Hip-hop

The review that everyone HAS to do. If you review albums then you can’t skip over this album. Back when The Source was credible this album received the first ever five mic rating. At the time, The Source had a strict “no 5’s” rule implemented, under the assumption that nothing could ever be perfect. Then this album dropped and got given five mics. That alone is enough to make it classic. Of course, I’m talking about Nas and his debut album, Illmatic.

The album starts out with an intro, showcasing Nas’s verse from “Live At The Barbeque”, his verse on that Main Source track created a huge amount of hype ‘n subsequent appearances on a couple of other records helped intensify that hype. After the intro, “NY State of Mind” hit.

Woah. If there was ever a rapper-producer combination perfectly fit for one another, it has to be Nas and DJ Premier. Premier just kills it on the production tip with the grimiest hardest drums you’re ever likely to hear. Add a pounding piano loop and you’ve got one of the dopest dirty beats ever dropped. Rappers can detract from the beat, as shown on the Group Home album Living Proof, yet Nas compliments the beat perfectly. He murders it lyrically and the flow is flawless as well. Add a sampled sound clip from Rakim and you’ve got a classic track to start the album out with.

Many albums wouldn’t have been able to follow that, “NY State of Mind” would have overshadowed many other albums. Yet nice track after nice track follows. “Life’s A Bitch” comes after “NY State of Mind” and it’s a totally different mood. Variety is another big plus on this album. AZ rips a Godly verse to start out the track and Nas matches it. The chorus is catchy and a interpolation of Nas’ father playing trumpet closes the track out.

“The World Is Yours” features a bouncy Pete Rock beat, which Nas murders. “Halftime” follows and it’s a track perfectly suited to showcasing Nas’ lyrical arsenal. He spits plenty of quotables until “Memory Lane” comes next, another DJ Premier beat. This is wholly different to “NY State of Mind” as it’s more laid back and chill, yet Nas still rides it perfectly and it’s another great track. “One Love” lets Nas show off his storytelling ability, in the form of a letter to his homie in prison. The attention to detail is lovely and the beat, this time by Q-Tip, again fits Nas perfectly. “One Time 4 Your Mind” produced by Large Professor is next up, which is nice again. “Represent” features DJ Premier again with another grimy type track before the album is closed out by “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”, which utilises a Michael Jackson sample to perfection.

Perfection? Probably the closest an album will get. Cop this, buy this, download this, just make sure you get it. If you haven’t then you’re either new to hip-hop or you’re SERIOUSLY flagging.

Kyza. Terra Firma crew member. No, wait. He left. In November 2006 Kyza and Klashnekoff, the latter being one of the most well known UK rappers in the country, had a disagreement resulting in Kyza leaving the group. Klashnekoff’s loss is our gain, as seemingly Kyza is now able to focus solely on his solo career. After having a big hit with “Devil In A Dress” in 2004, which was a story track about a girl with one of the biggest twists ever at the end, Kyza became pretty well known. Surprisingly, this album is his first full length release, as previously he has only released singles. With a dope voice and flow to match, this album has been anticipated for a while.

Kyza means king

Intro kicks off the album, and the mellow laid back beat compliments Kyza’s voice and flow. His accent is something that is noticeable, as American heads usually don’t like English accents. But Kyza appears, at least to me, to have solved the problem. His accent is clearly English, but not overly so, in that it wouldn’t put off people who are new to the English accent. The track itself is solid for an intro, if unspectacular. Fight Klub allows Kyza to showcase a different type of flow. The beat is faster, the flow is faster and the overall pace is faster. It was a good move to put this directly after Intro, as it shows that Kyza is able to switch up his style without any problems.

Fight, lets go nuts and lose it// This ones crazy and that’s just the music// Burn down the house to the ground rowdy with a lighter// sign up now, it’s a Fight Klub

His flow in particular stands out and he rides the beat well. Real (Part 1) is the first of a two part series on this album. The beat is very bass driven and the mood it gives off is nice. Kyza spits about the general subject of, as the title suggests, being Real. He speaks on the portrayal of Black people:

Gangsta dis, ‘n about gangsta dat// how they got mans to back ‘n bang they gats// on TV you can see how these dumb wankers act// they’re making blacks look stupid, thanks for that

Trouble is the next track. It starts with a movie sound sample, which lays out the subject for the track. The beat consists of a stabbing piano sample and synthy type horns. Almost Westcoast sounding horns are used for the chorus. Kyza utilizes a fast flow which fits well. Porno opens up with a sample that wouldn’t be suitable to play loudly. The track as a whole should strictly be played when alone as well. The beat mixes in moaning, and the lyrics relate to the subject matter with which the song title suggests.

