EP Review: Smoke On The Water by Joe Blow

 

Smoke On The Water

By

Joe Blow

 

Smoke on the Water is a six track EP that was released back at the beginning of May this year through Veteran Records. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have had to delay the review until now.

Joe Blow is a veteran of the South Wales Underground and an emcee, producer and DJ. Smoke On The Water sees him teaming up with legendary Cardiff producer AckoBeatzuk, who produces the project, and the equally legendary DJ Jaffa, who provides all the cuts and scratching. Just looking at that line-up makes you want to stop everything and hit play.

This review will be the first time I have featured Joe Blow on his own solo project. However, I did feature him as a guest on 4Dee’sShots Fired album from 2023. Joe had a very early introduction to music as his mother would put a radio under his pram as a baby to help him sleep. Later he would play records from his brothers’ collection, on his brothers’ turntable while he was out, and would still do the same but, on his own turntable once he had one. In fact, it was discovering the 12 inch single of RUN DMC’s My Adidas, that would influence Joe’s musical tastes and dress code from that moment onwards. Later, Joe would go on to form the group Undecorated Veteranz, alongside 4DEE and the late DJ Stagga. Now, with over thirty years in the game Joe Blow is looking to cement his place in Hip Hop history…

 

The EP kicks off with Break Away where strings take the forefront, with a sprinkle of horns, over the solid head nod beat. This creates this vibe that brings feelings of summer days and sun filled winter getaways. Here Joe cleverly spins stories that are full of retrospective insights that speak of the situations and people you have to break away from in order to walk forward in life and your career. This is something that we can all associated with as we look back on our lives. There is a lot here that speaks on making the most of your life and always walking forward even if there are things and those you have to leave behind to do that, never let yourself get held back. Ride or Die sees the drums softened into the background as guitar and horn vibes take centre stage. This gives the whole sound a vibe that has that mariachi feel to it. Here that storytelling vibe speaks deeply on connecting with that special someone. A person who is more that just a significant other but, who is your best friend and has your back, no matter the situation. Less of a love story and more of a dedication to a love that runs deep. This is all finished off with some classic cuts from DJ Jaffa. We move into the half-way point of the EP with Super Nova. This one has a heavy guitar sound which gives this one a rock rap sound that tears the speakers open with the force of sun at the end of its life. This one is a platform for Joe Blow to set the stories and messages aside and literally just go all in and drop some insatiable bars that show the quality and intricacy of his wordplay. So, sit back and slap this one on and just bounce to it…

We cross the tipping point easily with Count Of Three where organ notes, guitars and psychedelic vibes merge with banging drum beat to give us the kinda sound that transcends the traditional sound of 3D world, taking you places unknown. Here we find Joe letting go of the world around him, not to just spit some sick rhymes but, to open up to the fact that sometimes to find the peace in the world it takes the smoking of a certain plant to aid taking to that place where you can that let go of reality and darkness in the world and find another place where you can find that peace and write the right rhymes. There is a feint air of the psychedelic vibe on Ten Outta Ten, where the beat is mixed with a harpsichord sound that helps blur the edges of reality once more. Here Joe is laying out all his cards on the table with a dash of braggadocio as he drops bars that tell us exactly what he is all about and how the work that goes into those bars makes that a solid Ten Outta Ten every time, and after listening to this one, I think you’ll agree. The Ep ends with High Noon, this one has a heavy sound that has this sound that seems to invade your mind with needle like sounds that keep you focused on the words while the cuts vibrate those needle like sounds, bringing a sound that is like funk on sci-fi. With this one the get the sense that Joe is basically saying that there comes a time when you have to stand and face what’s in front of you or maybe what’s within you?  Whatever it is that you stand and face, and for whatever the reason is, even if it is for a life of peace, you need to stand and face it for you, because you can’t face it for anyone else. This is his and your high noon, the point that everything has been flowing towards…

 

There is no doubt here that Smoke On The Water is a solid masterclass from Joe Blow. It has everything you could want from witty rhymes to complex wordplay, with polished flows too boot. Joe perfectly demonstrates why he is a veteran in the game. He does not let up or play safe but, gives everything 100%, giving us a release that stand up as one of the best so far this year; and if we are speaking of it being one of the best, then can’t overlook DJ Jaffa on the cut, who always delivers,  or incredible soundscapes from AckoBeatzuk, who has delivered a variety of sounds, all of which are rooted in the Hip Hop sound.

