Baron Blog: UK Hip Hop and My Influences…

How do my good people, the Baron here once again. Thought id share my thoughts on UK Hip Hop and some of my influences outside of the genre with you all this time around.

The first UK hip hop music I really got into was probably Roots Manuva and the Brand New Second Hand album, I loved the whole vibe of that CD and the way his voice sounded sort of got me hooked, an since then I was a big fan really, and of course nobody can deny Witness the fitness now really? I was a big fan of the Skitz album too with all the collaborations with various UK artists. Also Rodney P and the London Posse album loved the whole feel of that too, I think that’s what I miss the most from UK hip hop these days it was the sound, the sample based tracks they always drew me in. Now it seems a lot more synthesized and it doesn’t have that same endearment as it used to, fair play to the fellows trying out the new sounds etc but I have, and always will be old school at heart an I just crave to hear more music like that, Skinnymans Council Estate of Mind really encapsulated that feel too with a lot of sample heavy tracks. More an more UK hip seems to be heading in the more electronic sound, which I do actually like some of but a lot of it all seems to blend into one, I find myself more and more skipping through albums to find something that hits me, but more often that not I reach the last track without getting that hit that I was looking for. It seems that gone are those days of finding those stand out tracks with a lot of albums sounding like bland filler tracks. As soon as I hear a drum break on a track I usually love it, call me old fashioned…and you would be correct. Most recently is the new Kano, Chase and Status track Against All Odds as soon as I hear the beat I was hooked on the track. I love and support all the Local hip hop acts from my city Newcastle too, Dialect, Text Offenders, Skrufz, Animalistix, Sqidlims and everyone else trying to do there thing. I’m also looking to work with a lot of them on a future project GMT+1 produced entirely by Arhat once again.

I subconsciously seemed to drift away from hip hop for the last few years and started listening to all sorts of music, mainly rock and indie music. I am a big fan of all the legendary bands Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, AC-DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Kiss, Def Leppard etc but more recently I found myself listening to the Foo Fighters, The Killers, Coldplay, Maximo Park, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys and a lot more music in that vein. I’m just a fan of good music in general something I can appreciate for how it sounds and what is involved to make it like that and the talent of the musicians. I really like Sigur Ros too, a lot of different instrumental kind of melodic stuff is a lot more soothing and relaxing on your ears and I find a lot of inspiration within it.

I think overall I’m just desperate to hear some new UK hip hop artists coming through and making a name for themselves on a big scale, using that real hip hop sound that I can relate too, I think its what the UK music scene needs again right now something to freshen it up a little….and well, who knows maybe I could be that man.

-The Baron