Killa P's voice has long sliced through London's grime scene with unflinching precision. Across the continent, Florence's Numa Crew has been sculpting the contours of Italy's bass music through subterranean clubs and clandestine gatherings since 2005.

The two artists' convergence on Killing Time is a seismic event in the sound system cos that weaves dubstep to jungle, grime to reggae. On December 28, Numa Crew and Killa P also join forces on stage as Black Rhino Radio welcomes them to the 15th edition of its residency at Control Club.

The album's roots can be traced back to the early 2000s, when Killa P, born Patrick Knight, was a member of Roll Deep, the grime collective that served talents like Wiley, Flowdan, and Dizzee Rascal. With a reputation that preceded him, his patois-inflected delivery and incisive lyricism led to tracks like Skeng with The Bug, which became an anthem in the underground.

Numa Crew drew from the dub, reggae, and electronic music that permeated Florence's cultural fabric. Their prolific work, such as collaborations with Zion Train, Horace Andy, and Chinese Man, fused traditional sounds with contemporary bass. Before Killing Time, the two would collaborate on the certified 2023 banger Bun Dem Down, with many anxiously awaiting a new, longer collaboration. And in 2024, they got it.

Killing Time opens with Boys In Blue. Its meticulous production features dubstep undercurrents that provide a stark backdrop to Killa P's systemic oppression commentary. Numa Crew employs a successful minimalism that allows the vocals to really pierce through.

Family stands out as an anthem of solidarity. The refrain, "man a deal with family, not friends," resonates as a declaration of loyalty and communal strength. In Jungle Leng, featuring Athens-based producer Fleck, the rawness of early raves accelerates the tempo through frenetic breakbeats and rolling basslines.

Expanding from just its creators, the collaborative spirit of Killing Time is further exemplified in tracks like Love Inna We Heart. Here, Charlie P's soulful vocals intertwine with a reggae/ragga-infused melody, warm basslines and skanking guitar riffs that harken back to dub's golden era. In contrast, Badman City Pt. 2, featuring French MC Big Red, returns to a grittier aesthetic with the artists creating a narrative that traverses linguistic and cultural boundaries. With Lady Lykez, Different Life injects a carnival atmosphere into the album with dancehall rhythms and vibrant melodies. Similarly, No Laugh, featuring Bristol’s Buggsy and Big Chain, reaffirms Killa P’s dominance as a masterful MC as the trio exchanges bars over Numa Crew’s menacing beat.

Tracks like Dreaming and Heartless bring things to a contemplative close. On Dreaming, Killa P and Abstrakt Sonance explore a more ambient landscape, while Heartless, produced by Killa P's son GK, serves as an emotive coda of personal reflection with familial bonds.

Killing Time's meticulous production and thoughtful collaborations create an experience that resonates on multiple levels. Numa Crew’s production is the glue, while Killa P adapts effortlessly to each style. Few albums manage to embody the ethos of two seemingly disparate yet profoundly connected music scenes, yet with this release, Killa P and Numa Crew have cemented themselves as torchbearers of a new global sound system tradition.