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is FINALLY in the UK shops! we had ALL MANNER of production delays on this one, but now that Dutty Artz has turned on, we can safely say that we’re gonna keep sprinting for a long time to come.

you can cop the 12″ at Boomkat and many other fine shoppes

here’s the Boomkat review: “Two of our favourite rhythm and bass scholars Matt Shadetek and DJ/Rupture join forces to present their new imprint Dutty Artz, dedicated to dubstep/grime tempo bangers with a four track disc rammed full of primed dancefloor winners. Matt Shadetek brings up the A-side with ‘Can’t breathe remix’, taking advantage of his outsider position within the scene to draw a number of significantly heavy strands of plasticky synth ridden grime styles with R’n’B styled vox and a killer conga pattern reminding us of Skepta’s crazy ‘stageshow riddim’. The real shocker on this side is the insanely effective ‘Girlfriend rmx’, obviously inspired by the ghetto house styles currently ruling sections of African dancefloors at the moment and spilling into Grime and Funky London styles, Matt kills it with a charging batty wriggler riddim with heavily autotuned vox and stupid fresh bass for a cut that is guaranteed to liven up any floor.

Cauto keep up the pressure built on the A-side with an mean update of Shy FX’s classic ‘Original nuttah’ augmenting the original vocals and licks with a dubstep/breakstep riddim and freshened bass rubs that will be demanding a lot of attention very soon. ‘Bona vida’ leaves us on cool dubbers tips, structuring a forward thinking dub riddim in the finest Disrupt style, before adding some angular breaks to wipe any dancefloor dilettantes, rough styyyyles. This is definitely an imprint to be keeping a close eye on in the future, and a definite must buy for any fans of Werk, Hyperdub, Hot Flush, Heatwave, or any of Ruptures legendary mixtapes. Well recommended!!”

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I recently came across a slew of grime mixtapes/street albums, or should we call them road albums? In less than two weeks, I had about a dozen new mixtapes in my HD, not having enough time or attention to really listen to all the materials—ranging from artists such as Ghetto, Riko, Ears, Killa P, Jammer, Kano, Trim, and the not so grime, but definitely grimey garage crew Road Side Gees.

Jammer – Intro (to Are You Dumb, Vol. 3)

Produced by Rude Kid

Pre-album fire from a grime luminary. I feel funny about calling Jammer grime, now – especially after he states in that intro, “I make music, F grime / I make music, F crime / I’m not a lame, man, F a nine…”?

$$$

Ghetto – Mountain

Produced by Lewi White & Smasher

This one is off Ghetto’s new mixtape Freedom of Speech. Ghetto goes hard. Looking forward to his album.

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heavy stones still skim. uk hip hop 1998-present. occasionally condensed / unobtrusively mixed. non-exhaustive. mostly from SE LDN. hold tight Penge.

a brief uk hiphop mix 31 mins

Blak Twang – 19 Long Time (blue print)
MC D – Priceless (produced by Deckwrecka) (ronin)
Skeme & Seanie T – Survival (produced by Keith Lawrence) (beat oven)
New Flesh – 186000 Miles (Skitz Remix) (big dada)
Extremists – No Tears (produced by Skitz) (titan sounds)
Genesis Elijah feat. Klashnekoff – Jah Bless (produced by Non Slick) (dominant 3rd/country boy)
Seanie T – Muzik Ed Special (produced by Keith Lawrence) (muzik ed)
Roots Manuva f/ Fallacy, Rodney P, Blackitude, Big P & Skeme – Witness the Swords (produced by Lord Gosh) (big dada)

—-

sketchy victorian dinosaurs, crystal palace park

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Seeing as there’s been such a good run of either important biz promotional or thoughtful, conversation provoking posts on here I thought I’d just throw this in the mix and bring the level of discourse down a little. It’s a cat biting a theremin, making funny sounds.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONJfp95yoE[/youtube]

Shameless reblog from prancehall.com

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It’s early and I’m still groggy but the internet is awake and buzzing. Go Round Payola, the ‘single’ from the EP, produced by me, (do EPs have singles? our’s does) is up on the DA Myspace, The Fader’s blog and JD’s myspace. Listen, skank out in your yard in your underwear, add it to your profile, tell your girl, whatever. Already I’m getting requests for the instro from people to do more versions so there’ll probably be another vocal or two before this is all done. However, remember when I said ” We’re calling it New York Tropical, before someone comes up with an even stupider name.”? Well, whoever’s blogging over at the Fader is trying to call it Trancehall. Yikes! Ouch! My dignity! They’re lumping us in with Ricky Blaze, which is great, I love Cut Dem Off but Trancehall? No. TROPICAL. Still, big up to them for the promo love. Also I stole their blog pic. I think it’s from when Jah D went to Africa with DJ Child last year.

