Jimmy B-Boy's extended poetry session, wordplay and metaphors intermingle with deep down lust. By this time in recording The Deepest Cellar he was revelling in referenced that he knew would tick my boxes, I think The Beatles and The Style Council both get a mention in this one. Easliy one of the most musical bits of hip-hop you're likely to hear this decade, lyrical and potent, Reggii is hitting his stride. I was in a Morcheeba kind of mode when it came to recording my outro, and it kind of works.
The initial idea behind the lyric was lying in bed watching a girl undress casting a shadow on a blank wall, probably a dark silhouette on an orange tinged beige wall, a very British image of lucozade shaded street lamps and magnolia painted walls. The video, award winning and fantastically produced by Tamworth's Mr. Adam Awni, leads to the only conclusion, however, that the song is about prostitutes. Now, I've writted some songs about prostitutes in my time, but I can honestly say that this wasn't intended to be one.
Thanks to St. Abans Film Festival for crowning this the winner of their Best Music Video award. And Choppacop, Sean overin Sweden whose provided lots of beats for this record and Coming Around. Good on y'all !!!
lyrics
Stand by the Window cast your shadow on the wall ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Monday, 8 July 2013
All We Know
The first collaboration me and Jimmy ever worked on. Initially released on his album 'Something For The Strive' under the title of 'Who Am I?' with myself guesting as "MH" after 2 years of n music, no band and no real urge to do anything that creative at all. When it came time for therelease of The Deepest Cellar, the track was re-recorded and my name is there on the cover for all to see, and all over the internet like a musical rash.
The words of the hook pretty much some up the nadir I was in at the time. "Who Am I? Given all we need to know?? Living in my own time, feeling just like a ghost, with All We Know" ... pretty dark really. Haunting too. I remember going down into The Deepest Cellar for the first time. Wearing all black. LEather winklepickers, black jeans, black v-neck jumper, black Fred Perry polo, black woolie hat and unkempt facial hair from a summer in the garden tending to my vegetable patch. The colour scheme something of the Grim Reaper and not necessarily a ghost, dark all the same but from that moment on, recording those few lines I was hooked on B-Boy Sould and wished we could have gone on recorded all day and everyday like we did over that winter, if only our paths hadn't diverged so a year or so later. No use in worrying, we made it back with a second album, even if it was three years later, the facial hair's returned and the optimism too.
lyrics
Well Who Am I ?
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
The words of the hook pretty much some up the nadir I was in at the time. "Who Am I? Given all we need to know?? Living in my own time, feeling just like a ghost, with All We Know" ... pretty dark really. Haunting too. I remember going down into The Deepest Cellar for the first time. Wearing all black. LEather winklepickers, black jeans, black v-neck jumper, black Fred Perry polo, black woolie hat and unkempt facial hair from a summer in the garden tending to my vegetable patch. The colour scheme something of the Grim Reaper and not necessarily a ghost, dark all the same but from that moment on, recording those few lines I was hooked on B-Boy Sould and wished we could have gone on recorded all day and everyday like we did over that winter, if only our paths hadn't diverged so a year or so later. No use in worrying, we made it back with a second album, even if it was three years later, the facial hair's returned and the optimism too.
lyrics
Well Who Am I ?
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Far Away
3 of the midlands' top MC bring the reggae flavours out in this one. Ras Supa, ReggiiMental and Rukus of The Trinity Band sit on the beat like they've recorded their bars in a shanty town just outside of Kingston. The hook was a refix of track sampled, Far Away. I added my Notts white boy exxence to it, good music is colour blind. And Rukus watched Emmerdale, who would've thought, eh?
