Rabbit Cuts -
Volume 1
By
Full Metal
Rabid
This week I have an awesome debut album to check out that
hits straight from the UK underground scene. Rabbit Cuts – Vol. 1 comes from
Full Metal Rabbit a new UK supergroup that has been brought together by
Producer Keith Hopewell, aka Part 2 of New Flesh For Old, and features an
incredible line-up of emcees in Blackitude, Juice Aleem (New Flesh for
Old/Gamma) and Bob Eskimo, A Guevara (Scientists of Sound), cuts from DJ Mr
Thing, and all that alongside Madhav Sharma’s narration. For those who are not
aware, Madhav Sharma is an acclaimed Actor who has featured in East is East,
Holby City and Eastenders.
The first single to be released from the album, back in
2025, was Stick-N-Move, a reimagining of the New Flesh track that featured on
the 2002 album Understanding (Big Dada Recordings). The album has a number of
musical influences with Stick-N-Move being more than a revival; it’s a
resurrection, masterfully fusing the raw energy of early grime with the
polished sophistication of rare groove while the overall tone of the album
is described as one that revisits the love of real Hip hop with those dusty
soul and blues 45 samples while drawing direct inspiration from the
haunting epic Watership Down.
With all that said, I’m not gonna keep you hanging around,
so join me as I bring you my intuitive thoughts of Rabbit Cuts – Vol. 1…
We begin with the Intro ‘Loud Enough’ featuring DJ Mr
Thing. This one features samples from Watership Down and brings a sound that
mixes a classic Hip Hop vibe with soulful sounds and a background edge of a
siren like sound and that modern high paced cymbal sound. It sets the scene for
what’s to come as, lyrically, there is this sense that there is a merging of
new and old flows with a message that infers that there is gonna no messing
about here and that everything is gonna hit hard. Just as you are wondering
exactly what’s coming next, First Contact hits with a sound that blends
a heavy but laid-back beat, with some wicked rare groove vibes, giving you a
sound that will get you moving from the get-go. This one gives each emcee the
platform to give you a showcase for each of their individual lyrical skills and
word play. One to enjoy but, also not to overlook as just a display of skill
either, just let the words sink in. But, just as those words are sinking in Rabid
Paw hits with guitar vibes, cuts and a beat that is heavy, but also has
element that allows you kick back. This one draws you into a world where you
are taken into the world of the rabbit, looking up at the humans on horseback,
living in a world where it appears to be a constant war with these powers that
are looming over them. The question being here, do you run or do face the
threat, especially when you watch the cruelty being put upon you and those
around you.
That Essence features a guitar drive vibe with a
chilled sound and cuts adding that extra element and getting you moving in a
more laid-back kinda way. There is a lot to be said for putting a track like
this in right here, as it brings an element of love to proceedings, but not in
a way that takes your focus away too much, just showing that, wherever we are
and whatever troubles and struggles we face, the love between two people, even
a whole family, has the power to conquer all in the moment. With that thought
in mind, The Machine brings a soulful sound that seems to calm the
spirit while keeping the mind open to receive and understand the vocals. The
message contained in the spoken word here brings a sobering thought to bear. That
being how different elements of society see the world around them and the
disharmony that is all to apparent to so many of us, especially those of us who
have grown to see the changes in the world, while the younger generations have
only known this as their version of normality and so see the world to be a far
different place. Next up is Rabbit Joint (Skit) a short piece where the
sound has this heavy bass guitar vibe and drum beat that gets you moving while
the sampled vocal elements have you questioning exactly what is going on here.
Do we need to read between the lines here and ask, is this a representation of
the fact that rabbits and humans do not understand how each communicates, or
this just a little fun element to cleanse your mind?
