3 CDs or Vinyls for a Tenner!

Some news from the DTTS camp:

For a limited time only, buy any 3 CDs or Vinyl Records from The Dark City Store for just £10 shipped worldwide! Just add the first 2 items you want to the cart and state the name of the 3rd item you want in the notes field at checkout, simple as that!

(The offer excludes Chief Wigz 'Never Speak Ill Of The Dead Vol 1 as only 2 copies remain)

http://www.thedarkcityblog.com/2010/05/any-3-cds-or-vinyl-records-for-10.html
http://www.dtts.bigcartel.com/

also last few White Tee's with Orange Paisley WY logo now only £5 shipped! All sizes but SMALL in VERY limited numbers...http://www.dtts.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-orange-paisley-on-white-wy-t-shirt-limited-to-50

This offer includes the No Pretense album 'Music & Mouthwords' (which features Cage and Prince Po), the self titled Chief Wigz LP, the orange Chief Wigz 'Sunday Service' 12" and the No Pretense 7" green vinyl 'Self Harmonic' (click on each title to read my reviews). It also includes the brand new Knew Jeru'slum LP 'Jerus and Gentiles' which I can't recommend enough - keep 'em peeled for a review here soon!

As if that's not enough, free up your diary for this:

'Chief Wigz' - Chief Wigz (review)

Those who know will recognise the relaxed but passionate, Yorkshire-tinged flow of Chief Wigz – those who don’t will soon realise that he’s something a little different.

Lyrically Chief Wigz has gone from strength to strength and on his self-titled opus a matured, measured wordsmith is on show. Whether playing on root words, penning poetry or speaking from the heart to loved ones Wigz is in no way painful on the ears – many MCs could learn a lesson by simply absorbing this material.

From the fuzzy warmth of ‘Real’ to the 90s Jazz Rap-esque ‘Movements’, the mellow but heavy ‘Write Rhymes’ to the positive electronic vibes of ‘Don’t Want Much’ this album is immaculately produced by Brutal Artistry with crackle in abundance and not a hint of anything plastic. This LP is definitely one to kick back with – the nonchalant feelings ooze from its every fibre.

Chief’s tracks with fellow 9 Livez MC Proptic prove that years of on-stage chemistry makes for great music – the two bubble and bounce off each other and their conversational style choruses just sound so cool. Other guests include Bane (of No Pretense), Spida Lee, Jack Flash, J Simple (of Jack Flash’s Groundwurq Crew) and beatboxer Megamouth.

‘Chief Wigz’ by Chief Wigz is out now on DTTS and is available to order on CD from the Dark City Store or can be downloaded digitally from places such as itunes. Get it.

'Music & Mouthwords' - No Pretense (album review)

A quick look at the cover art and a prior knowledge of lead single ‘Self Harmonic’ featuring Cage will more than certainly mislead you. You’ll think that you know what ‘Music & Mouthwords’ has in store for you – but you’ll almost certainly be wrong.

You see, No Pretense are multidimensional; they don’t just do dark, twisted Hip Hop, they do it all. Don’t be fooled by titles like ‘Darkskies’ – this particular track is one of the least cheesy but most honest and heartfelt love songs Hip Hop has ever produced. The vein of sincerity and reality runs thick and deep – ‘Keep Breathing’ is written in such a way that it could be metaphorically describing a number of things, but it’s the stark reality of it that is the true subject matter – leaving behind a life of drug use. Tracks like ‘Fallen’ and ‘Death of a Star’ are a fine balance of lyricism and thought provoking ideas.

It’s not only Cage who represents the US here. None other than Prince Po turns up on ‘Elevation’ and drops a dope verse alongside Belinda Hards’ perfect sung chorus. Belinda Hards, of Knew Jeru’slum, appears elsewhere on the album and there’s no doubt her contributions are more than just filling gaps.

Eliphino’s rich sample pool has provided a sonic backdrop unlike any other. This isn’t boom bap, this isn’t old school styled, this certainly isn’t today’s chart fodder – this is just Hip Hop. In fact, if Don’t Talk To Strangers fancy releasing this as an instrumental album too, I, for one, wouldn’t mind. Cuts from Brutal Artistry add to the realness.

