POSTS TAGGED : Rap

Karras – ‘Blades of Grass’

Karras is a rapper from America’s midwest who’s style finds a sweet spot between the grit of classic hip hop and off-kilter surrealism as he marries the mystical with manifest.

The latest from Karras is ‘Blades of Grass’ and it brings all the smooth, soulful and funky strutting vibes that you need in your life. Karras has an ear for melody and rhythm, and more pertinently, knows how to put it to good use and allowing space to enhance the potency of his lyrical prowess – all patently clear from even just the opening bars of ‘Blades of Grass’. It ambles along cooly, and calmly, over a seductive groove and rumbling bassline as lyrics are delivered unhurried and in his own time backed by dusty beats, funky riffs and stabs of brass. ‘Blades of Grass’ is a treasure trove of head-nodding, melodic and super smooth swaggering seduction that gets inside your head and refuses to leave; but hey, you’ll be all the better for it. 

Tune in below:


Just Geo – ‘Not in the Dance’

Last we heard from London Producer & DJ Just Geo was with the superb ‘Stick To My Guns’ with fellow Londoner, rapper and songwriter, Warrs McFreeman, and his latest single ‘Not in the Dance’ is just as electrifying.

Drawing influences from a wide variety of sounds, from old school Garage, grime and retro video game soundtracks, Just Geo has once again delivered something that is both fresh yet familiar. Beats rush and crunch like soft steps on gravel, while synths chime and peep while the melodic groove swerves with an all consuming dancey allure while soft, melodic and unassuming vocals flow above. Yet another super slick, smooth and perfectly packaged jam from Just Geo – it is a beaut.

Listen to ‘Not in the Dance’ below:

Clear Soul Forces – ‘Nine Five’

Detroit hip hop collective, Clear Soul Forces released their fifth and unfortunately final album Forceswithyou on March 13.

Formed in 2009, the hip-hop quartet made their name with a classic combo of head-nodding, shuffling percussion with subtle and melodic instrumental touches – a hallmark stamped all over their final hurrah as they continue to charm us with their swansong ‘Nine Five’. It is melodic, playful and bouncy as hell as as each rapper takes their turn to unleash their own style and cadence, attacking the beat with slick wordplay crammed tight with colourful pop-culture references. The silky wordplay is matched in the hypnotic stakes by seductive, flawless beatwork, colourful bright and glitchy synth sounds, and  bubbling electro -groove, ‘Nine Five’ is an absolute joy, and finding a balance between contemporary creativity and nostalgia.

Tune into ‘Nine Five’ below and if you like what your hear, check out Forceswithyou here.

Gang Starr – ‘Bad Name’

Back in September, we got the first new track from Gang Starr in 16 years, ‘Family And Loyalty’. A few weeks ago, this was followed a whole new Gang Starr album called One Of The Best Yet. DJ Premier started working on the record in September 2017, and comes almost a decade after Guru’s death in 2010.

While the circumstances of the album’s creation remain a point of contention, it is a little strange but very good to hear the duo back together again – a rather unexpected surprise. The album, while not to the level of say Daily Operation and Hard to Earn (two of my all time favourite records), is a nice tribute to, and reminder of, how great Gang Starr were. IMO there is never a bad time to share anything Gang Starr related, with that in mind, we have latest single ‘Bad Name’. Backed by Premier’s trademark production and iconic scratch choruses, without missing a beat, Guru bemoans the lack or real hip hop talents, as he spits: “Word to God, if Big and ‘Pac were still here/ Some of these weirdos wouldn’t act so cavalier”.

It is undeniably great to hear the two artists together again, check out ‘Bad Name’ below:

YTK – ‘Slackface’

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Following a slew of slick singles, Baltimore-based hip hop artist YTK, released his debut EP Berea last week.

This six track EP is led by single ‘Slackface’ and establishes YTK as a master of crafting classy, breezy and majestic hip hop tunes. ‘Slackface’s’ hazy glow sprouts from an irresistible soft wave of hypnotising synths, intertwining clever rhymes over festively jazzy beats. This beguiling, washed-out textured haze of dreaminess shifts seductively beneath, as subtle as shifting sands, providing a perfect backdrop from YTK laying down his nonchalant flow. Laid-back and chilled, YTK’s sound is irresistible and distinctive, and you can’t help nodding along to. Fill your boots!

Listen to ‘Slackface’ below and the entire EP, Berea is here too.

TPM – ‘Fuck RTÉ’

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TPM are brothers Charles & Andrew Hendy from Co Louth, who you may remember from previous singles ‘Eat That Curry’ and especially, ‘All The Boys on the Dole’.

The sibling duo are back with another masterclass of no-fucks-given hip-hop in the shape of ‘Fuck RTÉ’. On this occasion, it is the law, courts, national broadcaster RTÉ and the TV licence who are in receipt of their ire and firmly in their satirical cross-hairs. Backed by eerie, Beastie Boys-esque production, the pair’s signature humorous lyrics and slick wordplay combine perfectly with infectious beats and a punk attitude; they are, as they say themselves “the only MCs are saying Fuck The Law and Fuck RTÉ”. This is just superb, humorous no quarter given stuff of the Captain Moonlight and Jinx Lennon ilk, it should have you (like me) playing it on constant rotation for weeks.

Listen to ‘Fuck RTÉ’ below:

PS – As seen in Newbridge, these two brothers are serious merch sales people, you have been warned!

The Legion – ‘Joy’

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It is almost 25 years since Bronx-based rap trio The Legion – Molecules, Cee-Low The Diceman, and Chucky Smash – released their debut record Theme + Echo = Krill.