The inclusion of this on The Deepest Cellar is probably due to the man Jimmy Cliff, his music was on heavy rotation and his film The Harder They Come was watched at least once a week during the recording of the album. 'You Can Get It If You Really Want It' became something of a mantra for myself and ReggiiMental. We can often be found down in The Deepest Cellar or out on the road shouting incoherently to each other in patois. Simmi Jimmy ! Wagwarn ???
lyrics
There is a land so Far Away ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
The inclusion of this on The Deepest Cellar is probably due to the man Jimmy Cliff, his music was on heavy rotation and his film The Harder They Come was watched at least once a week during the recording of the album. 'You Can Get It If You Really Want It' became something of a mantra for myself and ReggiiMental. We can often be found down in The Deepest Cellar or out on the road shouting incoherently to each other in patois. Simmi Jimmy ! Wagwarn ???
lyrics
There is a land so Far Away ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
What's Really Good
For some reason, and I just can't fathom it, this is Reggii's least favourite track from The Deepest Cellar. I think it's something to do with his verses being too long, and that's rare for a rapper. Usually MCs want to spit and listen to themselves talk for hours. This is where I've got to show a lot of respect for what Reggii does, how he understands music and, whilst having an ego, values it no higher than anyone else he's collaborated with. The man, fittingly, knows What's Really Good and what's not.
I like the strings on this one, and the hook is simple and possibly a little ciched but it wraps itself round the beat like an anaconda on the hunt. That 70s Stax soul sound was ringing in my ears before recording this one I think. It sits nicely in the middle of the record for me.
lyrics
I see finder keeping and losers weeping
Feel What's Really Good lie my soul it really should
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
I like the strings on this one, and the hook is simple and possibly a little ciched but it wraps itself round the beat like an anaconda on the hunt. That 70s Stax soul sound was ringing in my ears before recording this one I think. It sits nicely in the middle of the record for me.
lyrics
I see finder keeping and losers weeping
Feel What's Really Good lie my soul it really should
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Propaganda
I've always been intrigued by the word 'Propaganda' and the connotations it has and the reactions it provokes. This was a strange track in that the verses were recorded before I put down my vocals and before I'd even listened to the track. The Lost Generation's Devas and Saynt Luke had done some bars each that summed up for me, particularly, the west's view of Propaganda and how it is used and manipulated to use and manipulate the population of the world, to the detrament of the minds and bodies of us all.
Joe Rizzle of Pukka Mix finished the track off nicely with a sample from one of the numerous documentaries that he finds himself falling asleept to, luckily he was tuning into some political stuff just at the right time and not UFO conspiracy theory nonsense.
The hook is simple, maybe a little A-Level history/literature/philosophy student-ish but it is succinct, full of pleasing allegories and, above all, it works.
The track has found itself of the Zeitgeist Movement website, remixed and refixed by numerous producers and DJs and still stands out to me as the most lucid expression of my political and historical beliefs.
lyrics
Sippin' at Propaganda through a straw ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Joe Rizzle of Pukka Mix finished the track off nicely with a sample from one of the numerous documentaries that he finds himself falling asleept to, luckily he was tuning into some political stuff just at the right time and not UFO conspiracy theory nonsense.
The hook is simple, maybe a little A-Level history/literature/philosophy student-ish but it is succinct, full of pleasing allegories and, above all, it works.
The track has found itself of the Zeitgeist Movement website, remixed and refixed by numerous producers and DJs and still stands out to me as the most lucid expression of my political and historical beliefs.
lyrics
Sippin' at Propaganda through a straw ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Can't Hold Back
What can I say about Can't Hold Back? As near as I've gotten thus far to writing 'a classic', it's very difficult to be humble when rooms and fields of people are singing your words back at you, thousands upon thousands of people have listened to your little basement recorded ditty online and the video has been featured as 'single of the month' in The Guardian. No budget, no frills, just pure soul. I poured every ounce of emotion into this one - positive yet with a hint of fragility you can hear in my voice, heart and soul - almost to the point of embarrassment as I wasn't sure I wanted to release something so tender with my name on it. But, it turned out to be a great third single from The Deepest Cellar and I feel richer for having shared it with you.
I hope you get everything from it that I have given, and the complimentry lyrics and flow Reggii added to this one sticks a lump in my throat everytime we perform it.
We've probably played this tune every time we've been out to play live, it never gets boring, it never gets old and I think we'll keep performing it, maybe until I write something better. I'll have to do some real soul searching in the studio, and maybe I'll never be in that place or feel that way again.
