who is paul mccarthy?

When I was growing up my musical education was based on the Golden Era of Hip Hop. My ears were dominated by such lumnaries as Biggie Smalls, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, The Gang Starr Foundation, The Likwit Crew.... I could go on. Yet that didn't stop me from expanding my musical horizons. On the contrary, by the very nature of its construction Hip Hop music encourages any listener with even the slightest inclination, to give themselves a musical history lesson simply by reading (and by consequence investigating) the sample credits of albums released by the artists I have just listed. But even with this in mind should those that cried ignorance on twitter in the last few days really be upset by the teens and tweens lack of 'Beatletastic' knowledge?

every little sticking plaster helps... doesn't it?

The Band Aid project is exactly what it says on the tin. A sticking plaster and oh so partial solution to what could potentially become a global epidemic (no I’m not scaremongering, just stating a point of fact). It was the same with the songs previous incarnations and will be so in the future whenever Sir Bob, or whomever takes the reigns, deems it necessary to once again assemble the Pop music Avengers.

bey bey see

So... the Queen 'Bey' has done it again, if recent (and very naughty) photos are to be believed. Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna are to be the guest vocalists on volume 2 of Beyonce's self titled, formerly surprising opus. I'm not going to add to what many have already covered regarding the rest of the albums particulars. That can be done when someone outside of Columbia's top brass has actually heard the fruits of Lady Carters labours.

its a play on 'network southeast' for those that aren't aware

Remember the good old days? When the term Boom Bap had a simple definition. Tony Blair was still the man. Knight Rider and Airwolf re runs were still cool and Arsenal's defence moved forwards in unison (those were the days)? Are you like me, making regular, Golden Aged acoustic excursions to satisfy the craving? Tony Olabode was supposed to deliver what would probably have been the UK's first class ticket to that fabled destination. However the obligatory record label wrangles and contractual disputes rendered that a non starter. 18 years later however, comes the South East London residents own interpretation of the phrase 'better late than never.

Lets be honest, to myself and those of you reading this review with genuine interest, the emancipation of Dettwork Southeast is long overdue. But in the cold light of day this is a niche release of sorts. An album highly sought after by those in the know who are well versed on a particular era of music from a certain part of the world, or those studious enough on modern UK Hip Hop to have been self schooled on what Tony Rotten means to the culture. But even after putting those camps together and adding on international equivalents, that is still quite a select group. Quite frankly from the outside looking in, for Sony to have remastered and released this album in the first place (albeit with virtually no promotion) is quite something. Luckily the nostalgia fest (in more ways than one for Londoners) is worth the wait.

a masterful display?

For those that don't know, Mastermind is the quiz shows quiz show. Regardless of the case some might put forward for University Challenge, in my view it is the pinnacle of 'Boffindom'. BBC's iPlayer, far from being simply a catch up service, is a haven of undiscovered and quite superb programming. Radio 1Xtra is (like it or not) at the forefront of the UK's mainstream 'Urban' movement. But was putting the three entities together to bring about Hip Hop Mastermind my beloved genres dulling down, or certification of Hip Hops universal mainstream acceptance?

Part of Hip Hops attraction to most of its fans is it's edge. The rebellious "you can't tell me what to do" attitude that, in varying degrees of concentration, permeates every aspect of its existence. It was a way for (most of) us to get rid of our anger and frustration and angst. It was a way to build a connection with friends. It still is all of those things for a huge number of the worlds population. Yet, as much as it brought parts of 'my music' to a larger audience, I couldn't help but feel that something about Hip Hop Mastermind.... something I couldn't quite put my finger on, didn't sit right with me.

bone thugs: foe tha love of $?

$10,000,000 (£6,120,000). Let me write that in words... Ten Million Dollars aka Six 

Million One Hundred and Twenty Thousand pounds. That's a very big number. Too big a number for the average person on the street to even contemplate seeing at on a bank statement, let alone spending. Of those of us that are in a position to have that kind of money available, there is a reason you have it and i suspect you'd be loathed to just fritter it away. To those of us to whom spending seven or eight figures is deemed as something of a frivolity or an investment. there aren't many of us about and even less of us that would spend such a vast amount of money on a piece of modern music. So the question is, who exactly are Bone Thugs N Harmony expecting to go the distance for their soon to be final group release, E.1999 Legends?

