'The Union Jack Album' - Jack Flash (album review)

It’s almost criminal how long I’ve left this review but hopefully I’ll make amends now. ‘The Union Jack Album’ has been available for a few months now and the recent success of Jack Flash at the End Of The Weak UK Finals should shift a few more units; Jack deserves it.

Listening to this album you wouldn’t believe Flash was such an accomplished battler, the majority is relaxed and peaceful. Only ‘Stay Put’, ‘The Program’ and ‘Four Minute Warning’ really betray his battling background, even then the production lulls you into a false sense of security enabling Jack to spit put-downs without interrupting the album’s feeling.

‘The Union Jack Album’ is ideal for an evening in with a couple of beers, so long as you’ve got a loud HiFi system; the beats are chilled due to the soul based samples but the drums and bass are heavy - a nice combination.

Where Jack’s battle pedigree is clear is in his lyrics, regardless of subject matter. His written and rapped output is engaging and so fluid. His gift is using many writing devices in a nonchalant and natural way, it’s like his normal speech just happens to contain amazing rhymes.

A nice selection of collaborations appear here too: Thabo provides sung hooks on ‘Refuge’ and ‘Intoxicating’, Micall Parknsun shows up on ‘The Program’ and fellow Ground Wurqian J Simple is on ‘What I Invent’ (as is Wize (R.I.P.)) and the rowdy ‘Ground Wurq Anthem’. Jehst and Asaviour provide verses for Huddersfield anthem ‘Sleepy Little Town’ alongside Apa-Tight who features all over the album on beat making and mic mashing duties.

This is an excellent album; a fine example of UK Hip Hop, its West Yorkshire viewpoint making it better off than its London-centric counterparts. It’s out now on Klinik Records and can be found in all the big stores online and on street.

Vote for 10Shott on Channel U

Big things are happening for 10Shott and not just on our small island. He's been playing gigs all over the Roman empire...I mean places like Egypt and Latvia (where he's about to hit the charts with Latvian heartthrob and new ZY Record signing Elli U with their track 'Like a Disease').

I've heard his long awaited, soon-to-arrive CD 'The Bigg Hitter' mixtape and it's nothing but pure bigness from start to finish - check me out for a review of that soon. I've also heard the excellent album 'Ground Breaker...A Di Real', trust me it lives up to its name. It's the best album I've heard this year and is easily as innovative as albums such as 'Upwards' by Ty and 'The Unknown' by Mark B & Blade.

10Shott has already released two singles from the album - 'Memory Blank' and 'Tin Soldiers', both of which can be downloaded on itunes now (click the song names). These are both powerful tracks that display 10Shott's versatility as a lyricist and also his genius as a producer (working with Creative Productions and ZY Records).

Now you can have a helping hand in his inevitable success: Text '571' to '81700' on your mobile to get the 'Tin Soldiers' video (which can be seen here) on heavy rotation on Channel U. Looking at the current top videos on there it's clear that this track deserves to be in the top 5, if not at the number 1 spot (where I'd put it). 'Tin Soldiers' has already recieved support from politicians Tony Benn and George Galloway so powerful is its message.

So text '571' to '81700' now!

M9 Album Launch Party October 2nd

If you're in capital city (that's London y'all) tomorrow night then get to the Carhartt Store on Earlham street to catch M9 launching his new album '144,000'.

Also on the bill are rhyme pals Triple Darkness, Jehst, Kyza and Micall Parknsun. It's hosted by Big Cakes and Roast and Charlee Brown will be DJ'ing.

Oh and the entry is free and the beers are free. Get there at 8pm to get in!

'Understanding The Way Mixtape' - GTA (free download)

Hotness from GTA, the two man Oxford crew who are joined here by the multi skilled Kid Fury on hosting duties.

Ineffable (one of my favourite words ever) is nice with the lyrics and Chima has that superstar presence making listening to this mixtape a pleasing way to accompany an hour spent.

The 'Understanding the Way Mixtape' serves as a sampler for the forthcoming album 'The Way' and although some material is a few years old and not recorded so well (and the boys have obviously come on since then) it certainly makes me look forward to the album proper. These boys have skills to match their grind.

