'Street Karma' - Dap-C & Dirty Sweet (album review)

Armed with a plethora of guests Dap-C alongside producer Dirty Sweet brings you ‘Street Karma’ on NGU records. This could be an album but apparently it’s not - it’s a mixtape.

After the intro (which features real scratching - yay) proceedings proceed with Blak Twang featuring ‘Music Game’ which is good. Then his NGU compadres drop in on the well produced but just a little bit silly our crew is the best boasting track. The reason why it’s silly is that following this you get tracks featuring Lewis Parker, Fallacy, Sir Smurf Lil, Stylah, Mr. Drastick, Late, Tricksta and Conman and I don’t need to tell you that their crews are actually better.

Dap-C, in my opinion, is pretty nice with his on most outings and the more established guests here complement his concepts well. There are a nice range of sounds here; Dirty Sweet is more than just competent behind the boards as he harmonizes with the emcees and their content.

The version of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ on offer here (featuring Skinnyman, Supar Novar, Emceekilla, Karisma and S.Kalibre) is nowhere near as good as the one on the video included on the DVD, it’s disappointing that the album cut makes it boring. ‘Passing Me By’ sees Dap-C take on a track alone with slightly less effective results than when backed up by guests of ilk.

On the whole ‘Street Karma’ is worth picking up and you can get it now at most of the usual places.

'3 Years and Rising' - DJ Spin Doctor (free mix)

'The Doctor's Orders' is one of London's best Hip Hop party nights. Many Hip Hop people have passed through and blessed them with shows and earlier this year was their third birthday. Resident DJ Spin Doctor mixed up this little treat by asking loads of past guests what track they wanted him to include. The mix really does the talking about what sort of party it is that goes on there!

Check out the tracklist to see how funky things get and consider going, especially for the DJ Vadim Cancer Research Fund Raiser (9pm-3am Friday 7th November 2008 @ Herbal 10-14 Kingsland Rd, London E1) with Spin Doctor, Killa Kela (TBC), Foreign Beggars (TBC), Yungun & Mr Thing, Ross Allen, Verb T, Jack Flash, Livin’ Proof Crew, Chris Read, Kyri R2, Acyde, Kattie Skillz, Khy, & more TBC for only £5 in advance or £7 on the door (Advance tickets available from ticketweb.co.uk / 0844-477-100)

1. Intro
2. Black Moon - 'I Got Cha Open' (Evil Dee Remix)
3. Black Street - 'No Diggedy' (J-Star Remix)
4. Mr. Scruff - 'Ug'
5. Roots Manuva - 'Witness'
6. Blak Twang - 'Dettwork Southeast'
7. Mos Def featuring Diverse
8. J-Dilla - 'Baby'
9. Visioneers - 'It's Simple'
10. Mobb Deep - 'Shook Ones pt.II'
11. The Pharcyde - 'Runnin''
12. Time Machine - 'A Million and One Things To Do'
13. Jazzy Jeff - 'Brand New Funk'
14. Afrika Bambaataa - 'Zulu War Chant'
15. Yungun & Mr. Thing - 'Dancing Shoes'
16. A Tribe Called Quest - 'Check The Rhyme'
17. Dilated Peoples - 'Worse Come To Worse'
18. J-Rawls - 'Miss You'
19. De La Soul - 'In The Woods'
20. Le Pamplemousse - 'Give Me What You Got'
21. Bobby Caldwell - 'Open Your Eyes'
22. Common - 'The Light'
23. Melissa Morgan - 'Fools Paradise'
24. Grace Jones - 'Pull Up To The Bumper (Extended Instrumental)
25. Brick - 'Dazz'
26. Unlimited Touch - 'I Hear Music In The Street'
27. Gaz - 'Sing Sing'
28. Outro

Download the mix

'State of Lunacy' - Rhyme Asylum (album review)

Rhyme Asylum are the UK’s version of Non Phixion and that’s a good thing. Remember their 2002 album ‘The Future is Now’? It featured Pete Rock, Large Pro, DJ Premier and Beatnuts production – on ‘State of Lunacy’ Leatherface rivals the greats in freshness and headnodability. And despite the dark overtones it’s not the least bit boring or depressing.

