Single Review: On The Floor / Watcha Waitin' For (Feat. Blade) by Whirlwind D

 

On The Floor / Watcha Waitin For (feat Blade)

By

Whirlwind D

 

I have been pretty lucky to have been able to review pretty much every release from Whirlwind D since 2017’s Falling. So, I was hyped to hear that this latest release was coming, and when he mentioned it would be featuring the legendary figure, and a close friend, Blade, I was even more hyped.

As the man himself Whirlwind D has featured here many times, there is no need for me to introduce him in any way. The single is released through ae Productions and features production and cuts from Djar One, who also mixed the tracks at Beats House. Plus, there is also art and design from John Dyer to cap it all off.

So, there is not much more for me to say except, let’s get into it…

 

On The Floor finds Whirlwind D taking back; back beyond the times of labels, Solid N Mind and the Battle Tipped Rhyme, to speak on the toys that would be instrumental in the years before Hip Hop, Graff, BMX, and skateboarding would come along, and those toys would be left on the floor. Now, being of that same era but, also having a younger brother too, I can really associate with everything that D drops here from Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollor Man) and Skeletor (He Man), to the Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi toy cars, to building Airfix model kits of planes and even Star Wars vehicles. Thinking back over these times brings a smile and even a tear, these were, as D says, the times that shaped who we were and how we would interact with the world and people around us. These were good times when we had no cares and no worries before we grew and world seemed to change. This is the kind of reminiscing that brings so much enjoyment, and Whirlwind D brings it all back so vividly. But the enjoyment levels here don’t just come from D’s skilful wordplay, Djar One brings this upbeat sound that mixes in funk fuelled keys and horns with the kind of head nod, body moving beat that broadens your smile and really helps to crystallise those vivid memories; even the cuts here seem to have a vibrant upbeat feel to them. In fact, this one is so infectious that you kind of want to spin it a few times before flipping it over.

However, flip it over is something you have to do because the B-Side is Watcha Waitin’ For and see’s D linking up with Blade. Djar One brings a deep 70’s, Prince style funk vibe here with cuts, keys and bass that make you nod your head slowly while thinking to yourself, ‘Oh Yeah’. While you are bouncin’ to this one, there is a solid message here that D and Blade make perfectly plain and simple for you to understand. That message is that it is ok to have dreams about the future but, just sitting back and crystallising those dreams is not enough; you need to work towards them, reach out and take hold of those dreams and make them happen for you. It will take you a lot longer to achieve anything unless you have the determination and drive to make it happen, and that means working through all those doubts, feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Remember, practice makes perfect, or close to it anyway. So, practice over and over, be unapologetically yourself, show them your authenticity and don’t try to be like someone else.  

 

Overall, what can you say about two completely solid tracks like these? Either could be an A side track, they both have that strength and emotive content. Both have equally powerful messages to say on different subject matter that speak to you on different levels bringing enjoyment, reflection, and motivation.

As always Whirlwind D uses his intelligent and distinctive wordplay, with differing flows, to bring you solid Hip Hop vocals that speak to you in a way that you have no problem having on with youngster’s around, making them a pleasure to listen to, as you get to hear every word he says; and that is also reflected by Blade who drops his intellectual wordplay in the same way. Blade might not make many appearances these days but, when he does there is always a depth to his words that goes beyond normal thought patterns, and you have to read between those lines.

There is just so much to like here on this release. On The Floor has Whirlwind D in full on reflective mode bringing us the kind of feel good vibes we all need right now, while Watcha Waitin’ For sees D and Blade working so well together in bringing a track that has a deeper aspect, speaking to you on a whole other level but, still with an enjoyment factor that rocks the spot.

Both of these tracks are underpinned by the production from Djar One who shows here just who you can take that funky Hip Hop to a level that raises the bar every time. Djar One has a knack of producing funky Hip Hop vibes that can elevate any track but, that also have a life of their own as instrumental tracks with an upbeat feel that makes them such a joy to listen to.

There is nothing left to say except this is one release you need this year and will stand head and shoulders with other summer releases.

On The Floor / Watcha Waitin’ For is released today, so don't sleep on this one.

As always, my humble thanks to Whirlwind D for giving me the chance to bring you this one as an exclusive.

I’ll see ya next time,

Steve.

