Some new tunes...

‘No Rims’ is a nice track by LoDeck & Omega One, I can’t really read the biographies that I was sent because instead of being typed they’re a well distorted JPEG. Anyway, there’s some link with Stetsasonic and both artists have previous work of their own. If you ask me, well, even if you don’t I’m gonna tell you, this is a nice track…oh, I already said that. Well IT IS nice. It has that summery soul vibe and a head nodding beat, not quite like one of those crafted in the 90’s but the noughties version of that. It’s also chilling to hear a track about NOT having rims and all that stuff. Simple things - that’s the order of the day here.

I’ve not been a previous fan of Vast Aire, I never got into him, because I was too busy being into other stuff really but also cos he’s one of those awkward, indie rappers who are a bit hit and miss. Well his new album is promising (Pete Rock’s on there) and this track, ‘TV Land’ is cool. It’s got a parpy beat with some funky little ringy guitar riffs which make the raps easier on the ear. Get ya shoulders pumping.

Why is that some old rappers still use the same boring clichés? Ice Cube reckons he’s the 8th wonder of the world. Oh yeah? And how often has an MC claimed that? Boring. Having said that, this track is pretty hard despite the fact that he’s also revisited the whole ‘It takes a nation…’ concept. I think he’s really trying to make himself cool again after the whole cheesy movie outing: “And understand that you looking at the famous//west coast rapper who acts like an anus//Hollywood they thought they could tame this//pitbull//But I know what the game is” and he might just do it. He’ll never be the old Ice Cube but this track DOES bang.

Chali 2na may soon be upon us again with the follow to the ‘Fish Market’ mixtape. From what I can gather it’s gonna be called ‘Fish Market 2’, a good job his music is more innovative than his mixtape titling. Well, I say innovative, if you can call rapping over an old and classic beat innovative. Actually, I think you can. 2na rhythm for rhythm, note for not raps to ‘Rockit’ by Herbie Hancock and it comes out sooooo fresh, its called ‘Rock It’….hmmm, we’re seeing a theme here with titling! 2na just know how to do things though and in no way does he murder this beat, apart from in the good sense of the word, you know, the one used by cool people off the street – he murks it blud.

Oh yeah! Nas! ‘Be a Nigger Too’! I can’t decide whether this is good or not, it’s just downright confusing. He’s gone beyond claiming the N word, so far as to say we can all be niggers. I’m not at all into this Nas who constantly is trying to shock us with his crazy concepts and ideas, he’s off the chain – but in the bad way. Plus he’s causing extra controversy because everyone thinks this track is similar to one done by NYOIL (who I must check out more from, he sounds pretty good) called ‘ What’s up my Wigga Wigga’ or something like that. This is pretty mediocre when divorced from the controversial side of things, which by the way, must be his new selling point. To be honest, no one (including myself and I apologise and hereby vow never to mention the Hip Hop is D… thing again) has stopped talking about his last gimmicky, beat-recycling bit of radio fodder. AND he’s got tired of ripping off his own old lyrics and has now moved onto ripping off NWA lyrics it seems.

Billy Danze has got a new track. Seems he’s been listening to some grimey UK production, or at least his producer has. Aside from the voice and the gritty gutterness (OK so it’s just the beat) it doesn’t sound entirely like classic M.O.P. Anyway, it’s imaginatively titled ‘Gangsta’. Haven’t I heard a track about that somewhere else before? Ah, yeah, only about a million times. But with Billy’s aggressive flow the whole G thang is believable.

And to finish off, for those RATM fans who also like funk and dubs, The Apples, who appear to be from Israel have done a couple of really cool covers of my favourite Rage track, ‘Killing In The Name Of’. One is funky, one is dubby.