Leeds Hip Hop Scene

The UK’s number one CD series UK RUNNINGS is back, this time with a new series entitled ‘HOMEGROWN HEROES’. In this series UK mixtape DJ TRICKSTA will focus on various UK rappers. Kicking off the series is one fourth of THE COLONY (alongside SIR SMURF LIL, GRIMLOCK & COBANE), and solo artist CONSPICUOUS THE CORONER. This East London rapper has bless the UK before with two excellent CD’s, the first being his amazing debut album ‘Backgammon’ and the other being the superb THE COLONY mixtape mixed by DJ MK and hosted by JEHST.

Continue reading ‘CONSPICUOUS THE CORONER and UK Runnings Mixtape’

Words: Nino

Joe Driscoll is the true definition of an artist; painting and spraying rhythm, sculpting words and weaving integrity into what is undoubtedly some of the most inspirational music of the 21^st Century. His fresh one man band throw up of singing, rapping, beat boxing plus playing the guitar, harmonica and more with the aid of the ever nifty loop pedal; have all gained him worldwide respect and zeal.

Winner of last year’s INDY Music Award for Best Solo Act, Driscoll provides a long-awaited digestibly conscious flow, entwined with self crafted opinions and awareness.

This is soul at its finest and most pure.

After being inspired by his music in a way my words cannot describe, I figured it was about time to track the man down and learn some more…

Where are you originally from and how much do you think the place you grew up in has influenced your music?
 
I grew up in Syracuse, northern New York but my extended family is all from Staten Island so I spent much time in New York City while growing up. It has been a huge influence on my music, really what it is all rooted in. The neighbourhoods I grew up in were very economically, culturally, and social diverse which was the major theme of my school years. New York State is such a melting pot, that it has instilled in me a great curiosity and respect for studying other cultures.

 When did you first start creating songs and trying to make it as an artist?
 
 I have been attempting to be a performer as far back as I can remember. I did musical theatre growing, played guitar and piano from the age of 10 or so. I began performing as a solo folk artist around the age of 14. I have been doing it full time since my early twenties.

What was the initial reception to your unique style like?
 
My style has been steadily evolving, and so has the response. Early on, people were pretty confused but as my style matured people came to understand more. The response I have received in the last few years has been amazing, I am just really excited to have people relate to it without having to force into any boxes. Continue reading ‘JOE DRISCOLL INTERVIEW’

For his latest release, the Tokyo-born, Bay Area-raised rapper Tom “Lyrics Born” Shimura employs live instrumentation instead of the sample-heavy textures of his 2003 solo debut, “Later That Day …” Though hip-hop purists may wince, the musical shift only further helps Lyrics Born expand on his own genre-bending sensibility. Continue reading ‘Lyrics Born “Everywhere at Once” (Review)’

Its undeniable, The Elementz are making their own lane. Following a two year hiatus Nottingham’s finest production team return with Crushmode a compilation LP featuring the cuts that fuelled the duo to record of the week on BBC Radio 1Xtra coupled with brand new galaxy-stirring material. Neither Zoutr nor Liati have hung up their zero gravity suits, continuing to work with the finest in UK talent, they’ve been preparing for lift off with their most diverse and innovative work to date. Crushmode is set to take them supernova.

Continue reading ‘The Elementz - Crushmode’

D’YA LIKE SCRATCHIN’?
Check - check fans of the LHHS, searching for this album was worth every effort, although only 35 minutes long you really do have to pick this up. It’s brought on the scene by FATBEATS in New York and allows TOTAL ECLIPSE; ROB SWIFT & PRECISION to start the rescue mission of scratch mix CD’s.
If you ever bought into or downloaded any of the X-ECUTIONERS material before they split and 2 of them formed this iddy biddy group, you’ll have a small idea of how they do their thing, here’s my take on it. Continue reading ‘ILL INSANITY - GROUND XERO (FATBEATS)’

Mystic Man, with an approach to production that’s just that bit too elusive to put your finger on, has crafted a superb set of sonic canvasses for rapper Eshamanjaro to wave his lyrical brush over, and he does it with the flourish of a true master too. In the art world you’d be hard pushed to find a master without a maverick streak and whilst Esha’s lyrics are in someway very grounded, there is something different in them, an intelligence – he has a way with words. Half the time it’s like he’s just talking and it happens to rhyme brilliantly and the rest of time you’re left thinking, ‘where did that thought come from?’.

For a debut album, this is really outstanding, it’s obvious that this duo have really gelled and used their knowledge of both the industry and their crafts to maximum effect. This is an intellectual effort, something that is reflected in the cultural references (a version of Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave’ on the cover), the production and the lyrics. As a result, it consciously distances itself from all Hip Hop that I know and for anyone willing to embrace something a little different this will be refreshing listen. Where most ‘different’ or ‘leftfield’ artists in any genre fail (and end up being weird and unlistenable-to), Mystic Man and Eshamanjaro have succeeded. It’s enough like Hip Hop for a casual listener to recognise it as such but as you listen more deeply, it’s obvious it is something quite new.

Continue reading ‘Mystic Man & Eshamanjaro - In Heavy Weather (Review)’