The obvious comparison to make is with Wu Tang Clans Once Upon A Time In Shaolin project. Both camps are Golden Age legends and their impact on Hip Hop culture simply cannot be overestimated. With their latest plan in mind however, the differences are stark. The gaping chasm in the marketing, concept and handling of the media is there for all to see and you have to question where on the announced arena tour Bone intend to find a single, multi million dollar investor. They no longer enjoy anywhere near the status they were once privy to and I suspect that any record labels looking for a licence to print money will not be applying through their management.

applegate (aka the great u2 freeness debacle)

A possible 500 Million downloads with 33 million users having already made their presence felt and just over 2 million individual downloads (at the time of writing). Arguably the worlds biggest band's latest release could, theoretically, find its way onto enough iphones, iPads and iPods to cater for the aural guilty pleasures of the entire population of the EU. It could turn out to be a feat of epic proportions, of modern musical wizardry, a remarkable showcase of the Apple marketing machine at work as well as affirmation of U2s global standing, with one gaping flaw. A substantial proportion of those downloads weren't requested in the first place.

In their wisdom infinitum, the marketing geniuses (sarcastic double finger wag on each hand) from both camps have decided that, pre retail release, U2s latest opus, Songs Of Innocence, will be made freely available to any of us mere mortals who happen to hold the 'I gods' in almost as high esteem as the man himself, for a limited time of course. However, rather than putting them at the forefront of media goodwill (a la Mrs Shawn Carter) quite the reverse has happened. And to think, I always thought that U2 were quite cool (I come from Hip Hop stock, forgive me).

RIP Jamie Janes

 Gordon Browns’ integrity is not in question. Anyone with an ounce of common sense, no matter which party you support (with the possible exception of BNP) will not question his inentions. Those same people should however, be taking the sun newspaper to task over their manipulation of a grieving mother and her dead sons memory. The extent to which they attacked the Priminister was simply disgraceful. Attack the policies not the person. 

Then we have Mrs Janes. Here is a woman who clearly was not in any sort of emotional state to react objectively to what was going on and was totally unprepared for the ever expanding snowball that she had created. The editorial powers that be at The Suns head quarters must have damn near caused a tremor with all the jumping for joy they must have been doing.. Little did they know that they would soon be ducking for cover from all the verbal ammunition flying their way. Apparently a neighbour told Mrs Janes to record the telephone conversation. I'm guessing that neighbour happens to have friends in editorial roles at The Sun. Bare in mind the suns interest is not policy driven. They are going to back who they think will win at the next general election.. The problem with that is ultimately it is we the public who will decide.

You can question the morality of The Sun, you can question the practices of the Prime Ministers aides but you cannot question the Intergrity of Gordon Brown on this issue.

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Yes He Is Mr. President!!!

M.O.P??? say it ain’t so!!!

words by Kil

‘Back in September 2008, MOP, Joe Buddens, Termanology and Big Shugg came down to Sonar in B'more and me and my peeps go to the show. I pass out beat cd's to Term, Joe and during MOP's show I give it to Laze E Laze's son (some young nigga) who's the hype man. Now, fast forward to September 2009 and I'm listening to MOP's Foundation album on my way home from work and when track #9 "Rude Bastard" comes on....it's MY FUCKING BEAT! Not the same sample, the SAME BEAT! Drum programming, sample, chops...the whole damn beat! Then my man Mills does the knowledge for me to see who got credit for the track on the album and it says "produced by Fizzy Womack"! So...I don't get a check, I don't get credit...I don't even get co production credit! And I'm not looking for no "feel sorry for me" or none of that hoopla...I'm just asking for cats to let ANYONE who ya'll know who loves hip hop to know who did the track so I can @ least get credit from my peers (hip hop fans and other producer's grinding out there)for the beat. I've been grinding @ this beat thing for YEARS and for my first placement for a major artist to be a jack move...it just ain't right...but it is what it is...like I said do me this justice and @ least let the hip hop heads ya'll know that the bol Kil from Philly gave MOP THAT heat...not no fucking Fizzy Womack...’

