Clipse, Shepherds Bush Empire, London (by bse)

Me old mucker beezer recently went to see Clipse. He posted about it on his new blog, 16 33 45 78 and gave me permission to repost it here. Make sure you check his blog as he has the theme to Grandstand on there too. Oh, and for those who didn’t know he also is one of the chief posters over at The Gat.

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Fuck Hiphop shows. Seriously. I’m not going to any Hiphop shows any more.

The Clipse are the best Hiphop group out. Their album “Hell Hath No Fury” was the best Hiphop album of last year. By far. Seeing them live now ought to be comparable to seeing Public Enemy in 89 or Wu-Tang in 94.

Their show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire last night was the worst concert I have ever been to. The sound was terrible. Bad mic levels are a standard at Hiphop shows, they only really work if you know all the words already, because you’re not gonna catch them live. Malice shouted all of his rhymes, Pusha shouted all of his rhymes and most of Malice’s as well.

Listen to a Clipse record. They don’t shout. Their whole persona is of dudes that don’t shout. They are inscrutably controlled and cold in their deliveries. Like Mobb Deep on “Shook Ones”, they do not make shouting music. I guess rap has to be shouted live, right? I mean everyone else does it, being the best group out shouldn’t mean you have to do things any different. Should it?

The music though…

The Empire has a decent sound system. I saw Ghostface there a few years ago and while the show was spoiled by the vocal interference of too many crew members, the sound was pretty good. All the beats sounded great. With the Clipse we’re talking about impeccably engineered, sparser than sparse, Neptunes beats, played on vinyl over a sound system. We’re not talking about mic-ing up a thirty piece orchestra, they had Harry Love playing some instrumentals. It should have been easy. It sounded terrible.

About 20 minutes into the set I went off to have words with the soundman. I leaned over the booth until I got the dude’s attention and shouted “this sounds fucking shit” at him. He goes “Yeah I know, I’m just doing the lights” so I went round the other side to find the soundman. Rappers are forever berating the soundman, mostly to get their mics turned up (bad idea). Clipse didn’t mention the bad sound, they seemed oblivious. It would have been a bit rich if they had been blaming the soundman, since they didn’t turn up for a sound check. They apparently sent one dude (Ab Liva?) to do a mic check, for which he didn’t even come out on stage. Well done. The support, Kidz In The Hall, who did turn up for the sound check, had perfectly good sound, compounding the laziness of Clipse’s set.

Malice had a somewhat compelling intensity on stage but his brother seemed to be equal parts shouting and disinterest. Going through the motions of what must be a pretty long tour by now but trying to cover it by saying some words REALLY loud.

The arrival of “Keys Open Doors” managed to punch through my pissed off mood a bit. It is the best recent Hiphop song, from the best recent Hiphop album, from the best current Hiphop group. It ought to punch through a bad mood, but by the time Malice (the best rapper out, remember) got to his verse the energy had gone again. Too much bad sound for a group so polished on record (they had shitty feedback throughout two whole songs). Too little finesse from a group so careful in their writing and so calculating in their delivery.

I know “them crackers weren’t paying fair Jive” and the album tanked despite universal acclaim but if you’re going to tour for your money, you better tour a show worth seeing. Last night’s show was not.

The world of live music is thriving whilst the recorded music industry loses money. There are more and larger concerts, festivals and tours than ever but Hiphop is getting left behind. Most shows in London don’t sell out, regardless of the venue and this is not because Hiphop artists don’t sell here, it’s because everyone says Hiphop shows are shit. I’m done disagreeing with them.

Oh and Malice’s chain looks a lot like a Jim’ll Fix It medal:

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As already mentioned, bse’s most excellent blog 16 33 45 78 is where this review first appeared. Go there now and join in the fun.

Artist: El-P

Reviewer: A to the L

(Footnote: Someone had to take time out to put personal copyright protection on this review cd (and every other one that went out to all the other people who had to suffer through this.) The dude doing the personal drops sounds even more bored than I became as I tried to find anything listenable on here. Ten years on since “Funcrusher” and its still the same awful metallic beats awkwardly supporting the same crowbar-ing of too many words into each line.

“This cd belongs to… A to the L.”

It sure does… I need a new coaster.)

Artist: Klashnekoff

Reviewer: Gavin-X

“K…K… / Lash ya rasclat neck off / I’ll split you in half like a gun blast from Lennox…”

With those words on 2002′s underground smash ‘Murda,’ Hackney’s Ricochet Klashnekoff graduated from simmering potential to perhaps the biggest name in UK hip hop. While the reggae influenced ‘Daggo Mentality’ on Wordplay’s second “Word Lab” compilation, put his name on peoples’ lips, and dope guest spots alongside Jehst and Lewis Parker told you he was someone to watch, it was this instant classic that grabbed you by the back of the neck and smashed your head through a window. High profile exposure followed, touring with his Terra Firma crew alongside Jehst, as well as US heavyweights such as DMX and Mobb Deep, and with ‘Murda’ as his show stealing ace, Klashnekoff’s rise to stardom within the UK rap scene was meteoric. Since the 2004 release of his debut “The Sagas Of Klashnekoff”, Klash can certainly not be accused of resting on his laurels, putting out an incredible amount of music, both solo and alongside his Terra Firma family, to keep his skills sharp and his name known. However, in the build-up to the release of Lionheart, group member Kyza unexpectedly announced his departure from Terra Firma, leaving the crew’s future in serious doubt.

While we might never know the true story behind this split, lets not forget about Klashnekoff’s worth as a solo artist even before having his hand forced, and this full length collaboration with Joe Buhdha was well underway before any kind of beef kicked off within Terra Firma. While albums such as The Game’s have proven how a variety of producers can come together to create a uniform sound, there’s always been something to be said for a single producer handling an entire project and recently we’ve seen several excellent applications of this theory, with Mark B (Australian rapper Delta’s “Lostralian”) and DJ Nappa (Inja’s “Wideopen”) overseeing the entirety of albums last year with great success. With many impressive collaborations with UK don Rodney P already behind him, Joe Buhdha is on the cusp of UK hip hop fame and with a whole album to prove his worth, surely these two artists are made for each other.

