Laurence Warner is back with a charged new single, "toney." The release comes just as Ivan Toney returns to the England squad, and Warner uses his return as a screen against which to project his own story of recovery from betting addiction.
"toney" is the second single from his genre-blending "Ctrl-Alt-Rap" album. It's already shaping up to be an attack-minded work of his. For its brevity, don't underestimate it. Warner, with his piercing lyrical sword and defiantly British flow, cuts straight to the bone with honesty, wit, and raw emotion. He rides the pulsating beat with surgical precision, blending sly tech-industry zingers with personal reflections on the horrors of gambling addiction to create something that feels deeply personal and universally relatable. It's part confessional, part commentary, and all heart. The music is inspired by the song's inspiration, Ivan Toney, who is a symbol of resilience, not just bouncing back from football but blowing open the badge of anyone fighting nightmares of their own. Warner makes a subtle but firm connection between their tales, leaving the listener with an anthem for accountability, self-awareness, and bounce-backs.
"toney" is a declaration. In a world where openness often lurks behind filters and artifice, Warner keeps rapping with his face uncovered. His delivery is disarming in its casualness, yet his words are weighty with the experience of someone who broke the odds and came out the other side wiser, stronger, and louder.