Omac & Kabs – Smart Asses Vol. II REVIEW

Omac is a name that is well know to readers of No Mans Land, but Kabs may be someone who you are yet to discover, well, now’s about time you do!

Last week, the two Rowdy Mobb members released a collaborative mixtape featuring some amazing talented rappers.

Smart Asses is the second instalment from these two & an impress one at that, with a range of different beats sampling some old school hits (Cold As Ice, Sweet Dreams) and songs touching on subjects from drug addiction & partying to girlfriends, love & heartache.
SA2 begins with a DJ L-Street introduction (big ups on the 30th birthday to Mr. Street!) featuring creative audio bites from movies such as Superbad & Ace Ventura.

The intro leads directly into the radio-worthy banger, Sweet Dreams, which features SMA‘s own Nate Deezy singing on the hook. In my honest opinion this is the strongest song on the mixtape and has some serious replay value, the combination of the old school sample & Deezy’s unique voice works incredibly well with Omac & Kabs intense wordplay & rhyme structure! If anything you should download this mixtape to have this song in your playlist!

Saying that Sweet Dreams is the strongest isn’t to take away anything from any of the other tracks, in-fact Sweet Dreams leads into another track sampling an old rock tune, Cold as Ice. A track that can be interpreted in a couple of ways with great wordplay & a repetitive hook, its easy to find yourself banging along to this one!

When It Rains which features Psych Ward member Sever is another first class track, with Sever’s marvellous multi’s & raw, hardcore lyrics & Omac killing the hook, you can’t over look this hardcore song.

The boys chose a solid beat for What You, which is a big middle finger to the haters, Omac puts on his double time flow for this solo track & absolutely smashes it out the ball park!

Fuck Love is the second Nate Deezy feature and a very relatable song for 98% of the population! Everyone has had their heartbroken at some point & Kabs and Omac speak on this very well. Can tell the emotion Kabs has in this one, his verse on this is my second favourite his on the whole mixtape (Second to his verse on Sweet Dreams), Deezy also puts a verse up and destroy’s the meaning to multi with his talent!

Three Days of Darkness, featuring Complete, is very creative & very raw. This is a song that reminds me of the old school Australian hip hop, before radio play, especially the vocal tones all three lads take in this one, you can tell the emotion each artist was feeling when they recorded this!

Overall, Smart Asses II is one mixtape any Omac, TPW or RM fan should add to their collection, keeping in mind, it is a FREE download and only 10 tracks.
I did enjoy the fact it only had three feature artist as we got to hear more from Omac & Kabs and the tape was more focused around them and not who was featuring

In summary, check this out, its well worth it & has some good replay value. I can guarantee this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Kabs, in-fact I think he is only JUST getting started!

The Devils Resume – Complete & Omac – REVIEW

So, I’ve been busy lazy as all hell lately & I’ve finally decided to upload my review for one of the better mixtape of the year, from a duo that I predicted would do big things this year, boy was I not mistaken!

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world, he didn’t exist”. What a way to start a mixtape, it sets the tone for a surprising venture from the two lads coming straight from The Psych Ward. By this stage you have already heard of Omac & Complete, and if you haven’t, well you need to wake up. These lads have been burning up the stages all over AUSTRALIA as of late, recently taking this mixtape on tour to Melbourne, Adelaide & Queensland, if its get play all over Oz, surely they’re doing something right!

With an array of tracks (15 in total, all free might I add) from that devil type shit to the Psych Ward classic style, The Devils Resume is everything you expect from these young MC’s (AND MORE!). With feature’s from all Psych Ward members & some of Perth’s finest (Defekt, Sever, Bitter Belief, Cortext, Creed Birch) & even having a track produced by ADL brethren K21, this is without a doubt something everyone can enjoy.

Complete reminds us why he is one of Perth’s finest young MC’s, with complex flows, real subject matter & incredible wordplay, he even takes the hooks on a few songs & shows us that their is more to Your Nana’s Special friend then what we have seen, this dude has a big career ahead of him. He even shows us he can hold a harmony with Bad Habits!

