The Forcefield Kids - I Can't Get

Hear The Track Here

Here's a phrase to savour: 'HipHop with depth and maturity' Astounding, isn't it? You wouldn't credit it when you dive into the gene pool that predominates in the Soundclick hiphop scene. After a few years reviewing - pardon my expression - the same old **** there are only a very few notable exceptions and at least a couple of them being beat factories. Can't say beat factories quite fill the hiphop bill for me, but as raw material for the hundreds of thousands (literally) of rappers willing to use them, they definitely hit the spot. I've always thought as hiphop though as a fusion between voice and instrument(s) and for me if they can do that intelligently and with a sense of perspective, it's the icing on the cake.

Funnily enough one of my prime hiphop finds on Soundclick has been UK based Stain(ed) Art and The Forcefield Kids (Stain's collab with Sleepy). Mind you, I would imagine it would sound very different to American sensibilities about what rap is or isn't. For me, rap/hiphop has always been a great medium to tell a story by; it's how the genre came about. Listen to the immortal Grandmaster Flash on The Message or Public Enemy in their prime and that is what I consider to be righteous raps. Of course, being English puts a whole different slant on things and Stain, being said Englishman, has been one of the best lyrical finds whatever the genre. He may be well gobby, but when you put those lyrics to the tune it seriously catches fire.

This collaboration has, for me, solidified the flow and pace of Stain's outpourings and more power to Sleepy for keeping things simple so that the vocal has chance to strut its stuff. That's not to denigrate the musical side, Sleepy is definitely a scholar of the less is more school, it's so clear, clean and uncluttered you don't even notice it for a few plays - its just there propping up the vocal. Definitely give this time to work on you and yes, best to read the lyrics as always with this artist. Nonetheless, I Can't Get is a knockout track, especially if you already like what these musicians are up to and I certainly do. 'Im a writer first and foremost' is one of the lines in the rap and it is the reason I hold him in such high regard; he can still deliver the essence of his lyrics.

Highly Recommended Alternative Hiphop.