Hip Hop Connection Digimag Issue 5

RAKIM THE GOD EMCEE ON NAS, LARGE PRO, DR DRE & JAY-Z PLUS HIS LYRICAL LEGACY!

www.hhcdigital.net

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2009 HHC DIGITAL#005

05. HOME GROWN: THE UK HIP-HOP STORY 07. BROTHER ALI: STILL INDEPENDENT AND STILL PROUD OF IT

www.hhcdigital.net www.twitter.com/hhcdigital [email protected]

09. FEAR OF THE RAP: TURTLE POWER! 10. ESOTERIC: THE BOSTON RHYME ANIMAL AND HIS FAITHFUL FRIEND

EDITOR Phillip Mlynar (917) 912 3005 | [email protected]

11. TWITTERISHLY: 50 CENT 12. RAKIM: THE GOD EMCEE LOOKS BACK ON HIS CAREER AND SPEAKS ABOUT HIS TIME WITH DR DRE, HIS FIRST MEETINGS WITH NAS AND JAY-Z, AND DETAILS HOW MUCH IT COST TO ROCK A SUIT FROM DAPPER DAN! 20. THE LISTENING: THE MONTHLY NEW MUSIC DIGEST, FEATURING NEW SETS FROM SOULS OF MISCHIEF, BLAKROC, MR CHOP, RALPH RIP SHIT, SHAFIQ AND MORE! 24. HOME STYLE: YOUR UK RAP ROUND-UP

DESIGNER April Hill | [email protected]

05.

HOME GROWN: THE UK HIP-HOP STORY

WRITING Adam Anonymous, Cee Banger, Arsenio Billingham Corin Douieb, Robbie Ettelson, Jo Fuertes-Knight, Mike Lewis Chloe McCloskey, John W McKelvey, James McNally, Tom Nook Chris Schonberger, Quincey Tones, Lucy Van Pelt, Richard Watson PHOTOGRAPHY A Garcia, Kristina Hill, Dorothy Hong Diana Levine, Mike Lewis, Alexander Richter FRONT COVER The Seventh Parallel... ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP [email protected] EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND HEAD OF MICROWAVE OVEN PROGRAMMING Andy Cowan PUBLISHED by Just One More in association with Infamous Ink Ltd. All material (c) Just One More 2009. All rights reserved. HHC Digital may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publisher. Hip-Hop Connection is a registered trademark of Infamous Ink Ltd. All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER While every effort is made to ensure the information in HHC Digital is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which HHC Digital holds no responsibility. Contributors’ opinions do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Just One More or Infamous Ink Ltd or HHC Digital’s staff. The publishers disclaim any liability for those impressions. Now check out our melody...

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HOMEGROWN THE STORY OF UK

HIP-HOP…

The definitive look at the UK hip-hop scene, the Home Grown exhibition is in full effect now. Curated by Urbis’ Andy Brydon and HHC’s Ancient Britain man James McNally, it looks back on

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD REYES

three decades of home grown history, including the pivotal Covent Garden years (pictured). Featuring rarely seen photos from the likes of Normski, Beezer, Paul H, Mike Lewis, Al Baker, Richard Reyes and Jake Green, plus flyers, film and fashion from some of the country’s best personal collections, not to mention a shrine to HHC’s print days, it’s a must-see experience. Click here to find out more about the Home Grown exhibition. HHC DIGITAL #005

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BROTHER ALI

THE TRUTH IS HERE…

‘Us’ is Ali’s fifth project with Atmosphere’s resident producer Ant, and he cites their close relationship as a catalyst for the music: “We have one of those relationships where when you work as intensely as we have and for as long as we have, there’s no hiding anything. He knows all the shittiest things about me and vice versa and we love each other anyway.”

