I missed one, mainly due to the stupidity of digital music being unavailable in different regions. So I had to wait until I could buy the last one on UK itunes, and then transfer it to this machine. One of the not-shiny parts of Digital Music.
This is Cappo, but really it's Cappo, and the P Brothers. In early noughties, when Big Daddy was busy being the best music magazine ever to come out of the UK, it felt like Nottingham was the epicentre of UK hip hop. It's strange to think that anywhere apart from London could be making a stamp on the world but though it was short lived, the P Brothers burst through with lots of boasting. At the same time, the distinctly London based Creators were also busy being top producers. Both were studied, had deep record collections and chops. But whereas the Creators felt a little too studied, the P Brothers always felt too brash for me - like they were trying too hard to have big drums.
This album changes my perception of them - here there are heavy drums and funk samples galore. But it's not relentless - and there are patches of light. Cappo's an okay rapper - nothing special for me here, and when Scor-Zay-Zee appears, it becomes more apparent. But his words are okay, I think he tries a little too hard to be hard but with the production it's lifted.
Watership Down is typical - all RZA type strings, then a beat from nothing - no reference points, just a bunch of samples. Learn To Be Strong is stunning - mixing two vocal samples together with drums and strings. It's a masterpiece, and Cappo raises his rhyming for it. It's also a short record and you never feel it outstays it's welcome. This and The Brotherhood record are really starting to bring in the second half of the list.
Here's a non-video for Learn To Be Strong:
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