Infinite Sounds UK: ALBUM Review: DEF CULT by Junior Disprol

DEF CULT

Junior Disprol

I think its fair to say that in the last five years the man from Cardiff, Junior Disprol has been on something of a roll. First came DEFVALLEY in 2019 followed by two huge releases in 2022, Hung Drawn and Slaughta’d with Krash Slaughta and DEF II; then in 2023 came Uber Magnetic alongsideRoughneck Jihad, the build up to which was something truly inspired and introduced us to the Hidden Content Club from the label Plague.

Well, now in 2024 the Hidden Content Club is back and treated us to a bonus pack and single release that featured a non-album track, The Fun and The Horror, and a remix of the track Hawk Ghost. This was all as the precursor to the third outing in Junior Disprol’s Def Series, DEF CULT. Once more brought to us on the Plague label and, as with both previous DEF releases, Produced by Cool Edit Chud. It features appearances from DJ Jaffa, Krash Slaughta, Stepchild and his Uber Magnetic partner in rhyme Roughneck Jihad. The album also features some stunning artwork from John Stark, just to put the icing on the cake.

Now, Junior Disprol is no stranger to this blog and as such, needs no introduction, so let’s not beat around the bush here and get straight into the DEF CULT…

There is no hanging around here as DJ Jaffa joins JD on the opening track Marvelous, which perfectly sets the tone of the album with a nice head nod drum beat which is surrounded by this eerie mix of bells and nature sounds that all comes together to give you the impression you’ve been drawn into some weird nightmarish world. This is Junior Disprol’s world, a place where expecting the unexpected is the norm and it is hard for the neurotypical mind to even conceive of what now put in front of it. Here he shows you exactly why he is so marvellous in what he does by taking words, phrases and more, mixing and weaving them into something you would never think possible, and when you mix all that with the music, reality is thrown out of a window, a window that doesn’t exist or does it? With all expectation cast aside the sound move to slick funk vibe with drums and guitar taking the forefront for The Fly Most, if you know your Hip Hop then you will know that being ‘fly’ was all about being the best, dressing the best and so on. So, is JD speaking on being the best here or is about a fly or being a fly on the wall? You decided because this is one of those that seems open to interpretation, and after a number of listens I wanted to go with the traditional Hip Hop view and that JD here is just showing what it is the be the fly most on the mic. Up next is A Murmur Forms, which has recently seen a video release, and has more of a jazz vibe with the horns, bass, and drums, which loop and switch creating a sound which tests your nerves as it progresses. JD’s words seem to tear at every brain cell, threatening to turn your awareness inside out. The world around is what seems to form into a murmur as Junior Disprols words and flows form into a dazzling murmuration of their own, mimicking that of a flock of starlings over the somerset levels…

Can We Live finds the drum beat almost softened into the background as a nerve tweaking electric guitar loop grabs your awareness, threatening not to let go. JD takes a look at the state of society and Britain, a place you can no longer call great. How can a person or a family truly live in this society when we are constantly being priced out of everything we need to survive, while the 1% flourish and stand, not on the shoulders of giants but, on the desperate figures of the working class, the infirm, the disabled and corpses of the fallen. It’s a bleak look at life but, that’s life right now. With your mind reeling from what it has just had to comprehend, it’s time for DJ Jaffa to join Junior Disprol once more and to punch and slice a hole in those dark storm clouds with Ready Rock. The head nod beat takes us on a more upbeat vibe while the eerie xylophone sounds keep us in that weird twilight world but, this one creates a seed inside you that blooms almost immediately and bears fruit that you can only taste with your soul because this is what the energy of the music can do for you if you allow it in. There is this sense that the creation and the feeling of the music is able to clear the darkness from most recesses of the mind. So, when you’re ready, feel the music, let it in and get ready to rock. Now feeling a bit more upbeat it’s time for the albums title track to be unleashed, DEF CULT. The drums and guitar that forms the main element of the beat here has a melodic quality that has you quietly nodding along, focusing on the words, while every now and again there is a burst of guitar that stops you relaxing to far into that sound. Having given you the foundations, JD now hypnotises you, taking control of your mind, he delivers words that infiltrate every corner of your mind and making you a newly ordained follower of the DEF CULT.

It’s perfect timing that you are now in the cult and your mind is focused on this one thing because, if you are listening on the vinyl, it’s now time to flip to the B-Side, something you now do in an almost trance like state. I Got It Going Awwn takes you into a TRON like world with solid boom bap beat alongside electronic sounds that digitize your every thought from this moment on. If it can rhyme with Awwn then its Awwn, that’s what its all about here; well almost. There is a moment, where JD emulates the Ruler Slick Rick, that brings an almighty grin that comes out from within. Suddenly you begin to realise that this cult is not something to fear but, something to revere. That sense of living in a digital world now takes on an eerie twist as the electronic and other sounds whirl around the head nod beat like a plethora of spirits released from purgatory. Krash Slaughta joins JD to help slice through the ghostly fog allowing your body to soak up the vibes. Here you find Junior Disprol speaking on being a Magus Of Phrase. But what does that mean? Well, the definition of Magus is a conjurer, sorcerer, or a magician; so, what he is saying here is that he is a magician when comes to creating something with words and you simply can’t argue with that the more you listen. The vibe switches once more as drums, guitars and keys combine for a sound that would not be out of place an album from the Doors, it has that kinda Hip Hop psychedelic feel. Hawk Ghost dispels any last vestige of dark clouds that might have remained as its energy raises you up to a new level, while keeping you in that altered state of reality. This time Junior Disprol switches from speaking through a ghostly haze to taking on the essence of a spiritual form, soaring high above and looking down on what’s around and channelling that into words and phrases that boggle the mind as you search for the source but find only words that seem to appear from nowhere…

