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Voodoo Black – ‘Sitting At The Table’ Review

March 27, 2020 by Kieron Sullivan

Arguably the most viable crew in the UK hip hop scene to have yet reached the heights they’re due (we’ve been ranting about this for a while), Voodoo Black are not playing with their long awaited debut LP. Collectively Sparkz, Dubbul O, Ellis Meade and DJ Cutterz have been some of the hardest working humans in the game for close to a decade. On top of dope solo efforts from all of them that are well worth checking with spare COVID isolation time, the three spitters have massively contributed to highly regarded and lucrative releases by The Mouse Outfit and have been putting out music under the guise of Voodoo Black since their first self titled EP back in 2013.

If you were to try and differentiate the sound of Voodoo Black versus Mouse Outfit up to this new decade, to massively oversimplify; you could say that efforts with the mouse mob were more funk, jazz and soul influenced and Voodoo Black have been more concerned with crafting hard tunes for hip hop purists. Sitting At The Table sees the lines blur to a middle ground that’s sublime.


Everything that has made the collective dope since day is alive and well on Sitting At The Table. There’s a new edge to SATT though. Cutterz and crew steer the production more in the direction of the kind of funky, mellow melodies underpinning rhythmic grooves that catapulted tracks featuring the VB roster to a wide following in collaboration with the Mouse Outfit. All while still staying true to the Voodoo sound. Manchester’s unique hip hop influence is in full effect alongside stylistic nods to US golden era sounds. Flows from all 3 MCs throughout are flawlessly on point. Both warm and hard hitting, what’s most striking about verses from all 3 is the fact that there is literally no weak link. For 3 artists with their own unique sounds, the level of stylistic cohesion that maintains a distinctive soundscape on all tracks is something that can only be built though a creative partnership and friendship over years. Flows blur into one another on every track in a way that’s barely noticeable.

Singles ‘Know Broke’ and ‘Fizzy’ are exemplary of the kind of consistent sickness found permeating through tracks 1 to 10. ‘Fizzy’ sounds like an after hours lock in at a jazz club. ‘Know Broke’ edges in with similar dulcet musical stylings, followed by hook from Sparkz phasing in seamlessly to a trap-esque drum line that instantly converts the track to a certified head-nodder peppered with effortlessly complex rhyme schemes on every bar.


The calibre of the sparing features on the project is telling in regards to the standing in the scene that the crew deserves. The group’s Manchester home ground is represented in style with soul-hop queen LayFullStop‘s appearance on the super smooth ‘In The Mood’ and under-hyped mistress of melody EVABEE on ‘My Medicine’. As the LP has lyrical talent in abundance from the crew, its not surprising that its not heavy on the guest spots. The two remaining spaces go to UK heavyweights Leaf Dog and Jehst. Banger ‘Abracadamting’ features the ever-returning drifter bringing his A game. Likewise Boom Bap anthem ‘Fall Back’ has Leaf coming equally hard on the first verse. The fact that both MCs drop Voodoo Black tributes in their bars is testament to the fact that whether or not VB have still to reach legend status among parts of the hip hop fanbase, they already hold that accolade among the scene’s leading names.

Formerly members of the Room2 family, Voodoo Black have transitioned to Village Live for this project. As cross pollination to different demographics can be advantageous for acts trying to get their name out to new heads and the Village have their own dedicated following (and exclusively release fire), this could prove to be a smart move. DJs: Cop this shit on vinyl for guaranteed smooth party grooves. Everyone else: Cop the format of your preference HERE.

Voodoo Black – Know Broke

March 15, 2020 by Kieron Sullivan

Sick to see Manchester’s most underrated super-group, Voodoo Black, back it. Since between the three of them Sparkz, Ellis Meade and Dubbul O are responsible for a sizeable portion of the best Mouse Outfit tracks and have been equally ill under the guise of VB, we’ve been bemused for a while that the group is yet to catch the same level of exposure. With Cutterz bringing more of a jazzy feel to the two tracks they’ve dropped so far in 2020 which was a winning formula for the MCs historically, plus the crew tapping into a new demographic with their new home on Village Live records, we’re hoping this year is the one for the Manchester veterans. Their debut full length album ‘Sitting At The Table’, drops on March 27th. Don’t Sleep!

UKHH x Room2 Records (DJ Cutterz) – 2019 Mix 04

April 2, 2019 by Kieron Sullivan

For the fourth of our 2019 guest mixes we’ve got something pretty special from DJ Cutterz of Room2 records. This absolute monster of a mix is an exploration through the catalogue of a label that through an impressive array of releases has come to encapsulate the Manchester hip hop sound.

