'Normalized' - Vee Kay (free download)

Today I got the official go ahead to post Vee Kay's latest little project the 'Normalized' EP. It features remixes and a mashup and demonstrates what Vee Kay can do. The tracklist features Ghostface Killah, Daft Punk, Mos Def, Dizzee Rascal, Dialect, Copywrite, Jamie Lidell, Delusionists, Rapskallions and Yosh.

Grab this freshness from the Sweatbox studio and anticipate Mr Loop's forthcoming 'Music From The Tanhauser Gate'. You should also check their back catalogue for previous releases from Vee Kay, Yosh, Rapskallions and Mr. Loop - it's a real nice stable, yo.

If you would like a remix by Vee Kay, please contact info@sweatboxsounds.co.uk or call 07904128378
http://www.sweatboxsounds.co.uk
http://www.vee-kay.co.uk

On The Radar Artist Interview: Vee Kay

"Sometimes I use a mic to record vocals, but most of the time I rock some headphones through the input so I can keep it grimey."

Sometime around the time when 'On The Radar Vol. 4' dropped, UK Hip Hop producer Vee Kay let himself loose on the Certified Banger stock questions. It is only now that I have come to terms with his lack of respect and decided to blow the dust off the Word Doc for your public eyes to see:

Certified Banger: Can you tell us your necessary background details so we can build on basics for the rest of the interview? For example: who you are, where you are from, projects you have worked on, people you have worked with.

Vee Kay: I'm Vee Kay, I make Hip Hop and trans-atlantic-speed-bhangra. It's a fairly new genre, but it's coming on with quite a following - so far there's about 14 people into it!

CB: How would you describe your sound? Is there any one track that would best define your style?

VK: My sound is a mixture of Rice Krispies and chocolate. Oh, sorry, that’s Krispy Cakes. Well then my style is just whatever it comes out like at the time of creation - sometimes I'll make a beat with an artist in mind and we'll go from there, otherwise it's whatever sound I find that inspires me first.

Click here to continue with the madness.

'An Audience With The Baron' - Yosh (EP review)

Sweatbox Sounds keep bringing out the quality and the secret to their success may well be their frugality with music releases - they drop short, sharp and snappy releases (see Vee Kay's 'The Audio Workout', Mr. Loop's 'The Bury All' and Rapskallions' new one 'Slicker Than A Bucket Of Snot') and don't throw music about like it's worthless.

Yosh's first EP is another fine example of this formula. At half an hour or 8 tracks short even Ritilin-takers can handle this one. With not a boring or bad track in earshot Yosh and Vee Kay (who produces all the tracks) bring the real Hip Hop from the land of Kent.

You may recognise 'The Siesta' from 'On The Radar' and it sounds just as fresh nestled amongst its mates. Yosh keeps the subjects varied and the rhyme style funky even on tracks like 'Synthia' - an intergalactic love story (think a UK Hip Hop version of 'Cosmic Girl'). If you're a RJD2 fan then you'll recognise the awesome sample on 'Back Home' and you'll jam to this one on repeat. 'Portrait of a People' takes a techy but serious look at people in the digital age.

'An Audience With The Baron' is available at Suspect Packages right now and I heartily recommend this release to you. Check out 'Back Home' now on the Certified Banger Podcast.

'Slicker Than A Bucket Of Snot' - Rapskallions (album review)

‘Slicker Than A Bucket Of Snot’ – yup, Rapskallions have a sense of humour but they take their craft seriously. It’s this combination that has resulted in 50 minutes of quality, often tongue in cheek Hip Hop. It’s clear MCs Slippa and Zoo Mark want you to enjoy this LP – it’s so accessible and the alienating features of many rap albums are absent.

Opener ‘Battleslang Galactica’ (Mr. Loop’s remix can be heard on ‘On The Radar Volume 4’) and ‘Sweatbox Cypher’ featuring Yosh and Cerbeus (and an annoyingly familiar sample) are fine examples of what the Rapskallions can do – humorous put downs, clever wordplay and cheeky self-bigging-up. It’s not just comedic punch lines that the boys do well. ‘Red Dress’ holds a couple of thoughtful tales of how men can lead women astray and ‘Dreamscape’ is a psychedelic foray into visions of the night.

Vee Kay handles the majority of the production although Mr. Loop, Wosk Master Astek and PG Tipps all get a track each. All the beats are finely crafted; if you’ve heard Vee Kay or Mr. Loop’s previous work then you know the sound and quality to expect. Mr. Loop’s ‘U.S.B.’ (not the version from his own album) explores the same sample as Dre’s ‘Xplosive’ and Vee Kay and Gut 1’s ‘Another Day’ beat revolves around a beautiful summery soul sample.

