'It's So Different Here' - Tom Caruana (album review)

Don your lifejacket, hoist the mainsail – and then slip Tom Caruana’s latest LP ‘It’s So Different Here’ into your yacht’s boombox. Embark on a voyage to somewhere truly unlike the usual realms of UK Hip Hop.

Caruana’s newest album is a pastiche of amusing snippets, bits and bobs and rapping over happy time beats – TC certainly keeps things interesting. With less than half the tracks resembling traditional rap songs it’s fun for the whole family.

The title track sees Tom rapping about fishing over a sample previously heard on a Beatnuts track, single ‘Someone Else’ speaks volumes of truth about the personalities we all choose and ‘Wonderlust’ featuring Vecks is straight up head bob Hip Hop. Elemental features on ‘Blind Bob’s Vengeance’ which is a breakneck speed pirate themed track – top stuff.

For lots of laughs head over to Tea Sea Records and order yourself a copy of ‘It’s So Different Here’ – don’t take your bloodclart selves so seriously UK Hip Hop heads. This LP is the follow up to 'Welcome Aboard' (available free from Buda Beats or on CD from Disorda at Suspect Packages) and if you really get into the mood of things Tom's holding a colouring-in competition so people can colour in the front and back cover and send them in to me, the best one will get printed as a limited edition reissue - the page to download the artwork is www.teasearecords.net/competitions.

'Ear To The Beat' - Wizard (album review)

Producer Wizard’s latest offering is something he should be proud of. Over 22 self produced tracks he’s gathered 30 MCs from both the UK and the US. I don’t know how long Wizard has been making beats but he’s naturally gifted and it’s no surprise that all these artists want to spit over his varied but always immense productions.

Farma G drops in with a split persona on the heavy ‘The Anthem’, Micall Parknsun raps as hungrily as ever on ‘The Land Of The Lost’, Verb T rocks over the jazzy but hard ‘The Dungeon’ and Jack Flash examines himself on the piano-led ‘Sound Of A Genius’. Ramson Badbonez brings golden bars as usual on the punchy ‘Jammin’ On The Street’ and SonnyJim and Conflix wrap the album up with ‘King’ – sure to give you a long-lasting screwface. Other UK MCs who appear on equally as awesome tracks are Baron Samedi, 777, Unfriendly Neighbours, Ed Strong, Enlish (on the very true to life ‘Jealous Type’), Rup, Influx and Vecks and Scizzahz.

Tragic Allies, Erg One and Singapore Kane kick things off for the Americans on the threatening ‘Run For Cover’ (a joint production with Kelakovski) and Random gives one of the best lyrical performances on ‘New World’ as he tells the story of an African being taken into slavery. Verbal Kent and Wizard keep heads moving with ‘Fast Forward’, the album’s non-cheesy love song. Other US rappers to feature are Lil E, J-Black, Mike Mass and Altruisms.

'Ear To The Beat' will be available soon at Suspect Packages.

'Ido Presents: Sound Bites' - Vecks (album review)

Having the right voice for Hip Hop is a handy weapon and when clever rhyme writing skills and faultless delivery complete your arsenal; half the battle is already won. Thankfully Vecks fires off over a heavy selection of Ido’s beats ensuring that victory is his on his debut LP ‘Sound Bites’.

Ido’s 13 original productions will keep your neck snapping for just under 40 minutes (a very listener-friendly length for an album) as Vecks effortlessly raps on an egotistical tip. If you’re looking for social commentary and other such sombre subjects then look elsewhere. If often hilarious put downs, punch lines and self-aggrandisement is more your thing then look no further than a place that sells this CD.

Vecks invites a select few guests along in the form of Longusto, Scizzahs, Enlish and Teej – all of whom contribute to the overall impression of the album.

‘Ido Presents…Vecks: Sound Bites’ is out now and is available at Suspect Packages.

Tea Sea Records CDs Available!

Big ups to Tom Caruana, UK producer and boss of Tea Sea Records. I've just got home to a fat pack of CDs from him, 7 in all, so thought I'd big them up a little (if that isn't a contradiction?).

He's sent me, in no particular order, 'The Rough Versions: Bootleg remixes by Tom Caruana' (which features tracks from D.I.T.C, J-Live and Busta), 'Tom Caruana Instrumentals Vol. Two' (which features beats from Dr. Syntax's 'Off The Radar' and Wordsmith's 'The Roadman Showcase'), 'Boiler Room Collective: The Mixtape' (with tracks from Dr. Syntax, Wordsmith, SkinnyMan, Genesis Elijah, Supar Novar and loads more), Longusto's 'Back In The Bad Books', 'Tom Caruana Instrumentals Volume 3', 'Boiler Room Collective: The Album' and his own 'Welcome Aboard'.

All of these CDs are available to you from Suspect Packages (just click on the CD names above) for the very reasonable price of £4.99 or less! There are also other bits and pieces available over at SP from TC's stable. I'll be working my way through these and keeping you updated on my progress!