Kik Off

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Let’s hope that with Kik Off, Blak Twang can reverse some of the bad luck that has dogged him. The self-styled Arthur Daley of hip-hop has not only had a debut album permanently shelved due to sample clearance problems, but has never found the crossover success of his contemporaries, most notably Roots Manuva, who appeared on his 1995 single "Queens Head".

It’s not always been bad news, he got a MOBO in 1996, but the adversity seems to have given him some of Daley’s ducking and diving attitude apparent from the, err, kick-off of Kik Off. The title track and single comes as much from the market of his home area of Deptford, South London, as it does from more classic hip-hop--"...blowing the whistle on dodgy officials, come with your Big Issues and get done like Phil Mitchell".

On the sublime "So Rotton", he shows a real sensibility for dancehall beats, with a slightly more populist appeal than even Roots Manuva himself, and goes conceptual on "Dirty Stopout", with Lisa I’Anson making an appearance as a third-person scene setter in a similar vein to Eminem’s "Guilty Conscience". The whole album isn’t a major leap forward, but it does add to the growing list of UK hip-hop albums that are more than able to stand up to similarly budgeted US efforts.--Chris Blenkarn

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2003-05-25 rating:
UK hip hop-ragga that rocks like a b*****d too
I heard this when a friend put it on at work. Didn't know who it was, wasn't expecting it. Within 3 mins, we were all going mental, loving this, laughing out loud, listening up, running around. It's that good. The music itself is excellent – the guy knows how to put a rock-hard groove in anong the samples and beats - and the lyrics and delivery are easily the best I've ever heard. The thing that really hits you is that he doesn't know the meaning of the word cliche - when so many rappers are putting out lazy rhymes, here every word is spot-on accurate, sarky, true to life and funny like you won't believe. The force of personality behind this record is amazing. There are a couple of tracks that are less to my taste than others - never been so much for the dancehall thing - but they're done with so much joy, force and flair I'm getting into them too. Forget all the bling-bling crowd with their phoney American Gats, Guccis and Ghetto schtick and lazy cop-offs of other tunes: this is the freshest hip hop around at the moment - from the UK or from anywhere else for that matter. And I mean America too. As lively and full of grit, pain, hope, humour and damn good times as the streets of South East London. I'm normally more into rock, trip-hop, etc., but this is top. Buy it.

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review by: theheffs date: 2003-05-16 rating:
blak twang - Kick off - Heavy album
A ripe mix of heavy beats and smart lyrical content
blak twang follows "19 long time" up nicely
and now can be notest as easily one of the best UK mc's
he sould try to break America, show them what the UK's got!

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review by: date: 2002-08-02 rating:
Strictly Hip Hop (UK Style)
Classic example of uk hip hop, pure and simple. lyrical excellence and thumping beats. The whole album exudes this quality, from the excellent intro right throgh to the bonus track at the end. It moves well from speaking truth, selling knowledge, bragging and being funny (see Dirty Stop Out). If your looking to taste some uk hip hop you cant go wrong with this. and if you never checked uk hip hop - shame on you!

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review by: date: 2002-07-27 rating:
It's happenin in England!
The more I listen the more I like- this album has just the right density of street tough philosophy mixed up with baashment rocking beats- truly a real document for UK B-boys. Alongside the title track- other stand outs are "so rotten" with a wicked ragga guy called jamali, "Its happenin in England" and the comical yet stoopid fresh "Publik order" which anyone who's been to a South London pub will recognise the vernacular immediately. The hidden track at the end is the best tune on the album for the purists so keep listening after the last track- you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Coming on a different but no less idiosyncratic tip to Roots Manuva, he remains the other truly important voice in UK hip hop- don't sleep on this!


review by: date: 2002-07-17 rating:
Get Ready To KIK OFF!
Truly a masterpiece. This CD is an excellent example of the ever rising quality of UK HipHop. Twang doesnt go for the charts, he just keeps the HipHop true to life and again pleases us all, with 'Kik Off'. 'Trixstar' is an amazing track with wonderfully addictive beats and rhymes that makes you want to put it on constant repeat on your CD Player. 'Kik Off' delivers another punch of adrenaline with the heavy beats and rhymes, sticking to the UK theme. 'Ain't Done 2 Bad' is another fantastic song; laid back and relaxed, as Twang tells us his story. 'It's Happenin' In England' explains exactly what the title says. And it is true, with the quality of this LP, UK HipHop has again progressed to the next step of quality.

Well Done Twang!

Rottonus!

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