Jyaged Edge

A volcano just before it erupts, a tornado just before it reaches category 5, Theo Walcott just before he hits full throttle. Starang Wondah taking his 1^st breathe just before he unleashes his 16 bars. These are all examples of the calm before the storm. When nature (or Arsenal) begins to simmer, just before it reaches its own variation of boiling point. For me Encrypted Scriptures, with it’s under the radar vibe, falls into just such a category. A lot of albums these days fail to get the balance just right. So you are either nodding your head & not giving a damn what the MC is saying (Gang Starr [sorry Guru]), or vice versa. Cee Why has created a backdrop that can both come to the fore & take a backseat depending on the listeners mood. The beats, moody & unerringly understated as they are, make the perfect foil for Jyager’s often quickfire delivery. On a few tracks seemingly without pausing for breathe, at times there is more than a passing resemblance to Ramson Badbones. Yet tracks like Yellow Brick Road (lovely sample on that one) show the versatility that Jyager possesses. This is an MC that I think has a lot more in the locker in terms of subject matter. The conscious street rhetoric is there for all to hear & I would like to see a more worldly approach to some issues on the next one. But make no mistake if Encrypted Scriptures is the sign of whats to come, Jyager will be at the forefront of UK Hip hop for quite some time.

p e a c e

Jyager - Silent Tipsy Monkey Man feat. Sifu, Chan & DM

more Jyager niceness 2 posts below

018/810

Name: 810
Album: Supply & Demand
Released: sometime soon (gimme a date matt)
Until then grab this. It's nice. Enjoy!

810 - Bill Gates (prod. by Mydus)

Jaguar? no.... Jyager

Anyone who caught me talking about this tune a while ago also know that I have been waiting for an album from this guy for quite a while. ENCRYPTED SCRIPTURES is out on 23rd March vis Jehst's YNR. But as much heavyweight back up as he has, J can most definitely hold his own. If these Quality tasters are anything to go by my anticipation is well warranted.
Review coming soon. Enjoy!

Jyager - Crystal Mirrors

Jyager - Frozen In the Night feat. Foreign Beggars & Kashmere

Jyager - Never Gonna Bring Me Down

Bonus 1: Jyager - Eyes Open (Re-Spit) feat. Jehst, Dubbledge, Micall Perknsun, Joker Starr, Sir Smurf Lil', Cobane & Kyza

Bonus 2: Jyager - New State of Mind Mixtape

Jyager's myspace

Just to say...

There are alot of names that go in this space here__________________. way too many to name all of you, but I just wanted to thank all those that deem this li'l place I like to call home(page) worthy of your attention & emails. affiliates, fellow writers, readers, labels, promo teams, subscribers & Hip Hop peers alike.

Thanks & lets keep it moving!

Barack's The Man?

