Groundbreaking

Where has Fallacy been?!

Its a question a lot of UK hip-hop fans have asked for a while as his name has been missed in the UK rap game for quite a while. Sure, he's popped up on one or two compilations and one or two guest spots every now and then in the last few years but by and large he never fully capitalised on the success and critical acclaim he recieved not only from the rap press but the major press aswell for "Blackmarket Boy".

We have that classic album here for you today just to remind you of the man's legacy before he supposedly retires later on this year. The news of his retirement from the game came along with the news of his new EP "Gracefull In Death: The Final Chapter", which came out on http://www.bandcamp.com/ on January 10th. First step, go and pick that up.

Right, back we are to the history of his magnum opus. Off the strength of one absolutely MASSIVE single with producer Fusion called 'The Groundbreaker', Fallacy was quickly thrust into the limelight during one of UK's better eras in the early 2000s. He became a go to guy, popping up on a lot of other emcees' work and dropping some hellish verses. Fallacy's turn of phrase, flow and voice left him in utter command of his audience and listener and made some of the best moments in those years his.

Following his single with Fusion, he broke out with another single, this time billed as a solo affair (even though both singles feature on the LP). "Big N Bashy" with Tubby T was in constant rotation not only on urban radio but on MTV, Radio 1 and most commercial radio. The song itself is a dub-influence club banger with punchline after punchline knocking you back into your seat.

After the singles both came out to big hype, the album followed shortly after in May 2003 and recieved warm reviews allround. I recently sifted through my record collection and found it a week or so back and put it on for a bit of nostalgia and it hasnt aged one bit. 7 years down the line its as fresh as an egg warm from a chicken's arse.

The lyrics are tight, the beats are spot on, and the collabos with Fusion, Tubby T, Roni Size, Shy FX & T Power, Rishi Rich and Rodney P are all well worth hearing. Get your fix and get that new Ep. It might be the last material you hear from the Blackmarket Boy.

Fallacy - Blackmarket Boy (2003)

1. Blackmarket Boy
2. DJ Skully DMC World Champion (Skit)
3. The Groundbreaker (radio edit)
4. Big N Bashy (featuring Tubby T)
5. Rogue Trader
6. Rap Folly (featuring Rodney P)
7. Car Chat (Skit)
8. Square Beamer
9. Stopclock
10. Proverbs 3110 (Skit)
11. Ooh
12. Scrunch
13. Stripey Shoes (Skit)
14. John Wayne Swagger
15. Old and Grey
16. Monstrous (featuring Elizabeth Troy)
17. Stay Blessed
18. The Groundbreaker (Shy FX and T Power remix)



And here's the direct link to the bandcamp site where his new EP can be got at for just £3. Can't scoff at that.

http://fallacy.bandcamp.com/

The Nosebleed Section

A quick update dropping some new UK flavours of a different kind today. Danny Diamond has a new EP called "303's and Nosebleeds" finished and ready to go and here we have it to download for you. The sound is spaced out and digital and despite Diamond being more of a singer than an emcee its definitely grounded within some hip-hop sensibilities and landscapes judging by the overall feel to the music.

With some collaborations from Manny Moscow and Capitol 1212 the 15minute mix of tracks mesh seamlessly from one to the other to offer a promising start for the UK artist.

He will be appearing on Radio 1 Scotland on the 24th Feb with Capitol 1212 and has a myspace page with links to new and different tracks so get familiar (word to Clinton Sparks) with this new artist.

On a personal note I'm definitely feeling the track "4 Years To The Day". Great futuristic sound throughout and a nice chilled feel to it. All in all a very promising EP from an up-and-coming artist.

Danny Diamond - 303's & Nosebleeds (2010)

Intro (prod. Casper B)
4 Years To The Day (prod. Casper B / Additional & Vocal Production. B Rhodes)
Double On The Rocks(Feat. Manny Moscow)
Bad Transmission(Prod. Casper B)
Leave A Light On(Capitol 1212 & Grubby Garner)

www.myspace.com/dannydyton

Ty Is Back!!!!!

Just a quick post and video promoting Ty's new BBE album brand new EPK from the official website. Watch the vid and you'll get a Ty interview, some snippets of new tracks and what you should look forward to in his new LP 'A Special Kind Of Fool'...due for release in stores April 2010!!!!!



