Music Reviews
Artist:
Spida LeeTitle:
The FoundationLabel:
RubiconWebsite:
http://www.myspace.com/spidalee
There is more than one way for an arachnid to make a name for himself than swinging through the Big Apple fighting the good fight. For one Yorkshire resident all it took was two slabs of vinyl and a verbal dexterity to rival the Readers Digest.
Spida Lee, hailing from the same West Yorkshire town that spawned Asaviour and Jehst, releases his excellent debut album, ‘The Foundation’ on one of the most exciting Northern labels, Rubicon.
Kicking off the album is a track that, when released as a single, got everyone talking, and 60 seconds in after already hearing lines that “hypnotize your mind like my name was Paul McKenna” and dropping constant “lyrical lead”, it’s easy to see why. ‘Verbal Assassin’ is jam packed full of metaphors and similes for days that always sound “fresh like an X-box” and the Beat Butcha produced backing will have you ‘bopping to the beats in the streets’.
‘Sick Timez’ shows Spida’s less playful side, dropping the tempo and the mood with his own production, but still keeping his vocal stylings to speak on life with J Lyrics. The grittier vibes comes very naturally, the broad accent and ease of flow make the offering appealing, believable and somewhat addictive.
Not only does the intricate wordplay define his talent, but the storytelling abilities behind ‘Memory Lane’ shows what can be achieved when an artist focuses on the whole lyrical spectrum, like a young Slick Rick.
In a scene where envy and beef has often torn apart the much needed peace, the sentiments behind ‘Fuck Hating (Wid U Remix)’ is one we can all sympathise with, beefs, brawls and battles forever tearing UKHH apart. The melancholic production from Sam Da Seed provides an interesting platter from which Spida Lee feeds.
If only to not look completely biased to my up north brothers, one criticism could be the inclusion of the ‘Patrick Sleezee Skit’, and that’s purely because it’s hard to see where it fits into the otherwise impressive ensemble, bringing out a more Ken Kaniff sounding homage than a break in the show.
Further production credits come from Fair Play and Mr Mowgli, with some stella features from Davina and Davo Brown. One listen through to ‘The Foundation’ and it becomes highly evident that Spida Lee doesn’t ramp, he’s here to stay.
The Foundation is out June 11th 2007 on Rubicon Records.
Rating: 5/5
Useful links: http://www.rubiconbeat.com and http://www.myspace.com/spidalee
Words By: Andrew Milner