Let me start with this. The title of this post does not mean that I am about to bash on Obama. I am an avid supporter & I hope that he can fulfil the hopes of not only the throngs of Americans, but the people throughout the world who are Banking On Barack (hmmm, I like that one). Which is where I think the the leader of the free world's main problems lie. I personally think that, judging by the excited yet guarded reaction of the leaders of the Middle East, that he can succeed where everyone else has failed. There hasn't been a feelgood factor like this in my lifetime. Even in the current economic climate, the general population of planet Earth are looking to the future with hope. Barack's inauguration speech was pretty much perfect. Basically sayong that if everyone pulls together, from the family to the communities & on through society as a whole, We can get things done. But it is in no way an easy road. My concern after all is said & done that the majority of the people that voted him in weren't listening. I noticed a lot of people going about it being a black day & as a black man I was/am mighty proud to see it happen. But too many people are too focused on it happenoing & not focused enough on what comes next. He has taken the hotseat in arguably the most difficult time ever faced by any President/ World Leader. The Economy, plus the current Israeli/Palestinian crisis has seen to that. And don't underestimate Joe Biden's role as Vice President either. For his few foibles, he is a shrewd international operator who I think will end up being the unsung hero of the Obama era. The 1st thing that gives Barack a major leg up over his predecessors in this multicultural society is his heritage. He makes now bones about who his parents are & where thay come from. It is this one factor that should see him succeed where others have failed. A lot of nations see America as the reason for the state they are in & rightly or wrongly, some factions are using that as the carrot on the end of the stick for their followers. Dubya's (that nickname alone done him no favours) White skin & Texan/middle american accent immediately made him an easy target. Baracks skin does however, make him a more of a target in his own backyard than it does anywhere else in the world. The 2nd ace up Obama's sleeve is his family. Michelle Obama is easily the best looking 1st Lady Thw White House has seen & the girls' cute looks means that the stable black family, rather than the broken one, is the image being beamed around the world. I myself was raised by a single mum who worked herself to illness raining me & having lived it, I wouldn't have it any other way. But being the dad of a 2 parent family that i am today, I defy anyone who says that in an ideal world, 2 responsible parents raising their children instead of just one is not the desired situation in modern society. Barack, just by being 'daddy' can set those major wheels in motion for future generations to keep turning. Will Barack be as good a president as most folk suggest?, probably. will he be able to heal lot of the worlds ills?, most of them. Should those getting over excited calm down & not get too over excited just incase things don't go according to plan? definitely.

p e a c e

DJ Concept - Change Is Now Mixtape

DJ Green Lantern - The Yes We Can Mixtape

More Definitive Action

Top Notch Niceness!!! Nuff said Enjoy!

Dyme Def - Def 2 The Record

Lowkey by name only

Hmmmmmm, this Quincey Tones brother is gonna make some big waves sooner or later. Lowkey has always been one of thee most gifted MC's we have on these shores. Taken from his latest venture, Dear Listener.

Lowkey - Tell Me Why

The Kingz of Records

We all know how ill The Creators projects are. This lil piece of freeness comes courtesy of Recordkingz (Juliano 'Recordkingz' Creator) new project, The Heavyweight. Mobb Deep are the lucky Mic welders on this one. But Little Brother, Guilty Simpson, The Beatnuts, Joell Ortiz and Evidence amongst others are all on the album so you know i'm there. Enjoy!

Recordkingz - Heat (feat. Mobb Deep)

Sugar Shane too sweet for the science

At 3:30AM GMT I was tuned in to Setanta Sports to witness 2 of the top rated pound for pound fighters as they stepped into the ring at the LA Staples Center, one as the defending WBA Welterweight champion, the other, a 4-1 37 year old underdog who was supposedly climbing a mountain too high for him to reach the top. Shane Mosley silenced the critics, and proved to the world what makes a great fighter and what makes a legend.
Now I wasnt expecting Mosley to be out of his depth for this fight but I certainly wouldn't have predicted the outcome at the bookies, I saw it going to the cards after 12 rounds and Margarito inching it on points. But for the performance that Mosley gave, it would seem no one could have predicted what would happen. For 9 rounds Shane Mosley dominated, defended, calculated every punch, and was on the off with speedy hands and the heart of a lion to dismantle and destroy the overrated Antonio Margarito. Now, not to take anything away from Mosley's career defining performance. But where in the world was Margarito? In a different ring maybe? Mentally, physically, spiritually, this was not the Margarito who defeated Cintron or Cotto. The stalking pressure, the iron cast chin and the relentless presence of the Tijuana Tornado were all there, but what for? For Mosley to pound him into obliteration it would seem. The fast combinations and right hand of Mosley proved to be too much. And he walked out of the ring with the biggest smile on his in all of his career, beautiful.
Here is the full fight in all its glory.

http://www.zshare.net/video/546648251843be24/

Not the Nolan Sisters

This guy's beats & rhymes get better with every release. If he carries on like this a whole new bunch of peeps will start to take notice.