Judge for yourselves

Kil’s Beat

M.O.P’s Joint

how Rae got his groove back

The Purple Tape. One of thee defining releases of modern Hip Hop. No MC, beatsmith or fan worth his or her weight does not have one in there collection and some still argue its superiority even to The 36 Chambers. From start to finish the murky understated atmosphere of OBFCL is something that in my view, has yet to be equalled. So it was with a heavy heart that I plugged my Ipod into my amp and hit the play button. Memories of all of Rae's lacklustre past efforts started their invasion. The eternal comparisons being made to what will forever hold him in Hip Hop greatness. The pessimism at the fact that having directly associated his latest release and his crowning achievement, this was to be an embarrasment of major proportions. And as a result, that this, coupled with the 8 diagrams debacle, may scar The Clan beyond repair. Then I pressed play... On came House Of Flying Daggers and trepidation was replaced with a hope that what I had heard so far wasn't a false dawn. That Rae had started as he meant to go on. That the sound of clashing blades and sparse dialogue was a statement of intent. Lest we forget, ever since Deck uttered the immortal "I smoke on the mic like smokin Joe Frazier..." Hip Hops rules of engagement have been a lot less rigid. There's a reason that we hold The Wu in a higher regard than other luminaries and it's this aura that adds even more stardust to an already supremely illuminated opus. And herein lies the problem. Any dips below such a high standard are always going to be deemed far worse than they actually are, just ask A Tribe Called Quest. There are many that would have buckled under the strain. The constant question marks over his/her ability to reach the heights of old. The Doubts about his/her hunger. The slurs against most of his/her crew. We could all probably give our fair share of examples that incorporate any or all of those situations. An indepth review & the debate over which one is preferred, is a mantle to be carried by others. Regardless of the outcome, OBFCL2 has answered those questions in emphatic fashion. Intro to Black Mozart; "Stupid fool you're forcing me to kill you!". Metaphorically anyway.

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United We Stand…

I've just finished listening to one of my favourite releases of the year so far (Percy Filths Elbow Grease EP) & its suddenly struck me that the level of respect for the UK MC/Producer has risen dramatically in the last year or two. Or is it the case that the level of respectability has always been the same and its the internet that is bringing everybody together? But the internet been around for far longer than this sudden spate of togetherness. The lines could have been blurred long ago yet apart from 1 or 2 exceptions, it didn't happen. Bare in mind we are not talking about the Jay-Z's or Kanyes of this world (and no, Chris Martin doesn't count) but the 'underground' fraternity. I read on some blog reply recently (I forget where) that we over here are simply riding the Dick of our US counterparts (I left out or replaced all the other explitives). 10 or maybe even 5 years ago I might have agreed. But due in no small part, to the calibre of MC that was being churned out across the pond, my mic/MPC wielding peers have been forced to up there game. As a result, the level of our game over here has risen drastically. The UK MC we can revere are now commonplace, while British Beatsmiths worthy if the title can be found in any back alley studio from Dorset to Dundee and everywhere in between. My little collection of tracks, both new and not so new is the pudding that holds the truth. Enjoy! Now let's just hope that our government can show the same level of improvement as our MC.

