Baptism of Fire - Choong Family - Review/ My Thoughts

It's been a long time coming, cliché but adequate.
Baptism of Fire has been eagerly anticipated by Choong fans for years. (Out on downloads 25th May 09)

I received my promo copy through the post last week (Thanks to Kay at Manilla PR) and have been listening to it on and off during, in fact I'm listening to it while writing this post.

Overall, superb, well worth the wait and if this is only the pre album, I am expecting some pretty amazing things from the next studio album.

I have never reviewed a whole album before, merely songs that I liked so much I wanted to write a little bit about, so bear with me.

Track 1. - Baptism of Fire
This track sets the mood for the whole album in my opinion, although you don't realise it. It is the fixture of great beats, implementing both a serious and laid back tones to give a hint of what you can expect from the rest of the album.
Rating : 8/10

Track 2. Adrenalin Feat. Pyro
I'm sure any Choong fan and otherwise will be familiar with this track. I has received great airplay and with reason. It is a fast paced track which really gets your Adrenalin going. This is actually one of my favourite gym tracks.
Rating: 10/10

Track 3. Lies
This is probably my least favourite song on the album. On a first listen I though this had potential. However after a while it becomes grating and repetitive and the high pitch "lies" doesn't work for me. Conceptually it is a good track with good lyrics which identify with the target audience but it just doesn't appeal to me. Rating 5/10.

Track 4. Spray Feat. Pyro
Spray is being dubbed a club banger by the PR release which accompanied the promo. Living in Scotland I can't testify to this. But it is definitely very catchy and I find myself nodding away and tapping my feet. The track is just as suited to your drink and your two step as to some Bboy. Definitely a banger.
Rating: 9/10

Track 5. Role Wit Heat
This is mos def my favourite track off the album, and not only for the baby voices at the start which bring a smile to my lips every time. The track brings back some old school with enough heat and stunt to be a modern classic. This was the track which made be realise how much I like Nutz P's rap style and how the Fam's different styles still works so well together.
Rating 10/10

Of course a music post would not be complete without at least one playable track and Role Wit Heat it has to be:




Track 6. Solitude Feat. Mike GLC
Solitude is the definitive track of the album. Great lyrics, Great Chorus, Great Beats, Great everything. The perfect song to show the diversity of the Fam and their strengths.
Rating 10/10

Track 7. Goodbye Gin Feat. Hannah
Chilled start with the high pitched intro working well. Again a track showing the great mixture you can expect from the fam.
Easy listening and while not spectacular, is well arranged before plunging you into Skank Music.
Rating 8/10

Track 8. Skank Music Feat Truth & Pyro
Another club banger. Skank music is one of those songs you cannot get out of your head but is worse because if you do manage it it pops back in - I mind myself going Skank Music, Skank Music .... Get into it at the most random times.

I am liking the outros coming in with some tracks.
Rating 8/10

Track 9. Big City Niggaz
Big City Niggaz is another track which has had some play. This track just works. No other way to describe it.
Rating 9/10

Track 10. Family Tree Feat Truth & Pyro
Another favourite track. I like the beats but mostly its the several rap elements and lyrics.
Rating 8/10

Track 11. San Andreas
Love the beats and lyrics on this one. Another track you can just lay back and listen, just let it flow and lose yourself.
Rating 9/10

Track 12. Take A Look
Continuing with the laid back, easy listening theme.
Like the lyrics, not spectacular but real nice song.
Rating 8/10

Track 13. It’s Nothing
Nice beats and lyrics. More of the same class. Love the Nutz P outro.
Rating 8/10

Track 14. Silverspoon Feat. Unorthodox
Probably my second most favourite track. Very catchy chorus and beats. Very uplifting tune.
Rating 10/10

Track 15. Translating My Hardship
Big change from Silverspoon, putting you back to a mellow but continuing a slight theme lyrically.
Rating 7/10

16. Paraphernalia Feat Truth & Elizabeth Williams
Chilled out and mellow. Putting you in a more mellow/sad mood, conceptually nice lyrics and featured vocals from Elizabeth Williams.
Rating 8/10

17. Adrenaline Remix Feat. Coldboy, Wretch 32, Scorcher, Pyro, Ghetto, Silva, No Lay, Y Don, G-Kid, Devlin
So many big names on the Remix of Adrenalin and the track does not disappoint but I still prefer the original. So many featured artists make this track very busy and in my opinion loses the power behind the original.
Rating 8/10

Overall an excellent comback from the Fam.
The album as a whole is definitely worth a buy as it showcases the talent and diversity of the Fam perfectly.