My Bredrin brings a soulful funk sound that helps
keep you engaged and entertained while the message hits you in a way that you
might not immediately be aware of. This one takes a no punches pulled look at
police brutality and how young people react and behave in the face of a system
that so often evokes fear instead of a sense of community and safety. With such
a deep subject lodged in our awareness, Get Free brings a sound that has
drums, sound system bass lines and high paced cymbal sounds that all mix together
to bring a sound that gives your mind no room to move, as the sound keeps your
focus wide open. This on brings a deep message that looks at how we seek to
break free of the struggles and pressures of society. People work hard every
day and in so many different ways to bring a sense of stability and positivity
into their lives and the lives of their family. It’s not an easy thing to do
when you are doing your best and keep having things taken away or taxed, but
the strength and perseverance of everyone that keeps going is to be celebrated
and this brings that to the forefront. Next up is Stick-N-Move (2025 Recipe)
which takes that 2001 original and slaps it right in the modern day. The sound
is one the has a nice, rare groove edge providing the background to the heavier
beat and electronic elements bringing the energy and getting you bouncing with
a big club vibe. The message within this one, for me any way, has the feel of
always keep yourself moving, never get too comfortable in one situation. Mixing
up how you do things always keeps what you do fresh, unpredictable and
relevant.
We now move into the final track of the album, Remember Us
Not As Lost which has this soulful sound with this vocal sample element
that has an edge that almost seems to mirror internal conflict or emotion that
you only hear on the inside. The spoken word element has a reflective air to it
that it almost takes over your own thoughts, putting you in a place where
musing on so much has you questioning you own existence and place in the
universe. Ordinarily, this would be an interesting place to end the album, with
plenty to muse on and with a sense there was more to the album than you might
have grasped already. However, we are not done and there is still one more
track to go; one which is not noted on the release and, I guess is a hidden
track? Emancipation (Mound Builders) has a deep funk edge with strings,
guitars and more, giving you a sound that will get you moving from the start.
This one is deep and looks at the likes of Windrush, modern society and the
fact that who has really been emancipated; are any of us truly free, it might
appear that way as we live our daily lives but, when you consider the control
the powers that be hold over us, we have to consider one thing, what would true
emancipation look like, for us as individuals and as communities…
There are a couple of things that are clear once you have
given this one the time it deserves. It takes direct inspiration from Watership
Down, and like that story you might well chose to debate exactly what the
meaning of this one is. As you listen from track to track, it might appear that
this one is dep and that reading between the lines brings up different ideas
and meaning behind each track; perhaps that is real thing that sits in the
shadows here, which is that you can perhaps over analyse things as many of the
meanings here might well change depending on your own outlook on life and your
own challenges that have finally brought you to listening to the album. The
actual Concept is likely very simple; it is our own thoughts and impressions
that change the narrative to suit who we are and what we see in the world
around us. But let’s not let that take away the fact that this one does hit
hard, and it needs to do so because this is a world where we need a certain
awareness to keep us focused.
Keith/Part 2’s production is formidable here and helps
brings the emotive content to live as each track evolves. He brings an album
rooted in Hip Hop and Rare Groove and drops in hints of other influences that
give this one a fresh feel that will easily appeal to young and old alike.
There is not one overall sound here that you can easily drop on this one, yes,
the roots are undoubtedly in Hip Hop, with that deep funk soul vibe But, there
is enough packed into this one that keeps it feeling fresh across multiple
listens.
The lyricism and wordplay also play a huge part in how this
one is received. Each artist brings their own stamp to this one and there are
aspects of straight Hip Hop alongside grime and reggae aspects too. The flows
and depth of the wordplay from each is solid here and is one of the reasons
that this one has you guessing and second guessing along the way as there are
different interpretations to be contended with and one of the reasons, again,
that keep this one sounding so fresh.
Overall, Rabbit Cuts – Volume 1 hits with a depth and
strength that has this one standing out from the crowd. Production and
lyrically it pulls no punches and invites the listener to bring their own
experiences to the table, keeping it relevant and impactful across individuals
and communities. It just seems to tell a story that speaks to everyone. It also
has a sound that will have tracks bumped in clubs as well as keeping the
longevity of the album going beyond the foreseeable future. It is also clear
that Full Metal Rabid are ones to watch and have made a huge impact with this
one.
My huge thanks to Keith Hopewell (Part 2) for giving me the
chance to bring this one to you.
Rabbit Cuts – Vol. 1 is out now and available on
vinyl.
I’ll be seeing ya.
Steve.
LINKS
Grab your copy Here:
https://fullmetalrabid1.bandcamp.com/album/rabbit-cuts-volume-1
Stick-N-Move
Emancipation (Mound Builders)
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