Current UK Hip Hop itunes Releases

So what can you guys and girls get for yourself this week on itunes? Well, there's a whole host of stuff:

Micall Parknsun - 'All 4 Hip Hop' (also at Amazon and HMV)

Roots Manuva - 'Do Nah Bodda Mi' (Preview at Ninja Tune and buy the 12")

Elemental & Tom Caruana - 'Rebel Without Applause' (read my review here or pop over to the Tea Sea website to buy the actual CD)

Million Dan - 'Acceleration' (it includes remixes from Baby J and versions of 'Hip Hop U Don't Stop' from Jay Large and DJ Firstaid)

Killa Kela - 'Built Like An Amplifier' (Not Hip Hop really but it does feature a Sway remix. Watch the official video here)

Kyza - 'Sin City'/'Go' & 'Love & Music'/'Dirty' (His two singles from the forthcoming 'Shots Of Smirnoff')

YNR Productions - 'Feeding Time At The Zoo' (or here on CD)

Lowkey - 'We Don't Want Them' (produced by The Last Skeptik and all for a good cause)

Sleaze - Theolovision (or here on CD)

Homecut - No Freedom Without Sacrifice (go to First Word for the CD)

That should do ya for now...let me know if this is a worthwhile thing to do, whether I post up what's available on itunes or elsewhere.

'Acceleration' - Million Dan (video)

'Flying the Flag' - VA - Tricksta & Lunatrix (album review)

When Tricksta and Lunatrix are ‘Flying the Flag’ you’re guaranteed that your tastes will be catered for. Whether you like Hip Hop flavoured Grime, Boom Bap flavoured Hip Hop or Rap flavoured Ragga it’s all here – providing its origins are in the UK. This does mean that probably not every track will be to your liking – some of the Grime tracks I still can’t get with, mainly based on the daft lyrics (Spitta raps about Slimline PS’s and DS Lites).

On the Hip Hop side of things there are loads of artists on here to make this more than worth a purchase: Wordsmith, Kashmere, Jehst, 10Shott, Sir Smurf Lil, Ramson Badbonez, Dr. Syntax, SkinnyMan… I could go on but instead, go check the tracklist. Some of the tracks are little dated but it’s still great to have them alongside newer and more exclusive material.

This is a significant release – it’s the first time Grime and Hip Hop have been mixed together on one release - a good sign of some unity between the two scenes. The music from both sides is of high quality and Tricksta and Lunatrix do nice job of mixing it and making it flow.

‘Flying the Flag’ is out now on RGS Entertainment on 2xCD or mp3 download. UK Record Shop have it in stock now.

Headcount Records Podcast (free download)

Headcount Records, the folk who put out Illustrate's 'The Stuff' last year, have just put together their first podcast as a label. The label, also home to Sloth, Pneumatic, MCM, Mr. Brown and C-Lone have got Headnod to mix together 17 of their best tracks in order to give you peeps a present (and also maybe to convince you to buy their proper releases?). The tracklist is here:

1. MR BROWN - 'D.HAMMER' (produced by Mr Brown)
2. C-LONE - 'BE CAREFUL' (produced by MCM, cuts by Mr Brown)
3. PNEUMATIC ft. MR GRIEVES - 'OPERA' (produced by Rinse Dog)
4. ILLUSTRATE - 'THE STUFF' (produced/cuts by Illustrate)
5. ILLUSTRATE - 'WATCH THIS MAN' (produced/cuts by Illustrate)
6. NBA ft. PNEUMATIC & AZLAK - 'ROLLIN'' (produced by Rinse Dog)
7. PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'WHAT'S GOIN' ON' (produced by Sloth)
8. CHRONIKILL & PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'IT GETS A LITTLE LOUDER' (produced by Sloth/cuts by Mr Brown)
9. PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'THE THIRST' (produced by Sloth)
10. MR BROWN - 'SECONDARY IMPUT' (built from scratch by Mr Brown)
11. MR GRIEVES - 'THE GENERAL' (produced by Rinse Dog)
12. RINSE DOG - 'LORD IF YOU' (produced by Rinse Dog)
13. MCM & C-LONE - 'R.E.A.L (rhymes equal actual life)' (produced by Rinse Dog/cuts by Mr Brown)
14. ILLUSTRATE - 'YOU HAVEN’T GOT A CHANCE' (produced by Illustrate)
15. ILLUSTRATE - 'DO WHAT YOU LIKE' (produced by Sloth)
16. ILLUSTRATE - 'WORK' (produced by Illustrate)
17. SAM WEBSTER AKA SLOTH - 'SCREAM OUT RMX' (a Sloth remix of the Million Dan track Scream Out)

'Sin City' - DJ Gone (mix CD review)

The tracklist for DJ Gone's 'Sin City', out now on Kung Fu, kinda speaks for itself to any UKHH head. Featuring the cream of the scene and in the vein of Kung Fu's showcasing 'Sin City' is over an hour's worth of exclusive freestyles and tracks - it's basically a must for those fans who strive for more than an artist's album and single output. It's also pretty essential for anyone who just wants to bump quality Hip Hop for an hour.

Poisonous Poets, Mystro, TB, M9, Charlie Sloth, Million Dan, Mr Ti2bs, Sincere, Mr. Drastick, Task Force, Ramson Badbonez, Teef, Harry Love and Wretch 32 all pop up here.

Lesser known artists drop just as credibly - check Kulture's 'Whoops' or 'Big Deal's 'Sun Up To Sun Down' for perfect examples of my statement.

Check out DJ Gone at his myspace, go to his myspace blog for the full tracklisting and a link to buy it for only £6.99. Check out Kung Fu's myspace too.

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!

