There are moments on this EP where Reds has really had the will to succeed with such awesome displays of truly elevated lyricism and some amazing production to compliment. The old cliché, “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it,” is something that come to mind while flicking through the eight tracks on this extended player. Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop and its best done in a Hip-Hop way, something that Reds seems to do with ease. With honest and thought-provoking lyrics and by sticking to the same blueprint of realism as always, Reds has upped his efforts with each release he has done. Salute for another solid outing and keeping things consistent.
Shakezpeare impressed last year when he dropped his album ‘H.I.N.D (Hip-Hop Is Not Dead)’ and ever since has been making a name for himself sharing stages with the likes of Terra Slim, Big Dutty Deeze, Tony D, Locksmyth, Reveal, Supar Novar and many more.
Now in 2013 he continues to up the ante with his new release ‘Unfabricated EP’ a seven track EP that needs your attention. With production from SK, Great Majesty and Embra Beats, and features from Genesis Elijah, Vicious and Trademark Blud, this EP is something UK Hip-Hop fans should get up on.
The hottest property out of Brum since Malik, Dirtz is a rare character in modern-day British hip hop: uncompromising, gimmick-free, refusing to play the game to crossover commercially and above all he keeps it real. That approach has already helped to put his crew Nothink 2 Prove as one of the cities main crews, ramming dances and unleashing original music. This is much more that unashamed thug rap, instead its music that has helped them to cement his rising status. Dirtz spits the truth from start to finish giving us a diverse collection well worth checking out.
The more conscious end of the musical spectrum, preferring reflective observations to aggressive energy – indeed is something that we noted from first listen. Operating on the boundary between urban positive grime based grooves and more straight forward, lyrically orientated hip-hop this is example of how to drop a project.
Addressing the concerns of British urban youth while carefully setting them a good example is never going to be easy but For The Love Of Music it’s done and done well. It’s an archetype bolstered by big drums, stirring string crescendoes and schmaltzy piano melodies seemingly lifted from TV-movie dramas with lyricism.
Music and Hip-Hop isn’t just about the poetry, it’s also about performance, and with a string of forthcoming dates up and down the country it’s no wonder their presence in the scene is increasingly. If you download one mixtape this week make sure this is it.
Tracklisting:
01. POEM
02. Let It Go
03. Rainy Days
04. Intermission Pt1
05. D.Y.H
06. Took A Chance
07. Intermission Pt2
08. Get Married
09. I Messed Up
10. F.T.L.O.M
11. Thank You
Sup pups, had a nice weekend? Basked in the glorious weather and took off all your clothes because for at least 45 minutes the sun peaked its big yellow face out from behind the clouds? Well, I guess if you’re not currently jamming on the little rock that is the UK you won’t quite understand the urgency with which the British people are ready to get naked if we see the slightest sign of sun. If it’s not raining it’s BBQ time! Hey I’m not knocking it, I wore only the shortest shorts all weekend. Anyway. Now I’ve set the scene, imagine all of this was going on whilst myself and our resident beat boxer Matt went down to The Elements Festival in South London. Organised by the Breakin’ KCL crew and most notably Ms Kate Mulligan (if I get any of this wrong feel free to tell me). Due to Mr Ryder coming over from Bristol to see me, and us having a hot date with the science museum (it was fucking ace incase you were wondering) at the beginning of the day we only caught the last act of the day which was The Mouse Outfit, featuring Dr Syntax, Sparkz and a cheeky guest feature of Truthos Mufasa. However considering we only got there for the last 90 minutes or so I can still safely say we had a brilliant time.
Apologies to the rest of TMO. Woe is me and my tiny legs.
I know we bang on about this all the time, but I love the underground hip-hop scene (in all fairness we are a underground hip-hop site, I’m sure none of this is a surprise to any of you). Yes there are a lot of faults within it just like any scene, but I’d like to think that the ratio of dickhead to genuinely nice person is pretty good. I’ll be very happy when the phrase ‘no homo’ is no longer acceptable, and misogyny isn’t still seen as the norm; but on the whole I’d much rather be a gay kid at The Elements Festival then at a Rick Ross show that’s for sure. There are improvements being made, and progression is happening.
