Track Breakdown: BXKS ‘Hack The Planet’

Music
Lists and Bits
6 minute read

Breaking down each track on her new mixtape 'Hack The Planet', BXKS makes it clear: sticking to one genre isn't her game.

An exciting young voice on the UK Hip-Hop scene, BXKS drops her second mixtape Hack The Planet. A diverse journey through a range of sonic influences, Hack The Planet secures BXKS spot as a cross-genre talent with quickfire flow who is ready to break new ground in the studio.

Featuring a heady mix of influential British producers, from E-Whizz to Samo, as well as a feature from Oscar #Worldpeace, BasementApproved caught up with BXKS just before the tape dropped to go track by track with the Luton-based one to watch.

4DaKidz

‘Nothing in this life comes like a mystery when shit repeat likes history’

“‘4DaKidz’ is basically a freestyle where I speak on serval topics from my perspective. I’ve had this song since my first tape Full Time Daydreamer but it didn’t feel like it was the right fit it. The song was produced and recorded by PULLEN in his bedroom and was actually the first song we made together if I remember correctly! He had sampled BINA in the original instrumental so those sounds on the beat are her vocals. They sounded so good, I reached out to her for more and she blessed the song with some more subtle and smooth songs. To finish it off, I remember telling PULLEN we gotta get some real strings on this so we reached out to Tom Henry who co-produced the song and added the piano and strings! The song is called ‘4DaKidz’ because I’m talking to them.”

L.U.V

**‘I’m just like you and you’re just like me: toxic without the L.U.V’**

“‘L.U.V’ is a mixture of UK rap and grime. The inspirations for this song was Tinie Tempah’s ‘Tears’, ‘Wifey Riddim’ and Kano’s ‘Brown Eyes’ – 3 of my favourite soft grime songs. The beat was sent to me in a beat pack by Finn Wigan, there were actually loads of beats in that pack that I liked but something about the instrumental used on ‘L.U.V’ worked for me the most. Eventually we met up and had a session. I said to him ‘I’m thinking of laying down some singing vocals which isn’t my usual comfort zone. I laid the singing vocals and Finn gave me the nod of approval. Out the two songs I made with Finn on this tape I’d say ‘L.U.V’ is my favourite – a little homage to that era.”

Mean Amount
‘if the party’s up you know I’m fully down’

“‘Mean Amount’ is Finn Wigan’s second production on the tape. Making this song was a vibe. I stepped in the studio, sat down and Finn started playing me some beats. The beats are playing and I’m nodding mi head then he plays this beat… the ‘Mean Amount’ beat and I said ‘yo fin what’s dis?’ He laughed and started telling me how he just got off FaceTime to a very well know artist who also heard the beat, but they didn’t get back to him so I was lucky enough to grab it. I wouldn’t say there was any inspiration for this song I just really liked the bounce on the beat and it helped me vibe and make the song.”

Bones 2 Pick

‘I got work to do so I can eat later’

“‘Bones 2 Pick’ was produced by Samo and idntmttr. Samo also produced ”Swish” which is also on the tape. We recorded ‘Bones 2 Pick’ at Dizzee Rascal’s studio and the environment alone gave me inspiration to make a riddim! I made some peppermint tea and we got to work. idntmttr started playing the bass and this other producer called Skittles was around and heard the tune and added the little touches and cuts to make it sound like a serious sound boy riddim. This was the first song I made with Samo and it’s cold.”

321 ft. Oscar #Worldpeace

‘BXKS and Peace the best around’

“‘321’ is definitely one of my favourite songs on the tape; it’s produced by E-Whizz. This wasn’t our first session though, we had had a couple sessions prior. E-Whizz was actually the first producer to tell me to soften my voice on a song and make my tone less aggressive and more smooth like I’m not trying to rap, almost like I don’t care. It was weird for me at first but when I heard it back I was like, ‘this guy is onto something’. As the session went on we only had half a song and I said to him Oscar would sound mad on this and he agreed. I always wanted Oscar on the song, he was only person that was a perfect fit for ‘321’ since him and E-Whizz have made amazing music together before. I emailed him the song and he said he was down to feature which I’m very grateful for because he killed it.”

Swish

**‘tryna live long but this life is a short one’**

“I think Swish is the best song on the tape and it should have been released as a single! Produced by Samo at his studio it was hot as hell that day, sun was shining thru the roof of the studio and Samo started making this 2010 sounding beat. It reminded me of 2010 Jay-Z ‘Tom Ford’ and when Wretch 32 made ‘Trackor’. The beat was mad aggressive, I was looking at Samo like wtf but I liked it… a lot. I hadn’t heard any producer I’d worked with make anything like it so I just left him to it and gave my input here and there. We made the tune and to my knowledge I thought he was done with it – it just needed mixing. Later that day he texted me talking about ‘Oh I just added something at the end, lemme know if you like it’. I played it back in my headphones and my ears got warm. He had added this breakdown and whenever I’ve performed that song people love it. Kinda got that Missy Elliot x Timberland feel to it.”

Dibbi Dibbi

‘Took an L to the chest and it hurt’

“‘Dibbi Dibbi’ was made by StevieBBeatz. This session was the first time I’d ever met Stevie and he told me he hadn’t worked with a rapper in a hot sec. He made me a beat from scratch. He got started and I’m listening and liking what I hear. He gave me the mic and I was just writing and rapping along with what he was making. That was the first time I’d even been on the mic before actually recording the song lyrics so I do that a lot now in other sessions with other producers. It was also hot that day so the inspiration for that track was the weather. Summer vibes and Stevie’s big studio window. We laid down a rough version of the song then I booked in another session with him and we recorded the official version, a nice vibe to end the Hack The Planet tape.”