I'm not usually into promoting things for big companies but HMV have got some good deals on a few UK Hip Hop titles that you might be interested in. So you've you've worn out those illegally downloaded mp3, snapped that copy your mate did for you, want to find out who produced that track or just want to do the right thing, get over there and pay a few quid to get some quality music:

All at £4.99 with free p&p:

Roots Manuva - 'Awfully Deep'
Braintax - 'Birofunk'
57th Dynasty - 'Boro 6: Volume 2'
Asaviour - 'Borrowed Ladder'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Boy In Da Corner'
Roots Manuva - 'Brand New Second Hand'
Ty - 'Closer'
Mystro - 'Music Mystro'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Maths & English'
Sway - 'One For The Journey'
Wiley - 'Playtime Is Over'
Roots Manuva - 'Run Come Save Me'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Showtime: 2cd: Includes Dvd'
Million Dan - 'Spektrum'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'

There are also a couple of good US releases there too.

'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.

'Hip-Hop Connection Presents Recognition...' - Various Artists (compilation review)

Reviewing a CD without listening to it isn’t standard procedure (for me anyway). But when it’s a compilation CD supposedly containing genre-defining tracks it’s a credit to the compilers that listening isn’t necessary. And what more would you expect from the worlds original rap magazine?

‘Hip-Hop Connection Presents Recognition 20 Years Of Fire-Starting UK Rap Anthems’ is 20 tracks of…well; the title is pretty self explanatory. In roughly chronological order, HHC curates the annals of the art form done Blighty’s way and succeeds in drawing together some of the most influential specimens. (Click here for tracklisting)

As I hinted before, anyone interested in the UK Rap scene will have heard the majority of what’s on offer here, meaning this serves perfectly as an introduction or education to the un-schooled. It also provides perfectly for that car journey when you forgot to burn off your favourite UK tracks onto a compilation CD.

There are one or two surprises; Blak Twang’s ‘08 album cut, ‘How Long’ fills the gap between ‘91’s ‘Son of Noise’ and ‘01’s ‘The Unknown’ by Mark B & Blade - a gap that Twang’s ‘Red Letters’ would have filled perfectly. Or with a little re-sequencing ‘So Rotton’ would have been more than fitting. The last tracks, although good, are probably not the best representatives of the evident creativity of UK Hip Hop’s last couple of years.

If I didn’t have this I’d probably get it, A) for lending to ignorant friends and B) for an effortless stroll through some of the masterpieces of my collection. It’ll be released on 8th of October on the Hip Hop Village label and there’s no doubt everywhere will be stocking this.

Change to HHC Tour in Leeds - 17th October

Changes have been made to the Leeds leg of the Hip-Hop Connection 20th Anniversary Tour. The changes are mainly due to a Leeds promoter (who shall remain nameless) who threw a bit of a wobbly when he discovered what promises to be an amazing night of UK Hip Hop clashed with his night; a Belleruche gig. As a result, the date has changed t0 the 17th of Octoberbut stay tuned to get that confirmation.

Also, Jehst has pulled out of the night due to complications but will be performing at New Bohemia on the 11th of October.

So now, there is no Jehst performance, but in his place Jack Flash is playing alongside Million Dan, Stig of the Dump & Dr. Syntax, Klashnekoff and Baby J is playing host for the night.

Go here to see my original post on this event. Click on the artist's names below to get a taster of what you can expect from this night.

'Baby Food' - Baby J (album review)

From the opening out-of-tune bars of ‘If I Could Do It All Again’ through to the rambling ‘Midlands Anthem’ one can’t help feeling disappointed with ‘Baby Food’. Sure, the album has its good moments, but for someone considered a pro, it’s awfully amateurish.

The ‘100% Sample Free’ approach was an admirable idea but, you know, if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Some of Baby J’s usual vibe is captured on this new record; his ear for a catchy tune and his ability to attract good guests are the evident remainders of his past work.

Singles ‘Lies’ and ‘Wake Up’ have obvious crossover appeal and are the more polished fruits of Baby J’s labour. ‘Love and Peace’ featuring Task Force’s Farma G and some school kids suit the low level production whereas other tracks come off at best as sounding ‘homemade’. Belfast MC Jun Tzu provides a welcome stroke of genius madness with ‘Wee Jonny’.

Had Baby J stuck to sampling for this release, whilst refining his new formula for future ventures, I’m sure my words would have differed. As it stands, traditional ingredients are out of the window leaving not a sour taste, but one lacking in flavour.

Wolftown Update

As usual the Wolftown crew are on their grind. The latest offering from their midland camp is the '100% Exclusive Mixtape & DVD'. It features tracks from everyone you'd expect: 10Shott, Tricksta, Late, Size8, Conman and Jai Boo. It also features tracks from artists recently taken uner the Wolftown wing and other up and coming UK artists. This essentially is the latest in the 'UK Runnings' series and so far they've all been fire.

As the name suggests, it also comes with a DVD featuring interviews and music videos by Blak Twang, Million Dan, Conman, Jabba Tha Kut, Late, Jai Boo, Size8 & 10Shott and more. Check back here to find out more about what I think of this CD once I hear it.

Meanwhile, you can be checking out the plethora of other recognisably presented Wolftown releases from this year:

Event - 17th October 2008 - HHC 20th Anniversary Tour, Leeds

Hip-Hop Connection magazine are celebrating their 20th anniversary this Autumn.

For the first time ever, the world's longest running hip-hop magazine Hip-Hop Connection will go on tour. With a line-up designed to attract all spectrum's of hip-hop fans, this tour is set to be one of the most historically important events in British Hip-Hop. Leeds Hip Hop Scene have teamed up with the longest hip hop magazine in the world to bring a special one off gig at the Wardrobe in Leeds on 17th October 2008.

The night will feature an all-star team of UK Hip-Hop artists, Million Dan, Jehst, Stig Of The Dump, Dr Syntax, Klashnekoff and hosted by Baby J.

The night is guaranteed to have crowd participation, featuring an open mic emcee battle hosted by Million Dan and product giveaways (free artist merchandise, free copies of Hip-Hop Connection, free CDs, free Puma goodies, free LHHS gear and much much more).

