P-Money Magic City LP If there were still any doubts that hip hop has truly gone global beyond the wildest dreams of its forefathers, then you only need to turn your eyes and geographical knowledge to the pacific rim, and zoom in on the island of New Zealand. Small it might be, this country packs more musical talent than you’d expect, with many of its stars finding success in the UK in recent years; from the dnb stylings of Concord Dawn and Tali to the home grown raps and beats of Scribe and P-Money. And the P man is the one who interests us in this case. An incredibly talented producer, P-Money came up through the DJ game, making a name for himself in local and international DMC battles, before turning to production and finding success beyond most people’s wildest dreams. You see back home, P-Money really is a star. We’re talking paparizzi stalking him, a string of top five hits for himself and local talents such as Scribe, beating the likes of Justin Timberlake to the top one spot in the NZ charts, opening for and playing alongside top artists etc… But what happens when the star leaves his home turf for shores where he’s less well known? What happens is an album, his second entitled ‘Magic City’ which features some of the finest and most notorious US talent as well as a good dose of NZ vocalists and even a UK featuring. As is the case with many producer albums in recent years, P-Money has banked on the strength and notoriety of his featurings to ensure a wide appeal. Which can be seen as a fine double edged sword… after all are people buying your LP because of your talent behind the desk or because it features five of their favourite MCs? In the case of ‘Magic City’ I would have to venture it’s a bit of both. Big names on the checklist are Skillz, Aasim, Capone, Roc Raida (ok he’s not an MC), Akon and Sauce Money, with Mystro popping round alongside Scribe, Con Psy and PNC from his home turf. The problems of this producer album become apparent after 4 or 5 tracks. It’s not that the music is bad, indeed the production is pretty top notch and the mic skills are on full effect. The problem comes from the fact that most of the major featurings on this album sound like a take on popular formulas. You’ve got the Kanye beat, the Eminem joke song, the thug rap with Aasim and Capone, the party banger with Skillz, the soulful joint with Akon etc… So while the MCs do shine in a way, the production takes a bit of a hit from its resemblance to popular formulas. However this problem seems to disappear when P turns his attention to non US talent, with Mystro riding a peculiarly different beat that oddly suits him well and the aforementioned NZ talent all coming heavy on P’s productions. With a half and half feel to it, the album does suffer slightly yet it also gives it a cross appeal potential that is undeniable. If kids pick this up because of the big US names and find an interest in the local UK and NZ talents then you could say some good has been done. Having spent time in New York recording with all the artists, this is also more then your average producer album done over the net or beat tapes. The human element is palpable throughout, something that shouldn’t be forgotten. So overall this is a strong offering from down under and one that truly shows the global strength and appeal of hip hop culture. If its impressive list of featurings helps notch up sales and spread the word about this talented Kiwi overseas than I’m sure the mission is done and P-Money can continue to dominate his country’s hip hop output and offer the world a taste of what life is like down under. A strong offering from down under that shows the global strength of hip hop culture - Kper © ukhh.com 1999 - 2005