Back shots, doggy style, froggy style is how I mash a chick// big cock bash the clit, cum shots splash the tits// wet cunt drippin, pussy juice soaking// my cock as it slides in and out cos your holes been// filled to the brim with my man meat// can we get freaky, believe me, you need me

The instrumental uses a funky guitar sample, which reminds me of, well, making love. Born Loser opens with reverby piano notes looping, the drums start and they sound purely old school hip-hop. This is one of the more accessible tracks, as the beat, flow and subject will all hit home. Bitter Sweet Love reminds me of Overnight Celebrity by Twista, as Kyza uses a similar rapid style flow and delivery to Twista. The overall execution is more laid back and mellow though, and the chorus by Diablo adds nicely to the mood. Snakes ‘n’ Blaggers has a beat that is purely confrontational. The bass melody brings that to the forefront. The subject matter matches as well, as Kyza raps about untrustworthy friends and backstabbers. Sick is next and it is mostly forgettable, before the quirky Hype Is Real comes after. The beat reminds of The Streets, and Kyza matches it with an obscure flow. Lucozade Bottles follows on, and it is a reminiscent track, in which Kyza muses about his life as a 90’s kid. For any UK heads, this should hit home as the lyrics will evoke memories of your own if you were around during that era.

Ima take you right back in the day// I’m talking black in the day, when I was an average bray/ /It was all about goin to school, and even though it was cruel// Your mother would blatantly make your wear the plimp soles// With the holes in the soles of the shoe// And the hand me down uniform// That your older brother had already went through before// And if you were lucky you’d get a pair of kicks that// Didn’t have the Velcro with the thick strap

D.O.A. is a braggadocio type track that won’t turn too many heads. Real (Part 2) picks up right where Part I left off, with the same beat and chorus. The subject matter is the same, and apart from the guest appearances, this is a very similar track to Part I. Shoutro closes the album out. The beat is funky and bouncy, and has the drum sequence that will be very familiar to you when you listen to it.

The album is solid, but it suffers from seeming samey at points. All the tracks seem to merge together, and while it creates a solid album, there’s not really a track on the album that you could point to and say “Oh, you’ve gotta check that track”. UK fans will love it, as it is a long awaited debut album from a good artist. I’m not sure how heads outside of the UK would receive it though.

Verdict – A solid effort, if unspectacular at points. Overall Rating – 78%

This ain’t Santana, Camron or Dipset//

In one line, Lowkey lays out the foundation for the rest of his mixtape. The talented seventeen year old, at the time, from London, has been called “the truth of upcoming UK acts”. After creating a buzz for himself by appearing on a remix of the Gary Jules “Madworld” track, Lowkey jumps into a twenty-four-track mixtape, the first in a three part series.

He starts it off with the Intro, an often-used technique on a bunch of albums, however this is approached from a different way. It begins with a hype horn sample in which Lowkey outlines his views on rap and his own skills, before the beat changes into a lovely vocal sample, allowing him to showcase an altered, speedier flow. A Million is the first seemingly proper song, and the beat is a bouncy bass driven track, amped up by a nicely added female vocal sample. The content is, as the title would suggest, about making a million. However, at one minute and fifty seconds the track cuts off rather abruptly, before fading into From A Place. This is a contrast to the track before, and it works well, as Lowkey gives us his insight on the place that he lives and the poverty that reigns. However, rather abruptly again, he completely changes subject and raps about generic emceeism.

I’m from a place, that left me psychologically scarred// A lot of crime, but many guys don’t wanna be stars// Mans take it easy, but a life of poverties hard// Shit is crumbin, like a knife ‘n robbery charge//

Changes to:

I’m an emcee, from my head to my toes// It runs in my blood, my flesh and my bones// The pen is my best friend, I’m never depressed ‘n alone// I’m an underground cat wit a professional flow//

Lucifer follows and this is an enjoyable track. It utilizes the Jay-Z Lucifer beat and Lowkey dominates it, displaying a nice laid-back flow along with some cool braggadocio lyrics. Keeping up with the fast moving pace of the mixtape, it is over quite quickly, before moving on to Fast Life. The beat used brings about comparisons to AZ, and the flow could also be compared to his. Crazy World is pretty much a skit, with Lowkey rapping about how his song is being played on the radio. Which leads nicely on to Donny’s Lament – Madworld Remix, the song that Lowkey mentioned in the skit. The beat used here is an altered for hip hop version, of the Gary Jules Madworld song. The Gary Jules track was huge in the UK at the time, and the remix received some good airplay due to that, creating a sizeable buzz for the two rappers involved, Lowkey and Doc Brown. Doc Brown starts it nicely with a great verse, showing how society holds us all down.

