The Four Owls – Natural Order (Review)

The Four Owls are back. The High Focus UK supergroup, consisting of Fliptrix, Verb T, BVA and Leaf Dog, return after the absolutely classic ‘Nature’s Greatest Mystery’ album, released back in 2011 with an unadulteratedly raw project packed with incredible beats and superbly crafted lyricism stuffed to the brim with substance. ‘Natural Order’ has had a lot of hype, with the release of the DJ Premier produced single ‘Think Twice’, and the impact of their debut make this release all the more anticipated. High Focus haven’t disappointed us yet, and this one is no exception, to say the very least. 

From the soulful samples with crunching snares backing the Owls on ‘Rice Torture’, it’s instantly clear that the golden era infused hip hop these four guys specialise in still sounds as fresh as ever. With lyrics about their hip hop sensibilities and prowess, this opener sets the tone, and shows that amongst so much disappointment in mainstream hip hop, the underground is still where it’s at.  ‘Silent Flight’, which was released with an impeccable animation video on YouTube prior to the album’s release, is still one of my favourite tracks. With the choppy vocal samples and consistently impressively delivered Owl themed lyrics this is a guaranteed anthem.

‘Think Twice’ showed that UK hip hop really is starting to get the recognition it so clearly deserves. The only track on the album not produced by Leaf Dog (did I mention it’s a DJ Premier joint!?), each of The Four Owls show why they’re so respected for their lyrics, flows, delivery and content. Verb T’s closing rhyme scheme is insane, and hopefully this Premier collab is the start of something special. The brass samples and in your face drums of ‘Defiant’ are well suited, and the muffled production on ‘The Four Elements’ both make for heavy listens; the consistency on ‘Natural Order’ is something to be congratulated.

Smellington Piff’s appearance on ‘Dawn Of A New Day’, another excellent Leaf Dog production with intelligent rhyming, is dope to see. The Four Owls have been around the blocks, and it’s always refreshing to see so much promising talent coming through the ranks. This track is a declaration for the return of real hip hop, and since the album reached the top spot in the iTunes hip hop chart, maybe it’s time you believed them. ‘Assassination’ is definitely a highlight, with Dirty Dike joining The Four Owls on a back to back series of incredible verses. Dike’s ‘dreaming of raping a boyband member in the face’ bar is enough to make you reload this countless times.

There really is so much to talk about here. The infectious organ on ‘Ain’t Like It’ and the well tackled concepts on ‘The Drama’ show the versatile skills of each member, be it lyrical or beat-making. ‘Open Book’ finds Jam Baxter making a brutal guest appearance, The haunting, soulful ‘Old Earth’ is also one of the most impressive tracks on ‘Natural Order’, and it finds the Owls demonstrating their introspective styles with flair and skill. The more relaxed side of the Owls’ music is found throughout their second album, with a good balance between that and more uptempo, aggressive tracks.

‘Natural Order’ is one of the most consistent, cohesive and raw rap albums I’ve heard for a long time. Each group member impresses, with Fliptrix’s savage flows and intelligent writing, Leaf Dog’s unique style and production talents, BVA’s charismatic delivery and old school flow and Verb T’s humble yet cutting writing all playing their part. It’s hard to pick a standout member, but Verb T’s showing on this album definitely leaves a lasting impression, but each Owl shines in their own right.

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

@MrFliptrix

@RealVerbT

@BVA3

@MCLeafDog

http://www.facebook.com/LYTEWORK

http://www.high-focus.com

Smellington Piff – Notice Of Eviction (Review)

Smellington Piff has been surrounded by a fair amount of hype for a while now, and it’s understandable when you’re running with two of the UK scene’s heavy hitters, BVA and Leaf Dog, and you’re signed to their talented and impressive RLD Records, not to mention dropping a consistent output of quality music in the run up to this debut solo album. ‘Notice Of Eviction’ is produced in its entirety by Leaf Dog, and Smellington Piff’s original, unique, cutting and sharp flow is completely at home. 

