depression and its co-existence with dopamine-fuelled escapism intensify our collective characteristics of mania. What’s best to do when you can’t help what’s already been done? Avoid, escape, repent, repeat. Buzzball Summer is jovial in its title, yet deceivingly dim thematically. It coerces a façade of positivity and hope within its production, allowing listeners to sonically disengage from the latter talks of such cynical actuality with an anecdotal summer anthem. Yet Ceebo doesn’t allow you to forget the dark realities of escapism: “more motives, more fuckeries, more fuckeries then it’s more motives.” This never-ending cycle of destruction all comes back to the decisions we make when intoxicated, but what happens when you can’t escape anymore?

His trauma spills out multiple times throughout the successive relay of his childhood, yet specific lines throughout the mixtape hold space for listeners to truly understand the complexities and acknowledge the actions Ceebo had to take to be where he is now. 018 is another example of his father’s issues being a subconscious drive for him to take care of himself, his family, and pay respect to his ends. Never failing to empathise with and praise his mum’s strength, 018, although in its foreground a desolate drill track, is actually layered with bleak enthusiasm. Ceebo knows that the more pain you endure, the more growth that occurs. This track is ultimately motivational; there’s always a silver lining. Your trauma could keep you stuck in repetitive cycles of self-destruction, or, like Ceebo, could allow you to use your talent to write lyrics like “Pops was Kanye crazy.”

Another highlight of this mixtape is the drill-influenced Always. Ceebo delivers a consistent string of blunt realities in this Chefbkay-produced banger. Belligerent in its verbalisation, Always gives an unfiltered insight into the endeavours of Ceebo’s upbringing and the consequences his environment had on his personal development. It’s apparent that Ceebo’s intention behind becoming an artist is almost a survival tactic as much as it is a form of expression. Coming from a working-class background, your career choice isn’t a decision that’s made absent-mindedly, how else will you make it out? A demonstration of this point would be the line, “dem boy dere do it for FYP, I do it for Lambeth Killy.” Ceebo brings this question to light when he speaks on the aspect of his rapping being a clear objection to defeat. Music isn’t something he plays with; this being said, his lyricism is nothing short of amusing.

Finally, in review, this mixtape is a precisely curated insight into the direct influence that the previous, current, and ongoing political climate has had, and still has, on Gen Z. Ceebo is a phenomenal rapper who is intricate with his delivery of this message and clear in what he expects you to take away from this piece. Bold and creatively expansive, this experimental mixtape forces you to truly take time to think, not just consume. As stated in the self-titled track blair babies, a great takeaway that allows listeners to understand the paradox of success and its context is the line: “there’s only so much you can do with talent.”

blair babies unfolds what it means to persevere even when all hope is lost, to grieve what could have been, and to understand how to navigate what’s left for us today. For us Gen Zs, there’s an unspoken air of misery constantly looming over all the possibilities we were so righteously promised in our childhoods. This is exactly what Ceebo so defiantly analyses in this project. Not only does the mixtape truthfully examine the depths of this paradoxical state we all have to somehow find balance in, but he does it by uncovering, in real time, how his own upbringing and environment shaped who he is today. Using his own contextual factors to help narrate and align with his peers is a seriously commendable talent, because who better to speak on the realities of a blair baby than THE BLAIR BABY himself.

Fatima Mohammed