50 Special Advanced Tickets for £10 from here will be available from 9am Monday 8th September 2008.

Further Tickets will go on sale later in the month via Jumbo Records in Leeds, and if that wasn't enough for you we have Blak Twang performing at the Wardrobe in Leeds November 2008 look out for more info!!

See you there!!

Hip Hop Producers - Baby J Interview

Seasoned UK producer Baby J took time out of his busy, pre album launch schedule to answer a few questions for Certified Banger:

Certified Banger: Your new album, ‘Baby Food’ is out towards the end of this year, in a couple of months. What can we all expect from that? What are you most excited about with respect to its release?

Baby J: It’s just nice to have my s**t coming out, I love letting people hear my stuff and seeing what feedback it gets. I always feel lucky just to be able to be releasing music, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do so every time is an honour.

CB: You’ve had loads of attention from the sphere of UK Hip Hop and I’ve heard your tracks on Radio 1 nuff times, especially ‘Young, Gifted and Black’. You’ve made moves with big names in the pop world like Mark Ronson. What are your hopes and expectations for the success of ‘Baby Food’?

Baby J: I think I’d just like to get my stuff heard outside of the UK hip hop arena, I feel like I got my stripes there, I’d like to be known as a producer not just a hip hop producer, I’m always gonna make hip hop cause that’s my heart but id like to be able to try some other stuff to.

CB: There are going to be loads of guests on ‘Baby Food’, as usual. Who have you had a chance to work with this time that you have never worked with before? How important are the guest singers and rappers to your work?

Baby J: Farma G and Million Dan were big ones for me, just cause they’re both legends. The artists on my albums make the albums, I provide the landscape but they make it what it is.

CB: What do you look for in an artist when doing collaboration? Are there any MC’s or singers who you would really like to have on your productions in the future?

Baby J: Just someone that stands out. And someone that’s about their business, I’m getting too old to be chasing rappers! I’d like to do something with Dizzee, and Rodney P and Lilly Allen and Adele

CB: Let’s talk about your production sound now. You seem to have a knack when it comes to picking samples; your beats are always so catchy whether they have a happy or a darker vibe. What’s your sample finding process?

Baby J: 2 things, firstly its got to be sonically nice, there’s gotta be something nice about the texture of the sound, the way it was recorded, the instruments used. Secondly the original music’s gotta be hot. I’m usually into a track before I sample it.

CB: Lots of people read my interviews with producers to get tips. What tips would you give to an aspiring producer? Are the any little secrets you can let us into?

Baby J: When you’re working with samples you’re the last musician in the room, so try and add instruments and playing styles that are sympathetic to the music that’s already down, don’t just add some generic boom bap drums over the top. And… EZ Drummer, vintage rock, insider info.

CB: Does the production on ‘Baby Food’ follow the traditional sampling method or have you started from scratch on any of the tracks?

Baby J: There are no samples on the new album. All the tracks have been made from scratch. A couple of tracks have been inspired by other tracks id heard and id got musicians to come and replay things but everything else was from scratch. It was a conscious decision, I felt id done the sample thing and I wanted to challenge myself with a new way of working, so I bought a piano of ebay for £40 and a bass and a guitar.

CB: Who and what inspires you to make music? What got you into producing in the first place?

Baby J: I first started making music because that way I didn’t have to wait for new records to come out to have new music, in some ways it’s the same thing now, I make music when I want to create a certain vibe or feel.

CB: As a fan of Blade, I’ve got to ask, as you produced his last ever album, how did you feel when he said he was going into retirement? Did you know he was going to do that when you were working on ‘Guerrilla Tactics’?

Baby J: To be honest I don’t think I really believed him, I thought it was talk. When we did the album and it came out it was on the tale end of records actually selling and I think he just got disheartened with the sales from the project. We new it was a good album, and it got the critical acclaim but that just didn’t manifest into sales cause people just weren’t buying music in the same way they were 5 years ago.

CB: A lot of prominent people in all walks of life feel a certain amount of responsibility. What’s your role in UK Hip Hop besides making dope beats? Is hard being the one behind the ones with the voice or is that good for you?

Baby J: I get to choose which artists I work with, so they get to speak for me in a sense. I look at music as propaganda. its a tool to talk to the youth so we all have a responsibility to use it accordingly, if you aint got nothing worth saying put the mic down. Recently I was at an anti BNP rally outside their national festival, you see these guys pushing their pro-white racist bulls**t and it suddenly occurred to me, I bet most of their kids listened to black music, they damn sure aint listening to morris dancing.

CB: Thanks for your time. Are there any last words, anything you’d like to add that we’ve not covered? Any interesting insights that you’ve been thinking about over the last couple of weeks?!

Baby J: Check my blog http://babyjbiz.blogspot.com to hear my rants about life. FTP (oh, and buy my album, please)

Mark Ronson - 'Valerie' ft. Amy Winehouse (Baby J Remix)

Skinnyman - 'I'll Be Surprised' (Produced by Baby J and taken from the album 'Council Estate of Mind)

Rukus - 'Let It Go' ft. Ty, Klashnekoff & Yogi (Taken from Baby J's album 'F.T.P.')

Blade - 'UK Hip Hop' (Produced by Baby J and featuring on Blade's last album 'Guerrilla Tactics')

Yogi - 'Black or White' (Produced by Baby J, taken from 'F.T.P. 2: Fight The Power')

Dynamite MC - 'Young, Gifted and Black' (Produced by Baby J, taken from 'F.T.P. 2: Fight The Power')

'Inner City Got Plenty Cases' - Million Dan (single review)

I'm not going to say too much about Million Dan's next single from the excellent 'Spektrum' album. When I reviewed the album I said this: "‘Inner City Got Plenty Cases’ is brilliant social commentary and warning but is surprisingly upbeat and breezy, it’s also got the type of name a Silent Eclipse track would have..." and it's still the same track, not much has changed!

