Infinite Sounds UK: Album Review: After The Party by Mackenzie

After The Party

Mackenzie

It is not very often that a submission gets lost in the haze of digital clutter. However, that is just what happened with today’s review.

After The Party comes from Scottish rapper, producer, promoter and videographer Mackenzie. The album was released back in Mid-2025, so it had to go to the top of the list.

Mackenzie, a veteran of the Scottish Hip Hop scene, who crafted a name for himself across fifteen years working in multi-disciplines. Alongside having significant impact on the scene and culture, Mackenzie has also made a mark on the battle rap scene across the last decade. He has competed both in the UK and US, across renown platforms such as Don’t Flop, Premier Battles, King of the Dot, and iBattle. Between 2016 and 2023 he ran the Scottish battle rap league Iron Barz which provided a platform for both new and emerging talent across Scotland.

After The Party marks a new chapter in MacKenzie’s artistic journey—a reflection of growth, resilience, and an evolving understanding of both his craft and the world around him. The album, which produced and written by Mackenzie, looks at the ups and downs of the Scottish party scene:

With a mix of hard-hitting storytelling, sharp social commentary, and a matured perspective, the album also examines the evolution of both the artist and the Scottish hip-hop scene. While some tracks take a tongue-in-cheek approach to party life, others serve as a serious reflection on addiction, excess, and societal norms. At its core, "After The Party" is a project of balance—one that offers both anthems to motivate and uplift, as well as cautionary tales for those lost in the haze of late-night indulgence.

The album also features a mix of featured artists in Wends, who is a powerful female dub and reggae artist, Gluco, a Glasgow based rapper, and RamZee, a female rapper and spoken word artist.

With all that said, I now invite you join me as I take my own look at After The Party…

Our night, or nights, out with Mackenzie begin with the album’s title track After The Party. This one has a sound that gets your head spinning, mixing the sounds along the way from heavy bass and pounding sounds to more relaxed sounds. There is a vibe that has a grime, trap edge to it too. Mackenzie immerses us deep in mind numbing vibe that takes you to the very edge of your sanity. This is the place you find yourself in following a heavy party night and what happens afterward, where are you going and where will you find yourself in morning. This is a place where alcohol impacts your memory, but the desire for enjoying moment overrides all else. It is clear, now, that we have been dropped in at the deep end here and now move on to Lie Like That, where the sound is on that grime edge with pounding bass, cymbals ticking and keys tweaking your nerves. This one took we a while to get to terms with but, as I listened there seemed to be this element of wrestling with yourself, and coming to terms with the fact that sometimes it is just easier not to be completely honest with where you are going and what you are doing; and that can be as much about lying to yourself as to those around you. This might not be exactly what Mackenzie was putting across but, it was what it said to me as I listened. Total Satisfaction features Wends and brings more of a raggae infused sound, but still with a heavy edge to it that vibrates through your whole body. Wends not only drops a verse here but, adds some soulful vocals on the chorus that brings a lighter moment to a track that examines how that darker side of your nature will always look to feed its desires, regardless of what is going on in your life. You might be struggling from day to day, and yet you still find the means to go out and feed on whatever brings those good feelings and helps you forget everything else.

Guitar vibes and cuts bring in Slow Down, a proper head nod vibe for all the real headz out there. Juxtaposed to the title, this one will have you bouncing. There are also two parts to this track as the beat switches, a little over mid-way through. This shows the distinct difference those who chose to slow down on a night out, taking it easy when called for. Which is opposed to those who chose to keep going, spiralling downward at full speed, because to slow down would mean to allow the intrusive thoughts to surface. So, they keep going, regardless of the consequences. Long Walk Home features Gluco and a sound that has a pounding beat with a huge horn sound which keeps your head nodding. There are few among us who cannot relate to this one as Mackenzie and Gluco speak on those long walks home after a night out, as the alcohol influence begins to subside and you ponder the nights events, something which can range from remembering everything to the times you question where you have been and who you were there with? Bounce begins with a more chilled vibe with that reverse sound that tweaks your nervous system. Once the beat kicks in it amps things up a few notches. Mackenzie switches his flows here back and forth, mirroring your thoughts as you begin to question your life, looking toward something better, but wondering if that will really happen. This is like the wake up call to a life that has been spiralling out of control, and you suddenly begin to understand that there is more to life.

