New Az, Strange U, Statick Selectah, Joey Bada$$, Freddie Gibbs, Stoki Papi, Fat Salad & Frida Precariat & Introducing Comrade

Ras Kass, P.A.T, Lil Futa & AmaZin

I was having a conversation with an actor doing a great job of promoting the work of Alexander Von Humbolt, an explorer and scientist who saw the need for an approach to science that could account for the harmony of nature among the diversity of the physical world. We explored the nature of education in its current system which has a huge tendency to categorise and isolate and subjects, as oppose to education that allows to see the 'bigger picture'. We discussed how there are no formal lessons in how to recognise and analyse propaganda; and the conversation came to mind whilst listening to this excellent track by Patrick "P.A.T. Barnett". Have a listen and remember, "What you see on TV is a smoke and mirror factory"

At Vocalswords we endeavour to provide a blog that presents hip hop in a positive light and as a counter weight to mainstream dominance but understand that often the backgrounds of artisits and subject matter that underground artists present may not always necessarly be uber positive, but when we do post music containing these themes we try to do it when emcees present the content in an artisic, realistic or retrospective manner. Lil Futa has jus posted a mixtape that fully fulfills these criteria and is well worth checking out, especially as the production by AmaZin is  well worthy of the self  accalaimed accolade.

Track to Watch - Just BARS  ft Chuck Kayocee

"yall the kinda niggas that get chicken from lies
but aint a nigga in the world that is crooked as I....
I had it hard coming up
but a nigger never cried
my uncle was up in the pen
my daddy he had just died
grew up with out a dad i gues a nigga traumatised
mumma had a different nigga living on the side "

And finally, a blast from the past from the Van Gogh of Rap, Ras Kasiano; who releases the Goldyn Chyld Album on Bandcamp. Plenty of tracks you've heard before but well worth checking the whole project.

Nottinghill Carnival Warm Up and Prize Givaway!

Props to J Squared and Steve the Sleve as part of the The Breakin Bread Crew who have put together this selection of Carnival Bangers in anticipation of London's original andmost lively, colourful and good vibe carnival in Nottinghill on Sunday 24 and Monday 25th August. Really looking forward to this years event as a lot of good homies are going to be rolling with me; if your in the UK and rolling on either day holla at me on twitter @solocypher and if you manage to find us in the melee I'll get you a free hard copy of my album 'Elephantitus' seeing as independent record shops I've approaced in Nottinghill won't even stock for sale or return nowadays!

Carnival Classics by Breakin Bread on Mixcloud

Rhymes galore from Scorsayzee, Meridian Dan and Scottie Flippen

Nottingham's finest Scorzayzee is back on the mic with this up beat positive banger.....gotta couple lines of poetry? Share it! Good call Scorz.....


What you mean you never heard of Cullowhee!? Scottie Flippen holds it down for his North Carolina ends with a beat made by cartoon villain sounding Mike Machete.

Shouts to Itch FM DJ's Schroff and Primvte for playing this 'I'm from a Place track on their Rap Nation Radio show.I really aint been feeling the radio repitition of German Whip so it's good to hear a little sumpthin' more thoughtfull.....

Solocypher - Elephantitus Album

I'm excited to anounce the arrival of my first studio album 'Elephantitus' (available via Bandcamp, click on the album art above, look out for clean and explicit lyric versions) ; it was recorded by Chemo at Kilamanjaro Studios in South London, UK and is the result of the last few years rapping and lving in Elephant & Castle, and contains a variety of tracks documenting London and hiphop life, hopes and fears.   

Kicking off with 'Welcome to Elephant' produced by my flatmate-at-the-time James, the track gives a little tour of the Elephant and Castle area of South London, its sights, smells and feelings of the local people. The album features a guest appearance from my long time collaborator and friend Doctor Chima Anya on the super lively 'Anthem' produced by Fat Gold Chain DJ TacticK; a document as to why we spend so much time and effort on the cruel mistress that is hiphop (see performanc photo below)

Many beats are provided by one of my main dudes from my home town of Ipswich, DJ Nifty aka Sulako....Nifty has sent me piles of excellent beats over the years and there is plenty more to come from this collaboration, but on the album the funky 'Bad 2 tha Bone' is a favourite cheeky banger, and his work on 'Candide' and 'Lord Knows' gave me the inspiration to create a couple ot thematic tracks. 

