Almost ten years to the day since the release of his debut album “Seldom Seen Often Heard”, April 18th sees UK-raised, now Australia-based producer Ghost dropping his fourth long-player, “Shards Of Memories”.
First making his mark at the turn of the millennium as a deejay on London’s then pirate Hip-Hop radio station Itch FM, Ghost soon made the jump from playing records to releasing them, with his 2003 EP “Ghost Stories” immediately becoming something of a homegrown cult classic thanks to its straight-from-the-crates, sample-based production, plus features from a new wave of UK talent who’d emerged in the early-2000s, including Kashmere, Asaviour and Verb T.
Whilst 2006’s “Seldom Seen…” built on the sonic foundations laid by that initial EP release, Ghost’s further two albums, “Freedom Of Thought” (2009) and “Postcards From The Edge” (2010), found the talented music man pushing his creative boundaries, with “Postcards…” going so far as to be completely sample-free, showcasing Ghost taking a step towards the musical worlds of electronica and dubstep (a decision which no doubt confused some original fans whilst bringing new supporters onboard at the same time).
As Ghost’s return to the musical arena, “Shards Of Memories” ambitiously (yet successfully) bridges the gap between the producer’s underground Hip-Hop roots and his desire to craft something that reaches beyond the scene’s traditional sound of dusty drums and head-nodding loops.
Yes, Ghost is extremely competent and able when it comes to delivering standard boom-bap beats, he just doesn’t want to only be known for that.
The opening “Who Do I” features British emcee Kal Sereousz pondering life decisions over crashing drums, whilst the atmospheric “Cold” finds Four Owls member Verb T switching lyrical gears with ease, utilising an engaging double-time flow over a striking blend of sombre strings and sparse beats.
“The Colour Of Life”, the first of three instrumental tracks here, is a piano-laced symphony of live musicianship, which builds into an intense wall of sound that effectively highlights Ghost’s sonic mastery and vision.
Australian rhyme vet Brad Strut lends his precise wordplay to the punchy “Where You Been”, and the Cappo-assisted title track breathes new life into the classic Bob James “Nautilus” break, with the Nottingham artist proving yet again why he should be considered one of the most gifted and consistent emcees of his generation.
The melancholy jazz swing of “Still Here” provides Prose emcee Efeks with the perfect soundscape over which to deliver his personal struggles of life as an independent artist, whilst the instrumental “O.S.T.” more than lives up to its title, with the track’s mix of gritty guitar, frantic drums and triumphant horns evoking images of scenes from a 70s crime flick.
An impressive effort which is both polished and well-executed whilst managing to retain a spontaneous, unpredictable edge, “Shards Of Memories” is the sound of a confident producer embracing his original Hip-Hop influences as he also continues to allow himself to grow through his music.
If you don’t already, this is one Ghost you really should believe in.
Celebrating ten years of dropping quality UK Hip-Hop, the Boom Bap Professionals imprint have enlisted the turntable talents of DJ Severe to showcase an extensive selection of the label’s releases from the likes of Prose, Benny Diction & Able8, Habitat and more.
UK emcee Efeks reveals his vision of a perfect world over Miilkbone’s mid-90s “Keep It Real” instrumental in the latest episode of Rethunk Records’ “If I Had It My Way” series.
If you’re a fan of quality UK Hip-Hop, then you’ll probably already be familiar with the name Efeks thanks to his work alongside production partner Steady Rock as the duo known as Prose.
Combining Steady’s true-school beats with Efeks’ punchy rhymes, the pair’s debut album “Force Of Habit” was released in 2010 on their own Boom Bap Professionals imprint, immediately gaining Prose a solid base of support which the twosome quickly built on with the 2011 full-length follow-up “The Dark Side Of The Boom”.
Now stepping out on his own, the South London lyricist recently completed his first solo album “Contemporary Classic”. Dropping on the Revorg Records label, the impressive project features production from the likes of Jack Diggs, Keith Lawrence and Prose’s own Steady Rock, with Efeks taking the opportunity to allow listeners a deeper look into his world, penning personal rhymes covering everything from fatherhood (“You Know That”) and relationship issues (“Can’t You See?”) to the struggles of being an underground artist (“Make It Real”).
Here, Efeks discusses his journey as an emcee, lyrical influences and the elements required for a classic album.
Over the last few years you’ve released a handful of albums and EPs alongside Steady Rock as Prose. Taking it back for a moment, when and how did you and Steady first get together and start making music?
