Heavy hype hard to match

Relentless egos and earnest throwbacks hit and miss in the latest crop of releases from overseas and out west, says REBECCA BARRY






Hip-Hop gets nasty on the dancefloor this month. MC Dynamite, for instance, has largely made his reputation live, pairing up with his full cycle mates for drum'n'bass of club-shattering proportions. But on World of Dynamite he steps outside the square, proving he's just as comfortable hyping over hip-hop, dancehall and breaks.

Thankfully, two years working with producers including Zinc, Roni Size and Andy C haven't dated his debut, which sounds as manic and spontaneous as if it was emanating from a dingy Bristol club. Dynamite is top of his game, his throaty, ragga vocals negotiating some head-spinning rhymes. Production-wise, it's an equally skanky ride through blaxploitation hip-hop, deep, jungly two-step and hard, scientific drum'n'bass. And that's just scratching the surface of this chaotic gem.

Another lyricist getting hyper "like a baby diaper" is Wiley, a garage freak who professes not to be one: "Garage, I don't care about garage/Listen to this - it don't sound like garage/Who told you that I make garage?/Wiley Kat'z got his own style s'not garage." Whatever it is - eskimo dance and grime are its other nicknames - it expands on the blueprint laid down by the Streets and Dizzee Rascal, (Wiley was a guest on the latter's Mercury Prize-winning album). The result is a slightly one-dimensional tornado through UK garage (seriously), US hip-hop and Jamaican ragga, with Wiley coming on faster than a hit of adrenaline.

By contrast, Erick Sermon has never been a lightning-quick rapper and on his fifth solo album he's not about to rewrite the formula that has earned him respect over the past 15 years. Chilltown New York is a little rougher round the edges than 2001's Music, not to mention more arrogant and laid-back: "Go on, talk about me please/You can stop me here but I'm big overseas." Lucky for his ego, Chilltown stacks up.

Meanwhile his fellow New York veterans the Wu Tang Clan were always a sum of their parts but that didn't stop the various members pursuing their own endeavours - Ghostface (formerly Ghostface Killah) is one of the few who has successfully forged an identity. Haphazard as his vocal style, the vintage-soaked production of The Pretty Toney Album holds it together nicely. The brassy Motown feel keeps it real, leaving Ghostface the opportunity to get innovative with some spiky observations about the game as he sees it now. Featuring a guest list that includes Missy Elliot, Jadakiss and Musiq Soulchild, this could have been a great album, if it wasn't for the star's relentless and exhausting rap style.

Also releasing an album, six years since his last, is former Clan-mate Method Man. On the surface this is CD number two in the latest Wu Tang enterprise - Missy Elliott shows up, as do a host of A-listers including Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Ludacris. But this lags behind without leaving an impression. The biggest culprit is Method Man whose lacklustre delivery obscures his often witty rhymes. Ironically, when they do come to the fore they're on a lyrical duet with Killah: "Woke up in the morning like 10am/Walked past the Listerine, went straight for the gin."

Which must be what Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz do whenever they pick up the mic - the cover of Kings of Crunk makes them look like Ludacris' scary cousins. Unfortunately this is just a lazy, gangsta album anchored on ego, repetitive beats and exaggerated chanting that goes nowhere, other than straight into the f-word world record book. You have been warned.

For fans of no-frills, meat and potatoes rap, look no further than Dilated Peoples. Their third album, Neighbourhood Watch, taps into an old skool vibe that's unfortunately as dated as its sepia album cover. Where hip-hop is bursting at the seams with artists willing to push its boundaries, Dilated Peoples risk getting left behind with their low-impact, predictable, slow-paced stuff - only This Way with hip-hop man of the moment Kayne West breaks the mould.

Meanwhile West Auckland MCs Fourth Element make a bold statement by calling their debut album Raw Nu Inventions. Ranui childhood friends R'Ma and Factor keep things local by discussing their background and culture, and the best tracks inject reggae, Samoan rap or Spanish guitars into the otherwise stark production. Their flow is confident and rugged, as are guest appearances from Sativa Souls, N.D.V.J, MC Arme and Kurse from New York.


MC Dynamite: World Of Dynamite

(Herald rating: * * * * *)

Bristol d'n'b shouter varies beat, very successfully.

Label: Strong Records

* * *

Wiley: Treddin' on thin ice

(Herald rating: * * * *)

Dizzee Rascal contemporary in UK garage bust-out.

Label: Xl Recordings

* * *

Erick Sermon: Chilltown, New York

(Herald rating: * * * *)

Long Island rap veteran lives up to his name.

Label: Universal

* * *

Ghostface: The Pretty Toney Album

(Herald rating: * * *)

This month's first Wu Tang solo album.

Label: Def Jam

* * *

Method Man: Tical 0: The Prequel

(Herald rating: * *)

This month's second Wu Tang's solo album. But not as good.

Label: Def Jam

* * *

Dilated Peoples: Neighbourhood Watch


(Herald rating: * *)

High-fibre hip-hop of little discernible flavour.

Label: Capitol

* * *

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz: Kings Of Crunk


(Herald rating: * )

Hardcore, big bore from Atlanta.

Label: Shock

* * *

4th Element: Raw Nu Inventions

(Herald rating: * * *)

West Auckland crew takes promising first step.

Label: 833