Gbnga asks if a chain counts as flex or fresh enslavement before he’s even bought one.
That’s the crux of “2026,” a track where the North London rapper audits his ambitions while standing in the checkout line of survival.
Most artists wait until they’re drowning in success to question its meaning. Gbnga drowns the question in trap hi-hats and opera samples before the cheque clears.
The production from Flagman plays cultural translator. An opera vocal loop sits atop 808s that rattle like anxiety, creating this odd alchemy where European classical tradition meets ends economics.
It shouldn’t work, but it captures something true about the Black British experience: navigating institutions that were never built for you while your grandma prays harder.
“Where can I go in this world / When I’ve only got £2.50 on my Oyster?” lands harder than any flex about Lambos.
That’s the real trap, not the subgenre. Gbnga spits with the cadence of someone who’s seen mandem blow up on Twitter whilst knowing he’s sharper, mixing Nigerian slang with London street vernacular in a way that reflects actual conversation rather than performance.
The Drogba reference, the pounded yam, the okra: these aren’t tokens of identity, they’re the fabric.
The imposter syndrome admission cuts through the bravado: “Am I?” he mutters after claiming he feels like one, catching himself mid-thought.
He witnessed violence at thirteen, lost innocence in an instant, yet still questions whether he deserves the rooms his talent might open. That’s the break in the armour where the track breathes.
By the time Gbnga reaches “If I get me a chain, can I call it a flex / Or am I enslaved all over again?” he’s already mourning what he might lose whilst chasing what he doesn’t have.
The final lines about calling his brother to say “we made it” repeat twice, like he’s rehearsing a conversation that hasn’t happened yet.
That’s the tell. He’s not trying to convince you he’s already won. He’s working out whether winning is even the right word for what comes next.
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