Vast Aire - Cannon of Samus remix

VAST AIRE - The Cannon of Samus Remix - ft Kenyattah Black & Contex MC(Clean) by urbanelitepr

Context MC gets mic time on one of the best beats from Vast Aires OX 2010. Im not too familiar with Context but hes got some high profile fans and has been putting alot of work in over the last few years, check out his site HERE for more. Brownsvilles Kenyattah Black also features on the Are Why produced head nodder. Cop the original on Vasts LP or d/l the remix from the player above.

Vast Aire - The Verdict remix feat. Guilty Simpson and Haze

Vasts Ox 2010 : A Street Odyssey is proving to be one of the best releases from the US this year. This remix of The Verdict features a guest verse from Eurogangs Haze the beat is dope too cop (most of) the album if you havent already. Vast will be touring Europe early next year and releasing a EP in the next couple months.

Gage - Godz Gift ft. Heaven-Razah, Rheto, Reverend Kane & Vast Aire

Click Animosity member Gage is back with the first single from his solo album the Desolate Lands. After the critically acclaimed group effort Feeders of the Flames last year he shows no signs of slowing up. Featuring Click Animosity member Rhetoric and un-official member Reverend Kane and hiphop legends Hell Razah and Vast Aire this is uncomprimising,authentic hiphop with no gimmicks.
Coming soon on Metal Barz Records and produced by the man behind the label DJ Extremidiz dont sleep on this.

'Taiko Rolls' - Taiko Rolls (album review)

If you don't know, get to know - Taiko Rolls is the collaboration between Rak and Edge and their debut album is self titled.

'Taiko Rolls' is an album full of honest, heartfelt rhymes that journey to the core of the MC. Lead track 'E', a boom-bap salute to the likes of DJ Premier, tells of Rak's early days with details of drug-addicted parents and his anger at school. Following on with nothing but more quality is 'The Hardest' featuring none other than Vast Aire - not a bad combo with more top notch head no production.

The album progresses, only 40 minutes all in all, with more dope beats and more dope rhymes. There is no one track that will get you reaching for the rewind button - you'll just need to put the CD on repeat. 'Taiko Rolls' brings back real Hip Hop and it's available now on itunes! Go on lads!

'D.Day' - Dialect (album review)

Being from the North East isn’t Dialect’s weak point, nor is it their gimmick – it’s what makes this album so refreshing. Their place of birth has driven them to create one of the most compelling Hip Hop albums I’ve listened to in a while. There’s none of the usual slang or superiority complex that make many other UK releases a little tedious. There are only brutally honest accounts of their real life. This album should definitely not be dismissed by non-locals.

This is one of those albums with which you can kick back with in order to really listen to it. There are autobiographical tracks in the form of the funky ‘Won’t Stop’, the slow burning ‘Quicksand’ and ‘I Woz ‘Ere’. There are anthems like Hip Hop versions of Kaiser Cheifs songs in the form of ‘The Landing’ and ‘Put It Down’ (just one of the tracks on which they really pull off the reggae ting). There are top quality collaborations such as ‘North and South’ with Ed Strong (of I.R.S.) and Mic Assassin, ‘Cerberus’ with Vast Aire, ‘War Games’ with fellow North Easters Text Offenders and ‘Grand Slam’ with Copywrite and Ru’ral – all of which have their own unique sound and style.

Production is mainly done in house by Peta Max although Chattabox contributes the instrumental for ‘I Woz ‘Ere’ and Sermstyle supplies beats on ‘No Guts No Glory’. The overall outlook of this album is a very positive one, certainly the music gives that feel even when the lyrics turn to the old Newcy Broon induced fighting talk or the back story of Rick Fury’s life. Check the secret track for beautiful production and a lovely guitar solo.

Despite being 17 tracks long and weighing in at 1.3 hours (whatever that means, thanks itunes for using unconventional units of time) this album is full of quality music, not just the same old, same old. It’s out soon on 1984 records, check back here for more details on its release date – it should do better than Sep's beloved team are doing right now.

• Click here to download 'On The Radar Vol. 2' for a free Chattabox/Lowercase track

• Click here to download 'On The Radar Vol. 3' for a free Dialect track

Certified Banger - 'The Number One Blog for UK Hip Hop'

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.