kid acne - council pop
quite simply - this is stunning hip-hop.
underground to the extreme, completely anti-corporate hip-hop culture, this is way tooo fuckin' fresh for words.
raw, old school processed beats, missing melodies, far off sound effects blend with uk based references and samples from all over the globe of hip-hop.
oh, didn't i mention that this is uk based hip-hop ?
well trust me, that makes no difference, for the first time in ages this is uk loud and proud and sounds damn funky - that its origin makes no difference is natural.
this could make any self respecting b-boy hiphophead nod approvingly, and throw out his tired roc-a-fella r-n-b tainted rap music forever. if only the hip-hop press realised that there is far more interesting stuff out there on their doorsteps (literally) than neptunes/dr dre rehashes.
'radio music', one of the many standouts, is set apart with its uptempo groove, namechecking kid-n-play indicates the school of hip-hop the kid is diggin', due to be released as a single this could even get the fans of ninjatune/mo-wax smiling wide, afterall they must be desperate to hear some uptempo'd party hip-hop as opposed to the slow and low cool grooves.
this one track had me in a timewarp machine and going back to digging out my old schooly d tapes the bassboom beats were so hardcore, same goes for 'rap dracula', and several others. in fact i got wayyyy past track 5 and couldn't find a fault.
i haven't had this much fun to a hip-hop album in ages, even with 'hot-up district' which takes the 1987 style of guitar licks str4apped onto a rock beat does fine things to my inner soul, anyone else may make this type of track sound like a blatant rip-off but the folks here add a newness - showing the obvious respect for the genre, even renegade soundwave get a stylistic nod .. with the dubby bass beats of junction20. highlights flow by each minute that passes, though '9t4 rugged' with its sly lift from david bowie diamond dogs classic 'we are the dead' is very special, and my indeed be my fave of many faves.
get the impression i liked this ?
go discover a genuine old school hip-hop classic. not a mercury nomination in sight.
damn right ... i'm filling in my council flat application right now.