LOGIC & LAST RESORT - WE'LL NEVER KNOW FEAT MAVERICK SABRE, AKALA & BIG...

Big track here,pre-order True Talk here 

'...Present Volume 1' - The Krate Krusaders (free download)

The creators of two of 'On The Radar's best recieved tracks, Krate Krusaders, have yet another free giveaway for you.

The first volume kicks off with an excellent live MPC megamix of recognisable tracks which is followed by Remus and his track 'Respect Ur Elders' (from 'OTR Vol. 2) and then newcomer Vex takes over the mic for the bouncy, scratchy 'Vex is Dead'.

The ominous 'Pscience' features Clarity, Farma G and Cappo - each one dropping thrilling rhymes right on point.

Kasha, Logic, Ramson Badbonez (with 'OTR Vol. 3' track 'Incredible'), Fenetik, Saga Sphinx, Crucifix, Devi and Ahmos all get a piece of the beat action too. Download this and Krate Krusaders will keep your nead nodding, and all for the price of a five finger discount - top notchness this is.

'Underground Journeys' - Haka (album review)

Creating beats that defy logic can’t be simple but Haka makes it sound easy. The logic defied is that very musical beats can’t bang as hard as their grittier stripped back brothers. On ‘Underground Journeys’ Haka provides a range of subterranean UK MCs with instrumentals that marry the melodic (the strings and keys) and the mucky (the drums).

The more R’n’B tinged tracks really stand out here: both ‘Makes Me Say’ and ‘N.A.M.E.’ are songs about ladies and both feature rapper N/A – a name to watch, especially since Haka is producing on his forthcoming album. N/A also raps on ‘If Road’s Your Life’, a warning story of what happens when you live foul. ‘All Luv’ is all intertwined guitar and organ licks and Big Cakes, Logic and Kalldean provide fitting and positive vocals and ‘Make It’ has that 'No Woman No Cry' feel to it.

Elsewhere the competent cast of MCs, who sound better on a closer, second listen, rap about the standard fare. Most of the tracks here work well as stand alone tracks and as a collection of tunes that’s OK. A little more focus on compilation and a few more original lyrical concepts will see this producer go far – his beats are very high quality, some of the best on the scene.

'Underground Journeys' is available now for a very reasonable £5 from Haka's website.

'Dear Listener' - Lowkey (album review)

One of the best albums this year (see my newly amended list – I underestimated this one). Lowkey’s years of hard work, although lamented somewhat on document ‘Rise and Fall’, have really paid off – ‘Dear Listener’ is a complete and comprehensive release.

Observations and musings on subjects such as the motivation behind infidelity, the contrasting realities of life in Britain and Iraq, an interesting take on Hip Hop’s mortality and man’s morality are the order of the day here. But just in case you can’t see past the contents to the bare rhyme skills ‘Alphabet Assassin’ is thrown in to remind you that Lowkey is linguistically ahead of many of today’s MCs. In fact it’s the lyricism that makes the topics he explores impact so heavily.

‘Relatives’ produced by Sivey and featuring Logic is a cleverly interwoven tale of two men - one Iraqi, one British. It would have helped if the rappers had very different voices but it’s not too hard to follow who’s saying what. ‘Revolution’ is a beatbox production by Faith SFX and features a taste of things to come with Jon McClure on chorus duties. ‘I’m Back’ is a full on Quincey Tones produced banger – a tongue twisting exercise over a harpsichord-laced beat.

There are plenty more tracks that I could mention but instead, I’m just going to recommend a purchase – let the music speak for itself. It’s out now on So Empire/Hip Hop Village although its official release date is 26th January 2009.