Back in October, Ed Sheeran dropped off his fifth studio LP =, which contained 14 genre-bending cuts for fans to enjoy. As with previous releases, = was a big hit commercially, landing the British star his fourth number one on the Billboard 200 thanks to 118,000 first-week album equivalent units sold — the project also topped the UK Albums chart with 139,000 first-week units.
Back in April, Sheeran unveiled a remix of the = standout “2step,” adding on a verse from Lil Baby and keeping with the mental health themes present in the original. This month, Sheeran unloads a slew of other “2step” remixes with international artists, including Ireland’s Denise Chaila, France’s Leto, Italy’s Ultimo, and Spain’s Quevedo. One particular version of this batch features none other than London emcee Potter Payper, who makes quick work of the Louis Bell and watt-produced clip with some emotionally charged bars of his own:
“I know I promised you the world when I didn’t have it, you say I’m a liar, I don’t care but that’s a bit dramatic, you know I’ve got enough stress, I’m living post-traumatic, I know we’re bigger than a picture or a silly caption, I like you in real life, I’m bending over backwards, and love the way you love me, I find you so attractive, flight mode, we don’t need no distractions, and we ain’t walking down the street unless you hold my handgun, maybe I’m just a schmuck who really can’t believe his luck…”
Around the time of =‘s release, Potter Payper liberated his 0207 Def Jam debut Thanks For Waiting. That body of work boasted 18 songs and assists from Unknown T, KO, Rimzee, Digga D, M Huncho, NSG, Haile, Tiggs Da Author, and more.
Press play on Ed Sheeran and Potter Payper‘s “2step (Remix)” below.