Joker Starr – “Sidenote” review

Slough, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Joker Starr making his Boot Records debut with his 7th studio LP. Dropping his debut mixtape Raw Spittage in 2011, he would go on to follow it up with all 6 of his previous full-lengths as well as 3 extended plays & a beat tape. My personal favorite being G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) mostly produced by Micall Parknsun & of course Gawd Status’ debut Firmamentum. Both of which came out in 2019, conceiving Sidenote during the COVID-19 pandemic the next year.

“Same Old Flow” featuring Chima Anya finds the 2 joining forces to dismantle rappers who can’t switch shit up whereas “Don’t Try to Test” featuring Anyway tha God & produced by Micall Parknsun goes for a boom bap vibe talking about not being the ones to fuck with. “Stop Acting Like a Pussy” featuring Micall Parknsun turns up the aggressiveness flaming dudes for being spineless leading into “Let’s Be in Love” featuring Anyway tha God soulfully getting romantic.

Big Cakes appears on “Cold So Bold” to kick off the 2nd half spitting hardcore lyricism over a boom bap instrumental until “For the Legacy” & “Divine Blessings” both feature Anyway tha God over more Micall Parknsun instrumentals, talking about why they still make music & expressing their own gratitude. The raw yet lo-fi title track featuring Marv Won spends the final minutes of Sidenote calling out people for moving with their eyes closed.

Regardless of putting Boot Records in the same conversations as YNR Productions regarding both labels being around for decades yet neither of them have released a lot of music in recent years as opposed to High Focus Records or Blah Records constantly staying busy, Sidenote was more enjoyable than Gawd’s Children although I would’ve loved to hear a song where Joker Starr’s rapping by himself even if a majority of the guests are revered in their own fields.

Score: 4/5

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King Kashmere – “Sounds Like Home” review

This is the 4th EP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer King Kashmere. Notable for being a part of several groups or duos over the last few decades ranging from Kingdom of Fear & Invisible Inc. to Gawd Status as well as Old Children & Strange U, he also has 7 full-length solo albums & a couple of extended plays under his belt through the likes of Low Life Records to YNR Productions & Boot Records. Making his debut for High Focus Records in 2016 off his 3rd album Woof, he returned to the label with TR3B & has brought Cuth in to fully produce Sounds Like Home coming off The Album to End All Alien Abductions a month after Leon Slater ended Connor Mills’ reign as RPW British Cruiserweight Champion.

“Change Your Energy” soulfully starts off talking about everyone having their own universe within ourselves whereas “Thick Bag of Slime” featuring Alecs DeLarge goes for a psychedelic boom bap vibe to speak of striving & getting little in return. The title track soulfully while talks about keeping it real when others pretend while “Door of Truth” grittily asks if one can afford losing the game of life. After the compositional “Places” intermission, the final song “Valhalla” wraps up Sounds Like Home crushingly remembering his brother Tom.

I’d have to put The Album to End All Alien Abductions & TR3B above Sounds Like Home, but I’m nevertheless grateful King Kashmere was able to give us a 6 track EP containing some of the most emotive material in a career spanning over 2 decades. Cuth’s production here leans towards a boom bap direction as opposed to Alecs’ experimentation during The Album to End All Alien Abductions providing a good soundtrack for The Iguana Man to back at simpler times, long lost friends & a new perspective regarding the beauty & brutality of the human condition.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gawd Status – “Firmamentum” review

Gawd Status is a duo from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of emcee Joker Starr alongside producer King Kashmere. Both of whom have musically been around since with mid-2000s, with Kashmere making his debut in late 2006 by dropping In the Hour of Chaos & Joker Starr putting out Blood-Ren roughly 5 & a half years later. Nonetheless, I was still intrigued to hear they’ve teamed up for a full-length debut together.

“Heavy Metal” opens up with a boom bap intro talking about lighting muhfuckas up with a firing squad & times being difficult whereas “Messiah Hybrid” goes for a jazzier vibe instrumentally talking about their bloodline not being up for questioning. “I’m an African” featuring Big Cakes & Micall Parknsun comes through speaking like kings & walking like lions leading into “Amplified Science” featuring Anyway tha God takes a more conscious approach lyrically.

