Big Cakes - My Soul (video)

Slightly bizarre video here from Big Cakes, who appears to be spitting from the operating table, as various surgeons cut him open, trying to find his soul. Good luck with that. The tune is dope though...

"I believe in the route of soul before paper"

'Perculating' - Big Cakes (video)

Big Cakes may have changed the definition of the word 'percolating' (and the person who uploaded it may have just spelt it wrong), but whatever - a pretty cool little track.

'Let's Get Some' - Big Cakes (video)

Big Cakes, produced by Haka.

'The Digital Revolution Vol. 4' - VA (free download)

I'm criminally late with this one and most of you will probably already have heard this but I've gotta show support for this so will post it up.

As usual Tricksta does his thing and features artists Skandal, LATE, TB, Iron Braydz, Mr. Drastick, Scorzayzee, Big Cakes, Reload, Deadly and more.

Big Cakes hosts and you should also know that he has a free to download mixtape out right now too called 'Money Talks... So Listen'. It features production from the likes of Rainmayqah, Morfius, Kilinikal, Grade, VLM, K Nite, Asaviour, Micall Parknsun, Tricksta and Del Boy as well as collaborations with Dalmighty Ego, Raggo Zulu Rebel, Cocotone and TB.

(for 'Digital Revolution Vol. 4')

The Basement Sessions Podcast

Check out the Basement Sessions podcast featuring these most excellent tracks and artists:

1. J.Rawls & John Robinson f. Rashad - She's So Brilliant
2. Son Of A Queen - King
3. Krate Krusaders f. Kasha & Logic - Stronger
4. Percy Filth f. J.Sands & K.Skills - That's Why
5. Amanda Diva - Heart Strings (UK EXCLUSIVE!)
6. Sonny Jim - CrazyIllMadRowdy (Produced by Jon Phonics)
7. Wio-K f. Ty & Serocee - An Ting
8. Alphabetix - What's The Name
9. d. C. & Pennbannekar - The Come Up (UK EXCLUSIVE!)
10. Marco Polo & Torae f. Masta Ace & Sean Price - Hold Up
11. Akrobatik - AK B Nimble
12. Roots Manuva - 2 Much 2 Soon
13. Big Cakes - Soul
14. yU - Marvelous (O.G. Mix) (Produced by Kev Brown)
15. Amor Jones - Nothing Good Comes Easy
16. Art Of Fresh - Come N' Get Some
17. Kyza - Wild Orchid
18. Sleaze - Success
19. Nova Infinite - All Of My Life (UK EXCLUSIVE!)
20. IV f. Junclassic - Please Don't Go Away (UK EXCLUSIVE!)
21. FS Green - Rusty Beat

Check out The Basement Sessions on their website and on Sensei FM and stay tuned for more podcastage with the first official CErtified Banger podcast.

'Underground Journeys' - Haka (album review)

Creating beats that defy logic can’t be simple but Haka makes it sound easy. The logic defied is that very musical beats can’t bang as hard as their grittier stripped back brothers. On ‘Underground Journeys’ Haka provides a range of subterranean UK MCs with instrumentals that marry the melodic (the strings and keys) and the mucky (the drums).

The more R’n’B tinged tracks really stand out here: both ‘Makes Me Say’ and ‘N.A.M.E.’ are songs about ladies and both feature rapper N/A – a name to watch, especially since Haka is producing on his forthcoming album. N/A also raps on ‘If Road’s Your Life’, a warning story of what happens when you live foul. ‘All Luv’ is all intertwined guitar and organ licks and Big Cakes, Logic and Kalldean provide fitting and positive vocals and ‘Make It’ has that 'No Woman No Cry' feel to it.

Elsewhere the competent cast of MCs, who sound better on a closer, second listen, rap about the standard fare. Most of the tracks here work well as stand alone tracks and as a collection of tunes that’s OK. A little more focus on compilation and a few more original lyrical concepts will see this producer go far – his beats are very high quality, some of the best on the scene.

'Underground Journeys' is available now for a very reasonable £5 from Haka's website.

'The Digital Revolution' - VA - Mixed by Tricksta (free download)

Tricksta is no stick in the mud. His latest venture is a free, download only series of UK Runnings mixtapes entitled 'The Digital Revolution'. He sprung this one on me on Wednesday night and I had no idea he was doing it. Now it's available for you to download.

The first installment is hosted by LATE and features plenty of Certified Banger favourites such as Kyza, Supar Novar, Jyager, Dabbla, Miss Tofelees, TB, JC, Skandal and more!

He also assures me volume 2 will be out very soon and that it is hosted by M9.

Get your free download now!

For those of you into US rap you need to check out LATE's other er, latest mixtape 'Undergound Exposure Volume 6'. It features JT Tha Bigga Figga, K-Rino, Rapper K, Jai Boo and loads more. It's also a free download, here's the link.

