In the US, the record drops on September 11, exactly 8 years to the day since the release of the first Blueprint album and also marks the anniversary of the New York September 11 bombings.

“The trilogy has come full circle”, says Jay Z.  “Blueprint encompasses the essence of those that influenced me.  It pays homage to the soul music our parents played, musically the album recognises that there is a generation of us that are influencing the next wave of artists. The album lays the groundwork for what can happen next”.

The buzz track - D.O.A (Death Of Auto-Tune), which questions the use of the voice correction tool ever-popular in Hip-Hop today, was released digitally on August 17.  The 1970’s-esque video that accompanies it, features a cameo from fellow Brooklyn-ite Harvey Keitel and is inspired in part by the film, Zabriskie Point, directed by Michelangelo.

Watch the Jay Z video for D.O.A

Jay Z will be performing in the UK alongside Coldplay in September, the dates are below:

UK TOUR DATES

September 12     Manchester L.C.C. Club (w/ Coldplay)

September 16     Glasgow Hampden Park (w/ Coldplay)

September 19     London Wembley Stadium (w/ Coldplay

Choong Family - Baptism of Fire

Choong Family – Baptism of Fire – album review

Featuring great urban hip hop soundtracks for young dissoultioned British youth like Spray, Skank Music, and the title track Baptism Of Fire.

In a similar fashion to NWA in 1980’s Los Angeles, this is a social commentary with combining lyrical poignancy and swagger with gritty beats and melody.

Choong Family are a UK rap collective consisting of Afix (rapper), Scandal (singer/rapper) and Nutz P (rapper).  Collectively the group create a blend of hip hop, as well rap/R&B tracks like Solitude and Lies.  Reliving true events and ‘telling it as it is’ gives Choong Family a hardcore hard-hitting, youthful angst that gives their songs a cutting edge that escapes many of their UK peers.

I’m not sure I know the difference between an album and a ‘pre-album’ but this is the latter; a 17 track taster before the “official” debut Phoenix Rising album due for release in the Autumn.  But one thing is for sure, the Choong Family have arrived.

Choong Family – Baptism of Fire Tracklist:

1. Baptism Of Fire
2. Adrenalin Feat. Pyro
3. Lies
4. Spray Feat. Pyro
5. Role Wit Heat
6. Solitude Feat. Mike GLC
7. Goodbye Gin Feat. Hannah
8. Skank Music Feat Truth & Pyro
9. Big City Niggaz
10. Family Tree Feat Truth & Pyro
11. San Andreas
12. Take A Look
13. It’s Nothing
14. Silverspoon Feat. Unorthodox
15. Translating My Hardship
16. Paraphernalia Feat Truth & Elizabeth Williams
17. Adrenaline Remix Feat. Coldboy, Wretch 32, Scorcher, Pyro, Ghetto, Silva, No Lay, Y Don, G-Kid, Devlin

Baptism of Fire by Choong Family is released on 25th May through Gridlockaz from all major download sites.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/choongfam and www.choongfam.com

Artcha raps on The Buizniez's new single

The Buizniez, the anonymous grime/r&b/electronic producer, has collaborated with the rapper Artcha James on his first single from the upcoming album Electrify ‘Club Freaks Anthem…Part 1’. The Buizniez’s production is immaculate and incorporates elements of electronic minimalism and even the same sort of synth-sound as Burial into his cold compositions.

‘Club Freaks Anthem (Part 1)’ is cool and pulsing, incorporating a grimy guitar-line and some sparse electronics, but unfortunately Artcha James just doesn’t quite do the track the justice. His delivery is perfectly good, but it’s just that he’s saying nothing, his rhymes are hackneyed and it’s all a bit non-descript.

Since the all too brief phase of decent, underground grime music making it big, British rappers have been flailing around in the dark a bit, trying to be the next new, most innovative sound on the street. This, much like how the American rapper claims to be the best, richest, and biggest pimp is usually pretty doubtful.

This is a shame for The Buizniez, who is obviously a highly talented and creative producer, and on other tracks which from his album Electrify, I’ve no doubt that his collaborations will do his updating of 80s sounds real justice. You can hear clips on his MySpace and download the single from February 9th.

Watch the promotional video

Yo! Majesty - Club Action UK Single & Tour

Yo! Majesty will be following their debut album Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid, with a new UK single on 17th November and UK tour.

