'Bashy.com' - Bashy (mix CD review)

Bashy’s had an excellent year and things could get better. His latest mix CD, at 29 tracks deep, is a little long but beyond that it’s possibly innovative.

My main observation would be that Bashy clearly thinks originally. There is no typical street talk, only positive observations on life as a black man in a black community. Bashy has a rare skill: he can decry negative situations whilst the very people who need to hear his message listen intently.

Think back to his earlier success this year with ‘Black Boys’; he gave young, black folks an anthem whilst encouraging them to look up to positive role models. This conscious commentary continues on tracks like Sam Sparro flipping ‘Blacks and Gold’ (where Bashy exlores the relationship between black people and the desire for wealth), 'World' (where Bashy urges every waste man to get a job) and ‘Just Say No’ (to coke).

Some tracks (‘Man @ Home’ and ‘Need to be Baiding’) are a little strange, but inventive for sure. ‘Phonebook’ is an example of creativity gone right - it’s cheeky and it demonstrates Bashy’s range perfectly. The ‘Blackout Freestyle’ from Westwood’s show is fire - Bashy spits straight sense about his ‘Black Boys’ video being banned from TV – one of the best frees I’ve heard for ages!

With too much fresh material to mention here things are looking absolutely amazing for the release of his actual album. Bashy’s mind must be awash with concepts and ideas and the way he executes them in mix CD format can only mean that the LP will be off the chain! One of the best mix CDs this year.