'Best of 2008' - VA - SK Vibemakers (free download)

SK Vibemakers, as is their wont, have collected together the best tracks from the grimy side of UK Rap music in 2008 and put them altogether in the mix. Interspersed are clips of interviews with the relevant artists (as they do).

It features Giggs, Bashy, Chipmunk, Sway, Ghetto, Wiley, Skepta, Dizzee Rascal, Estelle and many more. It also actually includes said artists biggest and bestest tracks.

Click here to see the tracklist and here to download it.

'Dem Na Like Me' ft. Wiley - The Qemists (free remixes)

The Qemists will be dropping their latest single 'Dem Na Like Me' featuring the daddy of the Grime scene Wiley on the 26th of this month (January for all those reading in retrospect). The lovely people at Ninja Tune sent me a whole heap 'o remixes to keep your ears busy this weekend:

First up there are some Dubstep ones:

The Qemists feat. Wiley - 'Dem Na Like Me (Subscape Remix)'
The Qemists feat. Wiley - 'Dem Na Like Me (King Cannibal Remix)'

And then there are some others:

The Qemists feat. Wiley - 'Dem Na Like Me (A1 Bassline Remix)'
The Qemists feat. Wiley - 'Dem Na Like Me (Elektrons Remix)'

'Dem Na Like Me' is taken from forthcoming album 'Join The Q' out 02/02/09 on Ninja Tune.

I'm not usually into promoting things for big companies but HMV have got some good deals on a few UK Hip Hop titles that you might be interested in. So you've you've worn out those illegally downloaded mp3, snapped that copy your mate did for you, want to find out who produced that track or just want to do the right thing, get over there and pay a few quid to get some quality music:

All at £4.99 with free p&p:

Roots Manuva - 'Awfully Deep'
Braintax - 'Birofunk'
57th Dynasty - 'Boro 6: Volume 2'
Asaviour - 'Borrowed Ladder'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Boy In Da Corner'
Roots Manuva - 'Brand New Second Hand'
Ty - 'Closer'
Mystro - 'Music Mystro'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Maths & English'
Sway - 'One For The Journey'
Wiley - 'Playtime Is Over'
Roots Manuva - 'Run Come Save Me'
Dizzee Rascal - 'Showtime: 2cd: Includes Dvd'
Million Dan - 'Spektrum'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'

There are also a couple of good US releases there too.

'Grime' - VA - Mixed and Compiled by Lunatrix & DJ Vokal (compilation review)

There are certain Grime artists who have matured the genre into something listenable. Some of those artists (Wiley, Asher D, Wretch 32, Bashy, Virus Syndicate and Skepta) are assembled on HHB Radio’s ‘Grime’ mix CD. Other artist on this CD generally fit into the mature mould although there are a couple of Channel U moments, ya get me?

Primarily, I’m a Hip Hop fan but there are many Grime artists who have crossed into my consciousness as the boundaries between the two genres have blurred. This does mean that I’m not up to speed with everything on this CD, but to my ears it sounds pretty fresh.

Stand out track is the massive ‘Punctuation Remix’ and the mix into ‘Streets on Lock’ by Nasty Jack is nice. ‘Badder Dan Dem’ by Lady Lykes, ‘The Formula’ by W.A.R. Material and Fr3e’s ‘I Got This’ could have been left on the cutting room floor but overall the track selection is educated.

If you’re a Grime fan then buy this, if you’re curious, buy it because it could change your mind. It’s ideal for your car’s subwoofer or for getting hyped up to before you hit the town in your cris new creps. It's out now on OYM records.

UK Artists in MOBO Awards Tonight

It's the MOBO awards tonight.

Sway, Wiley and Dizzee Rascal will battle it out for Best UK Male as well as a couple of others who I don't care for.

Estelle is going for Best UK Female against again, a few others who don't deserve to win. She's also up for a whole host of other awards; Best Song, Best Video and Best Album.

Ironik is up for Best UK Newcomer, he'd better not win that, Chipmunk or Skepta deserve it more.

We're (the UK) also reppin' in the Best Gospel category with Jahaziel and GreenJade both in the running and both thouroughly recommended by myself to any Hip Hop fans out there.

Best Song section features Wiley's 'Wearin' My Rolex', Dizzee's 'Dance Wiv Me' and Estelle's 'American Boy'. 'American Boy' is up for Best Video award as is Bashy's 'Kidulthood to Adulthood' and Tinchy Stryder's 'Stryderman'.

Dizzee and Wiley have both been nominated for Best Hip Hop alongside Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco and Lil' Wayne.

Big ups also go to our own radio and club DJ's Semtex, Westwood, 279 and more.

UK Royal Fam Vol. 3

When it comes to walking the fine line between Hip Hop and Grime in the UK there a few names that might spring to mind. Someone whose mind it obviously sprung to was the guy who track listed ‘The UK Royal Fam Mixtape Vol. 3’. Lethal Bizzle, JME, Skepta, Wiley, Ghetto, Klashnekoff, Roll Deep, Bigz, Bashy, Sway, Pyrelli…the list does go on. Believe this mixtape is big, if this type of music is your bag.

