Pedigree Chumps Up Norf Hiphop Edz EP From the Fubu-clad cover shots it’s clear that emcees CRF and Noz have their tongues firmly rammed into their cheeks on this seven track EP. British to the bone, the two emcees spit their way through a ton of UK references, Northern attitude and a hefty dollop of dirty humour. Never ones to take themselves too seriously, the Chumps lyrics cover topics as varied as the drunken night out (‘Intoxicated Munkiez’) to their Grange Hill-style school antics (‘Skule Daze’) and all sorts of other malarkey in between . Although some of the lyrical content gets a bit close to the bone in places, it’s normally followed by the duo putting themselves down just as hard, which cleverly defuses the whole thing. Although some of the subject matter may be on the laddish, ‘Carry On’ team on crack tip, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a joke release. Both Noz and CRF are tight, tight emcees and the wordplay and flows are on point throughout the tracks. This professionalism also applies to the beats and Noz (who produced all but two tracks) has done a great job pulling together unlikely sources like Greek bouzouki, or ‘50s cheesy orchestra samples and layering them over solid beats. Personal highlights include ‘Intoxicated Monkiez’, whose beats are as wobbly as the half cut subject matter, and the stomper ‘Crusty Eggs’, with its chanted ‘From the UK’ chorus. Although the fruity lyrics means you’re never going to hear any of this on 1Xtra, ‘Up Norf Hiphop Edz’ is an honest slice of home grown style that just refuses to take itself too seriously. Part of me thinks that, if these two cleaned up their act, they’d wipe the floor with a lot of the current opposition. But maybe that’s just the type of industry compromise that the Pedigree Chumps are fighting against. Recommended. - The Twizt © ukhh.com 1999 - 2003