‘Hip Hop Is Where I Can Tell My Story’ – Harry Shotta
Theo from Hoochinoo caught up with Harry Shotta, about his move to High Focus Records, and all things DNB and Hip Hop.
Round Up 10 – BASHYno
There’s a lot of negative energy going around the hip hop game right now. Whether Drake is a nonce has taken up much of public discourse and, quite frankly, I’m sick of it. Luckily enough, UK hip hop is here to spread some positive vibes and correct the karmic balance just in time to stop me moving to the Bermudas and never accessing the internet again. Here’s the new releases that formed my salvation…
Remix
King Kashmere and Alecs DeLarge just bootlegged their own single. Featuring an 8-bit remix of FM synthesised remix of ‘Damien Darhk’ with the visuals to boot, the track announces a full-fledged otherworldly reimagining of their debut collaborative release The Album to End All Alien Abductions. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, I guess!
Single
What do you get when you combine Farma G production, a verse from Sonnyjim and Tricky’s label False Idols? A spectacular lead single from Wish Master’s upcoming album No CPR, dropping 28th June, that’s what. Sonnyjim’s ridiculously lavish brags (“throw the chicken on the arga”) form the perfect accoutrement to Farma G’s menacing production and Wish Master’s lyrical prowess.
Interview
With all that is perpetually wrong with the world, there is some small comfort in having Bashy back releasing music again. The actor-rapper is a welcome voice of reason, and here he can be heard discussing the thought process behind his latest single ‘Sweet Boys Turned Sour’.
Posse Cut
Try think of a better name for this track. I’ll wait. Remixing Essa & Pitch 92’s ‘Heavyweight’ lifted of their upcoming album, this posse cut boasts a collective skin in the game that spans well beyond a century, and regional coverage that spans the entire country. Tony D sums it up best- “chalk it off, twenty years deep and never fallen off”.
Participate
Not fucking with this round up? Think you could have contributed something better? Well, The Rap Game have just the opportunity for you. Hosting their first ever live auditions, the British rap competition show is giving aspiring MCs the chance to leave an impression on Krept, Konan and DJ Target in-person, with winners securing a place on the TV show.
16 Years of Fliptrix
‘Mantra No. 9’, the debut single from Fliptrix’s ninth album of the same name, dropped on the ninth day of the ninth month, 2022. It is the ninth track on the project and is composed of nine letters. “Nine is the highest number before you go back to one’s and zero’s”, he explains.
It’s a big moment, marking both the culmination of the original nine projects he set out to release 16 years ago (why? Because Bob Marley blew up on his ninth album), as well as the beginning of a new creative epoch for the High Focus MD. Now residing deep in the Portuguese mountains, Fliptrix has finally escaped the matrix he lamented on earlier releases.
“I remember even noticing that weird synchronicities were happening. Like there would be 90 comments or 999 likes when I checked the posts. It’s deep how the universe works, I just try to work with it”
It’s hard not to feel an overwhelming sense of cosmic justice in Fliptrix’s newfound solitude. Having made it through the (Third) Eye of the Storm, along the Road to the Interdimensional Piff Highway and Out the Box, Fliptrix sounds a lot freer on this latest release. Soundscapes full of open-ended synths and an emphasis on clarity span the full horizon as Fliptrix’s lyrics place himself as an outsider looking in. It is a strong contrast to the industrial tendencies of previous release Lightwork, which firmly roots itself within the maelstrom of modern society.
“The album was all recorded out in Portugal, by myself, sitting down on a chair in my studio. I did build a booth in the corner but I felt more comfortable sitting down on a chair by myself”
With a focus on classic hooks and featuring original collaborators Verb T and Onoe Caponoe, in many ways Mantra No. 9 returns to the roots established on Fliptrix’s debut release Force Fed Imagery. Released at a similarly pivotal moment in which he was first articulating his identity within the scene, it is no coincidence that both projects have 18 tracks. However, it is the third LP Third Eye of the Storm that marked a self-proclaimed spiritual awakening. Both the internal artwork and the track listing for the project pan from the ‘Frontline Terror’ of 9-5 life to the ‘Paradise’ that Fliptrix has been searching for. Now, all these years later, he’s finally found it.
“The music is definitely a reflection of the environment which I’m in. Now, I’m living in Portugal, I’m living off-grid, I’m living off the land. I’m surrounded by the mountains, all of my water comes from a well, all of my heating comes from a fire, all of my electricity comes from solar panels, most of my food comes from the land. This is a place I’ve always wanted to be in”
So, what’s left? Is music still ‘Just For Fun’ like back in ’07?
“It’s still just for fun but it’s got deeper than that. I would say it’s for the love… Y’know I’m a full-time solo artist, part of The Four Owls, Dad, I’ve got a horse, I’ve got a pony, I’ve got three dogs, I’ve got four cats, I’ve got mad trees to look after. I crazy I don’t know how I do it! But I guess this is my journey in life and that’s why I’m in this role”.
And, with that, I let Fliptrix return to his horse, pony, three dogs and four ca- wait a minute… A horse, a pony, three dogs, four cats, that’s nine animals! Synchronicity.
Mantra No. 9 is the kind of album that makes me want to start a homestead and toil on a different kind of hoe. Cop your 40 acres here.
Down The Rabbit Hole with Onoe Caponoe
A neon glow spilled out of the doorway, as did smokers. The gallery’s open-plan layout gave an almost demonic reverb to the music blasting out of the speakers. A mysterious, magnum-infused concoction was served upon entrance (shout out @pinkydrinksldn). Meanwhile, some polish guy in a balaclava shouts “169!” outside the toilets. Reality and fiction tend to intertwine in the presence of Onoe Caponoe.
