Shameless - ‘Smokers Die Younger’ (All City) Released 28/05/07

July 1st 2007. Less than a month to go to the end of British freedom of choice as we know it. As the UK masses enjoy their last few cancer sticks down the boozer and consider emigrating to some tiny Eastern European country where it is still culturally acceptable to have a fag whilst fixing a gas leak, or delivering a baby, it is easy to forget the reasoning behind this ridiculous decision. Maybe UK rapper Shameless's debut album 'Smokers Die Younger' will provide a timely, frank reminder of the dangers of delicious cigarettes, a reason to quit, the soundtrack, neigh, the anthem for 'Smokefree Summer 2007'.

Or maybe not. As the standardly thumping UK hip hop bassline of the album intro rolls on through, it becomes apparent that Shameless' smokers are not the yellow fingered old women in the launderette, or the office workers huddled together for warmth sharing one Marlboro Light - Shamless' smokers smoke them funny fags you make yourself, from stuff you buy off a man in Camden, and which are already quite illegal. Shameless is, you see, just another UK rapper trying to be a G, 'bunging weed', and inevitably 'spraying bullets' all over the shop. The raps tell a familiar tale of being a disadvantaged kid, growing up in the endz, making good with music, and not caring about major labels and stuff. Hmm, heard this all before. From Skinny Man, through Kano, to Klashnekoff, to Plan B, it's all the same old thing – it’s a pity for our Shameless that the aforementioned chaps do it so much better.

'Everyday' for example, might as well actually be Skinny Man himself, using the same old soul tune sample formula as a break, with the worn out ol' description of the day to day grind of a pseudo ghetto UK lifestyle, again, getting baked and spraying bullets etc. Yawn. 'Get Away' even nicks the same style of interlude from Skinny's 2004 banger 'Council Estate of Mind', employing the talents of some rough as **** cockney geezer to spout off for a few minutes. Shameless then shamelessly turns his attention to other formulas and style carved out by UK rappers, and has a go at butchering some of these; 'Addicted' is the now mandatory slushy UK rapper turned niceboy lovesong about a girl etc etc, made great by Kano. Spanish guitars, R'n'B beats, and lots of poor metaphors about being addicted to a girl like ecstasy. Standard.