Nas & Damian Marley - Patience (Video)

Some very expensive looking visuals for my favourite track off Nas & Jr Gong's colloration album from last year, Distant Relatives.

'Relatives Abroad' - Nas & Bob Marley (free download)

Nas and Bob Marley - a high-class mash-up to whet your whistle for Nas' forthcoming collaboration album with Damien Marley.

100 Akres has done the honours, sampling Bob's music, creating beats then matching them to Nas acapellas - a nice thing. The Reggae rhythms really switch up Nas' flows, transforming them into really bouncy, upbeat tracks a world away from the originals.

It's a free download and is available from Bandcamp now - something a little different.

Recommended Listening: Wu-Tang, Mathematics, Tom Caruana, Nas & Damian Marley, Phoenix The Renaissance Man & KingPin

First thing for today's installment is the recommendation of a purchase: Wu-Tang Clan's 'Return of the Wu (Mixed By Mathematics)'. It's released on 1st March 2010 on the Gold Dust label. It's full of good stuff and will keep your head bumping. You can download 'Clap 2010' featuring Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man and U-God and 'Steppin' 2 Me' with GZA, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck.

Then, still with the Wu, but with a bit of Beatles thrown into the mix is Tom Caruana's excellent 'Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers' which is free from Tea Sea Records. This is 27 tracks of shear genius. Check for tracks like ODB's 'Got Your Money' mashed up with 'She Never Gives Me Her Money' - brilliant! This one ahs being going down really well and it's giving TC the praise and props he deserves.

If you haven't heard it already you should listen to this new Nas and Damian Marley tune. They bounce off each other like a new school version of Run DMC with a Jamaican influence. For high-paced good times download 'As We Enter' now.

A new artist for you now: Phoenix the Renaissance Man – a Palestinian MC who spends 6 months in the UK and 6 months in the West Bank each year writing rhymes. His album should be out the next 3 months or so and his EP Sampler 'Rising from the Ashes' should be out as a free download even sooner. In the meantime listen to 'Life Is Tough'.

A few months ago I got an copy of an awesome album by a UK MC called KingPin entitled 'The Initiative'. That album has yet to be released but I've just got word of a mixtape that is to precede the LP: 'The Initiative Mixtape'. The mix kicks off with 'Fire' a track that features Kyza, Dubbledge, Manage and Stig of the Dump. The album is a top listen so get ready!

'Remixes Vol. 1' - Klimeks (free download)

Klimeks, a young UK Hip Hop producer brings you 'Remixes Vol. 1' - the first volume of remixes down by him, derr.

Tracks like 'Mr Snow Flow' (a remix of Evidence's 'Mr Slow Flow') sound tailor made for the artist. Elsewhere Klimeks matches up a tinkly piano beat to Pharoahe Monch's 'Simon Says' - dope jokes. Nas's 'Surviving The Times' gets treated to the same sample as Baby J used on Blade's '4 Walls' and Ryan Leslie's 'Diamond Girl' gets the remix treatment - diverse, no?

Dilated Peoples, Proof, Murs, Jedi Minds Tricks, Ill Bill and Smut Peddlers all have their vocals transplanted onto some nice soulful and uplifting beats.

Beastie Boys Reveal Tracklist for 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 1'

The new Beastie Boys feature length LP entitled 'HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 1' is unleashed on the 15th of September and it features Nas! Here's the tracklisting:

1. Tadlock's Glasses
2. B-Boys In The Cut
3. Make Some Noise
4. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
5. OK
6. Too Many Rappers (featuring NAS)
7. Say It
8. The Bill Harper Collection
9. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
10. Long Burn The Fire
11. Bundt Cake
12. Funky Donkey
13. Lee Majors Come Again
14. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
15. Pop Your Balloon
16. Crazy Ass S**t
17. Here's A Little Something For Ya

'Def Jam' - K-Delight (free download)

K-Delight, the dude behind one of my favourite albums last year (see my run down), has just put out a free mix. It's one of those things that you could stick on at any time and everyone who you're with will just love it. It's got the Hip Hop of course, even UK Hip Hop but it's also got beats, disco and reggae - it's a real live turntable session. I'll be burning this one.