J. Nolan - Not Enough Time

J. Nolans Myspace

No Current-C neccessary

Remember Ripping Yarns, Niceness. Well its creator in chief, Baron Samedi, has got himself a new teammate, Lixx The Warrior. Under the moniker Undercurrent, Crisis Talks is their way of introducing themselves to the world. Enjoy!

Undercurrent - Crises Talks

Undercurrentuk.com

Noble Aspirations

Billed as a mixtape that's actually mixed. True to his word, the Noble one practices what he preaches. Enjoy!


CHI-SPACE Volume 2
1. Mick Luter- Under the act
2. Adad- Intro
3. Gravity- Workin
4. Earatik Statik- Tearz
5. Thaione- One Two
6. Astonish- Unfair
7. Scheme- Ur gonna want me back
8. Mikkey Halsted- My love song
9. Decay- Oh Lordy
10. Visual- Grown man minutes
11. Selfish- Donkey punch
12. Pugz Atoms- Rooftop
13. Longshot, Ang13, One Be Lo- Care enuff
14. Mr. Greenweeds- Them They
15. Pacifics, Prime Meridian- Frank Loyd Wright
16. Nico B- Fantasy

When will the penny finally drop?

It;s just one chunk of niceness after another with these peepz. Ahhh well!

Dyme Def - Cheers

Pugz & Sadat on the M I C....

Pugz Atoms - Wait & See feat. Sadat X

Pugz' Myspace

Elocution lessons

Top notch freeness people. Top quality beats & top quality features too, including Moka Only & Tha Connection. A must in any collection.

Elaquent - After Midnight

Rhymehouse.com

Notice!!!

I Can't Wait!!!

Huddersfield born Emcee/Producer Asaviour aka Savvy has single handily cemented himself as one of the strongest artists within the UK Hip Hop scene today. With a fresh original approach to rhyming, an untouchable flow with a twist on content and how it's delivered sets him apart from most of his more "traditional" counterparts. In 2007 he branched out with his own label "Saving Grace Music" to showcase "the future sounds" that were progressing from his stable. His productions skills place him far ahead of the pack and have taken him out of the hip hop scene allowing him to collaborate with a number of major artists in the music industry for instance: Claudia Kennaugh, Neon Hitch, Kevin Walls, Athlete and Supa Dark and many more.

DJ IQ is a DMC Champ from Northwest London he has made a transition from Dj to Super Producer and has been making huge waves in the scene. This man has been making beats for practically every gifted artist in this country supplying production to Dubbledge, Asaviour, Verb T, Kashmere, Skrien, Graziella, Jehst, Tranqill and many more.

23rd March 2009

Celtic: Not a bad team really

When I say UK Hip Hop, I mean just that. Scotland, Both Irelands & of course Wales all know how to bang out the beats & rhymes too. Enjoy!

Celtic Underground Session 3

01. Capital 1212 ft. Mikey Krummins - Shootin Stars (Scotland)
02. Terawrizt ft. Jambo - End Of Dayz (Ireland)
03. Qred ft. Joe Blow 4dee and Skamma - Lunar Burn (Wales)
04. Respek BA - OH (Scotland)
05. Jee4ce - On The Rise (N.Ireland)
06. Ralph Rip Shit ft. Dubbledge - Kiss The Guns (Wales)
07. Evil Residents - Demonic Soldiers (Scotland)
08. Rubberbandits - Pure Awkward (Ireland)
09. Sweet And Tender Hooligans - I Have Seen (Wales)
10. Intox ft. Jonnyboy - Take Me Back (Ireland)
11. Skribbo ft. Loki - Heavyweights (Scotland)
12. Nugget - Loser (Ireland)
13. MasterSystem - Its Time (Scotland)
14. Werd & Deeko - Mad World (Scotland)
15. Cullo - Who Am I (Ireland)
16. Dave Gunn - Under The Forgotton Page (Scotland)
17. Lineage ft. Maverick Sabre - Cambia Tu Fortuna Remix (Ireland)
18. Hoax MC - Rhymin Son (Wales)
19. Holmes - HipHoperation (Scotland)

