Black Josh x Milkavelli – Doin’ Bits
Characteristically wavy subterranean heater from Blah affiliates Black Josh and Milkavelli. ‘Doin’ Bits’ is lifted from the entirely Lee Scott produced LP Swegasus. Out everywhere now.
Characteristically wavy subterranean heater from Blah affiliates Black Josh and Milkavelli. ‘Doin’ Bits’ is lifted from the entirely Lee Scott produced LP Swegasus. Out everywhere now.
Infamous Blah bop with a funk inflection, Sly Moon finds an almost otherworldly magnetism in calling himself a “c!nt” on Why Am I So Sly?– a project that can only be called a debut when accompanied by a hefty disclaimer.
A reputation like a blue moon and probably equally as elusive, the disclaimer is that Sly has been sagging at his own distinctive drunken master pace for nigh on two decades now- dating back to when Milkavelli was Monsta and being ‘hip hop’ meant stealing Ralphie Polo’s. But if you asked him where this album has been all that time he’d probably laugh in your face, given the caustic sarcasm slathered all over track titles like posse cut ‘Sly and the Family Stoned’ and ‘Christ on Spice’, or cutting one-liners like “it’s the high lo-life”. Deeper still is the ‘O Sly Moon’ skit, whose bawdy folk-rock satire about Sly saving “all the witches from drowning” leaves one with no qualms as to production duo Sohio Players’ (Sly Moon and Salar) decision to forego samples completely on this project- the pair are replete with creativity between them.
Sample-free and packed with quotables, Sly and Salar’s characterful blend of oscillating riffs, stellar synths and spaced-out kicks practically amounts to a sonic-speed journey to the moon as a lack of contextual markers and a full Blah roster imbues this project with a sense of timelessness within the vacuum of UK hip hop history. Perhaps more refreshing for devoted 616 acolytes, however, is the subtle weightless melodies on tracks like ‘Why Am I So Sly?’ and ‘Through the Window ft. Salar’ that take all the gravity out of the room and juxtapose the softly-spoken vitriol that makes up the bulk of the project. And it is in this ‘swegged’-out maelstrom of technically impressive insults and boasts that Why Am I So Sly? truly comes into its own. With staccato chopper-style delivery gambling-man Sly Moon almost resembles a roulette wheel itself as he revolves through a torrent of carefully-constructed syllables until it is hard to predict where he’ll land.
Appearing in a glimmer of notes on opening track ‘Moon Funk’ and fading out into triumphantly psychedelic electric guitars and swelling bass throbs on ‘Through the Window ft. Salar’, Sly “cold sags” himself all the way to the moon in an instrumental planetarium populated with his exploits (and those of the family stoned). It’s not a debut, it’s not a comeback- it’s Sly Moon simply being his unrepentant self and we should make the most of it, because who knows when the blue moon will rise again.
Sly Moon’s Why Am I So Sly? available for pre-order on vinyl here and launching on all major space shuttles streaming platforms from midnight tonight.
We’ve thrown some Sly into our latest IYDK playlist on spotify. Follow the playlist for a regular injection of the best in UK hip hop…
Black Josh and Milkavelli are back at doing raps, loitering outside Toys ‘R’ Us and driving irresponsibly. Dreamy beat on ‘Fisher Price’ produced by Blah bossman Lee Scott.
New one from Black Josh, lifted from the forthcoming Mannyfornia album dropping on 10th June. The Metrodome produced ‘Pretty Faces’ features Josh in musical territory similar to his work with The Mouse Outfit with some tripped-out extra sweg added to the hooks. Nothing but fire from the LP so far.
OK, so we know there’s probably only one thing on your mind right now. When you’re not stockpiling enough toilet rolls to see a small country through a week of bad curries, you’re frantically washing your hands while singing happy birthday like some kind of deranged killer clown. But that shouldn’t stop you enjoying the latest hip hop releases, and the last month has seen some absolute belters.
Case in point; Al English – AKA Dweller. The Bolton rapper dropped his latest LP Record of Achievement back in February, and with all the craziness, it nearly flew under our radar. Now on full-time rap duties after years balancing music, family and a full time job, Dweller has crafted a fine piece of hip hop nostalgia – and who isn’t nostalgic right now?
