Representin' For The UK - Plus One Mix

In response to a request this week I'm hitting you with a little more UK flava. Bad Magic, an affiliate of the Wall Of Sound record label, had a spate of releases around the turn of the millenium and then faded without trace. This is a pity because they successfully brought one of the UK's stronger production teams into the limelight: The Creators. Like Richy Pitch (check the archives), The Creators not only produce some bangin' beats, but also are not afraid to invite US MCs to provide the vocals for some of their cuts. 'The Precedent' was a promotional CD given away with HHC that brought together some of the label's releases (the majority of which feature The Creators' production skills) and allowed Scottish DJ Plus One to assemble them into a mix.

There are some nice moments on this mix, although it is not sensational. Highlights include 'The Hard Margin' featuring Mos Def and Talib Kweli which is a moody and intelligent piece of rap music, both lyrically and production-wise. There is also a remix of Masta Ace's 'So Now U A MC?' which is good but acts more as a point of interest for fans of one of the genre's most long-standing and well respected MCs than as a banger in itself. Generally there are some nice beats and some decent verses, more than enough to keep you entertained for its rather short half-hour duration. If you're interested in the tracklist then check it at Discogs.

Perhaps more impressive are Plus One's turntable skills, putting together a cohesive mix with some tight scratching that also features his well-known 'I'm Still No. 1' routine. This is a highly accomplished piece of turntablism that although extremely technical is still musically rewarding. Plus One used this in both DMC and ITF competitions, and in fact it was a part of his winning set in 2001's DMC competition. If you can sit through the first four minutes of the first video below (DJs are not necessarily the most eloquent people on the planet) then he will talk you through the construction of the routine. It is also well worth watching him actually perform it live rather than just hearing it (see the second clip).

Plus One talks you through it...



and then performs it...



More UK stuff to come in the future, although as I said in the CBox my crates aren't that deep. Head over to basslinesanglesrhymes.blogspot.com to fulfil all of your early British hip hop needs.

Crooklyn's Classics:

I was worried that Crooklyn had burnt out in mid-December, with his last post appearing on the 18th of last month. An end to this blog would have been a real shame as the man has loads of quality albums, updates regularly and shares his thoughts on the works posted: my kinda blog. Anyway, he's back up and running and will rejoin my daily journey through cyberspace. Get your arse in gear and pay him a visit.

Big post planned for tomorrow with the 'From Da Bricks Horn Mix', a touch of jazz and my final instalment of the equipment series: don't miss it.

The Precedent