Omac has done more this last year then a lot of cats have done in their entire “careers”. From Show Some Nerve to The Devils Resume, you can hear the lyrical progression & even an improvement in his flow & breathing technique while rhyming.

It is no surprise that the original link for TDR broke on the first day, people knew exactly what to expect!

Notable Tracks: The Devils Resume – Naturally the first single (and video) is going to be notable, but what these boys did to this beat is add heart & emotion. They told us a story about themselves & their life experiences. THIS IS WHAT HIP HOP WAS BUILT ON!

Bad Habits – As I said before, Complete has his harmony tip on this one, another good track based on their personal life’s, getting rowdy & psycho (RM/TPW!) its no surprise the boys have a few “Bad Habits”. An incredible word play example in this one (Omac: high on e’s, yep, Mary Poppins)

The Death Of Me: SMA/DSC member Cortext takes the chorus on this one and adds his bassy, deep, gruff voice. That and the combination of heavy drums and distorted guitar makes for one heck of a hip hop track. Omac & Complete murk the verses too!

Best Friends, Better Enemies – This is a very relatable track for me, as I have had mates ruin me & hurt me, so this one is very close to my heart, the boys nailed it too, the chorus describes exactly what I, and hundreds of others, have experienced!

The Old Me: Featuring the Western Coalition (Bitter B/Creed Birch) this song is worth every second of ear time. Another true track, telling you exactly what this lads think. No reason to hold back! The distortion on Bitter’s voice in the hook & his tone make it that much better!

So Sick: This one had me in laughter, with the intro & bars about bile, spew & sickness, how can we not enjoy this? These lads a probably sicker then Kerser!

I could talk about every song on this album & have something positive to say, I can’t seem to think of any negatives, maybe that its only 15 tracks! I would gladly PAY for music like this, and they offer it to us for free! Not only is the music entertaining, but the boys have intro’s & skits that make me laugh every time!

A great effort from TPW lads, one that need not be slept on! MAKE SURE YOU GET THIS!

9/10

DOWNLOAD LINK!

Sever – HOOLIGAN LAGOON Review

For a long time, Sever has been a heavy hitter in the Perth Underground Hip Hop scene, one of the few original Psych Ward members & a man who has faced his fair share of endeavours, now, after years of hard work getting himself heard/seen he has given us what could possibly be one of the best mixtapes of 2012.

The reign of The Butcher From Jull St. is just beginning, not only did he drop an incredible tape but he has also given us two music videos from Hooligan Lagoon. (Butcher From Jull St & Batter Up). Both video’s have received extensive play, with almost 10,000 views between them!

Sever called on some of his best mates & crew members to feature on Hooligan Lagoon, with emcee’s like Omac, Defekt, Divine, Blunt, Complete, Solitary, Bitter Belief & even Obese Distro member Mr. Grevis! I love when tapes like this drop because the unification of our scene is shown throughout the array of tracks. Having Shaker on the cuts & mastering also adds to that unification, and he is just the king of spin in this city!

With Sever providing 18 tracks that range from genre & feel, how can anyone even think of overlooking Hooligan Lagoon. Sev really finds his own on all 18 tracks, from the horror-core, Another Love Song to the emotional 28 Days. Sev hits the mark with every track on this one.

Noteable tracks; Here Comes The Pain (ft. Defekt) – The beat on this one had me nodding along & is even a great track to throw on while in the gym or working out at home. The interlude before had is intense & a great message, Sev makes the point by releasing a work of art, NEVER GIVE UP!

Transit Tosser (ft. Blunt) – A track I feel is really well done, I don’t think the topic is covered enough & the government don’t release how power hungry their Transit Guards really are. The addition of Blunt is nice as well, his deep voice & humours lyrics add to the feel.

Another Love Song – A sick & twisted Frightmare (Fantasy/Nightmare). What starts off as a normal love track soon turns to a stalker, torture tale that really sent goosebumps up my spine.

