J.Cole - Cole World the Sideline Story Album Preview

An awful lot of hype is surrounding J Cole at the moment, and having been impressed by a few of the tracks I had already heard from him, it was a great pleasure to attend a listening party of his debut album, apparently produced by No ID and released very soon (cant find an official date at the moment) here are the initial Vocalswords impressions..... The album intro eases in gently with some general random chat, which seems unassuming but swiftly an ominous piano leads into the massive sounds of 'Dollar and a Dream', a classic cinematic, riding out beat with a fantastic arrangement provide a great platform for Cole to set out his stall. "Walk with a n--- pain, quick fix, everyone broke" this is an ode to coming up through hard knocks in the game of life and music. It's good to hear a humble note that runs through the album with "Never knowing riches, he's known broke, jeans low with a mean flow" This album opener is pretty swaggertastic but works pretty well. The tempo remains quite upbeat but "Can't Get Enough" featuring Trey Songz is a fairly standard bump and grind led tune that will probably be favoured by many people, unfortunately not me....while I like the amusing swagger and tongue in cheek class of In the Morning with Drake, later in the album, I will probably skip this track on the album; for some reason the phrase 'Beat the Pussy Up' jars a sour note in my mind. Luckily for me a real treat from this album comes up next. Fans of Cole will already be well aware of this track but on listening again the clever song set up and magnificent delivery of 'Lights Please' is a sure fire reason to get this album. Documenting the fine line between discussing social issues and getting more intimate there is something intangible about this track that makes it a classic....playing it to my flatmate he was very impressed by how such a simple set up can sound so good. Sideline Story appears at the heart of the album and is a statement of intent that showcases J Cole's rhyming ability and honesty over a resounding boom bap beat highlighted with a nice piano tinkle; highlighting how it "fucks up a white man's head when they see I got manners". I didnt quite catch the full version of the hook, but again this track will be another good reason for grabbing the album. Unfortunately the out of place electronica and disjointed, unnecessary ostentationess of Jay Z and by default Cole on 'Mr Nice Watch' knocked the so far smoothly running album out of kilter slightly. The pace remains high with Cole World and some heavy 808 drums inject some energy as Cole flips some pretty nice verses of a generally self congratulating tone. 'In the Morning' is, as mentioned earlier, a great tune so take a break if you need and appreciate the humour and production value of the song. Got to love the girls singing along to the chorus. "Lost Ones" brings a well placed slice of maturity to the proceedings over a classic beat that allows the lyrics to shine; some deep refleections on the responsibilities of parenthood taken as a conversation between partners. Cole switches his delivery to narrate the female's point of view and the vicious lyrics and delivery sound like a slap in the face. The track ends with a heavy soulfull hook, mashing up generic song arrangements and providing another example of the diversity and talent of the artist. "Nobody's Perfec"t (ft Missy Elliot) is a fantastic tune that see's Missy in excellent form displaying an amazing voice that to be honest I hadnt really appreciated before. This fairly slow headnodder has some really nice guitar licks and fits in perfectly to the running order. "Never Told" has a spacy, soundshifting type beat with some random word play that appears to be aimed at a girl. Although it sounds quite odd its a fairly short track and seems to work well as a slightly offbeat musical interlude before the final installment of the album. "Rise and Shine" is a highly optimistic tune where Cole documents some of his journey on the rise up to achieving the position he is in now. His workman like attitude and persona gives him an affability that helps this track sound very genuine, and is genuinely a positive and entertaining track. "God's Gift" Has a gaellic sounding, haunting introduction which is soon accompanied by some hard drums creating a very nice soundscape. Cole comes over pretty hard on this one but again, a single listen does not do it justice and I will have to check this one out in more depth. "Breakdown" is a very interesting, soulfull sounding tune with some fantastic instrumentation with Cole in his finest form, waxing lyrical about the temptations that lurk in clubs, stresses and strains of family life on mothers and various social issues and problems. I really need to relisten to this track but it sounded a super dope slice of soulfull music that really establishes the potential of hip hop can be; for me this is J Cole's real superstar track. The album moves finishes up with "Workout" and my first impression was.....really? Another unfortunate sore thumb, but I imagine it will get spins as a radio friendly hit for the ladies. General generic pimp fodder about hollering at big ol chains in a range shaking them thangs. As a tea drinking british gent it doesnt really float my boat but I imagine when Im dandying around the west end and this comes on I probably wont mind gyrating against some nubile young thing while this is playing. Still think it is a bit of a shame as it it slightly tarnishes what is otherwise a pretty genuine heart felt album. So in summary, despite a few blunders this album hangs together extrodinarily well; the music is incredible and Cole delivers an album that bares an awful lot of soul whilst giving him credibility as an authentic lyricst, story teller and showman. This is the sort of album that has long been needed and should put a shot of adrenaline into both hip hop and contemporary music. It would be nice to hear some more lyrical schemes edging more into a political or economic commentary but that's a personal bias of mine, but I am hopeful that as J Cole becomes more comfortable in his role he will be able to expand the scope of his work, and lead the way for a concious, music loving approach to beats and rhymes.

