Category: Hip-hop

Shakespeare – Akala

One from the vaults. It’s Akala’s Shakespeare from his debut album It’s Not A Rumour from 2006. The album (and it’s 2007 follow-up Freedom Lasso) span hip-hop, electro and rock and I have to say they opened 14-year-old-me’s eyes. Akala is a great lyricist, combining humour and meaning with crazy delivery. He has grown to become an important figure in society with his activism. This track goes back to the start of his journey – enjoy.

Bonus track: I was reminded of Shakespeare whilst watching Emerald Fennel’s new dark comedy, Saltburn – well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it already. There’s a great party scene which features Tomcraft’s Loneliness. Shakespeare‘s backing track is lifted directly from it. Two very different tracks with two very different energies, but both hit in their own way.

A View of U – Machinedrum

This is a really interesting album to listen to. Tracks are scattered from 81 to 147 bpm. I get that that might not sound like an appealing prospect to some people. But I think this is one worth a little effort. Each track feels like an event – they weave together in way that shouldn’t work but does.

You’ll know what I mean from the first two tracks The Relic and Star – they have more than a touch of Jacques Greene about them – building R&B vocal samples into a broody electronic aural landscape – but they go into a darker place than Jacques tends to. The album then swerves into over the top brass and hip-hop with Freddie Gibbs on the vocals, before reaching my top pick, Wait 4 U. It is neat and uncomplicated, like an early Ramadanman track. My other top pick is Believe in U is Wait 4 U‘s upbeat twin. A final mention goes to 1000 Miles, featuring Sub Focus.

Bonus track: this is what got Machinedrum onto my radar back in 2014. It’s his emotional remix of Kelis, and it’s a banger.

Talkin’ All That Jazz (Dim’s Radio Edit) – Stetsasonic

Today I have short story for you.

The year is 2013. I’m at Secret Garden Party. It’s about 4am. The night is beginning to wind down. But as we wander past a nondescript stretch tent, some music drifts over to us. Intrigued, we wander in. The DJ is playing a massive hip-hop set. The tent is packed. The crowd is locked in. The energy is huge. One track in particular brings it to a peak. Shazam? Useless. And so begins the search for “The Flute Based Hip-hop Banger”.

Message

Alas, I faced dead end after dead end in the hunt. Until last week when I came across this:

Full disclaimer, I’m not actually sure this is the one, but I’m going to act like it is because it’s been 7 years now.

Modal Soul – Nujabes

*GUEST POST*

Nujabes is my go to escapism music. His floating, uplifting beats interspersed with punchy guest lyrics take you away. He’s attributed with having had a big influence on the Tokyo hip-hop scene – he ran a couple of record shops and was a prolific producer and performer before his untimely death in 2010 – and his material sounds as good now as it did a decade ago. Modal Soul showcases the range of his production and collaboration, and is truly timeless stuff. Tanoshii.

Al

Message from Harry: like what you hear? You can find Nujabes and tonnes more of my favourite rap on this playlist called, Favourite Rap.

Wax Tailor

Every Sunday I bring you something a little more downtempo to ease you back into the world.

Two albums today from French trip-hop producer Wax Tailor (Jean-Christophe Le Saoût). He has a signature downtempo sound, with heavy use of looped samples from Hitchcockian classic films, but he also produces a couple of throwback hip-hop gems. These albums will take you on a buzzy, hypnotic, confusing journey through time and space. Yep.

Kick, Push – Lupe Fiasco

I’m growing a moustache to raise money for the Movember Foundation. So this month I will be honouring some of the best moustaches in music. You can donate to my mo here: https://mobro.co/harry-mo

Not Lupe’s most famous, but my favourite. Kick, Push is a lovable little rap track about finding love on a skateboard. “Just a rebel looking for a place to be.” Aren’t we all Lupe. Aren’t we all.

The album is Food & Liquor, check it out if you like what you hear.

2000 – Grand Puba

I’m growing a moustache to raise money for the Movember Foundation. So this month I will be honouring some of the best moustaches in music. You can donate to my mo here: https://mobro.co/harry-mo

Some more old-skool rap coming at ya. 2000 is Grand Puba’s 2nd album, confusingly released in 1995. Smooth vibes. My picks from the album are Back Stabbers and I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are). If you recognise the latter, it’s probably because you played Tony Hawk’s Underground 2.

Shout out to Guy Perkins for the heads-up.

Graduation – Kanye West

I’m growing a moustache to raise money for the Movember Foundation. So this month I will be honouring some of the best moustaches in music. You can donate to my mo here: https://mobro.co/harry-mo

So much crap has been written by and about Kanye that it can be a little hard to remember why anyone should care. This album and the two before it are the answer. The man is a talent. This is a throwback to a classic 2007 album. Champion. The Glory. Flashing Lights. Homecoming. If these tracks don’t deposit you firmly in your happy late noughties happy place then there’s something wrong with you.

P.S. I know he’s really a goatee man, but Christ have you ever tried to find 30 artists with moustaches. Genuinely difficult. Can’t wait for December – got some great new music for y’all