Brother Ali’s recent trip to London to perform at the Barfly was a success. Having sold out the venue, the 32-year-old emcee

As ever, independence remains a top priority on the

who hails from a white family but sounds like an early 20th

Rhymesayers agenda. So it was no surprise when Ali released

century black preacher, says humbly, “I was a little unsure of

a video expressing his views about downloading new music.

what to expect and then I found out it was sold out, so that was

The response, he says, was mixed. “Some people were like,

great.” So often used to touring off the back of Atmosphere’s

‘I never thought about it that way – I’m going to buy albums

reputation, with his impressive ‘Us’ album he’s now certified

from now on. But then there are people that got really mad,

his credentials as a genuine indie hip-hop mainstay.

saying, ‘Don’t you dare call this stealing’...”

Having seen the set tagged “the most important indie hip-

Then, after taking a brief pause, he concludes, “From my

hop album of ’09,” he laughs and says, “Well, it’s the most

perspective, the ’net, on the one hand, gives me access to

important to me!” Then he adds, “I don’t take those kind of

people I might not get access to. But on the other, if you really

things to heart. I think people talk so much – we talk everything

love this music and don’t pay for it, you’re not helping it exist.”

to death; when we want to prove we really mean something,

Chloe McCloskey

we really exaggerate.”



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FEAR OF THE RAP

but this single comes in three ‘key’ versions. There’s the initial US 12-inch, with the cheap-looking collage-style cover featuring a yellow turtle saying, “Cowabunga!” It includes the album version (the original one PIK completed over that weekend), the single edit (a reworking by SBK’s in-house producer Shane Faber) and ‘Splinter’s Tale I & II’ by John Du Prez. Then there’s the picture disc (shown) which leaves off the album version. And there’s the UK version, with a cover showing the turtles peering out from a manhole cover, and an alternate b-side,

OFF YOUR RAP RADAR...

‘Turtle Rhapsody’ by the Orchestra In A Half Shell. (Pressed to pick a best version, GV plumps for the first US release.)

Yeah, that’s a record. As a matter of fact, that there’s the shaped, picture disc version of one of hip-hop’s biggest hit

“I’ll tell you one thing that I never told anybody about ‘Turtle

records, and one of the few hip-hop songs to be certified

Power’,” Snow says. “As we were making it we tried to think together a little thing for a fight scene, just something in the

of something that was cartoony and would put people in

background, called ‘Confrontation.’ Then by the time we got

mind of that. Do you remember the theme from the cartoon

Back in 1990, PIK were an unsigned duo from Syracuse,

further along with it, they said to us, ‘Hey, we need a theme

Underdog? There’s a part that goes, ‘Speed of lightning, roar of

consisting of emcee GV and deejay/producer Snow, shopping

song...’ So they read the premise over the phone to GV; and

thunder/Fighting all who rob or plunder.’ I took that tune for

demos in NYC. They were in talks with SBK Records to possibly

over the weekend ‘Confrontation’ became ‘Turtle Power’.”

the horn line in ‘Turtle Power’! No one ever caught it! It was an

platinum in the UK, ‘Turtle Power’ by Partners In Kryme.

idea for people to subtly feel familiar with it before they ever

record something for their upcoming soundtrack album, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. As Snow says, “We’d put

Of course, there are multiple variations in different countries,

heard it, and I think some of that worked.” John McKelvey HHC DIGITAL #005

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ESOTERIC

A DOG’S LIFE...

Irish Setter Boo, and my wife’s dog, Domino, for inspiration. Putting a dog to sleep is the hardest thing in the world for people like me. Dogs are easy to understand, humans are too complicated... That’s why mankind is drawn to canines. There’s a simplicity and a loyalty that can’t be found in people. Saying goodbye to a dog that seemingly lived to make you happy can really affect people.”

physical copies of rap music. But one thing’s apparent: give

Elsewhere on the album, on the track ‘Ace’s Take’ with Masta

the listeners something tangible, something that they want to

Ace, Eso drops the confessional, “My whole career is a maybe.”

own and keep, and you’re closer to closing a sale than most. So

Reviewing his time on the mic, he says, “7L and I had major

seems to run the thinking behind Boston mainstay Esoteric’s

label offers and interest in the late ’90s and early 2000s, but I

latest solo effort, ‘Saving Seamus Ryan’, which comes cannily

don’t look at that as a big fork in the road. Sometimes I think,

packaged, Atmosphere-style, with a short story.