Batter Up (ft Solitary, Complete & Bitter Belief) – Possibly one of my favourite Sever tracks, his complex flow & wordplay mixed with a electronic bassy beat makes this, the chorus is great as well, BATTER UP! A chant you can hear through the suburbs at night! The music video is also very impressive, with cameo’s from Omac, Blunt & a bunch of cats from the scene

Ultimately, I warned you that you would need to keep an eye out for The Psych Ward this year, this tape is proof of that, Sever really set the bar high for Underground Tapes! 8/10

I suggest, if you haven’t already, you go and cop this FREE download! – http://www.sendspace.com/file/4wy73t

The Cloak & Dagger – Bitter Belief & Solitary

Two Northside locals with two different styles combined to form a tape that defines Western Australian hip hop, TCAD takes us into the lives of two of Perth’s best emcee’s, Bitter B & Solitary. A CD that ranges from horror-core to battle bars, they should rename themselves themselves Diversity & Variety. With Bitters harmonising vocals & Solitary’s raspy, raw sound. This is a combonation not to be missed! This is another addition Bitter can add to his, ever expanding, release belt. (surely its almost at 20 now!) This combination is one that works instantly & the chemistry can be felt throughout the tape.
Both men manage to produce a flow that is second to none & is probably tied as the best in Perth, not many people can flow like Bitter does but Solitary sticks with him. I get the feeling Bitter went back to his old school, street rules, hip hop. Seems like a whole other side to Bitter that has been explored, even just a little, in TCAD

Noteable Tracks; 

The Reunion. A re-introduction to the lads who have worked together in the past, this track sets the tone for the entire mixtape. Expect more greatness through out.

Patient757. One of the darkest track’s I’ve heard in a while, Solitary keeps an incredible flow & tell’s a story that keeps you enthralled throughout, mentioning tomahawks, horror-core, medicine spiked water & a great scratch between verses, Bitter gets on his dark side too. But Solitary defiantly owns this track.

Troubled Minds. A dark insite into both mens lives. Solitary takes the hook on this one & his husky tones puts this track on a whole other level.

I Just Wana Rap (ft. Devine). Incredibly well done track, flow is impecable & compares to nothing else, the addition of Devine was an excellent decision with both Solitary & Bitter hitting the chorus

What Do You Want From Me. My favourite track. Starting with a great, catchy hook from SBX’s own Bitter B, asking exactly what else does the culture want from him. What more can he do?!

Overall this CD was incredibly well done for a free release, thats right, incase you didn’t know already, THIS IS FREE! Great production credits go to MX Axis, another great name in the scene today. If your a fan of either of the two gentlemen or hip hop in general make sure you get this mixtape, its worth every kilobyte.

Final Verdict; 9/10

If you haven’t yet got your hands on this masterpiece, you can find the link here

Naturally, there will be a launch for this release, at Bar 120 HIP HOP FLIES NORTH – Cloak and Dagger launch! Divine (who also features on TCAD), Complete, Creed Birch Bitter B and Solitary! Tix on the door $15 each – Doors open at 9

Event Page

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Aftershock – Creating Silence Review

Creating Slience

Aftershock

Af-ter-shock; the effect, result, or repercussion of an event.
This is exactly what I felt after hearing the latest release from the combination of Blunt & Mysc; the original shock came from the fact that this was a free release! That’s right, FREE. No money required! The Aftershock itself came from how good this album actually is. From the first sample on track one (Rebirth) to the Posse track featuring some of Perth’s finest (Dope As F**k II ft. DSC) this album is everything you would expect to pay for, but for the price of $0. I don’t think I can stress that enough. These boys put in a lot of hard work and valuable time to provide everybody with this great album. It’s filled with a variety of styles (hardcore, posse, emotional, humorous, battle) & features some of the best artists to come out of W.A (Intelekt, Porsah Laine, Sever, Complete, Bitter Belief, DSC) including the late, great Hunter, who’s introduction on Here We Come sounds like he’s laying down vocals from beyond the grave, the piano behind his recognizable tone shot Goosebumps up my arm.

