If Hip Hop is rebellion music then must be rebelling against the rebellion with this, the lyrically challenging and musically diverse but exceptional ‘Shock City Maverick.'
Lyrically, this is a tongue twister of an album. The delivery is fast yet more than competent with words tripping over themselves to get out. has a lot to get off his chest and lines and themes seem to just melt into each with effortless ease, making you laugh one minute and think the next. On ‘Blind Driver'; "My Glory Grease Lighting/ dead money miracles, holy Toledo/ a torpedo wearing speedo/ on vacation in Afghanistan/ Banana stand applause give ‘em a hand/ a Hamburger helping hand..."
' urgent delivery takes in Busta Rhymes, wrapping his tongue round then spitting out complex lines, Bootsy Collins in late seventies Parliament mode and Disposable Heroes of Hip-Hoprasy, flitting between sarcasm and seriousness. This is more Gil Scott Heron than G-Unit. won't be giving you a ride down bling avenue. However, as wordy and entertaining as these rollercoaster raps may be, can still deliver a catchy hook as demonstrated on ‘Down By Law' and the aforementioned ‘Blind Driver' as well as the right amount of attitude to make you realise he's not here strictly to play.
Musically, this is an electronica driven album; eerie John Carpenter-esque synths and distorted digital sub-bass's rule on Shock City Maverick, ‘Papercut' and ‘Death By Sophistication' being such examples. The whole album is interspersed with modulated blips and beeps, flying and spiralling in all directions to make SCM sound like some kind of weird 80's Computer game. Tonally, the eerie synths, blips and bass's only add to the overall one finger in your face attitude that's already driven by ' raps. In amongst this though, he still manages to play around when required as the jaunty En Vogue stylings of ‘Shards Of Glass' demonstrate. Beats are chunky, fat and rhythms either sweep you along (‘Down By Law') or confuse until they delight (‘Papercut'). ' fits the Warp mould perfectly.
A great harmony of NYC styled rapping with an English twist in its production. There are no frills on this album. No corporate endorsements bubbling underneath, no celebrity collaborations, no preaching about a lifestyle that the ultimate recipients can ever come close to comprehending. My only criticism is the two instrumental tracks ‘A Force on Edge' and ‘You're Dead, Lets Disco.' Whilst the latter boasts a cracking title, both tracks exhibit a sense of the abstract but feel un-necessary and slightly out of place amongst everything else that is going on vocally throughout the rest of the album.
Welcome to ' City.
Rating: 4/5
Words By: Remy FV
Shock City Maverick is out now on Warp Records.
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