Rap Archives -

November 29, 2019

SINGLE: ‘How Much Do You Want It?’ – T8PES (feat Mike 110) 29.11.19

Words by Matthew Robinson / Photo by Matt Wilson Photography

It’s a wet, dreary morning in late November. I could have been on my way back from Amsterdam, however I had to turn the trip down to stay at home and let some builders start work on the house. DAMN YOU SPONTANEOUS GETAWAYS. I need something to ease my head, and in his latest single Birmingham artist T8PES asks the question ‘How Much Do You Want It?’ So, I’ll guess I’ll find out.

The first bar whisks me from my dark, rain-battered Stratford living room and plonks me straight into the lights and madness of an Ibiza rave pool party. It’s warming and contagious. I find that typically in most cases of ‘crossover hip hop’, lyrics are all too often forgotten. It seems the art of lyricism is getting harder to find in hip hop enthused genres – however this song simply takes that allegation and throws it with a ‘boom bap’ straight back into my face. The lyric, “as I channel the spirit of John Lennon at the Caver,” just warms me. These are clearly students of the game; T8PES and Mike 110 love music, and it’s easy to hear in this single.

The beat continues to fuel the song as I find myself skanking just listening to it. After the first hook I force myself to pause the track so I can go and get my speaker, to play this louder. I think perhaps more emphasis could be placed on the hook of the piece from a production point of view, as the volume is fairly one dimensional (taking into account that is typical of rave music), but it feels T8PES has more than enough ability to adapt this song into his own fusion genre of rave and hip hop. It’s clear that homage is being paid to old school rave culture and the breakdown of the piece shows T8PES donning his cap to perhaps my favourite element of classic hip hop… disk scratching. The scratching perfectly delivers the samples used into the track and it sounds effortless.

‘Howe Much Do You Want It?’ is a track with so much inspiration, it’s almost like looking through a photo album, picking out your favourites, and creating a collage of memories (or in this case a symphony of sounds). It’s a stamp on hip hop culture saying classic still exists, and that’s a beautiful thing.

‘How Much Do You Want It?’ – T8PES (feat Mike 110)

‘How Much Do You Want It?’ by T8PES is out on general release from Friday 29^th November. For more on T8PES, visit www.t8pes.com

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues surrounding sexual violence – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK website.

September 27, 2019

SINGLE: Four Sides and a Pointed Top – Ed Geater featuring VITAL 27.09.19

Words by Ed King / Pics courtesy of Bona Fide Mangement

I’ll be honest, when I read ‘a hip-hop infused pop jam’ on the promo copy for Ed Geater’s latest single… my heart sank. It’s the first track of his new EP, IN, coming out on 1^st November, and something about this six word description just didn’t sit right.

But why? Geater has embraced hip hop across his portfolio, whilst VITAL (the MC who appears with Geater on ‘Four Sides and a Pointed Top’) is an artist that will always grab my attention. And despite Geater’s six string melodies that have tugged at my heart so beautifully before, the man is an awesome beatboxer – as well as a seasoned champion of Birmingham’s roots and rhyme scene. If anything, I should be excited about the words ‘hip hop infused’ and complicit about it being a ‘pop jam’ (I have learned through heartbreak, long car journeys, endless decorating, and significant amounts of whiskey on my own that even I can find some pleasure in some ‘pop’). No, I can live with all of that. So, again, why the rock in my stomach…?

The truth is, right now, I’m a little scared of change. I’m tired, and in the hushed words of half of the Game of Thrones cast… winter is coming. My cultural and emtional shutters have come down and I want obvious familiarity, I want comfort. I want red wine in musical form. I don’t want to think, feel or challenge myself in any way. I want Ed Geater to do what Ed Geater has done for me before so I can lazily roll over and demand my brain cell absent belly rub. And OK, perhaps I had some issues at the term ‘pop jam’.

‘Four Sides and a Pointed Top’ starts with a short, echoed, guitar riff – quietly clinging to the background. Then an orchestrated cacophony slides into the spotlight, with Geater’s trademark acoustic splendour and broken beat backbone making the fire brighter and the hearth all the warmer for it. To continue the metaphor. But the real power and beauty comes at 16secs in, when Geater’s vocals strut confidently across the track – with a timbre comparatively unrecognised but sounding gloriously mature. I honestly had to double check it was him. It is. And it’s good, from growling deep to falsetto… it’s so, so good.

