THE ALBUM THAT'S BEEN TOO LONG AWAITED: RONNIE BOSH - ALL PEOPLE EXPECT
From the mash up stylie days of Contact Play, there was an illusive character that blessed each bar with steezy wordplay and a definitively distinct flow. Combining his features on each and every Dike release and the Contact Play days, one question was always on our minds: where is Ronnie Bosh and when is a solo project going to bless our ears?
BRING TOGETHER THE MOST EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPELLING MINDS IN UK HIPHOP AND THESE ARE THE SOUNDS YOU WILL FIND
Well much to our anticipation and delight, his debut solo album is on the way, and with production manned entirely by Dirty Dike, it is definitely something that should require your immediate attention. The 11 track album explores a multitude of seemingly effortless flows, wrapped around some dark and dingy to jazzy sample filled instrumentals. It features Jam Baxter, Lee Scott, an unexpected charm of Eva Lazuras, and of course the entire Contact Play massive, whilst Bosh’s prowess is only enhanced and enriched through their undemanding and bouncy teamwork.
One featuring the mighty and soulful voice of Eva Lazarus, was one of the sweeter surprises coming from this concoction of plentiful beats and sounds. Drawing from her appearance on Caterpillar Funk on Dike’s most recent album, Acrylic Snail, we knew that she could wrap herself round a hiphop instrumental like it was nobodies business. She provides those soothing backing vocals, that lightly tickle us and where you find yourself closing your eyes and purely getting lost in the beatific notes of her voice. Despite Bosh’s boombap hiphop encapsulated character, he does not hesitate to brake out in a harmony and keep his musical capabilities subject to variety. This can be said across the entirety of the album, never shying away from a high note or a blissful melody. His deep, assured voice contrasts empathetically with his emotional and heartfelt lyrics on tracks like Honourable Death, One and (Do You Ever) Think.
This is not to say his badman character is being overshadowed. However Bosh maintains this remarkable ability to speak as a some-what fast paced poet, with reminiscent and nostalgic auras and life-lesson packed stories with a voice that still says he’ll mess you up if you’re not about his team or style. It is as if his life has been waiting for this moment, and everything that has formed who he is today has led up to this album release. And throughout his musical endeavours with Contact Play and his whole history of features with some the UK’s most prolific hiphop artists, there’s no doubt why the man is so confident in his ability to slay bars and sit whack rappers down when needs be.
Bring together the most experimental and compelling minds in UK hiphop and these are the sounds you will find. It’s not often when an artist can have such an apparent presence in the hiphop community without a solo project having been released, and it’s like this album has been wrapped up and nurtured, ready for the right time to pounce on us unsuspecting listeners.
Contrast is something that demonstrates the versatility in an artist. This album brings together the upbeat snare ridden slappers, the harmony induced chillers, the emotive slow ballads and that classic mash up, kick your Nan in the face banger sound with the closing track ‘Pulp’ with Contact Play. Bosh is covering all angles.
Ronnie Bosh has delivered an album that we all knew would be worth the wait, and with just over a week to go until the release date, I would be getting rather excited if I were you.
Release date 25th July.
Pre-order links:
Matt Knight
July 14th 2019