Track’s like Home for Now & Silent Surrender showed that no matter how tough you are, there is always something to make you feel emotional. These tracks are incredibly written & showed the versatility the boys have in their writing skills.

Tracks like Hugo Suave show their comical side, a track about being classy, while drinking goon & wearing ‘crusty socks’ another great song & the beat is a great tune to vibe out and get your humpty on!

I could go on about every track on this album but I think I would run outta room on the page, I recommend this for anybody who is into the local scene, into hardcore rap, into comedy rap or any kind of hip hop. It’s an album that gives you more then just variety AND ITS FREE! Make sure you get yourself a copy here;

I give this album a 9/10!

Download this monster here; http://www.mediafire.com/?741ihf1ss775y37

The New Breed – Two For One

The second instalment from these two Perth brothers, originally from London, Two for One is an 8 track mixtape, filled with a variety of tracks ranging from battle tracks to the struggle society goes through on a daily basis. With production being handled by Vampts of Gravity Ponds & featuring a few up-&-comers this mixtape has the ability to keep the listener interested in whats coming next.

The beats are a huge strongpoint of Two for One, the boys found an excellent producer in Vampts. The beats go well with their style of rapping, true underground style, the use of the word cunt is brushed over like its an extension of every mans vocabulary, not that this is a bad thing, with influences like Odd Future & Tyler The Creator, words like faggot & bitch are no surprise.

Notable tracks are; Stand Back, with a battle rap-esq. hook and a ground stomping beat the two london born brothers had my head banging throughout this particular song
Doomsday an Armageddon track, reminds me of early Syllabolix/Hunter stuff, was nice to reminisce to a track that reminded me of him.
These Streets, society struggles, we all know that, The New Breed use their music to get that message out there with this one, a great track that really makes you consider yourself lucky to live the life you lead.

As up & comers the boys have real nailed this tape, a great example of underground hip hop. Keep an eye out for these boys, you know they’ve got more to come.

This mixtape gets a 7/10, nobody is perfect, everybody can improve somewhere, but don’t let that take anything away from these lads, they’ve got real talent, check it out for yourself here;
http://thenewbreedperth.bandcamp.com/

Omac – SSN Review!

If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you know Omac needs no introduction. The Psych Ward member has recently dropped his first solo mixtape, Show Some Nerve (A Dedication to Nerve, and I’ve taken the time to review the impressive release.

SSN begins with an Introduction by one of the hardest working DJ’s in the country, DJ L-Street, A very clean scratch over a had hitting beat is an excellent way to ease into the envision of death that is, Nine Lives, an emotional tune about writing himself off & cheating death. Off With His Head 2012 is a very heavy banger featuring the illustrious Cortext, proving that thesePerth lads really are here to run the game. The Rising Sun is a revival of the older classic of the same name, with Aunty Monique on the chorus & Kabs sharing a verse, the old guitar and hip hop drums combined with a slow flow & raw emotion makes this track on of my favourites on the tape, along with Stuck in Denver (ft, Aftershock’s Mysc), Shenanigans (ft. Complete) & Unstoppable (Ft. Dista & Bitter Belief) make this album very consistent, I couldn’t say their were any real negative points on this album, I would love to have had Omac on more solo tracks but the features are to outstanding to ignore. Some ofPerth’s finest make a feature on this album & do a remarkable job. The track, Word Assassins (Tread Lightly) features 10 MC’s & Omac. A HUGE track for the Perth scene & one that can not be ignored.

This release is one that I’m very glad I got my hands on, it has a mixture of styles (hardcore, humorous, emotional) & features some incredible talent. I recommend this to any Psych Ward fans & any fans of hardcore rap, even fans of the Perth scene in general should cop it, the amount of features is enough to keep any head moving along.

If I have to give it a rating of ten, I think it deserves a 8.5/10. I think some more solo tracks could have pushed this album that extra 1.5!

All in all an impressive release that I’m sure will be followed with even more fire from the Perth native