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With their first three EPs Wolverhamptons Wolftown recordings are fast installing themselves up the top of the UK hiphop ladder primarily through the hard work of label boss Tricksta. Their lead act Villains release this, their debut LP, as the follow up to two well received EPs. Here's the facts: 20 tracks, 66 minutes, double LP & CD, released September '00, distributed by Pinnacle. Now for the music. Initially it's disappointing that all 5 of the EP tracks are available on the album, couple that with three 1 minute-ish skits and the intro and there's only 12 new tracks. But that's about the only down-side I can find to this album. After an initial skim through I wasn't too impressed, but as I was travelling on many Coventry-Newport trips over a couple of months I took a dub for in-car perusal - the sure test of an album's quality and lastability. Now I can say that 'Welcome To Wolftown' has got both. First up the production, mostly by IMD, is spot on, some nice varying tracks, all easily accessible on the surface but all have depth in styles, covering raw basic U.S. hiphop but with dashes of everything like reggae twinges and electro breaks, but none of them overpowering or overcomplicated, leaving space for the MCs to do their thing. Mostly done by the trio of Late, Profesah 194 and Tricksta but with added guests from the extended Wolftown family - High Timez, 10Shott, Size8 and Jai Boo true to life vocals of the daily struggle living in the current UK scene, wanting to do something valuable like release your own music but not having the cash or the breaks, being another of the countries unemployment statistics and the constant overtones of violence, crime and drugs. Battle rhymes, conspiracy theories, thoughts on the future, the hiphop scene and everything in between, all bases covered. The styles are unmistakably British, the vocals easy to comprehend, understand and most importantly to feel. No wannabe gangsta dealings of shootings here, in Wolftown they deal with machetes and toy guns! It's impossible to convey how good an album in a few short paragraphs but even after just a few listens, 'Welcome to Wolftown' really is excellent. All heads will find something on here.  Related
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Villains Welcome To Wolftown
LP