Ty's new album is his first since the 2006 modern classic 'Closer' and I quietly expect it to be one of the best albums of 2010 so keep your mouth shut and your eyes open (word to Denzel) and check for it when it comes out.

http://www.myspace.com/tymusic0

Classic Was The Day

Funky DL has always been overlooked in the UK rap scene since he released his debut back in 1997. Since he's constructed over a decade's worth of brilliant material yet never gets mentioned when people talk about UK's finest. The reason for this idiotic sentiment boils down to one thing. Rap accent.

Born and raised in our very own capital, the Hackney, London-emcee has taken a lot of stick throughout his career as to why he raps in a faux-american accent. His answer? "Its just my style". Get past the initial oddity of the accent and you find that DL has probably created some of the greatest albums in UK hip-hop history. His production alone is world-class - evoking the jazzy stylings of A Tribe Called Quest, Jay Dee and early Slum Village, and The Ummah.

You can even hear the vocal and horn samples from some of that classic material hidden deep within his tracks. We're not talking about some knock-off version here either, Funky DL has been creating these stellars beats his whole career and its almost unfathomable that he doesnt hold his place in UK hip-hop history right now. And all just because some stubborn bastards don't like the accent he raps in.

Near the beginning of his career he won a MOBO award for his hip-hop contribution (back when MOBO awards were actually relevant and trash like N-Dubz didn't take the plaudits) and has continued in the same vein ever since. Strangely enough, DL recieved massive support and still to this day holds a large fanbase in Japan where he achieved most of his success.

Here is two of DL's best albums, 1998's Heartfelt Integrity and 2002's Blackcurrent Jazz. Over the two albums there are some classic songs and sounds. Take a journey from the horns on the sublime 'Tangible' to the almost 'Lords Of The Underground'-era Marley Marl sounding 'Fromage Frais', and then onto the fanfare of 'Prediction' and the undoubted Jay Dee-esque sound on 1998's 'The Positive' (may I add back before Jay Dee was considered one of the best - if anything Funky DL helped create the sound rather than be influenced by it). Take in two albums by one of the most overlooked emcees and producers in the history of british urban music.


Funky DL - Heartfelt Integrity (1998)


01. Main Features
02. Rock To The Beat
03. Consist & JQ
04. 2nd Flow
05. Snares featuring ESP The Overseer
06. Fromage Frais
07. Billie Holiday
08. Buttermilk & Sex Appeal
09. Where Am I? / Who Are You?
10. They Don’t Know featuring M&EM
11. Missing Link
12. I Thank God
13. The Positive
14. Me & My Rhymes


Funky DL - Blackcurrent Jazz (2002)

01. Talk About
02. 2Long
03. & Ask For DL
04. Confused?
05. Hit Me
06. Roll The Dice
07. Tangible
08. Prediction
09. Wonderful featuring Guile
10. What You Saying Girl?
11. Simply 2 Complicated
12. High Endurance
13. Keeping It Classic
14. The Music featuring Sienna
15. Turntables Hate Me
16. It Still Rocks
17. 2Long Remix

Check out Funky DL's website also which actually has a FREE mixtape download of Funky DL and DJ 279's J.Dilla tribute from last year. Basically it features DL rhyming over classic Dilla beats with some mixing in for good measure. Check it out and also check out his discog, support the artist and buy his albums!

This is the tracklisting for the Dilla tribute mixtape and the link to the d/l page. It gives you the option to either download it as a one track full mix or the individual tracks. Just right click and save.

http://washingtonclassics.com/Dilla/

01 Intro - Dedication To Dilla
02 CM - Mixtape Mix
03 Me and You and Him- Mixtape Mix
04 Rock To Her Beat Beat 2000 - Mixtape Mix
05 About The Things - Mixtape Mix
06 So Sexy - Mixtape Mix
07 The Saturday Night Love Affair - Mixtape Mix
08 Confidential Information - Mixtape Mix
09 Moonlight Girl - Mixtape Mix
10 Queen of Diamonds - Mixtape Mix

And finally here's some videos from the guy just to give you the full lowdown on him. First is a callabo he did with the legendary Nujabes production crew from Japan (showing you the Japan links again) and second is the single from his most recent album. Enjoy and support.

