Edreys - ‘D.U.I.’ & ‘No Joke’

Edreys, born and raised in Buffalo, New York, created quite a buzz with his video on You Tube, with 300,000 views ‘I Like It’ in a month. Apparently he’s caught the attention of some label heads, so the future seems bright for this young MC who’s currently working on an album to be released in 2008. You should look out and buy a copy of his ‘D.U.I.’/'I Like It’ limited 45 now before they’re gone. Edreys will be on tour with Camp Lo and Prince Po in April and May, so if you’re a promoter or if you know someone who’s capable of putting up a show, get in touch and support real music.

The first track featured here is a nice breakbeat driven track with a sample you should be familiar with. The second is a remake of the classic Eric B and Rakim track, with new lyrics that take the track to a new level.

6th Sense - ‘It’s Time’

6th Sense, also from New York, is one of the artists that are part of the Rawkus 50, a project where they signed 50 artists and released digital albums on the label. The result is an album called It’s Coming Soon which was produced by 6th Sense and Frequency. Together they also produced ‘Think About It’ for Snoop Dogg’s The Blue Carpet Treatment album. The MC/Producer from New York also released a mixtape with Mick Boogie, available as a free download, called Go For It. The track featured is taken from the Go For It mixtape and was produced by Frequency.

You know we only feature quality music on this blog, so you really need to check out this pair of talented contemporary MCs.

Al Tariq - ‘Nikki’
taken from God Connections (Correct, 1996)

Otis Redding - ‘Don’t Mess With Cupid’
taken from The Dock Of The Bay (Volt, 1968)

Although I’m not gonna bitch about a free ‘holiday’ in the Alps and the delights of skiing, it’s also fair to say that being an on duty teacher for nine days straight with a troop of 49 students all undertaking a potentially life-threatening activity carries with it a certain amount of stress. As a result, I think I’m more exhausted now than I was at the beginning of the half term break, with a mound of backed-up work that is nothing short of intimidating. Naturally, rather than tackle this immediately I’m shirking responsibility and getting back on the blog tip, a pleasure that I’ve sorely missed over the last fortnight. Gotta give yourself some time off, right?!

I didn’t actually listen to a huge amount of music whilst I was away, but when I did get a minute to shut myself off with a pair of comfy Sennheisers, it was Oh Word’s Valentine Mix that remained in pretty constant rotation bar a few ‘on the road’ personal classics. Amidst a fantastic selection of tracks ‘for sensitive thugs and their shorties’ it was Al Tariq’s ‘Nikki’ that had me bopping my head on innumerable occasions, a song that may have passed CD heads by as it was a bonus cut that only saw a release on the double vinyl LP. With Psycho Les and Juju chipping in a hand on the boards, it’s one of the best tracks to be found on God Connections, an album that easily stands its own against the crew’s formally united output.

I’m always a sucker for a mellow, sun-soaked guitar loop in a hip hop jam, and the sample lifted from Otis Redding’s ‘Don’t Mess With Cupid’ is a certified gem. The song can be found on his posthumously released LP The Dock Of The Bay, home to the song of the same name that will forever be intertwined with his legacy. The album is in fact a collection of singles and b-sides, with ‘Don’t Mess With Cupid’ actually seeing an original release in 1966 as the flip to ‘My Lover’s Prayer’. It’s a great little number in which Otis expresses his refusal to be trampled on by a member of the fairer sex with the passionate delivery that certified his place in the annals of popular soul, and also a song that seems to have been lost in the numerous greatest hits collections that many people probably assume covers the entirety of his work. Why ‘Don’t Mess With Cupid’ should have escaped the canonization process is somewhat beyond me, as it is as easily as good as his more obvious hits, but then perhaps therein lies some of its appeal. The musical snob in me lives on…

Production-wise there’s not a great deal of sample tomfoolery going on, with the first two bars receiving the loop treatment and some heavy drums, although there is some rearrangement on display during the chorus sections and the removal of the guitar’s upstroke that closes the first bar once the main beat drops is a pleasingly subtle touch. With the mellow vibe provided by the beat, Al Tariq takes the opportunity to wax lyrical about that special honey from the past with a level of sensitivity that is rarely seen amongst The Beatnuts’ camp (although a fair amount of ‘bedroom’ talk endures). The result is a rarity well worth savouring: ‘Nikki’ truly is a great hip hop love song.

Given that BBE has long been one of my favourite labels in contemporary hip hop, it was a pleasure to be contacted by them recently with the offer of some promo material. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity with the quickness, and low and behold within a few days I had a nice package land on my doormat that included some releases that are unquestionably deserving of your attention. Although I pretty much liked everything they sent my way (check their website for full details of all upcoming releases), the following trio instantly struck me as works that I know readers of FDB will be feelin’. Record labels take note: send me high quality free stuff and this little corner of the internet is yours, if only for a short time.

Tha 4orce - Mind The Gap Anthems V2

Tha 4orce - ‘MTG/Tha 4orce’s Anthem’
taken from Mind The Gap Anthems V2 (BBE, 2008)

Steve Ellington AKA Tha 4orce has had a slightly bizarre career in the entertainment industry by anyone’s standards. Perhaps best known as the patois-speaking DJ on British hit comedy Da Ali G show and for hitting tabloids for bedding one of the cast of EastEnders, you’d be forgiven for passing this release off as the work of the publicity machine in the name of making a quick buck. You’d be wrong. Having emerged from remix work for a host of artists including Amy Winehouse and Common, Mind The Gap Anthems V2 is in fact his second full-length studio album on the solo tip and it’s nothing short of bangin’.