With releases from the likes of rising groups Voodoo Black, Free Wize Men and Cul De Sac as well as solo projects from Afro Sam, Flex The Foreigner, Sparkz, Dubbul O and Ellis Meade, Room2 is essential territory to explore for any discerning hip hop fan.

As one quarter of Voodoo Black, a cornerstone of Room2’s live sound and a frequent collaborator on tracks across the label’s roster, Cutterz is uniquely qualified as a guide on our UKHH x Room2 journey.

Full track list below:

Intro
Sparkz – Stay Awake
Berry Blac – .
Voodoo Black – Run Along
Afro Sam – Moonlight (prod. Pro P)
Flex – Spaceship (Prod. Maverick Soul)
Flex – Eternal Sunshine Feat. Ellis Meade (Prod. Maverick soul)
Dubbul O X Clay – Commence
Blind Mic X Clay – Breathe Feat Esquire
Blind Mic X Clay – The Valley feat Sangy
Cul De Sac – This Time
Deepo – 16k 10s Feat MISSPHIZZLEDOTCOM
Ellis Meade – Golden (Prod. Pro P)
Love & Flex – Sound Veterans (Prod. Kydro)
Spider Jaroo – Crumbs (prod. Dom-Hz)
Spider Jaroo – Low and Behold (Prod. pro p)
Spider Jaroo – Destroy (prod. Able8)
Free Wize Men – Kick Back (prod Ellis Meade)
Dubbul O X Clay – Mass Appeal Feat. Blind Mic
Mothership Connection – Mo Town
Mothership Connection –  million Wattz
Dubbul O – Do what you can Feat. Tyler Daley (smoka motive ep)
Voodoo Black – Clap Click
Voodoo Black – Gettin’ Dum
Berry Blac – Batteries Sold Seperately
Free Wize – Numbers
Sparkz – My City
MISSPHIZZLEDOTCOM – FWIW
Frisko – Shut Down Shit (Prod. WhyJay)
Bowski, Frisko, Pro P – Dont be silly Dont Be Daft
Frisko – Thats what im like
Dubbul O x Cheech – Never Grow Old (prod. Cutterz)


Ascension: 12 Acts Making UK Hip Hop Viable On Their Own Terms

February 21, 2019 by Kieron Sullivan

Grime has got INSANELY BIG in the last few years. More excitingly many of its leading figures have managed to hold on to creative control and their credibility. The basic conditions of the music game have changed and are still in flux. This in mind, we at team UKHH, still think that grime’s older sibling, UK hip hop, is yet to have its finest hour.

While believing that UK hip hop’s golden era could be around the corner may seem foolishly optimistic, it might not be that far- fetched. As the wheels of industry have been turning in overdrive to push grime’s armoured battalion loudly forward into new territory, another less documented explosion has been occurring. A relative lack of investment and share of the spotlight hasn’t stopped artists across the country advancing the style in countless directions. Hip hop has taken creative leaps forward and for those leading the charge, it’s started to pay off.

In celebration of the innovators who are paving the way for a wider audience for the genre (without allowing themselves to be watered down), here’s a list of 12 acts and why they’re relevant in 2019…

Ocean Wisdom:

Since this list has to start somewhere, Ocean Wisdom seems like a natural choice. The top billing High Focus artist already knew what he was onto with Chaos ‘93 and said it brazenly in his lyrics on the debut album. With an undeniable talent for stringing together aggressively rapid flow patterns that could have easily meant gravitating towards grime, the MC tied his flag to the hip hop mast, blending the genres together as formidably as anyone else has done to date. And the rest is history. With second album Wizville dispelling any doubts that Chaos was an anomaly, Wizzy stayed true to his style without going pop or full grime and pulled in features from names as impressive as Dizzee Rascal and Method Man.

With huge shows, millions of views and truckload of money in his wake, what happens next is anybody’s guess. Whether the third LP will be dropping on HF or a major label, or his style takes a turn, his body of work and consequent explosion so far has set a standard that’s raised the profile of UK hip hop sizeably.

Kojey Radical:

The fact that it’s even possible for Kojey Radical to be famous at all, spells something unprecedented and massively exciting for the UK’s hip hop and grime scenes. Perhaps even for the music industry at large.

