Mankind - IIWII

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Mankind – IIWII review

Geelong meets Brisbane on this MC & rapper collaboration release between Hungry Humans, Field Trip and now Mankind rapper Thorts and recent 750 Rebels addition and long standing producer (and drummer) V, formerly known as Dave V.

From the first moment the release plays you can tell there’s something special install. The opening track “Hungry Humans” sees Thorts breaking down what the project is about, being a regular human and being a part of mankind. Thorts rhymes throughout are extremely solid. Using a laid back flow that works well over the banging and often abstract production from V. Matching up well with his overall style Thorts reveals himself as a regular and down to earth lad that happens to be a rapper and hungry for love, life and beats. Being a collaborative project the main stage is shared between Thorts and V by including instrumental tracks. V being the production minded head that he is doesn’t let the instrumental tracks drag out and keeps them short while being long enough to get a feel for the beat.

All production duties are handled by V who is more than capable of handling a complete project (as previously shown on both the ‘Lifestyles’ compilation and his ‘V’ album) while cuts duty is shared between DJ Bogues and DJ DCE. There are very few miss-steps on the production front even when heading in to much more abstract territory. The one slip is in the instrumental track “Upon this Mental Ray” which at times feels slightly out of time.

Guests on the album are Class A on “The Simple Life” who has a solid showing but doesn’t quite hold her own against Thorts, Lost Soulz on “Everyday Hustle” who blend seamlessly with Thorts making a very smooth and head nodding track and Esvee on “From Then to Now” who delivers a nice reminiscent verse that works well.

Being a very impressive debut under the title of ‘Mankind’ the pair have managed to put together an extremely banging album while being easy listening and versatile enough to save it from slipping in to the territory of being boring. The guest spots were solid while not being over done making for a well rounded release that is definitely worth selling out the hard-earned to pick up for fans of dope beats & rhymes.

Rugged Intellect - Renaissance Music: The Introduction

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Rugged Intellect - Renaissance Music: The Introduction
Expertism Records/Shogun Distribution

Yet another dope rapper from the US’ less backwards neighbour Canada comes with one of the albums of the year. Underground upcomer Rugged Intellect delivers a dope album which cements his position of one of the names to watch for.

From the moment the CD starts to play it’s obvious that this is going to be more of a true school outting than a commercial filler release. Opening with “What It Is” (one of the standout tracks on the album) the production almost instantly forces your head to nod and Rugged delivers solid lyrics showcasing his well developed style of lyricism.

Guest spots throughout the album are handled by a who’s who of the underground/lyricism scene with Rock of Heltah Skeltah (”Guaranteed”), R.A. The Rugged Man (”DBA”), Kool G Rap (”All Fair”), Ras Kass (”Next Dose”), AG of DITC (”Like That”), Party Arty, Sean Price, Rustee Juxx and Solomon Childs (all on the “Say Goodbye (Remix)”) all handling their spots well and helping the album  show it’s strength.

Production on the album is as impressive as Rugged’s flow with beats being contributed by Domingo, Buckwild, Momo of Molemen, Rugged’s right hand man Adam Sampler and others. Largely sample based the beats throughout are head-nodding throwback hip-hop at it’s finest.

Standout tracks on the album include “It Is What It Is”, “Biters Block” (where Rugged calls out all the new jacks who bite their favourite rapper’s style in an attempt to get attention), “DBA” with R.A. the Rugged Man (on some classic dissing the sluts shit - DBA stands for Dirty Bitch Anthem) and “All Fair” with legendary lyricist Kool G Rap. The whole album is bumpable front-2-back coming in at 18 solid tracks (including bonus tracks) with no skip material.

A very solid introduction to Rugged Intellect for those not up on the man, def worth your hard-earned. The album is available in Australia through Shogun Distribution.

Brad Strut - Legend: Official

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Brad Strut – Legend: Official.

Unkut Recordings – Shogun Distribution

Aussie wordsmith Brad Strut returns with his highly anticipated sophomore solo release ‘Legend: Official’. After three years of work, he delivers a gem to set the bar for the rest of the scene.

Back in the booth largely backed by fellow Lyrical Commission member Trem handling production Strut shakes the sophomore slump to deliver one of the nicest albums of the year. While Brad proves throughout that he’s more than capable of holding down tracks solo he has a few friends in the mix in the form of Lyrical Commision on “Bounty Hunterz, Lee Sissing on “One” and “Strut Life”, Daniel Merriweather on “Caught Up”, Outerspace and Trem on “Terrordome”, Trem again on “Incite the Premises” and Sean Price on “Automatic”. The standout tracks however aren’t just the collaborations even though the guests are some of the most impressive names in the industry.