“It was roughly towards the end of 2003, early 2004. We met through a mutual friend of ours, DJ Philly. I was doing a music course at a local community centre and Philly was there doing another course and we got talking and he found out that I was trying to make music. I was writing rhymes but I didn’t really have any producers to work with. Philly told me that his flatmate, Steady, made beats and that he thought we should meet up. It turned out that we lived really close to each other, so we met up and Steady gave me tons of beats to listen to. So, I started getting to work with those instrumentals and a friendship and partnership formed from that really. Everything with Prose really happened quite quickly, as a few years before that I’d been working with various other people but it never really materialised into anything. I’d become a little bit disenchanted with it all to be honest as a lot of the people I was working with didn’t really follow through with what they said they were going to do. So I had the intention of doing my own thing and had just brought an MPC as well to try and start making my own beats. So Steady came in at the right time and I never touched the MPC (laughs). I mean, when me and Steady first got together he gave me about four beat CDs and he really gave me a new lease of life at the time to be honest with you. We didn’t immediately call ourselves Prose or anything like that, we were just working on music, but it all came together quite naturally over the course of that first year and then we put out our “Wasted Talent” EP which was the first thing that we did.”
I remember seeing Prose performing at London’s Jazz Cafe in 2010 supporting Jedi Mind Tricks and it really struck me at the time what a great chemistry you and Steady seemed to have onstage…
“We had a good chemistry from the beginning. Most of our early tracks were the result of what were almost like jam sessions, really. We’d get together, have a few beers and then start recording late at night after we’d spent hours talking about Hip-Hop (laughs). It was fun really and we were both kinda finding our feet with regards to actually making music and learning as we were going along.”
Taking it even further back, when did you first start rhyming?
“It was when I was in high-school. I was actually rummaging through some of my old stuff recently after moving house and came across an old school exercise book and it had a rhyme written in the back of it (laughs). So that was about 1993 or 1994. I was about fifteen-years-old when I actually first started writing rhymes and I’m coming-up thirty-five now so it’s been awhile (laughs). But I probably didn’t really start taking my writing seriously until I’d left school when I was about eighteen-years-old. Before then I didn’t really have my own identity as an emcee and was just drawing off the inspiration from the rappers I was listening to and looking up to at the time. I was studying them and really just taking bits and pieces from everyone. It took awhile before I was really comfortable in my own skin as an emcee.”
Would you say that you feeling more confident as an emcee coincided with you starting to work with Steady Rock as Prose?
“Yeah, probably. It didn’t necessarily happen right at the beginning of me and Steady getting together, but I definitely grew into myself as an artist and a better emcee along the way.”
Who were some of your biggest influences when you did first start putting pen to paper?
“I’d have to say LL Cool J. “Mama Said Knock You Out” was probably the first album that I really studied. I played that album endlessly. I’d also have to say CL Smooth, Treach from Naughty By Nature, Nas, there’s just so many (laughs). But I’d definitely say Nas and CL Smooth were two of my favourites from the early-90s. I mean, “Illmatic” is my favourite album of all-time and “Mecca And The Soul Brother” had a massive impact on me when I first heard it. I loved CL’s style with him being introspective but being so fresh with it as well. Guru was another big influence on me as well and Gang Starr in general. When I first started writing I would always envision how my music would actually sound when I did get the opportunity and I never used to write choruses as I always used to think that there would be cuts on the hook like a Gang Starr track (laughs). I always hoped that one day I’d meet someone like DJ Premier who would be able to do all the scratched choruses. I look back at my old rhymes books and they’re just full of verses with gaps where the chorus should be waiting to be filled with scratches (laughs).”
Were you doing any open-mic events at the time and trying to get yourself out there into the scene?
“I did eventually. I mean, I never really grew-up around other emcees. I had friends who were into Hip-Hop, but they weren’t into Hip-Hop like I was. They were listening to all types of music and I was really like that typical bedroom emcee who was just writing rhymes at home. There was nobody that I could cipher with or feed off of who was also doing it at the time same time because none of my friends were rapping. It wasn’t until I was in my early-twenties really that I built up the confidence to go out there and be in that sort of circle. Before that I kept it at home and didn’t really tell anyone that I was rapping or writing lyrics. I just really kept it to myself. Then, like I said, around my early-twenties I started entering some talent competitions and then the thing that really kicked it all off for me was when I won a competition on DJ 279’s radio show on Choice FM around 2000. He used to do this thing called “60 Seconds Of Fame” and you’d basically ring up and spit over the phone for a minute. You’d go up against someone else and the listeners would call up to say who they thought was the best. Then, if you won four weeks in a row, you got to go up on the show, do something live in the studio and have a little interview. Winning that was probably the catalyst for me to really start taking things seriously as I got some good feedback and a few producers hit me up after the show and I made a few demos that started circulating. 279 actually played a few of the tracks, but then after those demos I had nothing else to follow them up with. That was around the time I mentioned earlier where certain things that people were saying were going to happen weren’t happening and shortly after that is when I met Steady. So when we started as Prose it was almost like I was starting again. It was a brand new chapter for me, really.”