Following a short introduction, the album opens with ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (On Channel U),’ a funky tune to set the scene for the album, describing the current state of affairs in London through the eyes of Klash. This call for change continues throughout the set, encouraging his audience to realise that revolution can only come if they themselves mobilise and take action : “I’m spittin’ this till my two lungs cave in / Looking for soldiers, warriors and brave men / But brothers are brazen or too busy ravin’ / To listen to my statement / Even after Steven’s blood stained the pavement / It still seems like we’re stuck in the same trench / Bunning herbs and wondering where the day went.”

Next up is the first single released, the introspective ‘My Life,’ which was backed with the more street sounds of ‘Two Guns Blazing,’ as is the trend these days. While ‘My Life’ has daytime crossover appeal, this style doesn’t really do Klashnekoff justice, as the stuttering, underwhelming beat and derivative content make him sound very ordinary. ‘Two Guns Blazing’ however, featuring 45, is more like the heat we expect from the man though, with Klashnekoff riding the heavy beat and spitting fire as the two trade lines. It is this grimy side to Lionheart that shows Klashnekoff at his strongest, but it seems that he has almost gone out of his way to avoid these types of tracks, in order to not just be grouped together with so many other up-and-coming UK rappers under the ‘grime’ mantle. We find therefore, several tracks that follow ‘My Life,’ with its insipid hook and slower flow, attempting to show diversity. The result however is a somewhat uneasy mix across the whole album, and while having aspirations for variety outside of the double time aggressive tracks that made the Terra Firma name are admirable, it simply does not suit Klashnekoff, nor Joe Buhdha for that matter. Beats such as the reggae-influenced ‘Refuse to Die’ and the slow, smoky jazz club vibe of ‘Question’ for example, feel superficial and half-hearted, with Klashnekoff almost struggling to reel himself in enough to flow over them in time. It goes without saying however, that seventeen tracks of the same fast street aggression of ‘Two Guns Blazing’ would not have been ideal either, so some of these more introspective slower tunes are required, but only twice do the pair get the difficult formula right.

‘Rest Of Our Lives’ is a sequel to “The Sagas of Klashnekoff’s” ‘Black Rose,’ continuing the story of Klashnekoff’s struggling youth with his mother. Here Joe Buhdha nails the slow jam with a soulful loop and hook that Just Blaze or Kanye would be proud of, allowing the obvious charisma and honesty of Klash to exorcise demons of domestic violence :

“My back’s covered in welts / Cos the night before / Mummy switched and lost it with a belt / And I felt fucked / Cos there was no one I could tell / So when I reached twelve / I started turning to myself / And bunning herbs / Cos talking to god didn’t work / But finally I can put all of this in words / This is my chance to reverse / Back to the pain and the hurt / To let my mums know I don’t blame her / Cos now I overstand / Seeing life from the perspective of a grown man.”

Album closer ‘Make Ps’ similarly walks the line between the saccharine and the poignant favourably, leaving an up-lifting message for the album’s audience. Over a mellow, soulful beat, Klash’s positive call for a focus on life’s basic needs as a path to happiness is compelling :

“I don’t ask for much / And I’m a humble youth / Gimme a roof over my head and some food and zoots / Maybe a garden outside / You know something for the youths / So I can raise them on the fruitful truth / Cos that’s the essence / Teaching them that their self-worth is more precious / Than any Lexus / Or any blinged out necklace / Yeah things get desperate but you must overstand / Any man can hold cash but what’s good with no plan?”

For those listeners checking for Klashnekoff for those hard hitting street anthems though, there is plenty to enjoy across “Lionheart”. Although the production is basic, ‘Terrorise the City’ still comes hard, with Kyza and the legendary Kool G. Rap dropping guest verses while Redman is cut to shreds on the hook. The hype ‘Sayonara’ is even better, featuring both former Terra Firma associates Kyza and Skriblah over a bass heavy banger. ‘Bun Dem,’ with its innovative, bouncing steel drums, and the ominous ‘Bit By Bit,’ further show Klashnekoff at his best, with the latter being the album’s highlight. Buhdha’s best beat on Lionheart suits Klash’s flow perfectly and lyrically he delivers substance, occasionally lacking elsewhere on the album :

“Twenty-four seven I grind / Everyday I work / So when I’m done with the game they can say I merked / But right now blood / I’m trapped on this earth’s surface / Where they pay the footballers more than the nurses / And they expect a health service / But they don’t help / So with respect I say ‘Fuck yourself’ / Cos right now blood / Man is stuck in hell / It made me conscious but corrupt as well.”

So, the question on everyone’s lips since Hip Hop Connection magazine deemed it worthy to earn their rare 5/5 rating, does this much anticipated collaboration live up to the pre-release hype? To be perfectly honest: no, not by quite a distance. Overall, it’s too uneven as a musical whole and simply uninspired, both on a production and a lyrical tip, to have any lasting great resonance. The soapbox moralising is not particularly engaging and there’s just far too much unnecessary flab across the seventeen tracks (of which five are skits). There is some fantastic material on “Lionheart”, but somehow it feels generally rushed; many beats sound unfinished and lacking depth, and many verses fail to really register due to unoriginal and simplistic gangster posturing. Klashnekoff is still an enormous talent, as is Joe Buhdha, with much to offer in the future, but if you are a Terra Firma fan, my advice is to cop Kyza’s incredible debut “The Experience” instead.

Artist: Braintax

Reviewer: Gavin-X

Rather than try to summarise this long overdue second album from one of the UK’s greatest pioneers in a glib opening sentence, I’ll let the man Braintax do it himself: “the whole point of Panorama is to think outside the box, see the bigger picture and broaden our minds” he explains on the Low Life Records website. This could apply generally in our everyday lives, given the fractured state of world politics over the last five years, or more specifically, within the British music industry. It is these two topics that provide the bulk of the material on “Panorama” showing that rap is able to have a deeper meaning beyond materialism and recurring gangster clichés, to speak about something both simultaneously simpler, yet also more meaningful. If basic aggressive delivery and stale street tales are representative of a blinkered worldview, then Braintax’s latest offering is certainly the full three-hundred-and-sixty degree widescreen edit.