What I will say is that, alongside guys like Blak Twang, Million Dan is standing up, using his prominence and telling yout' dem what they need to hear. He sees through what some blame as problems and highlights some of the real foundations for social decay. This is what the UK needs at a time when teenage pregnancy rates are high, when knife crime is on the rise and when alcohol and drug abuse is becoming more socially acceptable.

'Inner City Got Plenty Cases' is out on Million Dappa Records on September the 8th and is taken from the already huge 'Spektrum' which has just been re-released with extra tracks and a DVD. I haven't seen or heard that Special Edition yet but it's sure to be fire. Check out the video on youtube and also check the vids for 'Spektrum Ride' and 'Mic Chek' whilst you're there. The latter is bare entertaining!

Baby J's 'Fix The Problem' mixtape and forthcoming single 'Lies'

Baby J has rapidly become well known in Hip Hop, mainly in the UK but as a result of working with Wu-Affiliate Shabazz the Disciple, Brand Nubian and Dead Prez and others there are some in the US who will also know his name. His knack for sampling already insanely catchy songs and matching them up to MC's and singers who are actually decent has seen him score a few successes. 'Young, Gifted & Black' featuring Dynamite MC got loads of Radio 1 airplay, he produced a good few tracks on Skinnyman's album debut 'Council Estate of Mind' and entirely produced Blade's last ever album 'Guerrilla Tactics'. He has had two great 'Mixtapes' (F.T.P. & FTP2: Fight The Power) that are really more like production albums featuring the likes of Fallacy, Mr Ti2bs, Rukus, Yogi, Ty, Klashnekoff, A-Alikes and Moorish Delta 7 as well as others.

Now, Baby J has 'Fix The Problem: FTP The Mixtape pt.2' which slightly confused me because I didn't even know the first one existed (it does, it's called 'For The People: FTP The Mixtape' and if anyone wants to send me a copy, be my guest). Anyway, 'Fix The Problem' seems to follow along the lines of the first mixtape in that it's got hundreds of tracks, each one a verse from a different rapper.

Actually it's got 'MORE THEN 60 OF THE WORLDS BEST BLACK MUSIC ARTISTS, PERFORMING OVER BABY J'S GREATEST INSTRUMENTALS' - and this is where I take my only issue with this CD. In that one sentence, emblazoned (well not quite, but it's there) across the front there are 2 errors that annoy me and something else that just nags me. First, 'MORE THEN' - it's 'More than' and secondly, 'WORLDS BEST' when it should have an apostrophe - 'World's best'. Now I know that sounds fussy but if you want to be professional, spelling and grammar is important. The third thing that gets my goat is 'BLACK MUSIC ARTISTS'. I don't like that as an umbrella name for Hip Hop, Grime, R'n'B and whatever else it encompasses, especially when half of the folks on here are white! Gripe done.

It's a great collection of guest verses (there are 65 tracks/verses) from the likes of Million Dan, Jehst, Shameless, Brotherman, Asher D, Young Max, Yungun and Dynamite MC and obviously, a flippin' truckload more. Consider this a starter course for Baby J's 'Baby Food' album, scheduled to drop in October.

The big single off 'Baby Food' is 'Lies', a simplistic track that features Asher D (going by his real name - Ashley Walters - trying to shake off the old So Solid/jailed for gun crime associations?). For you Americans, he's the guy who played one of Marcus's mates in 50 Cent's 'Get Rich or Try Dying' film (y'know he got shot and was in hospital and that). It also features UK R'nB 'sensation' Nathan. It's a really catchy,insanely radio friendly, modern sounding piece of slick UK Hip Hop; it's destined to attract teenyboppers/radio listeners and props to Baby for that! It's got a nice, light summery vibe to it too; it'll be unoffensive to your ears as you sit back in your hammock this August.

Check back here in the autumn/fall for a review of 'Baby Food'. As a fan who has actually bought his previous work (Gasp! People buy music?!), I'm really looking forward to it especially since I know it's going to feature guests old and new: Million Dan and Farma G (of Task Force) being my most anticipated collaborations!

Summer's Shaping Up

With Summer showing it's face early at the beginning of May in Britain I got my yearly craving to create the perfect CD for summer cruising, BBQ's and step-sitting. Last year the CD was a beast and combined favourite summery tunes past and present (well, present at the time) but this year has to be something completely new. I may post up last year's tracklist at some point but for now I'd like to chat about how this year's is shaping up.

One of the main tunes features a group who have previously had a prominent track in my summer listening. You'll remember 'Aww Naw' by Nappy Roots, and I hope you remember it as fondly as I do. Well this year they've hooked up with Greg Street to bring us 'Good Day'. Any given day, you listen to this and I can almost vouch for the fact that you'll have a good day! This is the new 'It Was A Good Day' (from last years CD). Even the instrumental without the lyrics is just as if long evenings, cold beers and beaches have been converted to soundwaves and burnt to a CD!

The Game's new track is also going to feature. It's called 'Game's Pain', features Keyshia Cole and is bound to be a hit. I'll admit right now, I'm a proper fan of The Game, both his albums have been brilliant (just listen to his last one in the summer, tracks like 'California Vacation', 'Let's Ride' and 'Too Much' are custom-made for dropping your hood or at least winding your window down). This one is much in the same vein - West Coast Riding music that is ALL about the bass as The Game reminisces about Hip Hop's past. He also extends his name dropping beyond the confines of N.W.A although don't worry, they don't go without a mention!

Other tracks that shall certainly feature are 'Once Upon A Time' by Sincere and Natty, 'Futuristic' from Million Dan and 'Yesterday' by Atmosphere.

Million Dan Interview

Certified Banger: There's not much need in recounting your musical past, everyone reading this will know for sure! We can start instead with you filling us in on the years between the Demon Boyz and 'Dogz 'n' Sledgez'.

