Two years have passed since Speech Debelle released her Mercury-winning debut album, Speech Therapy.' It seems that the 28 year-old female MC has never heard of the so-called 'sophomore jinx,' as her second album hits with just enough impact as her stellar debut.

From the b-girl aestetic of 'Studio Backpack Rap' to the emotive, 'Shawshank,' and the club ready 'I'm With It,' Speech Debelle shows her artistic development without forgetting her roots and surroundings. Roots Manuva and Realism guest on the post UK-riot leaked, 'Blaze Up A Fire,' with it's chorus, "sometimes you need to blaze up a fire, let it be known for the record, your honour," before 'Collapse' shows Speech Debelle ignore bland calls to the clubs and frivolity, in favour of delivering a politically charged message of economics, greed, and environmental pillage.

With an eye on society-wide wordplay, Speech Debelle is not afraid to address the personal too, such as on 'X Marks The Spot,' where she deals with a man who still has eyes for his ex, and the mature, 'Elephant.' The lyrics remain on-point throughout, but Speech Debelle also possesses an impressive flow to match, as shown on the deft, 'The Problem.'

Holding down the album by herself on all but two tracks (Realism drops past for another fine performance, on 'Eagle Eye'), Speech Debelle never comes off as struggling for content. The beats also ensure that skip buttons are redundant, as the production of young producer Kwes come with the maturity of a veteran beat-smith.

Don't sleep on Speech Debelle, it could be that 'Freedom Of Speech' will see her make like the Olympics and bring even more awards to London in 2012...

SPEECH DEBELLE - FREEDOM OF SPEECH

© 2012. All Rights Reserved. All Original Works of www.GrindModeConnect.com. No Duplication or Reprint without Written Permission.

Lady Red has released her 'Red Sweat Tears' mixtape volume one, hosted by DJ Ames. She opens with the strong, out-the-gate wordplay of 'This Is Me Red,' and shows that she could readily be counted among the best females in the game.

With 15 tracks, this street collection gives listeners plenty oftime to get accustomed to Lady Red's wordplay, especially as she only opts to include three guests, Moka Blast, Bogard, and Voice. Lady Red shows her variety, from freestyle joints ('DXL Freestyle') to slow-rolling, Southern-sounding bass rumblers ('Spoiled Rotten'). Strong Island's Lady Red spits with assurance and panache, bringing clear wordplay and genuine rhyme skills to bear. That is not to say that she can't have some fun with her music, as shown with the party-ready, 'Boom Boom.'

Lady Red may lace her skills across a number of back-drops but, like names such as Nicki Minaj, she keeps her New York swagger intact. That is not to say that Red is a Nicki Minaj copy-cat, as she certainly has a more straight-up style, both in her rhymes and her delivery, such as when she hits hard on, 'Fireflame Spitter.'  E;lsewhere, 'Back In The Days' is a strong reminiscent track that sees Red and Voice go back-to-back over some lush production, while other highlights include the feminine stength of, 'Don't Leave.'

Gimmick-free, Lady Red brings a good mixture of styles over new tracks, freestyles and well-known re-interpretations, like when she rips over DMX's 'Get At Me Dog,' or offers a more emotive side on, 'It's Over.'  Even where she drops into the sexually charged 'Lose Urself' she still manages to stay in control, rather than coming off as a plaything for the boys.

Over all, Lady Red has delivered a fine show-case for her impressive rhyme skills. Satisyingly on-point with her rhymes, Lady Red shows that real hip-hop exists, and that the ladies are far from being locked out in a circle of sugar and slease. Watch this space...  

LADY RED - RED SWEAT & TEARS VOLUME ONE

Wiley is often called the Godfather of the British hip-hop hybrid, Grime, and he makes a triumphant return, just six months after his last full length release. While the heavy bass and half-time snares of the Grime scene are still in effect, Wiley lives up to the album title, showing progression while staying true to his roots.