‘Hmm, what if I came a little harder on ‘Speaking Real Words’ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIANA LEVINE

These days it’s no secret that no one really knows how to sell

and chose a dirtier track, would that have picked up more “I’d seen ‘When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit

steam?’ Oh, and we had a chance to do a joint with Eminem

Gold’ in stores but I didn’t realise it came with a children’s book

back in ’98 and I was like ‘Hell no!’ for stupid fucking reasons.

– that rules,” says Eso of Slug and Ant’s literary scribblings.

I don’t think that would have changed things, but it would be

Then, speaking on his own tome, he continues, “Max, the

nice to look back on because I have a lot of respect for the way

dog in the story, is put to sleep at the beginning of the album.

he writes.” Arsenio Billingham

He’s a fictional dog, but I used memories of euthanising my



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STILL AVAILABLE! ISSUE 001

50 Cent is Using Twitter Anyone know how to delete purchases from your Amazon profile? 3:06 PM today, from web

DOOM!

THE SUPER-VILLAIN ON BUKOWSKI, BEER AND BECOMING A GAZZILLIONAIRE

Ordered the Triple Cs joint, plus The Gay Sex Guide. LOL!!! 3:05 PM today, from twitteriffic

Also, you should never sign packs of crack. That’s just playin’ into Po-Po’s hands. 11:39 AM today, from twitteriffic Signing books in Barnes & Noble. Reminds me of slinging rocks on Jamaica Ave. Except you get to sit down. 11:38 AM today, from twitteriffic

DOOM, WILLIE ISZ, DANTE ROSS, MOBONIX 35 FREE

EMUSIC

MP3s!

‘ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX 2’ IS GO! GHOSTFACE, SPEECH DEBELLE, TANYA MORGAN, PAUL WHITE

ISSUE 002

Got dome from Rick Ross’s baby mama in the History section. 1:12 PM today, from twitteriffic

WILLIE ISZ, CHARLES HAMILTON, DANTE ROSS & MORE!

HHC DIGITAL #001

HHC DIGITAL #002

@DannyDyer: Who’s Katie Price, what are Bristols and why couldn’t you take your mince pies off them? 2:07 PM today, from twitteriffic

www.hhcdigital.net

www.hhcdigital.net

Browsing Amazon. Cats who bought my book also bought my man Rio Ferdinand’s autobiography. Hmm, I got an idea… 3:04 PM today, from web

RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE, SPEECH DEBELLE HHC DIGITAL #005

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RAKIM A DECADE SINCE HIS LAST ALBUM, THE GOD EMCEE IS FINALLY BACK WITH ‘THE SEVENTH SEAL’. HHC DIGITAL CHECKS OUT HIS NEW MELODY…

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Earlier this year, HHC polled 100 rappers in a bid to find out

First up, why did ‘The Seventh Seal’ take so long to produce?

who they’d nominate as hip-hop’s greatest ever emcee. Right

“I think it’s because I’m a perfectionist. Plus I had to get my

from the start the answer was clear: Rakim Allah. Whether we

business together. I got my own label now; I took on a different

asked those living lavish at the top of the commercial scene

role to get it. But with the music, I can’t let it go until I feel

or those cats grinding their way around the underground, the

that it’s perfect – and nine times out of ten it’s never perfect.”

rhymer from Long Island was always going to be his peers’ pick. And while the modern rap world might not share a huge

Do you feel any pressure releasing the album?

amount in common with the mechanisms of the golden era

“Pressure? No. I think it’s just more anxiety, man. It’s like

during which The R reigned, he’s back with a new album, the

you’re used to doing something and then the longer it takes to

seven-years-in-the-writing ‘The Seventh Seal’.

do it, you start to go through that withdrawal. But I feel good to finally finish it. Now I’m just waiting to see how the world

Having endured a fruitless time with Dr Dre over at Aftermath,

will receive it.”

the album’s held down by low-key, indie scene producers like Nick Wiz and Jake One. It’s a bold move, and one that leaves

During the time between this album and ‘The Master’ you were

the record lacking the punch and impact that the good Doctor

signed to Dre’s Aftermath imprint. Why didn’t that work out?