In many ways, this magical realism strikes to the very heart of ‘Concrete Fantasia’, the third chapter in Onoe’s ‘Tales from the Holy Delix Surf Club’ album series. Launched alongside a series of paintings and graffiti pieces at the Camden Open Air Gallery in London, this was an immersive experience. “These are just stories of my life”, Onoe insists, speaking before the show. Take the track ‘Pinocchio ft. Jehst’ for example, “I remember I was twelve coming out of my house with big eyes and mad shit just kept happening”, ‘shit’ that to him seemed equally as surreal wooden toys coming to life and tea parties with the Mad Hatter. As our conversation progressed, I couldn’t help but see traces of a childlike innocence in the lost cat that skulks through the paint-stained alleyways of his artwork.
At the centre of the maelstrom, the Camden Open Air Gallery emerged as the singularity between these two worlds. Reality became fiction and then back again as Onoe guided listeners through the backstreets of ‘Psychosis City’ and up to the ‘House on the Hill’, navigating ‘Mermaid Lagoon’ and ‘Cat Kingdom’ along the way. Colourful and gritty canvases filled the eyeline and real-life cat wizard toys adorned the merch table; ‘Concrete Fantasia’ soon began to feel like the medical term for my mental state that night.
Psychedelic enough to make walls breathe and tables grow fur, it was almost comical to hear that Onoe was concerned the album was “too normal” for his fanbase. Flash forward to later that evening and Onoe’s unique self-chopped ‘n’ screwed delivery is churning up the crowd like food in a blender or, fittingly, undisclosed spirits in a cocktail. One member of the crowd even busts out a few somersaults. Normal was definitely not a word that came to mind.
Perhaps wide-ranging might be a more appropriate term. Onoe covers as much ground emotionally as he does cosmically on this project and song structures are impressively diverse, from the ethereal ‘Ice King’ to the thunderous ‘The Horsemen’, all while being undeniably 169 throughout. Features, too, from Jehst, Lealani, Polish punk-rap legend Zdechły Osa and Lil B (The Based God) feel worlds apart and in many ways they are, populating each corner of the Onoe Caponoe universe.
Throughout our conversation various heads popped into the small backroom we were sat in, letting Onoe know that a particular person of interest had just turned up or updating him on the load in. Sensing a multitude of spinning plates, I suggested that we begin wrapping up our conversation. “Yeah, we probably should”, Onoe replied and that was it. I never got to ask the symbolism of 169 or Holy Delix, or indeed the money shot: “what’s with all the cats?”. It seemed less important anyway. Reality and fiction had become practically indistinguishable by this point.
‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a whistle-stop tour through Onoe Caponoe’s vibrant dimension, blending reality and fiction, time and space alike. The shuttle departs here at all hours, and safety apparatus can be purchased through this link.
Sparkz – Overload
One of Manchester’s leading UK hip hop figures over the last decade, through work with The Mouse Outfit, LEVELZ, and Voodoo Black, it seems like the ever versatile Sparkz is still yet to get the recognition he deserves. Which makes his signing to UK powerhouse High Focus Records seem, if anything, overdue. It’s no surprise that his first offering on the label is not fuckin about. Add ‘Overload’ to your playlist and watch for more from the don.
Fliptrix – SM58 ft Onoe Caponoe & Ramson Badbonez
Definite contender for hardest tune from Fliptrix in recent times. ‘SM58’ features a cold beat from Wundrop and big flips linking up with long time HF crew Onoe Caponoe and Ramson Badbonez switching up unique flow patterns from one MC to the next. Lifted from the upcoming LP Mantra No. 9.
Renelle 893 & Guami – Boss Battle ft. Vitamin G
“Finished with the game like a fucking boss battle win”- the hook to Renelle 893 and Guami’s latest drop ‘Boss Battle’ appears particularly prophetic in light of Renelle’s recent crowning as High Focus’ latest signing.
Going toe to toe with Vitamin G in a barrage of syllabic sleight of hand, ‘Boss Battles’ is a marriage of dynamic duos with the appearance of Guami and King Girl on production and visuals. Renelle is firmly cementing himself as player 893 of the UK hip hop Premier League, and that’s fitting because he hates Tottenham.
Fliptrix – Eden
High Focus kingpin Fliptrix on form with this one. The Illinformed produced ‘Eden’ puts Flips on the ground he performs best on. An simultaneously emotive and banging instrumental hosts the man who (whether his critics like it or not) changed the scene getting pensive about the bigger things. Lifted from the don’s upcoming SZN Project. Keep em peeled.
TrueMendous – Yourself or The World? Ft Skinnyman
Bit of a Skinnyman renaissance going on in the last month… New material from the legend has been notoriously sparse ever since he spawned one of the all time great UK hip hop albums Council Estate of Mind. So it’s sick to see two new dope features from the don in short succession, following up ‘Price of Love‘ with Blacksmith and Statik Selektah he’s back on High Focus with the consistently ill TrueMendous for ‘Yourself or The World?’. Taken from the upcoming Great. On Purpose LP from True that will no doubt be heavy. Pre-orders for the project dropping in December are live now.
Onoe Caponoe – Afro Samurai / Quest
One Caponoe continuing on the motive of being the counter culture within the counter culture with latest drop ‘Afro Samurai / Quest’. Can’t say the guy isn’t consistent. Constantly blurring the boundaries with grime infused flows over a hip hop core and general acid drenched madness, for an artist that’s been repped by the dominant High Focus wave for time he’s still occupying a niche that remains under-rated. If you haven’t rinsed the discography yet, spend an evening going down the rabbit hole.