Low-Life | UK Hip Hop Story | Kashmere

Intro

Early Doors:
1979-1985

False Dawn:
1985-1990

Underground Years:
1990-1995

The Renaissance:
1995- 2000

The Future:
2000 & Beyond

Artists &
Discographies

Kashmere - Raw Styles Vol.2 12" [Receptor Records]

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Doin Work
3. The Plan ft. Severe and Amy
4. Duck Season
5. Sun People
6. Spittin Wid Arch 2 ft. Archco
7. Life Or Death Situation

Kashmere is back and has yet another moniker. As well as being the Iguana Man he is also now The Invisible Man as well any other number of names you might catch him being called, however his style remains the same. In a similar way to the P Brothers this is grimey, hard and sounds best played really loud. Not one to remain still Kashmere, since he dropped his first EP on the public has guested on several tracks to keep raising the profile of his name and skills. Earlier on he was sandwiched between the McBain Bros on the tongue in cheek Fugs R Us, and there he was noticeably up to par which is a hard task when facing Task Force head on. He has also hooked up with those Breakin Bread guys for a couple of releases. First was the Iguana Verses 12" with Rob Life and then latterly he graced Ghost's Ghost Stories EP when he yet again held his head up against some of the countries finest. This new EP is apparently 18 months old now and we are lucky it came out because Kashmere has been working on newer stuff and would rather that is what represented him right now. Never the less we are un aware of this and so can lap this up with relish and rate it without noticing the inevitable things which the creator would find irksome. This EP continues exactly where the last one left off and this is why we find out why the title is Raw Styles. Kashmere as well as spittin on the tracks is also an accomplished producer who has his own quite original style. This time the EP is seven tracks deep which lengthens the duration a touch on the first. Across the seven tracks a whole gamut of styles are expiated yet there remains a constant feel and unity.

The EP starts off with a brief 31 second Intro / skit which has is simply a clashing chord piano riff combined with a Speak 'n Spell machine classically spelling out, 'R A W S T Y L E S', a simple but effective opening which only makes the first full track drop all the harder.

Doin Work is highly reminiscent of The Fanatic a track on the previous EP. The down beat piano sound is very similar, just played in a different pattern. The beat is again really dirty with production from Kashmere himself. The chorus is properly formulaic, cuts are courtesy of Tufkut who scratches up Public Enemy, but this is not problem, things become a formula for a reason and in this case it is because if you get it right it sounds fantastic, additionally, it is the choice choice of cuts that indicates firstly the depth of these guys musical knowledge, but also their skill in selecting just the right lines to fit the track. I can't say that Kashmere focuses on any particular topic, he just floats over the beat as only he does flittering from punch line to diss, to outrageous self promotion. He is smooth, has great mic control and simply completes the package for a top track.

The Plan is again simply fat. The lazy drums which Kashmere has produced again are mixed with a tremendous sample which I imagine is straight from a film. It is spacious and could invoke many feelings, but the raising pitch sort of expresses a revelatory feeling and one of openness or a great expanse. It is hard to get these feelings into music and astonishingly it would appear that in every track Kashmere hooks up he accomplishes this rare feat. Severe & Amy both make appearances on the vocals which once again have the Kashmere trademark of being rather smooth and therefore in great contrast with the beats. Severe opens up the first verse for a fantastical animal influenced verse. Kashmere in his verse explains his game plan for world MC domination or as he puts it, 'to be seen as the worlds greatest super nig'. Amy adds evocative 'aaahhh's' to the chorus which continue into Kashmere's verse and are later filtered. Cuts by Ghost are the final and vital ingredient that completes the recipe.

Duck Season is another track that should be slapping you upside your head. Smacking crunchy drums are the metronome, a simplistic, repetitive, monophonic piano riff plays throughout and is interlaced with random horns and screams. Kashmere is once again on the keys and really fits in all the Hip Hop elements and is therefore sure to have some good cuts. This track is no different, and this time the cuts are provided by Krooked Fingaz, a DJ who is often Kashmere's back up for live performances.

Sun People is the only track on the EP which has a distinctly different sound. It is much more smoother and jazzy and this is because Kashmere has roped in Ghost for the production. In fact the rest of the EP has different producers and generally none of the producers make beats as dirty as Kashmere, yet there is a consistency. This track for example is much less hard and is more skippy and Jazzy. Rather than the usual contrast of clashing lyrical and production styles, on this track every element fuses for an overall more summery and relaxing track as opposed to the hardcore grit we have become accustomed to from Kashmere. Ghost utilises a trumpet and a muted synth sample combined with a filtered bass. The lyrics are more uplifting forward looking and not all about the usual Hip Hop braggadocio. The cuts are also by Ghost.

Spittin Wid Arch 2 comes as the EP eases off towards the end. Here a great film sample is hooked up by Blast who is yet another unknown UK producer who apparently has an talent for knowing what will work. It sounds like something from the Pink Panther or some other Herbie Mann type orchestration. Not that I can put my finger on the main break samples I'm sure that there will be people out there who'll be like I know what that is and therefore the Receptor guys need to have a little think about the dangerousness of using such samples. I for one hope they continue to do so as there is nothing like a sample hooked up correctly, but it is just not as easy as it once was to get away with this blatancy. This track has additional lyrics from Archco who was also Kashmere's rhyming partner Spittin Wid Arch on the first EP. These two have similar styles and work well together on a track, Archco injecting a touch of variety, but still keeping in with the feel.

The final tack Life Or Death Situation makes use of another sample which I imagine all producers wish that they had hooked up. This is partly why Kashmere's choice of production is so sublime. Here the producer is Rosco and Kashmere has chosen a beat that meshes with his style nicely. The beat is simplistic in the extreme, but contains all required elements to support the raps and bring out some emotion. There are of course the obligatory super fat and crunchy drums, but here the electric guitar loop just makes the track, it is wickedly chopped and the backing orchestral strings fit perfectly. Not to undervalue Kashmere's vocal contribution to this one, but he could be rapping complete rubbish and this track would still bang. So then add on some cuts from DJ of the moment - Ghost and deep lyrics which more than some of the other tracks are more on a topic, in this case mostly along the lines of trying to make dosh in order to not only survive, but also to make plans for the future and personal development and then you really do have the complete package.

Overall then, this is a seven track and therefore great value for money EP, especially when you consider that all the tracks are both severely fat, but also offer something a touch different, both things being bonuses in times when releases often contain filler tracks. There is no fear of that here, and whilst some may say that the sound is too retro for them, with respect they don't actually know what they are on about. It is hard to put into words how solid this release is, the beats are soporific in the hypnotic, heavy and stimulating sense of the word and the lyrics which on occasion can be complicated or convoluted are at the same time time easily understandable and simply sublime. If that isn't enough syrupy praise to heap on one record I don't know what is. Mark my words... Check this.

Receptor Records Discography :: Kashmere Discography
Visit Receptor Records on the web: www.receptorrecords.com :: Email:merescience@receptorrecords