La Coka Nostra

Riding through today’s stage-managed rap world like a bunch of Hip-Hop obsessed Hell’s Angels with b-boy attitude, bi-coastal collective La Coka Nostra appear determined to deliver that raw uncut to your gut by putting their own unique spin on the concept of hardcore beats and rhymes.

Consisting of former House Of Pain members Everlast, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal, with Non-Phixion’s self-proclaimed cult leader Ill Bill and Boston underground champ Slaine filling out the ranks, LCN do a good job of joining the creative dots between their own individual musical backgrounds, from House Of Pain’s sometimes rock-influenced flavour, to Everlast’s folksy Whitey Ford solo material, on to Non-Phixion’s militant East Coast boom-bap. With such diverse sonic ingredients in the melting pot it would be easy to assume that “A Brand You Can Trust” sounds like a directionless mess, yet whilst unpredictable, it stands as one of the most entertaining hip-hop albums to be released in recent times.

Anchored by Everlast’s gruff, barroom-brawl wordplay and Ill Bill’s conspiracy-fuelled lyrical darts, La Coka Nostra, like many other great groups before them, draw the listener deep into their world, which in this case is a lawless place filled with scowls, guns, social decay and political unrest. Opening with the crunchy electric guitars of “Bloody Sunday”, LCN welcome listeners “to hell” with the Devil himself on-hand to “open the gate”, whilst “The Stain” finds Everlast in Whitey Ford mode, crooning a melancholy hook that warns of the dangers of chasing dreams in the City Of Angels only to end up living out your worst nightmares. “I’m An American” slashes open the underbelly of US society with a rusty razor blade, highlighting the hypocrisy found in the Land Of The Free over tense, piano-led production.

Elsewhere, the Alchemist-produced “Choose Your Side” boasts a hypnotic vocal sample and a blazing verse from UGK’s Bun B, whilst the thunderous beats and chest-thumping boasts of the previously-released “That’s Coke” offer the perfect rowdy soundtrack for a street riot.

A boisterous mixture of rap, rock, violence, irony, ignorance, political comment, paranoia, drugs, alcohol, humour and testosterone, “A Brand You Can Trust” is a potent sonic hit from the bong that goes straight to the head. Brutal music for ugly times.

Ryan Proctor

Yoshi

Given the stale state of the rap game in recent times, Detroit and its surrounding metro area has become something of an oasis for quality music. With the likes of Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Invincible and Buff1 all having dropped impressive releases over the past year, Ann Arbor’s Yoshi is the next in line to hopefully catch the attention of Hip-Hop fans outside of his locale.

Whilst Yoshi might be a new name to many, the charismatic emcee is a veteran of his hometown scene, a fact that’s evident in the confident and polished feel of this album. Buoyed by the melodic, R&B-tinged production of Akira Charles, “The Talent Show” stands head-and-shoulders above today’s standard underground rap fare, with its funky, full-bodied soundscapes giving the project its own distinctive sonic personality.

The opening “Get Down” sets the tone with Yoshi dropping “feel good rhymes” that aren’t “over your head like billboard signs” over a typically Detroit sounding track full of chunky beats and undeniable soul. Twinkling pianos and space-age keyboards are accompanied by a butter smooth hook from vocalist Vince Kelsey. “Dance Tonight” is a near perfect example of how to craft a club-ready cut without having to appeal to the lowest common denominator and therefore maintain your artistic integrity, whilst “Meet The Deadline” boasts an up-tempo 80s boogie vibe matched with good-natured lyrical bravado.

Yet whilst Yoshi is definitely skilled in making happy-go-lucky head-nod music, he’s about much more than simply party rhymes and cocky swagger. On “Run Away” the rapper weaves the intricate story of a missing child, whilst ‘Listen Up’ bristles with socio-political opinions. “Dream”, arguably the album’s finest moment, finds Yoshi encouraging listeners to chase their ambitions over a mellow backdrop of melodic chimes and soothing saxophone blasts.

At a time when music seems to be becoming increasingly bland and disposable, Yoshi has succeeded in recording an album that has something to offer the mind, body and the soul.