But who is Braintax to act as judge you might ask yourself. Well for one, he’s been in the game for over fifteen years, and is the owner of the most successful British hip-hop label to date, Low Life Records, responsible for crucial releases from artists such as Jehst, Skinnyman, Task Force and Rodney P over the years. Perhaps the crown jewel of this superlative back catalogue however, comes from Brains himself, and that is 2001’s “Biro Funk”, an album that personifies the relevance of British rap in the face of generic Neptunes-produced club anthems. And so with “Panorama” Braintax takes this blueprint and confidently expands it in every direction, basing his production on heavy soul and funk samples, rather than the two-step grime influences of the Terra Firma crew, among others. It’s this stripped down, back-to-basics approach that permeates the album’s gospel tinged opener ‘All I Need’, produced by Beat Butcha. Here Braintax shows his individuality, shunning the stereotypes of freestyle circles, beefs, “London chat,” and even weed smoking: “Bring the soul back / take some shrooms / fuck it man / take a pill / it might open your mind / or maybe have a good time instead of sitting there with paranoia.” He calls for rappers to focus on their actual needs (“food, clothes and shelter”) and get some perspective; being poor is having nowhere to live and nothing to eat, not just being unable to afford more credit for your mobile phone.

It is Beat Butcha who also provides production on the album’s banging lead single, ‘Run the Yards’, a track dedicated to “all the cynical bastards in the house.” The lyrical content is directed towards to the British music industry, personifying it as a prison that keeps down the true talent in this country, and it truly is a scathing attack. Calling out image-conscious and vacuous executives, he picks on the cynical exploitation of black artists from this country, chosen seemingly at random to act as a symbol of a record company’s ethnic diversity and ‘urban’ commitment: “I ain’t mad an any artists / it’s the industry I’m cussing / London media white trash / coke head hacks playing with Dad’s cash / trying so hard to ‘be down’ and be cool / sign the ‘ghetto-ist’ artist / hoping that reflects on you / you’re still a pussy and you get no play / you’re like Kleinfeld the lawyer in Carlito’s Way.” I could quote more lyrics, but suffice to say, it’s a good job he puts out his own records because, if not, he’d probably be finished after this.

The single’s flip, ‘Last Tenner’, represents the other side of this record; the less serious, clowning fun that couldn’t be further from some of the political messages present on “Panorama”. The track’s introduction speaks about the world’s problems before Brains interrupts with “fuck it, let’s go and get drunk!” Lyrically, this is a light-hearted look at British drinking culture, with no analysis or commentary, just a celebration almost.

While Braintax’s strength on this album is undoubtedly the wealth of more sober and profound material, ‘Last Tenner’, along with other straight forward entertaining tracks such as “Biro Funk” sequel ‘Back to the Riviera’, do still have significant value. The peak of these party tracks comes through collaboration with good mate Mystro on the hilarious ‘Good Or Bad’, where the two trade verses about whether its preferable to have a nice clean good girl or a back handed shady one. The two have great chemistry and Mystro kills it, rhyming about how he’s always liked the bad girls: “Gimme a chick who knows how to treat a fool / does credit card scams, used to cheat in school…Brains I couldn’t give a cream pie what you say / give me the thickest chick you seen on Crimewatch UK!” By providing variety through lighter subject matter, Braintax makes the serious messages of the other album tracks even more compelling, drawing the listener into hearing the words, instead of just being lost in a mixing bowl of political diatribes.

It is this contemporary reference and commentary however which makes “Panorama” stand out as both a superb rap record, as well as a relevant chronicle of the state of the world, from the point of view of a bitter Northern bloke anyway. Throughout the five overtly political tracks on the album, Braintax covers everything from race issues to foreign policy to concerns over environmental decline, all with deceptively simple yet heartfelt content. As critiques go, ‘Decade’, aimed at the Thatcher dominated 1980s, is as vicious as ‘Run The Yards’, tackling the political divide between the conservative south and labour north, framed in the decade’s bleak civil rights riots and rampant materialism. Similarly, the uncompromising ‘Syriana Style’, pulls no punches in its attack of media coverage and foreign policy over the war in Iraq: “Don’t forget what our government does / when we all go abroad it reflects on us / sitting on the beach / sitting in a club / loud-ass Brits in the English pub / man I’m amazed that we still get love / while we’re punching the world with American gloves.”

Furthermore, a collaboration with Dubbledge ‘Anti-Grey’, speaks on race relations back in the UK, even sending up some of the British stereotypes raised in ‘Last Tenner’. Once more, Braintax’s guest rips the track up, touching on the issues of refugees, the BNP (British National Party) and even this country’s still dormant Imperial aspirations.

The album’s melancholy closing track ‘Exit Plans’, offers a more retrospective look at the world’s problems, once more returning to the focus on basics and personal happiness. Braintax is asking us to see what we’ve accomplished and not take it for granted before its too late: “Still tryin’ to show the earth respect / a lot of artists talk that conscious talk / but don’t walk the walk / I believe our lifestyles will come back to haunt…damn right its getting hotter in here / been consuming too much / I need to stop this year / and get away to where the air’s still crisp / the sun’s still safe and its cheap to eat fish.”

But perhaps the most focus will rightly fall on another “Biro Funk” sequel, ‘The Grip Again,’ subtitled ‘A Day In The Life Of A Suicide Bomber’. Spoken from the point of view of a young Palestinian boy who becomes a suicide bomber, over subtle eastern influenced strings, this is truly an empathetic masterpiece: “Sounds and the smells of a place called earth / where human rights vary on your place of birth / for what its worth I’m gonna redress a bit of balance / I’m not brain washed / just prepared to be a martyr / young firestarter and the world won’t act / detonate my body and take some dignity back.”

“Panorama” isn’t perfect however and it most likely won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Some will point to the over-simplified political conspiracy theories that we’ve all heard out of Michael Moore’s mouth more than enough. Others will say that there aren’t enough catchy ‘club’ hooks or big name guest spots, and that those guests that do appear, outshine Braintax’s understated delivery. People might even be turned off by the lack of hustling tales and see his cynicism as middle class condescension made manifest. But in these days of gangster posturing, does the UK scene not need an everyman figure, devoid of all the iced-out mystique? The success abroad of Rhymefest, and even to some extent, Kanye West, has been based on this hook, yet Braintax offers this experience even more vividly than either of these superstars could ever hope to achieve. At a live show, you’ll see him in the crowd dressed unassumingly in a hoodie and jeans enjoying a beer with the crowd but when he’s on stage, you can see what it means to him. He’s just a normal guy who happens to have a decent ear for beats and can rap really rather well.

