The Last Skeptik – Friend and Enemy
New single from The Last Skeptik ‘Friend and Enemy’ just dropped. An introspective journey through self-loathing and love.
Video directed by Ed Andrews | Available to stream here
New single from The Last Skeptik ‘Friend and Enemy’ just dropped. An introspective journey through self-loathing and love.
Video directed by Ed Andrews | Available to stream here
What’s your breakup routine? Maybe you go the hermit route, spending weeks glued to your bed watching Netflix true crime documentaries scrolling through your ex’s social feeds. Maybe you go the other way, drinking yourself silly in dingy nightclubs, desperately searching for distraction in the drunken embrace of strangers. If you’re Corin Liall Douieb, AKA The Last Skeptik, you go out and make one of the most personal albums of the year.
The Hackney rapper & producer lays his soul bare on See You In The Next Life (SYITNL). The album covers each step in the recovery process – a process with more than a passing resemblance to the stages of grief. ‘You Make Me Wanna (Kill)’ captures the numbing effect of loss on your daily routine: “It just turned 9 pm gotta get out of bed / Head to the club cause I’ve gotta see bread / Force a little smile, of course it’s a trial / Medicate meanwhile I don’t feel right in my head”. It’s a track anyone who’s been through a break up can understand – shutting off all emotions because to feel is too painful.
That Douieb is largely alone on SYITNL is no coincidence. Eschewing his usual collabs emphasises the lonely struggle of heartbreak. Tracks like ‘House Party Massacre’ reinforce the reality that, although friends and family are essential to recovery, only you can find the strength to get back up.
The album isn’t all about love and loss; it’s also about how society feeds our poisonous misconceptions about love. ‘15 Million Merits’ skewers our desperate need for validation and smartphone addiction without judgement. The hook: “Whatsapp ten people / Scream out loud / Leave it open and wait for the Cloud / to let me down / Turn the phone on loud and wait for the sound” The Last Skeptik makes it clear he’s battling the same demons.
The beats mirror the anxious confusion that comes with loss. Tracks like ‘Rearview’ conjure hazy electronica soundscapes that feel like trawling a crowded nightclub after dropping a pinger. The bouncy instrumentals of ‘Dead Star’ captures the manic waves of anger that rise when a seemingly innocuous image triggers a painful memory.
SYITNL traverses the different stages of loss, but the final stage – acceptance – shines through most brightly. This isn’t some self-pitying diatribe against an unforgiving world, it’s a middle finger to adversity. Whatever your breakup process, you have to trust that it gets better. No matter what you’re going through, See You in the Next Life proves you’ll come out the other side stronger.
See You In The Next Life is out now on Thanks for Trying Records.
Latest from The Last Skeptik is painfully human. ‘House Party Massacre’ voices a feeling of isolation in crowded party spots while also taking aim at various pretentious character facets that come part and parcel with the 2019 social scene. Provocative bars and production as always is on point.
JEEEEZ! Latest solo outing from Ric Flo of Jungle Brown, formed of a chaotic barrage of pop culture references from grime to game boys, is more than a bit of a tune. ‘Revolt’ features a stomper of an instrumental by The Last Skeptik and a next level visual directed by Ato Yankey.
Who’s this red-eyed wordsmith shooting a UK hip hop Blair Witch Project condensed into a minute and a half. Its that guy TeeF. The veteran, whose been around since 6 out of 10 East London hipsters were doing their Year 6 SATs, is back.
Safe to assume this is probably just the beginning of more on the horizon. Dope production on this short, spooky-ill number by The Last Skeptik.
Brand new visual lifted from the ‘This is Where it Gets Good’ the new LP from The Last Skeptik, dropping tomorrow 29/09/2017. Trouble – The Last Skeptik featuring Kojey Radical & Takura
The last Skeptik Featuring Jehst ‘Lullaby’ lifted off ‘Thanks for Trying’
Both Conflix and the Last Skeptik are heavyweight solo artists in their own right, now with the imminent release of their joint 12” we split their skulls for something a little bit more informative on the duo. I got Skeptik and Cons away from their Beat / Rhyme duties for a little email convo.
Can you introduce yourselves?
Last Skeptik: Whattup, I’m The Last Skeptik. Producer, DJ, etc…
Conflix: Gyeah, this is Conflix aka Confliximus Maximus Decimus aka Vlad Von Donflix aka Benny Hill blah blah…
Why did you decide to do a 12″ together?