Fat Gold Chain collaborators TacticK and DJ Dave provide the backdrop to an ode to the importance of love and family on 'Be Kind'. Further contributions come courtesy of DJ Sugai who provides some ace DJ Premier inspired cuts on 'Eco-Tech' and Dooban who gets mega technical on my lyrically dense 'Figureskating Lessons' track.  The album also features Mista P and Mole D as lyrical guests and thier contribution makes double time track 'The Chasm' produced by JG Beats a personal favourite. 

Album Tracks have so far been supported by DJ 279 on Choice FM and on the LC Show on Itch FM so massive shouts to those guys and all support on social media. For now enjoy a few album tracks I've splurged on Sound cloud and if you're feeling em please go get the whole album (Free download or Pay What U Like!) 

For those interested in more Solocypher stuff check right here.

Lil B - No Black Person is Ugly

 Say it one time! Beautiful and moving lyrics and video from the base god!

Vibe to these....Hip Hop from G.Young, Cormega & Busta Rhymes

Legends, New Jacks and General Business

Had a fine weekend of hiphop and just wanted to salute Nas, Immortal Technique, Soul II Soul and Hassan Salam for keeping London very lively these last two days. Seeing a whole sea of fans rapping along to classic lines from the 'Illmatic' album was a beautiful thing at LoveBox, an event which apparently has a bit of a bad rep in terms of attitude all I saw was love especially as veteran smooth party rockers Soul II Soul did thier thing in the late afternoon sunshine! If anyone happens to read this and has photos of the event holla and I'll re-edit to stick them in; I was too busy partying to document anything! Anyhow a lot of cool shit right about now so check these if you gots time to chill!

First up, the big questions....Why has religion always been so powerful? A strong contender for reaon number one is the dicipline it teaches. Becoming very focused on a set of ideals can imbibe one with a feeling of enormous power and Hopsin demonstrates this incredibly well, even as he shares confusion his dedication to questioning and searching ".......Theres way too many different religions
with vivid descriptions begging all fuckin men and women to listen....." this is great, intense stuff in this the latest "Ilmind" of an amazing series.



Another great lyricist is the irrepresable Jehst, whose performance of  Camberwell Carrots at the Jazz Cafe here in London is well worth checking.....



Now a little treat for Onyx heads who have had to wait 10 years but now the crew are returning with a Snowgoons produced album....first cut visuals, produced by Trash Secco and Rome York, for 'TurnDaFucUp' are right here, and its as rugged as you could possibly want....



Mean while emcee Adil Omar takes raucous hiphop to another level with the fisticuff flaunting  'Paki Rambo'




And finally, I was sent some music by Skipp Whitman, and though it was solid I thought it may not be his best so I did a bit of digging and found this little honest gem.....recently my girl has been forcing me to watch old episodes of Glee I was actually appreciating the glitz and ceremony of the big band stuff; the unabashed optimism of this dude is pretty refreshing, though I reckon a bit more work on the complexity of his bars could help push him further.....

Domineko, Chima Anya and Nas Mixtape

Chima Anya is a creative beast and you can never quite tell what he's going to hit you up with next. Seeing the title of a track "Smoke it, Drink it" I was looking forward to a bit of a mindless banger (Chima is occaisionally capable of these) but had my mind seriously challenged with a hard hitting reflection on the perils of hardcore drug addiction; a topic Chima is well qualified to discuss after working closely with addicts. Well worth a watch, a cartoon sterotype this aint.



Domeniko comes correct with a great mini video for an uplifting and lyrically concious track. This is taken from his new album "Wood Floors" about which he writes "It’s the audio summary of the lessons and bits of inspirations that helped me achieve the long fight of getting back to who I know I want to become as an artist.  I've realized the only person you have to beat is yourself."




And finally, if you happen to be feeling a little nostalgic or just fancy a good blast of Nasty Nas, DJ Reminise has put together a great overview of the legend's progression through life....possibly could have done with a few more early bangers but overall this is well worth a listen....love the intro track as Nas waxes lyrical about going full circle through the medium of Cognac!

