Broken Language '08

Didn't believe this when I saw it, and even then I worried whether it'd be any good, but Method Man and Redman do the original of Broken Language proud with this version for the '08. Big, big things.

Tom Caruana Remix Time

Brighton based producer Tom Caruana is one of the most prolific beat makers on the south coast these days, spilling out more hot bangers than many of his contemporaries. So many beats in fact, that now he's turning his head to remixing some of those artists from the other side of the water. Its all unofficial of course, but the man can certainly add a little UK flavour to the tracks he's selected... So here you go... TC:

Gangstarr - DWYCK (TC Remix)



Q-Tip - Breathe & Stop (TC Remix)



Casual - Thats How It Is (TC Remix)

NORE: Cocaine On Steroids

POW! Okay, so this mixtape came out last year, but I think it's still one of my favourites, up there with Clipse's We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2 - NORE is king of that ign'ant shit, and if you like a little bit of that, then this tape doesn't fail to please. From the opening Cocaine Cowboys, via the explosive Club Shit featuring Three Six Mafia, this is some shit to bump as loud as possible in the whip or in your cans. So click that link, twist your cap back, roll your sleeves up and get thugged out. Cocaine on Steroids - by far the best name for a mixtape in the last few years, mixed by DJ Green Lantern, so get ready for some spinbacks and explosions...

Cocaine On Steroids

First Down: Last To Fall

Have a butchers at the photo from the post below. See that tall block on the right? Well, most of you probably don't know that in that block, up on the 22nd floor, was where one of my favourite UK albums of all time was recorded. An album which still gets bumped hard in the Illwood Heights stereo. Any ideas yet? Well, allow me to put you out of your misery. World Service, by First Down dropped in '94, and proceeded to put Brighton truly on the map as far as hip-hop music goes. The combination of heavy beats and the uncompromising vocal styles of the emcees rode the line between the Britcore styles of crews such as Gunshot and Deliverance and styles infiltrating our ears from the other side of the pond. Regularly rated in the top 50 UK hip-hop LPs of all time, World Service was a big inspiration to me as an up and coming rapper, and continues to prove worthy of the accolades it received.

A few years later, a follow up album was recorded, although never released.

Later in 2008 though, these tracks, and some brand new material will be released upon an unsuspecting world through the medium of mixtape. Featuring Korekt, Aroe, Baron Demus, Surprize, Bluze, and featuring guest spots from Remark (Deliverance), MC Mell'o' alongside others I'm sure. And how do I know this? Well, I'll be guesting on the mixtape as well. I spent a day locked in the studio the other week, and I can officially tell you that it is sounding HOT. Now I understand there's still a bit of recording to get done before the tape is finished, so here's a couple of tracks from World Service to get you fiending.



Mad Dogs & Englishmen RMX

Jaw Warfare Pt. 4

For more stuff featuring the production of First Down's Aroe, check out Soundmakers' myspace page, and hunt down the Tuff Crew remixes!

POW!

Sunshine!

Into February we go, and things are looking better outside Illwood Heights with a great guest appearance from that big ball of heat we like to call the sun. It still ain't exactly hot out there, but a little bit of blue sky does make everything just that little bit better. And everything will be doper still when Dr Syntax, DJ G-Petz and myself head over to Chamonix next month for a set of three gigs in the French Alps. We're hitting the slopes though, so expect to see me on stage on crutches knowing my abilities on a snowboard!

Anyway, make sure you check the vid below of Alex Young getting wild with the ink, and if you haven't checked the site out already, head over to The Sixtyone and vote for my tracks...

POW!

'Inkin Heck! Its Alex Young

Big props to the fam over at Delarge for this vid, showing one of the craziest artists in the game right now. Alex Young has done artwork for various artists such as the Nextmen, Evil Ed & K-Delight and others, and proves here that he's sick with the ink as well as the can.


Time-lapse art featuring Alex Young from delarge on Vimeo.

You can find more of Alex's work here: Brain of Alex Young