Dabbla – “BLOTS” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Dabbla teaming up with local producer Ghosttown for his 2nd solo EP. Both of whom formed the Dead Players alongside Jam Baxter until Dabbla made his solo debut in 2016 off Year of the Monkey followed by the debut mixtape Chapsville under High Focus Records & the sophomore effort Death Moves respectively. Coming off Nobody as well as Bad Tuesday & G.W.O.A.T. (Greatest Wanker Of All-Time), it was intriguing to hear the LDZ & Problem Child member returning to High Focus with Ghosttown by his side throughout the duration of BLOTS ahead of Nino Bryant becoming the new RPW British Cruiserweight Champion this weekend.

“Shoosh” opens with what’s easily my favorite track here from the bassy trap beat to the rapid-fire flow & lyrics about being UK hip hop royalty whereas the 3rd & final single “Paper Boats” featuring PAV4N links the pair up to flex leveling up on some next shit. The 2nd single “Karate Good” featuring Dubbledge goes for a boom bap vibe instrumentally having both of them wishing a muhfucka would just before the lead single “Bang” featuring Tis Zombie spits that gun talk pulling from trap once again.

Succeeding the “My Guy” interlude, “Uh Oh” begins the 2nd half of BLOTS fusing trap & jazz rap explaining that the true meaning of boredom is when one’s lacking inner resources while “Yadda Yadda Yadda” featuring Smuj joins forces to talk about hearing a whole lotta bullshit out these people’s mouths. The closer “Nonsense” sends off the EP with him over a woodwind so he can take aim at those speaking in balderdash.

Chapsville still remains my favorite solo project Dabbla has ever made almost a decade later so when I heard Ghosttown was fully producing BLOTS, I was hoping for it would surpass Bad Tuesday in becoming the most celebrated extended play of the 2 we’ve gotten from him & I certainly did it enjoy it more than it’s 2022 predecessor by only a slight margin. My criticisms of this EP lie more with them overloading it with guest appearances for nearly every son, but I can respect Ghosttown’s chaotic trap production & Dabbz recapturing the spirit of his LDZ days.

Score: 3/5

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Dead Players – “Faster Than the Speed of Death” review

The Dead Players are a hip hop trio from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of producer Ghosttown alongside emcees Dabbla & Jam Baxter. Making their eponymous full-length debut in the summer of 2013 under High Focus Records, they would later follow it up in the fall of 2015 with a sophomore effort called Freshly Skeletal until they embarked on an indefinite hiatus. They’ve surprisingly decided to reunite 1 last time for their 3rd & most likely final studio LP a few weeks away from former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座, EVOLVE Champion, 2-time 新日本プロレス世界認定TV王座, 3-time IWGPタッグ王座, PWG World Champion, 2-time GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグ王座, 4-time RPW British Heayweight Champion & 3-time RPW British Tag Team Champion Zack Sabre Jr. facing the current 2-time IWGP世界ヘビー級王座内藤哲也.

“The Sooner We Die, the Sooner We Can All Go Home” begins with a sample-driven trap intro talking about what they’ve been up to since we’ve heard from them last whereas “Alaska Spearfishing” embraces a back-&-forth style of delivery wittily trading 8 bars with one another. “Just Above Water” talks about their ability to not let their struggles weigh them down while “Refried Nights” promises to stay weird throughout this final year of activity.

As for “Dustbowl”, we have Ghosttown going for a more somber vibe instrumentally so Dabbla & Jam Baxter can advise to never split your winnings with a thief leading into the 2-parter “Major Curse / Icepick” starting boisterously until hooking up a woodwind during the beat switch talking about coming back so they can crush some cities & switch it up again. “Bloodsuckers” however puts their chemistry in the spotlight once again to finish off the 1st half asking how those kind of people feel.

“Welcome Back Oh Cruel, Cruel Behemoth” kicks off the last leg of their coda sampling some violins & mixing it with some hi-hats talking about death not really being all that convincing to them while the 2nd single “Death by 1,000 Cocktail Sticks” speaks of the 1st life always being free of charge, hence why they’re living theirs quickly. The 3rd & penultimate single “Gasoline Sazerac” on the other hand advises to do your thing regardless of the world getting sapped of all meaning.

The lead single “Cherry Turbo” dropped 14 months earlier as a way of celebrating 10 whole years Players’ foundation going back-&-forth with each other without the need of a hook while “Neon Soup” talks about their thumbs ringing when they’re high whilst their lives flash in their faces. “Blue Crab Linguine in the Frosty Underworld” bittersweetly wraps up the album asking if everything sorted itself out the way they hoped.

Celebrating their evolution & staying true to the previous iterations of themselves, what could very well likely be the last time the Dead Players get back together sounds a lot more trap-oriented than self-titled & Freshly Skeletal were in earlier 2010s maintaining the signature abstractly hardcore lyricism that’s always made them stood out. Living up where the predecessor left off thematically, Faster Than the Speed of Death gives a peek at where the trio is now in their lives as they look back at their old selves along the way. Can’t forget to compliment Telemachus’ engineering either.

Score: 4/5

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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.

“Guillotine” starts off with this abstract grime intro 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” produced by Ghosttown talks about his eyes being detached at 4am & conveying his disappointment over the woman he’s seeing being psychotic 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 find 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 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