broke 'n' english – "squeeze" [estate recordings]

throwing the rulebook out the window, manc hip hop crew broke 'n'english release this darkly minded yet infectious cut on 7" vinyl. "squeeze" sees them lay down inspiring rappin' over emergency room styled keys and a ragga/grime styled speaker tearing bass.  the instrumental gives the nasty bass a chance to get inside your head and stay there!

(reviewed by jon freer)

funky dl – “action replay” [washington classics]

this release is a breath of fresh air in a scene where bravado, macho attitudes and fabrication of the truth often dominate.  “action replay” is a reflective hipped hop ode to the special people in funky’s life, with winding acoustic niceness and hummed bass action.  “world applause” is a brutally honest transatlantic crossing journey, where lilting percussion and haunting keys nestle under vocals that emanate a tangible vibe of togetherness. 

(reviewed by jon freer)

now i'm not one to really review the obvious tunes that'll be a sure fire hit - the neptunes have a habit of making a lot of those.  commercially viable they may well be, but the production is always tight as hell.

this is no exception.  real simple, pharrell on vocals and a killer break.  

a friend said to me "...take a listen, it could almost be prince..."! "yeah right!" was the reply, but a closer listen and he was right!  uncanny! now when jay-z cues in the beat takes on another break, subtle, but works great...

(reviewed by jon freer)

most up-tempo hip hop doesn't really appeal to me, but this track is pretty damn hot!  funkiness all the way with the breaks and the b-line.  a chorus that just sticks in your head. and of course the lyrics and vocal talent of redman - no need to say more!  "it's da lick".

the first release from the anticipated "beat generation" series comes courtesy of this 12" sampler.  what's so good about this series?  answer: when an independent label can get some of the most influential producers in hip hop history, then get them to create original material for an album - isn't that saying something?!

first up is jay dee with "it's like that".  well, he does his magic and does exactly what is expected.  beatz, scratchin and rappin.  "walk on by" by pete rock is an instrumental with full on funky beatz, b-line and hip hop flava'd all the way.  the kenny dope (maw) track, "can you handle it" is the extended version of a 7" previously released and reviewed here. 

the thing about this album is that not only is it an awesome project symbolising what hip hop should be about but also at the time of producing the two guys responsible hadn't even met!  nicolay and phonte (of little brother) exchanged beats and rhymes via instant messenger...the result - a full album better than most jiggy hip hop albums have ever offered the world of music!

right from the very start with the "title theme" you know this is something special - even gilles peterson used this an the opening track to his shows on bbc radio one for a while.  tracks like 'nic's groove', 'be alright' and the beat infested 'brave new world' are must haves. listen to the album for it's quality.  the way it happened is just a the way things have happened...thank you www.

a tribe called quest's "electric relaxation" is chopped up live and could almost cause doubt if he really uses the turntables like that.

all great tracks and far too many to list here.  a must for mix tape collectors and to those who may have missed out the vinyl purchases of some of the greatest hip hop produced.

beatmaker – “album 01” [ebl/efx/beatmaker entertainment]

hailing from france, beatmaker are a hip hop collective who place as much emphasis on their drums and backing tracks as their rhymes.  thankfully, even for those who don’t speak the language, their supporting arrangements are sufficient to hold the attention.  “paris la nuit” sees the capital in a different light, courtesy of wonderland-type keys, good natured fxed vox and golden key touches.  the “esthéte” interlude is worth a mention for its free feeling vocals, orchestral type strings and tight percussion.  “besoin d’amour” is another catchy track, with lovesick speeded vox, crazy guitar and roving strings.  a confident debut.

(reviewed by jon freer)

strictly speaking this may or may not belong in the hip hop section as it has so much to offer in musical variation...hip hop, soul, funk, jazz, beats and house.

collaborating with a long list of artists -  ticklah, jigmastas, angela johnson, mark de clive-lowe, shaun escoffery and many more - ensures that there is very little to disappoint on this album.  hip hop tones of "hold" and "tune you out", soul of "idols" and "surely", funky instrumentals like "galactic soul" and "rock (unplugged)" and soulful house of "music and me".

overall, quite an amazing project that demonstrates the versatility of what spinna can offer as a producer.  if you get to see him dj, you be amazed by that too!  so the best advice i can give is buy this; it won't feel out of place where ever you place it in your collection!

