Wordplay Magazine's YouTube playlist get's updated daily. This week sees fresh visuals and music from the likes of Lee Scott, Jam Baxter​, BlabberMouf​, LayFullstop​, Don Dazzle​, GASP​, Shogun​, Redman​ and more!
Keep us posted with new tunage to keep it up to date! Bang bang!

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It's time to delve in the underground's darkest depths of grime and trap. Skinzmann comes blasting from the shadows with a posse of rough-round-the-edge MCs over a compendium of atmospheric beats in his latest release; INCOGNITO GRINDERS.

This twenty-two track showcase takes no shortcuts in painting a picture of the South West's Rap scene when the lights are turned down, or rather smashed out. The synths and the occasional flow of hats are the only things here you can describe as smooth. All else comes cutting in like a shattered bottle! Drums sound clear-cut and unobstructed with deep kicks and high-pitched snares and claps, teamed up with a deep bass and usually high-end, simplistic loops to keep the mid-range unobstructed for the MCs to fill - which they do 100%.

Samples of analogue instruments are very much absent here - no calls back to the days when music had to sound pretty. A minimalistic set of clean midis are carefully selected and layered to build up an atmosphere feeling large, encircling and claustrophobic. Perfectly framing each MC who delivers a verse that draws a vivid puzzle-piece of life in the UK's urban environments. From the constant graft of getting money in to supply a hectic lifestyle in GET THE BREAD, to getting too waved in the nightlife of said lifestyle in CERTY, there are too many stories to consider a stone unturned. The mood does take a moment to lift a little bit in NOVOCANE, and in INCOGNITO GRINDERS practically feels above the clouds, but it makes sure not to deviate from the signature style. And just in case you did think the album was changing from there, HETTY plays next to Suplex you right back into the darkness of a deep hole of substance abuse! The album was recorded, produced in Exeter with all MC's local to the run down city, so you know you're being welcomed to it by the locals.

​Each track brings a consistent flow and throughout the album it really doesn't stop. Right from the Intro to the Outro you'll be compelled to move as any sense of stillness just feels vulnerable. But you'll unlikely find this an issue as each track gets you pumped. Whatever you need to get psyched up for, INCOGNITO GRINDERS is an album that will help out a lot. Make sure to grab yourself a copy on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music or Bandcamp on the 19th of September 2019!

 - Fire@Will OneLionSound

​Verb T and Pitch 92 join forces once again to bring you a new collection of pounding, energetic beats and motivating bars! Where Good Evening carried a vibe of relaxing at the end of the day, this latest release from the duo brings a feeling of waking up the next day ready to make moves and make a difference in A Question Of Time.
 
Where in previous releases Pitch 92 has shown his abilities over a wide scale of genres, A Question Of Time mainly focusses on Hip Hop with a variety of ways to deliver a focussed and driving pace for that classic Boom Bap minimalism. But the call back to an old-school vibe is by no means an indication of a dated feel to the production. The few elements chosen come crisp, loud and clear. The analogue samples - or at least what sounds like it's coming from analogue instruments - are clean and well presented. Every track comes loud and makes the room feel big, with a spacious centre-stage for the MC to deliver their bars without interference; there's not one syllable getting washed over by the surrounding sounds. There is one trap tune, and one upbeat track that sounds to be around 100BPM, to compliment the heavily hip hop selection and serve as a welcome change of pace through the album.

​To focus more on the elements themselves, production is a simple arrangement of drums, a primary analogue melody, very subtle secondary, and a soft sub bass. In Cracked Mirror, Mandolins fill the air with sound, and a subtle piano comes in on the chorus while occasional chimes and glass-smash samples fill the rest. In Cold Case Feat. Truemendous a soft synth carries the main channel with heavy piano notes adding bumps to the road. When The Wind changes brings a heavier but spaced out bass with a running repetitive piano that nails that 90's East-Coast sound. The simple formula is delivered in thirteen very different and very engaging ways to spark your curiosity and attention from the get go!
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Verb T's bars take a step up in the force of delivery on this album. Flows are faster, more compact, and messages feel a lot more direct. The lyrics overall seem to tell a story of awakening and pushing forth on a journey where being too relaxed can come back to bite you. Tragedy And Comedy paints the picture of the world being in a state of chaos and glimpses of a call to action can be seen through the storm. Limitless Progression describes the battle of the unstable and challenging life in the music world where success demands hard work. Coffee & Grapefruit illustrates how life can take its toll on you for all that effort put in. And in New Love Born, Verb T delivers a powerful track dedicated to the birth of his youngest child, and the sudden surge of energy it gives him to take on life's battle and win it for his family.

A Question In Time is a something very different from a duo we are very familiar with. The energy is a strong contrast to what we heard in Good Evening, and pulls the classic 90's Hip Hop vibe into a modern and fresh reconstruction. Pick and choose your favourite tracks or just play the whole album through for when you need something to help get you up and going! You can pre-order it on Vinyl, CD, Tape or Digital Download from the High Focus store to have this solid release blasting through your speakers on 30/08/2019!

• Fire@Will - OneLionSound

01. Pandamonium "One Lion Podcast Intro" (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
02. Pandamonium X Fungus "At Your Disposal" EXCLUSIVE (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
03. Stash Sounds Ft Tenchoo "Street Compatible" Pandamonium Remix (Produced by Pandamonium)
04. The Scribes Ft Leon Rhymes "Righteous" Pandamonium Remix EXCLUSIVE (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
05. Leaf Dog Ft Artifakts & BVA "The Greats" (Produced by Leaf Dog)
06. Datkid "Crud Lord" (Produced by Leaf Dog)
07. One Oz Ft RabSpitz "I Don't Need To Care" (Produced by Leaf Dog)
08. Sir Burbia "Hoodie Pocket" (Produced by Sir Burbia)
09. Pandamonium X Calligraphy "Panto Season" (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
10. Joe Dojo & Pandamonium "Highs & Lows" (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
11. Ash The Author "Mic Check" Pandamonium Remix (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
12. Ash The Author X Barry Manalouge "Extraterrestrial" (Produced by Barry Manalouge)
13. Redbeard Ft Mike Lazy "Recurring Dream" EXCLUSIVE (Produced by Skill Mitchell)
14. Redbeard Ft Mike Lazy "Wanted" EXCLUSIVE (Produced by Percy Filth)
15. Blaq Poet & Comet "Time For Change" (Produced by Nickel Plated)
16. Glad2Mecha & Ill Treats "Stupid Fresh" (Produced by Ill Treats)
17. Kingdem "The Conversation" (Produced by Nutty P)
18. Fisk Of Fury "Blunderbuss!" (Produced by Wilson Fisk)
19. Stash Sounds "Blood From A Stone" (Produced by Yabba)
20. Pandamonium X One Oz "From The Soul" EXCLUSIVE (Produced by Pandamonium UK)
21. Pandamonium "Bounce Like A Bad Cheque" (Produced by Pandamonium UK)

Taken from 'The Tonic 2' EP out now
www.drsyntax.bandcamp.com

Video by Si Haze Films Stellar cameo and real life motivation from Isaac Roberts fka Sleaze Da Don

PRE ORDER “CONFESSIONS OF A CRUD LORD: https://highfocus.lnk.to/Crud_Lord