iHD Rating – 4/5
AT LAST…….
The UK hip-hop scene has been playing catch up ever since Kool Herc plugged into the Bronx’s power supplies.
MCs and producers have not been able to match the flows or beats emanating from across the Atlantic.
However, Jack Flash, an MC from Huddersfield in the North of England and producer Wizzard have made something that easily stands alongside anything from the US today that doesn’t involve Jay-Z or Kanye West.
Progression features collaborations with a ‘who’s who’ of UK MC talent including Stig of the Dump, Hoodman aka Tyler Daly, Lunar C, Genesis Elijah and Sonny Jim and thankfully at 46 mins is not your typically overblown hip-hop album.
The flows are easy, the rhymes clever and they are pulled together with some impressive production which echoes not only the synth heavy style of Watch the Throne but also the sample driven classics of yesteryear.
The Fire is one a couple of tracks here that should be a hit. It not only features a lovely piano part but also a great hook and a feel that is just damn funky.
Another highlight is Four Letter F Word which comes complete with sampled soul vocals, horns and strings. The lyrics are full of four letter f words aplenty – of course.
Go Back is a witty take on the modern break up and the subsequent desire to go back to something that is doomed. Good stuff and funny to boot.
The relationship theme continues with Met You Before which boasts a soulful beat complimenting the subject material which you can read in your own way.
The only track which grates a touch is Midnight Runaway Train. Without doubt it could be a mainstream hit but the hook is a little too X-Factor for these tastes. That said it is probably the track which should get some decent airplay.
For those U.S. cousins wanting to check out some good UK hip-hop look no further than Progression.
It represents a great step forward for the scene and hits all the right notes without resorting to parody.
Key Tracks :
The Fire and Four Letter F Word
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