The Four Owls – ‘Natural Order’ OUT NOW! #Review #DL #Videos @HighFocusUK

Posted by hiphoplifeandtimes on March 1, 2015
Posted in: Album Releases, Downloads, Music Videos, Reviews. Leave a comment

The Four Owls - Natural Order - Front Cover

The Four Owls burst on to the scene with their debut album ‘Natures Greatest Mystery’ a couple of years ago, which proved to be one of the most hyped debut releases we have seen in recent years (in no small part due to the groups members, the well respected veterans Leaf Dog, BVA, Fliptrix and Verb- T, and their close links with label of the moment High Focus).

2015 sees the return of the Owls, complete with their trademark masks, with the new album ‘Natural Order’. The expectations for this album have been building and building, especially since it was announced that the legendary DJ Premier would be producing a track on the album, making the Owls one of the elite few UK artists to ever work with Premo.

As with anything that is built up in such a way, at first the album seems like a bit of an anti – climax, however the more listens you give the album the more you forget the hype and appreciate what a well rounded release this is. When you have MC’s of the calibre of these guys the lyrics will never be lacking in quality, each of the Owls displays great verbal skills,  and it is easy to distinguish who is spitting due to the great contrasts in styles and voices between the 4.

Throughout the album the Owls cover a variety of topics, including a warning to those not staying true to themselves on ‘Pay The Price’ , the struggles of staying sane in a mad world on ‘Control’ and reflecting on lost loved ones and times gone by on ‘Old Earth’. There are, of course, some straight up bangers thrown in to the mix, including the DJ Premier produced ‘Think Twice’ , the triumphant ‘Feels Great’ and the menacing ‘Assassination’, which features a typically graphic guest verse from Dirty Dike and possibly one of the hardest Fliptrix verses ive heard.

These tracks are only a small example of the goodies to be found on this album, and although the general feel of the production (provided entirely by Leaf Dog, apart from the afore mentioned DJ Premier production) is a bit more mellow than their debut, the beats are varied enough to ensure there isn’t one track that will have you reaching for the skip button. It is also a huge credit to Leaf that every one of his beats stands up to the DJ Premier production, and gives the album a really nice 90’s nostalgic vibe without becoming boring.

For those looking for the next big sound, or those favouring the more electronic, trap style production of, say, Foreign Beggar’s recent stuff, this will probably not be for you, however fans of that classic boom bap sound will embrace this album.

With the masses coming out in force to support the project upon its release (the album claimed the number one spot on the iTunes Hip Hop chart days after its release, ahead of Drake, Kid Ink etc.) and a tour about to begin, it is fair to say that the Owls stock is continuing to rise, and they are steadily becoming ambassadors of the UK scene in the US.

To summarise, this is an important album for a number reasons, but if you look beyond that, it is a well crafted sophomore release that will only add to the growing legion of Owls fans.

Words; Chris

‘Natural Order’ is available on CD, limited edition vinyl and on all good digital platforms.

The Four Owls – Silent Flight (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

The Four Owls – Old Earth (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

The Four Owls – Think Twice (Prod. DJ Premier) (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

The Four Owls – Defiant (AUDIO)

The Four Owls on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFourOwls
The Four Owls on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TheFourOwls

Martainn – UK Roads Feat. Flamez #Video #Single @MartainnUK @Flamezmuisk @ParkStreetPR

Posted by hiphoplifeandtimes on February 28, 2015
Posted in: Audio, Downloads, Music Videos, News. Leave a comment

uk roads pic 500

Theo Martainn Brown (born May 27, 1992), better known by his stage name Martainn, is an British Hip Hop, Grime & Soul recording artist and songwriter from Manchester, England. Martainn first received recognition locally around 2011, Releasing a mixture of songs and videos along with his first mixtape in 2013 titled “Daydreamer” which helped build a foundation and a understanding of where he wanted to take his music next.

From an early age like most artists Martainn was drawn to music being exposed to a wide variety of genres through his family, friends and by individually exploring different styles of music himself. Martainn is now on a journey to make the best possible music he can to give to the people of the world. Inspire, entertain and to provoke thought are his main objectives with music, follow Martainn on his journey as he sets out to accomplish his mission.

Connect with Martainn:
http://martainn.com
https://twitter.com/MartainnUK
https://www.facebook.com/MartainnUK
https://www.youtube.com/user/Theoswift

Pharoahe Monch at The Oobleck, B’ham – Thursday 12th March #Event @SipTheJuice1 @TheOobleck @ParkStreetPR

Posted by hiphoplifeandtimes on February 27, 2015
Posted in: Events. Leave a comment

pharoahe monch bham

SIP THE JUICE, HEDUCATION & the OOBLECK Proudly announce the impending arrival of New York Hip-Hop legend Pharoahe Monch.

