Forget about flying daggers, Verbal sWARdz are coming your way courtesy of Iron Braydz and Taytula Burke reviewed the album for Sampleface.
Triple Darkness’ newest member has been digging in the crates to come up with a collection of previously unreleased material that would no doubt have gathered dust on a hard drive somewhere. Depending on the calibre of artist, ‘lost tapes’ should be received with a raised eyebrow. This stuff wasn’t good enough to make the cut before, but now you expect my iPod to have a love affair with it?
His past two offerings Devil May Cry and Holla @ Braydz saw the NW10 rapper prove that being a student of the game can pay off — particularly when wordplay and lyricism become synonymous with your name. So is it reasonable to expect that tracks that even he previously slept on would be worth the time of day? Abso-frickin’-lutely. Braydz himself would describe the project as no thrills hardcore hip hop and I concur. Mentions of girls on poles and living like a baller on this EP would be as out of place as a snowman in Jamaica. Hi-octane testosterone energy is the basis for tracks like Crowbar, Rambo, Dobermans and Fiery Red.
I realise they sound like tracks by a “hoody” reppin’ some part of a concrete jungle, but you need to remember who we are dealing with. Braydz and the UK talent that show out for this EP (Kyza, Skriblah, Solar Black, Cyrus Malachi and more) are all famed for their articulate social commentary. Expect punchlines, kick lines, quadruple entendres and don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking like the Churchill dog from all that head nodding.
It’s also worth mentioning that the production can almost be completely attributed to Iron Braydz. Staying within the realms of conventional hardcore hip hop proves advantageous as there’s no danger of sounding dated, and provides a suitable backdrop for his stateside visitors to lay verses over. Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), Sean Prince (Boot Camp Click) and Phat Kat make the project an international affair, giving their respective tracks another dimension.
The ten track project is not without its faults. There’s some finishing issues which a masterer might need to work his magic on. You’ll also find the occasional flawed bar / clumsy rhyme scheme that to me stands out against what on a whole is a very tightly written project.
Tracks I’m rocking with: Doberman, Rambo Relapse, Crowbar, Verbal sWARdz. Verbal sWARdz is out Monday 14th April.
