Dirt – A War To Restore (Syntax Records)

Dirt started out about 7 years ago as a hip-hop artist from the streets of San Diego. Within that seven years he has forged a new breed of hip-hop in the Christian market, etching out a style of hip-hop that deals with serious and heartfelt issues, but maintaining street-level credibility.  Dirt as an artist is dedicated to being as unique and creative in his approach to music and ministry.   Dirt has gone on 3 nation wide tours with Atlantic Recording Artist POD, 4 nation wide tours on his own, and opened up for acts like Cypress Hill, and Jeru The Damaja. A lot of people may sit up and say, "Wait a minute, this is Christian hip hop, it can’t be good."  Well that was my first thought too, until I took a listen to what was being released.  Dirt is one of those artists that don’t ridicule Hip Hop at the same time as bringing the gospel.  It is clear that this artist understands the Hip Hop culture fully and represents with his album A War To Restore.  I would view this album as a concept album because it needs to listened to from beginning to end in order to fully appreciate it.  The beats on this album are eerie and very dark.  Dirt manages to write his lyrics well without getting off the subjects.  You got a lot of head nodders on this album and you will sometimes forget that this is a fully fledged Christian album.  I’d urge people to check this out.  Extremely dope.

Divine Styler – Wordpower 2:Directrix (DTX Recordings)

I bought this double-vinyl at Outlaw records for R25.00 ($2). Now whoever sold it was one stupid mother coz this was bargain. I remember in 1989/90 I had a cassette of Divine Styler but I lost it one day, so you can understand how excited I was when I saw his new album sitting in that shop. The album starts off with “Al-Adhan” which is the call to prayer for Muslims. What a great way to start off an album. It sort of reminded me when I used to stay in Woodstock and I’d hear it in the early hours of the morning. "Unseen Letter" shows that Divine Styler has not lost his style. Still the same flow which I remember him for. Now I heard Styles Of Beyond before I heard this album and you could easily say that if you liked Styles Of Beyond you will like this too. This is deep hip hop with heavy lyrics. You need to listen carefully for the messages. Noticable tracks are "Before Mecca" and the banging "Hajji" which features DJ Rhettmatic. "Nova" which features Styles Of Beyond will make your head nod as they flip lyrics back to back. These guys are really on another level. To imagine how they sound think of hip hop circa 1989 with a digital twist. I’m speaking of the whole album here. You would have to know of Divine Styler in his early days to appreciate this album. You can also check that there was a lot of experimentation done on this album. If you listen to "Make It Plain" you must check how they play with the vocals. You will need to listen carefully to catch it. The basic beat patterns are saved by the sporadic samples on "Microphenia" but nevertheless produce a dope track. But out of the whole album I really liked "Satan Dynasty Killer" featuring Exceed which is something I’d play at a jam. This is hardcore hip hop that might not go down well with mainstream hip hop lovers. If you like stuff like Styles Of Beyond, Public Enemy and a little bit of X-Clan then you will love this. I know I do and no, I’m not selling this record, it will stay in my record collection.

• Al-Adhan
• Al-Faatihah
• Satan Dynasty Killer Feat. John Tejada:Scratches
• Unseen Letter
• Triple Irons
• One Self Duel Feat. Hitomi Okuno
• Invitation To Life Feat. Denise McCray "Faiza"
• Intel
• Before Mecca
• Reflection
• Hajji (DJ Rhettmatic:Scratches)
• Time Fold Feat. Cokni O Dire & DJ Rhettmatic
• Directrix Feat. DJ Rhettmatic
• Nova Feat. Styles Of Beyond
• Nature
• Make It Plain Feat. Gola Jaisv Richaardson
• Microphenia Feat. Styles Of Beyond
• Satan Dynasty Killer Feat. Exceed
• Gift Of Love

C-Bo – Enemy Of The State (Warlock Records)

You remembered him on his classic album Till My Casket Drops, which by the way caused a lot of controversy with the cops (and is one of my favourite albums). Now he comes full steam with an album that leaves me undecided. And that’s the way the ball bounces with this one, I cannot make up my mind. In one way I was looking forward to something similiar to Till My Casket Drops, but I’m left frustrated coz it seems he took a totally different direction on this one. Nevertheless he still keeps it hardcore with the real lyrics that prove that this boy is from the streets, not a studio gangster.

On Crippin’ Daz joins him to present a decent track but Death Riderz was a nicer track with DJ Squeeky on the production. But you know, you need Mike Mosely on a C-bo album coz he brings those beats that just fit together and create this crazy vibe like on Paper Made. Another nice track that had me thinking "nah man you didn’t waste your money on this one" was It’s War featuring Keek and Yukmouth. Another fat track is Spray Yourself featuring Yukmouth which has got a mad beat by Rick Rock. I also liked Born Killaz and No Surrender No Retreat both featuring Mobbfigaz.