– or his in-studio minions – would have imbued in it. But there

“We just had conflicting ideas about what the album would be

are still lyrical gems to be picked out, and tracks like ‘Holy Are

like. So at the end of the day I thought it was best to just get

You’ and ‘How To Emcee’, the latter produced by DMC champ

out and get back to New York.”

DJ Slice, show that Rakim still has a lot to offer hip-hop. And with plans for another album early next year, call this the

How did the Dre situation come around in the first place?

reintroduction of the God emcee...

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sign to Interscope and the brother who was hooking that up hollered at Dre to do a couple of tracks on the album. When I met up with Dre he was like, ‘Why don’t you just come over to Aftermath and I’ll do the whole album?’ Back then it sounded like a good idea. But when me and Dre got together and started working, that’s when we realised how different we was, so we had to let it go, man. We’re two different artists and we didn’t really realise that until we got to the same studio.” What happened to the songs you recorded during that time? “I got ’em, he got ’em... They leaked some out for the internet right after I left California. But most of the tracks we did, Dre only produced two or three of them – and that’s out of a good 12 or 15 songs. He was getting track from some of the producers he knew. And me, anxious to get it poppin‘, I’d just

NAS WOULD COME THROUGH POWER PLAY

grab a track and write to it while he was getting ready to do

STUDIOS WITH LARGE PRO. YOU COULD

what he had to do. So after a while, when I told him I needed

DEFINITELY SEE HIS POTENTIAL…

to come back to New York, he understood.” Did you learn much from watching Dre in the studio? “I learned a lot, man. He’s like me, a perfectionist, and I learned HHC DIGITAL #005

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that it’s a certain standard of music that the people want. You gotta make sure that not only is it music that I personally like, but that it’s music that’s universal. See, that was my problem back in the day: If I heard a track and I liked it, I didn’t care who else liked it. But Dre let me know that I had to make it a bit more universal.”

WHEN I HEARD JAY-Z BACK THEN I KNEW THIS KID WAS NASTY AND COULD GET THERE IF HE KEPT DOING IT…

Going further back, you also worked with Large Professor. What do you remember about first meeting him? “My man there, Large Pro, I felt a sense of hunger from this dude and a sense of know-how; like not only where to go and get the records from but how they was supposed to be sampled and what kind of drums you were supposed to put under that type of sample. He was really into his craft in terms of producing; I didn’t know he rhymed until later on. He kept me on my toes with how a track should sound. He was a big influence on me as far as my sampling game.” Are those the sessions where Nas would pass through? “No doubt, Nas used to come through Power Play when we’d record there. He was eager, he used to do a lot of work with Large Pro, so he brought him through a couple of times.” HHC DIGITAL #005

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Did you see Nas’s potential as a rapper back in those days?

du-du-du-du-du-du...’ Everyone starts looking at the TV, like,

“Definitely, ’cos it was like to me it sounded like the streets of

‘Yo, who the hell is that?!’ It was Jay-Z, spitting some fire on a

New York and I always appreciated a rapper that not only knew

Jaz video. That’s the first time I seen and heard Jay.”

how to rhyme but knew how to incorporate that New York swagger and attitude. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of people

Did you think he’d blow up like he eventually did?

able to do that. When I first heard Nas rhyme I got that sense

“Nah, ’cos back then the cadence wasn’t nowhere near that.

