After teasing the mixtape earlier this summer, SL, the South London rapper known for his distinctive flow and signature balaclava has finally released his latest project Block Tales. The project takes us through a collection of stories centred around characters, including Trey, where SL uses his flow as the perfect tool to narrate themes of loss, regret, and the pursuit of more than the blocks.
Block Tales leads with Intro – ‘How It Begun’, a nostalgic introduction to the project where the beat and lyrics marry perfectly. Nostalgic in its style, the first track is reminiscent of the early 2000s – while SL’s flow is almost Mike Skinner-coded – setting the scene for the rest of the chapters in the story.
The anecdotal style continues across ‘Robbery’ and ‘Jail Call’, while ‘Council Estate’ changes the pace with a punchier beat, joined by Apex Village rapper PsychoYP on the hook, and Rimzee as an added feature. ‘
Sorry’ stood out as one of the highlights of SL’s storytelling, which carried through to ‘Block Tales’: the standout title single featuring Catch and fellow South Londoner Giggs. Both rappers matched SL’s energy with a similar matter-of-fact flow, and the production gave the texture needed to make the single feel like a real-life story straight from an inner-city estate.
GIGGS SAVED HIS BEST VERSE OF THE YEAR FOR SL 🔥🔥 https://t.co/vZtyAEkXY1 pic.twitter.com/hvPNpfmaRM
— 9bills (@9bills) September 3, 2025
‘RIP Trey’ closes out a chapter for Trey, telling an all-too-familiar story around grief and losing someone who “[lived] life on borrowed time”. And similar to everyday life, knowing what’s best and doing what’s best often clash, as ‘Shooter’ serves as a response to the loss SL documented just one track before.
The production was hard-hitting, with complimentary features from Scouse rapper Aystar and Booter Bee. The summer single ‘Summertime’ serves as more of a bonus addition to the project, but remains one of the stand outs with a long-awaited feature from Sainte Overall, SL’s flow is one that matches best with hard-hitting beats to compliment his simplistic cadence, and we saw pockets of that across Block Tales. The project was a true coming of age story, and while there was a mix of both familiar collaborators and underground artists, SL kept his style consistent throughout – one that could be either a big hit or a slight challenge for listeners.
Stream Block Tales by SL on Spotify
Written by Kesi Teriba (@kesi.mp3)
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