London rapper/ producer Wiley, aka the “Godfather of Grime”, rescues one of the greatest “one-hit wonder” gems of the 1990′s from the spiderweb-draped corners of our memory on his excellent new single “Never Be Your Woman”, a hook-recycling of White Town’s memorable 1997 DIY-pop smash “Your Woman” that finds him unapologetically shrugging-off the idea of monogamy to a sinister tropical-house soundtrack and the somber chorus moans of up-and-coming UK songstress Emeli Sande.
His feverish flow acting like skipped stones across the minimalist beat’s addicting combination of brief synth flashes and a cavernous, carnival-esque rumble, Wiley giddily boasts of his cheating ways, the promise of meeting fresh fish (and the chance to be the blinged-out center of attention) sounding like a far more attractive excursion to him for the night than spending a quiet, romantic evening at home with his main boo. And if it just so happens he gets caught, he could truly care less how his lady reacts, matter-of-factly punctuating his last verse with the oh-so-cruelly-”whatever” line: “My house/ I pay the mortgage”.
You ain’t right, Mr. Wiley (though moreso for not holding this undeniable low-key banger back for a far more fitting summertime release).
Peep the original (and our personal favorite) version below, followed by the official “Never Be Your Woman” video (presented in Shy FX Remix form).
Single (featuring remixes from Herve, Solo, Agent X and N-Type) drops February 21st.
Remember Lady Sovereign? The Polly Pocket-sized London grime rapper with the side ponytail, energetic persona and random (in a good way) rhyming style who arrived with much fanfare a while back (garnering props from State-side vets Jay-Z and Missy Elliott along the way)? Well, just when she was about to fall off the edge of memory, the gal returns (and sans ponytail!!!) with this first taste of her upcoming Spring 2009 album, Jigsaw.
Destined to support many a choreographed dance crew, “I Got You Dancing” percolates with a busy serving of electro-quirk bubblings, her delivery retaining that manic spunk that made her so well-liked (or well-hated, depending on your tolerance levels) before. Yeah, it lacks some of the self-deprecating wit that earned her the requisite “Fem-inem” tag (no bagging on her hairy armpits or molehill boobs here) and it still takes a couple listenings to fully understand what she’s spitting, but “Dancing”‘s exhilarating beat swirl and bits of hooky, Auto-Tuned pop polish supply enough of the goods to trigger anticipation for what else Jigsaw has awaiting for us in the new year.
Since emerging in the summer of 2003, it was almost instantaneous that East Londoner Dizzee Rascal nabbed the title of the UK’s best hip hop export. His versatile beat choices, thick accent and nasal delivery might not have given him much potential as an American crossover success, but his sharp storytelling skills, grim soliloquies and unique take on standard gangsta talk nevertheless made for an impressive rap personality from beyond the States’ borders.
Highly anticipated track “Wanna Be” from his third album, Math and English, finds Dizzee joining Lily Allen in her rainbow-colored universe in this witty attack on wankstas. Since we’ve grown accustomed to hearing Dizzee spit over a wide array of different genres and styles, his hyperactive flow over another lighthearted musical sample (“So You Wanna Be A Boxer” from 1976′s “Bugsy Malone”) is fitting and he and Allen make for a surprisingly, complimenting duo. As he takes on his typical defensive stance (“Ain’t nobody telling me I got no grime”), Allen is as cute as ever on the playful hook in which she dismisses phony gangsta rappers in lovable twee fashion (“Your pockets getting fatter/ But you couldn’t pull the trigger if you need to/ Cause you haven’t got it/ So you might as well quit”). It’s a nice tweak on the Ja Rule/ Ashanti formula (the hard core thug and the sweet sounding chanteuse) that might not stand out as the best from either artist, but a charming sidenote collaboration between new friends.
Those more in tune with his less chart-aiming side would appreciate the bluntly titled “Pussyole”, an early leaked album cut that took the breezy hook of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two” and bedazzled it’s classic break with venomous keyboards and spitfire verses condemning an untrustworthy associate. In what’s probably his strongest straight-up hip hop offering to date, Rascal’s breakdown of what he expects from his friends is the kind of humorously raw diatribe he excels at. “Why you running with that pussyole!?!/ Leaving with that pussyole!?!”, he infectiously chants, in one of the hookiest unvarnished lines since Apache was looking for his own “Gangsta Bitch”, and Akinyele had groupies begging to “Put It In My Mouth”.
As nice as it is to get free music, think of how much better your soul would feel if you purchased it the old-fashioned way.
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(MP3 posts are for promotional and/ or previewing purposes only; if any artist or their representation wish to have the links removed, contact me and I will happily comply!)
London rapper/ producer Wiley, aka the “Godfather of Grime”, rescues one of the greatest “one-hit wonder” gems of the 1990′s from the spiderweb-draped corners of our memory on his excellent new single “Never Be Your Woman”, a hook-recycling of White Town’s memorable 1997 DIY-pop smash “Your Woman” that finds him unapologetically shrugging-off the idea of monogamy to a sinister tropical-house soundtrack and the somber chorus moans of up-and-coming UK songstress Emeli Sande.
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