Million Dan: The years between the Demon Boyz and Dogz N Sledgez were very BIG years for me. This period saw me develop into the artist I am today. Back in the day, myself and Demon D annihilated many shows and mash up many stages, but that time finally came when we said "It's time to crush this industry as solo artists!"

Let me give you a quick summary/History trip:

After we agreed to work as solo's, Demon D then flew to the U.S to pursue his career (as his flavour was Hip hop / RnB). I flew to Jamaica to check out that scene first hand - as my flavour was more Hip hop / Reggae.

At that time, my parents were in the process of building a house in Jamaica, so this was a perfect opportunity for me to go and see them, as well as check out 'Waa Gwarn' out there in J.A. I eventually ended up staying with them - period! This was the beginning of something BIG with me. Many Artists in the U.K hold the Jamaican and American music scene with very high regard (me included), so when I actually started 'sparring' with some heavyweight Jamaican mc's and Singers, Mike J/Million Dan began the next level of growth as an artist. This new journey was completely undeliberate, but fate had one SERIOUS course mapped out for me.

What followed was years of me working on the Jamaican underground scene then eventually Canada and the U.S. I was regularly performing alongside some of the biggest names the industry had to offer. Many of the big names knew who I was because they had repeatedly seen me BLAAZE up many shows, but I didn't record any material with them simply because I wasn't signed to any Record Labels.

During this time, I had to basically start my WHOLE career from the beginning. Start from scratch. Even though I had my big name and reputation in the U.K as part of The Demon Boyz, that big reputation didn't mean ANYTHING outside of Europe.

Fast forward to 2003. Whilst in Canada, I had written this new song, but didn't know what to call it. I was thinking "Get Up and Move" or maybe just " Raagh", or even "Dogz N Sledgez" etc. Anyway, I had started flying into the U.K more frequently and was working / producing on some new Million Dan track here. After I laid the vocals down for this particular tune, I called my bredrin - Dj Ras Kwame. I told him that I had an EXCLUSIVE for him....

The rest is history.....

CB: Many people might consider this a come back, is that how you see it?

MD: Yeh this is a comeback, but only as far as the U.K is concerned. I became quiet in the U.K when I moved to Jamaica, but in J.A I was making nuff noise. As far as the World goes, I've been rampant throughout - Terrorising the underground scenes of Jamaica, Canada and the U.S. The Mike J / Million Dan onslaught never stopped!

CB: All of your (very different sounding) singles from 'Spektrum' have been received excellently and rightly so. What mind set do you have when beginning to write something that you want to really catch on?

MD: I think first and foremost, the winning formula is always a BIG production and a MASSIVE hook. You gotta reel the people in like a fisherman does when catching fish! Yo, when I dropped Dog N Sledgez, the industry went 'BLAAOW!'. Exactly the same thing happened when I dropped 'Mic Chek' and 'Scream Out' and most definitely when we dropped Glimity Glamity' back in the Demon Boy days.

As far as mind set goes, you can't really dissect the process when you're making a hit tune. The most important thing is that the VIBES and the ENERGY must be right. You KNOW when you've just recorded a banger, you can feel it. The ultimate test is when you wake up the next morning and listen to the song again: If it sounds just as big, or BIGGER than the night before, then yehh, you might have yourself something special right there. Then you have to pass that all important test of playing the song to your peers (close friends and famz), they are the peoples who will really let you know if it's BIG. When I play my family something big, they would just laugh and start swearing words of abuse "Bombo Clart Milly....this is MASSIVE!!"

CB: What process do you go through when writing a song and what's the most important part of it?

MD: Different things can happen at the creation stage of a song. There's times when I get an idea for a beat/production first, then after building the track, I would then write a vocal for that track. OR there's the flip side, where I will come up with a hook first, then I would build the whole track around the hook. Or lastly, I would work the lyrical side and metaphors and build the verse FIRST, then I would proceed in building the hook and the production around that. This tends to be the way I always approach lyrics for a serious subject matter.

My forthcoming Single from my Spektrum Album is exactly that, a very serious track. Titled: 'Inner City Got Plenty Cases', this song talks about the 'Inner City and Ghetto's of London where I grew up. Constructing this song was much MORE about the lyrical, than the beat. Saying that though, let me shout out my brother [Producer] Jay Large for the production on this one. Absolutely Ssick fam!

CB: How important has the formation of 'Million Dappa Records' been to your success as a solo artist?

MD: The formation of the Lion - Million Dappa Records has been completely PARAMOUNT and at the center of my assault plan. When it comes to the Music Industry, I've been there, SEEN it, DONE it. As an artist, I've been signed to Major AND Independent Labels, toured the World and worked with many artists etc, so the time had come for me to finally step up and utilise all my knowledge.

MILLION DAPPA RECORDS saw the Genisis at the beginning of 2006. The most important factor was assembling a small team that had good or great experience in the industry. A team that would be committed and one I could TRUST. My MDR team are straight family to me. That's one of our strengths and the reason we do so well.

CB: There are a lot of genres of music represented on 'Spektrum', are these all genres that you actually listen to?

MD: I'm a fan of MUSIC. All music. I grew up on Reggae, then was adopted by Hip hop. As much as Reggae and Hip hop is me fundamentally, I like anything that sounds good. It could be Jazz, Rock, Pop, Latin, Grime, Classical, Dub, Dubstep - ANYTHING, as long as it sounds GOOD.

I grew up in a typical Jamaican household so of course we had the Bob Marley Albums and King Yellow Man Albums, but we also had the James Brown Albums and the Al Green Albums. Then when you add in the fact that I spent a LOT of my time around Sound Systems as a kid, you can see the diversity.

To appreciate real music, you must be able to tell when a song is heavy, regardless of the genre. Whatever style or sound that particular artist is trying to achieve - I personally can always tell whether it was a good, natural sounding attempt, or whether it was some half hearted money making attempt - with no soul. I would prefer to listen to a good jazz tune, rather than listen to a WAK hip hop song anytime - trust me!