Apparently the mix has been inspired by a Hip Hop/Breaks night in Darlington, which I assume is called Def Jam - if you're up that way then be sure to visit, if it's anything like this then it's a good night!

The mix features Little Brother, Jurassic 5, Nas, Q-Tip, DJ Format, Beastie Boys, Main Source, Skinnyman, TY and The Roots all bigging up the rapping side of things and elsewhere Aim, Quantic, The Bamboos, Babe Ruth, Lowell Fulsom and The JBs rock things in their own way.

HHC put this on their site today along with a minterview (yeah, that's a word I made up for mini interview) so brothers out there with sisters, peep it.

MK's Whistle-Rock Tour

One of your favourite DJs (DJ MK - Roots Manuva's tour DJ) has put together a mix of tunes produced by one of your favourite producers (Pete Rock).

MK gets down with a quick, 17 minute blast through some Rock production which aired on KISS100. He's been kind and proud enough to let you have it for free download:


Run DMC - Down With The King
Jeru Tha Damaja - Can't Stop The Profit (Pete Rock remix)
Biggie Smalls - Juicy
Brand Nubian - Slow Down (Pete Rock remix)
Das EFX - Jusumen (Pete Rock remix)
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You
Dead Prez - Warzone
Jim Jones - We Roll
Nas - The World Is Yours
Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock remix)
Lords of the Underground - Flow On (Pete Rock remix)

This mix features some of my all time favourite Hip Hop records as well as some remixes of my all time favourite Hip Hop records - gotta be good!

Download now!

Remixes, Tasters, Free Albums and Good Tracks

Logarhythmik has created this delightful remix of that track Kanye, Nas and KRS One did for Nike. 'Better Than I've Ever Been' is the remix and 'Classic' was the DJ Premier original and as much as it pains me to say this, I think I like this remix more. Don't get me wrong I love Premo's original production but maybe this has just refreshed it and made it new again. Thumbs up.

The P Brothers, Nottinghams most famous Bronxians have given you and I a taster of their next album 'The Gas' which will be out in August. It seems to feature a few American voices and it does it's job well, it certainly whets my appetite.

United Centa are Mick Luter, Big Wiz and Rashid Hadee and 'Under The Act' has a great 90's feel to it. These , and other Chicagoans are really making a bid for the Hip Hop capital at the moment, I'm hearing lots of good things. This has some nice laid back production and features a simple chorus that appeals to my ears.

Wax, an MC from Cali by way of Baltimore is a pretty vicious rhymer whose recorded output is surprisingly chilled and thoughtful. 'The Adventures of Larry and Tina' is an attention grabbing story rap that still has some great rhymes. Anyways, this is a track off a project he is working on with a bloke called Elements of Music, it's going to be called Wax and EOM present: "For All I know He's An Asshole".

Jelani, son of old skool Hip Hop stylist Dapper Dan has an album up for grabby grabs. It's called 'Wait, You Can Rap?!?!'. It sounds like this album is a real summertime affair - it's got a West Coast laziness to it at the same time as having an East Coast hunger. If you want a good time vibe, largely unoffensive lyrics and some cooooool production then it's right click, left click, save target as.

On a more souful tip but as equally as free you can have Kam Moye's 'Self Centered EP'. You may know this man as Supastition, which ever moniker, it's the same guy. Yeah, the EP is quite self centred but he puts himself across well and it makes for an interesting listen. As a whole sound, this is Hip Hop in one of it's lovelier forms and bumping this will leave you feeling more complete than a listen through most 'Hip Hop' albums on the popular shelves at the moment.

Some new tunes...

‘No Rims’ is a nice track by LoDeck & Omega One, I can’t really read the biographies that I was sent because instead of being typed they’re a well distorted JPEG. Anyway, there’s some link with Stetsasonic and both artists have previous work of their own. If you ask me, well, even if you don’t I’m gonna tell you, this is a nice track…oh, I already said that. Well IT IS nice. It has that summery soul vibe and a head nodding beat, not quite like one of those crafted in the 90’s but the noughties version of that. It’s also chilling to hear a track about NOT having rims and all that stuff. Simple things - that’s the order of the day here.

