TAZ :
Analyse This

Release Date: 28 June 2004

Reviewed By: Usman Sajjad

1. Only God Can Judge Me

2. Fast Talk - feat, Skorpian

3. Wish Me Luck

4. Cowboy Film - feat, Kardinal Official

5. Flow Pro

6. Left Leg In

7. Can't Contain Me

8. Only If You Try

9. Lonely - feat, Smujji

10. If I Die Tomorrow - feat, Rickman & Cerose

11. Imagine This - feat, Terri Walker

12. Live & Learn

13. Change The Game - feat, Cerose

14. Just Walk - feat, Merga Man

15. Can't Contain Me [Video]

16. Tales From Da Manor {interview]

Lloyd Banks - Hunger For More
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Already dubbed the British answer to Kanye West, and showing similarity to Jay Z in his early days, Taz is the newest British sensation around at the moment. At 23 years of age, Taz bursts onto the lively British hip hop scene to join the likes of Wiley and Dizzee Rascal to lift all standards of British hip hop. The London rapper, if you don’t know, co-produced Dizzee Rascal’s 3rd single ‘Jus a Rascal’ and is now signed to Def Jam UK, the label home to the likes of Jay Z, DMX, LL Cool J, and is ready to explode with ‘Analyse This’, his debut album filled with unique sounds of urban and contemporary music.

His first single ‘Can’t Contain me’, an excellent, head moving track sees Taz use simplistic, well crafted rhymes , giving a preview of what he does best on “What does it take to be Taz / Well It takes style, charisma and a lot of energy / say what you want with no apology.”

Taz shows a certain unique art of quality, which not many rappers in Britain or even America have done this year on their debut albums - he spit ‘rhymes of knowledge’. By proving why he has been dubbed the ‘UK Kanye West’, he discusses real life issues such as child abduction, racism and living in poor conditions on ‘Live and Learn’. Confidently spitting rhymes such as “Don’t ask me/ Blame the school, its f***** up/ Black youths out here with no luck/ But keep ya head up, keep working and keep ye head up”. Taz continues to reach out to life prospects, on ‘Only if you try’, in which he urges the point of working hard and trying hard to get what one wants, over a excellent well paced beat.

Taz shows huge difference to other acts, due to his confidence in picking out the pointlessness in ‘fake Wannabe Yank rappers’ and specifically criticizing A&R’S policies in this country. Doing this on the wisdom filled ‘Only God Can Judge me’ in which he spits “For instance these British A&R’s don’t know talent if it slapped them in the face/ telling me to sound like Mase.” Taz shows talents in his raw, genuine, artistic flow on records such as ‘Fast Talk’ with Skorpian and ‘Flow Pro’, on which he wittily spits ‘Your old like analogue, I’m fresh like digital’ on ‘Flow Pro.

His attitude towards the women is shown on ‘Cowboy Film’ featuring Kardinal Official and ‘Lonely’ featuring UK r’n’b artist Smujji. Smujji’s vocals found on Fya’s debut ‘This Must Be Love’ are in same excellence to the vocals found on this smooth track. Taz shows his support to UK music by including Terri Walker on the influential ‘Imagine this’. We know Taz is here to stay and his intention to revolutionize hip hop is heard on the enthusiastic strong ‘Change the Game’ with Marga Man.

An excellent and strong album from the 23 year old in which Taz is at very high calibre in his rhymes and is confident to say what he desires. He strongly discusses real life issues and difficulties. There are no real party or fast beats found on the album, except on his first single ‘Can’t contain me’. Some may find the album boring, if one is looking for constant variation in the beats on ‘Analyse this’. Other than this, a groundbreaking debut for the unique, energetic Taz and this album is a suggested buy for anyone who is feeling the UK Hip hop music at the moment - Taz will not disappoint with his proud ness of his British origins incorporated in his rhymes.

4 out of 5

Top 3 Tracks
7. Can’t contain me
1 Only God can Judge me
12. Live and Learn

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