MC’s Possessed, Skirmish & Psiklone spit cryptically ill lyrics full of dope vocabulary. The phrases are twisted, the metaphors are etched into verses and the punch lines are intelligent. Quotables come thick and fast (‘I swing Excalibur with stone still attached to the blade’ or ‘We go out on a limb like a pair of gloves’ or ‘And I ice pick my brain for rhymes//My frame of mind turns food for thought into migraines of rice’). Where just lyricism doesn’t suffice tracks like ‘Test of Faith’ is a really honest account of a doubting believer and ‘Holding On’ discusses depression in real terms.

The US MC guest verses here are worth a mention too. Diabolic begins proceedings on ‘Unreasonable’, he has mad menacing presence on the mic. Copywrite features on ‘Attitude Problem’, a track proclaiming that they are ‘pissed off with Hip Hop…you say we hate but you give us nothing to like’. UK rapper Reain also pops up on both parts of ‘Straight Jacket’ and sounds at home in the asylum with the crew.

Despite comparisons previously drawn a listen to this album confirms that Rhyme Asylum have created something quite excellent here. For any MC this is inspirational stuff – a lot of rappers should strive to this level of lyrical skill. The boys only sent me this on mp3 so I think I’ma have to buy this on CD. You can get yours direct from their myspace or on itunes.

Red - Seen (video)

Certified Banger - 40th Best Blog in the World!

Thanks to all who voted for me in the BT Digital Music Awards 08. I came a modest 40th in the top 100 which aint so bad I suppose. Congratulations to Leeds Hip Hop Scene who got 28th and Kano whose blog '140 Grime St' came in at number 35.

I don't know how some of the stuff on there even counts as a blog but anyway, I'll be happy with my 40th!

Here's the list

Mr Scruff and Roots Manuva

The Scruffster has done it again. He's back with a new album. It seems to be out on his own label, a subsidiary of Ninja Tune, called Ninja Tuna! Ah, Mr Scruff, you old japester.

It's got some nice tracks on it and one features Mr. Manuva. Nice.

Mr Scruff - Nice up the Function ft. Roots Manuva

Kidkanevil Giveaways

Kidkanevil, Leeds based Hip Hop producer and DJ is having a right generous streak right now. I hit up the Leeds Hip Hop Scene site and found what I'm about to share with you.

This excellent giveaway is in aid of promoting his next album 'Back off Man, I'm a Scientist'. 'Problems & Solutions' (download via that link), his last album features Certified Banger favourites Jehst and Sir Smurf Lil' as well as other MC's and singers.

The other giveaway is 'Back off Man, I'm a Mixtape' (again, click the link to download). Check it out!

Grab these tracks to taste:

Kidkanevil - Def Cert ft. Jehst & Sir Smurf Lil`.mp3
Kidkanevil - 5th Gear ft. Lateef The Truthspeaker & Little Miss B.mp3

'They Don't Seem To Care' - Wordsmith (12" review)

Wordsmith (the one from the UK) has an album ('In Pursuit of Harmony') out soon on the Def Ethics label. Meanwhile he has given us an excellent EP in the ‘They Don’t Seem To Care’ 12”.

The lead track ‘They Don’t Seem To Care’, produced by Beat Butcha, probes serious issues and laments a desensitized world where childhood is a thing of the past. Wordsmith takes a responsible line on children who grow up too quickly as a result of the examples they are set. Deep and important stuff.

A little more on the light hearted side, but continuing on a conscientious tip Wordsmith discusses the pros and cons of smoking weed over a funky Chemo production. ‘Slip And Slide’ produced by Caruana manages to ease the listener out of a serious state of mind as Wordsmith and Big Ben spit rhymes about having a positive frame of mind despite life’s ills. In short it’s a ‘Friday night, forget work and have a good time’ track.