from him. I mean I didn’t know he was going to be as prolific as

So for somebody to come out and step the game up like three

he would end up being, but I knew he had something.”

notches – [Again mimicking a rapid-fire flow] ‘Du-du-du-du-dudu-du...’ – nobody was rhyming like that back then, so you

What’s your favourite Nas song?

knew that dude was going to be on a different page if he stuck

“My favourite Nas joint is, I think, ‘The World Is Yours’. I think

with his craft. Back then it took four or five songs to believe

that or ‘Halftime’.”

somebody knew what they was doing, but when I heard Jay I knew this kid was nasty and could get there if he kept on.”

What were your first impressions of Jay-Z in those days? Did you ever see him perform as Big Daddy Kane’s hype-man?

What was the last song you heard by another artist that made

“Nah, I never seen Jay live with Kane back then. The only time

you think, ‘Damn, I wish I’d have said that...’?

I seen Jay was with Jaz. But I remember the first time I heard

“Let’s go back to my man Eric Clapton, ‘Change The World’.

Jay rhyme was on a video. We was sitting in the crib chilling,

Word up! I always liked his music but when he came out with

not paying attention to the TV, then this video came on, the

that song I kinda felt myself in his words. It’s like the same thing

joint started rockin‘, but we still weren’t really looking at the

that me and a lot of other people do, but when somebody puts

TV. Then all of a sudden we heard [Mimic’s rapid-fire flow] ‘Du-

it in words like that so perfectly, it sounds beautiful, man.” HHC DIGITAL #005

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What’s the biggest misconception about Rakim? “It think it’s what my cause is. A lot of people think that I started gangsta rap. To me, it was just the opposite. I thought I helped bring consciousness to the table. But through my demeanor and the way I dress and some of the places that people heard I grew up and hung out at, they label me a gangsta.” ‘Paid In Full’ was always about the redemption side – saying you used to be a stick-up kid. Where did you hear the gangsta rap comments? “A couple of years ago, when 2Pac got shot, they had this big thing on the radio in New York and I’ll never forget: KRS-One was up there, they were talking about gangsta rap, and he says, ‘Gangsta rap didn’t start in California, Rakim started gangsta rap.’ That shocked me, ’cos I knew my demeanor and where I hung out, but I never thought I started

I USED TO HANG WITH THE ORIGINAL 50 CENT, THE STICK-UP

gangsta rap. I always knew it was a little edgy, and that the way I dress was ‘urban’, but I don’t think I started gangsta rap.”

KID. WE WAS DEFINITELY COOL… Did you ever speak to KRS about his comment? “Nah... I understand what Kris is saying, ’cos we did bring the HHC DIGITAL #005

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streets to the stage. My crew was all my people we hung out

You mentioned the clothes you’d wear in those days – where

with in the streets. It’s not like I had a manager who was a

did your outfits come from?

manager – my manager was my homeboy. The way we looked,

“Well for the jewelry we might go to Jamaica Avenue in Queens,

our presence was edgy, but whenever I got in the booth or

but the main spot was the diamond district in Manhattan. We

wrote songs I never felt it was gangsta gangsta. I think that’s

was going there in ’86 – a long time before a lot of people

the biggest misconception with Rakim.”

started going there. Then for the Gucci suits we’d go up to Dapper Dan on 125th Street who used to customise and hook

On the back of ‘Paid In Full’ there’s a posse shot. Is it true that

us up – like a pair of Timberlands with the Louis Vuitton leather

the original 50 Cent, the stick-up kid, is in there?

on it. Everyone knew they weren’t a pair of Louis Vuitton boots

“No doubt, that’s the original 50 Cent. We was cool, we had

but it was just the style. We were able to have a Gucci hat or

a lot of respect for each other: he made a name for himself in

a Fendi jacket but not in the style they was making them. It

the street, and I was making a name for myself in the music

was good to be able to floss that style – what we was wearing

business. He respected me ’cos I came from, not the same

wasn’t even out!”