As things move along the album does get more shadowy. The absolute departure from crunchy drums and dusty production on ‘Wyrmslaya’ featuring Chief Wigz heralds vivid imagery based on various conspiracy theories over pumping synths. Bane and Mury P are joined by Chief Wigz, Spida Lee and Propticz on the militant beat of ‘Trife & Trivia’ – a banging posse cut for real.

With a keen sense of making a well rounded product and unashamedly Yorkshire accents No Pretense definitely bring something different into a flooded market. It's out now so order it for £5 only by clicking here.

Mystro & Golden Mic Challenge Live In Leeds

The Golden Mic Challenge, a successful event last year, consists of a total of 8 MCs who battle it out to be on top. There can only be one winner so we present you with a total of 3 intense club nights. Round one takes place on the 13th of March with a special guest named Mystro.

Chief Wigz Interview

"...the time’s gotta be right for everything; recording, writing, practising, ciphering, timing of life -it ain’t luck, just good timing"

A legend on the Leeds scene, quiet for a while, is ready to rock again on a national stage. Certified Banger gets the lowdown from the man himself:

Certified Banger: Alright? How’s it going?

CW: I’m good; the glass is always half full! I got the 12” out, album on the way, all produced by ‘Brutal Artistry’ may I add, and I’m rolling with an ill label, ‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’ - things have never been better.

CB: Let’s talk about your 12” then. What’s it called? What’s the thinking behind the orange vinyl – why is it orange and why is it vinyl and not just download or CD?

CW: ‘Sunday Service’ is the name of the first release. The thinking behind the vinyl (let alone the vinyl being limited edition orange vinyl) was that a classic product. Since I was a teenager my dream was to have my own vinyl, I want more already, it’s like having you’re own comic book printed and the story board is about you. It’s just a classic, traditional method of releasing material. Me and Brutal Artistry and DTTS as a label all want to practise the art form traditionally; anyone can release a download, some people put one out each week and that’s fine but we want our product to be permanent, we want you to be able to pick it up and be fascinated with it, not just put it on your ipod and it fall into years of endless un-listened music. We want you to use it as it was designed to be used classically! Anyways, vinyl’s still the new cool - all the kids are getting back into it. Trust.

Read on here

Stig and Syntax Show, Bradford Tonight!

who's around the West Yorkshire area tonight? You are? Well get to the Polish club (bare Poles there for real) for some real Hip Hop from the likes of Stig of the Dump and Dr. Syntax - yup, Fatty and Specky are coming up for a cuppa Yorkshire Tea and some mic mangling. Lunar C, Wydeboi, Chief Wigz and Spida Lee will also be representing - big ups to Brutal Artistry and Don't Talk To Strangers for making this happen for us WY heads!

Certified Banger Podcast Pilot (free download)

Here is the first podcast from Certified Banger! The aim was to give you a taster of some forthcoming UK Hip Hop all in the space of an hour - hopefully I succeeded. Let me know your thoughts and ideas for the official #1 episode. Go here http://feeds.feedburner.com/certifiedbangerpodcast to subscribe in your itunes and other similar applications. If you just want to download the mp3 then right click here.

Tracklisting:

Famslam ft. Task Force Family - Skuff & Inja
Back Home - Yosh
Mic Check - One Wish & Stereotype
You Lot - Freyed Knot
In Due Time - J-Treole
Jamaica (Original) - Jimmy Screech
They Dont Know (Original) - J Simple
Sunday Service - Chief Wigz
Higher Higher - Juice Aleem
A.L.P.H.A. - Alphabetix
The London Convention ft. Funky DL, MCD, Skinnyman, Blak Twang, ESP, TY, Phoebe One, Kwes - London Allstars
Family Name - Bombadeal
It's Not Relevant - LDZ
Do Wah - Tactical Thinking
It's So Different Here - Tom Caruana
Sunnicide -Skuff & Inja

Certified Banger Podcast Pilot by Certifiedbanger on Mixcloud

Disgracelands #3 - Stig & Syntax

The next Disgracelands happens in September and the mighty Fatty and Specky show will be the main event. Stig and Syntax will no doubt tear down the place as will all the other guys on the bill - 'On The Radar' artist Lunar C and Wydeboi and hosts Chief Wigz and Spida Lee. This is real Hip Hop so get down and support!

