Hiphopconnection Hhc Digital Issue 2

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RAEKWON

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

HHC DIGITAL #002

EMUSIC

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HHC DIGITAL #002

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CONTENTS MAY 2009 HHC DIGITAL#002 05 THE LISTENING 06 MIX MASTER! 07 BITE BACK!

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

08 NEWS FLASH! 09 PAUL WHITE 10 THE DAN GREENPEACE COLUMN

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

11 CHECK OUT MY MELODY

DESIGNER April Hill | [email protected]

12 THE PANEL

WRITING Adam Anonymous, Cee Banger, Arsenio Billingham, Corin Douieb Robbie Ettelson, David Kennedy, Mike Lewis, James McNally, Tom Nook Doc Nostrand, Lucy Van Pelt, Richard Watson

13 SUPERSTAR QUAMALLAH 15 P.O.S. 16 THE HIP-HOP GALLERY

PHOTOGRAPHY Juliette Dalton, Sam Hicks, Kristina Hill, Mike Lewis Alexander Richter

17 HOMECUT 18 TWITTERISHLY 19 EMUSIC DOWNLOADS

FRONT COVER The vaults of Shaolin

22 RAEKWON

ADVERTISING Adam Anonymous 44 011 (0)7765 633 737 | [email protected]

29 RAPPERS ON TWITTER

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER AND HEAD OF MICROWAVE OVEN PROGRAMMING Andy Cowan

32 GHOSTFACE 36 SPEECH DEBELLE

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.

41 ALBUM REVIEWS 45 CHARTS 47 HOME STYLE 49 OPEN UP 50 THE UNKUT COLUMN

32 GHOSTFACE

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 only Bill Cosby eats for free...

HHC DIGITAL #002

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HHC DIGITAL #002

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THE LISTENING

THIS MONTH’S FREE

MP3 STASH... Starting with this month’s issue of HHC Digital you’ll notice a little ‘play’ icon at the end of interviews and record reviews. ‘What ever could it be?’ you ask with a quizzical look on your face. Why, just a fancy, technologically-inclined way to

HHC DIGITAL MIX 002

soundtrack your month in hip-hop! Simply click the icon to hear



a fresh new MP3 from the artist being profiled or put under

1. TANYA MORGAN ‘SO DAMN DOWN’ (INTERDEPENDENT)

the review microscope – then sit back and relax in complete

2. SPEECH DEBELLE ‘THE KEY’ (BIG DADA)

9. SUPERSTAR QUAMALLAH ‘88 SOUL’ (COTTER)

reading-and-listening heaven.

3. GENERAL STEELE FEAT. BUCKSHOT ‘A TOAST TO BROOKLYN’ (DUCK DOWN)

10. DR BUTCHER ‘1-800-BUTCHER’ (DOMINATION RECORDINGS)

Even better, we’ve gone and got the masterful hands of The

4. RAEKWON FEAT. METHOD MAN & GHOSTFACE ‘WU OOH’ (EMI)

12. COOKBOOK ‘MOLLY RINGWALD’ (LA SYMPHONY)

Last Skeptik to stitch all of this month’s free new musical goodness into snazzy mixtape form for you. Now check the running order...

Click the play button to download!

5. MICALL PARKNSUN ‘TODAY’ (YNR) 6. GHOST FEAT. DJ IQ & JEHST ‘ELEVATE (REMIX)’ (BREAKIN BREAD)

7. DJ VADIM FEAT. PUGS ATOMZ ‘START OF THE SHOW’ (BBE) 8. POS ‘GOODBYE’ (RHYMESAYERS)

11. PAUL WHITE ‘ALIEN NATURE’ (ONE-HANDED) 13. FUJAKO FEAT. SENSATIONAL ‘SULPHUR GOAT’ (WORDSOUND) 14. SAVATH Y SAVALAS ‘LA LLAMA’ (STONES THROW) HHC DIGITAL #002

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MIX MASTER!

MEET THE LAST SKEPTIK

AND HIS MASTERFUL HANDS...

What’s the best blend on the mix? “Wu-Tang into Micall Parknsun’s joint from the new YNR LP. Or the Vadim blend.”

Which tracks had you never heard before but ended up liking after listening to them?

Having mixed, blended and sautéed together all the best

“I hadn’t heard anything from Speech Debelle before – and

tracks given away with this month’s issue of HHC Digital, we

to be honest I was really put off by all the PR hype telling me I

hollered at The Last Skeptik to explain himself...

should like her. But hearing ‘The Key’, I was really impressed. The song is massive, and she has a lot of talent. I got to get

How would you sum up the mix in one sentence?

some beats to this girl...”

“Definitely not something you would want playing in the background of a bat-mitzvah; I mean you could, but it might

If you had to recommend a sandwich to eat while listening to

Is your voice really that deep and disturbed in real life?

be a bit loud...”

the mix, what would be on it?

“Even deeper. I have a team of scientists in the studio

“[Thinking very deeply] I’d say humous, avocado, thin tomato

continually creating the best voicebox that will make me

For listeners with ADD, which section should they skip to?

slices and feta cheese. Then add some red pesto and cucumber

sound normal.”

“‘Wu Ooh’ by Raekwon The Chef. That is as close to classic Wu

to the mix. Serve on wholemeal bread. Pinch of salt and chili,

(Stalk The Last Skeptik at www.twitter.com/thelastskeptik

as any of them have done for years.”

and you’re done.”

or www.thelastskeptik.com)

HHC DIGITAL #002

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BITE BACK!

READERS RESPOND DOOM!

THE SUPER-VILLAIN ON BUKOWSKI, BEER AND BECOMING A GAZZILLIONAIRE www.hhcdigital.net HHC DIGITAL #001

WILLIE ISZ, CHARLES HAMILTON, DANTE ROSS & MORE!

mag I wouldn’t bother to ask, but I’ve been getting HHC since

Wadup fam,

Feb 1994 (I think Ice Cube had a ‘fro on that cover!), and I was

Love the mag. That DOOM piece was really thorough – I feel

absolutely gutted to read on Fat Lace that HHC had folded after

like a lot of interviews I read these days cover the standard

all these years. I’ve bought every single copy since then, and

questions, but you guys are clearly fans too. That’s what’s

even got the issues prior to Feb ‘94 off eBay! It’s been a highlight

up! You got a new reader and I’ve been talking up what

of each month for the past 16 years going to a news agent or

you guys are doing.

HMV – I even bought the Mariah Carey issue, even though I was

Peace,

cringing, with buttocks clenched, when I went up to pay!

Tommy (from Philly)

Kind regards, Stephen Lewis Thanks for the props. Unfortunately, it’s just not feasible to continue the good ship HHC as a print mag in the current climate. To paraphrase Million Dan’s words last month: We’re sure artists

Truth be told we simply sat down with ol’ Metal Face and let the pints do the talking. Incredible beer-belly on the Villain, too!

Oi! I can’t read the digi-mag on the toilet! Sort it!

Hi there,

would love a return to the days of big album sales, and we’d all

Just wondering if there were any plans to offer the new digital

love to find a way to keep HHC on the physical newsstands, but it’s

magazine in paper format? I was thinking people could pay a

just not the era we’re living in. We will, however, be going all out

Apparently the first bod to invent an electronic reading device that

subscription in advance and have it printed out, so only printing

to drop a printed anthology of the best of the year’s content at the

prospers on the bog will make a mint.

out copies for people that have paid up front. If it was any other

end of ‘09, so stay tuned.

Wanna rant? Holler at us on [email protected]

DJ Carrot-Top

HHC DIGITAL #002

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NEWS FLASH!

SOMALI PIRATES... “What are they dropping off in Somalia and taking from Somalia

GENERAL STEELE GETS TOPICAL...

that’s making these young underprivileged individuals say, ‘We

THE SWINE FLU EPIDEMIC...

old that got snatched because he was a pirate? Come on!”

need to get our guns and have four little men take this ship...’? There’s a reason for it. Let’s talk about you using the waters as a dumping ground and stealing fish and cleaning out natural resources. But instead we’re talking about what? The 16-year-

“I’m a conspiracy theorist myself. I tell you, right before this swine flu thing, something else was going on in Mexico and

MOOTED NYC SUBWAY AND BUS FARE INCREASES...

now we’re not really paying attention to that. The war’s still

“Let’s borrow something from my European family here:

going on out there. It’s just like hip-hop, man: the way to

When I go to the UK or Amsterdam and I see the bikes parked

make people buy into your story is to make it realistic. So you

up, I think that what we have to do is rely on the best resource

have cases that’s now poppin’ up in places like Long Island

that we have in the world, which is human resources. When

and Queens and everybody’s suddenly like, ‘Hey! Where’s this

you get them two legs to pumping, you can go a long way, you

coming from?’ Now suddenly we’re all focussed on this one

know?” Richard Watson

thing. But I tell you, it’s a lot of theatrics but war is the greatest

(General Steele’s ‘Welcome To Bucktown’ is out now.)

platform for theatrics.”



‘A Toast To Brooklyn’ feat. Buckshot

HHC DIGITAL #002

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PAUL WHITE

DREAMY DAYS...

says, are largely crafted by, “Finding some good drums and using them as the backbone – then you can start to experiment more on top of that. “I hope people will see it as something slightly different,” he continues of the set that will come in a limited-edition

“I met these beat nuts,” begins south London producer

linen-pillow-style packaging with hand-stitched title. “I love

Paul White, picking up his story after he got back from a spell

creating different atmospheres through beats, so I hope that

at university. “They would just get together, sit there and

listening to it is an experience where you can just sit back

listen to this Madlib, Dilla and Kankick beat tape. I mean I

and relax and have lots of different moods and images come

always liked hip-hop, but it was along with other music. These

into your head.”

guys though, they’d constantly listen to this tape and go nuts. So I’d say those three artists really kick-started me to make

Keeping with the visualisation thread, when asked about his

hip-hop music.”

own most out-there dream, White plumps for a recurring scenario that’s been affecting him of late: “I have one about

Having dropped a smattering of 7-inches and the impressive

being by the sea and grabbing a surf-board and running out

‘One Eye Open’ EP a couple of months back – a collection of

to the water.” Then he adds, “But there’s always a million

five tracks that thump and thud in the heritage of Dilla while

reasons why it won’t happen – like, you know, there won’t be

cocking an ear to ’Lib’s leftfield sample tendencies – White’s

any actual water there...” Phillip Mlynar

now about to bless the world with his ‘The Strange Dreams Of

(‘The Strange Dreams Of Paul White’ is out June 15th.)