Don’t let the icky name put you off, this is some quality type UK Hip Hop and it’s out now on itunes although the good guys at the Sweatbox will be pressing up CDs later.

'On The Radar Volume 4' Out Now! (free download)

So, it's here - for all of you who were waiting! 'On The Radar Volume 4' is available for your downloading pleasure and with over a dozen exclusives, Volume 4 proves that the series is going from strength to strength.

Volume 4 features 20 tracks of strictly British Hip Hop from rappers and producers from around the Kingdom. Certified Banger’s now cemented reputation in the underground and online UK rap scene means that UK artists , who are not yet on the radar, have a platform for their music – so long as it’s decent! Judging by the subsequent success of previous ‘OTR’ artists you can expect to hear much more from these names in the near future:

1. Delusionists: Parallel Worldz feat. Invizible Frenz (CB Exclusive)
2. Chosen Spokesmen: Mad Real (Prod. by Chemo) (CB Exclusive)
3. C-Froo: Financial Times

4. S.Kalibre: English (Prod. by Mike S)
5. Instance: Can't Get Down (Prod. by Mike D) (CB Exclusive)
6. Vee Kay: Backroad ft. Dead Residents (CB Exclusive)
7. Rapskallions: Battleslang (Mr. Loop Remix) (CB Exclusive)
8. Runamuk: No Gimmicks ft. Unfriendly Neighbours & Blaze (Prod. by Terror) (CB Exclusive)
9. Lunar C: Stop Stressin’ (Prod. by Ant Orange) (CB Exclusive)
10. Uncle Dicky: Running On Fumes ft. Nozeeny (Prod. by Lazyb0nes) (CB Exclusive)
11. Nutty P: Why So Serious? (CB Exclusive)
12. Leady: Travelling Man (Prod. by Irn Mnky)
13. Joker Starr: Get Up (CB Exclusive)
14. EdXL: Crocodile Smile (Prod. by Cranky Fatso)
15. 10Shott: Soldier Salute
16. Skinnista & Gadget: Get Away ft. Dvas & Reggiimental (CB Exclusive)
17. The Riddlah: Mind Right (Prod. by Nasty P)
18. Knew Jeru’slum: Dreamcatchers ft. JND (Prod. by Eliphino) (CB Exclusive)
19. 30KB: Crewd Sons (Ghost in the Machine) (CB Exclusive)
20. JVF Clique: Lose The Chains (CB Exclusive)
Bonus Track: Zion I: Legacy ft. Ty

Here's what the UK Hip Hop internet community have been saying:

Joker Starr @ jibbajabbajoker.blogspot.com:

"Certified Banger who, in my opinion has the best Hip Hop blog period has put together the 4th in the 'On The Radar' series."

Truth @ rapsploitationsessions.wordpress.com/:

"Certified Banger is one of the most important blogs in the UK and they’ve been putting out these free download compilations of some the dopest up coming Hip Hop artists in the country for a minute now."

Solo Cypher @ vocalswords.blogspot.com:

"Mad props to the ever ready heavy Certified Banger blog, coming back with yet another ridiculous free compilation of quality tunes from the UK shores. 'On
The Radar Volume 4' is available for free download as usual, and this one is, in my opinion, the freshest and most consistent yet. Having only listened through a couple of times, the whole project struck me with the high quality high temp beats that proved a wicked accompaniment to a high octane workout. The lyricism was well above UK par and really showcased how UK emcees are embracing their own identities and putting in verses of a calibre worthy of international recognition. The fact that most of them are still under the radar is fairly ridiculous but proves how needed this sort of compilation is. There are enough quality bars in this release to literally bury the mainstream 'hip hop/grime/pop/autotune' garbage currently being bandied about by mainstream outlets. Go cop it now, its free so no excuses, and then go support the artists involved."

No Frillz @ cantstopfanatics.blogspot.com:

"The ever improving 'On the Radar' series should now be a staple in most peoples diets. In case the rest of the world doesn’t know, the UK has an abundance of top notch beatsmiths and MCs. The amount of exclusives alone should get you started. Don’t underestimate the work my man puts into this series. This latest volume has been a staple in my ears since it arrived in my inbox."

Disorda @ suspect-packages.com:

"Here's some freeness from the Certified Banger blog, 'On The Radar Vol. 4' featuring the likes of Delusionists, Vee-Kay, Nutty P, Joker Starr, JVF Clique, Rapskallions, Chosen Spokesmen and many more... "

Tomasz @ lifejustbounces.blogspot.com :

"So the day we got back from Kendal, we also got an email from head-of-the-pack UK hip-hop blogger Certified Banger to tell us that 30KB are one of 21 artists featured on the forthcoming fourth instalment of his winning On the Radar compilation series.

