Solocypher's Hip Hop Christmas Countdown 1979-2011 - Number 31 - Kurtis Blow 'The Breaks' (1980)

A wicked break to party to, Kurtis lays down some nice observational and party verses over this piano led track. Highly influential down the line!

Solocypher's Hip Hop Christmas Countdown 1979-2011 - Number 32 - Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight

Greetings from a cold south London flat people! The world is not looking too rosy from this window at the moment; but let's not dwell on the negative for now and think about the upcoming festive season! I thought a good way to celebrate is to honour some of our hero's; and as such I humbly present the 'Vocalswords Christmas Countdown'; a journey through hip hop time and space. Please check the Solocypher Facebook page to like or add any of your favourite hip hop tunes from a particular year to make it a community history of hip hop....what will be Christmas number one!? (Shit too much SiCo sorry) So, officially (by record book standards anyhow) Hip Hop began (or at least) reared its recorded voice first in 1979. In that year, really only one record can truly be said to have set in motion the events, songs and history that combined to create the movement so many of us hold so dear...controversies over lyrics (shoutout to Casanova Fly!) aside; this is the jump off.... I've embedded the full length version with no video here; sit back in your time machine and imagine your self in a whole different era and world........

J Live - The Authentic

Always a breath of fresh air to hear a new Ras Kass joint and this one is no exception; incisive gangsterisms rubb shoulders with jokes and political commentary in the singular style that keep Rassy fans fiending for more! Check the track here

Another jem dropped throught the mail the other day; Audible Doctor X Blacastan. Check this new dopeness!

Skyzoo & Torae Live in London 1 Off UK Date!

My man Chima Anya will be hosting not one but 2 New York City heavyweights; Torae and Skyzoo at a fantastic venue in South London; if you are remotely near the big smoke on Wednesday 13th December you need to get your self a ticket quick for this exclusive night of dope hip hop!

SKYZOO With his critically-acclaimed debut album “The Salvation,” Skyzoo was both Brooklyn’s narrator and curator. The album hit the Billboard Top 200 charts at No. 14, the fourth-highest position among new artists. Working with a cast of producers that included 9th Wonder, Just Blaze, Nottz, Black Milk, Best Kept Secret, and Illmind, he created a sonic successor to hip hop milestones “Reasonable Doubt,” “Ready to Die,” “Illmatic” and “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.” The lyrics are why Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg felt confident enough to put a lord of the underground among Nas, Andre Benjamin, Lil' Wayne, and Talib Kweli as the top lyricists alive. www.skyzoo718.com TORAE Torae gained recognition by collaborating with DJ Premier and Marco Polo. He and Marco Polo went on to receive critical acclaim for their collaborative LP entitled „Double Barrel“. With Cosigns from Hiphop Dx, 2DopeBoyz, Nah Right, Hot 97, XXL and a dope new album feat. production from DJ Premier and Pete Rock, if you are serious about Hiphop this is a man you need to catch up with. www.itstorae.com Chima Anya Chima Anya is a name familiar to anyone with a serious interest in Hip-hop in the UK. His debut mixtape came to national attention with support from Kiss, Choice, 1xtra and Radio 1, all while practising full time as a medical doctor. Having shared stages with legends such as Amp fiddler, KRS 1, Jay Electronica,Dead Prez and Pharaohe Monch it’s no surprise that when asked Chima states his greatest joy comes from performing. Always engaging, energetic and charismatic, Chima also fronts his own genre-leading 4 piece electronic / hip-hop outfit; a group that can only be described as a “must see". www.chimaanya.com + Special guests TBC

New Statik Selektah, B.I.G. Krit & Freddie Gibbs

Beats, rhymes, being dope and enjoying life; this is an ill track from some of the most exciting up and comers in the game...

Chima Anya - Closure

Big Props to Chima on this one; the hard hypnotic beat lays down the soundtrack to Chima's epic reflections on life. Filmed on a cold London autumnal morning; check out the cameo in the video lovingly shot by Fat Gold Chain renaissance man RP-1! And if you're feeling this make sure you check Chima alongside NY contemprary legends Skyzoo and Torae on 14th December for a one off UK show; more details Here

RIP Heavy D

Very sad unexpected news today; Heavy D has died aged just 44. A young death is a sad occurence in any circumstances, especially as Heavy D was one of the most positive, thoughfull and inspiring rappers of the 1990's. His presence will be sorely missed. RIP

New Solocypher, Jeff Spec, and Submit plus Classic Eat Good Hip Hop!

