steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Grip Grand

"Poppin' Pockets" EP

Look Records

Genres: hip-hop

June 6 - 12 2005

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of hip-hop, but this is a remarkably solid EP from British rapper Grip Grand.  On here we get several versions of two tracks, "Poppin' Pockets" and "Love/Drama."  The former is an infectious piece based on a high-pitch sample that I can't quite place (Jackson 5 maybe?) - it has the potential to catch on in danceclubs, if people pay attention.  The second track is a bit rawer and more low-key, but its mood is really successful.  The lyrics are very self-deprecating ("I couldn't beat up the mic with a beat tucked in each glove") - which is alternately funny and tiresome.  The lyrical flow is definitely a strongpoint, but the production is really what carries the record.  Keep an eye out for Grip Grand.

84%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 6 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2005]