Mury Poppinz 'Bruce Banner Movement' (Promo Video)

Mury Poppinz (of No Pretense) has been in a dark, dark place exorcising some demons to bring us the promo video for his track 'Bruce Banner Movement'. Produced by The Scarlet Pimpernel , 'Bruce Banner Movement' is the first leak from his forthcoming Free Download & CD album 'Corporal Mortification'.

With a strong concept running throughout the LP, Mury P is creating some seriously intense, hardcore Hip Hop! with further production coming courtesy of Brutal Artistry, Pheend Supreme, Melph, Junior Disprol, Cyber Ninja, Jack Danz, Megamouth & Jig-One. 'Corporal Mortification' will be darkening the airwaves very soon.

3 CDs or Vinyls for a Tenner!

Some news from the DTTS camp:

For a limited time only, buy any 3 CDs or Vinyl Records from The Dark City Store for just £10 shipped worldwide! Just add the first 2 items you want to the cart and state the name of the 3rd item you want in the notes field at checkout, simple as that!

(The offer excludes Chief Wigz 'Never Speak Ill Of The Dead Vol 1 as only 2 copies remain)

http://www.thedarkcityblog.com/2010/05/any-3-cds-or-vinyl-records-for-10.html
http://www.dtts.bigcartel.com/

also last few White Tee's with Orange Paisley WY logo now only £5 shipped! All sizes but SMALL in VERY limited numbers...http://www.dtts.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-orange-paisley-on-white-wy-t-shirt-limited-to-50

This offer includes the No Pretense album 'Music & Mouthwords' (which features Cage and Prince Po), the self titled Chief Wigz LP, the orange Chief Wigz 'Sunday Service' 12" and the No Pretense 7" green vinyl 'Self Harmonic' (click on each title to read my reviews). It also includes the brand new Knew Jeru'slum LP 'Jerus and Gentiles' which I can't recommend enough - keep 'em peeled for a review here soon!

As if that's not enough, free up your diary for this:

'Music & Mouthwords' - No Pretense (album review)

A quick look at the cover art and a prior knowledge of lead single ‘Self Harmonic’ featuring Cage will more than certainly mislead you. You’ll think that you know what ‘Music & Mouthwords’ has in store for you – but you’ll almost certainly be wrong.

You see, No Pretense are multidimensional; they don’t just do dark, twisted Hip Hop, they do it all. Don’t be fooled by titles like ‘Darkskies’ – this particular track is one of the least cheesy but most honest and heartfelt love songs Hip Hop has ever produced. The vein of sincerity and reality runs thick and deep – ‘Keep Breathing’ is written in such a way that it could be metaphorically describing a number of things, but it’s the stark reality of it that is the true subject matter – leaving behind a life of drug use. Tracks like ‘Fallen’ and ‘Death of a Star’ are a fine balance of lyricism and thought provoking ideas.

It’s not only Cage who represents the US here. None other than Prince Po turns up on ‘Elevation’ and drops a dope verse alongside Belinda Hards’ perfect sung chorus. Belinda Hards, of Knew Jeru’slum, appears elsewhere on the album and there’s no doubt her contributions are more than just filling gaps.

Eliphino’s rich sample pool has provided a sonic backdrop unlike any other. This isn’t boom bap, this isn’t old school styled, this certainly isn’t today’s chart fodder – this is just Hip Hop. In fact, if Don’t Talk To Strangers fancy releasing this as an instrumental album too, I, for one, wouldn’t mind. Cuts from Brutal Artistry add to the realness.

As things move along the album does get more shadowy. The absolute departure from crunchy drums and dusty production on ‘Wyrmslaya’ featuring Chief Wigz heralds vivid imagery based on various conspiracy theories over pumping synths. Bane and Mury P are joined by Chief Wigz, Spida Lee and Propticz on the militant beat of ‘Trife & Trivia’ – a banging posse cut for real.