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Jahdan Blakkamoore: We Are Raiders 12

The Dutty Artz family is VERY pleased to announce that we’ve just finished the first artist release for DA, Jahdan Blakkamoore’s EP entitled “We Are Raiders”. Jahdan is a Brooklyn local hero and has been doing his thing for years. From providing the ragga verse on Smif & Wessun’s hip-hop classic Sound Bwoy Buriel to singing the chorus on my tune Brooklyn Anthem (known in the hood as the Craziest Riddim) Jahdan has done a lot. Now, the next phase. Me, Rupture, Geko and Jah D have been labbed up for the past 6 months in the depths of Brooklyn recording his album for Dutty Artz under the working title Buzzrock Warrior. The album is crazy, it’s JD continuing the grimey direction he and I started in with Brooklyn Anthem and branching out in others as well. Dubstep is present, Cumbia is in the building, mad digital Dancehall is there and a lot of stuff that I don’t even know what to call it. Reggae? Sort of. Hip-hop? mmm, yeah. R+B? Kinda.
We’re calling it New York Tropical, before someone comes up with an even stupider name. When we put some audio online you’ll be the first to know and you can stick your own labels to it. In the mean-time, here’s the 12″ art. The four track 12″ will be out first followed shortly by the CD which adds the instrumentals.

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Do you ever see that stuff that be
when it get cold that is that shit you can’t see?
See that shit happens sometimes.
Yep, black ice…

some classic videos, choice quotes (italicize, without speech marks), + tunes from one of the greatest Southern rap groups (sheet, they were the first to use the words Dirty South to describe the music they create– in mid-90s ATL, Georgia.) There’s a rumor these guys were getting back together. Well, a little far-fetched, but imagine how many late-nineties rap-nerds/fan-boys/girls this reunion will make happy.

From 1995, Soul Food.

“Cell Therapy”

My mind won’t allow me to not be curious
My folk don’t understand so they don’t take it serious
But every now and then, I wonder if the gate was put up to keep crime out or to keep our asses in.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuWB9Nhoypw[/youtube]

—

From 1998, Still Standing.

“Black Ice” feat. OutKast

Who’s that looking over the shoulders of those writing dreams?
fiendin’ for the taste of menthol, missed class, stayed in the hall
Looking for a squeeze play, better yet a holiday…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ4x_eMxYxo[/youtube]

—

also,

From 1998, Still Standing.

“The Don’t Dance No Mo’”

I couldn’t find the video for the last one, but if you ever see it look for Sugar Lo, commonly known as Cee-Lo. He’s wonderful.

—

I first came across Goodie Mob in 1997/98 while I was in Guinea watching music videos from France via satellite TV, around the same time Sekouba Bambino released Kassa. I was 15 & in musical heaven.

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Mama’s Gun is one of the sexiest albums I have in my CD collection. I know, it’s a little strange. The album deals with horrific, unsexy nightmares and things like police brutality (Amadou Diallo), mental imprisonment (plus, the high rate of incarceration for black males). A large chunk of the album tackles self-esteem issues and breakups. Anyway, Miss Badu’s music is not always joyless and serious/militant/political. In fact, she’s more playful and introspective than most hiphop singers.

<pic taken by dogsivu>

[display_podcast]

This one is haunting and amazing. Produced by Madlib, it is from her new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) – Only Badu can present something like national delusion in such a phunky manner (“Amerykahn Promise”).

dead prez said it’s bigger than hiphop. Killah Priest said all religion ever did was divide… Erykah sez hiphop ain’t dead yet, regardless of what Nas said. hiphop is alive, uniting cultures, races, all around the world. While I don’t think hiphop could ever be bigger than religion, she might be onto something with the government part, and her gospel in general that together the ants can conquer the elephant.