In a way, the last decade or so has primed the public for Kojey’s arrival. Grime has laid the paving towards smashing a ceiling on real artists that has seemed to always exist. Enforced by the rule that it’s impossible to get truly big, without in some way diluting or sacrificing the ethic that made an artist good/great to begin with. With links to and influence from grime that have allowed him to capitalise on that fan base, the stylistically unpigeonholeable Kojey has incorporated an educated rage, political leanings and propensity for poetry into his output that puts his music up therewith the most powerful hip hop lyricists. More than just meaning that his music resonates with hip hop die-hards, the appetite for Kojey’s message amongst grime’s huge following is hopefully a sign that a renaissance of conscious lyricists (hip hop and beyond) in the UK could be on the rise. 

Catching the final date of Kojey’s Can I Speak Tour in Camden in November was a serious moment. Playing to a packed out KoKo with guest appearances from the likes of Wretch 32, Shola Ama and Etta Bond, the atmosphere in the crowd (that included Kojey’s family members) was completely electric. Beyond a triumphant homecoming, the show felt like a vindication for someone who’d stayed fiercely true to an ethic, choosing to take the road less travelled and reaching peaks that should be impossible for somebody so opposed to the status quo. 

A year ago, Kojey had already been about for time and built himself an impressive body of work and dedicated following. 2018 saw him put out his most accessible music to date without dumbing down, smash a bunch of big festival slots, a European tour and gain a celebrity level of fame. If anyone can be expected not to let that kind of platform water them down, it’s Mr Radical.

Little Simz:

We’ve been watching Simz since Marilyn. Way back then in 2013, the teen MC was already mad adept with the flow. Much like Remus at the time (who also slayed his verse on ‘Marilyn Monroe’), Little Simz exuded musical leanings informed by a deep immersion in real hip hop and a lyrical maturity way beyond her meagre years.

Since then Simbi Ajikawo has levelled up her career again and again, taking leaps forward while seemingly being unphased by the cyclone of attention around her. Having already been on a steady rise in the UK, the moment of realisation that she might be on the road to becoming truly huge came in 2017. Doing the obligatory online rinse of bars the day after the BET Awards, there was Simz completely bodying the opening verse of a cypher with a mob of stateside Gs. As a relatively small fish in the shark pool of US hip hop, not only did she seem unworried but she styled on them and laid down some fire that made a bunch of MCs performances that year look weak.

Fast forward. At present Simbi has established herself as a global threat. With an impressive tour history, lucrative brand partnerships, 5 EPs and 2 full albums, her own expanding independent label (AGE 101), global distribution and her own frikkin festival already behind her… she’s in a stronger position than ever ahead of third album Grey Area. The slew of singles already released from the new project sound like an artist grown into something harder and more assured. Musically, Simz new material that’s dropped thusfar is both nostalgia inducing and fresh, both US influenced and screaming of London, both on trend and subversive. 2019 is going to be big.

Jam Baxter

As one of High Focus records’ starting line-up when the label first surfaced, Jam Baxter is another artist on this list whose style since day should intuitively seem completely antithetical to mainstream success. Appearing around 2009 (on HF supergroup Contact Play’s Champion Fraff), Jam possessed a lyrical approach that shared more in common with Def Jux wordplay on the more abstract sub-scene of American hip hop that had blossomed out of the death of the Golden Era, than it did with any of his UK contemporaries at the time. Blending a constant use of darkly complex metaphors that require decoding to digest (drawing from the school of thought pioneered by the likes of Aesop Rock) with equally complicated but more rigid and distinctly UK flow patterns, his style (despite imitation) remains uniquely his.

10 years later, mention Aesop and 95 out of 100 young-uns think you’re talking about Asap Rocky. But a tonne of them know who Jam Baxter is. While obviously that point is massively skewed by the fact that he’s UK and Aesop might still carry bigger clout with the youth in the States, what’s impressive is that in 2019 having a subversive taste in the bizarre end of hip hop isn’t a precondition for being a JB fan. His strange abrasiveness hasn’t been an impediment to his success.

Pinning his notoriety to being part of the HF behemoth since it began, would be a gross oversimplification. His style played a big part in them blowing up in the first place. Tracking forward to the present day, latest release Touching Scenes takes Baxter’s unlikely viability a step further. Single ‘Saliva’ features the same disgust at the world he’s always spewed, rolled into a beast of a tune that sounds chartable. As this was followed up quickly by a track featuring triple Brit Award winner Rag’n’Bone Man, the question of where the glass ceiling could be for a rapper as scathing as Baxter, is still up for debate.

Which brings us neatly to…

Rag‘n’Bone Man

In terms of character, you have to possess a bunch of it to become a global star and not let it change you. Rag‘n’Bone Man is a rare example of doing exactly that.

Having taken a massive deal with Columbia Records that catapulted him to a level of fame beyond any of his Rum Committee fam or High Focus label mates, the artist put in the required time playing (at least to a degree) by the rules of the big league in order to establish himself as an award-winning bankable name.

2018 seemed to herald the end of that play-nice groundwork period. Having elevated himself to the point where his name carries enough weight that he can do whatever he wants, Rags chose to return to the fold with a string of releases featuring him doing away with the pop melodies altogether to focus on the music that gave him his first leg up from obscurity. Release ‘Smoke Screen’ saw him feature under the pseudonym Ennio Lion with Jehst earlier in the year (possibly down to label restrictions on the use of the Rag’n’Bone Man brand). Shortly after he cast off the shackle of thinly masking his involvement and started putting the name he’s popularly known by on releases, including mega-tune ‘Standard’ with Foreign Beggars.

Rag n Bone Man’s reappearance in the UK hip hop scene with a select number of features on tunes by a few of its heroes including Dabbla, Jam Baxter and Dirty Dike lends added weight and legitimacy to the hard-earnt momentum that the genre has finally started to gain.

Voodoo Black:

Manchester in recent years has experienced an explosion in UK hip hop talent, that has established a distinct identity for the city while growing the scene’s viability through a number of key acts managing to cross over creatively in multiple directions, making music that is both intelligent and accessible.

So much so that choosing an entry which epitomises the ‘Manchester hip hop sound’ is very difficult. The Mouse Outfit? Good shout. But with their ever changing line-up of guest artists, pinning down who/what they are is hard. LEVELZ? Absolutely ridiculous line up of MCs. But with their range of influences, a stretch to label their body of work overall as hip hop.

Our final selection, residing at Room2 Records (along with a host of other artists who’d be worthy of this list) are something of a super-group, straddling members of both collectives above. And they’re hip hop as fuck. Somehow, given A) the calibre of the music they’re making and B) the spotlight their line-up is in as a result of separate outputs, Voodoo Black at present are massively under-exposed. Consisting of DJ Cutterz, Sparkz, Dubbul O and Ellis Meade, VB make hooky, infectious, rhythm driven Mancunian hip hop of the highest calibre. We’d put them high up on our list of acts most likely to blow up over the next couple years.

Lee Scott:

With a musical style and general ethic that on the surface might make the Blah Records bossman seem like the least likely to dent the mainstream, Lee Scott has managed to do just that. And is only continuing to grow.

In part, this is no doubt down to some very hard grafting, both as a surprisingly shrewd businessman and as possibly the most prolific lyricist out of anyone in recent years. Whether Lee’s style is your cup of chai or not, it’s impossible to deny the magnitude of what the Cult leader has achieved.

The genius that’s allowed Blah to grow at such a scale is essentially a knack for playing everything as a strength…
Can’t afford to rapidly expand a label that puts out a huge amount of content for a high number of artists at the same time as paying a tonne on making every visual look pro? Make weird, intentionally shitty quality videos your trademark. Can’t outflow the most tech spitters? Make not giving a fuck about that your ethic. You can’t argue with “I don’t care.”

While making light work of taking any potential hurdle and turning it on its head into a step up, over the years, something massive and ungodly has formed around Lee. Whether by chance or as an inevitable outcome of the sheer gravitational pull of so many minus-fucks-given creating a black hole of amused nihilism around Blah’s centre… Lee Scott has surrounded himself with an increasingly sizeable gang of artists with the same mindset and ethic. There’s strength in numbers. While organising the messy crew of reprobates that make up Blah Records/Cult of the Damned into any kind of unit is presumably similar to herding cats that did all the catnip, all that potential chaos has been harnessed and unified under the banner of “fuck it” into something unstoppable. The beast that is Blah has continued to lurch forward unchecked.

Genesis Elijah:

If this list was based purely on stats (sales/views), Gen ‘The General’ might seem like the odd one out. Undisputedly the longest in the game out of this line up, Genesis Elijah owes his place on the roster to an impressive adaptability.

This growling tank of an MC comes from the era where UK hip hop arguably took its biggest surge forward, while grime was in its infancy and as a scene very much hip hop’s younger brother. Gen’s album Deh Pon Road, is one that epitomises the sound of UK hip hop in the early to mid 2000s. While UKHH camp and presumably a lot of our readership have a huge amount of love for the sound of that time (including the artists still making music that resonates at that frequency today), respect is nonetheless due for acts that can stay true to what is at their core while upgrading and modifying themselves in a way that keeps them current.