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1. Jazz T – BX To UK feat. Tim Dog & Kashmere
2. M9-Soul Windows feat. Cyrus Malachi & Bronze Nazareth
3. Dom G-Reflections feat. Zion I
4. Klashnekoff- Terrorise The City feat. Kool G Rap & Kyza
5. Verb T & Last Skeptik-No More feat. Edo G
6. Diversion Tactics – Pounds & Cents feat. J-Zone
7. Evil Ed & Conspicuous Ill Out feat Shabaam Sahdeeq, Jehst, Dubbledge & LIFE Long
8. A-Alikes – Treeman (beat by Baby J)
9. Sonny Jim – International treasure feat. Verbal Kent
10. Scholarman & Jonesy – Well Suited
11. Harry Love – Fine line feat. Saukrates
12. Jehst-Staircase To Stage feat. J-Zone
13. The Blacknificent 7-The Exit feat. Masta Ace
14. Foreign beggars-Let Go feat. Wildchild
15. Nomadic Poet-Stand Up feat. Granddaddy I.U.
16. Steady Diggin’ Workshop-Rock Y’all feat. Ohmega Watts
17. Ty-This Here Music feat. Speech
18. Blind Alpabetz-Hopeful feat. M1 of Dead Prez
19. KRS-One – U Must Learn UK feat. Skinnyman, Paradise & MCD

CSF presents Divided We FalL

Jazz T’s Myspace|M9’s Myspace|Dom G’s Myspace

Klashnekoff’s Myspace|Verb T’s Myspace

The Last Skeptik’s Myspace

Diversion Tactics Myspace|Evil Ed’s Myspace

Conspicuous’ Myspace|Baby J’s Myspace

Sonny Jim’s Myspace|Jonesy’s Myspace

Harry Loves Myspace|Jehsts Myspace

Foreign Beggars Myspace|Nomadic Poets Myspace

Steady Diggin’ Workshops Myspace

Ty’s Myspace|Blind Alphabetz Myspace

Skinnyman’s Myspace|Rodney P’s Myspace

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!

Why are there 2 pictures above. Since some of my fellow countrymen/women are obviously not sensible enough to do the right thing, we now have to live with the fact that the BNP now have 2 seats in European parliament. I’m not gonna bleat on about how beneath the supposed clean cut veneer lies a nest of racist bigotry or that people such as these will now be living the fat cat life at our expense. My views on the current parliamentary debacle can be found in a previous post HERE. However I will simply end with this. To the British people, you reap what you sow.

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Apathy is definitely NOT the best policy

For those that aren’t from the UK, or are from these shores & have just been living in self induced solitary confinement, It has recently come to light that our (UK) government has been systematically ripping the taxpayer off. The rules that are supposed to stop MP’s from taking the piss out of us are designed for them to do just that. Every morning we have to hear about yet another ‘Right Honourable’ lady or gentlemen not doing what the Honourable part suggests. 10,000’s of pounds have repeatedly been claimed & reclaimed by our so called elected reresentitives, Great Britain is at a tipping point. We have been upset with our governments actions before. A was based on lies being the most recent. But there is a new kind of anger among the British people. Not only that, but a younger generation that are already apathetic towards what goes on at number 10 are going to take non-responsiveness to a new level. I sense that something drastic is coming. i just hope that something drastic doesn’t involve the BNP. The British National prty represent everything that modern Britain does NOT stand for. These racist bastards are now tring to pass them selves off as a moderate, viable alternative to the main Parties. Here is a party that wants a complete shut down on immigration. Here is a party that believes that The Gurkhas, A force that fought & died for the very freedoms that They now enjoy, should not be allowed to stay in this country (stating that they were ‘Well paid’ for their services). Now, I may be upset & even angered by what my government has been doing. But the one thing I not want, is that this country’s lack of movement towards a ballot box allows the BNP any kind of foot in the door when it comes to major decisions. If you’re an angry citizen, excercise your right to vote fot another part. Just make sure that the other party is not the BNP. In the current climate, APATHY is not the best policy.