'100% Exclusive' - VA - Tricksta (compilation/mix CD review)

Back once again for the very third time; UK Runnings and The Urban Shop drop a bigger and better CD. This time every track is new and never heard before, hence the name: '100% Exclusive'. Now who else could do that? No-one, only Tricksta. To add to the largeness there’s a DVD that almost deserves a review of it own.

Not only has Tricksta orchestrated the whole thing, he’s also produced exactly half of the tracks on here, recorded most of it and then released it on his own label: the famous, 50+ release deep, Wolftown Recordings. Anyone who’s ever listened to any of the UK Runnings releases knows what to expect from ‘100% Exclusive’ and they wont be disappointed.

Featuring UK wide artists as well as the home grown Wolftown talents this CD is chock full of bangers. I’m not going to list the artists involved but you can click this link to see the full track listing. If you’re into discovering new music then listening to this wouldn’t be a bad thing, many of the acts here are of a high quality but as yet are not too well known – once more, Tricksta is one step ahead.

The DVD features videos from Million Dan, Supar Novar, 10Shott, Conman and more. It features interviews with Late, 10Shott, Kid Rad, Jai Boo and more. You also get a tour of the HHB.com radio headquarters and Tricksta’s crib. It’s an entertaining documentary about the UK’s hardest working; it had me hooked. It also features some art and some snowboarding. Here’s to more DVD’s like this.

All in all: buy this and you’ll get your money’s worth. 30 great tracks that you won’t find anywhere else and an hour’s worth of visual entertainment. Can’t say fairer than that.

Check out some of the tracks from this CD in the player to the right.

'Ma Money EP' - Dap-C & Lil' Wayne (EP review)

Now this is a strange one; Newcastle’s Dap-C and New Orleans’ Lil’ Wayne on a track together. Lil’ Wayne isn’t usually to my taste and the jury’s out on Dap-C but this release may change my mind.

‘Ma Money’, produced by The Elementz, is a good track. I even prefer Lil’ Wayne’s verse over Dap-C’s, in fact Wayne’s is just straight fire whereas Dap’s is a bit shouty and high pitched. The production is on a big dirty south tip and it stands up to some of the biggest tracks outta the south.

‘Ma Money part 2’, produced by Quincey Tones, is even better, it features Royce da 5’9 and a song-long guitar solo; the instrumental is entirely different and it suits Dap-C, Lil’ Wayne and Royce a whole lot better. ‘Ma Money part 3’consists of a brassy production and a handful of UK MC’s and it’s not as good as the other two parts. The ‘Nasty Boi Remix’ has a nice rock edge to it – worth checking.

‘Bang Bang Bang’ isn’t bad but it’s nothing special and it’s made worse by the presence of Geejay. ‘I’m Still Here’, the US MC heavy track, is OK too but it doesn’t really compare to an actual American track – it comes off a bit weak.

‘Ma Money’ parts 1 and 2 are really worth a listen, get your hands on this to hear those tracks and who knows, some of the others may take your fancy too. Dap-C gets respect for linking with one of the hottest artists in the Hip Hop world. UK/US link-ups are still thin on the ground and they’re certainly a way to make some fresh and diverse Hip Hop so right now, I can’t hate.

'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.

'Candlelight' - Sir Smurf Lil'

The only reason why I haven't shared this with y'all yet is that I've been way too selfish to share. Sometimes when you get a good thing you just keep it to yourself, like a kid with a secret sweetie stash. Sir Smurf's 'Candlelight' has been in my unknown bag of bon bons for a few weeks now and its still as sweet. But don't get me wrong, it aint sickly.

'Candlelight' features Huddersfield's finest beatmaker, Apa-Tight of Groundwurq (see also Jack Flash's latest LP) and it's a reflective yet not-down-in-the-doldrums slice of classic Hip Hop. For something with lyrics this realistically gritty, it's very lighthearted - more artists should strive for this combination. The partnership of Apa-Tight's breezy production and Sir Smurf's how-it-is lyrics is a relief to my ears - there's only so much happy Hip Hop with nothing to say and sad depressing rap that one can handle!

The flipside (not that CD's or mp3's have flipsides) features T Bear and Big Cakes and is based around an argument as to who has the silliest rap moniker. No not really. It's actually about the sound of the police/beast and once again, production credits go to Apa-Tight. This pairing seems to be a winner as this track is entirely different yet equally as good.

This is only the beginning of what YNR have got coming to ya this year so watch this space for some more excellent Hip Hop from some of the biggest names in UK Rap. It seems there are quite a few albums in the pipelines from Kashmere (yes, another one!), Jehst, sir Smurf Lil' and others.

Both of these tracks can be heard on Suspect Packages July show.