Paul White’ project, a set of 21 instrumental outings that, he



‘Alien Nature’ HHC DIGITAL #002

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THE DAN GREENPEACE

actual track for over a year. I know what will happen and it’s a

COLUMN

shame – he’ll release an album and nobody will give a rat’s ass what it sounds like because they’re addicted to the immediacy of his weekly show. You’re talented and funny, but you’re a rapper. Rap.

STOP WITH THE

The US are the worst culprits of Twittering their careers

MICRO-BLOGGING!

into oblivion. I love Q Tip (NH) but if I see him write another message to his fucking ‘tweedies’, I swear I’ll burn every Tribe

What I hate about this business is how immediate everything

hope, but a barrage of quick strike singles is already spoiling

has become. Everyone is so concerned about immediacy,

the party. An album is supposed to be a body of work you

there’s no focus on the music. Every other genre is pumping

consume from start to finish – not skip through until you hear

out classic album material, leaving hip-hop dead in the water.

something that hasn’t already been leaked. As we all microblog ourselves into oblivion, the art is taking a big loss.

The only two albums people seemed to be anticipating so far this year are Asher Roth and Eminem. The former was an utter

Here’s two other examples. Charlie Sloth, who I rated (and

disappointment, but we must have been delusional to think

still do) before his World Star Hip-Hop-distributed weekly web-

it was going to be a classic. Will Em deliver? We can all but

show found him a new global fan base, hasn’t offered up an

record I own.

When will rappers get the message that we want music, we want great albums, we want to support them for years and years? We do not want a tidbit of information about your mundane promotional schedule. Likewise, we don’t want your crappy free tracks. We want to pay – yes, pay! – for wonderfully crafted music that will last a lifetime, period. (Check www.fatlacemagazine.com for more.) HHC DIGITAL #002

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CHECK OUT MY

MELODY

DJ VADIM’S MUSICAL PICKS…

DR DRE ‘LET ME RIDE’ “Hands down the best hip-hop producer of all time. Dre’s been consistent since ‘88, from two albums with NWA, two solo sets, launching the careers of Eminem and 50 Cent, and blessing Jay-Z, Busta and many more. Dre’s the hit factory of hit factories, and the doctor you go see when your sales ain’t doing so good.” SLY & ROBBIE FEAT. INI KAMOZE ‘WINGS WITH ME’

“It’s not an easy list to make,” says the producer about to

“Foundation legends creating the original reggae drum-n-bass

release his ‘U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun’ set. “A lot of people

production team from Jamaica, working with Bob Marley,

I used to like I don’t like as much now, or perhaps don’t even

Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Grace Jones and practically

make music, or fell off. You’ve got to ask: Who has the longevity

every other artist to date. If anyone would give James Brown a

and has changed the game, not just made a couple of dope

run for his money, it’s these guys.”

beats?” Here’s his answer... BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS ‘THE P IS FREE’ JAMES BROWN ‘STONE TO THE BONE’

“From listening to BDP come out with ‘Criminal Minded’ all the

“RIP – I can’t imagine a music scene without James. He played

way to 2009, KRS-One has been straight ripping – on stage,

a huge hand in the birth and groove of hip-hop. The amount

in the booth, in the street. That’s some real hip-hop there.”

of times he’s been sampled is retarded. The reason? He’s the

Corin Douieb

king, the godfather, the ultimate master of the groove.”



‘Start Of The Show’ feat. Pugs Atomz HHC DIGITAL #002

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THE PANEL WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FUNNIEST LIVE GIG

EXPERIENCE?

MILLION DAN “I did a show in east London a few years ago, a launch party for one of my fellow artist bredrins in the industry, and while performing ‘Dogz N Sledgez’ loads of emcees suddenly started climbing up on the stage, jumping around with some ‘Slam’ type shizzle. It was crazy hype! Then I notice one of the stage engineers waving his hands in a gesture of panic – 15 seconds later we all disappeared when the centre of the stage collapsed! I climbed out first, face and clothes covered in dust and dirt, but yo, the show must go on, so I picked my verse up and carried on spitting!”

LOWKEY

KASHMERE

“It was in Bethlehem, during the seven show

“Obviously when I was on tour with Michael

tour of Palestine and Israel I took part in. There

Jackson. Everything was cool – wine was drank,

were at least seven acts on the bill; I was about fifth. As soon

cocaine was snorted, slut features were fondled, then Tito

as I came on and said, ‘Listen,’ everything cut out: the sound,

Jackson bust in looking pissed. I said, ‘What the fuck, nigga?!’

the lights... So I did my set completely a capella with no mic.

He went, ‘Michael is buggin’, keeps talking about lil’ horsey...’

Additionally, a lot of the audience couldn’t understand me. It

I’m like, ‘Where’s bubbles?’ He says, ‘At the strip club.’ I go,

was a weird one. As soon as I finished, a group called Bad Luck

‘Sexual deviant ass motherfucker!’ So anyway, halfway through

came on and everything started working again. They ripped it.

my set a giant horse ran on stage, grabbed the mic and started

I guess I had a bit of bad luck myself that night...”

beatboxin’...” Corin Douieb HHC DIGITAL #002

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SHINE

SUPERSTAR QUAMALLAH IS BRINGING ‘88 BACK... In 1999, a vinyl EP started popping up in the racks of independent records stores across the world. Titled ‘Don’t Call Me John’, it was credited to a cat going by the name of Superstar Quamallah, was filled with jazzy and soulful vibes, and stamped with the quality guaranteed ABB logo. (The title was in reference to his father, jazz musician ‘Big’ John Patton.) Now, almost a decade to the day, the man’s back on the rap radar, dropping a new album that he promises to be characterised by “positive energy and mature and intelligent lyrics.” Headed up by the first single ‘88 Soul’, we went back to the golden era with him... HHC DIGITAL #002

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What was your favourite hip-hop label back then?

didn’t quite know how to control and manipulate the art;

“Without a doubt Cold Chillin’!”

mainstream videos hadn’t quite happened yet until late ’88; the large number of incredibly gifted artists; the diversity of

If you could go back in time to that era, what live hip-hop

artists; the number of classic albums that came out that year;

show would you most like to see and why?

the creative spirit that was in the atmosphere; the evolution

“DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince performing live in Union

from break-dancing that had taken place with cats like Peter

Square when Jazzy did the transformer scratch. I heard it on a

Paul, Stretch, Dedan, The Soul Brothers – and the list goes on

tape and I went bananas! I thought that was the greatest shit

and on!”

I had ever heard. I kept rewinding the tape trying to figure out how he did that shit!”

Describe New York in 1988 in one sentence... “I’ll do one word: Energy!”

On ‘88 Soul’ you reference Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. How do

What was your favourite ’88 anthem?

you think they’d fare if they came out as new artists today?

“I was never into anthems, but my favourite NY anthem is the

So will it be another decade after this album before people

“Interesting question. It reminds me back when Mike Tyson

call and response: ‘Heeeey, yo!’ ‘Aight!’”

hear from you again? “Nah, I drop something once or twice a year but you have to

was on top and cats in the barbershop would always debate who would win between Tyson and Ali. Ali at his prime in my

What was it about hip-hop music in ’88 that made it sound so

be from the neighborhood or know me to get a copy. Some

mind would never even fit into the energy field of the ’80s

special to you?

joints I’ve done like the ‘Godfood’ and ‘All Souled Out’ albums,

and ’90s with Tyson. Same with Rakim and Kane, without

“Man, ’88 was special ‘cos of the times (from crack to black

I make them available online. I’m all about the culture so I

them existing prior to this era, the cats shining now would be

political movements and the Nation of Gods and Earths); the

haven’t stopped doing my thang since I first fell in love with

different themselves. There wouldn’t be the legacy that Rakim

way people interacted with one another (from gang-bangin’

hip-hop culture.” Phillip Mlynar

and Kane laid for others to build from.”

to cram-packed house parties to racial tension); record labels



‘88 Soul’ HHC DIGITAL #002

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P.O.S. ON A ROLL WITH THE RHYMESAYERS MAN...

of hope: If there’s something you really want, and you put your head to it, there’s nothing stopping you.”

ON ROCKIN’ OUT... “I’m not influenced at all by today’s rock or indie scene, but by the rock scene of the mid-to-late-’90s – everything from Kid Dynamite to Fugazi. Basically, just the good bands!”

ON THE HAZARDOUS ‘DRUMROLL’ VIDEO... “I left that day with blood all over my leg! There’s a scene in the

With an undeniable swagger running through his electric-guitar-

video where I fall down and the camera pans up and you see

addled ‘Never Better’ project, Rhymesayers affiliate P.O.S. has

Minneapolis in flames. I bashed my shit up real bad. Plus a bit

crafted his strongest body of work to date. Here’s his musings...

where an explosion happens and the guy goes flying in the air: he got hurt pretty bad! He was hired as a stuntman, so we were

ON POSITIVE MESSAGES...

expecting some banging and bruising, but he took a chunk out of

“The plan of the new album was to make something that was

his arm...” Corin Douieb

very challenging. It’s a little bit dark, and definitely a bit heavy,

(‘Never Better’ is out now on Rhymesayers.)

but after you break down the lyrics, I wanted you to get a vibe



‘Goodbye’

HHC DIGITAL #002

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THE HIP-HOP GALLERY

14. JAMES JARVIS

“I’ve turned down lots of music jobs before because the music has been crap,” says London-born illustrator James Jarvis of taking on the task of creating an album cover for Jneiro Jarel and Khujo Goodie’s Willie Isz project. “With Lex Records though, they approached me as an artist and wanted me to do my own thing. And as the music was really creative, progressive hip-hop, it was a deal.” Widely associated with his designs for plastic toy figures for the Silas brand back in the late-’90s (a dalliance which led to the creation of his own Amos toy company in 2003), Jarvis’s work is influenced by everything from Asterix comics to the

As for the chances of seeing any Willie Isz toy figures in the

stylings of Judge Dred. For the Willie Isz escapade he tapped

near future? “Well, I got to draw some new characters that

into, “Imagery on the record that was really up my street, in

were just in my head,” he says coyly, “so who knows if they

being kinda apocalyptic, plus going with the good versus evil

might end up as toys...”

vibe in there.”