Overall I think this one was a decent effort but you cannot rewrite a classic like Till My Casket Drops. That’s why I say if you want to listen to C-bo at his best you need to listen to that album.

• Enemy Of The State
• Crippin featuring Daz
• Death Riderz
• Paper Made
• Get The Money
• 4.6 featuring Killa Tay
• It’s War featuring Little Keek and Yukmouth
• Forever Thugin
• Ride Till We Die featuring W.C.
• Nothing Over My G’z featuring J.T. The Bigga Figga and Killa Tay
• Spray Yourself featuring Yukmouth
• C and the Mac featuring CJ Mac
• Picture Me Ballin
• Born Killaz featuring Mobb Figaz
• Pimpin and Jackin featuring Too Short
• Tycoon
• No Surrender No Retreat featuring Mobb Figaz
• Here We Come, Boy!

Fashion Expo – Round One: Tru Hip Hop (Syntax Records)

This is a double CD with over 140 minutes of raw Christian Hip Hop.  It features tracks from many of the hardest working artists in the indie and underground scene.  On For The Money by Mr. Rogers AKA Coleon you will think you’re listening to the hottest joint from New York.  Coleon has got skills and his beats are on point too.  This whole compilation is so dope that it would impossible for me to mention every track on this review.  Other tracks which are dope are Sub-Mission by Future Shock, YouDontKnowTheHalf.com by Lojique and Game Over by Fros’T.  Put in disc 2 and you are treated to the same amount of dopeness.  On Mic Abruption by Prophetics, you’d think you were listening to some gangster rap but the opposite is true.   Dope tracks included Lolly Pops by Absolute feat. Mr Tru, Clay by Relentless and Tight With Lasso by Absolute, Mr Tru, Ill Harmonics. Many cats might be unsure about checking out Christian Hip Hop but I’d urge people to peep this.  Ya’ll gonna be shocked.  A
definite must buy if you looking for something different.

Felix LaBand – Thin Shoes In June (African Dope Records)

Felix Laband comes from Pietermaritzburg with an intense musical background that includes founding the punk bands Incurable and Fingerhead, jamming with kwaito bands and producing tracks for a wide variety of ads and movie soundtracks. This is a brilliant album.  And this is something you might not hear me saying very often about our local releases.  Everything on here is instrumental, some would call it breaks, electronica, abstract whatever!  You can listen to this from beginning to end without a need to skip a track.  But no doubt, this is not dance music but more like chill out stuff.  If I had to give his style a name, I’d call it Coffee Breaks or Elevated Elevator Music.  Yeah that’s it.  This one comes highly recommended by AfricasGateway.  Go now to your music store and buy it!

F6 – Stuurboord Bakboord (Stuurboord Bakboord)

This is a new independent release all the way from Holland. First things first. The beats are dope. This is a strange album, not in a bad way, but these cats are different. Innovative experimentation that I enjoyed eventhough I could not understand the lyrics. This is something I can see myself listening to late at night drinking a bottle of whiskey and just relaxing. On "Windmolen Wiel-6" they use that bass line from War of the Worlds. This track freaks me out. But they made it too short. It should’ve been a full song. Another track that I really enjoyed was "Nog Geen Minuut". On "SBBB:WWWWVoorTTT.@" (Yes that’s the title of the song!) has an extremely fat beat that had me shaking my ass eventhough I was tired. Dutch Hip Hop has always interested me, mostly because of it’s link with Afrikaans? Nevertheless, eventhough I could not fully understand the lyrics, they flow on point but the high point must be the beats and the experimentation. Only for mature heads who don’t mind people rapping in Dutch.

• F666
• S.T.O.P.
• Driftig
• De Vooruitgang
• Windmolen Wiel-6
• F6
• Nog Geen Minuut
• SBBB:WWWvoorTTT.@
• Duistere Zijde
• Dubbel Dolby
• Spookhuis (andere opname)
• Effe Zessen

Gangstarr – Step In The Arena (Chrysalis)

We go back to the days when Hip Hop was excellent! This album will always stand out as a classic because it was a listening album just as much as it was something you could play in the clubs. “Just To Get A Rep” still sends shivers down my back when I play it. This is a timeless classic. For those of you who have the original vinyl copy you know what I’m talking about. This album stands out because it seems that there were higher spirits working through Guru and Premier. On “Check The Technique”, “As I Read My S-A” and “Take A Rest” Premier provides scratches that keep us doing air scratches until the early hours of the morning. Other classic tunes like “Form Of Intellect” and “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” made us break our spinal cords. It is very rare that you would find an album like this today. At that time I spent about R60 on this record and loved every single track. A far cry from releases today which only provide one or two good songs. It is important that hip hop heads listen to the mentality of this album and learn from it.