Your eardrums vibrate with the power of the beat, bass and horns as Def At Behest explodes into your awareness. Soon, strings are introduced that have you looking over your shoulder, looking for what’s coming with a sense of foreboding like a movie soundtrack vibe. Listening to this one might make you wonder just what this is all about but, try listening a few times and that think of the title and what it means? Def is all about being the best and by doing that at behest means you are doing it by instruction or by command; so here maybe, its all about JD showing how good his skills are by his own instruction? Being an emcee is all about honing your skills from life, from what you see about you day by day, you are literally teaching or instructing yourself, that’s how you learn. Think about that as you listen and if it speaks to you. Now, time is ticking by and as you move into the album’s penultimate track the Domesday Clock. Drums, bells, bass, and horns form a huge sound that has that that soundtrack vibe about it, one that makes you feel you have stepped into a pool of shade among the sunlight. With that air of foreboding setting around you once more you find that you are stood in an equilateral triangle with an emcee at each apex; perhaps it’s a circle not the triangle you first thought but, anyway, Junior Disprol is followed by Roughneck Jihad and finally Stepchild, each one displaying their individual rhyme skills as the doomsday clock ticks another second but, that second feels like a minute or a whole day as the words float through you awareness; you realise there is so much around us that signifies we are headed towards a doomsday but, you also realise that we are the ones who can also reverse that and stop the clock ticking down to its ultimate conclusion. As you contemplate that thought you realise that the album is about to reach its own conclusion and you have reached Def Not, the final track. Keys, guitars, and drums create a reflective vibe and one that feels you about to enter something deeper than has gone before. The intro makes you feel this one needed time to get going, like it needs a few deep breaths first and as JD begins to speak you realise why those feels occurred to you; not everything is DEF in life and this one finds Junior Disprol speaking on the loss of his mother. This one is by far the deepest track on the album, and I could feel every word, deep in my own heart having lived this same story with the loss of my own mum back in 1995. What can you say, treasure every moment with those you love and enjoy those moments to the fullest. The track ends with an upbeat, high energy guitar solo, just get the adrenaline pumping once more and leaving you with much to think about…

Just take a breath because that was some ride. In fact, there is this feeling that DEF CULT is an album of two halves, as seems to have two different vibes running across the two sides of the album, if you have the vinyl, or between the first six tracks and second six. The first half appears to have a slightly darker air about it, laying out the foundations and showing you what’s going on around you or inviting you to see it. But the second half has this far more upbeat vibe to it raising you up most of the time and giving you a reason to feel that its not all bad out there and it ends with a touching ode to his mother that is such an awesome way to end the album, with such an emotional sentiment. It’s just breath taking from start to finish.

I may have said this before but, what the heck, I’m gonna say it again, for me, Junior Disprol is one of the most underrated emcees on the UK scene, if not the entire Hip Hop scene, at this time. I don’t know of anyone who can take words that seemingly have no place together and spin them into something that is entertaining and speaks to you on some strange unconscious level. He just has a masterful way with words, like the title of the track Magus Of Phrase, he truly is a master sorcerer of words and rhyme.

I couldn’t wrap up this review in any way without mentioning the work of Cool Edit Chud on this one. As with JD being a wizard with words, Chud is a wizard of the beats. He is perfectly able to emulate the vibe of JD’s words and together they just craft something where the music and words vibe so well together. It is almost like these two are an extension of each other, they work so well together. The different vibes and sounds created by Chud work so well with JD’s vision for his lyrical content and mood.

Having appearances by DJ Jaffa and Krash Slaughta on the cuts, along with Roughneck Jihad and Stepchild adds flavour to the whole project while taking nothing away from Junior Disprol and Cool Edit Chud.

DEF CULT is the kind of release that Hip Hop needs to carry it forward. It has that nod to the real Hip Hop sound but, draws on a lot of different inspirations along the way. It also has a sound that has definite mass appeal and is not likely to get old very quickly. This has to be another contender for album of the year, in my humble opinion. It’s a perfect fit with the two previous Def albums and might just be the icing on the cake…

My thanks go to Junior Disprol and Plague’s Danny Boyes for putting this one in front of me and letting me do my thing.

My final thought on DEF CULT is simply “Go get this it”.

DEF CULT is available now and comes in a range of formats including some stunning physical versions too.

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve.

LINKS

Get your copy of DEF CULT Here:

plague.co

Junior Disprol Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/DeadResidents

https://www.instagram.com/juniordisprol/

Plague Socials: