It’s been a bit quiet round here recently, for one reason or another, and realising that we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the year already, we figured we’d better pull our goddamn fingers out and get back on it before 2011 starts looming.
Luckily for us (and you) we’ve got some good stuff to come back with, kicking off with the new album from Fliptrix, “Theory of Rhyme”.
The South East Londoner has already built up a pretty expansive following since he dropped, “Force Fed Imagery”, in 2007, as well as smashing a number of guest spots and live shows, plus receiving airplay on 1Xtra and loads more stations across the UK and abroad. And now he has created one of the most accomplished albums I have heard since last year’s “Encrypted Scriptures” and “Rádio Do Canibal”, from Jyager and BK-One respectively.
It seems like only yesterday that the mighty Souls of Mischief graced our shores with a dope in-store appearance at the Carhartt Store in Covent Garden. Well, we must have given them a good reception cos now they are back to do it all over again. 
It's that time again, folks: Suspect Packages Live is looming and looks set to be another stormer. Not content with one launch party this month, Disorda has thrown two of them into the mix! Yes, the stage is set for Fliptrix and DJ Roast to come and peddle their wares, and if the former's new album is anything to go by, this night will not disappoint. 
Mini-mix number four is now available for your listening pleasure. Who doesn't like ... 
It's interview season here at Style43 and the next luminary on our list is Nottingham hip hop legend, Cappo. Read on to hear the latest news and views from everyone's favourite Midlander and keep your eyes peeled for more rap & chat coming to the site soon... 
Back in full effect for February is the SUSPECT PACKAGES LIVE jam, taking place next Friday the 12th ... 
Skandal is a name that you will no doubt be seeing more and more of, as this year flys by. His album, "Hunger Pains", was released towards the end of last year and it has been receiving plaudits and praise from press and peers alike.
We were recently offered the chance to fire off a couple of questions to the man of the moment, which we did, and here is what he had to say: 
Get yourselves down to Brixton this Friday for the emcee contest that puts all standard battles in the goddamn shade. Yessir, this week sees the return of the mighty End of the Weak, as the first heat of the UK challenge takes place at Brixton Jamm.
Five top emcees will be tested in five areas of rhyming, in a quest to find the UK's best all rounder, who will then go on to rep for us in the World Final in Berlin.
If you aren't familiar with the five disciplines that the challengers will face, it will go down like this: 1st Round – written track, 2nd Round – acappella, 3rd Round – freestyle, 4th Round – MC v DJ, 5th Round – cypha skills. 
More free goodies from Paper Tiger, in the form of his third mini-mix. The theme this time is... well there isn't one really, more a sort of hotch potch of random tracks that he has mixed together. I haven't listened to it yet, so no idea what is included, but I'm sure it will match up to his previous two mixes. 
The live hip hop starts here folks. Suspect Packages Live is back slightly later this month but Mr Disorda is starting shit off with an absolute stormer of a night, featuring some of the UK's best-known talents. 
Fresh off their massive tour of Europe, Souls of Mischief are releasing their latest solo album very soon and they are kicking things off by dropping the first single, "Proper Aim". The Prince Paul produced joint is set to blow up speakers around the world, as one of hip hop's favourite crews returns after almost a decade away from the mic. 
It's all been a bit quiet round these parts over the past few weeks, what with us relocating and not having any internet access. Plus all that festive cheer being rammed down our throats, kinda drained all the creativity out of us.
Luckily free internet access is everywhere these days and so I've finally managed to drag myself away from the festering mass of turkey, chocolate coins and neverending Tim Allen movies, to see what we've missed out on since we were last on it. And where better to start than the UK compilation we dropped a fortnight ago, thanks to our American friends at aboveGround Magazine. 
A few weeks ago we found out that Paper Tiger was going to be releasing a series of 20 mini-mixes covering different genres/themes/acts, and he kicked things off with a favourite for all the b-boy and b-girls: 80's electro. 
Wales is dropping a lot of nice hip hop right about now, with people like Metabeats, Ruffstylz, Mudmowth and Squid Ninjaz, making big movements recently. 2010 looks set to be a big year for UK hip hop in general, but I think we'll see even more quality raps coming out of Wales in particular, and someone sure to be at the front of the charge is D.Gritty. 
The Mighty Mystro, MysDiggi, Digmund Freud - whatever name you give him, we can all agree that he is one of the most respected emcees to come on to the scene in the last decade. And he's not just limited to being a natural born spitter; those who have checked his recent "Mystro Investigates" series will know what I'm talking about. (Those who don't, hit up his site)
His spitting is what this is all about though, as this month sees the release of his latest lab creation: the "F.D.T." EP. Luckily for us Mystro seems to always bring the tightest deliveries to everything and if anything he has only upped his game, during the hiatus since his last releases, a couple of years ago. 