From The Land Of Smog

Passed to me by fellow hip-hop fan Ronathon, here is an exclusive download for the UK hip-hop heads from Teesside emcee BLUNT.

I've always written rhymes myself but with my unapologetic north-east accent never really got anything recorded as I never thought it would ever translate into success. However, this silly notion has been blown out of the water by fellow north-east success stories such as Stig Of The Dump for example. BLUNT is another from the area below Hadrian's Wall to put his pen to paper and drop a great LP.

Having no history on the man, I was going into the listening process blind, but was pleasantly surprised with the flow and the beat selection. As soon as I started 'Lyrical Venting' and I heard 9th Wonder's 'Dollarz Circulate' beat from his J.U.S.T.U.S. League beat tapes from back in the day I knew it was going to be a good experience.

Kick back, light one up and enjoy.



BLUNT - Allow Me To Be....BLUNT! (2010)

1. Lyrical Venting
2. An Ode To Skunk
3. Bitches
4. C.H.A.V.S.
5. Lyrical Venting Part II
6. Recurring Dreams
7. Underground King (Freeverse)
8. Bitches Part II (Sloppy Seconds)
9. Deeper Underground
10. Mic Check

For more, check out his Myspace Page:

www.myspace.com/boroBLUNT69

Shut Da Lights Off!

Just a little smidgin to tide you over till the next few posts (we've got some great downloads coming up soon by the way). A small shoutout to the UK drum & bass and Dubstep scenes that are currently doing it big these days (especially dubstep). Here's DnB legend Adam F's most recent hip-hop foray in the same vain as his 'Anti-Acoustic Warfare' material.

He and Horx have roped in Redman for a re-working of the 'Smash Sumthin' track from years ago. Essentially its an entire new song with a completely different beat and hook with modified verses. Any excuse to put Redman up really, with him being one of my personal favourite emcees, especially when it involves a UK hip-hop link so its relevant to the site.

Check out the Adam F remix for some drum 'n' bass styling and the Caspa dub mix for some dubstep. Both are excellent.

Adam F & Horx (feat. Redman) - Shut The Lights Off EP

1. Shut The Lights Off (Radio Edit)
2. Shut The Lights Off (In Da Club Edit)
3. Shut The Lights Off (Adam F & Sigma DnB Remix)
4. Shut The Lights Off (Caspa & TrollySnatcher Dubstep Mix)

And here's the official video:

Lie Low

New Flesh were always a fascinating group. Still rocking today, with their last album probably acting as their most critically acclaimed from early last year, theyve enjoyed a career of low-key cult hits in the UK without ever quite cracking the surface and getting nationwide recognition.

Due to the slightly off-kilter beats provided by Part 2, the unorthodox rhymes by Juice Aleem and manic style of Toastie Taylor, theyve laid down a sound so individual that it both sets them apart and endears.

Big Dada Recordings have always been a record label that have pushed the envelope in alternative hip-hop - their hip-hop roster includes mentalist Infinite Livez, avantgarde instrumentalists CloudDEAD, and UK legend Roots Manuva. New Flesh were a perfect group for them to sign, with the now almost prerequisite Caribbean dub sounds prevalent in a massive portion of UK trad. rap.

Here are their first two albums. The first while they were still called 'New Flesh For Old' before they dropped the suffix was a much overlooked rare album that didnt get much shine but set down their blueprint sound beautifully. The second..."Understanding" was their big break, with some hot singles such as "Communication" featuring Blackalicious emcee Gift Of Gab, "Stick N Move" featuring longtime collaborator Robotic E.B.U. and "Mack Facts".

Enjoy both and check out both their third album from last year and Juice Aleem's recent solo effort. They will not disappoint.