Celtic Underground Session 2
1. The Elements - The Ruff Guide (Ireland)
2. Jee4ce - Modern Times (N.Ireland)
3. Joe Blow - Blunts In The Ashtray (Wales)
4. The Matchstick Men - Wack Weed skit (Scotland)
5. Scatabrainz ft. Loki - Across The Room (Scotland)
6. Maverick Sabre - One Youth (Ireland)
7. The Matchstick Men - Stalker (Scotland)
8. Messiah J and The Expert - Jean Is Planning An Escape (Ireland)
9. Marrik Layden Deft - Insomniac Olympics (Scotland)
10. Nu-centz & DJ Flip & Freeze Master Slick - Not A Problem (Ireland)
11. Correkt Minds - Pushing Up Daisys (Ireland)
12. Metabeats Ft. Skamma - Know Now (Wales)
13. Madhat - I Might Pass On (Scotland)
14. CatchKlick MCs ft. Jee4ce - The Introduction (Scotland)
15. DR-OP - Boogaloo (Wales)
16. Terawrizt - Raw Rhymes (Ireland)

Tunes of RA

More tasty treats from a tasty MC.

RAtheMC - Get Me (feat. Fred Knux, Balance & Wordsmith)

Move Your Soul

The Soul.... Many variations have been tried, tested, used & abused in the pursuit of what defines the human soul. Why do our armed forces put themselves in the line of fire? Why do firemen go into burning buildings to save lives? Why do mountaineers climb up the most dangerous climbs on earth? And as misguided as they are, why do suicide bombers believe in there convictions enough to be willing to die in a most violent way for there cause. It's what makes these things possible that is the reason why Soul music carries it's name since that is where it is born. Hence we arrive at Slakah The Beatchild's emphatical brilliance, Soul Movement Vol. 1. Musically, I haven't been taken aback like this since Nicolay & Kay charted the human life. Think of a cocktail involving The Strange Fruit's Soul Travellin' & The Foreign Exchange's Connected and you can see where this is going. I deliberatey mentioned those two because this is an album that easily takes pride of place among such esteemed company. The guest list is a steller one for those in the know. Divine Brown, Shad (The Old Prince), Melanie Durrant, Jason Simmons & Mystic are the most notable among a cast that never miss a step over Slakah's supreme audio. At this point I would usually name a few highlights among what i've been hearing but this is way too good a longplayer for that. The 1st great album of the year is hear. BBE, you've done it again. Slakah by name but certainly not by nature.

p e a c e

edit: such is this albums fence treading niceness, I decided to burn the candle at both ends & post it on both blogs.

Slakah The Beatchild - Soul Movement Vol. 1 selection

R U Ready?

This dude is one serious talent behind the boards. And having performed with the likes of Black Milk, Idle Warship & Slum Village he has some heavyweight backers too. A taster of whats to come.
Enjoy!


Daru & AB - On Deck ft. Black Milk

Daru & Rena- Feel the Love

Snatch These Krumbs

Knew Krumb!!!
Knew Ill Krumb!!!
Hidden Scriptures is out on 03-10-09

Krumb Snatcha - Hidden Scriptures (prod. by Statik Selektah)

Krumb Snatcha - Feelin (prod, by Da Beatminerz)

