Hung Drawn N
Slaughta’d
By
Krash Slaughta
and Junior Disprol
With the wealth of talent that currently peppers the
underground UK Hip Hop scene you often feel how cool it would be to see certain
artists, DJ’s and producers working together. Now and again your prayers are
answered and certain collaborations you have dreamed of just happen, as if
those involved have heard your thoughts…
I can think of no better collaboration than these two
artists, Fleapit and Dead Residents emcee Junior Disprol and II Tone Committee,
Monkey Mafia and All Time High (to name a few) DJ and Producer Krash Slaughta.
To have these two legendary powerhouse guys get together for
a project means one thing, in my mind, you are gonna get a heavy, masterclass
in pure Hip Hop fire, that will probably be littered with more rawness that you
can shake a stick at whilst, at the same time, being flawless, polished, and
faceted for your pure enjoyment. Well, at least that was my first thoughts when
found out about this one.
So, without further ado, lets see if my initial thoughts
were anywhere near being right…
The album, which is twelve cuts deep, kicks off in style
with Krash Slaughta’s multi-layered sound featuring horns, guitars and much
more, Oh and there are also cuts galore too, which all interlace to bring you
the heavy and hardcore sound of U is for Underground. Junior Disprol
details just what it takes to be a part of that underground Hip Hop music
scene. Its not just about making the music and laying it down on wax, it’s also
about what it takes to get out there and to rock the mic and the turntables for
the crowds. For the crowds to get as much out of the music as the artists do
making and performing it, that’s Hip Hop. If you were feeling hyped by track
one, then there is no let up as Krash Slaughta brings a high-octane mix of
drums, guitars and, of course, cuts. This vibe will have you jumping, bouncing
and, undoubtedly, scratching on imaginary decks. Scratch Terminator is
exactly what you might think, it’s a straight up homage to man himself Krash
Slaughta. Junior Disprol breaks it down here, telling you exactly who Krash
Slaughta is and how and why he does what he does. This one will surely leave
you breathless and in awe. Is there a better DJ dedication track than this one?
Next up is the heavy street sound of drums, piano and cuts
unleashed for World Renowned. The unapologetic street vibe hits your
awareness from multiple angles, making you wonder what’s coming and from where
Junior Disprol is joined by South Bay Area emcee, Roughneck Jihad, for a
mind-bending track that see’s each emcee taking seemingly unrelated phrases and
turning them into something entertaining. Why would they do this? Simple
because that is what good rappers do. If that has left your mind reeling, then Word
Is Bond will bring it back into focus as Krash Slaughta unleashes a 70’s
movie soundtrack vibe, full of horns, strings and drums. Alongside that is a
“Diamonds Are Forever” sample on the chorus that is packed full of the hardest
cuts known to man, all slicing through your mind with precision. It might seem
here that Junior Disprol is continuing that mash-up of unrelated phases but,
there is a definite twist here of 007 and Hip-Hop espionage. The shadow world
of the spy where misdirection, knowledge and a slick flow go hand-in-hand.
From the world of the spy, we morph into something far creepier
as Krash Slaughta tugs at, and slices into our every nerve with some sparse
drums and strings that, alongside some freaky cuts, drag us into a dark
underground place where shadows reach out and tap you on the shoulder. Junior
Disprol uses this freaky backdrop to his advantage, as deep guttural vocals
pull you ever further into a paranormal place where most fear to tread and
where those who do tread, never return the same. This is the world of the Ghost
Writer. The albums A Side is rounded off with another high-octane
multi-layered sound. Krash Slaughta brings drums, guitars and much more besides
to bring you a sound that hovers on the vibe of action movies and seeps into
your every pore and infiltrates your mind. Sonic Assassin see’s Junior
Disprol detailing life from the viewpoint of the villain, like the flip side to
good guy in the track Word is Bond. This alternate view makes you realize that
the villains might loose most of the time but, along the way they have a great
time and end up really being the antihero and getting more of the spotlight…
As we flip to the B Side, Krash Slaughta’s high energy vibe
continues with pounding drums, strings, horns, and cuts, all mashed up to bring
you the kinda sound you just wanna jump to. Back in the early days of Hip Hop,
the rappers would Throwdown, telling you who they were and why they were
the best etc… Here Junior Disprol captures that vibe and just takes slices of
his life experiences, throwing down to give you more of a snapshot of who he is.
Ska Borough see’s Krash Slaughta bring us a Ska vibe with plenty of
horns. There is also a Hip Hop twist here, with some slick cuts, that really
brings a nice upbeat feel-good vibe. Junior Disprol and Cardiff emcee
Skunkadelic team up to bring you bars that just uplift and make you really feel
the good vibes, making you just wanna get up and get moving. The chorus on this
one just says it all.
