Here we are again, the third instalment of The Mix! I hope you’ve all got your winter woollies on and it’s not too cold for everyone out there. This week we’ve got some proper stompin’ albums for you to put on your Christmas list to Santa. Let’s cross our fingers and wish that he brings us everything we ask for this year.
Apparently, Santa used to wear a green suit until a famous brand of cola got hold of his outfit and died it red just so it matched the colour of their cans. Corporate Bastards!
Anyway, I’m not even sure that’s true so I’ll get on with what I’m supposed to be doing.
Public Enemy – New Whirl Odor
Now, these people need no introduction. Public Enemy have released a brand new CD & DVD combo to bless our two most receptive senses: Sight and sound. The intro track of the CD tells us the history of Public Enemy’s impact on the world in a nutshell, and it is explained perfectly. “PE made the world listen. They articulated the frustrations and anger of the black community, more importantly they changed the perception of what hip hop could be. Chuck D said they were like the CNN of the black community, and no one broadcasts louder…than Public Enemy!”.
There’s something about PE that makes them always sound like they are live on stage. Perhaps it’s the amount of energy they put into their work. Maybe it’s the thunderous, big banging beats their rhymes are smashed on top of. Or, it could just be sheer experience and knowledge of how to rock a crowd (even if there isn’t one). As usual, here are a couple of tracks from the CD that blew my woollen socks off.
Well I think the two best tracks are at either end of the CD. This works for me, it starts in the same way that it ends. The CD title track “New Whirl Odor” has a sniff of the older style of PE. This is a heavy one, stompin’ its way into your ears right the way through. It reminds me of my younger days stamping my feet and throwing off some big moves to Ice Cube’s “When Will They Shoot” (if you remember it). I think this is the reason I’m into this track. Anyway, this is one of the best tunes on the CD if for no other reason than to remind me of some cool times. I’m sure “New Whirl Odor” will have the same effect on loads of you out there.
The next track I want to mention is “Superman’s Black in the Building“. This is another PE track that sounds like it would be top quality to see live. Loads of power, loads of energy, loads of shouting, this one’ll grab your attention for sure. Come on we all need a little cathartic release, Public Enemy are perfect for a bit of catharsis.
The Blacknificent Seven – U Wot
Next up is some of the best collaborating I’ve seen or heard for a long time. We had a real treat when “‘Ere Comes Da Black” came out with a similar collab. But here, Dark Horizon has brought us an even bigger and badder follow up. “U Wot” featuring the likes of Seanie T, Roots Manuva, Rodney P, Karl Hinds and Robert Emanuelle is twelve inches worth of pure indulgence.
The kind of luxury you can’t put down until you’ve had too much, and you just need to sit and contemplate when you can handle another sitting. The trick with this track is to put it on your ipod, ones and two’s, CD player or car stereo, and put it on fucking loud.
Listen to the quick flows integrate and entwine between the characteristic sounds of Dark Horizons’ unorthodox concoction. With a line up like this how could you go wrong? Each verse manages to kick some ass with a different artist giving some positive input on an altogether wicked track. Don’t miss this one peeps! Once again, it is available at www.suspect-packages.com. I’m dedicated to this one. Big up to the Dark Horizon Crew!
Foreign Beggars – Let Go
Once again, the Foreign Beggars have produced another absolute diamond. Or should I say parallelogram because of its perfect coordination between every artist on the track and its slant towards being pretty fuckin’ messy. This lot have got a knack of making everything sound right even though they’re all over the place and can send your head into a muddled up unorganised stack of clutter. I do mean that in a good way.
“Let go” is a top quality tune with some, ever increasingly, wicked rhymes on top. This track features Wildchild who, to be honest, I don’t know much about but it does make an agreeable change to the stuff I’m predominantly listening to at the minute. This track feels like it’s designed to build you up all of the way through, as if its building speed; Reminiscent of a locomotive finding the right pace and sticking with it. Yep another corker you should go and buy straight away.
OK. Not so much to write about this track today but that doesn’t mean it’s not exceptional. I could have written this review with two words…spot on!