We're completely thrilled to feature on UK rap's premier contemporary showcase alongside people whose music we listen to regularly. Previous volumes of 'OTR' have featured the likes of B'tol & Jagos, Grimlok, Skillit, Skandal, JVF Clique, The Three Amigos, Baron Samedi, Mr Loop, Dialect, Stylah and Delegates of Culture, as well as appearances from, among others, Sonny Jim, Kyza, Klashnekoff, Witchdoctor Wise, Ramson Badbonez and the mighty Jehst. Not a roster to be sneezed at in any way, I think you'll agree.

If you've previously missed out on On the Radar volumes 1—3, you'll be pleased to know they are all still available to grab: just click the album covers above or hit up the CB rapidshare here for links to all three. You are well advised to cop 'em."

Rapskallions & Yosh Release News

Fresh from the Sweatbox with some characteristacally dope artwork are two albums soon to drop: Yosh's 'An Audience With The Baron' and Rapskallion's 'Slicker Than A Bucket Of Snot'.

The Rapskallions joint features production from Vee-Kay and Mr. Loop as well as guest vocals from Yosh, Dr. Cerberus and Vee-Kay and should be out digitally at the beginning of July with a short run of limited edition CDs coming around September - I've already heard the album and best believe I'll be having a hard copy for my collection.

The Yosh EP is being mastered right around now so hopefully there will be a release date for that sometime this year.

If you haven't already picked up a copy of Mr. Loop's excellent production album 'The Bury All' then do so now - this album kicked 2009 off with a bang and it features 777, B'tol, Beit Nun, Dr. Cerberus, Eva Lazarus, Humble Pious, J-Soles, Mudmowth, Slippa, Super Dertie, Vee-Kay, Wordsmith, Yosh and Zoo Mark all up on the microphone. You should also go download Vee-Kay's album 'The Audio Workout'; it features Cariz, Dialekt, Dr. Syntax, Dubbledge, Lowercase, Micall Parknsun, Stig of the Dump, Wordsmith and Yosh.

Exclusive Rapskallions Tracks!

Got a couple of tracks taken from Rapskallion's forthcoming album, the pleasantly titled 'Slicker Than A Bucket of Snot'. Just in case you didn't know or you forgot, Rapskallions are Slippa and Zoo Mark. 'Just Another Day' is produced by Vee-Kay & Gut1 and 'The Joint' is produced by Wosk Master Astek. If all goes well the album will be out in June on Sweatbox Sounds, around the same time as the Yosh EP, also on Sweatbox Sounds. Oh and Mr. Loop says he's got some stuff on its way too!

Certified Banger - 'The Number One Blog for UK Hip Hop'

On The Radar Artist Profile: Mr. Loop

Name: Mr. Loop

Age: 26

From: Whitstable

Track on ‘On The Radar’: 'Grown Man Music' ft. Zoo Mark, Yosh & Slippa

Tell us the story behind the track: It’s one of the tracks of the forthcoming collaborative project between myself, Vee Kay, Yosh, Zoo Mark & Slippa called ‘Sweatbox Sounds Presents: Our Soles’. This track is the emcees having a pop at some of the people in our scene that end up damaging it in the long run.

Record Label: Sweatbox Sounds

Who you roll with: Vee-Kay / Yosh / The Rapskallions / The Kojak Brothers

Favourite album(s): The Quantic Soul Orchestra - 'Tropidelico'

Describe your style in three words: Dug from Oxfam

Past/Present/Future projects: My debut album ‘The Bury All’ came out in January and is getting some good reviews and exposure which is nice! I’ve got a track on the forthcoming Rapskallions album ‘Slicker than a Bucket of Snot’ which is out shortly. The aforementioned collab ‘Sweatbox Sounds Presents: Our Soles’ should be out later this year. I’m also building tracks for another solo album, and have a lot of collabs with people underway.

Certified Banger Presents 'On The Radar Vol. 3' Out Now!

The third in the series of free to download compilations compiled by Certified Banger. What more is there to say?

Well actually, loads. Representing the UK and 100% supported by all artists involved ‘OTR Vol. 3’ is 21 tracks deep and features bare exclusives.

Reain (aka Wha’s His Face) has recorded an exclusive track entitled ‘On The Radar’ over one of RJD2’s finest beats. Yosh and Vee Kay have offered an up-front exclusive taken from Yosh’s forthcoming EP. The guys over at Don’t Talk To Strangers give you all the chance to get 2 tracks previously only available on a limited pressing of 200 CDs (‘When Planets Collide’ by Bane & Jonny Alpha and ‘Leafs’ by Chief Wigz).

