REVIEW: Cashtastic - The Removal

Cashtastic is a London based rapper who has faced controversy following his deportation from England back to Jamaica over issues with his Visa. This comes at a time not long after his deal with Universal which put his career in jeopardy.

Cash addresses the issue of his deportation in this short track entitled "The Removal". Cash appears to have a positive attitude despite his hardships and this can clearly be taken from his lyrics in the track. Cash also takes the opportunity to thank fans for supporting him and states that what he refers to "as just a situation" is not over. The freestyle itself is hard hitting and drawn from within to show everything to his fans.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this "situation" progresses and whether Cash will eventually be granted access back into the United Kingdom. One thing is for certain though and that is that Cash is a talented artist and one capable of great things.

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REVIEW: J Dot - Level Up

 

J Dot features on JDZMedia to bring us his Level Up, a new series on the channel. J Dot is a Nottingham based MC within the New Camp squad headed by the infamous Wariko accompanied by various other Nottingham based MC's. 

J Dot has a gritty tone and flow to the way he spits and portrays himself which works well to hype up the viewers of his music. In this freestyle J Dot reflects on his transition to music from the road and he certainly levels up in this freestyle in terms of making a statement to other grime MC's particularly to young rival Notts MC's.

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REVIEW: Tempa - Spitfire

Tempa from Birmingham gives JDZmedia his Spitfire. Tempa is an established Birmingham artist and is one of the "Fantastic Five" that come together to form the Livewire collective.

Mr. XL comes with an XL flow in this Spitfire as always. Seemingly in every recent Tempa video his flow seems to be on point with real talk and smartly structured bars. The flow seems to move into the next bar efficiently and without forcing the flow compared to other MC's. Tempa certainly shows why he is a Trendsetter in the Birmingham grime scene and his bars are all catchy frequently seeing them posted as tweets on Twitter.

Tempa in my opinion is one of the strongest overall artists within the Birmingham grime scene however my only criticism of him is that the work rate lacks sometimes which is said for the most part of the Livewire team as in reality they could do a lot more and be a lot bigger than they are. You can follow Tempa on Twitter by getting at him through @TempaOnline and it was mentioned on Silk City that he has a project coming which is in the pipeline I certainly look forward to that.

DOWNLOAD: Smuttz - No Holdin Back

Smuttz from Derby representing the Dirty Derbz camp has released his "No Holdin Back" project. This features 11 tracks available for free download and is certainly worth a listen. You can download this from the following link provided below:

    Link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/3wzhcxxx8ya237a/Smuttz+-+No+Holdin+Back.zip

CLASH VERDICT [SERIES 1: BLOG 3]: SHYSHY VS TDOTT

 

ShyShy vs TDott marks the third clash of #PrizeFighter3 which sees both Birmingham MC's go head to head in an attempt to progress in the competition. I personally haven't heard much from either of the MC's especially TDott. ShyShy has popped up on my YouTube subscriptions but I honestly haven't been tempted to click on any of his videos and I've also heard his name mentioned in prior Prize Fighters in an attempt to get at Grimsta. I've never come across TDott but will certainly follow both MC's after this clash.

It was a very close clash in the first round leading into the second but at the end of the second round it became evident who was coming out on top of the clash. TDott came with strong content which earned himself a feel wheels from Mikee but as Mikee said at the end of round two it seemed ShyShy had edged it. ShyShy seemed more confident even before the clash and during the clash whereas TDott seemed apprehensive in the clash which I don't think you should ever be even before the clash because it allows the opponent to take the upper hand. 

GrimeView's verdict for the clash is a ShyShy victory over TDott. Both MC's performed well and I liked the fact that they called out other MC's in the clash provoking responses on Twitter from other participating MC's such as Tana. ShyShy just seemed to have more heat and I felt his sound just seemed to duppy TDott.

REVIEW: Maxsta - #1Take

Maxsta gives P110 a #1Take freestyle. Maxsta is an East London MC who recently featured on LOTM 5 against fellow East London MC Lil Nasty. Maxsta first came to my attention when he dropped his track "East London is Back" and his send for Chipmunk. Maxsta also before LOTM was known for starting the chain of war dubs with his track entitled "It's Not What It Looks Like" featuring Stelf.

