Get Your Boom Baps Out! Full English Hip-Hop 13.06.11

Another fine couple of weeks have zipped past, and some more fine music has befallen my ears en-route. Alongside some absolute shite. By Tinchy Toddler or something. Standard. But let's not focus on the negativity, I'm not sober. We'll get straight in with those good things that make the once dreary trudge to work a lively little two-step.

As the June sun begins to shine (intermittently) you know for a fact anyone who says they don't feel like firing up some of that Jamaica sound is either lying or a fan of Coldplay. Either way, these people should be ignored and certainly not trusted. A man you can trust however is the always reliable Jimmy Screech, longtime member of Banana Clan, helmed by none other than Mr Roots Manuva. His new album The Remedy has just been released on Map Music and much like previous works such as ‘In This Life’ combines everything from the classic UK hip-hop sound, to reggae, dub and the much heavier bass style currently working its magic across the country. If you feel the style of MCs such Lotek and Rodney P this is a certified keeper, so crank the bass and let the hips sway without shame, and ignore all those people scowling on the bus. They are probably listening to A Rush Of Blood To The Head.

Taking things on an altogether more surreal trip, but no less joyous, is the new long player by Chilly Gonzales on Gentle Threat records; The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales. Chilly, who also operates under the moniker of Gonzales for his classical music pieces (no, really), has fused his orchestral knowledge with some absurdly verbose verses covering topics such as prostitutes, party's taking place solely in his head and more or less anything else that probably would never seem to make linear sense on a hip-hop record. Admittedly the man is Canadian born and living in Paris, but why should we let some journalistic xenophobia spoil the fun of classical hip-hop? I'm sure Britain owned Canada at some stage in the game anyway...

From the lofty heights of concert piano spitting to an altogether more earthbound release comes the long, long overdue debut album from Durrty Goodz. A solid grafter on the hip-hop scene, releasing numerous mixtapes, remixes and EP's (check out his work with producers Blackdown & Zomby in particular to hear just how versatile the man can be) Goodz has finally seen an official album drop with Overall, released on his self-funded label Ina Peace. Not afraid to step out of his comfort zone of grime styled beats, the album also carries a feel of introspection and heavy concept tracks, particularly the breathless opener ‘My Life’.

There is a level of maturity and wisdom at work rarely found in grime's standard template of bragging and boasting but the fact Goodz has been active for over a decade on the scene, including almost a year in prison and seeing his half-brother handed a life sentence goes a fair way to explaining the depth and complexity of the piece. The album's closer ‘Battle Hype’ also certainly cannot go without a mention, seeing Goodz impersonate (with a staggering accuracy) some of the most famous MCs in the UK including Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Kano and assessing his place in relation to them. Needless to say it has already got a few people's backs up and surely a load of ego fluffing and violence-threatening freestyles will result. Peace and love children. Peace & Love.