DJ Excalibah UK Dubstate Mixtape (mixtape)
One of the highlights of Excalibah’s show on BBC 1xtra was the ‘Dubstates’ section. Here, he used beats from the other side of the Atlantic, guesting UK spitters over these tracks. With the demise of this show, these have sadly dried up. He included a few of these on The Ex Files (Doc. 1), released May 2004, but this is the first release consisting exclusively of Dubstate tracks.
The cover itself gives an indication of the UK flavour on the CD, a map of Leyton. Given Ex’s reputation in the scene it is no surprise that he has managed to feature high profile artists on this release.
Taskforce, Braintax, Doc Brown and Lowkey are just a few of those who have contributed exclusive tracks. We get Taskforce rapping on Jay Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”, Sway over Kanye West’s “Through The Wire” and Braintax on Missy Elliot’s “Pass That Dutch” amoungst many others.
All the artists seem to use the beats like their own, fitting the vocals around the rhythm and beats of the track. The lyrics are top quality, as you’d expect with the talent that features on it. You get good beats throughout, and the tracks seem to keep coming. Personal favourites are the Conflix and Shameless tracks. They are really selected well, with the beat working with both the accents and flow of the rappers.
There are none of the weak, skip-through tracks that you often get on purely UK Mixtapes, just bangers throughout. It was really easy to get into, helped by the familiar beats. All is mixed together nicely, effortlessly moving between tracks and artists. Only minor gripe is the continued use of little voice samples between tracks. At first listen they are amusing, but they then become annoying, breaking up the beats.
All in all it’s a pretty solid mix. If you liked the Dubstates on the show, then you will enjoy over a hour of remixes, as at 28 tracks long its got quantity as well as quality. Support Ex, and go buy a copy of the CD to keep the Tales From The Legend vibe alive.
Given Ex’s reputation in the scene it is no surprise that he has managed to feature high profile artists on this release
- Rockett Time
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