CB: What are your favourite genres after Hip Hop and Reggae and what is the strangest type of music you listen to?

MD: Apart from Hip hop and Reggae, I'm a fan of RnB / Soul music. When I'm working, all I hear is LOAD music: Big basslines, big snears and big kick drums, so when I'm not working, I like to listen to a calmer, more passive selection. This is what I listen to in my spare time. I like slow jams, but only the good ones. Nowadays I think the quality of good RnB has deteriorated. Too many artists are worried about being commercial rather than just pushing out GOOD quality RnB. The same thing can be said about Hip hop.

The strangest kind of music I've ever heard was when I performed at the Electric Festival in Canada. After my performance, I went to another stage to check out the other groups. There was a Japanese group playing some weird head banging noise. I can't even say it was music! To enjoy that kinda shizzle, you gotta be taking some seriously heavy shit!

CB: Who has influenced you musically during the making of 'Spektrum'?

MD: To be honest with you - Nobody did. Whilst I was in the studio getting the Album ready, I was completely tuned into ME. That's it. I wasn't interested in what was 'in' or 'out' or the latest trend etc. I think it's important that artists sound like themselves and not a stupid imitation of somebody else regularly getting played on the radio! Influence is a powerful thing - truss me! Many rappers UNdeliberately start to sound the SAME because they're all influencing each other. Million Dan has always been tuned into Million Dan.

CB: What was it like working with people like Sizzla and MCD, people who are big and legendary in their respective games?

MD: It's always an honour working with a Lion or lioness at the top of his/her respective game/s. All of the artists featured on my Album are people I have a HUGE amount of respect for. There are names on there that people know and names that people don't know, but one thing they all have in common is their incredible talent. Artists like NIAMBI and Namouzoke alongside of course the great Bounty Killer, McD and Sizzla are just a few names. Let me plug this and tell all the readers tuned in to GO GET MY SPEKTRUM ALBUM. You won't be disappointed - truss me!!

CB: The artwork for 'Spektrum' harks back to 'Recognition' and you included 'Glimity Glamity' as the final track on 'Spektrum'. Is it important to you that your Demon Boyz days aren't forgotten?

MD: Most definitely. I'm proud of my Demon Boy history and if you don't know, GET to know!

DB were flexing during the original days. For me, I call it the GREAT era of Hip hop. We were rampant during the the days when groups like Public Enemy' and the 'Leaders Of The New School' to 'Brand Nubian' and Tribe Called Quest' were doing their thing. Yeh that was proper hip hop. REAL hip hop. To be a part of that era was big.

The Demon Boyz laid down our mark within the concrete foundations of this thing. Even though we were very young and still at school during most of the course of our Demon Boy career, we changed the game forever. Alongside London Posse and Hijack, we three groups set the trends. In a recent poll held by Hip hop Connections Magazine - the same three groups came in as producing the BEST three Hip hop Albums EVER recorded from the U.K - nuff said!

For the Spektrum Album cover, I deliberately wanted to copy our original 'Recognition' Artwork as a mark of respect. 'Recognition' was my Album DEBUT and 'Spektrum' is my SOLO Album debut.

CB: The Demon Boyz have been one of the most influential rap groups, particularly in the UK. Why do you think that was?

MD: I think it was many factors:

a) Our age. Being young is always a novelty in this industry - especially when you've got skillz!

b) Our Rap styles: At that time, everybody was rapping in a deep American accent! We simply MC'd in a more natural London style, blended with our Jamaican heritage.

c) Our backgrounds connected with the fans. We were straight from the ghetto, spitting ghetto lyrics about our surroundings. It was REAL and people liked it. Other rappers were spitting lyrics about New York and most of them hadn't even BEEN there!

d) Lastly, the speed of my tongue. The fact that I could (and still) spit lyrics at a very fast rate! People loved it on the songs and at the shows. Me and Skinnyman recently gave everybody a demonstration of that speed - at my Spektrum Album launch party at the Jazz Cafe [Sat. April 19th 2008]. Those who were there know the dilly - BIG TINGZ! I think footage can be still be seen on You Tube.

CB: What is your best memory of those Demon Boyz days?

MD: There were some HEAVY memories. Touring with the legendary NWA was one of them. We were on the same tour bus and lived closely with the whole crew for DAYS! DB alongside DR DRE, alongside EASY E (R.I.P), alongside ICE CUBE and MC REN etc. Demon Boyz and London Posse supported their British tour and every single show we did was absolutely HEAVY. The London leg was Brixton Academy....that show was KILLER, nuff said.

Another memory was when we toured Europe with Salt N Pepper. They loved our rap styles and we all got along like famz. Pepper was a big fan of the whole Jamaican reggae scene. Whilst on the tour, she had Jamaican sound clash tapes of King Jammie and Killermanjaro. The coincidence was - I went on the tour with EXACTLY the same tapes too! We would all be backstage listening to the legendary PAPA SAN and then spit lyrics over the bashment ridims on the tapes. If the Demon Boyz were American based, I KNOW a solid, long term working relationship with the two camps would have developed.

Lastly, I have to big up Chuck D and Public Enemy. They were extremely supportive of the DB too. On trips to the U.K, they would always 'Big Up' me and Demon D on the radio. They went on to giving us a shout out on their heavyweight Album 'It Takes A Nation Of Million To Hold Us Back' For me, that was one of the highlights of my Demon Boy career. To get a salute from a group like that was - and still is amazing...

CB: Is there anything that people don't really know about back then?

MD: Yeh, this is a good question! Let me quickly speak about Dj Devastate. A lot of people thought he was a part of the Demon Boyz, but he actually wasn't! He was only involved in our first DB Album, but then we parted company with him very soon after that. Our PROPER and official DJ, who ran with us for most of the duration of the Demon Boyz was the heavyweight DJ DEF K. A seasoned name on the world DMC battle circuit. Well known for terrorising all the other Djs who tried to step up! I still work closely with Def K to this very day - he's head of AnR at Million Dappa Records and STILL one of the best scratch Djs on the road right now!

