Infinite Sounds UK: Album Review: Undiluted by Cymarshall Law Produced by Ramson Badbonez

UNDILUTED

Cymarshall Law

Prod. By Ramson Badbonez

I really like it when a label goes that extra mile to promo a release, and here Nuke Fam Records have done that for this release. They sent the Nuke Fam Mag Vol One to those who had previously purchased a release from them as a way to fully promote Undiluted from East Coast US Emcee Cymarshall Law and UK legendary emcee and producer Ramson Badbonez.

The Nuke Fam Mag Vol One really gets you hyped up for this release with a review from the one and only Craig Killa Tapes aka Grimee Quick (which I decided not to read prior to this review), some great pics of the artwork and artists, plus an interview with Cymarshall Law; I’ll put a link to the full interview on YouTube below.

Now, I have featured Ramson Badbonez on the blog before with my review of his producer album, Lead By Example, and a number of features too. Based in London, he has been one of the UK’s most prolific emcees in recent years. He also turned his hand to production in 2021 with the afore mentioned Lead By Example, further cementing his legendary status in the UK and further afield.

In fact, it was Lead By Example that also gave me my first introduction, on the blog, to Cymarshall Law, who appeared on the track Reservoir Dogs. Born in Luton UK, he moved to the US when he was just nine years old. His career would be instigated as he watched his older brother Skits Slam’s own career evolve. But it would be at age seventeen that he would get his break joining the group Everlivin Sound, on the advice of another UK ex-pat, the one and only MF DOOM (R.I.E.P). The New Jersey based emcee is now one of the East Coast heavy hitters and joining forces with one the UK greats, seems a natural progression.

The album also has some cracking features to with Ramson Badbonez himself picking up the mic alongside appearances from Leaf Dog, DJ Phillip Lee, Pacewon, and DJ Jazz T. Showing that this one is a true slice of Hip Hop that spans the oceans.

Anyway, with all that said, I think it’s now time to get into the album…

So, Side A (Yeah, I’m gonna give you the review as it you were listening to the vinyl, if that’s OK), kicks things off with Free Like A Breeze, an intro that hits you hard with pounding drum breaks and more, swirling in your head like the trailer for a movie. The vocals here seem to float alongside the sound, and the more you listen, the more they seem to be opening your mind, preparing you for what’s to come, and you are not left waiting as Ramson Badbonez picks up the mike alongside Cymarshall Law for My Opening. This one immediately injects some adrenaline into your system getting you bouncing from the get-go with an infectious sound you can’t ignore. Cymarshall and Ransom trade verses here, flexing their lyrical muscles, with the kind of intricate wordplay that gets you all fired up while systematically having your brain rewired. So, with your body now bouncing and your mind spinning we move on to Hymphony (Going In), which has this banging funk vibe to it with funked up drums and guitars getting you moving in a whole new way. Cymarshall Law takes the gloves off here, demonstrating that this is some real Hip Hop right here as he alludes to the B-Girls, B-Boys and the graff writers, before unloading a salvo that takes out the competition in true rap style. It’s all about going in with everything you got and standing tall so that everyone can see that you have the skill to back up the braggadocio, the way rappers threw down back in the day, and this is throwing down for a new era. Just as all that is sinking in DJ Phillip Lee steps up to the One’s and Two’s, cutting it up alongside Cymarshall Law while Ramson Badbonez drops a heavy beat that is mixed with chilled keys, giving this one a laid-back sound that still has your head nodding. Burning It Up embraces that slightly laid-back sound as this one is all about mixing up the rap vocals with more that hit or two from a certain medicinal plant that many enjoy, and one that just happens to, as Cymarshall cleverly points out, have ‘the same colour as Raekwon’s tape’ alluding to limited first edition tape version of ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…’ which was purple in colour. You also can’t escape some of the classic vocal samples that are cut into this one too, adding to the rawness of that boombap sound. Emerald Tablet brings strings to bear on this before the beat kicks in elevates the adrenaline levels. This one speaks on being authentic in this modern era, a time when the rise of AI and digital media makes it easy for people to create something that they don’t have to think much about. Cymarshall states he is the ‘Emerald Tablet among iPads’, the Emerald Tablet being a cryptic text from 8^th or 9^th century CE that is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. This shows the difference between something created by someone thousands of years ago, from knowledge alone, as opposed to a digital construct that allows people to create something without too much thought. Creating something that is truly authentic allows people to connect with you in different ways, giving depth and feeling to what you do. Side-A ends with One Warning, which features another legendary UK figure in Leaf Dog. Heavy Drums and horns give this one a sound that seems to seep into the very core of your being. This one seems to have that vibe of how things change from when you were younger to the present day. When you were young you got just one warning about things and that set up on how things played out as you grew but, these days it seems that people need to have things repeated to them over again, there is not the respect there used to be. Maybe I’m not getting the right message but, I really felt that as I listened, that there was this air of giving respect to those for what they have achieved.