Personal standout tracks include the lead single “Monopoly” features Strut talking on the direction of the industry, “Terrordome” with Army of the Pharaohs members Outerspace and Trem making this an underground banger and the requisite Lyrical Commission collab “Bounty Hunterz”. From the time the cd starts you know you’re in for a treat with this release. The anticipation was definitely answered and Strut stood up to the plate and delivered another album that is sure to go down as an Aussie classic.

If you like hard-edged lyricism then be sure to run out and add this one to your collection.

Last Credit - Breakfast of Champs

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Last Credit – Breakfast of Champs
Nurcha Records/Obese Distribution

One of the newer editions to the Nurcha Records family Last Credit (made up of rapper JC and rapper/producer Maekism) come through with their debut album. With Obese distributing it and putting their name alongside that of Nurcha, you can be sure that you’re in for at least an interesting listen.

When first listening through the album there are tracks that jump out at you straight away, the beauty of this album however is that almost every track is very bumpable. The tracks that don’t grab you immediately are creepers and grow on you with each additional listen. The soundscape throughout the album is solid and provided by member Maekism outside of two tracks one produced by Funkoars beatsmith Trials and the other from extended Credit fam Splytt Adams.

The vocals while being primarily handled by the boys themselves are shared on tracks with Nurcha familia Double & Big Lu (“The Moshpit”), Nurcha head honcho Shrekk (“Finger in the Pie”), Shamus (“Some Alcoholics”), Mr. Trials of The Funkoars (“All The Way Home”) and PhatChance of Nucha’s own Natural Causes (“Still Nothing Changes”). The guests all hold their own and for the most part make some nice showings. The one guest that takes away from the track however is Shamus, his style isn’t bad but needs some more polishing to hold his own alongside the energetic and solid presence of JMC & Maekism.

The album is playable from front to back with head nodding beats and an energy that is obviously engineered for live performance. The album overall is very solid with high points in the form of “Finger in the Pie” with Shrekk putting in a solid performance alongside the lads, “Moshpit” for its manic energy and live ambience and “All The Way Home” with Mr. Trials differing from the general vibe of the album but still making for one of the nicest additions.

Low points of the album are few and far between but the most obvious downfalls are the overly repetitive “What Was That” (even though the beat was quite banging) and the Shamus featured “Some Alcoholics” with a lacklustre guest spot. As a debut album this album is very impressive, some of the content will be seen as very repetitive to some listeners but that’s ok, they don’t have to listen. I look forward to catching Last Credit live and seeing what’s to come from the lads as they grow and develop further.

Definitely an album to cop and an act to watch for.

Boltz - The Wishlist

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Boltz - The Wishlist
Soulmate Records

Melbourne rapper (and one half of A-Diction) Boltz comes through with his solo debut. With a who’s who of current producers and a couple of more than able guests Boltz delivers a solid debut.

Listening through ‘The Wishlist’, the loosely themed debut album from Boltz one can’t help but nod your head. The album has a variety of topics ranging from reppin’ his hometown of Hursty (”Bringin’ Hursty Back” feat. Gergo One and Take It Easy Heezy) to typical radio fodder (”Addicted 2 U” feat. Joolz on the hook) and traditional braggadocio (”The Best” feat. Royce Da 5′9″). Production on the album is handled by a who’s who of the current crop of Aussie production talent. Producers include current rising star Styalz Fuego (”The Wishlist”, “Austracism”), Trials (”Oh Yeah”, “Keep Ur Head”), newcomer Muneshine (”Know All”), Weapon X (”Break Sumthin’ “, “Addicted 2 U”), Mules (”Dream”, “Spitfire”, Start All Over Again”) and M-Phazes (”Bringin’ Hursty Back”, “The Best”, “Memoirs of a Blacktop”).

Boltz shows the ability to deliver solid lyrics and has a consistent delivery that is sometimes his downfall. The laidback style Boltz rhymes with sometimes lacks the energy to bounce on production chosen for the release (as heard on the Trials produced “Oh Yeah”). Other low points on the album include the blatent radio filler track “Addicted 2 U” with it’s generic R&B chorus and overall sound. The majority of the album is very listenable and enjoyable. The stand out tracks include the extremely catchy “Oh Yeah”, the Royce da 5′9″ collab “The Best” and “Bringin’ Hursty Back” featuring Fergo One and Take It Easy Heezy.

A solid debut that leaves room for improvement but is enjoyable none the less. Definitely worth your hard-earned to give it a good listen for yourself even with a couple of speed bumps in the mix.

