Crucifix Cornerstone EP Review

Reviewing this excellent EP was a bit of an experience; Krate Krusaders exquisite production accompanied by some of the most complex, uplifting and enjoyable lyrics from the uncomparrable Crucifix has been on constant rotation. Its hard to do it justice in full so here are some random observations about various tracks. You seriously need to get hold of this and get to grip with it on your own terms, I loved it, but be warned you will almost certainly need a dictionary to help you along the journey!

The cornerstone..."Excuse me we haven't been formally introduced"...the rejoining statements then create a safe haven for Crucifix to introduce himself, batting aside opponents with ease just as a brief nod to the hardcore battle heads; his main agena in this track is to establish his modus operandi-a highly cerebral encompasment of a vast source of ideas, language strategy and iconology...to what precise end these resources are to be put to use is not quite cleare at this point: it's damn intriguing though.

In Dreams of an orphan the I was completely sucked in and lines such as "I should have been an abortion, I'm the dreams of an orphan watching his family dying in the midst of a war that finish with "Remember tiannomen square?" is a certified rewindable, deep stuff.

Open wound boasts some great pianos draw you inextricably into this track before a guitar lick switches it around; great to hear such a switched up beat...next level boombap!

Restoration is on a bit of a sick futurism on the drums with some hypnotic slow Adam f style ish banging into a nicely dark rolling track with an "if u see me walking down the street" sample with Crucifix smashing down on some celestial devastation type ish..."so what if its ostentatious?" Just what I was thinking. Dope.

The final track on the EP is Torment; I love this track and probably found it the most repeated.An ace piano loop that sounds oddly familiar provides the soundtrack for an indepth exploration of Crucifix's psche, exploring self down and regret with his trademark complex world play that despite the often morose content, a life affirming message is still snugly contained within the words. I reckon Crucifix and Krate Krusaders do a fantastic job of "Stretching an image of heaven pretending I live there" Soul music.



Note: Reviewing this post the original sales link has disappeared, but the album has appeared on BandCamp, albeit it with some changes to the track listing. 02.01.15

Chima world domination tactics!

Yes yes the homeboy Chima just dropped this brand new video to me, gotta love it with his trademark swagger and afropick, your mother's favourite rapper makes some crotch grabbing drunk Spaniards famous whilst forgetting what year it is...classic!

Dubbledge & Conspiracy

Props to HHC digital for heads up on the latest freebies...gotta love Dubbledge; a heavy spitter, live performer and thoroughly nice guy who didnt bat an eyelid when my then girlfriend ran up to him and started chatting to him like they were best mates (she thought I knew him previously and got a bit star struck!)anyway here’s a couple of fresh Dubbledge downloads: ‘Choices Choices’ (produced by Ghosttown) and ‘The Trilogy’ (produced by DJ IQ and hosted by Asaviour). Enjoy! and again!

In other general prop giving I've got to give a bit of a bigger mention to Montana and Menace and their incredible friday night live Conspiracy Radio show. These guys play stupidly dope hip hop and manage to get amazing artist interviews with some of the best in the game week in week out. Ive been a bit slack over the last year so I've been downloading some old shows and some of the guys they get on well worth listening to...(even when they arn't that great Montana's acerbic analysis is often entertaining enough)

What I really love about the show is the depth of research and questioning, giving artists not only a chance to promote thier music and explain their artisitc visions, but also to expand on their beliefs, political positions and opinions on current events. From listening to Lowkey and Immortal Technique discuss global politics, Bronze Nazareth and Apathy talking beats and life and Homeboy Sandman on veganism and spirituality the show is a window into a host of interesting lives coupled with some of the dopest hip hop you could expect to hear. Support of artists such as Cappo and Endemic is also great evidence of their efforts to back quality product. Go ituning the podcasts or check them out here.

End of the Weak first heats review

First off it was wicked to see such a lot of heads passing through Brixton Jamm for this event, nicely organised by End of the Weak. Stig did a great job hosting; I'm sure he's lost his calling though he'd be a hit on the stand up comedy circuit! Louis Den was in the house for a bangin beat battle; plus Bass6 repped alongside Kingpin for the post battle performance...

