
The press release states that Dirty Dike is the nastiest rapper in the world. That’s quite a claim, there are quite a few pretty fucked up MCs out there… On occasions, it even seems like proving this statement true is the primary objective. Average Wank Fam is a case in point. The concept behind the lyrics seems to be: think of entirely random, messed up stuff (“shag your rancid Nan with a shandy can”). All a little bit year 7, and not really the recipe for a strong track that you’re going to bump on the regular.
The chorus of Act Like A Freak is another attempt to make sure that we are all fully aware of his don’t give a fuck attitude:
The chorus of Act Like A Freak is another attempt to make sure that we are all fully aware of his don’t give a fuck attitude:
“If you have an opinion,
I’m glad that you see
Just how deep down I couldn’t give a fuck
Cos I’m me”
I guess that’s just as well, really… The formula works rather better on a track like Hi I’m James, as Dike comes across somewhat more tongue in cheek, and less forced.
There is a well stocked guest list onboard. The ever consistent Skuff shows up on the autobiographical The Agitated:
“When I was born, I never did cry, I think I might have yawned,Bright eyes, shining wide at all the sights before,By the time they cut the cord, I was a handful,And as soon as I could walk I was a vandal.I hit the ground running, and by the time I was 8 or 9,I’d spend my playtime stepping through my state of mind.I was a strange brainy child, but a thoughtless kid,Me and my mates were naughty shits, and teachers thought us thick.The first time a mic was held, I was age 12,I swear to God I raised hell, plus the angels fell.I slay brain cells with weed, and my teenage life,Was our curriculum, trying to slay our creative drive.But I refuse to lose.Cartoons, ill tunes and garms is all I wanted,So that’s all I did, and still do.”
This track also sees one of the best beats on the album, as Mr Constant, who produced the whole thing, meshes some horns with a plodding baseline, to great effect. In fact, the production is very solid throughout, with Constant serving up mid-tempo, sample-based boom bap of good quality. The mixing is also of high quality, as all tracks sound smooth when dropping from the speakers or headphones, sadly not always a given with UK releases. The flute, and bass guitar of Morph Into Any Shape stand out as another highlight musically.
Other guests include a Contact Play reunion on What D’You Expect, where Baxter steals the show, and the immense posse cut, From The Future, that features no less than 8 guest verses. To their credit, the MCs manage to keep the track entertaining despite it being over 7 minutes long… This is part of a strong finish to the album, as the preceding track, the dark Never Seen A Reason is probably Dike’s strongest, lyrical performance.
Overall, this album ends up being quite hit and miss. Clearly Dike is a capable rhymer, but would be better off avoiding slipping into self-parody, whilst attempting to prove he is “the world’s filthiest rapper”. Perhaps that character appeals to some, I don’t know… The production stands out as the complete opposite of the vocals, solid throughout, occasionally managing to keep otherwise lackluster tracks interesting.
Originally posted on www.certifiedbanger.co.uk