Shawn Lov - Waiting for a Ghost

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Shawn Lov – Waiting for a Ghost

Label: Nuffsaid Records

Distro: Shogun

Listening to “Waiting for a Ghost”, Shawn Lov’s tenth album one thing comes to mind ‘How the fuck is this guy not known across the global underground?!’. The release is the second through Australia’s own Nuffsaid Records and the Trenton, New Jersey rapper (MC if you prefer) is at full force like it’s his debut.

“Waiting for a Ghost” has a reminiscent feel flawlessly bringing a true school hip-hop sound with the help of beatsmiths Prowla (who contributes five beats and handles the cuts), Tony D, Masada, Methodz, Fatha Ramzee and Custodian of Records. Guests on the album are filled by Tony D on “Can’t Conplain; Big Ohh, Lin Que & Pace Won (of the Outsidaz) on “True Music”; Prowla on “Devil Runnin’ Wild”; Fatha Ramzee, Shadokat & Lin Que on “Still Righteous”; and Pace Won returning again on “Get It Right”.

The word that most effectively describes this album is simply dope. For me personally it is on par with underground heroes like Jedi Mind Tricks, King Syze, Outerspace etc but without the hard-edge that turns some heads away. This is pure hip-hop, no filler, no gangsta-bullshit, plenty of wordplay, lots of skill, dope production, solid guest spots, bumpable front-2-back.

I’m not even going to disrespect tracks by picking out favourites, this is solid throughout with no skip material at all. If you’ve got the cash to cop this then do it. This is the material we need to support and it’s dope that it has an Aussie label backing it.

If other acts come with drops like this then maybe, the wait for the ghost of true hip-hop will be shorter than Shawn first assumed. Go get it.

Matty B - Simple But Effective

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Matty B
Simple But Effective (EP)

Reviewed by Remot

One thing you have to keep in mind regarding Matty B is that he is, simply put, a simple emcee. But that ain’t no knock on homeboy.

If it was, I might have been listening to the Complex and Capable EP for the last two hours. But as the title of his sophomore release so proudly declaims, he is what he is, and that would be, of course, simple, yet (at times) effective.

Here is my problem with the Simple But Effective EP: it really ain’t all that simple. Granted, Matty B fails to drop any mind-boggling metaphors, and he sure as hell doesn’t have me pressing rewind at any point, but one thing he does have going for him is that he’s at the least a likeable guy. Fittingly, the album starts out with nothing but fun. “I’m A Joke” is not only funny, but stands as an easily appreciated example of modesty in hip-hop music, with Matty pointing at himself only to laugh more than once: “I’m a joke - yeah my name’s Matty B/I made you wait three years for an eight-track EP ”

The title track tries to follow in the same vein but winds up as generic as an underground track can be, complete with clumps of big words that just so happen to rhyme and the “you gotta keep it positive” yada yada. Still, he doesn’t lose on this cut, and “Aussie Weekender”continues to keep it lighthearted, and could easily draw comparisons to early nineties Fresh Prince or vintage Pharcyde. Matty then picks up his biggest head of steam on “Glamours,” a smooth Wurlitzer track he handles well, contrasting different types of females.

This is when everything quickly and so violently derails. Now, I have no problem with politically inspired music (who doesn’t like Public Enemy?), and conspiracy theory raps are always good for a few kicks (Canibus, Dead Prez), but once people start getting ignorant, absolutely nothing good comes as a result. So when Matty B claims that Australian kids are acting ‘more American’ because the U.S. is ‘trying to take the world over,’ one can only wonder why he would go to such a length to kill the mood of a very short release. “Globalization” is easily the most frustrating track on the album fifteen seconds in, but it only gets worse. Not only does Matty manage to yack out some wack-ass metaphors (”sitting ducks in the hunting game of globalization”), he also contradicts his own argument, first disgracing intolerance, then expressing his anger in the thought of owning American-made products. Come on now, Matty B  You can do better than that! You want to talk about paranoia. I mean, I had better stop playing Metal Gear Solid or else Japan might take over the world. Silly.

Shortly after this unfortunate development, Matty crawls back into his comfortable, cookie-cutter underground battle track on “I’m Sick,” then kicks a half- cautionary, half-consultive mess on “Cycle of Abuse,” only to cap the EP with “Mission of Life” with a little more of the same.

Whether he’s rejoicing in his shameless honesty, flaunting his juvenile sense of humor, or getting out of hand with his own theories, Matty B really isn’t as simple as one is lead to believe by his EP’s title. In fact, the simpler parts of the entire album have more to do with his ho-hum writtens, rather than the carefree joy of a 3 Feet High and Rising. So by the end of the EP, “I’m A Joke,” which originally stood as one of Matty B’s better efforts on the mic, actually comes back to bite him in the ass. Had he followed it up in stronger fashion, the outcome would have been all the more convincing, twice as funny, and infinitely easier to listen to. As is, it’s a right mess lyrically, with few bright spots whatsoever on the latter half of the EP.

