Hijack - The Horns of Jericho (Warner Bros - 1991)

"Horns of Jericho" is acknowledged by most people in the know as the Magnum Opus of all britcore albums and the blueprint for many other UK albums that followed it. I'm certainly not about to challenge that as I share the same opinion and do also regard it as one the greatest albums of all time. Although I have to admit that it's not absolute perfection, only a "mere" 95% perfect - which is close enough to amazing isn't it ?

The outstanding quality of Hijack and this album is thanks to the sum of the group's parts ie. the MC's - the vicious, malicious, streetwise, rapid spitting of Kamanchi Sly and the deep, ominous tones of Undercover, and the DJ's - the legendary Supreme and Undercover (again) who share production and turntable duties (plus a few dudes, namely Fritz, Clueso and Ulysses, who seem to do nothing on the album as such as far as I can tell).

In 2008 there is no point to go into the background of the connection between Hijack and Ice T/Rhyme Syndicate, as those who care about Hijack's music would know it all already by now (if not, Google it) but it is worth mentioning Ice T as a gauge of what sounds to expect on this album. Think Ice's "The Hunted Child" or any of his similar faster tracks, add some golden era classic PE to the mix, season it all with undertones of ominous hardcore darkness and you'd have an idea of what you're going to get from tracks like "Hijack the Terrorist Group", "Airwave Hijack", "The Syndicate Outta Jail", "The Badman is Robbin" and the brilliant afro-centric themed call for Unity of "Brother Versus Brother".

There are other flavours on show here too. I do not hesitate to state that "Phantom of the Opera" is one of my favourite songs of all time (and also a brilliant way to start the album). To me it is the foundation track of so many hardcore UK hip hop (AKA britcore) songs that followed it, or at the very least it has all the elements that define it as a perfect example of the hardcore UK style. It has the "Apache" beat as it's heartbeat with prominent bass adding weight to those beats, with various horror movie themed effects running throughout it and a few explosions and gunshots for added brutality. On top of the soundtrack we have rapid fire delivery from Kamanchi Sly coupled with absolutely terrifying aggressive vocal technique from Undercover and the combination of these two rappers on this song is truly something to behold. Also less noticeable on the track, but necessary to complete the darkness of it, is an underlying monotoned siren sound which makes me think of the deadline sound on a heartbeat monitor which completes the terrifying feel of the track. There's a sparsity to parts of the track as well which gives it a very appealing and applicable rawness too. Perfect.

"Back to Brixton", "I Had to Serve You" and "Don't Go With Strangers" do slow the BPM's down somewhat, although not to the extent of forsaking the hardcore feel of the album. "Back to Brixton" has punchy RunDMC'esque drums with guitars thrown in and it is close enough to an 80's rap/rock effort, not too dissimilar a style to what the aforementioned RunDMC did a few times as the "Kings of Rock", however thankfully the guitars are kept in the middle realms of the track and are not too cheesy or "out there". Whereas "I Had To Serve You" is probably the funkiest song on offer here with a cool bassline and head nodding tempo of snappy beats and dope cutting of a Spoonie G sample for the break. Totally different again is "Don't Go With Strangers" which is an intensely dark, rather gloomy and very ominous sounding track which lyrically plays out as a Community Service Announcement warning kids to be wary of strangers, perverts and shady types, very much as the song title implies. There really should be more songs like that - "Can you believe that he had 92 previous convictions for child abuse?, on the loose, the courts just left him, to walk and stalk another victim, we have the solution to end this confusion, diffuse them !"

What does however take away from the hardcore feel of the album (and ultimately costs this album it's perfection) is a track, well two tracks, called "Daddy Rich" which appear on the album twice in "Part 1" and "Part 2" variations, "Part 2" being a remix I think (although honestly I've never listened to either version in full in the 15 odd years I've owned this album). Frankly I don't want to spend too much more "blogspace" on these songs as they have always been a thorn in my side regarding this album but I will just say that they are both heavily R&B singing laced, very slow and very LONG songs which to me always seemed incredibly out of place with the rest of the album and are simply not appropriate in amongst all the hardcore songs. The other negative on this album, although not even 1% as upsetting as the "Daddy Rich" business is an interlude which is nothing more than someone playing the drums ad hoc style for 1 minute or so. Simply unnecessary to record something like this and it screams of album filler.

To bring this review back to where it should be, ie. on a positive note, is an amazing posse track called "The Contract". Along with Kamanchi Sly it features 3 of the greatest UK rappers ever ie. Shaka Shazam, Icepick and Katch 22's always magnificent Huntkillburyfin. All MC's flow wonderfully on this track and interestingly Kamanchi Sly gives what might be his best appearance on the album here, as if the presence of the others on the track inspired him to reach for higher heights of greatness. The music here is another staple of britcore bliss with fast bongo styled drums and a relentless very bass heavy punchy rhythm driving it, matched nicely with dramatic Hawaii Five O type crimewave sound effects behind it. One of the best posse tracks ever.

I hate to say albums are essential, as everyone has different tastes and different ideas as to what albums people should own, but I'd fail to understand why somebody who likes their hip hop hardcore wouldn't want to own this album and wouldn't fall in love with it. Yes it is essential listening for anyone who has a hardcore hip hop bone in their body and the fact that Kamanchi Sly and DJ Supreme are seen as greats of UK hip hop is another reason to pick up this example of them at their best.

Barack Obama

This may be seen initially as somewhat out of context for this site but then maybe not ...

I just want to give props to Obama and his victory. A victory for African American people, all people of colour and people who care about issues of race and inequality. A victory for the legacy and dreams of Malcolm, Martin, Huey and all other leaders that have lived and died for the cause. A victory against the oppressive governments of the past. A victory for hope.

Most of all - to bring it into context with this site - it's a victory for hip hop. For Chuck D, KRS, Katch22, Black Radical, 24K and all afrocentric rappers who saw hip hop as the black CNN, a black voice and movement, a tool for change, Obama is there as a representation of what you fought for on wax and beyond. Well done Obama and well done hip hop.