Low-Life | UK Hip Hop Story | SubZer0

Intro

Early Doors:
1979-1985

False Dawn:
1985-1990

Underground Years:
1990-1995

The Renaissance:
1995- 2000

The Future:
2000 & Beyond

Artists &
Discographies

SubZer0 - Demo CD [Demo]

What is your name, and where are you from?

My real name is Varunan Balasunderam, he's Tamil Sri Lankan and was born in North Middlesex hospital in London on the 29th March 1985.

Who are your main influences?

My main influences are Cypress Hill, Tonedeff, Chino XL, Swollen Members, Brooklyn Academy.

What are the main aspects of music you are focussing on?

I think there is more to Hip Hop music then people think. Technical aspects such as Breath Control and flow. These combined together would probably draw a perfect picture of me.

The way I see things is like our favourite Artists are our teachers, we the crowd/audience are the pupils. The good-ness from those artists transcends into our music that we produce, we become unique. Not to say we have the same style or same flow, but the same level understanding as far as lyricism goes.

What made you want to be an MC?

The person I am now (SubZer0), I feel like I was born to rhyme. I have no question to rival any other UK emcee in terms of making a 'dope track'. I'm working on a demo and this will highlight a variety of my skills over sick beats.

Which track would you like to point out to people as a good example of your work to date?

The promo track 'Deliverance' is a track I wrote to hold myself up in the UK Hip Hop scene. I love showcasing my wordplay, mutlis, extended sentences.

Drop us some of the lyrics?

"Its tuff yeh, I'm the lyrical wordsmith, who the fuck cares? no-one I figured you worthless this person raw, flawless, the rawest force, leave you in the morgue with the corpse of an abortion or I start war when the torch is lit, I'm cold as ice but this bad man scorch your dick"

Are you able to bash out rhymes or do you take a more studied approach?

I've learned a lot about the science and art form of lyricism. While I start 9.00am and finish at 9.00pm other cats write their verses in half an hour.

How do you want people to see you? What impression are you putting over?

Personally I would like to be recognised as an emcee who is versatile. An emcee who could be given any beat and ride the riddim rugged. My demo will prove this.

Thanks for filling us in.

Through perseverance comes perfection - SubZer0

Review:

Tracklist:
01. SubZer0 Anthem
02. Deliverance
03. Merciless
04. Zer0 Tolerance
05. Breathe w/B-Real (Cypress Hill)

SubZer0 is a hungry MC outta Bexey Heath and he has put together this five track demo, which on first appearances is not presented in the best way possible. No artwork, no biog or background information, just a hand written note on that paper you rip from a pad with all the holes at the top containing the tracklist and an email address. Still that is not important and he did email some info the way I like. Regardless I slapped the CD into the drive and wondered what to expect...

So the music kicks off with SubZer0 Anthem a suitable introduction to the one man crew. The stolen beat is rather simplistic and a bit pedestrian, but the backing keyboard's bass and highs add a modern touch for an awesome display of lyrical skills to be laid over the top. SubZer0 certainly catches the listeners attention immediately with his ability to ride the rhythm

Deliverance is even darker and slows the tempo as SubZer0 gets busy over a Jehst instrumental. SubZer0 certainly has some styles and flows and breathlessly demonstartes these abilities by frantically spitting niceness from the beginnng to the end.

For Merciless SubZer0 chooses a sparser percussive beat as he gets busy first talking on imbibing canabis, but generally moving on to his big dawg status around his manor and the danger he represents. He is keeping all foes shook and as he says with these verses he is burning up all vermin as he doesn't deal with amatures. SubZer0 is stone cold and obviously likes serving MCs for tea.

The penultimate Zer0 Tolerance has a clubby backing over which SubZer0 unleashes more tongue twisting rhymes which go a long way to impress these tired ears. The final track Breathe which features B-Real from Cypress Hill is unsurprisingly on a smoking tip in which SubZer0 extols the delights of smoking good trees. A mellow, gentle piano is the backing for a much less frenetic wind down to a surprisingly good offering from an on point MC. Breathe features on the Gunslinger mixtape which is available at www.brealonline.com. The mixtape also features the likes of Eminem and Bizzarre. Impressively Sub Zer0's name is also included in the line-up of emcees featured on the CD on the front page of the B Real site.

So what we have here is an MC who is showing his lyrical deftness by spitting his venom over others instrumentals. Well, if you don't have your own beats this is the way to go in order to get your name out. Judging by what is dropped on this CD it will not be long before SubZer0 links with his own producer and is moving forward to releasing his own tracks. Be on the look out for SubZer0.

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