Comments on: You’ll never get to heaven with an AK-47

By: Matt McGrattan

Matt McGrattan — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:27:37 +0000

I quite like the Streets but you couldn’t really describe what he does as hip-hop. Dizzee Rascal is far superior as an MC - in terms of lyrical flow, etc. Never been massively into him but I did see him perform live on TV recently and he was impressively edgy and sharp. What about Tricky? At his best… There was a number of bands on Talking Loud and similar labels in the early 90s that were OK. Marxman, for example. None of them were really a patch on the best US stuff. I’m having a mental block but there was one London based ‘crew’ from that period who had fantastic production and beats (Caveman, maybe?) – really ahead of their time. Will need to dig out old tapes.

By: Gillian Russell

Gillian Russell — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 22:57:14 +0000

Senser. Really, if you never heard Senser you should get hold of a copy of “Age of Panic.” Also there’s an awesome Rae and Christian album called “Northern Sulphuric Soul” (We’re very sorry about Mr C. though, and we promise it won’t happen again.)

By: todd.

todd. — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 22:27:07 +0000

I’m so glad that there are people here who hate The Streets.

By: dsquared

dsquared — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 17:13:50 +0000

Twang; never heard of. Manuva; I see him more as a reggae act.

By: Martin

Martin — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:44:41 +0000

What about Black Twang? Roots Manuva?

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:41:58 +0000

I bought the Oui 3 CD single in question at the time, it has about 5 mixes of the song. Much played in this household; you remind me to dig it out for another listen, for it’s no less relevant now as when it was written.

By: pat

pat — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:25:18 +0000

’ The students covered the song “Masters of War,” a Vietnam-era protest song by Bob Dylan, he said.’ People always just assume that “Masters of War” and most of Dylan’s other early protest work was directed at the Vietnam war, but this is not the case. “Masters of War” was released in 1962. Most of the important anti-war songs came out in the early 60s, and were actually directed at those escalating the Cold War, not the then small conflict in Vietnam. Many of the lyrics are concerned with the folly of mutually assured destruction, and nuclear proliferation. For instance, from “With God on Our Side” (‘63) is the lyric “I’ve learned to hate the Russians / All through my whole life / If another war comes / It’s them we must fight.” Dylan’s early protest songs were just easily applied to the anti-war movement of the later 60s.

By: st

st — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:51:55 +0000

Arg…so many typos…

By: st

st — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:49:46 +0000

The streets? You have got to be kidding. That muttering, irrhythmic yob's current status at critical darling is just f**king mystifying. His beats are flat and his rhymes are painfully clumsy. I think people just get caught up in the "lone auteur" backstory, and ignore the fact that the tracks just, well, suck. Oh, and Stereo MC's needs to be consigned to a small locked room in hell, where they will be subjected to a neverending loop of "Connected." That'll learn 'em. Dizzee Racal is pretty good though. Good cover, at least.

By: dsquared

dsquared — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:27:42 +0000

MCs – no, Streets – good God no, Rascal – maybe. I am profoundly glad that nobody has tested my patience by suggested Goldie Looking Chain. Or Derek B. Or MC Tunes.

By: Jimmy Doyle

Jimmy Doyle — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:34:04 +0000

The Steets, Dizzee Rascal…and also, perhaps, the Stereo MCs?

By: foo

foo — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 11:47:41 +0000

(*cough*)Dizzee Rascal(*cough*) Isn’t it the case that some of these organizations (the Sec. Service, at least) are required to investigate anything that even remotely looks like a threat? I guess there’s a judgement call somewhere in there, though, as well…

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 10:26:44 +0000

If ever there was a public service that is asking to have prank callsmade to it, it’s the SS. What is their number? I mean, it’s pretty suspicious how suspicious some of these rethuglicans think, they often loudly accuse their opponents of doing what they are going to do after all. Here’s hoping for a republican backed bomb plot sometime soon. Or maybe not, if it means cheney gets in charge.

By: yabonn

yabonn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:35:18 +0000

Yup. Shouldn’t “the streets” be somewhere on that list?

By: Martin Wisse

Martin Wisse — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:06:10 +0000

Daniel, could you define “British hip-hop” please, as IMO, there are quite some good british hiphop acts?