Mr. Key – “Kez” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Mr. Key enlisting local producer Illinformed to handle the beats all over the latter’s sophomore effort. A member of Contact Play, he would eventually sign to High Focus Records as a solo act & drop his solo debut Yesterday’s Futures in the summer of 2015 using the sounds of wonky & glitch hop with the help of Greenwood Sharps to back his abstract pen. Both of them reunited near the end of 2019 for an EP called Green & Gold, returning after nearly 5 whole years for the more conceptual Kez.

“Escape from Bene” sets the tone with a piano-driven boom bap instrumental advising to trust them since there’s more to discover going forward whereas “Wakey Wakey” featuring Smellington Piff finds the 2 over a funkier beat talking about them both being on a high platter killing swarm. “All Right Ok” takes a mellower yet dusty approach to the beat talking about him doing well since Green & Gold leading into “He Say She Say” featuring Dirty Dike after the “What’s this Place?” skit addressing detractors.

As for “John Connor High Lyf”, we have Mr. Key over this jazzy boom bap beat talking about his life not always being the best & him not having it any other way just before “Bury Me in Bene” featuring Leaf Dog carries over the same vibes of the previous cut asking for their wishes to be buried when the time of demise comes. “Why is It?” featuring BVA comes together to ask for the reason there cornballs haven’t done a charitable act while the piano-driven “I Dunno” uses it’s title to answer various questions for 5 minutes.

“No Time” starts Kez’s final moments blending a jazzy woodwind with some kicks & snares talking about himself for 2 & a half minutes living more pleasantly than he was in his previous situation but once “Yellow Tops” hooks up a prominent vibraphone to assure fans it isn’t their fault that he can be a bit of a dickhead, the outro “Isabell Allende” featuring Jam Baxter & Ronnie Bosh wraps things up with the Contact Play brethren soulfully repping their squads.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Greenwood Sharps’ contributions to Yesterday’s Futures and Green & Gold, hearing that Illinformed was handling all of Kez’s production gave me the impression it would surpass both of it’s predecessors. Lo & behold, Mr. Key has done it. He kaleidoscopically describes the rise of a plucky kestrel through an off-grid anarchist commune called Bene comprised of misfits, lost souls, drug dealers, new age healers & would be cult leaders after spending 5 years in Spain.

Score: 4/5

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Dirty Dike – “Mattress” review

Here we have the 6th studio LP from Cambridge, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Dirty Dike. A member of Contact Play, his solo debut Bogies & Alcohol as well as the sophomore effort Constant Dikestar under High Focus Records were both welcomed to warm reception although Return of the Twat was considered average by many in comparison. The Sloshpot EP & Sucking on Prawns in the Moonlight have since become his most celebrated work ever & Acrylic Snail was a great look at his transformation into his current self, leaving High Focus to start his own label Melonskin Records afterwards & is returning to the mic to drop Mattress independently.

“Pusspuss” produced by Melonskin co-founder Pete Cannon chops up a sinister piano sample for the 3rd & final single talking about putting pussies in their places whereas “My Way” dustily finds himself turning up on a weekday like it’s the weekend. After the “Samaritans” skit, “Bumpkin” has a more ghostly boom bap vibe instrumentally attacking those who aren’t fit to swim an inch of his one leading into “Broken Mattress” featuring Ronnie Bosh & Skuff finds the trio giving a fuck less about people bigging up their chest.

After the “Arr Kid” skit, “I’m a Peen” blends boom bap & jazz rap together for a self-aware depiction of how much of a dickhead the Dirty Dike can be just before “The Places We’ve Been In” featuring Jam Baxter takes a shot at the people who don’t know what it’s like setting foot in the locations they’ve visited. “Keith Meets Dike” featuring Kool Keith sees the 2 ruggedly talking about being completely insane in their own rights while the 2nd single “Just Dreamin’” spits a verse off-top over a soul sample.

“Cyclops” after the “Pouring a Rum” skit continues the nostalgic boom bap beats reminiscent of 90s east coast hip hop taking people to places they’ll feel uncomfortable in & after the “U About?” skit, the lead single “Bucket Kicker” would ultimately be saved for the last song reiterating his mission of speaking to those who push us to know what we’re supposed to be. We do get a proper “Goodbye” with the outro, although it’s the 5th & final skit throughout Mattress altogether.

