New Joint – SmooVth & Confidence

SmooVth & Confidence – “Come Get It” (@SmooVth / @ConfidenceBeats / 2015)

Quality neck-snapping beats and rhymes from the East Coast duo’s forthcoming full-length collabo project.

New Joint – Dephlow

Dephlow – “Troubled Young Man” (@Dephlow / 2015)

Taken from the Virginia emcee’s new Phoniks-produced “Deph Threats” album.

New Joint – Jman

Jman – “Everything Bless” (@JmanOfficial1 / 2015)

Produced by Bugseed.

New Joint – The Cornel West Theory

The Cornel West Theory – “Christopher Martin (Three For Preem)” (@CWestTheory / 2015)

The Washington DC crew pay homage to the mighty DJ Premier on this track off their forthcoming project “The T.A.B.L.E.”.

New Joint – Simiah

Simiah – “With The Golden Age” (@KingUnderground / 2015)

Haunting, melodic vibes from the talented UK producer’s recent “Colour Point” album.

New Joint – John The Baptist

John The Baptist – “Golden” (@JohnTheBaptist4 / 2015)

The Connecticut-based Gospel Hip-Hop artist takes it back “to the era of the kick and the snare” with this brief cut.

New Joint – Eloh Kush

Eloh Kush – “Lingering Thoughtz” (@ElohKush / 2015)

The New Jersey lyricist drops heavy mental wordplay over mellow Redd production off his forthcoming “Rebelations” project.

My Favourite Favourites Mix Stream – Mr Thing

UK turntable legend Mr Thing pulls out an impressive selection of his 90s vinyl collection for this entertaining throwback mix, featuring timeless gems from Redman, Erule, Brand Nubian and more.

New Joint – Dutch ReBelle

Dutch ReBelle – “Whatchu Like” (@DutchReBelleFN / 2015)

The Boston emcee delivers punchy rhymes over bass-heavy Black Metaphor production off her recent “Kiss Kiss” EP.

New Joint – Fredfades & Eikrem

Fredfades & Eikrem – “Snowflakes” (@KingUnderground / 2015)

Quality instrumental flavour from the producer / trumpeter combo’s “Jazz Cats” album.

New Joint – Lewis Parker

Lewis Parker – “Mellow Blow” (LewisParker_ / 2015)

UK producer-on-the-mic Lewis Parker, aka The Man With The Golden Sound, returns with a dusty dose of his typically dope SP1200 magic.

Album Review – Jack Diggs

Jack Diggs

“Blue Rain”

(Revorg Records)

When A Tribe Called Quest coined the phrase “Beats, Rhymes & Life” for the title of their fourth album, the crew from Queens, NY succinctly summed-up the essential ingredients needed to create timeless, memorable Hip-Hop that goes beyond just being music to nod your head to.

Of course, dope beats and witty rhymes can always be enough for an artist to make their mark, but in order to truly connect with a listener in a way that feels personal and genuine, an artist also has to let us into their world by sharing thoughts, hopes and disappointments in their verses. Something which talented UK producer-on-the-mic Jack Diggs seems to understand completely.

Having already become something of a cult figure within UK Hip-Hop circles thanks to both his solo work (2013’s impressive “Dirty Finger Nails” album) and contributions to the output of South London’s TPS Fam, Diggs’ latest long-player is a sublime slice of homegrown excellence which sounds effortless in its execution, but was no doubt painstakingly put together with attention paid to every sonic detail, both lyrically and in terms of the project’s production (which was handled entirely by Diggs himself).

Displaying a writing style that is brutally honest yet intelligent and insightful, Jack brilliantly captures the British working-class experience throughout “Blue Rain”, delving into both politics and social commentary whilst also offering a view into his own experiences.

Frustrated and struggling to find his place in today’s capitalist society, yet hopeful that time may bring a change for the better, Diggs represents many UK residents also looking to make sense of what they see happening around them, with the forthright lyricist making his position very clear on the opening “Dopamine”.

Over punchy drums and sweeping, melancholy strings, Diggs describes being “outside Number 10 kicking down the front door” before highlighting the ongoing class war in England and his own battle with the concept of national pride (“British and proud? I’m British and ashamed, A land filled with wealth generated by the slave trade…”).

The mournful guitar sample and echoing drums of “City Drive” conjure up images of cold, winter nights, whilst the thick, jazzy bass of “I Know” provides a solid platform for Diggs and fellow Revorg representative Big Toast to offer some uncompromising-yet-motivational words of wisdom to anyone chasing a goal (“Life ain’t magic and dreams don’t just happen…).”

Highlighting Jack’s passion for the spray-can, the “Style Wars”-sampling “This Is It” is a piano-laced instrumental dedication to graff-heads everywhere, which is followed by the soothing vibes of the album’s hypnotic title track, with Diggs being joined by Mnsr Frites, Archetype and Luca Brazi, who each make their own poignant lyrical contributions.

The sombre “Glass Home” is another immediate standout, with the emcee commenting on our collective pursuit of happiness, and how the pressures of the daily grind can often take us down a different path, leading to a thirst for instant gratification, heavy reliance on validation via social media and the constant need to impress those around us.

Although steeped in an obvious appreciation of dusty-fingered 90s boom-bap, Diggs’ own production finds the UK crate-digger doing much more than just simply trying to emulate his favourite Premier or Pete Rock track.

The beats heard on “Blue Rain”, as with the TPS member’s previous work, have a real organic depth to them, with Diggs once again displaying a finely-tuned ear for an atmospheric sample, allowing him to consistently match his rhymes to the most suitable beat in terms of mood and tone.

More than just a collection of quality tracks, “Blue Rain” is a cohesive, well-crafted body of work that offers listeners a striking, down-to-earth musical snapshot of life for many in today’s modern Britain.

Jack Diggs for Prime Minister?!

Ryan Proctor

New Joint – Chi King / XP

Chi King ft. XP – “Let It Mold You” (@TheRealChi_King / 2015)

Produced by Slim The Chemist.

Albee Square Beat Tape Stream – Chuck Strangers

The Pro Era producer combines lo-fi loops, dusty drums and mellow vibes on his latest instrumental project.

New Joint – Born Unique / DJ Tray

Born Unique ft. DJ Tray – “We See You” (@BornHisenburg / 2015)

Explosive boom-bap produced by Pete Twist.

New Joint – AG & Ray West / Roc Marciano

AG & Ray West ft. Roc Marciano – “Red Apple Kings” (@RedApples45 / 2015)

The Bronx emcee / producer combo celebrate five years of the Red Apples imprint, dropping a dope ten-track EP which features this mellow, piano-laced head-nodder.

Protect The Code Album Stream – The Black Opera

Quality compilation from the Black Opera camp, featuring the likes of Jamal Bufford, Majestik Legend and Souls Of Mischief’s Opio getting busy over production from Tall Black Guy,14KT, yU and more.

 

New Joint – Awon & Phoniks / Heeni

Awon & Phoniks ft. Heeni – “Profit Off My Pain” (AwonAndPhoniks.Com / 2015)

Taken from the duo’s new album “Knowledge Of Self”.

9th House Album Stream – I Self Devine & Muja Messiah

The Minneapolis duo have succeeded in crafting a genuinely unique listening experience with their “9th House” collabo album, mixing intelligent, colourful lyricism with soulful, back-to-the-future production vibes.

Italian Ice Beat Tape Stream – El RTNC

Another fine selection of funky, refreshing beats from the talented New York producer.