I was sitting in the common room at res one day watching the top 10 on the local music channel, Channel O. Most of it was fairly pedestrian stuff - Ja Rule, Nelly and company - but one song in particular knocked the wind out of me. At No. 9 on the chart was a track entitled 'Kik Off' by an evidently British MC called Blak Twang. It was brilliant. I don't recall enjoying a track on TV so much before then.
So, on a recent trip to the UK, one of the things on my list to buy was Twang's album, also entitled 'Kik Off'. A little research found that this was his second, following a so-called underground classic that dropped off the radar - '19 Long Time: Live from da Big Smoke'. So, I took a trip to the Virgin Megastore in King's Road and picked it up. One word: schweet.
TRACK LISTING
1. Intro - Warm Up
2. Kik Off
3. On Line
4. Trixstar f/Est'elle
5. So Rotten f/Jahmali
6. Sum Ah Dem
7. Fire Power
8. Half 'n' Half f/Mystro
9. Vow
10. Dirty Stopout Uncovered f/Rodney P & Lisa Panson
11. Ain't Done 2 Bad
12. It's Happening in England f/Rottenus Crew
13. Blood and Fire
14. Post Match Analysis
15. Publik Order
(+ Hidden bonus track: 'Surround Sound')
The album kicks off (ha ha) with the phenomenal intro 'Warm Up' is exactly that - a guitar laced track covered effortlessly by Twang's braggadocio, that limbers you up perfectly for the title track. Following a few whistles, Twang asks "Are you pleased to see me?" before launching into one of the best songs, as far as I can tell, to come from the rainy Isle in a long time. 'Kik Off' (the track) is superb. Backed by thumping bass and blaring horns, Twang spits a fantastic party-track, with killer lyrics ("No need to ask if I can kick it 'cos I'm an a*s-kicker/...". I loved it. I loved every second of it. I'll still be loving every second of it months from now - it's that good.
The album slows down a little with 'On Line', as Harry Love produces a stylish track with bouncing chords and scratchy hook. Following that, we get the first MTV-single-ish song: 'Trixstar'. Over a synthesiser-based tune, Twang and femcee Est'elle rhyme about problems with fake women. It's a little commercial, but still very enjoyable. The first real standout after the sublime 'Kik Off' comes when Twang heads to Jamaica to record the reggae-tinged 'So Rotten' with Jahmali. Over twangy guitar chords, Tawng rips some classic lines such as:
"You don't need to be worried 'bout what my name is, or if I'm famous/ just be concerned if you're burning in Hades where fire blazes/ fire then burn up your chart6s, burn up your playlist/ Fire for them haters and fire for them fakers/..."
On 'Sum Ah Dem', Twang effectively addresses his haters, then on the Sci-Fi style, menacing 'Fire Power', Twang excels, dropping lines like these:
"I fight fire with fire, and more fire power to strike back/ via live-wire messiah-type raps/...""
On 'Half 'n' Half', Twang links up with Mystro to quite literally cut the track in half. The wordplay on here is phenomenal, and once again, Twang shines: "I'm half-human, half lyrics/ Half of these rappers are half gimmicks, with half their half-hearted hearts half in it/..." On 'Ain't Done 2 Bad', we get a chilled piano and laid-back chorus as Twang reflects on his life up to that point. It shouldn't work, but it does, and very well indeed.
That said, the rest of the tracks don't quite measure up to this lofty standard. While none of them are cannon-fodder or filler, you just feel they aren't as good as they should have been. Case-in-point: 'Vow' is a horrible synthesiser track which just (very simply) does not work. The anthemic 'It's Happening in England' could have been good, but is slaughtered by an unsuitable melancholy string sample and some verrrry dodgy rapping from the Rottenus Crew (Carl Heins and Shawny T). In addition, although this in no way means that you shouldn't buy the album - nothing's perfect, and let's face it, these tracks are already a hundred times better than most of the garbage being turned out these days - it just means that the album fails to offer anything spectacularly groundbreaking.
Still, no matter. Why? 'Kik Off' is a highly accomplished package. Twang is a fantastic MC - his lyrics are slick and stylish, and he can deal with thousands of topics effortlessly, moving from screaming "Get ready to Kik Off!" to MCing about corrupt politicians in the House of Lords on the apocalyptic 'Blood and Fire'. His flow is unmistakebly British with a hint of Jamaican thrown in, and even his production - he produces all but two tracks - is brilliant.
At the end of the day, the bottom line (how many cliches can I use?) is that this is one of those rare things: an album that doesn't bullsh*t, that doesn't expect you to be lulled by a hit single - well, OK it does, but at least it delivers the full package - and that shows off the local talent effectively. Maybe, if Twang can truly "Bring some English crims in", the Brits will finally get some deserved respect for their rhyming ability.
Sorry I haven't been writing a lot lately - it's been a combination of things. I'll write some more very soon, I promise. Until then, I'll keep reading and rating your reviews, whoever you may be. As they say in the UK: Run tings rude bwoy!
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