Low-Life | UK Hip Hop Story | The Firm - A New Beginning CD [Rural]

Intro

Early Doors:
1979-1985

False Dawn:
1985-1990

Underground Years:
1990-1995

The Renaissance:
1995- 2000

The Future:
2000 & Beyond

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Discographies

The Firm - A New Beginning CD [Rural]

Tracklist:
01. Dayz Of The Razor
02. Whatever
03. Suicide
04. Come On
05. A Toast To The Past

Yet another crew is busting loose out of what they term the East London borders, which probably means around Ilford and further into Essex. This time, it is the Firm who are delivering their recently completed five track demo CD which the two brothers and their cousin have put together. The three man crew comprises: JD aka Jimmy Lung, Nom aka Si Sluggz and Cuz aka Doc Dillinger and they see this initial offering as an introduction to The Firm and as such hope it captures the lifestyles of each individual. Both JD and Cuz get busy on the mic, whilst it is Nom who handles the majority of the production. Whist they have been making tracks together for a while they were originally known as Old English and have already split two times in the past, but feel now is the time to chase their dreams.

The demo CD kicks off with Dayz Of The Razor which is a tune that the Firm use to convey the concern of the overwhelming use of guns in the UK. Opening with an East End gangster lamenting the situation over a music box chime. When the beat kicks in this has a hard edge and harks back to old UK Hardcore tracks. The lyrics promote a straight up fist fight and the blatant reality that you can live to fight another day if you lose.

Next up, Whatever opens with piano and orchestral strings which are looped for a powerful track that reflects The Firms reality of street life and the people they mix with on a day to day basis. This is real as the only things in their pockets is fluff. The lyrics are a bit low in the mix, but if you listen closely you can tell where each member is coming from.

Continuing on, Suicide is a tune which is a bit less hectic than the others due to the mix being less full and the addition of a more prominent snare. The message that permeates the track describes The Firms reason for feeling like their life is over, whether it be losing a lover, being locked down or trapped in a life of worthlessness. The lyrics, whilst fluidly spat are still very much on a more hardcore and dark side as the title would suggest. The beats on this s pretty simple and the melodies are reduced to just a long keyboard chord.

For the penultimate track The Firm intend to change up the tone with Come On which is meant to be a bit more of a club track than the others, but for me is still heavy and is more of a marching track due to the stodgy beat. The lyrics describe the progression of a night in a cub from smoking in the corner to getting busy with some girls on the dance floor. due to the mix being less hectic and the addition of a more prominent snare.

And to round it all off the CD closes with A Toast To The Past. It is a tune that paints a picture of what The Firm's past was like from when they used to hang out, playing pool with each other and lost friends from back in the days. Feelings on long summers and old girlfriends etc. are expressed in a hope that they will not be forgotten. Everyone likes to reminisce and remember better times and so one can empathise with this track and the reasons why the crew chose these topics. In terms of production the loped high string sample is deal for the desired vibe. If you reckon this is you thing then be sure to check the link below.

www.thefirm.org.uk :: [email protected]

Cuz

Nom