Ryan Proctor

Ancient Astronauts

Hailing from Cologne, Germany, production duo the Ancient Astronauts offer a varied blend of sounds on their latest project, encompassing everything from jazzy 90s-era Hip-Hop to moody dub reggae. With so many styles being thrown into the sonic melting pot, “We Are To Answer” could very easily have lacked direction, yet studio partners Kabanjak and Dogu do a relatively good job of ensuring their forays into different musical genres maintain a sense of cohesion.

The atmospheric roller “I Came Running” is indicative of the Astronauts spaced-out approach to their craft, as haunting female vocal samples and beautiful acoustic guitar meet heavy bass and crisp beats. The pair pick up the pace with the clattering drum & bass of “Dark Green Rod”, before moving onto the snappy, piano-laced boom-bap of “Risin High”, which features the positive lyrical affirmations of Crown City Rockers wordsmith Raashan Ahmad. The funky instrumental “Everybody” conjures up thoughts of blaxploitation car chases, whilst underground Bay Area favourite Azeem spits vividly twisted barbs on the sparse “Oblivion” (“That’s a beautiful vision, I just painted Armageddon and made it sound like heaven”).

Only when the Ancient twosome venture into reggae territory do they veer slightly off their interstellar flight path, with the breezy vibes of the Tippa Irie-assisted “All Of The Things You Do” and the dub-influenced “Surfing The Silvatide” not sitting comfortably within the context of the album.

The Ancient Astronauts may not quite succeed in taking the listener on a turbulence-free galactic voyage with “We Are To Answer”, but they do demonstrate enough creative flair and individuality to ensure their newest effort won’t just sit around gathering space dust.

Ryan Proctor

Various

During his tragically short lifetime, Detroit’s James ‘Dilla’ Yancey amassed a catalogue of production work that quickly elevated him to the level of longstanding greats such as Dr. Dre, DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Before he passed away in 2006 at the age of 32 following complications with the blood disease lupus, the Motown sound mechanic had worked with everyone from local acts such as Phat Kat and Que D, to legends like A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes. Dilla’s ever-evolving production style ranged from the soulful to the unabashedly hardcore to the experimental, drawing on the sounds of yesteryear for inspiration whilst always seeking to push his talent (and love of fat drums) to the limit, taking his music in new directions in the process.

This compilation acts as a timely reminder of Dilla’s brilliance, pulling together a cross-section of his work for a relatively brief 11-track overview of his career. The Pharcyde’s excellent “Runnin’” is included here (the 1995 cut that helped introduce a young Jay Dee to a worldwide audience), with Dilla’s infectious piano loop adding a tangible sense of energy to the West Coast crew’s motivational lyrics. Common’s “The Light” is also present and correct, displaying Dilla’s talent for adding melody to even the heaviest of drums, setting off Lonnie Lynn’s bohemian love raps with his inspired use of a Bobby Caldwell vocal sample that still makes the spine tingle nearly a decade later.

Elsewhere, Erykah Badu’s “Didn’t Cha Know” oozes subtle sophistication as it seeps from the speakers like a hazy cloud of relaxing weed smoke, whilst De La Soul’s stinging criticisms of a shallow mid-90s rap world heard on “Stakes Is High” still ring true today, powered along by Dilla’s rallying horns and filtered bass. Closing the compilation on a more up-to-date note, the hypnotic back-to the-future soul flavour of Steve Spacek’s 2005 single “Dolla” hints at where the Detroit icon was perhaps looking to take his production prowess next.

Yet whilst any opportunity to celebrate Dilla’s talent should be welcomed, “Dillanthology” would have benefited from digging a little deeper into the Slum Village maestro’s back-catalogue and unearthing some of his lesser-known material. This project definitely contains some classics, but ultimately, there’s little here that even the most casual of Dilla fans won’t already have in their collections.

Ryan Proctor

The Pharcyde - “Runnin’” ( Delicious Vinyl / 1995 )

Camp Lo

Camp Lo’s debut album “Uptown Saturday Night” stood-out like a pair of snakeskin gators in a room full of Timberlands upon its release in 1997. In the same year that gave us the Five Percent-influenced lyrical darts of the Wu’s “Wu-Tang Forever” and the thugged-out anthems of Capone-N-Noreaga’s “The War Report”, Bronx duo Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba captured imaginations with their unique brand of lyricism that was heavy on 70s-inspired blaxploitation imagery and accompanied by the soulful samples of producer Ski (who was fresh from lacing Jay-Z’s classic “Reasonable Doubt” album the previous year).