In this freestyle Maxsta displays his range of flows that he very commonly changes up. Maxsta highlights about a lot of issues including an issue which many twitter heads will remember with his disagreement with his ex-girlfriend. Maxsta has substance behind his bars and is certainly one of  the most developed artists in the scene in terms of bars. During this freestyle as well as addressing the ex-girlfriend situation he addresses Griminal responding to his #HYPEUP freestyle which also featured on P110. Maxsta states "When on YouTube saw Griminal sending for me, never clicked on the vid he was better as a teen". He also addresses antics which happened in the dungeon by stating: "In the dungeon the off cam sh*t was a joke, intimidation tactics big man hyping to Max, honestly I don't like all of that that's how the cookie crumbles in grime".

Maxsta is soon to drop the Maxtape 1.5. You can keep up to date with Maxsta's music etc on his website here: http://www.maxstaofficial.com/

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CHANNEL CRITIC [SERIES 1: BLOG 1]: ONETAKE TV

This blog marks the launch of a new blog series known as Channel Critic which will be used to review grime based media channels. OneTake TV will be the first to feature on this series of blogs.

OneTake TV is a Kettering based media channel founded Jan 2013. OneTake TV has hosted a variety of MC's including Marvin, Sox, Dialect, Izzie Gibbs and many more. During the one year they have been operating the channel has accumulated 190,873 views and nearly 800 subscribers which can not be faulted in the case of starting up as gaining attention can take a long time especially in a competitive media channel market.

It is clear that the channel has progressed during it's time as a media channel both visually and obviously gaining acclaim so stronger MC's would feature on the channel including a link up with the Lord of the Mics 4 contender Blay which is to be filmed this weekend.

To show the progression I have highlighted the above video Rage ft Gatz on a OneTakeTV #RawSession and compare it to that of the newer visuals on the same series featuring the artist ZK it has developed a lot with a clear introduction to the channel and much stronger visuals altogether.

The Founder of OneTake TV Jake Jaggard also has collaborated with Words Are Weapons, the grime clashing platform based in the Midlands and has filmed various clashes including the Marvin vs Mixsy clash.

Evidently this is a channel with a lot of potential and one that is going to grow in time. It is certainly one I will be watching (and have watched) for now. The only criticism is that it seems Midlands based, it is a good look that Blay is going to be featuring on the channel so I'd like to see more London based artists as well as others on OneTake TV.

• 
  

Contact OneTake TV (click links):

YouTube
Facebook
Twitter

Email:
onetaketv1@gmail.com

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REVIEW: Brotherhood ft Dot Rotten & Anthony Thomas - No More

Wow! What a link up! The Brotherhood and Dot Rotten are both established soldiers of the grime cult. The Brotherhood are based in Ipswich and are due to release Love Life Hate The World on the 30th of March which is certainly something I'll be looking out for. Dot Rotten has been repping the grime game since way back and shows this on the track.

The track is hard hitting and has a message behind it that being highlighted in the chorus "Used to be a clone like everyone else" it then highlights there move away from the norm explaining the sole reason the Brotherhood have actually blown in the game and that is originality. Anthony Thomas on the vocals absolutely kills it and I can't lie when I first heard the track it sent shivers down my spine from the hook. The lyrics are on point especially Dot Rotten who comes with a skippy flow in this track and displays why he is a grime vet. Not a bad word to say about this track in all honesty and it is a breath of fresh air as always from the Brotherhood who don't confine themselves to stereotypical grime tracks.

Be sure to pick up Love Life Hate The World when it drops and you can also purchase LLHTW merchandise here: Love Life Hate The World Website

REVIEW: Hitman - Actors

Hitman brings us a new single via P110 entitled 'Actors'. Hitman whom is a Birmingham based MC is seen as a veteran certainly within the Birmingham scene. Hitman is part of the Invasion Alert collective and is one of the reasons the collective has received a name for itself.

The tune is a stereotypical grime one and certainly fits into Hitman's usual work as you can most probably gather if you have followed Hitman it is filled with hype and strong lyrical capability. Overall the tune is strong but I believe the hook could be better as it seems slightly basic for the capability that Hitman could produce. On the other hand it does fit into the track well and would certainly gas up a rave if it was performed in one.

