Another Planet is a single released at the end of
July 2020 by Cult Encounters Co a stateside Hip-Hop Collective/Label from Michigan,
was formed in 2015 by Tylr C and $adflcko. The track was produced by label mate
DMTree and features the verbal dynamo that is A-F-R-O.
The first thing to note is there is no chorus on this
single, it’s just straight bars from these guys. There is a distinct laid-back
jazzy vibe to this track but, there is also an undertone of a spaced out feel
that seems ooze into the track from some other dimension.
Each emcee handles their verse with precision. A-F-R-O, up
first, displays his ability to rap to any beat, vibe or pace flipping words and
similes like he’s straight off some other worldly place. The Cult Encounters
follow up with two distinct verses: the first looking at the aspects of self,
music and the world around us and the second focusing on the things people do
just to get by. Tylr C and $adflcko show they are more than able to hold their
own as they stand shoulder to shoulder with A-F-R-O and together the three
craft the kind of track that is highly listenable, draws you in and ultimately
makes you question which reality you are livin’ in.
What I really liked about this was the fact that it was
crafted in a way that allows you to enjoy word spoken and really feel the
essence of what these guys were putting across. Cult Encounters are definitely
one to watch and Tylr C will be dropping his solo album Deadman Walkin on
April 7th 2021 so, they have plenty going on.
Peace Out,
Steve
You can check out Another Planet and all releases from Cult Encounters Co and links on their Bandcamp Page Here:
One thing I decided to do, on moving to Somerset, was to
link up with some local artists and finally in 2020 that began to happen.
Following the end of the first lockdown I saw an advert for the launch of an
album titled Fifth Symphony by one Big Smokin’ Joe. The ad appeared in several
places around Glastonbury including The King Arthur Pub, Heart of the Tribe
Gallery and Rogues Gallery (the owner of which I got to know through Styles of
Somerset). So, as you do, I went on social media found Big Smokin’ Joe and
dropped him a message. Following that we met up in a sun-drenched Glastonbury
for a bit of a chat and Joe was kind enough to give a copy of the album and
invite me along to the Album launch night so, it was only right that I drop a
review for everyone.
Now due to all the restrictions caused by the pandemic the
album launch party, which was to be a mini tour around Glastonbury, ended up
being the last night before lockdown 2 came into force, the 4th
November 2020. It was a cracking night with some great music and great people.
Before I digress too much lets do the right thing and jump
straight into the album and a quick track by track breakdown…
The album kicks off with Joe taking all those young
rapscallions back to school on Welcome Class. Just a little tongue in
cheek intro the demonstrates his love for one Sean Price. From that
light-hearted start we step into a laidback track with some electric floating
through the background as Joe drops his Opening Prayer, and here he
gives us some background and reasons for dropping the album and then hitting a
shout out to all those who have brought his music. The vibe remains on the
laidback tip with some sweet piano and flute as Mr Joe gives us a look
at what it is to be Big Smokin’ Joe on a daily basis and reasons why you should
or shouldn’t hire him.
From being laidback to a big funky, seventies soundtrack
vibe with funked up piano and bass as Too Nice demonstrates a deeper
side to Joe as you get the feeling here this is a person you can come to, even
on your worst days and take some time to step away from dark side of life. Five
Times hits with heavy boombap feel with some dope piano and bass to boot.
