Tag: UK hip hop
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Ghetts – The Calm Before The Storm | Mixtape Review
As urban/black pop music dominates the charts, many of the underground heroes of Grime also want a piece of this success. Emcees are trading in their Air Maxes, bars and scowls for boat shoes, sing-along choruses and smiles in the hope of reaching the wider audience. Whilst respect should be given to those daring to…
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Giggs – Let ‘Em Ave It | Album Review
Hip Hop in America has no qualms about pushing/pimping Gangsta Rap to its mainstream – in the UK, however, it’s a different matter. Various government organisations and politicians have been vocal and proactive in their attempts to censor gratuitous music from flooding the charts – which makes for a very interesting scenario as the UK’s…
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Akala – DoubleThink | Album Review
From the classical music that hits your ears on the intro, to the sickeningly insightful and observant lyrics and the gentle piano that signs the album off; DoubleThink, the latest offering from UK Hip Hop artist Akala, is not what you’d expect. This is Akala’s third album and he’s come a long way from where…
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Mixtape Review: Kano – Jack Bauer: The 7 Day Edition
It’s hard to fathom that Kano has graced the music scene for well over seven years now. An underground artist whose sound has remained grounded in the murkier Grime sounds, even when experimenting music’s most influential figures, his successes have been one of the more ‘genuine’ triumphs. As he returns back to the format which…
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Album Review: TY – Special Kind Of Fool (BBE Records)
Ty Chijioke has surpassed the simple moniker of UK rapper to achieve the tag of critically acclaimed musician. Whilst some may claim to belong to that same category, when comparing their catalog of albums to TY’s eclectic, live orchestrated projects, mass differences are evident. This is because TY is a special kind of emcee –…
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Mixtape Review: Wretch 32 – Wretch32.com
Whilst many of today’s acts achieve success in all areas, there are only a few whose wordplay prick our ears due to the magnitude of their lyricism. Amidst those who do so, Wretch 32 is the artist most commonly mentioned within the Grime and Hip Hop circuit. His 2008 debut Wretchrospective sported some of the…