Smasher - No Sleep feat. Wretch 32, Maverick Sabre, Loudmouth Melvin & Black The Ripper (Video)

Smasher lines up the first single off his forthcoming EP, Set The Record Straight, going all first-person for the video. Looks like Wretch 32 and Maverick Sabre had other business to tend to on the day of the shoot.

1Xtra: Fire In The Booth - Wretch 32

With a broadsheet-attention-garnering album and chart experience under his belt, Wretch steps up to the plate for Charlie Sloth's Fire In The Booth. Here the Totty rapper shows just why we should appreciate him being in the limelight instead of mindless simpletons. Now we just need a stand-up album.

Tinie Tempah - Like It Or Love It feat. J. Cole & Wretch 32

J. Cole joins Brit Pack leaders Wretch 32 and Tinie Tempah for a track off the latter's upcoming mixtape, Happy Birthday. Like It Or Love It was handled by young Wolverhampton producer S-X, who also made Woo Riddim and is thought to be in cahoots with Cash Money's Birdman, which explains this.

Estelle - Break My Heart feat. Swizz Beatz, Wretch 32, Raekwon (Remix Pt. 2)

Yet another remix of Estelle's Break My Heart, this time Wretch 32 stepping up alongside The Chef and ending up being the best thing about this song. Salute 32 for keeping his credibility intact while reaching a broader audience. Dude done good.

Wretch 32 - Don't Go feat. Josh Kumra (Video)

Wretch 32 is one of only a handful of UK MCs who can convincingly take the mainstream route while retaining credibility. Sure, Josh Kumra's vocal's bear a striking resemblance to Jay Z bum chum Chris Martin's and 4-beat has no place in hip hop, but this doesn't feel fabricated or forced. Look out for his album Black And White in August.

Faith SFX - Play Hard feat. Wretch 32

Hip hop-come-grime beatboxer Faith SFX has been sitting on the excellent Play Hard for at least two years, but it now officially sees the light of day as his album Man Or Machine has just been set free.

Download the track below and buy the full release from iTunes if you're game.

Faith SFX - Play Hard feat. Wretch 32

Mark Ronson - Record Collection feat. Wiley, Pharrell, Wretch 32, MDNR & Professor Green (Remix)

Smug Brit-Yank Mark Ronson goes all transatlantic for this remix off his collaborative album with The Business Intl. Discounting the fact I'll never listen to this song again because it's rubbish, these stateside hook-ups continue to intrigue.

Professor Green - Jungle feat. Klashnekoff, Wretch 32 & Malik (Remix)

Professor Green calls in K-Lash, Wretch 32 and Brum's Malik for a remix to Jungle - the dubstep number off his major label debut, Alive Till I'm Dead, from last year.

Klashnekoff seems to be keeping himself busy of late. He'd be wise to get himself a new body of work recorded right now, and continue to build on his buzz ahead of a release in the coming months.

Update: A new album, not body of work. My bad.

The Bullitts - Flixtape Episode 3: Magnum Force Starring Wretch 32 (Video)

Flixtape innovators The Bullitts rework TV cult classic Magnum Force's theme tune, this time with London spitter Wretch 32 lending his talents to proceedings.

Hit the link to see more of The Bullitts' flixtapes, including an unheralded collaboration between recent Roc Nation signee Jay Electronica and Hollywood cougar Lucy Liu.

Sway - Outkast feat. Wretch 32

If you caught Sway's The Delivery 2 mixtape, then you'll have heard a snippet of the Wretch 32-featuring Outkast. Here it is in its entirety.

Sway - Outkast feat. Wretch-32

No Hats No Trainers - Cypher 1

Mega and Mayhem of S.A.S, Mystro and Wretch 32 deliver bars for this No Hats No Trainers cypher.

What's great about this is the show of solidarity between artists that are commonly seen as occupying different fragments of the scene: S.A.S are on that flossy tip, Mystro is a veteran of the more traditional hip hop avenue and Wretchroboy toes that murky line between UK rap and grime. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next.

And No Hats No Trainers has landed a second series with the BBC, so a round of applause for all involved. Positive moves.

SB.TV

I admit, I was slipping a little by not checking for SB.TV. It's not as hip hop-oriented as DJ Gone's channel, with more of a focus on grime MCs - which is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you're after.

A lot of rappers really bring it for these videos. Here are a couple I scoped last night that are doing it.



If I was an MC chatting a lot of hot air and vanity, I would be afraid of this dude. Black The Ripper is creating a strong buzz around himself and it's not based off of nothing.



If the word "swagger" hadn't become as big a hip hop cliche as "bling" I might use it to describe Wretch. Too many people try and play cool and do so by emulating others; this guy does it on his own terms.



You'd be forgiven for thinking Chipmunk was created by a record label despot with sterling signs in his eyes. Here Chips reminds you that he got the attention from the majors for a reason and is still capable of showing you why his peers championed him in the first place.

Check the SB.TV channel for yourselves.

Wretch 32 - Wretch32.com (Mixtape)

Tracklist:

01 Rope A Dope
02 Born Winner
03 Im Not Alone freestyle
04 Space Boys
05 Say Something freestyle
06 It's No Biggie
07 Let It Out
08 I Cant Stop
09 Do You Think About Me
10 Superhero Remix
11 Heartbreak
12 Be Cool Remix
13 Freestyle
14 Dont Lie
15 Reebok Classic freestyle
16 Street Love freestyle
17 I Love My Home

Wretch 32 - Wretch32.com Mixtape

More DJ Gone Vids

Mr. Drastick over J.Cole's Grown Simba instrumental.



Wretch goes accapella.

Faith SFX - Improvised hip hop layer

I don't know what the whole Sin City visual effect is all about on this, but Faith SFX is a great beatboxer. I'm not hot on the whole scene itself and there may be people out there who are technically better. In my opinion, though, this guy makes wicked beats with his cakehole. I've been taken aback by people like Rahzel and Kela when they spit simultaneous layers of a beat live, which this dude can also do, might I add. The latter of those two makes really wanky music, though. Faith SFX beatboxes (?) beats that knock.

Oh, and below is a radio rip I posted previously. Even though it's rubbish quality, definitely give it a listen as, once again, he kills it and Wretch 32 raps lovely.

Faith SFX - Play Hard (feat. Wretch 32)

Remember when...

Killa Kela used to beatbox? I was proud that we had someone from over here making music with their mouth like that. Seems like after he secured a record deal he forgot his roots. I hate to be a fusty antiquarian, but it's not about this (new video, by the way), surely:



Oh well, at least we've got people like Faith SFX and Beardyman who are still spittin' kicks, snares, kicks and hi hats.

Speaking of which, anyone heard this? Big!

Faith SFX - Play Hard (feat. Wretch32)