We Bring It Back see’s Krash Slaughta bring back that
old-school hip-hop vibe with funked up mix of bass, drums, and cuts. Junior
Disprol mirrors that musical vibe by looking at snapshots of Hip Hop in the UK,
from the influences to the history. Rappin’, Breakin’, Graff and Scratchin’,
it’s all here. In fact, there is just one thing to do here, stop talkin’ and
just feel it. We have already heard a Ska vibe on the album with Ska Borough
and there is no doubt that many of us, of a certain age, were into SKA before,
during or still are, alongside our love of Hip Hop. However, another sound that
had a big impact on Hip Hop is the ragga sound and Wickedest Disciple
brings that sound to the forefront as Krash Slaughta interlaces keyboards,
bass, drums, and cuts to bring us a Soundsystem vibe. With the ragga influence
on Hip Hop noted, Junior Disprol is seemingly giving us a homage to all those
who have inspired him along his musical journey. There is so much here from the
different sounds and vibes to movies and so much more. Oh, and trust me, Krash
does make the scratch sound exceptional on this one.
The penultimate track of the album is Special Delivery.
Krash Slaughta switches the energy levels to max with a booming mix of drums,
horns, guitars, and cuts. But not being satisfied with max levels he also
appears to inject some nitrous into this one too. Bristol emcee Stepchild (aka
Stepasaur) and Scottish emcee Loki join Junior Disprol for what is a mini posse
cut. There is no messing on this track as the emcees go in three the hard way,
dropping bars that are raw and hardcore, just because they can. This is furious
entertainment to the fullest. If you thought the final track of the album would
ease you back to reality, think again. For The Takeout, Krash Slaughta brings
drums, horns and cuts to funk shit up like never before on a track that’s bound
to leave you wanting more. Junior Disprol rocks the mic in his inevitable style
with the kinda bars that leave you speechless. By the end of this, you are in
no doubt whatsoever, Junior Disprol and Krash Slaughta are here to rock the
mic, the speakers, the decks, and the crowd…
What can I say overall about this album? Well, it’s simple
Hung Drawn and Slaughta’d is completely flawless slice of Hip Hop.
There it is, nuff said…
Seriously, this is as damn near perfect as you can get.
Krash Slaughta’s production and turntable wizardry is pretty much second to
none here. Every track is Hip Hop music at is very best, produced by someone
who is Hip Hop for the ears of those who love real Hip Hop. Not just that but,
the precision and dedication that has gone into those beats just oozes,
constantly, from the speakers. I’m not sure what else to say, except the
professionalism and pedigree of Krash Slaughta shines through here and his
experience and continued evolution on the scene means that listening to this
album leaves you with nothing but, respect for what he has achieved and
continues to achieve.
Speaking of respect, when it comes to Junior Disprol then
respect is one of the first words you think of. Like Krash, Junior Disprol has
achieved a hell of a lot over the years and here he uses his raw and
unflinching vocal style and his intricate way of spinning entertaining stories
from anything and everything, to such good use. In fact, there are times on the
album where his intricate verbal and mind-bending dictation is so mental, it is
like you are listening to the musical equivalent of a painting by MC Echer or
H.R.Geiger, it really is that crazy.
You can’t be failed to be moved by this album. Anyone who
loves that real hip hop vibe will find something different here every time they
listen. You will pick up little things like a reference to a movie or artist,
you will pick up certain samples and so on. He addition of the lyric sheet is
also a huge plus here, especially for me, as it really gives you an insight
into the intricate lyrical content. It’s a masterpiece that you could time
travel to, and it would still sound fresh in 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and on into the
future. This one is most definitely gonna stand the test of time for many moons
to come and then some.
Before I go, I also want to focus on the artwork too. Junior
Disprol’s cover art is nothing short of stunning. While you are listening to
the album you can pick up the sleeve and see who you can spot on the album
cover. I spoke a lot about influences with this album and here the cover art
continues that as every person, character etc. on the cover has had an influence
on one or more of us at some time. See who you can spot from American Werewolf
in London to Sean Connery and Judge Dredd to Bushwick Bill (R.I.P) this is such
a great cover and so much fun to boot.
If this album is not on your shelves, then it should be. At
the very least you need to hear it in some shape or form even if it is just a
digital version as you need to hear it.
Hung Drawn and Slaughta’d is out now.
On that note, remember that the letter U is for Underground,
a place that I’m off back to now.
Peace out people,
Steve.
LINKS
Get the Album Here:
https://krashslaughta.bigcartel.com/
VIDEOS
U Is For Underground
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