‘Never Would Have Thought’, a typical Apa-tight production (he’s really carving himself a sound) featuring Supar Novar and Big Ben brings things back to reality. The three MC’s discuss gun crime and focus on the responsibility of the government and the manufacturers and suppliers of the offending weapons.

Overall, and something I haven’t mentioned yet, Wordsmith is a very accomplished lyricist. He resorts to no nursery type rhymes, each lyric is carefully crafted, on point and hater-proof and coupled with the top notch production no-one could possibly say a bad word. This is a thoughtfully put together piece of work, one which you should buy with your pounds!

It’s out now and can be gotten at all the usual outlets.

'No Point In Wasting Tears' - Ironik (album review)

Want to listen to a load of sloppily-sick love songs from a UK MC backed by production consisting muchly of higher-than-chipmunk vocals and basic synths? Yeah? Bag yourself a copy of Ironik’s ‘No Point In Wasting Tears’. If not then steer way clear.

Seriously, that’s all there is here – a poor attempt at R’n’B rap from a grimey/garagey angle. Yeah so Sway’s just about to blow big time with something similar but where Sway has style and individuality Ironik just has nothing but a London accent to make him stand out. And that’s not enough.

The production here blurs the edges between grime, R’n’B, garage and dance – the first track, the awful on the ears ‘Stay With Me (Everybody’s Free)’ even samples the Rozella track ‘Everybody’s Free (To Feel good)’, a track made famous again to the dance scene by Angel One. And guess what the other track that’s sampled is? WESTLIFE!!! WESTLIFE??? ‘Written in the Stars’. That is sampling taken two steps too far.

Obviously Ironik has an obsessively one track mind – he may as well have just made one track – I’m serious, all he talks about is his version of ‘love’. It’s so ridiculously all-I’ve-ever-listened-to-is-the-radio that I am absolutely astounded. This is like 18 attempts at writing a first song – from experience, a first song is always about love and is always full of clichés stolen from other love songs. Ironik the least rounded artist I have ever listened to – did he seriously think this is what people want to hear?

‘If they’re all about love, then at least one must be alright?’ I hear you ask. Well to be honest, the ‘Stay With Me’ remix (without the horrible intro of the original that greets your ears as soon as you play the disc) which features better MC’s Wiley and Chipmunk isn’t too bad (it still has a Westlife sample) but really I can’t listen through again to find one that might stand out.

In short, don’t buy this - 'No Point In Wasting Money' is more like it. Don’t download this. If it something suspiciously like it comes on the radio, turn it off. Protect your ears, they are precious.

'The Signature LP' - Sway (album review)

‘The Signature LP’ – the UK’s biggest rap release this year. Sway – the UK’s brightest hope for world wide success. It’s that simple. You’re probably part of the hype surrounding this – I know I am - and you know how much anticipation comes with the release of this album. The news of Sway’s signing to Akon’s Kon Live magnifies the excitement surrounding this as new markets are reached. The multiple release date push-backs point to the necessity for this album to drop at precisely the right time. The two lead tracks ‘F UR X’ and ‘Saturday Night Hustle’ have already caused mass commotion being featured in the film ‘Adulthood’ and on the Jools Holland show respectively. All signs of the big things sure to come.

Self produced ‘Fit 4 A King’ opens the album on a continuation of this theme; the stadium-sized production is a confident forecast of the success of this LP. Where first impressions do count Sway hasn’t put a foot wrong with the orchestra, chants, choirs, lead guitar, Queen-esque drums and the curiously Brit-Pop sounding sung vocals. Then there are the lyrics; Sway still has the tongue twisting, phrase bending abilities that he burst onto the scene with on his ‘This Is My Promo’ mixtapes.

Sway mixes wit, skill and a thorough understanding of self-marketing over the remaining 15 tracks. He also introduces us to his more contemplative side, addressing issues he’s previously left untouched, particularly death (‘Pray 4 Kaya’ and ‘Letters to Heaven’). The whole album seems incredibly premeditated when considered as a part of his entire career. Everything new on here wouldn’t have worked in his earlier, more underground days but now is the absolute perfect time to reveal Sway’s spectrum of ability.