Instead of producing his Melonskin Records debut by himself, Dirty Dike has his partner-in-crime Pete Cannon handle Mattress’ production duties & celebrates this new era of his career by doing his own thing after making some of High Focus Records’ most celebrated material the previous decade. The instrumentals created using a Commodore Amiga 1200 are more lenient towards the traditional boom bap sound rather than continuing Acrylic Snail’s varied explorations & the Contact Play extraordinaire retains his signature sense of humor.

Score: 4/5

Jam Baxter – “Fetch the Poison” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Jam Baxter of the Dead Players & Contact Play. Initially signed to High Focus Records, his 2010 solo debut Rinse Out Friday / Spack Out Monday was received positively & the sophomore effort The Gruesome Features would see a lot more critical acclaim. …So We Ate Them Whole in 2014 remains amongst High Focus’ most celebrated releases ever, fulfilling his obligations with the Hove, East Sussex imprint with Mansion 38 as well as Touching Scenes & Off Piste respectively. Obscure Liqueurs marked his official Blah Records debut & has been looking to Fetch the Poison since.

“Bright & Shiny Things” makes a meticulously spooky intro produced by Telemachus talking about craving another crown & waking up to find an earthquake shaking the ground whereas “Ulidjani Minajali Manze” asks for his candour to be excused since he won’t be able to flatter anyone’s problems with their grandeur. “Blink Twice for Yes” talks about every one of us being meant to eventually burst & after the spoken word “Mama Cuishe” interlude, “Cherry Red Paint Job” pleads for everyone to keep their hands off the precious materials.

As for “Go On”, we have Jam talking about thieves around us stealing souls from people & being told what to do by them just before “Every Pool of Stagnant Water” confesses to feeling like someone woke him up from this strange dream he’s been having leaving plastic body-doubles standing on every corner. “Stand Back Little Timmy” hops over a Wundrop beat talking about being here to watch the stars burn out without blinking & consume alcohol while “All Sprawled Out in the City” boasts of him stepping out of the offices grinning.

“Flickers on the 4th Floor” continues the 2nd half of Fetch the Poison going for a boom bap direction instrumentally hogging up all the high ground to himself & after “The Infamous Gatwick Meltdown of 2026” vividly tells the story of someone who’s been banned from the London Gatwick Airport out in West Sussex after leaving their minds at a drug dealer’s place out in South London, were treated to the 2nd & final spoken word interlude “I Belong Elsewhere” looking to take his business somewhere else.

The song “Sundown Sundown” featuring Black Alien, Black Josh, Jehst, Nog & Xamã brings the sextet together on top of this trap instrumental from Ghosttown for a bilingual crossover between English & Portuguese while the title track talks about needing the 3 CCs. The lead single “Blood Red Cheese Wire” ends the album with him making it clear that he doesn’t need anyone’s hollow thoughts or pocket change.

Conceived during a state-wide alcohol ban in Mexico, the inaugural full-length to be created after Jam Baxter became sober makes its comfortable behind Touching Scenes & …So We Ate Them Whole amongst the top 3 entries in his solo discography. He retains the abstractly hallucinatory style of storytelling we’ve all come to know him for & the production mostly handled by Telemachus ditches Obscure Liqueurs’ industrial elements in favor of balancing both the boom bap & trap subgenres of hip hop.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jam Baxter – “Off Piste” review

This is the 2nd solo EP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Jam Baxter of the Dead Players & Contact Play. Signing to High Focus Records, his 2010 solo debut Rinse Out Friday / Spack Out Monday was received positively & the sophomore effort The Gruesome Features would see a lot more critical acclaim. …So We Ate Them Whole in 2014 remains amongst High Focus’ most celebrated releases ever, following up Mansion & Touching Scenes to drop Off Piste with less than a month left of the decade.

