Complex & CLG Time In Moments EP Taking its cue from the old saying “time waits for no man”, this collaborative EP from producer Complex and Chain Of Command lyricist CLG is a short-but-effective study of the many ways the concept of time influences our daily experiences. Covering such topics as friends, family, death, love, wasted opportunities and the monotonous nine-to-five grind, ‘Time In Moments’ is an engaging release that boasts both creative depth and genuine personal reflection. Having already proved himself as a lyricist to watch on his 2004 release ‘Streets, Demons And Fears’, CLG continues to build on his already strong foundations here, crafting verses that are both thoughtful and hard-hitting. Although grounded in the sometimes harsh realities of the inner-city, the authoritative rapper laces his rhymes with enough universal words of wisdom to make them relatable to listeners from all walks of life, therefore elevating himself above the typical thugged-out subject matter so prevalent in hip-hop today. Case in point being the foreboding ‘Night-Time’, which finds Kyza and Kwest joining CLG on a tour of London’s piss-stained tower blocks and shadowy street corners, with the trio painting vivid pictures of illegal nocturnal runnings that remain cautionary rather than celebratory. The sombre ‘School Friend’ offers a personal perspective on the tragic murder of race attack victim Stephen Lawrence, with CLG having attended the same secondary school as the slain teenager at the time of his death. The self-explanatory ‘Time’ features Chain Of Command members Manage, Skandal, Syanyde and Conflix, with CLG encouraging all of us to use our years on the planet for constructive purposes. Complex does a solid job behind the boards throughout the EP’s seven tracks, providing a melancholy edge that compliments CLG’s world-weary delivery. Yet that said, a couple of cuts do the run the risk of blurring into one another due to Complex’s heavy reliance on swirling string samples and mid-tempo beats. But overall, ‘Time In Moments’ is definitely worth the 25 minutes of your life you’ll have to sacrifice to check it out. an engaging release that boasts both creative depth and genuine personal reflection - Ryan Proctor © ukhh.com 1999 - 2006