The attempt at capturing a wider audience does mean that most people will find that a couple of tracks don’t appeal to them. As quite a staunch Hip Hop fan, tracks like the already huge ‘F UR EX’ and the soon to be absolutely-flippin’-massive ‘Silver & Gold’ featuring Akon (the last-minute inclusion of this making for the final release date change) don’t quite hit. Having said this, I’m not stupid and I know the more poppy tracks on here are sure to garner massive radio play, probably in the UK and the US. And to be honest I’d rather hear Sway on the radio than any of the other ‘Urban’ acts that get spins at the moment.

‘Walk Away’ sees Sway accept the responsibility of stardom – addressing street violence and preaching a positive message to the thousands of attentive ears sure to be listening to this. ‘Say it Twice’, ‘Jason Waste’ (Sway’s pretty hilarious new character), ‘Upload’, bonus track ‘Taxi’ and ‘Stereo’ (Produced by Chops) are all pretty much classic Sway. If you’re open minded you’ll find tracks like ‘Saturday Night Hustle’ (highlight: Sway rapping his vital statistics), ‘End of the Road’ (featuring Sting’s daughter Coco, who has an intriguing voice) and ‘Look After My Girl’ to be excellent extensions of Sway’s impressive lyricism.

‘Special Place’ has to be the worst track – I can’t see anyone being into it really, it’s quite annoying but this is the only duff moment on the entire album, every other song is awesome in its own way. In my opinion this makes ‘The Signature LP’ an awesome album and one that should be on every British music fan’s CD shelf. It hasn’t disappointed even though I thought I would prefer something similar to his previous album, mixtapes and guest verses. Sway has proved that he knows best and as long as he keeps doing his thing, the plan that he has should work out just lovely.

‘The Signature LP’ is out on Monday on Dcypha Productions and will be available everywhere – probably even down at Tesco’s.

Reviews Coming Up @ Certified Banger

Yo! My postie has been a busy man over the last week or so (and so has my virtual postie) and I've got millions of CD's and tracks and things to review. Let me give you a list so you know what to look forward to:

Sway - 'The Signature LP'

Skreintax - 'Scene Stealers'

Illustrate - 'The Stuff'

Rhyme Asylum - 'State of Lunacy'

TB - 'The Beast From The East'

M9 - '144,000'

Chronic Redeye - 'Knowledge is King'

Geejay - 'I Came To Represent'

Dap-C - 'Street Karma'

Pyroradio.com Presents 'Top Selectors'

Occupy Your Mind Records Presents 'Grime'

Evil Ed & Conspicuous - 'The Get Together'

Jazz T - 'All City Kings'

Wordsmith - 'They Don't Seem To Care' EP

The Mantis Chapter - 'Graveyard Poets' EP

So check back regularly, add me to your reader feeder or whatever to find out what's going to be worth listening to out of this little lot!

'A New Bloodline' - Sir Smurf Lil' (album review)

‘A New Bloodline’; Sir Smurf Lil’ teams up with the current cream of UK producers – Jehst, Apa-Tight, Beat Butcha, LG, Conspicuous and Asaviour – all men well known for their dusty Hip Hop beats. Don’t take that the wrong way though; on paper ‘A New Bloodline’ may seem like a quick tracing of the UK rap outline but in reality the uniquely stylised rendering of Smurf makes this more than just a carbon copy.

Sonically and topically this is a nicely diverse album presenting Sir Smurf’s creative streak. On ‘Blossom’ man/woman relationships are explored over a beautiful backing whereas on ‘Words are Weapons’, a menacingly lilting beat accompanies determined fighting talk. The title track opens up raucously whereas closer ‘The Lord’s Chorus’ laments the loss of a loved life. Single ‘Candlelight’ still sounds fresh as does it’s B-side ‘That Sound’ featuring T-Bear and Big Cakes.

Other microphone guests are partners-in-rhyme The Colony (Grimlok, Conspicuous and Willo Wispa), Dubbledge, Kashmere and Jehst all of whom make worthy contributions to the overall piece.