Baptism of Fire
Pre Album
Out May 25th 09
Available from all major download sites

Phoenix Rising
Album Out Autumn 09

On Gridlokaz

Please note that the songs posted here are for promotional purposes only. If you do download them by finding the embedded source, please delete within 24 hours. SelectiveApathy.com does not host any media files. Please refer to the site disclaimer for more information.

Baptism of Fire - Choong Family

Who says blogging is a waste of time and nobody but some people who know you actually read your blog.

Remember the music post with Solitude from Choong Fam. I have the platinum edition of their first album Higher Elevation (available from Amazon), and its some good vibes. The platinum edition with the DVD and other content is pretty cool.

In that previous post I was reminiscing that the Fam should really have released some of their new stuff by now...

Well yesterday I received an email from Kay at Manilla PR:
"Noticed your blog about Choong Family, and wanting to hear their new album. Well, it's here! They release their pre-album, Baptism Of Fire, in the coming months."

I was even offered a copy for possible review even though I would have mos def bought this.

Anyway Track Listing and PR release:
1.Baptism Of Fire
2. Adrenalin Feat. Pyro
3. Lies
4. Spray Feat. Pyro
5. Role Wit Heat
6. Solitude Feat. Mike GLC
7. Goodbye Gin Feat. Hannah
8. Skank Music Feat Truth & Pyro
9. Big City Niggaz
10. Family Tree Feat Truth & Pyro
11. San Andreas
12. Take A Look
13. It’s Nothing
14. Silverspoon Feat. Unorthodox
15. Translating My Hardship /
16. Paraphernalia Feat Truth & Elizabeth Williams
17. Adrenaline Remix Feat. Coldboy, Wretch 32, Scorcher, Pyro, Ghetto, Silva, No Lay, Y Don, G-Kid, Devlin

The highly anticipated work from the group is set to provide a welcome reprieve for UK Hip Hop in the presence of the seemingly untempered dominance of Grime. Tagged as a pre-album, ‘Baptism Of Fire’, will help bring Choong back into the spotlight whilst the ‘Phoenix Rising’ album is being recorded.

Featuring solid cuts such as the title track ‘Baptism Of Fire’, the club bangers ‘Spray’ and ‘Skank Music,’ not to mention the social commentary, soon to be classic ‘Lies,’ this album reminds us what we liked about the Choong boys in the first place - their ability to combine lyrical poignancy and swagger with gritty beats and melody.

This, combined with the group’s trademark videos, is set to ignite a flurry of media and public response as the group have videos for ‘It’s Nothing’, ‘San Andreas’ and ‘Take A Look’ already. Combine this with the already released videos for ‘Adrenalin’, ‘Solitude’ and the soon to be filmed ‘Spray’ video, means that there will be a medley of videos to go with the pre-album.

Choong Family are a collective of professional artists, each with extraordinary talents and all aiming for one ultimate goal: success. The group consists of Afix (rapper), Scandal (singer/rapper) and Nutz P (rapper), and collectively the group offer an amazing new sound whilst portraying reality. The resonance this group creates fits into all aspects of the new wave of Hip Hop and R&B. Formed out of friendships through the years the group has evolved into one of the foremost forces in the UK urban scene. This makes the group even more formidable as they really know each other and their respective talents.

www.myspace.com/choongfam / www.choongfam.com

Note the choongfam.com adress has never worked, just goes to a holding page, the least they could do is redirect it to their MySpace.


17 tracks on a Pre-album. Crazy.
Some of you who would have checked out the Myspace would have already heard Solitude, Adrenaline and Big City Niggaz which have also been getting mainstream playback on the likes of Channel U and radio stations.

Vey promissing stuff from the Fam.