‘Notice Of Eviction’ gets underway with the hard hitting boom bap of ‘Opposites Attract’. The piano based beat, complete with funky guitar samples and crunching kick and snare backs Piff as he drops bars with his signature intricate writing style. Leaf Dog provides a characteristically dope, soul sampling backdrop on ‘End Of Discussion’, and the RLD MC raps with confidence and energy, with too many resonating bars to count, spitting ‘I hold no wonga/This time next year I’ll still be a plonker’. ‘Gorilla Growers’ is the next cut, and the stoner anthem finds Piff alongside Son Doobie of the LA based Funkdoobiest, as well as BVA and Leaf Dog, who contributes slick horn samples and banging drums as well as a nice verse.

The frantic instrumental for ‘Site’ is suited perfectly to Smellington as he delivers bars about his way of life and upbringing, with scathing analysis along with dope lyricism and consistently good writing; a standout for me is ‘Passing through your town like a stream/If home’s where the heart is, I live on my sleeve’. ‘Notice Of Eviction’ has one of the best starts to an album I’ve heard for a while, every track is heavy, and there’s definitely variation here too. ‘The Base’ is a highlight, with Piff joined by Cracker Jon, Jack Jetson, Eric The Red, Leaf Dog and BVA on a smooth and jazzy beat. Each MC delivers a nice verse, and it’s always great to hear some of the UK’s sickest spitters going back to back.

‘Authentic Fakes’ is another instant head-nodder. Rag N Bone Man provides yet another incredible hook, he always delivers when recruited to drop a chorus. Smellington brutally delivers his bars, and they are always excellently structured, such as when he drops ‘Fuck your hollow lies, just apologise, act like you mean it/Or burn like a phoenix, I mean this’. ‘Food Chain’ demonstrates once again Piff’s relatable bars with a storytelling vibe, and his concept works very well. ‘Real Life’s Happening’ finds Smellington dropping a horde of heavy similes, summing the scheme up with ‘I say like a lot coz I like it a lot/And I don’t care if you like it a lot’ . Another highlight is ‘Ununited Kingdom’; something that impresses throughout ‘Notice Of Eviction’ is the fact that Smellington Piff always has real content in his tracks, and this is key to the effectiveness of his music.

Smellington Piff and Leaf Dog have made a fantastically cohesive album, filled with absolutely banging UK hip hop. The collaborations are well chosen; Verb T and Fliptrix appear on ’80 Degrees’, Piff drops socially conscious bars with LIFE on ‘After The Storm’, Bill Shakes delivers a dope verse with his Northern swagger on ‘Mad Man’s Anthem’, alongside another impressive Leaf Dog appearance, and Lee Scott kills the chilled and soulful ‘Riddle Me This’ with a characteristically cocky verse. Smellington Piff’s writing is impressive throughout, and he suits Leaf Dog’s golden era, instant classic production style perfectly. And this is his debut album? Watch out for this one.

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

@LYTEWORK

@SmellingtonPiff

http://www.facebook.com/LYTEWORK

http://www.rldrecords.co.uk

Upfront MC – Upfront & Personal (Review)

Split Prophets are a driving force in UK hip hop. A very skilled collective of lyricists and beatmakers, based in Bristol. This is a solo project from Upfront MC, and it’s packed to the brim with tight, complex flows and multi syllabics as well as some first rate instrumentals guaranteed to keep that neck moving backwards and forwards. 

‘Where’s The Love’ is a scathing message to rappers who have been completely consumed by the motivation to make money, and no longer rap for the love of the music. The SP crew have many tracks on a similar subject, but the fact that the track doesn’t lose any of its desired impact certainly shows just how consistent the Bristol representatives are. This track also features another Bristolian MC, Mistafire, and both he and Upfront MC combine to create a very sick track.

‘Not All Bad’ is a certified banger. Smooth piano and brass samples sit well over a hypnotic boom bap drum loop. Upfront drops some sick punchlines, such as ‘your music’s been watered down like a high juice’, but it’s his flow that really impressed me. The stripped back beat really allows his consistently on point flow to shine through. The internal rhyme schemes and multi’s on this track will instantly appeal to any hip hop head.

Croydon based producer 2Late contributes a dope funky beat for ‘Coming Thru Your Speakers’, and Upfront kicks some sick rhymes, proving his lyrical ability  is of a very high standard. 2Late’s beat is a nice variation for inclusion on the album, with the producers signature sound clear to hear. This track also shows the Split Prophet MC’s versatility, Upfront sounds just at home on this style of instrumental as he does the more in your face aggressive boom bap sound of a lot of Split Prophets material.