New Solocypher on production from DJ Nifty.....I recently hooked up with LeeN (NLT) to finally make a start on some proper productions and this is the result; was a very good feeling to get a recording done professionally so see what you reckon. Solocypher - What The Fuss by Solocypher Jeff Spec has produced a pretty immense sounding album 'Specnology'; I'm just listening through it bobbing my head to some wonderful horns at the moment so havent had a chance to form a full view of the album as a whole; but its going to be a pleasure checking it out! Jeff says of the project "Over the past 10 months, I've been working on a record that I truly believe is my best yet (I know that's the standard thing to say, but I won't release a record unless I feel it tops my last). The album, called "Specnology", is up on Bandcamp now for preview/purchase. Go check it here. Eat Good have been doing some outstanding work with many of the dopest heads in UK; I believe there is a Sonny Jim/Foreign Beggars collab in the not too distance future. In the meantime I've gone back to 2009 to re-check this dope posse cut 'Planet Rasco' ; in particular check out the rediculous verse from my boy Truth, always reppin the East!!

Submit - Victory Lap....pretty excellent track; haven't heard much stuff doper stuff than this recently! Soon to have his Mixtape dropping, this track is a thank you to fans after winning a hypetrak.com competition; Get involved...... SUBMiT-Victory Lap by Bombay Knox

Logic - Spectator

The spark that Sylvia Robertson, Grandmaster Flash, Last Poets and all the pioneers kindled still burns strongly; and for evidence of how Hip Hop has given a voice to humanity just watch this...the potential of simple beats and rhymes to hit so deep; big up Logic

RIP Sylvia Robinson

Regardless of the arguments to and fro on the precise origins of hip hop; credit must be given to Sylvia Robinson and her Sugarhill imprint for bring hip hop to the world; Rest in Peace. The following article is from the Guardian; please do check it out on their site if you would like to be embroiled in the usual pedantic debates in the comments section! Sylvia Robinson, 'mother of hip-hop', dies aged 75 Pioneering producer put out the first ever rap record by assembling the Sugarhill Gang by Sean Michaels Sylvia Robinson, 'the mother of hip-hop', has died aged 75. Most famous for assembling the Sugarhill Gang, Robinson was a songwriter, performer, producer and label owner. "RIP Ms Rob," tweeted Public Enemy's Chuck D. "A black woman putting rap records on the map/now a scene where today women are voided out of it." Born Sylvia Vanderpool in New York in 1936, Robinson began making records aged 14, under the name Little Sylvia, and enjoyed her first hit – 1957's Love Is Strange – as part of the duo Mickey and Sylvia. It would be 16 years until she next reached the top 15, this time with her own song, the soul classic Pillow Talk. Despite her success as a singer, Robinson's life changed direction in 1979, during a visit to the Harlem World disco. As a DJ played the Chic song Good Times, Robinson discovered rap. "The DJ was playing music and talking over the music, and the kids were going crazy," she told the New Jersey Star-Ledger in 1997. "All of a sudden, something said to me, 'Put something like that on a record, and it will be the biggest thing.' I didn't even know you called it rap." Although rap was already in its infancy, the genre had yet to be recorded. Robinson assembled a trio of Jersey kids – Big Bank Hank, Wonder Mike and Master Gee – and dubbed them the Sugarhill Gang. Hiring a band to recreate the rhythm from Good Times, they recorded the first rap single. "This was in the days before samplers and drum machines, when real humans had to play things," said bassist Chip Shearin. "Sylvia said: 'I've got these kids who are going to talk real fast over it; that's the best way I can describe it.'" Robinson released Rapper's Delight on Sugar Hill Records, founded with her husband Joe. While it only reached No 4 in the R&B charts, it launched a movement. By the early 80s, the label's roster included the biggest names in the scene: the West Street Mob, Funky Four Plus One, the Treacherous Three, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. When the latter released The Message in 1982, Robinson was listed as co-producer. "She was really good on the artistic level," said Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, "coming up with material and shaping lyrics and melodies into a song, not just a piece of music that's five minutes long." Her work was a powerful inspiration, helping to make hip-hop into arguably the most popular genre on the planet. Robinson's label notched up 26 gold records before closing in 1986, following a troubled distribution deal with MCA. The Sugar Hill recording studio, in Englewood, New Jersey, was destroyed by a fire in 2002. Robinson died on Thursday morning of congestive heart failure. She is survived by three sons, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "Making a dedication song with my sister [Leanetta] to my grandmother," Darnell Robinson tweeted on Thursday. "Grandson and Granddaughter of Hip-Hop." The Sugarhill Gang are reportedly working on a new album.