Young Nate - I wonder and Mixed Messages, from A Piece Of Me

It has been a while since I have had any music posted up on here.
I heard this first song on Choice FM the other day but did not clock the name of the song or the artist. I listen to a lot of radio but you know how it is, these days with the ton of adverts and funny chatter it's a wonder you hear any music, so you tend not to pay any attention and it's just there for background listening. Today, I made sure I would find out the song and artist names when I heard it again - on Choice FM.
It was Young Nate with I wonder (SoundBwoy ENT).
After not listening to any slow jams/ RnB for a while, this one captivated me. Great lyrics, Great Voice, the usual tempo and slow jams beats which I love. This song has been around on Choice FM's playlists since the 8th January this year - How come I'm only hearing a quality tune like this now. Anyway have a listen below.
This one is for Miss Kashmiri, Happy Birthday!x:



He is being dubbed as Britain's answer to Neyo but I'm just glad that British RnB is not dead.
I liked I wonder so much that the logical next step was Young Nate's Myspace where I came across Mixed Messages:



More of the same class, and this has been out since December last year.
Supporting this kind of music is a must. His EP, A Piece of Me is out on 09/03/2009 and you can pre-order from Amazon and Play amongst others. I loved these two songs so much I have already pre-ordered mine on Amazon. Get yours now.
And as a bonus here is the I Wonder Remix ft Wretch 32 (from DJB):


UPDATE: I was listening again to Ronnie Herel's 1Xtra show from Monday where he had Young Nate and Soundbwoy on the show. Some big things from them judging by the interview. However they had release dates for I Wonder - 30th March 2009, which is also all over his MySpace and for A Piece of Me - 9th April 2009. Well I guess it's most likely Amazon and Play have got it wrong since why would they release the EP before the single...

Please note that the songs posted here are for promotional purposes only. If you do download them by finding the embedded source, please delete within 24 hours. SelectiveApathy.com does not host any media files. Please refer to the site disclaimer for more information.

Parlez vous francais? and John Scott & Fergus Craig at the Laughter Lounge

How is it that in a department with a large number of French Students (including 4 in my MSc course), I was the only one available to to some translation work, with my not-so-good-any-more French. I was in University for a nine O'clock lecture, (which only six people turned up to), handed in an assignment and then possibly go home to study for next week's exams. Instead I go from speaking some French to a delivery driver to give him instructions to deliver some equipment for the department to a Kangaroo Storage, to spending the whole afternoon at Kangaroo Storage, translating and helping out with the delivery. The equipment was some sort of film growing something or other , I've forgotten what already and consisted of twelve big pieces (I was told four) which were a nightmare to unload and it was cold and raining. So no studying (yet) but I've been told I would be getting paid for this. Unfortunately I know the department is a slow payer so I'll have to wait and see.

John Scott and Fergus Craig at the Laughter Lounge
Laughter Lounge was pretty dead, yesterday, for the third week running. I don't understand what has happened to one of the best nights at the Union. However I have been noticing how busy the library has been in the evenings and with the sheer amount of cars parked outside it. Are student's actually studying (this much). Nah can't be, they may have some sort of study bug. The Laughter Lounge could cure that, so get down there.

This week it started off with Fergus Craig. I thought he seemed a bit gay, starting off with some sort of dance and movements and a gay voice. But maybe not.
I've just read that he was the Winner of the 2008 Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year competition.
Maybe he was having an off day yesterday. The jokes were there and plenty of them and there were smiles and some laughs but nothing hilarious, nothing spectacular and nothing that deserved applause or even a good laugh. Overall OK but felt flat and a bit disappointing.

John Scot was a different kind of Fish.
His act was a mix of everything. I have seen many comedians who would warm to a subject and go with it for so long the audience would lose interest. John managed to captivate the audience wholly by jumping from one theme to the next seamlessly. From Scotland-England (He is Scottish, lives in the North of England and is Pro English), to Women are superior than Men (but not really), From Obama to Terrorists. His Braveheart piece worked like perfectly and was one of the highlights. Charming, disarming, hilarious, I think John would be definitely worth seeing again even if the material does not change. So much so that at the end of the night I overheard people saying: "John Scott, must remember the name and see him again."