The organisers and so too the attendees did a great job of creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, and reminded me why I love the hip-hop scene so much. Everyone there had a giant smile on their face, and Matt and I left with our jaws hurting after spending the whole time grinning like little kids. The Mouse Outfit were a great band and did a fantastic job of mixing classic funk with new school hip-hop to create something that had us doing our best foot-shoulder-skanky-hand-dance thing. Dr Syntax, Sparkz and Truthos were all on top form and I was really impressed with Truthos who I hadn’t heard before. He spat some brilliant double time. The band itself were great musicians (There was a trumpet player! How fucking rad is that? VERY fucking rad) and played as tight live as any recorded track that I’ve heard; they also did a top job (top job? Yeah why not, rhyming is cool) of getting the crowd hyped.
Although that being said they didn’t really need much encouragement; and the impromptu ‘Macarena-style’ dance was both funny and awesome all in one go. Basically, in my humble opinion if you ever hold a party or need something to cheer you up then I suggest you invite your local breakin’ crew to sort you out. Being a graff kid I’d like to think we’re the coolest element of hip-hop (hold tight those of you getting your feathers ruffled this is all light hearted jest) but I think most people will agree that bboys and bgirls can manage to get away with wearing and doing anything just because well, well they’re bboys/bgirls, and the whole day was testament to the skills and talents of these kids.
Talking of graff, it did get a nice feature and it made me happy to see that it had a little shine too. Boxes of paint were on hand for anyone to have a cheeky go and do a few throw ups or maybe just write ‘FE U R SO FIT I AM NOT EVEN JKN DOE. Whatever took your fancy. It would have been nice if the walls had been a bit closer to the main part of the festival so more people had given it more attention, but I have a feeling that wasn’t necessarily the ‘fault’ of the organisers and more so Kings College where the event was being held. Also not forgetting Matthew and I did arrive late, so perhaps it did get a little more love whilst we were busy being impressed with science and dressing up as WW1 fighter pilots (That was so great. SO. GREAT.) Either way the fact that the Elements crew gave it a section made me pleased enough and did a good job of encompassing all aspects of hip-hop which I personally greatly appreciated.
Edit:Earlier on in the day before we arrived they did have more empathises on the different elements. “DJ sections at the other end of the venue where there were DJ cyphers, 7 to smoke dance battle, and a jam session and DJ tutorials. So graffiti was smack in the middle of the event with graffiti tutorials for those who are less knowledgeable about the art form. And there are open mic in the bar too. Tried to make sure all elements were equally covered.” Thanks to Kate for updating us!
Don’t watch the crappy iphone quality.
Creeper shots.
This was the first of hopefully many Elements Festivals to come, and I can only encourage more people to get down to and support any event the KCL crew put on, or are involved with in the future because they really know how to hold a party. This really made our weekend, and I haven’t had as good a time at a hip-hop show in ages. Well done to everyone that helped organise such a fun festival!
This album right here is a serious affair. In the last few months I have seen few releases heralded as much as Philli and Dotz debut release, the cleverly titled Phil n The Dotz. Such is the high quality nature of this album it made me wonder something – what is it that differentiates ‘underground’ and ‘mainstream’ hip hop releases. A person unfamiliar with either might suggest the quality of recording. They might suggest the talent or ability of the artist. They might suggest the presentation of the album as a product. They may even suggest the artistic value of the music. Here lies the conundrum. Phil n The Dotz completely rubbishes these proposed differences with one of the most accomplished releases it’s been my pleasure to be aware of. That I think is really the thing of it that separates the two perceived worlds of hip hop, the attention it gets. If Philli and Dotz were all over the media I have zero doubts of the success they would have. So I urge you all who read this to buy this album and show it to everyone you know. Obviously there are more of this calibre than just this album, but for me it dances with brilliance and shows the level of quality that can be achieved in a scene marked as ‘underground’.
When I first heard of Philli and Dotz my reaction was not one that would lead me to think this would be the debut outcome of the pairing. Given that at the time I’d only just heard of Dotz through battling I wasn’t quite certain how he would fit with such a seasoned veteran of UKHH in Si Philli of the legendary PhiLifeCypher. At the time I’d not even heard music form Dotz. Then I heard Training For Battle Rap, one of their first released tracks that appears on the album. Listening to it and seeing the video for the first time it was wholly apparent that not only could Dotz hold up next to Philli but that the two of them formed a very, very cohesive outfit and I knew that were capable of making some great music.