“Red Hawaiian” produced by Dr. Zygote starts off with a boom bap opener by talking about what he’s got inside his bag whereas “All Clear” featuring Lee Scott finds the 2 speaking of pulling your brain out of your mouth & giving us the all clear. “Drowned Dogs” featuring Datkid teams up over a Dirty Dike instrumental trading verses back-&-forth with each other while “The Stump” advises on top of a Telemachus beat that one should’ve stayed true to themselves from the start.

Coinciding with a brand new book of the same name, Jam Baxter takes a couple loose singles & combines them with 2 previously released songs to craft an extended play that I enjoy a lot than the one he put out 5 years prior. The production’s a cut above Fresh Flesh’s in addition to reaching the same pedestal Touching Scenes did 12 months earlier, spending half of it holding down the fort by himself & the other bringing a couple of his labelmates beside him to add their own distinctive flavors regarding cadences or general mood.

Score: 4/5

Ronnie Bosh – “All People Expect” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Ronnie Bosh ready to embark on a new chapter of his career with a solo debut. An original member of the quintet Contact Play, he would go on to make multiple guest appearances for a multitude of projects over the course of the 2010s from Rag’n’Bone Man’s 3rd EP Put That Soul on Me to Dirty Dike’s 5th album Acrylic Snail as a more recent example. The latter of whom was announced to be fully producing All People Expect, which is welcoming considering the history they’ve had with one another for a decade.

“100%” opens up shop with this boom bap intro talking about him having no reasons to pretend when he’s got his swagger fully loaded whereas “Nothing” ruggedly speaks of dunces bluffing like it ain’t shit & the pigs using high breams to see more clearly. “Explain” featuring Jam Baxter takes a more soulful approach to the beat talking about monstrous flesh covered in rat’s skin just before the title track thematically shifts towards some conscious subject matter.

The 2nd & final single “You Know” goes for an old school vibe instrumentally talking about doing this shit so he can make jaws click instead of seeking praise from others while “Funghi” featuring Jam Baxter & Lee Scott sees the trio finding humor in the future, hence why they’ve been on this wave of spending a bunch of cash. “Get Out” combines elements of jazz rap & boom bap sending a message to the people who ain’t fucking with him prior to “1” showing a soulfully sensual side of himself.

“Do You Ever Think?” begins the album’s final act hooking up an organ flip asking this person with a shitty attitude if they’ve ever thought of the way they conduct themselves being the very reason Ronnie’s respect for them has slowly begun to deteriorate while the bluesy “Honorable Death” vividly tells the story of a man getting shot 21 times succumbing to his injuries. Contact Play reforms during the outro “Pulp”, hopefully planting the seeds for a reunion under High Focus Records when the time’s right.

Becoming a permanent behind the scenes fixture of the UK hip hop movement, fans have waited a long time for Ronnie Bosh to begin carving his own individual path artistically & High Focus ends that wait by letting his larger than life personality shine brighter than it has in the past. Dirty Dike offers amongst the greatest boom bap/jazz rap production he’s ever cooked up & one can certainly respect Ronnie’s attempts at testing out new things like singing or switching up his flows for 47 minutes instead of sticking to his bread & butter.

Score: 4/5

Dirty Dike – “Acrylic Snail” review

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Dirty Dike making his High Focus Records victory lap with his 5th solo LP. A member of Contact Play, his solo debut Bogies & Alcohol as well as the sophomore effort Constant Dikestar were both welcomed to warm reception although Return of the Twat was considered average by many. The Sloshpot EP & Sucking on Prawns in the Moonlight have since become his most celebrated work ever, coming off the latter 3 years prior for Acrylic Snail.

After the “Playground” intro, we have Dike jumping over this EDM instrumental from Telemachus for the opener “Permanent Midnight” talking about snatching microphones out people’s hands because he’s giving 0 fucks whereas “Whoops” featuring Jam Baxter & Rag’n’Bone Man dropping 3 hardcore verses without the need of a chorus. “Caustic Soda” uses a flow homaging the late Sean Price talking about the way he raps prior to “Whoa” featuring Lee Scott dustily sends a warning directed at people thinking of making sly moves.