(Check James Jarvis’s work at www.studiojarvis.com) HHC DIGITAL #002

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HOMECUT UP NORTH TESTIFYIN’... When a friendly cuppa becomes one third of a collaboration and a case of stalking adds to the mix, you might expect some pretty remarkable results. So it was that London-born, Leedsdwelling Homecut – the alias of emcee, beatboxer and singer Testament – came to create his ‘I Don’t Even Know’ track, after chart-topper Corinne Bailey Rae heard the production while popping into the studio for a drink and demanded to sing on it, while Brummie jazz cat Soweto Kinch was hijacked during a radio interview and persuaded to part with a sax solo and 16

about the reality theme running throughout ‘No Freedom

With side projects including being part of Shlomo’s Vocal

bars. And that’s just for starters, as Homecut’s debut album

Without Sacrifice’, he says, “Life can be tough – I think everyone

Orchestra, performing with a six-piece band, and running

also includes guest raps from TY and J-Live.

can identify with that, so this is my attempt at expressing this.”

music workshops in prisons, Homecut’s all set to carve out his

But in case you’re about to get it twisted, he adds, “I’m also

own groove in hip-hop’s 30-year-strong history. Cee Banger

“J’s really on it, he always comes correct,” he says of a collabo

expressing the sense of hope and perseverance that got me

(‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ is out May 18th.)

hooked up after supporting the Live One at a show. Talking

through it all.”



‘Time Difference’ feat. J-Live HHC DIGITAL #002

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Asher Roth is Using Twitter

Y R O T S X N O R B A

Wasn’t confident with English coins, so did beer pong again. Westwood wanted me to freestyle over ‘Brimful Of Asha’. I refused. 12:14 AM today, from web Setting off for Westwood. Sick of demonstrating beer pong on radio shows – may catch a stack of coins off my elbow instead. 9:45 PM yesterday, from web Damn! Mattel suing me ’cos I gave Teddy Ruxpin a pistol in my ‘Lark On My Go-Kart’ video. Knew I shoulda gone with Glo-Worm. 5:05 PM yesterday, from web Leafing through the Cotton Traders catalogue in a cafe. The pique ruggers are dope – perfect for next XXL cover. 12:27 PM yesterday, from TweetDeck

T S 1 E N OUT JU

It’s cool. Dude apologised – he thought I was Prince Harry. 11:12 AM yesterday, from twitterific @RickDaRuler Last day of UK trip, visiting your hometown Wimbledon. WTF? Someone just called me a racist prick!?! 1:10 AM yesterday, from twitterific

HHC DIGITAL #002

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EMUSIC

35 FREE DOWNLOADS! Want access to over five million downloadable tracks? Check out eMusic’s online vault. Whether it’s archiving certified classic acts of the calibre of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions, unearthing indie rap gems from icons like MF

STRAIGHT FROM THE D

CLASSIC MATERIAL

Detroit’s the new home of underground rap. Whether paying

In these blog-rap days it’s easy to forget about the impact

tribute to Dilla or introducing hardcore composers like Phat

of stone-cold rap classics. Here’s five to refresh your mind,

means that you get the music you want while the artists get

Kat and Fat Ray, the Motor City is running things.

including a dope cut from the recently passed Tony D.

paid – can’t say fairer than that.

Black Milk feat. Royce Da 5’ 9” ‘Losing Out’

Tony D ‘Check The Elevation’

Slum Village ‘The Look Of Love Pt. 1’

Boogie Down Productions ‘Criminal Minded’

As an introductory bonus to loyal HHC Digital readers, eMusic

Fat Ray & Black Milk feat. Phat Kat & Elzhi ‘Get Focus’

Ultramagnetic MCs ‘Give The Drummer Some’

are giving you 35 rap tracks for free. Simply head over to their

Illa J ‘All Good’

Young MC ‘Know How’

site by clicking here, take a second to register, and then right-

Jay Dee ‘Nothing Like This’

Cold Crush Brothers ‘Feel The Horns’

click away. Now check our personal choices...





Doom and Company Flow, or showcasing the best of the new wave of UK talent with cats like Kyza and Sway, eMusic’s digital racks have ’em all. Better yet, as their daily operation’s legit it

Download the best of the D now!

Download a batch of classics now! HHC DIGITAL #002

19

INDIE RAP GEMS

UK SURESHOTS

UP FROM THE VAULT

A decade ago cats like J-Live and Co Flow were at the crest

Reppin’ the home-front, chaps like Stig and Syntax are

The rare and unreleased tracks movement is blooming in the

of a new creative hip-hop movement – here’s five era-defining

punchline animals, while Sway’s leading the way in blazing

digital age: check the Camp Lo demo that Jay-Z nabbed and

joints to make you remember what all the fuss was about.

new trails through the mainstream. Back of the net!

the pre-Obama black President proclamation ‘Win Jesse Win’.

MF Doom & MF Grimm ‘No Snakes Alive’

Kyza ‘Love & Music’

Ghostface ‘Charlie Brown’

Company Flow ‘8 Steps To Perfection’

Stig Of The Dump feat. RA The Rugged Man ‘Braindead’

Camp Lo ‘Feelin’ It’

J-Live ‘Braggin’ Writes (Domecracker Remix)’

Two Fingers feat. Sway ‘That Girl’

Stack ‘Win Jesse Win’

Latryx ‘Say That’

Skreintax feat. Dubbledge ‘6 Bitters’

Brand New Heavies feat. Q-Tip ‘Sometimes’ (Jay Dee Remix)’

The Arsonists ‘Session’

Dr Syntax feat. Stig Of The Dump ‘A Dose Of Godzilla Slang’

De La Soul feat. SPD & KAN ‘Live In Tokyo’







Download your indie fix now!

Download five home-front standards now!

Download these up-from-the-vault tracks now! HHC DIGITAL #002

20

THE SMALL PRINT Get up to 35 music downloads free with a 14-day eMusic trial subscription. Offer available to first-time eMusic customers only. Your free trial will expire 14 days after registration. You will NOT be charged during the free trials unless you exceed your free trial downloads. You can cancel your subscriptions THAT GANGSTA SHIT

THE NEW INDIE CATS

at any time. You will automatically become a paying member

Back in the early ’90s Dre gave gangsta rap a g-funk-propelled

Proving that the independent rap world is still strong, cuts

unless you cancel your subscriptions before the end of your

and gin-and-juice-fuelled push into the spotlight – as these

like Edan’s previously 7-inch only ‘Rap Beautician’ and Mr Lif’s

free trials or before your exceed your free trial downloads.

classics prove, while Jeezy keeps the faith in the oh-niner.

storming ‘Gun Fight’ are keeping indie idealism alive.

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Dr Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dog ‘187um (Deep Cover Remix)’

Mr Lif feat. Metro ‘Gun Fight’

Lady Of Rage feat. Snoop ‘Afro Puffs (Remix)’

Rapper Big Pooh ‘The Comeback’

to change and are subject to eMusic’s terms of use. eMusic

2Pac ‘All Eyez On Me’

Edan ‘Rap Beautician’

and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or

Dr Dre feat. Snoop, RBX & Kurupt ‘Stranded On Death Row’

General Steele feat. Shabaam Sahdeeq ‘Bucktown Affiliates’

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Young Jeezy ‘I Am Back’

Dagha ‘The Remedy’

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HHC DIGITAL #002

21

THE MAIN INGREDIENT THE CHEF’S FINALLY READY TO SERVE UP THE NEXT COURSE IN HIS ‘CUBAN LINX...’ PLATTER. HOLDING COURT LIVE FROM STATEN ISLAND, THIS IS WHAT’S ON HIS GRAND MENU... BY ROBBIE ETTELSON

HHC DIGITAL #002

22

Back in ’95 the Wu were at the peak of their creative powers

‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2’ is on par with ‘Detox’ as most

Is putting out a lot of material in the interim the way that you

and on the crest of world domination – a position capped

anticipated. How do you deal with that pressure?

keep your verbal technique on point?

by Raekwon’s magnificent ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...’ album

“I’m just ready to bring it, man. It’s always gonna be some kind

“Yessir, no question. That’s all I know how to do, baby – just

dropping to universal rapture. Now, after 14 years of false

of peer pressure at some point, but when you really love this

rhyme. I come from that era where lyrics is really important

starts (‘RAGU’ (Rae And Ghost United) anyone?), graveyard

and you do this for a living and you have the passion for it, it

and your hustle game is really important, so I’m just making

talk (head of Aftermath Dr Dre losing interest and getting

becomes part of your hustle. I’m ready to show people what I

sure that I stay on that side of the table and just really bring

distracted by the ‘Detox’ saga), a slew of slated tracks leaking via the Chef’s numerous mixtapes (‘State Of Grace’, ‘Baggage Handlers’, ‘Blu Eaglez’, heaters the lot of ‘em), and the imminent feeling that the flames of anticipation were about to flicker to ash, its architect has finally readied a sequel.

A LOT OF MY SHIT CAME FROM LISTENING

TO BROTHERS

out the best in me. You know, I’ve been surrounding myself with nothing but good energy lately, so I’m just on my A game right now, man. Fo’real, I feel good.” On Mobb Deep’s ‘Nighttime Vultures’ you said, “Word to me,

‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2’ is, by his own admission, the Chef’s

LIKE SLICK RICK

son – the uniform do mean a lot.” Do you still feel that way?

most crucial career move to date – but it’s one the slang

can do. I don’t look at the fact that I’m a cat that’s been around

action-packed stories – when I write, I do it like I’m making a

master general claims he’s undoubtedly up for. (“Witness

for a minute, because I feel like at the end of the day I didn’t

movie. So when you get stuff like that from me, that’s only just

the rebirth” runs the tag line to the set.) So we grabbed the

get my nut off the way I want to yet. So I’m kinda anxious to

because I’m good at making them kinda records – those really

Staten Island goodfella to talk on the record about ‘OB4CL2’

really see where people is really gonna place they judgment

visual kinda records.

business, and then asked him about a few things not related

on me with this album. But as far as the way I feel, I’m stronger

to the project just to give the guy a break from the same old

than ever. My lyrical content has grew so much that I still feel

“A lotta my shit come from listening to brothers like Slick Rick

line of questioning.

like I got so much to offer, so it’s still on. Non-stop.”

and ’em, so they kinda like groomed me to be a better emcee.

