Unit Three
By
C-Froo
Bristonian C-Froo has been making music since his teenage
years and is quickly becoming one of those standout artists from the city that
has to be one of the UK’s premier Hip-Hop hubs. Many of the UK’s top
underground producers, emcees, beat makers, DJs, Graff artists and also those
who work behind the artists to mix and master call Bristol their home.
I first caught C-Froo at Rope-A-Dope 5 in 2019 and managed
to cop a copy of his first album, The Script (2009), from him at the time, in
fact you can find a recording of that set which was recorded and mixed by
B-Line Recordings Specifik (who also organizes RAD) on C-Foo’s Bandcamp page.
Since releasing The Script C-Froo has dropped a number of
releases including Unit 1 (2014) alongside Vice and Nostalgia Ain’t What It
Used To Be, which also featured production from Majesta. There have been three
singles from his latest album released to date: You Gotta Be (produced by SIR
Beans OBE), Feed the Demon (featuring TST1, Mista Switch, J. Chalks &
Production from Epik Ops) and Mass Opposition (Produced by Billy Whizz).
As you can see from the singles already released C-Froo has
recruited a wealth of vocal and production talent for the album and this also
includes vocals from Da Fuchaman and Sessie, with production across the album coming
from Epik Ops, Sir Beans OBE, Billy Whizz and Astrosnare.
All this said this album looks to be something special so
let’s just get on into it…
The hiss of hydraulics hits your ears as if you are climbing
aboard one of those double decker buses that are a feature of most UK towns and
cities. As the doors hiss close and the engine revs you are given a nice Welcome
and informed that you are about to embark on a trip within Unit Three. Our tour
guide, C-Froo, advises us that this trip way well hit all our senses and elicit
any number of experiences. However, none of this is real and will fade as you
disembark at the end. So, it’s time to buckle up and relax…
Our first stop on the trip is a heavy beat mixed with some
nerve tingling guitar from Billy Whizz that is the backdrop for the albums
latest single, Mass Opposition, here C-Froo deep into the fact that
there is two sides to every story and that so many times we have seen our views
of those once held in high esteem dashed by sickening revelations. What if just
the opposite had happened? What world would we live in? perhaps its best to
just watch circus unfold around you and have faith in the fact that you are the
one who has control over you and what you allow to influence you. Big drums and
horns of Epik Ops production heralds the arrival of our next stop, an important
look at Loyalty and how it is important to know those around you on a
daily basis, not just that but, be aware of where you own loyalties are. Life
is a trip in itself and as we move through various situations that help shape
our destinies the actions of ourselves and others in those situations is key,
so it is important to be aware of those white lies. As the ride continues Sir
Beans OBE joins and provides a proper head nod drum beat with some funky bass
that is the4 albums first single You Gotta Be, an unapologetic look at
the exploits of one man on friday night out. This is something that has echoes
across the world where nights out are fuelled with drink and drugs where living
in the city means you gotta be who you gotta be…
We reach the point where its time to make a choice as C-Froo
is joined by TST1, Mista Switch, J. Chalks over some dark and brooding
Production from Epik Ops. Here the message is simple, there are many choices we
make on the journey of life, they can raise us up or send us spiralling down
into darkness. What's your choice? Do you or don’t you Feed The Demon?
From the darkness we need to brighten things up and the upbeat funky production
from Astrosnare does just that with some big horns, drums and cool bass and more
as C-Froo brings some Illumination focusing on the aspects of life that
bring more positive moves and fill us with more positive vibes, these are the
moments to hold on to. Our tour guide, C-Froo, makes a short announcement here
as we hit the halfway point of our trip and here, he points out that looking
right, you’ll feel right but, if you look Over There, you’ll see the
other side…
With you gaze fixed firmly on the other side Sir Beans OBE
returns with a laid-back head nod vibe and coupled with that Da Fuchaman brings
a wicked reggae flavour to the hook of Giddeon Warrior as C-Froo speaks
on something that so many do not do, that is opening your eyes and seeing, I
mean really seeing the beauty in yourself and all those other faces that you
see everyday because they all have a story and they all feel, just like you so
it’s time to see them and yourself as we were meant to be seen. Cool Breeze
is a look at what the media calls the migrant crisis and a story from the eye
of one of those desperate people. The production from Epik Ops and vocals from
Sessie create this heavy emotive atmosphere that makes this story really hit
home. As our journey seems to pause briefly, Epik Ops brings in another emotive
sound scape with a pounding beat and organ notes, again laced with haunting
vocals from Sessie on A New Religion, which sees C-Froo looking at the
current situation in the UK with distrust in a corrupt government and a society
where no one knows what to believe anymore with many following blindly but,
what is really the answer is coming together and spreading the love.
As we enter into the final part of our journey ICU
has C-Froo providing the Bass Guitar alongside Epik Ops production, which gives
this one an almost funky ragga vibe. This one looks at life growing into your
middle age years and beyond and all the trials and tribulations that come with
it. Now it might seem hard, at times, keeping touch with the scene you love
but, its important to keep that alive and more importantly is to set some goals
and then get out there and smash em. There is one final announcement from our
tour guide C-Froo who wishes us all Peace and Love as we wind up the
journey. As our journey finishes its time to get contemplative and the beat and
organ notes of Billy Whizz bring that vibe perfectly. C-Froo has the heartbeat
of life at his Fingertips and perfectly sums up the album and a vision of what
you could do in walking forward into a new day and creating a new you and a
brighter future.
I have to say that here that C-Froo has crafted a fantastic
narrative here on the current state of society. He touches on deep subjects
that none of can fail to be aware of as we go about our daily lives. Now you
might think that there is nothing new in that and that might be so but, what is
critical here is way it is delivered.
The idea that we are taking a journey can be translated to
any big city around the world where people can sit on a bus on a sightseeing
trip. What would it look like if you took this trip around your city or town?
Would that trip touch on all the subjects covered on this album from the state
of society to how you look at yourselves and others or from racism and the
treatment of those from other countries to how we treat each other, and do we
really see we are just a part of one big family. C-froo delivers his vocals
with intellect and knowledge and his verbal style is, at times, breath-taking
or at least you are sometimes taking a breath for him as her delivers line
after line, bar after bar without a pause while delivering every word with
clarity and conviction. Musically the flow captures each moment reflecting the
mood of C-froo’s lyrical content. As much as this is a journey through C-Froo’s
mind and what he sees around him, it could also be a journey through anyone’s
mind.
Overall Unit Three creates this deeply emotive and contemplative journey that encapsulates the scenes from our lives now or at any other point to this moment. It is an honest no nonsense reflection of what we see around us day to day and, I know I say this a lot in my work, but this is one of those albums that will elicit different memories and different thoughts for each of you that listens to it, I totally believe that but, at the same time if you don’t want to get too deeply into the story or message behind each track, it is still highly listenable just to have on as background music or so on.
The Cover art and logo is by the talented Mungo Draws with the Back cover picture from Dan Moxham.
For me this has got to be high up on your new music list and
if you listen to one new release this week, then make it Unit Three.
On That Note,
See Ya,
Steve
LINKS
Buy Unit Three on Bandcamp Here:
https://cfroo.bandcamp.com/album/unit-3
Check C-Froo & Unit Three on Spotify Here:
Get the Rope-A-Dope Live Bootleg Here:
https://cfroo.bandcamp.com/album/c-froo-live-rope-a-dope-5-bootleg
VIDEOS
Mass Opposition
You Gotta Be
Feed The Demon
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