neighbourhood, but I came from the same place he came from. It just so happened that I was rapping. He was definitely

How much did you pay for the clothes in those days?

a real dude. Him and the rest of my people I grew up with like

“For the Tims, it would probably come out to about $300

that, they really let me know how serious it was for young

and change. A whole Gucci suit was from $1,500 to $3,000,

brothers in the street and things of that nature. Killer Ben was

depending on how much suede, how much leather, how much

another cat that was one of my peoples. Coming up around

it weighed. It was definitely costly for a young player of that

people like that, it gives you a different understanding of life,

nature. Not everyone could go to Dapper Dan and get a suit. It

and an understanding of the streets and the struggle.”

was fake, but it was a statement.” HHC DIGITAL #005

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What was your favourite venue to perform at back then? “In the ’80s, it was The Rooftop, man! With a lot of places in New York it felt like you rented the building out to have a party in it, so you’d get people from all over the boroughs in there, so it’s really nobody’s home. But a place like The Rooftop was in the community itself, so the majority of the people in there was from the Polo Grounds [housing projects], then the other people sprinkled in from the boroughs. The Rooftop had a swagger in there that you couldn’t get from other places ’cos the people felt like it was their home, you know? It was more than just a club; it felt more like it was a party in somebody’s back yard. Everybody was on the same page, liked the same music... I’d say that The Rooftop was just a very special place for hip-hop.” Finally, what song used to go down best back in those days? “‘Eric B Is President’, definitely. I don’t know why, man, but they even had a little dance they used to do to it. Whenever

KRS-ONE TOLD THE WORLD I STARTED

I performed a show anywhere in New York City and I played

GANGSTA RAP. THAT KINDA SHOCKED ME…

that one it was like Wop City!”

‘Holy Are You’ HHC DIGITAL #005

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THE LISTENING 21.

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: THE BLACK KEYS TAKE ON RZA, MOS DEF, Q-TIP JIM JONES AND DAMON DASH FOR THE BLAKROC PROJECT...

22.

GET UP ON NEW SETS FROM SOULS OF MISCHIEF, SHAFIQ, MR CHOP ALPHABETIX, DIAMOND DISTRICT AND RALPH RIP SHIT...

24.

HOME STYLE: YOUR ONE-STOP UK RAP ROUND-UP, FEATURING SKUFF & INJA, PARA DUBBLEDGE, DJ YODA DEADLY, ENVY, BIGFOOT SWAY AND MORE!

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ALBUM OFTHEMONTH

BLAKROC ‘BLAKROC’

(BLACKROC RECORDS)

Damon Dash says: “I came across the Black Keys after one of

We say: Rap and rock collabos might not exactly have an

my A&R’s passed me a couple of their CDs. I loved the music

esteemed history, but this Damon Dash conceived project

instantly – started playing it in my car and at home constantly

sees The Black Keys laying down instrumental grooves for

– so I put a call in and proposed a project together. They were

various rappers to top effect. The rapping cast list includes

down with it and I brought Jim Jones to the studio for the first

Mos Def, Raekwon, RZA, Q-Tip and Billy Danze, all spitting

session, then Mos Def came in, and it just grew from there.”

over the type of funk-laden grooves most producers would be happy to loop up. The opening ODB and Ludacris effort,

Dan (Black Keys) says: “We work fast. We laid down four

‘Coochie’, is inspired, while Rae’s husky vocals on ‘Stay Off

instrumentals in four hours, just trying to come up with a

The F*%$#n’ Flowers’ are a highlight. An unexpected but

good sound and feel. Then it was a case of matching tracks to

resolute success.

certain rappers.”