Artist: Ty

Reviewer: Redeem

Ty. This year?

If the Mercury Music Prize is the symbol of individual success on these shores, then Ty’s latest offering should be odds on to take it. Third album deep and the evolution continues. From the start with 2001′s “Awkward”, Ty displayed the dichotomy that hip hop has always needed. If you only check for the likes of Styles P and Mobb Deep then the chances are you’ve slept on this British artist, heavy with a reputation for impressive live showing. And he’s probably not to your style anyway.

A style which is playful, positive and eclectic, past offerings displayed humourous storytelling and experimental wordplay. “Closer” listens like a soulful playground with plenty of funky choruses decorating the walls. Opening track ‘Dont Watch That (Knickers,Y-Fronts and Jockstraps)’ is a nice start. A bassline reminicent of Amerie’s ‘One Thing’, Ty talks on people in his business and the bother it brings. The chorus?

“People in your business love to just chat,
All up in yer knickers y-fronts and jockstaps.”

Arrested Development’s Speech drops a verse on ‘This Here Music’, a sythn laiden song, soulfully accompanied throughout with BV’s from Vula, who features nicely on several tracks. Its nice to hear from AD’s frontman again but not exactly a necessity to the tune as the production is so strong. De La Soul however do what they do best and take over the show on ‘The Idea’. Pos sounds at home with Ty’s playful wordplay style in particular.

The pace picks up on ‘What You Want (Taylormade)’ with a faster tempo of beats and rhyming. A return to soulful jazzy hiphop, trumpets, horns, trombone, sax supplied by Jason and the Angrynotes plus beatboxing from the excellent Taylor McFerrin. Another guest features on the first single release and album title track, ‘Closer’ – this time De La’s Maceo does his shouting thing on the chorus. Huge shoutouts to the album’s production team of Drew and Ty himself. A beautiful song from start to end. A driving french horn and chorus that will be a MUST to hear live. Ty rhymes on the state of a now-struggling hiphop and from a personal point of view.

“the culture’s under attack and thats no theory,
rap is trapped and thats so scary,
just sex no message no ex
teach the youts to think thats whats fresh
for you to have a mind means no success…

..if the grass seems greener then check yer contacts
im tryina spring clean an’ then check for phonetaps
i never had a full deck of cards so chill
im tryina get by not driveby to kill it aint nothing to stay fresh
and taste rotten, im tryina sell farms and not just pick cotton”

Peep this single for an exact taste of what Ty is about. Highpoints remain throughout. Bahamadia is always a pleasure to hear, featured on the electronic ‘Oh!’ as is the taste of spoken word at the start of ‘Hustle (Thats Why We?)’. Ty is an individual who thankfully hasnt changed his style – just grown up a little… an artist who still offers his playful wordplay alongside some soulful music to be played and played and played.

Ty, this year? Who cares, Ty, thank you.

Training Camp Hip Hop Showcase, Pyramid Club, New York (by Sam Frank)

Carry On Tradition

As a child of the 80’s, my friends and I often glued ourselves to the floor when martial arts movies were on T.V. Nothing was more invigorating than seeing a guy overcome adversity by extending a warm can of whoop ass to his opponent. Besides the cliché ending where the protagonist triumphs; my favorite parts were those montage training scenes where the main character goes from zero to hero in ten minutes. Whether it was learning to fight blind (Bloodsport), catching flies with chopsticks (The Karate Kid), or being trained by Bruce Lee’s spirit (No Retreat, No Surrender) victory only materialized after our champion demonstrated the five foundational disciplines of success: hard work, self motivation, commitment, critical thinking, and structure.

Despite the heavy use of unbelievable situations (eg. every Jackie Chan movie) to further the story’s narrative along; the realistic benefits received from adhering to the five foundational disciplines remain unscathed. Proof of this comes every Tuesday night in the form of hungry rappers who transform into the ghost rider to spit fire like Mario before their master of motivation, Mental Supreme (not to be confused with Omega Supreme from Transformers), at the Pyramid Club, located in New York City’s famous East Village. For the past five years Mental Supreme has turned Tuesday nights at the Pyramid Club into what he calls “Training Camp;” a safe haven for underground artists to sharpen their stage presence while simultaneously learning how to survive in today’s music industry.

When at Training Camp, performers receive preacher-like sermons of encouragement from Mental Supreme that often reiterate the aforementioned disciplines of success; and the culmination of everybody’s hard work came to the forefront this past Tuesday as Mental Supreme recruited the renowned mixtape prodigy, DJ Envy, to host a competition he put together at the Pyramid Club, which also included a slew of high level industry professionals scheduled to judge the event. The grand prize of this prestigious competition was $5,000, and only those handpicked by Mental Supreme were allowed to participate. In addition to a generous cash prize, artists were presented with an opportunity to perform before a panel of judges who can potentially push their career into fifth gear. These incentives were enough to command Training Camp’s finest members, accompanied by their respective “army” of supporters, to the Pyramid Club on a cold evening in late January.

The judges were attorney Kevon Glickman (Rick Ross, Trina, etc.), Amanda “Precise” McIntyre-Chavis (Virgin/EMI Music Group/CEO of Musaic Management Group), Steve “Raze” Julien (President of Allhiphop.com), and Jason Mazur (A&R for TVT). Besides these illustrious judges, other top notch industry representatives were in the crowd seeking tomorrow’s next hit maker. With stakes this high, and a club packed wall-to-wall with hip hop advocates, the pressure was on for all 27 performers to flex their talent muscles on stage.

Artists with names like Quest The Wordsmith, Flawless, and Crucial started the showcase off with raps tighter than Pamela Lee’s dresses. Their unique syllabic combinations intertwined with a side order of intensity not only provided the judges with an example of the high caliber talent on Training Camp’s roster, but it also set the tone for the entire evening. One of the many things that made this particular competition so unique was the variety of talent that graced the stage. Flawless (representing Jamaica, Queens) brought along a live drummer to accentuate his roll over melodic wordplay, and as the drummer poured out faster beats, Flawless, seemingly unfazed, sped up his rhythm to match. Supernova, a three piece “band” with a saxophone player and drummer, brought a smooth, yet energetic, sound to the stage. Their sound could be likened to that of Guru’s Jazzmatazz series or Q-Tip’s alter-ego, Kamal The Abstract.