Officially released on August 11th via the EMI music machine,

“[Laughing] You was slick with that! Yeah, you know, I’m a story-telling dude. I vibe off of stories. I love telling them

HHC DIGITAL #002

23

“So I’m always gonna pay homage to the cats that done it before me, but some of the legends… I really feel I’m a part of them, you know?” Is tour money more important than ever? “Yeah, that’s what we work for. We work to make these albums and go let the people hear ’em, so I think that the least that a fan can do is spend his little $15, $20 to come out and come see you perform. Us being artists, we work hard. So when we get back, when we finish the album, it’s like, ‘Okay, now we ready to go make some money’. We gotta leave our families and all of that to come hang out with y’all, so everything has to be dealt with a certain kinda way to respect the artist and respecting his fans. “I love my fans regardless, it’s just that when it comes to me touring, it’s like, ‘Yo! You gotta pay, B! You gotta pay, because I’m paying! I’m paying by leaving my family to do what I gotta do!’ That comes with the territory of being an artist, whether you Raekwon The Chef or whether you Luther Vandross – god bless the dead. HHC DIGITAL #002

24

“People pay to see they top artists do they thing because they

different, new, modern-day technology shit that’s going that

something that, you know, I could help you on, that’s what

love they music. So why not come through, pay a couple of

we gotta coincide with. So to me, I think it’s good, ’cos it gives

I’m here for, man. I mean, at the end of the day with it all,

dollars to come see your boys perform? That’s what it’s all about!

you a hands-on with your fans – even more closer than them

y’all made me who I am, so I feel like it’s definitely owed to do

just waiting to hear you on the radio or them just waiting for

that to the fans. And I’d say especially at times they wanna be

“Being honest, nine times outta ten you’re probably just chilling

your album. It’s like, ‘Yo, you can catch me in the lab, nigga!

heard from – I appreciate that.”

in the fuckin’ crib anyway, waiting for an event to happen so

What’s good? I’m making me a turkey burger right now. How

you can go out and spend your money correctly! Right? I mean

ya doing?’ I think that shit is hot right there! [chuckles] I think

Can you confirm that you’re writing your own Twitter updates?

that’s what I would do!

that’s live! Word up!”

That you don’t have someone sitting there in an office typing it out for you?

“I remember back in the days going to see Rakim and Slick

I’M ON TWITTER – IT’S

“Nah, all of that shit is in the phones right now anyway, so you

NOT A PROBLEM

know it’s not a problem to just say something real quick or

Just like a lot of rappers these days, you’re doing your thing

REAL QUICK

What about other people online claiming to ‘be’ Raekwon?

on Twitter. Do you see that as another way for you to reach

“Somebody may call me and be like, ‘Yo! Tomorrow’s my

in and really fix that shit. I mean, I would hate for fans to be

out to your fans?

birthday, kid!’ When that happens, I wanna hit a nigga back

led by somebody else and not know that they talking to the

“It’s just all about interacting. I want my fans to know that

and be like, ‘Happy birthday, man! Enjoy your day, this is what

wrong person. So, you know, I had to come in and really fix

outside of music y’all can still be close to me. There’s so many

you should go do.’ Or if you just having a bad day, or if it’s

that situation.”

Rick at a show. I was excited to come spend my little $25 just to be in the mix, because you get inspiration from seeing your greatest hip-hop artists. You wanna see that shit? Spend that little bit of money, man, and go have a nice time, man. Bring a friend or two.”

TO SAY SOMETHING

whatever, whatever.”

“Well, you know, after I found out a long time ago – like maybe three or maybe four years ago – that it was like two or three other ‘Raekwons’ acting like they was me, I had to really step

HHC DIGITAL #002

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You want the slang editorial? Chef’s your go-to guy. Last year, he instructed the world to “Respect the hair on his legs” when referring to DJ Thoro, his co-conspirator for the ‘Heroin Only’ mixtape, while elsewhere he continued the theme of macho bodily hair by insisting that listeners respect his mustache. Come to think of it, you could pen a coffee-table book based on his catch-phrases and off-hand comments. From parlaying with partner-in-rhyme Ghostface about kids looking like they’ve got “flowerpot heads” to coining Wu Gambino aliases and straight making up album titles (‘Immobilarity’!), few in rap’s richly wordy annals have got as creative as Raekwon The Chef – and he shows no sign of reigning it in for ‘OB4CL2’. You’ve always been known for bringing that new slang. Have you got anything fresh for us this time around? “I mean, whatever comes out my mouth, man. I don’t sit there all day and say, ‘Yo, I’ma come up with this new word!’ Shit fly off a nigga tongue on some crazy shit sometimes. It’s just hiphop, man. I feel like hip-hop is an expression as well as about the music. It’s a lifestyle, it’s a culture, it’s the way you rock your pants, it’s the way you rock your sneakers. Some niggas, HHC DIGITAL #002

26

they tie they sneakers up through the first three holes and then

borough’ – so we was wanting to make sure that you knew

I’m always gonna think about before I make a song. I wanna

lace ‘em; other people tie it another way; some people skip

who the fuck we was.”

make an impression! I wanna make something that people

each lace, skip each hole. That’s how I kinda look at anything

can be like, ‘Yo, that nigga ain’t lose a fuckin’ beat!’ I’m always

that I do, like hip-hop made me who I am, and this the shit that

gonna incorporate that in my music and go all the way in.

it got me doing, so I’m just doing what I do.” When Wu-Tang first came out there was meant to be a single named ‘Run Ya Garments’. What happened to that track? “That shit was almost like saying, ‘We coming to get you, nigga! We robbin’ you!’ The song didn’t make the album, but

I’M NEVER GONNA

GIVE YOU NO

BULLSHIT LYRICS

“It’s like trying to be the best soccer player – I gotta kick that ball through that goal. I’m just gonna always be that way, B. You got artists that fade ’cos they stop believing in they self. My sign is a Capricorn, and Capricorns is basically go-getter motherfuckers. We can’t take a loss – even if we are catching

it was something that we felt like a new word – ‘garments’. A

Do you feel that you’re maintaining the advanced vocabulary

a loss, we won’t accept it, ’cos we know we could do better.”

lotta kids wasn’t saying ‘garments’ back then, they was saying

that T La Rock and Treacherous Three brought to the table?

either ‘gear’ or ‘clothes’. We was saying ‘garments’ because

“I’m always gonna continue to be a strong-content, lyrical

You mentioned Slick Rick earlier. I’ve heard it said that

anything that costs a lotta money to us is a garment.

artist ’cos that’s the shit I grew up under. Regardless of today’s

Cappadonna was the Slick Rick of Staten Island. Was that on

music not really capturing a lotta people and not influencing

account of his dress sense or his flow?

“I mean, we was more educated back then as well because

people, I’m from that certain grain that I have to do this. I have

“When you really look at Cap from back then, he kinda

we all had knowledge of self, so we would say certain things

to make sure that you know that I’m going all the way in. I’m

resembles Slick. Real slim fly cat – Kangols, Ballys – fashion

that we would only be able to relate to – not the world. But

not gonna give you no bullshit lyric. What I am gonna do is put

was our thing back then. To me, fashion had a lot to do with

then it became a kinda slang type of aura that we started to

my passion and my soul in to every rhyme that I make. You

our writing skills, because if we felt like we was fly and we

come with, so it’s all good. It was just anything to really let y’all

can bet your ass that I want people to be like, ‘Yo, rewind that

was emcees? It only made us a better emcee. Watching Slick

know how we talk – we from Staten Island, we from the ‘lost

shit again! What the fuck he say?’ These are the things that

Rick come up from the gold era, from the jewelry era, it’s like HHC DIGITAL #002

27

Cappa was the same kinda individual. You would walk down

that people don’t know about your town is the more that you

the block, you would see Cappa, man – fresh to death, a mouth

feel that you have to represent your town!

full’a gold teeth, always rhyming, saying something slick out his mouth. He had character. He was labeled the Slick Rick of

“Staten Island niggas is like Brooklyn and Harlem niggas all

Staten Island ’cos that was his thing.”

in one! I’m originally born in Brooklyn, but Brooklyn niggas is hungry – if they can’t get it, they gonna take it! And then you

Did Cappa help you guys develop your styles?

got Harlem niggas – Harlem niggas is money makin’ niggas. So

“We was a crew back then. We all went to school together, so

we kinda became more than one borough – far as mentality is

we became this crew from the neighborhood. We made sure

concerned, far as our minds is concerned – because niggas out

we was recognised as a crew more than solo emcees. Me and

there in Staten Island is quick to get you, or they either trying

Cap go all the way back from cookies and milk; like rhyming in

to get some money.

the hallways, beatboxing and rhyming over a brother’s beats and all of that. We all learned from each other and that’s what

“But you can go anywhere – you can go to fuckin’ certain parts

made us stronger. We had that confidence within one another

of London and that shit look like Brooklyn too! You see the

to be like, ‘Yo, nobody can’t fuck with us! Not just me – us!’”

same shit you see back home; motherfuckers’ mentalities are the same all over. You’re gonna have crooked motherfuckers,

Staten Island and Long Island display a lot of innovation since

you’re gonna have money-makers, but that’s what it is, man.

you guys had to work harder to get that shine...

We represent all ghettos of America, all ghettos of Europe – all

RAEKWON TICKET OFFER!

“Absolutely. That’s true, because a lot of people, they only

over the world! When I see these people come out and support

It’s always a treat when the Chef comes to town, and now you

knew of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. But Staten

us like that, it kinda feels like still being home and shit.”

can bag tickets to his London show on May 23rd for a mere £8

Island’s a weird combination of all them boroughs. The more



by entering the code HHC – just click here to order!