Truth Vs Tony D - Cold City Battles hosted by Charlie Sloth

Loving this battle some great lines, and both emcees coming with a bit more comedy and intelligence than is sometimes seen! Vote at the end for the winner

Unbridled Land Grabbing Greed! Plus new Statik Selektah ft Big K.R.I.T & Freddie Gibbs

A pretty slick preview of a larger campaign from Oxfam's GROW campaign; a project to try and make sure the world has enough to eat. Pretty powerful stuff already.

Statik Selektah always packs a smooth hip hop punch with his consumate production and his new single featuring Big K.R.I.T and the hard-as-fuck-but-mad-intelligent Freddie Gibbs lay it down nicely. Check the new single taken from new album 'Population Control' here

Juice Aleem, Fat Gold Chain, Antidote plus Carpetface & Audio1

Yes yes Yall Live hip hop is repping as Fat Gold Chain present Juice Aleem plus the return of funky rap battles! Emcees and rap Junkies get down to Charlie Wrights this Friday! Email solocypher@gmail.com for more info or join us on Facebook (link on the right) In other rap news..... People here in the UK have had a while to reflect on the recent riots that broke out accross the capital, and Carpetface & Audible 1 have decided on the drastic but fun filled measure of just packing it in and head to the beach instead. A pretty good idea and if the convoy is going to be pumping this thumping tune (and its dopealicious dubstep remix) I might have to get in the missus's jalopy and join 'em...enjoy! Time To Get Out (escape from the riot) - new single from CARPETFACE & AUDIBLE1 by CARPETFACE & AUDIBLE1 Slightly less sunny but definitely representing the British sound is boom bap heavy weight Antidote's latest project alongside the always ill Pro P 'Antidote - Mass Hypnosis. This free to download album is chockfull of emcees spitting from experience in a Mancunian land filled with alcholic, drug fuelled geezers and slags where tea is drunk mainly as a cure to the disgusting hangovers and memories of truly messy nights...the sort of mess most can relate to on a "Friday Night". The track "Termination" with Assa and Deadline is a rediculous highlight with lightning speed sick flows over a redicullous headnodder from Pro P. The whole project is full of gems; I need to spend a while more zoning out to this but hopefully you get the idea; real life from quality artists this is UK hip hop still grinding.

Go get your down load on now for some quality......Bandcamp Goodness

A Good Man? Great tune from Eliza Shaddad

It's great to see my home girl Eliza Shaddad starting to get a real buzz in the industry and congratulations to her on winning a Sony recording contract. I've just been checking her flashy new site (www.elizashaddad.com) and stumbled over this fantastic mini-movie or video short. On a car radio can be heard the incredible voice of Eliza on her song 'A Good Man; whilst a pretty disturbing but very well done drama unfolds. I have no other info on this work so am quite intrigued...anyway get checking!

