November’s Top 3 – Swiss X Wretch 32 X Dizzee Rascal
1 Dec 2014
November belonged to these 3 artists. One thing they all 3 artists have in common apart from being seasoned UK artists who are vets and pioneers in there own right. This month the all dropped lyrically deep thought conscious provoking tracks, check it out:
3) Wretch 32
His feature on the Ghetts mixtape is nuts, James Brown would be proud. He dropped his single 6 words which charted in the top 10 as expected. Great single with few words but the wordsmith had a lot to say on this Malcolm X track:
Arguably the most innovative grime artist of the era, who dropped arguably 2 albums (Boy In Da Corner and Showtime), which impacted UK music in the same way Nas’ Illmatic did.
Boy In Da Corner, filled with innovative productions, dynamic flows, lyrical content to result in an unequivocal ground breaking globally recognised album.
Showtime was one of the most honest, transparent and provocative albums in the modern era. Considering how PC most UK mainstream artists tend to keep it, Dizzee proves he isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. He delivers an open message about his thoughts on the character of certain grime leaders, his stabbing and the perpetrators, the police and wider society.
After those two defining albums many grime loyalists didn’t feel Dizzee hit the same grime heights despite growing into a global musical phenomenon. To an extent Showtime illustrated his thoughts on an industry that presented itself to him as fake and cowardly, why would he be loyal to it?
That may be a bit harsh, after all Bluku, Bluku with D Double E was a banger and how can we forget his timeless “Who got the Dirtee Love” performance with Florence + The Machine at the Brits. But lets be honest when Couple of Stacks dropped on Halloween, it turned the game on its head. So when he dropped Pagans, with thought provoking bars, another sick Footsie beat and arguably the best music video this year, then lets just say absence makes the heart grow fonder:
1) Sometimes we hear artists and think to ourselves, he is from the same school of MCs from an era prior. I often get that feeling when I hear Wretch 32, I think to myself Swiss must have been his musical mentor. Wretch 32 is lyrical genius but Swiss illustrated this month that he is a musical deity.
So Solid’s contribution to UK music is parallel to Wu Tang’s to the states. Illustrating unity and self determination to create a movement that was relentlessly attached by the media. Unfortunately, very few So Solid artists managed to stand out as individual solo artists but Swiss was definitely one that did. Cry of course is an epic track but for me it wasn’t the best track on Swiss’ Pain N Musiq album. Producer, book writer and a gift on the mic produces and innovative track that ignites a fresh look and debate on the use of the “N” word considering its historical context. Yes, I stand by my claim that this single was better than any track on the Nas N***** album in addressing the politics of this word. That Nas album is still dope though. Considering Swiss is in a country where, unlike America it tends to be rather muted on its diverse racial history, where black youth can tell you a thing or two about Mary J Blige, who’s inside and George Best but have no clue about Mary Prince, Cardiff riots or George Padmore. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU COP SWISS N*****: