'Eat Good Records Compilation Volume 1' - VA (compilation review)

Right now Birmingham is putting a very convincing bid to be the new capital of UK Hip Hop and here's some proof: 'Eat Good Records Compilation Volume 1'. Featuring raps and beats from the whole crew this release is a real must have for any UK Hip Hop fan. Leading his soldiers into battle is one of last years most lauded MCs - SonnyJim, whose verses are consistently on point over the 7 tracks he features on.

Other raps come from Kosyne, TLG, Redbeard, English, RT and Professor D and then there's 'Planet Rasco' which features a whole host of artists too numerous to count (almost). Sivey, Shears, Kelakovski, Taharka, Wizard, Eyebs, R2ThaBeats, Percy Filth and others all provide flawlessly suitable beats.

SK brings a bit of leftfield comedy on the true to life 'Overtime' which is nestled right up with TLG and Ras Supa's 'Blacklist' - two tracks about money from the everyman's viewpoint. Elsewhere there's clever film title based lyrics, a story track whose main character is a bank note, a track about having a bad day and a Brummie love song.

In case you hadn't realised yet, the UK is so much bigger than London and it's time that everyone sat up and took notice of this country's pools of talent such as the Eat Good Records roster. 'Eat Good Records Compilation Volume 1' is available from Suspect Packages now for a ridiculously cheap price.

'Procrastinat(K)ing' - Truth (free download)

Copped this free download fresh last night and here it is now for you. Truth is the man behind the big Rapsploitation sessions (the best UK Hip Hop artists rockin' in Ipswich!) and this time it's his turn to drop a few bars on you.

Over a nice selection of heavy and varied beats (each from a different producer) Truth does what he does in the way he knows how and this 9 tracker turns out to be pretty dope.

A few guests drop by to kick a verse - Eat Good guy Kosyne spits on 'Pass That' (on a re-listen, it's not your average weed track, more like an anti-weed track!), The Colony's Grimlok voices his desires on 'Wannadoo' and SonnyJim and Conflix rap on the foreign-sounding 'Heavyweight'.

'Rap By Numbers' and 'Take Time' (produced by Sivey) are favourites of mine although I could bump this half hour set from beginning to end more than a few times. Think I will.

'Scarface'/'Please Listen' - Stylah (free download)

Ex-Poisonous Poets MC Stylah has been busy. Here are the two tracks that form his latest double A side single 'Scarface' and 'Please Listen'. I've already posted one version of 'Please Listen' which was produced by Show 'N' Prove but this new version is produced by Sivey. 'Scarface is produced by Australia's Styalz Fuego.

Stylah's debut album 'Treading Water' will be out soon. It features Grafh, Ghetts, Joell Ortiz, Immortal Technique and Sway. To check what Stylah's done before now on a solo tip check out these mixtapes he's done: 'Prince of Thieves', 'Crash Course' and 'The Dubs Mixtape'.

• Click here to read more about Stylah
• Click here to download 'On The Radar Vol. 3' which features Stylah's 'Fear The Future'.

'Dear Listener' - Lowkey (album review)

One of the best albums this year (see my newly amended list – I underestimated this one). Lowkey’s years of hard work, although lamented somewhat on document ‘Rise and Fall’, have really paid off – ‘Dear Listener’ is a complete and comprehensive release.

Observations and musings on subjects such as the motivation behind infidelity, the contrasting realities of life in Britain and Iraq, an interesting take on Hip Hop’s mortality and man’s morality are the order of the day here. But just in case you can’t see past the contents to the bare rhyme skills ‘Alphabet Assassin’ is thrown in to remind you that Lowkey is linguistically ahead of many of today’s MCs. In fact it’s the lyricism that makes the topics he explores impact so heavily.

‘Relatives’ produced by Sivey and featuring Logic is a cleverly interwoven tale of two men - one Iraqi, one British. It would have helped if the rappers had very different voices but it’s not too hard to follow who’s saying what. ‘Revolution’ is a beatbox production by Faith SFX and features a taste of things to come with Jon McClure on chorus duties. ‘I’m Back’ is a full on Quincey Tones produced banger – a tongue twisting exercise over a harpsichord-laced beat.

There are plenty more tracks that I could mention but instead, I’m just going to recommend a purchase – let the music speak for itself. It’s out now on So Empire/Hip Hop Village although its official release date is 26th January 2009.