Also it’s not so much of a mixtape, more of a tape, well, a CD. It’s just the full tracks collected and sequenced – and I like it that way. And don’t make the mistake I did when I had the 1st instalment (which actually was pretty poor): I thought it was called the ‘Royal FARM Mixtape’! Ha! What an idiot I am.

This particular sub genre of Hip Hop is probably at it’s apex right now. It’s so full of energy yet it’s not as underdeveloped as it was and it’s not got too big for it’s own boots (that’s why Dizzee aint on here!) – it’s in that good old middle ground like Hip Hop was in the 90’s; it’s just coming of age.

It’s hosted by Manchester bod Solja too, who I once encountered outside of a J5 show in Manchester as he hustled his CD to my brother. Solja, shows promise here as one who may ride the dual waves of interest in the Manc scene and the aforementioned impending maturity of Hip Hop/Grime crossover music – usually poorly labelled as ‘Urban’.

It’s actually hard to pick a standout track here, it’s all surprisingly quality! Sincere’s ‘Once Upon a Time’ which features one of radio’s current pets, Natty (even my Dad liked him after seeing him on Jools Holland) is pretty jolly, it’s just annoying that it fades out (good job I've got the full track already then). Either of the Ghetto tracks display that raw rawness that can only be described as raw – check out 'Who's Got'. ‘What’s Your Grind’ comes courtesy of Swiss and has a beat that makes me say ‘Yeah, nice’, so that’s good innit? He talks about something we can all to relate to – the 9 to 5 grind, I know it’s been done, but, he does it well so it’s OK. Lethal Bizzle’s genre bending track ‘Police on my Back’ is here too - a fantastic ode to TWOCing. Skepta's tune 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' is awesome for managing to reference Rosa Parks and Pogs in the same track amongst other great things too.

The last point I must make is that this is free. A great chance to see what this side of UK things is really about because this does feature top album tracks and not just hastily recorded ‘exclusive’ freestyles over someone else’s beats. Go get it.

Download 'UK Royal Fam Mixtape Vol. 3' for nowt

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 tracks for y'all

Get all the tracks by licking here, yes that's right, lick it.

U.K. Rap Cats by Tha 4orce & Poynt Blak

I don't know much about either of these acts but what I do know is that they've used Quasimoto's Rap Cats, produced by Madlib, and done a UK thing instead. Listen out for the biggest names in UK Hip Hop both past and present. I think I do prefer Blade's 'UK Hip Hop' but this is good too.

Surviving the Times by Nas

I've always liked Nas. I like his emotive voice and the way he writes. His lyrics are honest and whilst clever they sound effortless. I'm not going to go on about 'Illmatic' and what his careers been like since then but this track takes us back in Nas' memory to those 'Illmatic' days. Just erase all criticisms of Nas and sit back and enjoy this, it shouldn't be too difficult.

No Qualms (Revox) by Wiley

This track features Chipmunk, JME and Skepta; if you're into the UK Grime scene then you'll know these names. Pretty empty topic wise but the MC's have skills and the tune is nice and bouncy.

Dumb it Down by Lupe Fiasco

Doesn't seem a minute since Lupe dropped 'Food & Liquor'; an album I rate as one of the best of last year. The lyrics in the first verse here are top notch - listen carefully. The verses tick over quietly but menacingly and the chorus is masterfully written: it sums up what the track is about. Similar in topic to last years 'Daydream', Lupe obviously feels he hasn't got his message across. An anti-stereotypical Hip Hop mentality track at its best.

The Mission ft. Jehst & Micall Parknsun by L.G.

L.G. is a UK producer who makes real Hip Hop. This sample based track is laced with Biscuit's flute, the distinctive rhymes of one of UK's best Jehst and the not so distinctive but very up-and-coming rhymes of Micall Parknsun. This off-kilter beat sounds like it should be hard to flow over but Y'n'R's brightest talent make it sound so simple.

Classic Cliche ft. Mpho Skeef by Elektrons

Not Hip Hop, rather electrodiscofunk from Manchester duo Elektrons that features Ty collaborator and impossibly named Mpho Skeef. So her name sounds like the noise you'd make when being thumped in the stomach but her vocals are clear and happy here, I dare you not to move to this. Happy music.

Dillagence (One For Jay) ft. Phonte by DJ Spinna

A medley of synthy strings and punchy basses of different pitches backs up this track sung (I presume) by Little Brother's Phonte. A dedication to Jay Dilla in a Slum Villagey way (in case you couldn't tell from the title).

Leyendecker (DJ EMZ remix ft. Joell Ortiz) by Battles

Battles were only brought to my attention the other night by Jools Holland and I don't know much about them other than some call them art rockers and I think they're a bit mad. Anyway, this track sounds good, it's really good for humming and Joell Ortiz does top notch raps on it.

Skeng ft. Killa P & Flow-Dan by The Bug

What's this? Grimey Dubstep? Yeah probably. If you play it quietly it's quiet, but if you turn up the volume it's loud. Ya get me? This can't be played at a low volume, it just can't. Although it's a slow creeping track it's not really relaxing. Bang it out and let the hairs on yer neck stand up.

Punctuation by Wretch 32

Wretch 32 must be from around my way somewhere. His certainly aint a London accent as his myspace page might have us believe. The lyrics here are pretty intelligent, check how he includes loads of english grammar into his rhymes fullstop