The visuals by AshOnCam fit the track well with the flickering and fast paced motion of what is being filmed. In summary I certainly rate this track I just believe the hook is a little off Hitman's capable lyricism.

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CLASH VERDICT [SERIES 1: BLOG 2]: IZZIE GIBBS VS EZE

Izzie Gibbs vs Eze is the second clash in the #PrizeFighter3 series hosted by Dj Big Mikee on Silk City Radio. Izzie Gibbs is a Northampton based MC coming up against the Stockport Highlife MC Eze who are both prospering artists with Izzie clearly improving his flow and perfecting it to make it stay on beat and Eze stamping his name on the scene through various sends along with his Highlife crew members.

These two have previously clashed on Words Are Weapons with Izzie being the victor in that case but it is clear that Eze has a point to prove in this clash. Eze came a lot harder than he did before getting deserved wheel ups in his first couple bars. Izzie didn't really show what he could do in the first round just giving glimpses of his potential which was then released in the second and third round.

GrimeView's verdict for this clash is an Izzie Gibbs victory once again in which he even used freestyle bars which were on the standard of written bars. Eze definitely made a point in this clash and if he came up against any other MC he probably would have gone through if I'm honest. This clash reminds me of the Izzie Gibbs vs Grimsta clash on #PrizeFighter2 in which both MC's were quite evenly matched overall but on the day Izzie performed better.

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CLASH VERDICT [SERIES 1: BLOG 1]: OUTZAUDIO VS TANA

Outzaudio vs Tana marks the arrival of the new #PrizeFighter3 series hosted by Dj Big Mikee on Silk City Radio station. Outzaudio whom has previously featured on GrimeView has come a long way to feature on this clash stage from when I first started following him after a send him made for Darkerz. Tana, a Birmingham based MC is also an up and coming artist who impressed me with his StoryTeller which featured on JDZ.

There is no doubt that this is a strong link up with both MC's going at each other, Tana's energy is clearly evident in this clash but in some areas it seems unnecessary to me and replicates more of a physical conflict than a lyrical one which could be taken as Outz's bars getting to him. Outz began the first round well I believe he edged the first, Tana took the second and it was pretty even in the last round which it could have gone either way in my opinion. I will be interested to see which MC does actually progress to the next round.

GrimeView's verdict for this clash edges towards Outzaudio, Tana performed well but his excessive energy was O.T.T and some of the wheel ups he got shouldn't have run. Outzaudio came harder although seemingly slightly intimidated by Tana he performed lyrically stronger than Tana.

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INTRODUCING [SERIES 1: BLOG 3]: IZZIE GIBBS

Izzie Gibbs is a young MC from Northampton who has recently been creating a stir within the Midlands grime scene. Izzie is part of a grime collective known as East On The Map (EOTM) which includes other names such as Statz, Lox and other local MC's in the Northampton area. Izzie comes across as a fearless MC looking to get his name out there through deep content and sending.

Izzie has featured on Words Are Weapons on various occasions. WAW is a platform for artists to jump on to competitive grime clashes and to show lyrical ability. The Northampton MC has also recently featured on Silk City Radio's Prize Fighter 2 hosted by DJ Big Mikee. Izzie has performed freestyles for P110 Media, JDZ, GrimeBlog and other Midlands based Media channels showing he is fairly established this early on in his career. Izzie also jumped on the War Dub hype and released a track entitled Leng which didn't really get much of a response in truth however that is possibly because the names he was mentioning are thought of as levels above him. However in my opinion Izzie could hold it up against the majority of grime MC's nowadays and it was an opportunity which you have to admire Izzie for taking.

The video at the top of the page features Izzie's Shutdown Sessions for ImpactTV and this video is proof of how far he is come, for me at least this is one of the strongest performances he has come with and is certainly shines a glimmer of hope for Izzie's future. There is no doubt that Izzie has an eloquent flow but he has not always known how to control this flow tending to spray off beat in some instances as Sykx highlighted when he clashed Izzie on WAW. He went hard in the video the only criticism I would have of Izzie is that in some instances his bars do tend to be immature and he could come with some harder content as we've seen in other videos.

