Problem Child aka Dubbledge, illaman, Dabbla and Sumgii on the beats are back with a visual for the track ‘Creeper’ which is lifted off their sick ‘730’ EP out now on Par Exellence. Get your download here
Veteran UK emcee Wordsmiff FLIP and the highly respected Portsmouth, UK underground emcee Spitfire link together to become The Otha Guys in this dope album from the duo released on Sika Records.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Wordsmiff FLIP drop a fresh release. In the past couple of years we’ve been treated to brief glimpses of this talented emcee with guest features for various artists and this is how the relationship first struck up with Spitfire. The South Coast emcee is a big fan of Wordzy like a lot of us and managed to get him to feature on a couple of his solo projects and once the two of them linked the creation of The Otha Guys began.
A lot of love and hard work went into creating this release they came up with most of the concepts just by trading ideas and selecting beats that suited the mood. The album features dope production from Hozay, Ns1, Towa and the don that is DJ Jabbathakut laying down the cuts.
Spitfire brought most of the recording equipment to Wordsmiff’s house and would stay for a few days at a time, so it was written and recorded in Wordzy’s everyday surroundings, which is something I really respect, it’s not verses flying backwards and forwards via emails. This working relationship adds to the chemistry of the two emcees evident in the hooks and gives the album a natural vibe.
The record begins with an intro of Spitfire pestering Wordsmiff FLIP with the many names/nicknames he’s been known as, with Spitfire finally asking the question which many people have asked “Bout time you put something out bruv innit?” to which Wordzy replies “Alright Fuck it!”……..
The album then slides into one of my favourite joints on the album Wordsmiff FLIP’s solo effort ‘Acid Test’ as he declares from the jump off “Don’t need no introduction” and goes in to the killer flow and lyricism we’ve come to expect with a dope hook over Hozay’s soulful boom bap banger.
Then we jump into the title track ‘T.O.G’ with Spitfire’s opening verse with a message for other emcees “They couldn’t rock a crowd, if we gave them a bag of bricks” as the two trade flawless verses that demonstrate their pencraft and delivery. The track is accompanied by a dope visual directed by Oliver Whitehouse for Sektion Red.
‘Classic Days’ is another Hozay produced banger as Spitfire opens up paying homage to the golden era boom bap sound and reminicising coming up through the scene, again like the other tracks yet another dope hook. Then we get to Wordzy’s verse where he addresses the naming rights issues he had with the US rapper Wordsmith (Fuck that dude), and deals with it with a perfect response. I’m not going into the specifics, but listen to the verse carefully and all is revealed.
The bangers keep coming with the Ns1 produced joint ‘When The Penny Drops’ rather than me writing about how dope it is it take it in for yourselves here with another video again from Sektion Red http://www.SektionRed.com
Moving swiftly on as the pace of the album continues to the track ‘My World Is’, Wordsmiff addresses all the people chatting gas, or people who have said things about him in the past, the Hip Hop rumour mill of beef and general haters that seem common for a lot of artists, but Wordzy soon puts those doubters in their place. Spitfire’s verse comes at a different angle as he talks about trying to juggle music and a 9-5, trying to do things independently and getting himself heard.
‘Self Made Serenade’ is yet another banger this time produced by Spitfire’s Portsmouth homie Towa and yet more dope cuts as featured throughout the album from Jabbathakut and the final track ‘The Last Request’ is Spitfire’s solo effort where he speaks about the battle to be heard and to those that think they are owed something without putting in the work, again with killer cuts from Jabbathakut the album then completes with the Outro, a live audio of these two talented emcees closing out a show.
The Otha Guys was released back in March, so if you’ve slept on this you have no excuse now, as many of you know the site has been out of action for some time, but this has always been one release I’ve fully wanted to rep on the site once we were up and running again. Apologies to Spitfire, Wordsmiff FLIP and the team at Sika Records for the time it’s taken to get this great release up on the site.
The CD has been rinsed in the car since Spitfire hooked me up with it. The only criticism i have and it’s a selfish one, I wish it was longer with more tracks! I cant stress how much I like this whole project. As solo artists I’m a big fan of them both and this is such a dope collaboration. From artwork, production, cuts, graf and videos this album is bursting full of Hip Hop.