Don’t Leave My Side brings a far more laid-back sound that is comprised of guitars and vocal samples. This one has a thoughtful vibe about it which brings an energy of someone wrestling with their thoughts and feelings as they look both within and at the world around them. These are the kinds of things that happen to us as we let go of the party life and reconnect with the world. It also makes us realise that we lose so many along the way, in different ways, and all we really want is someone or something which will always be there for us, especially when we need them most. Lift takes the adrenaline levels up once more with a pulse pounding beat, bass notes and synth vibes, which combine to lift you up once more. Here that is a shift in the idea of what the party culture is from a drug and alcohol induced downward spiral, to an energy that speaks to everyone, using you craft to inspire the listeners; bringing the party vibe to uplift, in a way that is not self-centred but, is there for the culture and those who look to you for something more. Don’t Speak (It’s Over) features RamZee and has a sound that uses No Doubt’s Don’t Speak but merges it with a more modern sound which has a trap edge to it, giving the whole thing a heavy vibe. There is a heaviness to this as it looks at a relationship break up, one of the sad things that can happen when you spend too much time focusing on your own selfish needs and not those closest to you, those who truly love you.

The Penultimate track of the album is Poison which has a beat that seems to vibrate throughout your mind, with guitar notes and synth vibes, all of which come together with an energy that seeps inside, holding your attention all the while. This one is a deep track that looks at how the poison is the mind state of the weekend being your escape from everyday life and getting through the week is just something you do in between those moments of escape. The desire to get through the week and the conflict it can produce, means the weekend becomes more of an escape and the poison takes more of a hold. You have to recognise you are poisoning yourself before you can heal. The album ends on With Us. This one hits with a heavy sound and vocal sample that has this powerful sound, with the beat hitting it all combines to bring a heavy sound that has a deep vibe to it. The beat also switches toward the end becoming a heavy drum beat to round the track out. There is very much a vibe to this one which is looking towards a higher power to be with you as you navigate your way in a world away from excess. This is a way to find peace in a world of chaos, be it with god, your own god or even the energy and memory of a passed loved one.

Now, every review has its challenges, some are easier than others, and this one certainly had its challenges, some of which may stem from my own situation. This might mean that some of the interpretations might have missed the mark originally intended by Mackenzie. That is something I enjoy about music is that it can take you to many places, depending on your own situation at the time of listening.

Mackenzie has crafted something here that will probably speak to our Scottish neighbours instantly, but it might take time for others to really get into it. However, there is a nice mix of influences within this album which will make it one of those that can be enjoyed by a fairly wide variety of listeners. The roots are in that Hip Hop and rap scene, but there are enough other vibes that it will appeal to those who like grime, trap, and other vibes too. It just takes a good ear to give it the right listen.

Something that is also worthy of note is the depth of the story telling across the album. Mackenzie delivers some just for fun energy while packing in some raw and, deeply personal vibes which come from not just his own lived experience but, those of friends too, and if you take that time to listen, there is a progression to the storytelling in that it covers the fun of a night out but, also speaks on the flip side of that, the addiction to that party culture and the problems that can arise as a result. There is also a grown man edge that opens you up to the realisations of what you have become immersed in and what happens when you take the time to accept that and work to become a better person, finding your true self and letting it shine through.

It is clear that Mackenzie has put the work in over the years developing a wide range of flows and intricate wordplay, giving him a platform to easily be able to pursue a cross genre career if he so chooses. The broad Scottish accent will mean that some listeners will need to give his work an extra listen to fully appreciate it, but this is the authentic sound we want to hear on the vocals and it grounds in Scotland and speaks volumes on where he is from. His production work is solid and gives each track the right sound and energy to allow you to take in the message, at least the message that it speaks to you in the moment. Also, his choice of feature artists is spot on as each, whether you know them or not, bring a solid performance and adding exactly what was needed to compliment Mackenzie's sound and message.

What After The Party goes to prove is that the Hip Hop and Rap scene is huge in Scotland and is helping to keep the scene alive the world over with a diverse range of artists bringing their own energy to the mix and Mackenzie is certainly one of those. So, anyone who has not checked out his work yet, should definitely give him a listen and this album is the perfect starting point.

After The Party is out now.

Huge thanks to my good friend Conscious Route for bringing this one to my attention.

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve.

LINKS

Grab or stream the Album Here:

https://mackenzie.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-party

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2tcp9R71FS8noRgUrtxwNM

Mackenzie Socials:

https://www.instagram.com/mackenziescottishrap/

https://www.facebook.com/mackenziescottishrap

https://www.youtube.com/@MackenziePro