Hiphop Connection Digital Issue 003

BLACK MILK

www.hhcdigital.net HHC DIGITAL #003

LEADER OF THE NEW DETROIT UNDERGROUND

CONTENTS JUNE 2009 HHC DIGITAL#003 03 THE LISTENING 04 MIX MASTER! 05 BITE BACK!

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

06 TANYA MORGAN 08 NEWS FLASH: ESLAM JAWAAD 10 CHECK OUT MY MELODY

EDITOR Phillip Mlynar (001) 347 731 1288 | [email protected]

11 THE PANEL 12 PUGS ATOMZ

DESIGNER April Hill | [email protected]

13 FEAR OF THE RAP

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 Doc Nostrand, Chris Schonberger, Quincey Tones, Lucy Van Pelt, Richard Watson

14 FLOW FASHION 16 ELECTRIC RELAXATION 17 TWITTERISHLY 19 DETROIT IS NOW!

PHOTOGRAPHY Kristina Hill, Mike Lewis, Alexander Richter

32 FINALE

FRONT COVER Kristina Hill

34 D.ALLIE

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP [email protected]

36 KYZA 40 M.O.P.

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND HEAD OF MICROWAVE OVEN PROGRAMMING Andy Cowan

46 ALBUM OF THE MONTH: EMINEM

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.

48 ALBUM REVIEWS 50 HOME STYLE 52 OPEN UP 53 DEEJAY CHARTS 55 ON THE GO: PETE ROCK 56 THE UNKUT COLUMN

40 M.O.P.

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. And Dynamics Plus can go eat poo...

HHC DIGITAL #003

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THE LISTENING

THIS MONTH’S FREE

MP3 STASH... Back again with another top notch selection of free music for your listening pleasure, you know how it works: Cop the intricately-blended Last Skeptik-crafted mixtape version here, or grab full and complete individual tracks from the end of

4. FRESH DAILY ‘BREAK A LEG’ (HIGH WATER)

11. ESLAM JAWAAD FEAT. DE LA SOUL ‘REWIND DJ’ (RPEG)

each interview and review throughout the mag. Now go ‘head

5. K-DEF ‘REDCOATS ARE COMING’ (GHETTO MAN)

12. BRAD STRUT ‘BELIEVE’ (SHOGUN)

and get to downloading...

6. FREESTYLE MASTER ‘BIG BAD CITY’ (POWERCUT)

13. D. ALLIE ‘EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE’

7. KYZA ‘SIN CITY’ (DENTED)



HHC DIGITAL MIX 003

8. FINALE FEAT. CASUAL ‘ONE MAN SHOW’ (8 BIT REMIX)

14. THE DELUSIONISTS ‘TO THE NEXT’





Click the play button to download!

(FAT BEATS)

1. LAST SKEPTIK INTRO

9. FAT RAY FEAT. AB & BLACK MILK ‘TAKE CONTROL’

2. PUGS ATOMZ FEAT. SADAT X ‘WAIT & SEE’ (SOFLO ENT)



3. TANYA MORGAN FEAT. BLU ‘MORGAN BLU’

10. DJ SPINNA FEAT. TORAE ‘LYRICS IS BACK’



(INTERDEPENDENT)



(FAT BEATS) (HIGH WATER)



(UNITED STATES OF MIND) (BEATS LAYING ABOUT)

15. LOUDMOUTH MELVIN ‘TOP TEN LIST’

(LAST SKEPTIK REMIX) (WHITE)

16. MOP ‘BLOW THE HORNS’ (E1) 17. BLACK MILK ‘MO POWER’ (FAT BEATS) HHC DIGITAL #003

3

MIX MASTER! THE LAST SKEPTIK ON THIS

MONTH’S MIX... Taking a break out from grooming his cats, The Last Skeptik speaks semi-real words about HHC Digital 003’s free mix… What three words best describe the mix? “Not DMC standard.”

Big up your remix of Loudmouth Melvin’s ‘Top Ten List’... Which track surprised you with its unexpected dopeness? “Fresh Daily’s ‘Break A Leg’ made me reminisce: It’s exactly the type of tune I’d run to Mr Bongo’s and buy on a Saturday morning

“It’s incredible. It’s not bigger than Jesus, but it stands up to Odin. Loudmouth is one of the best rappers in the country.”

in between a Snapple, assorted crate-digging and general weekend japery. Nowadays I just spend my Saturdays in pet

What sandwich best describes this month’s mix?

supermarkets throwing tantrums in the Kibble aisle.”

“Veggie-meatball marinara and cheese, with fries too.”

HHC DIGITAL #003

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BITE BACK!

READERS RESPOND

just what those ships are doing and how much food aid they’re

whipped the crowd up into a frenzy in the first 25 minutes, but

trying to deliver the Somalian nation... Cynicism’s great if it’s

this frenzy only lasted another ten minutes as they decided to

founded on accurate information.

call it a night. We all thought they’d come back on for an encore

Tony Wright

but they didn’t and the crowd grew restless – and rightly so.

Hi!

EMUSIC

MP3s!

www.hhcdigital.net

35 FREE

HHC DIGITAL #002

I giggled much when I read your STEPHAN! [Home Style 002] And, with being proud of listening to the show, and the promise of being sent something nice, I say to you: JUST COMING! Ehe, ‘ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX 2’ IS GO! GHOSTFACE, SPEECH DEBELLE, TANYA MORGAN, PAUL WHITE

Hickey x Can’t you kids just quote 30 Rock like the rest of us?

Tonight was the biggest rip-off that I have come across at a hip-hop gig for many years as we all paid the best part of £20 (which isn’t far off of Brixton Academy!) to see De La perform a medley of tracks that failed to impress – especially from Dave who was walking around on stage like he couldn’t find his favourite toy (probably ’cos he’d thrown it from his pram over the sound quality). I hate to say it but the organisers and De La should be shame-faced right now for ripping their loyal

Hello,

fan base off – I want my fucking money back!

I’ve just come from watching the legendary De La Soul at a

Kind regards,

small venue in Exeter, Devon. At first glance it seemed that I’d

Joe Foster, The Heartbroken Kid, Exeter.

Hey,

be one of a lucky 130-odd people to get up close and personal

Anyone else noticed a dip in the quality of live rap shows?

[In response to Steele’s comments on Somali pirates last

with the Plugs and after a long drawn out two and a half hours

issue] Suggestion to General Steele – Do some research into

of good warm up acts, out they came. Sure enough, they

(Missed last month’s issue? Click the cover above to download!)

Wanna rant about rap? Holler at us on [email protected]

HHC DIGITAL #003

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TANYA MORGAN BROOKLYNATI’S FINEST... “We aim to bring the art of the album back,” declares Von Pea, the Brooklynite third of everyman rap crew Tanya Morgan. “They say the album format is dying but that’s nonsense to me. We made a complete album with ‘Brooklynati’ and that’s what the ‘city’ is about.” Actually, by fusing hometowns to create their sophomore set’s titular boho metropolis, Von and Cincinnati kids Ilyas and Donwill have created more than just a bumping long player, their Brooklynati website flagging up the city’s attractions (Tiggalo’s House Of Worship, anyone?) in immaculate multimedia style. “The website is definitely elaborate,” agrees Donwill, “but that’s because Brooklynati is as real as we make it. It’s not just an album title – it’s a state of mind.” HHC DIGITAL #003

6

On ‘Plan B’ you imagine scenarios in which you abandoned

Why did early ’90s Brooklynati rappers Hardcore Gentlemen

your rap careers. Have you ever considered quitting?

never make it past their debut single?

Von Pea: “I used to want to quit all the time! Being a musician

V: “Honestly, they were too much like Onyx and biting just

and living your life can be difficult as hell. Trying to pay the bills,

wasn’t allowed.”

find and maintain love, raise kids, be a good friend, brother

D: “Well, you know they had a pretty bad drug problem too.

and son, and deal with all the shit that comes with living out

Sex addiction, gambling... They were plagued by a bunch of

your dream isn’t easy. I love the highs so much though, that

personal issues around that time. They blew up too fast and

the lows don’t get to me anymore.”

“

Ilyas: “All the time. It’s like being in an abusive relationship. Hiphop is like a first love that rarely ever gives love back until you say you’re gonna leave. Then right when you get comfortable she’s back to being a bitch [laughs].” On ‘We’re Fly’ Donwill gives props to Todd Shaw. What are

MAKING HIP-HOP IS LIKE BEING IN AN

ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP

”

your favourite moments from the Too $hort back catalogue?

it messed ’em up. They still hang out in front of Jurx Records

V: “‘Promoters pay me 10 Gs just to breathe on the mic!’”

trying to get people to buy their shit. Sometimes I’ll still see

Donwill: “$hort Dog is the dude. How could you not respect

’em in Yancey Park in bubble coats in the dead of summer.

that guy for what he did and is still doing? My favourite songs

They are definitely some strange guys but there’s no doubt

are: ‘Pimp The Hoe’, ‘Don’t Stop Rappin’’, ‘Ain’t Nothing But

they deserve their respect.”

A Word’, ‘Hard On The Boulevard’... I could name songs of his

(‘Brooklynati’ is out now.)

for days.”



‘Morgan Blu’ feat. Blu HHC DIGITAL #003

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NEWS FLASH!

ESLAM JAWAAD TALKS

CONSPIRACY FACTS

NOT THEORIES...

ON PROFESSOR GREEN GETTING BOTTLED... “It’s alcohol. When people are drunk they get stupid. Under normal circumstances, if you were sober, the chances of you doing something highly offensive are low. You wouldn’t grab someone’s girlfriend’s ass for no reason, but when drunk that’s a different story. I rarely drink; ‘cos I get stupid when drunk. I’ve been involved in altercations which might render a lyric somewhere but it’s not worth it. I wish him luck recovering.”

STICKY-FINGERED POLITICIANS… “Politics always has an ulterior motive and it’s usually economic

BNP UPROAR…

so corruption is standard. Should it happen? Absolutely not.

“I don’t understand how they’re allowed to exist. I’m

Does it happen? All the time. I’m more interested in how they

with protecting rights and freedom but with them it’s too

use taxpayers’ money to bomb innocent civilians in the Middle

extreme. Their current wave of popularity is really riding

East, that’s more shocking than using the money to clean a

on this anti-muslim sentiment. Sometimes they play it

moat. Cleaning your moat, that’s a peaceful activity! It happens

smart with what they openly say but they’ll always get

all the time but there are more sinister things that politicians

found out having these crazy racist rants somewhere.”

get involved in. The hysteria in the news tends to make us stray

Jo Fuertes-Knight

away from more important things that are happening.”



‘Rewind’ feat. De La Soul

HHC DIGITAL #003

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HHC DIGITAL #003

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CHECK OUT MY

MELODY

DJ SPINNA’S MUSICAL PICKS… “You’re talking to a man that has 50,000 records in his

THE JBS ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ “I had a lot of James Brown 45s as a kid: ‘Sex Machine’, ‘Escapism’, ‘Get On The Good Foot’... I’d been an aspiring hiphop producer since ’83 and went to my first recording session in ’85. When sampling became a part of hip-hop music, I embraced it whole-heartedly. People like Marley Marl and Ced Gee brought it to fruition, and I’d say Marley is singlehandedly responsible for putting James Brown samples on the map: In ’88, 60% of hip-hop records had ‘Funky Drummer’ as the beat!”

collection!” laughs DJ Spinna when asked to name-check his classic albums. With his own ‘Sonic Smash’ set promising a

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST ‘MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS’

return to the “straight boom-bap”, here’s his cornerstones...

“I’m a big Tribe fan. The samples they were using were pretty much unheard of – they put Eugene McDaniels and RAMP on

STEVIE WONDER ‘SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE’ &

the map. By the time ‘Midnight Marauders’ came out they had

‘INNERVISIONS’

totally reached a point where they knew their concept as a

“I was three years old when I first heard ‘Superstition’. I

group and how to make an album. This is the definitive Tribe

remember Stevie on Sesame Street playing it and my mom

album, from the songs to concepts to the interludes, even the

telling me he was blind but not fully understanding what being

computer chick speaking – ‘Keep bouncin’’!” Doc Nostrand

blind meant and trying to see behind his shades. I’ve been a

(‘Sonic Smash’ is out June 30th.)

Stevie Wonder fanatic since day one.”



‘Lyrics Is Back’ feat. Torae HHC DIGITAL #003

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THE PANEL WHAT WAS YOUR

FIRST IMPRESSION

OF EMINEM?

DR SYNTAX “I first heard Eminem with ‘My Name Is’. I thought he was hilarious. He had crazy multi-syllabic rhymes, ignorant punchlines for days and didn’t take himself too seriously. He was pretty much the most exciting thing in hip-hop for a while – he didn’t sound like anyone else, he sounded hungry, and raised the bar technically.” KASHMERE “I’m not totally sure – I was blazing loads around them times. From what I remember it was a regular day. I went round to see a friend who I’d just hook up

GHOST

with sometimes and play tapes and one day he was like, ‘Listen

“I first became aware of Eminem while driving a

to this kid!’ I heard the verse and just thought, ‘Damn!’ A little

van through Manchester! They were playing ‘My

while later I started hearing other shit, thinking this dude is

Name Is’ on Radio 1. I remember that people had told me it

fucking dope. It was just next level; nobody before him had

was good and I remember hearing it and laughing, thinking it

quite spit it like that. Eminem changed the game, shook the

was pretty dope, that the beat was sick and that he was clever.

whole thing up, and it was dope because it seemed unanimous

Then I was like, ‘Damn, that’s the guy from the Shabaam

with everyone that he was dope, you know what I mean? That

Shadeeq ‘5 Star Generals’ track! I was a bit slow to catch on,

doesn’t always happen in hip-hop so when it does it feels great.

but I liked what I heard.”

Shame about the Bruno incident though...” Corin Douieb

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PUGS ATOMZ

AWARD TOUR...

Atomz – the name hails from his graffiti days, after ditching “20 other attempts” including near misses as Pervert and MC Clue – caught the rap bug during the peak days of EPMD, Boogie Down Productions and De La Soul, and found his rhyming feet during the Hiero-sparked freestyle era.

“Moscow was crazy!” says Chicago, Illinois emcee Pugs Atomz,

“My first rhyme was at school, when we were asked to write

having just jetted back from a European jaunt with DJ Vadim.

a poem about God,” he recalls. “When I recited what I had

“It was strange to see armed soldiers in uniform everywhere,

written everyone started saying, ‘You’re rapping!’ I thought,

from outside the train stations to even at the corner stores,

‘Yeah, you know, I can do this.’”

and the architecture was real utilitarian. But the sky was amazing, and the people were so into the music, besides the

Now with a plethora of projects prepped to drop before the

language barrier.

year’s out, from free download mixtapes (‘Road 2 The Top’) to a side-group distraction as The Gents (“It’s on some real

“It felt like when I first got into hip-hop back in Chicago,” he

grown man shit – we perform in suits and ties!”), the kid with

continues, “where it wasn’t so accessible, and where you

the versatile style is going all out to etch his name on the

couldn’t just walk down the street and immediately see people

worldwide rap map. As that man the great Datty X says, “Pugs

who obviously listened to hip-hop – you had to seek it out.”

has got the skill and drive to make progress in this industry.” Doc Nostrand

About to drop his ‘Roof Top’ album, headed up by the mellow

(‘Rooftop’ is out June 16th on Slo-Flo.)

collabo with “kindred spirit” Sadat X, ‘Wait And See’, Pugs



‘Wait And See’ feat. Sadat X HHC DIGITAL #003

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FEAR OF THE RAP

Now, I don’t think I’m alone in being disappointed by X-Clan’s comeback album, ‘Return From Mecca’. Apart from the ‘single’ (in quotes, because there was no actual 12-inch, cassette or CD released), it was basically a huge mess, leaving our intrepid Brother J lost in a sea of ill-advised guest rappers and producers. So it was no surprise that the follow-up popped with little to no fanfare or ‘blog buzz’ – in fact, I didn’t realise until pretty recently that ‘Mainstream Outlawz’ actually came out back in January!

OFF YOUR RAP RADAR...

A once-over of the producers wasn’t too promising: Craig Rip,

If you enjoy your hip-hop street level and gritty but you

After that album, the next stage is ‘The Custodian And Friends’

The Are, Apokalips… Who on Earth are these guys?! Fat Jack

haven’t heard of The Custodian Of Records yet (pictured, sort

set, and he’s also producing a full album for Solzalez, one of

and DJ Quik may have been total mismatches, but at least we

of), then I think it’s only a matter of time. He’s an underground

the Brick City artists featured on ‘The Burton’. He’s let me hear

knew who the heck they were. Why were they opting not to

deejay/producer whose debut album, ‘Burton Music’, just

some tracks in advance, including collaborations with Tame 1,

use Ultraman? He clearly understood how to produce for J bet-

dropped digitally on Domination Records (WTF, Domination,

Shawn Luv and Pace Won (yeah, it doesn’t get anymore Jer-

ter than anyone since Paradise. But, I’m pleasantly surprised to

not even a CD?). He’s a sample based-producer, in the vein of

sey than this!), and I can tell you: Custodian is the first up-and-

report this album actually works: the new guys knew how to

Large Professor and Showbiz, so you won’t hear all the synth

coming producer I’ve been excited about in a long time. (Well,

lay a foundation for J’s commanding voice, the guest emcees

lines and Apple software library sounds you get on the radio

him and Marco Polo, but Custodian’s material is more raw –

fit, and it’s all around the album ‘Return...’ should have been.

today. It’s rugged ’90s throwback stuff, and he’s got a pack of

seriously.) So look for this guy’s name in the credits of some of

It’s not perfect, but it deserves to be heard – so go check it be-

like-minded, up-and-coming emcees with him.

your favorite albums down the line, no doubt.

fore Brother J retires for another decade. John W McKelvey HHC DIGITAL #003

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FLOW

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTINA HILL

RAHSAAN “My first single is called ‘The Sneaker Store Terrorist’, so it’s taking that addiction and making a profit off it,” says Florida kicks disciple RahSaan while hitting up Wealthy Hostage in Brooklyn. With a background in design (his designs for Mecca were rocked in The Wire), and his own footwear store about to open (The Stock Exchange), here’s the fly guy’s sole science...

HHC DIGITAL #003

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When did your addiction to sneakers start? “When I was 15. Until that point I was only allowed to wear Payless sneakers, like XJ900s! When I got my first pair of Air Force 1s – the mids, white and navy blue – it was tenth grade and from that day on that was all I wanted to wear. For the next ten years I wore nothing but Air Force 1s. Then I started getting into Adidas shell-toes and Air Max.” Do you keep your old sneakers? How large is your collection? “I was born in Guyana, and I still have a tight hold on my homeland, so every couple of years I bag up my leftover sneakers and ship ’em over for underprivileged kids there.” How long have you been coming to Wealthy Hostage? “Two and a half years – they know me well in here! It’s one of the dopest sneaker spots that I’ve been to in New York City.” What are you wearing yourself at the moment? “Red Japanese edition Air Force 1s, with the air bubble.” (Check out www.wealthyhostage.com for more.)

‘Savior’ HHC DIGITAL #003

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ELECTRIC RELAXATION

THIS MONTH’S

HOME ENTERTAINMENT



FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS



(HBO)



Get ready to folk, as they say, with the



DVD release of series two of the antics of



New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk



parody duo.



ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II



(ADULT SWIM)



Dropping in July, this one does what it says



on the tin, mashing up elements of the two



worlds. Warped Adult Swim-style comedy



then ensues.



AGENT

DJ HERO



(ROCKSTAR)

(ACTIVISION)



The latest from the bods behind the all-

Packaged with a turntable-shaped controller, and featuring



METALOCALYPSE S1

conquering Grand Theft Auto franchise, new title Agent is being

input from DJ Shadow and Z-Trip plus tracks from Eminem and



(ADULT SWIM)

touted around as “the ultimate action game”. A lofty claim,

Jay-Z, the latest in the musical sim genre plugs straight into



The animated story of the world’s most

but set against a Cold War backdrop, and with a stealthy dose

the ones and twos. “A deejay has the ability to use music to



extreme metal band, Dethklok, this one’s an

of espionage weaved in to proceedings, it’s one RockStar just

control people’s emotions,” says Jigga of the game, and the



all out rock fest. Also includes murderous

might pull off. Either way, all will be revealed later this year

title will feature exclusive content from both the Roc man and



kittens

when it drops on the PS3.

Eminem. Out this autumn.



Mark Hamill.

and

the

vocal

talents

HHC DIGITAL #003

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7 16

STILL AVAILABLE! ISSUE 001

CAM’RON is Using Twitter @J2TheMwah Cosign on bursting onto the stage through giant flip charts – FLIPSET in the building!!! LOL!!! 7:18 PM today, from twitteriffic

DOOM!

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

NO HOMO!!!! 5:50 PM today, from web

@J2TheMwah Had idea for our Bosses tour. Let’s start with a giant PowerPoint presentation showing our resumes. And use that race car noise. 10:14 AM today, from TweetDeck Watching Clarissa Explains It All. Miss having the budget to sample dope TV themes. 9:03 AM today, from web

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

Shooting latest budget video in my man’s back garden. Paddling pool should look bigger with the right framing. 2:27 PM today, from twitteriffic

WILLIE ISZ, CHARLES HAMILTON, DANTE ROSS & MORE!

HHC DIGITAL #001

HHC DIGITAL #002

Video turned out great, especially the Swingball action. Mo homo. 5:49 PM today, from web

www.hhcdigital.net

www.hhcdigital.net

Meant to type no homo just then. Tweeting with this iPhone app’s a big fat pain in the ass. Mo homo. 5:50 PM today, from web

RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE, SPEECH DEBELLE HHC DIGITAL #003

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ADVERTISEMENT

HHC DIGITAL #003

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DETROIT IS NOW! THESE DAYS IF IT’S DOPE IT’S MOST LIKELY FROM DETROIT – AND THESE ARE THE CATS WHO HOLD THE KEY TO THE D’S UNDERGROUND DOMINANCE...