There really is not a whole lot more I can say that what I have already done so but, if you enjoy this one as much as I did then you will find yourself coming away from that with adrenaline buzzing through your veins and a deep desire to listen again while searching through Joe’s back catalogue on Bandcamp to see what else you can sink your ears into. This EP does do that; it makes you want to hear more from all involved. But what it does more than anything is to well and truly cement Joe Blow’s status into the annuls of Hip Hop history, not just in Wales or the UK, but into Hip Hop as a whole. It’s a bold statement I know but, there is just something about that witty, no nonsense style that says he deserves to be there.

So, if you have not heard this one yet, then I humbly advise you to give it a listen now, because you won’t regret it and will probably love it.

My humble thanks go to 4DEE for giving me the chance to bring you this one. Also, a huge sound out to Wordplay Magazine for the insights I gained through their interview with Joe.

 

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve.

LINKS

Get the EP from Bandcamp Here:

https://joeblow1977.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-on-the-water

Joe Blow on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/

Joe Blow on Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/joeblow01/

Smoke On The Water YouTube Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch

VIDEOS

Ride or Die (ft DJ Jaffa)

High Noon (ft DJ Jaffa)

 

 

 

 

Album Review: Shots Fired by 4Dee

 

Shots Fired

By

4Dee

 

Shots Fired is the latest album from Cardiff emcee 4Dee and, being this is the first time I have featured him, I felt it would be advantageous for me to give you some background on 4Dee.

One of the founding fathers of Hip Hop in Wales, 4Dee has been active in the scene since 1983 when breakin’ and electro first hit our shores. Originally starting out as a B-Boy he made his name with his crew Electro Force by battling other local crews. Even after moving on to become an emcee, he maintained close links with breakin’ and hosted events such as the Welsh Open B-Boy Championships, Original Flavours in Switzerland and Dark Circlez for the LA based global B-Boy organisation Battle Holex. He was also the European president of Battle Holex as well as a former UK Ambassador for the Zulu Nation.

4Dee picked up the mic around 85-86 and joined DJ Jaffa, MC Eric (who would go on the front chart-topping group Technotronic), acclaimed songwriter and musician Dike Okoh and other B-Boys, rappers, and Graff writers (another element of Hip Hop he has dabbled in) to form Cardiff’s original Hip Hop crew Hardrock Concept. Since then he has gone on to be a part of a number of groups such as: rock rap outfit Under The Gun (which gave him his first publishing deal with EMI); Undecorated Veteranz with Joe Blow and the late great DJ Stagga (who would go on the be a favourite producer of both the Dubstep and LA Beat Scene); and Sionis, with members of the multi award winning and ground-breaking youth group Underdogs, which 4Dee started in 1992 with his sister Berta (now sadly passed), and long term collaborator DJ Jaffa.

It would be many years later before 4Dee would release his first solo album. After a period of hardship and homelessness, he realised that he had strayed too far from the one thing that gave him hope and purpose, Hip Hop! Tackling his problems head-on, he got back to the studio to produce hid first proper solo release ‘Indelible’ in 2021, then in 2022 he released his second album ‘Frequencies’ and now in 2023 his third album Shots Fired is here. This album is an outlet for all his thoughts and frustrations of the past few years, and it harks back to the classic britcore sound in places but, never loses sight of where we are now. There are some guest appearances from Skinnyman and a host of Welsh artists too.

So, take a step back for just a second and let that all sink in…

Now join me as I step well and truly into the firing line.