Download the Mixtape

'Starvin' Artist Movement Mixtape Volume 1' - The Unfriendly Neighbours (free download)

Click here for your free download of this cheeky midlands hip hop.

On tracks 1 to 9 The Unfriendly Neighbours have light-hearted fun with their clever lyrics, hilarious subject matter and very suitable beats.

The next few tracks turn a little more to the dark side of Joe Gutta and BiggaMan's minds and the last few tracks mix it up a bit.

Check 'Bam Bam' featuring Parly B for some roots dub reggae rudebwoyness. My only criticism of the mixtape is that inevitably, for what might be termed as 'lad-rap', there is a slight obsession with sex rhymes - boys, you've obviously got what it takes without resorting to talking about intercourse every few tracks.

'Tobacco Road' - Common Market (album review)

Having heard precious few US rap albums this year I hesitate to declare ‘Tobacco Road’ as the best one. But, hey, there must be some reason why I haven’t listened to that many.

A Baptist minister sets the tone for what could well be the only Hip Hop album recorded in the early 1900’s. Despite relying on the kind of leftfield southern sound a la Bubba Sparxxx and Brother Ali and more straight up boom-bap beats of NY, ‘Tobacco Road’ seems to jump back an entire century in subject matter.

MC RA Scion skilfully eases in-and-out of character as afflicted farmer working the seasons whilst he weaves morals and spiritual viewpoints into producer Sabzi’s tasteful audio tapestry.

RA Scion is easily one of the most entertaining and thought provoking MC’s around at the moment, especially if you like delving into lyrical meanings instead of being smacked around the face with the crude nursery rhymes of the moment. If you do get stuck he even unpacks his lyrics over on his myspace blog.

Sabzi knows melody. Whether upbeat or solemn the production reflects the mood flawlessly and many of the tracks seeming to come straight from the heart.

If you do buy one US release this year, make it this one. Get it at itunes or at Amazon.

Blogging: The Gift And The Curse pt. 2

Yo peeps, personal message here:

I've been properly inundated with free CD's and mp3's of late and for this I am grateful; big up to all those guys and girls who've been keeping my ears busy. As a result I've got really behind on my album reviews - something I hope to address. I also got married in July so I have a little less time to slob out with rap albums blaring (but by no means is my wife opposed to this!) so that's contributed a bit to the dip in album reviews. Work's pretty busy too so all in all the time I have to give is slimmer than before.

As a result, I've decided to make my reviews really concise - 200 words or so. This should make them easier to read and it also tests my abilities as a reviewer... I'm all about the self progression! I intend to make a dent in the massive pile of CD's this evening so hopefully over the next few days I'll have some reviews to upload.

The last couple have months have seen me questioning the motive behind Certified Banger. It began as a typical blog - I posted music I loved from all genre's - but has now been honed into a site very specifically dedicated to Hip Hop and particularly UK Hip Hop. Many artists and PR guys have reached out to me as the site has grown which has brought me to question my motives. The main question is: 'Am I here to get all UK Hip Hop out there or am I here to let you know which UK Hip Hop is worth it's weight in gold?'.

This is a question that could be re-worded to ask: 'Am I here for the artist or here for the listener?'. I'd like to think the answer is simply 'both'. I want to get UK Hip Hop artists known across the country and across the globe but I don't want to lie about it, if it aint hot, I don't want you spending your money on it and I don't want peeps to tar all UKHH with a bad brush.

I'm in a difficult positition - I want to help hardworking artists and promoters but I also want you to spend your hard-earned on the right stuff and I want everyone to know that the UK can produce the quality Hip Hop that the world needs.

I will always strive to be honest - finding good and bad in everything so that everyone knows the truth.

Congrats to Jack Flash - EOW Champ!

From Hip Hop Village (Cheers!):

On 20th September 2008, Huddersfield emcee Jack Flash took part in, and won the UK final of the End of The Weak rap battle against three other extremely talented English artists. Up against Dubbledge, Arkaic and M9, and with Chester P (Taskforce), Jehst and Reain as judges, it was always going to be a tough competition. Preceding a smashing performance from Immortal Technique, Joell Ortiz and DJ Kid Capri, all competitors showed the nature of the UK's ability to rock the mic.