This track is all about this being album five, dropping nuff wrestling
references and just saying crazy shit for a laugh, no offence…
More wrestling references drop on Say Woo, heavy on
the piano vibe here as we are treated to trip around the life of Joe, Hip Hop
and the kinda things you do that make you say WOO like Ric Flair. The piano
vibe keeps coming but, this time fuelled by a big head nod beat that creates a
vibe you could lose yourself in as Joe drops similes a plenty as we get a
glimpse into his mind in Underbelly Again. From the underbelly of the underground,
we are jolted back to reality with a flute which blends with a pounding beat
and a chilled-out guitar vibe on James Brown as we look back and forward
in life, Hip Hop and the things that make it, what its all about…
Sway Shit hits us hard and heavy with some deep dark
piano and brass elements, get a message that you need to take inspiration from
what you see around you and turn that, even if its ill-gotten gains, into
something positive to entertain. There is also an important message behind Own
Two where its all about doing it for yourself and knowing you don’t owe anyone,
it’s all you and this realisation hits you as you drift along to a jazzy piano
vibe and chilled head nod beat. From deep understandings to a light-hearted
look at the seduction of the flesh between two people with Dark and Seductive,
all over a deep and seductive guitar vibe and a beat to get ya foot tappin’ and
ya head goin’ too, yeah…
Killa Bee drops with by taking funky bass to the next
degree and the beat here fits Joes verbal delivery perfectly as he drops line
after line about the art of boxing and hitting hard from the first bell. Class
Dismissed is a short thank you message from Joe to a fresh and floaty vibe
that puts you in mind of waking on a summer’s day or something but, anyway lets
get back to the funky head nod vibe its Will & Joe, looking at a
brighter future by having fun at those live shows, you remember live shows
right…
So, what can I say about this album…
After chatting with Joe, going to the live show, and
listening to the album one thing is perfectly clear, Big Smokin’ Joe is all
about having a laugh and keeping both feel planted fairly and squarely in the
good times and that is something that is so important. Now, it’s true, that not
everyone will agree with the way he does this on some tracks but, not everyone
agrees all of the time and that’s fine. This is music that reflects the kinda
stuff we talk about everyday and the way we joke about it. Everyone will make
an inappropriate comment here and there and it’s ok as there is no bad intentions,
it’s just about making light of any situation and finding a place inside where
you can laugh about it, let off steam, all in a good way. In fact, you could
say this album is like a group of friends sat around chatting over a few drinks
and a doobie or three, just chewing the fat and taking a comedic look at life.
That is what I get from Joe’s brand of Hip Hop and that’s cool because we have
comedians in the world and we need that in Hip Hop too and if you like that,
then you need to listen here as this is definitely your thing.
Photo: Copyright S. Rider - Infinite Images
To be honest I really enjoyed every aspect of this album
from that light-hearted vocal style to the mixing up of vibes across the album
it all works really well and is the kinda album you can bung on and have a good
time listening to on you own or with a group of mates.
The album is produced and written entirely by Joe himself
and that is no mean feat in todays world and the fact he has dropped five in
such a short space of time is more than impressive. What is also impressive that
Joe does not use a host of guest artists on his albums, even though he knows
plenty, its all him doing his thing But, not just that he releases everything
himself through EyeManifest Records and does his own artwork and clothing range
too, I mean props where props are due right.
Now Big Smokin’ Joe loves Basketball and plays a lot at
Abbey Park in Glastonbury, as pictured on the album cover by Miss Ana, so, in
terms of basketball how does this album score, that’s simple Fifth Symphony is
a slam dunk, no question and its available now.
It seemed right to me that I started 2021 with the new album
by Uncle Mic Nitro, Vincent On Horseback. Why, well the answer is simple. Four
years ago, it was the release of Mindstate Krakatoa and the chance to collect
my vinyl from the man himself that was the catalyst that catapulted me to
Infinite Sounds and was the first album release I reviewed.
That review was raw and full of energy and I might have
matured a little since then but, getting the chance to review this new release,
which has been eagerly awaited for a couple of years now, was simply too much
for me and had to be done.
Once again, the emcee from my home city of Southampton has
brought in a quite wicked line up of guest artists to stand tall alongside him,
they include Joe Burn, Ultramagnetic Ced Gee, Ramson Badbonez, A.J., Juga-Naut,
Micall Parknsun, Klashnekoff, Greg Blackman, Krash Slaughta, Jabbathakut, DJ
Tones and B-Line Recordings Specifik, not to mention a special guest appearance
from one Noah Churton, a definite star in the making.
Now legend has it that even with family life and the birth
of his son, Mr Mic Nitro was not resting on his laurels and the legend states
that during these missing four years he was still able to amass enough material
to fill more than just Vincent’s horse’s back? Is the legend true, well if the
odd post on social media is to be believed then yes but, will it ever come to
light? Who knows, I guess we will have to wait and see what happens after
Vincent rides off into the sunset.
Anyway, I digress.
As often happens with listening to an album this one took me
on a trip through the Hip-Hop Wild West. Now the not so dusty streets of
Southampton, even the outskirts of the said city, may not seem like the right
setting but, let me take a little artistic license as I transport you to a Wild
West setting in no particular space and time or universe…
In the dusty afternoon sun, a mysterious dark figure cuts a
stark contrast to the bight sun. As he saddles his horse, the breeze blows a
tumbleweed of old wack lyrics scribbled on various lined paper but, the dark
figure pays it no mind and continues about his business. His saddle bags crammed
full of notebooks around his waist is strapped two Colt 45 Mic Peacemakers,
under his hat and beneath his scalp his mind is ablaze with mind-bending
lyrical fury…
From the left a group of figures approach and one calls out
to the dark figure by the horse. One calls out “Hey Vincent, you leavin’ so
soon MoFo, we ain’t even….” But. Before he can finish his sentence, the mayhem
begins….
