Hip-hop and the genres that it spawned were always known for its deft lyricism and urgent messages, lyrical salvos and social commentary. But that was, of course, only one part of the package. While MCs delivered the words, B-Boys threw new dance moves, beatboxers conjured music from their bodies and kids with spray cans created a whole new visual artist; DJs were splicing music together, melding and matching and merging all manner of sounds and styles into a new urban soundtrack. And that is precisely the element of hip-hop in which DJ Poetry King excels.
Making It might seem a world away from the angst and energy of those early pioneers, but it is every bit the successor of the music they made. But if you were looking for a genre to put it in, its gentle ways and wonderfully and wilfully lazy grooves would fit more into the world of chilled dance than the more obviously urban category.
The song runs on a gentle wave and a cool groove built of bass pulses and spacious percussion, elements usually found in skittering trap sounds but used here to create a sound a world away from the drive and intensity of that genre. Here, such sounds are used more sparingly to blur the lines between chilled dance music and almost ambient electronica skillfully.
But when taken as a whole, there is something unhurried and seductive about the overall effect. Space is used to significant effect, as is pace; the whole thing is seemingly constructed of unexpected poise rather than the usual bombast and blast of much of the music coming from such quarters.
Making It proves that whilst it is great to let off steam and get something off your chest, both lyrical and musically, sometimes you just need to kick back and relax. Sometimes you need to just go with the flow. And when you do, DJ Poetry King has the perfect soundtrack.