Staying ill while embracing the future is Genesis all over. 2018 saw the lyricist drop two EPs, How To Lose Fans And Alienate Listeners and It Will All End In Tears, in addition to killer releases unrelated to either project (see ‘5AM In Wakanda’ and ‘Spooky’). Incorporating everything from dancehall-esque vocoders on UK rap style hookage , to trap and grime instrumental stylings, Genesis mashed together everything new into his sound all the while interspersed with his signature spitting style.

Whether Gen has reached the heights of some other artists on this line-up (or ever does) isn’t what makes his career trajectory relevant for this list. Criminally overlooked or not… The fact is that Gen is bankable. Gen’s stylistic viability to date is a blueprint on how old dogs can adapt to smash out the new tricks of their youngers with all the assured style gained from years of experience. In an imaginary future where UK hip hop blows dafuk up by 2020, the ability to evolve possessed by the likes of Gen could be what ensures that hip hop’s old guard will have a seat at the table.

IAMDDB

It’s fair to say that UKHH can be firmly placed in the category of IAMDDB fans. The debate of whether she really fits into the category of hip hop (and therefore the scope of artists we cover) has come up a few times and each time resulted in unanimous support for her inclusion. Most of the time, doing at least some raps is kind of the prerequisite for a vocalist being allowed to stand under the umbrella of UK hip hop. Exceptions occur though and as the UK’s answer to Erykah Badu for the trap generation, IAMDDB is one such outlier.

Another example of the Manchester scene’s seemingly infinite ability to nurture artists that create their own unique facet on the city’s increasingly vibrant hip hop spectrum… IAMDDB is the sort of artist whose music sounds so much like RIGHT NOW, that it seems unbelievable that she’s been making it that way for more than a minute. As if waiting for the present to catch up, Diana Debrito, emerged (at least on to our radars) in September 2016 with Inka collab ‘Leaned Out’ as a seemingly fully developed artist. Informed by a love of Jazz and harmonies, empowered by a do-whatever-feels-right ethic and normally found occupying a sonic space in the wavy, trap-influenced corner of hip hop, the Northern songstress has been on a constant rise. 

Having already laid some formidable ground work, 2018 was well and truly her year. Triumphs included: The continued runaway success of 2017’s ‘Shade’ spiralling it upwards to true anthem status (now over 20 Million views on YouTube), a consistently dope handful of solo releases, featuring heavily on the third album from The Mouse Outfit, a massive touring schedule and becoming a global style icon. She still seems bare humble all things considered.

808INK:

Trying to sum up what 808INK are musically is nigh on impossible in any specific sense. Creating a sonic landscape that is unique unto them from a garage in Deptford, the terrain changes stylistically from one tune to the next. MC/Producer combo Mumblez and 808Charmer draw on everything from G-funk to house. Underneath the melting pot of styles that endows their music with the constant ability to surprise, one dominant influence at the core of their sound is the constant that gives the 808INK sound cohesion. The “Dreality” world they’ve created for themselves undoubtedly owes its spirit and its rhythmic roots (both in production and flows) to hip hop, both US and UK.

Above all, consistently making tunes that are both credible and danceable is key to their continued success. The effectively simple method of dropping banger after banger has ensured radio play, club rotation and festival shows popping the fuck off. Whether it’s the house influenced ‘Suede Jaw’ that’s been a go-to energise tune at UKHH HQ for 3 years now, the infinitely bump-and-grindable ‘Top Flow’ or the aggressive Uzi burst of last September’s ‘Gummy Bears’, 808INK provide hype in abundance.

Fliptrix:

If this list seems a bit High Focus heavy, that shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Fourth and final mention on this list goes to Zander Whitehead aka Fliptrix. With an impressively profuse creative work-rate that’s involved; dropping 7 solo albums since 2010, 2 albums as one quarter of The Four Owls, countless features and live performances all over the world, Flips has achieved a huge amount as an artist. Impressive as that is, the biggest impact he has made in the music scene is as the lanky workaholic behind the wheel of High Focus Records.

The label, which came about partly by chance (when Jehst gave Zander the advice to put out Theory of Rhyme himself instead of a long wait for it to come out on YnR), has exceeded what anyone could have expected at the time. Beyond becoming the biggest UK hip hop Independent, HF has expanded the scene itself.