His first taste of the spotlight came from gigging in bands when he was 14, but since then he’s starred in the 2017 documentary ‘Rock, Raves & Rap Music‘, and hosted a bi-weekly tribute to all things hip hop on 96.5 Bolton FM (not to mention a tasty collab with Scorzayzee).
So it’s safe to say the Bolton native has been circling the scene for some time. His commitment to classic hip hop (he dropped an EP called, appropriately, ‘The Boom Bap Time Machine’ back in 2018) shines even brighter here. Drawing equal inspiration from dusty old school beats and his northern upbringing, it’s no surprise R.o.A sounds like a cross between South Central LA and a Ken Loach film.
Opener ‘Ave It’ sets the tone, acid bars spat against a backdrop of symphonic string loops. ‘Rats’ switches up the flow and gives Dweller some room to flash his lyricism. Reminiscent of fellow Manc Black Josh, Dweller’s bars flow like the River Irwell, veering between a torrent and a trickle in the space of just a few tracks. His unashamedly honest account of growing up in Greater Manchester is twisted with a wry humour, lending Record of Achievement a very British authenticity.
With production from Professor P, Jonny Capicola, and the Taskmastar, there’s far more than just backpack beats to R.o.A. Chopped up samples add to the backpack vibes. The hazy jazz-infused instrumentals of ‘World On My Shoulders’ could be a B-Side from an Ill-Informed instrumental. The bassy thump of ‘Smoke Rings’ meanwhile, takes unmistakable cues from his time as one half of hip hop house duo MojoFluxx.
Two years in the making, R.o.A is a whip smart homage to working class northern England while tipping a sizable hat to the original masters. If you’re looking for a break from the 24/7 shit-show that is the world, you could do a lot worse than diving into Record of Achievement.
Record of Achievement is out now.
On a rooftop with a view to the iconic Arndale shopping centre, Black Josh’s verses come rich with vernacular to deliver a track that represents Manny to its core. Setting the tone for the fittingly titled album Mannyfornia dropping later this year, ‘Locals’ features a pared-back soundscape decorated with soulful samples and heavy drum kicks with Josh’s hard-hitting lyrics occupying centre-stage.
Black Josh raining nail-bombs here over some raw Metrodome instrumentalism. One take magic courtesy of Blah Records. Apparently there’s a new sweg opus entitled Mannyfornia coming from Josh
Gorgeous visuals for ‘Indigo’ – the single lifted from Lyza Jane‘s brand new album, h.o.u.s.e.b.o.u.n.d. The kind of music that dreams are made of, h.o.u.s.e.b.o.u.n.d was released today and it’s an ethereal masterpiece.
After the release of Baby Blue Champion, a collaborative project between Lyza and Sniff just over a year ago, it was clear Lyza had carved herself a totally unique spot in the scene. This project, which sees toned-down features from Blah friends Lee Scott, Black Josh and Danny Lover, is a strong affirmation of that space she holds. This is one for the books.
You can stream h.o.u.s.e.b.o.u.n.d online now, or cop it on vinyl here. Don’t sleep.
LEVELZ are continuing to smash it in the final stages of 2018. If anything a ‘Warning Call’ is a bit late. The takeover is well and truly underway.
Shouts to Sparkz, Chimpo and Black Josh on vocal duties for this outing. Hectic production by Sparkz and Metrodome.
The latest visual from Shaolin Masters of the secretive art of giving minus-fucks, Blah Records, begs the question; Is ‘Ciggaweed’ the Blah-est video that blah have ever blah’d?
Probably not. The list of creepily effective, low-grade VCR-esque recordings accompanying their tunes is far too long to be able to judge anyway. Either way, the aesthetic for Black Josh‘s latest offering, seemingly shot in one take, does an effective job of letting the monster of a tune produced by the mighty Skepta take the focus it deserves.
The ever prolific Josh, dropped new album Yung Sweg Lawd yesterday and his shit is on point as ever. Cop that!