Izzie's upcoming project A.D.H.D is out soon. He is also due to feature on WAW against Highlife's Eze which is one to look out for.
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REVIEW: Flames - StoryTeller

Flames from Birmingham gives JDZMedia his StoryTeller. Flames has recently began to gain exposure in the Birmingham rap scene accompanied by fellow artist Young Smokes. The duo seem to have made a stir with there content and have earnt themselves a name within the scene.

Flames always comes with consistently deep content and it seems this video is no difference. As part of the StoryTeller series quite a few artists attempt to paint a picture as the series title suggest but few actually succeed with Flames being one of them. When he describes situations it does really make you think about what he's saying and his lyrics are quite hard hitting. Although his lyrics may not be relatable from my perspective I do believe what he is saying and as he mentions in his track The Truth he never tries to glamorize the lifestyle he leads. Flames is capable of switching his flow up to suit the beat and does this to his advantage in this freestyle.
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REVIEW: Deadly - TrendSetter

Deadly from Birmingham gives P110 his TrendSetter which is created for the elite of the grime scene to display there talent. Deadly who is part of both the NODB and StayFresh grime collectives is a leading figure within the Midlands grime scene so it is no wonder P110 have given him a TrendSetter.

The video itself is full of gritty content and an aggressive flow which we commonly see from Deadly. Deadly has the ability to hype you up within an instant and is certainly someone I frequently have on my playlist. He also switches up his flow a lot in the video and that is something which takes a lot of practice as well as lyrical ability to manage to do. 

Deadly currently has an album out on iTunes entitled My Side Of The Fence which you can purchase here. As mentioned in the video he also has a new project coming out called Out Ere which is due to come out shortly.
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REVIEW: DGS 4 7 19 - ImpactTV Freestyle

DGS is a young MC from Kettering that is slowly progressing in the Midlands grime scene. DGS has featured on the smaller Midlands media channels including OhNoLoweIt, ImpactTV and OneTakeTV with a mixed response to his videos.

In terms of the video DGS seems to have a skippy flow which does seem to be out of control at times but nevertheless people underestimate how hard it is to control a flow like DGS does. In my opinion the amount of negative comments he has got for this video are completely unjustified he does actually go in for a 15 year old.

DGS clearly has potential he just needs to develop his flow and looking through his videos he seems to be improving in every single one. As such a young MC he has to perfect his angle and try different things to see what works well for him. There could be a lot to come from this Kettering MC if he keeps going at the mic. DGS has a mixtape coming out soon called Parental Advisory Volume 1 so look out for that.

REVIEW: Sox - StoryTeller

Sox from Birmingham gives JDZmedia his StoryTeller. Sox is a well known force in the grime scene and currently represents Invasion Alert along with Vader, Jaykae, D2 and a variety of other well known MC's. Sox has featured on the LOTM (3) DVD in which he clashed Kozzie and has been on the path upwards ever since.

Sox is a skilled lyricist with clever wordplay frequently being incorporated into his bars. Sox shows exactly this in his StoryTeller but to begin with brings deep content with talk of Depzman's death, a friend who hung herself and a friend who was drink driving stating "it didn't end nice". Sox is always including something different and he seems to keen on sound effects or brief sequences of singing which is refreshing to hear than just straight bars. In this video Sox remixes the hook of Meridian Dan's track German Whip exchanging it for Japanese Bike which works quite well. Sox also makes a statement to rival grime MC Trilla by stating "Lord of the Mics 6, I will bax Trilla" clearly calling out the MC to take him on in the dungeon which will be interesting to see the outcome of that.

Sox currently has an E.P out with Smoke Darg entitled Constellation which you can get here. Sox has got a further project called Winning and Chilling coming soon. To view more of Sox you can watch him on his YouTube channel here or follow him on Twitter @Sox_Invasion.

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REVIEW: Pressure Ft. C4 - New Day

Pressure, one of the leading MC's from Birmingham brings us a collab with fellow Birmingham top boy C4 and what a combo this is! Pressure who represents StayFresh and C4 (or Mr OoRITE) are both veterans in the Midlands grime scene. Pressure has featured on the Lord of the Mics (IV) DVD in which he clashed MIK. C4 has steered away from the hype and has focused on making quality music and that is certainly what he does best.

