Edan 'Beauty & The Beat' (Lewis Recordings) Released 14/03/05

The Humble Magnificent returns! After 2002’s exemplary Primitive Plus Edan returns with a sucker punch to any lazy bling-wannabe hip hopper. A lesson from the floppy haired Boston based rhyme animal on how rap should be done…

From the word go ‘Beauty And The Beat’ offers real thrills, even the intro is a dazzling piece of psychedelic boom bap that sounds completely on its own planet. Imagine Syd Barrett ripped to shreds at a love in with a boom box instead of a Stratocaster and you still haven’t done anywhere enough acid. This segues superbly into ‘Funky Voltron’ which rolls along with the funk of Curtis Mayfield with a dab of Chronic era Dre synth recorded in a biscuit tin. Last year’s single ‘I See Colours’ follows and is, to talk technically, “off its tiiiiiiiits”. Samples jar together in a haze to create the most incredible lo fi psychedelic jam that has ever destroyed chromazones.

This record is relentless in its pursuit of trying to find the answer to the question of what would hip hop sound like had it been invented by an insane lysergia cult in London circa 67?… It’s not just in the production the wordplay is stunning, Edan knows how to rock the M-I-C and on Torture Chamber he demonstrates this with gusto. Couplets bounce across the speakers quicker than Superman could wank, across a beat that’s destined to leave reckless teenagers’ pupils wider than their skulls.

The best moments lay towards the end of this masterwork with ‘Making Planets’ grabbing your hand and leading you towards the light but at the same time making sure you’re wearing laceless Adidas. The juxtaposition of old skool boom-bap hip hop and UFO club London truly is a rude awakening and never once sounds like he’s trying to hard.

The only downsides to the album is its duration; only thirty four minutes long and when you consider that some of the verses are merely perfected versions of earlier works you would think it may have been rushed. This isn’t the case and considering that this LP was being touted on a single released last Spring it would have been great to hear fresh verses.

To complain that it has the most original half hour of music you are likely to hear all year though is preposterous. The ‘hippy-hop’ sounds are irresistible and the finale ‘Promised Land’ is by far and away the most original rap choon you will have heard for years, I kid you not. 'Beauty And The Beat'? I couldn’t have put it better myself.