BY RICHARD WATSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTINA HILL

HHC DIGITAL #003

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“Don’t nobody care about us/All they do is doubt us/’Til we blow the spot/Then they all wanna crowd us...” Phat Kat, ‘Don’t Nobody Care About Us’ Its noise – a rumbling, rugged-sometimes-smooth assault on the neck muscles and frequently the gut – had been audible for some time, but 2008 was the year Detroit’s hip-hop community followed through on the oft-heard instruction of its dearly departed talisman J-Dilla and turned it up a lil’ louder. Elzhi (‘The Preface’), Fat Ray (‘The Set-Up’), Black Milk (‘The Tronic’), Illa J (‘Yancey Boys’) and Guilty Simpson (‘Ode To The Ghetto’) were fixtures on both end-of-year top ten lists and each other’s tracks, hammering home the point that, ebbing with talent and a sense of community, the D might currently be the most vital and vibrant spot on the rap map. Now, in ’09, with Eminem bringing the blockbuster back to hip-hop, and a decade on from his game-changing ‘The Slim Shady LP’, it’s time for the D to rule rap – from the bottom up.

“DETROIT MUSIC IS HEARTFELT AND ANTI COMMERCIAL”

There’s a certain poetry to Detroit’s newfound standing as the epicentre of authentic hip-hop. If the culture began by HHC DIGITAL #003

20

giving a voice to the unheard and disenfranchised, then who

the artists are not trying to appease the industry, so I think the

better to grab the mic at this moment than the residents of a

music is becoming a lot more heartfelt and anti-commercial.

city that has never known the glamour and notoriety of more

It’s back to the underground and the feeling is so real. I’m

fashionable hip-hop hotbeds? A city synonymous with struggle;

starting to feel a lot of the local artists that’s coming out now

where hustling and grinding are daily routines for damn near

because they’re being honest with the music. They’re not

everyone, from big time ball players to nine-to-fivers? And yes,

trying to portray that commercial sound that everybody in the

definitely the resident rap talent, too.

music industry loves so much.”

“Detroit is a blue collar city,” says Phat Kat, a stalwart of his

After years of hearing talent-light, bling-heavy rappers set their

hometown’s hip-hop scene since the mid-’90s, “so you get a

shopping lists to insipid, ring-tone ready beats, the appeal of

blue collar emcee; a working class emcee. We’re not iced-out

Phat Kat, Fat Ray and their hard grafting, heart-spilling peers

and driving Bentleys and everything, but we’re surviving off of

isn’t hard to fathom, least of all when the rumbling of their

the music and it shows in the music.”

tracks often seems rivalled only by the rumbling in their bellies.

“DJ PREMIER WAS GIVING ME PROPS FOR ’THE TRONIC’”

Fat Ray, an emcee with a similarly no-frills persona, seems buoyed by what he views as a classic, rose-growing-from-

“Yeah, it’s hunger, man,” relates Hex Murda, who, as

concrete scenario.

manager of Elzhi, Black Milk and Guilty Simpson, has a better understanding than most of the fire that fuels his city’s

“The artists in the city feel like nobody’s gonna help them

current rap ambassadors. “It’s like when you come out and

in the situation that they’re in,” he observes, “so the music

you’re a Detroit cat – whether you’re Black or Guilty or Royce

comes out a lot more honest and a lot more raw. It’s really like

or whoever − you gotta let ’em know: ‘This is what I do, this HHC DIGITAL #003

21

is my lane, y’all can’t come over here. Y’all can do whatever

Whether Detroit is as overlooked as its artists frequently

good underdog story? How many other rappers have had their

other shit you wanna do, but this is Detroit shit right here;

claim on record hardly matters when that us-against-the-

lives immortalised on screen in a rap remake of Rocky?

this is how we do it and you can’t fuck with it’. It’s a hunger

world attitude is so intrinsic to the Motor City mentality. While

and desire that these guys have to let people know, ‘You keep

easterly neighbour New York continues to an exude an air of

“He really got it done for the city,” says local legend DJ House

overlooking us, and that’s cool ’cos we right here’.

entitlement like a once-storied sports franchise perennially

Shoes, who got his start deejaying at fabled Motown hip-

bereft of silverware, Detroit plays with a chip on its collective

hop club St Andrews back in 1994. “No matter what anybody

“I don’t know, man. Sometimes it feels like you banging your

shoulder, grinding and scrapping for every point and – behind

says, he sold like 35 million records and he’s a product of his

head against the wall, but if you doing this just for recognition

the 8 Mile-wide scowl – revelling in its underdog status.

environment, which is Detroit, so that’s great.”

While it’s easy to disassociate the mega-selling Eminem

Still, while Em’s self-determination took him to the top of the

As Black Milk underlines, “Being from Detroit, I’m condident

from the D’s 2009 roster of ravenous underground rhyme-

pop charts, his success – perhaps because the involvement

with what I do and, at the end of the day, I’m the type of artist

spitters, there’s no denying that Marshall’s incredible ascent

of undisputed Cali kingpin Dr Dre muddied the geographical

that makes what I wanna make and if I’m satisfied with the

is testament to the against-all-odds attitude in which his

waters somewhat – didn’t exactly have the music industry

project then it really doesn’t matter what outside people think

hometown is steeped. Em’s trailer park back-story gave

decamping to Detroit. In fact, one of the factors distinguishing

about it.

him the authenticity usually considered lacking in his pale-

Detroit artists from their cross country counterparts is the

faced predecessors (Detroit’s majority-black make-up and

lack of even local-level infrastructure at their disposal. Your

“It’s crossed my mind to deliberately make a commercial-

segregated streets making his rise a virtual photo-negative

average player in, say, the Bay Area’s aggressively indigenous

sounding track before,” he adds, “but whether it’s from being

retelling of the textbook rap-to-riches story), and while, of

hyphy scene can afford to throw up the thizz face at outsiders

from Detroit or something else, my brain won’t let me do it!

course, his skills on the mic spoke for themselves, they too

baffled by the stunna shades and side-shows before ghost-

I’m always just trying to create something new and fresh that

were steeled in the fiery battles that went down at spots like

riding their way to the radio station and promoting their

no one’s heard before.”

the city’s legendary Hip-Hop Shop. You want a local-boy-makes-

latest CD to legions of fiercely loyal local fans. However, with

you might as well quit and go work at the post office.”

HHC DIGITAL #003

22

local labels and radio support virtually non-existent, the D’s troopers often seem to be struggling against resistance not from the world outside their city, but from their immediate surroundings. But it’s a state of affairs that only seems to offer more fuel to their fire – and at the very least it’s certainly not something that Hex Murda is losing any sleep over. “Radio is gonna be radio and it’s gonna do what it does,” he shrugs. “It’s gonna play what the advertisers need it to play. You’re not going to listen to the radio and hear three or four

“LYRICALLY, ELZHI’S ONE OF THE DOPEST EMCEES I’VE EVER HEARD”

Guilty, Black Milk and Elzhi records in a row. I’m not even trying to be delusional and think to myself like it’s possible. I don’t need to change the radio because, on some real shit, fuck the radio. The internet is here now. I can get shit out quicker on the internet than I can on the radio. It’s instant. I can put a record up tomorrow and a hundred million people will hear it. It’s global, so why should I care about the radio? I mean, the radio is good at making people famous if you want to be heard locally. That’s cool, but at the same time we got XFM stations now. Black Milk and Guilty and Elzhi get play on Sirius and that’s nationwide, worldwide.” HHC DIGITAL #003

23

Make no mistake: That nationwide, worldwide audience has been essential to the D’s come-up, with heads from Europe and Japan voraciously collecting catalogue from the city’s artists and showing up en masse for live shows. “When we do shows that take place overseas it’s amazing,”



“THE SIMPLICITY IS WHAT MAKES DILLA’S BEATS GREAT”

enthuses House Shoes. “I was in Paris one night with Illa J, Aloe Blacc and Exile on the ‘Dilla Changed My Life’ tour. After the set, I spun for like five hours and the energy from the crowd was consistent from beginning to end – they were going fucking crazy; every word from every song, even the obscure shit. Cats have no idea. The love we get over there is so much more intense than anything we get back home.” Crucially, while supporters of the city’s music may hail from all four corners of the globe, they can broadly be characterised as one demographic: hip-hop fans desperately seeking that increasingly elusive fix of, well, good old-fashioned hip-hop. To some extent, Detroit’s ascent is the result of impeccable timing: Many well-seasoned hip-hop heads were unwilling to lift a Crunk Juice-filled petrol can to Lil Jon and friends in the HHC DIGITAL #003

24

wake of the indie scene’s turn-of-the-millennium implosion,

is primed to stop the Big Apple’s rot just as soon as their label

and though the new generation of blog-rappers isn’t without

frees them seems somewhat pointless when a slew of Detroit

talent, there’s a suspicion that many of them will prove as

artists are busy dropping the type of creative but structurally

trendy and transient as their much-maligned skinny jeans.

sound street music that we used to take for granted from the five boroughs.

Detroit’s finest, though, display a relationship with hip-hop’s glory years that goes way deeper than a throwback font on a

“I’ve been telling people for a good few years that Detroit is

smedium T-shirt, serving up music that appeases ears raised

like the new Bronx,” relates House Shoes. “People are looking

on the late ’80s/early-’90s hip-hop staples without sounding

to us for inspiration.”

overly safe or retrogressive. Sure, the buzz coming out of Detroit may not be as radical as the sounds that have shaped

Hell, even Noo Yiddy’s own boom-bap standard-setters have

the crunk or hyphy movements or even, for that matter,

their ears cocked to the mid-west.

Britain’s own grime scene, but then that’s half the point. It’s the balancing act perfected by the D’s great and good that

“Just recently I was over in Phoenix for Sha-Money’s One-

makes their output all the more impressive − fans who came

Stop Shop producer conference,” recalls Black Milk, “and

up on Black Moon can nod their heads to Black Milk without

DJ Premier was on the panel giving me props. Even though

feeling like they’ve heard it all before.

he’s on the album [adding scratches to the track ‘Matrix’ with Pharoahe Monch and Sean P], for me he’s the biggest legend

Perhaps the greatest indicator of the Motor City’s rude health

out of all the hip-hop producers, so props from him make me

is that these days, bemoaning New York’s creative stagnancy

feel like I’m where I need to be musically. It’s the same as when

or speculating about which bureaucracy-beleaguered emcee

Madlib was giving me props out in Cali.”

“I’M ALWAYS TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT NO ONE’S HEARD BEFORE” HHC DIGITAL #003

25

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that creativity is

that – while certainly conforming to the time honoured beats-

such a key component on the Motor City production line. Few

and-rhymes blueprint − sounds genuinely different to that

American cities boast a musical heritage as broad-reaching as

emanating from the more traditional hip-hop hotbeds.