LINKS

Grab your copy of the single Here:

https://whirlwindd.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-floor-watcha-waitin-for

Stream on Spotify Here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/

Whirlwind D Socials:

https://www.instagram.com/whirlwind.d/

https://www.facebook.com/solidnmindrap

 

 

 

 

Exclusive Single Review: Space Bear Clique / Waiting In The Wings by Doozer

 

Space Bear Clique / Waiting in the Wings

By

Doozer

Produced by Djar One, Cuts by Specifik

 

It is an absolute pleasure to bring you an exclusive review of the upcoming addition to the B-Line Recordings catalogue. Space Bear Clique and the flip side Waiting in the Wings is a forthcoming single release from longtime B-Line collaborator the Doozer (Critically Ill, Contraflow Collective), featuring production from French producer and another B-Line collaborator Djar One, the single also features cuts from B-Lines head honcho himself, Specifik.

Now, this single has actually been sitting on the shelf for a little while, so its interesting that the B-side is called Waiting in the Wings as this single has been doing just that. I had a sniff of this one while having a chat with B-Line’s own Whirlwind D on a trip to Southampton some months back. This review was initially written for the Headz-zine Vol. 2 Issue 2, written and compiled by Adam De Paor-Evans (Project Cee). It came about when my initial review for this edition did not materialize and so I decided to reach out to Specifik to see if he would like me to review it here and give you a taste of what’s to come.  

Without further ado, let’s get into it…

Space Bear Clique

Violins, cuts, and a proper funky beat get your head nodding from the get-go on this one, in fact there is something about the sound and the vibe from Djar One that’s gets your whole body movin’, swaying from side to side as your head moves. This one seems to be precariously balanced between a serious and tongue-in-cheek as Doozer takes a shot at the social media era that we now find ourselves in. It is a time where so many people appear less interested in their own lives and dreams and far more interested in the latest funny meme that everyone is customising for their own ends, just to get a laugh or poke fun at some unfortunate person or celebrity figure. But, it’s not all that serious as Doozer takes a shot at flat earthers and the fact that there are plenty of people out there who will believe anything that is one the internet, as he points out you could say the earth is round and is being juggled by huge space bear and shortly there would be a whole clique rising from the belief that it is real. There are messages within this, like don’t be so serious about what you see on the internet, take a lot of it with a pinch of salt and don’t get drawn into everything you see. Also, don’t get distracted by the constant stream of memes that constantly invade your awareness when you scroll your social media feeds, they might be funny but, they also distract you from the reality of what’s going on around you and some, to be honest, are simply exploiting the pain of others. The real message though is just to not forget who you are and the dreams you have and don’t let the internet and social media distract you from what truly matters.

 

Waiting in the Wings

For this one Djar One combines another solid boom bap beat with some xylophone notes to create another infectious sound that has the energy to get you moving or just sit nodding your head to, like I’m doing right now. This one has a bit more of a serious edge to it as Doozer focuses on what’s going on in the world around him right now. The more you listen the more it become apparent that this is looking at all the changes that happen around us from the rising cost of living to those who govern and those who protest. So many of the choices we encounter or make, result in a negative outcome because to much focus is placed on making one thing happen and less on just how to get to that conclusion. Rising prices put more and more pressure on those who already struggle, because prices rise because of the greed of those with the ultimate control. So, many poor decisions are made because too many are feeding their own ego’s instead of focusing on what truly matters in their lives. The thing is that with every facet of life in all we do there is so often someone else standing by to take our place either through our own failings or by taking advantage and pushing you aside. We need our choices to have a positive impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. We all stand by those who mean something to us, if that sentiment could be broadened and adopted by everyone then who knows what world we could create for ourselves.

 

It is obvious from my extended reviews for each track here that they both elicited and fairly strong response in me; in fact, and if I’m honest, I could have written much more but, I always enjoy when I listen to something that allows me to do this because it means that even if I have not got the meaning of the track exactly, it does mean that I felt enough for it to allow my feeling to connect on some level and often that enough and Doozers words and how he crafts those for each track, certainly got me thinking and feeling, to the point my mind was nearly running away with me. He definitely has a skilful way of taking a message and spinning it in such a way through wordplay that it is both entertaining and thought provoking. Doozer is definitely one of the UK’s underrated rap artists, in my humble opinion.

