These are the times of the parables

November 7, 2014 10:57 AM

A Parable.
"Hey do want to hear an album of spoken word poetry raps?"
*everyone looks uncomfortable*
"It's by a white girl from...England? With uh, garage beats?"
*everyone gets on to a spaceship and flies into the sun"
"Her name is Kate Tempest (previously). There's stories, about dating and generally being disaffected and drinking too much? And she utterly kills it live. Her old band was decent but, this is, like next level."
*no-one is left on earth but Common. He is wearing sunglasses as the sun flares.* *He nods his head.*
Common: "This is dope."
Mike Skinner (he's there too): "Well rude innit. Let's get a kebab mate."
F I N
posted by Potomac Avenue (13 comments total)

I was sitting in on a local community radio station show here in Kingston called London Calling (hosted by two expats) and their focus was the Mercury prize the night I was there. We all talked on air about how not only Kate Tempest is up for the Mercury, but she's also written plays and poems to great acclaim. Our general consensus--aside from liking her music---was "When does she get time to sleep???"
posted by Kitteh at 11:25 AM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

British battle rap is incredible, see the infamous Blizzard vs. Mark Grist.

Dekay is pretty damn cool but you've really gotta gird yourself to see cross-gender battle rap that pulls absolutely no punches.
posted by effugas at 11:25 AM on November 7, 2014 [4 favorites]

Well there goes my afternoon watching British battle raps.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:09 PM on November 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

If there is a post-The Streets genre or school or movement or whatever my only question is how do I pre-subscribe to receive absolutely all of it
posted by RogerB at 12:11 PM on November 7, 2014 [4 favorites]

TBH this is the first record I've found that is anything like the streets really. I'm sure I'm missing a lot but most other UK rap is either grime or trying to be like american rap. Both are awesome, but nothing (pre-this) is as weird or as wordy.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:39 PM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Totally superb. Thank you.
posted by motty at 12:43 PM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this amazing post.
posted by raisindebt at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2014

Enthusiasts might also like Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:18 PM on November 7, 2014

"I go round in circles, not graceful, not like dancers, Not neatly, not like compass & pencil More like a dog on a lead going mental."

Kate Tempest has been all over 6music the last month or so and Circles is a brilliant song.
posted by MartinWisse at 1:26 PM on November 7, 2014

Wow, this is absolutely amazing. Thanks, Potomac Avenue.
posted by nangar at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2014

Wow. Thanks from me, too, Potomac Avenue. She's so good.
posted by snorkmaiden at 3:51 PM on November 7, 2014

My only complaint about this post is that it describes Sound of Rum as merely decent!

Everybody Down has been my "I know I'm overlistening to this, but it's awesome" album for a while now.
posted by knapah at 4:07 PM on November 7, 2014

Yeaaaah idk not that into the music in Sound of Rum. KT of course is great but I think her lyrical abilities have improved a ton in the last few years. She band she's playing with now is just crackers. Can't wait for her to come to New York next spring so I can tell everyone I missed it.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:44 PM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]