Club Action is the club anthem of 2008, the tune that originally made Yo! Majesty a massive hit in the blogging world.

Club Action is the track which led to a myriad of remixes when a breakdown of the song was posted online.

The song has the unmistakable chorus of ‘Fuck Dat Shit‘ which club-goers on both sides of the Atlantic have been singing along to, this summer.

Is it political? Is it a life message? Or is it the new ‘lager, lager, lager’ for the dancefloor?

Club Action has been newly mixed and toughened up for 2008. It’s all set and ready to be the hit that it has been promising to be since it first poked its head above the mass of dance crap over two years ago.

For those not yet in the know, Yo! Majesty are Shunda K and Jwl B, two ladies with attitude from Tampa, Florida, who write shocking lyrics, have deep spirituality and matter of fact sexuality.

Club Action is the first single taken from their debut album Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid, which was released in September. It also follows the release of the critically acclaimed Kryptonite Pussy EP, a five track EP with a bold mix of sassy lyrics, various rhythms and global influences, which was released digitally and via US import vinyl in July.

Club Action will be available on 12” and via digital download.

Remixes will be courtesy of Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders, Sunship, Stanton Warriors and Bless Beats.

Club Action tracklisting:

SIDE A:
1. Club Action: album version 04:04
2. Matt Helders vocal dirty: 04:35
3. Bless Beats remix: 03:15

SIDE B:
1. Sunship 12” dirty: 06:33
2. Sunship Rinse Out Dub Dirty: 06:11

Yo! Majesty UK Tour

Yo! Majesty are coming to the UK and Ireland to tour with Neon Neon and will also be performing a headline show at the Barfly in London.

If you haven’t seen Yo! Majesty live, you’re in for a treat!! Full dates are as follows:

Tue 28 October: Bristol Trinity Church – (with Neon Neon)
Wed 29 October: London Pure Groove instore – 1.30pm – free
Wed 29 October: London Koko – (with Neon Neon)
Thu 30 October: Brighton Digital – (with Neon Neon) -
Sat 01 November: Leeds Brudenell Social – (with Neon Neon)
Sun 02 November: Cardiff Millenium Centre – (with Neon Neon)
Tue 04 November: IRE,  Dublin Tripod – (with Neon Neon)
Wed 05 November: Belfast Stiff Kitten – (with Neon Neon)
Thu 06 November: Glasgow Oran Mor – (with Neon Neon)
Fri 07 November: Gateshead Small Sage – (with Neon Neon)
Sun 09 November: Manchester Ruby Lounge (with Neon Neon)
Mon 10 November: Birmingham Glee Club (with Neon Neon)
Mon 17 November:  London headline Show – Barfly

For more information visit www.myspace.com/yomajesty4life

Yo! Majesty - Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid

Yo! Majesty – Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid – album review (Domino Records)

Following this summer’s club hit singles Kryptonite Pussy and Club Action, Yo Majesty release another all-out upfront attack rapping assault, this time in the shape of their excellent debut album, Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid.

Yo Majesty is Shunda K and Jwl. B – two street-wise girls from Tampa, Florida with a fresh in-your-face style of rapping which is hard-nosed and uncompromising. The album starts with the brilliant Fucked Up, and the full force of Yo Majesty doesn’t stop throughout an edgy-sounding 14 tracks that pulls the listener through a whirlwind of rap and hip-hop beats, tempos, styles and powerful lyrical finesse.

Fucked Up, the stomping Booty Klap, the current single Club Action and Blame It On The Change, with its funky catchy keyboard riff, are personal favourites on a very strong debut album which will do nothing but underline Yo! Majesty’s standing in the otherwise comparably light arena of female rappers.

Yo! Majesty is delivering a fresh sound in a genre too full with mediocrity and copy-cat acts.

For the past year Yo! Majesty have been gradually building a reputation by performing or hooking up with some well respected producers from around the world such as Basement Jaxx, Sunship, Radio Clit, Dee Kline, CLP, Mercedes and their original mentors, Hard Feelings UK.

Yo! Majesty’s Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid is available on CD, vinyl and via digital download. Get some while it’s hot!

Check out Yo! Majesty on MySpace and hear for yourselve.

“This is the last time I ever play this song”, says Roots Manuva, just after his DJ has teased the crowd with a burst of the resonating bass line of “Witness (1 Hope)”. There is something special about that bass; something that stays with you long after “Let the Spirit”, tonight’s final song of an extended encore, comes to an end, and I don’t think that it is tinnitus.