C-Mone – Second After Second
Ok, I’ll share one more top tune with you. This one was released just a few weeks ago on the 24th November. This is real tough Nottingham street hip-hop brought to you by a person who makes up 25% of the forever ready and dangerous Outdaville (one of my personal favourite crews). She has collaborated with Estelle, appeared on The Streets second album and won best female emcee 2005 at the UK hip-hop awards.
My interpretation of “Second after Second” is that it displays a proletariat, working class and (I don’t want to label C-Mone with a political stance) left wing, dare I say it, approach. Here we can look back at history and what our society has been built on and still stands on today. Fuck it. We need to have a go at the capitalistic bourgeoisie taking control of us puppets and facilitating the poor to remain poor and the rich get richer. That’s the way (I believe) our society is built. Hopefully this kind of track is the kind to prompt us into thinking about these important issues. This is some intelligent, spirited hip-hop music and can be seen as a cloudless vision that C-Mone is on her way to making big waves in the hip-hop scene.
This track is produced by the Marga Boyz, who consist of Pidgeon and Outdaville’s Nick Stez and Lee Ramsay. All the vitamins and minerals a growing hip-hop head needs. You can see a clip of the video here & you can download a copy of this tune from www.karmadownload.com for just £1.78.
This week’s sights and sounds:
There’s some top tracks from Dr Syntax to listen to here (Remember the Menagerie from the other reviews?)
(More Menagerie action!) Free tunes!
A bit of top stencil artwork from Barcelona down below:
Send me some tracks, sites or graf if you want me to have look at them and give them a mention. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the lot of ya, i’m going to leave you with Abjekt’s tunes of 2005.
Kris Drew. Out.
Abjekt’s Top 5 Albums Of 2005
It’s been the best year for hip hop since I really got into it in the late 90s, and my ears have been blessed with amazing albums from all over the world, so picking 5 was incredibly hard, but have a peek at my list and if you don’t know the artists, why not check them out?
Atmosphere – You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having
Rhymesayers Entertainment
After 2 years away, Atmosphere brought out their follow up to the Epitaph licensed Seven’s Travels and blew it out of the water. Ant’s beats flew all over the place, from old boom bap to God Loves Ugly era-Atmosphere to country-sampling goodness and they were topped off by Slug’s impenetrable story telling. The usual bitterness from the Twin Cities emcee was present but party songs were in the mix too. An absolute stormer of an album.
www.rhymesayers.com
Sims – Lights Out Paris
Doomtree Records
Minnesotan emcee and Doomtree member Sims’ debut album is a collection of tracks that showcase not only his brilliant lyricism and flawless delivery, but also the immense production coming out of the Doomtree camp of late. Not to be overshadowed by the better known POS, Sims gets political, hype, traumatic and emotional in this little known but incredibly enjoyable release.
www.doomtree.net / www.myspace.com/simsisabusiness
Kano – Home Sweet Home
679 Recordings
Yep, it’s grime. No, it’s crossover. No, it’s hip hop. Whatever you want to call Kano’s album, make sure you call it good. The former Chelsea trainee rode crunching guitar beats, even sampling Black Sabbath, samba rhythms and softer romantic flavours on this album. He is able to be confident in his talent whilst remaining modest and his variety is certainly something that sets him above the rest of the field.
www.ka-no.com
Gorillaz – Demon Days
Parlophone
Everyone knows about the Gorillaz, and as a staunch Damon fanboy I was always going to enjoy this, but it really surpassed my expectations. Danger Mouse’s beats brought a much more rounded feel to the plate than Dan The Automator’s did on the first effort. A plethora of great guest vocalists from MF Doom to Dennis Hopper to Shaun Ryder meant there is something for everyone and everything for this someone. Awesome.
www.gorillaz.com
Felt 2 – A Tribute To Lisa Bonet
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Slug and Def Jux’s Murs made a return as the Felt duo this year and this time brought the undeniable production qualities of Ant into the equation. This is, simply put, a summer album. The beats are all feel good, smile inducing head nodders, and with Slug and Murs chatting about how they check out girls, fuck girls, go and party in Vegas and then slam doors in faces, this is an album that just reminds me of how good life can be. Fuck the English weather!
www.myspace.com/rhymesayers
I wish you all a hip hop happy xmas and a wicked new year. See you over in 2006!
Peace – Jektadon