After some hard fought rounds [including accapella, MC vs. DJ and the grab bag round], Jack Flash eventually took the title with his trademark ferocity and undeniable stage presence. Flash will be competing for the UK against the planets finest emcees in the world EOW final, to be held in London on a date TBC in December.

HHC Tour Leeds Cancelled

This will be going out tonight Blak Twang is 100% on and I'm working to bring some exciting acts up to Leeds for a Saturday night show at the end of Nov / Start December.

We tried, they failed!

So here you have it people, we've tried our damned hardest to bring Hip-Hop Connection and their 20th Anniversary celebrations to Leeds but, for a number of reasons that include a lack of communication, a lack of organisation and a lack of understanding from people who are in the game for only one thing, money. Being the kind of respectful trio we are and to appease others, we moved the date twice but it came to light that even this wasn't enough. So, as a final gentlemanly gesture we changed the date a third and last time (which again wasn't good enough).

We then received emails with threats of 'if I have to, I'll tell this artist and that artist not to play', below the belt childish bully tactics that did nothing but make us hungrier. So we started on a long journey down the winding road called hip-hop politics. Where the days of getting everyone together for a good old beat infused celebration seems to have been replaced with money hungry, self obsessed, child like people who enjoy talking out of their rear end.

Moving on now and we have the farce that is the Anniversary itself.

Just like all of you that kindly, and wisely, bought the event tickets in advance, we thought that this night was going to run rather smoothly. Oh, how wrong could we have been! The flyers have been re-designed twice & sent to print along with a mass of posters and other HHC related goodies.Then, we received an email that Baby J (who had arranged his album launch date to go off in London a good two months ago) was double booked and that Million Dan (who again had this planned a time before the HHC tour) was kickin' it with Baby J on the evening of the launch party which yes, you guessed it, was on the 17th October.

This would have put many a people's nose out of joint but we spoke to each other and decided to plough on through the turmoil and try work out the kinks, after all, we still had Stig of the Dump, Dr. Syntax, Jack Flash and the crowd puller that is Klashnekoff. So we made a trip out on Friday night to watch a good friend in Mr. Thing and his vocal partner Yungun. We gave out flyers to all that were interested and it has to be said, all who weren't. We left at 4am in a very positive frame of mind. Then we awoke to the final knife in the back, the one that has left a scar. We received an email that informed us that Stig and Syntax had pulled out of the Leeds date. Our feelings started with anger but quickly changed to disappointment.

So there you have it, we tried and they failed. We were like 3 hip-hop salmons swimming against the tide… out of pocket and out of patience.

We apologise to all who have been let down, we feel your dissatisfaction and we realise that you, like us, were really looking forward to this event. We have had to pull out now, we have spent so much time and money promoting something that was never meant to be that now we just want to get back to doing what we do best, staying in control and bringing you artists that really want to play for us and you.

Keep it real and watch this space,

Peace,
Leeds Hip-Hop Scene

Sway Live (It's Back!)

Much thanks to Thomas, the little write up of Sway's appearance in Leeds is back:

Last night I caught Sway performing at the Mint Club, Leeds. After sitting through a couple of hours of mindless R'n'B 'hits' (seriously, I can't even recognise music in that genre as R'n'B now) I managed to get crushed up against the front barrier by a load of screaming girls when Sway hit the stage at around half past midnight.

Sway performed 'This is my Demo' the lead track from his first LP of the same name. He dropped the news that he is now signed officially to Akon's Kon Live label in the US and performed, for the first time, the first verse and chorus of a new track recorded with Akon. The crowd, who are evidently Sway's target audience for collaborations such as this, went generally wild over the whole Akon/Konvict news. I didn't like the track but it'll probably smash in both countries if the adoring female fans are anything to go by.

Sway also performed a new track called 'Taxi' which sounded a little more promising but the best track performed from the new LP was 'Say It Twice' an entertaining concept that Sway pulls off with much aplomb.