‘People Say’ featuring fellow Prophet, Res, along with vocalist Chikaya, is a great positive cut. This has an accompanying video on YouTube, so check that if you’ve not already peeped it. Res spits some great bars, with some excellently delivered patterns and schemes landing with strong impact. This is a more introspective track than the other songs on Upfront & Personal, and it certainly stands out from the crowd.

Upfront & Personal is packed with killer flows and well structured lyrics, and Upfront certainly pulls of a project on his own. There’s some great tracks on here, in a variety of styles. Production is excellently handled by a variety of beatmakers, including Blanka, Badhabitz, Leaf Dog and also Majesta who contributes a heavy beat for the obligatory posse cut, ‘Prophets Get Personal’. The hype around Split Prophets is building, and it’s only going to grow if they keep putting out projects of this quality!

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

http://splitprophets.bandcamp.com

Cracker Jon & 2Late – You Can Take The Cracker Out Of Croydon (Review)

High Focus never seem to slow down. This is the latest release from the UK hip hop powerhouse; a full length album from the Croydon duo Cracker Jon and 2Late. ‘You Can Take The Cracker Out Of Croydon’ is a dark, head nodding, funky journey back into a forgotten style of hip hop, reminiscent of Redman in his hey-day. This is a unique UK take on 90s hip hop; this isn’t the same old boom bap revival you’ve heard countless times already this year, this is a smokey ride through some dope beats and breaks, and Cracker’s witty lyrical content and choppy, gritty flow is perfectly suited. 

The first time I listened to this album was on a train journey, and as ‘What You Prefer’ started to sound through my headphones the ‘tickets please’ sample was rather disconcerting. ‘I don’t like responsibility when i’m at work/To sit at home and get stoned is what I prefer’ is the bar that Cracker Jon kicks his verse off with, and it’s quotables like this that make him such an interesting and engaging MC to listen to.

‘The Funk Off’ is a dope posse cut, with a sick video to accompany it (check that on youtube). Cracker’s verse is laced with some well written multi syllabics such as ‘Memories glowing/Extendedly flowing/Better be knowing/Any opponent’. The choppy flow is something that has always drawn me to Jon’s music, and is ever-impressive. The ‘stop taking pictures of yourself in stupid poses’ bar is another example of Cracker Jon’s talent for peppering his verses with witty one liners. Smellington Piff drops one of the albums standout verses; ‘The security on the door was more blind than Blunkett’ is one of the best references i’ve heard for a long time. Eric The Red also comes through with a punchline heavy verse, it’s going to be interesting to watch the RLD Records talent grow in the near future if these 2 verses are anything to go by.

Obnoxious is my personal standout track. It sees Cracker Jon & 2Late team up with 2 of the UK’s finest rappers. Dirty Dike opens the track with a perfectly suited bar. ‘I snap a cats leg off and fuck a dog with it’ made me reload the track so many times. Lee Scott also tears the track up, with an expertly delivered verse. It’s always good when an MC on his debut album enlists veterans for a collaboration, and Cracker Jon holds his own amongst 2 of the UK’s most supreme lyricists.

You Can’t Take The Cracker Out Of Croydon is an excellent UK hip hop album. Cracker Jon has a unique flow, with consistently on point content. Going from witty references to weed and booze to scathing social commentary in 2 bars is a common occurrence, and 2Late’s funky baselines and drum loops provide the perfect soundtrack. Fliptrix spits 2 sick verses (his appearance on Think About It is an absolute classic), and this is yet another fantastic slice of UK hip hop to come out of the High Focus camp.

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

http://www.high-focus.com

Phili ‘N’ Dotz – Phili N The Dotz (Review)

Si Phili and Dotz are two prolific spitters with great reputations individually. This album sees them team up to provide some real, authentic UK hip hop. 

Phil N The Dotz is an album from respected freestyler and battler Dotz, and Si Phili, a member of the legendary Phi Life Cypher crew. The albums beats bang throughout, and the blistering lyricism and relentless flows from both rappers mean that this album is an absolute barfest.

Tracks like We Stay, over an instrumental immediately identifiable as a Leaf Dog production, find Dotz and Phili trading verses back and forth packed with multi syllabics and hard hitting punchlines. Tracks like this come across so well when you have two rappers going all out on a beat, and it’s great to hear a veteran of the scene and a younger MC standing side by side, both displaying a fantastic ability for writing rhymes.