‘A New Bloodline’ is a mature second album from an MC who deserves to gain recognition and momentum in this thing we call rap.

‘A New Bloodline’ is out on November 3rd on YNR Productions.

'WLIB AM King of the Wigflip' - Madlib (album review)

If I’m honest, Madlib confuses me what with all the aliases and collaborations and the HUGE back catalogue. To become a fan - where to begin?!

On the intriguingly entitled ‘WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip’ Madlib sticks to his Beat Konducta moniker. What is immediately clear from listening to this LP is that Madlib, despite what his die-hard fans may think, shines far brighter when providing beatscapes for quality MC’s.

The tracks solely accredited to The Beat Konducta are nothing more than filler to my ears, albeit filler that, if a rapper had stepped to it, would probably be hot. The tracks with singers don’t do anything for me either – props for branching out but when the album is blessed by heavy weight MC’s the sung tracks flop with the only exception being ‘Yo Yo Affair pt. 1 & 2.

The album is more than worth a purchase for the rocking stand out moments such Guilty Simpson’s ‘Blow the Horns on ‘Em’, Defari’s awesome ‘Gamble On Ya Boy’, Prince Po’s eccentric ‘The Thang-Thang’, Talib’s Reflection Eternal-ish ‘What it Do’ and the stripped down Murs track, ‘Ratrace’.

Madlib closes BBE’s Beat Generation in style leaving this reviewer ready to hear more Madlib/MC collaborations old and new.

'Below Street Level' - LATE (album review)

Due out on October 20th, LATE’s new album ‘Below Street Level’ is entirely produced by fellow Wolftownian Tricksta. On his latest LP, LATE bridges the UK/US divide with dexterity; the Atlantic Ocean needs to fall back, nothing stops this man from building bridges!

With his methodically clear flow and straightforward lyrics LATE isn’t the most lyrical rapper but his strength is in his ability to communicate – a skill that has got him many, many places. His other chief talent is making a positive message sound so hardcore – much needed by the fans of the MC’s he makes moves with.

West Coast, Dirty South, Ohio and Wolverhampton are well represented across the 14 tracks of gully, US sounding production. Stand out track ‘It’s Nothin’’ features the awesome drawl of Willie D of The Geto Boys over a slow burning West Coast beat. Geezy and JT The Bigga Figga take time out of their Thizz/Hyphy duties to sound threatening over Tricksta’s moody track.

‘Below Street Level’ is a brooding outing from one of Wolftown’s hardest working although ‘Supply & Demand’ is a wispily mellow tale of a life spent hustling rap music – chill to that one! ‘I Need To Get Away’ follows and has a holiday vibe -‘Couple of hours on the motorway and I reach//It’s not sunny Spain but at least it’s a beach’ – LATE praises the simple pleasures of a British holiday resort.

‘Below Street Level’ is an innovative take on rap music, one that is beginning to be replicated by other MC’s reaching out over seas for collaborations. Remember who did it first!

'The EP' - Lingua Franca (EP review)

Now for something a little different: What no rap? No, but Ghost, the producer behind Lingua Franca has paid his dues in UK Hip Hop so ‘The EP’ deserves a review.

With a hat tipped to DJ Shadow ‘Falling Back To Her’ kicks off this three track sample of what’s to come (album ‘Things Don’t Stay The Same’). Pint size vocalist Devorah, sounding not unlike Massive Attacks Shara Nelson circa ‘Blue Lines’ adds another edge to the terse but soulful production.

‘Feels So Good’ is my pick of the pops – I can’t resist funky drums, funky guitars or indeed, funky basses. Oh, or funky brass. This song is the reason why Ghost formed a full band in order to take their music on the road. A live performance is sure to be an uplifting experience.

‘Treat Tonight’ finishes off this taster jazzily – their bow has multiple strings. Despite the laid back instrumentation Ghost displays hip hop tendencies and laces a thumping drum track complete with snappy snares.

‘Things Don’t Stay The Same’ will be sure to keep you toasty sometime this winter when it’s released but to warm yourself up as of 27th October get to the Breakin Bread shop and purchase ‘The EP’.