 

With his finger pressed lightly on the trigger, twin lasers produce stereo red dots, one for each ear, guiding the musical frequencies with pinpoint accuracy to their destination, your ears, as the Intro prepares you for what is to come, with sonic sounds and a movie style audio, your attention is focus in one spot, what’s about to come. Then the shots erupt, cleansing your senses of every other sound which allows the strings and vocal samples to guide you to Darkstreetz III, before the beat kicks in and 4Dee takes you to streets of Cardiff. These are the dark streets of life that you can only get a grasp of through 4Dee’s emotive story telling an inner-city nightmare where people do what they do to survive or simply escape from the nightmare through a drug fuelled haze. With your mind still standing in the shadows of the place where darkness is your only friend, a heavy beat drops, catapulting you out of that dark space and into the light with The Anthem, which begins with some solid shout-outs. Those shout outs continue through the track alongside some classic samples, cutting and scratching, 4Dee’s anthem is a Hip Hop anthem and celebrates everything that makes Hip Hop what it is and more. You can’t do anything but, bounce to this one because it fuels the adrenaline inside you and allowing you close your eyes and feel the energy and vibration of what true Hip Hop is.

Unstoppable see’s Joe Blow join 4Dee as guitar vibes have us stepping into the track before a heavy beat explodes getting you jumping. Joe Blow and 4Dee bounce off each other with ease with a vocal display that demonstrates one thing, why they are Unstoppable. Next up is a little light relief with a Marching Skit, courtesy of Monty Pythons Flying Circus. But, if there is anything you’d rather be doing, like listening to the rest of the album, then off you go! But there is a warning to come of an imminent threat, that threat is Chemical Warfare. A melodic beat and electronic vibes set the tone for this one as 4Dee takes aim at the state of life around us. This is a society where chemicals are put in our food and sprayed in the skies above us But, not just that because it goes beyond the chemical as frequencies are manipulated under the guise of bringing us wireless internet and phone signals, invisible signals we have no control over and that permeate our bodies every day, just as do the chemicals in the food and the air around us.

MPD Skit opens up the subject of child trafficking and questions the narrative that they only do it due to borderline personality disorder. These are often highly organised groups who make a lot of money doing what they do. Are these people with BPD or just sick individuals catering to an even sicker clientele? With that thought in mind, you’re wondering what is next when the cut-up pocket watch chime from the movie A Few Dollars More grabs your attention followed by a heavy beat. The Hex Files see’s 4Dee voicing both sides in a battle of light and darkness, one side is the light in its current human form, whilst the other is the dark-side or an evil entity bent on an age-old revenge against what now the descendant of those who cast out the evil many years ago. It may even have you considering where the true definition of evil lies, in this case. We reach the mid-point of the album with Rebellious Energies a hardcore and raw beat with razor sharp cuts which has that britcore vibe running through every second. It might sound like this one is just a collection of intelligent metaphors and similes crafted into crowd rousing slice of audible goodness but, its more than that, because this is where the energy to take a stand begins, this the medium that speaks to those who need to hear it…

More pounding drums herald the arrival of Versed & Cursed, the faint sound of keys on the verses and the heavy bass and electronic vibe of the chorus gives this one sound that is akin to britcore mixed with horrorcore. 4Dee and Chew go in on this one that seems to almost explore the deepest darkest fears, whilst taking a look through the eyes of both good and evil. It’s almost a sequel to the Hex Files. With your soul in taters, you wonder if there is any way back to the land of the living But, there is a lifeline and comes in the most curious of ways as the Theme from Ironside rips into your consciousness literally dragging you back to life and preparing you for 8 Barz of Fire. Heavy drums, bass and strings combine to get your head nodding, exactly what you needed is seven plus minutes of pulse pounding, flame spitting and adrenaline pumping pleasure courtesy of 4Dee, Joe Blow, Mr Phormula, Delisha, Fiya Da Flame, Big Loon, Scott Keltic Knot, Emarvellous, Brighty, Ads The Barbarian, Versatyle, Ezquniverse, Melo, Dick Dastardly, Slammo, Chilly Chill, Swell, 7breaths, Chew Np11, Lex Scoops and DJ Jaffa. You wanted a posse cut Welsh Hip Hop style; well, you got it. Time for a short interlude courtesy of the My Pen is my Rifle Skit, as taken from Platoon, which symbolises the fact that the emcees main weapon is their pen, loaded with ammunition from their mind…

