Review: Roots Manuva - Slime & Reason : Earz Magazine

Review: Roots Manuva - Slime & Reason

September 1, 2008 · Words: Martin S ·

Artist: Roots Manuva
Album: Slime and Reason
Label: Big Dada BDCD123

Buy it: eMusic, HMV.com, Amazon, iTunes

The last time we saw Roots “Rodney Smith” Manuva he was on a lyrical cliff edge, questioning his sanity and lingering on topics of depression, excess and artistic burnout. That was on 2006’s Awfully Deep, and now Mr. Manuva is back with his fourth full-length on London’s Big Dada label, to make things right.

Slime and Reason is immediately lighter than its predecessor, a point signaled by the off-dancehall riddim of bouncy opener Again and Again, where he rhymes: “A lot of people don’t know bout Smith; how I came the scene, and came to uplift.” The album continues with Smith as ever articulating his wry English sense of humour and borderline-genius turn of phrase, over a spicy mix of dub infused beats that range from dancehall (Do Nah Bodda Mi), reggae (Well Alright) and garage (lead single Buff Nuff).

Standouts include Let the Sprit, an infectious and uplifting slice of synth led electro-hop that just screams “second single!”, and Well Alright, which sees Manuva get grizzly about his past career, including “fickle DJs”, journalists and talentless rappers, over a tense piano riddim. The album returns to territory similar to Awfully Deep on It’s Me Oh Lord, with its apocalyptic feel and scuzzy ascending bassline, and 2 Much 2 Soon with its stabbing strings and angsty-lyrics: “Now bourgeois hippies wanna fight my flow; I wish that I was a trustafarian, I wouldn’t have to hustle and I wouldn’t have to swear at them; I came from this, I’ve got to do better; My pen is my sword, my pen is my beretta;“.

Slime & Reason is yet another solid addition to the Roots Manuva catalogue, which bolsters his claim to both column-inches and street-level credibility. Diverse, relevant and fun to get down with. Bump it at home, in the club or on the streets.

rootsmanuva.co.uk

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