All good ish but the heart of the night was the End of the Weak heats. 4 heavyweight emcees stepped up and repped hard through a great format of rounds; prewritten, freestyling on random objects pulled from a bag, Emcee vs DJ freestyle and final a 2 person cypher where the emcees had to spit frees back to back without falling to the temptation of battling one another.

All was good entertainment but I felt the crowd were a little harsh on certain emcees in a vague undiscernable way. For me Birmingham's Justice smashed it in 3 rounds, with Genesis Elijah coming very close and topping the first round prewritten with a great diatribe against reality shows, Jordan etc by comparing their problems with what is going on in Palestine. Most unfortunate was Phoenix the Icefire who clearly had some devastaing lyrics. He was right up there in the fight to begin with but the DJ vs Emcee round completely through him...not suprising at all for me though as the beats he were given were absolute dogshit, barely sounding like music at all I have no idea how anyone could have spat over them at all.

Verb T also presented pretty well lyrically although he seemed pretty petulant at having to spit first in a few rounds. This was decided by the crowd and although to me it didn't really seem to make much different his sarcastic 'Thanks a fucking lot' comments didn't seem to help his cause, though he did seem to have a lot of support in the crowd. Anyways was a tight battle; for me Justice smashed it with concious, dope flows, a wicked persona and an ability to flow rediculous over most beats...I didnt find out who won it as I had to split fairly quick so answers on a postcard please!

UPDATE NEWS FLASH! Managed to get a quote from the good lady herself; in true flambouyant style she says she "Floated into Brixton like a butterfly and stung like a queen bee!! Justice was done !!" Go check the myspace here!

New Kashmere ft Truth

Check one two the big homie Truth has hooked up with that space time continuum hopping Kashmere for a nice slice of freshness...Free Download Link Here **Cuts By Jimmy Green, Mixed By Cross Bone T** Taken from the Rapsploitation Sessions compilation CD "3 Years High & Rising" out on 4th February ya heard!

Crucifix "Glorious" alongside Krate Krusaders

Crucifix has certainly been "granted serentity and its calming effects" through both his intricate, knowledgable and uplifting wordplay and great backing from a great piano led track from the Krate Krusaders. Enjoy some lyrical Hip Hop at its most inspiring. Taken from the new E.P The Cornerstone out 27th January.

Lowkey - Long Live Palestine Part 2

Watching Lowkey perform a poem with the chorus "Long Live Palestine, Long Live Gaza" to a multi ethnic crowd that included Jewish and Israeli protesters against the Israeli bombardment was a humbling experience...hearing that the music resulting from this has reached number one in the Amazon charts gave me a great feeling. Please excuse the following rip from Hip Hop press but it does a better job than I could!

Mesopotamia Music rapper Lowkey has stormed to Number 1 in the Amazon hip-hop download chart with the highly anticipated charity single "Long Live Palestine Part 2". The song features verses from international artists, including DAM, The Narcicyst, Eslam Jawad, Hich Kas, Reveal, Hasan Salaam and Shadia Mansour.

The underground rapper behind 2009's protest anthem "Long Live Palestine Part 1" has defied critics who called him "too political" by toppling well known artists Jay Z, 50 Cent and the Black Eyed Peas. The achievement is most profound as Lowkey did not have the promotion from a lucrative record label, nor the support of any major radio DJ's.

Lowkey, who is a patron of UK based Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says: "Through the universal language of hip-hop, this song aims to unite people from across the globe to express their solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for freedom, equality and self determination."

"The support for this single amongst the general public has been overwhelming and is testament to the fact that Gaza is not forgotten even though it no longer makes mainstream headline news."

Lowkey releases this tribute single alongside the 1 year anniversary of the Israeli massacre in Gaza, labelled 'Operation Cast Lead', which killed 1,400 Palestinians and maimed hundreds more. Profits from the sale of this single will be equally shared between Interpal and Islamic Relief, two leading charities undertaking much needed relief and development work in Gaza.