Eliza Shaddad premieres with Wonderland Magazine "Waters"

Eliza Shaddad is going to be a big name very soon as her incredible talent, writing skills and work ethic are coming to the fore. She has recently been working and touring with Clean Bandit but her solo material is culminating in a 4 track EP; the lead track 'Waters' is being Premiered by Wonderland Magazine....quickly followed by Vocalswords and hopefully many other blogs and sites! Spread the word :)

Mix Tape's now threaten the High Seas! Symphonik Bang present Exordium Armada

Get involved with this ish RIGHT NOW.....if the first track with Nutso, Sadaam Shaddiq & Royal Flush over a cut up Biggie sample doesn't have you wildin' out immediately, what the hell you reading this blog for? Check the back cover below if you really need another set of dope ass reasons to click through and support!

Rawkus Records Revisited

Dr Millionare - Bando Man Anyone who shoots a video that throws in as much trippy shit as they can muster including a Wikipedia reference to the definition of a Crack House gets the parody seal of approval in my book. The fact that the beat is hard as hell and the lyrics take a bit of concentrating to appreciate means it gets a VS play.

I swear there's an accordian going on in the back of this joint, I'm liking the slight gallic air it gives the track.... I'm feeling C-Way's (Cash Wanted All Year) flow on this, some nice imagery and thoughts that go pretty deep and ending with "the only guarentee is a spot in prison" a sobering reflection ending a realitively upbeat track.

 DJ pHiLLy has been rocking out of the Vocalswords Sound system for a while and I should be arrested for criminal negligence for not having posted up some goodness before...hopefully I can cop a plea bargain by showcasing this ill mix which er...showcases some of the finest gems from 90's hiphop powerhouse Rawkus Records. (Interestingly a venture bankrolled by son of Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch)

RAWKUS RECORDS HOMAGE | TRACKSIDE BURNERS & ITCH FM RADIO #28 30-MAR-2014) by Dj Philly/Trackside Burners on Mixcloud



http://www.hiphopinenglish.com/lyrics/ramson-badbonez-november-desperation/

Boom Bap RPM Illness from Benny Diction &Able8 ft Tony Skank &Melody Myla

Springtime Madness!

Yes Yes Yall All of the goodies below are well worth checking! Got a few tech issues to sort atm hopefully a better presented post next time! End of the day I'm only getting submissions to the blog, which is all good but to anyone who actually just checks Vocalswords for pleasure let me know what your saying just so I don't feel I'm shouting into the Berners-Lee void! Word. Solo.   A Morpheus Soul Pod-Cast {The Letter C}

http://www.artistlink.com/home/products/415839

Chima Anya Live, Ryan Turner, Demrick, Armani of York, Mellow Music and Orie Pierre New Hiphop

We kick off this time around with the live video version of "What Now" Chima's lively anthem with an healthy call to arms to live life to the full whilst questioning everything whilst still smiling for the camera. Real music as ever from the doctor.

Ryan Turner, producer from Norfolk, VA recently sent me this tasty beat tape through his 'Click N Spark' productions company that rolls along very smoothly, not suprising as he has recently worked with hiphop legends Nappy Roots for their 'Sh!t's Beautiful Mixtape. A real proponant of making good music organically, he is up for these beats to be taken and used as long as credit is properly given; as he says "You never know what could be a hit until it is created"; true indeed so emcees out there have a dig through and see what magic you can make (before I get off this blog and do it my damn self :D!! )

And now, I must admit my day job has been breaking my balls lately and as such a massive bag of mail has been accumulating leaving precious little time to listen to let along comment on some of the illness that has been coming through. Suffice to say hiphop is well and truly vibrant in the underground. Some efforts havent quite made the cut this time around; if you're an artist or company who has made a submission but not been featured please don't stop the sending music through, next time it may get a prominant feature! For now how could I not kick off with this ill track to my favourite colour (ever since I discovered it was the favoured ink of Roman Emporors; everyone has a little dictator complex hidden somewhere) 

@ArmaniofYork  

Boom Bap Professionals present Benny Diction & Able 8 feat Cappo

Hot off the press, London based label Boom Bap Professionals bring some box fresh heat from UK wordsmith Benny Diction with this the second single taken from his and Aussie producer Able 8's heavyweight album 'Life Moves'....bringing in Punning Clan's Ro Jista and ill Notts Veteran Cappo for the guest verses this is a fresh homegrown treat, prepare to get your noggin nodding!