Delegates of Culture offer you a chance to sample their soon to be released LP ‘Bad Guys’ with their track ‘Grip’. Mr. Loop brings some never-heard-before vibes with ‘Grown Man Music’ featuring Yosh, Slippa and Zoo Mark and Krate Krusaders grant you the opportunity to download their Ramson Badbonez featuring track ‘Incredible’ for the first time.

JVF Clique, Mr. Shaodow, Dialect and Stylah also provide special tunes from soon to be released projects. Elsewhere Joe Blow and Metabeats, E Hustle, Kasha, Baron Samedi, Ozmosis, JC and SonnyJim, Jee4ce and Capitol 1212 and Profisee give away tracks from previously available EPs and albums.

‘On The Radar Vol. 3’ features artists from up and down the country including Northern Ireland, South and West Yorkshire, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cambridge – Certified Banger fully represents the talent this country holds. If you don’t recognise the names on here, there’s all the more reason to download this – you need to hear these tracks and then you need to find out more.

In a time when so much music is given away for free it’s good to remember that these guys need to eat too. ‘OTR Vol. 3’ is intended to be a signpost that points towards the places where these MCs and producers sell their wares. Check these tracks out, then buy the albums, EPs and 12”s that these artists put out.

1. On The Radar - Reain
2. Incredible ft. Ramson Badbonez - Krate Krusaders
3. The Siesta ft. Yosh - Vee Kay
4. Say Yeah - Joe Blow (prod. by Metabeats & cuts by Stagga)
5. I’m Gunna - Dialect
6. Grip - Delegates of Culture (prod. by Toe)
7. Fear The Future - Stylah (prod. by Jon Phonics)
8. Black Rhyme - Kasha (prod. by Vivid Imagery)
9. The Positive Pessimist - Jee4ce (prod. by Whys)
10. I See ft. Profisee - Capitol 1212
11. The British Are Coming - Mr. ShaoDow
12. Leafs - Cheif Wigz (prod. by Brutal Artistry)
13. Rise To The Top - Cyclonius
14. Cannibal Rights - Baron Samedi
15. Judgement Day ft. SonnyJim, Kosyne, R.C. & LKC – JC
16. Tomorrow’s World - Ozmosis (prod. by Miss Tofelees)
17. Manchester ft. Stoney - Pockets (prod. by Pro P)
18. Grown Man Music ft. Zoo Mark, Yosh & Slippa - Mr. Loop
19. When Planets Collide - Bane & Jonny Alpha (prod. by Brutal Artistry)
20. Phenomenal - E Hustle
21. Drugs Need Kids - JVF Clique

Certified Banger Presents 'On The Radar Volume 3' Coming Soon!

'On The Radar Volume 3' is on it's way, it's due to digitally drop on Monday 6th April. If you are a blogger or similar who wants to have it early to review just drop me an email and I'll let you know the secret link. If you just really want it and you won't be reviewing it but you will be passing it on to your friends, send me an email too! Check out the video promo to hear some of the tracks.

Guerilla links are going up right now at undisclosed locations on the web so if you really want it early, you can find it! (Clue: Check the tracklisting and find those artists on facebook and myspace)

1. On The Radar - Reain
2. Incredible ft. Ramson Badbonez - Krate Krusaders
3. The Siesta ft. Yosh - Vee Kay
4. Say Yeah - Joe Blow (prod. by Metabeats & cuts by Stagga)
5. I’m Gunna - Dialect
6. Grip - Delegates of Culture (prod. by Toe)
7. Fear The Future - Stylah (prod. by Jon Phonics)
8. Black Rhyme - Kasha (prod. by Vivid Imagery)
9. The Positive Pessimist - Jee4ce (prod. by Whys)
10. I See ft. Profisee - Capitol 1212
11. The British Are Coming - Mr. ShaoDow
12. Leafs - Cheif Wigz (prod. by Brutal Artistry)
13. Rise To The Top - Cyclonius
14. Cannibal Rights - Baron Samedi
15. Judgement Day ft. SonnyJim, Kosyne, R.C. & LKC – JC
16. Tomorrow’s World - Ozmosis (prod. by Miss Tofelees)
17. Manchester ft. Stoney - Pockets (prod. by Pro P)
18. Grown Man Music ft. Zoo Mark, Yosh & Slippa - Mr. Loop
19. When Planets Collide - Bane & Jonny Alpha (prod. by Brutal Artistry)
20. Phenomenal - E Hustle
21. Drugs Need Kids - JVF Clique

Check out the title track from Reain:

'In Pursuit of Harmony' - Wordsmith (album review)

Nearly 4 years has passed since Wordsmith dropped his debut LP ‘The Roadman Showcase’. Now he’s back with follow up set ‘In Pursuit of Harmony’, an album sure to make a mark on UK Hip Hop this year.