‘Wu Ooh’ feat. Ghostface & Method Man

HHC DIGITAL #002

28

TWEETS DISCIPLE ON MESSAGE WITH

HIP-HOP’S TWITTERATI...

1. DIDDY Whether midway through a tantric sex session (“12 hours and counting!”) or in front of the idiot box (“Watchin Grey Gardens wit Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lange... an excellent job! chk out the original documentary, one of the best of all times!”), P Twitty can’t stop, won’t stop tweeting. If

BY RICHARD WATSON

he’s not mocking Busta Rhymes’s “midget teeth”, Puff’s busy galvanising his countless ‘locked in’ followers in high intellectual

It hardly seems like yesterday that the humble pager was at the

debate: “Ptwitty question of the day: vanilla or chocolate????

beeping edge of hip-hop-friendly technology, but in 2009 rappers

Let’s go people!!!”

pack iPhones and Blackberries in their billowing Karl Kani jeans

Follow the Puffster here!

(what? They’re rocking skinny designer denim now? Damn, the

2. PHONTE

world is moving fast!), and micro-blog about their every snack

Whether sarcastically linking to a Guru solo joint

and ensuing bowel movement on Twitter. Promoting narcissism,

(“Dear Guru: You’re a legendary MC with nothing

humour and a complete disregard for spelling and grammar, it’s

more to prove. It’s okay to just quit now”), trading spam-themed

gospel singers using Autotune is sacrilegious and revealing that

little wonder that the social networking service has proved a hit

puns with Babu (“Spamson and Delilah”) or coining his own

he’d rather watch a Helen Mirren sex tape than a Kim Kardashian

with hip-hoppers, and the following ten rap types are among

reggae name (“Mad Walrus”), Tigga’s out for laughs. He also

one. Takes all sorts, as they say.

those with the strongest Twitter games. Follow The Tweeters!

tackles the big issues though, pondering at large on whether

Follow the LB man here!

HHC DIGITAL #002

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3. HEX MURDA

5. JIM JONES

“Fuck sharks, lions, tigers, bears & shit,” opines

“Just raced frm westchestaer such a thrill exit was

Detroit hip-hop’s answer to Ari Gold. “With bird flu,

close we took the street grand conkourse got pulled

swine flu & mad cow disease seems all the hoe-ass animals are

showd my face said jimmy slow down :)” That’s actually one of

tryin’ to kill us, too.” Away from current affairs, Hex critiques the

the more coherent tweets from Jones, who also posts slang

rap game (“I wish JUST-ICE would come bak & shoot every rap

saturated nonsense like “twitters be twagger jackin” and “wher

nigga under 25 in the face”) and drops tweet-of-consciousness

twoppin tweople”, and encourages followers to “hit oprah n tel

gems like “Fuck shit hoe bitch damn cunt muthafucka buckeye

her Im tryn to gt a convo wit her very important lol.” Don’t hold

slut felcher fluffer goat-monkey”. Hey, we’ve all thought it.

your tweath, Jimmy.

Follow the mighty Hex Murda here!

Follow Jimmy here!

4. EVIDENCE

6. MASTA ACE

The Weatherman engages in a pleasing mix of

“Got off the phone wit Kane. He wanna do another

fielded queries (favourite line on ‘Illmatic’? “The

‘Symphony’ wit Dre. If he can make it happen, and locate G Rap

buck that bought a bottle could have struck the lotto”) and

I’m down.” News like this may have heads salivating, but it’s on

celebrity sightings (“Just seen Tony Hawk at Starbucks...gave us

consumer advice that the Masta really excels: “Got my Powerbook

big propS. Wow!”). Oh, and he also fools the web into thinking

G4 fixed today at a little shop on 145th St called Harlem Apple.

he’s made a movie with Leo DiCaprio, the japester!

Paid $275 to change the screen. Apple store quoted $900.”

Follow Ev here!

Follow the original Slaughterhouse man here! HHC DIGITAL #002

30

7. JEAN GRAE

9. ICE-T

You’d expect a rapper named after one of the

Ice is more charitable than Jean about Wolverine

X-Men to have an opinion on Wolverine. Jean’s

(“Dope if you love Hugh or Comic Book movies!”),

verdict is “ehhhhh,” although she admits, “I give Hugh Jackman

although exchanges with his Law & Order co-star Diane Neal (“Oh

and his workout regimen an A+”. Elsewhere, Jeannie endures a

Shit! SVU is in the house!”) remind us that Tracy’s now part of the

master cleanse, quotes Michael Scott from The Office and raves

Hollywood scene. That’s not to say that Ice is blasé about the

about Grey Gardens (“Brilliant jobs by Drew Barrymore & Jessica

spoils of his success: “Hung a Chandelier last night by myself! I’ll

Lange”). Damn, is this shit the new Scarface or something?

never try that again! But I did iT!! I almost crashed twice!!!”

Follow Ms Grae here!

Follow Our Tracy here!

8. RHYMEFEST

10. ASHER ROTH

Constantly enflaming the imaginations of his

When rap’s foremost go-karter isn’t tweeting himself

followers with the Vs game (sample conundrum:

into trouble with ill-advised Imus impressions, he’s

“Would u rather pick tomatoes vs. housekeep for a racist?”) and

endorsing oatmeal, “wondering what Montel Jordan is up to”,

even a book club, ’Fest’s real tweet-de-resistance is: “riding jetskis

and keeping us abreast of his talk show itinerary: “Jimmy Kimmel

with Lady Of Rage on the back I made a sharp turn at 39mph and

tonight – Wolverine premiere is going on across the street and

she went flying. Afro puffs a perm now...By the way we got video

hugh jackman might be rocking a fake tan...” Quick, somebody

of her trying to climb out the water.” Wow, watch out TMZ!

tweet Jean Grae!

Follow ‘Fest here!

Follow Zack Morris here! HHC DIGITAL #002

31

GHOSTFACE FIVE FOR FIVE:

THE PRETTY

TONEY OPINION... BY ROBBIE ETTELSON HHC Digital recently caught up with Ghostface while he was chowing down in what sounded like a truck-stop diner. Never one to bite his tongue for no one, Tony Starks gave up the goods on the past, present and future, while he prepared to “drive the bus” that is the Theodore Unit for the next seven months on tour. HHC DIGITAL #002

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1. THE UPCOMING R&B ALBUM...

selves and lying to the fans – and the fans gotta stop being so

“I’m working on an album right now – I don’t have no name for

dumb and ignorant and know it’s time to talk about grown-man

it. It’s an R&B album. Remember ‘Ice Cream’? An album like that.

situations. Shit that happen in the real life, inside your household,

Like you know how I did that Ne-Yo joint and ‘All That I Got Is You’

your love life, your personal life, that’s just like, ‘Damn, it’s hard

and stuff like that? It’s my last album [for Def Jam] so I wanted to

for a nigga to get some money!’ It might be so hard to get some

do the album I always wanted to do, man. Soul music describes

money that your girl might wanna leave you someday because

me, before hip-hop and everything. If you go back to the early

you ain’t get no money like you used to be getting money!

’70s and late ’60s, that music is the essence of me. After that it’s break-beats, then comes rap music and other stuff like that.

“Those are real situations. I think it should start going back to songs that mean shit. All that other shit is gonna keep us dumb,

“You gotta tell fans that you not getting no younger here – we

deaf and blind, yo! And we ain’t never gonna get nowhere.”

getting older! And everybody don’t sell crack no more, man. I don’t sell crack, yo. I ain’t moving no bricks or none of that other

2. IRONMAN: THE MOTION PICTURE...

shit. I ain’t shoot nobody in like… since the early ’90s, man. How

“They took me, Samuel Jackson, a few other artists outta there,

long you gonna be 40-years-old and acting like you still selling

because I think it didn’t go with the theme of what they doing.

crack and you on the block and you doing this and you doing that

‘Cos when they called me and I got into it, it was just something

when times is more serious, man? We in a fuckin’ recession, B!

that they made for me like on-the-spot. I wasn’t never planned to

Ain’t nobody getting no money, man! We gotta stop lying to our-

be in it, it was just a on-the-spot thing, so when I got there it was

HHC DIGITAL #002

33

just like, ‘Okay, let’s do this and do that.’ Just to pay homage and shit like that, so I respect them for that. So if it didn’t make the whatchamacallit, it was all good. They still paid me and all that so I can’t even complain.”

3. FIRE SAFETY WHILE TOURING... “A tour’s about having fun, doing what you gotta do, get to your destination safe, get back safe, and just rocking the people, man. We had a lotta fun, a lotta things you can’t even talk about… I remember one time when we was in the hotel when we was younger – me, Method Man and all of us, we’d play tricks on each other. We took the fire extinguisher while he was asleep, we went to his room, put it under his door and just let the whole fire extinguisher out in his room!

“But he started choking, and that wasn’t good. We was young, we could’a killed him! He was breathing all of that in, and he came out the door, coughing, and his whole head was white!

HHC DIGITAL #002

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“That was one of the moments from back in those days that you

5. REMEMBERING STATEN ISLAND...

remember that was kinda like crazy, but you learn from that.

“You’ve got people on Staten rhyming that haven’t made it, but

I would never do that again to nobody, because you could’a

certain things ain’t meant for everybody. I was just around the

choked on that if you was a hard, hard sleeper. Meth prolly was

right people at the right time, and that made it successful for me.

choking in there, and that’s what probably woke him up!”