New Flesh For Old - Equilibrium

01 00.00.00
02 Invisible Ink
03 Addration of Kings
04 Eye of The Hurricane
05 A World In Satan’s Ear
06 186000 Miles
07 Mutatis
08 Answer of Action
09 Quantum Mechanix
10 Minutes Less
11 Song for San Susi
12 Isoteleportation
13 Ego Evident
14 Heaven & Earth
15 Thetawaves
16 01.01.00

New Flesh - Understanding

01 Move Slow feat. Beans (Anti-Pop Consortium)
02 Zero Gravity
03 More Fire
04 Norbert & Cecil feat. Roots Manuva as Cecil Pimpernel
05 Stick & Move feat. Robotic E.B.U. (Gamma)
06 Real Child Soldier
07 Communicate feat. Gift of Gab (Blackalicious)
08 Bound
09 Transition feat. Gwen Esty
10 His-Stories Crockery feat. Ramm:ell:zee
11 Aspirations
12 Mack Facts feat. Ramm:ell:zee
13 Do You Understand? (What Will Be...)

Welcome To The World Of Dusty Vinyl

Lewis Parker. Arguably Britain’s greatest ever beatmaker. He has consistently stuck to his guns throughout his career since the release of Jedi Antiks back in the mid 90s. Crackling feedback, organic beatloops, an ear for finding the perfect sample - Parker has, in my opinion, laid down the blueprint for the perfect song.

It came as no surprise to me that he was eventually picked up and contacted by some prominent US artists, most notably Ghostface Killah for the song ‘Shakey Dog’ from his LP Fishscale, to create some audible gold.

Parker has a career spanning over 15 years at the top of his game, with each album brilliant in its own right (even his mixtapes and beat CDs are a joy to listen to), and its great to see the man succeed on his own terms.

Its very rare in this current climate of hip hop (read: ringtones outselling albums, Soulja Boy outselling everyone (!) and musicianship out the window) that a producer from Parker’s mould would succeed without changing his sound. You won’t find any Swizz Beatz casio sounds here, no sir.

Anyway, posturing aside, and me declaring all out love for the fellow, this guy is basically incredible on the beats. Other british producers such as Jehst and Dirty Diggers have undoubtedly been heavily influenced by his style and he's got new material coming out in 2010 in the form of the full-length 'The Puzzle', which was initially earmarked for late 2009 but seems to have been pushed back somewhat. I've enclosed a vid from his new LP here also, but lets go back to union square.

The Mixtape Vol. 1 was released late 2006 as a collection of rare and unreleased tracks, remixes and just select songs spanning his career so far from 1996-2006. Its just chock-full of big songs and even though it doesnt even touch any of his full-length album material, still has a quality second to none.

Lewis Parker - The Mixtape Vol. 1

01. Intro
02. Rise
03. Fake Charades
04. Parker's Siesta
05. New York Skit
06. Don't Forget About Ya Boy
07. International Heat (feat. iTruth)
08. Gettin' Funky (Funky Trouble Pt.1) (feat. Trez)
09. Funky Trouble Pt.2 (feat. Tah Born)
10. Get Ya Hustle On (feat. Tah Born)
11. Love Is Blue(Johnny Johnson & His Bandwagon)
12. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (LP Remix) (feat. Jay-Z)
13. Shakey Dog (feat. Ghostface Killah)
14. Smith Bros. (LP Remix) (feat. Raekwon)
15. Never Gonna Stop(feat. Dynas)
16. Static (feat. Jacky Danz)
17. Incognito (Dirty Card Remix)
18. Sky High (feat. Dynas)
19. End Of The Day(feat. River Nelson & Vex Davortex of The B
20. Anybody (feat. Mr Pressure)
21. Soon 2 B (feat. Mr Pressure)
22. Beautiful Life (feat. River Nelson)
23. What The Ancients Say (Remix)
24. Intensity (feat. T.R.A.C. aka Terry Nickels)

And finally, here is that vid from the fortcoming LP 'The Puzzle'. Lets hope its released soon.

F**k it okay, I'll put a few classic Parker tracks up aswell. You've twisted my arm.

Skull Candy

I'll be using this blog a bit more from time to time just to vent and write witty or not so witty diatribes aswell as dropping some links. Its odd really. The reason I stopped updating here in the first place was mainly just because I got a full-time job with less than desirable working hours and it just took up most of my time.

As I've gone on in that job I've just got more and more bored with it, leading me to hate the job and subsequently give me the thirst for writing again. Always a silver lining to everything I suppose....

Anyway, for now lets just get a few albums up to get things back on track. Back to the UK business, here's two albums/mixtapes by respected british vinyl-spinner DJ Skully.

