Manchester’s scene is doing more than just Bugzy Malone

Manchester’s music scene has always been a part of the culture that makes Manchester, Manchester. But as 2019 steps closer, it’s clear that the North is more than just parkas, cagoules and long side burns.

There’s no doubt about it that Bugzy Malone put Manchester on the map. With a new album, tour and a load of new collabs being available in JD, Bugzy really has set the standard for all the new MC’s coming out of the North-West.

But as well as the story telling, boxing obsessed and business minded MC that is Bugzy Malone, a number of new, fresh, up and coming MC’s are starting to make a real name for themselves.

Culps – On Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBmsvYfh3uw

Culps has been around for a few months now, and is building up a very quickly growing fan base around the North-West.

Coming with a new, different energy, with hard 808’s complimented with rugged, yet smooth harmonies on the hooks. Culps writes well too, barring as strongly as anyone else in the new gen.

Visuals are becoming more and more important as its becoming so much easier to build up more views than ever before. Culps comes with energy and a very cool look, which he carries well in all his music videos.

The videos are only surpassing 150k on Link Up TV, which is not bad going but considering what shite has topped a million views on numerous different platforms – it’s easy to say that Culps is being slept on.

But, on Instagram, Culps was seen with Remtrex, suggesting there could be Manchester and Birmingham link up coming soon.

Tunde – Mob City feat. Joe Blow & Lil AJ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DGq4d_GFVo

Tunde is next up on the list, this MC really does just use the Manchester accent to the best of it’s ability. Spitting clear, real rap is what Tunde stands for – and he does it so well.

The Manchester MC links up with American rappers, Joe Blow and Lil AJ on his most viewed track, Mob City. Showing that the connection between the UK and our transatlantic cousins may be closer than what we all think.

Each Tunde track seems to over very hard, bass-ridden beats, which I love. But lyrically, this MC really does spit truth, and really emphasises on the darker sides to the Manchester hood.

Aitch – Trust Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1mSYh_SPvc

Aitch really is the new kid on the block, and he really is starting to represent Manchester on a very big scale.

The rapper’s first official video “Straight Rhymez” is sitting on 5 million views, and it really was a track that has shown off the extremely clever wordplay, combined with some Mancunian cheekiness.

Bugzy himself has reached out to this lad, where they were seen linking up at Parklife. So it really does seem that Aitch is the next thing in the Manchester scene.

Aitch has a Kenny Allstar Radio 1Xtra freestyle, and has just dropped his new track “Trust Me” which is currently on just over half a million views in 3 days.

 

 

Kenny Allstar: Block Diaries album review

Kenny Allstar has been a dominant figure in the world of UK Urban, Grime and Drill for as long as we can all remember. He runs ‘Mad About Bars’ while running a show on 1Xtra – he can do it all.

But, has Allstar’s new studio album met the incredibly high standards that he has set for himself on all his other platforms?

The album opens up with ‘Love the Game’ which features The Streets and Not3s. It’s an intense opening track which uses the iconic voice of The Streets very effectively. Not3s comes in with his own afro vocals which slot in nicely.

Kenny Allstar’s beat is good here, it has a very strong opening track feel to it, it is definitely just an album track and I’d be extremely surprised if this was Kenny’s next official single, even with Not3s in it.

The first single from the album, ‘Tracksuit Love’ featuring Headie One follows the opening song on the album, not much to say on this one, as I’m sure everyone who has listened to this album heard ‘Tracksuit Love’ ages ago. Nice track nevertheless.

Throughout the listening of this album, I was subconsciously comparing it to Charlie Sloth’s album, ‘The Plug’. But right from the get go of Block Diaries I could see that this was a very Drill orientated album. Which is cool – but I doubt it’s going to get the same commercial recognition of Charlie Sloth’s project.

Track number 3 is one of my favourite songs from the album. ‘Stepped In (Sexy Back)’, featuring Suspect, Afro B and Swift is much more of an afro type beat. I was excited to see Suspect being on the feature list on this album, and his flow is sick, especially over a more afro type beat.

Suspect also features in track 7 ‘Cocoon’ which also includes Nafe Smallz. This is where the album makes the transition from a very varied album, towards a more of a drill oriantated album. Suspect again lay his verse down well. Am I convinced by Nafe Smallz however? I’m not sure.

If Kenny was going to go for a Drill sound for the majority of this project then he needed to get some serious names on the feature list. He definitely did for track 10 ‘Tryna Do Me’ which features SL. I’m a huge fan of SL, and on this track he sticks to his own style and Kenny facilities for that perfectly, with a sick beat with heavy bass and some light keys on the piano.

My favourite song from the album is track 16 which features the chief, M Huncho. Huncho has a very exciting future coming, I have been a huge fan of him since he dropped the ’48 Hours’ EP. Again, it’s more of a drill beat again but Huncho comes with a different energy which turns a standard drill beat into his own vibe which nobody can replicate. I can definitely see M Huncho working with Kenny Allstar in the future, and I think Kenny would be stupid not to.

As a whole, the album is good. It is produced really well with a good variety of different beats – even if the majority are drill beats. As I said, It’s hard to not subconsciously compare this album to Charlie Sloth’s project. However they are both so different – and this album especially shows that DJ’s can be producers – and I hope this Kenny Allstar projects encourages more DJ’s to switch lanes in their careers every so often.

Rating: 3/5

Written by Jack Lynch