If I have to put my finger on a meaning, it would be that, no matter how hard you try or what you wish for, things will happen wether you want them to or not, good or bad if you believe in such a simplistic binary outlook on life, but all you can do is face every day with a positive attitude and believe in what you do. And what you do is important, if it's important to you and it's at least a little bit altruistic then we should all be on the right path.
Soldier on people, onwards and upwards!
lyrics
Say my friends you gotta live your life
Add it all together we've got time
The river keeps on rolling far and wide
But you Can't Hold Back
Can't Hold Back the night
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
I hope you get everything from it that I have given, and the complimentry lyrics and flow Reggii added to this one sticks a lump in my throat everytime we perform it.
We've probably played this tune every time we've been out to play live, it never gets boring, it never gets old and I think we'll keep performing it, maybe until I write something better. I'll have to do some real soul searching in the studio, and maybe I'll never be in that place or feel that way again.
If I have to put my finger on a meaning, it would be that, no matter how hard you try or what you wish for, things will happen wether you want them to or not, good or bad if you believe in such a simplistic binary outlook on life, but all you can do is face every day with a positive attitude and believe in what you do. And what you do is important, if it's important to you and it's at least a little bit altruistic then we should all be on the right path.
Soldier on people, onwards and upwards!
lyrics
Say my friends you gotta live your life
Add it all together we've got time
The river keeps on rolling far and wide
But you Can't Hold Back
Can't Hold Back the night
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, released 01 May 2010
Adidas Trainers
The second song Jimmy B-Boy AKA. ReggiiMental ever recorded. There's a funny story along with the recording of this, Can't Hold Back and All We Know that I just don't think I can tell you, but it resulted in us having to re-record all three, at the time I was absolutely clueless, but if you ever see me knocking about or during a "post show hello" ask me about it.
B-Boy Soul just got it's fashion garment numero uno. The adidas trainer has been synonymous with hip-hop music, soul music, reggae music and oozing "coolness" since day one, so ina Run DMC style, we thought it only right that we write our own little ode to the glorious footwear. And I think we did it right. Always people sing this one to me, probably because it's the easiest one to get the tune of, "all I need is a melody and adidas trainers" couldn't be simpler than that. Going for a one note Ian Brown type thing there. Channelling King Monkey I think worked out quite well on this occassion.
This is a reflection and meditation on the reasons why we do what we do, obviously from the title we're all susceptable to a bit of branding, but at the end of the day we can "leave the chasing paper" ... if you're doing what you do not for the love, but for the money then stop doing it right now! Choose something creative, scientific or recreational to do instead, you can't hurt anyone that way, but greed makes you strong, but only for hurting the weak. Choose Life. And I'm not talking about TVs, CD players and 3 piece suites in a Trainspotting stylee, I'm talking life, living it and enjoying it.
"Take it back to basics, back to the soul"
lyrics
All I need is a melody and Adidas Trainers ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, track released 01 May 2010
B-Boy Soul just got it's fashion garment numero uno. The adidas trainer has been synonymous with hip-hop music, soul music, reggae music and oozing "coolness" since day one, so ina Run DMC style, we thought it only right that we write our own little ode to the glorious footwear. And I think we did it right. Always people sing this one to me, probably because it's the easiest one to get the tune of, "all I need is a melody and adidas trainers" couldn't be simpler than that. Going for a one note Ian Brown type thing there. Channelling King Monkey I think worked out quite well on this occassion.
This is a reflection and meditation on the reasons why we do what we do, obviously from the title we're all susceptable to a bit of branding, but at the end of the day we can "leave the chasing paper" ... if you're doing what you do not for the love, but for the money then stop doing it right now! Choose something creative, scientific or recreational to do instead, you can't hurt anyone that way, but greed makes you strong, but only for hurting the weak. Choose Life. And I'm not talking about TVs, CD players and 3 piece suites in a Trainspotting stylee, I'm talking life, living it and enjoying it.
"Take it back to basics, back to the soul"
lyrics
All I need is a melody and Adidas Trainers ...
credits
from The Deepest Cellar, track released 01 May 2010
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