So bringing it up-to-date, given the following that Prose have built in recent years, why decide to step away from the group to do a solo album at this particular point?
“To be honest, I’ve always wanted to do a solo album. It’s always been one of my lifetime goals to put out my own album, something that was completely from me from the start to the finish. If anything, it was like a challenge for me to step out of my comfort zone, step away from what I’ve been doing for the past eight years or so with Steady and do something different. Obviously it’s not completely different and I’ve still kept the same musical ethic that I’ve always had, but it has given me the opportunity to branch out and try some different things. I don’t make music to make a living, so it’s got to be enjoyable for me to do it. So if it gets to a point where I’m not enjoying it as much, then there’s really no point in me doing it. Music isn’t putting food on the table for me, it’s something I do purely for my own satisfaction. But as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to have my own solo album just to give me that sense of achievement and to test myself to see if I was capable of doing it. I really just wanted to prove a point to myself that I could step out of my comfort zone and put something together myself that I could be proud of. Hopefully I’ve achieved that, although that’s down to other people’s opinions really. But as a body of work, I’m definitely happy with “Contemporary Classic”.
How much of a different experience was it for you putting together “Contemporary Classic” as a solo artist compared to putting together the previous Prose projects as part of a duo?
“I mean, some of it was definitely unchartered waters for me. Like, when I’m doing stuff with Prose, Steady will take care of the music. So from the get go, the responsibility was on me with “Contemporary Classic” to take care of everything in terms of reaching out to producers, getting the artists together to collaborate on the album, everything really was more or less organised by me. But as far as the beats, I really just kinda kept it to people that I already knew. The album was very personal to me, so I just wanted to really work within a small circle of people, people that I knew or that I’d worked with before. I really just took a family approach to the album. I mean, Steady has some production on there as well. But as far as the lyrics, I’d already been writing some of the tracks before I even got any of the music in. I just decided to put them to the side and thought that when I got the album together that those rhymes would be going on the project, it was just a case of finding the right music to go with them. It was actually Jack Diggs who gave me the first beats for the album. I’ve known the TPS Fam guys for a long time and we used to bump heads at a lot of events in the scene, particularly the nights that happened around Croydon. I had a conversation with Jack and I told him that I was looking to put an album together and he sent me about five beats straight away. That was really when the fire was sparked for me and every single one of those beats Jack sent me made it to the album. The music he sent me just hit me straight away. Jack’s production is soulful, but it’s still boom-bap, and it just really inspired me to be able to speak on different topics which is what I was looking to do with this solo album. I mean, if I was going to do everything exactly the same way as I’d done before, then I’d just really be putting out a new Prose record and there’d be no point in me branching out to do a solo album. The whole reason behind me doing a solo album was to be able to do something different and show people another side of me as an artist.”
Given the personal nature of “Contemporary Classic”, did you feel that you couldn’t express some of your more introspective thoughts through the music you were making as Prose?
“I think it was a combination of different things, really. Being sent certain beats for “Contemporary Classic” led me to explore some different subject matter and get a little more personal. I mean, I do have some introspective stuff on the Prose albums, but we’re more about just straight-up Hip-Hop, really. It was never the case that I thought I couldn’t write more personal stuff for Prose, it just never really came to me at that time. With this album, everything just seemed to coincide in terms of certain things that I’ve been going through in life. Also, with this solo album, obviously I’m just purely speaking for myself on there, so I did feel that I had a little more licence to just do what I wanted to do. There was no compromise with “Contemporary Classic” and I just followed my heart on there.”
Listening to tracks like “Identity Crisis” and “You Know That” it’s clear that you’re very comfortable writing rhymes that really dig deep into your experiences and emotions. Considering the way you first started writing rhymes, very privately and not necessarily to share with people, do you think that has influenced your ability to write those more personal rhymes today?
“To be honest, I’ve never actually thought of it that way. But now that you’ve said it, that probably has had an influence on how I go about my writing and how I’m able to convey some of that more personal subject matter. In the beginning, writing was a very personal thing for me and I was writing for myself. To be honest, I’ve always been quite apprehensive about putting out more personal material because you’re giving away a part of yourself when you share music like that. There were times when I was working on “Contemporary Classic” when I did wonder whether I should put certain stuff out there or just keep it to myself, but I do feel comfortable writing those sort of rhymes. But that said, it is difficult for me to listen to certain tracks around other people. I’d rather I wasn’t there when other people are there listening to some of the stuff I did share on the album. The personal material is very therapeutic to write, but I do still feel a little uncomfortable being around people while they’re listening to it. It’s like having someone open up your diary and reading it in front of you (laughs). I mean, I love the bragging rhymes and the battle stuff because that’s an integral part of Hip-Hop, but I wanted this album to show that I was also able to do other things as well.”