Wordsmith takes a mature approach to many issues – the ins and outs of weed smoking (‘The Cro Debate’), being a father (‘Son’), gun crime (‘Never Would’ve Thought’), the ups and downs of life (‘Carry On’ and ‘Beautiful Life’) and today’s youth (‘They Don’t Seem To Care’). When he’s not proving he could teach an MP a thing or two he’s straight illing out with his partners in rhyme – check ‘Lok Dat’, ‘Runaway’ and the ridiculously tense ‘Leave It Alone’ for a few examples of that.

With perfectly crafted rhymes Wordsmith proves he’s not a one trick pony – he’s a well rounded artist who has fashioned an actual album, rather than a collection of songs. This LP really deserves one of those track by track breakdowns; every one is of such high quality.

With a list of producers like this (Apa-Tight, Vee Kay, Chemo, Beat Butcha, Ido, Tom Caruana and Show n Prove) I don’t have to tell you that the beats are proper, heavy Hip Hop with an emphasis on the uplifting. The fact that there’s not a skip-able track on here speaks volumes – you’ll wanna listen right through.

Mic duties are shared with Foreign Beggars, Dr. Syntax, Dubbledge, Micall Parknsun, Skribblah, Diamond Ruff, Big Ben, Genesis Elijah, Supar Novar and Ahmos –all of whom put in sterling work.

‘In Pursuit of Harmony’ is out now and is available from Suspect Packages as a download or on CD. Support the music, pay the pounds, don’t download! Check the snippets in my last post to get a taste of greatness!

Vee Kay Ghostface/Daft Punk Mashup

That man Vee Kay from the Sweatbox has a funky mashup fo' yo' headphones. He's sensibly entitled it 'Daft Ghostface 500'. Sensible because it almost just says what it does on the tin... whatever.

It's a mashup of the original track that Daft Punk used on 'Robot Rock' and Ghostface Killah's (as he was back then) 'Daytona 500' which features Raekwon and Cappadona. The OG is a personal fav of mine since it featured on a skate vid back in the day (Josh Petty's profile on VG7).

Vee Kay - 'Daft Ghostface 500' (mashup)

Hip Hop Producers - Mr. Loop Interview

"I love taking something from a different era and flipping it into something completely different that a completely different type of person will feel."

Having just dropped his debut LP 'The Bury All' and it being a banger, I thought I should probably interview the man they call Mr. Loop. Then, I did, so why don't you have a read?

Certified Banger: Mr. Loop! How goes it?

Mr. Loop: I’m good, nothing to complain about!

CB: First of all tell us, if it’s not obvious, how did you get your name?

Mr. Loop: Well, two reason really – my surname is Lupin, and I’ve always been called Loop as a nickname my whole life, and I make crusty Hip Hop using sample loops…

CB: And now please tell us how you named your album ‘The Bury All’:

Mr. Loop: That’s just another play on words – I’m originally from Canterbury and featured a lot of east Kent artists on the album, and also its kind of ironically arrogant cos I’m kind of a humble dude!

CB: It’s your first album isn’t it, debut as they say. Might we have heard you on anything else previous to this?

Click here to read on!

'The Bury All' - Mr Loop (album review)

Mr Loop’s ‘The Bury All’ is the second release from Sweatbox Sounds, a label shaping up to be one that only brings quality to the crowded table of UK Hip Hop. So far their less-is-more approach suits me to a T; 40 minutes is a perfect length for an album. You still get 11 tracks of goodness wrapped in great artwork so let’s explore it more:

Mr Loop is the producer and he’s brought along a truck load of guest artists for the ride; no less than 15 (including Wordsmith and Mudmowth) if my counting skills are up to scratch. A few appear multiple times – Zoo Mark and Slippa of RapSkallions and Yosh all hold down multiple mic duties.

Mr Loop’s production is wide-ranging, his sample pool is wide and deep – he steals from medieval England’s lute-strumming bards, slices up whole orchestras, mugs jazz bassists for their dusty low frequency goodness, sneaks easy listening breaks from under relaxed musicians noses and swipes 60’s pop and all for his own gain – and yours. This CD really is a treat – the sounds are so diverse and so obviously the produce of a crate digging whiz kid.

The MCs offer a largely cheery body of work and things get rowdy on both parts of ‘Satisfaction’ as 13 MCs vie for mic time. Yosh, Slippa and Zoo Mark explore both sides of drinking to excess on ‘Out on the Razz’ and ‘the Middle Path’ and B’Tol’s Eva Lazarus assisted ‘Try Again’ is sure to allow you to sink into its gently ebbing waters. ‘The Infamous Baron Spittswell’ is made to have a video – although Yosh paints a more than vivid picture of this maverick character, this is a lyrical imagination at its best!