It’s actually been a while since I’ve covered any homegrown hip hop, and this is in part due to the fact that there is an element to the British contemporary scene that I struggle to engage with, largely based around the fact that the music rarely feels like it contains any true substance (no hating intended here: there are, of course, many exceptions). However, what Tha 4orce achieves with this latest LP is the perfect balance between British rudeboy swagger and a maintenance of core hip hop aesthetics that means it easily stands up against its American counterparts. ‘MTG/Tha 4orce’s Anthem’ is a prime example of the quality to be found on the album, utilising a chop of the Schifrin break that I covered a while back for its rumbling bass, and it’s the overall structure of the song that makes it so captivating. With a well measured and gradually building momentum, from scratch intro to beat drop and then into rhymes, I’d be surprised if hearing this didn’t make you hanker for more. Mind The Gap Anthems V2 has been in heavy rotation round my way over the last week or so, and it comes highly recommended here at FDB: cop it when it drops.

Mr Thing - Strange Breaks & Mr Thing

The Discoettes - ‘Yes We Can Can’
taken from Strange Breaks & Mr Thing (BBE, 2008)

Mr Thing has long been a mainstay of the UK hip hop scene and easily ranks as my favourite DJ from these shores. Whereas the other original members of the Scratch Perverts have gone onto more hipster related activities, Thing has stayed true to his hip hop roots, developing his craft to include serious crate diggin’ and outstanding production with British MC Yungun. For me, Thing is the perfect hip hop DJ, with an incredible technical ability that remains focussed on the party and a clear love for the music that means when you see him spin, he looks like he’s enjoying it as much as you are.

His latest project embraces his relatively newfound love of breaks and sees him compile songs from a wide range of artists who have all been mined by intrepid, dusty fingered diggers. Although the promo version that I received was simply a compilation of the songs, the final retail version will in fact be two CDs, with one mixed and the other left untampered with. Steering clear of more obvious breaks means that this is a valuable release for both those in the know and for those who are just starting to engage with the culture (i.e. me), and I have no doubt that the final mixed version will be a gem to savour.

J-Live - Reveal The Secret EP

J-Live - ‘The Incredible’
taken from Reveal The Secret EP (BBE, 2008)

Although I’ve long been a fan of the triple threat wonder that is J-Live, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed by his most recent full-length The Hear After. In light of this, it’s a pleasure to see the man back on form with his latest project that features production by the likes of Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinna, Da Beatminerz, Oddisee and Marco Polo.

Lyrically, J-Live has never fallen off in my book, and the EP continues to demonstrate that he is an MC at the top of the contemporary game. However, this is only half the story, and it really is the step up in production quality over his last release that grabs my attention here. ‘The Incredible’ is a sumptuous piece of beatmaking that perfectly complements J-Live’s flow, and it is only one of six songs to savour on the EP. The only shortcoming of the drop is ‘Feel Like Spittin” which feels a little lazy beat-wise, jacking the Skull Snaps break and combining it with the horn track that I will forever regrettably associate with DJ Kool’s ‘Let Me Clear My Throat’. Still, this is a small blip in an otherwise exciting release, and rekindles an enthusiasm for me in future material that we may see released from one of the most talented cats in hip hop.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I’m off on Friday to Switzerland to get my ski on. I’ll catch you in a week and a half or so: I’m sure you’ll manage without me just fine.

Despite appearances to the contrary, I’ve actually been very busy with blogging over the last week, with projects for other websites and a lengthy interview last Thursday evening that should drop at the end of the month (the anticipation builds… I can promise you it’s worth it). Given the lack of activity here, make sure you check out my contributions to Metal Lungies’s Dilla tribute post and a beat deconstruction post of epic proportions over at Oh Word where I focus on all of the key samples to be found on Illmatic.  You lucky people!

There’s going to be a little lull in activity here for an extended period as I’m off skiing with the school on Friday.  This sounds fantastic, but throw in two 27 hour coach journeys and 51 teenagers and the ‘break’ takes on a slightly different complexion… Anyway, expect one more post to drop later in the week with normal service to resume around the 24th February.

Zilla Rocca - ‘Pages Of The Past’

Busy, busy, busy. Still. As such what follows isn’t a full post, but have no fear, the quality hasn’t suffered: Zilla Rocca’s in the house.

By now, if you don’t know who Zilla Rocca and Philadelphia’s Clean Guns crew are then you must be clearly living under a virtual rock. Mounting a net-based reputation isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, and Zilla’s ability to address the online hip hop market is only matched by the consistent quality of the crew’s output. In the light of the Ski interview that I dropped last week, Zilla let his mind wander during a day at work and came up with this lovely verse to accompany the Ski produced instrumental cut, ‘Pages Of The Past’. It’s an exciting vocal performance that matches the vibe of the track perfectly, and should be more than enough to get you open on a Monday evening. If it isn’t, why not get yourself back under that rock, dummy. It suits you.