However these two guys got to the point of deciding to rap together be it luck, coincidence, mutual friends or deals with satan it was indeed a significant occurrence to the scene. They’ve created an album bursting with crazy flows, original concepts, boss level features and some very varied production. “We need everything fucking loud” screams Dotz on the intro track, and this is good advice to the listener as bumping this loud is essential. The energy that seamlessly weaves back and forth between these dudes is undeniable. The way they write off of each other is so natural, showcased perfectly on the track Travel The Globe in which they act like a tag team going scheme for scheme, starting a bar to fit the end of the others last bar, all the while holding a brilliant ‘places of the world’ concept.
Every single song on Phil n The Dotz is killer. I could happily list an essays worth of bars to illustrate this but that would sell short the fluidity of the whole thing.
Let’s be honest here, Si Philli is one of the most regarded artists this country has produced. Yep I said it. PhiLife were brilliant a great loss to ears everywhere. He absolutely goes in on every one of these tracks (apart from one as they each have a solo track) and it’s clear he has done some of his best writing, cementing his stature with personality and individual style. The way his flow sounds stuttered but clear sometimes is crazy, it’s like it just pours out of him without the need of breath. There are sure to be listeners who are new to him that will continue to add to the the loyal fan base he has built up, and they come at a time where he has released something really quite different whilst still keeping his identity.
It’s fair to say there were probably a few jealous rappers when they heard Philli had teamed up with Dotz. A man who a lot of people would’ve heard of through don’t flop. With far less reputation around him the need to step up was obvious, and he jumped up at it with cockiness and snarling ability. With this album under his belt he has for sure graffed his name on the wall of names. Rapidly gaining momentum he doesn’t disappoint on Phil n The Dotz, with each verse drawing you in and making you pull that face that non hip hop heads don’t understand. Bars and flow to match most artists his self belief is evident, and a belief that is shared by a fast growing number of fans including some of your favourite rappers. With a brash and sometimes fierce style it’s pretty hard to ignore Dotz.
Sometimes features on an album can make or break it. With the list of names on here they could’ve reached too far and been owned on their own shit. This is not even close to being the case and in fact only confirms the ability of both Philli and Dotz. Let’s not fuck about now you’ve got Klashnekof, Black Twang, Verb T, Wordsmiff, Phoenix Da Icefire, Flo (who’s e.p with Flotz is also excellent) and Leaf Dog. Now you might understand the threat of self destruction in having this kind of list of amazing artists on your album, but each one adds to the track they feature on rather than eclipsing it, and they solidify the album as a certain contender for album of the year.
Then there’s the production which is drool worthy from names like Passion HiFi, Richy Spitz, Pete Cannon, Bad Habitz, Cystic and Leaf Dog. With a range of styles and levels of complexity, the beats try to steal the show here. When you boom this album out you will not be able to remain still and calm, you will unavoidably skank out. I’ve been given looks on the bus for going off whilst listening to it on headphones. A musical landscape that will inspire a lot of new producers for sure, who aim to replicate the level of class this selection of some of the finest beat makers has set.
If you’re still with me now then this album is for you. It’s for the people who truly love the craft of hip hop. It keeps the ideals we have about this music, but it also represents a move forward. Philli and Dotz have given us something that is head bangable, quotable, innovative and most importantly very very enjoyable. Me personally I know I’ll consider this one of the top albums for a long time and hope to hear a lot more from these two in the future. Don’t miss out, buy this now and support the artists. If you bootleg this, you are a complete prick
Underground UK Hip Hop label De Facto are all about capturing that classic, boom bap vibe, and their latest release, ‘Supplying The Demand’, from MC- Producer duo Raw Product (consisting of rapper Mista Flix and producer Stealf, who is also the label boss) certainly keeps to this mission statement.
Throughout the 7 track EP Stealf provides a moody, atmospheric and gritty sonic backdrop for the intricate, clever, but sometimes disjointed rhymes of Flix.
The emphasis throughout the EP is on re capturing the true essence of Hip Hop and denouncing the modern sound (the motto of the group is ‘Trueness… not newness’), with Flix repeatedly lambasting those he feels are corrupting the true essence of the music.
This approach will divide listeners, with those who agree with the duos motto and viewpoint, that Hip Hops golden era has passed and modern rap is not up to scratch, undoubtedly appreciating and enjoying the EP’s clever rhymes, lack of materialism and gritty beats. However if you are looking for cutting edge sounds and a more modern style this may not be for you.
