I write about music and stuff...

Showing posts with label renowned. Show all posts
Showing posts with label renowned. Show all posts

Monday, 4 March 2013

Blackout - Wretch 32 ft Shakka (prod. Knox Brown)


Friday night and all I see over twitter is the date 4/3/13. Now be being the cat the curiosity killed and a big fan of Mr Wretch 32 I was hype hype hype at the thought of new music especially from the new album he’s going to drop this year. So come 8pm I was sat with my laptop listening to Mista Jam’s show. I even missed the start of Eastenders for this so you know it got real.

Evolution is the key word. You’ll hear the intro and think “is this going to be another rapper spitting over a dance beat?”. Well if you thought that: 
1) shame on you
2) I bet your ears weren’t prepared for that.
 If I asked you to name 1 track that Blackout sounded like, even with the combined musical repertoire of every DJ in this whole wide world, you wouldn’t be able to. This is something different to any song that has graced our ears – and note I used the word “graced” implying that different isn’t just good but MAD good.

The beat for me is the most significant part of this track, and is the work of Knox Brown, part of the Renowned Collective. Often I feel producer’s input to a track is overlooked but with his work, it’s hard to ignore what he has created – not made, created. It’s pretty hard to describe what he has done with the beat, but I love that. It doesn’t stop surprising you and as well as keeping you intrigued to the track, it transports you somewhere else. Then we have Shakka. Now Shakka is an artist I hadn’t come across before but this is a perfect example of the hidden talent the UK has been hiding for a too too too long. His vocals are on point. Clean. Subtle. Powerful. I’ve known about him for 5 minutes but I am actually ecstatic (yeah that happy!) that Wretch has given him this platform because his voice breathes “gifted”. Wretch has been doing his thing for years now but never fades. The track just reminds you why you, and even gives you more reason to, love Wretch. He has kept it real and while taking a risk and going down a different lane he hasn’t strayed too far from the road on which he started – and this is why it works so beautifully. Evolved sound – Check. Lyrics that can’t be touched, just felt – Check. Mention of his beloved Disarano – Check. Heartist.

The 3 of them have done what music is made to do, but only few can actually carry out: produced a fresh, hot, new vibe that takes you somewhere – I don’t know where, but I don’t care. Now just wheel that yo!


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Thursday, 28 February 2013

Marvell - G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP

Marvell are always releasing mixtapes but their new G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP follows the trend of GOOD music. They're music has always been so simple - crazy beats, flows on point, and those big big big 1 liners - yet no one has been able to replicate it - and even if they tried, I don't think anyone could. They have got the perfect balance of it all to make every (and I actually mean every) track they've ever put out  be a b a n g e r. If you listen to their first tracks and compare it to the ones on the new EP, the sound hasn't changed because it doesn't need to. Their early tracks from years ago could be easily passed for a track made yesterday in a top US producer's studio. In a few years time, I'm sure you could say the same thing when listening to the G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP.

They have already released 2 of the tracks off the free EP: Weezy and London 2 Alanta and both were major tracks. New World, Killing All The Shows, Everything's on Me and G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S contribute to the 'wooooiiiiiiiii' section of the EP. The beats, especially on New World, are mad mad mad and if you don't even bop your head to the beat then I refuse to believe you're a human. Whether you're getting ready for a night out or work they will put you on a good vibe, and that to me is A* music.

Best Of Us and Kings and Queens are definitely the heartfelt tracks on the EP. I think Kings And Queens deserves a special little mention though. It's one of those motivational, grateful and feel good songs. It's got me even more hyped for summer to come because it's a tune that will sound PERFECT cruising around on a calm one in the sun on a Saturday (and I don't even drive). They hooked up with old friend (from Shocka's Chain Gang days) Wretch 32, who was the perfect collab for this track as I think this is one of the songs in which the lyrics are what really stand and are the main component of the tracks, while their signature heavy beats have taken the back seat. That's not to say the instrumental isn't good - Max Richards cleverly crafted a beat that brought power to the track but in a beautifully subtle way - making it even stronger.

Marvell don't have the recognition they deserve. Like I said before, they have a sound that is consistently great and doesn't even need to evolve to STILL be relevant in many years to come. Moreover, if it wasn't for their accents, their tracks could easily be the works of art of an American chart topping rapper #noexaggeration.
They're the future of music but not enough people know it yet so don't get left behind innnnnnnnitttttttt...
GO GET THE G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP (you have no excuse not to because it's FREE!)


Click Here To Get It




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