Verse One - Beat Thief
Just when I thought I had Scottish hip-hop figured out, Verse One drops a long player that had to make me re-think.
From they very start you can feel the love that has gone into the production of Beat Thief with it's polished beats supplied by Battleme, Blunted & Unorthadox and the lyrics by Verse One. It's amazing to think he recorded the album in his bedroom.
After the obligatory intro track Verse spits his lyrics on 'Me', a track about himself and what he wants to achieve in the game. I think with this album he has done this and more. This track is sublime with it's Spanish guitar and laid back beat.
The album continues it's high standards with 'After Hours' one of the outstanding tracks on the album. This is a major feat in itself as I can not remember the last album I heard that did not have a track that I thought was just 'OK'. There is no mediocre tracks on show here.
Track 11, 'At the Races', is for this reviewer the best on the album with it's double base type beat and guitar hook that will have all the hip-hop heads going crazy in the clubs.
I have to say, the beats on this album are amazing. They are up there with the likes of 'DJ Shadow' (before his latest shit) and Verse's lyrics are as good as any rapper out there today. This is the sort of shit 'Channel U' should be playing instead of 'Sway' and 'Lady Sovereign'.
Beat thief is not just one of the best Scottish hip-hop albums ever created, It's one of the best hip-hop albums period.
Step off London, Scottish hip-hop is here!
Review by Chris Torres
You can purchase the album from our store.
