Mixtape Roundup, Volume 1

After the success of Joe Sherwood's 'Cassette Roundup' series, I figured that I had also better host a set of reviews for my own series that is based on my primarily-rap-orientated personal taste, because let's be honest, who doesn't like a mixtape or two?

The way in which hip-hop has functioned as a genre has transformed dramatically over recent years due to the introduction of the internet and the wider advertisement that artists are able to get as a consequence of this, and although mixtapes have been knockin' about since the 70s, the birth of the internet mixtape was a pivotal point for the music industry due to its easy accessibility. I am here to make this an even easier journey for you by bringing the hottest mixtapes straight to your screens on a regular basis, and I've even thrown in a couple of links and what not because I'm just that nice a guy.

Enjoy.


Big Narstie What's The Story? Brixton Glory (Dice Recordings, 2014)

Whether it's his vibrant vocabulary of London slang or his comically nonchalant approach to slating the week's latest singles for FACT magazine, there has always been something undeniably lovable about MC and founder of the Base Defence League, Big Narstie, and his latest EP, What's The Story? Brixton Glory, is testament to his charming presence in the UK grime scene. Sure the beats aren't exceptional, and there are some more than questionable sample choices such as 'Clocks' by Coldplay and of course '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' by Oasis, the track by which the entire mixtape is based around, but Uncle Pain continues to have no difficulty in persuading avid grime enthusiasts nationwide that he is in fact one of the founding fathers of this generation of grime; his energetic vibes and tongue-in-cheek bars are qualities to be admired by any emerging young rapper. A word of advice: make sure that you take as much as possible from the experience of listening to Big Narstie, and whatever you do, do not fuck up the base.




CyHi The Prynce Black Hystori Project (G.O.O.D. Music, 2014)

In a recent interview with Complex, Cydel Young revealed that his inspiration for Black Hystori Project was actually his nephew's school teacher who claimed that he wasn't 'monumental' enough to be considered for a report in black history month at the school. So, to retaliate to this claim, CyHi got on the phone to his close friend Kanye West and began to work on his own project that would cover historic milestones that changed the way in which blacks were seen in society with an inevitable G.O.O.D. Music spin on things. Not a bad way to prove a point, huh?

Of course, the influence of West is almost inescapably obvious, especially on tracks such as 'Mandela' whereby CyHi refers to himself as being "Muhammad to the rap game", similar to Kanye's God complex personality that shines through particularly strongly on his controversially titled Yeezus. However, this powerful lyricism is more than fitting considering the strong nature of the thematic imagery as Young schools the listener about the uprising of black community figures such as Desmond Tutu (the first black Archbishop of Cape Town) that contributed to the resolution of apartheid in South Africa, all over TEC BEATZ and Sekou Muhammed's hard-hitting drum loops.

Black Hystori Project is easily CyHi The Prynce's greatest work as of yet, and with Hardway Musical scheduled to be released later this year, I shall be eagerly waiting to see whether it lives up to the high expectations set by his latest tape.

Joe Gilbey's 'Best of 2013 So Far'

First of all, I apologise again for the scarcity of posts over the last couple of months. However, Joe Sherwood and I are treating you all dearly this half term with our 'Best of 2013 So Far' lists, so I do hope that you forgive us. I feel that two albums need a special mention though considering that they would be on this list if I'd released it a month later, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for Yeezus by Kanye West and Untitled EP 2 by Hodgy Beats, I'm pretty excited about those.

2013 has been dominated by rap and experimental hip-hop so far which is something that I always like to see, and I think that shows through in this list a fair bit so sorry if you feel that there is a lack of variety. Every man to his own, right?

Tweet me or Joe Sherwood if you have any suggestions for albums that we may have missed out on!
@JoeGilbey
@SoeJherwood


20) Dean Blunt The Redeemer (Hippos in Tanks)

19) Iceage You're Nothing (Matador Records)

18) Frank Turner Tape Deck Heart (Interscope)

17) David Bowie The Next Day (ISO Records)

16) Mikill Pane The Lucky Strike EP (Self-released)

15) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away (Bad Seeds Ltd.)

