Ok, this title works, better than the 20 word one I had before. I want to write a bit about hiphop from cool places where you probably never knew they made some nor how it sounded. Seems cool? Read on please! Let’s talk Lethal Dialect, Silibil N’Brains, Llwybr Llaethog and MC Lars.
Ireland’s Finest: Lethal Dialect
Irish hiphop is not really something to write home about. In fact, it has not really managed to make a good name for itself, which is thanks to documentaries like that one of RTE & BBC (that you can watch down here. The general impression the rappers in this video make is far from the bitches and bling that they seem to aspire to. What it does speak of is a genuine honest passion for making the music against all odds.
I kinda felt attracted to the irish accent and the general poetic sensibilities of the green island, so checking out some hiphop was not a big step. The first one I found that really appealed to me was Lethal Dialect. Generally considered to be one of the better rappers from the area of Dublin, this guy manages to make rhymes that sound deep and honest. The beats he tends to use are calm, laid back and characterized by a certain serenity that I find really appealing. The track I’d like to share is titled ‘The Sermon’.
The beat is hectic and calm at the same time. The slow raps let the words linger in the air for a moment before they are replaced by the next ones. Lethal Dialect sounds like a preacher, giving you a peace of the truth. It is however up to you to take it up or not. Do you like the sound of this? You can download the album for free here. Or just share it, he deserves it.
Original Pranksters: Silibil N’Brains
The boys who conned the music industry. Two guys from Dundee, making excellent hiphop but just having been born in the wrong place. Damn, that sucked so hard that they came back to London with a vengeance. But let me not spoil everything about that story by telling you. Better watch ‘The Hiphop Hoax’. That as well, you can just watch on Youtube.
Now, we are a couple of years further and the boys have gotten back together to release some good jams that let you hear the passion for making real good hiphop the boys have. Their aim? To prove that their might have been a hoax, but that their skills were not a hype.
Packed with rude humour, hack’n’slash rhymes and funky melody lines, this is exactly what you’d expect from the dynamic duo. Self deflating, but never under achieving the song is just one of those on their debut LP ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’. Again, this is one to check out and yes, you can! Just not for free, unless listening to bandcamp is enough for you.
Call of the Wild: Llwybr Llaethog
Alright, contrary to the previous acts, this is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever heard. Imagine some Welsh dudes making hiphop over what sounds like Jean-Michel Jarre jamming out some tasty esoteric beats. All this is at the tea table, where biscuits are served. They have been around since 1984 however and come from the deep end of Wales, a town named Blaenau Ffestiniog. Once a thriving mining town, it was by then desolate and desperate. Surfing the waves of what may be called the Welsh cultural awakening, the band gained fame and a general series of confused looks.
So I don’t know if you should check this out. Fo rthe sake of giving them the credit they deserve, I think you should.
Nerdcore can rise up!: MC Lars
Ok, I’m a massive fan of MC Lars. His rhymes are out of this world intellectual and just supercatchy. Taking inspiration from third wave ska as much as he does from Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, he is a unique rap artist that has released a big amount of records as yet. Being part of the Nerdcore movement, he put the Nintendo controller in the hands of MC’s. Did I mention he was in Nerdcore Rising? Check that documentary out!
Apart from being a nerdy MC, Lars is also an English major who studied the aforementioned writers. Ergo, he knows enough about them to lecture about hiphop and poetry at them TED talks.
Alright, so here a track of MC Lars, who worked with Weird Al Yankovic, cementing nerdcore as the ultimate music for nerds who also love some tasty rhymes and beats. There is a certain cool sound to his raps and an intellectual twist.
So, that was some weird hiphop for you. Thanks for reading!
