Low-Life | UK Hip Hop Story | Hard Livin - Te Things We do / Oh Girl 12" [Sin Nombre]

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Hard Livin - The Things We do / Oh Girl 12" [Sin Nombre]

Tracklist:
A1. The Things We Do (LP version)
A2. The Things We Do (Radio version)
A3. The Things We Do (Instrumental)
B1. Oh Girl (LP version)
B2. Oh Girl (Radio version)
B3. Oh Girl (Instrumental)

Sin Nombre are making a serious and concerted effort to establish their label. Who knows where the funding is coming from, but we don't care about that right now. At the present time they are going round and licensing some raw and original UK Hip Hop and are doing their damnest to get it out there and promote it. This is something that can only be commended as they aren't just about putting out their own clique. They appear to be willing to do their best by any artist they are feeling. This brings us to Mike S and S Kalibre who were previously down with the heavy UTI records label which they helped to set up around 2000. There was a whole LP created, but as the crew disbanded it never saw the light of day. Not disheartened producer Mike S and MC S Kalibre formed Hard Livin and continued to create a buzz in their own backyard via mix tapes and more recently with Mike S providing some production for the Sin Nombre label. This connection led to Nottingham based Ben snapping them up as soon as he could.

So here we have their debut release, a double A side 12" with two contrasting tracks. The Things We Do is an observation of human nature and behaviour and goes some way in exploring why people keep doing things that are bad for them. It stats off with a very UK feel and I mean this in a derogatory sense. I felt that the vocals and the lyrics sounded too far apart in the mix and that the MC suffered from a lack of impact and sat back in the track too much. However as the track progressed I was won over as it became apparent that S Kalibre could conjure images and weave an interesting and developing verse based around a theme rather than banging on switching from boast, to bling to violence and back every couple of lines. He also delivers with a great deal of good humour and I just warmed to his story of going out with a good feeling on a pay day, only to have that feeling dissipate by the end of the night. The beat has a skippy feel and the gruffly chanted chorus rounds it off nicely.

Oh Girl is sort of Do-Wop Hip Hop. The whole track is based round a really soulful sped up vocal sample and when a sample that is so integral to the track is worked so nicely then it is hard to go wrong. The musical backing has that soul vibe as well with lush strings and a harmonica. The drums are really simplistic, but the bubbling piano and the rest of the instrumentation provide a lovely backing for S Kalibre to deliver more lyrics about his life, his girl and his relationship with her as well as pending jail problems. In the true sense of soul music the heartache is here, but with skills like these the Hard Living crew should only have to reminisce about these situations from now on.

Overall then, Sin Nombre are getting their hands on better material and you could do a lot worse than check out this release. Hard Livin are working on a video for Things We Do, a long player provisionally entitled The Outlook and they are also putting together a DVD of local talent. Keep your ears to the ground then.

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Hard Livin Discography :: Sin Nombre Discography
http://www.sin-nombre.co.uk
http://www.PushRap.co.uk :: http://www.utirecords.co.uk :: http://www.hard-livin.co.uk