Pharoe Monch hosts Brand New Mixtape plus DJ Dister and Mr Composition

If you feel like your lyric tanks is running a bit empty fill up on this hard hitting heavy dose of rap music, a New Years present in the form of a mix tape hosted by Pharoahe brining some of his best tracks alongside a slew of new comers, established artists and more. Bought to us by Tha Advocate this is almost 3 hours of straight up ill hiphop, with a few knowing nods such as the feature of "The Trash Bin" a great little snippet of a more mainstream styled current track getting boo'd off....ah sweet hate helps purity! 

Got a big back log of heat to get through over next few weeks but this banger from Mr Composition smacked me in the face the other day so needed to bang this one out. Grown people lyrics and lovely production, check it!



Wanja from I Still Love H.E.R. consistently hits Vocalswords up with treats and the recent offerings from DJ Dister have got my vertebrae's clicking out of shape. Check the vids then check Dister's latest album, it bangs rediculous.

Brand New Heat! Fredro Starr produced by Audible Doctor "Made in the Streets"

Shopping Inferno plus Late Gifts from Dizraeili, Fountain of Youth, Granville Sessions and Anacron

Yo! Before we get into the hiphop realm I thought I'd just post this little image I threw together; I tweeted it and it's having an unusual amount of success so fingers crossed it sends a few interested readers this way; who knows it might even create a few new hiphop fans! Spot the Difference! Dante's version of Hell versus Boxing Day at Westfield!

And now to more familiar territory! Greetings all I hope this finds all hiphop heads around the world in a relaxed mood; here in blighty the Christmas spirit is fighting through despite some pretty grim weather and a plague of tonsilitus through Vocalswords Villas. Koaste picked up Dizraeli's christmas eve take on the Queen speech so to get your mind lubricated please get round the fire, roast some nuts and enjoy.....



Now the first full length present comes from thoses Boston whipper snappers 'Fountain of Youth' who have taken over thier local Chinatown to film their latest heater.



Next up is a real treat that I'm glad I checked out early from the mailbag, still have a ton of stuff to get through but for me this is a real hip hop classic, check it out from Anacron...



My brothers from the Granville Sessions recorded this a while back and I'm not sure how long its been roaming online but they posted it in an xmas tweet so I thought I'd spread the seasonal cheer...check the B-Boy poses at the end; not sure if Crazy Legs would co-sign but keeping the culture in the hearts and minds of the people is the main thing!!

Endemic, Dudley Perkins, Knightstalker, B.o.B, Chris Brown and more all getting busy

Dudley Perkins has just release his latest LP "Dr Stokely" and it's a 100% existential banger. Im about four tracks in listening via the Mello Music bandcamp page and already need to dip in the pockets for credit card to buy this bad boy! Great off the wall beats with incisive but mad imaginative lyrics; get involved! 

One of Deutschland's finest Nightstalker has just released an EP produced by Falling Down & Nasty who provide some heavyweight Shoalin inspired beats while NS and compadres get down to business spitting some very decent bars. "Times have Changed" is particularly heavy and notable as a bit of a Killarmy reunion; 9th Prince links with Wu affiliate Dark Skinned Assassain who both make  striking appearances with that classic flow. Get it free at the link above. 

Go crazy to this......B.O.B. looks to be making it into the bigtime nowadays; a phenomenam when I saw him back at Hiphop Kemp a good few years back; he's rocking to a hype jam, not particularly inspiring lyric wise but it's got that massive sound that might get people interested in checking out his body of work, where a lot of gems are hidden including the collab he recently did with Eminem. He does get down with a pretty funny number reference but other than that pure club!    http://mp3waxx.com/jobfolders/bobthrowback/index.html

And just through the inbox; Endemic is gearing up for the release of "Terminal Illness 2"....the first installment was definitely a classic so looking forward to this release, not sure how many UK features are on this one but will wait and see; in the meantime get an earful of this.....