14) Slim Guerilla & DJ Smokey Guerilla Warfare (Self-released)

13) Le1f Fly Zone (Greedhead Entertainment)

12) Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City (XL Recordings)

11) Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge Twelve Reasons To Die (Soul Temple Records)

10) Koreless Yugen (Young Turks)

9) A$AP Rocky Long.Live.A$AP (Polo Grounds/RCA)

8) Ghostpoet Some Say I So I Say Light (Play It Again Sam)

7) Tree Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out (Creative Control)

6) Daft Punk Random Access Memories (Daft Life/Columbia)

5) Chance The Rapper Acid Rap (Self-released)

Don't expect too much depth from Acid Rap, that's all.

"Na na na na na, na na na na na!"

4) James Blake Overgrown (Republic)

Overgrown contains some of this unsung British hero's greatest work to date. He has stepped up since James Blake and his various extended plays when it comes to both producing and songwriting, which resulted in him creating one of the most soulful and artistic albums of the year so far. There is almost definitely a lot more to come from this man, and considering that he's been noticed by artists such as RZA, I think that we can expect more hip-hop/R&B artists to collaborate with him in the future.

3) The Child of Lov The Child of Lov (Double Six)

Whatever Damon Albarn touches turns to gold, so after learning that Blur's musically cultured front man would be both producing and appearing on The Child of Lov's self-titled debut album, it was pretty evident that this Dutch artist was off to an impressively good start. The album itself portrays the artist's personal social viewpoint (his identity is currently unknown as he hasn't released much information about himself) in a bouncy and convivial way that gives a very similar 'multi-genre' vibe to that of Demon Days by Gorillaz or a late OutKast album, which shows that The Child of Lov definitely has much potential for the future.

2) The Knife Shaking The Habitual (Brille/Rabid)

Most bands wouldn't dare attempting to take such a risk in creating an experimental album like Shaking The Habitual, but dear lord has this paid off. 

I was fairly anxious about listening to an album of such a monstrous nature at first, but after it had been recommended to me for the third time I just had to but my mind at ease and give it a spin, which turned out one of the best decisions I have made for a long time. It is a relatively slow-moving and spacious album but is undoubtedly rewarding if given its due listen, so if you're easily dissuaded by long tracks then sit on your hands and face your fears; you'll thank me later.

1) Tyler, The Creator Wolf (Odd Future Records)

Wolf is most definitely a large landmark in Tyler's musical life. Not only has he learned to channel his hatred for our monotonous society, he's also combined his trademark versatile beats and lyrical dexterity in a way that only offends a small minority of social groups, as opposed to half of the globe. Of course, he continues to rant about his father, uncultivated fans and women in general, but what more could you expect from a member of Odd Future?

The album features many impressive guests such as the infamous OFWGKTA crew (Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean etc.) and also a few of the most successful hip-hop artists of the past decade, including Erykah Badu, Nas and Pharell. This unquestionably reflects well on Tyler's huge jump in maturity, as it shows that he's conscious of his influence on his ever-growing fan base, and therefore has an inherent duty to inspire future generations with legendary music.

Although Tyler's lost some of the zaniness that made Goblin such a compelling listen, he's technically improved in just about every way, which makes Wolf a near impossible album to top this year.

Review: Ghostpoet

Ghostpoet Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam (Brownswood Recordings)

Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam is one of the most unique and fully-formed British grime albums that I have heard in a long time. Why? It's a story of everyday British culture and the depressing truth about urbananised societies, seen through the observant eyes of a true writer. You don't get many of those these days.

Despite the fact that he delves into various deep topics on the LP, Ghostpoet has an exceedingly dreamy approach to both life and the way he raps, as we can see from his sleepy delivery, which draws you further and further into the album as you want to know more about the influences and reasonings behind his music. We see a prime example of this on the track 'I Just Don't Know' where he declares that "Other MCs want to talk about crime, but that ain't me." but then throws you completely off guard with a rather gleeful chorus that you instinctively want to sit and hum along to. This approach is seen throughout the entire album which I find very intriguing, as it's the sort of thing that Mike Skinner experimented with in the early days of The Streets, so let's just hope that Ghostpoet continues in this direction.

Don't be dissuaded by his spectacles and nice hats, this by far one of the most influential albums of 2011, particularly in terms of the UK underground scene. I hope you think so too.