'Chief Wigz' - Chief Wigz (review)

Those who know will recognise the relaxed but passionate, Yorkshire-tinged flow of Chief Wigz – those who don’t will soon realise that he’s something a little different.

Lyrically Chief Wigz has gone from strength to strength and on his self-titled opus a matured, measured wordsmith is on show. Whether playing on root words, penning poetry or speaking from the heart to loved ones Wigz is in no way painful on the ears – many MCs could learn a lesson by simply absorbing this material.

From the fuzzy warmth of ‘Real’ to the 90s Jazz Rap-esque ‘Movements’, the mellow but heavy ‘Write Rhymes’ to the positive electronic vibes of ‘Don’t Want Much’ this album is immaculately produced by Brutal Artistry with crackle in abundance and not a hint of anything plastic. This LP is definitely one to kick back with – the nonchalant feelings ooze from its every fibre.

Chief’s tracks with fellow 9 Livez MC Proptic prove that years of on-stage chemistry makes for great music – the two bubble and bounce off each other and their conversational style choruses just sound so cool. Other guests include Bane (of No Pretense), Spida Lee, Jack Flash, J Simple (of Jack Flash’s Groundwurq Crew) and beatboxer Megamouth.

‘Chief Wigz’ by Chief Wigz is out now on DTTS and is available to order on CD from the Dark City Store or can be downloaded digitally from places such as itunes. Get it.

SubSpecies Interview - Fresh New Streetwear

I'd begun to notice some nice SubSpecies threads around and about so imagine my delight when they got in touch with me with some information and the offer of 'samples'. I didn't hesitate in replying and pretty soon after I was rocking a high quality T-shirt and cap. Then, I just had to do the interview so that you lot can get up on these awesome garms:

Certified Banger: Yo! This is a first for me… tell the people why:

Chris Hughes: We are SubSpecies, an urban/streetwear label that was formed by a troop of talented designers who were tired of the poor quality that mainstream brands were banging out and selling out to the sheep of society.

CB: So tell us about your product a bit more. What did you set out to achieve with it?

CH: We want to create something that is a little different from the rest of the brands that are out there, using good graphics on quality fabrics. All our tees are limited edition and there are only 450 of them per style/colour worldwide, so if you’re in a club with someone wearing a Sub tee the same as you... that's just fate!

• Click here for the rest of the interview to find out their UK Hip Hop connections
  
• Check their websites: http://www.subspecies.co.uk/ and http://www.subspecies.bigcartel.com/

'Elevation' ft. Prince Po - No Pretense (free download)

Newness from the Don't Talk To Strangers camp. As if a collaboration with Cage on 'Self Harmonic' wasn't enough, No Pretense (pictured) have now hooked up with Organized Konfusion bod Prince Po for their track 'Elevation' which is produced by Eliphino and features cuts by Brutal Artistry and lovely vocals from Belinda Hards of Knew Jeru'slum.

It's on a laid back jazz thing, despite it's urgent looping sample and although there is a definite No Pretense sound there it's not just a repeat of 'Self Harmonic'. Both these tracks are taken from the forthcoming album 'Music and Mouthwords'.

On The Radar Artist Profile: Bane & Jonny Alpha

Name: Bane & Jonny Alpha

Age: Old enough to know better

From: Originally from Thornhill, Dewsbury, Bane now lives in Wakefield, Jonny Alpha resides in the HUDD.

Track on ‘On The Radar’: 'When Planets Collide'

Tell us the story behind the track: We wrote a ‘version’ of this track back in '98 and never finished it, we’d talked about re-making it for years and we decided to do for the limited ‘Elephant Limb’ EP we put out in March, we pressed 200 copies of the EP and sold them out at the launch party so no-one's really heard that ish! The track does exactly what it says on the tin, its two VERY different emcees with contrasting views and opinions coming together to create a monster!

Record Label: Don’t Talk To Strangers

Who you roll with: No Pretense, Knew Jeruslum, Brutal Artistry, Chief Wigz, Spida Lee, Eliphino and everyone we’ve worked with previously, are working with now or who we’re going to work with in the future!

Favourite album(s):

Bane: If I had to pick one, and its very hard to do that I’d say MF DOOM ‘Operation Doomsday’ its just classic from beginning to end, my only criticism is that it didn’t include the original version of ‘Deadbent’ off the Fondle em 12”!!!

Jonny Alpha: Gravediggaz ‘6Ft Deep’ It’s a classic! I remember bumping that all the time when it first came out, dark, moody and hyped lyricism with sick imagery and storytelling throughout - it's gold!