This was the first night of the Slime & Reason tour to promote Roots Manuva’s current album. But monged-out rapper Rodney Smith was not averse to playing the classics.

Dropping almost all the singles from his previous three albums (Sing-a-long “Dreamy Days”, “Too Cold” etc.) the performance felt almost like a Greatest Hits tour. Indeed, the song that got the best reception was undoubtedly “Witness”. And judging by the crowd reaction, I doubt that Smith will be allowed to drop it from his set as soon as he claims.

Roots Manuva’s languid demeanour and reluctance to remain centre-stage makes his show all the more cool and his banter all the more affable, though some punters may feel that the Banana Klan aides (Smith was flanked by male and female voice) sometimes dominated the show with their crowd-warming interludes.

Support came from excitable young rapper Jim Screech, certainly a future UK talent.

Full tour listings: www.myspace.com/rootsmanuva

Following the recently released 5 track Kryptonite Pussy EP, the foul-mouthed duo of Shunda K ans Jwl B, aka Yo! Majesty release Club Action, the first single to be taken from their forthcoming debut albumFuturistically Speaking…Never Be Afraid due for release on 29th September.

Club Action is the media-friendly title for Fuck Dat Shit, a rap / hip-hop club favourite that was originally released a couple of years and has been remixed for 2008.

Yo! Majesty are brash, upfront and in your face; rather like a Salt n Pepa remix on crack for the Wii generation.

The girls are from Tampa Bay, Florida and Club Action is most definitely a tune from the streets and for the clubs. The radio edit will have so many bleeps I’m not sure it will be recognisable!

Club Action is available on CD, 12″ vinyl and via digital download.

For more information visit the Yo! Majesty MySpace page.

Yo Majesty – Kryptonite Pussy 12″ US Import & Digital Release Only

The new five track EP from Yo Majesty, the Tampa Florida based hip hop girls with attitude is available on 12″ US Import.

Forget Salt n Pepa, this is Shunda K. and Jwl B. – bass in yer face.Two girls ready to punch down the male dominance of hardcore hip hop with a real punk arse attitude that Afrika Bambabaata would be impressed with. This is the most exciting hip hop I’ve heard for a long time.

The music of Yo Majesty is widely speaking a mash of hip hop, rap and electro beats. Hip Hop meets 80’s electro beats, hard and raw. Shunda K.and Jwl B. with their crude, sexploitative lyrics are given a real raw production by London-based electronica duo Hard Feelings UK (David Alexander and Richard Winstanley).

Yo Majesty pressed their first official release, the Yo EP, in 2006, and in 2007 they toured alongside CSS and The Gossip. Now in 2008 they have released a 12″ vinyl available on US import only – Kryptonite Pussy.

Break Bread & Hey There Girl are favourite tracks. But all 5 tracks are worth listening to. There’s no time for slacker tracks. All five tracks on the 12″ EP are available to listen to on the Yo Majesty MySpace site.

The 12″ precedes their debut album which is due for release in September.

Yo Majesty is hard as nails. But I bet in real life they are kittens.

For more information visit www.yomajesty.com

RZA is currently on tour with thw Wu Tang Clan.

Along with Bobby Digital, RZA’s upcoming projects include a forthcoming major motion picture entitled Repossession Mambo, where RZA will star alongside Jude Law, Liev Schrieber and Forest Whitaker.

Later this year there will also be another series of the fantastically named Afro Samurai, with an all-new score and soundtrack from RZA as well.

Here is the official music promo video for the new single You Can’t Stop Me Now by RZA as Bobby Digital, taken from the forthcoming album Digi Snacks, out on 24th June 2008.

Official RZA MySpace: www.myspace.com/RZA

Official Wu Tang Clan Website: www.wutang-corp.com

Official Wu Tang Clan MySpace: www.myspace.com/WuTang

The Wu Tang Clan released their fifth studio album, 8 Diagrams, in December 2007. The London dates will see all eight remaining members take to the stage in what promises to be an awesome hip-hop show.

Many of The Wu Tang Clan members are equally known for their solo careers now. They are RZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, GZA The Genius and Street Life live.

The Wu Tang Clan originally featured nine MC’s until the death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2004.

Official Website: www.wutang-corp.com

Official MySpace: www.myspace.com/wutang

Tickets available from www.ticketweb.co.uk or phone 0844 477 2000