Last Skeptik: I’ve known Con for a while, and have always said to him that when I got a chance I want to get him on a few tracks. I really rate him as a lyricist and think he is completely slept on in the UK hip hop network. Once I got a little name, it seems the natural progression to help someone else get up there to be seen, and make good music in the process.
Conflix: I known Skeptik for a while now and we always said we’d do some tracks together, ahh yeah his beats are pretty good too nahmean.
Why did you choose to go with Filthy Habits?
Last Skeptik: I like the way that Wyt Fang handles his business. He’s not doing it for money – it’s all about the music and getting people to hear new tracks. He sent me a CD of some new stuff he was putting out for me to play on my radio show, and I approached him with this project me and Con had in mind.
“…He’s not doing it for money – it’s all about the music and getting people to hear new tracks…”
How did the “Character Assassins” CD come about?
Conflix: Last year I’d been doing a lot of open mics but kind of flopping them so I just went back to the drawing board and wrote the sickest verses I could think of for a good few months. During this period I thought it’d be cool to do my own mixtape but get other up and coming hedz I know to feature on it to showcase their skills too. The aim of the CD was to just give emcees a chance to spit & show what they’re about. Character Assassins was more focused on emcee skill rather than actual songs. After a few more months and with Chemo’s help (bigup Mobb Dave) we eventually got a collection of songs together and even managed to get a few more established hedz to feature on it which was a bonus.
What are your plans for the next installation?
Conflix: Volume 2 will be coming soon, this time it’s going to be just original beats but still on the same vibe as da first one. Def want to organise more assassin session ciphers, get bare emcees to come thru and drop shiz.
What do you love about Hip-Hop right now?
Last Skeptik: Same thing I always loved about it. Well produced and innovative music. People who make music because they love it, and are honest and true to themselves and their fans. Specifically, albums by The Away Team, Big Pooh, Common, and new ish from Sway, Verb T and loads of others.
What do you Hate about Hip-Hop right now?
Last Skeptik: Same thing I always hated about hip hop… People always bitching about what’s so wrong with the music. People saying ‘hip hop’ is dead periodically, every year, since hip hop began. Stop complaining. A new album isn’t the ‘saviour’ of hip hop, its another good album that adds to a beautiful music form.
Will you be dropping anything else this year?
Last Skeptik: I don’t know if i’ll be dropping anything that is specifically my project this year, although there will be tracks I’ve produced for Manage, Con, Kashmere, Diversion Tactics, Grimlok and a few others that might come out on their respective projects.
Conflix: Ermm apart from the single & the CA vol2 mixtape not much… might drop a few pounds in weight tho.
Its a shame what happened with the Dusty Crates Show, will you be appearing on any other radio stations soon?
Last Skeptik: I might do a few guest spots on shows, I’m moving to the U.S. for a year so maybe a college radio show over there or something. I’ll also be hosting the Low Life Radio show again this August on KANE FM with Disorda and possibly Joey Brains.
“…People always bitching about whats so wrong with the music. People saying ‘hiphop’ is dead periodically, every year, since hiphop began…”
How did you hook up with Verb T to do the LP?
Last Skeptik: Me and Verb had been planning a project since mid 2004, and had recorded a few tracks, but no release had been planned. Silent Soundz had spoken to me about my track Word Search being on their mix CD The Sickness, I told them about the Verb project idea and they were interested from that point. The album should be released next year, you’ll have to wait till then for more info!
Who would you like to work on a project with in the future?
Last Skeptik: Kano, Doneao, Skinny, Task Force, and Jibberish from Iron Bridge. That guy is sick. Also singers like Emiliana Torrini if that was ever possible.
Conflix: Def feeling what Antiheroes are doing up north so big them up.
What tracks are you feeling right now (Top 5)?
Last Skeptik:
1. The Away Team – The Shining
2. P Money feat. Mystro – I Had None
3. Big Pooh – Sleepers LP
4. Plan B – Kids
5. Kashmere / Chubby Alcoholic – Shoalin Iron Claw Re-cut
Lay down your Shout outs…
Last Skeptik: Tanyel, Verb T, Diversion Tactics, Melissa, Mark (Wyt Fang), Due South, Press Gang, Rhubarb and Custard, Bagpuss and Marlon Brandy and Bob Saltine Halal Beats affiliates.
Conflix: Bigup Possessed, Sense, Manage, Snuff, Precise da analiser, Syanyde, Mobb Dave, Grimlokimus, Bazza Samedi, Verb T, Crucifix, Red like Master, Butcherino weeger.