The pounding beat of Doc Ryan Mac’s production hits, with a
mix of piano, horn and electronic hints and our hero lets off an unrelenting
hardcore vocal display that pulls no punches and serves as a warning to those
who step up that you better Play Dead if you don’t wanna get served. DJ
Tones steps from the shadows and let’s fly with twin Derringer cuts. The group
of figures stand dumbfounded trying to reach for their own mic’s but, before
they can draw Featurecast steps in with a jazzy horn infused proper head nod
beat. DJ Tones switches to a pair a sawed-off Double-barreled turntables
delivering devastating cuts while our hero is joined by that son of a gun, Joe
Burn and together they whip up a vocal frenzy that leaves the challengers heads
spinning and threatens to Snap Ya Neck. Before the dust can settle the
leader of the band steps up to the challenge. Now our hero has faced this dude
before and that time Bod got slapped up but, will it be the same this time?
From the clouds of dust, Krash Slaughta appears and opens up with deafening
volley of frantic cuts and a big beat that booms with a cinematic vibe. Our
hero is flanked by Ultramagnetic Ced Gee and Ramson Badbonez, and one after the
other they take turns to lyrically slap the taste from Bod’s mouth, the result
being the same as last time, Bod Gets Slapped Up (The Krash Slaughta Remix).
Our mysterious hero leaves this town and heads off hoping to
finally leave the bad times behind but, along the way he meets Zasa who
is in need of rescuing from some mumbling bandits. So, a short melee ensues as
A.J. and Specifik join the fight. Quick-draw rhyming and Gatling gun cuts
obliterate the competition as DJar One drops some frantic beats with some
cinematic gun smoke to boot. Our hero gets back on his horse and resumes his
journey. But, as he enters a deep canyon, flanked by steep hills he becomes
uneasy and realizes, almost too late, that The Hills Are Alive. Speaks
pounding drum production signals that all is not as it seems, then the introduction
of an eerie guitar vibe adds to the high strangeness. It looks as if our hero
is descending into the mouth of madness as he battles with the feeling of eyes
on him all the time, wrestling with reality and the workings of his own mind.
As he battles the demons within and without, he removes several bottles of
liquor from his saddle bags and fuelled by an 80’s synth vibe, courtesy of
Ollie Knight and Uncle Mic Nitro, he seeks solace from the darkness. But, in
taking a sip from the first bottle, and as the fiery liquid burns its way down
his throat, he blinks and wonders to himself should he really Keep Drinking?
Realizing that the liquor is no good for him our hero needs
something to satisfy his thirst and so, remembering the recipe of a popular
drink, he sets off to gather the ingredients. From Ollie Knight he gets some
liquid Jazzy vibes with a Hip-Hop feel-good injection of fizz and some lemons.
Then he enlists the assistance of Juga-Naut and the slicing skills of one
Jabbathakut to be left with a refreshing hit of Hip-Hop Lemonade
providing exactly what he needs. Feeling refreshed our hero sits back and his
thoughts turn to home, the Journey behind him and old friends. He closes his
eyes and his mind drifts to roaming the land with some of those he called
brothers. A heavy boombap style beat kicks in from one of those bros, Ryan Mac,
the beat and distant memories of sublime cuts from Jabbathakut it stirs more
memories of Klashnekoff and Micall Parknsun and he drifts off into the
dreamworld of their adventures, wicked tunes, opium dens, saloons and acting
like New Planet Goons. Waking from this weird dream he stares at dawn’s
early light, as it peeks over the horizon, and his memories shift to those
early mornings at home and as these memories rise within him, Micall Parknsun
drops a piano heavy laid-back vibe and our hero sits up, wipes the sleep from
his eyes, and muses over the ups and downs of life, relationships, and the hard
edge you often need just to get by. He also thinks of his son, Noah, and
helping him find Where The Monster Is and the pure love of his words,
which still ring in his ears as he sets off on the final leg of his journey,
and as the sun rises steadily higher, our hero looks forward to his journeys
end and soon enjoying everything it means to be truly home.