I’ve not been a previous fan of Vast Aire, I never got into him, because I was too busy being into other stuff really but also cos he’s one of those awkward, indie rappers who are a bit hit and miss. Well his new album is promising (Pete Rock’s on there) and this track, ‘TV Land’ is cool. It’s got a parpy beat with some funky little ringy guitar riffs which make the raps easier on the ear. Get ya shoulders pumping.

Why is that some old rappers still use the same boring clichés? Ice Cube reckons he’s the 8th wonder of the world. Oh yeah? And how often has an MC claimed that? Boring. Having said that, this track is pretty hard despite the fact that he’s also revisited the whole ‘It takes a nation…’ concept. I think he’s really trying to make himself cool again after the whole cheesy movie outing: “And understand that you looking at the famous//west coast rapper who acts like an anus//Hollywood they thought they could tame this//pitbull//But I know what the game is” and he might just do it. He’ll never be the old Ice Cube but this track DOES bang.

Chali 2na may soon be upon us again with the follow to the ‘Fish Market’ mixtape. From what I can gather it’s gonna be called ‘Fish Market 2’, a good job his music is more innovative than his mixtape titling. Well, I say innovative, if you can call rapping over an old and classic beat innovative. Actually, I think you can. 2na rhythm for rhythm, note for not raps to ‘Rockit’ by Herbie Hancock and it comes out sooooo fresh, its called ‘Rock It’….hmmm, we’re seeing a theme here with titling! 2na just know how to do things though and in no way does he murder this beat, apart from in the good sense of the word, you know, the one used by cool people off the street – he murks it blud.

Oh yeah! Nas! ‘Be a Nigger Too’! I can’t decide whether this is good or not, it’s just downright confusing. He’s gone beyond claiming the N word, so far as to say we can all be niggers. I’m not at all into this Nas who constantly is trying to shock us with his crazy concepts and ideas, he’s off the chain – but in the bad way. Plus he’s causing extra controversy because everyone thinks this track is similar to one done by NYOIL (who I must check out more from, he sounds pretty good) called ‘ What’s up my Wigga Wigga’ or something like that. This is pretty mediocre when divorced from the controversial side of things, which by the way, must be his new selling point. To be honest, no one (including myself and I apologise and hereby vow never to mention the Hip Hop is D… thing again) has stopped talking about his last gimmicky, beat-recycling bit of radio fodder. AND he’s got tired of ripping off his own old lyrics and has now moved onto ripping off NWA lyrics it seems.

Billy Danze has got a new track. Seems he’s been listening to some grimey UK production, or at least his producer has. Aside from the voice and the gritty gutterness (OK so it’s just the beat) it doesn’t sound entirely like classic M.O.P. Anyway, it’s imaginatively titled ‘Gangsta’. Haven’t I heard a track about that somewhere else before? Ah, yeah, only about a million times. But with Billy’s aggressive flow the whole G thang is believable.

And to finish off, for those RATM fans who also like funk and dubs, The Apples, who appear to be from Israel have done a couple of really cool covers of my favourite Rage track, ‘Killing In The Name Of’. One is funky, one is dubby.

Beirut Gangster (Jay-Z American Gangster remix album)

*If you are struggling to download because of a password then I don't know what to suggest. When I downloaded it there was no password. Have you tried both links?*

Here's what Beirut Music himself had to say:

The new Jay-Z "American Gangster" album, entirely remixed produced and arranged by yours truly (Beirut). Welcome to "Beirut Gangster: The Re-Mixtape"! A lot of time and hard work went into the making of this mixtape, so I hope y'all enjoy!

Beirut Music

Los Angeles

All remixes produced and arranged by Beirut Music.

01 Beirut Gangster Intro
02 Pray
03 American Dreamin'
04 Hello Brooklyn 2.0 (feat. Lil Wayne)
05 No Hook
06 Roc Boys
07 Sweet
08 I Know
09 Party Life
10 Ignorant S**t (feat. Beanie Sigel)
11 Say Hello
12 Success (feat. Nas)
13 Fallin'
14 Blue Magic
15 American Gangster

Alternate link

There are some really interesting retro sounds to be heard here. Beirut really sticks to the gangster theme; you could imagine all these tracks being the sound track to a Gangster film. He's got the blaxploitation funk fuelled chase music, the soul soaked head nodders and the Italian strings. Also on Ignorant S**t you get some 80's electronic sounding beats that remind me of the cinema.

Look out for an interview here soon...(Tonight!)

Beirut - now I do care!

After the boom in page hits when I posted a Beirut remix of Jay-Z I decided to look into this further. I posted some more remix tracks that I already had from Beirut's 'The Remixes Volume 2' and I also managed to find Beirut's myspace page and I brought you all a link to download 'The Remixes Volume 2'. I also recieved an email from Beirut himself, someone had passed him a link to my page (I think through the SOHH message board). Here's some of what he said:

"This is Beirut, the producer from Los Angeles. Someone sent me a link to your blog in which you mentioned some of the remixes I've done. Just wanted to give you a shout to say that I really appreciate the support from yourself and everyone else who heard and dug the remixes through your blog."

So I emailed him back and asked if he could post up a link to 'The Remixes Volume 1' and he did it in super fast time. Thanks Beirut!

My current favourites from this volume are:

Jay-Z - Justify My Thug

Nas - Nastradamus

Rakim - Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em

These tracks are all quality in their own right but the remix production is so tight it sounds like these MC's rhymed over these beats to begin with. I just love the quality samples he uses, keep checking me for further heat from Beirut (and believe me there will be heat on the way) and possibly a little interview.

You can download the whole thing by clicking on this sentence.

Oh yeah, thanks for the anonymous commenter who only proved that people do go on blogs and download anything. If you don't want this quality music interupting your playlist, don't download it. Simple innit? And don't call me a schmuck, that's just lame.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 tracks for y'all

Get all the tracks by licking here, yes that's right, lick it.

U.K. Rap Cats by Tha 4orce & Poynt Blak

I don't know much about either of these acts but what I do know is that they've used Quasimoto's Rap Cats, produced by Madlib, and done a UK thing instead. Listen out for the biggest names in UK Hip Hop both past and present. I think I do prefer Blade's 'UK Hip Hop' but this is good too.

Surviving the Times by Nas

I've always liked Nas. I like his emotive voice and the way he writes. His lyrics are honest and whilst clever they sound effortless. I'm not going to go on about 'Illmatic' and what his careers been like since then but this track takes us back in Nas' memory to those 'Illmatic' days. Just erase all criticisms of Nas and sit back and enjoy this, it shouldn't be too difficult.

No Qualms (Revox) by Wiley

This track features Chipmunk, JME and Skepta; if you're into the UK Grime scene then you'll know these names. Pretty empty topic wise but the MC's have skills and the tune is nice and bouncy.

Dumb it Down by Lupe Fiasco

Doesn't seem a minute since Lupe dropped 'Food & Liquor'; an album I rate as one of the best of last year. The lyrics in the first verse here are top notch - listen carefully. The verses tick over quietly but menacingly and the chorus is masterfully written: it sums up what the track is about. Similar in topic to last years 'Daydream', Lupe obviously feels he hasn't got his message across. An anti-stereotypical Hip Hop mentality track at its best.

The Mission ft. Jehst & Micall Parknsun by L.G.

L.G. is a UK producer who makes real Hip Hop. This sample based track is laced with Biscuit's flute, the distinctive rhymes of one of UK's best Jehst and the not so distinctive but very up-and-coming rhymes of Micall Parknsun. This off-kilter beat sounds like it should be hard to flow over but Y'n'R's brightest talent make it sound so simple.

Classic Cliche ft. Mpho Skeef by Elektrons

Not Hip Hop, rather electrodiscofunk from Manchester duo Elektrons that features Ty collaborator and impossibly named Mpho Skeef. So her name sounds like the noise you'd make when being thumped in the stomach but her vocals are clear and happy here, I dare you not to move to this. Happy music.

Dillagence (One For Jay) ft. Phonte by DJ Spinna

A medley of synthy strings and punchy basses of different pitches backs up this track sung (I presume) by Little Brother's Phonte. A dedication to Jay Dilla in a Slum Villagey way (in case you couldn't tell from the title).

Leyendecker (DJ EMZ remix ft. Joell Ortiz) by Battles

Battles were only brought to my attention the other night by Jools Holland and I don't know much about them other than some call them art rockers and I think they're a bit mad. Anyway, this track sounds good, it's really good for humming and Joell Ortiz does top notch raps on it.

Skeng ft. Killa P & Flow-Dan by The Bug

What's this? Grimey Dubstep? Yeah probably. If you play it quietly it's quiet, but if you turn up the volume it's loud. Ya get me? This can't be played at a low volume, it just can't. Although it's a slow creeping track it's not really relaxing. Bang it out and let the hairs on yer neck stand up.

Punctuation by Wretch 32

Wretch 32 must be from around my way somewhere. His certainly aint a London accent as his myspace page might have us believe. The lyrics here are pretty intelligent, check how he includes loads of english grammar into his rhymes fullstop

HHC Top 100 rap singles 50-41

# 49, 47 & 42 - Cypress Hill

Now I’d just like to remind you that this list hasn’t been compiled by me. It was made as a result of a poll that the world’s original rap magazine Hip Hop Connection carried out amongst it’s readers. As it happens, a lot of these tracks would be chosen by me if I had the patience to create such a list of my own. I made it my mission to collect all the tunes together and to bring them to the bloggers of the world. Numbers 50 - 41:

50. Nasty Nas - Halftime (zshare) – 1994 – ‘Illmatic’ (buy here)
If only Nas hadn’t departed from this sound, Hip Hop would possibly be alive and kicking.

49. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill a Man (zshare) – 1991 – ‘Cypress Hill’ (buy here)
The first of three tracks in this post means no-one can accuse Cypress Hill of being inconsistent, well, not during the early 90’s anyway, the early 00’s tell a different story.

48. Dilated Peoples - Work the Angles (zshare) – 1998 – ‘The Platform’ (buy here)
Another inclusion of Dilated is welcome here by me, a great track but I’m still not sure how it gets this high in the top 100 of all time.

47. Cypress Hill - Hand on the Pump (zshare) – 1991 – ‘Cypress Hill’ (buy here or up there)
Cypress show off their ability to create unique blunted funky tracks that involve copious amounts of weed and guns.

46. Run DMC - Walk this Way (zshare) – 1986 – ‘Raising Hell’ (buy here)
Pretty much the forerunner of nu-metal (the sort that have ‘rappers’ and guitar riffs). A classic in many circles particularly Dad circles (also affiliated to air guitar circles), rap circles and student night DJ circles.

45. Eric B & Rakim - Microphone Fiend (zshare) – 1988 – ‘Follow the Leader’ (buy here)

44. 2Pac - California Love (zshare) – 1996 – ‘All Eyez on Me’ (buy here)
Big ‘cruising with windows down in the summer’ tune here courtesy of Dre, Pac and Roger Troutman on the vocoder/talk box. You know what to do; go cruise with your windows down.

43. Hardnoise – Untitled (zshare) – 1990
UK, once again, sounding suspiciously late 80’s American.

42. Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain (zshare) – 1993 – ‘Black Sunday’ (buy here)
Cer-lassic! A point of much reference in pop culture this track has somehow managed to sneak from hyped up stoner track to one of those songs that everybody just knows.

41. The Crooklyn Dodgers – Crooklyn (zshare) - 1994

Buckshot, Special Ed and Masta Ace come together exclusively for this track produced by Q-Tip. If you like ATCQ or Jurassic 5 then this should really tickle your fancy.

40 tracks left. I'm going away next week so wont get to post for that time, I'll try to do one more installment before I leave y'all.

HHC Top 100 rap singles 70-61 *updated*

#69. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

Only the zshare links work on this post now, I know it takes a few more clicks but for free classic rap it's worth it isn't it?

The first three instalments have made a minor ripple in the blogging pond and I’m feeling quite pleased to know that people are appreciating this…but come on party people, drop a comment; it’s not hard to do – if someone gives you something you say thank you, right? Correct etiquette. Miniature rant over…let’s get on with it.

70. Jeru the Damaja – Come Clean (zshare)– 1994 – ‘The Sun Rises in the East’ (Buy here)
Another nod inducing mid 90’s affair here but with a peculiar spacious percussive beat. Contains slightly curious lyrics: “I blow up spots like the World Trade Centre”. Can anyone explain that to me please? I may just be being really ignorant.

69. Kurtis Blow – The Breaks (zshare) – 1979 – ‘The Breaks’ (Buy the 'Best of' here)
Classic Hip Hop party track with all the essential crowd involving elements such as saying ho and waving hands. Kurtis outlines a few cringe inducing situations and exitedly informs us that those are ‘The Breaks’, knowledge is born.