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Busta Rhymes vs. Busta Rhymes part 2

Remember when Bustas flow was the envy of many an MC. Remember when one of his videos used to premier on TV & we couldn’t wait to see what he had come up with next. Remember when our favourite MC’s all wanted him to jump on their remixes & posse cuts (Scenario, Flava In ya Ear). Remember when we used to be amazed by his choice of beats, only to read the album sleeve & not have an idea who the producer was (come on, how many of you had actually heard of Backspin The Vibe Chemist?)… …And so it came to pass. Busta Rhymes has done what I initially feared. Having listened to Back On My Bullshit & I Bullshit You Not, the latter is by far the superior of the 2. If this is what the man turned in when he was still signed to Aftermath then letting him go was a no brainer. Don’t get me wrong, BOMB does have it’s high points. Wheel Of Fortune is a banger, as is I’m A Go Get My…. Now bare in mind those 2 songs are both produced by DJ Scratch. Therein, as far as i’m concerned, lies the secret to Bustas future success. The chemistry between Bussa Buss & Scratch-A-Tor is among the best in the last 15 or so years of Hip Hop. Going through the supreme niceness that is Bustas back catalogue owes as much to Scratch as it does to The Flipmode general (and if you really need me to list any of them then God help you). I would bet that Bullshit You Not is the kind of stuff Dre was looking for when he signed Busta in the first place. The Big Bang, while still not on the level of any of the first 3, was still a decent album with some serious bangers on board. BOMB is simply nowhere near that level and Once Dre heard it, his patience ran out. He persisted in it’s release & he should shift a few units. But that doesn’t dispell the fact that contrary to his protestations about changing the game with this release, BOMB is just another mediocre release among many from Hip Hops supposed Top Dogs. On the other hand, with a bit of work I Bullshit You Not could’ve been one of the best albums of 2009. Instead it will definitely rate as one of the best mixtapes. New depths have been reached with this one. Sorry Trevor. Bullshit is right, but not in the way you meant it.

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Re Up

Ever since the Eminem/Nick Cannon/Mariah Carey furor broke out on the international network, I have read the arguments for & against the particular prose involved. Good or bad, a lot of the reasons on both sides were valid. I also read the the general disses leveled at Em's latest opus, most of which was random & misguided. "Relapse is garbage" or " his latest album's trash" were the phrases of choice. They were always countered with " so what Em can't spit now?" or "stop being a hater". But one particular comeback resonated with me... "Well since Dre did pretty much all of the beats you must think that he fell off too, right?" And all of a sudden those same detractors were conspicuous in their lack of an answer. I guess it's a lot harder to disparage one than it is the other. As a black man i'm disappointed that the 'white' factor still plays a part in a Hip Hop fans thinking. Think about it, internally Hip Hop should be a haven for all creeds, yet i'm still hearing all the same prejudices being spouted across various internet based media. You can call the man whatever names you like but that shouldn't stop you from looking at the mans music objectively. Having listened to Relapse, Dr. Dre is pretty much the force he always was. It's been a good few years since a heavily Dre influenced long player last hit shelves & on this evidence Detox (if it actually drops) is gonna be a banger of quite some proportions. The trademark crisp claps come snares coupled with the understated, yet thumping kick are there for all to hear. As are the floating keys & perfectly placed bass guitar. Apart from the weak (yet understandably necessary when you think about it) ‘You Made Me’ & the 808esque monotone drone of ‘Same Song & Dance’, I'm struggling to find fault with the backdrop. Em is also back to his malevolent, mischievous, politically incorrect best. Far from deciding which spice girl to procreate with, Em has evolved to gay rape allegations & impersonating the late Christopher Reeve (RIP Superman). Yet although some of the subject matter hasn’t changed. There is a noticeable difference in the way he’s spitting. He’s still firing off those rhyming couplets, triplets & quadruplets, but there is something that has changed that i cant quite put my finger on. Conceptually the album is spot on(3am is conceptual genius & superbly exewcuted), with ‘a not all there’; almost sociopathic element to a lot of the material on show. Let’s be honest, as much as people from certain circles are up in arms when he takes it there, that side of his psyche as an MC is probably the reason why most of us (and yes I had heard of him before Dre signed him) became fans in the first place. So, sorry to disappoint certain heads but Neither Em or Dre have 'fallen off' anything. uite the opposite in my view. This is definitely their best work since Marshall Mathers & I do think that Em the MC is superior to his previous efforts. It's just a shame that too many people are jumping on the 'lets trash Eminem' band wagon instead of forming thir own opinions.

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