The final instalment of 2019. Due to my schedule and other factors, November and December will be in the same article, and I can only hope that artists stop releasing albums in December so I can properly delve into them.
Mango X Mathman – Casual Work
What makes music “Irish”? This is a question that has cause a lot of arguments this year. A certain post-punk from Dublin decided that before Girl Band’s efforts, all Irish music was pitiful, lacklustre trad music. Not only were they insulting to both trad and all other Irish genres and music, they were also so wrong, you would swear it was poorly delivered joke. But still, let’s ponder this question? People could say it is the fiddles and a boadhran, others would say the singer having a gentle lilt, someone would even say it has to explicitly mention fighting a Brit. I would say is that it’s music that gives you a sense of place, no matter what the musical style is, music that wears its identity on its sleeve like badge of honour. Mango and Mathman’s debut album Casual Work is exactly that; and not only is this proudly Irish, it’s unashamedly Dublin through and through.
Opening up with a spoken word piece Bread & Butter, Mango delivers the harsh reality faced by young people in Ireland, “Zero-hour contracts zero fuck given”. Mango’s raspy and impassioned delivery adds brevity to the proceedings. The track soon fades with the sounds of the coast, and straight into Deep Blue. Featuring Lisa Hannigan on the chorus, Mathman’s production is lush and bright. The production switches on the following track Estates, a menacing aura surrounds the beat, which Mango comfortably sits upon, detailing the ins and outs of life in Dublin’s estates. Lord Hear Us sees Mango speak on the struggles of growing up when you have internal family strife and external forces trying to bring you down, “and you never go home cause your Ma’s in a mood and your Da’s jarred” is a particularly poignant line. Both Lonely Night and Memories see the duo take a softer approach, accompanied by Loah on both tracks, where she delivers standout performances. The boys show their ability to switch it up and drop some summer heat in the depths of winter with Any Other Place, an ode to Dublin when it’s drench in sun, with Adam Collins providing a killer hook. The boys flip it back to the heavy side for Chest Out and Mad Ting, Mango shells like an artillery barrage while Mathman delivers beats that would shut down any rave. The closing track Said & Done features some 90s Trance-style keys from Mathman, while Mango how he’s grinded to make where he is through the struggle.
So what makes music “Irish”? It doesn’t matter, what matters is where the music represents, what the music represents, who it speaks for, and who it speaks to. When people listen to this album they hear the Irish-ness pouring out of it, there no check-boxes to tick, there’s no criteria to meet. We know, and that’s what’s important.
Wiki – Oofie
If Mango X Mathman’s Casual Work is and ode to Dublin, everything Wiki does is his ode to New York and Manhattan.
Wiki carved his was in the Rap game with his original group, RATKING; their 2014 album So It Goes gaining the group critical praise and underground adoration. Upon the groups untimely split, Wiki release solo material and eventually release his praised debut solo album, No Mountains in Manhattan. Soon after this, the group Wiki had formed with Antwon and underground legend Lil Ugly Mane ended abruptly, with Mane and Wiki pulling the plug and cutting ties with Antwon when his history of abusing women came to light. Now, over 18 months later, Wiki has returned with another album for the books, Oofie.
Priming us for the album with the standalone singles Cheat Code and the Madlib produced Eggs, excitement for this album was bubbling up. Following this, 2 singles from the album really turned up the heat. On the lead single Pesto, Wiki sounds right at home a jittery, booming beat provided by Tony Seltzer. The second single Grim, produced by and featuring Lil Ugly Mane, is a macabre look into the questions of life, death, and legacy. Denzel Curry reunited with Lil Ugly Mane on this track too; the combined efforts of the three men makes for one of the best Hip Hip songs of the year. Oofie followed the day after Grim, and it’s safe to say the wait between NMIM and this release was well worth it. Like any Wiki release, this album is packed with features, but don’t have any preconceptions that Wiki relies on these to carry the album; each feature adds an edge to the already sharpened blade that is Wiki’s song-crafting. Fellow New Yorker Your Old Droog joins Wiki on Way That I Am, the two going over a soulful, snappy beat, Droog taking aim at those who judge and questions rappers even though they have no idea how the art works. Lansky Jones joins the proceedings on Back Then, which sees him and Wiki fondly reminisce about their New York upbringing, offering an insight that is somehow both tender and gritty. The New York appearance continue with Princess Nokia’s appearance on the Dame Aquí. They regale us with stories of tour life, and Nokia kills it with her verse; her and Wiki make such a great combo and we can only hope for a joint project. Promises is a beautiful track, Wiki reflects on the women in his life who made him who he is, with a angelic hook provided by Duendita.
