Matter & Jack Danz – Greasy Spoon Rendezvous (self release)

Matter is one of the leading rappers to come out of the hotbed of northern UK hip hop that is Leeds. This new release finds him teaming up with producer/rapper Jack Danz, who contributes all 11 beats to the project. Greasy Spoon Rendezvous combines Matter’s skippy flow with Danz’s complementary, heavy-hitting beats to produce a solid album.

The record starts out with the absolute banger ‘Pressure’, which has an accompanying video out on YouTube. Matter kicks things off with a distinct flow that is guaranteed to make your head nod whilst Danz sets the tone on this track for the beats throughout, with bassy, futuristic instrumentals. These kinds of tracks are what set Matter apart from the majority of other rappers in the UK. He doesn’t come with the same rhetoric you’ve heard a thousand times on a thousand different albums, but instead offers hypnotic flow and verses packed with quotable lines.

The album isn’t overpowered with guest verses, but when another MC is employed they definitely do themselves justice. ‘Don’t Be A Hero’ features P-Solja & Arkaic, both of whom come with heavy verses over another Jack Danz banger. The sound brought by Danz throughout is modern and very much Trap-influenced, which is a welcome departure from his normal work with Leeds rap group Defenders of Style, where he uses a more traditional, Boom Bap-inspired sound. The way that Danz’s beats and Matter’s rhymes complement each other makes for an engaging listen, as it’s clear that these styles go together perfectly. This project goes a long way towards showcasing Danz’s versatility as a producer, too; there is never a sense that you’re listening to the same beat 11 times, and considering Danz’s past work has mostly been in the more traditional UK hip hop style, this is all the more impressive.

Tracks like ‘C.H.O.P.’ and ‘Forky Jack Move’ are perfect examples of the vibe and feel throughout the project. Matter is a reputable battle rapper for the Don’t Flop battle league, and this punchline-infused writing style is easy to hear and understand. Matter utilises technical rhyming styles, with many internal flow structures, which when coupled with the hyper-modern production, make for a project bursting with elements from current hip hop. This is somewhat refreshing to see in a scene where artists tend to completely reject the stylistic elements of their mainstream counterparts. Pitched-down vocals and, occasionally, auto-tune again set Matter & Jack Danz’s partnership apart from pretty much every other UK hip hop project.

Greasy Spoon Rendezvous is a fine example of UK hip hop. Oftentimes, when two artists collaborate on a project, it can feel forced and doesn’t stand up to their other work, but this is different. Complementary styles, and the way that both Matter & Jack Danz bring something new to the table, makes this an enjoyable listen for any fan of UK hip hop. Plus, at only £3, it’s a bargain!