Detroit (its nicknames, Motown and Rock City, nod proudly to genre-spanning past glories and, whatever Eminem’s personal

“Guys like Detroit’s Most Wanted, Awesome Dre, Prince Vince,

tastes, it’s no slouch in the techno stakes, either), so it’s only

Smiley and all these other cats, they had kind of a sound too,”

natural that the D’s hip-hop vanguard draws influence from

contends Hex. “They had their own sound, and the sound that

across the board. For every gritty, street-spitting Phat Kat or

we have now still goes back to that mentality that those guys

Royce Da 5’ 9” (and if you like your gulliness a little less Fader-

had just in the street. But as far as music, yeah, at this moment

friendly, there’s always the antics of the Eastside Chedda Boyz

in time you can say, ‘That’s a Detroit cat,’ when you hear a

“I’m definitely paying attention to what’s going on over in the

and their one-time vicious rivals the Street Lordz), there’s

dude rhyming or when you hear a certain type of track; the

city of Detroit,” says Show, production maestro for New York’s

an adventurous, avant garde offering from Amp Fiddler or

way they chopped the drum or something, ‘That’s a Detroit

legendary Diggin’ In The Crates crew, an outfit synonymous

Waajeed and his Platinum Pied Pipers crew, now transplanted

dude.’ Esham, Detroit’s Most Wanted − all these guys had their

with the type of music now deemed largely MIA from hip-

to Brooklyn. Which only makes it all the more remarkable

own lane. We’re trying to build our own lane, too.”

hop’s established birthplace. “As long as you know what you

that the city has, over the last few years, begun to cultivate

are doing with the sampler, then I’m down with it, you know

something approaching a signature sound.

what I mean? Let’s be honest, when it comes to listening to hip-

“What we’re seeing isn’t just a new thing,” says Waajeed. “In so many ways Detroit is so different to so many other places

hop music, a lot of times people don’t even try to get creative,

The first wave of Detroit artists worked wonders for local pride,

across the world. That directly affects our originality, our ideas

so as long as those guys are creative, I don’t care where they

but did so largely by proving that the D could keep stylistic pace

and our stance on the world and feeds into the sound you hear

come from, man. These guys from Detroit, they’re soundin’

with their colleagues in New York and Los Angeles. By contrast,

now. It’s been kinda like a building process over the last ten

good to me.”

the Detroit artists making noise today are cranking out music

years that’s made it the kinda focal point it is now.” HHC DIGITAL #003

26

That Detroit hip-hop catches the ear and nags the neck with a sound so distinct from the competition is due, in no small part, to the dusty fingered movements of one man in particular. While people’s champ Proof was the mayor of the Detroit hiphop scene, and his peroxide pal became its pop superstar, the main architect of the city’s signature sound is the man who, after dropping a couple of resolutely local hits, conquered – yes! – New York and LA before officially welcoming us to Detroit: the inimitable J Dilla. A look at some of Dilla’s earliest assignments – specifically his work as musical choreographer for 1996’s official Native Tongues reinstatement – evidences the very qualities he would later display in abundance as a Detroit figurehead: a heart for classic hip-hop combined with an ear for innovation. His brassy, broody board-work on De La’s ‘Stakes Is High’ single provided the perfect backdrop for the Plug boys’ seething state-of-the-union address, while the mixed reaction to Tribe’s Ummah-led move into woozier musical territories on ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life’ is at least partly attributable to the fact that,

“I HOPE DETROIT ARTISTS KEEP THAT UNDERDOG FIRE IN THEIR SOULS”

while others merely claim to be, James Yancey was genuinely HHC DIGITAL #003

27

on some next shit. Ironically, Dilla would spend the next

rabble-rousing duties, Dilla firmly established the D’s facility

decade crafting music entirely in keeping with the intrepid

for robust rap bangers with fidgety, off-key inflections; music

golden era spirit once embodied by Quest and friends, and

faithful to the streets but not enslaved by its strictures.

when the world eventally caught up, the biggest beneficiary was the producer’s hometown.

So idiosyncratic yet instantly recognisable is The Dilla Method that, when asked to pinpoint his late friend’s technical

Throughout his tragically curtailed career, Dilla almost seemed

innovations, Waajeed – who began his own beat-making

to be moving backwards – beautifully, weirdly backwards like

career after borrowing, and later buying, a broken MPC2000

The Pharcyde in the video for ‘Drop’ (yep, another Jay Dee

from Dilla – can’t quite put a finger on it. “I can’t really say

sure-shot). While many a board-basher has smoothed out

what his technical thing was – it was him, you know what I’m

their sound for commercial consumption, Dilla often appeared

saying? I think the simplicity is what makes Dilla’s beats great.

intent on scuffing his up, amplifying his aesthetic eccentricities

A Dilla beat is very similar to a conversation with Dilla: Jay

to (im)perfect a sound that was – and is – distinctly Detroit.

didn’t really say much, but what he did say and how he said it

Despite spending his final days in more tranquil Cali climes,

was simple, so you got the point; it was like a slap to the face.

Dilla never stopped repping for his hometown, and for every

It was firm, to the point, and it left a taste in your mouth and

Busta or Common collabo he handed out heat to his Motor

left you something to think about.”

City brethren. Even the 2005 JayLib project ‘Champion Sound’, ostensibly a cross cultural collision of Dilla and west

Today, of course, Dilla’s sound and spirit live on not merely

coast maverick Madlib, became an advert for the new Detroit

in mixtapes, t-shirts and limited edition mixtape-and-t-

aesthetic. By keeping pace with his notoriously experimental

shirt collector’s packs, but also in the music of his peers.

playmate while roping Guilty Simpson and Frank n’ Dank in on

An undoubted Dilla disciple, Black Milk has continued in HHC DIGITAL #003

28

his predecessor’s cracked, filtered path while increasingly

so did his February 2006 death, along with Proof’s passing

broadening his sound in a way that would surely have the great

just two months later. Two very different personalities (one

man nodding his head from on high (Black recently hinted that

as gregarious and sociable as the other was introspective and

his follow-up to the eclectic ‘Tronic’ will be Beatles-influenced),

studio-bound), both were bonafide Motor City royalty when

while Dilla’s baby bro Illa J is, with the help of his late sibling’s

different tragic circumstances made them the highest profile

archived beats, quite literally carrying on the family name on

additions to a list of deceased Detroit rap talent that already

debut album ‘Yancey Boys’.

included AWOL’s DJ Homicide, Wipeout, Blade Icewood and Proof’s former D-12 bandmate Bugz. We know how Detroit

Still, Dilla’s influence extends far further than just individual

responds to getting knocked down though, and while we can

CVs, his innovations key to his hometown’s current rude health.

only speculate on how strong the city might be with Big Proof

While it’s arguable that no other city in hip-hop currently does

and Dilla Dawg still alive, the resilience of their peers in the

‘hard’ as well as the D (check Phat Kat’s unnerving, Dilla-

wake of their passing is there for all to see. (“Before it was all

“There’s no AD, there’s no BD,” he insists. “It’s a Detroit

produced ‘Cold Steel’ for a song as chilly and tough as its title),

cliks,” confirms Phat Kat, “but the passing of Dilla and Proof

movement. Even despite J’s greatness, I really kinda hate this

the city’s damn near incontestable in its ability to temper

brought us all together.”)

idea of before-Dilla and post-Dilla. There was a movement prior

those asphalt-ready beats and frequently frostbitten rhymes

to J and there’s a movement after. We should be focussed on

with the type of warm, honest-to-goodness soul that’s been a

It’s this same one-for-all ethos that Waajeed believes should be

the city as a whole. Because of Dilla’s passing, all of a sudden

local staple since Jay Dee and his fellow Slum Villagers started

the true recipient of the spotlight, the Triple P man cautioning

everybody’s focussed on his great achievements and it’s almost

to circulate the piecemeal charms of their ‘Fan-Tas-Tic Vol 1’

against Dilla’s lionisation by fans and journalists, and, despite

like an afterthought where the media and popular culture just

back in 1997.

his adoration for the man who sold him his first worse-for-

kinda looks to ‘Donuts’ and all of Dilla’s current records that

wear bit of kit, refusing to co-sign a Detroit rap timeline with

kinda have a story behind them. It’s bullshit because it’s a lot

James Yancey at its centre.

more going on.

While Dilla’s life left an indelible imprint on Detroit hip-hop,

HHC DIGITAL #003

29

So do the players at the heart of Detroit hip-hop see themselves

company of other artists who share in the success of Detroit

as part of a movement; practitioners of a region-specific hip-

and what we all have as a whole, which is a movement.”

hop sub genre – or simply a group of emcees and producers who share a postcode, personal friendships, and a penchant

The most exciting part of all this? The fact that this Motor City

for proper hip-hop?

movement shows no signs of slowing down. Elzhi’s ‘The SetUp’ and Fat Ray and Black Milk’s ‘The Preface’ were, as their

“There’s a circle of people I could count on both hands that do

titles suggest, intended as mere curtain-raisers for ‘proper’

a certain genre of music,” opines Hex, “whether you want to

albums, while this year has already seen a relapsing Eminem

call it Detroit hip-hop or whatever. There are definitely fans,

returning to pop glory, upcomer Finale building his rep with

especially overseas, that latch onto the music kinda like people

‘A Pipedream And A Promise’ and Dilla giving us another

“There isn’t a hero or a saviour or a particular person that

did with Detroit techno and only listen to Detroit shit, but as a

posthumous reminder of his dopeness on ‘Jay $tay Paid’. Still

defines the sound of the city. Black Milk is not that, Dilla’s not

whole, even though we’re all a crew and we all work together, I

to come, there’s Elzhi’s ‘The Feed’, a possible Slum Village

that. People should stop treating it like a phenomenon, ’cos

don’t think it’s as big as the crunk thing. It’s just Detroit people

reunion, and the tantalising triumvirate of Black Milk, Guilty

I know what happens with phenomenons. A couple of years

have a kinship in their music thought process.”

Simpson and NY Boot Camper Sean Price as Random Axe. “It’s gonna be what people expect but not really what people

from now, the thing that T-Pain uses on his voice is going to be a joke ’cos everyone’s using it, and I want to make sure that

“Lyrically, Elzhi’s one of the dopest emcees I’ve ever heard,“

expect,” teases Black Milk of the team-up. “It’s gonna be on a

Dilla is not put in that phenomenon basket where people are

says Fat Ray, talking about that kinship. “When he asked me

different vibe – but still smacking.”

saying ‘‘Donuts’, ‘Donuts’, ‘Donuts’…’ and then ten years from

to be on his ‘Fire’ remix it was an honour. It was a good feeling

now it’ll be like the fucking ‘Thong Song’ by Sisqo. I’m hoping

hearing so many great Detroit artists shooting for one common

Waajeed also remains optimistic about the future of Detroit

to bring attention to people like Dwele and T3; everybody, as

goal, which is letting the world know that we are capable of

hip-hop, despite – or perhaps because of – his pessimism for

opposed to the smaller picture of just Dilla and Black Milk.”

making hit music. It’s definitely a good feeling to be in the

the city’s socioeconomic situation. HHC DIGITAL #003

30

“When New York had its toughest economic times and some of the most racist, corrupt motherfuckers running the government, out came hip-hop, and I think that it takes that pressure and that energy and anger and an SP1200 sitting there to make that happen. That’s what’s going to happen with Detroit. With the automotive situation and all that, I think that the greatest is yet to come because Detroit is so fucked up and shit is real, you know? “So I hope the artists keep that underdog fire in their souls,” he continues, “and keep seeing Detroit as a place that’s slept

“BEING FROM DETROIT I CAN’T MAKE DELIBERATELY COMMERCIAL TRACKS”

on as opposed to a great mecca. Some people are holding us to that now and it’s still not even true.” Waa probably needn’t worry about his Motown peers losing their fire, but at this rate it’s going to get harder and harder for his hometown to duck rap music mecca status. Detroit the most underestimated plus underrated city in this hip-hop game? Surely not for much longer.

