Bashy’s New Album, ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’, Is An Essential Listen

His first full-length in 15 years.

July 12, 2024

Bashy is back with his new album, Being Poor Is Expensive. Only his second official album, it’s his first full-length release since 2009’s Catch Me If You Can.

This 11-tracker is a deeply personal collection, telling stories from his childhood in Brent, the ups and downs of his career, and what it means to be a Black Briton. Skrapz, Haile, and Roses Gabor are the only features, making it that bit more candid; production-wise, Toddla T did the bulk of the album alongside Bashy, with additional production by Benji B, PRGSHN and Aaron Levy.

Clearly cherishing the moment, the album’s rollout has been an event, with press shots provided by legendary photographer Dennis Morris and a series of filmed conversations for BBC Radio 1Xtra and The Reasoning, where Bashy and friends (ENNY, Posty, Kano and Reni Eddo-Lodge) discuss subjects related to the album’s themes.

Speaking with Complex UK’s Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson earlier this year, Bashy said: “Everything I’ve said on Being Poor Is Expensive is 100% the reals! I drilled down on the truth. I had to go so deep into my mind and my feelings and my traumas and my insecurities to make this album. No one can fault that. No one can say anything about that. The ability and the soundscape of the album and things like that, the lyrical abilities, the flows... Like I said, I’m so dedicated and so intense with creation of my stuff that you’re putting yourself out there for the world to see.

“I made sure that I was razor-sharp on the project. I had to get up to what me and the mandem call ‘match fitness’. I had to get into that space. But I would say the process of starting to even think about writing the album started maybe around 2020.”