CB: All of your tracks have such different sounds - part of the 'Spektrum' approach - is this something you plan to continue in your work or should we expect something different in the future?

MD: SPEKTRUM was a concept I had for a while. It means many things. A Spektrum of songs. A Spektrum of time. A Spektrum of Artists, featured from a Spektrum of different countries. Also, remember my recent mixtape is called 'INFRARED' which is also a real part of the scientific Spectrum. My next mixtape will be called 'ULTRAVIOLET' which will complete the series and complete that concept. I have another HEAVY concept for my next Album, but I won't give that away right now! Keep checking out my websites for updates on that one...

CB: To finish, any shouts or plugs? Any advice for the kids or knowledge for the grown?

MD: Yo, I wanna big up ALL my peoples who have supported me - past and present. One Love to you all. Have you ever heard the Orange slogan: "The Future's Bright, The Future's ORANGE?" Well let me tell you the latest one..."The Future's Bright, The Future's MILLION DAN and THE JUGGERNAUT MILLION DAPPA RECORDS- Crushing major labels to dust!!" Go tell you fren - fe tell dem fren, fe tell dem fren..." Come and check us out on the following websites:

myspace.com/milliondan
milliondan.com
myspace.com/milliondapparecords
milliondapparecords.com
myspace.com/demonboyz

Your support is blessed and always appreciated, so make sure you pass through...

Here is some advice for the young artists coming through: Before anything, you must have faith in YOU. In 2008 the music industry is a HARD place to succeed and the competition is fierce. Once upon a time in the U.K, there was an era when records used to SELL. During this period there was a lot more money floating around which was good for aspiring artists. Now the doors are much harder to kick open, so when you kick, you must kick HARD. Five things: 1) Build a Myspace page. Put your best songs on there. Try and put some thought into building your page and create it so it grabs the attention of the viewer. 2) Buy 100 blank CDs from any store i.e; Curry's / Argos / Woolworth's etc, then burn your hottest songs onto EVERY SINGLE cd. Once complete, make sure you write your contact details on the CD and don't forget to include your myspace page address. 3) Go along to ANY open mic sessions where you think Artists and Industry people may be hanging out. Grab the mic when you get your chance and MAKE SURE you spit (or sing) FIRE lyrics on that sh#t!! Following that, go and network your CD’s to who-ever may be present. Only go to the famous people OR to anybody who has given you some BIG talk!! You will find that a LOT of people in the industry will give you broken promises, but think of it like this: Out of 20 broken promises, at least ONE - MUST come through. 4) Keep doing this process for as LONG as you need to. 5) Let me say that again.... DO THIS PROCESS FOR AS LONG AS YOU NEED TO. 6) Nuff Said....Holla at me through Myspace in 6 months time if any of my advice has worked for you! O.k., Let me just say a massive LaaaRRGe up to Aidan and the rest of the guys for this interview! - Nuff Rizpekk! Keep supporting ya boooy... 1up!

Million Dan.

Million Dan 'Spektrum' Review

If I take any CD away on holiday with me this August it’ll be ‘Spektrum’. Although it represents many musical styles and evokes many feelings there’s something about it that’s made to provide a soundtrack for a long summer. Maybe it’s the vigour, maybe it’s the extraordinary refreshment of different genres or maybe it’s the fact that it reminds you that actually, your musical tastes are pleasantly eclectic.

Maybe Million Dan’s own explanation of why the album is entitled ‘Spektrum’ puts a finger on the reason why this release is so appealing: ‘My album is a spektrum of songs, countries, artists and energy’. And he’s not lying. Hip Hop, Reggae (Sizzla and Bounty Killer both feature too), Electro, Soul, Latin Dub, Grime, Bashment…yep, all present and correct in varying mixtures. It’s just so great to listen to an album with so many vibes; each track has its own thing going on but as a whole album they don’t sound disparate.

I have to admit that I can’t always listen to a lot of ragga-tinged rap but Million makes patois more acceptable than anyone else I’ve ever heard. He possesses that tongue twisting skill that embodies Jamaican influenced Hip Hop and he uses to great effect. Million’s clear delivery and simple but oh-so-tight lyrics complete the package marked ‘Million Dan’s incredible voice’. The spektrum extends to the subject matter: himself, women, ghetto living but with a focus on lyricality and metaphors.

There are some very big tunes on here that basically sum up his back catalogue of singles since the Demon Boyz’ ‘Definition’ set. ‘Mic Chek’ has that Batman theme sounding beat, ‘Spektrum Ride’ is a bashment Atari bomb, ‘Dogz ‘n’ Sledgez’ is well, ‘Dogz ‘n’ Sledgez’ innit – it’s capable of damage. ‘Scream Out’ is a shuffling party starter and ‘Glimity Glamity’ is the last track – Demon Boyz’ finest moment. You should buy it for this collection of inspired singles but then you also might want to check out ‘Futuristic’ which could perhaps be described as ‘summer’ – you want this to be playing when you’re on the beach in a couple of months. ‘Inner City Got Plenty Cases’ is brilliant social commentary and warning but is surprisingly upbeat and breezy, it’s also got the type of name a Silent Eclipse track would have and ‘Go In’ features fellow UK stalwart MCD as well as Dynamite MC and K.Nerz, it’s dramatic Electro Reggaeton that features four brilliant MC’s.

I’m meant to be putting more negative into my reviews but the only thing I can say is 'Lambada' is too lewd for my liking. Had Million put less sex rhymes in here I'm pretty sure Dream Works Animations would have been snapping this up for their next kids movie. Million Dan has masses of character and is not content with the fashionable complaining that Hip Hop is thriving on at the moment. He seems to be having fun and leading by example rather than trying to preach truths. The worst thing I can say is that I wasn't expecting it to be this good!

