King Kashmere – “0 Point Modulations” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer King Kashmere getting behind the boards for his 8th studio LP. 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-lengths & a few extended plays under his belt through a multitude of labels from Low Life Records to YNR Productions & Boot Records. The most recent being The Album to End All Alien Abductions & Sounds Like Home via High Focus Records, looking to kick off the 0 Point Modulations series strong.

“Kulcha” by Gawd Status after the intro starts us off with Joker Starr hitting us with skillful lyricism over a boom bap instrumental whereas “Shadows” by Durrty Goodz, Flirta D & Harry Shotta comes through with their own rendition of “Valley of the Shadows” by Origin Unknown. “Big(Bad)” by Dabbla, Genesis Elijah & Killa P aggressively joins forces to piss off their detractors including a brief beat switch prior to “Good Morning” by Harry Shotta, Jaz Kahina & PAV4N spitting flows that’ll leave people impressed.

As for “All Night”, we have Jae Mann taking the mic so he can talk about how it’s always the people who don’t do shit who be disrespecting those that put in the work just before “I.Y.N.K. (Illest You Never Knew)” by Cappo returns to the boom bap ruggedly boasts of reaching a level many wish they could achieve. “Earendel” by Illaman suggests to meet him in the courtyard with bars prepared until Flowtecs & Ramson Badbonez team up for the spooky “Violatorz”.

“Doin’ It” by Micall Parknsun talks about his detractors being pissed that he’s still around making music when it’s their own loss while “I Smoke” by BVA ruggedly discusses being ready to body anyone in a battle. “Alive” by Farma G & Fliptrix wraps up the 1st leg of 0 Point Modulations talking about keeping this shit going strong while “God Complex” by C.o.N-Vers talks about swinging swords whenever it’s time for war.

Verb T gets his own solo track with “Heights” talking about the feeling he has of taking things to higher levels musically while “Dragon’s Lair” by the Double Dragons grittily expresses Ray Vendetta & Tommy Biz’s refusal of surrounding themselves with artists who’re insignificant compared to them. “Is It?” by HPBLK talks about revving a chainsaw after being cast in the dark while “Cooked” by Reign MC dismisses those who claim they can smoke him.

“Classic Style” by Confucius MC dustily talks about the autobiographical subject matter he’s kicking being superior to a simple novel & becoming impactful when it’s laid out on wax but after “No Stress” by Alecs DeLarge poses the question of winning when people aren’t even rooting for themselves to achieve said victories in the first place, “Unfunny” by Truemendous talks about never being apart of a joke she doesn’t find humor in.

The track “Anne Boleyn” by Anyway tha God & Ragga Zulu Rebel references King Henry VIII’s 2nd wife who was beheaded due to fabricated charges of high treason & adultery in the 1500s while “Nuisance” by Fliptrix & JayaHadADream talks about leaving the past behind now that their voices have been found. The final song “Phone on Silent” by Larwood preceding the outro concludes 0 Point Modulations explaining that life’s about timing & making every second count.

King Kashmere has been producing since the late 90s & after fine-tuning that aspect of his career since 2010 when he began evolving behind the boards, 0 Point Modulations officially rings in this new chapter of his storied career shining the brightest light on The Iguana Man’s true calling although I can respectfully understand the 77 minute runtime being lengthy for some listeners. His production experiments with different genres other than hip hop like grime or dub & dubstep developing ways to make the process authentic through sampling & enlisting an all-star cast of MCs representing the UK hip hop scene’s past & present.

Score: 4/5

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Kakarot – “The Holy Armour” review

This is the 6th extended play from Northwest London, England, United Kingdom emcee Kakarot now based in Ireland. Dropping his 3rd EP Yojimbo’s Demise a couple years earlier in the spring of 2022, he followed it up with both Hello World & Dark Matter respectively the following year. But looking at The Holy Armour’s brief list of the guest appearances including King Kashmere solely handling all of the beats, I felt like it would make a right opportunity for Kakarot to sharpen his pen.