Black Milk ‘Mo Power’



Fat Ray & Black Milk feat. AB ‘Take Control’ HHC DIGITAL #003

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FINALE A PROMISING START... BY PHILLIP MLYNAR

The latest emcee to fly off Detroit’s never-slowing underground

sugar-coated, it’s not super-planned out, and we’re not about

conveyor-belt, Finale’s recent ‘A Pipedream And A Promise’

to say it’s messed up when it isn’t - it is messed up. Whatever

was wrought through with traditional D-Town grit as well as

you heard about what goes on in Detroit, whether it’s where

featuring nods to the city’s heritage with a Dilla production

I grew up on the east side, Conant Gardens where Dilla and

and vocal input from first-wave Detroit ambassador Awesome

Slum Village started, or the west side with Big Tone, Detroit is

Dre. Here’s his snapshot of the Motor City...

going to be Detroit. The music is pretty accurate.”

Is the Detroit portrayed on records the same as the real

You’ve talked about how it took Proof and Dilla passing away

Detroit experienced by anyone who lives there?

to bring Detroit to the world’s attention. How do you look on

“If it’s a rapper who is really from Detroit then it’s very

Eminem’s contribution to putting Detroit on the map?

accurate. Detroit, the way we approach music, this is what it is,

“I would say Em did what no other rapper in Detroit could

you love it or you hate it. Detroit is going to be Detroit: it’s not

possibly do. He put Detroit on the multi-platinum-I-sold-20HHC DIGITAL #003

32

So is there a strong sense of unity in the Detroit scene? Or is

What about now?

that something that outsiders have just assumed?

“There aren’t many venues in downtown Detroit – it’s been

“There is now, but there wasn’t before, ’cos there was a lot of

run-over by stadiums and construction. It’s being taken over

circles. Before, with an artist like Dilla or Proof, or Wipeout or

and companies are swooping in. There used to be dope venues

Blade Icewood or Disco D, everybody in Detroit had their own

like Mahogany where I saw Proof battle like 50 rappers in a

individual circle. The way it worked was, there was a Dilla circle,

row! That spot is gone now. The only spot building up right

and there was a Proof and D12 circle, and a Big Herc circle.

now is called Five Elements Gallery.”

When Dilla and Proof passed away we kinda came together and said we need to overlap these circles – we had to figure

Is there any crossover between the hip-hop and the techno

out a way to help each other out. Detroit was separated, but

scenes in Detroit?

we’re learning how to come together now.”

“I’m actually working on an electronic hip-hop project with Dabrye. When you look at Detroit playing a big part in techno

What were key hip-hop venues when you were coming up?

music, it’s automatic. When me and Invincible was coming up,

million-records level. He’s without doubt one of the greatest

“There was a spot in Pontiac, Michigan where I met One Be Low

if we had a contract to look over, we’d go over to Underground

rappers to ever do it and he took rap to the highest level

– he co-produced the Binary Star record, which in my eyes is a

Resistance and have the homey Mike Banks look over it. And

possible. But what Dilla and Proof did was give the inner city

definite classic – and it was called Crazy Moe’s, in downtown

I was just over there a couple of weeks ago listening to beats,

hope and solidified it. Eminem gave it the push we needed, but

Pontiac. This was on a Monday, then on Tuesdays there was a

’cos Nick Speed, a G-Unit producer, he’s got access to their

Dilla and Proof gave it the hope. I mean Eminem took Detroit

spot called Lush Lounge, which is the place where I met Guilty

whole back catalogue. They brought him in to mix up electronic

and put us on the Grammys! So because of that we were then

Simpson and Black Milk and Hex Murda. And then there used

music with hip-hop.”

able to see Proof rockin’ on stage with Em at the American

to always be open mics at the Shelter and downstairs at a

(Finale’s ‘A Pipedream And A Promise’ is out now.)

Music Awards.”

place called St Andrews.”



‘One Man Show’ feat. Casual HHC DIGITAL #003

33

D.ALLIE DETROIT’S NEW WORDSMITH... BY PHILLIP MLYNAR

It’s just after 3pm on a lazy Friday afternoon and Detroit

success, but I guess I go against the social law: I went to

lyricist D. Allie is whiling the day away in a coffee shop, jotting

college and have a lot of friends who went on to become

down a new rap verse in his rhyme pad. Asked about the

stock-brokers and got into securities shit and they’re like, ‘Are

last line he’s just crafted, he offers to kick the whole verse, a

you feeling successful?’ I’m like, ‘Of course I feel successful, I

capella, live from the barista bar: “So many thoughts on the

wake up every day and I get to create things!’ Everybody has

mind,” he begins, before ending some 60 seconds later with,

their own definitions of success.”

“The only question of success is: What’s your definition?/Yeah, I’m missing the fortune but that’s only monetary/I gain wealth

How does being from Detroit affect your music?

from the love that I share with my family...”

“I love the city, man. That’s another thing, all my friends I went to college with left the city. People always ask me why

Is that a truthful answer about your definition of success?

do I stay here? They’ll say there’s nothing going on and ask

“Yeah, I believe so. Everyone always wants to talk about

why don’t I move to New York or LA ’cos that’s where music HHC DIGITAL #003

34

have in Detroit is that we do not have the push of a record

different pieces come together to create one grand art piece,

label here, or even the push of a PR firm being based here.

as opposed to the melting pot theory of America where

How do you know I’m here? I could make the best music in

everybody has to ultimately become the same. So let’s go

the world, but at that point it doesn’t really matter if nobody

with: ‘From the bottom up to the top’.”

knows who I am. But there’s a lot of cats across the world who are starting to support us, like Gilles Peterson – he plays

What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say J Dilla?

Detroit music more than Detroit plays Detroit music!”

“Genius.”

In broader terms, if you were the mayor of Detroit what

Awesome Dre…

would your first act in charge be?

“Pioneer.”

“First of all, let me preface this by saying that this is not a job that I would ever want! But I grew up always believing in

Invincible…

grass roots action, so I’d want to start from the bottom up,

“Conscious.”

is happening. I’m like, ‘No, there’s great music going on here,

as opposed to the top down. It starts with the people, so just

it’s just that nobody hears about it!’ People aren’t ready for

create plans and actions to make the people think that they

Favourite Eminem album...

the type of music we’re creating, but that’s starting to change

can make a change, as opposed to just hearing orders from

“It’s definitely a toss-up between the ‘Slim Shady’ and ‘Marshall

with artists like Black Milk and Finale.”

the top down that they never really get to see the effects of.”

Mathers’ albums, and those albums are very pieced together, like you know all the tracks run together properly, but I think

So what one thing would help artists in the Detroit

What would your slogan be?

the first offering – well, ‘Infinite’’s the first first offering – but I

underground scene?

“Maybe something goofy and back-packer-ish, like ‘Similar

think the ‘Slim Shady’ album, definitely.”

“Money is always an issue! But I think the biggest problem we

differences’! I always liked the concept of a mosaic, where



‘Everywhich Way But Loose (Talking Ears)’ HHC DIGITAL #003

35

FIVE FOR FIVE:

THE KYZA OPINION... BY CHLOE MCCLOSKEY London emcee Kyza is back with a hot new album. Or mixtape. Actually, he’s not too sure himself, explaining, “I don’t wanna call ‘Shots Of Smirnoff’ a mixtape, but I’m coming to the realisation that it is.” Either way, the 28-year-old is in rude form on it, and here he talks to HHC Digital about vices, violence, and why being the Kelly Rowland of Terra Firma ain’t so bad...

HHC DIGITAL #003

36

1. BOTTOMS UP...

used to beatbox and rap and freestyle on the spot. It was re-

“I was very much into drinking at one time. That’s why they

ally ’80s – proper gold rope chains and track suits and Kangol,

used to call me Smirnoff, ’cos I literally used to drink pint glass-

then going into the ’90s with the Kid ‘N’ Play thing with the

es of Smirnoff, no chaser, real talk. I was 18, young – I just liked

fades and routines and that. And I was a very good dancer – I

getting drunk. We used to go to people’s house parties, me

could do caterpillars and windmills until puberty hit – then I

and my boys, in north, south, east and west London – we were

got too big!

little travelers. We’d arrive and go to where they were serving the drinks; they’d be like, ‘Know what Kyza’s having... Smirnoff!’

“As for music, I was into Eazy E and Rakim and Rodney P and

And I’d pour it out, glug, glug, glug, glug – chick dancin’ front

London Posse. ‘Gangster Chronicle’ was my first UK hip-hop

of me, woo! Ravin’, making faces shit like crazy... Those were

record. I had KRS-One, Jungle Brothers’ ‘Jimbrowski’ and Eazy

the days. Now my tolerance for alcohol has just gone down.

E’s ‘Eazy Duz It’ – that was my first record. I used to play that

I don’t smoke either. I’m not what you’d call ‘healthy’ but in

when my mum was at work and think, ‘He said fuck, he said

terms of vices, I am. My only vice is women.”

bitch! Ah, this is heavy!’ Ho, motherfucker – it was probably the first time I heard someone say motherfucker; I was like,

2. THE GOOD OL’ DAYS...

‘Can you even say that?’ It was so foreign to me – but I loved it.

“I got into hip-hop because of my older brother and cousin. I

And now, in terms of new school emcees: Slaughterhouse, es-

remember going to the cinema watching Breakin’ – Turbo and

pecially Crooked I – his wordplay and flow are ridiculous, and

Ozone and all that. We used to have our little crew and we

he’s very, very underrated.”

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3. THE TERRA FIRMA SPLIT... “I didn’t want to be a forgotten person. It wouldn’t have been fair to myself. There are many reasons why we split, but I’m not prepared to divulge that information right yet. I wasn’t going to be happy just being in Terra Firma and just being a rhymer. There is always a ‘star’ in a group scenario – look at Pussycat Dolls, Destiny’s Child, N’Sync. There is always one who stands out and that was Klash – he was the ‘leader’, the ‘figurehead’, but then you got your Kelly Rowlands and your Mel Cs. Yeah, I’m the Kelly Rowland of Terra Firma, haha!”

4. THE UK SCENE... “The UK game is too oriented around how ill you are as an emcee; it’s all about skills or punchlines and people have lost the focus of making good enjoyable music for everybody. People don’t seem to be bringing the musical element to the game – bar people like Foreign Beggars and some others like Pirelli. I’m not going the typical route of punchline hip-hop, or the ‘on

HHC DIGITAL #003

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the road’ thing talking about drugs and violence. It’s a bit of a

but at the same time, a bit of eye candy and female support

fusion of both – that’s my contribution.

wouldn’t hurt.”