‘Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)’

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ALBUMREVIEWS SOULS OF MISCHIEF

MR CHOP

SHAFIQ

‘MONTEZUMA’S REVENGE’ (HIERO IMPERIUM)

‘FOR PETE’S SAKE’ (NOW-AGAIN)

‘EN A-FREE-KA’ (PLUG RESEARCH)

Opio says: “It was a different creative process working with

Shafiq says: “My goal with the album was to make sure that

Mr Chop says: “A unique take [on Pete Rock covers] has lead

Prince Paul, who ended up executive producing the album.

the music was progressive, but a little bit more direct – so it’s

to an album that ‘the heads’ will recognize by the Tom Scott

It gives it a new angle, but it’s still the same classic Souls Of

not just a loose bunch of songs. The concept that holds it all

sax-line Pete poached for ‘T.R.O.Y.’ or a host of other sample-

Mischief lyrical standard.”

together is my take on the issues of identity and being a ‘free

based calls and response deconstructed into their component

We say: Despite being proud Bay Area boys, Opio and company

national’.”

parts and reassembled again.”

have always had a strong east coast influence running through

We say: Sa-Ra-related projects may sometimes fall foul of being

We say: After holding down a chunk of production duties on

them, and drafting in Prince Paul to oversee things definitely

style over substance, but Shafiq’s solo effort is top drawer

DOOM’s ‘Born Like This’, Mr Chop’s instrumental take on the

brings the album together. Tracks like ‘Woni’ and ‘Fourmation’

dope. Eclectic in all the right ways, at times it sounds like

Soul Brother’s back cat is a fresh move. The only issue? That

bang hard, while ‘Hiero HQ’ jingle-jangles just lovely. And yep,

nothing more than the 2009 take on what Afrika Bambaataa

the originals are so strong it’s hard not to see this as merely a

skits are in effect...

was attempting all those years back.

prompt to dig them back out...







‘LaLaLa’

‘Nirvana’

‘T.R.O.Y.’

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ALBUMREVIEWS DIAMOND DISTRICT

RALPH RIP SHIT

ALPHABETIX

‘IN THE RUFF’ (MELLO MUSIC)

‘OCDC VOL. 1’ (WWW.OCDC.CO.UK)

‘ANONYMOUS EP’ (30 TONNE SLUG)

Oddisee says: “Our inspiration for the album was our love

Mr Ris says: “Check the EP ’cos it’s crammed full of up-beat

Ralph Rip Shit says: “This release will definitely put some

for a particular golden era sound – and the need for DC to

bangers with that Alphabetix twist. My personal favourite

warmth into any listener’s winter!”

contribute to that sound.”

track is ‘Bounce’ ’cos it’s a serious head-nodder.”

We say: A free download project from the man touting himself

We say: Possibly the most bizarre release of the oh-nine, this

We say: A four-person strong crew from Leeds consisting of

around town as having the best name in rap, ‘OCDC Vol 1’

is the retail version of an album previously available as a free

emcees Mr Ris, ABD and Angel S plus producer DJ Sir+, this

is the product of “Classic Tuesdays spent in the studio

download. The blend of Oddisee’s production and XO and

nine track long EP sounds fresh from start to finish. ‘You Can

together with the odd Thursday thrown in for good measure.”

Yu’s vocals is still great, and there are a few additional tracks

Bet It’s The Betix’ almost comes over like a UK take on Jurassic

The result is a fine combination of Stophe’s beats and

tacked on (like the heavy ‘Hologram’), but with shockingly

5’s chemistry, complete with funky beat and cutting on the

Ralph’s

low-budget packaging it’s hard to see anyone actually

chorus, while ‘Control My Vibes’ resonates with a warped

‘Motorcycle’, ‘Tony’s Town’, and the quite brilliantly-titled

paying for it...

swagger. A promising introduction.

‘Disco Louts’.







‘Hologram’

‘Control My Vibes’

confident

flow.

Stand-out

tracks

include

‘Bros ’92’

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HOME STYLE YOUR UK RAP ATTACK…

remix of Public Enemy’s ‘Shut ’Em Down’ get a psyche, jazz, rock and funk reworking. Additionally, the album features Malcolm Catto and Mike Burnham of Heliocentrics fame. Oh, and if that’s not enough there are two 7-inch singles with a certain CL Smooth on the mic.

