Left-to-right: Richard, J, Ben, Josh, Timfy James
Hacktivist are a British rap-djent-grime-nu-metal band from Buckinghamshire, England formed in 2011. They initially started off as a project between Jermaine "J" Hurley and Timfy James after leaving his former band Heart of a Coward, but the positive reception encouraged them to recruit a full lineup. This lineup had been remaining the same since formation until January 2017 when Ben Marvin decided to leave the band.Members:
- Jermaine "J" Hurley - Emcee
- Josh Gurner - Bass, clean vocals
- Richard Hawking - Drums
- Jot Maxi - Emcee
- James Hewitt - Guitars
Former Members
- Ben Marvin - Emcee, unclean vocals
- Tim "Timfy James" Beazley - Guitars, clean/singing vocals, programming
Discography:
- Hacktivist EP (2012)
- Outside the Box (2016)
- Hyperdialect (2021)
Their style, as mentioned above, is distinctive to say the least. They've drawn comparisons to the likes of Meshuggah, Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Jay-Z. Some call them "rapping over djent", while others say they're a "nu metal take on grime". However, despite playing a bunch of divisive genres, the reception has been largely favorable. With complex instrumentation, great rhyme schemes (helped by the fact that they maintain their accents which makes them that much more endearing), and lyrical themes that differ from the norm, they've carved out a name of their own in the metal industry. Some even consider them to be the true successor to Rage Against the Machine.
Set the begginging of tropes
- Avant-Garde Metal: If you don't consider them to be djent or nu metal.
- Black and Nerdy: J gives off this vibe.
- Country Matters: "False Idols" features the lyric "Boris Johnson cunt ain't gonna save us".note
- Cover Version: They've famously covered Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Niggas in Paris", and they covered Cypress Hill's "Rock Superstar" for a compilation album, as well as Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff".
- The Cover Changes the Meaning: Several lyrics in "Niggas in Paris" were changed. For example, "I got some air max at my home" instead of "I got that hot bitch in my home".
- Djent: One of their main influences.
- Doesn't Like Guns: "False Idols" contains a verse that critiques American gun laws. This is unsurprising considering the lyrics were written in the wake of the Sandyhook school shooting.
- Genre-Busting: To say the least, it's hard to pin them down to a single genre. It's probably easiest to just called them "djent-rap". Some have called them "nu-djent", or even "progressive rap metal".
- Genre Mashup: As mentioned above, they fall in the genres of Djent, Grime, Rap Metal, and Nu Metal. They aren't your typical example of any of those genres. Some songs verge on Groove Metal and Metalcore.
- Harsh Vocals: Ben does this well, even when he's rapping. Later Jot Maxi proved to do this really well too. Goes hand-in-hand with the trope below.
- Metal Scream: Ben is a Type 1.
- I Am the Band: Sort of. It originally began as a duo project between guitarist/singer/producer Timfy James and rapper J. However, it eventually expanded to include rapper Ben, bassist Josh, and drummer Richard, and that lineup remained solid for six years until Ben left.
- Nu Metal: A 2010s example of this genre.
- N-Word Privileges: Averted with the "N***s in Paris" cover, where all the lines with the N word are rapped by J, not Ben.
- Piss-Take Rap: Averted. Both rappers are noted for being highly skilled emcees who prove the merits of the rap metal genre.
- Political Rap: The band specialises in this. Averted with "Taken", as it's about losing a loved one to suicide.
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Saved from Development Hell: It took them 3 years to record their debut full-length album "Outside the Box" due to label issues. - Self-Titled Album: See above.
- Singer Name Drop: Several songs, such as "Elevate" and "False Idols" feature them dropping the Hacktivist name.
- Soprano and Gravel: Ben contrasts his Harsh Vocals rap style at times with J's clean rapping. Also, Timfy can sing clean when needed.
- Special Guest: Some songs feature guest vocals. The most notable being Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari on "Taken".
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Spiritual Successor: They've drawn comparisons to Rage Against the Machine for being bands that prove the combination of rap and metal can work well, and for having lyrics that relate to political issues. - Step Up to the Microphone: A variation. Timfy James usually provides singing whenever needed, but is often in the background. "The Storm II" however, is sung entirely by him without any rapping from either J or Ben.
- Take That!: "Hate", "Outside the Box" and "Buszy", while occasional bars from other songs are related to criticism and/or hatedom as well.
- The Band Minus the Face: This is pretty much the current state of the band left over by Timfy who was its founding member and the main songwriter (musically).
- The Stoner: More than one song has referenced weed.
- Those Two Guys: J and Ben tend to look like this a lot.
- Vocal Tag Team: Rappers J and Ben go back and forth, sometimes they have Soprano and Gravel dynamics, and guitarist Timfy James also provides singing vocals.
- War Is Hell: Timfy has a "FUCK WAR" sticker on his guitar.