Random Axe ft Roc Marciano "Chewbacca"

Some top technical spitting as ever from Sean P, rocking with the force of a Jedi cipher,alongside Guilty Simpson and a nice cameo from Roc Marciano, the beat knocks and the video is pretty jokes. Good work as ever coming out of Bucktown.

Murs x Ski Beatz plus The Dark Sea Scrolls ft El Crisis and HKB Finn

For all the Independent Artists doing thier thing this is a heavy weight rallying call, check it out..... And if that gets you in the mood for some authentic artistry, make sure you check this new night if you are out and about in London; having had the pleasure of witnessing the host El Crisis at one of our recent Fat Gold Chain events and his spoken word forthcoming events 'The Dark Sea Scrolls' are destined to be pretty special, especially as UK hip hop legend HKB Finn (previously Huntkillbury) is one major name amongst some serious poetical and lyrical talent.

B Boys in the UK

I like to harp on about the disunity between the elements of hip hop down the pub; but like many pendants rarely do anything to help bridge the gap...so in a small attempt to do such check details for the UK B-Boy Championships, its going to be hosted by Bronx legend Crazy Legs and Zula Nation grandee Afrika Islam. If its anything like the Notorious IBE in Holland it should be sick! Tickets are pretty steep for the main event (although some real world class talent will be battling it out)....however for ballers on a budget you can check the qualifying rounds out in Islington for £15!

League 510 - The Soul of a Synth (Flying Lotus Instrumental)

League 510 - The Soul of a Synth (Flying Lotus Instrumental)

Got stuck into this tune and if you are reading this I have a feeling you will too! These guys have a got a pretty interesting back ground story according to thier press release "Emcees TK, Mont, Mr. Knowitall and DJ Blacksmith better known as League510 are pioneers of a sound that is all their own, Town Techno. With a sound that is out of this world, League510's musical journey began in a galaxy far away from ours. After traveling the universe for years, they entered our galaxy and our planet shortly thereafter. With sights on our world, the quartet chose to land in the hills east of Oakland, CA. After hiding their ship deep in the hills they approached this new town with great curiosity and were immediately amazed by the vibrant culture that they found. Adopting the Bay Area scene as their new home, League510 wasted no time in beginning their new musical journey here in our world. Using advanced abilities, the four emcees quickly mastered the art of sound and gave birth to Town Techo, a form of music that would unite the people in heightened awareness; to show them to take action, to appreciate the fun in life, to believe in themselves and to believe in The League." Check the styles! The Soul of a Synth (Flying Lotus Instrumental) by League510 If you're feeling the vibe; buy the album here - http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/believe-in-the-league-ep/id422907443

Casual and Chima Anya both going hard on new tracks!

Very excited to be posting these two choons today; reinvigorating my hopes for a return to dopeness in Hip Hop...First up Chima Anya (chilling with myself and Big John at Fat Gold Chain) treats us to some fiiire bars on a freestyle jumping on hard beats on this heater, originally Terrah Danjah, by Royal T ...and can you believe a reject from his soon to come 'Closure' project...must mean its definitely gonna one to look out for... Chima Anya - Full Attention by Chima Anya Moving over to States and Westcoast legend Casual of the Hieroglypics presents 'Fiend for Hip Hop' for a slice of rediculously dope music with a nice Nas vocal cut on the hook...classic!

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