‘The Bury All’ will be out on 12th January 2009 on Sweatbox Sounds and will be available on CD (you can get one now direct from the man himself for £5) or as a digital download. Visit his myspace page for more info.

Certified Banger's Top 20 UK Albums of 2008

My first full year of blogging has been a good one by all accounts. I wouldn't be where I am now with this hobby project if it wasn't for the artists and PR peeps who realised that Certified Banger was actually worth something. I've also got to thank the people who have posted my words at other websites - all these people know who they are. Last year, I was in no way organised enough to wrap up the year in this style, this year however I do feel I am in a position to partake in the summing up and counting down on all things UK Hip Hop this year. And yes, this blog has taken the form of a UK Hip Hop blog over the last year so I thought I'd keep at least this rundown pure!

So with no further ado, except for an explanation, I present my top 20 UK Hip Hop albums of the year. This list comprises of albums I have listened to and enjoyed, if an album isn't on here, chances are I have listened to it but liked at least 20 other albums a little bit more! This is in no way attempting to be in any way related to sales of these releases - it's just about how much I liked them and listened to them!

1. 'Spektrum' - Million Dan

This album had to come top for me. My memory is of listening to this, especially 'Futuristic', as I prepared to get married in July. I could just imagine myself relaxing by the pool in Greece on honeymoon, wife beside me and that track on blast. It contains so much energy - 'Spektrum Ride', 'Dogz 'n' Sledgez', 'Mic Chek' and 'Scream Out' - a number one album.

2. ‘Slime and Reason’ - Roots Manuva
I didn't actually do a review of this one, for one simple reason: I was way too busy just listening to it (and I also knew it didn't need my exposure!). For me, this is the most easily accessible album Rodney Smith has made so the combination of his wonkiness and the easy listening experience had me hooked. Best track? 'Let The Spirit'.

3. 'Scene Stealers' - Skreintax
The next few albums in this chart were difficult to order but this one does deserve to be here. An anticipated LP for me - a lover of everything Dr. Syntax does. At the risk of sounding a bit gay, I love his voice! That and his uncanny knack for making stuff rhyme! Top tracks and guests and production that never falters mean you need this (and the rest on the list).

4.'Dear Listener’ - Lowkey
Lowkey has been enjoying success in the mixtape game for a while now and stupidly I ignored him. Until now. The album is a beauty - no jump up tracks, it's not even got an upbeat sound to it but man, it feels positive to hear someone who cares so genuinely about the things going on around us. That and the fact that Lowkey can't half rhyme!

5. 'The Saga of a Peaceful Man' - Reps
This one came out of the blue for me; I had no idea who Reps was before I heard of this. When I did hear it I was well impressed - it was bright, breezy but heavy and thoughtful too. Oh, and it wasn't too long either! It came out on Flash Fry Records - a label to watch out for this year, they have some promising releases lined up!

6. 'The Dark/The Light' - Brotherman
Having heard a few of the other releases on Silent Soundz I was pretty sure I'd like Brotherman's album before I ever heard it. It's soulful, upbeat yet it tackles and commentates on current issues in society. Brotherman has a poetical ability that seems rare in many MCs which give his tracks breadth and depth. The packaging was the bomb for this!

7. 'The Audio Workout' - Vee Kay
For a download only album to feature so highly it had to be good. See I'm a sucker for physical product - it makes music more accessible to me. Thankfully Vee Kay sent me a copy on CD and I totally loved it. The production is reminiscent of good time Hip Hop and the MCs contributions are pure finery. Watch out for the Wordsmith album this year!

8. ‘My Last and Best Album’ - Braintax
This one was released to much criticism because basically it wasn't the same as 'Birofunk'. If he'd made it the same, there would have derisive snorts all the same - he just couldn't win! For me it was a great album, better than 'Panorama' overall, and one of the better and most underrated albums this year.

9. ‘The Signature LP' - Sway
This may not be my top album but it must have been the commercial success of the year, it certainly brought me a record number of page hits as people clamoured to read my review - ha! Sway really upped the ante where commercial yet credible UK Hip Hop is concerned. It has an overall feeling of quality - one for the collection!

10. 'The Stuff' - Illustrate
I first heard Illustrate this year despite having released a couple of previous projects. I heard the 'Work' EP and loved that and 'The Stuff' is a perfectly expanded version of the EP. The topics are varied - some down to earth, some underground and some in the clouds. A good first album for Illustrate to build his music making career with.