Foretold by the Oracle

Like I said, a very good year indeed. And so it continues with Kasha, righteous street spokesman extraordinaire. Don't expect Kasha to break ground any time soon (which isn't to say that bruv isn't nice), but do expect realness, positivity politics & forward thinking in equal measure. These added to a charisma that I feel Kasha shows on the mic is what had me listening to him instead of concentrating solely on the acoustics. Those of you familiar with Klashnekoff's Lionheart will find themselves at home with what Kasha has to say. And also, not unlike Tussle, The Oracle is stocked to the brim with top notch beats supplied by folks whose names (Vivid Imagery, Red Skull, Composure & Phocus) I expect to be seeing a lot more on future production credits. The standsrd head nods are superb & there is enough originality about to stop the listener from pressing the skip button. The reggae tinged Living For The Moment & understated kicks of She Wants You are simply highlights from an album littered with them. At last... as much as I love my Hip Hop, there aren't enough MC's with a message in his rhymes in the UK right now. Kasha has added his worthy name to that list.

p e a c e

Kasha - The Oracle selection

Kasha's Myspace

Bullish Attitude

My 1st review of '09 is uk Review. Here's to good omens cause of this is anything to go by this is gonna be a very good year. I've seen so called Indie Hip Hop acts before. There's all this talk about guitar driven tracks & so on yeat all that transpires is a couple of riffs that get lost in translation. Safe is an example of Indie Hop done properly. You can tell throughout that all the guitars used had all the other elements built around them. Ranging from heavy to almost Eva Cassidyesque melodicism, Dan keeps things fresh with each track. He has seemlessly taken elements from the rockier end of Indie, as well as RnB, Drum & Bass & there's even an element of Queen to be found with quality results. There is an overriding sense of darkness here with thoughtful tracks such as Misfit & Afterlife showcasing the dark side of human emotion. Yet I never felt down while listening because even when taking a darker path, dan's voice doesn't follow suit which makes the whole thing a lot easier on the ear. A lot of care has been spent on these songs. These aren't simply a collection of nice beats but songs that transcend many boundaries. The last 2 tracks are far more than any average Hip Hop producer could dream up. And to top it all off, the whole thing was written produced & recorded by the Dan himself in the comfort (or lack there of) of his own bedroom. Someone needs to get this guy the air time that his music clearly deserves & there is no reason I can see that with the right backing, Dan Bull couldn't become a torch bearer for UK music. Those of us out there with our Hip Hop blinkers removed should be championing this & those who aren't Hip Hop fans first & foremost should be dong the same. I know I will.

p e a c e

Dan Bull - Safe selection

Dan Bull's Myspace

Ramblings of a man on the street

And so to 2009. More terrorist threats, more gun crime, more knive crime, more Israeli/Palestinian tensions, more babies having babies, more politicians who are only out for themselves, more staling over what to do about Zimbabwe, more economic gloom, etc etc etc. I could go on & on with that list being that the possibilities are pretty much endless. The worldwide economy is apparently in meltdown. This is only true of the countries that didn't prepare though. I find it funny that the apparent top 2 superpowers of the world (US & UK) are feeling more than most, while the emerging powers (Brazil, China) & those that did there homework (Australia & New Zealand among them) are, in a financial sense, sailing on a steady ship. It makes me wonder why we as a nation keep on letting these old Etonians in office when they've either lost touch with the real world, or were never in touch with it in the first place. They are now upto the 50 million dollar note in Zimbabwe & the 100 million version is not far off. How can the people with the power to stop this man keep allowing this ridiculous state of affairs. People should not be carting money around in wheelbarrows (literally) to buy the bare neccessities. Israel's current flurry of military activity reminds me of the 'fights' I used to have in school. I would get a mountain of abuse from certain people. Monkey taunts & big lip taunts were the way. I would take it in lessons non stop for ages & it would continue throughout the day. finally when it came to the point where I couldn't take the abuse anymore & I would start pounding in the perpetrators with tears in my eyes (true story). It seems that israel have also come to the point where that can't take any more. As much as the Israeli's are overreacting & as much as I support the Palestinian cause, Hammas only have themselves to blame for their current predecament. This situation, along with the economy, will determine Baracks legacy. The UK government, in it;s infinite wisdom, decided to massage the violent crime rate figures when they were published a while back. This is just another example of UK society being taken for fools. If you want to win elections just tell us like it is & show us that you are genuinely trying to do something about it. The state this country is in cannot be hidden so stop wasting my money on Bureaucrats whose sole purpose is to do just that. We have one of thee worst teen pregnancy percentages in the world & our standards of education in schools is abysmal. Why are countries such as Sweden & The Netherlands so much better & handling both. I'm very luck as my daughter goes to a great school with a superb headteacher & a raft of extra curricular activities. This is not the norm in this country & it borders on insanity that this government is still not there yet after 11 years in charge. When the education & extra activity situation is handled, petty crime will go down drastically, which in turn lead lead to less violent & drug related crime. This is not rocket science, yet all over the country youth clubs/projects & playgrounds are still closing & there are less & less competitive sports being allowed in schools.