The real surprise, though, came when the Japanese whiz-kid named Coo (pronounced ko-u) hit the stage to project lighting quick lyrics at the crowd in tommy-gun fashion. Coo’s hands flailed at the audience with vigor as his word velocity increased to the point where it sounded as if he was rapping at 120 beats per minute. “I moved to New York from Tokyo to be a rapper,” explained Coo after his performance. Oh, by the way, in case I forget to mention, Coo raps completely in Japanese, which appeared to stump everyone in attendance. “It doesn’t matter whether people can understand him,” explained Mental Supreme. “Everyone can feel his energy and that’s most important.”

Other performers such as Voodoo Soul (a full band), Nemesis, Dirk Diggler of Hard Body Records, and Paternal may have kept the crowds interested, but one artist in particular brought the ruckus with a ferocious stage presence matched only by his uncanny gift of gab. This artist goes by the name of NY Oil, and when his sound blasted through the Pyramid Club’s speakers, vibrations of seismic proportions kept all the heads in attendance ringing. The sheer energy of NY Oil’s performance could have powered an electric car for at least 100 miles. Not only is NY Oil a good lyricist who embodies the true essence of hip hop behind his blade runner-esqe sunglasses, but apparently he is also good for the environment; which is why the esteemed panel of judges named him winner and awarded NY Oil the $5,000 grand prize. “My team and I came with the sincere intention of making a positive impression,” NY Oil stated after his win. “That we came away with first place affirmed our true mission.” Watching NY Oil hit the audience with his sonic boom was truly a cathartic experience for this journalist.

The evening proved to a positive one for Mental Supreme and the entire Training Camp crew. Similar to a martial arts master, Mental Supreme trains his loyal disciples by consistently echoing the five foundational disciplines of success accompanied by his interpretation of them: hard work, the ability to overcome any and all obstacles when intelligence & the physical body work as one; self motivation, being solely responsible for one’s own success or failure; commitment, actively involved with everything that pertains to you; critical thinking, the ability to see your future, based on intelligent decision making; and structure, to be organized. Mental Supreme’s longevity as Training Camp’s parental influence is a true testament to the quality of his business ethics, and people like Coo, NY Oil, and all the other 27 artists who took to the stage were given a chance to shine because Mental Supreme is serious about the five laws he cultivates. Kind of makes me wonder how many martial arts movies he watched growing up.

Sam Frank
Journalist/Publicist
www.oceanboom.com
www.radioplaytoday.com

Artist: Kyza

Reviewer: Gavin-X

Who is Kyza you may ask yourself, and why should you spend your hard earned cash on his record? A valid question, when for the first time in years, the UK scene is almost overflowing with myriad MCs and full length releases. Well, for one, he’s part of heavyweight crew Terra Firma… or should I say he was part of heavyweight crew Terra Firma, because, in a bizarre series of events, since releasing this album and appearing on a further collaborative mix tape album (“The Foundation”) with his boys Klashnekoff and Skriblah, Kyza’s announced that he’s left the group.

The story surrounding this surprising move is still somewhat shrouded in mystery, but after one listen of his debut “The Experience”, you can’t help but feel that maybe it wasn’t such a bad move. Furthermore, you’ll notice that unlike so many group MCs, Kyza can more than hold down a full length album by himself, without you wishing his former partners in rhyme would drop in once in a while to drop a verse and break things up. Rap history is littered with such cases; even members of the mighty Wu-Tang Clan have styles that can be just too thick on their own for listeners to handle. Not so Kyza though, who spits through twelve of the album’s fourteen tracks by himself; refreshing again in a time where albums are sold more on their collaborations and guest spots rather than their supposedly featured artist. The main reason Kyza is able to make this transition into a solo artist so easily is the sheer variety with which he rhymes across the album. You’ll soon notice his ability to adjust his cadence, vocal tone and even speed, without ever sounding out of time or divorced from the production, a shortfall many successful stars suffer from.

Kyza’s double-time flow, demonstrated on lead single ‘Fight Klub’, is reminiscent of many British grime artists, but unlike so many of these rappers, he combines style with substance, making each lyric just as vital as the flow and beat. Over a stuttering two-step banger from Chemo, Kyza establishes himself as an individual early on “The Experience”, sounding off about fake champagne-swigging MCs, whose posturing and attitude are stealing focus away from the music. This is an ongoing theme throughout the album, and a stereotype from which Kyza is eager to disassociate himself. His intent is signalled within thirty seconds of starting the album, using an interview sample from Jay-Z who states that “for everything to be perfect, everybody’s gotta be focused…on one thing,” and that’s the music.

This is continued across perhaps the album’s highlight, ‘Real’, which comes in two parts over a heavy bass-driven beat. Kyza’s flow demands your attention and on ‘Real (Part 1)’ he delivers: “Don’t ask me what manor I’m from / ends / or what city I rep / I rep me and that’s the truth…I love my music.” On ‘Part 2′, in perhaps the album’s best verse, he then speaks on the number of wannabe thugs injecting unneeded violence into the scene and nearly ruining it: “Nuff man gon be mad at me now / whatever / go change your sanitary towel / instead of bragging about, how you shot crack / rolling with thieves and crooks / stop that / do something else / read some books / get a gal / go on a date and get laid / then you won’t be such a vexed breh / talking bout how your tech spray/ that’s long / plus I don’t believe you / get fucked in the hole you bleed through.”

While there’s no terrible material on the album, there are several songs that don’t quite stand up to the high standards set by the rest of the album. ‘Hype Is Real’ is a DJ Caramac produced reggae-tinged club tune, which just feels a little lightweight and ends up being utterly forgettable. ‘Snakes ‘n’ Blaggers’, speaking on shady, backstabbing friends, backed with a forgettable Touch Tone beat, again seems a little uninspired and brings very little originality to a fairly well-worn subject matter. Finally, ‘Sick’, despite its dope soaring strings and rumbling bass line, suffers from a lack of real subject matter, and given the rapid fire staccato flow, is destined to be remembered just as ‘Fight Klub’ Part 2.

Alongside ‘Real’ though, we find several other real standout tracks that solidify Kyza’s destined status amongst contemporary UK hip-hop’s elite. A lot of pre-release hype was rightly focused on ‘Lucozade Bottles’, as Kyza offers an affectionate nostalgic look back at his youth, reminiscing about Pat Sharp, Mario Brothers, cheap Madhouse trousers and old pirate radio stations over an understated D’Lux beat. Anyone from the UK who grew up in the 90s will enjoy the name checks and Kyza sums this feeling up with the final smirking line “come on man, it isn’t just me who remembers all this!”

