'Innovators (Nostalgically Speaking)' - Homecut (free download)

Go to Homecut's bandcamp page to buy the album name your price style and whilst you're there pick up a free download of 'Innovators (Nostalgically Speaking)' - my favourite track on the album.

'Innovators' has the funkiest feel of all the tracks and Testament drops some lovely chilled out, music production based lyrics such as "Yes it's scientific but it's all so spiritual/I breath in the analogue and breath out the digital/Til it sounds cool push the levels to the limits/I'm trying to give you love but I'll probably give you tinitus/Quantize my heartbeats so life syncopates/Plus a touch of reverb so you can tell it resonates".

Oh and listen out for Testament and Shlomo's beatboxed version of The Simpsons' theme tune done for the 20th Anniversary special of the cartoon show.

Shlomo Commissioned to Write Classical Work

Big up to Shlomo and his Beatbox Orchestra (especially Homecut/Testament on the end there) for being commissioned by the Southbank Centre to write a new classical work entitled 'Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra'. Here are Shlomo's own words from his own blog:

"Anna Meredith (who you might have seen recently on TV teaching Goldie how to write orchestral music) is one of the UK’s hottest up and coming composers - she has written two BBC Proms and last year was commissioned for the Last Night of the Proms.

Our new piece will be performed on February 19th and 20th 2010 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with a specially created 20-piece orchestra, plus the Vocal Orchestra (my 8-piece beatbox choir) embedded within the ensemble.

This will be a challenging modern classical work recognising the human voicebox as a musical instrument in its own right, and also a chance to create the first full notation for beatboxers.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting throughout the whole process, and all the latest info, photo, video, blog posts and links to buy tickets can be found on the Concerto’s project page."

Go here for more info.

Current UK Hip Hop itunes Releases

So what can you guys and girls get for yourself this week on itunes? Well, there's a whole host of stuff:

Micall Parknsun - 'All 4 Hip Hop' (also at Amazon and HMV)

Roots Manuva - 'Do Nah Bodda Mi' (Preview at Ninja Tune and buy the 12")

Elemental & Tom Caruana - 'Rebel Without Applause' (read my review here or pop over to the Tea Sea website to buy the actual CD)

Million Dan - 'Acceleration' (it includes remixes from Baby J and versions of 'Hip Hop U Don't Stop' from Jay Large and DJ Firstaid)

Killa Kela - 'Built Like An Amplifier' (Not Hip Hop really but it does feature a Sway remix. Watch the official video here)

Kyza - 'Sin City'/'Go' & 'Love & Music'/'Dirty' (His two singles from the forthcoming 'Shots Of Smirnoff')

YNR Productions - 'Feeding Time At The Zoo' (or here on CD)

Lowkey - 'We Don't Want Them' (produced by The Last Skeptik and all for a good cause)

Sleaze - Theolovision (or here on CD)

Homecut - No Freedom Without Sacrifice (go to First Word for the CD)

That should do ya for now...let me know if this is a worthwhile thing to do, whether I post up what's available on itunes or elsewhere.

'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' - Homecut (review)

‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’: never has a more beautiful flower sprung up from the dirt of UK Hip Hop.

The album opens slowly over the course of three tracks and by the end of the opening trilogy the flower is in full bloom. Homecut’s debut album is one to set aside an hour for – sit back and relax… and listen. This LP is relaxing and calming in a way that only instrumental Hip Hop achieves, although there are exceptions – ‘Innovators’ is funky and ‘Night At The Fair’ has a rock edge to it. Homecut sings and raps his way through 14 tracks and is joined by many talented musicians along the way. And that’s what this album is; musical – these are proper songs.

Jazz, funk and disco all provide an influence for Homecut’s production and ‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ is a melting pot of musical styles. Homecut (AKA Testament) is an accomplished rapper with a laidback style and introspective lyrics – prepare for your thoughts to be provoked on subjects such as mixed-race relationships, modern escapism, financial woes and crime. But don’t prepare to be depressed – that’s just not Homecut’s style – positivity is the way. Listen out for Homecut’s playful lyricism (“I breath in the analogue and breath out the digital” or “I appreciate the feedback…”).

‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ is out now on First Word Records and is available at itunes, Amazon and First Word's shop.

Rapper's Favourite Rapper #1: Homecut on J-Live

To celebrate both the release of J-Live's 'The Early Works of J-Live' and Homecut's 'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' I asked Homecut himself to pick out his top 5 J-Live tracks:

"You can't pick a top five of J-Live really, because he's one of the few emcees who is deep. Not just as a person, but also in terms of back catalogue. He got hype tracks, concept tracks, stories, battle rhymes, love songs (never queezy), anthems and social commentary all locked down. Plus he's not just an amazing emcee, he cuts and produces too. Um... I think I better go back to the lab again. Well, here's 5 of my faves (notably 'Like This Anna' from 'All Of The Above', which is sublime, is missing - your fault Certified Banger for not allowing me 6 tracks!). N.B. If you haven't gathered, he's one of my heroes."

1. 'Braggin' Writes' - J-Live. "One of the original joints that brought J into the consciousness of all underground heads worldwide. The beat that you can't date. Crazy flow. Wherever I listen to it I feel like all of a sudden I'm in a cypher at the back of a grimy New York club. Plus at live shows he does the cuts himself whilst rhyming."

2. 'Them That's Not' - J-Live. "Yep. That's the one with that dope beat that speeds up and J rides it all the way. Ill concept."

3. 'A Charmed Life' - J-Live. "An honest autobiography by the man himself. Beautifully drawn portrait, a wonderful flow and a "How-to" lesson in story telling."

4. 'True School Anthem' - J-Live. "I remember seeing J perform this live with L-Fudge and Mr Complex at Fresh Jive Leeds, back in the day. Big up all the b-boys and b-girls Fresh Jive Leeds! He had us singing "No skool rule like true skool!""

5. 'The Truth' - Handsome Boy Modelling School ft. Roisin Murphy & J-Live. "My last track. Alright, not strictly a J-Live track. But it is, in fact, one of my favourite verses managing to take a song that you don't think can get much better and cold killin' it!"

'The Early Works' of J-Live' is available as a 40 track download now from both itunes and Amazon, it's on J-Live's own Triple Threat Productions. 'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' is out on Monday 25th May on First Word Records.

Introducing: Homecut

Again, here's the unedited version of my piece on Homecut, written for and published in HHC Digital 002:

When a friendly cuppa becomes one third of a collaboration and a case of stalking makes up the remainder, one should expect remarkable results. So it was that Homecut, the alias of MC, beatboxer and singer Testament, built his single ‘I Don’t Even Know’. The track features the vocal talents of chart topping songstress Corinne Bailey Rae who heard the track when she popped into the studio for a drink and subsequently demanded to sing on it. Then, after tracking him down and hijacking a radio interview Homecut also managed to get a sax solo and 16 bars from Birmingham jazz/rap cat Soweto Kinch.

Homecut’s debut album ‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ boasts contributions from over fifty musicians plus a couple of rap cameos. Ty firmly stamps his approval and American MC J-Live trades bars on ‘Time Difference’, a track that covers three concepts: time zones, the day in the life of a rapper and coming to terms with growing up. Working with a hero via phone and email after supporting them at a show may be unconventional and difficult but as Testament explains, “J’s really on it… he always comes correct” – in fact the hook-up deserves full marks.

Thematically, Testament raps about reality: “Life can be tough – I think everyone can identify with that. This is my attempt at expressing this…” Don’t get it twisted though, he continues: “…but also the sense of hope and perseverance that got me through it”. Moaning and negativity have no place in the Homecut repertoire - positivity is key to the overall sound.