Mr Average Shortfilm from Jesus Plaza on Vimeo.

Esinchill - Daddy Was A Sailorman

Great piece of chilled hip hop with a very nice sentimental feel representing good family. Lovely sounds from Jake One and a smooth video shot by Casual...

Muneshine & Vinyl Frontiers - Easy Does It

Check one of the most fun looking hip hop videos I've seen in a while! Need cheering up on this gloomy rainy supposedly summer London day! Get your super villain on!

Fat Gold Chain Riot clean up with Chima Anya and JHC

Solocypher - Life Worth (Call for sanity in London, stop the riots and looting)

New! Silent Knight, Manifest, Chima Anya, Roach Giggs plus Classic Skinnyman

Rolling into my summer has been pretty great so far, finding some time to read, catch up on music and generally relax...however it cant last long as I try to get some of my own material up off the ground, sort out Fat Gold Chain and generally try scheming to keep my head above the financial waters, life is hectic even when on holiday. Silent Knight appears to be in the same situation, laying it down in this smooth banger....
Silent Knight 'Busy is My Best Friend'

Twitter is a wonderful thing and whilst retweeing some of my boy Chima Anya's endless quotables stumbled accross this rediculously real joint from an emcee out of Ghana, Manifest currently putting work in the big bad Bronx....
Manifest 'Suffer'


Another man known for his random global positioning is (the Doctor) Chima Anya who's most recent video must surely be one of the most expensive rap videos ever made.. believe the hype andcheck this out as he joins forces with Soweto Kinch and Mr Mann. There are rumours abound that Mr Mann has retired from rapping; please listen to his verse then go create a petition to bring him back!

The Vocalswords mailbox has been pretty rammo lately, and Roach Gigs has often turned up with a slew of releases...his style isnt normally my cup of tea but I couldnt hate on this record due to the lively tune and sheer fun Roach is having making the video. What Hip hop is all about.
Roach Gigs F A Chrous

And just to remind ourselves in the UK that we can also lock down a track deriding repeated phrases in rhymes....all about the Mud Fam man....
Skinnyman Fuck the Hook

Mister P 'The Unheard' EP Review

Mista P's 'The Unheard' is an intense project combining psychedelic spiritual reflections with a socio political commentary sadly lacking in the apparant mainstream of popular and hip hop music. The title track drops highly involved subject matter over a mellow, haunting instrumentals that has a sinister backdrop of a snare giving an ominous military tatoo.

Cardboard Culture drops on the hyper vibe that P is known for at his numerous live performances, a mighty swift head nodder of a track with a wild west feel complete with whirl wind sound effect, this ends far too quickly and the need for a re-up really draws you into the multifaceted mind of this emcee. His pessimistic conclusions and observations often leaves him "trapped in a hum drum oddessy" but he presents the journey with a great style.

Carousel puts P squarly into the grinding rat race of everyday life, again presented with a lyrical imagination that paints bleak pictures in such an intruiging way you need to hear more. As P says 'I aint scared to say my tastes highbrow'...and I'm glad it is because this is a thinking persons record. Recognise.

P's highly textures rhymes sometimes can cloud over the real points he presents, however this trait is absent in the banging 'Moments'. Sleepy Time Ghost lays down a hypnotic boom bap beat as Mista P gets straight into his natural cynicism via the chicane of "Surrounded by dumbfounded products of capital, astoundingly poor sounding views are rational" as he casually sticks "a middle digit to the names and the branding, alone in the dark a sweets Brandy, trying to block out the Bill Boards and Eye Candy. True that...

The EP raps up with an up beat cheery production featuring the dulcet tones of Punning Clan shaker and mover BennyDiction who's blackberry and apple metaphores must be heard to be appreciated. The cheeriness of the beat is interestingly juxtaposed with observations on anorexia, alcohol and the corruption of young minds; expect nothing less and ask for your hip hop with a damn brain!

