U.K STAND UP!!!

SO... Last week we aimed 2 give our UK heads a bit of the rest of the world... NOW it's only right that we're giving the rest of the world a bit of the U.K...

I've been listening to only two albums back-to-back-to-back on constant rotation since last Monday (01/06/09) and if you dunno what these are, I'll gladly tell ya but we'll get to that a lil later! Well me personally, I had been looking forward to Monday, the 1st of June 2009 now for a very long time... It was the release date for albums from two of the biggest names in UK Hip-Hop at the moment (actually 2 of the biggest names PERIOD!) & the wait over the last few months had become unbearable with every 'straightfyre' record that got leaked on radio & on the internet in anticipation for 01/06/09... Anyway I went out and bought these albums & I've listened, I've listened again... & again & again & the only conclusion I could & have reached is... IT'S G.O.O.D.M.U.S.I.C... & its obviously ALOT!!!

OK I've always respected this 'Former Bus Driver' ever since his 2004 mixtape 'Ur Mum Volume One' as a very dope emcee BUT I became a big fan after his 'The Chupa Chups Mixtape' which boasted scorchers such as 'Big Love' featurin Scorcher (Yes really!), Narstie & Rahma Ali & a lil snippet of the record (now Street Anthem) 'Black Boys' that would in 2007 propel Ashley Thomas aka Bashy into deservedly stratospheric heights... Check out the colossal remix here (& raise your fisted hand up in the air 4 BLACK power)!!! Anyway his debut album , 'Catch Me If You Can' dropped last Monday & WE LOVE IT!!! Let's check out our fav cuts right after the jump...




That right there is my fav track on the album, it's called 'Living My Dreams' and it features Sirach Charles with production from the Truth Movement. The keyboards on this start of sooo soulful (you already know I'm a sucker 4 the soul food) & the best thing bout Bashy's lyrics on this is its SO real, he takes you on that journey with him & the way he lays down on the track, even if you weren't @ them house parties round the West London parts, you can defo relate to the grind & appreciate the come-up!!! Are you feeling that one? How's bout this one...




I'm SOOO feelin the trumpets on 'Before Before' BOI!!! Hol Tite Naughty Boy (He produced Black Boys and Big Love as well), Ya Large! Now this is the first track on the album & its followed by the debut single 'Who Wants To Be a Millionare?' SO you already know it doesn't start off on no low key thing... 'Catch Me If You Can' is guaranteed to grab your attention from the off... We Plug G.O.O.D Music loves it! Another ridiculously heavvvy tune right after the jump...




WHAT??? BASHY? SCORCHER?? WRETCH 32??? & NAUGHTY BOY on the decks??? PLUS the concept on this is sooo brilliant... creatively speaking, not many UK acts can bring it like this! (Note to self - Don't get caught in Totty!) On the reals though I really CANNOT wait for Ransom Part 2 (Bashy make it happen I beg U)... This record here puts the bar way up there 4 UK Hip-Hop... Plenty careers are gettin buried with this one & that's real talk!

The simple verdict is this... You need this album in your library! Its as simple as that! Its 17 tracks of pure brilliance... Its G.O.O.D.M.U.S.I.C, its witty, its funny, its deep, its interesting, the flow is on point, production is on point... Its a hell of ALOT & Bashy does the business on this! Buy it... Go Out & Buy It... Buy it HERE now.... Do whatever you do, jus buy this record!!!

& As a parting gift to set you on your way to owning one of the best UK albums of '09, I've got this for ya...




A feel-good track from the Bish Bash Bosh featuring Loick Essien & the ever delectible Jamelia (I love this woman btw)... it's funny how most of my favorite records on this album all have Naughty Boy on production! 'We Can DO Anything' is no exception, Bash speaking that postive message on this one too... 'Catch Me If You Can' is beautiful music & its 'We Plug GOOD Music' CO-SIGNED! SNM + you should check out the Attaca Pesante produced 'Day Before I Die' & the Joe Buddha 'What About Me?' if anything... You know what? Jus buy the album mehn!!!

