Artist:Real J Dubbs
Track: U Can’t Sample
Production:
Rating 3.5/5
Straight Outta Oakland, J Dubbs comes with a nice flow talking about a the joys of the Soul Flower, I’m feeling the vocals more than the music, thats not say the music is bad, it’s good but I think I prefer the vocals, cause I like the sound of his voice.
Musically it’s got that West Coast Flavour so fans of E40, Digital Underground & Luniz will be feeling this.
Artist:Eastern Sunz
Track: Many Shades Of Green
Production:
Rating: 3.5/5
Eastern Sunz come with a competent rhyme about the environment, I’m feeling the production which is backed up by an old school sounding loop, the track has samples of Al Gore talking about saving the planet.
This makes a pleasent change to all the gangsta, battling and run of the mill hip hop themes.
check their myspace outEastern Sunz
Artist Ice Water featuring Busta Rhymes
Track: Do It Big
Production:DREADY
Rating: 4/5
For those that don’t know Ice Water is Raekwons brain child, the band members are Raekwon, Polite, Stomikk, P.C. (Paulie Caskets) and D.C. (Donnie Cash). The track produced by Dready is a stripped down heavy bass affair, simple but effective.
Busta rips up the hook, and as always doesn’t fail to deliver, Ice Water hold their own to, and Raekwon tops it off with a real laid back flow.
It’s good to see the concept of a group is still relevant in these days and times where the solo artist seems to get all the shine.
Go Check these cats out.
Artist: Canibus
Track: Lycan Vs Nosferatu
Production:
Rating: 4.5/5
Canibus has historically been one of the best Technical MCs to grace the microphone. I must admit I’ve fell out of touch with what he’s been doing over the last couple of years, but managed to get hold of Lycan, which shows he still can rip the shit out of the track, which is tight as 5 virgins in a Volkswagen. Chopped up Apache sample and I don’t know how how the producer pulled it of but it actually works using an interpoleration of Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight” and Disco classic Native New Yorker, a less talented producer would have made it sound corny but it works.
Artist: Reks
Track: Prey For Me
Production: Statik Seletah
Rating: 4.5
Rek comes off hard on this track, Letting people know where Commercial Hip Hop has gone wrong, not many people are left off the hook, I wouldn’t say this is a diss track, more like a concerned parent pulling his child to the side and letting him/her know where they are fucking up. He’s basically talking about the lack of creativity in todays hip hop scene, and his desire to see New York hip hop back on the top of the throne. Basically saying what anybody who has grown up on hip hop has been thinking since the start of the Ice Age.
Production is sic too, which is provided by Statik Seletah, hard beats, haunting choir sample, Jay Z hook cut up, one of the best things I’ve heard in a while.
Artist: Large Professor
Track: Cheer
Production: Dela
Rating: 4.5/5
I can’t front on Xtra P, In my opinion he is one of the few true triple threats in the game, by that I mean dope Producer, MC & Dee Jay. And after all the years in the game, Large Pro can still do damage on the mic. LP handed production on this track to French Producer Dela who steps up to the plate effortlessly with a laidback track with nice horn samples, wah wah sound effects and a lovely warm bass line. The track actually sounds like Large did it himself and would have fit nicely on his own long player “1st Class”.
If your a fan of real hip hop and your not feeling this then your not a fan of real hip hop.
Artist: Verb T
Track: Soul Survives
Production:
Rating 4.5/5
Nice production and spoken word sample at the start of the track. Anybody who follows UK Hip Hop will be aware of Verb T, I personally have been a fan since I bought his album with Kashmere. His flow is sic, beats are sic, love the bassline and the incidental sounds that add a nice atmosphere to the track.
For those not aware of Verb T if your from the States, or been in a coma for the last 5 years, go and check him out NOW!!!.
After Reviewing KS Flows track Real Hustle I got back in contact with the producer of the Group Soul Theory to interview him, here’s what he had to say.
Raze Brooks: Ok I’m a start off by letting you introduce yourself let the people out there know who you are and what it is you do?
Soul Theory: Aight definitely. I go by the name of Soul Theory and I’m a producer and artist outta South Florida. One half of the group K.S. Flow with my man and artist Knowledge Medina. And one third of Flow Affiliated with Knowledge and our other producer Timeless.
R B: How long you’ll been together?
S T: Knowledge and myself, we came up together and officially formed K.S. Flow about 2 years ago. Shortly after, we teamed up with Timeless to form the official Flow Affiliated family.
R B: Your music is real soulful, who did you listen to coming up?