Success always comes with at least some haters. Taste is subjective, so if you don’t like HF that’s neither right or wrong. That said, next time you hear a hipster in their early 20s trying to cultivate the aura of a scene elder by telling some keen teenagers that High Focus is for young, white kids who only know about High Focus, it might be worth resisting the urge to slap everyone in the conversation and instead point out the following…
1. Some of the lesser known rappers they deem more credible are on labels that have literally thrived or even came about because of the cash influx into the scene created by the spending power of the ever expanding HF fanbase.
2. For years the label has been home to veterans such as King Kashmere, Ramson Badbonez and Verb T who were earning their stripes before hipsters were even a thing.
3. They’ve never gone even remotely pop. They’ve just got popular.
4. Hipsters criticising HF for being the gateway drug to hip hop blatently got into hip hop via HF two years ago.

In conclusion… Massive big ups to Flips for building a monster of a label from scratch.

Children of Zeus:

Consisting of vocal duo, Konny Kon and Tyler Daley, CoZ are a testament to how far you can go when you inject a little soul into the mix.

While remaining undisputedly hip hop, Children of Zeus’ tendency to embrace other genres has been key to their success. Appropriately Signed to the musically eclectic First Word Records (amongst a spectrum of jazzy-funky-neo-souly-electronica and beyond), the duo has built dedicated followings in other scenes that have greatly aided them on their rise. A big part of that is down to Tyler Daley’s unique singing voice that appeals to soul fans as much as his bars do to hip hop heads. The same talent for melody has seen him become hot property for the warm, chilled end of liquid drum and bass, with a number of big name collaborations including Red Eyes, LSB and DJ Marky.

Ratings from the DnB community for these outings as a guest vocalist coupled with wide adoration of the massive Lenzman version of CoZ’s ‘Still Standing’ (which won Best Remix at the 2016 Drum & Bass Awards) has allowed them to attract a large number of fans in another demographic that a lot of hip hop artists don’t infiltrate.

2018 saw the release and runaway success of Travel Light. With a subsequent tour that saw them playing all over the country throughout the summer including a tonne of festivals that placed them high on the bill, the transition of the two Mancunians into the big leagues was complete. As a finishing move, in the final moments of 2018 Children of Zeus dropped The Winter Tape LP for free. Intended first and foremost as a thank-you to their fans, the completely dope project also carried the implication that they’re in the position where they can casually hand out gold. Which is a big hint at the likely calibre of what they’ve got planned next. Just watch.

Voodoo Black – Gettin Dum [0161]

January 5, 2019 by Kieron Sullivan

Voodoo Black are back! Doesn’t come as a surprise really that Cutterz, Dubbul O, Sparkz and Ellis Meade are at the helm of a banger complete with ridiculous flows and a dope video. With each member making moves (as solo artists, as Voodoo Black and with affiliations including The Mouse Outfit and mega-crew LEVELZ), its fair expect a whole arsenal of fire from these guys in 2019! ‘Gettin Dum [0161]’ is a strong start.

 

Ellis Meade – Dreaming Big

September 7, 2018 by Mxrtlxck

Dope short banger from Manchester based rapper Ellis Meade with Pro P on production. With uptempo beat and solid, rapid fire flows from Ellis Meade, this is a vibe! Check out the video that dropped via Room2 Records.

The Mouse Outfit – Late Night Doors ft Berry Blacc, Dubbul O & Ellis Meade

August 16, 2018 by Kieron Sullivan

If one finds oneself losing the best part of a week to Boomtown Fair and all the carnage and consequent fallout involved… If said week happened to include catching The Mouse Outfit killing it on stage with microphone menaces Berry Blacc, Dubbul O and Ellis Meade in full effect… One might be relieved to come home to find a seriously smooth cut of Mancunian chill such as the above video for ‘Late Night Doors’ by the very same motley crew waiting for them on arrival. Good timing guys.

Voodoo Black – Run Along

August 2, 2018 by Kieron Sullivan

New tune from Voodoo Black is some serious heat. Making prolific look easy, MCs Dubbul O, Ellis Meade and Sparkz never seem to put a foot wrong. Exhibit A: ‘Run Along’. Flows don’t come much more assured than this, hook is a stomper and the beat is some savagery as well. Out now on Room2 Records.

UKHH Summer Sickness: A Hip Hop Guide to Boomtown

June 12, 2018 by Kieron Sullivan

UKHH are mad excited to announce the third of our UKHH Summer Sickness festival recommendations… The mighty Boomtown Fair!