The music, melody and production then lead the charge. We are treated to a second verse, a second chorus. And just past the two minute mark VITAL steps in with a brief but quietly ferocious verse, delivered with the confidence of man in full control of his lyrics and voice. Tempered, beautifully tempered; it sits as the perfect jewel in this collaborative crown and a direct reminder of the vulnerability that even the strongest of us can suffer. It is also the beginning of the end, as all aspects are embraced for the final run and we are softly reminded that Geater has, in fact, been beatboxing throughout.

‘Four Sides and a Pointed Top’ is one of Ed Geater’s most accomplished tracks; it’s near perfect. The only real downside is that I’d like it to be longer, not as the uber-radio friendly 3min 21secs song that is has been gifted to us as. I’d also like to hear more from VITAL (their voices blend wonderfully) and the subject matter could be a little more prominent for a narrative junkie such as myself.

Plus, my future self is now wondering how it will sit alongside the other two tracks when Geater‘s IN EP is released at the beginning of November. But that’s the strategist in me. Right now, I’m just happy. I’m lying on the sofa with the following YouTube link on repeat. I’m warm; I’m content. And there’s not a trace of stone in my chest.

‘Four Sides and a Pointed Top – Ed Geater, featuring VITAL

Ed Geater releases his latest single, ‘Four Sides and a Pointed Top’, on 27^th September – out via Bronx Records. Ed Geater will be releasing his new EP, IN, on Friday 1^st November. For more on Ed Geater, visit www.edgeater.co.uk

For more on VITAL, visit www.IAmVITAL.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

June 29, 2019

EP: Fighting Our Corner – Black Bear Kiss

Words by Charlie Culverhouse

Fighting Our Corner is the latest EP alt-rock unit Black Bear Kiss, and features 5 new riff-heavy rock songs: ‘Cutting Corners’, ‘Hooks’, ‘Follow Me’, ‘Fighting Our Corner’ and ‘Secret Side’. Throughout the EP it’s as clear as day that the vocalist, Chris Leech, takes hefty inspiration from the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Kasabian – mixing pronunciations similar to those of Anthony Kiedis with the nasal tone of Tom Meighan to create an interesting and easily recognisable sound.

The third song on the EP, ‘Follow Me’, features rapper Leo Golden Child, but I can’t help and feel he’s misplaced in the song. The collaboration comes across as notably forced, at times almost as if they’ve thrown in a rapper just for the sake of it rather than to add any musical value. Listening to this track makes me cringe; a lot like when Maroon 5 collaborated with Cardi B and created ‘Girls Like You’, this song haunts me.

I listened to Fighting Our Corner for three days straight and I still could not tell you a single lyric that has stuck with me. There is no passion behind the words Leech sings, it doesn’t leave me feeling any kind of emotion and it certainly doesn’t make me think deeply about what he’s saying.

And at the end of the day, isn’t that supposed to be the whole point of music in the first place?

There doesn’t seem to be any kind of sentiment at all, everything sounding ice cold. When I listen to music, I want to hear passion behind every part of the song – what’s the point of playing music if it seems like even you, the musicians, don’t enjoy it?

The stand-out song of the EP is ‘Hooks’, which also happens to be the first single they released as a band. The song teases a more powerful vocal and shows off their writing capabilities. The most fleshed out song on this EP, ‘Hooks’ gives you the sense that this is the song that the band spent the most time perfecting (even though the track is still compiled of relatively simple patterns). Yet it pains me to say that delving deeper into the musical components of ‘Hooks’ just led me to dead ends where I find nothing in particular to comment on; it’s easy to listen to and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not what I’m into.

What the band describes as ‘catchy riffs’ do sometimes come off as a little too repetitive, especially in EP opener ‘Cutting Corners’. But you can tell that all the members of Black Bear Kiss are talented; that’s why I want to hear something more from them. I want to see more imagination in their music and hear them challenge themselves musically, using more intricate and powerful sounds rather than the simple chord patterns that dominate their songs.

‘Hooks’ – Black Bear Kiss

Black Bear Kiss released their Fighting Out Corner EP on 1^st March 2019, available online via the usual outlets. For more on Black Bear Kiss, visit www.facebook.com/blackbearkissband

Black Bear Kiss will also be performing on the Fox Stage at Gigfest in Oswestry on Saturday 6^th July – for more on Gigfest, including the full festival line up and links to online ticket sales, visit https://www.facebook.com/gigfestmusicfestival/

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

June 17, 2019

INTERVIEW: T8PES

Interview by Abi Whistance (To the Local) / Pic by Matt Wilson

“When you don’t fit in a box, how do you target your audience? How do you target your demographic?”