'Sunday Service' - Chief Wigz (12" review)

“Timing is of every importance” – Chief Wigz (previous 'On The Radar' artist) has used the elapsed time between his ‘Never Speak Ill of the Dead’ EP and this to sharpen and perfect his recognisable lyrical style. As a result ‘Sunday Service’ is a tight 12” consisting of three focused tracks on which Wigz showcases his maturing vocals. By way of content Wigz simply invites you inside his psyche to give you honest musings on real life wrapped in poetic language.

Brutal Artistry provide all three beats; title track ‘Sunday Service’ is a lovely wedge of boom-bap soul laced with their trademark old skool drums, ‘Don Style’ is a half-time, melancholy and minimalist composition whereas, in complete contrast, ‘DSB’ is a bass heavy, middle eastern menace.

‘Sunday Service’ will be out on Don’t Talk To Strangers on 14th September as a download and on 12” vinyl. It’ll be available at all the usual places. Listen to 'Sunday Service' on the Certified Banger Podcast now!

'Sunday Service' - Chief Wigz Coming Soon

Leeds rapper Chief Wigz (or Chief Wiggum), who features on J-Simple's 'Breath Control', is about to release 'Sunday Service' on the Don't Talk To Strangers imprint.

Production will be by Brutal Artistry and it'll be out on a 12" vinyl and digital download sometime in July

It's his debut solo 12" on DTTS and is taken from the forthcoming self titled album produced entirely by Brutal Artistry.

'They Don't Know' - J Simple (single review)

Vulcanologists have today revealed that West Yorkshire is a hot spot for volcanic Hip Hop activity. The current focus point is said to be Huddersfield’s underground rap scene. Unusual activity has been observed of late with both Jack Flash and Asaviour erupting with devastating effects. Historically it was this Northern town that saw things heating up for UK Hip Hop hero Jehst.

Latest reports show that the most recent movements are coming from J-Simple who can often be seen raining down fire with Jack Flash. J-Simple’s debut single ‘They Don’t Know’ should see him explode onto the scene with its molten Apa-Tight beat, his own pyroclastic flows and Thabo’s ashy tones on the chorus. With Jack Flash’s jazzy remix luring you into a false sense of security, be sure you heed the warning signs.

The B-side ‘Breath Control’ features Leeds MC Chief Wiggum and Jack Flash – sonically it’s like the darkness that follows the destruction, lyrically the three MCs make this concept track air tight over the Brutal Artistry production.

‘Even though you may not know now, you soon will. ‘They Don’t Know’ is available on itunes now on the Klinik label, it’s packaged up with the instrumental, radio version, the Jack Flash remix and ‘Breath Control. Check the video at youtube. Listen to 'They Don't Know' now on the Certified Banger Podcast.

On The Radar Artist Profile: Chief Wigz

Name: Chief Wigz

Age: 24

From: Leeds/Bradford

Track on ‘On The Radar’: 'Leafs'

Tell us the story behind the track: Fresh flex on battle rhyming.

Record Label: Don’t Talk To Strangers

Who you roll with: Brutal Artistry, Don’t Talk To Strangers & the 9 Lives Clik

Favourite album(s): Jay-Z 'La Roc Famila: The Dynasty'

Describe your style in three words: Confident, complext’d, context

Past/Present/Future projects: 'Sunday Service' 12” out end of June on Don’t Talk To Strangers. And the self titled Album ‘Chief Wigz’ end of the summer also available on Don’t Talk To Strangers. All musics produced by Brutal Artistry Productions. For anymore future releases check the DTTS web links 'cause there are too many to mention.

'Leafs' - Chief Wigz (On The Radar promo video)

Bane of Don't Talk To Strangers Interview

"There’s no one person who calls the shots, each artist is fully in control of their own creative process..."

Having been well impressed earlier this year with 'Disabled Blue' and it's accompanying blue 10" vinyl I knew that if things from Don't Talk To Strangers were to continue in a similar way, they would be big. Bane, from the group and newly-formed record label answered my questions and confirms my suspicions - things from this unstoppable force are going to be colossal in 2009! From releases with Cage, Pigeon John and Prince Po to more coloured vinyl Bane reveals all their secret-up-until-now plans!

