Album Reviews: Hip Hop Round-up June 2005

Writer: Jonah Wyn Pugh

In this month’s roundup, we have a mixed bag for you, with some uncut diamonds and some lumpy coal with which to fill your auditory cortex. With a handful of emerging artists alongside a couple of well-established names, this has been an interesting selection, with some surprises, some disappointments and one particular newcomer that deserves immediate attention.

Proe - Perfect (Rec-League)

Listening to The Prelude of Proe’s Perfect, you could be forgiven for thinking that agitated guitar-based hip hop was back. But with the benefit of doubt and five more minutes, this album swells into a varied, competent study in musical progression. Written, performed and produced by Proe, this release demonstrates a solid delivery with strong hooks. Proe holds his own, demonstrating a unique style, although more in terms of potential than current affairs. Although his influences can be heard a little too clearly in both his choice of samples and even (at times) rhyming patterns, this artist is one to watch, with an intelligence of application that could well crossover into the majors. Proe's having chosen to run with an independent like Rec-League Records will hopefully allow him to retain his individual style. The topics and their treatment are honest and unintimidating, and Proe is what he says he is, but the danger with Proe is that the commercial potential of the music he writes could attract a label that would mistake his perspective, and direct it too close to the edge of pop music. Set principally on the back beat, this album carries you happily along without too many surprises, but is one of those albums that if you take time to listen, may well actually allow you to get a deep sense of what he’s saying.

Released: unknown (US) | Rec-League


V/A - Rebel Radio (Deep Thinka Records)

Searching for gems in a pebble patch, Deep Thinka Records have taken the noble step of handing out free music in an industry that can put too high a price on some of the trash we are handed along with our receipts. With change still in your pocket, you are provided with a worthy selection of budding artists that is a pretty comprehensive cross-section of the genre, with some surprising diamonds in the rough. Rebel Radio sees artists like Noble Truth, One and 3rd Son putting the message back into the meandering melee of false profundity that has typified bohemian hip hop of late. Catastrophic Minds, Black Champion and Finally Reallized lay down grooves that you can slip into, reminiscencent of artists that have come before them, but leaving a decent replica of that old formula. Such is the case with Furious’ production on Edotkom’s Heart of the Game. Then there's Zidda’s Universal Law, a poignant display of moody hip hop that is, however, slightly let down on th production side. This free mix-tape meets public relations stunt is well worth a listen, if only to keep an eye on some very interesting artists with potential for future years.

Released: unknown (online) | Deep Thinka (for free download of the album)


Copperpot - Chapter Seven (Lowlife / E.V. Productions)

With a strong intro, this debut album by Chicago-based producer Copperpot bodes well. Although the opening track Get Right is disappointingly weak, Braintax’s Out the Bunker more than makes up for it with a strong hook chorus, Tax’s usual fluency and Copperpot’s sick production work, paired perfectly with a Latin female vocal that justifies this entire review. Speaking from his own experience, Get it on Credit is a clever (if brief) instrumental that highlights the devastating level of debt in the United Slaves of America right now. To put it in context, Copperpot travelled from the States, all across Europe on a credit-funded vinyl junkie bender that ended him up in court and deep in debt, which gives you an idea of the kind of a wildcard this young producer is. PaceWon and Profound put in tight double-up appearances on It’s a Rap to a steady head nod beat that is made all the more haunting with a Gypsy accordion, carrying you through the unique narrative. Czar’s Professional, Braintax’s Money Grip and Iomos Marad’s It’s Evident are all very strong, confirming this album as a case study in producer/rapper collaboration. The artists are hand-picked and fresh, each one tailored to his track, and the scratch skills on display are humongous. This upbeat release is a convincing debut - the entertaining Copperpot is definitely one to watch.

Released: 14 March 2005 (UK) / 22 February 2005 (US) | E.V. Productions | Lowlife


V/A - Road to the Riches: The Best of the Purple City Mixtapes (Purple City)

You have to be careful what you say about an album like Road to Riches, for two reasons; based on their topics and delivery, you could be led to believe that these artists are very angry, very dangerous people who you wouldn’t want to upset, and secondly, it features rapper DK, a young MC with enormous potential. DK is a cut-from-the-cloth lyricist who will develop with the right direction, but the problem is, this album is so tedious that it detracts from DK’s strong performance on A Part of History. There's no doubt that these guys have a strong, developed sound and they have picked their niche. Sadly, however, that niche contains plenty of better alternatives, meaning that the clichéd topic selection, self-aggrandizement and unimaginative intermissions here just don’t cut it. Don’t shoot the messenger, but this album is boring.

Released: 22 March 2005 (US) | Purple City


The Likwit Junkies - L.J.'s (Abb)

DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples and Defari of the Likwit Crew partner up to remind us of how important experience is in the craft of song writing. After a decade of friendship, these two independently successful artists have come together to combine DJ Babu’s outrageously sick scratch skills with Defari’s tried and tested gritty lyrical perspective to present a distinctive fifteen track album that really works. Certain tracks stand out from the crowd though, and although the hook on lead single One Day Away is a clear winner in the more commercial context, others stand strong as well. With strong guest appearances by Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples on Dark Ends, a suitably sultry performance by LA vocalist Noelle on L.J.s Anthem and Evidence’s performance on Strength in Numbers, this album has both the diversity and the consistency required for a classic hip hop album. With all tracks produced by DJ Babu and executive produced by Beni B of ABB Records, there is a consistency throughout, underpinned by the controlled variety of vocalists and should therefore do very well. It's refreshing to have new partnerships forming out of such strong backgrounds, and I wish these two well.

Released: 22 March 2005 (US) | Abb


Josh Martinez - Midriff Music (Camo Bear)

Every now and then, an album comes along that justifies every reason I have for reviewing music. The fact is, as Joshua Kagan so often puts it puts it, ‘opinions are like assholes, every one has one and most of them stink’, so it seems conceited for a writer to provide any form of critique, positive or negative in the first place. But sometimes, writers are offered the chance to let an a priori truth be heard, and this album presents one such opportunity. Those rare truths are the reason we bother agreeing to write reviews in the first place; if only to carry the torch for unrecognised artists, to do our best to represent those underground artists and to ensure they receive the attention they deserve. On the artwork of the album, Josh Martinez dedicates the album “to summer tummies, BBQ’s and getting bizzy”, and it is a worthy dedication to what is a pre-requisite to the soundtrack of the Summer of 2005. Midriff Music is music that makes you feel as though the sun is shining through your speakers and makes you feel better about yourself. Every single song on this album is the kind you would single out to play to friends, each one a gift that makes you proud to be the giver. The songwriting is a tapestry of moods, with some of the truest lyrics you’ll hear this year, interwoven with never-to-be-repeated rhyming patterns and impeccable delivery, carried along ruthlessly by Samix’s beat narrative and graceful production. With the perfect balance of storytelling, intelligent samples, vocal and instrumental hooks and organic melodies, you're kept listening all the way through. So, with enough said, if anybody needs me, I’ll be driving the streets of London playing Josh Martinez as loudly as possible to unwitting passers by – not to make myself look like just another twat, but to help make sure he gets the recognition he deserves. Find it, buy it, tell everyone.

Released: 4 January 2005 (US) | Josh Martinez | Camo Bear