So given the title of the album, what do you look for in the music of other artists that would lead you to describe it as being ‘classic’?
“To me, it’s about something that’s gonna stand the test of time. That’s all I’ve always tried to do with my own music. But a classic album to me is something you can still listen to it in ten, twenty years time, and it still sounds as good as when you first heard it or perhaps even better. A classic album has to stand for something and really be able to make its mark. With “Contemporary Classic” I wasn’t trying to be conceited with it and say that everyone should think the album is a classic, it’s more about me paying homage to what’s come before me, blending the old with the new, saluting the past and creating an album in the present that mixes the contemporary with the classic in terms of how it sounds and feels. I know the title might get misinterpreted and people might think that I’m trying to say the album is an instant classic, but it was more about celebrating the past and doing something in the present that can hopefully stand the test of time like the music from the people that influenced me.”
Why do you think it is today that a lot of artists out there really don’t seem to be making music with that same stand-the-test-of-time approach?
“I think a lot of people making music today aren’t really bothered whether the music they make is still going to be listened to in years to come. Everyone just seems to be obsessed with what’s happening now. Today, there seems to be this instant gratification culture that everyone’s caught up in. I mean, it’s just my opinion, but I think a lot of people today are just making music for the moment. It seems like a lot of people today aren’t even that worried about their music being considered as disposable. There’s just no real substance behind what a lot of artists are doing and I don’t mean that in terms of their music not containing political messages or anything like that, I just mean that even the artists themselves don’t seem to have any genuine belief in what they’re doing and you just can’t feel any passion in it. With certain artists, I think they’re under the impression that there’s some sort of formula and as long as they follow that formula then they’ll get the kind of success that they’re looking for. I mean, if you’re willing to compromise everything about yourself to get that, then good luck to you, but I’d much rather maintain my integrity and put out music that I’m proud of and genuinely happy with.”
One of the tracks that really stood-out for me on the album was “Technophobe”. Is that an accurate description of your views on technology and, if so, how do you balance that with using the tools at your disposable to promote your music like Facebook, Twitter etc?
“I am kind of a technophobe to be honest (laughs). I mean, I’m also poking fun at myself on that track as well, but joking aside, as an independent artist you really have no choice now when it comes to working with computers, being online and getting into the whole social media thing. You just have to get on with it and I’ve done that begrudgingly and taught myself how to do certain things. I’m not great with computers and I don’t really have that much time for them. But today, if you want to do anything with your music, you’ve got to be online and using social media etc. So I’ve sort of begrudgingly embraced it really.”
Is the social media scene something you’re not a fan of purely because of the technical aspect of it, or is there a more specific reason why you don’t necessarily enjoy it?
“It’s just an element of the process that I don’t relish and I don’t really look forward to. I’m quite a humble person and I don’t really like being out there telling people, ‘You’ve got to check this out. This album is the greatest thing on earth.’ I would much rather just let people discover the music organically and if they like it, then they like it, rather than having to force it into people’s faces. But in this current climate where everybody else is doing it, if you’re not doing it, then you don’t really stand a chance when it comes to people giving any sort of time to your music. You’ve got to be seen to be out there and active on social media, promoting your material, connecting with the so-called right people, raising your profile. There’s an element of pretense to it which I don’t really like and people get caught up in who’s considered to be the most popular, who’s got the most views, who has the most followers. It’s seems to me that people are interested in everything but the music (laughs). As far as all that is concerned, it reaches a point where the fire goes out of my belly very quickly for that side of things. I just want to get on and make some more new music (laughs).”
UK legend MC Mell’O’ is featured on “Contemporary Classic” – was there a particular reason why you wanted him on the album?
“MC Mell’O’ is actually a personal friend of mine. When we first met it was actually through us both going to the same gym and it had nothing to do with music whatsoever (laughs). It was one of those things where you see someone and their face looks familiar but you can’t quite work out why (laughs). That’s how it was with Mell’O’. The first time I saw him in the gym I was like, ‘I know that guy from somewhere.’ Then I was speaking to some of the other guys in there and they were saying that MC Mell’O’ went to that particular gym and I was like, ‘That’s who it is!’ So me and Mell’O’ just started talking, became friends and then eventually he found out that I did music and he said that at some point it would be great to jump on a track together. So when I finally started putting the solo album together, I had the idea for the “Open Mic” track and wanted to do a real old-school posse track and thought it would be perfect to get Mell’O’ on there. It was an honour for me to get him on the album and was a great experience to get him in the studio. That was one of the other things with the album, I didn’t want the guest artists just sending me their verses by email. I wanted to get everybody that I possibly could into the studio to record in person so that it really felt like a proper collaboration.”
Given how much the game has changed over the last decade or so, what do you think is the biggest struggle that UK Hip-Hop artists still face in 2013?
