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MagnaCarta-Stereoboard

Another review of UK hip hop MC Melanin 9’s album “Magna Carta” which released on 3rd December 2012.

This one had slipped under the radar until today, but first published in January 2013, online magazine Stereoboard reviewer Jonny Rimmer has given this a massive vote of approval

Opening up with an overview of the shifts taking place right now in the UK scene, with more people switching attention to the “hip hop” community, he opens :

“There are significant changes afoot in the world of UK hip hop. With grime is on the way out, and its established heads like Wiley and Dizzee Rascal moving towards poppy pastures new, hip hop is again gaining popularity in cities all over the UK. The battle scene is also making waves with Don’t Flop boasting now one of the biggest battle-league fanbases on the planet. Most tangibly though, there is a real sense that hip hop is now a real voice for young people seeking change – see the recently retired Lowkey and Logic’s ‘People’s Army’; M9 also fits this mould.”

This is then followed by the opening salvo in relation to the album itself :

“However, one cannot stress enough just how much of an accomplishment Magna Carta is. For starters, it sounds very little like a British album at all, snubbing garage for the sort of slow, meditative beats that you’d find on 90s noir records like Mobb Deep’s The Infamous. And the mood it establishes is gorgeous, with jazzy trumpets, saxophone and piano samples forming the backdrop to M9’s bleak urban narratives. Even though there are several different producers here, all of them match M9’s vision, tailoring their ideas to the MC’s aesthetic vision.”

Offering a 4.5 / 5 rating, read the whole review HERE

Magna Carta is available digitally from iTunes and can also be ordered in CD physical format from http://m9ether.bandcamp.com

Here is a snippet version of the album on his own Soundcloud page

Melanin 9 is busy recording new material as well as setting up some dates, which will also include performing on the main stage at the Boom Bap Festival in the UK in September. Anyone wishing to book melanin 9 for dates can contact UrbanElite Promotions HERE or check the contact information on his twitter profile @Melanin_9

You can also connect with the magazine on twitter @Stereoboard

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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In November 2011, DJ Muggs came to Europe on tour in support of his new album “Bass For your Face”

He visited London to perform at Brixton Jamm, and we arranged for some affiliated press to coincide with the visit.

For those familiar with DJ Muggs and his involvement with Soul Assassins and Cypress Hill, it was a surprise to some that he appeared to have a musical departure into the world of dubstep, a sound which first emerged from Croydon in South London.

Dubstep has transferred across the Atlantic recently, with more clubs & events particularly in Canada and the United States’ west coast jumpin on the sound.

In the interview with Han O’Connor for MTV UK’s online MTV Wrap Up, Muggs explains that this isnt necessarily a major departure for him personally. Quoting the early influence of German electronic techno legends Kraftwerk, and working with Goldie and Grooverider on previous jungle / drum & bass collaborations, he explains the heavy 808 kicks were standard back seat furniture in LA cars, so the heavier, deeper the sound, the better the impact!

He touches upon his days with Cypress Hill and his work within various genres, obviously keen to look at how they can develop hybrid sounds and move in new directions.

He recorded the track Snap Ur Neck Back with London’s Dizzee Rascal, and it was premiered on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show during Muggs’ short stay.

Read the whole interview HERE

Follow on twitter @DJ_Muggs @HipHopSuperHan @MTVWrapUp

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