Since them, the trio have mostly preoccupied themselves with solo projects, various collaborations and put out a compilation of unreleased material, The Lost Tapes, in 2014. But a quarter of a century on from their debut, it is new album, Three The Bronx Way, that marks their return as a group proper, showcasing the timeless quality of their street-minded Boom bap. The new album is led by the aptly titled feel good banger ‘Joy’. It is a bright, breezy and bouncy tune that fuses a funky bass line with stabs of brass and ‘Cules joyful sample chop, a perfect and irresistible combination for the silky wordplay and rhymes to thrive and leave an indelible mark on your soul. This is an absolute gem of bright feelgood vibes – pure magic.

You can listen to ‘Joy’ below and if if that is too you liking, you listen to new record Three The Bronx Way – homage to the 1974 Blaxploitation classic, Three The Hard Way – here.

 

Fold – ‘Stronger Than the Evils’

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Over the past few years, Leeds-based Hip-Hop/Trip Hop outfit Fold have proven themselves a reliable source of incredible music.

Fold’s 2015 self-titled debut was magnificent, pitting an enviable creativity with a powerful social consciousness to craft something thoroughly powerful, unique and memorable – as was their 2017 EP Written In The Sky.

After a four-year wait, Fold have returned with news of the follow up to their eponymous debut which is penned for release on April 13. Two new singles will precede the album’s release and Fold have shared the first ‘Stronger Than the Evils’, a brilliant and powerful track with Nottingham based MC / beatboxing champion MotorMouF. Fold have always stress a socially-conscious message and that continues as they rail against the many political and social issues, or evils if you prefer, that the world faces today. ‘Stronger Than the Evils’ is a funky-edged hip-hop tune with a irresistible groove and rhythm, laced with ominous blasts of synths, vocal samples and the blistering wordplay and beatbox work from Motormouf. An incredible and irresistible track – roll on April 13 and the new album.

Take a listen to ‘Stronger Than the Evils’ below now:

Clear Soul Forces – ‘Hit Me Now’

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Detroit hip-hop quartet Clear Soul Forces are releasing a brand new LP, Still, on February 22 and to get us in the mood, they have shared superb slick single, ‘Hit Me Now’.

In under three minutes, the four members of Clear Soul Forces deliver plenty to excited about; boasting infectious verses and hypnotic, shuffling production. The slick wordplay is crammed tight with colourful pop-culture references – from Marvel superheroes to classic Nintendo games – and layers of metaphors, as rhymes are sprinkled over a neck snapping beat. Loaded with zip, gloss and bounce ‘Hit Me Now’ finds a balance between contemporary creativity and nostalgia – it is just irresistible, and will have you coming back for more time and time again. A slick, succinct and perfectly executed introduction to the new record.

Clear Soul Forces new LP, Still, is out on February 22 – for now, listen to ‘Hit Me Now’.

BarryGruff Albums of the Year (2016)

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Yes. It is that time of year again, lists, lists and more lists. Well, not be out done, here are my 13 (lucky for some) albums of 2016.

There was lots of great music in 2016 but I decided to keep it to a short list this year. Also, I’m hoping the festive period will provide some time to catch up on some records I’ve missed throughout the year, so feel free to recommend some listening material.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my favourite records from 2016:

There is also a Spotify playlist of all the albums, to save you time and hassle, and it is here.

13. Amber Arcades – ‘Fading Lines’

Amber Arcades‘ – Dutch-born musician Annelotte de Graaf – debut album is a dazzling blend of ‘60s tinged psych, lush jangly guitars, floating pop melodies and an abundance of propulsive, hypnotic krautrocky moments. [Listen here]

12. Tuff Love – ‘Resort’

Glaswegian scuzz-pop aficionados Tuff Love, combine a terrific trilogy of EPs into an LP of dazzling, fuzzy indie pop with sugar-sweet melodies and crunching choruses and shoegazey guitars galore. [Listen here]

11. Underworld – ‘Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future’

A first proper Underworld record in half a decade, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith deliver a stomping electronic record that is up there with the best of their work. [Listen here]

10. The Coral – ‘Distance Inbetween’

Distance Inbetween – their eighth LP and first in over five years – saw The Coral rediscover their roots, mojo and discover their dark side and add a harder edge to their brand of psychedelic indie. It’s an evolution of the Wirral five piece’s sound into a cohesive, weird and imaginative psych-rock record, and one that grows with time. [Listen here]

09. Mr Huw – ‘Gwna Dy Feddwl I Lawr’

Gwna Dy Feddwl I Lawr is album number five from one of Wales’ finest, Mr. Huw and with it, he has delivered an irresistible set of inventive, electrifying indie. Sang in his native tongue, these are melodic songs with a spiky edge. Post-punk riffs and snappy drum-machine punctuate infectious pop melodies, mild psychedelic leanings and Huw’s affable Welsh lilt. A magnificent collection of soul consuming tunes which provide proof if proof be needed, that we should never underestimate the power of great music to overcome a small matter, like a language barrier. [Listen here]

08. Jinx Lennon – ‘Magic Bullets of Madness To Uplift The Grief Magnets’

2016 saw Jinx Lennon return with two new albums – Past Pupil Stay Sane and Magic Bullets of Madness To Uplift The Grief Magnets – with each offering distinctly different brilliance. Magic Bullets… is the pick of the pair but in fairness, both find the folk punk poet at his uncompromising best. Recorded with Liverpool experimentalists Clinic, it is a collection of instantly catchy tunes that boasts a meatier, more beat-driven sound, combined with Jinx’s raw truths kicking back against the humdrum bullshit of modern life. Jinx Lennon is a unique talent, a national treasure to be exact and this is him at his inherently brilliant best. [Listen here]

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