hiphoplifeandtimes

High Focus and Blah records are arguably two of the most high profile labels about in the UK ‘scene’  at the moment, and April has seen HF continue its strong start to 2015 by releasing a collaborative project from their own Dirty Dike and Blah Records heavy hitter Lee Scott, entitled ‘Butter Fly’.

The twist to the project is that the normally outspoken Dike is involved solely as the producer, allowing Scott to bring his unique style and scouse slang to a selection of beats that matches them very well indeed.

Although the beats may be a bit to down tempo for some, I found that after a few listens you realise that the beats and lyrics really gel to create something that is , at the same time, smooth, jazzy, trippy, boastful, weird (for want of a better word!)and at times wise and even uplifting (‘Walk the Walk’ encourages us to move with purpose in life , and that ‘all routes are scenic’ if you follow this advice).

This release also continues the run of HF releases by artists outside of the labels core stable (the last one being the Onoe Caponoe and Chemo project ‘Voices From Planet Cattelle’ ) which has produced some exciting and interesting music that is a little different from the Boom Bap vibes of Leaf Dog, The Four Owls etc, and added an extra splash of diversity to the label’s output.

There isn’t really a skippable track on this project, as Scott’s excellent wordplay keeps the listener’s attention on every track, and you find yourself zoning out to the smooth beats.

Personal favourites include the neck snapping ‘Sell Drugs’, where Scott tells the listener ‘All I want to do is Sag and sell weed’ and dismisses the drudgery of a 9 to 5, the dark and slightly menacing  ‘Eight O Clock In The Morning’ and the penultimate track ‘Don’t Tell me’, with its flurry of double time on the bridge coming as a nice surprise.