Low-Life | UK Hip Hop Story | Priceless

Intro

Early Doors:
1979-1985

False Dawn:
1985-1990

Underground Years:
1990-1995

The Renaissance:
1995- 2000

The Future:
2000 & Beyond

Artists &
Discographies

Priceless - The Storm EP [Fifth Rise Recordings]

Tracklist:
1. The Storm
2. City Theme
3. Scallywag
4. Get Down With Me
5. Dreamweaver

Tell us about your background and give us a general introduction of how you got into this?

Ever since I started playing the drums from the age of about 8, music has always played the main part in my life. I started off listening to Michael Jackson at around this time and things expanded from there. When I was about 10 or 11 I was played a Naughty By Nature track, ‘Hip Hop Hooray’ and Cypress Hills ‘Black Sunday’ album and from that point onwards, Hip Hop has been my love.

So how did you progress to becoming a DJ /producer and making music?

I spent all the money I got on CD’s but soon switched my attention to vinyl mainly due to the fact I could get hold of so much more tracks than I could on CD. As my vinyl collection grew I managed to get a budget set of turntables. This was when I was around 15. I became very interested in turntablism and spent every night for about 2 years practicing scratching and was soon part of a band made up of friends and getting a few gigs here and there. Whilst all this was going on, I was also writing lyrics and had a little group going with another friend rapping over the instrumentals of the vinyl I had. As my scratching improved, my friend got a copy of Cubase and it wasn’t long till I was making music whenever I could just for fun. The main turning point was when a certain event in my life happened and I wrote a song all about it, which helped me to get a lot of things out in the open. At this point we booked a studio together for a week and managed to get 5 tracks done.

How have you managed to progress you skills to get where you are now?

Ever since then, I have been producing and rapping, incorporating my DJ skills whenever I can. I have a friend who rents his studio at a very reasonable price and use it as much as possible. Only this year I have started buying my own equipment, a sampler, sound module and an Atari with Cubase. I spend all my spare time working on my music and have a number of tracks ready to be recorded. I think music is the best way for someone to express themselves, say what they feel and think, even being able to help people who have been in the same situations you have been in. I don’t really have any other ambitions in life than to succeed in music, whether it be rapping, producing or hopefully both.

Review

So that is what Priceless has to say about himself, but what about this The Storm CD then? Well, it is five tracks in total, the opening track The Storm is an upbeat affair in which Priceless is able to show his tongue twisting skills as his rapid fire delivery drives the track which does have a minimal backing, or at least it isn't right in your face. The drums are low in the mix and the aural landscape is composed of sweeping chords and breathy sampled voices. To round it all off intense vocal snippets are added to the beginning and end.

City Theme gets going with a radio tuning up and down the dial before another reasonably up tempo track gets into gear. A piano riff is combined with a bouncy progressive bass for a real bumper which allows Priceless to get busy and develop some nice flows which ride the rhythm really sweetly in places. Priceless also demonstrates his skills on the decks with a classic cut up chorus which divides up the track nicely.

In the first few bars of Scallywag a mental jazzy loop sounds, but actually the track develops in quite a different way to the way it starts outs. Priceless again is the main driving force behind the music as he delivers his raps with a technical ability which belies the demo nature of this CD. The main thrust of the track is a description of Priceless by himself as he sets out his areas of expertise and as most MCs do he points out his dangerous side as well in terms of what he is capable of doing to any opponents that may step up.

The penultimate track Get Down With Me is a bit slower than the preceding tracks. Priceless, being a one man act obviously creates music that is very suitable for him to rap over. He come across full of confidence and really fits his vocals into the production to come with a professional sounding good final mix. Again for this track the arrangements are reasonably complex, but are structured an such a way that the progressions work well and there is never too much going on at any one point in time. None of the disparate elements clash and this is the sign of someone who has a good musical ear.

The final track Dreamweaver opens with another great piano loop which is soon adorned with strings and flutes as well as an occasional synthy keyboard and sharp horns. The drums are a touch thin, but do have a swing to them and overall when combined with Priceless' vocals the musical effect is well polished and accomplished. Priceless also has a vulnerable side and occasionally this side slips out when he expresses more personal subject matter and examines some of the more stressful elements of his life.

Something was funny with my CD in that the tracks didn't seem to end properly and move onto the next one, but never mind that. Priceless has some skills, flows and lyrics and should therefore be classed as one to look out for in the near future.

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