Goldie Lookin Chain: Asbo 4 Life
Goldie Lookin Chain: Asbo 4 Life
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Second album from the poppy Florida rapper (see what he did there with the name?) pitches itself perfectly between thug hip-hop and pop rap. |  |
Friday, 03, Apr 2009 01:06
1983, out April 6th.
In a nutshell…
Funny. Noisy. Brash. Carefree.
What's it all about?
Following a tough period after being dropped by Warner Music Group and cutting ties with Shellshock Records, 1983 recordings has now taken the GLC under its wing to hit back with Asbo 4 Life. With 14 songs and 45 minutes of solid listening, the boys from Newport are evidently looking to get back into the public eye - By Any Means Necessary could be a well-titled song, all-in-all.
Who's it by?
Goldie Lookin Chain are from a Welsh town famous for, among other things, crazy stunt fans Dirty Sanchez. Their sense of humour is, for all intents and purposes, the same but expressed through the medium of music.
The band is made up from Maggot, who rose to prominence in Celebrity Big Brother, alongside favourites such as 2Hats, Billy Webb, Eggsy, Mystikal, Mike Balls, Adam Hussein and Dwain Zedong. Add to this a range of part-time contributors and you've got yourself one of the biggest bands in the UK.
As an example…
"Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy/I'll dress up like the Krankies if it guarantees a weed supply." - Disguise
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Very, VERY doubtful. To be fair to the boys, I don't think they'll be that bothered.
What the others say
"They're not making art, they're just having a laugh - whether you will be too is unsure." - Anthony Hill, Female First.
"The GLC have evolved into a band comfortable with making records that actually mean something." - Chris Miller, Daily Music Guide.
So is it any good?
It'd be unfair to say the boys are not good at what they do, although this is largely due to them being the only white chav-like rap band from Wales. It's whether or not you like their style in the first place.
You have to class Asbo 4 Life as social commentary just as much as hip-hop or rap. Some of the songs are quite good at hitting the spot when it comes to describing somewhat banal situations, with Unemployed and Overdrawn mixing humour with a bleak outlook. It's clear from the first listen to this album that they're clever guys and not to be underestimated.
There's a few influences that can definitely be picked up from this album. A few songs have similar beats to those found in Jurassic 5, slowing down and speeding up the tempo every now and again without any problems. Older artists seem to have had a major effect on them too, with certain tracks including beats and mixing which could be mistaken as a Public Enemy B-side. You'd have to subtract the vocals, obviously. You might have to listen to it underwater too.
Continuing their usual theme, some of the references GLC get into their music are absolutely hilarious. Names such as the Krankies and Derek Acorah are regularly dropped into seemingly effortless raps, with Space Police making huge references to most cyborg films under the sun.
The highlight is probably Apathy, with its laid back bassline and a great posh English accent to rock the mic for the most part. It's one of the less imposing tracks on the album, which can suffer from being just plain noisy despite the high-standard lyrics.
The flagship single, By Any Means Necessary, is also a solid release. It's a shame that radio stations haven't picked up on it more, although I think they're exhibiting the apathy to GLC which they rap about. Two more songs worth listening to are Nothing Ever Happens and 3D, which have good rhythm and are lyrically spot-on.
I saw Goldie Lookin Chain about four years ago in Hull and I was impressed with their stage presence and song list, but have they changed much since then? Well, not at all really. The funny thing is, I don't really know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I just worry that their act may not so much have been forgotten but that it's grown old on most audiences. After a couple of failed albums to follow up such hits as Your Mother's Got a Penis and Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do, they may have redeemed themselves with Asbo 4 Life. I'm just not sure if many people are listening anymore.
For the fans that give it a go, it's more of the same but not massively different from anything else they've done, yet safe enough to be a reliable purchase. People who haven't heard them before may enjoy certain tracks but will largely discard a lot of it. Those who didn't like them before won't find any redeeming features in this release, which is sad as I think it's their last chance to win over new fans.
6/10
Matt Gardner