I took a piece of something from everybody [in my crew] and applied it to myself, and I think that’s why I’m here today. There’s

4. SHADY BUSINESS...

a lot of ’em who never got they exposure, but, ‘Many shall be

“There’s this guy called James Richardson in London, he’s trying

called, few shall be chosen.’ I was one of the chosen ones.

to book shows and he’s saying that he works for me and he’s my manager. He’s getting the money from these promoters and he’s

“The golden era is from like ’86 to ’89 of rap music right there. I

running off with it. I never met James Richardson in my life. He’s

was rhyming back then but I’m glad that I didn’t come out back

a thief, he’s a crook! So anybody that James Richardson comes in

then ’cos I kinda would’a been [considered] ‘old school’. It was

contact with – speaking for me or nuttin’ like that – I don’t know

all good, with my peoples, just doing what thugs do. We was out

him! Matter of fact, call the cops on him, because they looking

there, whylin’, doing whatever to get that money. We did the

for him! He said I was gonna be over there sometime last year, he

Wu-Tang thing later on in ’93. Came out with that and we rocked

took the money from the people and then said, ‘Ghostface got

the world, man! We dropped a bunch of classics… ‘Impossible’

arrested for child-support.’ Just tell the fans I said, ‘Be careful of

off the ‘Wu-Tang Forever’ album – that shit was one of the best

James Richardson’.”

stories ever told.”

HHC DIGITAL #002

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FREEDOM OF

SPEAK Introducing Speech Debelle’s Out-Of-Box Theory... BY CHLOE MCCLOSKEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIETTE DALTON & SAM HICKS

HHC DIGITAL #002

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The last time HHC bumped into Speech Debelle was in the ladies loo at Jam in Brixton for the End Of The Weak emcee battle final. She looked like she was enjoying her tipple that evening and, luckily, exited the toilets before the Ghanaian attendant went off on an angry tirade about her own perceived rudeness of Jamaicans – something Speech would not have let fly. Because in spite of her soft-spoken lyrics and friendly eyes, the 26-year-old south Londoner carries a big attitude and is sternly proud of her Caribbean roots, and it’s this dichotomy of fierce and fragile – “Can we sit over there? I once saw a mouse run by this table…” she requests as we seek out a spot in a pub off Carnaby Street – that makes Ms Debelle, Big Dada’s first and only female signing, such an interesting, fresh and intriguing artist. Life has begun to move faster for Speech since we last met. “It’s getting a lot more real for me,” she says from the sanctity of the boozer. She’s been featured in the national press, played pretty heftily on Radio One, and is booked for a number of festivals this summer following the June release of her debut LP, ‘Speech Therapy’. “I’m excited to go as a crowd member HHC DIGITAL #002

37

more than anything – I don’t know how many thousands of

there are females that are into it, I’m not that interested in

people there are at Glastonbury,” she wonders. “There are

battling – I don’t want anyone to attempt to battle me. I’m

probably hundreds of thousands!”

not the type to hear some insults thrown my way and think it’s cool. I’m sensitive – I’ll be offended by that! It’s not for me. If I

The album’s title alludes to the personal nature of the songs

do have a problem with somebody, that’s a real thing. But just

and how putting them down has been a virtual therapy

to attend and stand there while someone says this and that

session. But Speech isn’t tired of the stories, saying, “Now it’s

about my mum? I’d be like, ‘Stop the music! Just stop every

my job to do the shows and talk about the songs. When I put

fuckin’ thing...’”

the words down before going into the studio, it was for me… But now that it’s recorded, it’s not for me anymore.”

As for being a woman in rap’s man-driven world, Speech has found her own way to deal with the glass ceiling: “It’s been

Much of the album was written when Speech was dwelling

a battle to make the album in some ways. All the people I’ve

in the hostel system due to some problems at home with her

worked with to make the album have been male, other than

mom. The experience taught her a driven work ethic that

the odd female violin player or what not. But dealing with men

prevails to this day. As she says, “I don’t want to be in that

as a woman in a work environment is never easy. You know,

situation again, I don’t want to need for anything. And if I do, it

you’ve always got to tender to a man’s ego and let him feel

means I’m not putting in enough work in some direction.”

like he’s running the shit and not let on that it’s gonna go how you want it to go. Men like to feel like they’re in control of

And although her sound is undeniably hip-hop, it’s hard to place

things, so at times I’ve had to be like, ‘Yeah, cool,’ when in my

it in the aggro atmosphere of an EODub battle. “The battling

mind I’m thinking, ‘Is that how you think it’s going down? It’s

scene is very macho and ego-driven,” she agrees. “Although

not happening that way...’” HHC DIGITAL #002

38

Speech’s tough attitude towards men likely has to do with her own upbringing without a dad. On ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’, one of the most revealing songs on the album, she touches on the issue, talking about things stemming from a drive to humiliate men who don’t take care of their kids. “There are certain men out there who don’t take responsibility and they fuck off,” she says. “As a society we treat it like it’s alright because we’re so used to it. If you’re a thief, everyone treats you like you’re a thief and they make you feel like it’s shit to be a thief. But these men are as much thieves as burglars are, ’cos they steal memories away from people.” She pauses, then adds, “I don’t have memories of my father growing up. I don’t know what his favourite colour is, I don’t know what he likes to eat; I don’t know what he sounds like when he snores – I don’t even know if he snores! Those experiences were stolen from me. Really, it’s like being a drug dealer – they profit from selling poison to people. The men that don’t hang around for their children – they poison them. So as a result of my experiences with men, I’m a lot harder on men than I need to be.” HHC DIGITAL #002

39

Like many young artists Speech is navigating her own way

shit, shouldn’t you be providing a platform? How many other

that annoys me about the business, there is something great

through the big bad industry. “I’m lucky I’m on a label that gives

rappers are there like me? It’s not like I’m Sugababes and there

that makes up for it.”

me creative freedom, but at the same time the industry wants

are a hundred Sugababes.”

you to bend over and take it,” she says. “My band and I did a

Ms Debelle’s out-of-boxness has likely meant that few

session at one of those big institution type of places and the

She suggests it might not be a black or a white thing, but instead

comparisons have actually been made between Speech and

attitude we got when we were there was pretty shocking, like,

a box thing: “If I don’t fit into a box then some people just

other artists. Some have suggested that she could be the ‘next

‘You’re not allowed to speak but you’re allowed to play your

Ms Dynamite’ – a parallel that she doesn’t seem to mind being

song for 3.5 minutes.’ It was like we were the entertainment

drawn, saying, “I like Ms Dynamite. Where she at? I actually

for the day – that sort of watermelon-eating, tap dancing shit. Do you bend over and take it? Or refuse and risk messing up your career?” This sentiment follows on to the so-called ‘urban’ channels. Speech recently proclaimed via Twitter that some white people

I’m not on some cheesy R’n’B tip!

don’t think her music is black enough: “I’m not black enough

bought the first album – it was one of the few UK rapper/singer albums that I’ve ever bought. I was compelled to hear her and I liked what she was saying as well.” Finishing off the last round of drinks – and with no cameo from the mouse – we come back to the two-pronged nature of Speech’s music and self. The words ‘Pain is love’ adorn her

for certain black stations – I’ve never been played by Choice

can’t deal with it. Choice FM can’t deal with the fact that I’m

wrist, and touching them thoughtfully, she concludes: “It’s a

FM – and it was started in Brixton! That’s some local shit!

not some cheesy R’n’B or on some gangsta shit either. Choice

balance between the two, yin and yang. They are very close

FM was bought by a huge company so a middle-aged white

together. It could have said ‘Love is pain’ but that’s a bit more

“I’m young, I’m black, I’m from south London and I’m putting

man is likely deciding what’s black enough to be on that black

pessimistic – ‘Pain is love’ sounds a bit more optimistic.”

in work to make a career for myself,” she continues, “so why

station. So he decides whether I’m black enough! It’s alright

(‘Speech Therapy’ is out June 1st on Big Dada.)

wouldn’t you wanna play me? I mean, even if you don’t like the

though because I’m still getting a lot of praise. For everything



‘The Key’ HHC DIGITAL #002

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ALBUM OFTHEMONTH

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘FEEDING TIME AT THE ZOO’

(YNR)

With UK rap’s Marmite status, this collection from the YNR

up bumpy, progressive productions, while Kashmere, Sir

all-stars will probably provoke one of two reactions: ‘Yawn,

Smurf Lil’, Joker Starr, Mystro, Kyza, Micall Parknsun and

backpack rap...’ or ‘Finally, some decent hip-hop in a grime-

Cappo bless the 15 tracks with their astute verbals. Taking it

addled scene!’ Assuming you don’t think you’re mistakenly

out of the capital city, Sonny Jim and Kelakovski’s ‘Flying To

reading the downloadable version of the Angling Times,

The Moon’ beams large as a stand-out, while Dubbledge’s

we’ll assume you’ll plump for the latter reaction, and

‘Alphabets’ is comically maverick and Verb T’s ‘Overworked’

here Jehst and company have certified their alpha-male

brings the serious balance. With each hungry beast on the

status, showing a renewed vigor and confidence (no, not

mic representing their own breed to the fullest, feeding

‘swagger’) and suggesting that their wares are exactly

time is most definitely in full effect down in the YNR

the shot in the arm the UK scene needs. Beats come from

menagerie. Cee Banger

the likes of Beat Butcha, Chemo and DJ IQ, who all serve



Micall Parknsun ‘Today’

HHC DIGITAL #002

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ALBUMREVIEWS pop music fanatic” side, goes

drama and gore side: Opener

else today is eschewing rap’s

to town with titles like ‘Vision

‘Timeless’ lops around a guitar

usual

Street

The

stab that could be straight

for a fantasy world where

‘The Huxtables’,

from Necro’s lab, ‘Pick It Up,

the Roman Empire never fell

while also showing that he’s

Pick It Up’ is perfect music

but instead conquered the

an emcee with a decent turn

to stalk prey through shady

globe? With talk of robotic

of phrase and a wordsmith

concrete streets on a drizzly

gladiators and centurians on

not afraid to tackle darker

night to, and closer ‘No 1’s

hovering crafts set against a

topics when needed (see

Home’ is enough to have you

suitably space-age sounding

‘Inner Space’). Admittedly, at

wondering

backing – think the celestial

Wear’,

Giant’ and

COOKBOOK ‘I LOVE THE ’80s’ (LA SYMPHONY)

‘Andre

times it’s a total cheese-fest – rhyming over Duran Duran’s James Bond soundtrack cut ‘A View To A Kill’ anyone? – and it

DR BUTCHER ‘RINGTONE MADNESS’ (DOMINATION RECORDINGS)

ain’t gonna go down in history

whether

there

really is someone hiding in your closet about to pounce. Things take a dip with ‘The Message’ (at its best it sounds like a bad

DYNAMICS PLUS ‘C.H.A.O.S. LEGION 1’ (DYNAMICA MUSIC)

G-Unit-era Mobb Deep track),

street-corner

overtures

of

the

setting

Deltron

3030 project forged with traditional underground rap energy and you’re not too far off – it grabs your ear from the

An album themed around

as one of the oh-niner’s stone

Intended as a stop-gap EP

but there’s enough here to

The album cover might look

go and comes up trumps on

sounds and insignia from the

cold classics, but ‘I Love

before the Corona, Queens

suggest that with the addition

like something a World Of

the intrigue tip. And if you’re

decade of Rubix Cubes and

The ’80s’ sure beats wading

producer’s solo album proper

of some mentally-unhinged

Warcraft fan would knock

wondering, the titular acronym

Peter Venkman’s Ghostbusters?

through another pesky blog-

drops later this year, this is

emcees the album could be a

up in their spare time, but

breaks down as Combat Heavy

Sign us up with the quickness!

rapper’s latest totally-fun-free

six slices of rugged-never-

right slaughtahouse session.

you’ve gotta give Dynamics

Assault

Here LA Symphony’s Cookbook

mixtape. Doc Nostrand

smooth business that proudly

Tom Nook

Plus kudos for going all out

Lucy Van Pelt

airs out his confessed “80s



cocks its head towards the



on the individuality tip: Who



‘Molly Ringwald’

‘1-800-BUTCHER’

Operations

Squad.