Although it officially sold out in February, Limited resale tickets are now available! To grab the last ones while there’s still time… simply click HERE!

Now in its tenth year and tenth chapter of its evolving story line, Boomtown has a history of putting on an impressive array of hip hop talent since its beginnings. Label takeovers by the likes of High Focus and genre bending spectacles (such as 2014’s ‘Original Fever’ UK Hip Hop Reggae Showcase on the Lion’s Den stage with Daddy Skitz, Rodney P and friends) have become the stuff of legend. Talent to have graced their stages over the years (to name but a few not appearing this time round) include everything from international legends like Cypress Hill, Pharoahe Monch and Jungle Brothers, to a diverse spectrum of UK heroes encompassing everything between Ocean Wisdom and Dizraeli and the Small Gods.

For a pretty good summary of what vibe to expect… The bulk of the footage for the above video for ‘Weed & Ale’ featuring Jman, Dr Syntax, Eva Lazarus and Pete Cannon (all of whom are reappearing this year) was shot way back at Boomtown 2013. Boomtown has continued to grow with expanding crowds, districts, stages and hundreds more acts but the rowdy spirit of hedonism and positive vibes have remained the same.

No surprises then that this year’s line-up has an absolute tonne of talent for the discerning hip hop hunter to uncover!

As festivals can be confusing places to navigate for the soberest of brains and pouring over every act on every stage is a tiring process that most probably can’t be arsed with, UKHH have done all that painstaking leg work for you in order to provide our detailed guide to all the hip hop popping off at this year’s Boomtown…

One of the things that makes Boomtown so sick, beyond the debaucherously immersive city that all the madness takes place in, is the sheer diversity of musical styles peppered across the site at any given time. While each district and stage has its own stylistic focus, so mega-fans of a particular genre could be tempted to get settled, it’s a sure fire bet that doing so would result in missing something dope happening somewhere completely unexpected.

Case in point: Whistlers Green (a district renowned for Jazz, Funk, Soul, World Music fusion, talks and a host of chilled out/holistic activities) boasts a surprising array of sick hip hop influences on it’s Windmill Stage. Out of my personal must-see acts at the whole festival, the multi-influenced Ghanaian/Glaswegian producer and lyricist Kobi Onyame is towards the top of the list. Check out his most recent album Gold for an idea of the kind of triumphant afro-rhythm infused hip hop to expect from him. Seriously ill.

Also on the stage for anyone with instrumental leanings… Bilal; the hip hop influenced soul/jazz artist with notable collaborative efforts on releases from the likes of Common and Talib Kweli who scooped a Grammy for his input on seminal Kendrick Lamar album To Pimp a Butterfly, as well as boom bap jazzers Blue Lab Beats, mixing golden era hip hop influences with jazz instrumentalism and samples.

Keeping the curve balls coming, Rocks Foe, the highly charged and lyrically deep MC known to straddle grime and hip hop and informed by a further range of diverse influences is present as part of a takeover by Bristol label Black Acre. Also, embodying a truly international sound that’s impossible to pin down (I thought she was UK when I first heard her) with Zambian and Botswanan roots but now based in Australia, Sampa the Great is well worth a check. If you haven’t already heard her, think African rhythms, jazz, hip hop and a powerful voice phasing between neo soul melodies and conscious lyricism.

The roots-heavy Lion’s Den stage also sees some hip hop vibes blending their way into the mix with UKHH long time favourites Rodney P and Illaman taking the stage as part of the Spragga Benz and Friends set. Other highlights for heads are likely to include live trip-hop/lounge band Morceeba, and genre defying super-group Gorillaz in a headline slot that’s sure to include more than a few meanders into the territory of hip hop bars and beats. Switch districts and head over to Paradise Heights and you’ll find bass-heavy party starters Too Many T’s rocking the Hotel Paradiso venue.

Even hidden amongst the stellar line-up of broader dubby soundsystem hecticness that populates Boomtown’s woodland parties there are a couple of UK names for rap treasure hunters to track down. Prolific with the festival performances this year, Gardna can be found performing as part of the Wonka-Vision Forest Takeover and Skitz and Joe Burn are set to play the Tangled Roots stage where its safe to expect they’ll be providing a stomping soundtrack to the forest setting, fusing hip hop and Jamaican influenced basslines.

All this said… Unsurprisingly, although there are abundant MCs and DJs worth searching Boomtown’s myriad districts for, the bulk of our UKHH recommended acts can be found dominating the Barrio Loco District!

