Old To The New - Ryan Proctor’s Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia

Describing the formation of multi-cultural UK hip-hop crew Chain Of Command as a “meeting of minds” may sound a little cliché, but it’s hard to disagree with member Manage’s summary of the collective’s genesis after hearing their ‘Rogue State’ EP. A hard-hitting collection of intense, brainstorming lyricism and high-calibre production courtesy of longstanding allies Beat Butcha and Chemo, the seven-track release definitely sounds like the work of a group with a shared vision, albeit a harsh and sometimes uncomfortable one.

“We never wanted to do a full-on political project,” says Manage of the social commentary running throughout CC’s debut. “It just took shape naturally because we were all pissed off with different things we were seeing in the world around us. We like to think of ‘Rogue State’ as being more of a conscious release. We’re not Public Enemy, so we weren’t planning to change the world with the EP, but we did want our music to have some meaning.”

With Manage, Conflix, CLG and Syanyde having all gained experience as solo artists prior to Chain Of Command, the four emcees finally came together after regularly bumping heads with one another at London’s many open mic nights, not least the Speakers Corner events, a monthly jam which recently came to an end after a lengthy and successful run. “There was never any cliquishness about Speakers Corner in terms of the artists who were allowed to perform,” recalls Conflix. “Any emcee or crew was able to come down and do their thing. It was definitely good for the scene.”

Certainly not for fans of sing-a-long ringtone rap, Chain Of Command’s music covers everything from UK involvement in the Iraq war (‘Not In My Name’) to the general pressures of everyday life (‘Stress’), with the group displaying a take-no-prisoners attitude towards their craft that evokes the spirit of early Britcore legends such as Hijack and Gunshot.

“Negativity is the main problem,” offers Manage when asked to pinpoint the cause of the widespread community unrest addressed on much of ‘Rogue State’. “I think right now there’s just general paranoia on the streets and people are scared to embrace each other. We don’t talk to each other enough and England is becoming a very anti-social society. People need to learn how to interact with each other on a correct level. There are a lot of problems in the world today, but I think the first step towards solving some of them is just through general communication with each other and music is a great tool for that.”

Chuck D would be proud.

Ryan Proctor