11. 'The Union Jack Album' - Jack Flash
Being straight outta Huddersfield makes this one a little different to the mostly south-centric albums in this list. This debut from Jack Flash is full of engaging rhymes and heavy but semi-ethereal beats. It's a real chill out album from an artist well known for his battling abilities (EOW Winner this year).

12. 'State of Lunacy' - Rhyme Asylum
This album was not what I was expecting. I expected mediocre 'hardcore' Hip Hop. What it actually is is classic sounding boombap laced with quotably ill lyrics. Noteworthy are the UK/US collabs here too - Diabolic and Copywrite getting in where they fit in. For any MC this is surely inspiration to pick up a pen and step up their game.

13. 'The Get Together' - Evil Ed & Conspicuous
On this slice of dopeness from the latter part of this year Ed and Cons almost sneak into the ear canal - they're not stealthy, but this is just so easy to listen to! It's an engaging 50 minutes of sampled beats and well made rhymes and it features a whole cheeseboard full of great UK MCs. 'BBQ' and 'Big Headed' stand out.

14. 'Everything is Borrowed' - The Streets
Purists might question it's place here, I have no answer for their queries. All I know is that I enjoyed this album alot and that it was better than the last one. 'The Sherry End' had that funk and the whole album has a sing-along vibe that sometimes you just need ya know? Don't hate on the man - grab a copy and warm up the old vocal chords.

15.‘Audio Revolution’ - K Delight
Another late-comer and a unique one at that. This is best described as a b-boy record - it has a heavy emphasis on the art of the DJ and is drenched in party type sweat. MC's from the US and the UK turn up - most notably the cool Lewis Parker and Koaste. This brought some much needed instrumental pastiche to my 2008 ears.

16. 'Anathema' – Triple Darkness
Definitely the darkest album on here, 'Anathema' had a strange pull on me. I gave it 4 stars, mainly due to it's original take on UK Hip Hop, but at times during the year, I actually had urges to listen to it. It's a strange album but one that works mysteriously well.

17. 'A New Bloodline' - Sir Smurf Lil'
Maybe this one shouldn't be so far down, but it's on here so... It's a very solid album from the man who's been showing up on everyone else's album this year (at least 2 of them in this list). The album is, to quote me 'sonically and topically... nicely diverse' and is a good quality second album from a steadily rising MC.

18. 'Back Off Man, I'm a Scientist' - Kidkanevil
This is the joker in the pack, not that it's funny or anything - it's just not strictly Hip Hop - it almost defies genre. What it has is beats and it also has a couple of MCs, so for that I can feature it. It's an exciting listen with very diverse tracks tied together with percussion and general experimentation. Buy it!

19. 'In Heavy Weather' - Mystic Man & Eshamanjaro
I didn't realise how much I liked this album until I considered this list. Since rinsing it at Easter-time on my Lakeland holiday I haven't returned to it that often. But it is engraved in my head - strange beats, lovely loops and confident rhymes have wedged themselves in my psyche - it must be good.

20. ‘Outside Looking In’ – Life
Life MC, an influential force on myself and I'm sure many others, brought us this packed album early on in the year. It's very serious messages are broadcast frenetically (as only Life could) over Nappa's straight-up Hip Hop beats. It also came with a back catalogue CD full of Life's beats - great for a freestyle sesh!

'The Audio Workout' out now!

Vee Kay's excellent album 'The Audio Workout' is out now and available to download at these places (follow the links):

Juno
itunes
Napster
Rhapsody

and it'll soon be available at Suspect Packages too.

Sweatbox Sounds

'The Audio Workout' - Vee Kay (album review)

Vee Kay’s producer album ‘The Audio Workout’ is a perfectly cut gem. At 11 tracks and 34-ish minutes long it’s short but incredibly sweet. Vee Kay himself said “I don't listen to music to bring myself down, I listen to it to try to cheer myself up” – this album makes it evident he makes music to please himself; whilst in no way soft it’s cheery stuff.

The chosen samples are funky, soulful and uplifting. The productions don’t just fall back behind the voices of the MCs – they have their own presence (an area where producer albums often fall). It’s the pure musicality of this album that’s made it one of my most played in the last month or so.

The guests are a well selected mix of known names and the skilled up-and-comers. ‘Lok Dat Remix’ is just that, a version of Vee Kay’s track from Wordsmith’s forthcoming LP (Vee Kay has other beats on there too) and it features Dubbledge and Micall Parknsun – in my world that’s star studded! Stig and Syntax rear their double-time heads on ‘Goldwings’ and Dead Residents own ‘Bogey Homecide’ – a hilarious ode to flicking snot. Wordsmith features a second time on the tuneful ‘Bring Me Down’ – it gets me in sing-a-long mode!

