Pearsall's Tunes

Stormin feat. Nasty Jack - Fakes - This is off the 'Storm the Streets' mixtape, which is pretty wack in all honesty. Stormin is probably only the fifth or sixth best mc in Nasty Crew (after Kano, Ghetto, Sharky Major and Demon definitely, and probably behind Hyper as well), and his mixtape isn't really up to all that much. This, however, is an absolute killer, best thing on it for me by a mile. An icy Miami Bass style pump overlayed with gangsta lyrics. Simple stuff, but it works really really well.

Mucky Wolfpack - Wolves are Lurking - This is off Aim High Volume 1. Aim High 2 is, imo, the single best grime comp yet, but the first one is really good as well, even if it doesn't quite reach the same heights. This is one of my favorite tracks off it, with the whole of the crew dropping their rhymes over some strings and orchestral stabs. The guy who does the chorus, Discarda, is one of my favorite underrated mc's. He's a young (17/18 I think) short ginger white guy who spends lots of time shouting, but I think he comes up with some quite clever rhymes and he has real presence on tracks. Lots of people think he's terrible, but I've always quite enjoyed him when I've heard him show up on tunes. On radio sets that I've heard of him I've found him a bit much (he has a tendency to get over-excited and start screaming) but on tracks he's good. If Bob Hoskins's cockney gangster in The Long Good Friday had a nephew who mc'ed, it would be Discarda.

Sway - Down Load - This is one for us dirty downloaders, off the Aftershock label's 'Shockin Volume 1' mixtape. I don't actually have it yet, as I worked out a deal with a guy off Dissensus who lives in London for him to bring some stuff over to me (thus saving the postage!), and the Aftershock mix is one of the things I asked for. I should have it this weekend. This I grabbed off the RWD Forum the other day, and it's got the UK hip-hop mc Sway over the top of one of the Aftershock beats. Sway is really really good (his terrible New York dis track 'Fuck New York' over the Ja Rule 'New York' beat notwithstanding). He's going after the downloading crew. Favorite line on this: "keep it on the downlow/I download too/I'm a big hypocrite/I'll download you!"

Now for something special. Here's an mp3 of Roll Deep's DJ Target on Rinse FM on Sunday. For those who don't know, Rinse FM is one of the main London pirate stations, featuring many of the scene's biggest dj's and crews. This show, where Target was filling in for Slimzee (the recent recipient of an Anti-Social Behavior Order for his dedication to the pirate radio cause), features lots of fresh Roll Deep stuff (including the awesome remix of 'Heartbreak Avenue') and tons of quality vocal cuts. It's amazing listening to shows like this. I do think that in years to come, people will look back at this era of London music as a true golden age, one that measures up fully to moments like 91-92 hardcore and 94-95 jungle. London really is on fire at the moment.

DJ Target - Rinse FM April 17th 2005

In other stuff to check, check out Riko's dancehall set from last Friday night in East London, plus if you are interested in some background on all that Houston stuff I've been posting recently, check here for some links to articles on DJ Screw and the Houston hip-hop culture he played such an important role in creating.