Support from:
Redbeard and Kosyne (Eat Good)
The Dr & Mr Fx
DJ’ Chickpeasy (STJ)
DJ’ Cro (Crate Escape)
Mylz
Ben Dunn

Purchase Tickets:
http://www.seetickets.com/event/pharoahe-monch/the-oobleck/842551

Facebook Event Page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/633835413395031

Pharoahe is no stranger to SIP THE JUICE, having graced them with his presence twice. Due to selling out on his February date we got him back to meet the high demand for his live show again in November. Pharoahe continues to sell out venues across the globe and once you have seen him live you will know why.

Pharoahe, started out as one half of Organized Konfusion, with his rhyming partner Prince Poetry. Pharoahe’s roots in attending gospel churches as youth resonated throughout his verses on all 3 O.K albums praised for singing and rapping conversely. This quickly claimed him adoration and respect from hip hop’s founding forefathers such Kool Moe Dee, who stated “Pharoahe Monch is like an eloquent linguistics professor moonlighting as a rhyme serial killer terrorist, challenging the listeners’ I.Q. while daring him or her to keep up.”

His solo career has been meteoric, in 1999 the release of Simon Says (Rawkus) received huge critical acclaim, soaring into the mainstream market and making his first solo album Internal Affairs a success, garnering support of both die hard hip hop followers as well as far broader audiences, that were forced to listen with intent at his unequivocal flows and poetry.

Pharoahe released a second album ‘Desire’ in 2007, which included the undeniable anthem ‘Push’ and a cover of Public Enemy’s ‘Welcome to the Terrordome’. Again, Pharoahe showed a side of him that made his followers empathise and relate in ways many other artists haven’t matched. In 2011 his third album W.A.R (we are renegades) began to discuss issues close to his heart and was a thought provoking journey through some of his personal battles, teaming up with soul singing legend Jill Scott for ‘Still Standing’ and the incredible single ‘Black hand side’, this continued to see Pharoahe’s success rise with his intricate rhymes encapsulating younger audiences.

In 2014 Pharoahe extended the story of his personal journey with the release of ‘PTSD’ and his continued upheaval with Post Traumatic Stress disorder and ill health, working with hip hop heavy weights Talib Kweli and Black thought, his album echos the velocity with which he delivers his live shows. His anguish and hard work is laid bare in his shows, his lyrical dexterity and deep meaningful flow is captivating. The audience find themselves engrossed and static at points at his jaw dropping honesty and his passion for speaking on taboo topics to then being moved by mass crowd appreciation for tunes like the aforementioned ‘Simon Says’ and ‘F*** you’.

Seeing Pharoahe live is without doubt one of the most incredible events to add to your social calendar this year.

Check out:

Main Page


https://www.facebook.com/pharoahemonch

Bambee HR Frequently Asked Questions

Rich Quick – No1 (Prod. by @STANKFOOTprod) #Single @RichMFNQuick @Ccelli @ParkStreetPR

Posted by hiphoplifeandtimes on February 27, 2015
Posted in: Audio, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

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Link for ARTWORK and CLEAN/DIRTY MP3
bit.ly/RichQuickNo1

Everyone is getting really excited about Rich’s new single “No1” (pronounced “No One”). It’s the first single off of Rich’s first international project “The Everywhere Man” with UK heavy hitter Tricksta. The project features some of Rich’s fan favorites w/ Rakaa Iriscience, Reef The Lost Cauze, Big KRIT and many more along with new songs like “No1” and collabs with artists and producers from all over Europe. The project is to help build Rich’s overseas buzz to prepare for his first European tour this summer. This is also the first time Rich painted his own artwork for a single. ‘No1’ is also the first record we are officially working to radio and it has already been picked up by SiriusXM, college radio and other FM stations across the USA.

Previous: Rich Quick named by DJbooth as 1 of the 6 “Pa’s best up and coming acts”
http://www.djbooth.net/index/news/entry/us-underground-pennsylvania

Regardless of how Hip-Hop has evolved over the years, there will always be a few constants. Despite all of the industries’ smoke and mirrors – from rented cars, ghostwritten hits, and inflated YouTube views – there’s simply no faking the funk for calling yourself a true emcee and not having skills on the mic.

One thing that New Jersey’s Rich Quick doesn’t have to worry about is being called out for his mic skills or his credentials. Some of his earliest experiences with music have been teaching himself piano while picking apart the sounds of Coolio’s Gangster’s Paradise when he was 7. Quick certainly hasn’t slept since. Since the release of his debut project, Get Rich Quick, the Jersey upstart has been steadily mastering the tricks of the DIY trade and has built a successful team in his corner.

Now older and more refined, Quick has taken his artistry to new heights with the release of “No1” (Pronounced “No One”), the debut single off his forthcoming project, The Everywhere Man, with the UK’s own, Tricksta. “No1” demonstrates Quick’s versatility and storytelling abilities over STANKFOOT’s sunken and head nodding production, which borrows from Ahmad Jamal’s “The World is a Ghetto.” To round out Quick’s artistic expertise, the New Jeruz virtuoso is also the creator for the single’s artwork. The Everywhere Man is set to drop this Spring through Exponent Entertainment. For more information visit RichMFNQuick.com.