Wiki is an unashamedly, grimey, 40 ounce slugging New Yorker. His raps weave us tapestries of New York life through his lens where there is no filter, and that’s what’s important. His Puerto Rican-Irish heritage is also worn like a badge of honour, and it adds a humble pride to Wiki’s lyrics. After this project, I can only hope that we get another Wiki project next year, and I truly hope him and Lil Ugly Mane reunite to form a duo.
FKA Twigs – MAGDALENE
FKA Twigs makes her return to music, with her first project since 2015, and what a return it is. A beloved figure in the alternative music scene, Twigs has carved a spot herself along side the likes of Kelela and Grimes as an ethereal song-maker; her voice and instrumentation feels almost other worldly at some points, resonating on a frequency that elicits buried emotions. On this new project, Twigs laces religious iconography with her eclectic brand of Art Pop to make something wholly original and unique.
The repetitive opening track thousand eyes sets the album off with a booming opening; thumping bass drums provided by Nicholas Jaar’s production lay the foundation upon which Twigs sings of a relationship that is ending. This theme carries on to home with you, Twigs voice on this track is sublime, layered and accompanied piano and cello, this track is the first of many from this album that will give you goosebumps. holy terrain acted as the 2nd single of the album, and upon its announcement, it certainly raised a few eyebrows. Future as the featured artist, while Skrillex, Kenny Beats, and Sounwave joined on the production; it sounds like it would be manic, but it works. Twigs and Future play the part of a couple, Twigs searching for someone who will be true to her, Future wanting to be that person but is feels he is broken and unworthy. It’s an unexpected collaboration, but its something I didn’t even know I needed. The track mary magdalene sees Twigs explore lust and sexuality, “Mary Magdalene / Creature of desire / Come just a little bit closer till we collide”. Nicholas Jaar’s production on this is prominently stamped, especially on the outro, the rattling drums and darting synths are a perfect accompaniment to Twigs vocal.
As the album moves toward its close, Twigs presents mirrored heart, with an instrumental and vocal performance that is reminiscent of something The Velvet Underground and Nico would produce, perhaps the title had me thinking about I’ll Be Your Mirror. Twigs really ramps up the heartbreak across these final tracks, here defeated summation “And for the lovers who found a mirrored heart / They just remind me I’m without you” resonates with you long after the track has ended. With the final track, Twigs truly stuns. It was cellophane that acted as the lead single, and it’s cellophane that stands as one of the best closing tracks of any album this year. Twigs vocal performance is celestial, here utter devastating calls of “Why don’t I do it for you / Why won’t you do it for me / When all I do is for you? / And didn’t I do it for you?”. I’ve seen live video of Twigs performing this, and she is weeping while she sings, so I’m glad to know her music has the same affect on her as it does me. The outro of this track only adds to the exasperated feeling of hopelessness, Twigs is being judged and watched but those who thinks she’s not good enough, and perhaps she feels the same.
FKA Twigs could be an alien who landed on earth with the intention of breaking hearts, it’s entirely possible. With this album, she has cemented herself as a mainstay of the Art Pop world. The project deserves every bit of praise it has received, and hopefully we won’t have to wait so long for another FKA Twigs project.
Tha God Fahim & DJ Muggs – Dump Assassins
You may not be familiar with the name DJ Muggs, but you definitely have heard his production before. As the producer of legendary West Cost Hip-Hop group Cypress Hill, there’s no doubt you’ve bopped to his effortlessly cool productions such as When the Sh** Goes Down or Insane in the Brain. He has remained a constant presence in Hip Hop since the 90s, but in the last 18 months, he has truly come into a new lane in the modern scene. In late 2018, he piqued my interest in his modern work with his collaborative EP with MF DOOM. In 2019, he went into overdrive, producing for East Coast rappers such as Mach-Hommy, Crimeapple and Meyhem Lauren. All of these project that he worked on deserve your attention, but the one that truly stands out for me is Dump Assassins with Atlanta native, Tha God Fahim.
The sound of Atlanta Hip-Hop is firmly rooted in the likes of Outkast, Gucci Mane and the modern Trap of Young Thug and Migos, but Tha God Fahim offers something different, more akin to the sounds of New York gritty underground. A frequent collaborator of Mach-Hommy, it’s easy to see why this link up between Fahim and Muggs happened. When translated from Arabic to English, Fahim can mean intelligent and keen, and these attributes are front and centre of Fahim’s raps. Opening the first track Dump Assassination with a reference to the legendary Rakim, Fahim states “You gotta Know the Ledge like Rakim said”, he is joined by Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks. On Cobra Commando and The Silent Samurai, Muggs production, and what makes it so special, stands out. Like Jay Electronica’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there are no drums, but Fahim doesn’t the need them; the meticulously crafted beat relies on everything but drums to create the rhythm. The Silent Samurai closes out with a sample of a man talking about hash, and skits like this continued to be interjected across the album, adding to the movie-like feel of the album. Recent Muggs collaborators Your Old Droog and Mach-Hommy join Fahim on Black Talons. When listening to these two, you wouldn’t be the first to think Droog sounds like Nas, and Hommy sounds like Mos Def. They fit perfectly in the flow of the album, and also join Fahim on the closing track, Tales from the Firehouse. It’s not hard to see why people are wanting these three to release a full album together, their chemistry is so potent, and with producers like Muggs in their corner, they could create something special. More sampled skits appear throughout the track list, adding to the Middle-Eastern flair and Islamic theme, On Gauntlet, Fahim fires off bars over a thumping beat, and the tracks closes with a man discussing Islam, and how the Quran contains multi-syllabic rhymes. The End Phase closes out with the same person reciting a Muslim prayer.