The first, a collaborative effort released back in about 2005 to showcase some new material from K-Lash Your Raasclaat-Neck-Off.

Ricochet Klashnekoff released this album between 'Sagas Of...' and the Joe Budha-produced 'Lionheart' as a stop gap to keep his creativity flowing. I present the mixtape to you now in anticipation of K-Lash's new material which is due out mid-2010. I wait with baited breath personally, as I see him as one of the leading lights of our culture and possibly one of the strongest emcees the UK has to offer. Lionheart would probably sneak into my top 10 favourite UK rap albums of all time aswell.

"Focus Mode" is a mixtures of new tracks interspersed with some freestyles and beat-jacking, and its entertaining from beginning to end.

DJ Skully Presents...Klashnekoff - Focus Mode (2005)
1. Intro
2. Focus mode
3. Ya Wrong (Special)
4. McWaffle Presents..
5. Mr K-Lash
6. Jamrock Takeover
7. Get Down
8. Zero 2005
9. No Games
10. Black Rose Revisited
11. Son Of Niya - Featuring Sizzla (Dub Special)
12. Channel K...
13. Jankroville 2005
14. Smack Down Dub
15. Revolution
16. Raw Tings
17. No Escape
18. Back In The Game
19. Let It Go
20. You
21. F** The Long Talk
22. Jah Bles
23. Traces
24. Nightbreed/Outro

The second Skully effort is Champion Sounds, a 2003 release showcasing his skills and the collection of various hot songs from the period. Skully doesn't limit himself to one style, with a couple of stateside tracks from the likes of Canibus and Celph Titled mixed in with UK stalwarts like Jehst, Tommy Evans, Lewis Parker and so on. The album serves as a compilation as much as a solo DJ set, with a lot of the tracks fully created for the album exclusively. However, its Skully's finishing touches that add to the groove both musically and through turntablism.

DJ Skully - Champion Sounds (2003)

1. Intro - Skully
2. Components Of Competition - Unleashed By Science & Skully
3. Champion Sounds Special - Headkrack
4. Take Risks - Maylay Sparks
5. Word Play - Royalty & Mikey Starr
6. Ay Yo (I'm Here Now) - Skriblah & Lewis Parker
7. Escape To Victory - Canibus
8. Turntable Science - Celph Titled & Skully
9. Moving Target - ARE & Headkrack
10. B 4 U Die (The Burial) - Joe Buhdha & Terrafirma
11. Feelings - Est'elle
12. It Feels Good - Harmonic 33 & MCM
13. Junkie For Beatz - Danny Breaks
14. Good To Know - Divine Mind & BI/Loose Kannon/Mikchek/DT
15. This Life - LPD
16. Nouveau Riche - Jehst & Tommy Evans

Apache: An Obituary

Less of an obituary, more just an homage to his great solo release following his passing away on January 22, 2010. Usually this is a strictly UK hip-hop site (or at least it was until I stopped posting on it over a year ago - more on me trying to get this running again in a bit) but when events like these occur I can make some exceptions.

I always loved the seminal track 'Gangsta Bitch' from when I was a youth and when the blog boom hit and sites all over the net became great suppliers of rare and old hip-hop albums I found his album about a decade ago.

Sure, the single was a standout, but its amazing how much Apache's album (from 1991 believe it or not) has stood the test of time. The horns on the single, the cuts and blasts on the album track 'Apache Ain't Shit', the bass on 'Make Money'. Its all classic 90s.

The former Flavor Unit emcee succumbed to an illness earlier this month but his music will live on at least on my stereo. I won't try and patronise the visitors to this site in going back through his life's work as I'm sure most people who have got this far may already have snatched this from much more note-worthy blogs. For those that slept though...here it is. RIP Apache.

Apache - Apache Ain't Shit (1991)

1. The Beginning 1:20
2. Tonto 4:16
3. Do Fa Self 3:19
4. Gangsta Bitch 4:45
5. A Fight 3:31
6. Kill D'White People 0:17
7. Hey Girl 3:38
8. Apache Ain't Shit 3:40
9. Blunted Snap Session 2:43
10. Who Freaked Who 3:42
11. Get Ya Weight Up 3:55
12. Woodchuck 4:23
13. Make Money 3:01
14. Wayz Of A Murderahh 3:16

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