Drifting - Fliptrix

New video from the High Focus supremo for the Kerem Fraiche produced "Drifting" It's yet another set of visuals to compliment Fliptrix's brilliant new album, "Third Eye Of The Storm".  I'm not going to say much else; there's a big review further down the page if you want my opinions. Just kick back and bump it...

SB.TV F64 (Series 3, Episode 36) - Mikill Pane

The SB.TV camp have been churning out F64's at a stupid rate this season.  The latest from Mikill Pane is something you have to get your ears around.  Ever the maverick, its refreshing to find someone that always seems to push the boundaries and perceptions in order to create something new.  Pane is a gifted lyricist and if you haven't already downloaded it, make sure you look for the link on the right to his latest EP, "You Guest It". Different makes a difference...

The Gentlemen's Club - Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn

Another dose of Wordplay business.  Short and sweet this time; a free EP from Brighton collaborators Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn.  Follow the link...

http://www.wordplaymagazine.com/2012/04/reviews/frankie-stew-harvey-gunn-the-gentlemens-club/

Rappertag Catch Up: #9-11 - Cappo, Konny Kon & Fallacy

Easy people! I've been a little slow in keeping you in the picture when it comes to the UK Rappertag.  There's been three new links since the last post.  Cappo, Konny Kon and Fallacy all respectively smash it and Fallacy's choice for the next spot has got me smiling big time. Should be something special.  You know the deal...

 

Third Eye Of The Storm (Review) - Fliptrix / High Focus Takeover

After donning a mask and adopting an ornithological alter-ego to play his role in one of last year's finest LPs (The Four Owl's "Natures Greatest Mystery" if you've been sleeping), High Focus' head honcho is back in the solo spotlight with his third full outing, "Third Eye Of The Storm".

Fliptrix's debut "Force Fed Imagery", whilst a little rough around the edges, showcased a raw energy that made him stand out from the masses as one to watch. His follow up, the brilliant "Theory Of Rhyme", was a much more polished affair and cemented Fliptrix's standing in the Hip Hop community. Following the lateral progression, the latest LP sees Fliptrix at his most composed and lyrically enlightening. Seemingly maturing as an artist and individual, he has crafted a body of work to stimulate both mentally and sonically.Right from the off, the personal and lyrical evolution is evident.

Over Chemo's moody, synth-laden composition, "The Storm" finds Fliptrix addressing society's neglect of its natural environment before progressing to the chilling "War To Your Door" suggesting "So it's war that they dabble with/ Act like a mans flesh comparable to mannequins". Deep stuff!

Passing through the almost hypnotic stylings of the Dilligence produced, Ramson Badbonez and Jam Baxter assisted “Frontline Terror”and the first single “Mind Travelling”, Fliptrix maintains the intelligent and thought provoking wordplay; epitomised perfectly on “Me Against The World”. Over Jon Phonics mellow harmonies and rhythmic drum patterns, Fliptrix discusses the loss of his grandfather, encapsulated poignantly with the lines, “Time is precious/ Better use it to define its worth”.

As “Third Eye…” nears the halfway line, a few guests are invited to add an alternative direction the LP’s journey. Farma G nonchalantly floats over the heavy drum loops of “Soundscapes”, delivering the standard lyrical gems you would expect from the Taskforce camp and “Third Eye Sight” finds Jehst stamping his trademark verbal swagger over Naïve’s beat. My personal favourite of the three clustered collaborations is “Walk This Way”. Chemo’s reggae/ dub production suits Buggsy down to the ground but taking Fliptrix out of his normal comfort zone sees him up his game and adds a whole new dimension to the project.

After Leaf Dog’s anthemic, no doubt herbally induced anthem “Wylin’Out”, pianos take the lead. The simple loop and boom bap percussion of “It’s No Lie” is a simile laden ‘head-nodder’,which is quickly followed by another personal favourite, “Nothing’s Quite As It Seems”. Based around another ‘ivory tinkling’ sample, Fliptrix and Verb T’s gruff and smooth respective sounds once again complement and strike balance with each other as they always seem to.