68. Man Parrish - Hip Hop Be Bop (zshare) – 1982 – ‘Hip Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)’ (Buy here)
This IS electro. A rambling but steadily changing collection of synthy basses and blips accompanied by the obligatory cowbells and claps make this somewhat akin to a delicious 3 course meal.

67. T La Rock – Breaking Bells (zshare)– 1986
Samples James Brown and contains rhymes about being superior; yup, it’s Hip Hop alright.

66. Nas – Represent (zshare) - 1994 – ‘Illmatic’ (Buy here)
Hands up who loves mid 90’s Hippedy Hop…mine were up but are down again so I can continue typing. I’m getting tired of writing about nodding my head, and those who have read all of this series will be tired of reading about it but I’m not tired of actually nodding my head. Everyone knows this is classic fare from a certified classic album so if you don’t have it, buy it! (And get me a copy too, track 1 is scratched on mine!)

65. Dr Dre – Still DRE (zshare) – 2000 – ‘2001’ (Buy here)
2000 seemed the perfect year for Dre to change the game again, it must of seemed that way to him too ‘cause that’s exactly what he did. Remember any other Hip Hop that came out that year? Or did it fall under the shadow of the good doctor?

64. LL Cool J – Going back to Cali (zshare)– 1988 – ‘Walking with a Panther’ (Buy here)

63. Audio Two – Top Billin’ (zshare)– 1988 – 'What More Can I Say' (Buy here)
Out of all the Hip Hop tracks I’ve ever heard I think this must be the most sampled/bitten/quoted by other rappers. Classic snippets include: “Down the road, to the bank”, “[insert name] is Chillin’…”, “Stop schemin’ and lookin’ hard”, “That’s how it is, you can ask…”, “What more can I say” etcetera. Even if you’ve never heard this song it will sound familiar to you if you’ve listened to a handful of rap albums.

62. Beastie Boys – Hold it now, Hit it (zshare)– 1986 – 'Licensed to Ill' (Buy here)
Have an Old Skool party with this track, in fact, have an Old Skool party with the whole album. And click on the Beastie Boys tag for my other posts on them!

61. Mobb Deep – Shook Ones pt. II (zshare)– 1995 – 'The Infamous' (Buy here)
The street anthem that everyone and their goldfish know thanks to Eminem and 8 Mile.

New readers: You may have guessed that there are a few more instalments before this, check them out here, here and here – or click on the HHC Top 100 rap singles label to see them all in sequence. See you next time when we reach the half way point.

You said it wasn't art, so now we're gonna rip you apart

Click on the links for the mp3's.

The thing, I realised recently, about Hip Hop, unlike many other genres, is that it’s never really been hackneyed into lots of different sub-genres. Admittedly there are genres within Hip Hop or Rap but these labels never ever define the source of musical inspiration. Hip Hop samples or takes concepts from Jazz, Blues, Rock, Soul, Funk, Ska, Classical, Electro, Reggae and all other native musical styles. Any instrument can provide a sound suitable for use in hip hop. The diversity is immense, dive in and get immersed. It’s also an amazing springboard for listening to other genre’s of music; hear a sample, listen to the original. I have grown to love many old tracks by this method. The CD comes in roughly hewn blocks today and takes you through a few differently influenced areas of hip hop with a predominantly summery vibe.

We start with 4 dramatically orchestral tracks. Carl Orff (and presumably his orchestra) kick off the proceedings in fine style and gets me well up for hip hop type firey heaters. Jedi Mind tricks come unrelenting and urgently over this beat that would provide a perfect backdrop to a medieval battle, get your shiny armour on now. Australians have made an extraordinarily nice life for themselves considering they are descendents of criminals and they also have a very healthy hip hop scene down under. If you didn’t know Clandestien were Australian you would wonder what the chaff their accent was about, it’s like a Swedish person trying to rap in American via Birmingham. Weird. Weird but good. Check out that third guy; vicious. (Amazing Lyric: ‘Buck Buck Teeth, you rappers sound like you got…’). In an attempt to cut the tension of the CD the last of the first four is 4th Avenue Jones with ‘Why do we?’. A nice radio friendly classical sample here (can’t remember what the original is, my Grandad would know), the only annoying bit is that bird off ‘The Sound of Music’ warbling over the tune. Check out more from the Sphere of Hip Hop collective here.