This year’s line up on the flagship stage Poco Loco is something fierce. For fans with a taste for grimier flavours, bill-toppers Ghetts, Lady please-answer-my-fan-mail-and-marry-me-already Leshurr, Foreign Beggars, Nadia Rose and Big Zuu will be providing unrelenting party vibes. Another artist to go heavy on the festival rounds this year is the ever unpigeon-holeable Kojey Radical. With a hard earned and steadily expanding following now aware of his varied and poetically raw body of work, the crowd are likely to go off for this one.

The suplex that the North has applied to the UK Hip Hop game in the last few years is suitably apparent in the presence of its multiple super-crews/collectives taking the stage at this years Boomtown. LEVELZ, The Mouse Outfit (ft Ellis Meade, Dubbul O and Berry Blac for their Poco Loco performance) and Cult of The Damned have all proved themselves to be serious threats. With fluid rosters and cross over between MCs (e.g. Black Josh is affiliated with all three) each entity reflects a distinctly different facet of a stylistically diverse, collaborative community. C.O.T.D. bring a lazy, fuck-everything rawness comparable to being the UK’s answer to Odd Future. In Contrast The Mouse Outfit bring positive, funk infused smooth grooves, with their recent album Jagged Tooth Crook sounding like distilled summertime. LEVELZ bring the rave.

For fans focused on live instrumentation… Poco Loco also provides. Taking it way back, in a salute to one of the all-time undisputed masters of production, the 18 piece Abstract Orchestra will be performing a musical tribute to the late J Dilla. Scene legends (and one of the original trip hop bands) The Herbaliser will also be taking the stage. Producer and MC duo, Makola, have developed their combination of afrobeat hip hop to include a live band and brass section that should have fans of Fela Kuti and UK rap alike moving in unison. It goes without saying that all of the above might be something special.

For a masterclasses on control of the decks: With a list of influences and collaborations as long as a life-size Stretch Armstrong’s arms, DJ Vadim will be tearing things up and no doubt have some surprises up his sleeves. Mixing global influences including hip hop, trip hop and a heavy pinch of sub-dub L’Entourloop will no doubt be providing a marching soundtrack to skank out to when they take the stage with Troy Berkley and N’Zeng. Kicking the party up a gear, festival and rave scene regulars, The Nextmen, will also be supplying the grooves with an extended family of Gentlemans Dub Club, Garnda, Kiko Bun, Eva Lazarus, and Jman.

Also on a hype tip, the infinitely danceable 808INK will be ensuring a steady stream of cleverly infectious bars and vibes to keep the rave moving and Babylon Dead will be capitalising on energetic support for their dissident ragga-meets-hip hop style and tearing the roof clean off. Another act to balance double time spits, basslines and politics, scene veteran and activist/rapper Lowkey will be in attendance to serve up heavy bars with some food for thought on the side.

For sure fire hits with UK hip hop fans, acts bringing that pure UK underground sound include Children of Zeus, Dr Syntax & Pete Cannon and Coops. C.O.Z. have been on a serious rise lately, with mellow, summery vibes aplenty, an RnB edge to their hooks and raps that sound both very Golden Era and very UK. Long-time collaborators Syntax and Cannon have a catalogue of material built up since the beginning of the century and (as probably the funniest lyricist in the UK scene) crowds can expect Syntax to entertain and hype in equal measure. Finally, High Focus Records’ most recent signing Jordan Cooper AKA Coops, will be showcasing his dope new album, No Brainer, and evidencing why he’s currently one of the UK’s fastest risers.

And that’s just the hip hop… For anyone who fancies diversifying, you’ll be able to catch pretty much everything else under the sun at any moment. With a huge array of districts that each sport their own immersive worlds and more hidden side shows, hi-jinks and mini venues than you could shake a stick at, Boomtown ensures an experience that’s likely to fly by in a messy, technicolor blur. Come join us going tits up to our recommended acts, shooting some exclusive on-site bars, rolling round with a boombox on a music video flex and most probably at points getting completely side-tracked and lost amongst the carnage.

The final surge of resale tickets are very limited and will sell out fast, so to get involved with the 10th anniversary celebrations get yours now!

The Mouse Outfit ft. Ellis Meade – Beats All Day

May 2, 2018 by Kieron Sullivan

New album Jagged Tooth Crook is almost here and The Mouse Outfit are continuing to hype it with this one. Producer Deese brings that pure funk on the instrumental for ‘Beats All Day’ and increasingly regular outfit collaborator Ellis Meade smashes smooth vocal duties over the top. Sickness as usual.

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