“Speaking from a personal perspective, I think it still comes down to the level of exposure that artists are given. People are making good music, there’s definitely a market out there for it, but there’s still not enough people out there who’re hearing about what we’re doing. It’s difficult, because I’ve never been at that sort of level where I’ve ever had anything to do with ‘the industry’, so I can’t really talk from that perspective. But I would just like it if there were more outlets that let more people hear the music that artists here in the UK are making. Even though we’ve got the internet, there still seems to be less avenues in a way for underground artists to be heard by people outside of that audience.”
So you don’t think there’s really many outlets available to underground UK artists today that gives their music a chance to be heard outside of their own circles?
“There’s no real representation for the underground now on commercial radio like there was before. Taking 279 as an example, his show on Choice FM in London was a great platform for underground UK artists to have their music spun on the radio and played alongside major artists as well. That was a great outlet. But now that 279’s off the radio, there’s nothing really. I mean, for someone like me, my music isn’t going to be played by someone like a Charlie Sloth on 1Xtra. To be honest, off the top of my head, I can’t even think of any other deejays on normal radio here in the UK who have specialist Hip-Hop shows, other than maybe DJ MK and Shortee Blitz on Kiss who play a mixture of stuff. So I would say the biggest struggle faced by a lot of UK artists is that it’s still very difficult to get your music heard by people outside of the audience of listeners who would be looking for it anyway.”
Now “Contemporary Classic” has been released, what’s next for you?
“I’m not a hundred percent sure what the next move is to be honest, but I have got a few projects in the pipeline. The next thing that I’ll more than likely be doing is an EP with Jack Diggs that will be out on Revorg Records. Then, after that, I’m not really sure (laughs). I just feel that, at the moment, I’m in a great place musically, I’m happy with the people that I’m working with and I’m really just taking it one step at a time”
Ryan Proctor
Follow Efeks on Twitter – @SpecialEfeks
Efeks ft. Manage & eMCeeKilla – “Every Move” (Revorg Records / 2013)
Efeks ft. Manage eMCeeKilla – “Every Move” (RevorgRecords.BandCamp.Com / 2013)
One-half of UK duo Prose drops the first official track from his forthcoming solo album “Contemporary Classic” featuring production from Jack Diggs, Steady Rock, Keith Lawrence and more.
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson – “Dice Game” (Mello Music Group) – This Motown duo definitely weren’t taking a gamble when they jumped in the studio together to record this sureshot collection of rugged bangers. With Simpson injecting his rhymes with a slightly more personal feel than on previous material, Brown ensured his beats matched the tone of the Detroit emcee’s verses perfectly, whether highlighting their hometown (“Reputation”) or pondering the future (“How Will I Go”).
Grand Papa Tra – “Lost In New York” (GrandPapaTra.BandCamp.Com) – Not one for adhering to today’s digital norm of emailing tracks and verses back and forth to complete a project, Swiss producer Tra wanted a more authentic recording experience, so made the trip to NYC to put together this collection of East Coast-influenced cuts with the likes of Sadat X, Mic Geronimo and Royal Flush.
Prose – “Back In The Habit” (Boom Bap Professionals) – Following-up two impressive albums, “Force Of Habit” (2010) and “The Dark Side Of The Boom” (2011), UK emcee / producer partnership Efeks and Steady Rock remained true to their underground roots on this quality EP which featured the witty old-school tribute “The Class Of ’94”.
Fraction & Fresh Kils – “Extra Science” (Math Music Productions) – This album could easily never have happened considering it was a chance encounter at a Toronto Hip-Hop event that led to this Canadian duo teaming-up for this release. Thankfully, the rap gods were obviously smiling on that fateful day, which in turn led to underground fans being blessed with an accomplished, polished display of musical brilliance steeped in soulful, jazzy vibes and masterful lyricism.
Union – “Analogtronics” (Fat Beats) – A mind-bending mix of 80s-style synths, Dilla-influenced beats and space-age imagery, Paris-based producers OJ and Gold delivered a truly unique sonic experience with this collection of intergalactic funk, taking listeners on an epic musical journey amongst the stars with the likes of Talib Kweli, MF Doom and Roc Marciano on-hand to lyrically moonwalk across their sci-fly soundscapes.
Casual & J Rawls – “Respect Game Or Expect Flames” (Nature Sounds) – An unexpected but welcome collaboration, the cocky, Oakland drawl of Hiero’s Casual was the perfect fit for veteran Ohio-based producer Rawls’ well-crafted beats on this thoroughly entertaining album.
M9 – “Magna Carta” (M9Ether.BandCamp.Com) – Easily one of the most gifted lyricists in the present-day rap game, London’s Melanin 9 filled his heavily-anticpated “Magna Carta” project with intricately woven verses packed with gritty street knowledge, political opinion and social commentary. Edutainment, indeed.