You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking this wasn’t Muggs and Fahim’s first collaboration, the chemistry they share is outstanding. This is some of the most interesting production of the year, and Fahim delivers a killer performance. The well-placed features and skits bolster the already strong track listing, this is up there as one of the most interesting Hip-Hop projects I’ve heard all year, and hopefully this will lead to more collaborations between then two artists.
JME – Grime MC
What a year it’s been for English Urban music. Dave’s Psychodrama deservedly won the Mercury Prize, Stormzy became the first ever English rapper to headline Glastonbury, Lil Simz and Kano released two of the best albums of year, and Slowthai wowed critics and fans alike with this debut album. If Slowthai says there’s Nothing Great About Britain, he’s definitely not talking about the rappers. Grime legend Skepta released his album Ignorance is Bliss, which was a good effort, but lacked the Grime edge a lot of fans wanted, so now we turn to his younger brother JME.
A Grime legend in his own right, JME has been grinding in the scene for years. He appeared on That’s Not Me with Skepta in 2014, a song that blew up and primed fans for his well-received 2015 album, Integrity. Four years later, JME has released what will stand, at least in my opinion, as a Grime classic. Opting to keep the album off streaming services, and as a physical-only release for the first few weeks, JME actually lost money on the vinyl release, shipping them on his own dime to fans who ordered them. Let this give you an idea into how much JME believes in this album.
What you will notice right off the bat is that JME not only has impeccable flow, but his delivery is as clear as day. While newcomers to Grime might struggle with the slang and delivery, this album would be a perfect introduction. Opening with 96 of My Life, JME details exactly how he’s got to where he is now with the work he put into the scene through his life. On Pricks, Jamie make it clear that he is striving, now that he has realise the most important thing for growth and progress is to disregard the naysayers. On Iss Mad, he incorporates classic Grime wordplay and flows, while Big Zuu joins the proceedings on Dem Man Are Dead on a riddim that would sound perfectly at home on a late 2000s Rinse FM radio set. We see the the brothers link up once again on Nang, and it’s always nice to hear Skepta on a pure Grime riddim. On Badman Walking Thru, Shakka delivers one of the most infectious hooks of the year, while P Money does what does best and deliver a verse as hard as steel. The same goes for President T on Ding Ding Ding, his instantly recognisable voice is like an air raid signal for the shelling he’s about to deliver. JME delivers a sick verse here, name dropping some true donnies of the Grime scene that have hailed from Tottenham.
The UK legends keep appearing on this album, Giggs joins Jamie on Knock Your Block Off, with the beat provided by the maestro that is Lewi B. While Giggs might say that he makes Hip Hop, he always kills his Grime features and sounds right at home here with JME, his flow is mad on this one. Everyone’s favourite nonsensical, social media addicted uncle Wiley joins the line-up for Yes Men, but does manage to keep his lunacy at bay to delivery a valid take about originality, while Jamie emphasises the importance of not surrounding yourself with people who will big you up only in the hope of using you as a stepping stone. Change is a incredibly interesting track, JME goes solo to discuss the origins of Grime and how it was named, the impacts of digital downloads on physical sales, and the effect streaming had on radio, which were vital in the early days of the Genre. His story telling is reminiscent of Akala’s Fire in the Booth sessions; the bars are hard, but they’re informative. Merky Ace lends a verse to Live, his ferocious presence is always welcomed in any setting, and his bar trading with JME is great. Closing the tracks, Jamie ponders religion, privileged, life, and death on Brothers & Sisters, giving us some more thoughts to mull over as the album closes.
This album clocks in just under an hour, and there is not one dull spot on it. In a year of amazing Grime and UK releases, JME does it his own way, and he delivers something only he could give us. If you don’t purchase music, I would suggest that you make an exception here. JME is making art, and that’s worth something, and it deserves our respect and our custom. Grime isn’t dead, and it won’t die when people like JME still hold the mic.
Incoherent Music Rants 