With a keen sense of making a well rounded product and unashamedly Yorkshire accents No Pretense definitely bring something different into a flooded market. It's out now so order it for £5 only by clicking here.

Free Downloads from No Pretense, Joker Starr & KI

No Pretense - 'Death of a Star' ft. Belinda Hards
To promote their forthcoming album 'Music & Mouthwords', No Pretense are giving away a free download of 'Death of a Star' featuring Knew Jeru'slum's Belinda Hards on guest vocals. The download is available until 11th of January.

Joker Starr - 'Freestyle Freeness'
Joker Starr thought it would be good to kick start the new year by giving away some archive freestyles DJ specials that he has done over the years. 'Freestyle Freeness' features Dark Angel, Bangie, Soliheen and Scankman. His 'Frazier Ali' E.P. is nearing completion - it will be a digital only release, more information to come in the following weeks.

KI - 'Style of the Phoenix'
Another bandcamp release for you with some nice beats. Also check out his video for 'The Ronin Technique' which can be bought at itunes and places like that.

'On The Radar Vol. 4' Artist Highlight: Lunar C

One of West Yorkshire's, and indeed the UK's, most promising MCs is Lunar C. Period. Check out what he has to say for himself:

Certified Banger: Can you tell us your necessary background details so we can build on basics for the rest of the interview?

Lunar C: Yoyoyo, I’m Lunar C - an MC from Missing People and Sinoptic Crew.

CB: What are your current or upcoming projects? ie albums, singles, tours, guest spots…

LC: I’ve been working on quite a lot of projects this year. A few months ago me and Missing People released our debut EP ‘Glossop View’. I’m just about to release my debut solo project ‘The Lunar CD’ which should be out in the next two months and will only cost £1; so get your squid out! It’s gonna have roughly 20 of my best tracks on there and some sick features from West Yorkshire’s finest MCs and producers.

Also the whole Sinoptic crew (Lunar C, EXP, JND, Angry Nik, WYdeboi, Neverlearn and Angela Bellis) have got ‘The Badger Sex mixtape‘ coming in the next few months too which is just gonna be all of us killing it.

This year I’ve featured on JND’s ‘Working Classics’, Mastermind’s ‘Cut n Paste mixtape’ and I’ve just laid a verse down on a remix of Wu-Tang’s ‘Criminology’ track which is gonna be 6 MC’s: Me, Jack Flash, J Simple, Joker Starr, Spida Lee and Gen for Gen’s ‘Forbidden Jutsu mixtape’. Me and WYdeboi have been collaborating with a sick beatmaker from Leeds called Bridgens. I’ve collabed with No Pretense, Adverse and Immranimal from Shedmen, Leady and maybe more which I might have forgotten.

I’ve also got a crew of about 6 14 and 15 year old MCs that I’m kinda mentoring and they know all about Hip Hop which is rare for young UK MCs these days. I truly believe they are gonna shock alot of people with the skill they already have - they freestyle and write everyday and are about to do their first track soon so look out for Kontraband, Kid Nem and Sinister!

Click here to read on

SubSpecies Interview - Fresh New Streetwear

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disgracelands Tonight!

If you're in the West Yorkshire area (or near, you might be in North Yorkshire for example) then get over to Bradford for this night of niceness - I'm going. Jack Flash's right hand man J Simple is heading the line up, Brutal Artistry's set will be peppered with guests like Bane and Knew Jeru'slum, beatboxers Ballzee and Megamouth will probably stir up a storm as usual and new kids on the block Missing People will bring the ruckus too.

If you're there then wave some money in Bane's direction and he'll furnish you with a hot off the press green 7" vinyl of his single with Cage. Have a butchers and peep out the last logo on the back:

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

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

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

Amazon.com (if you pay with dollars)

Play.com (for the pound spenders)

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

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

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

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

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

Bane of Don't Talk To Strangers Interview

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

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

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

Bane: Good thanks, you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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