Benga - I Will Never Change

Professor Green feat. Ruth Anne - Remedy (iLS Remix)

It's such a good thing that these days UK rappers can create something uniquely British, and rhyme in a British accent, with British remixers like iLS and still attain mainstream success. I remember when I was a kid and you had Mark B & Blade, who had Signs, moaning about the stigma of UK rap. I think that stigma has been safely removed now! There have been many points along the way which I consider pivotal because they have opened eyes and inspired people such as;

1. The success of Arctic Monkeys. 
Alex Turner's vocal delivery on the first 2 Monkeys albums has frequently been referred to as almost like rapping. Their massive success writing about British themes was definitely crucial.
2. The success of The Streets.
Mike Skinner's success was great as he was rapping in a recognisable Cockney-British accent, mainly utilising garage, which was a quintessentially British sound. The fact he was white too was great. He was the UK answer to Eminem in a way, yet he did not have to revert to some of the misogyny that has pervaded a lot of rap music.
3. Dizzee Rascal winning the Mercury. 
Boy In Da Corner is such an amazing album. I wouldn't want Dizzee to do the same thing anymore. And I know people could be critical and consider that he has gone mainstream, but as always Dizzee has been unique and reflected his current situation. He's loaded and loving it. But I will always love Boy In Da Corner the most.
4. Pass Out by Tinie Tempah hitting no.1
Though some artists like Kano, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk had achieved a certain amount of success (with Tinie Tempah talking about being worried that his grime peers were moving ahead of him) Pass Out was a record that took it to another place. Tinchy and Chipmunk had attained a good degree of pop success by diluting their sound somewhat with R&B hooks and love songs (nothing wrong with that though) Pass Out had that bass and that drum and bass bit at the end. It did not sound like a record aimed for the charts, yet it reached no.1 and introduced us to Labrinth, who feels like the first UK superstar producer on a level of Timbaland and N.E.R.D.

So now Professor Green who has been around a while is enjoying success. It's all good and long may the success of UK hip-hop continue!

What is this guys name?

Awesome Live Busking!

Johnni Lightning EP

http://www.ninjahlab.net/

A 5 track D'n'B EP by myself. I got new stuff which I can't wait to unleash! Check for Johnni Lightning.

No Rules

I am definitely in the vogue of creating new tracks for other people. It's not something I have really paid much attention to. I guess I always have the vision of me bouncing on the stage as the driving force. But I want to create something different. Collaborations are the beauty of music. So I am going to get 10 tracks fully produced and up within the next 2 weeks. I am setting that as a challenge for myself. And the only rule is No Rules.

Plan B - Ill Manors/Stooshe

I love the new Plan B song "Ill Manors". Some view it as a return to his roots. I guess it kind-of is. He has always been an excellent rapper, with a strong penchant for storytelling and character creation and this song does not disappoint in that regard. I love the opening line "Let's all go on an urban safari". It sets the tone of what is about to come and as a listener we are then dragged into the mentality and frustrations of a disassociated youth, which peaks with the chorus refrain "My manor's ill". There is so much of line that is relevant to today's society. Why is gang violence often decided over postcode location? In this simple chorus I envision a proud youth of an inner-city location being proud (for unknown reasons) to represent an area closely associated with violence, for no particular reason.

Obviously the beat is on point. The strings cascading through the song like a dramatic wave that is bought under control by Plan B's flow and storytelling. The quintessential story of this track to me is it is an artist who has a vision and isn't compromising, despite any pressures either he or the record label felt to match the sales of Strickland Banks. But if you really study it this is an album that still has commercial appeal as no doubt the Kidulthood/Adulthood generation may be drawn to the movie, spurred on by the extreme violence that apparently accompanies it.

I contrast that with Stooshe, who turned "Fuck Me" into "Love Me" and feature one of the worst features in all of music; the phoned in guest-rap by an American star (see Another Level and Jay-Z at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofQkBj5ZsP8 ). You know Travie McCoy has no idea who these girls are. You know they are probably a bit reluctant too. But the thing I hate is when a group pretends to be bolshie and original, when for all I can see they are just TLC, with more annoying ad-libs. They even got a wanna-be T-Boz, with a girl with a deep voice!

Everything has been done, but don't claim to be an original girl-group who are uncompromising when I have seen you before. They are kind-of interesting, but there is so much annoying stuff about them. 2 albums, then they will fade away is my prediction. I remember the last girl group I became aware of called Ultragirls. They came to my school and while they were good singers, very professional and amazingly beautiful there was nothing new about them. They were even promoting girl-power, which I swear has been done before! Of course there is something beautifully alluring about feminine independence, but what chance did the now disbanded Ultragirls have when their debut video/song was this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOqdbqdPQX4
Girls will be girls, but why do they so often follow the same formula? And where is the new Missy Elliott? Or even better, where is Missy Elliott