Trapped in a system of capitalism that got us thinkin that we have to take a shit job// just to make a quick buck// Why not live the life that you want?// When your dreams too big to fit further in that Burger King uniform// Forgot what humanity showed us,// Now we walk around like robots// Till we go nuts// What’s strange is, we all creative till age 6// Then we start hearing the same shit,// from Police, parents, teachers, television,// Take the first steps towards a mental prison// Then at the end of your life, you’re like raas,// I was doing time but I weren’t even behind bars// Know what blud, it’s a very very mad world//

Lowkey’s verse follows, and he starts it by recounting an experience that a lot of UK children often feel.

From the time I was a toddler, tiny and small,// I grew into a little monster in primary school// Just another name on the list at registration// The teacher never listened so I lived in desperation// By year 6, I was sick of education,// Not to mention, wanting attention, but I sit in hesitation,// Scared to ask teachers questions// Coz I was quick to test their patience//

He ends the verse strongly as well, with a well needed message.

All the fights left my energy spent// Teachers need to fix up;// This message is for everyone but especially them// Intelligent kids don’t grow unless they’re mentally fed//

Considering that Doc Brown is a polished and mature emcee, Lowkey hung very well in this track and showed why he’s viewed as a potential great. Still Rising covers already familiar ground, as Lowkey raps about his aspirations for the rap game. Story To Tell is a story track, recounting a murder from the point of view of a man. It’s decent, but suffers again from the fast moving pace of the mixtape, as it doesn’t have as much time to develop as it should. Who Am I has probably my favourite beat on the album, as it uses a sample that was also used by Atmosphere on the track Little Man, and the chorus added by Lowkey adds further to the track. What Are These Streets is the second full length track on the album, and it also has a killer beat. The sample used escapes me, but when you hear it you’ll probably recognise it. Lowkey fully shows off his huge potential here, by spitting with a raw flow and socially aware lyrics. He comes across as polished also, which seems to be a result of giving himself more time to develop the track, as opposed to just using a beat for one verse. Class In Session uses scratched vocal samples from various legendary American rappers, such as Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D and more, which is a nice touch, as often UK rappers tend to ignore their US counterparts. What’s Beef allows Lowkey to show off his speedier flow again, and he rides the beat nicely. UK Stand Up presents the view of a UK rapper when compared to American rappers. Lowkey speaks a lot of truth in this track and it’s a viewpoint most UK rappers would agree with.

Out of nothing, we found inspiration// Bringing about our own sound from around the British nation// Da missions clear ‘n the vision isn’t changing// It’s sincere, we know how to sit in patience// Listen here blud, I’m sick of waiting// It’s like, London is eternally cursed// Compared to New York blud, we ain’t verbally worse//

Straight From The Heart uses the same sample as Overnight Celebrity by Twista, yet the subject matter is very different. Lowkey raps to his childhood friend and recounts some of his experiences nostalgically, along with giving a vision for the future. He changes focus in the second verse, talking about his relationships with women, and how to treat them.

I’d never be pussy whipped//

That’s probably the truest lyric spat on the whole album, and it’s advice that men from all over should take. Long Time is a flex like track, Lowkey presents a different type of delivery that fits the beat well. Takeover uses the beat from the Jay-Z song of the same name, he even uses the same type of chorus with a slight adjustment. He fits the beat well, and the lyrics he spits are also nice. A Portrait is decent, but it covers much of the same territory that we’ve already been over, just with a different beat and mood. Pipe Dreams is decent, This Is My Life has another great beat, it reminds me of a Dream House genre song. The chorus is superb also. Killer Instinct is another flex type track, followed by You Know Who You Are which is a short track about making love to a girl. It also features this hilarious lyric.

Beautiful, you love to sit and sulk posin// Till I rip them clothes open like Hulk Hogan//

Low Key Raw Roots is another short flex track, in which he spits a sixteen over a nice beat. SOS closes the mixtape out nicely, with a melancholy beat and lyrics to match.

Overall, this is a nice mixtape that achieves the goal it probably had set for it, which is to show off Lowkey and his talents. It works well in that respect, but it suffers in that it has too many tracks and the same subject matter is recounted too often. This shouldn’t be seen as an album, because its not, it’s a collection of flexes and tracks thrown together. Still, as I said, it mostly works well, and Lowkey holds it together nicely due to his rapping talents. This is also only the first of the trilogy in this series, and Lowkey improves with each one.

Verdict – Good mixtape and achieves its goal, but lacks in certain aspects.

Rating – 80%