Hip-hop

Kyza. Terra Firma crew member. No, wait. He left. In November 2006 Kyza and Klashnekoff, the latter being one of the most well known UK rappers in the country, had a disagreement resulting in Kyza leaving the group. Klashnekoff’s loss is our gain, as seemingly Kyza is now able to focus solely on his solo career. After having a big hit with “Devil In A Dress” in 2004, which was a story track about a girl with one of the biggest twists ever at the end, Kyza became pretty well known. Surprisingly, this album is his first full length release, as previously he has only released singles. With a dope voice and flow to match, this album has been anticipated for a while.

Kyza means king

Intro kicks off the album, and the mellow laid back beat compliments Kyza’s voice and flow. His accent is something that is noticeable, as American heads usually don’t like English accents. But Kyza appears, at least to me, to have solved the problem. His accent is clearly English, but not overly so, in that it wouldn’t put off people who are new to the English accent. The track itself is solid for an intro, if unspectacular. Fight Klub allows Kyza to showcase a different type of flow. The beat is faster, the flow is faster and the overall pace is faster. It was a good move to put this directly after Intro, as it shows that Kyza is able to switch up his style without any problems.

Fight, lets go nuts and lose it// This ones crazy and that’s just the music// Burn down the house to the ground rowdy with a lighter// sign up now, it’s a Fight Klub

His flow in particular stands out and he rides the beat well. Real (Part 1) is the first of a two part series on this album. The beat is very bass driven and the mood it gives off is nice. Kyza spits about the general subject of, as the title suggests, being Real. He speaks on the portrayal of Black people:

Gangsta dis, ‘n about gangsta dat// how they got mans to back ‘n bang they gats// on TV you can see how these dumb wankers act// they’re making blacks look stupid, thanks for that

Trouble is the next track. It starts with a movie sound sample, which lays out the subject for the track. The beat consists of a stabbing piano sample and synthy type horns. Almost Westcoast sounding horns are used for the chorus. Kyza utilizes a fast flow which fits well. Porno opens up with a sample that wouldn’t be suitable to play loudly. The track as a whole should strictly be played when alone as well. The beat mixes in moaning, and the lyrics relate to the subject matter with which the song title suggests.

Back shots, doggy style, froggy style is how I mash a chick// big cock bash the clit, cum shots splash the tits// wet cunt drippin, pussy juice soaking// my cock as it slides in and out cos your holes been// filled to the brim with my man meat// can we get freaky, believe me, you need me

The instrumental uses a funky guitar sample, which reminds me of, well, making love. Born Loser opens with reverby piano notes looping, the drums start and they sound purely old school hip-hop. This is one of the more accessible tracks, as the beat, flow and subject will all hit home. Bitter Sweet Love reminds me of Overnight Celebrity by Twista, as Kyza uses a similar rapid style flow and delivery to Twista. The overall execution is more laid back and mellow though, and the chorus by Diablo adds nicely to the mood. Snakes ‘n’ Blaggers has a beat that is purely confrontational. The bass melody brings that to the forefront. The subject matter matches as well, as Kyza raps about untrustworthy friends and backstabbers. Sick is next and it is mostly forgettable, before the quirky Hype Is Real comes after. The beat reminds of The Streets, and Kyza matches it with an obscure flow. Lucozade Bottles follows on, and it is a reminiscent track, in which Kyza muses about his life as a 90’s kid. For any UK heads, this should hit home as the lyrics will evoke memories of your own if you were around during that era.

Ima take you right back in the day// I’m talking black in the day, when I was an average bray/ /It was all about goin to school, and even though it was cruel// Your mother would blatantly make your wear the plimp soles// With the holes in the soles of the shoe// And the hand me down uniform// That your older brother had already went through before// And if you were lucky you’d get a pair of kicks that// Didn’t have the Velcro with the thick strap

D.O.A. is a braggadocio type track that won’t turn too many heads. Real (Part 2) picks up right where Part I left off, with the same beat and chorus. The subject matter is the same, and apart from the guest appearances, this is a very similar track to Part I. Shoutro closes the album out. The beat is funky and bouncy, and has the drum sequence that will be very familiar to you when you listen to it.

The album is solid, but it suffers from seeming samey at points. All the tracks seem to merge together, and while it creates a solid album, there’s not really a track on the album that you could point to and say “Oh, you’ve gotta check that track”. UK fans will love it, as it is a long awaited debut album from a good artist. I’m not sure how heads outside of the UK would receive it though.

Verdict – A solid effort, if unspectacular at points. Overall Rating – 78%