& From Hip-Hop in North-West London, we're taking a lil trip to that real Grime sound up in North London... It's former D.J, Renowned Producer, Meridian Rider, Co-founder (along with his brother JME) of arguably the most well known collective in the grime scene, Boy Better Know, Grime veteran & Self-Acclaimed 'King of Grime', Joseph 'Skepta' Adenuga! (Yeah He's Nigerian, don't get excited lol!) OK I have to admit, I haven't been very much up on my knowledge of Skepta... the first record I heard of him was 2006's classic 'Duppy' & then there was 'In A Corner' off of his 'Greatest Hits' debut album, that was a BIIG tune still! In 2008 though, Skepta owned the scene... from club classic 'Rolex Sweep' to the Boy Better Know Remix of Jay Sean's 'Stay' to the futuristic sounding 'Sunglasses At Night'... So his sophomore album has been amongst the most anticipated for a hot minute now... It dropped last week Monday aswell... Our fav cuts right after the jump as per usual!!!




'Reflecting' is the first track on the album & its one of the more calmer records 4 Skepta who is a GRIME artiste through & through! He still stays true to his grime sound but this one has more of a hip-hop feel to it & I love this record... it sets you off nicely to sit back and marinate this album! The production is by Skepta himself & he shows off his production skills nicely all over the album... One reason I love this track is its one of them 'zone out on the track' ones, no chorus... jus him & the beats & he absolutely kills it!!! 2nd fav track on the album... Listen 2 my personal fav after this jump...




Boom productions comes hard on this I swear down!!! & like Giggs says 'SN1! Boy Better Know! You DONE know!' cos there's really nothing you can say bout this, its Urban UK at its finest... a fine mesh between one of its Hip-Hop's finest & one of its Grime's heaviest!!! & I dunno whether its cos Hollow Man comes through heavy on the track but Skepta brings it HARDER on this record than he does on the rest of the album IMO... well asides from 'Reflecting' cos that track there is jus on another level. What do you honestly think on this one? Is my madd respect 4 Giggs clouding my judgement here or am I right in saying this is straight street heat!!!

& I might be wrong but I reckon you'll enjoy this one... let's listen!!!




'We Need Some More Girls in Here... There's TOO Many Man... Too Many Many Man!!!' & don't even front like you aint skanking out to this BIG tuune! If there's anything Skepta knows how to do, it's this right here! His ability to churn out club banger after club banger is undeniable... He did it last year with 'Rolex Sweep' & now with 'Too Many Man', he & his BBK cohorts are running wild on the UK club scene for another year running!

Now the only beef I have with Skepta's 'Microphone Champion' and any Skepta fan will have to feel the same way, even a lil bit, is this... a few lyrics on this album, I've heard Skepta say before & its not a hell of a big deal BUT I just thot I'd point that out before you take a listen & come @ me for not bringing it up... So you will hear a bit of his BET Cypher freestyle on the Chad Jackson produced 'Skepta' BUT at the end of the day, you don't get to become a BET Award nominee for nothing... Skepta is B.I.G! You don't believe me? Well let the man tell you himself...




SO whats the verdict? I'll letchu decide this one... so get the album HERE or download HERE & come back & tell me whatchu think! We're not gonna try & sugar coat 'Microphone Champion', it is what it is... it's a GRIME record & if you don't like Grime, you won't like what the 'King of Grime' brings on this 18-track L.P BUT like he says on 'Reflecting', 'Everybody who likes this, come this way, Everybody who likes that, go that way!' & it's really quite that simple! We Plug G.O.O.D Music is staying this way by the way! I will say this though, the two most outstanding tracks on this 'GRIME' album are the only two times Skepta ventures into his Hip-Hop side!

Until the Next Time...

We Still Pluggin Tha G.O.O.D.N.E.S.S x