S T: I came into the game listening to heads like Gangstarr, Pete Rock, and a lot of older heads that were more about the music then the gimmicks. I think Alchemist & Just Blaze definitely do their thing too. But the focus on the music has always been the main part of my work.
R B: Classic East Coast True School Hip Hop, what equipment do you use to produce?
S T: My setup is real simple, I don’t need a lot of fancy blinkin lights to get down. I use FL Studio, Acid, the record collection, to make the beats, as well as various midi controllers, the Technics, and some dope monitors. But honestly what equipment I use almost means nothin, its what you got in your head that holds the power. Throw me any equipment and a week to figure it out and I’m good.
R B: Never truer words spoken, you checked out the new FL Studio 8 yet? Alot of producers got mad when 9th came out with LB cause he used FL Studio, cause they had it and didn’t know you could do the shit that 9th was doing with it, have you had anybody hating on you cause you don’t use an MPC or an SP?
S T: Haven’t checked out version 8 yet. I’m always mad versions behind cause I’m cool with what I’m usin. I think I was still usin 3.56 when 6 came out. Cats get too caught up with what newest gadgets they have but I could care less really. I had an MPC4000 at one point but I took that shit back to the store cause it wasn’t doin nothin I couldn’t do with FL Studio 3.56 so it wasn’t worth the money to me. But suprisingly, I’ve never been hated on for using FL. But I don’t think most people know I use it. They hear my beats and assume that I got a $20,000 setup. They’re always suprised as hell when they find out I’m using the same program that they have. I think it opens peoples eyes a little.
R B: True, I had an MPC & A Triton but sold um, cause my soft set up was better, you should check the new versions out, cause it will spead up your work flow, can you talk a little about the scene down in Miami?
S T: Miami’s real diverse, but as far as the lane of hip hop that I’m in, it’s definitely the minority down there. But with the internet today, the scene in your particular area means a lot less to your possibilities than 10 or 15 years ago. I live in Florida, but my worldwide recognition is much larger than my regional exposure and the internet makes that possible.
R B: You Heard of Serum he’s a sic MC from Miami, and is “real hip hop”?
S T: actually, haven’t heard of him
R B: Whats the live scene like out there, do you guys perform?
S T: Yeh we get performances in definitely. Knowledge Medina is still holdin that area down and I’m actually in Tampa Bay with my man Timeless holdin down the studio grind. But we gonna eventually all get up in the same city again and really introduce the world to the team, with more shows and all that.
R B: What has been the response from the crowd?
S T: The love has been amazin really. A lot of people are like “wow, you makin that kinda music and you from FLORIDA???”. They thought the whole state was tryin to lean and rock, hahah. But we on some other shit.
R B: Cool, have you had any props off your musical heros?
S T: I mean the only dudes I look up to musically are certain legends in the game, and I haven’t had the fortune to meet any of them. But the overwhelmin love from the fans is more than enough for me.
R B: thats cool, where do you see yourself in 5 years as regards the music?
S T: In 5 years, I plan to have put out some classic records and to be travelin the world with my team. That’s the agenda.
R B: Where can people buy your music?
S T: “On the Come Up” is the title of the album that my group K.S. Flow recently released and you can purchase it at cdbaby.com/cd/ksflow or from my MySpace page at MySpace.com/SoulTheoryProductions. The albums crazy. Real soulful, real life music.
S T: It’s also available on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and other digital outlets.
R B: Do you have anybody you would Like to send a shout out to?
S T: Definitely want to give a shout to Raze Brooks for takin the time to set this up. A shout to Knowledge Medina, Timeless, Reks, and DeeDot, and definitely to everyone that’s been showin that love.
R B: cool thanks yourself for taking the time out to do this interview.
S T: Thanks a lot fam. Appreciate the time.
Make sure you check out Soul Theory On Myspace
Artist: Madman Speakz
Track:Kuroi Saboto
Rating 4.5/5
From hearing the deep dirty synth bassline, I was hooked, love the dirty low fi 12 bit drum track too. Again this is some uncompromising Hardcore Shit(shit mean good, not shit meaning bad). London MC Madman Speakz rips the shit out of the track, good flow, well written lyrics and good punchlines.
Check it out for yourself
Artist: E.S.F
Track: War Room
Production:
Rating: 4/5
This is some raw Hardcore Hip Hop from Miami’s E.S.F. If your a fan of Wu Tang type beats and flows then this for you. The drums are hard hitting, the chops are sic, and theres even a bit of beat boxing at the start of the track.
Lyrically the first MC reminds me of Inspecta Deck from Wu Tang Clan, the 2nd MC is tight too together with the beats this is the real shit.
I’m looking forward to hearing more material from E.S.F check out their Myspace Page here:
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