Sway and Junior Dcypha also passed out a few physical copies of his new mixtape 'The Signature Mixtape' meant as a promotional tool for the forthcoming 'The Signature LP', now to be released on October 6th. You can get a download of this mix by going to http://www.sway.uk.com/ and filling in your details.

'The A Loop Theory Mix Tape' - Asaviour & DJ IQ (free download)

New hotness from the Hudd's Asaviour: 'The A Loop Theory Mix Tape'. It's mixed by UK Hip Hop wonderboy DJ IQ (who Asaviour is collaborating with on the forthcoming 'The A Loop Theory' album) and 'up and coming Brighton based super producer Hal 1200'.

They've messed around with a whole host of sounds ranging from dubstep (Benga and Skream) to Southern US rap ('Swagger Like Us'). It also includes one of my favourite tunes of this year; 'Beefy' and other tasters of the album.

Go here to see the tracklisting (it features Kyza, TB, Jehst and Apa-Tight) and is totally free. Get yours by clicking here.

for more Saving Grace gratuities check these beasts:

Asaviour - 'The Aim'

Tranquill - 'Deadly Winters' (Produced by DJ IQ)

Ebony Bones- 'We Know All About You' (T-Bear Remix)

'Park Ranger' - Reps (video)

How Old Is Estelle?

For all the strange people who type 'How old is Estelle?' into google (happy 10th birthday), here's your answer:

Estelle was born in 1980 (as suggested in her song '1980') on January 18th. This makes her 28 doesn't it?

But seriously, why do people want to know that? Are you thinking of asking her out and just checking to see if she's too old for you or not?

Free Sway Mixtape to Download

After the kind folk at Chilling effects notified blogger that my last post like this supposedly flouts the DMCA (Digital Media Copyright Act) I have no option but to post it again. Thanks for nothing.

So unfortunately the coverage of Sway's live appearance at the Mint club in Leeds is gone forever, sorry about that. If those American University toffs had looked into that post a little further they would have found out that all had been done under the watchful eye of Sway's own PR man.

Sway signs to Akon’s Kon Live label

After months of rumours and speculation, Sway has now officially signed to Akon’s Kon Live label. The multi-album deal applies worldwide with the exception of Europe and the UK where Sway retains his celebrated independence and will continue to release through his own Dcypha Productions outlet. Sway is the first European artist to be signed by five time Grammy nominee Akon and joins the star’s Kon Live and Konvict Muzik roster of talent alongside the highly successful T-Pain, famed for his collaborations with Kanye West and Lil Wayne, singer songwriter Colby O’Donis and Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall who recently celebrated a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with Dangerous. The Signature LP release date change

In related news the release of Sway’s new album, The Signature LP, has now been moved back to 6th October. The delay is due to the late addition of Silver & Gold – a collaborative track with Akon that marks the start of Sway’s endeavours with Kon Live and Akon and which was initially held back until contracts were finalised.

Free download – The Signature LP Mixtape

As a thank you to fans and followers for their ongoing support and patience Sway offers up The Signature LP Mixtape. The riotous collection of exclusive tracks, radio clips, skits, freestyles and bootlegs once again demonstrates the North London rapper and producer’s razor-sharp skills and creativity. Highlights include tasters of The Signature LP material (Stereo, Saturday Night Hustle, F UR X, Jason Waste), and collaborations with new British talent Giggs, Styles P, Kardinal Offishall and The Wire star Idris Elba (AKA Stringer Bell). The free download mixtape is available for a limited 2 week period from http://www.sway.uk.com/

Another Way To Get a Few Free Tracks @ Amie Street

Click here this time and register to get $5 worth of downloads.

Amie Street is a little different to your normal download website. The tracks, when uploaded, are free but the more people download them, the more worth they are given. As the download count goes up so does the price, although each track is capped at 98 cents.

If you're in the US, count yourself lucky, you could download a whole host of albums from UK Hip Hop artists such as TY and Roots Manuva. If you live in the UK and want my recommendation as to what you should buy with your free dollars then look no further than Common Market's masterpiece 'Tobacco Road'. You won't be able to buy the whole thing but if you click on the Common Market link at the bottom of this post there a few tracks there, downloadable courtesy of me and the records label. Those tracks will set you off and you can then download nearly all of the rest of the album!