Just buy this, you will not be disappointed and it’s available already at places like Suspect Packages, Amazon, Rap and Soul or if you like downloads, itunes.

2008

Wow! February 2008 came fast! I don't know what your view on Hip Hop in 2007 was; mine was on the whole a good one. If you were looking to the world of mainstream, big record label Hip Hop then you probably entered 2008 slightly jaded. The major releases of 2007 were dissapointing: 50 Cent pretty much proved he hasn't got 'it' any more, Kanye West still thinks he is 'it'; his ego spoilt his release which wasn't as good as his previous efforts anyway and Jay-Z, despite genius marketing moves and use/abuse of his position still didn't provide us with an album anywhere near as classic as The Black Album. If you looked just under the surface then there were plenty of good releases and most of you probably heard and bought at least one album that you will always listen to.

Many people will be looking to 2008 as some sort of saviour for Hip Hop. 2007 seemed to be a lost cause right from the very beginning but it needn't have been if hopes had not been set on the major releases. If the focus of anticipation had been directed to the more minor, underground releases then last year would have been more fulfilling for more people.

This year I suggest you look to music more local to you. The internet is great for hearing everything that's out there but it cannot provide the sense of belonging that music that is more relevant to you can. Yes, the US created Hip Hop, it is Hip Hop's homeland but there is very little I can relate to at the moment. The beats are not to my taste although I guess if I resided in the Bay Area I would 'get' the whole hyphy thing or if I was from Miami then I would like bass music, but I'm not so I don't. The lyrical content of much US rap has worn thin but what I do still relate to are skills and this is why there is still US rap that I listen to.

In contradiction to the last paragraph's opening sentence, if you are not local to the UK then you should be looking to the UK. Just as people can relocate, musical genres can too. Hip Hop lives on in the UK. So what can you expect from us in the coming year?

Life MC of Phi-Life Cypher will be dropping an album on Zebra Traffic in March. I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning this before but Phi-Life Cypher's album, 'Higher Forces', is one of my top 2 UK Hip Hop albums; it's awesome. Look out here for a review of the new Life album and an inteview with the man himself. Also, I really should tell you some more about 'Higher Forces' so keep 'em peeled for that too.

Silent Soundz is probably the only UK label giving Low Life Records a run for it's money. Their roster of artists is incredible: Skitz, Kool G Rap, Yungun & Mr. Thing, Verb T & The Last Skeptic, Blind Alphabetz, First Man Productions and Brotherman. The 3rd of March should see the release of Brotherman’s debut single - a double A-side called Heart of Dem/Bollox. April should then see the release of a double EP project from which will be two EPs sold separately that can be joined together to form one plush package. Together it is called The Dark & The Light (stay tuned here for more on Brotherman). SS are also releasing Skitz’s second producer album, the follow up to 'Countryman' which will drop in Q2. This is entitled 'Sticksman' and features most of the big UK emcees plus Masta Ace, Wordsworth and Kardinal Offishall. The Kardi single will be released in Q1, probably end of March. It is called Struggla and also features Rodney P and Skibadee with D&B remixes by Ruff Cut. Not only are they releasing these big UK joints but they should also be releasing “Long Live G Rap” by Kool G Rap in Q2, an album which features Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Canibus, Saigon and Sean Price among others. Other than that they’ve got a digital only single from Blind Alphabetz, track TBC, which will feature a Jehst remix of Change as a bonus track. Phew...

Lex records are a label to watch too; last year they released one of my favourite albums 'Romance Ain't Dead' by Kid Acne and the much lauded 'Craft of the Lost Art' by Shape of Broad Minds. Previous releases include more of my very favourites - 'Ghetto Pop Life' by Dangermouse and Jemini, 'The Mouse and the Mask' by DangerDoom (now that's US Hip Hop I CAN listen to!). Although they don't have any UK Hip Hop releases slated for this year they are releasing a Khujo Goodie (of The Goodie Mob)/ Jneiro Jarel (of Shape of Broad Minds) collaboration. Guests on the album are the other big Dungeon Family members and it should be out September. A single, 'OPR8R' featuring Khujo Goodie is out this spring, with a UK tour getting sorted around the release time. Now that Ghostface has done his time with DefJam Lex may be able to finally release the Ghostface & Doom album and Indecision at Boombox Distribution tells me Dangermouse has a follow up album to 'Ghetto Pop Life' called 'Kill Your Heroes' which is apparantly a concept album about living a pimps lifestyle on a budget. Again I've contradicted myself but I totally trust Lex as tastemakers, if they release it and it's from the US then it's probably very relevant to the UK market. Also every bit of Lex artwork and packaging totally kicks bottom!

Other things to look forward to that I don't have as much information about are:

• 'The Signature LP', the new album from Sway, is supposedly to be released in May.
• Million Dan, the Demon Boyz UK legend, is working on an album release due for mid April (get the Suspect Packages re-issue of 'Recognition' now and check the Spektrum Ride/Mic Chek 12" for something a little more up to date.)
• 'Food For Da Brain Second Serving' - the last one featured the cream of UK's rap talent so the next one will be big too with a posse cut featuring Skinnyman, Harry Shotta, Shameless, Foreign Beggars & Deadly Hunta being the lead single.
• New Asaviour projects - check his newly released mixtape, buy 'Broken Ladder' if you don't have it and savour the great West Yorkshire accent.
• New albums from Dented - not sure who, could be Foreign Beggars, Dr. Syntax, Skrein (possible their collabo - Skreintax), Stig of the Dump...whoever it is, it'll be good.
• Bashy is releasing a DVD of all things 'Black Boys' related.
• Wretch 32 is releasing his album: Wretchrospective.

Whoa, well I never intended to write that much but I hope that if you're reading this bit you're looking forward with me to at least one of the above releases . Here's to 2008 and good Hip Hop.