(reviewed by dixon)

as it happens, this is actually a soundtrack to the online film "lost change" - www.lostchange.com .  regardless of it's soundtrack status, this is one funky hip hop album. plenty of vocal/lyric tracks as well as a few instrumentals thrown in for good measure and a few interludes to blend the tracks together.

quite a funk and jazz driven project and there is something for everyone who's into hip hop, from dope beats to good ole rap.  the use of live instruments is also apparent,  horns, strings, drums...makes it sound quite warm compared to other sample driven so-called hip hop albums. 

tracks worthy of a mention, "ev rebahdee", "lay me down", "money" and "if you didn't know".

after one listen, i'm convinced this a worthy a place in your
collection.

part two in the "beat generation" series on bbe records sees the legendary hip hop producer pete rock put together an album. as the title suggests, it' s primarily made up of hip hop break beat instrumentals - the essence that hip hop music is made up of.

it just reassures us that pete rock's production is one of the best in the world.  here we see a blend of funk, soul, jazz and rock that's been sampled and unnoticeably strung together to form a brilliant album of raw beats - as much as a chill out lp as it can be a dj tool.

hardcore fans aren't disappointed with the inclusion of two rap tracks, "nothin lesser" and "cake" - both featuring a new outfit, "un".

very welcome new offering from manchester's main location for groovy soulful hip hop -  grandcentral records. rae and christian are the torchbearers for the label bringing together their production and tunesmithing skills with a roster of diverse vocal talents, including on this album, kate rogers and bobby womack (yes, that one!)

the album is a good mixture of driving hip hop - particularly the tracks featuring label mates the pharcyde - and laid back grooves. the kate rogers track, 'not just anybody' is really beautiful, as is 'salvation' featuring the vocals of siron, and mr womack's contributions sit  well with the rest of the album.

overall, this isn't quite up to the level of 1998's 'northern sulphuric soul' - there isn't any track on here to compare with, say, 'spellbound' - but that's more a reflection on the quality of that album rather than a criticism of this one and this is still well worth picking up.

(reviewed by miles j)

the first album in the ever growing family of the "beat generation" series from bbe records finally touches ground.  here we see a project by the production genius jay dee.  ok, not exactly a household name in the hip hop world, but his work speaks for itself: the last 'slumvillage' and 'common' albums and the last two 'tribe called quest' albums plus numerous other joints.

so what do we have? - well it definitely shows us what hip hop is about and how it comes from a beat generation.  a laid back approach here - as opposed to the full on rap attack. excellent production work with guest rappers make up a collection of dope tracks.

honourable mentions - "pause" with mc's frank'n'dank, "it's like that" feat hodge podge and lacks.  "rico suave bossa nova" - reassures us that hip hop producers aren't just limited to one style and can be open minded!  this is a series to watch out for and worth collecting!

released towards the end of 2000, this album has been predicted to do wonders in 2001 - i can see why!

listening to it, i couldn't help notice how different it sounds - there are the obvious influences here...brown and clinton, but also elements of prince/hendrix and the spaced out collins!  the touches of guitar riffs etc does make it sound unique - is it there for experimental sound or to sell units - either way it sounds great!

a definite p-funk presence on a few tracks with the harmonies present in some hooks.  i can see how hardcore hip hop heads may not go for this at first listen - but those who understand what hip hop is about will understand.  brilliant production and a pair of masters with the lyrics make this album a winner.

tracks - "ms jackson" - what a tune!  "b.o.b." - i'm glad they've printed the lyrics. "humble mumble" - top production with vocal help from erykah badu.

thought i'd place it here too...for review click here.

the first of de la soul's "trilogy" of albums - the second and third due in 2001.  these guys have always managed to gain respect in the hip hop world - maybe due to one reason....progress.  they've come a long way since their debut hippy flavas of 'three feet high and rising'.  they've consistently demonstrated a contemporary style.  

here, we see evidence of all the above.  amalgamating rap, beats, breaks and samples and making them an ingredient for a dope project.  contributors include chaka khan, redman, busta rhymes plus more.  includes the latest single "oooh" with redman and the excellent "all good" with chaka khan.