The next two tracks are just some nice hip hop tracks that don’t rely on snares and kicks. Joell Ortiz, Dre’s latest signing, brings us a piano and string driven reminiscent sounding tune simply entitled Hip Hop, I’m definitely feeling this and I want to hear more. The second is a total headnod piece from Organized Konfusion (Pharaoh Monch and Prince Po back in the day). Large Professor brings the funk on this summery tune, really one for the BBQ here.

Brighton’s own eccentric mentalists Monkey Sons continue the summery theme in a triptych of tracks that are built around horns. This uptempo track cannot be hated on, it’s just so fun and honest. The filling in the sandwich is ‘Pablito’s way’ by Motion Man and Kutmasta Kurt. If you had or heard the Linkin Park Remix album these two hombres did the excellent cut up rework of ‘In the end’. This has a spanish/mexican vibe will have you throwing on your sombrero and sipping on a Corona or a Sol. Mavrik rides in on a similar heatwave with ‘Walk around it’. The highlight of this funky slice of the sun is the big fat horn stab on the 8th beat of each set of 16 beats, it’s almost comical.

Here’s a twosome that will yet again get your head nodding along in a syncopated manner. Motion Man and Kutmasta Kurt provide ‘Confidence’ for your delectation, they should make some waves in the hip hop ocean, so long as they don’t get written off as dross just cos they don’t appeal to those odious chavs.( Plus sampling Chali 2na on the chorus gives them marks in my book). Brainpower, if I remember rightly IS Swedish but thankfully the verse he’s cheekily slipped into this European sounding remix of 'triple trouble' by the Beastie Boys is in his native tongue.

Pigeon holed (on his own?) in the ‘concious rap’ genre is Common (although check HHC this month for the story of his radical makeover). Here he comes as conscious as any man could be by sampling the good Reverend Martin Luther King on, you guessed it 'A Dream'. The track is well produced and is nice for humming along to. On the theme of sampling vocals and in the vein of Baby J and Kanye West, Pigeon John samples some 80’s pop/rock jollity on ‘Weight of the world’. PJ takes on the character of one who tries to conform to the American Dream by ignoring reality and putting on a brave face. This is an interesting little bit of social commentary rapped up (sorry…Bec, you got nothing!) in this fun little track. I can’t tell you how much I want to get my hands on ‘The Weatherman’, the new LP from Evidence (of Dilated Peoples fame). This track, 'All said and done' is what you would expect from someone who had a hand in bringing such classic albums as ‘The Platform’, ‘Expansion Team’ and ’50:50’ to the worlds attention. I’m thinking this is an Alchemist production who is a wiz at building a sample into a hot track and he doesn’t fail Ev here.

Nas - Where are they now? (80's remix)

Nas - Where are they now? (Westcoast remix)

Hip Hop is dead. Is it? I don’t think so. There seem to be a lot of MC’s on Nas’s remixes of ‘Where are they now?’ who disagree and are about to prove him wrong. I cannot get enough of these two tracks. Put all the big rappers of today (by big I mean the ones who sell the most and are more widely recognised) on a big posse cut like this and you would get bored so soon. Put all the big MC’s from the west’s past on a track and I can’t get enough of it. Put all the big MC’s from the 80’s on a track and I can’t get enough of that either. The 80’s MC’s really know how to ride this break, putting Nas to shame – I didn’t like the original on the basis that his flow sounded awkward over the JB sample. These tracks induce a huge grin and make me hope some of these MC’s will give hip hop another chance, highlights are too many, the best thing to do is to listen to it all – over and over.

Cool down time again and keeping it old school. Like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest? Get some Digable Planets in your life, put it on your £4.97 mp3 player from Tesco and go skate and reminisce about the old skool days. Kool Keith provides the finale; ‘Voicemail, pagers; these are the things that robots carry’ – ‘I’m seein’ Robots’. A diss track to everyone who follows trends is always relevant as the cool kids are always jumping on something, tackling it, flooring it and rubbing it’s once cool face in the dirt. Take note kids, being different en mass makes you the same as the rest; Robots.