Yet amidst all the doom & gloom the human race does occasionally show flickers of greatness. On 1st of January 2009, Tom Algie wanted to spend some time with his family & away from the day to day running of his DIY shop. Now due to the current economic slump he did not want to leave the shop shut. So he decides to leave his shop open & unattended for the day, leaving only a bucket & a note asking any customers to take what they want & leave payment for the goods in the bucket. He returned to his shop at 4:15 pm the same day, to find a £187.66 profit in the bucket & NOTHING STOLEN. It may have been in a small town & it may have turned out diferently in most other places but it's nice to see a dose of humanity amongst all the barbarism.

p e a c e

Toolio

Toolie, Toolie, Toolie...

01 - Resoring Poetry In Music - A Quiet Taste
02 - Lord Finesse - Keep the Crowd Listening (DJ Premier Remix)
03 - EPMD - Never Defeat 'Em (feat. Method Man) (prod. by DJ Honda)
04 - Don Cerino - Missing Elements (feat. Royce Da 5'9'')
05 - Silent Knight - Goin' Get It (prod. by Analogic)
06 - L.E.G.A.C.Y. - That Me Shit (feat. Sean Boog) (prod. by Khrysis)
07 - 1982 [Termanology & Statik Selektah] - Thugathon (feat. Lil' Fame)
08 - Armyfatique - Pursuit (feat. King Magnetic & Ciph Barker)
09 - The Wrist - Dead Air
10 - DJ Wich - On and On (feat. Rasco)
11 - Longshot - Brand New Day (feat. Eternia & Profound)
12 - Dumhi & Haj - Squeeze (feat. Reef The Lost Cauze)
13 - Praverb - My Way (feat. Donny Goines)
14 - Sev Statik - Never Fall Off
15 - Fusion Unltd - The Sun (feat. Little Brother, Nickelus F, Hall Of Fame & Skillz)
16 - D.I.T.C. [D-Flow, A. Bless & O.C.] - Insomnia (prod. by Buckwild)
17 - Canibus - 2000 B.C. (DJ Mick Remix 2008)
18 - Son Of Ran & Messengers - Incoming Message
19 - 8thW1 - Peace (feat. Fresh Daily & Silent Knight) (prod. by Illmind)
20 - Nut-Rageous - Nuts & Screws (feat. Blaq Poet & Kyron)
21 - Ugly Duckling - The Lonely Ones
22 - Sentense - The Last Laugh (feat. Prop Dylan & Supastition)
23 - Freeman - L'espoir (feat. Shurik'n) [Bonus Track]

DJ Toolz - Undaground O-Eight 3.1

Termanological Eulogies

Smif n Wessun, Big pooh, Sheek Louch, Skyzoo, Bun B, Chaundon & others join Term on this involving bit of niceness in a tribute to the late Jay Dee.


Termanology - If Heaven Was A Mile Away
A Tribute to J Dilla

The Wrap Up 2008....

... FINALLY


(Mad) Skillz - 2008: The Wrap up

(Mad) Skillz - all the other Wrap Ups