Manchester With Love

Since the events in Manchester a few weeks ago, the outpourings of love and charity for the city have been inspiring to say the least. Especially with division and hate seeming to be at an all-time high in the UK right now. Up there with the best of them is this new compilation, Manchester With Love.
Featuring over 220 tracks, from Manchester’s musical community, this album does two things – it shows the rich diversity and unity within the various Manchester scenes, plus it also shows that the great city and it’s residents will not be brought down or divided by these horrendous acts.

Sox ft. Drapes: Oils (Remix)

Brum to Bristol collab on this filthy remix from Sox & Drapes. The track is lifted from Drapes’ recent Zen Mode EP, which is available to download here. The track was produced by Dullah Beatz and the video was shot by JucasArtz.

Drapes: Oh Dear

More heat from my locale, as Drapes drops his new track, Oh Dear. Featuring his usual brand of frenetic wordplay, over a solid beat from Audioslugs, Oh Dear is the first featured video on Drape’s new YouTube channel. Check back for more bangers and an EP coming soon.

Gardna x Kreed ft. Inja, Eva Lazarus, Jman & Parly B: My Show

Big tune here, lifted from Gardna and Kreed’s new EP. The Boom Sound representatives reeled in an impressive list of guests for My Show – Inja, Eva, Jman and Parly B all sounding wicked together. The video was made by Arun Productions aka the multi-talented Chris Lucas. The EP is available to download now here.

Wordlife: CASisDEAD Live

This Friday the legendary Malcolm X Centre in Bristol plays host to a soon to be legendary line-up of acts. Top billing goes to the elusive cult figure, CASisDEAD, who is making an ultra rare appearance at the infamous Wordlife showcase.

Problem Child: Bars O’Clock

Bars everywhere in the latest Brapp HD video, with Problem Child bringing their trademark madness to the screen. Dabbla, Dubbeldge and Illaman go back to back over a strong, stripped back beat from Sumgii.

Dream Mclean & The Last Skeptik: Doing Bits

Dream Mclean and The Last Skeptik have been collaborating together for a few years and the result is always worth checking. Now they have an EP on the way and a few days ago this new video came to light. Doing Bits is a great example of why these two work so well together, with Skeptik’s production drawing on some nice Arabian sounds.
The Cheese On Brown Bread EP is out on Thanks For Trying Records on 23 Jan, with pre-orders available here.

NoLay: Pressure

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Fresh one from my favourite, as NoLay drops a heavy track from her Grime Guts & Glory EP. Pressure is produced by Kid D. The EP is available to buy now from all the usual spots.

Synikall x Jagged Hedz ft. Trademark Blud: Illusions of Grandeur

Powerful stuff from Synikall as the Brum MC links up with the London production outfit Jagged Hedz, for Illusions of Grandeur. Taken from Synikall’s EP of the same name and featuring another MC who always seems hungry as fuck, Trademark Blud, Ilusions is old meets new all backed up with a wicked video from the Global Faction team. Synikall’s EP is available to download now from here.

Illaman: Interview

For the past few years Illaman has been making waves in UK hip hop and beyond, largely thanks to his hype fuelled live shows and his involvement with Problem Child, alongside Dubbledge, Dabbla and Sumgii. I got the chance to speak with him at the UK Beatbox Championships last month and we chatted about his journey from metal to rap, his most memorable moments and the plans for his solo album, among many other things.