Dialekt, Lowercase, Yosh and Cariz provide the other vocals, holding their own on the bangers courtesy of Vee Kay. Of the 7 MC-fronted tracks here there’s no stinker, it smells just rosy.

‘Third Child’ is an awesome demo of skill – a Hip Hop show tune if I ever heard one. The ‘Intro’ and ‘Outro’ are also worth a listen, they bookend the album nicely making the whole affair comprehensive.

‘The Audio Workout’ is one of my favourite releases this year and it’s released digitally on November 24th on Sweatbox Sounds.

Hip Hop Producers - Vee Kay interview

After producer Vee Kay sent me a copy of his forthcoming album 'The Audio Workout' I had to know more. The LP is excellent, full of good vibe boom bap rap and a few little surprises too. We hooked up an interview to let you know exactly what he's all about:

Certified Banger: Yo Vee Kay! How are you today?

VK: All good thanks fella.

CB: Let’s get things cracking, I’ll switch things round a bit: Tell us about your latest piece of work: ‘The Audio Workout’.

VK: Well, the record is a long time coming, it's been 4 years since my last solo release, in that time I've been busy, but I decided that it was time to have my name at the front again, rather than in the liner notes, haha. It's a collection of songs that have been recorded at my Studio over the last year or so, well, the best ones anyway, so there's a variety of tracks on there, from the classic sounding hip hop to the more up tempo double time type tracks. Listening back to my last release, the whole sound of it was similar to that golden age hip hop, and that was pretty much it, so this one's tracked my maturity in production. There's still the classic hip hop sound on it, but I've peppered it with other bits and pieces too.

CB: Your instrumentals, certainly on this album, are top quality – I’m a big fan. What do you aim for when making a beat? What sound do you look for?

VK: Cheers mate, appreciate it! Without a doubt, the most important thing when making a beat is that it catches you straight away, ‘cause no one's gonna want to use a track that sounds s**t or doesn't grab you. The drums gotta bang too, I'm a complete sucker for big drums, I listened to nothing but boom bap for years, so I was immediately grabbed by big heavy drums and breaks. It's also gotta sound as original as possible, because when sampling, you're already taking something that’s been finished, so now you've got to try to mould it into something completely different, so that the first thing someone hears isn't the track you've sampled, but the track you made, using bits from other songs.

CB: What inspired you to make your first ever beat? Can you remember it? Tell us more!

VK: I started off as a rapper, and I worked with another Producer, who had been in the business for years, so we went ahead and made a demo, this was way back when, probably about 10 or so years ago...anyway, didn't work out, so I started learning how to make beats. I went to college to do a course, but it was s**t, and I left after about 9 months after showing the tutor how to MIDI up a sampler, I'd been going to studios for a few years to record, plus I read every magazine and book I could, so I just learnt by listening and watching. From there I just started collecting bits of kit, trying to find out what worked best for me, and the end result is the Sweatbox Studio. So I guess, back onto track, my inspiration was just so that I could have something to rap over, that didn't come off the latest Ja Rule 12"

I think I made my first ever beat on a cracked copy of some weird sequencer that Roland made, it came with a sound canvas, and it was so s**t, there was a massive latency problem and the sounds were your horrible generic MIDI sounds. I had an Akai S20, but really couldn't figure out how to use it for ages, I remember making my first 2 bar loop on it, but not figuring out how to save it, so I left that bad boy on for about a week straight, until I got bored and wanted to make another loop, so I just deleted it.

CB: So you sample? What, in a typical digging session, do you go for? What makes for good Hip Hop?

Click here to read more

'Why Oh Why?' ft. Yosh - Vee Kay (free download)

Vee Kay sent a copy of his new producer album my way today. I've listened to the whole thing and it's awesome. I'll be giving it a proper review soon but as a taster he's letting you all have a track for free.

The track features up and comer Yosh and is called 'Why Oh Why?'. Check it out.

Vee Kay has recently been at work on Wordsmith's forthcoming LP, which he assures me will be out soon. 'The Audio Workout' features Wordsmith, Dubbledge, Micall Parknsun, Stig of the Dump, Dr. Syntax and the Dead Residents amongst others. It's going to be available in a month's time on download only.

According to the press release "Vee Kay has been diligently working away in the background for a hot minute now. Having self-financed his first sold-out EP 'Mindless', he went on to put out the much sought-after 'Myster-Vee Tour' in 2004. He followed that up by producing the debut album for UK Hip Hop veterans, Beefeaterz, eating up the boards for their 'Badge of Honour' album and working with international acts, Arsonists, Dead Residents and Josh Martinez. This time, it’s all about Vee, and 'The Audio Workout' is his first full-length LP and he is hungry to finally push his sound to the forefront of the UK hip-hop scene."