Slim’s Pickings 2022 Pt. 2

Following on from last week’s continued roundup of some of my favourite releases from 2022, I’m back with what I thought was going to be my final selection. The original plan was to cover 30 EPs and albums, but as time has gone on my mind has decided to trigger more musical memories from the year. Add to that the fact that the last breaths of 2022 brought us a few more releases and I realise now that I could easily do a top 40 (shout out to 80’s Sunday evenings on Radio One). So without further ado, here are my next ten choices, and as usual they arrive in no particular order beyond the sequence my memory brought them to the surface. The third and final instalment will follow shortly.

Jam Baxter ft. Lee Scott: All Clear

Jam Baxter makes a return to our celestial plane with a new video for All Clear. The track is taken from his recent Off Piste EP and features a slick guest spot from Lee Scott, as well as a nice mix of trap and keys from Lenkemz on the beat. The video was made by Vikki Digby-Johns and Dew8. Off Piste is out now on High Focus.

Jam Baxter: The Stump

A brand new video from Jam Baxter, for the next track to be taken from his recent Off Piste EP. The Stump is the EP’s closing track and features some masterful production from frequent collaborator, Chemo, and also Last Japan, the man behind the beat on Vulture. It’s by far the high point of the EP and I’d argue a high point in Baxter’s entire catalogue. The video for The Stump was made by This & That Media and Off Piste is out now on High Focus.

Jam Baxter: Off Piste (Stream)

Surprise new EP from Jam Baxter, as he continues to celebrate the success of his recent publishing debut. Off Piste features four tracks from the Contact Play MC, on which he is joined by Lee Scott and Datkid. Production comes courtesy of Dirty Dike, Chemo X Last Japan, Zygote and Lenkemz. The EP is ready to stream in full below and downloads are available from Bandcamp.

Sumgii: Production Playlist (Stream)

All-round production don, Sumgii, has a new EP en route, on the infamous Swamp81 label. Sumgii has long been one of my favourite producers and so I thought I’d share this new playlist, featuring some of his greatest beats to date. The playlist features audible gold from the likes of Cult Mountain, Jam Baxter, Lee Scott, Milkavelli and Dabbla. There is also an instrumental version too, which you can find here. It should get you into just the right mood for the EP, which is due for release very soon. More info to follow.

Jam Baxter: Red Hawaiian

A brand new video from Jam Baxter has just materialised, to coincide with the launch of his first ever book. Red Hawaiian is produced by Strange U’s own Dr Zygote, who has concocted a bouncy, warped beat which switches up nicely halfway through and strays just enough into the left field. Baxter’s book, Off Piste, is a collection of lyrics, illustrations and other visual madnesses, from the mind of one of the country’s most unique MCs. Pre-orders for the book, 7″ single and associated merch are available via High Focus. The video for Red Hawaiian is made by This & That Media.

Jam Baxter: Gone (D£DW8 Remix)

Tough remix from the D£DW8 gang, as they bring their own brand of menace to this gem from Jam Baxter’s 2018 Touching Scenes album. You can stream the Gone remix in all its twisted glory below.

Lee Scott x Jam Baxter: Who’s Ur M8 + LP Stream

Brand new video from Lee Scott and Jam Baxter, as they kick of the official release of their album, Happy Hour At The Super Fun Time Party Dome Megamix 4000. When Lee first sent me the LP a few months ago, he did so with the warning that it was weird. I like weird, was my reply. And while it might not be your run of the mill rap album, it definitely remains on the right side of weird, complete with drunk style crooning from Lee. It features production from loads of great names, including Sumgii, Drae Da Skimask, GhostTown, Dirty Dike and Jack Jetson, plus there are guest spots from the likes of Jetson, Stinkin Slumrok, Milkavelli, Trellion and Lyza Jane. The whole thing can be heard below and you can see the video for the Dike produced, Who’s Ur M8, above. It was made by Slim Parisoo. Vinyl copies of the album are available over at the Blah store.

Ronnie Bosh: Get Out + Album Stream

It’s a good day for hip hop, as Ronnie Bosh’s debut solo LP is finally released. Having been a major contributor to the scene for a long time, thanks to his Contact Play affiliation and the numerous features it spawned, Bosh has built up a solid fanbase who have all been crying out for a full-length project. All People Expect is the perfect answer to those cries, with Bosh’s baritone flows perfectly lacing Dike’s production; the result of years of collaborations between the two of them, including on the Dike-produced My Business by Rag’N’Bone Man.

High Focus 9th Birthday: Win Tickets

Next month on 18 April, as is now customary in Bristol, High Focus will roll into town en masse to celebrate their 9th birthday. Following on from last year’s success, once again they will takeover the SWX nightclub which is situated bang in the middle of town and will bring with them a selection of the finest artists that their ever-increasing roster has to offer.
On the bill this year we have performances from The Four Owls, Jam Baxter, Coops, Onoe Caponoe, Ed Scissor, Strange U, Ronnie Bosh and Pitch 92 as well as their latest signing Datkid, plus loads more MCs and DJs to get the place jumping. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of reaching one of these events in the past, then you will know what to expect and that what to expect is something special.
As is also customary, I have the opportunity for one of you lucky so-and-sos to win free entry for you and a faithful companion on the night itself. All you have to do to win is answer the following question:

What is the name of the forthcoming album from Datkid and Leaf Dog?

To enter, stick the answer in an email along with your full name and I will pick a winner at random on 1 April. The email address is allgingereverything@gmail.com. For the full line-up check the poster above and if you’d rather invest in some tickets instead, you can find them here.