Anti-war veteran and former UK Cabinet Minister Rt. Hon. Tony Benn has been forthright in his support for the single. "The song speaks to people about the struggle of the Palestinians and their fight for freedom. By buying it you, your friends and your colleagues can show support for the Palestinian people in their hour of need. The single is supported by Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Viva Palestina. I hope we can count on yours too."

Listen back to the Lowkey interview here on Conspiracy Radio with Menace and Montana.

Go download "Long Live Palestine" from all your regular ituney style spots!

Cyclonious - What's a Postcode?

Real talk from Cyclonious on this heavy release from forthcoming debut album...the post code beef thing is having serious consequences not only in London but across Britain's cities and this track brings a timely call for unity, and looks towards a positive future...plus the track bangs, the bass is rediculous and Cyclonious spits with the confidence of a real serious talent. Check www.myspace.com/cyclonious for more info, plus support the movement and get a Whats a Postcode? Tee. Single out on itunes 27th Feb.

Punning Clan Aint Nuthin to Fudge With!

Whilst sharing a bevvy with homeboy & fresh producer Rishi at the Brick City Boutique a while back I was privilidged to be introduced an elequent young man known as Benny Diction...him and his accomplices The Punning Clan have been hard at work putting the final touches to a full release "Pun & Dusted" but have been fresh enough to leak out a few full tracks for the head to get a feeling for their flavour.

Checking the Punning Clan as a unit is a real hip hop treat with all emcees trading entertaingly fresh, quick witted rhymes over some bangin beats.....quotables like 'Its all relative like inbread families', egg on your face like John Prescott punching and buckets more are topped with masterclasses in extended rhyming which finishes in stunts such as the jacking of harrier jet to breat the sound barrier. I could do with breaking down each emcees styles a bit more, but for now that Wu like depth and intricacies is enough to keep me happily banging it on the old walkman.

Benny's solo efforts are similarly quotable packed "Get stuffed like Paxo" and some great beats are laced with some fresh scratches to keep the name Benny stuck in the dome. Not content with just punchlining through a set, World on a Plate gives a nice take on the consumerist zeitgeist...smell that petroleum pou pourri people.

Go see for yourself now and get a taste of Punning; Download Here! and cop the joint when its fully released..,loving the current UK take on Game Records themed covers ha!

Sonny Jim - The Purple Patch

Easy now the Eat Good fam have kicked off the year with a tasty treat, SonnyJim doing what he does best, "Taking it back to when MCs just used to rhyme, spazzin out with the bars, fuck a hook straight up smack u in the face hip hop how it used to be before our emcees started rhymin over that house music shit" hells yeah, ya boy Jim definitely delivers over this heavy Kelakovski beat, the first installment of a four part series. Nice

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (right click and save)

Bash Bros present Inglorious Bastards Mixtape Mixed by DJ OST

Props to Bash Bros. for this wicked treat I just recieved in the inbox...have been rocking all morning and the flat has been filled with dope boom bap beats and raw lyricism all mixed freshly by OSK...check the press release below and a quick look at the roster should get your mouse trigger finger itchin. Get ya download on and Happy New Year!

To commemorate a half a decade in the game the Bay Area duo BASH BROS. (Lefty & Piseas) team up with Switzerland representative DJ Osk to drop the Inglourious Basterds Mixtape. This piece celebrates the collabs with fellow indie superstars such as: Planet Asia, Chali 2na, Reef the lost cauze, & Big Pooh(Little Brother) to name a few. Inglourious Basterds: the Features spans throughout their 5 year catalog which represents 14 independent releases.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Soganic The Sum Up Free EP ft Solocypher

I'm proud to have worked this year with the prolific and hugely talented Scholarman this year, producing a track with him via the magic of the internet with a real positive message in 'Change thru the Rhyme'...I first heard the finished tune after he'd emailed it to me, standing on a balcony looking over Delhi in India...Biggie's 'I never the knew that hip hop would take it this far' line would have made a suitable soundtrack to the moment.

The track has made it onto the Soganic label's (Soulfully Organic goodness yo!) round up of 2009 EP and features along side some great tracks by excellent artists...