I was quite suprised when the tune started and I heard C4 singing I was really quite impressed although he isn't the strongest vocalist the hook is really something to be proud of it is also extremely catchy. It's a side to C4 we haven't seen and certainly one I'd like to see more of. Later on in the track he reverts back to spitting, what we know him for and he truthfully tears it up and what would a tune be like with C4 on if he didn't ask for his slogan? OoRITE! There's a few things I've noticed with Pressure is he is consistent, raw and always willing to try something a bit different to the rest. The track itself is certainly inspiring and is in regards to making movements in the game by spreading the word of there music.

Pressure currently has a new project out entitled Grime Is Money which you can download here.

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REVIEW: Elf Kid X Lolingo - Return of Zelda (E.P)

 Track list:

 1. Intro

2. Talk Of The Town

3. Ready

4. All That Stuff Ft. Proton

5. In The Streets Ft. DeeJillz

6. Takeover Ft. Icon

7. How It Goes Ft. Dubz D

8. I'm Grime

9. My Don Ft. DeeJillz & Syder

10. Nowhere Ft. Ten Dixon

11. I'm So South London Ft. Blessed

12. The Purge (Instrumental)

 Download

 Elf Kid representing The Square links up with fellow South Londoner and Square member Lolingo to produce the sound of Lewisham grime in the form of the Return of Zelda (ROZ) E.P. The Square have recently come to my attention through a variety of there artists featuring on JDZmedia giving there Spitfire's which all popped off. I've been following Elf's work since then and I have been impressed with the return of a strong South London force.

The E.P reminds me of old school grime the way it is produced and definitely takes grime back to it's roots without no alteration I'm So South London especially stands out to me as an example of this. This isn't to say that the levels are on par with the past style it uses, the lyrics are hard hitting and this E.P impressed me from the first track I listened to. The beats on this E.P gassed me especially My Don, Ready and Nowhere I had to reload them a couple times before I listened to the full tracks. Lolingo also went extremely hard with his pure instrumental The Purge and you can see that Elf and Lolingo are a force to be reckoned with as a pair.

A track that really stands out to me is Day To Day which I noticed is not listed on the track list however I personally think this is the strongest track on the E.P. It is a deep tune, it's quite emotional and expresses frustrations with life which I think for a grime artists takes a lot to display on a tune. The hook is extremely catchy and I would love to see visuals for this track.

Overall the combination of Elf Kid and Lolingo is clearly too much to handle. They've certainly done South London proud and set levels for the rest of the MC's in the scene. This is proof that these two are a force to be feared in the scene. If you haven't already got this press that Download button above because this is a must have!

INTRODUCING [SERIES 1: BLOG 2]: SMUTTZ

Smuttz is a prospering artist from Derby, Smuttz is part of a grime movement known as Gritty Substances and has mingled with the most prominent artists in the Midlands grime scene. Smuttz currently has an E.P out entitled 'Eagle Eyes E.P' which can be downloaded here. Smuttz is making strong movements in the Midlands grime scene but certainly needs to widen his fanbase to elsewhere to push his career forward.

Smuttz frequently features on the leading media channels in the Midlands, JDZmedia and P110 Media. The video above entitled Don't Give A F__k  addresses his haters and displays strong wordplay to prove his talent as an artist. The hook in this tune is catchy in this track and had me repeating it even after the track had ended. 

Smuttz's flow is very unique, he includes quite coarse bars in his tracks and he certainly lives up to the movement name of Gritty Substances. However in the track below entitled Words Live On brought to us through JDZmedia details a more deep side to Smuttz detailing the death of his grandfather and grandmother. The title of the track is factual and words do truly live on which will live on beyond our lifetimes. This track really made me think about life and it portrayed a picture whilst he was spraying his bars. A touching sentiment and tribute to those he had lost.

  
Smuttz has a new project called #NoHoldinBack dropping in February this year and it'll be interesting to see the type of content he comes with. A talented artist with a lot to offer.