Next, on ‘Bitter Sweet Love’, the single’s B-Side, we find Kyza in smooth mode, speaking to the ladies over D’Lux’s snaring two-step drums and subtle guitar licks. In what is seemingly an album requirement, he chronicles a failed relationship, but in his own unique way, offering a catchy potential crossover hit.

Finally, a personal favourite is ‘Porno’ which as the title suggests, sees Kyza getting more than a little X-Rated over a polished DJ Premier-esque banger from Caramac. The lyrical content is truly for mature audiences only and is genuinely laugh-out-loud hilarious, showing that Kyza’s clearly enjoying himself. Grounded in reality too, the tales he tells are recognisable and affectionate, with his personality shining through once again : “That was fun / lets do it again / now I’ve gotta rush off / grab your stuff, buff / I’ll walk you to the bus stop.”

It is this personality that lifts Kyza up above his contemporaries, and rather than revelling in the studio gangster image which is prevalent throughout the UK hip-hop, he defiantly shuns it in an attempt to divorce the scene from this mythology. He concentrates on the music and seems determined to have fun with it, showing a sense of humour so often lacking in rap music generally. Furthermore, it’s clear that Kyza is a real three-dimensional human being, with faults and regrets, as shown on ‘Born Loser’ and the concluding ‘Shoutro.’ The level of maturity and introspection on the album’s ‘Intro’ may surprise many listeners but it’s certainly a good thing in the British music scene; maybe it is time those in the industry “got serious…(and) put the playstation pad and weed down.”

Rakim, BB King Blues Bar, New York (by Sam Frank, The Oceanboom)

Manhattan is a city always under construction. Throughout the past few decades buildings in New York City have either been torn down to make way for new ones or renovated from the inside out to give off a more modern appearance. This course of action takes place because people liken the idea of “new” to fresh, whereas, “old” is considered obsolete. Rather than maintaining buildings for their cultural heritage people ignore the history in order to make way for the future.

That negative image of “old” or “outdated” also exists in the world of hip hop which is why Shawn Carter (a.k.a. Jay-Z), 37, claims “30 is the new 20,” on his new album Kingdom Come. Jay-Z is doing everything in his power to stay on top despite the fact that he has aged since his classic album Reasonable Doubt dropped a decade ago. Normally, when hip hop artists reach a certain age, usually around their mid 30s, fans start to label them as “old school,” a term often implying that hip hop has evolved while these artists have not. But on Thanksgiving weekend at B.B.King Blues Bar in New York, Rakim, rap pioneer and one half of the dynamic duo Eric B. & Rakim, educated all the non-believers in attendance as the microphone fiend sprayed the wall to wall crowd with his lyrics of fury.

Rakim, born William Michael Griffin, first found success at the age of 18 with Eric Barrier (Eric B.) on the hit record “Eric B. Is President,” off their full length debut, Paid In Full. After three huge innovative albums with Eric B., Rakim began a solo career and released two albums in the late 90s, The 18th Letter (1997) and The Master (1999). Although The 18th Letter received acclaim from critics The Master was considered a step backwards for the lyrical prophet. With success in the mid 80s and no new albums this century it appeared that Rakim had faded with the times; thus, falling into the “old school” category like so many before him. All that labeling became irrelevant, though, as Rakim got the party started when he took the stage and opened the show with “It’s Been A Long Time” off The 18th Letter. With his name spelled out in graffiti behind him Rakim proceeded to kick knowledge with well-known tracks like “Don’t Sweat The Technique” and “You Know I Got Soul” as he ran from one side of the stage to the other, feeding off the crowd’s energy.

As Rakim continued his lip service the multi-generational audience attempted to sing along with his free-flowing lyrical tirade. Some people were able to keep up with the “R,” but most got tongue tied as the word velocity increased. With DJ Technic on the cuts to replace Kid Capri, Rakim’s lyrical prowess was put to the test as he continuously jumped from song to song, sounding as if his live vocals were being scratched on the wheels of steel. Things did slow down towards the middle of the show when a crew member from backstage brought out a chair and a new pair of sneakers for Rakim to change into.

With the chair on stage and the mic in hand words of wisdom began flowing from B.B. King’s enormous speakers. During the next few songs Rakim opened up to the audience as he discussed the passing of his mother last year, and his aunt, the week prior to the show, whom he described as the two most important females in his life. “It’s not where you’re from, but where you at,” Rakim preached before bringing back that old New York rap with “In The Ghetto” off 1990’s Let The Rhythm Hit’em.

Rakim finished the show up with “Mahogony” for the ladies, “Juice (Know The Ledge)” for the fellas, and “Eric B. Is President” for everyone in between. After witnessing Rakim mesmerize the crowd for more than an hour it became apparent that he is on the path less traveled by most rappers of his time; a path where compromising one’s skill in order to compete with higher selling, yet less talented artists is out of the question. Rather than ignore hip hop’s history, today’s youth should take the time to appreciate these living legends because they paved the way for artists like Jay-Z to achieve stardom. Some people thought that hip hop was just a trend and wouldn’t last more than five years, but now hip hop is at a point where a father can teach his son about it. This is why people should preserve history instead of just focusing on the future. Just think about how disappointing it would be if New York City decided to tear down Grand Central station because it looked too “old school” for the modern age.

Artist: Glue

Reviewer: A to the L

If words like ‘retro-progressive’ and ‘punk-rock D.I.Y.’ in an artist or group’s description fill you with the urge to start picking at your belly-button fluff or start making dates to attend spoken word performances at homosexual coffee shops then Glue may be right up your street. If however you like your Hiphop to actually sound like Hiphop and not some highbrow interpretational clusterfuck of what Hiphop actually is then you might just want to read this review for extra ‘pointing and laughing’ credits.

From the start of “Catch As Catch Can”, the three man trio of Adeem, djdq, and Maker lay down their plan of attack on the listeners’ ears and carry it out with merciless precision. Quite simply, their flavor of independent Hiphop is less ‘a big boom sound with a helping of soul’ (as their press blurb proclaims) and more patronising bullshit from three people who think that they’re better than they actually are.