Gensu Dean – “Lo-Fi Fingahz” (Mello Music Group) – Texas-based producer Dean celebrated his love of his trusty SP 1200 sampler by using it to craft a quality selection of true-school neck-snappers on this album which featured the likes of Brand Nubian, Large Professor and Count Bass D.
Heavy Links – “The Essence” (HeavyLinks.BandCamp.Com) – Midlands, UK trio Habitat, El Tel and Donnie Propa released their third EP project which, following a successful appearance at September’s Boom Bap Hip-Hop Festival, raised the crew’s profile and widened the audience for their brand of good ol’ fashioned homegrown rap.
Showbiz & AG – “Mugshot Music: Preloaded” (DITC Records) – Released as a free warm-up for “Mugshot Music” proper, this might not have been considered an official album by the Bronx duo, but it was definitely much more than just a mixtape. Featuring some of Show’s best production in recent times and typically self-assured bars from Andre The Giant, “Preloaded” probably wouldn’t have left fans unsatisfied even if it had been the pair’s only 2012 release.
Producer Steady and lyricist Efeks of UK duo Prose team-up with regular collaborator Crusada for this tight five-track EP continues the BBP tradition of quality Hip-Hop assisted by appearances from Kingpin (Caxton Press), Oliver Sudden, DJ Matman and DJ Jabbathakut – download here.
Maffew Ragazino – “Rhyme Pays” (Cash In Cash Out Records) – Brownsville, Brooklyn representative Ragazino stormed the underground Hip-Hop scene with a brilliantly orchestrated online promo campaign and then dropped this polished set that bristles with thoroughbred NY attitude. Backed by production from the likes of DJ Clark Kent, Vinyl Frontiers and Sha Banga, Maffew took his first step towards his name being added to the long list of BK rap greats.
Prose – “The Dark Side Of The Boom” (BBP) – Following up last year’s excellent “Force Of Habit” album, UK duo Steady Rock and Efeks delivered another accomplished set of quality homegrown Hip-Hop that put a slightly moodier twist on their trademark boom-bap sound.
General Monks – “Each Step Becomes Elevated” (Wandering Worx Entertainment) – Teaming up with Gold Chain Music artist TriState for this release, West Coast emcee Planet Asia further solidified his reputation as a lyrical giant amongst midgets, with the duo launching verbal missiles over hardcore production alongside the likes of Ras Kass, Krondon and Montage One.
Muneshine & Vinyl Frontiers – “Larger Than Life” (Vinyl Frontiers) – Canada’s Muneshine definitely shone on this EP of upbeat bangers which found the Toronto wordsmith dropping both reflective rhymes and sarcasm-laced lines over the Vinyl Frontiers’ soulful production.
Praverb The Wyse – “Professional Hobbyist” (Praverb Dot Net) – An honest account of both the triumphs and frustrations facing underground artists who are forced to fit their musical aspirations around the day-to-day grind, this album from Virginia’s Praverb was a breath of fresh air from an emcee unafraid to really let listeners into his world.
MCM – “The Gospel : The Missing Gems Of MCM (1994 – 2011)” (I-Innovate) – As frontman of 90s UK Hip-Hop favourites Caveman, MCM’s place in British rap history is secure. With sporadic periods of solo activity since the group’s break-up, this epic collection of over thirty tracks mixed new MCM material with unreleased treats from the last two decades. Featuring production from the likes of DJ Devastate, Si Spex and DJ Nappa, “The Gospel” brilliantly showcased MCM’s positive lyrical message.
Raekwon – “Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang” (EMI) – Aside from a few sonic mis-steps, The Chef’s most recent solo opus continued the momentum gained from 2009’s “Cuban Linx” sequel. Dropping his usual blend of coded crime rhymes and street-related wisdom over mostly solid production from the likes of Kenny Dope, The Alchemist and Bronze Nazareth, Raekwon once again proved himself to be a true master of his craft.
Common – “The Dreamer / The Believer” (Warner Bros) – This particular Windy City wordsmith may no longer be the posterchild for underground rap that he was during the 90s following the release of his classic “I Used To Love H.E.R.”, but Common can still tap into that same pure Hip-Hop spirit when he chooses to. After 2008’s limp “Universal Mind Control” the Chicago native had a lot to prove, so he teamed-up with longtime collaborator No I.D. to record an album that balances commercial sensibilities and progressive lyrical messages with moments of raw rap attitude.
yU – “The Earn” (Mello Music Group) – Capturing a variety of moods reflecting the struggles, dreams and aspirations of a young man attempting to find his place in the world, this sophomore solo effort from the Diamond District emcee is as inspirational as it is entertaining. A modern-day masterpiece.