If we are speaking of skill, then we can’t overlook Djar One or Specifik. Djar One is one of those producers who has this uncanny talent for taking the most obscure samples and flipping them into something brand new that can bring a smile to your face and have your head nodding on an almost unconscious level, and here are two great examples of what he does. One the face of it they seem to be two cracking Hip Hop boom bap beats but, when you go beyond that you realise that it takes a keen mind to know exactly how to chop up a sample and to add in all the little elements to get it just right and here two perfect examples as to why Djar One is one of the best out there. As for Specifik, well, what would a Hip Hop track be with out some cuts? Well, without cuts it could always be a little better and here Specifik shows just how a DJ/Producer knows how to put the right cuts in the right place to add that extra something to each track. It seems like a six-sense know how to select the right cuts and scratch pattern to bring the track alive.

When all is said and done Space Bear Clique and Waiting in the Wings are not just a welcome addition to the B-Line catalogue but, I can see this single doing big things on its release. So, I would say don’t sleep on this one because those 7-inch singles are gonna go quicker than a shooting star streaking across the night sky.

Space Bear Clique and Waiting in the Wings will be available soon through B-Line Recordings in conjunction with Hip Hop Be Bop and features some great artwork and direction from John Dyer.

On that note,

I’ll see you next time.

Steve

LINKS

The single has not been released yet so keep watch on socials for details of the release date.

Please expect to see copies over at Hip Hop Be Bop:

https://hiphopbebop.com/

Single Review: End Of Your Era by MNEA

 

End Of Your Era

By

MNEA

 

End Of Your Era is the latest release on the awesome UK Hip Hop Label Live From The Groove. The Debut release comes from the artist collective know as MNEA, who are based across the UK and collaborate remotely to produce their own take on Hip Hop. Production comes from Conbel Evrence, with co-production, mixing and mastering from Dweller, Vocals by Dweller and Scrabbleshots, cuts by DL Simon C and Artwork from Tuff Draft Design. The flip side of this single release is a remix from dope producer Djar One, out of France.

So, I’m not gonna keep you waiting around, let’s get into this…

 

The first thing that hits you about End Of Your Era is how the beat, keys, bass, multi-layered sounds and cuts combine to bring this head nod vibe that immediately takes over your whole body. It just seems that your whole body assimilates the sound and vibe making you both one for the duration of the track. Once the beat has you hooked you are able to listen and feel the words that form the basis of the message within. The message comes across in the form of this emotive tale of looking back at life and how far we have come and realising that the innocent outlook we had on life as children never really prepare us for what’s to come on the journey of life. We progress thorough life understanding that the road in front of us never becomes clearer but, is littered with decisions to make and hurdles to be overcome that will help us walk forward and grow as individuals, constantly moving and pushing on until we reach the End of Your Era. The message here really seems to be that life is all about making the most of what inspires us and helps us to grow along the way, it’s not always an easy journey but, if we make the most of every opportunity, we will always that we have done our very best in live.

So, the flip side of the single is the remix from Djar One which keeps the vocal message and its emotive context but takes the sound scape to another level. Djar One keeps the reflective vibe of the original single while giving it a slightly more mellow, upbeat sound. With this remix, Djar One helps you to imagine yourself chilling on a warm summer’s eve in a group of friends, musing over life’s journey to date; the ups and downs, the challenges and the crossroads life has put in front of you, all the while speaking from the heart, realising just how far you’ve come and that you are still here, walking forward with purpose.

Sometimes its difficult to come up with words that express the overall feel of single, EP or album and that is exactly how I’m feeling now as I sit here, ready to sum up this single but, and I’ve said this before, this single and the remix are perfect representations of just how powerful music can be. Here we have a Hip Hop single, that puts in to music, how we can so often reflect back over our lives and how those trials, tribulations and inspirations, have shaped who we are in that moment and it comes across in such a way as to be relevant to any one of us; and because it is so relatable it can’t help but, stir those deep down emotions within you, regardless of your musical tastes.

What MNEA have here is a single of which you can play either side in the car, club, on the radio, at the BBQ and so on and it will get people moving and speaking on heir own experiences. For me, this is essential listening for the summer and beyond, it’s just never gonna get old.

Huge props to MNEA and Djar One for crafting such a great audible experience.

End Of Your Era is available on Live From The Groove today on strictly limited 7” vinyl and digital.

My Thanks to Dweller for sending this one my way.

 

On that note…

Yeah, I’m outta here,

See Ya.

Steve.

LINKS

Get your copy of the Vinyl from the LFTG Website Here:

https://www.livefromthegroove.com/product/m-n-e-a-end-of-your-era-7-vinyl-single-45rpm

Grab a copy from the LFTG Bandcamp Here:

https://livefromthegroove.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-your-era-djar-one-remix

Everything Live From The Groove Here:

https://linktr.ee/livefromthegroove