Adeem, the group’s front man is ‘best known for being the only emcee to win the Scribble Jam battle twice’ (and by the way, just in case you didn’t know, the rambling liner notes with this cd remind you that Eminem couldn’t even win this event once – obviously alluding to the fact that this fella thinks this makes him a worthier holder of the mic than Marshall.) The problem with Mr Adeem though is that he sounds EXACTLY like a winner of the Scribble Jam battle – a pretentious white kid who thinks that being able to cram 1453673 words into each line and recite them with as much feeling as someone’s mother checking off items on her shopping list makes you a great emcee. Sorry honky, there’s a lot more to it than that. djdq meanwhile is so hot on the cuts that he feels superior to capital letters, and although his turntablism is on-point throughout its often displayed at the end of every track, as if tacking on 40 seconds of crabs and flares on the outros and hooks automatically makes this authentic real Hiphop. (Word to KRS.) Bringing up the rear (no no homo) Maker’s ‘dense, original production style’ actually involves him sucking most of the feeling from any of the tracks and replacing it with sluggish rock riffs and empty percussion.

Whether I’m listening to 100 mile a minute tracks such as the title cut or similar ‘Making A Mess’, the slower paced efforts like ‘A Fly Can’t Bird’ or ‘Vessel’, the instrumental DJ tracks like ‘State Of The World’ and ‘In Between Her’, or cut-n-paste tripe like ‘Truth Or Dare’ the end result is the same. As I wearily plod through this album, it makes me think about what’s for dinner, or the fact that there’s a spot on the ceiling that I missed when I last painted, or the fact that I haven’t watched the education channels on TV for a while, or the fact that suicide is looking like a great option when offered as an alternative to completing this review.

Honestly. Just take my word for – this album fucking sucks. Glue, it seems, is an apt name for this group, because my ears feel like someone has funnelled Bostik into them, and I can vision this album stuck in the bottom of bargain bins in many’s a record shop.

Another quick rundown of the stuff that’s been clogging my in-tray (no Peter Tatchell)…

Jay-Z – Show Me What You Got (Def Jam)
He’s back, and it sounds like he’s never been away. Unfortunately this is not a good thing – Shawn’s big return from ‘retirement’ sounds like an offcut from the old “Blueprint” sessions. His flow is of course as poised and confident as ever, and Just Blaze’s PE-sax-sampling beat is polished to within an inch of its life, but this all somehow sounds less like the return of the triumphant hero and more like the 3rd Vegas cabaret performance of the day from the weary king who knows that beneath the bluster and pomp, there’s a new career waiting for him after the show. And it involves wearing slippers and cardigans and planting your own small flowers in the front yard. And as beezer quite correctly wonders, what ever did happen to Jay-Z’s umlat?
RATING: 6.5 / 10

Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s (Interscope)
Buttery smooth production from um… Butta provides Alabama’s Rich Boy with stunning backing as he chants deliciously ignant nonsense about the rims on his Caddy. Its one of those tracks that seem to pop up every few months, which has absolutely nothing positive in its lyrics, its message, or its entire existence, and yet it just fucking KNOCKS. (See Yung Joc – ‘Its Goin’ Down’ etc.) I know Jude and Sear have been playing the shit out of this on Sirius (one time for the AOA), and with good reason. This is a winner, and I love it to bits (nh).
RATING: 9 / 10

Ying Yang Twins – 1st Booty On Duty (TVT Records)
Despite the fact that I am one of the few sensible people in this world who actually like Ying Yang, and support them by BUYING their albums, this track makes me wonder how many times they think that Collipark can recycle ‘Wait’ and ‘Play’ and still release it as a new song each time. WTFIGO?
RATING: 5 / 10

Ying Yang Twins ft Wyclef – Dangerous (TVT Records)
Despite the fact that I am one of the few sensible people in this world who actually like Ying Yang, and support them by BUYING their albums, this track makes me wonder why the hell they thought hooking up with Wyclef would be a good idea. This is bloody awful. Its got shit guitars – like every other Wyclef record every invented. Its got a shit hook from Wyclef where he repeats the same line over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over – like every other Wyclef record ever invented (plus this time it borrows from the awful Hall and Oates track ‘Maneater’.) Its got Wyclef singing – even though everybody loves Raymond already knows this muhfucka sings like DMX avoids crack. In fact, its total poo. On a stick. Melting in the hot sun and running down your arm.
RATING: 2 / 10

Pitbull – Ay Chico (TVT Records)
Rounding off the TVT hat trick, comes Pitbull’s second single off his upcoming album, “El Mariel”. This ain’t a patch on ‘Bojangles’ though, which we all know is one of the top 5 singles of the year. Here Collipark recycles ‘Shake’, keeping the same beat, but replacing the “umm-daa-daa-umm-doh-doh” with some Spanish ladies chanting all over the shop and some tropical-flavored bongoes bongoeing (is that a word?) in the background. Women with big asses in Miami will love this though. Because of this, so will most of the men. I don’t live in Miami though. But this doesn’t mean I don’t like women with big asses. But I’m married anyway, so this is where I finish this review.
RATING: 6 / 10

Snoop Dogg ft B-Real – Vato (Geffen)
When did Snoop move to Geffen? Why does this sound like ‘Stunt 101′? Why does B-Real’s hook really make me grind my teeth because of the way he pronounces all his ‘i-n-g’s’ in full (he didn’t ‘start firin’, he ‘started firing’, but he pronounces it as ‘fire-een’ like some kind of Latino Paul Barman with a bad tobacco habit)? Why does this seem really slow? Why has Pharrell’s production work for anyone but the Clipse sucked major anal fissures for the last couple of years? Why is Snoop still rhyming like a 9 year old and getting away with it? Why does Snoop’s reggae ‘toasting’ (arf!) sound worse that KRS-One’s worst attempt on the worst day in history in Worst-Town?
RATING: 5 / 10

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Just Vibe (Mo Thugs Records / Interscope)
Hmmm… why did this get a release and the infinitely better ‘Still No Surrender’ didn’t? This is all happy, sparkling goodness, with whatever members of Bone aren’t locked up all chirping brightly at 100 miles an hour about all manner of stuff I can’t make out. Every so often they sing the hook to ‘First Of Da Month’ though, so that makes everything peachy, I guess. Honestly though, this is like some background music to an old reunion segment on “Surprise, Surprise”… “You haven’t seen her for 54 years when she was packed away to the Mental Ward in the white bus with the tinted windows, but now straight out the strait-jacket – its your next door neigbor – Betty Hightower! Surprise Surprise, Chuck!”
RATING: 6 / 10

