NYDUS returns with “VAT”. A cinematic, orchestral shift in UK Rap.
Today, NYDUS releases “VAT”, the third visual in two months and his most ambitious work to date, a record that breaks every expectation of what UK rap should sound like. Made entirely without drums, VAT is driven by orchestral arrangement, live musicianship, and a sense of precision rarely seen in the genre. It’s a bold statement from an artist who refuses to follow formulas, instead crafting his own.
Produced by NYDUS and written with J. Jackson in the Penthouse Studio A at DUB 5, with additional work in Madrid, the track features George Styles on guitar, Jesse on piano, Generalz Productions on additional keys, backing vocals from Noah, Bala, and Marcela, and saxophone from Ben. The result is a tense, atmospheric soundscape where strings, keys and harmonics carry the weight usually held by percussion. Lines like “I’m taxing these n**s like VAT,” and “You could never see me coming, I’m a ninja in the shade” sit over orchestration that feels more like a film score than a rap instrumental. It showcases NYDUS as not just a rapper or engineer, but a composer, someone operating at a different tier of creativity and technical skill.
The music video, produced by DUB 5 and directed by NYDUS himself, was shot entirely in Madrid. It captures him performing in a castle, empty apartments and through the streets of the city.
With nothing officially released on DSPs and all visuals premiering exclusively on YouTube, NYDUS is building a catalogue on his own terms. VAT cements his reputation as one of the only UK rappers pushing production, visuals and narrative into new territory , a distinct voice, creating a world of his own.