The ammunition in the mind of 4Dee is put to good use on the title track of the album, Shots Fired, also the one track on the album that is not produced by him, being produced by Acko. Pounding drums, cuts and synths give this one heavy feel which is based around a piece of classical music (which sadly escapes my memory right now). 4Dee uses everything in his verbal arsenal to unload a relentless salvo of bars to assault your mind, while also giving you the energy to jump around to this one. Next is another interlude in the form of the Stolen Skit, this one looks at the story of a very shady social worker who will obviously stop at nothing to remove a child from their parents. This is a rather scary vision that may or may not reflect things that can happen. It puts you in mind of a broken system that in turn is the product of a Broken Britain, the subject of the next track and see’s 4Dee being joined by Joe Blow and the legendary Skinnyman. The beat is a combination of melodic drums and guitar which creates this reflective vibe. The subject of this track is far to involved to go into in depth but, it extremely important for everyone to be educated on. The legal fiction or strawman was created by registering you birth, and it is a subject well worth researching and what it means for you as a person. This is how your country truly cares about you…  

No Paperwork Skit is another truly disturbing interlude with real people describing real events and shows what can happen is this so called ‘Great’ Britain. As you real from those words, drums pound your ears, closely followed by an electric bass sound that twists your every nerve. 4Dee then gives the Lowdown on who he is as a rapper. All you have to do here is to just listen and understand exactly what his pedigree is. On to the last track of the album, Ununited Kingdom has an upbeat vibe that combines drums, horns, keys, and cuts, for one of those keep you moving beats. 4Dee takes a look at the reality of nation we live in, this so-called United Kingdom or Great Britain but, is it really either of those things? The people who make this nation great have to deal with oppression, racism and control, the only thing that unites most of us is the fact that we are treated less like people and more like numbers or as an ends to a means. In the eyes of those in a position of power we are simply the workers, the ones they tread on to reach higher and higher wealth and power but, we are the ones with true power if we only realised it…

Phew, I mean what a ride that was…

That is what you might call a powerhouse of grown man Hip Hop. It shows an unflinching and unapologetic vision of what it is to live in the UK at this current time. It’s not a very pretty picture but, then when we are all struggling to pay our bills and to afford the essentials, or even making ourselves ill from a constant pursuit of money to live comfortably, there is no way to sugar coat it and that is exactly what 4Dee does here, he lays all the cards on the table and says ‘there ya go. That is the stark reality of society right now’. He does it in a way that anyone can sit and listen to it and say ‘yeah, I understand that. This guy knows what he’s talking about’. He speaks to everyone on a level that shows he knows how it feels to have been there, and it helps when you know people get where you’re coming from.

Shots Fired is a rollercoaster from start to finish. Yes, it’s dark in places but, that is the nature of our society but, it’s not all doom and gloom. There is still much to listen to and to simply enjoy and more than enough to get your heads nodding and fists pumping.

4Dee shows his pedigree in many ways here delivering some solid production that instinctively captures the soundscape of live and his wordplay and story writing has a true depth to it that only comes from experience of the highs and lows of what life has to offer. I have to take my hat of to him for delivering a stunning album here in which you can feel the roots of that real Hip Hop sound but, also one that is mixed with the gritty and raw power of true-life experience.

It would be amiss of me not to mention the guest artists who feature here. From the legendary figure of Skinnyman and long-time collaborators Joe Blow and DJ Jaffa, to the wealth of Welsh artists on 8 Barz of Fire, everyone of them brings their own style and presence to the album and what this does is pack the clip full of mind piercing vocal hollow points and turntable trickery as sharp as a bayonet.

There really isn’t much more I can say about this album except that I really advice you grab it and give it a listen. Because the only way to get the most out of it will be to immerse yourself in it personally.

Shots Fired is out today, exclusively on Bandcamp via Veteran Records, A label that might have only been going about a year but already has an impressive catalogue of releases. All other platforms will see the release on 14th May.

 

My humble thanks to 4Dee for asking me to review this and for the Bio which formed the foundation for the beginning of this article.

On that Note,

I’m out, See ya.

Steve.

LINKS

Shots Fired will be available through Bandcamp Here:

https://4dee1.bandcamp.com/music

Check the Veteran Records website Here:

https://veteranrecords.co.uk/

Veteran Records on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/veteranrecordsfb

Links for the Broken Britain single release (Inc. all streaming links):

https://songwhip.com/4dee/broken-britain

4Dee YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGapm2D36Ro79Ybrt7lvNkg

VIDEOS

Broken Britain

The Anthem