The Game – Lets Ride (Geffen)
Mr Taylor on the mic. Nein Numb on the beat. Its Diet Dr. Dre. (“The Aftermath chain is gone” dontcha know?) Its complete wank.
RATING: 2.5 / 10

Magic ft Detroit – Shorty (TVT Records)
Hey I just found another TVT single. Although this one sounds like Juvenile rapping over the ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’ instrumental, it is in fact Magic. (Ain’t this the ‘I Smoke, I Drank’ cat?) If you read the small print carefully, you’ll find his full name is Magic Johnson!!! Must have taken a minute to think that up, eh? This is painful. (The song not the review.)
RATING: 1 / 10

Beck – Nausea (Interscope)
I have no idea why I was sent this single, but its aptly named.
RATING: 0 / 10

Young Buck – I Know You Want Me (G-Unit / Interscope)
I fucking hate Jazze Pha. He’s a fat, happy little cunt, who deserves a 9 iron right in the face. He uses the same soundbank all the time, the same way Jermaine Dupri used to, and his stupid adlibs at the start and end of every song he produces serve as an instant prod towards the skip button. Buck meanwhile sounds sluggish on this – its obvious that he intended this to be one of the filler records on his new album, and that someone else made the decision to push this as a single. Another piece of overpolished crud, I’m afraid.
RATING: 4 / 10

BMS ft Li’L – Baby Doll (LaFlame)
Sigh. I really don’t mind all you no-name rappers and producers sending me stuff to review – its nice that you feel I can offer some critique towards your careers. Here’s some handy tips for you though, before you send in your next package…
– Master yo’ shit, homie! If your track sounds like it was recorded inside a shoebox and burned onto a cd that your dog played frisbee with first, then there’s a great chance that its not going to a positive review. Because I can’t hear it.
– If its obvious you’re punching in every line then you are being haunted by the ghosts of Eazy-E and Big Pun, and they have cursed your vocal performances until the end of time. Give it up.
– If your beat sounds like every other second rate Fruity Loops-produced southern beat ever produced since Lil Jon dropped “Kings Of Crunk” then I will call you out as the fool you are.
This is shite.
RATING: 2 / 10

Fam-Lay – Da Beeper Record (Star Trak)
Does anyone actually carry a beeper anymore? This is a weird record – on first skim its annoying as fuck, but somehow the combination of Fam-Lay’s rubbery flow and Andrew Coleman’s (who?) squelchy organ stabs burrows its way into your brain, forcing you to bounce around like a demented man with dementia the longer the track continues to run. I’m still actually surprised that this is a Star Trak record that doesn’t feature Pharrell in any kind of audio appearance (despite the fact that this SOUNDS like a Pharrell beat – and a bloody good one at that.) Anyway – buy this. Its lovely.
RATING: 8 / 10

The Neurologists – Pagan’s Helmet / The Staff Of Ra (Edified Gems)
Double entredres ahoy! The Neurologists are a production team out of NYC who have decided to concoct some average beats and then get some second string emcees to come and rhyme over them. On ‘Pagan’s Helmet’ (nh) Killah Priest rambles for a while over some drums that rocket on at a fair old pace while doing their best to trip him up and annoy the listener. What he’s saying is not altogether clear, because his vocals are mixed down waaaaaaaaaaaaay lower than the shitty instrumental. Flip to the other side though for even more fun, as Lil Dap from the Group Home mumbles over an even faster beat like Prodigy’s longlost drunken cousin. No wonder so many cats are ‘poisoning their brains’ with mindless commercial drivel – if this is the underground’s best example of an alternative, then we’re all fucked. This is the best imitation of shite UK rap from 1990 that I’ve ever heard. Bag o’ wank.
RATING: 1 / 10

Mekalek – The Gritty Bop / Love Life Money Guns (GITD Records)
Yay for Percee P then! On ‘Gritty Bop’ the BX Rhyme Inspector dominates Mekalek’s horns and snares and kicks and organs to produce an instantly collectible slab of wax. Flip to the F side where Fedd Hill lisp threateningly over Mek’s lilting strings and Nas samples, and marvel at the fact that somehow, someway, underground Hiphop can still produce listenable music despite being hampered by cats like The Neurologists. This is more like it, people!
RATING: 8 / 10

Olive Green – The Doo Bad Hustle / Concrete Cavalier (Candle Wax Records)
Wow – a 7 inch record! I’m already loving this. Then I realised that I’d put it on at 33rpm instead of 45rpm… At 45rpm, ‘The Doo Bad Hustle’ features insistent percussion and precise electric guitar basslines… however if you slide it back to 33rpm, the funk turns sloppy and Blake 9′s cutting and scratching enters the chopped and screwed dimension, and I’m in audio heaven. ‘Concrete Cavalier’ meanwhile is a rock music construction interspersed with pieces of movie dialogue – at both 33 and 45, this made my ears hurt. Please stop with the dirty tricks, Olivey people, and stick to doing unintentional screwed goodness (nullus).
RATING: 6.5 / 10

Nine:Fifteen – Deluxe Laminated EP (Candle Wax Records)
Time Machine’s Jaysonic features on first cut ‘Freak Out’, and its of little surprise that this track sounds like it could have been lifted straight from “Slow Your Roll” – fast paced, with hard-edged beats, and little horny horns flitting in and out of the mix. Producer Blake 9 shows however that he has more tricks up his sleeve, jacking the 3rd Bass ‘Derelicts Of Dialect’ sample (that I can’t recall the name of at this precise moment) for ‘NoStylegia’ with impressive results, while Comel_15 gets his reminicse on. ‘You Deserve Less’ introduces a slice of funk into the mix, though Blake’s golden backing track powerfully overshadows Comel’s lyrics for the first portion of the song before giving way to a more traditional kick/snare combo which lets Comel clamber back on top (nh). The B Side carries instrumentals for all the above plus a bonus beat that is only interesting for its horn sample. Overall though, this is one worth seeking out.
RATING: 7.5 / 10