Moose Funk Squad drop bars over a Bunker Beats instrumental on DJ Sarah Love and Mysdiggi’s Open Mic session on THE HIP HOP SHOW every Monday from 4pm on Fubar Radio.
This is one emcee and producer collaboration I’m looking forward to hearing more from after this offering “One In The Same” featuring Patty Crash. After years of mutual respect, circling each other in collaborations, tours, style and respect, two titans of their craft have finally collided in Apollo Brown & Skyzoo’s LP “The Easy Truth.”
The album promises to be everything you’ve dreamt it would be: breakneck instrumentals and syllables crafted to make your head spin. The marriage between Detroit instrumentals and NYC wordplay has never been more cohesive. Themes range from police brutality to NY ambitions; Skyzoo shows you the world the way he sees it.
Recorded and produced in Detroit, “The Easy Truth,” is the perfect distillation of hiphop influences. Every moment on the album is a loaded question, a perspective positing a notion of truth, the convergence of grit and symphony.
Joining the artists on the record are Joell Ortiz, Westside Gunn, Stalley, Conway and Patty Crash, a reciprocal band of guests that only add depth and richness to the duo’s chemistry. Coming September 30th, “The Easy Truth,” is true to its titular description: honest, fluid, and organic.
‘The Easy Truth’ Releases September 30, 2016
Tracklist
1.) “Soapbox”
2.) “One In The Same” f/ Patty Crash
3.) “Jordans & A Gold Chain”
4.) “A Couple Dollars” f/ Joell Ortiz
5.) “Basquiat On The Draw” f/ Westside Gunn & Conway
6.) “The Vibes”
7.) “On The Stretch & Bob Show”
8.) “Spoils To The Victor”
9.) “Visionary Riches”
10.) “They Parked A Bentley On The Corner”
11.) “The Flyest Essence”
12.) “Innocent Ambition”
13.) “Care Package”
14.) “Payout” f/ Stalley
15.) “Nodding Off”
***All tracks produced by Apollo Brown
You can now pre-order Apollo Brown & Skyzoo’s ‘The Easy Truth’ in all formats (Digital, CD and Vinyl)
The dope Nottingham, UK lyricist Cappo drops a new visual to accompany his latest single ‘Ether’ out now on YNR Productions, taken from the forthcoming album ‘Dramatic Change Of Fortune’
Cappo will be performing live in-store at Rough Trade Nottingham for this free entry, all ages event to promote his forthcoming album ‘Dramatic Change Of Fortune’.
Cappo ‘Ether’
(P.Adey, D.Gardener)
Produced by Cappo.
Additional production by Theorist.
Recorded and mixed by 1st Blood at The 1st Blood Empire, Nottingham, UK.
Mastered by Walter Coelho at Finyl Tweek, London, UK.
The Beat Bruisers return to break bones with Ruste Juxx, Pawz One and Spit Savage on the new music video for “LA to NY”, a five man crime wave set to a sinister Beat Bruisers soundtrack.
Beat Bruisers say ”this video and the sound of this track is grimy as it gets! No pop or tight jean rap! Straight ski-mask, kidnappin’, and weapons of destruction!”
”LA to NY” is taken from the collaboration album ”Def By Stereo” by the Beat Bruisers, Ruste Juxx and Pawz One.
UK rap duo Leon Rhymes & Standaloft aka Too Many T’s release the first single ‘Diamonds/Gold’ from their debut album, produced by Odjbox & Flux Pavilion
The three member group based in soul stirring rhythms and futuristic melodies blended with a sultry voice reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield and the late great Marvin Gaye best describes The Blake Moses Project.
Cutting-edge, avant-garde musical soundscapes from members Blake Carrington , Diamond D and Sean Devereaux take the listener to a place that invokes the rawness and soul of 70s combined with narratives of today. The 12 song album will be available late Autumn 2016
“We are in the lab now doing live instrumentation overdubs for some of the tracks and the album will be mixed soon , the best way i would describe the LP is Brand New Retro. We used elements of soul , progressive rock , classical and hip hop music with a singer and created something very different and special ” – Diamond D
Music video by The Blake Moses Project performing Album Teaser. 2016 Dymond Mine Records LLC
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