& coming soon, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)

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I’m happy to say that it seems Grime fans are finally starting to dance again, and not just some random jumping around and gun-fingering but some real deal dancehall-style organized named dances with steps. They’ve still got a ways to go but I’m calling it a powerful positive step in the right direction. Unsurprisingly champion skanker Skepta is at the lead of the charge with his tune “Do The Rolex Sweep”. It seems this whole Grimey Electro thing is kinda popping off, I think it’s great. I’m glad the grime kids are not standing still and letting Funky eat their lunch after building up the thing for years now. The tune is clearly a response to Wiley’s “Wearing My Rolex” (featured below) so unsurprisingly Wiley is at the head of a major development in Grime, again. Big up the whole Boy Better Know camp for keeping the game flipping and coming through with another periodic fun injection to the scene. Check out more vids here.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xV6OZdxGGw[/youtube]

Also, very unrelatedly Lamin sent me a wicked XLR8R interview with Bun B after I mentioned him earlier, thanks! There’s also these excerpts where he talks about some more general stuff, which are also great.

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Rupture put up his verdict and covered a lot of ground, so I’ll just say a big THANKS to everyone who came out. I loved the party, I haven’t had that much fun on decks in a while. We had a great time and if the heaving dancefloor was any indication I hope you all did as well.

 

Here’s a few pics from the night, more soon(ish) (Thanks Karla!).

 

MARIANA FROM ARGENTINA PERFORMING:

 

Mariana from Argentina performing at Dutty Artz Tropical Dance GEKO JONES ON DECK:

Geko Jones

 

MATT SHADETEK (ME) ON DECK:

 

MATT SHADETEK ON DECK AT GLASSLANDS, 3/21

 

DJ /RUPTURE IN DEEP CONCENTRATION:

DJ RUPTURE AT GLASSLANDS RAVERS:

glasslands 3/21

MORE PHOTOS, THANKS TOM:

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO WAIT!!! LISTEN TO MY HARMONICA!!!!!!! I AM NOT JUST SOME RANDOM HARMONICA GUY! GIVE ME A MIC! PLUG IN TEH HEADPHONES! SERIOUSLY!

 

 

AZIKIWE LAUGHS CRAZILY:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A few days ago I came across the Grime encyclopedia, an excellent resource for anyone interested in the music. You are free to look around and find what you like, but they offer links to the most popular pages, to the leaders in the field. Topnotch Grime DJ Logan Sama, who has a legal grime radio show on Kiss 100, offers free rips of tracks from his show. Hmm.. there’s also a wider array of free downloads here.

Doc1

Doctor – Rise The Temprature (Produced by Cotti) (Logan Sama Grimepedia rip)

I’ve had this tiny tune here on repeat for days.

Martin Clark wrote about Doctor and his yard roots in his montly Grime/Dubstep column for Pitchfork in 2005;

“Take Doctor. for example. Save Skepta, he’s probably the hottest MC on road right now. Accepted by the East MC camp, he’s a talented South London lyricist with a distinctive enough voice to put him in Trim or Kano’s league. The difference between Doctor and those others, however, is that he makes a feature of his yard roots[Flowing like you’re from “yard” usually means you’re black with Jamaican heritage]. He regularly switches from London chat to Jamaican slang and back, most prominently “Gotta Man?”.”

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I love Bun B. His last album “Trill” was sick, and I’m sure “II Trill” the new joint will be great. Here he is courtesy of the Fader talking about sociological dimensions of the hood, Barack, and 4 minutes worth of other stuff. This dude basically holds Houston down singlehandedly (if you never read his excellent polemic against the critics of southern rap, it’s sick) and is in my opinion almost everything you want from an MC, smart, articulate, ill with the flow and advises people to “defend your blocks/ and turn your projects into fort knox”.

edit: embed code is breaking my formatting, sorry, follow the link.

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Tropical-Puzzle

Big shoutout to everybody who came thru and got down last nite! even the dude who kept shouting at me “WE’VE GOT SO MUCH IN COMMON, I UNDERSTAND YOU MUSICALLY SO LET ME PLAY MY HARMONICA RIGHT NOW.” The fact that he was so ridiculous really underscored what great vibes the rest of the crowd was bringing. Color everywhere.

And yes, independent pollsters & U.N. bystanders confirmed that we achieved a female-majority gender ratio.

Special shout out to guest vocalist Mariana from Buenos Aires — “beauty so sudden for this time of year” — she’s in town recording for a few weeks and graced us w/ a little live PA action, muchisimas gracias!

The place was rammed, but i spotted: Carolina, Jah Dan, Leif, Broklyn, Kingdom, Mr Lee G (who said my Architecture in Helsinki rmx w/ him is blowing up… in Trinidad!), Abena, the lovely Team Moji, Nokea, and lotzzz more, too many to hyperlink & mention.

fotos & vid & DA TV en español coming soon.

Geko & I were running around the Heights getting chop+play gems for the next Dance this afternoon, no time waste, too many waists to dutty wine