The title track after the intro hops over a sample to talk about being protected by a legend while “Final Fall” takes the boom bap route instrumentally bringing it hardcore lyrically. “Dark Arts” featuring C.o.N-Vers finds the pair taking brains to new dimensions & after “Close Encounters” dustily talks about spotting a UFO, the final song “Wanderer” featuring Chino XL & King Kashmere preceding the outro sends it off having everyone flowing with vengeance.

His verse on The Album to End All Alien Abductions was tight, so for King Kashmere to produce The Holy Armour in it’s entirety only makes sense & it’s really a demonstration of how far Kakarot has come since Cosmic Lamp & Master of Ceremony. The Iguana Man’s production sounds more boom bap-oriented contrasting Cocoa Butter’s jazziness & all 3 guests excluding are wisely chosen, each matching Dr. Voodoo’s own intensity.

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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King Kashmere – “The Album to End All Alien Abductions” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee 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 6 full-lengths & a few extended plays under his belt through a multitude of labels from Low Life Records to YNR Productions & Boot Records. The most recent being TR3B under High Focus Records, enlisting lo-fi producer Alecs DeLarge to fully produce The Album to End All Alien Abductions.

After the “Worldwide” intro, the first song “Angel Strike” opens up with a boom bap beat taking further cues from funk & jazz music talking about wanting to be left alone having nothing to stress over whereas “Damien Darhk” works in a saxophone & some Memphis-influenced 808s asking where the fun went. “Limbo / Genki Dama” featuring King Kakarot teams up for a 2-parter talking about being the kind to not run from a fight leading into the soulful boom bap crossover “Old Earth” shouting out his mother.

“Intergalaktus” turns up the funk boasting his ultramagnetic aura while “Fonk Abyss” brings a more mellow vibe to the table for those who want to smoke some weed & chill out whilst keeping his eyes on the crown. “4000 AD” featuring Renelle 893 finds the 2 teaming up on the mic for a drumless hardcore hip hop track attacking the naysayers celebrating their perceived defeat & after the “Inside” skit, “Dustman” featuring Alecs DeLarge & Jerré dustily talks about levitating weight to keep their brains strong.

After the “£££ for Beats!” skit, “The Essence” preceding the compositional “Blue” interlude maintains a vintage boom bap feeling to it speaking of his desire to take hip hop back to it’s ethos while the jazzy “House of Cards” talks about struggling with mental health issues. After the “Hollywood” skit, “Soul Caliber” meshes some vibraphones with kicks & snares addressing the people tryna take control of him while “Most Blunted” featuring Alecs DeLarge finds the 2 sharing the mic together for an 115 second ode to weed.

“Solar Flare” featuring Moka Only & Verb T succeeding the “Virus World” instrumental jazzily boasting they’d blackball roughly 1/2 these other MCs while “Infinitizm” talks about this being the sounds of those who’ll live eternally making their tides rise. “Astro Children” featuring Alecs DeLarge, Ash the Author, Booda French & HPBLK unites 5 unlikely competitors for a vintage hardcore hip hop/boom bap song while the final song “North Star” ahead of the “Deepspace Slime” outro soulfully talks about searching for brighter days.

Making up for Motherbox’s divisive reception, The Album to End All Alien Abductions comfortably positions itself amongst my personal favorites throughout King Kashmere’s solo discography right in the same category as In the Hour of Chaos or his High Focus Records debut Woof. Alecs DeLarge whips up the most experimental production of his career, which appropriately suits The Iguana Man’s lyrics heavily themed around science fiction other than a couple glimpses of his personal life.

Score: 4.5/5

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Renelle 893 – “Cocoa Butter” review

This is the 2nd EP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Renelle 893. Introducing himself a year & a half earlier off the previous extended play Black Currents, he would eventually catch the attention of High Focus Records not too long afterwards & signed to the label. The historic Hove, East Sussex imprint however has decided for Renelle to end their 2022 by having King Kashmere fully produce Cocoa Butter a couple months succeeding Letherette entirely producing Chuck Enzo’s official High Focus return TR3B only 24 hours away from Robbie X ending Luke Jacobs’ reign as RPW British Cruiserweight Champion.