As her steps foot on the path that will take him back to his
loved ones, our hero is joined by Greg Blackman and as they ride together for a
short time, they are accompanied by the soulful production of Ollie Knight and
Uncle Mic Nitro and together they reminisce on a long career and the highs,
lows, challenges, fun times had along the way and what is like to Write.
The upbeat vibe here is the perfect way to keep ya head nodding. Although our
journey is nearing its end, and as the sun begins to set, there is still time
for one last fun filled blast as our hero decides to empty his ammunition into
one last hoorah. A Coming To America sample kicks us off blending into some
huge banging beats with an instantly recognizable classical backdrop that will
have you dancing on your toes and screaming along with our hero, Fuck You!
The perfect way to end the journey is for our hero, along with Featurecast’s
production, to provide us with something akin to a truly unapologetic and
energy filled Hip-Hop Opera, accompanied by Jabbathakut who deftly chews up
records and spits out cuts. With his ammunition spent our hero lays his trusty
mic guns in a velvet lined box and places them in his saddle bag and one last
time we see Vincent On Horseback as he rides off towards home and into the
sunset…
OK, so I know this is not your average review style piece
but, you know, this is what came to me and that is always what I go with. Uncle
Mic Nitro aka Alex Churton has said this will be his final album and seeing him
head off into the sunset is sad because this album is one of those instant
classics that can also be given the moniker of being a true masterpiece.
Being one of the UK’s hardest spitting emcee’s his talent is
almost certainly second only to very few and he may well consider himself as
too old and fat but, I have to say that there are few out there who have the
lyrical prowess and presence on the mic that he does. He showed it with Dark
Craftsmen and with his own Uncle Mic Nitro releases he has, in my view,
cemented his place in the history of the UK scene.
To bring us Vincent on Horseback, he has walked a journey
through the shadow of death and come out the other side as a slightly more
polished version of himself. However, in becoming this more polished version,
he has lost none of that edge, that unapologetic hardcore and ‘not afraid to
speak his mind’ self. Still more than able to create dazzling wordplay and an
ability to drill syllables into your ears with the speed of the fastest gun in
the West and force of jack hammer. The whole album flows as effortlessly as
water will flow across a wide range of landscapes, always flowing forwards and cutting
its own path towards the ocean.
As I always like to point out, Vincent On Horseback is a
complete package.
The production is inspired and creates a whole range of
soundscapes that can take you anywhere and draws on the skills of producers
local to the south coast and beyond here in the UK but, also stepping further
afield to bring exactly the sound that is needed. The guest artists all fit
precisely into the mix and bring exactly the kinda mind weaponry needed, from
the those who are newer to the scene to the cream of the UK scene and those
more legendary figures, there is no one here that is out of place for any
reason. They only serve to enhance that which is already there, all standing
shoulder to shoulder.
No release of this nature would be complete without the
stunning artwork and that has been provided by John Dyer. John’s Artwork and
design is second to none and truly adds that extra dimension that takes a
release like Vincent On Horseback, to the next level.
I’d also like to give a special mention here to the original
version of Bod Gets Slapped Up. If you have not heard this yet, then you need
to. It was released by Burning Anger/Britcore Rawmance as part of the Seven
Deadly Sins 7” series. So, check that as well, I’ll drop a link below.
So, as the sun sets over the prairie (in this case, that is
the stark vision of Southampton docks with it’s huge shipping cranes and a hint
of the New Forest in the background) and we consider the legacy of Uncle Mic
Nitro, we hope (well I’m hoping anyway) this is not the last we have heard from
him and perhaps some music from the vaults or the odd guest appearance will
still see him dropping more verbal delights. But whatever happens, we say
thanks for the musical madness and wish him the best for the future.
Who knows, we may yet see the Son of Nitro in the years to
come.
Vincent On Horseback is released by B-Line Recordings and
Hip Hop Be Bop Records, very soon.
I would like to give a personal big shouts and thanks to
Alex Churton (Uncle Mic Nitro) for being the catalyst that sent me on the way
to doing what I now do, Shaun Dowling of Hip Hop Be Bop Records for asking to
review this and for the amazing care package last year, and last but by no
means least, Simon Frankland (Specifik) of B-Line Recordings for all the B-Line records I’ve
been asked to review and for the amazing Rope-a-Dope events that have introduced
me to so many friends and created an amazing community of people.
