So, what is the best way I can say this?
This album is one of the best albums I've listened to this year.
I usually hate talking about music and if I am talking about music it's because I'm filled with hate. This case is an exception.
So first off I'll explain when it comes to music, especially the worlds most infamous genre; Hip-Hop, I'm spoilt, I know exactly what I want, I know what production I like, rhymes, flow, even song structure. I'm difficult to impress when it comes to Hip-Hop, most of the time this depends who you are though...DOOM, Count Bass, NoEmotion, they tend to win me over 90% of the time, either based on their production selection, rhymes, song structures or general creativity. Some of my other favorites will always vary and most other acts [especially most mainstream "Hip-Hop"] will not move me.
[MF] DOOM
Possibly my favorite Hip-Hop artist, if not in music in
general. Known for being lazy, beer drinking,
late, intelligent, cunning, elusive, etc.
NoEmotion [Goldmask]
Another mask bearer, almost creating a pattern, funnily enough,
first impressions were "DOOM Ripoff" & the fact he was covering
as Herb/Spice too made it worse. NoEmotion soon became one
of my favorites.
Count Bass D
A titan of production and a true artist in many ways,
Count Bass has his own style/sound and every album in his library
has been impressive. For me, his works guaranteed to be felt.
But lets move forward.
Dexter St. Jock, voice of Savage Ballet is a snake in the grass of emcees, what at first seems like a simple rhyme on a very simplistic flow transforms into verbal sparring match with a pro, when things seem mostly poetic with a straight forward approach, he'll remind you he has the skills & will exhibit them. Production [by who I believe is Eric Sterling] is perfect, some of it has nostalgic properties, like production from back in the day, it has that classic, early 90's, analogue, straight off the vinyl feel, it feels real...and that's hard to rationalize.
I'd definitely compare the general musical feel to Count Bass' work, the rhymes can feel the same but are by far more aggressive, the album casually is predicting a lot which is surfacing in British society, especially since some of the controversy brought about by the UK Riots.
Racism, cynical social commentary of the inner city & personal memoirs outlining the grim realities of a life in the cold dark city of London.
This album needs to be listened to, it's a hidden treasure among a sea of mediocrity & cliched nonsensical Hip-Hop which is becoming a parody of itself.
