Various Certified Bang'az Vol 1 LP This is the first release from a new UK-based label, Soulid records. Four tracks deep Certified Bang’az starts off in flying form with Nottingham resident Cappo displaying his considerable skills on the bumping ‘Underground’. Chock full of spinning wordplay over a heavy backing of bass and clavinet, Cappo really does the business and keeps the groove bouncing along nicely. A top track and definitely the pick of bunch. Rounding off side A is ‘Effortless’ featuring Minneapolis emcee DeMarvelest. This cut has a nice, old school vibe to it and it’s built around a sparse orchestral stab with a change of sample on the chorus. With the backing being relatively simple it’s left to DeMarvelist’s gruff flow to fill in any gaps and keep the whole track interesting. A task he does admirably. Flip the wax and the B-side kicks off with the smoother sounds of ‘Place to Go’. Featuring a more commercial sound, with definite R&B styling (including Vocorded chorus), Miami emcee Seff drops thoughtful lyrics that should guarantee some radio play but it’s not really my cup of tea. Seff crops up again on the closing track ‘First Signs’, over a catchy loop and atmospheric piano tinklings. The track is only really let down by a vocal recording that sounds slightly ‘muddy’. Overall, Certified Bang’az is a strong first release that manages to cover a wide amount of musical bases making sure there is a little something for everyone’s taste. A label to watch with interest. - The Twizt © ukhh.com 1999 - 2002