2011. Done.

It's the last day of the year, so what I'd like to do is take a moment on look back on what has happened in my life, and in life in general over the past 365 days. What I'd like to do even more than that though, is allow a world class emcee from my country sum it up in a far funnier, more in depth and wittier way than I ever could. In steps Mystro.

Below is the radio rip premiere of the most recent of Mystro's long awaited and always brilliant rap-up series. Skillz has the US, Bekay has the Aussies, and we have the best of all with Mystrogen. Listen muthaluvaz, and have a happy new year.

Maybe one of my many new year's resolutions should be to update this site more and give it the love it deserves like I did in the past. But if I state that officially it'll just fall to the way side like all my other half-cocked resolutions. Really, Adam? Are you really going to join that gym or pass that driving test? Are you fuck, mate. And deep down you know it.

New Year's resolutions are for people who need a legitimate reason not to enjoy their lives. I'm going to eat more, fuck more, sit around more and insult more. Enjoy your night, see you in 2012.

Mystro - 2010 Rap-Up (Radio Rip)

If you've not heard it yet, where have you been?! No matter though, check it out now, as Mystro, one of the UK's finest emcees, gives us the lowdown on anything and everything that happened in the past 12 months.

Coma patients wake up and listen to what you've missed, as Digmund Freud delivers it in with wit, humour and a sharpness akin to the coolest stanley knife you've ever seen.





And it doesnt end there. In conjunction with DJ esSDee (www.twitter.com/djessdee), Mystro has launched his new website complete with brand spanking content, videos and updates.

Visit http://www.mysdiggi.com/ muthaluvers, and be blessed with material from one of our favourite sons.

UK Round-Up 25/03/2010

Three new UK rap videos have surfaced within the last 48 hours....and I thought the UK hip-hop scene was dead as a commercial tool....silly me.

Three videos from three great artists, two established, one upcoming. Here they are:

First up is one of my favourite UK emcees who I've tracked since his Heavy Bronx debuts, his EPs with Zero Theory and more recently Endemic. Here's his new video for "Gilgamesh II":



Next up its punchline prince Mystro with his track "Aquarius", from his upcoming EP "F.D.T.":



And finally we have upcoming emcee Skandal with his track "Kill Em With The Flow" featuring Black The Ripper and Little Dee (directed by fellow emcee Charlie Sloth):



Finally, here's one bonus video by emcee Dzham which I was sent that piqued my interest (mainly for the guest spot by Sway to be fair). Its hit first release on these shores but he's a ruskie fella, coming straight out of the world of Andrey Arshavin and numerous bond villains (thats really honestly all I know about Russia, sorry people). I bet he wears a dead animal for a hat and drinks vodka for breakfast. Anyway, here's the vid:

UK Round-Up (02/03/2010)

Here's a chance for me to drop some great new downloads for you from new UK artists on the scene. Recently there have been a large amount of mixtapes and albums surfacing on the net for free from UK emcees trying to get into the game so here's a few of them I've been sent and been impressed by. Some are being covered in more depth on other sites but I felt it necessary to offer my own blog for more exposure for these deserved artists.

Without a massive background on some of this first emcee I'm going to let him do his own background bio's and rest my wanking hand for a bit. Enjoy the free albums and support your local artists!

No Change - Land Of The Lost (2010)

Welcome to the truth and the very real world of 'No Change' without argument one of the most exciting prospects for UK music!

The story begins back in 1997 when the BBC broadcast a half hour documentary on him living the life that most kids either dream of or have nightmares about. He was smoking weed, skateboarding and humourously exposing the theme park he worked on as a "dangerous place...this provided a very funny story and sent this artist on the path he follows today!

Three years and two broken legs later, sacked, kicked out of home onto the streets (homeless) living anywhere from bushes to YMCAs to halfway houses, he wrote his rhymes on cardboard and stolen paper sweet bags for three years (probably why he does not write anything down to this day). No-Change was a very fitting choice of artist name - doing nothing and dabbling in all sorts of low-level criminality, he decided to move to Leeds to pursue a rap career....

Leeds studios and producers started to jump on his talent - jobless, he stayed on floors and was given free studio time wherever he went - coz he was the best! Fathering a baby boy and surviving a rocky relationship (which culminated in No-Changes stabbing in 2008) provided the fuel, inspiration and sincerity for the fire and depth of his music.

Fast forward to 2010, No Change - the street poet is here.... older, wiser, and backed by the infamous crackhouse recordings, he now has a formidable back catalogue of 200+ studio quality songs made with some of the top producers and MCs in the North of England. Known locally as the gentleman rapper and collaborating with the likes of Defenders of Style, Danny Pig, Alphabetix, Instance and Mike D, gigging with major names such as Masta Ace, Skinnyman, and Blackalicious he is now an well respected and established name amongst Leeds' finest.

