Music : Angles

Rating: - It should be brilliant, but....
Ok, where to start? Well let's take this in two part;
Lyrically, this album is genius. There are stories both serious, yet heart warming, and prompts further thought. Seriously, this should be winning awards.

Musically... I have no idea what to make of it. Some is pretty good, but a lot is not mixed properly, and jars with the flow of the vocals with semi hip-hop, electro beats that sound pretty unrefined almost as if they have been lifted from an 8 yr old sampler CD of 80's noises.

Still, for a first effort this pretty good, and is carried but the lyricist.

I hope the subsequent efforts are better balanced.

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Rating: - The only rapper worth listening to at the moment
A genuine breath of fresh air against the British hip-hop and grime scenes that have gone right up their own backsides in an orgy of self-congratulation and vanity.

Scroobius Pip's lyrics are insightful, thoughtful, and intelligent, yet still catchy. He talks about himself in honest terms and is happy not to be the centre of attention as well. He graciously namechecks a few other respected rappers like Mos Def but ploughs his own furrow and is one of the only rappers at the moment who is actually worth listening to.

The music's slick as well, clever and subtle use of samples. If I had one criticism, it would be that because the lyrics are the centrepiece of the album, sometimes the music takes too much of a back-seat and becomes a bit repetitive. It means that you'll only really enjoy listening to this album if you're REALLY listening to it, it doesn't really work as background music, partly because the lyrics are too angry and intense. That's the perhaps weak reason why I'm giving it 4/5 instead of 5/5, because the best albums work both when you're totally focussed on them and when you're hardly listening to them.

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Rating: - Genuinely intelligent and insightfully different British Hip-Hop act
London-based duo Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip finally delivery their debut album, offering a much needed alternative to British Hip-Hop. Without wishing to undermine Dan Le Sac's excellent skill at providing sound effects and beats, there's no denying that the major draw to this combination is the incredibly talented bearded rapper, Scroobius Pip. Tackling subjects ranging from the state of UK Hip-Hop, to the concept of beauty, to depression and suicide, Scroobius Pip's lyrics are both very deep and often extremely clever.

The highlight of the album is "Letter From God to Man", an anti-war song that beautifully samples Radiohead's "Planet Telex" while brilliantly demonstrating the lyrically angry side of Scroobius Pip. Alternatively, the harrowing and deeply moving "Magician's Assistant" shows Pip's anguish and depression, "Tommy" develops on his humour and wit, while the closing chapter of "Waiting for the Beat to Kick In" showcases the beauty in his lyrics clearer than in any other track. At the same time, radio-friendly tracks such as "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" and the excellent "Thou Shalt Always Kill" show a completely different side to the bearded rapper.

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Rating: - Dan n pip's debut
When you first clasp eyes on Scroobius Pip, he looks more like a local rabbi, rather than a rapper, and what a rapper this man is.

Pip is easily the best rapper in the United Kingdom; actually, he is one of the best rappers in the world today. Unlike the majority of rappers, he isn't hung up on having a fancy image what he would rather concentrate on writing rhymes that are as good as he could possible write.

Single Thou Shalt Always Kill is a perfect showcase for how brilliant Pip's lyrics are. The track could have been titled the commandments according to Scroobius Pip. During the song he manages to contradict himself At the beginning of the song, pip says

"Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, John Hartmond, Desmond Decker, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hendrix or Sid Barrett in vain".

But as the song reaches the halfway point Scroobius says the following

"Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals/No matter how great they are, or were/The Beatles were just a band/Led Zeppelin, just a band/The Beach Boys, just a band/ The Sex Pistols, just a band/The Clash, / just a band./Crass , just a band."
Can anybody see the contradiction in his lyrics? That aside, it is still a great song that makes many insightful, intelligent and humours points.
Thou Shalt Always Kill Video

A letter from god to man, sees Pip musing on what he thinks god makes of the way in which we have treated the planet and the way in which we have used religion for our own selfish ends. A Letter From God To Man uses a brilliant sample from Radiohead's Planet Telex.

This album is filled with brilliant lyrics, ingenious beats. It has become all too rare to have a rapper who uses intelligence when writing their rhymes.

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Rating: - Mercury Music Award Stuff
Bernie Taupin writes a melody then sends it to his mate Elton John who enhances the melody with some musical words...
I suspect that these guys employ the same technique as the above duo in reverse only they're much more cool and challenging.
Highly intelligent lyrics, excellent beats & delivery.

Quality.