• Name Tag (Premier & The Guru)
• Step In The Arena
• Form of Intellect
• Execution of a Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt. 2)
• Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?
• Beyond Comprehension
• Check the Technique
• Lovesick
• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
• Game Plan
• Take A Rest
• What You Want This Time?
• Street Ministry
• Just To Get A Rep
• Say Your Prayers
• As I Read My S-A
• Precisely the Right Rhymes
• The Meaning of the Name

DJ Sandman – Sandmania Five (Mixtape)

Aight, so I got this mixtape from UFO in Holland and popped it in. Man, this guy knows good music and I freaked out when I heard “Say it Twice” by Defari. This tape is good for driving to through a ghetto and you just want to brag a bit. I say you play this shit loud and drive past a bunch of House and Kwaito Bunnies and increase the volume of your amp. I really liked DJ Sandman and I need this guy to send me more cassettes. He got skills too. Now I’m hoping he sends me that vinyl of “Just to get a Rep” from Gangstarr coz he plays it on the end of the tape. Big Up to DJ Sandman and keep representing. Hardcore!

De Posse – Nederhop Groeit (Djax)

This compilation is old (released 1994) by Djax Records but still worthy of a review. The groups represented are all from Holland and every word is rapped in Dutch. Sounds almost like Afrikaans and in some cases one can understand what is being said. Zuid Oost Posse, WhiteWolf, West Klan and Osdorp Posse is also dope. Their styles may be different but listen with an open mind. Very nice.

Oostblok – De Hoeven Gesmeden (Independent)

Now this is good s*** The Dutch always seem to amaze me coz they rock it hard. The beats are just so massive. My favourite tracks on this Cd are “Niet Van Dat Benauwde”, “Aansmerig”, “Eenzame”, “Drie Koningen”, “Doodlopend”, “Echte Boter” and lastly “ANTON”. Play it loud.

Cop – Cop (Demo)

Early rap group COP consisting of members Mr G, Q.Rock and A.D. Hufkie came out with this demo in the early 90’s and boasts production by DJ Ready D. This tape must be very rare because the people that I have spoken to say they have never heard of it. Tracks that stand out are “Microphone Grabber” and “Blackness”. Overall if you want to know what early Cape Hip Hop sounded like then go get a copy of this tape. Where? I don’t know but unfortunately due to the copyright laws in this world I’m unable to make any copies for anybody, unless you beg me.

Prophets of the City – Phunk Phlow

One of my favourite POC albums, this tape, unfortunately is also rare. It might be a sin for me to say that POC were way ahead of their time but I’ll say it anyway. Most probably the most well known song here is “Neva Again” which we have all heard but this tape hides some good tasty African samp. The track “Phunk Phlow” is the only nice track on side 1. Flip over to side 2 and this is where they tucked away all their lovely pieces of gold. “Deen Taariq Meets the Deck Wrekka of Boom” shows why Ready D was the dopest on the wheels of steel which is then followed by POC’s dopest track for that time “All Your Fault” where they diss gangster rap in general. Nice one

Various – The Detonator (Cell Block)

Ravensmead crew and friends put this nice compilation out last year. This compilation comprises of South Africa’s up and coming hip hop talent and proves that they are going to kick ass in the near future. GBoy (one of my favourite emcees) kicks it lovely on “Between U & Me”, the question about GBoy is, according to my resources, he is a Christian and defends God with his mighty mic. “All the Days” by AD Hufkie is another really dope track that I play often here at home, you see, it’s people like Ad Hufkie that should be up there in the limelight here in South Africa, coz this guy has got talent! Anyway, this tape also features a guy from the UK called JonZee and kicks a really dope freestyle on the tape. The downside of this tape is the extremely wack track “Only First” by female due Premature.

Brasse Vannie Kaap – BVK (Ghetto Ruff)

Now this is one album that really impressed me, the production that is. These beats really kicked ass and would make DJ Premier blush. My favourite track on this album is “Laat dit Rik”. The way Ready D comes off is beautiful. Fat MC on the other hand takes the cake. I don’t think there is anybody who’d want to battle FAT MC, when you up there on stage and he looks you in the eye when he freestyles you feel like a Steak Gatsby waiting to get eaten. Hey, enough with the jokes, but I really like this album, now go out and buy, if there is any stock left. No FAt MC not stockfish, I said stock of the album!

Prophets of the City – Ghetto Code (Ghetto Ruff)

Another classic one from POC although I wish there was more variety on the South African market. Fat tracks are “Heyta Da” and “Wild Styles”. Funniest track: “Net ‘n Bietjie Liefde”. The classic track, and South Africa has got to be proud of this one, is “Cape Crusader”, now I don’t care what anybody thinks, but I don’t think anybody has yet had the ability to better Shaheen on this track.

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