Whilst an unpredictable mix of record industry politics, rap trends and bad luck might have prevented Camp Lo from reaching mainstream notoriety, their cult status amongst fans has ensured that solid projects such as 2002’s “Let’s Do It Again” and 2007’s “Black Hollywood” have each been met with a favourable response. Most recently the pair signed a deal with SRC / Universal to release their upcoming album “A Piece Of The Action” and embraced the power of the Hip-Hop blogosphere by teaming-up with the New Music Cartel to drop a selection of material recorded primarily for online distribution.

No doubt keen to keep up the momentum gained by their recent internet campaign, “Stone And Rob: Caught On Tape” finds Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba showcasing some of the tracks used for the New Music Cartel project as well as a stash of cuts deemed unsuitable to fit the overall concept of their forthcoming long-player.

Named after two characters from the same 70s flick which inspired their 1996 single “Coolie High”, Suede and Cheeba stick to their ivory-handled guns throughout “Stone And Rob”, painting vivid slang-heavy pictures over nickel-slick soundscapes which have a slightly more updated feel in places this time around. Yet irrespective of how contemporary their choice of beats may or may not be, it’s impossible to listen to Camp Lo’s verses without thinking of psychedelic old-school album cover art, Pimp Of The Year conventions and scenes from “Superfly” or “Black Caesar” and, truth be told, it’s largely the pair’s penchant for colourful, outlandish wordplay that keeps many of their supporters coming back for more.

The opening “2 Dope Boyz” finds the Lo boys rocking “Terminator X shades” over Apple Juice Kid’s rattling drums, whilst the Jocko-produced “Gotcha” sounds like an episode of “Soul Train” being recorded in a Bronx basement, as Suede struggles with a woman who wants him to choose between their relationship and his love for music over a smoothed-out sample from 80s favourites The Deele.

Previously available as a 2007 vinyl single, the sublime “Ticket 4 2″ hasn’t lost any of its magic since its initial release, with Geechi and Cheeba wrapping mackalicious metaphors around Ski’s melodic mellow madness. The infectious “Sky Hi” also stands-out, as Camp Lo dedicate the track’s dislocated funk to “the one-two steppers and all pop-lockers”, each sounding like Huggy Bear with mic skills in the process.

Considering the amount of throwaway product forced on the Hip-Hop audience in today’s ultra-disposable internet age, it’s often easy to be cynical when another collection of album outtakes and unreleased music arrives. In many cases, it’s painfully obvious why the majority of such material had previously never seen the light of day. Yet with “Stone And Rob: Caught On Tape”, Camp Lo have managed to clear out their musical closet without sacrificing that all-important quality control.

Ryan Proctor

DJ Deckstream

If you were astute enough to have picked up “Soundtracks”, the 2007 debut album from Japan’s DJ Deckstream, then you should already know what to expect from its recently released follow-up – chunky, soulful Hip-Hop-influenced beats and a diverse selection of featured artists. Yet whereas its predecessor relied heavily on support from a smattering of rap favourites (Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Camp Lo), “Soundtracks 2” looks towards a number of R&B-flavoured acts to provide the album’s vocal backbone.

The cryptically titled “Screwtape” kicks the album off in a buoyant, celebratory mood, with Deckstream’s catchy production evoking images of a colourful b-boy carnival with lyricist L-Universe rhyming atop a graffiti-daubed float to head-bopping bystanders. The mood soon mellows, however, as the brilliant Nikki Jean uses her subtle tones to spin a tale of heartbreak on “Exit Sign”, accompanied by the same mournful Lonnie Liston Smith piano sample heard on Jay-Z’s classic “Dead Presidents”.

Having hovered under the mainstream radar for some time now, vocalist / emcee Novel pre-empts his soon-to-released major label debut with the brisk, off-kilter jazz swing of “Around We Go”, whilst former Brand New Heavies chanteuse N’Dea Davenport delivers a classy vocal performance on the 70s-tinged “Real Thang”.