As the album draws to a close, the levels surprisingly rise once more. “The Essence”, another standout, is Fliptrix at his reflective peak. Over Kontigo’s spiritual instrumentation, Fliptrix laments “So I’m pissed with the piff and a Rizla with griz in/ Missing the days when we were just kids ‘n/ Man it’s all so far from this, what happened?” This is then followed with Fliptrix verbally painting the picture of his perfect “Paradise”. Where the album kicked off with a sombre vibe, Chemo decides to sign off with an uplifting guitar and infectious drum loop combination. Albeit a brief affair, “Sun’s Down” is a triumphant, “made it to the other end of the tunnel” conclusion; perhaps a nod to the musical journey that has been partaken by the listener. “It’s alright now, I’ve seen the sun dawning/ It’s early morning plus the rain ain’t falling”.

Despite some heavyweight production and stellar cameos, “Third Eye Of The Storm” is Fliptrix at his absolute prime. He seems to have discovered an innate ability to be questioning mortality one minute then celebrating his ‘horticultural habit’ the next, without losing any credibility. It appears that Fliptrix is in a place of musical tranquillity, perhaps having spawned from the success of “Nature’s Greatest Mystery”, and the way in which he twists and turns the narrative through a blend of sounds and subjects depicts an individual that is at one with his art form.

“Third Eye Of The Storm” is thoughtful, honest and encapsulating music at its finest. If you consider the 3 EPs that dropped in the run up to the LP’s release, the 22 tracks combine to create Fliptrix’s best project to date. It goes without saying you need this in your life! Make sure you head to www.high-focus.com to get a physical copy or if don’t wish to rely on our country’s efficient postal system, hit iTunes and download a copy now - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/third-eye-of-the-storm/id518022413

HIGH FOCUS TAKEOVER

THE SOUL CELLAR, SOUTHAMPTON

Reaching the tail end of The Four Owls tour and to celebrate the release of "Third Eye Of The Storm", the High Focus team converged on the South Coast to take over The Soul Cellar for a night of hectic Hip Hop. I don't think it would be sacrilege to suggest that High Focus can now be mentioned alongside the likes of Low Life,YNR etc as heavyweights in the scene; they're gradually taking over the world, its merely a matter of time! Fliptrix, Verb T, Jam Baxter and Dirty Dike all delivered some epic solo sets (including the mandatory stage diving) before the Owls took flight and tore the place down. Although I forgot my proper camera, amongst the madness I managed to get a few videos of the the action on my phone. There may be more to come but my Internet is on a go-slow and three hours to upload a three minute video is long! Enjoy...

Everything's OK - Rewd Adams & The Last Skeptik

To break the norm and avoid the overused stereotypical adjectives, I'm keeping this plain and simple. The video for the latest track to be lifted from Rewd Adams & The Last Skeptik's album "How Not To Make A Living", entitled "Everything's OK", is cool.  Maybe prefix that with "too" in order to accentuate but it oozes cool.  Peep the visuals and you'll understand.  The track's due out on 7th May so keep your eyes peeled

SB.TV Warm Up Sessions - Reveal

Mr. Edwards is definitely putting in the work recently. After delivering a brilliant episode with Logic, SB.TV once again delves into the vast talent pool that British Hip Hop has to offer.  The latest Warm Up Session casts Poisonous Poet Reveal into the spotlight and to be frank, he absolutely smashes it! I don't think any amount of my verbals could do it justice so hit play now and realise the realness...

You Guest It - Mikill Pane

Despite forever being labelled as Ed Sheeran's mate, Mikill Pane has been putting the work in of late to showcase how gifted an individual he is in his own right.  His latest project, "You Guest It" features the likes of Example, P. Money, Paloma Faith, Yasmin and the aforementioned ginger nut.  There's some pretty impressive material on offer here, FREE OF CHARGE, so make sure you visit 
http://www.mediafire.com/?emmvz2rm8vk121o and get your own copy...

SB.TV Warm Up Sessions - Logic

This is absolute fire! Logic steps into a new level of limelight courtesy of SB.TV and hopefully it's massive audience realises the sheer lyrical genius that Logic oozes!  Surely a F64 has to follow...

Sound Of Evolution EP - Upfront MC

A little more Wordplay business! Some heavy, heavy stuff coming out of the Split Prophets camp right now. Check the verbals - http://www.wordplaymagazine.com/2012/04/reviews/upfront-mc-sound-of-evolution-ep/

I Need A Break - Dr. Syntax ft Kyza

New Doc Synners people! Taken from his forthcoming "Still At Large" mixtape, "I Need A Break" is an unusually dark and gritty Pete Cannon production and boasts a brilliant guest spot from Mr. Sayso.  Both Syntax and Kyza smash it and definitely bodes well for his upcoming project!

