Infinite Sounds UK: CBNG by Cut Beetlez & Nice Guys

CBNG

Cut Beetlez and Nice Guys

Album Review

When I was contacted by the Cut Beetlez to check out their new singles and review an up an coming album I was excited as I’ve been watching the duo of HP Lovescratch and J-Man from Helsinki and Tampere City, Finland since they teamed up with Soundsci on dope single Droppin’ Needlez.

This album is a collaboration between themselves and the Philly meets Cali crew, Nice Guys, otherwise known as Dirty Winters and Lynx 196.9, who previously worked together on the two track CBNGXMAS. Now these four have got back together to take it one step further.

There have also been three singles already released off the album, those being Cut Ya Ass Up, Graveyard Gravitas and Home.

So, what exactly do you get when you team a DJ/Production Supersonic Tag Team from Europe with a dope emcee duo from stateside? Well, lets get into a track by track breakdown of CBNG and see what these guys have brought to the table...

Vicious is up first and see’s the Nice Guys dropping some venomous rhyme skills all backed up by some sweet turntable fun and a beat that, appears at first listening, to be in total contrast to the rhyme style. However, it just works with its light easy style that seems to drift by on the breeze. From here as the heavy pounding beats hits for Cut Ya Ass Up, you immediately feel this is gonna be some musical ride you’re embarking on with two minutes of orchestral heavy hard beats, unrelenting lyrics and proper cuts, this is Hip Hop so, don’t you forget it. Just as you were preparing for the next beat your ears are given a little jazzy aural pallet cleanser in the form of the instrumental David and this was needed as you are now plunged free fall into the Hard but, Jazz fuelled feel of Sophisticated Grunge with Cut Beetles hitting it big beat and then Nice Guys dropping some hard but, polished flows in to the bargain. The jazzy vibe remains with Barbara as the beat and the Nice Guys smooth lyrical flow just begs you to kick it back and chill and thats exactly what you need to do as Home invites you to stay in that space while the beat and the words that float by remind you that home is the place to be.

Don’t chill to much cos there are those out there who are fakin’ it and although the beat for Always Fakin’ It (feat ResoNate) retains that easy going jazzy floating vibe the message here is that these guys don’t fake it and are always real. As the vibe of the album keeps you floating along with Bear With Me (feat Notorious Grizzz) with its ethereal and orchestral heavy notes the words here are just enough to keep you rooted in reality with floating away.

It’s time to up the tempo a little with Games We Play as beat drops more heavy with some nice strings providing that ethereal feel once more. This track gives you a vibe that you need to always be able to switch your game and shows that in almost completely flipping the vibe for the second verse giving it an almost eerie feel. As Who Is This hits your ears are treated to a more banging beat and plenty of turntable trickery and if you were in any doubt about who is this. It’s CBNG that’s who. Switching up the style once more Graveyard Gravitas drops with a pounding bluesy feel that makes you wanna close your eyes, nod your head and drift away to the combination of beats and rhymes. Now it’s time for another aural pallet cleanser as Ellion takes you on chilled out jazzy trip to freshen things up before slowly pushing you over the edge into the banging head nod track that is Shirley, with it’s jazzy horns and def cuts, this one will take you from the head nod to hollering as the vibe takes you. Keeping it horn heavy with a banging beat is No More Nice Guys as the guys show you, in the best possible way, they are not as nice as you think or are they? If they are or not one thing is for sure the cuts on this one are a pleasure to behold. There is no compromise on the quality of cuts, beats and rhymes as Beef hits you horn heavy battle rap vibe which almost lets you down at the end before hitting you with one final face slap.

The penultimate track is the Heavy Thunderbird which has a mariachi style guitar vibe to it as it takes you on trip through what it is to be CBNG and what they are giving you. The Outro here has a movie soundtrack vibe about it that kinda mirrors the end credits before cutting you off.

So, overall it’s some ride to pack 17 tracks into a little under 30 minute but, it’s some ride that’s for sure. Taking you on a journey through a new spectrum of vibes both musically and lyrically and there is something here for everyone that will really have you travelling through a whole range of feelings across such a short time range.

Musically this has such a polished up-to-date feel about it, wanting to keep things new and exciting but, at the same time keeping enough of a link to what Hip Hop is that you know instinctively that you are listening to Hip Hop for a new age. When you mix that with lyrics that are smooth but, at times brutal and unrelenting from word smiths who really know their craft, as this collaboration is one that stands up there with the best of them.

Together the Cut Beetlez and the Nice Guys have really hit on something that really works. Slapping the taste out of the boundaries that try and section us into races and countries, this album again shows that Hip Hop knows no boundaries and will always find a way to unite us all through the vibes of music.

The only thing I found a little difficult was the length of the tracks. All of them coming in at under two and a half minutes, for me, made it a little more difficult to really feel the tracks but, this is on a personal level and I do not feel it takes anything from the overall depth and feel of the album. The album flows seamlessly from track to track and really creates that “I have to listen to this start to finish” vibe from the word go and challenge you to switch it of once it’s on, go on try it... I definitely recommend this one for your collections.

The album is released through Fabyl Recordings. Production comes from the Cut Beetlez, beats by HP Lovescratch and Cuts by both DJ J-Man and HP Lovescratch. The cover paintings come from Dirty Winters with layout and design from Mr Krum. Physical copies (if they are any left...) come from Splitwax Records.

I want to give a huge thank you to the Cut Beetlez for sending this over for review.

On that note, I’m out...

One Love people,

Steve

Buy the album on Bandcamp Here - https://cutbeetlez.bandcamp.com/album/cbng-2

All streaming sites available Here - https://orcd.co/5mynple

Cut Beetles on Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/the-cut-beetlez

Cut Beetlez on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cutbeetlez/

Dirty Winters on Bandcamp - https://dirtywinters.bandcamp.com/releases

Dirty Winters on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dirtywinters/

Lynx 196.9 on Bandcamp - https://lynx1969.bandcamp.com/

Lynx 196.9 on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lynx196.nine/