Only the uninspired “For My Ladies” slows the project’s momentum, with guest artist Melodee’s good-natured girl-power rhymes hampered by Deckstream’s redundant use of the same Bruce Hornsby sample utilised on 2Pac’s popular posthumous hit “Changes”.

Yet that one musical misstep notwithstanding, and with further appearances from the likes of Mos Def and Nice & Smooth upping the album’s entertainment factor, “Soundtracks 2” is another impressive example of DJ Deckstream’s sonic craftsmanship.

Ryan Proctor

Wordsmith

As one of the most engaging voices to have emerged from the UK rap scene in recent years, London-based lyricist Wordsmith has built a strong reputation for himself thanks to numerous ear-grabbing performances on mix-CDs, other artist’s material and, of course, his own handful of releases.

It’s always been apparent that Words is an individual with a lot on his mind, and on this follow-up to 2005’s “The Roadman Showcase” he leaves no stone unturned, presenting himself as a truly well-rounded artist with more to offer than the average homegrown rap fare.

The opening “They Don’t Seem To Care” is an effective example of Wordsmith’s lyrical approach – gruffly-delivered street knowledge that’s rough-around-the edges but ultimately grounded in a desire to live in a better world (hence the album’s title). Accompanied by Beat Butcha’s wailing soul samples and rolling drums, the big-voiced emcee laments lost youth, pondering the future of those “young minds saddled with adult responsibilities” in today’s society. The breezy “Beautiful Life” finds Words assuring listeners there’s always hope amidst the darkness, encouraging everyone caught up in the day-to-day rat race to pause every once in awhile and appreciate their blessings, however small they might seem.

“Common Cause” features Wordsmith trading high-voltage barbs with the talented Genesis Elijah over typically dramatic Show-N-Prove production, while Foreign Beggars appear on the ominous “Sticks & Stones”, helping to paint a shadowy picture of an inner-city London populated by shady individuals with shattered tower-block dreams.

Yet for all of the sincere words of wisdom and skilful boasts of microphone superiority scattered throughout “In Pursuit Of Harmony”, the real sonic body-blow comes towards the end of the album in the form of the autobiographical “Son”. With producer Chemo supplying a gripping, emotionally-charged backdrop, Wordsmith delivers a gritty, heart-wrenching performance detailing his efforts to find his young child lost in the British social care system (“If you and me is tainted, I‘ll make it perfectly clear, I’ve been searching since your birth and throughout your nursery years”). Tragic but brilliantly executed, this track will haunt you long after it’s faded out on your iPod headphones.

Unapologetically raw and honest, Wordsmith’s bold brand of street-hop might not be for everyone, but those who choose to listen will definitely be rewarded.

Nick Wiz

Ask any self-respecting Hip-Hop fan to name their favourite producers from the 90s and you’ll no doubt get the same predictable yet totally understandable answers – DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Showbiz etc. However, if those same boom-bap aficionados dug in their crates to check the credits on some of their vintage vinyl, they might be surprised by how many other talented producers were also around at the time who don’t necessarily get remembered during today’s debates about who was nicest on the MPC or the SP-1200. Case in point being Nick Wiz, a New Jersey native who spent the 90s donating his atmospheric, drum-heavy studio creations to the likes of Mad Skillz, Rakim and, most notably, Brooklyn’s Cella Dwellas, whose 1995 Loud debut album “Realms N Reality” remains a largely slept-on East Coast classic.

This extensive 44-track double-CD package finds Wiz digging deep into his archives to blow the dust off a huge selection of previously unreleased cuts and alternative remixes from artists both known and unknown. Immediate standouts include a dope reworking of the Cella Dwella’s “Good Dwellas” (based around Gwen McCrae’s timeless “90% Of Me Is You”), Rakim’s horn-filled head-nodder “Once Upon A Rhyme” (a lost track from Ra’s “The 18^th Letter” project), and Ill Mentality’s “Lovin’ U 4 Dayz”, a cocky mid-90s cut previously released on the Phat Wax imprint and packed with serious back-in-the-day jeep beat appeal.

Pudgee’s melancholy “Inner City Blues” features an uncharacteristically restrained DMX caught in the everyday struggle with only Wiz’s filtered melodies for company, whilst Ran Reed’s excellent “Whutcha Want” offers mildly offensive rhymes coupled with a Method Man vocal sample and hazy keys. The demo tracks included here from New Jersey acts such as LSD and Nautilus are also of a high standard, hinting at a local scene that perhaps didn’t reach its full potential during a time when Naughty By Nature and their affiliates were dominating and defining the area’s sound.

At over 40 tracks deep, it’s to be expected that not every cut included on “Cellar Sounds” is an absolute must-have, but with contributions from the likes of Shabaam Sahdeeq, Lord Have Mercy, Chubb Rock and Channel Live, it’s a solid body of work from a producer who perhaps didn’t get his rightful props the first time around.

Jyager

A relatively new name to the UK rap community, you’d never guess that Portuguese-born emcee Jyager (pronounced Yay-ger) started his musical journey as part of London’s garage scene, as his vivid, often intricate verses sound far better suited to the head-nodding beats provided here by the talented Cee-Why than you could imagine they would when paired with club-driven garage vibes.

One of the biggest criticisms levelled at UK Hip-Hop in recent years has been that a seemingly never-ending influx of wannabe rappers has brought with it increased levels of mediocrity and a distinct lack of quality control, with it being almost impossible to distinguish one so-called artist from the next. Thankfully, Jyager appears to have taken the time to hone his craft before dropping official product and is obviously determined to walk his own path rather than be satisfied with following the pack. With that in mind, when you stop to consider that his label mates include equally unique lyricists such as Sir Smurf Lil’ and Kashmere, it’s easy to see why YNR decided to back this particular young emcee.

Opening with “Eyes Open”, a bold statement of intent littered with socio-political observations, “Encrypted Scriptures” is a thoroughly entertaining effort that easily mixes street swagger with moments of genuine personal reflection, such as the soul-searching “Somewhere In Paradise” which finds Jyager determined to maintain a level head amidst inner-city turmoil.

The raw, sparse drums of “The Session” take a verbal pummelling from both Jyager and the ever-reliable Jehst, who has his “dick jammed in the MPC…literally banging them beats”, whilst the mellow “Didn’t Wanna Have To Do It” tackles relationship dramas with disarming honesty. Only on “Never Gonna Bring Me Down” does Jyager lose his momentum, with the track’s annoying sing-song hook and sluggish production adding little to the overall project.

However, that small criticism aside, “Encrypted Scriptures” is an impressive debut – the garage scene’s loss is definitely homegrown Hip-Hop’s gain.

Finale

“A Pipe Dream And A Promise”

(Interdependent Media)

Adding further weight to the argument that Detroit is fast becoming an underground rap fan’s first stop for quality music, Finale’s “A Pipe Dream And A Promise” sits comfortably alongside recent releases from the likes of Invincible and Guilty Simpson as a shining example of the talent the Motor City has to offer.

Having made waves with last year’s “Develop” project with Tokyo-born producer Spier-1200, Finale keeps “A Pipe Dream…” largely a hometown affair, with the album featuring production from Black Milk, Waajeed and the late, great J Dilla, while also managing to squeeze in a cameo from old-school Detroit rap legend Awesome Dre.

Although the ‘starving artist’ stories that litter “A Pipe Dream…” might have been heard many times before, Finale recounts his experiences with such honesty and passion that his words carry with them a genuine sincerity, ensuring his verses allow the listener to truly feel his struggle.

“Pay Attention” finds the rapper battling against audience indifference over production packed with stuttering bluesy swagger, whilst “Heat” is all thumping Dilla beats and stark instrumentation, with Finale spitting his verses from behind an Ice Cube-sized scowl. Yet although this Motown motor-mouth can brag and boast with the best of them, moments like the album’s heartfelt title track display depths that go far beyond battle rap territory, as Finale details his career hopes over swirling saxophones and shuffling drums.

In a rap world where an upcoming artist can be unfairly dismissed at the simple click of a computer mouse, Finale has succeeded in creating an album that is relatable, likeable, and perhaps most importantly, memorable. Detroit strikes again.