Soul Khan – “Acknowledgement” (Brown Bag Allstars) – The first in a four-EP series the Brooklyn-based emcee began early in 2011, this DJ Element-produced project found the former battle champ exploring the idea of self-worth in rousing fashion, delivering confident verses brimming with personality over a selection of drum-heavy, sample-driven soundscapes.
Quelle Chris – “Shotgun & Sleek Rifle” (Synergy Works) – Stalwart of the underground Detroit scene Quelle Chris has something of an eclectic musical background that covers Hip-Hop, rock and electronica. With this project, the Wasted Youth member embarked on a beautifully blunted musical voyage, blending the grimy feel of a basement tape with the soulful shimmer of interplanetary cosmic funk. A truly unique listening experience.
As one-half of London-based duo Prose alongside emcee partner Efeks, producer Steady Rock has been on the UK’s Hip-Hop radar for the best part of a decade now, mixing quality releases such as the “Wasted Talent” EP with appearances on projects like Disorda’s “Suspect Files Vol. 4”.
It wasn’t until last year, however, that the pair released the official debut Prose album “Force Of Habit” through their own Boombap Professionals imprint. An accomplished project full of polished sample-heavy production from Steady and confident wordplay from Efeks, “Force Of Habit” was clearly the culmination of years spent studying, loving and practicing the art and culture of Hip-Hop.
Having recently released “The 11th Hour Massacre” with Prose affiliate Crusada, Steady speaks here about recording the new project, choosing his musical collaborators carefully and dealing with boom-bap baggage.
It’s been almost a year since the release of the first Prose album “Force Of Habit” – were you happy with the overall response to the project?
“Generally, I think we were happy with it. You always hope a project will do better, but the feedback we got on the album was excellent. We would’ve liked a lot more sales to be totally honest, but people were bootlegging and downloading the album before it was officially released on CD. It’s almost like you’re fighting a losing battle, but if your heart’s in it then you just keep pushing and hope that you can generate enough sales to be able to put money back into the next project. So Efeks and I were just happy we managed to get enough interest behind the album to be able to do another project. We never wanted to just make one album and then fall off or give up. Our goal was always to put out a series of releases. Even if “Force Of Habit” hadn’t of got a good reception we’d have still carried on (laughs). So any accolades or props we got from the album were a bonus really.”
You mentioned that the album was being unofficially downloaded which hurt sales. Do you think that even with all the publicity surrounding illegal downloading people still don’t fully appreciate the negative impact it can have on an artist?
“To be honest with you, I think a lot of people are still clueless about the impact downloading can have on an artist. We live in a culture of instant gratification nowadays, so when it comes to music, people hear something, want it, and just download it from wherever they can get it from, even if it’s not through channels that will benefit the artist. I mean, if you’re talking about someone like a Jay-Z, he will still achieve thousands of sales even if people download his material, so it all balances out to some degree for major artists. But for independent artists where literally every sale counts, people downloading your music can have a huge impact on whether you’re financially able to continue recording, manufacturing and releasing your product. We started the BBP label around 2004 / 2005 and we knew from early on how important the Internet was going to be, so a lot of our first releases as Prose were made available as free downloads. I mean, hopefully people would think that an eighteen-track album is worth paying for, but as far as singles are concerned why not put them out for free and gain the interest that will then lead to people wanting to support a full-length project.”
It almost seems like some people think that because underground / independent artists are supposedly only “doing it for the love” that you wouldn’t actually expect to make any money from your music so it doesn’t really matter…
“I think there are people out there who do have that way of thinking and, unfortunately, all the artists out there who put real time and effort into their music are victims of that. I think because people are so used to seeing a lot of artists putting throwaway tracks and freestyles up for download just to try and keep their name out there, they don’t fully realise how much time and effort actually goes into putting together a properly recorded and mixed album of original material. I mean, “Force Of Habit” wasn’t completed in a month. There was a couple of years work put into that album and it was recorded whilst people were raising kids, working day jobs, moving house, all that kind of stuff. Part of the reason we founded the BBP label was because we didn’t want to just drop random tracks. We wanted to put out releases with proper artwork, release dates, catalogue numbers and publishing. There are so many artists nowadays just throwing random tracks out through places like YouTube with no real thinking behind making a statement with their music or the potential legacy they may be creating. We just always wanted to do it properly and make sure we were putting out an end product that we were totally happy with.”
So what prompted you to put out the new Steady & Crusada project “The 11th Hour Massacre” primarily as a digital release?
“I’ve known Crusada for years and obviously he was also featured on the Prose album. We’d been talking for awhile about doing something together because I really rate him as an emcee and I wanted to hear him over some of my beats. Initially, it just started off as us only doing one track together, but then it soon spiralled into a full project (laughs). At first we were talking about releasing it purely as a digital project mainly because of the simplicity of doing it that way and it also meant we could get it out a lot quicker once the music was done. But the more we talked about it we decided that there were still people out there interested in owning physical product, so we decided to do a limited run of CDs with the idea being that if the demand was there we could press more. So it wasn’t a super conscious decision not to focus on physical product, it was more just a case of convenience, not in a lazy way but in terms of wanting to put the music out there quicker.”