“The peak of the UK scene is gone. The peak was when Klash

5. STOP THE VIOLENCE...

brought out ‘Sagas...’, when Jehst brought out ‘High Plains

“Violence is not as prominent in UK hip-hop as it is in grime.

Drifter’, when we were doing Kung Fu in Camden, when Task-

Violence seems to be the central theme in grime. Grime em-

force was doing ‘Music From The Corner’, and yeah, when Ter-

cees seem to be obsessed with being violent and aggressive.

ra Firma was out as well. Then all the crews broke up – Terra

Fair enough – that seems to be where the energy comes from.

Firma broke up, Poisonous Poets broke up...

I know dudes my age who are still going wild on road: ‘No one can’t tell me naffin’ blud,’ they say. [Sarcastically] This is a re-

“Plus nowadays the connection with the female audience is

sult of people feeling ‘disenfranchised’. Kyza Sayso, the psy-

the missing link in UK hip-hop. You go to a grime jam and there

chologist, has come to the conclusion that they don’t know

are a lot of females about, but at a typical UK hip-hop night,

how to deal with their emotions properly. If they appear emo-

there will be four girls in the place and they will be them bel-

tional – it’s deemed weak. Man gotta be hard out here, bruv,

ly-top-wearing trustafarians with combat trousers! It doesn’t

hard body. That’s why I like being me as a rapper – I don’t have

turn me on seeing a girl waving a Stella in the air at me. I need

to come across as being ‘hard body’.”

incentive to keep working hard! In Newcastle, there were

(‘SOS: Shots Of Smirnoff’ is out now on Dented.)

dudes who knew every word to every tune – that was cool,



‘Sin City’

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M.O.P.

A new MOP album? Why not? Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame’s sound – that concrete-hard, testosterone-brewing, rugged alchemy still rooted in Brownsville, Brooklyn – has never made even a scintilla of a glance towards being fashionable or trendy, so in the stylistic crapshoot of oh-nine hip-hop their blend is as hearty a tonic as ever.

Nursing a hangover from the night before – though breaking out the traditional bottle of Henny long before the clock hits three in the afternoon – Billy and Mash Out Posse lifer LazeE-Laze are in boisterous form, joking about a back-in-the-day fight they had over in the Sunset Park area of BK (“A great fight!” laughs Danzenie), while Fame’s largely content to leaf

BLOW THE HORNS! THE MASH OUT POSSE ARE BACK... By Phillip Mlynar • Photography by Alexander Richter

through a magazine, perking up only to try out a mock London accent on the way up to the roof for the photoshoot. So with lead single ‘Blow The Horns’ name-checking MOP’s “five albums, six deals” pedigree, we got the men from St Marks to take a trip down their back catalogue memory lane. Salute!

HHC DIGITAL #003

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What’s your favourite track from the ‘To The Death’ album?

the TV and he was coming to the studio to do the record with

Billy: “Mine is ‘To The Death’, the actual song. That album was

me and it was fuckin’ amazing. And DJ Premier produced it. If

Select Records, our first shot.”

I’m not mistaken that was our first feature.” Laze: “The funny thing about that record with Premo was we

What were the studio sessions like?

did it at our studio and we made him use a drum machine he

Billy: “Studio sessions was great, all kinds of Jack Daniels and

didn’t use and he was mad as shit! He was going to fight me that

E&J, my god! My liver is still recuperating! I’m still looking for

day! All the artists like Fame and Premo, they’re real particular

transplants and stuff like that! It was a good time because, like

about their equipment. Premo made ‘Brownsville’ and ‘Stick

I said, it was something that we had never done before. It was

To Your Gunz’ off an MPC60 – he was so fuckin’ pissed off at

fun and it’s not like we missed out on anything that was going

me but those records were amazing.”

on in the street, ’cos anything that was going on in the street

Fame: “What he normally use?”

we brought with us to the studio and put it on wax.”

Laze: “A 950. I gave him a 3000; that’s back in the days when I was using a 3000.”

How about ‘Firing Squad’? Billy: “That was on Relativity. My favourite joint was ‘Stick To

Moving on to ‘First Family 4 Life’...

Ya Gunz’ with Kool G Rap. For me, it was because it was Kool G

Billy: “That record... Damn, it’s a lot of great records on that

Rap: I actually met him when he came off the elevator to come

album: ‘Down 4 Whateva’, ‘4 Alarm Blaze’, Downtown Swinga

to the studio. I’d never seen this man a day in my life outside of

‘98’, ‘Brooklyn/Jersey Get Wild’...”

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What was the atmosphere like recording it?

And ‘Warriorz’?

Billy: “We were working more with Premo then over at D&D

Billy: “‘Warriorz’ is my favourite track on ‘Warriorz’. I love it!

studios. It was a good feeling ’cos now you actually felt like

At that time we were on Loud records.”

you were a player in the game, like you were really on the field, ’cos Nas would pop through one day, or Jay-Z would come by;

How was that?

Premo’s there, Guru would pop in...

Billy: “That was great because going on Loud, they had Wu-

“We had a good time recording the album ’cos we actually

Tang, Mobb Deep, and Pun was over there. Everything had

got the chance to work with different people – OC was on

worked for them at that point. They whole set up was they

that album, Freddie Foxxx, Heather B, Treach – it was a good

could handle street music, so it was great to go over there.

album, a well put together album.”

Of course we came out with the DR Period produced ‘Ante Up’ and people went nuts over it. They put it out and all

How would you describe D&D at the time?

around the world people were able to get the album. It was a

Billy: “D&D was like your hallway, like your block where you

good situation, and I thank all the guys there for giving us an

hang out at. You go up the block and pass the people who

opportunity to further our career.”

live on this side and you’re cool with them, then you go a little further up the block and see somebody else, then you turn the

Can you remember the first time you preformed ‘Ante Up’ in

corner and there’s someone else that you can hang with... It

a club?

was always good times in that studio.”

Laze: “The Limelight, in New York.”

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Billy: “And it was so hot; somebody passed out. It was steaming hot, there was a broken AC or something, it was like 2000 degrees, it was hot as shit...” Laze: “The story behind that was that Peter Gation, who also owned the Tunnel, didn’t want MOP to perform at The Limelight, so in spite to us because we’d been on the radio and everything, he made them turn off the AC. That was to spite MOP. But we packed the house.”

What was the reaction to the song like? Laze: “Well the story behind ‘Ante Up’ was that at the time ‘How About Some Hardcore’ was the record that people were coming to see, and ‘Ante Up’ didn’t have that same sort of reaction immediately, except for a certain section just going crazy, but everyone else was looking like, ‘What’s this? Something new?’ It was only after a couple of months later when it started going off, when [Funkmaster] Flex started whiling with it...

HHC DIGITAL #003

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“But I knew ‘Ante Up’ was going to be a hit. With every new

out on the stage and there was ‘MOP’ signs and then people

Laze: “‘Marxmen Cinema’ was Fame’s idea. He called one day

song, I look to see if it affects the most aggressive people and

started waving actual mops! A bunch of fuckin’ mops! At that

saying, ‘Yo, I want to start a new thing called Marxmen – you

then I figure it will filter down and eventually affect everyone.

point I was like, ‘Shit is out of control!’”

know, like a double thing like actual marksmen and men from

But that particular day at Limelight, it was aggravating, it was

St Marks, ’cos we from there...’”

hot, everybody was mad, the group was pissed off, people

Billy: “[Laughing] The man from Marks!”

were falling out with each other... So to put that song in the middle of that scene...”

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in the crowd when performing ‘Ante Up’? Billy: “I think the wildest shit was the picket signs, the home

“ROC-A-FELLA

AND G-UNIT WERE TWO DIFFERENT

ANIMALS…”

made picket signs – just a mop!”

Laze: “That was the first mixtape that we put out that was just all new, weird themes. We was having not really beef with Roc-A-Fella, but they was having beef, so we was like that ain’t gonna stop us putting records out...”

How was it being on Roc-A-Fella versus G-Unit? Billy: “Um, it wasn’t no difference to me at all, ’cos whatever

Laze: “Hip-Hop Kemp, right?”

How about the Marxmen project?

going to happen with MOP was going to happen with MOP:

Billy: “I was like, ‘Holy shit, mops!’”

Billy: “The Marxmen was... At that time we were being more

this was the year we were signed to Roc-A-Fella and then

Laze: “We were in Prague, at this big festival with about 50,000

creative, just playing around with the records, ’cos in my

we left; this was the year we were signed to G-Unit. To me, it

people. It was a European festival where you camp out for the

opinion there was no real competition. At that time no one

wasn’t no real difference.”

whole weekend. We were headlining day two, so we’d already

could touch MOP. So we were just playing around with records

Laze: “It was two different animals. 50 Cent is one type of

been there for two days solid just drinking, and then we came

and starting to show our fans a different kind of light.”

dude, so you can have a good relationship with somebody

HHC DIGITAL #003

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and with another person it’ll be another type of relationship.

Finally, bringing things up to date, what about the new album,

Roc-A-Fella was more a three-headed monster; no one person

‘The Foundation’?

owned the company. We was cool with Damon [Dash], Jay-Z

Billy: “The first single’s the war call!”

was an artist and Biggs was on the behind-the-scenes business

Laze: “Blow the horns on them! Are you tired or sleepy? Blow

side. Creatively, Fame and Jay was on the same page, Billy liked

the horns on them! This album’s totally been put together

Dame ’cos he was crazy and loud and shit, and Biggs was just

in-house – I think Fame is the best producer for MOP, and I

a cool dude to be around.

don’t think that his talent is recognised production wise yet.

“Roc-A-Fella enjoyed when you was having a good time, they

I think it’s going to be years in the future when people start

liked that; but G-Unit was a label a little different where guys

to appreciate him and just what he can do when it comes to

was like, ‘We gotta prove ourselves to you all...’ People really

producing hip-hop music.”

was trying to dismiss 50 Cent as a guy who couldn’t make it, so

Billy: “‘The Foundation’ is very hard, driven, traditional MOP

I think he was like, ‘Fuck all y’all! You tried to shit on me!’”

music that MOP fans will get energy from. It’s not for those people who just want to walk around looking ‘cool’ – you’ve

Was it a frustrating time being on those labels?

got to get involved with the music. So big shout to everybody

Billy: “It’s always frustrating not getting to put a record out,

who helped with making the album – and everyone else can

but we like to be on the stage so it’s just about having a good

kiss my ass!”

time regardless of whether we’re on the stage with 50 Cent or

(‘The Foundation’ it out July 7th on E1.)

Jay-Z or Busta Rhymes or just MOP – it’s always fun.



‘Blow The Horns’

HHC DIGITAL #003

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ALBUM OFTHEMONTH EMINEM’S LATEST GETS

SKANDAL First off, if you’re gonna listen to this album and fully appreciate it you need to listen to it loud, and preferably

EMINEM

with your head next to the speakers. Okay? Ready? Here

(INTERSCOPE)

be the finest we’ve ever heard on an Eminem album.

‘RELAPSE’

goes... Dr Dre’s production throughout the set has to With the good doctor providing every beat bar one this

JACK FLASH

has given Eminem the chance to concentrate on his lyrics and it shows. From the start to the finish we’re

DISSECTED BY MANY MEN...

Few emcees fulfill your expectations with a long-awaited

astonished by flows, morbid topics and subject matter,

album, but Em probably exceeded them. Dre’s beats

genuinely laugh-out-loud punch lines and statements –

With the blonde man from the Motor City’s latest album either

are a slap in the face to wake you up and remind you he

not to mention great hooks, skits, and that good ol’ Slim

being a vital shot in the arm for a stale hip-hop scene or the

still has some of the nicest compositions in the game;

Shady controversy we all know and love, all culminating

last stand for blockbuster artists in a daily decaying arena, who

Em connects with his former twisted self and brings a

in the hardest hip-hop track I’ve heard in ten years,

better to take its pulse then a selection of the finest artists

darker tone to this essentially horrorcore set and ups his

‘Underground’. In fact, ‘Crack A Bottle’ seems to be the

from the UK (and – ho, ho! – The Last Skeptik)? Here’s their

lyricism – on the tenth listen you’ll still be picking apart his

only track I’ll skip after eight listens, and that’s not a bad

take on the oh-niner’s biggest release to date – average mark

syllables. Its good to have a mainstream album out that

look for the album. I’ll give this four and a half out of five,

out of five and concluding thoughts to follow...

focuses so much on skill, flow, character and concept.

and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

HHC DIGITAL #003

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GHOST

THE LAST SKEPTIK

Avoiding all the hyperbole, I was pleasantly surprised by

To be honest, I’ve always respected Eminem as lyricist,

the amount of good tracks on ‘Relapse’. Unquestionably

but everything after ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ was just

a great talent, Em has put together his best work for

so corny that it made me wonder where the rapper

a long time, and ‘Underground’, ‘Same Song & Dance’

who spat so uncompromisingly on ‘Role Model’ had

and ‘Deja Vu’ are highlights. By no means a classic, it has

gone. I really didn’t even want to listen to this album,

some good moments – there’s just not enough of them.

but after literally forcing myself to switch it on I found that there’s actually quite a solid project on the table. To me, that’s not really so much due to Eminem’s typically

K-DELIGHT

silly voices and irrelevant celebrity digs, but down to the great Dr Dre’s incredible engineering work and pretty

Eminem uses his vocals like a multi-layered instrument –

much perfect production throughout the 20 tracks on

MOB RULE...

it’s just a shame that on ‘Relapse’ he should have gone

offer. As a rapper, Eminem is undeniably a talent, but it’s

with some other producers to vary the sound a bit. ‘Crack

only when he figures out he can get by without having

So, what have we gleaned from our panel of practicing

A Bottle’ is a stand out (though really not sure about 50

to always please a pop audience that he’ll truly produce

hip-hop chaps? That Em’s latest is better than you might

Cent’s verse!), while ‘Medicine Ball’ is probably my choice

the top-to-toe classic that his oldest fans – and his lyrical

imagine, what with all the hype, but still not the classic

tune. Not his best album, but still packed with mad lyrics

talent – deserve; ‘Relapse’ still leaves him coming up

Marshall’s talent deserves. Rounded-up, an average 3.7

and flows, and as dark and twisted as ever.

short on that tip.

out of five becomes a very decent four stars then.

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ALBUMREVIEWS 5 O’CLOCK SHADOWBOXERS ‘THE SLOW TWILIGHT’

AWOL ONE & FACTOR

BRAD STRUT

(FAKE FOUR)

(SHOGUN)

‘FALLOUT SHELTER/REJUVENATION’

‘OWL HOURS’

(WHITE)

Just when you were starting to think that you were

More technically Vegemite than Marmite in the love-

Life in London has clearly had an affect on the vocals of

the only person convinced that hip-hop bods sampling

it-or-hate-it regional stakes, the type of left coast hip-

Melbourne’s Brad Strut, with the Lyrical Commission emcee

Cat Power would be a good thing, up pops a bi-coastal

hop AWOL One et al practice might not always translate

sounding almost authentically home grown on an EP that

US duo who, somewhere in the middle of creating a

thoroughly outside of their local spots, but the addition

finds him adopting the persona of the last man on earth

concept album based around noir flick Blast Of Slience and

of Xzibit in an executive producer role and cameos from

over Beat Butcha’s widescreen beats. The synth-propelled

throwing around hearty lyrical references to the GZA, have

those premier hip-hop drunkies Tash and E-Swift sure do

‘No!’ and eerie ‘Believe’ stand out, but this near companion

spliced in a lick from indie rock’s shyest live performer

perk up proceedings here, with their typically liquor-loving

piece to Jehst’s ‘Nuke Proof Suit’ is best consumed whole.

to swanky effect. Guitar heavy throughout – check

vocab boosting ‘Waste The Wine’. Throughout Factor’s

Jehst also pops up in remixer role (along with M-Phazes

‘High Noon’ for an eerie treat – this is likely better than

beats keep a consistent vibe, and the regular guest slots

and Chemo) on ‘Rejuvenation’, a second CD of remixes

anything rock-related Weezy will stumble into. Tom Nook

for once bring nice variety to the mix. Lucy Van Pelt

that wins with a similar quality. Andy Cowan







‘Weak Stomach’

‘Stand Up’ feat. Myka9 & Aesop Rock

‘Believe’

HHC DIGITAL #003

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ALBUMREVIEWS DELUSIONISTS

FRESH DAILY

K-DEF

(BEATS LAYING ABOUT)

(HIGH WATER)

(GHETTO MAN)

‘THE PROLUSION’

‘THE GORGEOUS KILLER’

‘BEATS FROM THE ’90S VOL 2’

Hailing from the decidedly unsexy climes of Lowestoft,

In a world where cats are trying painfully hard to keep up

Another dose of dope ‘does what it says it does on the tin’

Delusionists pick the expected fare of small-town fixations

with the next flash-in-the-shit-pan trend, it’s a treat to hear

beat business straight from the vaults of the man still best

to fuel their debut EP – namely, smoking weed, pulling

someone who rocks a flow that pays strong homage to the

loved for ‘Real Live Shit’, here you know the steelo: hard,

women, and the realities of life outside the limelight. But

great Masta Ace, and just like the original Slaughtahouse

classically-wrought and commercially-uncompromising

like a refreshing gust of East Anglian air, rapper-stroke-

man, Brooklyn’s Fresh Daily does enough on this 13 tracker

rhythms from one of the ’90s most underrated producers.

producer Benjamin Black successfully breathes new life into

to suggest he’ll be in it for the long term. On-topic tracks

East Coast in style to the end, tracks like ‘Redcoats Are

old conceits: On ‘To The Next…’ the verbal jester presents

about boobs (‘Two In The Shirt’) and video games (er,

Coming’ – equal parts head-nodder and sinister vibe creator

the countryside’s answer to Jay-Z’s ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’,

‘Video Gamin’’), plus a guest spot from the Tanya Morgan

– remind you that even in the oh-niner’s geographical rap

nobbing everyone from fat birds to village bicycles with

crew and production from Spinna and Ski, seal a darn

melting pot there’s something undisputable about the

comedic gusto. Accessible and punchy! Chris Schonberger

attractive package. Doc Nostrand

power of the basics done well. Arsenio Billingham







‘To The Next...’

‘Break A Leg’

‘Redcoats Are Coming’

HHC DIGITAL #003

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HOME STYLE

tracks on Bashy’s debut album ‘Catch Me If You Can’. Finally, it sees the light of day!

YOUR UK RAP ATTACK…

Juice Aleem’s debut solo sees the one time New Flesh man

With MPs being taken to task over expenses, I have to come

varying from electro-dub to straight up hip-hop beats. The

clean with my own fiddles. I regularly take stationery, soap,

first single is ‘First Lesson’.

(pictured) covering a vast array of topics over production

shampoo and conditioner when I stay in hotels and use a friend’s Starbucks free wifi password. The real crime is that I

Micall Parknsun leaps back into action on YNR with his amazing

don’t even use conditioner. Three MPs have already resigned

new single ‘All 4 Hip-Hop’. Produced by M-Phazes it also

and formed a spin-off party called the MP3. Sorry. Before

features a Jehst remix and versions of ‘Still Here’ produced by

rummaging through the stationery cupboard to see what I can

Apa-Tight and Chemo.

pilfer from HHC Digital HQ, here’s some music news... South Londoner Jay Full Stop is set to blow up this summer Mixed by DJ No Names ‘SOS: Shots Of Smirnoff’ is Kyza’s

with his ‘City Meals’ album on Run The City Records. A regular

finest work to date. ‘Love & Music’ and ‘Sin City’ have already

on the live scene, Jay aka Jarvis Vincent showcases his dexterity

troubled the airwaves and it’s nice to hear the album lives up

on the mic as well as getting his own imprint off to a flying

to their high standard.

start. Check www.runthecityrecords.com for more.

‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘What About Me’

It’s hard to say Funky DL without saying ‘MOBO winner’ first.

aren’t the ramblings of a disgraced banker – they are in fact

The young lad took the UK by storm almost 15 years ago and HHC DIGITAL #003

50

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

has enjoyed success here as well as in the US and Japan. After a hiatus he’s back on BBE with full lengther ‘The Interview’.

1. PANACHE

The real treat is the bonus ‘London Convention’ featuring MCD, Skinnyman, Blak Twang, Ty, Rodney P and more. Ghost can’t stop churning out the good stuff and this time it’s his collaboration with Devorah and their band Lingua Franca. ‘Money’/‘Work & Play’ is a summer smash, while also on Breakin Bread is the uber-funky ‘Freak’ by The Killer Meters. Move over VV Brown, Duffy and The Noisettes – the real queen of soul/funk is here. Finally, look out for The Razzle, a London collective with touches of Latin, soul, funk, dub and rock running through their great EP ‘Wrong’un’ – to these ears there’s definitely something of Reverend And The Makers about the delivery on the title track. Next month we’ll be giving you tips on insider trading and letting you know how to ride the bus for free using a Panini football sticker and some hairspray. Mike Lewis

How long have you been rapping? “Nearly ten years! I was known as the drum’n’bass emcee Suddz, but as Panache hip-hop is my main genre that I

HOME STYLE’S TOP TEN FOR THOSE TOO LAZY TO READ THE COLUMN…

1. Micall Parknsun ‘All 4 Hip-Hop’ (YNR single)

live and practice every day.”

2. Kyza ‘Shots Of Smirnoff’ (Dented album)

What are your main musical influences? “I have a lot, from Wu-Tang and Cypress Hill to Roots Manuva and even other genres like drum’n’bass

3. Juice Aleem ‘Jerusalaam Come’ (Big Dada album) 4. Lingua Franca ‘Money’ (Breakin Bread single)

and dubstep.”

5. Jay Full Stop ‘City Meals’ (Run The City album)

Describe your style in three words… “Organic, vintage, panache!”

6. Inja ‘Hat Low’ (promo single)

What do you have coming up, music wise? “My mixtape ‘24/7’, featuring DRS (Broke N English), Dawn Raid, Bigz and Shotty, and the free download ‘Headcase!’ which has at least three emcees on each and every track!”

7. Bashy ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (GG) 8. Funky DL ‘The Interview’ (BBE album) 9. Scrabull ‘Bad Boys’ (Seventy Recordings single) 10. Steve Stranger ‘The Bloggist’ (Fist single)

(Check www.panachetunes.com for more.)

‘Music Makes Ya Move’ feat. Bigz & Caroline Quine

(All available from www.RapAndSoulMailOrder.com)

HHC DIGITAL #003

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OPEN UP

HIP-HOP AND BEYOND…

Also heading sideward is beatboxer extraordinaire Killa Kela’s comeback 12-inch, ‘Built Like An Amplifier’ – complete with a Sway remix to boot. Subsequent album ‘Amplified’ jumps ADDfashion betwixt genres, inviting along Bashy and backpack stalwart Lateef. Not enough syllables? Don’t fret: tongue-twisting Cali emcee

Where better to begin this month’s leftfield picks than true

Busdriver has a new record! ‘Jhelli Beam’ doesn’t satisfy like

Open Up favourites? Nowhere, yo, so cop ‘The Malaria EP’

predecessor ‘RoadKillOvercoat’, though props for featuring

from Manchester’s premier grime chatters Virus Syndicate,

madcap Bay Area indie-rockers Deerhoof.

which rips from schoolyard taunts within lead track ‘Anything’ onward. Merkin’. San Francisco-based UK dubstep dude

More party? From the musical ballpark of fellow Tampa

Milanese’s new album ‘Lockout’ is just as hot, fire-spitting

rhymers Yo Majesty, cocksure teenaged rapstress Domique

mouthpieces from Europe to South Africa guaranteeing

Young Unique couples innocently wide-eyed flows with beats

thermometer-smashing results.

from YM’s Brit production team Hardfeelingsuk. Expect a

Best of the rest? Sure. German duo Ancient Astronauts

similar scale break out rather soon…

(pictured) get space-rap on album ‘We Are To Answer’,

Big-haired erstwhile The Beats chap Example is back with

the golden age as seen through a kaleidoscope. Keeping it

a bang, taking it high tempo on single ‘Hooligans’ over an

What are Anticon up to right now? Releasing Serengeti &

continental, French lady Flore’s buzzing electro-bass tune

electro-house banger from Dutch dance deejay Don Diablo

Polyphonic’s brain-busting ‘Terradactyl’, aided by Doseone

‘We Rewind’, chopping up Rodney P and Shunda K, should

(try garbling that pissed). Warning: possible frustratingly

and Buck 65 cameos. Cross-coast at Def Jux? Well, Cage’s new

decimate dancefloors from here to Lyon. And we’re out…

manicured teens clubbing soundtrack content.

free EP bodes mighty positively for his full-length return.

Adam Anonymous HHC DIGITAL #003

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DEEJAYCHARTS

DJ MK (WWW.DJMKSWORLD.COM)

DJ ECLIPSE (THE HALFTIME SHOW/FAT BEATS)

DJ CRO (MAIN INGREDIENT/CRATE ESCAPE)

1. JAY-Z ‘DOA’

1. LA COKA NOSTRA FEAT. BUN B ‘CHOOSE YOUR SIDE’

1. MICALL PARKNSUN ‘ALL 4 HIP-HOP’

“Jay kills it, breaking down how Auto-tune has helped make

“Another LCN banger over a hypnotizing Alchemist track –

“Parky sounds right at home on this massive tune, and with

hip-hop stagnant in the last 12 months. Real talk.”

proving again that LCN is a brand you can trust.”

the Jehst remix changing the vibe up it’s back of the net!”

2. RAEKWON FEAT. HAVOC & DILLA ‘24K RAP’

2. DJ JS-1 FEAT. LARGE PRO ‘LIKE THIS’

2. GODFATHER DON ‘OFFDAMENTAL’

“Three years after his death and Dilla’s music is sounding

“Heavy drums with a melodic sample all brought together by

“Amazing unreleased Don material using ‘Nautilus’ to great ef-

better and better. Been killing this on the radio show.”

cuts and scratches – pure hip-hop, never selling out.”

fect – still sounds better than most rappers out now!”

3. RAMSON BADBONEZ ‘GET OFF ME’

3. SOUL KHAN FEAT. HOMEBOY SANDMAN ‘KNUCKLE PUCK’

3. PHAT KAT ‘NIGHTMARE (SUFF DADDY REMIX)’

“One of the best emcees in the UK – this dude is a serious

“Produced by Brown Bag representative J57, this is

“Suff manages to transform and improve on the original –

problem on the mic!”

reminiscent of the early indie days.”

remix competition winner and rightfully so.” HHC DIGITAL #003

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DJ ELEVEN (THERUB/DJELEVEN.COM)

BENJI B (DEVIATION)

SPIN DOCTOR (THEDOCTORSORDERS.COM)

1. GHOSTFACE ‘FOREVER’

1. DRAKE ‘SAY WHAT’S REAL’

1. JAY-Z ‘DOA’

“Neck and neck in the race with Q-Tip for leader of the Old Guy

“Drake really goes on on the best beat from ‘808s And

“When Jigga talks people listen, but will this really see the end

Rap movement – I’m geeked to listen to this on repeat.”

Heartbreak’ – one to watch, and I think he’ll deliver.”

of the Auto-tune?”

2. DJ WEBSTAR FEAT. JIM JONES & STYLES P ‘UPTOWN’

2. DOOM ‘GAZZILLION EAR’

2. BUSTA RHYMES ‘HUSTLER’S ANTHEM ’09’

“Harlem’s the only neighbourhood in Manhattan that matters

“My favourite cut from the current LP, using a couple of my

“This tough little cookie is still killing it in both the club and

to hip-hop (sorry Murray Hill!) – here’s a new anthem.”

favourite Dilla beats.”

streets alike!”

3. DORROUGH ‘ICE CREAM PAINT JOB’

3. BUSTA RHYMES FEAT. COMMON ‘DECISION’

3. J DILLA FEAT. DOOM ‘FIRE WOOD DRUMSTIX’

“A near perfect southern rap song from outta Dallas, complete

“Not feeling much of the new Busta LP to be honest, but this

“A tag team of two of hip-hop’s most unique talents is always

with Saved By The Bell reference.”

cut is quality.”

gonna be heat!” HHC DIGITAL #003

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ON THE GO

1. PETE ROCK On The Go Capricorn

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET

From This Day On

1. CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET ‘CAPRICORN’

moves along thanks to the drum groove, not to mention the

“The Soul Brother sampled the jazz sax legend on ‘In The

simple but infectious melody from the muted trumpet. A great

House’, the opening track off ‘The Main Ingredient’. Pete took

summer tune, and you’ll recognize the chords on the intro

the beautiful two-bar Fender Rhodes loop and put his stamp

from Pete & CL’s classic ‘Carmel City’.”

all over it, bringing out the bass in trademark fashion. It’s the rawness of the live recording that gives ‘Capricorn’ such

4. MEL AND TIM ‘GROOVY SITUATION’

character, especially the distorting of the rhodes.”

“Not to be confused with ’80s pop act Mel and Kim, this

Welcome to HHC Digital’s new

’60s soul duo recorded many a great party song and ‘Groovy

EDDIE BO

Enchanted Lady MILT JACKSON BIG BAND

Groovy Situation

fantasy playlist column, where we

2. EDDIE BO ‘FROM THIS DAY ON’

Situation’, with the pair’s superb harmonies, big horns, and

– big leap of faith required – send

“How could anybody not want to dance to this classic from

excellent backing band, is certainly one of those. Pete & CL fans

home grown producer-on-the-rise

Eddie Bo? ‘Here comes the king’-style horns, fast flamenco

will pick out guitar parts used on ‘I Got A Love’; Will Ferrell fans

Quincey Tones back in time and get

guitar run on the intro, and a funky beat and bassline drop – all

might also recognize it from the Anchorman soundtrack.”

him to peek around the corner and

elements used on ‘The Creator’. From there on in it’s nothing

peep what our favourite sample-

but hip-swinging New Orleans soul.”

MEL AND TIM

I Ain’t Got The Love THE AMBASSADORS

By Quincey Tones

happy hip-hop producers were

5. THE AMBASSADORS ‘I AIN’T GOT THE LOVE’ “Making up the other half of the ’94 single ‘I Got A Love’ is this

listening to as they grew up as shorties. This month, what

3. MILT JACKSON BIG BAND ‘ENCHANTED LADY’

similarly-titled soul gem – Pete sampled the intro horns and

songs were shaping the future sound of a knee-high Soul

“Another great jazz sample, this time vibraphonist Milt

scratched the hook line for his version.”

Brother Number One?

Jackson with assistance from his incredible band. This track

(Check out mo’ Quincey at www.myspace.com/quinceytones)

HHC DIGITAL #003

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UNKUT PRESENTS:

BACDAFUCUP!

pretty much had a problem with 75 percent of New York but has posthumously appeared on tracks with Nas and virtually everyone else mentioned on ‘Hit ’Em Up’. Possibly the most ridiculous incidents have been the blend of

Rappers – whatever you do, please try to avoid dying a violent

Biggie vocals onto Ghostface and Raekwon’s ‘Three Bricks’ and

death. Sure, there are ‘6 Million Ways To Die’ if you believe

The Chef’s subsequent ‘Letter To BIG’. You go to the trouble

the raspy warnings of 9 Double M (better known as Nine),

to dedicate an entire venomous skit to the guy when he was

but those who are unfortunate enough to be gunned down in

alive and kicking, and now that he’s passed it’s all love-love?

their prime are then forced to endure another lifetime’s worth of indignities.

Don’t even get me started on ‘paying homage’. Whether it’s Jay-Z reciting chunks of the Black Frank White’s rhyme book,

The real losers are the fans, who not only have to deal with

shameless imitation of Big Pun’s flow, or everyone who’s ever

the loss of an artist who they connected with on a musical

driven through Detroit ‘channeling’ Jay Dee and chowing

rap magazine and website? “But none of those people were

level but are then sentenced to endless abuses of their legacy.

down on his unorthodox drum patterns – shit’s disgusting, B.

platinum artists!” Tell someone who gives a shit – the fact that they weren’t is all the more cause to give them some shine. At

While I’m the first to get giddy with excitement – or at least marginally interested – when unheard Big L demos surface,

Blogs are equally to blame – every year I have to wade through

least we can take some small solace in the knowledge that we

it almost never ends there. As ‘Born Again’ demonstrated,

the same old dedications to the same old late rappers and beat

won’t have to stomach their catalogues being stripped bare

tacking your a capellas onto new beats crammed with a

makers – and yet Scott La Rock, Subroc, Too Poetic and Paul C

by the hungry vultures that are record labels and bitch-ass

who’s who of current ‘rapper dudes’ is usually embarrassing

remain as mere footnotes? Will KL from Screwball, Party Arty

bootleggers.

for everyone involved. Especially for someone like 2Pac, who

and Tony D (pictured) receive annual memorials at every major

Robbie Ettelson HHC DIGITAL #003

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