Describe your style in three words:

Bane: Dark, Dark, Dark!

Jonny Alpha: Meaningful, imaginative and meaty!

Past/Present/Future projects: Far too much stuff to mention! Certified Banger gets all our stuff first anyways so keep checking this ish for more!

Beats, Rhymes & Christ - Knew Jeru'slum Interview

"It’s very important to us to be ourselves in this, to speak about what’s important to us and let people get an insight to our lives, none of that’s any good if its confined to the bottom shelf in a Christian bookshop – who’s gonna hear it then? We make hip hop for all heads, where ever you come from."

With an agenda like few others, West Yorkshire based UK Hip Hoppers Knew Jeru'slum bring it hardcore on their new single 'Non-Apologetix'. The boys answered a few of my burning questions about their music and their faith:

Certified Banger: Introduce yourself please:

Jonny Alpha: We are Knew Jeru’slum: Myself and Watson G on the spits, my beautiful missus Belinda Hards on the vocals, and on the most part, production from Yorkshires illest - Brutal Artistry. We’re from various ends of West Yorks - Hudds, Falihax and Bradford. Knew Jeru’slum is a project we started a couple of years ago really, me and Watson were getting some ideas together, then he and his lass introduced me to Belinda – her sister, and when I was chatting her up I found out Belinda’s an amazing singer too, it all linked there, then we met Miki B and loved what he does plus we all got a love for the gospel, so that’s us.

• Click here to read on
• Click here for more news on Knew Jeru'slum

'When Planets Collide' - Bane & Jonny Alpha (OTR3 promo video)

'Self Harmonic' ft. Cage - No Pretense Out Now!

'Self Harmonic', the new track from West Yorkshire's No Pretense and featuring Cage, is now out on Don't Talk To Strangers.

It can be bought, via download for now (look out for the green vinyl) at these places:

Amazon.com (if you pay with dollars)

Play.com (for the pound spenders)

Now go support independent music - it's 2009 and that's the way forward!

Self-Harmonic is also available from.....

www.musicload.de & www.roccatune.com/ (Germany)

www.mega-media.nl & www.stermusic.nl (Netherlands) and many more!

Full List of worldwide stockists coming soon to www.myspace.com/nopretensewy

Bane of Don't Talk To Strangers Interview

"There’s no one person who calls the shots, each artist is fully in control of their own creative process..."

Having been well impressed earlier this year with 'Disabled Blue' and it's accompanying blue 10" vinyl I knew that if things from Don't Talk To Strangers were to continue in a similar way, they would be big. Bane, from the group and newly-formed record label answered my questions and confirms my suspicions - things from this unstoppable force are going to be colossal in 2009! From releases with Cage, Pigeon John and Prince Po to more coloured vinyl Bane reveals all their secret-up-until-now plans!

Certified Banger: Yo man, how’s it going?

Bane: Good thanks, you?

CB: Yeah thanks! We’ve got loads to talk about because there’s so much going on with you right now. Begin by telling those who don’t know about DTTS, who are you, where are you from, what your mantra is:

Bane: Put simply, Don’t Talk To Strangers is an artist run independent record label and wider collective of creative individuals based in West Yorkshire and slowly working our way into Europe and the rest of the world! We’re basically three crews merged into one, the original DTTS heads, 9-Livez and Brutal Artistry, each keeping its own individual identity but releasing music through one label; strength in numbers as it were. Over the last couple of years the focus was on getting the DTTS name into people’s minds but now its time for the individual acts and artists to get recognition in their own right and shine!

Click here to find out just who is going to be featuring on their releases!

‘Self Harmonic’ ft. Cage - No Pretense (single review)

Mury Poppinz and Bane of West Yorkshire’s Don’t Talk To Strangers supergroup have hooked up with none other than controversial US MC Cage and Leeds producer Eliphino to bring you and I ‘Self Harmonic’.

Accompanied by some sick artwork the track is swimming with haunting flute loops, plodding drums and bass and eerie lyrics. Cage sounds at home beside the Yorkshire lads; this isn’t just a pointless collaboration. The vocals evoke imagery of moonlit nights crawling with all manner of evil creatures – it’s on a straight ill-out tip; a change from the norm and a sure sign of some active creativity.

The newly formed Don’t Talk To Strangers record label will be releasing ‘Self Harmonic’ late December as a download single. That will be followed by a limited edition zombie green 7" vinyl release in the New Year (and if that doesn’t get your blood flowing, I don’t know what will – I love exclusive coloured vinyl!)