Welcome to the land of the lost, the debut LP from No-Change.

Click the link below to download the full album.

Download

Charlie Sloth - The Black Book

This next one is from an emcee who has recently gathered a huge buzz in the UK scene from his hit single "Not Like You" featuring UK stalwart and legendary Taskforce member Farma G, and also Black The Ripper.

He releases his first full album through his own website http://www.charliesloth.com/ and the LP features pretty much a who's who of the UK scene, with appearances from Million Dan, Skinnyman, Rodney P, Stylah, Genesis Elijah, Wretch 32, Ramson Badbones, Mystro, Scor-Zay-Zee and many more.

That shouldnt distract you from the artist himself though because quite frankly, this album bangs harder than Mandingo in a porn flick. Check out his website for a background on the man to get familiar, but before you do that download the album and enjoy what I think might be one of the landmark releases of 2010.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www.charliesloth.com/v2/theblackbook

And here's the video for the single "Not Like You"

"All up in your Knickers, Y-Fronts & Jockstraps..."

A half-arsed post is what you’re getting here to tide you over till the end of the week. it’s a re-up of the Ty Collection from a couple of months back for some nutter naming himself ‘Blokey’ and for anyone else who wants to learn how to make great music. Ty truly is one of Britain’s most consistent artists, and if you don’t know much of his material, these 10 songs are a mix of tracks from his three albums and ‘We Don’t Care’, his contribution towards Big Dada’s ‘Extra Yard’ compilation. I’m a huge fan of Ty’s work and I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do, enough for you to go out and support it yourself.

Northern Author’s Ty Collection

The Tale (from ‘Awkward’)
Ghetto Perspective (from ‘Awkward’)
Break The Lock (from ‘Awkward’)
We Don’t Care (from ‘ Extra Yard’)
Ha Ha (from ‘Upwards’)
Groovement (Part I) (from ‘Upwards’)
Dreams (from ‘Upwards’)
This Here Music feat. Speech from Arrested Development (from ‘Closer’)
Closer feat. Maceo from De La Soul (from ‘Closer’)
Hustle (That’s Why We) (from ‘Closer’)


Our other treat for you today is an album from one of my favourite punchline rappers in the world. Seriously, pound for pound, when it comes to impact of words, turn of phrase and jokes in lyrics, not many people can compete with Mystro, on any shores. He truly is a great rapper to listen to and even though I’ve listened to this album on dozens of occasions, his words still have the power to make me chuckle like Skinnyman busting your lip with his knuckle (do your homework, bitches). In fact, just to highlight his talent, here’s one of his verses from the classic ‘Awkward Thief’.

“The Awkward Thief! Just give me 20 minutes
And I’ll let you witness how to clean out each house on 40 streets!
The smartest robber pulling scams like the Artful Dodger
Even stole out my own house you can ask my lodger!
So be real prepared when I’m on the road
Cos I’m quick enough to steal the hair from under your nose
The type to break into the bank when its closed, take a sack full of dough
And take the videotapes and the cameras home,
And I ain’t chatting garbage
I had to grab the Tardis off Doctor Who once I bagged Aladdins Carpet
And car jackers feel I’m the smartest
Cos in a week I’ll jack enough motor parts to build a brand new car with
And Ali Babar’s 40 thieves, did a lot of dirty work
But still not more than me, I hold all the keys
So getting through your dorr’s a breeze,
Far from a rat but tryna trap all this cheese
And from day through to evening, I make moves like reaching
For the book in your hand to leave you with just the page you were reading
Knew Mr T but never saw the guy since,
I walked off with like 4 or 5 rings before his eyes blinked!”

I can’t think of another rapper who is like Mystro, and this is one of the reasons why ‘Music Mystro’ is so good. I don’t usually put up full albums that are studio releases unless they’re quite old, but I figured that hopefully once people hear how good this guy is, they will support his more recent projects and see his shows. Without further ado, Music Mystro!

Mystro - Music Mystro

1. Instro
2. Music Mystro
3. Nutrition
4. Skit
5. Awkward Thief
6. Yeah!
7. Tellin’ You
8. Strong Rhymin’
9. Free The Walls
10. Don’t Drag Me In!
11. Skit
12. My Type Of Party (Remix)
13. Outstro

There you go, people. The next post will either be full of delight or despair, depending on how good ol' Blighty does in the Rugby tomorrow.