Soganic Music proudly present to you The Sum Up '09.

We gathered some of our favorite tracks out of our catalog from this year and compiled them into a free EP download for those who might have missed out when they were originally released.

This EP features Soganic artists ScholarMan, K-Mynez & Lagbara and special guests Jonesy, Kahli Abdu, SoloCypher, X3m & LabMatik. We also through a couple bonus tracks as well. Get it free right now, right here.

Tis the Season to be Raging!

Merry yuletide folks; its good to be celebrating the world domination of Coke a Cola safe in the knowledge that the great power of the internet has been used for the very worthy cause in which a little piece of Simon Cowells pride has been slightly dented. Plus some money went to charity and RATM are set to put on a concert in the UK to say thanks....not a bad victory in the fight against banality, cynical exploitation of morons and toilet brush hairdo's...now how about a UK hip hop tune for christmas number one 2010??

Mystro new ish

Thanks to a random run in with the Mighty Mys at a Chima party a while back (then wierdly at Carnival a few days later)I can attest that, as you may have imagined, Mystro is a proper good dude, mad love for hip hop and with an enthusiasm for doing it matched by few on the UK Scene. With a proper loyal global following Mys takes it a bit heavier than usual with great effect in this video. Props to Hip Hop Hype Dog for eyeing it. Word

Jester Jacobs 'Blap' New Video

As news reaches us that Tupac's classic joint 'Changes' has been selected by the Vatican's residential DJ to be pumped on the pontifs playlist (no shit, go google it!)I thought it would be good to point out that hip hop is not all nice, positive and happy. Things get real in the suburbs believe...just witness Jester Jacobs holding it down for the manner. Dont forgot to cop his wicked free LP too (reviewed earlier this year)

Reklews presents Red Tape Free Mixtape

Some days you just need your brain to be pounded with rediculously complicated, dark grimy lyrics over classic boom bap beats. No, don't start digging in your early 90's NY crates; The new Reklews presents Red Tape joint got that shit for you in buckets. Dark Star joins Antiheroes and over a beat that is just insane. (Disclaimer Vocalswords takes no responsibilities for spinal or neck injuries inflicted when rocking recommendatons)Liverpool's Bang On comes with some heat; I'd heard of this guy a while ago, think he had a CD on HHC which was pretty nice but this is stepped up a level into darkness, liking it!

Just Drink sees COTD fam linking cross continents with Aussie stalwart Brad Strutt, the syllables come slick and fast...if you drink as much as these guys recommend you may not be able to concentrate on this, but could probably stumble around a dance floor quite contendedly to it! Darkstar shines on his solo track Playtime is over...a rugged east coast sounding flow the emcee from Schenectady, New York has also got an LP in the pipeline so watch out for news on that.
Bevy talking sounded a bit too slow for my liking when I first heard it, but Hok Tu Down and Tony Broke sound pretty fiery over it, and some of the multisyllables drop work nicely after checkin a few times...'Oppertunity Relishin' and other nice couplets abound, and the Bill Hicks sketch at the end is always good to hear. Sonny Jim wreaks havoc on 'Nothing on me'...shit this kid gets better and better, good to see him getting the props he deserves on Sarah Love and all over; shouts to Eat Good fam. King Grubb and & Bill Shakes rip shop over a beat with a tasty fat bass vibe running althrough it on Cotton Mouth, whilst Teknical Developments rounds off the selection with a 101 in rhyming skills. Go get this now here

Brand New Shizzle KRS and Buckshot

Im getting Blogtastic at the moment! (Which basically means avoiding spam and hunting for dope content net heads - My shit be basic! Apparently this is mad exclusive...I wonder how quick I am on this shizzle!? Check Buck riding a futeristic bike on some Tron steez in this nice video featuring a back pack rap chick blasting into space with a jet pack...what more could you want!?


By the way don't forget to check the latest Friday Night Conspiracy Radio Show, dopeness ever and featuring an interview with Big Boi...go check the links to your right!