So, spinning over to Side-B, we are straight back into it with Shell Toes. Here the drum break and horns give this one soundtrack vibe, elevating the sound a couple of levels and getting you jumping, forget the bouncing. Now, you might think from the title that this one is going to be a homage to the classic Adidas sneakers but, this one goes above and beyond that with the Shell Toes being a symbol of what this is all about, which is all about what you put into what you do. The Shell Toes have always been synonymous with Hip Hop and here it’s all about constantly putting in the work and elevating your craft, constantly pushing yourself to be the best you can be. Better Win brings a new sound to your ears, with new percussion vibes, chilled basslines and sonic sounds that seem to get you floating along giving more attention to the vocals. There is this kind of faint ragga air mixed into to this one too especially with the way Cymarshall Law drops his vocals. As you listen to this you get the feeling that this one is all about not sitting back and getting too comfortable to being in one flow, one style, one vibe, It’s all about keeping it fresh and delivering real lived experience that the listener can associate with and focusing on the best possible outcome in life. With that thought in mind, we move on to the Tables Turning, Where the drums pound but, the multi-layered background sound has a more lo-fi vibe that gives you a sound to chill to. This one gave me chills as it really focused on the fact that Hip Hop, the Real Hip Hop, is coming back, silencing the critics and proving that the roots have always been there and are still inspiring people to bring it back. It is something that I have felt in a lot of the music that I review, I know that real Hip Hop is still out there, regardless of the views of so many, including the internet critics. This one really mirrors my feeling on the culture, and that is what gave me those chills. Next up is Aurora where Ramson Badbonez ups the pace a bit with a banging beat that is backed with organ and more giving you sound that really gets the adrenaline moving. Cymarshall Law gives us a solid display of raw Hip Hop braggadocio, taking self-expression to new heights and giving us the kind of track that just makes you nod your head for the quality of the wordplay. We now come to the penultimate track of the album, Dust Settles, where the drums and accompanying keys, give us this deep sound that gets you moving while vibrating through you to the core. When you hit the game with force, you are going to kick up a lot of dust, and right here Cymarshall Law is unloading plenty of verbal lead, causing huge amounts of dust to be kicked up in the process. This means that many will fall by the wayside in the face of such an onslaught and begs the question, just who will be left standing when the Dust Settles. After such a powerful statement, you might think that’s the end of the album, but no, there is one bonus track left, which is Here I Am featuring Pacewon, DJ Jazz T on the cut, and bass from JCA. Ramson Badbonez rounds things off with a solid banger hits with some heavy pounding beats with some background sounds that give this one an edge that seems to weigh on you from all sides. This one sees our two emcees trading verses in a blistering display of wordplay that goes to prove, in one three minute track, that Hip Hop is well and truly alive and kicking.

The first thing that strikes you about this album is the feeling of just how raw it feels. It makes you feel that what went into making this was pure unadulterated passion for expressing the essence of true Hip Hop music. It might not have some of the deep conscious vibes that a lot of Hip Hop is displaying right now but, what is does display is a deep desire to strip things down and give the listener a raw display of what Hip Hop wordplay and the sound is all about.

What Cymarshall Law and Ramson Badbonez have done here is to perfectly display a mix of production and rap that encapsulates exactly what Hip Hop music is, while also demonstrating their own, individual abilities.

Cymarshall Law shows what being a heavy hitter is all about by displaying a talent for slick and intricate wordplay while being able switch that across a range of flows that keep the listener engaged not matter what he is saying along the way. His technique just seems to blow you away, especially as it shows his deep love and appreciation for rap and the whole Hip Hop culture.

Ramson Badbonez shows that an emcee can use that knowledge of wordplay and flow to craft beats that work perfectly for bringing focus to an emcee’s words, while still giving the listener an enjoyable experience. Plus, his production is, at times, as intricate as the wordplay that he himself is so adept at.

When you put these two together, they perfectly complement each other in a way that brings a new wave of appreciation and love for that true Hip Hop sound. As you listen to the album you get this feel that each has their own deep love and passion for Hip Hop and that is what brings that authentic sound to entire album. There is not one track here that does not exude that same passion and desire to bring that real Hip Hop sound to your ear. In fact, to a point here I almost forgot to mention how good the features are because each one of those features bring their own energy to the mix but, also, they bring their own love of that real Hip Hop sound, and that is why they work so well here because they all have one thing that binds them together.

Overall, there is not much more I can say except that Undiluted is a passionate and raw homage to Hip Hop and its sound. This album shows that Hip Hop is a sound that is universally recognised and unites people and nations the world over. So, no matter what you take from this album, what it says to you or how much you enjoy it, remember that one thing it has always stood for, Unity…

My huge thanks to Eskar at Nuke Fam Records for giving me that chance to bring you my take on this truly outstanding album.

Undiluted is out today and available on limited edition clear vinyl and cassette copies plus, digital of course. So go grab your copy now…

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve.

LINKS

Grab your copy Here:

https://nukefamrecords.bandcamp.com/album/undiluted

Cymarshall Law Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/cymarshall.law.2025

https://www.instagram.com/cymarshalllaw/

Ramson Badbonez Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/ramson.badbonez