To the UK cats...

[sYgMa]

I'm just starting to listen to UK hiphop. I guess that, because of Craig David, I never looked any deeper into brit hiphop. I know about Roots Manuva, and I heard a compilation with brits with the same sound (Kano, Ty, Ricky Rankin etc...)

Who are the top UK mcs right now ?
Do they all go in that dancehall/hiphop flavor ? (that I like, actually)
How is hiphop doing in the country of the queen ?

 

[Haze47]

well....

top mcs you should check are

Jehst (sick yorkshire hop, dark s fuck - return of the drifter)
Taskforce (just good emcees)
Cappo (midlander, sick accent)
Yup Root Manuva (nuff said)
Dirty Diggers (see a previous post of mine in the lounge)
Lewis Parker (but he is NY now)
Phi Life Cypher (london boys, but life is a dark emcee)

producers

Skitz
P-Brothers (underground as fuck)
The Creators

there are more, but the scene is still developing and i dont go in for the grime style rappers like roll deep etc....

im sure more ppl will add to this with their boys as well...

and no its not all dancehall-y, but there is quite a lot, big afro carribean scene here, loads of dub reggae nights....

hip hop is gunna kick off here soon, real soon, its like being in NY in the early 90s now...

 

[Lex]

^^^Nice list Haze.

Sygma - Well, I'm sorry to hear your first encounter with UK Hip Hop was Craig David [which isn't really hip hop at all is it now]..lol.

Er, I guess a lot of artists do have some kind of dancehall/west indian/reggae/dub sort of influence, but there are a lot that don't too. I have to say, I personally think the UK has sort of developed its own 'sound' though.

Some emcees you might want to check out; Klashnekoff [and TerrraFirma], SkinnyMan, Lewis Parker, Task Force, ScorZayZee, Phi Life Cypher etc.... Quite a lot of people seem to be feeling them.

I'm personally feeling pretty much all the artists on Low Life Records actually - Jehst, Braintax, Psychic Phenomenum, Taskforce, Skinnyman etc...

 

[DJ Reflex]

i really like Ty - prob my fav track and his best known is "wait a minute" which is real different and worth a listen. erm i also like that group paragon, and theres that group that have a track the chorus that goes "it aint to late to turn around..." lol erm yeah but Ty is amazin and also he had a feature in an old future music mag.

 

[boabmatic]

That track might be by choong family... maybe think i seen it on channel U the other day?

Klashnekoff is good too.....

 

[Rhythmikal]

Terra Firma m8, and also Reveal is pretty nice rite now too.

check:

http://www.hiphopgame.co.uk

sAfE.

 

[sYgMa]

Nice guys! keep them coming....

Just heard that "wait a minute" joint.... very nice!
And thanks for the link Rythm

 

[Haze47]

on that site good tracks....grimlock - sweet 16
wordsmith - the anylist
reveal - welcome to the uk (dub stylee)

 

[Phiba Optix]

Klashnekoff... Nuff Said...

 

[bigdmakintrax]

I dig PHI Life, he is the only one I heard I really like.....flow is ridiculously fast.....for me the essence of MC is the live performance, I could listen to a cd or a song....but I make my judgement off the live and of course the only element that I use for my decisions of a very tight mc.......FREESTYLE...that's where the rubber hits the road.

 

[RigorMortis]

i've seen phi life, they are good artists, and surely are good mcs, i wasnt super impressed cos i didnt have the feeling the tracks brought anything new that grasped me, but they are solid for sure.

 

[DJ Reflex]

terra firma shit thats it!
ur amazin dude!
haha

 

[Relic]

Terra Firma m8, and also Reveal is pretty nice rite now too.

check:

http://www.hiphopgame.co.uk

sAfE.

Nice link it helps for me to have a reference point of whats goin on now.
I have always wanted to come over there and set up shop or at least network.
I said before in another thread that I like the UK stuff because it does feel a little more
"Pure" or somthing. I can feel the rush that I used to feel with stuff from here in the music and vocals commin from there now.
Its like it doesnt have any rules or anything.
Sometimes the accents throw me off because the trak will sound all NY
and the MC is an eastender..
Big props I would love to collab sometime.

 

[Papadukes]

yeah, gotta say klashnekoff and terra firma, is what i always recommend. When i was living in the US, thats the shit that most ppl had to accept was nice. check for the tunes Parrowdice or Murda. also Check TY for something thats just different. Also for a female MC, check Baby blue (www.myspace.com/babyblueonline).
and just so you know if someone tells you to check Lady sovereign, DON'T. Jay-Z signed her but trust me that ain't no sign of quality.

 

[afriquedeluxe]

am surprised no one has mentioned Sway.

 

[abb-d]

lets not forget about 'Yungun'... he is definitely worth checking out

 

[J-ReZyN]

Thanks for the links and the info y'all. l kinda slept on the UK cats for a bit but You know how it is, some of us yanks tend to live in our own little world. But I'm lovin what I'm hearing and got a thirst for it now. Big up to all the UK cats...keep doing your thing!

 

[MarkN]

yea sway is the best artist in the whole of the UK now imo !

skinnyman and lowkey are kewl too, theres not much else i listen to apart from klashnekoff !