T8PES released his eponymous debut album on Friday 24^th May, following a rafter packed launch party at The Castle & Falcon in April. But the man behind the moniker, Jimmy Davis, is no stranger to a stage or two – having been a stalwart of the Midlands music scene for years, with artists including Ed Sheeran citing him as an influence.

Now recording and releasing as T8PES, his new 8 track LP stretches from rap to hip hop and rave to grime – featuring collaborations from Luke Truth, Ricardo Williams and Holly Fitzgerald to name but a few.

Flowing with honesty, self analysis, harsh truths and dark humour – alongside the occasional roll call of Birmingham’s evolving club scene – T8PES is a deeply personal journey and a melodic memory lane stroll through the highs and lows of Davis’ bittersweet life experiences.

Having reviewed the album for Birmingham Review back in May, Abi Whistance and the Leeds based music magazine To the Local invited us along to their interview with T8PES – ahead of his support slot for CityLightz at the O2 Academy Birmingham.

To read Abi Whistance’s Birmingham Review of the album T8PES, click here. Or just sit, click back and watch, as T8PES himself talks to Abi about the inspirations and impetus behind his new material:

T8PES is out now on general release. For more on T8PES, including links to online sales, visit www.t8pes.com

For more from To the Local, visit www.tothelocaluk.com

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

May 24, 2019

ALBUM: T8PES – T8PES 24.05.19

Words by Abi Whistance / Lead pic by Matt Wilson Photography

There’s a reason I struggle to get into grime et al, and I know I’m the top dog of sweeping generalisations when I say this but it all just feels a bit shallow. For me there is nothing relatable about gang tiffs, stacks of bills and a burning desire to be a Hugh Hefner-type. And from the mainstream circuit this is pretty much all I’ve picked up on.

I’m no expert in the realms of trap, rap and hardcore either. But I think that’s probably a good thing. So with little emotional investment in the genres, I can objectively say that T8PES is on to a winner for both novices (like me) and your more well-established grimeheads – with this debut album feeling exciting for a sound that I thought was one swift kick away from the bucket.

Walking the tightrope between love and hate treacherously close at times, T8PES has crafted something that perhaps shouldn’t work, but just does. Acid house and grime don’t exactly go hand in hand at first inspection, but the combination leaves me questioning why the hell I hadn’t heard this kind of thing before.

In actuality, I guess I have. But it’s the nostalgia and familiarity of this eponymous album that earns it the title of ‘a good listen.’ Fans of The Avalanches gather round and bring your 12” of the Mondays’ ‘Hallelujah’ whilst you’re at it, T8PES is mixed with enough pre-millennium dance hits to keep you going all night… even without those eccies.

But it’s not just the familiar nineties sound in tracks like ‘How Much Do You Want It’ and ‘Gotta Believe’ that gives this album the wistfulness of a time gone by, it’s the discussion of the trials and tribulations of teen-hood too. A mature reflection on growing up, T8PES has written a record that’ll strike a chord with most – tackling difficult themes of drug use, alcoholism and the effects of bad influences, featured on an album that feels like a coming-of-age tale.

I think it’s important to note that this may be one of the most well-produced debut albums I’ve heard in a long time too. Home cooked electronica and remixing have been polluting the scene for a while, making it a bit too easy to publish rubbish and a hell of a lot harder to find the gems. And I’m not saying that a Soundcloud system lockdown needs to be put in place to stop the sick bucket of low-quality artists from (God forbid) overflowing, it is pretty indisputable that the cornucopia of self publishing platforms have made it more difficult to identify the best of the best.

I can’t really whinge on about that for too long because the cream supposedly always rises to the top, and T8PES has sailed right up onto my radar with this debut album. But what it truly boils down to is a radio-friendly combination of EDM and rap that manages to keep a hold of the substance so many others lose in the process – with stand out production, and some solid variation in sound that leaves something for everyone here.

Not to blow anyone’s trumpet or anything – but I think we’ve just hit the grime jackpot.

‘Hope & Pray’ – T8PES featuring Holly Fitzgerald

T8PES is out on general release from Friday 24^th May. For more on T8PES, including links to online sales, visit www.t8pes.com

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here.