The great thing about the music that Unstoppable Knight makes is that it is both forward-thinking and very much of the here-and-now whilst tipping its hat, a jauntily angled fedora perhaps, to everything that made hip-hop great in the first place. The lyrics are snappy and infectious, the perfect singalong component to match the addictive grooves that drive them and, unlike a lot of the music which forms the sonic bridge between those early pioneers and today’s scene, it is soulful, relatable and has something to say…something other than look at my car, look at my money, look at how tough I think I am, look at me being victimised…it is humorous, flirty, real and full of life.
You is a celebration of love running on the confident clubland groove, Let’s Play is dark, edgy and full of attitude and Playa 4 Life is buoyant, brimming with bass pulses and infectious rhythms.
And the great thing about this album in general and Unstoppable Knight, in particular, is his vocals, which wouldn’t seem out of place in a slick soul outfit or happening r&b band. And even though there is some use of technical tricks, such as the use of autotuner, these only appear as sonic additions and clever textures, just another part of the sound palate rather than the quick fix as used by those whose vocals aren’t up to the job. No one could accuse Unstoppable Knight’s vocals of not being up to the job. No one!
It’s a great album, a collection of hip-hop flavours and rap rhapsodies past and present blended into something that is fresh enough to move the genre forward and familiar enough that no one forgets where it has been. Great work!