“Let Go” begins with a funky boom bap opener talking about keeping his hood up in his head low whereas “Wine Bottle” drumlessly flexes of pulling up to a zoo because he got a cougar in his whip. “I Dunno” featuring The Strange Neighbour finds the pair suggesting that they act the way do because of the cognac they drink & once “Like a Villain” wavily talks about him wanting to simply chill, “Gotta Go” ends the EP with him speaking of ruling with Hell fire & brimstones.

Continuing to warm fans up for an upcoming full-length debut album of his own, Renelle 893 embraces a new era in the London artist’s career with an extended play that greatly improves beyond the predecessor & his future on board the High Focus Records roster promises a bright future for him in preparation of グレート-O-カーン becoming the new RPW British Heavyweight Champion tomorrow. King Kashmere’s production throughout Cocoa Butter feels nostalgically reminiscent to the simpler times of our lives compared to Black Currents & Renelle’s pen-game has improved tremendously over the course of 20 months.

Score: 4/5

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King Kashmere – “TR3B” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee King Kashmere recruiting Wolverhampton, West Midlands production duo Letherette for his 3rd EP. 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 4 full-length solo albums & a couple of extended plays under his belt through a multitude of labels from Low Life Records to YNR Productions & Boot Records. Signing to High Focus Records recently, he’s ready to make his debut for the label with TR3B a couple months after Ricky Knight Jr. became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion.

“G-Cell” starts off with a futuristic boom bap instrumental talking about being in his own different lane lyrically & covering his stomach in armor while “Black Knight Satellite” hooks up some synthesizers to get the audience hyped for the mysteries of life. The final song “Snake Pie” takes a bit of a bombastic approach to the beat wondering if humanity’s ghost will find another host before insanity approaches leading into “T-33” finishing off in the form of this compositional outro catered towards Andy Harber & Richard Roberts’ signature house sound.

Meeting each other roughly a decade ago after performing in the same boiler room & connecting through a shared love of the same genre-blurring styles that’ve defined their respective careers, it was only a matter of time until King Kashmere locked in with Letherette to give their fans something worth celebrating & it could possibly be considered Chuck Enzo’s finest EPs years to come from now. Andy & Richard’s production is heavily centered around their experimentations of the 2010s compared to Motherbox and The Iguana Man lyrically finds himself stuck between thought & feeling.

Score: 4/5

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Old Children – “Push Start” review

The Old Children are a trio from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of emcees Booda French & HPBLK alongside producer King Kashmere. The latter of whom has become amongst the most recognizable names in the entire UK hip hop scene with a career spanning decades while the other 2 have emerged between 2015 & 2016 respectively. So to have The Iguana Man unite both of them & get behind the boards for the group’s debut extended play had me excited of what they were gonna do.

After the intro, “1Up” hops over a lo-fi boom bap beat refusing to celebrate wack rappers when they shouldn’t be whereas “Metron’s Chair” gives off an intergalactically dusty vibe instrumentally dismantling any competitor who isn’t on the same wave they are. “Abin Sur” reaches the midway point of the EP talking about this being do or die for both performers leading into “Louder” featuring Ramson Badbonez nostalgically kicks off the 2nd half on some old school shit.

“Long Road” winds down Push Start’s remaining minutes talking about over a beat reminiscent to the late, great J Dilla at points talking about finally making it to their own destinations after choosing to take the more difficult path while the final song “Double Dragon” preceding the outro makes a dope reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley.

Regardless of whether or not the Old Children plan to continue making music together going forward, it doesn’t take away from the fact Push Start still gives the world a look at what these guys can accomplish when combining forces. Booda French & HPBLK give us some of the hungriest performances of their careers whether it be depicting out of this world imagery or making left field references & unpacking forward thinking streams of thought over King Kashmere’s cosmic production.

Score: 3.5/5

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