Without any singles to precede this release, Wiley has dropped his most personal lyrical release to date. There is certainly some club-ready, single material, such as Boom Blast,' but don't expect a full album of chart-fillers. Wiley has too much on his mind for a whole release of party-starters, such as on the title track, where he scathingly stamps his veteran authority on the UK scene.  Wiley is happy to play with his lyrical content as shown on, 'Can I Have A Taxi Please?' where Wiley plays off a number of London stereotypes. Elsewhere, 'Customs' sees him take a gamble that pays off, by not using any music to accompany the story he portrays and leads perfectly into the bubbling, 'Immigration'.

Wiley clearly elevates his game, production-wise, with this release too, offering diverse sound-scapes to go with the oddly personal, every-day, subject matter - such as on the electronically-charged 'Skanking,' which deals with dancing in your bedroom.  Wiley also invites listeners into his mind with 'I'm A Weirdo,' while the claustrophobic 'Scar' uses the cut on his face as a hook and 'This Is Just An Album' brings some pure UK street fire and an autobiographically deft flow.

All told, this album shows that Wiley is far more than just part of a single scene as his continued musical progression mirrors his growth as a man. Sure, the off-kilter beats may be an aquired taste for those new to the darkly skanking Grime scene, but this is as good a place as any to get close to it. Fans of Wiley and those who he no doubt inspired, such as former protege Dizzee Rascal and Chipmunk, will find plenty to feel on this personal, swaggering, release.

WILEY - EVOLVE OR BE EXTINCT

© 2012. All Rights Reserved. All Original Works of WWW.Grindmodeconnect.com. No Duplication or Reprint without Written Permission.

Snoop Dogg certainly needs no introduction, having blazed a trail across hip-hop since his Death Row debut, not to mention the Reality TV Show, clothing line, films and, ahem, straight to DVD porn tapes. Of course, Snoop is equally well-known for his love of marijuana so it is little surprise to find him alongside fellow weed smoker, Amber Rose's boyfriend, and talented rapper Wiz Khalifa.

Set to accompany the movie, 'Mac And Devin Go To High School,' this album allows Snoop and Wiz the chance to delve into smoke-fuelled characters for much of the album. Don't expect a great deal of social commentary, as tracks such as 'Smokin On,' 'Get Lifted' and the verbose, 'You Can Put It In A Zag, I'mma Put It In A Blunt' would suggest a smoking based theme. And that's just the first three tracks!

While the lyrics maintain High-School based topics like looking fresh, catching girls, being late for class, falling in love and, of course, smoking weed, the backing shifts and changes as the boards are manned by a variety of producers. Whether it is Warren G's trade-mark West Coast flavor or the electronic feel brought by Nottz, the music will keep listeners moving. With new names being joined by veteran producers across the 12 tracks, there is still a level of coherency to this album as the style tends towards being laid-back with synths, samples and keys playing a strong role alongside the head-nodding breaks.

There is also space for a few guests, as Juicy J comes through along with Mike Posner, Curren$y and Bruno Mars (who apparently isn't adverse to the odd narcotic either!). Also making appearances are names like Don 'Magic' Juan and LaToiya Williams as the whole affair is fleshed out with backing vocals and ad-libs.  

Overall this album delivers what is expected from it. The lyrics stay relevant to the project, which is fine so long as you don't mind checking the many weed-related odes and 'High School' topics. Don't expect much by way of Gangsta swaggering or social reportage from this project, as shown on the light teenage-mentality of 'Young, Wild & Free.' However, despite the narrow focus, rappers ofthe calibre of Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa manage to carry the 12-tracks off with style. Also as expected, the beats hit throughout and suit the feel of the lyrics throughout, even managing to slip in some wel-flipped hip-hop staples, such as the 'Groove With You' sample in 'French Inhale.'

As something of a vanity project for both rappers this album is actually better than the main albums from a lot of other artists. Long-time Snoop and Wiz Khalifa fans will find enough here to latch onto, while the direction of this release could see tyhis album getting plays at High Schools throughout the land...

SNOOP DOGG AND WIZ KHALIFA - MAC AND DEVIN GO TO HIGH SCHOOL