Jammer - Jahmanji

Don't understand why a lot of fans were disappointed with this. Pretty much everything Jammer has ever touched is gold and this is no different. Maybe I don't like it quite as much as the Are You Dumb series, but maybe that's because I'm a really big fan of pure grime and this takes influence from a bunch of other sounds (funky house and various 90s dance music), however it's all still backed by hard bass and a steady 140bpm pulse and nearly all of these tracks would sound right at home on a grime playlist. The productions are very creative, not really limiting themselves to any one sound or being tied down by the confines of a genre, nothing's pure grime or pure funky or anything. Comparable maybe to Preditah or L Starr (in neither sound nor quality but concept). Jammer himself, I've always thought, is a madly underrated MC and contender for top 5 easy. He's always had mad flows, a unique voice and cool, hype lyrics, as well as some serious diversity where he can join a bunch of other mcs on war tracks, conscious songs or club bangers and still burn all competition. He sounds a little more complacement here than usual, he's not QUITE as creative as he's been in the past but he also sounds confident in the fact that he can write catchy, free-flowing bars for days and days. The opener is brilliant and contender for best song, last verse especially is brilliant. Murkle Mode follows up hard, although the hooks might sound weird on the first few listens, they really grow on you in an odd way after you warm to Jammer's singing voice and kinda unorthodox vocal patterns. Bad Mind People and Better Than are the grimiest (lyrics are top in the latter) tracks, Party Animal is the farthest removed and easily my least favourite song here. It really bugged me when I first heard it and had me lose hope in the album, but everything else is better. I've warmed to it a bit now in context of the album it's a little better, but the album would still be just fine without it. Back to the 90s is brilliant too. I like that this album, unlike the long anticipated debuts of some other grime mcs, makes no attempt to cater to an American audience whatsoever. All influences here are from uk/euro dance music, there's no signs of hip hop on here at all, no Lex Luger beats, no Rick Ross flow. Not that Americans couldn't enjoy this, but it's cool to get a good British-produced album on the shelves that isn't ashamed of the fact and doesn't try to mimic a more popular culture. Loosen up your expectations a little, approach the album with anticipations of fun and just enjoy it.

Ghetts - Freedom of Speech

After a strong debut and uneasy follow-up, Ghetts delivers on his third mixtape Freedom of Speech. He claims to be 'back on the darkside' and I won't lie, this is pretty dark stuff and is recommended highly to fans of artists like Mobb Deep. Ghetts is a phenomonal MC, probably the strongest in the UK, and he spits very dark but real lyrics about London streets and life from British youth. The beats are often quite minimal, there aren't really any big gully bassline tracks, these ones are atmospheric and grim but still hard hitting. This just feels like the album Ghetts was supposed to make, I almost feel bad calling it a mixtape because it just feels so much stronger than that. Every line and rhyme is on point and every beat is banging, all the hooks are solid and each song has a personality of it's own.

My favourites would have to be Ghost Town, with it's great beat and hook and really solid lyrics, Mountain with it's strange orchestrated house-type beat and catchy, quotable lyrics, Convo With a Cabbie with it's touching message, and the emotionally powerful How It Is.

This is a grime essential, no two ways about it. If you're interested in any way in grime you need this.