The duo deliver a solid release that does exactly what it sets out to do, and fans of De Facto will love it. Personal favourites include ‘Major Weight ( Made Ya Wait)’, which finds Flix, alongside the legendary Cappo, delivering fire over possibly my favourite beat from the EP, and ‘Choose Your Weapon’ featuring Jehst, which again finds Flix providing some of his best lyrics in my opinion.
Fans of the Boom Bap revival movement will no doubt love this EP, and the duo can be proud of this uncompromising release.
Words; Chris
Stream and Get Raw Product’s ‘Supplying The Demand’ here
It’s become commonplace for me to be judgemental of the hip-hop I listen to now. When you write reviews it’s second nature to analyse and dissect when listening. It’s important for me as a writer to always check the effort people put into their writing, but then something like The Flotz E.P will find its way onto my radar, and it just smacks of enjoyment. The sort of thing that reminds me to lighten the fuck up about it all because hip-hop is brilliant.
‘Flotz’ are the duo of Don’t Flop stalwart Dotz, and sultry singer from the band Atlas Flo. The Flotz E.P is their debut release together. The enjoyment factor of this E.P is like a ray of light in a time when many are taking themselves far too seriously. 5 tracks just doesn’t seem enough when the sound is so individual and realised. With a rapper and a singer making an E.P together it’s obvious you’ll get something different from the majority of hip-hop releases, but this will appeal to almost everyone, even those outside of the genre.
Dotz is so comfortable in himself nowadays it’s allowing him to progress very quickly as a writer. Just spitting bars wantonly that a lot of other rappers would kill to have come up with. He rides a beat with natural rhythm and finesse, never sounding forced.
On the opening track and single from the E.P. In time, his flow is brilliant. With the amount of music he’s been putting out recently you’d be forgiven for thinking it would get stale at some point but this is not the case at all.
I had worried before listening to this that Flo would just be singing hooks. Happily I was wrong as she sizzles all over this E.P with almost hypnotic vocals. In a scene that is renowned for being typically misogynistic she is pure class, and something that is needed to keep things fresh and progressive. On every track she leaves her unique touch, completely complimenting them with her chilled voice. She writes so well that her input to Flotz is clear and what pushes it from the bracket of Dotz ft Flo . I would also recommend checking out her band Atlas online once you hear how good she is as they well worth a listen, and after all there is more than hip hop.
Wait shit; can I say that I might get in trouble?
The Flotz E.P is a head nodding, summer vibe, and genre disfiguring release. It reeks of fun and talent.
Great new single from Soloman Gehazi & Termite featuring Stakka Lyrics & Hot Rox which is well worth your attention. Quality bars and some hefty production, got me in the mood for the full length album which is dropping soon.
Nottingham artist Reckless is definitely one of the best emcees around at the moment and his new album is something that we feel the UK Hip-Hop community should embrace with open arms. It’s a real future UK classic that really has it all. Solo tracks that bounce and collobo’s that really impress over some inventive production. Do the right thing and download it now while its free, we promise you that you will not be disappointed.
Reckless – Play The Entertainer Feat. Caskade Dirtywordsmith & Rollo (Prod. by Pete Cannon Beats) #Video
Reckless – For My Enjoyment Only (Track-list):
01. Intro (Prod. by R.I.B)
02. Dont Look At Me (Prod. by Da Cypha Beats)
03. Insecticide Feat. Chino XL, Gutta & Verses (Prod. by Vherbal)
04. Touch The Sky Feat. Verb T & Deps (Prod. by Oskar Mike)
05. Space Cowboy Feat. Marvin Brown (Prod. by Gene Serpant)
06. Stronger Feat. Genesis Elijah (Prod. by Caskade Dirtywordsmith)
07. Hipolar (Prod. by First Blood)
08. Play The Entertainer Feat. Caskade Dirtywordsmith & Rollo (Prod. by Pete Cannon Beats)
09. Green Eyed Monster Feat. Cappo, Dotz & First Blood (Prod. by Inspecta Morze)
10. Self Indulgent (Prod. by Lantz)
11. Fall From Grace Feat. Lantz, C-Mone & Verses (Prod. by Vherbal)
12. To Late To Turn Back
13. Tarathen Feat. Leetabix (Prod. by Reckless & First Blood)
hiphoplifeandtimes 