Diversity of Hip hop and RIP Derek B

First up RIP to Derek B, a pioneer in the UK rap scene who has sadly passed at the age of 44, a definite loss to the game Derek made history repping UK as the third rapper to grace stage of Top of the Pops! I've got a copy of his classic 'Bad Young Brother' in the crates and hopefully will spin it if I manage to get the next VS podcast on the go.

Recently I have been enjoying a variety of new ish recently, all of which shows the diversity of the hip hop artform. Videos below but first be sure to check the my man Vice's most recent Basement Sessions Podcast, featuring a great article on the Brick City Boutique (wicked hip hop market/night) and also a little interview with yours truely. http://basementsessions.podomatic.com Go check it, some great tunes also! Anyways....

Genesis Elijah has long been bubbling around the scene, I've been loving his bars for time... his rugged and gritty flow belies a sense of justice and struggle for equality that underpins the body of his work. Enjoy this new video

Next up, King Grubb has stepped it up a notch with the first big budget video from the Blah Records camp...check King Grubb - Ritalin Adventures, produced by Lee Scott
Taken from C.O.T.D - Brick Pelican (The Greatest Mystery of All)
Bootleg style... Shot on location in Oswaldtwistle...

Last but by no means least is the big homie Scholarman's new video, another ill slice of boombap...the video is a of nice parody/story intriguing type, apparently the first one of a 2 part set so stay tuned folks!

Krate Krusaders - Free Download

If top notch production, gritty heart felt lyrics and mad concepts is your thing get your media players tuned into the Krate Krusadas 'Volume 1' selection, a great showcase of their considerable talents proving a sound board for some of the cream of UK talent.

Nowadays feat Ahmas reflects on the dismal situations of many of the UKs youth, viewing situations as he's "been there 24/7 like kids in care." A beautiful beat with slick piano and subtle background vocals complement the emcee for a very enjoyable tune despite the raw, bleak verses.

Pscience ft Clarity, Farma G and Cappo features a great academic intro that puts us in the mindframe for the oncoming verbal assault. All 3 emcees smash the track but when Cappo says his flow is developed in a hyperbolic time chamber in a pitch black cell, you can't help but believe him. On 'Life's a grind' Fenetik informs us he stays high like a giraffs sternum, and the hip hop loving metaphores keep coming over a nice floppy piano loop interspersed with some wicked cuts.

Concept tunes don't always float my boat but Saga Sphinks's dive into insanity is well worth analysis...taking pictures of tourists, I'm a figment of my own imagination, my mind's got a mind of it's own...give you a taste of the nicely documented of the mania over a simple piano driven track reminiscent of classic Marly Marl.

The whole set is packed with gems that need to be chewed on and digested, so I won't go on, form your own opinions although gotta particularly big up the monumentally ironic greatness of 'Respect your Elders'with Remus and of course The Krusaders themselves truly show their mettle with a wicked wicked MPC set. Check it and enjoy.

Also check www.tkkhiphop.blogspot.com for the Krate Krusader's blog, including info on Akil the emcees world tour dates that they are managing...big tings I can testify to the show in Ipswich was heeaaavvyy!

Whole Heap Of Madness

First up - Raekwon oh gosh welcome back sir! Just picked up the Cuban Links 2 jid-oint whilst on an ill-advised drunken market trip and yeah it was worth it, Wu Banger in full effect, go check it!
London Town has been buzzing with hip hop lately, check the pics for some of the latest happenings, including a wicked hip hop kareoke night with an incredible impression of Tim Dog doing Fcuk Compton...also Chima's album preview party was heavy as hell, where I ran into the ever hardworking Mystro and also Skandal who played me some unreleased bars on an Ipod; the kid is coming hard! Props to all the crew partying hard for Juice Aleem's party!

Not only London moving, also good ol' I.P. Town been reppin with the man Truth and the Rapsploitation crew holding strong with a sell out heavy Akil (of J5) show. Hip Hop feels to be in a good place at the moment, I got a review of Krate Krusaders dope album coming soon. Not many dope videos in the inbox lately so holla if you know of some dopeness!