"I Need A Break" is being offered as a free download so make sure you head over to http://drsyntax.bandcamp.com/ and get yourself a copy and keep it locked for more info on "Still At Large" as it when it emerges.

Dephected Leaf's Remix Tape - Leaf Dog x Dephect

More niceness I've written by way of Wordplay Magazine. You know the deal...

http://www.wordplaymagazine.com/2012/04/reviews/leaf-dog-x-dephect-dephected-leafs-remix-tape/

War To Your Door - Fliptrix

Fliptrix is raising the levels right now! With his third LP "Third Eye Of The Storm" due to drop Monday, he's delivering the final instalment of his EP series, climaxing with"War To Your Door".  This time production comes courtesy of Mr Boss & Runone and once again, Fliptrix absolutely smashes it!

If you like what you hear, head to iTunes to download the EP - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/war-to-your-door-ep/id520015516 and hit up www.high-focus.com to order "Third Eye Of The Storm".

Home By 8 - DatKid

South West stand up!  The latest material to come out of the Split Prophets camp takes the form of DatKid's "Home By 8".  I've rated this guy since seeing his SouthBlessed freestyle (make sure you look for that!) and his brilliant guest spot on the Prophets "Scribbled Thoughts" LP. Datkid's flawless delivery compliments Baileys Brown's head-nodding instrumentation and is yet another reason to keep your eyes on this guy and future material from his forthcoming album, due next month.

Rah That's Sick - Fliptrix

High Focus are slowly taking over the world.  Another pre-cursor to his impending third LP, Fliptrix has dropped a little reminder of what can be expected at the end of the month.  Taken from the "Wylin Out EP" and production courtesy of fellow Owl Leaf Dog, "Rah That's Sick" is a beast! Fliptrix's rapid-fire flows absolute demolish Leafy's infectious beat and is yet another reminder of the sheer quality coming out of this camp at the moment.

Download the "Wylin Out EP" here - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wylin-out-single/id511874220 and pre-order "Third Eye Of The Storm" from here - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/third-eye-of-the-storm/id518024043

Ramson Badbonez: The Remixes - Squared Roots

More Wordplay business folks.  Peep my review of DJ Fingerfood's remix compilation here -
http://www.wordplaymagazine.com/2012/04/reviews/ramson-badbonez-the-remixes/

The Bus Stop EP - Aks

I've probably said this before but there's nothing better than when you stumble over someone you've never heard of before and their music is on another level.  Enter stage-left Aks.  The South London MC dropped his "The Bus Stop EP" about this time last year and after hearing one tune from it on a Chemo compilation, I had to hit up iTunes.  It's 8 tracks of dope beats, relentless lyrics and by far the best £4.49 I've spent in ages. 

If you've listened to "The Monologue", there shouldn't be any hesitation; you need this. Check it now - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-bus-stop-ep/id474673081

Wordplay Magazine

Easy peeps! Just a little heads up about the latest venture! I've hooked up with Wordplay magazine and started reviewing for them.  It's a free mag that's dedicated to Graffiti and UK Hip Hop and has been making moves of late; it's definitely on course for big tings! Anyways if you think I'm slipping, chances are it's because I'm doing stuff with them that's got to be kept exclusive.

It's a good look and my first contribution was to review Joker Starr's new LP, "Blood-Ren", due out at the end of the month.  So don't hang around, head to http://www.wordplaymagazine.com/2012/04/uncategorized/joker-starr-blood-ren/ , check out my piece, grab a copy of the mag and peep all the other shizz poppin' off at Wordplay HQ...

Bring It Back - Rewd Adams & The Last Skeptik ft Mr. Thing

This is a beast! The second track to be taken from their forthcoming joint LP "How Not To Make A Living", "Bring It Back" sees Rewd Adams go into an adrenaline fuelled torrent of verbals over The Last Skeptik's drum heavy, monster of an instrumental.  Just to add the icing on the cake, the cuts come courtesy of Mr. Thing.  Bump it. Loud...