Given that you’re used to working in a one emcee / one producer partnership with Efeks as Prose, was working with Crusada any different in terms of the creative process behind “The 11th Hour Massacre”?
“It was quite similar really. I mean, I think because we’d already worked together and knew each other beforehand we each knew how the other one likes to work in the studio. With the Prose material, Efeks and I do spend a lot more time working on it because that’s always been our main focus. So because of that I suppose we have more input into each other’s creative process in terms of him telling me the type of beat he wants for a particular rhyme he has and also me giving feedback on his lyrics. So we kick a lot of ideas back and forth when we’re recording in the same way that I imagine artists liked Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Gang Starr would have worked with one producer and one emcee. Whereas with “The 11th Hour Massacre” there was a little less of that because of the nature of the project and the type of working relationship I have with Crusada. But that said, we were still bouncing ideas off of each other which is how it grew from us doing just one track together to a whole project. Even the title itself came from a conversation we had about how Crusada was fed-up with the UK scene and the industry etc. I played him some of the stuff I’d been working on and he was like, “Steady, this is what I’ve been waiting for! Some real boom-bap! You’ve saved me in the 11th hour!” It sounds kind of corny to tell you a back story like that but that’s exactly how it came together (laughs).”
Following the Crusada project do you have plans to work with other emcees and do more production work outside of Prose?
“That’s a good question. I’ve had a lot of offers from people asking me to do production for them, but I’ve never been one of those people you see posting ‘Buy a beat for £50’ on Facebook. I mean, I consider myself a producer and not just a beat-maker. I want to be involved in the whole process and not just give a track to someone to go off and do what they want with it. I’m not really interested in just throwing my tracks out there for just any emcee to get on. I want there to be some sort of purpose to it. So that’s why there’s probably less of my tracks out there on other people’s projects than there could be. I could’ve thrown some of my stuff out there and made some quick money off people who were willing to pay for my tracks, but at the end of the day I want to be able to stand behind the finished product and in order to do that I have to be able to respect the emcee I’m working with as an artist. I wouldn’t compromise myself by working with just anybody. It’s really important to both me and Efeks that any music we’re involved in hopefully has some sort of longevity to it.”
Playing devil’s advocate, what do you say to people who might think that the whole Boombap Professionals concept is a way of trying to hold on to a bygone era in Hip-Hop?
“I can see why some people might think that and we’ve even thought about it ourselves because we don’t want to just be seen as a group or label that’s described only as “throwback” or “backpack”. The whole Boombap Professionals thing really came about by accident. I had an Akai S950 sampler in the studio and at the time I had one of those Dymo label writers and I was basically labelling anything that moved (laughed). I printed out a label saying ‘Boombap’ and decided to stick it on the sampler where it said Akai Professionals, so then it read ‘Boombap Professionals’ and it was something me and Efeks really liked the sound of. Initially we were just going to use it as a production name like ‘Produced by Steady for BBP’, but over time it just grew into its own thing and that’s how the label was born. So we didn’t ever set out to say we’re only about mid-90s boom-bap but we do wear our hearts on our sleeves in terms of the music we grew-up listening to. I’ve been a Hip-Hop head since 1985 when I was just 11-years-old and I can remember buying albums like LL Cool J’s “Radio”, Public Enemy’s “Yo! Bum Rush The Show” and Stetsasonic’s “In Full Gear”. So we really were the boom-bap generation because that’s what the music was about when we were being drawn into Hip-Hop. So the Boombap Professionals name really fitted because it is us and that’s the sound that influenced us. But at the same time we weren’t trying to turn it into some sort of cliche or jump on a retro bandwagon. Choosing that name was just something that happened organically but it can be a double-edged sword.”
So what’s next for BBP?
“We’ve got the new Prose album coming in November which I’m really excited about. It’s called “The Dark Side Of The Boom” and it’s not a change in direction as such from what people heard on “Force Of Habit”, but I would say it’s possibly got a bit of a harder edge to it. We didn’t go out of our way to make something different, but our sound seems to have developed naturally. That’s why we decided to call it “The Dark Side Of The Boom” because it defintely shows the darker side of Prose. Hopefully people will like it as much as they liked “Force Of Habit” but the new album definitely has a slightly different flavour to it.”
Ryan Proctor
Both “Force Of Habit” and “The 11th Hour Massacre” are available via iTunes / Bandcamp etc.
Steady & Crusada – “Stay On My Grind” (BBP / 2011)
Old To The New - Ryan Proctor's Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia 