Artist creates poetic rap about the Surrey Hills

Music artist Still Shadey wrote the rap after visiting the Surrey hills

A music artist has created a poetic rap about local experiences of the Surrey Hills.

Still Shadey, a Music of Black Origin (MOBO) award-winning artist, has written the rap as part of the national arts programme Nature Calling which aims to deepen public engagement with local landscapes.

Shadey said: "It's been a recent desire of mine to tell stories beyond my own" and described the experience as "transformational".

The piece is called Nature's Anthem - a Journey through the Surrey Hills, and includes themes of childhood, healing and relationships.

The piece is part of the national arts programme Nature Calling

A spokesperson for Surrey Hills National Landscape said: "Shadey's work exemplifies the programme's mission to co-create art that resonates with local communities."

It "gives a platform for voices who may not traditionally focus on themes of nature and landscape", they said.

The rap stems from Shadey's visit to the Hills and conversations with Surrey residents about their experiences of nature.

A music video accompanying the rap was filmed at Box Hill, a summit of the North Downs in Surrey.

Nature's Anthem is part of a collection of art that has been released by the National Landscapes Association on 15 January.

Chief executive John Watkins said: "The pieces are incredibly poignant, they are moving and meaningful and beautifully conjure up what the writers felt and thought whilst in a National Landscape."

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