With Christmas just around the corner and a newly opened

Another Christmas cracker is ‘Careful On The Way Up’ by those

Anthropologie on Regent Street it’s hard to know where to

naughty elves Diversion Tactics. The lead single, ‘Can’t Swim/

spend your hard earned or ill gotten cash. If you’re not into

Back To School’, sees the return of collaborator J-Zone who

over priced objet d’art you could do worse than finding some of

adds his distinctive punch to the proceedings. The album is as

these stuffed in your stocking – starting with Para’s ‘Fallen On

solid as ever with Jazz T, Zygote, Chubby and Squeaky firing

Def Ears’ on Breakin Bread (pictured). The Swindon beatsmith

on all cylinders. Then D Gritty, Blade and Tommy Koi hold it

has delivered one of the year’s funkiest albums with a good

down for some UK collabo fun while Percee P and Tim Dog

dose of cut and paste thrown in for good measure. Catlin

add their Bronx magic. Grrrrr!

also turns in some great vocals making it a truly universal set. There’s something for everyone and it features the singles

Moving on, Dubbledge’s ‘One Inch Punch’ will literally hit you

‘Rescue Me’, ‘You Never Change’ and ‘It’s The Hornet’.

around the head. Such is the power it delivers we recommend wearing a gum shield, head guard or a full face crash helmet

Another UK production wizard is Mr Chop who covers breaks

while listening to it. If you’re a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, Tribe

used by Pete Rock on his ‘For Pete’s Sake’ project. Classics such

Called Quest, Snoop or Souls Of Mischief then this will be right

as ‘Good Life’, ‘Main Ingredient’ and even the Soul Brother’s

up your chamber, as it were. HHC DIGITAL #005

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South London’s Phoenix Da Icefire releases his debut album,

of the turntable by using pitch control to create a scale.

‘Baptism Under Fire’. This is a perfect opportunity to insert de-icer, dry ice and other such glib puns but we’ll forgo that

Also out now is ‘The Skuff And Inja Show’ on In Records

gift. Instead we’ll tell you it’s hosted by M9 and mixed by DJ

(pictured). “The record was born from the live show and every

Roast (no dinner, chestnut or Sunday jokes either), with guest

track was crafted with exactly that in mind,” says Skuff. “We

appearances from Masikah, 9 Planets AKS and J Da Exodus.

try to bring next level energy to the shows, and the idea for

Hard hitting is what we’d expect and Phoenix definitely

the LP was to translate that energy onto record.” Inja adds,

delivers every time.

“It’s a multi-patchwork of hip-hop and other styles.”

Over in east London you’ll find song-writing emcee Deadly and

Finally, a couple of last minute entries before we sing ‘Auld Lang

her ‘1st Place Greatest Kid’ album (on Gemini Productions).

Syne’: Envy’s ‘Set Yourself On Fire’ on Stopstart showcases a

While a certain Speech Debelle has been all over the media,

confident rhyme animal with a huge personality, while Bigfoot

Deadly has been honing her craft on the grime scene and was

featuring Sway’s ‘Feel Like A King’ is all regal rhymes from this

a member of M.I.C. (Mentally Ill Crew). Check out the lead

Manchester deity.

single ‘Goin‘ On Greazy’ for a taste of Deadly’s fire and Merlin’s magic production.

No Christmas column would be complete without a mention of pulling crackers, stuffing birds and “are you a leg or breast

Heritage Orchestra team up with DJ Yoda for ‘Concerto For

man?” and who are we to disappoint? Mike Lewis

Turntables & Orchestra’. This may seem like a strange idea until you consider Yoda’s video work. His style enables him to follow a score like a musician, and here he utilises the potential

(Check out www.RapAndSoulMailOrder.com to purchase all records mentioned in Home Style.) HHC DIGITAL #005

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