Original Pirate Material: The Streets
"Hip-hop was never supposed to be exclusive to anyone: whoever could tell a story had every right to. Mike Skinner, producer-writer-rapper extraordinaire behind the Streets, has crafted an album many rappers would kill to call their own: at 48 minutes long, it doesn't overstay its welcome; it's free of filler and worthless skits; and it actually says something. In between smart stories about everyday life for burned-out British kids wasting life on Playstation and in "greasy spoon cafetarias" are sharp social commentaries on the irony of legal alcohol and illegal weed, and the hopelessness of the drug culture many kids fall victim to.
"Typical cockney slang and references to mundane day to day British institutions create a sense of unity. Only after experiencing the uniquely British working class way of life can you begin to appreciate that monotone is the only style plausible. It isn't exciting, it isn't glamorous, it isn't `ghetto' or `pimpin' its day to day boring British life. It rains, its cold, the food is processed and nasty, and our jobs are dull. We live for the weekend. We moan about it but that's how it is.
"Typical cockney slang and references to mundane day to day British institutions create a sense of unity. Only after experiencing the uniquely British working class way of life can you begin to appreciate that monotone is the only style plausible. It isn't exciting, it isn't glamorous, it isn't `ghetto' or `pimpin' its day to day boring British life. It rains, its cold, the food is processed and nasty, and our jobs are dull. We live for the weekend. We moan about it but that's how it is.
"In celebrating this brain crushingly lifeless existence Mike Skinner is giving a depressing beauty to the humdrum activities of the disenchanted British Youth. He picks on shared experiences or stereotypical characters like some sort of urban observational comedian replacing the laughter with a frighteningly accurate truth about the futile, yet strangely fulfilling nature of the `weekend culture' generation.
"The beats are original yet you would swear you have heard them somewhere before. His vocals follow a similar vein of familiarity. Whilst not sticking to traditional syllabic vocal patterns, Skinners lyrics are delivered in free form style and much closer to everyday speech than rapping. In doing so, he takes on the role of the average guy in the pub giving his opinions of the world to anyone who will listen. Skinner, however, picks the overriding social and political attitudes of the nation's down-trodden youth and cleverly vocalises them in a constant stream of buzz word ridden, alcohol infused stories of urban life." -- Amazon reviewer
"The beats are original yet you would swear you have heard them somewhere before. His vocals follow a similar vein of familiarity. Whilst not sticking to traditional syllabic vocal patterns, Skinners lyrics are delivered in free form style and much closer to everyday speech than rapping. In doing so, he takes on the role of the average guy in the pub giving his opinions of the world to anyone who will listen. Skinner, however, picks the overriding social and political attitudes of the nation's down-trodden youth and cleverly vocalises them in a constant stream of buzz word ridden, alcohol infused stories of urban life." -- Amazon reviewer
Listen for yourself. After all, it's 4 more days 'till the weekend.
01 Turn The Page
02 Has It Come To This
03 Lets Push Things Forward
04 Sharp Darts
05 Same Old Thing
06 Geezers Need Excitement
07 It's Too Late
08 Too Much Brandy
09 Don't Mug Yourself
10 Who Got The Funk
11 The Irony Of It All
12 Weak Become Heroes
13 Who Dares Wins
14 Stay Positive
02 Has It Come To This
03 Lets Push Things Forward
04 Sharp Darts
05 Same Old Thing
06 Geezers Need Excitement
07 It's Too Late
08 Too Much Brandy
09 Don't Mug Yourself
10 Who Got The Funk
11 The Irony Of It All
12 Weak Become Heroes
13 Who Dares Wins
14 Stay Positive
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