Fae Simon predominantly appears on “The Alchemist” soulfully singing about wanting to show her partner how she purifies elements of nature while “Admiral Byrd” talks about people hiding behind science to fight God. The penultimate track “Uranium” hops over a beat with increasing intensity to discuss conspiracy theories & the closer “From Nibru with Love” finishes up with a compositional outro blending elements of boom bap & cloud rap.

I might have Strange U’s debut LP4080 above Firmamentum, but it’s still the most entertaining introduction Gawd Status could’ve possibly made. King Kashmere’s production is primarily hip hop-oriented with secondary influences of psychedelia & soul backing Joker Starr’s lyrics covering topics like madness, slavery, the rise of A.I., false Gods, the transmutation of matter & conspiracy theories ranging from flat Earth to aliens.

Score: 4/5

Joker Starr – “Man’s So Shabba” review

Here we have the 4th extended play from Slough, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Joker Starr. Dropping his debut mixtape Raw Spittage in 2011, he would go on to follow it up with 4 full-lengths as well as all 3 of his previous EPs & a beat tape. London veteran Micall Parknsun being brought in to produce a vast majority of G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) resulted in his finest album yet & seeing him coming back for 60% of Man’s So Shabba had me further intrigued.

The title track begins with a mediocre trap intro flexing like Shabba Ranks whereas “Bussa Buss Down” produced by Micall Parknsun to me is where the EP begins to pick up rocking it over a smoky instrumental. “Cooker” was another moment I enjoyed talking about getting it & after “Jones Brothers Get Low” gets awkwardly chaotic, the outro “Things That I Know” concludes the EP talking about the man wanting to see everyone be great when it’s all said & done.

Only a month away from Gawd Status making their full-length studio debut Firmamentum having Joker Starr rocking it over a collection of King Kashmere beats, he comes off G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) by dropping off a collection of tracks that I found myself on the fence with compared to that LP. All 3 tracks Micall Parknsun produced make for the most gratifying moments Man’s So Shabba has to offer, the other 2 feel disappointingly flat.

Score: 3/5

Joker Starr – “G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven)” review

This is the 4th studio LP from Slough, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Joker Starr. Dropping his debut mixtape Raw Spittage in 2011, he would go on to follow it up with all 3 of his previous full-lengths as well as 3 extended plays & a beat tape. London veteran Micall Parknsun being brought in to produce a vast majority of G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) though had me intrigued regarding whether or not it could become Joker Starr’s most crucial statement yet as someone who appreciates Micall’s dexterity.

After the “Facing the Lion” intro, “There’s No God” combines some drums & a vocal sample to talk about certain people not seeing progress because they’re not ready for it including a jab at 2 Chainz whereas “Pay Cuts” after the “Tom & Jerry” skit works in some chimes responding to politicians thinking the people aren’t keeping score. “Gawd’s Black” featuring Micall Parknsun & OphQi later finds the trio teaming up so they can talk about black excellence

“Lawful Killing (Mark Duggan)” featuring Anyway tha God links up for a powerful collaboration remembering the man who was shot dead by police in 2011 over a boom bap instrumental just before Micall Parknsun hops on the mic again so he & Joker Starr can tell everyone to “Move Back Out the Way” over a weepy beat. “Pam Grier” featuring OphQi reunites the pair goes for a jazzier vibe talking about women who aren’t basic leading into the “Polygamy” skit.

Sarai Jazz appears for the soulful “Soul Tied” describing 2 romantic partners bound by their love for each other & after the “Limba Power” skit, “Idi Amin” embraces a jazzier sound talking about laying muhfuckas down. “Papal Bull” spends nearly a couple minutes revisiting the pro-black themes from earlier & the final song “Farrakhan” featuring Micall Parknsun preceding the “Bundo Devil” outro talks about bringing the essence back in the right direction.

Blood-Ren still contains some of the greatest songs Joker Starr has recorded, but G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) marks a significant improvement above the likes of the Northborough Estate Project or MACKnificent in achieving what I had hoped to become the finest album of his career. Although he’s always had energy & personality, Micall Parknsun’s production matched with the brief list of guests each hone in on both of those characteristics to captivating results.

Score: 4/5