Not so many MC tracks in the shops at the moment, airwaves pumping though. Recent purchases "Strike da Match" (and it's almost drumless riddim) and "Vice Versa" (any sexual politics rap has to worth hearing). Don't ask me who the artists are- white labels are giving nothing away.
Simon and Tim have mentioned Wiley's riddims "Eskiboy" and "Freeze". I like the "Gunshot" riddim the best with it's likkle Tabla fill. These tracks are purely utilitarian, designed (karaoke-style) for anyone to rap over on the pirates. Great riddims but nothing without an MC. I cant imagine listening to them for kix (well maybe?) Lets just hope that all this doesnt mean that the MC is moving back to Pirate Radio and Dancehall mic. No great shame if you're in London with an FM aerial perhaps, but maybe we're less likely to see slabs of ART.......
Simon is reporting (via Luke-drop me a line bud) a one riddim LP in circulation proving incontrovertably the UK's rapping is JA-centric. Uh Oh! Right from 1974 Jamaica and Rupie Edwards pioneering "Yamaha Skank" LP this was a bad (meaning not good) thing. It's a healthy thing to Version, but mainly beacuse it'll produce 1 or 2 successful experiments. This doesn't mean I want to hear ALL the experiments! Lets hope we don't get "one-riddim-mania" like JA, although occasionally a one-riddim ragga radio mix can be wicked. Ever heard any of those one riddim dubs where you'll get 20 artists jabbering simultaneously? Now that is trippy. The producers love it, less work natch, and occasionally a good ragga riddim LP surfaces, (although I've never bought one) but it can stifle creativity and variety can't it?
Still the pirates are firing, and these super clean minimal riddims mean we can hear what's being said, a development in itself.
Posted by Woebot at February 2, 2003 12:18 PM