Reminiscent of Philidelphia soul-harmony groups such as TheDelphonics and The Stylistics, 'The Way I See It' is the first album in four years for singer/musician/producer RaphaelSaadiq. Saadiq claims to have been inspired by artist such as Gladys Knight, Al Green and The Four Tops, which gives the album a classic soul feel. The neo-soul sound is also explored through a collaboration with British singer Joss Stone,and another collaboration with Jay-Z keeps the album varied.
(28-03-2009)
Release date: 3rd November 2009 Powercut Productions
STEG G has been a very busy man. In-between his regular releases and live performances with his partner in rhyme the FREESTYLE MASTER, and his remixes DJ sets and radio broadcasts the Scottish Hip Hop producer has somehow found the time to hit the studio with some of the finest emcees on planet earth and dropped a gem on us with his LP Vulgar Eloquence, and with the cream of the US and UK talent on board things are about to get hectic.
VULGAR ELOQUENCE opens up nicely with the title track exploring how Hip-hop has mutated from its original roots for both the positive and the negative with non other than JUICE CREW legend CRAIG G, who was responsible for penning most of the battle rhymes in the motion picture 8-MILE.
Next up the we get treated to a stellar performance from DIDDYS ghost writer, and member of Hip Hop super-group SLAUGHTERHOUSE; ROYCE DA 5'9 who features on FIRE, a controversial trackt hat finds Royce spitting venom at the direction of other emcees, most notably LIL WAYNE!
..Over in the UK the heat is maintained as Steg chooses to hook up with some of the heavyweight (no pun intended) off the dome freestyle talents there is, step up ; BIG STIG aka STIG of the DUMP the BEER & RAP legend who is Known for destroying MCs at JUMP OFF events and battles and tearing up stages across the world, next we got THE SHOW which features Scotlands own battle champ RESPEK BA who drops this energetic call to arms, and our very own battle champ the FREESTYLE MASTER who holds it down as always on on the multi dimentional and revolutionary T.I.M.E.
Things change direction a little when Steg hooks up with local pop heroes A BAND CALLED QUINN for the GLIMMER SONG and delivers a jaunty slice of dark electro pop which compliments Louise's provocative vocal., but takes them to a zone where they find new meaning and resonance with Steg G's grimey synth based production.
With highly respected emcee SPEE '69 joining in and dropping the contagious READY FOR ACTION, and Edinburgh emcee MADHAT on board for Monster Vulgar Eloquence is a non stop joy ride through both gritty and beautiful urban soundscape showcasing Stegs divercity and range as a producer and crafter of the groove.
Finaly it is time to pass the mics to EASTERN PHILOSOPHY a spoken word group from New Jersey who Steg hooked up with in New York , their offering, the thought provoking and uplifting GHETTO DNA aims to helps us to define who we really are with and continues with the revolution flavour that runs throught the album. (14-01-2010)
DJ Scuba Steve presents a mixtape showcasing some of the hip hop talent north of the border. Bringing together DJs, MCs and beatboxers, this is an essential listen for any Scottish hip hop fan!
Check the download at http://djscubasteve.bandcamp.com/album/scotland-standup-mixtape-volume-2.
Tracklist:
1. Nity Gritz & Kon-Tempt - Intro
2. Werd & Deeko - Sons Of Scotland
3. Scatabrainz - What Madness
4. West Ft Pro - Com-Bust-Able Elements
5. Synical - Remind Me
6. Nity Gritz - Smile
7. Typikal - Where Am I Goin
8. Awesome Wellz - Fistin From Hellboy
9. Dark Rumors - The Sufferin
10. Shogun - The World's Greatest
11. Eastborn - Blair Witch Project
12. Chad The Lad & K9 Kev - End Of The Line
13. Cbas Ft CatchKlick - Take It Like That
14. D-Team - Money Talks
15. Hosie - Sorry I Hurt You
16. Jee4ce - The Worlds Gone Mad
17. Loki - Consistency
18. Bigg Taj - Music Is All I Have
19. Wurrd Ft Werd & Chazel - Smokin And Drinkin
20. The Being - Get The Jump Leads The Chickens Have Escaped
Kon-tempt really sets the standard with this fantastic track, where he introduces his new style of music "Neon" which is a fusion of house and urban beats, Neon sex demonstrates the skills that Kontempts has not only as an artist but also a producer, See more of this at www.kontempt.co.uk (12-10-2009)
A second helping of choice reggae cuts from the legend that is DJ David Rodigan, By way of celebration, he has chosen a collection of tracks which encompass the positive aspects of real authentic reggae; essential, classic recordings, some of which have become gloriously obscure antiquities whilst more recent hits are also embraced.
(28-03-2009)
In 2006, Wembley's Lady Sovereign, "the UK's fourth-biggest chav", became America's latest rave. Jay-Z deals, Gwen Stefani supports, and an MTV No 1 meant you could hardly fault the 5 ft 1in pop-grime rapper's claim to be "the biggest midget in the game". While the moment has passed – her last single was number 88 here – it's hard not to feel kindly towards anyone describing their new album as "a massive leap forward for mankind". Cure-sampling single So Human proves ingenious, Jigsaw effectively swaps swearing for singing and Britney songwriter Dr Luke earns his keep. Alas, though, the backchat of Let's Be Mates proves as edifying as the top deck of the 43 bus. (28-03-2009)
