UNDILUTED
By
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 8th or 9th 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
https://www.instagram.com/ramson_badbonez/
Nuke Fam Records Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069127714724
https://www.instagram.com/nukefamrecords/
VIDEOS
Cymarshall Law Interview
