Off World Vehicle (Stream)

If you’re a regular visitor to the blog then you might have seen a video from Lunar C and Hashfinger make an appearance last month. The track was the first offering from their newly formed duo, Off World Vehicle, which comes off the back of years worth of sporadic collaborations. Those collaborations have proved to be some of Lunar’s strongest work to date, including their 2020 joint effort, Pink Lagoon. Off World Vehicle takes things a step further though and establishes them as a bona fide duo, with their titular debut EP seeing its release last week. Seven tracks in total, all forged in the best of what both artists have to offer in their respective areas of expertise. You can check out a YouTube playlist of the EP below, while streams are also available on the usual platforms.

Lunar C & Hashfinger: Dead Serious

The freshest of the fresh from Lunar C and Hashfinger, as they reignite one of the more reliable partnerships in UK hip hop to bring us Dead Serious. A proper live band feel to the production adds even more weight to Lunar’s bars, which remain some of the most entertaining out there. And with the formation of Off World Vehicle, this means we’ve got more to savour from them in the future. Good shit all round.

Lunar C: The Chaos Theory Vol. 1

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New music from Lunar C, as he compiles the loosies he’s been steadily feeding us over lockdown, into one solid mixtape. It also comes complete with some new joints to keep us tided over until his official album drops later this year. Regular collaborator, Mash, is on the buttons for the duration, which suits Lunar well from the sounds of it. Generating a similarly natural vibe to the one he finds with HashFinger every time they get together. His bars are as on point as ever too, resulting in a relaxed project that hits harder than some fully polished albums. There are also a couple of features from the usual suspects – Lefty and P Solja. You can hear snippets of Chaos Theory Vol. 1 below and you’ll have more news on his album when I’ve got it.

Tom Caruana: Brewing Up (Stream)

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In my seemingly endless game of catch-up, I’m shining a light on the latest from Tom Caruana, which surfaced back in March. Thanks to Tom’s dedication to his craft and his flawless ear for pairing rappers and beats, you already know that any release he puts his name to is going to be praiseworthy before you even press play. Brewing Up carries on that long-standing tradition, thanks to another selection of finely crafted production gems and an impressive line-up of featured artists from across the UK. The list is long but to give you an idea of the pedigree of rappers involved, there are tracks with Melanin 9, Lunar C, Juga-Naut, MysDiggi, Scorzayzee and Skuff, to name but a few. You can get a taste of the whole project for yourself below and then head over to Bandcamp to cop a download, or one of the physical formats that are available.

Lunar C: Shut Up

Lunar C has been steadily knocking out tracks during lockdown, all of which I’ve failed to post. I thought I should right that wrong with a few words about his latest video. Shut Up is typical Lunar fodder, somehow merging self-deprecation and bragging bars into the same track, and all delivered with that sense of humour that has made him one of the most entertaining MCs on the scene since he first started rapping. Production is handled by Mash, who along with Hashfinger, always fits Lunar’s flow like a glove. Check out the Lunar C YouTube channel to catch up with the rest of his videos.

Lunar C & HashFinger: Pink Lagoon

New music from Lunar C and Hashfinger, as they join forces to bring us Pink Lagoon. Fans of the blog will know I’m a big Lunar fan anyway, but I think this is my favourite from him so far. He definitely benefits from sticking with one producer, and his creative chemistry with Hashfinger has been on point since they first started making music together in the early Bradford days. The whole album is a treat on the ears, but there are definite highlights, like the bars-laden Oil Painting, which features not one, not two, but three battle rap legends, as Lunar is joined by Tony D and Shotty Horroh. Lefty also drops in on a couple of tracks, and P Solja brings the grit on Death Row. No Bandcamp streams, but I’ve included the Spotify preview below. Get stuck in.

Lunar C: Puffer Jacket

A new loosie here from Lunar C, as he reunites with the always reliable Mash, who’s knocked up a nice mellow beat with a bit of a throwback vibe to it. It works really well and I’d be keen to hear Lunar rap more on this style of production. Puffer Jacket is also available to stream at the usual spots.

Lunar C: Wowzers

Great idea from Lunar C here, as he finds a way to make a new video in spite of the current lockdown restrictions. He had been wanting to make a video for Wowzers for a while, so he decided to collaborate with his fans and get them to send in clips of them either rapping along to the track, dancing, or just being weird. It turned out really well, as you can see for yourself above. Wowzers is produced by Hashfinger and is taken from Very Important, which is out now on all streaming platforms.

Lunar C: Something in the Water

Entertaining visuals from Lunar C and his latest album, as he drops off a new video for Something in the Water. The footage Lunar has used is from the exceedingly odd cult black comedy, Trash Humpers, which is probably worth watching if you’re not already familiar. The track features production from Pete Cannon. Very Important is out now.

Lunar C: Desperado

A second drop this week from Lunar C, as he hits us with the next video from his most recent album. Desperado is brimming over with the same punchlines and braggadocios lyrics that have earned Lunar his tight following (“I’m not messing, Bradford repping/Where a 12 year-old gypsy girl will smash your head in”), along with some slick production from Killmoney. The album, Very Important, is out now.