OneLion Records Presents Lion Tape Vol1 Review
When it comes to the South West and hip hop, we all know that in the last 5 years we've seen a burst of talent emerge, from rappers, producers to promoters bringing the hip hop to us. However it's Bristol which gets watched the most and they definitely deserve praise. But what happens if you go further south? Well the mixtape we have today, does exactly that and has brought together a lot of names to rep areas such as Cornwall, Plymouth, Exeter, Totnes and more! The mixtape comes from OneLion Records and is titled Lion Tape Volume 1 with a total of 19 tracks and it dropped earlier today for FREE DOWNLOAD!
Opening up the OneLion Vol1 mixtape is a short Intro featuring BVA, Dotz and Buggsy all showing their love for OneLion Sound! Shortly after the Intro we jump into the first full length track Blackened Prose by Dearskin with Babu Yaga bringing the funkalicious head nodder to the table. Deerskin is a new name to us at UGHH and we're pleasantly surprised, listen to his laid back, illusive delivery as he plants numerous subjects into your ear drums. My Mad Existence features Morealess and is produced by Baron, together they create a track that oozes tranquility at every chance! If you've been in stuck in the office for a week or have had one of those days then this is your jam! Spark a spliff and kick back as they lessen the pressures of life.
Same Shit features Gormless and Rittens with Ebo supplying a greasy beat for them to get busy with. Lacing it with bars on a pessimistic tip, reflecting on the younger days and being hit with the sudden realization that nothings changed - We've all been there! Just Don't Fit has been on constant rotation since receiving the Mixtape to review, with Verbo on the rhymes and Doc Digi bringing the beat! Along the track you'll see Verbo analyse the poor state of society, peoples actions and some of the stupid shit which comes out their mouths. After one track from Verbo, I'm already cluckin' to hear more of his material! Girl On The Moon features production from Stemik and Seraphim on the mic, one of the South Wests dopest female rappers! Stemik pulls out one of those beats that pierces your pineal gland as Seraphim displays her calming flow and uplifting lyrics with ease.
We're going to skip Concentrate by The Outerclass and Midnight Jazz by Rinsulin for your own enjoyment! I've put the tracks below via Bandcamp plugins so check 'em out before continuing!
L Plate's up next with Rhyme Kicker backed by Pea Mint on the production! Having only discovering L Plate earlier in the year and seeing him live twice since, he's another one bringing that next level ish! Rhyme Kicker isn't any different, with an onslaught of hard hitting rhymes, neck snappin flows and packed with copious amounts of content! Following after is Catchin' Weck by Sam Blazer with Hezit on the production. Packed with rugged production and greasy flows, Sam Blazer brings subjects to the forefront to empathize he's never growing up! Mustard by Cletus is the gift that keeps on giving, having only now heard of this head - it's safe to say, he's bringing all to the forefront. The country bumpkin has the gift of the gab, firing a barrage of rhymes over Barons production, bodying the content on an underdog tip.
As soon as Knowledge Rule's beat comes on you know it's going to be a banger! Featuring Shire Roots bringing his pen to paper to fully rep for the Southwest! Mission Accomplished! The 13th track is Twilight by Syncromystics with DaMaven on the production! This collective of emcees are based in the same city as me and having seen them live multiple times, the levels are always high! This track is no different with an artillery of rhymes up in your frontal dome as they breakdown the global orders plan and plenty of other fuckrys within the rat race.
Yes Mr Funky Man is another one of those tracks that makes you stand back in awe and think.. This mixtape is fucking nuts! and rightly so. Featuring The Prophecy you can expect to have your head bobbin in all sorts of directions you didn't think were possible as he lays down his quick witter, pound for pound rhymes and delivery! Track 15 is China Town Massacre which features Obskure (SWMS) rapping on his ones, drenching the daunting beat with cold flows and displaying intricate pengame as he spews bars on par with an acid trip, wavy! Morning Chorus features Stemik (Exeter) who brings nothing but reflective subject matter on lifes struggles and avoiding the stress by keeping yourself busy! Stemik supplies us with vibes with a upbeat lucid flow while putting the negative aspects to bed, one of my many favorites!
D-Tox has quickly become one of my favorite rappers in the South West, solely down to his 4 track Half Addict EP (also dropped on 24/07/2015)! D-Tox's track on the mixtape Ghost Writer produced Yuma has done nothing but cemented that. Embark as D-Tox takes you to the deep depths of his mind that torments him, from experiences to thoughts. Nearing the end we land on Stress Men with Ovatone showcasing his rapping and production skills. Opening up with a skit from Dave Chappelle it quickly sets the tone for the track, far too many stress heads out there! The last track from the Mixtape is Mike Tysons Punch by Slardy featuring Em Mids with Stemik on the production! One thing I can say about Slardy is the mans found his drive for certain, the last couple of months everything he's dropped has been flames! Mike Tysons Punch is nothing short of that, packed with a head nodding flow, reflecting on moments of the past and inner city down and outs, Em Mids supplies an angelic chorus and Stemik brings an immaculate beat to the table ending this mixtape on an unbelievable high!
The Mixtape was released last night and is available for Free Download from OneLion Records bandcamp below! You're currently witnessing the birth of a new Label with their launch night tonight in Exeter and alongside the mixtape is D-Tox's Half Addict EP! Two immaculate releases on the same day and you'd be out of your mind to not add these to your collection, show some support!