“Nothing at All” maintains a boom bap vibe with some keys asking what others are gonna do regarding him budging all the rules just before “Still the Same James” reaches the halfway point talking about being the very same prick he was when he began making music. The self-produced “I Like My Nights Dark” featuring Jam Baxter discusses their preference of having the streets completely empty & every alleyway being their birch while “Syringe Ditch” talks about him breaking up with a woman who perceived him to be a misogynist.

Leaf Dog joins Dike on the mic during “Caterpillar Funk” flexing that shit goes down when they pop out while “Dumb” featuring Dabbla talks about the pair being comfortably ill in their own rights. “Ouch” featuring Jman & Lee Scott finds the trio fucked up bleeding out the nose but after “Sun Tan of a Pig” boasts the vallys & quids in his bum-bag over a Ghosttown beat, “Rex 01” featuring the Foreign Beggars alongside Inja & Killa P ends the album with a cool hook-less 4 minute outro.

Spending more of his time producing for other artists since Sucking on Prawns in the Moonlight, the final album under Dirty Dike’s contract with High Focus Records finishes this era of his career by making Acrylic Snail plausibly the most personal entry in his whole entire discography. Shining a light on his formative years & of course the transition between his past & present selves, he pays homage to the things he saw in the very farthest reaches of night that made him who he is today accompanied by a solid list of guests.

Score: 3.5/5

Jam Baxter – “Touching Scenes” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Jam Baxter of the Dead Players & Contact Play hitting us with his 5th studio LP. Signing to High Focus Records, his 2010 solo debut Rinse Out Friday / Spack Out Monday was received positively & the sophomore effort The Gruesome Features would see a lot more critical acclaim. …So We Ate Them Whole in 2014 remains amongst High Focus’ most celebrated releases ever, coming off Mansion 38 a year & a half earlier to make some Touching Scenes come to life musically a month after 石井智宏 won the RPW British Heavyweight Championship from 鈴木みのる.

“Guillotine” starts off with this abstract grime intro produced by Sumgii talking about the hotel staff being sick of his shit whereas “Gone” speaks of being his own boss & being remembered for eternity over a Telemachus beat. The lead single “Saliva” talks about his eyes being detached at 4am & conveying his disappointment over the woman he’s seeing being psychotic over a Ghosttown instrumental but after the titular skit, “Right Here” talks about immortalizing a deceased loved one as a cartoon playing in the dark.

As for “Feeding Frenzy”, we have Jam likening himself to a piranha devouring its own prey & seeing crimson faces flicker neon green with envy while the 3rd & final single “S.S.A. (Strong Swimmers Anonymous)” calls out hypocrites telling them what they do they’re not the ones back in their own people for tenners. After the “Burma” skit, “Know by Now” featuring Stinkin’ Slumrok finds the 2 joining forces to talk about being slum boys who keep it crunk just before “‘Bout U” begins the 2nd half giving a fuck less regarding others.

“Mask” featuring Durrty Goodz & Rag’n’Bone Man finds the trio coming together for a heavy-hitting UK hardcore hip hop track talking about wearing ski masks on stage because they’re getting old while the 2nd single “Vulture” sends a clear message to all the culture vultures swinging at their shoulder blades. “Guilty” talks about the relatable feeling of the whole world trying to take him for a fool over a Sam Zircon beat leading into “Unsubscribe” featuring Kae Tempest uniting the pair to discuss skinning oneself alive.

The song “Bodyslam” winds down Touching Scenes’ final moments referencing the wrestling move popularized by the inaugural IWGPヘビー級王座, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion & WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan while “Husk II (Tale of the Possessed Pinky)” finishes with a sequel to a song off the 2nd half of …So We Ate Them Whole, recapturing the same moods of it’s predecessor 4 years earlier listening to the screams of an individual seeking wonder.

Blurring the lines between grime & abstract hip hop lyrics taking inspiration from William S. Burroughs to Young Thug surprisingly, Jam Baxter’s final offering under his High Focus Records contract finishes 1 chapter & begins a new one with the most polished statement of his entire solo career. The production goes for a more high tempo direction in comparison to Mansion 38, sounding more evolved than that last album & further establishing Jam amongst the most gifted songwriters in the entire UK hip hop scene.

Score: 4.5/5