Phili N Dotz lace the album with some well placed guest appearances. Lyrical Gun Slingers finds Dotz and Si spitting alongside Blak Twang and Phoenix Da Icefire over an anthemic beat. Blak Twang is someone i’m a big fan of, and his back catalogue is one of the strongest in UK hip hop, so it’s great to hear him drop yet another sick verse. Let Ya Mind Breathe sees the two MCs again drop verses over a Leaf Dog instrumental, and this time the High Focus artist drops a tight verse. Leaf appears again on the fantastic Illest Rocks, along with Klashnekoff, Wordsmiff & Verb T. This is the standout track for me, the vibe that’s created from a well structured posse cut is one that sums up the essence of hip hop music.

Phili N The Dotz features some really well crafted instrumentals, produced by the cream of the crop of UK hip hop. Pete Cannon contributes two beats; The War Dance is a track with a hypnotic loop perfect for Dotz & Si Phili to drop their lyrics on. Leaf Dog produced 5 tracks, and his soulful, boom bap hip hop lends itself perfectly to Dotz’s style, and Si Phili’s tone and charisma really make his verses stand out. Training For Battle Rap is a perfect example, with the aggression in both MCs flows making it impossible to not nod your head along with the hard hitting drums.

This is a really dope album. It’s always exciting to hear the result of two MCs coming together for a project, and Si Phili and Dotz have made an album that is quite clearly pure hip hop in its rawest form. With fantastically executed rhymes delivered over blistering instrumentals, this is 16 tracks of straight up bars.

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

@PhiliNDotz

@OfficialDotz

@SiPhili

http://www.philindotz.com

Jack Jetson – The Adventures of Johnny Strange (Review)

Hip Hop in the UK is in one of its healthier periods since its inception, and Jack Jetson is another of the MCs making real waves in the scene. With classic, weed infused verses displaying real skill and passion, this debut album is set to be one of the best releases of 2014. 

It’s great to see that the talented members of the High Focus roster aren’t content to sit back and ride the wave. BVA & Leaf Dog’s RLD Records is sure to be very important in bringing through more and more lyrical MCs staying true to what hip hop is all about. Jack Jetson’s The Adventures of Johnny Strange album is the first release on RLD, and it’s an example of just how good rap music from Great Britain can be. With all of the production duties handled by Leaf Dog himself, Jack flawlessly flows around the expert sampling and classic 90s drums.

The opening track is Wonderberry, which was released a few weeks back with an accompanying video. As soon as the track starts you can’t help but bounce your head along to it, and Jetson sets the album off with brilliantly structured multi’s and rhyme schemes. Strange Ways is another dope track, with sick quotable’s and internal rhymes. It was certainly a wise choice for Jack Jetson to sign under BVA & Leaf Dog’s new outfit of great UK talent; Jack’s tone of voice and way of writing lends itself completely to Leaf Dog’s gritty yet soulful production, and the vibe of the project makes it able to slot straight amongst albums such as ‘Brothers of the Stone’ and ‘From A Scarecrows Perspective’.

The album features only 3 guest verses. BVA kicks it on Vitamins, with his old school flow delivered with precision. It’s great to hear that a guy with a very unique style and way of delivering his bars is still respected as much as BVA is. Leaf Dog and Jack hook up to trade bars on Stay True. This ode to raw hip hop is perfect for a lazy summer day. Dirty Dike also lends a verse on Mushroom Clouds. This is one of the standout tracks, with one of the UK’s most prolific lyricists proving exactly why he’s so respected; Dike’s humorous bars such as ‘I’ll sellotape her face to the fridge and fucking break her ribs’ instantly making you perk up and pay attention. Jetson’s verses don’t fall short of the mark either.

This is a very solid album, and is an incredibly strong debut. This has only made it more exciting to hear from RLD’s roster of artists who are bubbling just under the surface. Leaf Dog’s beats are on top form throughout the project, with 13 tracks of classic, 90s influenced instrumentals providing the perfect backing for Jack Jetson to take us through the adventures of Johnny Strange.

By Sam Bennett

@TheRealPP

@JackJetson

http://www.rldrecords.co.uk