‘Iron Fortress’

HHC DIGITAL #002

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ALBUMREVIEWS

FUJAKO ‘LANDFORM’ (WORDSOUND)

it may be approaching the

atmospheric vibe, but unlike

intro of the year: two and a

summer season but this dub

a lot of trip-hop’s wallpaper

half minutes of warped voice

and echo saturated outing

music leanings, tracks like

codswallop backed by faux

sounds like its two producer

‘Return Journey’ and ‘Way You

dramatic synth fanfares. Who

protagonists haven’t seen even

Feel’ are shot through with a

knows why, in these days of

a fleeting shard of sunlight in

tangible sense of drama and

0.3 second attention spans,

years. Warped and twisted

progression; elsewhere Ghost

you’d chose to alienate 90%

beats threaten to mutilate

threads together jazz samples

of your click-happy listeners

your speakers, distorted and

with a level of sophistication

before they’ve even got to the

fractured vocals flit in and out of the mix (including a cameo

way beyond the average DJ

first track proper, but what the

from one-time Fun-Da-Mental man Scalper), and just for misanthropic kicks the whole

GHOST ‘FREEDOM OF THOUGHT’ (BREAKIN BREAD)

shebang’s coated in an extra

Cam effort. Vocal hounds will rejoice at UK stalwarts Jehst, Dubbledge and Verb T throwing their astute vocab

hey! Beyond that, the Oxnard,

ROC C ‘THE TRANSCONTINENTAL’ (E1)

into the mix, plus a cameo from

California emcee brings decent weight to tracks, while cameos from Chino XL, Mic Geronimo and Prince Po make this less of

Now this is underground.

layer of grime and grit a la

In what’s turning out to

Detroit’s latest underground

First up, this pairing between

a ’90s throwback session than

On the subterranean-as-muck WordSound label (past players:

RZA’s experimental chamber

be a bumper month for

soldier Finale, but this is all

emcee

you’d

on ‘Sub Crazy’. Challenging,

instrumental hip-hop albums,

about the heralding of a

annoyingly

fleeting

Jungle Brothers ( member Torture recording as

intriguing,

guaranteed

the UK’s premier New Zealand

producer definitely coming

to scare the pants off small

holidayer has churned out a

into his own. Mood music at

Sensational), Prince Paul, and members of New Kingdom),

children. Tom Nook

borderline epic set. From the



get-go things brood with an

its best. Lucy Van Pelt ‘Elevate (Remix)’

and

‘Sulphur Goat’

Roc

C

and

the

imagine.

Competent

all-caps titled IMAKEMADBEATS (some type

post-Dilla indie rap then, but

of Madd Rapper-inspired ruse gone wrong?) kicks off with

Floor’) it never quite takes off.

no doubt the most annoying



with few stand-outs (‘Hit The Arsenio Billingham ‘Warriors’

HHC DIGITAL #002

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ALBUMREVIEWS

SAVATH Y SAVALAS ‘LA LLAMA’ (STONES THROW)

work to date. A belated

wall growing up, such is the

‘Fantastic Vol 2’. Which ain’t

sequel to 04’s ‘Apropa’t’,

degree his whole presence is

necessarily a bad thing, but

‘La Llama’ dips generously into Herren’s heritage (his

so cringe-worthily based on

let’s not get it twisted: Other

‘2Pacalypse Now’-era Shakur.

than the one guy here whose

father is Catalan), flush with

And while Sona sure doesn’t

vocal inflection occasionally

acid acoustic folksiness and

resembles Pos, the Cincinnati-

strains of Tropicália reigned

lack the balls to tackle wider issues (‘Africa’) and obviously

into sonic shapeliness by the

has hip-hop’s welfare at heart,

ain’t particularly adding on to

breathy

evocations

what should be a knock-you-

those rich Tribe vibes. But what

of Eva Puyuelo Muns. The

off-your-feet blast of rage like

they do bring to the table is a

vocal

satisfying overall result is a psychedelic pastoral, strictly designed for head not hips – in strictly hip-hop parlance it’s

‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ –

SONA

where he calls out Soulja Boy,

‘AFRICAN JUJU’ (INTERCESSION)

Ja Rule and Jim Jones by name – instead comes out sounding

about as banging as a duck-

to-Brooklyn Tanya Morgan trio

TANYA MORGAN ‘BROOKLYNATI’ (INTERDEPENDENT)

sound that’s heartily soulful, pleasingly

catchy,

openly

throws in nods to the early ‘90s (whether on the lyrical or musical tip), embraces

like some sort of Saturday

These are prolific times for

down floor cushion – and

Want proof just how far

Night Live parody ditty. Sona’s

These days, being fingered

the everyman persona, and

Guillermo Scott Herren. With

several continents away from

2Pac’s – ahem – reach was?

sentiments may be heartfelt,

as the latest to pick up the

isn’t afraid to show a sense

a glut of Prefuse 73 material

the pesky day job. Our sagely

Milwaukee by way of Roger

but he needs to find some

Native Tongues baton means

of humour to the whole rap

dropping on Warp, Stones

advice? Consume in sunshine

Miller’s

rapper

individuality quick sharp to

only that you sound a little bit

world. The good time indie

Throw have lucked out with the

with a mellow potion of your

Sona for sure had a poster of

stand out from the – double

like ‘The Listening’-era Little

hip-hop sound of the summer?

glitch-hop pioneer’s warmest

prejudice. Andy Cowan

Janet Jackson’s least favourite

ahem – ‘Pac. Lucy Van Pelt

Brother and were definitely

Just maybe... Doc Nostrand

and definitely most satisfying



rapper-slash-actor



influenced by Slum Village’s



‘La Llamas’

Cameroon

on

his

‘It’s All About Money’

‘So Damn Down’

HHC DIGITAL #002

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DJ ECLIPSE (The Halftime Show/Fat Beats)

CHARTS

DJ ELEVEN (The Rub/DJEleven.com)

1. BLAQ POET FEAT. NORE ‘HATE’

1. DJ DRAMA FEAT. GUCCI MANE, OJ DA JUICEMAN, YO GITTI &

Premier and Poet’s chemistry is ridiculous – add NORE into the equation

LONNIE MAC ‘RIDICULOUS’

and it’s outta here!

Just check the all-star line-up in full effect here: Gucci, Juicy, Gotti, Lonnie,

2. TORAE & MARCO POLO ‘PARTY CRASHERS’

Dramy – ridic!

Marco’s amped beat matches Tor’s aggressive delivery perfectly. The

2. DONNIS ‘UNDERDOG’

new Gang Starr for 2010!

I wasn’t sold on ‘Party Works’ but dude just keeps growing. Each record

3. DJ MUGGS FEAT. LA COKA NOSTRA ‘DO IT’

he drops seems to just always sound better then the last one. Keep an

Muggs and LCN have worked on a few joints together and this one here

eye on him...

is off Muggs’s new Soul Assassins project. The perfect blend of lyrical

3. THE COOL KIDS ‘CHAMPIONS’

styles mixed with that angry head-nod music.

Ditto.

4. FINALE ‘WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME’

4. JADAKISS FEAT. SWIZZ BEATS & OJ DA JUICEMAN ‘WHO’S REAL’

M-Phazes is definitely one of the hottest up and coming producers out

The type of people that I hate are the people who can’t do adlibs like

there right now and Detroit’s own Finale laces the track in typical ‘D’

Yung Ju Man. And listen out for Swizz Beats’s dope production under-

rhyme fashion.

scoring the whole shebang!

5. THE THREE AMIGOS FEAT. SADAT X ‘YOU DON’T OWN ME’

5. ALCHEMIST FEAT. THREE 6 MAFIA & JUVENILE ‘THAT’LL WORK’

This gotta be my favorite joint at the moment: the beat is crazy, and it’s

It’s fuckin’ Juve! Dude can rap! From Alan The Chemist’s new project,

always dope to hear material coming from every part of the world.

‘Chemical Warfare’.

HHC DIGITAL #002

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SPIN DOCTOR (TheDoctorsOrders.com)

CHARTS

DJ CRO (MainIngredientRadio.Blogspot.com)

1. DOOM ‘BORN LIKE THIS’

1. FREESTYLE PROFESSORS ‘JUMP ON IT’

The masked magician back to his old tricks with his best work for a while,

Taken from the excellent ‘Confuse A Few’ 12-inch and featuring Akbar,

and it’s as crazy and wild as you can imagine!

this is pure distorted illness!

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

2 JOHN ROBINSON FEAT. LEWIS PARKER ‘A PLACE CALLED HOME’

That man Busta back on form with a beat-heavy piece of boom-bap that

A truly top notch United States to United Kingdom collabo from two of

even covers some of T-Pain’s sins!

my favourite artists.

