'Terminal Illness' - Endemic (album review)

UK producer links up with US rappers - a format seldom practiced but one that has a deep history of producing some quality Hip Hop (insert own example here). Endemic has followed the recipe closely and as a result his ‘Terminal Illness’ set is a collection of tracks bound to appeal to Hip Hop fans worldwide.

12” single track ‘Robin Hood Theory’ features Timbo King and Planet Asia is the album opener proper and ‘Comin To Kill’ featuring Sean Price, Rusty Juxx (who both appear later) & Sav Killz, the 12” flipside, comes in at track number 4. Wu affiliates Hell Razah and Killah Priest pop up on ‘Three Kings’ and ‘One Day’ respectively. Homegrown talent comes in the form of M9, Cyrus Malachi and Nasheron of Triple Darkness and C Mone, most famous for her appearance on The Streets album ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’.

But this being a producer album, I have to focus on the beats - the bread to the MCs' butter. The instrumentals are straight up classic boom-bap type productions that sample soulful breaks with weighty effect. With a sound that has come to represent the east coast streets Endemic has created a very consistent set which will only occupy 47 minutes of your time, ensuring an all the way through listen is possible.

On his next outing Endemic will benefit from MCs who take his work and run with it to create something beyond the ordinary (in the way that female MC Sima Lee does with the upbeat ‘Look My Way’) – some of the tracks here can sound a little samey. But if it’s good, solid rap music you want, Endemic got it and you wouldn’t be going far wrong by snapping up a copy of this LP.

Endemic's 'Terminal Illness' is out officially on March 23rd on No Cure Records in the UK and on EMI records in the US.