When Homecut isn’t roaming the country recording in all manner of places (boats, dressing rooms,churches…) he’s busy being a part of Shlomo’s Vocal Orchestra, performing with a 6 piece band and running music workshops in prisons. It’s this unique combination of factors that makes for the refreshing musical output of this London-born, Leeds-dwelling, full time musician. Carving his own groove in a 30 year old genre, Homecut is stuck in no rut and fits in no mould.

HHC, in their new tradition of giving an mp3 of a track by each featured artist put up Homecut's collaboration with J-Live, 'Time Difference', for you to listen to. The album 'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' is out on Monday 25th May.

Cee Banger in HHC Digital 002 - Out Now!

Check out my two bits of scrawling for Hip Hop Connection this month. This mags' been there for me right from the beginning of my Hip Hop fandom and none of the others could match up - it's been a bit of a aspiration realised having my words in there. As you can see I reviewed album of the month 'Feeding Time At The Zoo' from YNR Productions and wrote an introduction to the excellent Homecut - click on the pics to see them with print (just about) large enough to read. Or, go to the HHC Digital website and download the whole thing!

HHC Digital 002 - Out Today!

Head over to the Hip Hop Connection place at 5pm today for the publication of their second digital issue. It's going to feature Raekwon (as you can see),Ghostface, Speech Debelle, P.O.S., General Steele, Superstar Quamallah, Paul White, DJ Vadim, Asher Roth, YNR and Dr Butcher. Oh, and an piece on Homecut written by a blogger you know well.

It's also coming with either 35 or 40 free mp3s from all the artists featured in the mag as well as a mix by The Last Skeptik (but not DJ Skeptik mind!).

'I Don't Even Know' ft. Corinne Bailey Rae & Soweto Kinch - Homecut (video)

Buy it!
Myspace
First Word Website

'I Don't Even Know' ft. Corinne Bailey Rae & Soweto Kinch - Homecut

If you're after some relaxed, easy listening type Hip Hop to soothe you after the working week then look no further than Homecut's 'I Don't Even Know'.

The track, which was released digitally on Monday features Corinne Bailey Rae on blissed out sing-song chorus vocals and Soweto Kinch who comes with a rapped verse and a sax solo. It's getting nothing but positive feedback and it's easy to see why - the lazy piano licks and thoughtful lyrics take the listener to a place rarely accessible from Hip Hop.

Its B-side is 'Not Far To Go' which sees rapper Testament flex his vocal chords for a bit of singing instead of his usual rapping and beatboxing.

Listen to the song here, then go to First Word Records to buy the mp3 for only 80p or the 7" vinyl (nice, and all the rage right now) for just £4.99. The download is also available on itunes.

More Forthcoming Reviews

As usual I've got a never ending pile of CDs and a hard drive full of mp3 awaiting review. Here's what I'll be covering soon, hopefully before each of their release dates:

JVF Clique - 'Alternative Income' (album)
Big Narstie - 'The Big Man Returns' (mixtape)
Elemental & Tom Caruana - 'Rebel Without Applause' (album)
Dialect - 'D.Day' (album due out April)
Delegates of Culture - 'Bad Guys' (album due out on 27th April)
DJ Vadim - 'Hidden Treaure' (single due out 27th April)
Wordsmith & I.N.C. The Poet - 'Take a Walk in My Shoes' (single due out 27th April)
The Score - 'Opus' (album due out 27th April)
Yung - 'Unconditional Hustle' (mixtape due out 4th May)
Mr. Lif - 'I Heard it Today' (album due out 4th May
Homecut - 'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' (album due out 18th May)
YNR Records - 'Feeding Time At The Zoo' (album due out 25th May)
Wordsmith & I.N.C. The Poet - 'A Baltimore Martini' (album due out 25th May)
Choong Family - 'Baptism of Fire' (pre-album due out 25th May)
The Early Man - 'Alpha' (single due out 25th May)
Resin Dogs - 'More' (album out 1st June)
DJ Vadim - 'U Can't Lurn Imaginashun' (album due out 8th June)

There are probably more too. I'll try get these done for y'all!