That said, the beats are more than acceptable. The music certainly saves Simple But Effective, with very aptly simple and effective breakbeats from one end of the EP to the other.  Producer Dazastah contributes four choice selections, and provides all cuts, doing a fine job with all the samples. Optamus also comes correct with his three beats, although with not as much fire.

Matty B stumbles on his long-awaited EP, but he manages to pass. As monotonous as his
rhymes might be over a long player, the solidity of the production and his energy behind a microphone give him just enough to survive over an eight-track. Bum it off your friend or iTune the shit before you invest your hard-earned guacamole.

Prophet Rayza - Still I Shine

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Prophet Rayza – Still I Shine
Prophets Production

‘Still I Shine’, Prophet Rayza’s debut album is an interesting release to say the least. On one hand Rayza’s flow is solid and consistent but in stark contrast the production lets the album down. Completed in four weeks from start to finish it shows through and stops this debut from being the decent album it had the potential to be.

Listening through this release it’s realised that Prophet Rayza has something to say and is strong in his message, this strength isn’t backed by the production however with beats ranging from average to distracting. Messages on this album range from believing in yourself and fulfilling your calling to commentary on the state of hip-hop. This album would be remarkably nicer if rather then rushing production Rayza had spent more time developing the tracks and letting someone else handle the production. Guest verses on come from some of Brisbane’s more respected artists (K-West, Tom Thum, Emcee Pie) and unknowns (Elam, R. McIntyre).

While still listenable I can’t help but feel disappointed with this release because I hear the potential in Rayza’s style. Over the right beats Rayza will shine as he intended on this release but rather then shine this album glints dimly I’m afraid.

I’ll be looking forward to future tracks and releases to see if Rayza can pick him self up from this stumble and stride like he can.

Storm Troop - The Invasion

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

Storm Troop – The Invasion
Rezadential Records

Gold Coast unit Storm Troop made up of Rezadent and Emcee Li come through with their debut set ‘The Invasion’. Backed by some respected figures in the Aussie hip-hop movement this release is a quite impressive debut and leaves you looking forward to hearing what else the duo can come with in future releases.

Listening through this release there is a definite consistency with solid beats and more than apt lyrical ability from both members. This album is definitely for the more ‘underground’ rap movement, no sing-song choruses or corny commercially influenced beats, just solid head nodding material with lyrics that will have the MCs listening in with great interest. The biggest flaw of this album would be that the majority of tracks have the same vibe about them. This causes it to be an album with limited replay value down the track and for some listeners it will restrict the number of tracks that are bump worthy. The secondary flaw would be that at times the theme or subject of tracks can just be unclear. This leaves room for improvement on a sophomore release.

Personal favourites on the release would have to be “All Crew” and “Unorthodox”. There’s no track that stands out as a weak link with the release being consistently solid. If you’re into more technical rhymes over distinct subject matter then this album will be up your alley. If you need more themed tracks then this may seem a bit lacking.

The Optimen - Boomtown

March 17th, 2009 | By YouDee

The Optimen – Boomtown
Red Tape Entertainment/Shogun Distribution

Brisbane’s local hero’s The Optimen shine on their debut full length outing. The follow-up to their ‘Breath Control’ EP shows that the boys are at a level that they can stand up against anyone the nation has to offer.

The Optimen made up of MCs Sammsonite, K-West and Datsun plus DJ Damage handling the decks kick in the door with their debut album. This constant head-nodder featuring world class production and dope rhymes front to back comes at the right time and proves that the Australian scene is pushing ahead and coming into its own. Sammsonite and Datsun share the workload of production and show that they are able to knock out consistent bangers and are in need of national and international recognition. The three boys all shine on the mic with battle influenced lyrics and technically advanced verses.

Stand out tracks (which are hard to pick out on this release) include ‘Give It Up’, ‘No Mercy’ and ’15 Minutes’. The guest spots are kept to a bare minimum (the guys don’t need help to shine) and are limited to two tracks out of the sixteen included on the release. These spots are by Robby Balboa and Raman (‘Boomtown’) and Brisbane royalty Lazy Grey (on the fore-mentioned ’15 Minutes’).

If you’re looking for a deep and meaningful album or some fruitly arty release (*cough* Edan *cough*) then this isn’t your release. If you love dope production and solid rhymes then go and buy it already, you’re missing out on what will be seen as a pinnacle release for Brisbane hip-hop if not Australia as a whole.