Check the EP out now at Bandcamp by clicking the album art work above, and then come and get a copy from the man in person at Fat Gold Chain (Charlie Wrights Jazz Bar, Old Street, London) this Friday or Love Music Hate Racism Saturday at Brixton Jamm.

Fat Gold Chain present El Crisis & Thunder, Solocypher & Zeps

New joints! Talib Kwali, Tone Deff, Large Pro, Neek the Exotic, Sonny Jim

Talib Kwali - Mr International


Sonny Jim & Sleaze


Large Pro & Neek the Exotic


Tone Def & DJ JS-1

Fat Gold Chain presents Granville Sessions & Kal Sereousz

This Friday 17th June, Charlie Wrights Jazz Bar near Old Street Tube, London

Freedom for Palestine - One World

Onyx, Sonny Jima and Soul Kahn goodness

Sonny Jim - The Psychonaut EP
The Birmingham spitter ramps up his output in anticipation of the Psychonaught LP (apparently only available in Australia) to present a selection of tracks he recorded whilst travelling down under. I'm a big fan of Sonny's highly complex and humour stuffed verses but for me enjoy his style best when he's in reflective mode, and Lotek's remix of his 'Mission Statement' at the end of this EP is my favourite joint. Its a good showcase for the other spitters from various corners of the globe; but go get it quick as I think it's only available till the end of the month....Get it Now


Hip hop accross the pond is still lurking around if you care to dive into the grimy underground. Vocalswords favourite Soul Khan recently shot a video (at last) for my personal favourite 'Soul Like Kahn' tune from his free to download album. I think a few people have used this sort of edit before but love the way it's done here.


Meanwhile at the grimier end of the spectrum its good to hear of Onyx making a bit of a comeback with their 'Classic Terror'....if your gonna do thug music, do that shit properly!

Fat Gold Chain Live...Punning Clan, Mister P plus HLI and Sonny Jim goodness

Yes yes y'all its that time of the month again and a triple whammy of fresh hip hop is headed to Charlie Wrights (nr Old St Tube, London) this friday...make sure you get down to enjoy the vibes of the Punning Clan, HLI and Mister P and open mic hosted by me :)for more info check the Facebook Event ... in the meantime check the amazing HLI video for 'Vectors' hot off the press...I was lucky enough to join the crew on set and its definitely come out a treat; graf heads should especially dig the timelapse recorded piece being thrown up by another writing legend...heat!



Meanwhile Sonnyjim has been busy (when is he not?) working alongside the P.L.O to spit on a heavy guitar led track. The press release said it had Mudmowth on the track also, but I must have developed myopia; answers on a postcard to solocypher@gmail.com if you spot him please. The track has also been remixed Stateside with Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca and Curly Castro rocking the Mic in the style of the classic Smooth Da Hustla and Trigga Da Gambla's 'Broken Language' joint. The link to the remix is below Sonny's Joint, but I thought what the hell lets revisit the original as well...Enjoy!



Now Check the American Language Remix Here!

But dies it hold up to this!?

Chima Anya 'What Now'

The big man Chima is back with a very impressive video to the stomping track 'What Now'; something to meditate a little on for you all...

F-T - Deep Times

F-T is a name to be reckoned with. Producing and rhyming on this incredible track, its a deep song that deserves heavy rotation. I say no more; check it...

Rock the DELS!

Egg on my face right now as I have to apologise for fronting on DEL's mixtape a couple of years back, mainly as the download I had I couldnt work out so didnt listen to the effort properly, shame on me! Anyway the dudes at Big Dada did do their job properly and the boy from my hometown Ipswich is making some heavy moves with some inspired videos and very interesting rhymes of a sort of style the scene has been missing for a while....if you haven't already, check the video below then go youtube more tracks taken from forthcoming 'GOB' album....The London release party is at Hoxton Bar & Grill this Thursday, for more info check out the info Here. Word.