Tuesday 27 October 2009

Baptism

"White labels in a suitcase ... I'm on a corner over East Street, yelling rag and bone style ..." Those lines from Roots Manuva's Baptism conjure up a wonderful image of the great man in a sheepskin coat and flat cap flogging his wares down the market over Walworth way. Featuring the gifted but criminally underheard Wildflower, Baptism is one of many highlights from Roots' debut Brand New Second Hand, a record that oozes a sense of south Londoness. References to Travelcards and heading under the Thames (the Rotherhithe tunnel, I guess) and so on. The Roots Manuva debut outing remains UK hip hop's finest moment, and this El-P remix of Juggle Tings Proper gives a real twist to the song though the original is hard to beat ...

3 comments:

  1. He's got his travelcard in his pocket, chances are he's heading under the Thames on the tube? Up to the Elephant, jump on the Northern Line most likely...

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  2. You've got a point there Tim, but I can't see Roots as a Northern Line man. That seems far too linear and logical a route.

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  3. Oh - Waterloo and City is more his speed, right?

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