3. SAIGON & STATIK SELEKTAH ‘THE REASON’

3. BLAQ POET ‘AIN’T NUTHIN’ CHANGED’

The beat sounds like Prince doing hip-hop – which is alright by me! Saigon

This track has been about for a bit but I still can’t get enough of it.

is raw as ever and Statik is fast becoming the go-to beat-man of the day in

Premo’s beat kills it and Poet’s raw as ever. Truly, ‘Blaq Print’ could well

my book.

be the album of the year!

4. CLIPSE FEAT. KANYE ‘KINDA LIKE A BIG DEAL’

4. J DILLA FEAT. BLACK THOUGHT ‘REALITY CHECK’

This is just a phenomenal leftfield beat from Khalil – equal parts psych

If the rest of the album is half as good as this then we’re all in for a very

rock, African drums and space funk – with Clipse and Kanye doing their

tasty treat.

best over it.

5. VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘FEEDING TIME AT THE ZOO’

5. REDMAN & METHOD MAN ‘DANGEROUS MCS’

An amazing compilation from the YNR all-stars – just check the artists and

Vintage Red and Meth, with heavy beats, funky bass, and two classic

producers involved if you need persuading, from Jehst and Sir Smurf Lil’

emcees trading off like kids with Panini swaps!

to Kyza and Kashmere.

HHC DIGITAL #002

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HOME STYLE

that includes Corinne Bailey Rae, Soweto Kinch, Kidkanevil, J-Live, TY and sweet soul newcomer Andreya Triana.

UK RAP ON THE MAP…

As always, Dented come back strong with Kyza’s ‘Sin City’.

First of all I’d like to thank everyone who emailed in to say how

lyrics telling tales of London’s seedier side. The flip, ‘Go’, is

much they enjoyed the first digital Home Style. My inbox was

a dance floor filler produced by Bless Beats of ‘Wearing My

stuffed with ten times the usual amount of correspondence.

Rolex’ fame.

Produced by Chemo, the track has Kyza’s trademark dark

So much so I’ve had to hire two members of staff to print off the emails and read them to me in the bath, while I shop, and

Klinik Records keep their output on point with ‘They Don’t

as I’m falling asleep.

Know’ by J Simple (pictured). Huddersfield’s rising star has a vocal dexterity rarely seen these days and his delivery is as

Before I start with this month’s gibberish I’d like to try an

punchy as the Jack Flash beats that underpin him. Check the

experiment: Stephen! If any of you know what I’m referring to

b-side ‘Breathe Control’ for a darker posse cut seeing Simple

please email me and I’ll send you something nice.

trade verses with Flash and Chief Wiggum.

Sometimes albums come out of nowhere and take you by

Elemental & Tom Caruana bring the circus to town with their

surprise. One such release is Homecut’s ‘No Freedom Without

‘Rebel Without Applause’: head to ‘Pay Me A Visit’ for a dose

Sacrifice’ on First Word Records. This is a fully-rounded

of Count Bass D and ‘Livin In The ’90s’ for a bit of nostalgia.

concept album from the Leeds emcee with a roll call of guests

The CD also has a bonus video for ‘Cup Of Brown Joy’.

HHC DIGITAL #002

47

As soon as I heard The Amnesiac’s ska-driven ‘Top Yourself’ my thoughts returned to the two tone days so it’ll come as no surprise to hear ex-Specials member Neville Staple on the track. Look out for their full length ‘Forget To Remember’.

HOME STYLE’S TOP TEN

FOR THOSE TOO LAZY TO READ THE COLUMN... 1. Ghost ‘Freedom Of Thought’ (Breakin Bread)

Finally, we’re still bigging up Ghost and this month it’s his full length version of ‘Freedom Of Thought’. Weighing in at a heavy 18 tracks it could easily be chopped in half and released as two separate albums. The hip-hop heads will be happy to hear vocals from Jehst, Dubbledge and Verb T while Ghost will attract new fans with his epic beats and quirky style. Again I’ve run out of space before getting through my enormous pile of promos so if I missed you out I can only apologise – unless you’re Clappers Crew from Dudley. You guys were left out for a reason and it isn’t a good one. I only hope you’re not ex-convicts built like brick shit-houses and have a vengeful streak… and my home address. (All records mentioned in Home Style are available from www.RapAndSoulMailOrder.com)



Masterful production and Ghost’s best work to date.

2. J Simple ‘They Don’t Know’ (Klinik Records)

The north is where it’s at and J Simple is the rising star.

3.

Kyza ‘Sin City’ (Dented Records) Apparently it’s a “dark audible effigy of London as a crime ridden dystopia,” and I’m too lazy to say any different.

4. Homecut ‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ (First Word Records) The sound of Leeds in full effect! 5.





Resin Dogs ‘More’ (Hydrofunk Records) DJ Katch and Dave Atkins are joined by the talented likes of The Nextmen’s Brad Baloo, Abstract Rude, Yungun, and Mystro.

6.

Elemental & Tom Caruana ‘Rebel Without Applause’ (Tea Sea Records) Old school styles, monkeys, and the charms of Count



Bass D – cashback!

7. Delegates Of Culture ‘Bad Guys’ (School Bully Records) Ten years of experience under their belts, they ‘belt’ these ones out like troopers. Don’t like my lame joke? Up yours! 8. The Kemistry ‘The Core’ (Promo)

Bare Beats, Kemi and Smokey make up this trio of talent.

9. Philly Whizz ‘Inside The Axe Wound’ (Go Wise)

Includes a track called ‘SHIT CITY’!

10. Monkey Sons – Water Off A Monkey’s Back (Naked Ape Records) Seven-piece party primates in the house!

HHC DIGITAL #002

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OPEN UP

HIP-HOP AND BEYOND… Back in the house reprising HHC’s premium left-leaning beats and bars distillation, let’s get to it. First up, Dizzee Rascal achieves the seemingly impossible, coaxing a decent tune from superstar dance deejay Armand Van Helden on well-

signing

Bibio’s

‘Ambivalence

Avenue’

and

Yppah’s

‘They Know What Ghost Know’. Prefer your forward-thinking platter with a side of toast? Check reggae/rap/drum & bass-fusing duo Black Canvas (pictured). Despite sharing dubious provincial UK shithole origins with this very writer – Gloucester, if you must know – their first LP, ‘Rise’, backs deep wisdom with slick, eclectic production. Vaguely related: succinct Down Under dancehall-fronted 12inch ‘Peace And Love’ by Resin Dogs.

titled single ‘Bonkers’, young Dylan’s excitable vocals sonically Prefuse 73 returns rocking latest set ‘Everything She Touched

stupendous as ever.

Turned Ampexian’ (an analog tape ‘gag’!), maintaining his The warped post-Dilla psych-scape thing has mushroomed

head-wrecking arrhythmic patchwork steez. Look also for P73

Anticon mini-blast: get Tobacco’s meatily fuzzed-up abstract

since Open Up last graced these pages. Lovers of Flying

side project Diamond Watch Wrists (craftily-skewed name!),

boom-bip fest ‘Fucked Up Friends’ and label stalwart Odd

Lotus

featuring mad talented US rock drummer Zach Hill.

Nosdam’s skater soundtrack ‘TIME’. Also worth a butcher’s

and

ilk

should

definitely

peep

whacked-out

samples-jammed ‘The Strange Dreams Of Paul White’,

elsewhere: loony Diplo bashment sideline Major Lazer.

the top debut album of south London’s Paul White,

The hip-hop equivalent of turning it up to 11, Brooklyn soul-

dropping on One-Handed Music. Did somebody say DJ

funkers El Michels Affair traverse the outer limits re-imagining

Finally, seek South Wales selectors Chrome Kids for all your

Shadow does wonky? No? Good. Similarly, try fresh Warp

the Wu on ‘Enter The 37th Chamber’.

‘hulk-hop’ and ‘crunk-rock’ needs... Adam Anonymous

HHC DIGITAL #002

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UNKUT PRESENTS:

BACDAFUCUP!

2. Although anything involving Kool Keith is best taken with a grain of salt, it was hard not to chuckle when he and Tim Dog listed the trends they set off in Ego Trip, including wearing Versace sunglasses, Tim’s sideburns, cutting your head bald, porno rap and wearing straw hats with feathers in them.

There are several things that can be expected when reading an interview with an established rap chap. Other

3. K-Solo declared in a HHC feature that during his time at

than the obligatory abuse of the phrase “You know what

Death Row he influenced Snoop to lose his braids and grow

I’m sayin?” approximately one in every three Q&A sessions

an afro similar to the one Solo was sporting at the time, as well

will feature some kind of outlandish claim involving

as inspiring Dre to name his next label Aftermath after he used

5. Mobb Deep’s sometime-G-Unit soldier Prodigy prepared a

either innovations they haven’t been given credit for or unique

the term in the song ‘Wolf Tickets’.

huge list of the things he has pioneered in the infamous blog he wrote (in ALL CAPS) prior to his incarceration, all of which

techniques that have been shamelessly plundered by their peers. Here are some of my favorites...

4. DJ Muggs claimed on ThaFormula.com that “‘Black

was gold. Highlights of his firsts include, “RAPPING WORDS

Sunday’ gave birth to horrorcore hip-hop. It gave birth to the

THAT DON’T ALWAYS RHYME,” “HOW I FOLD MY BANDANA,”

1. During a Rap Pages profile of J Sw!ft (Pharcyde, The Wascals),

Gravediggaz. We invented a whole style of rap. Who came out

and “WEB SITES, I HAD INFAMOUSSTORES.COM AND WAS

his production partner Lamarr mentioned that after J told

at that time? The Flatlinerz too. That’s all off ‘Black Sunday’.” He

WRITING BLOGS BACK IN ‘99 LONG BEFORE IT BECAME

Pete Rock that he used the Fender Rhodes on ‘Bizarre Ride…’,

also insisted that RZA and Mobb Deep followed his footsteps

POPULAR IN HIP HOP TO HAVE A WEB SITE”. Rap dudes, bow

“That sound popped out of nowhere on everybody’s records”.

with their raw, gritty production sound.

down to your new leader. Robbie Ettelson

HHC DIGITAL #002

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