Certified Banger: Yo man, how’s it going?

Bane: Good thanks, you?

CB: Yeah thanks! We’ve got loads to talk about because there’s so much going on with you right now. Begin by telling those who don’t know about DTTS, who are you, where are you from, what your mantra is:

Bane: Put simply, Don’t Talk To Strangers is an artist run independent record label and wider collective of creative individuals based in West Yorkshire and slowly working our way into Europe and the rest of the world! We’re basically three crews merged into one, the original DTTS heads, 9-Livez and Brutal Artistry, each keeping its own individual identity but releasing music through one label; strength in numbers as it were. Over the last couple of years the focus was on getting the DTTS name into people’s minds but now its time for the individual acts and artists to get recognition in their own right and shine!

Click here to find out just who is going to be featuring on their releases!

Chief Wigz Speaks Ill

Despite citing Hip Hop stalwarts, Wu-Tang Clan as an influence and relative newcomer, Lupe Fiasco as a superstar lyricist, Chief Wigz isn’t in the habit of imitating idols. Even the styles of Jehst and Roots Manuva, who Wigz claims as UK inspiration, are not aped on ‘Never Speak Ill of the Dead Vol. 1’. What you get here is a personal interpretation of what Hip Hop is. ‘Never Speak Ill…’ is in an explanation of one man’s understanding of his relationship with Hip Hop. The music of Chief Wigz may not be the way you perceive Hip Hop but after listening to this CD your mind will be expanded 8 tracks in a new direction.

Working with producers Dashiel, Plus Bell, 2 Sheets and Eliphino, Wigz has crafted a window into his world that reveals a multiculture of sounds. The album kicks off with a nice soul sampling Dashiel beat (‘Feel’) which is topped off with some answering phone messages, quite why I’m unsure but it leads onto ‘Welcome’ - the first proper track. ‘Welcome’ is a brooding, verging on threatening, track that features fellow 9 Lives Clik member, Proptic. The way Wigz flows here, as and indeed he does throughout the CD, makes up for the fact that he has restricted himself to only 6 tracks with lyrics. The words flow furiously over the brim of the beats as you are treated to a fast moving word association game that is structured around rhyme and assonance. ‘Occupations’ is a mellow track this time produced by Eliphino and featuring Skuf. Here Wigz displays his knack of writing a catchy but definitely un-poppy hook, which will leave his respect intact but will leave you singing ‘We’re making music’ under your breath. ‘Drunk & Tired’, an instrumental by Eliphino serves as a transition point to track 5 and maintains the momentum that gathers over the 25 minutes of this CD.

If this were in the old days you’d get up right now and turn the record over. And so now, we move on to what would be side 2 of the record. The second half begins with ‘Moves’, again produced by Eliphino, but this time the beat is heavier; more hard hitting. If Wigz flowed acapella you’d be hard pushed to understand how the words could fit around a beat but this track serves to demonstrate that it does work, and it works so well. After a skit with an answer phone freestyle, Chief Wigz and Eliphino continue to pick the tempo up with the dub-infused ‘Don’t Believe You’. The simple concept is delivered perfectly, the chorus shines memorably and the beat is a hazy summer’s day making it the highlight of the EP. ‘Hour’ momentarily takes the pace down a bit with its lazy but relentless piano loop and a more laid back (but still mysteriously hungry sounding) vocal from the Chief. Then, as ‘Hour’ finishes some upbeat folk guitar finger picking heralds what I presume to be freestyling but almost as soon starts it begins to fade out to make way for the closing track. ‘One Line’ proves Dashiel to be diverse in his production skills as the finale is a grimey, dub-step driven heater. ‘One Line’ leaves ample room for Chief Wigz’s wordplay and ultimately showcases the vocal style that seems to come so naturally to him.

The EP was released in the final throws of the 4th quarter of 2007, a year that will go down in Hip Hop history as the year in which we all tried to recover from the death of Hip Hop, apparently. Speaking on a personal level, and hopefully for other rap fans in Leeds, 2007 was a year of life for our Hip Hop scene and the release of this EP is a physical reminder of that truth.

Wigzpace.com

Get in touch with or take a trip to Jumbo Records or Crash Records in Leeds to get your copy.

Download 'Don't Believe You' here or on myspace.