Mixtape Review: Ghetts Momentum

It’s nice to see artists still putting in the work during the festive season, providing their loyal fans with that little extra pressie ‘under the tree’. This Christmas saw every grime fans dreams come true with the release of Ghetts’ 19 track mixtape Momentum. With features from the likes of; Mercston, Giggs, Brutal, Badness, Rawz Artilla, Devlin, Kyzer & Seyin this East London MC brought grime back to life from the underground, gritty and fresher than ever. Hosted by one of the newest members to support the UK grime scene DJ Whoo Kid, who has also hosted mixtapes from Tinie Tempah, Skepta, Giggs and Wiley.

Momentum begins with a Merry Xmas Intro not exactly your traditional Christmas carol but a Christmas greeting nonetheless. No mixtape would be complete without the host’s voice laid out all over the track so expect to hear that all throughout the rest of the mixtape. Also this intro features a message from fellow MC Stutta who decides to give us a piece of his mind…

 The first official track is entitled In A Zone, Ghetts spits over a dubstep beat which isn’t exactly out of the ordinary for him as he is all too familiar with it judging from his previous track with XFactor’s very own Cher Lloyd – Dub On The Track.

…I don’t wana leave so an exit is irrelevant; I’ve been in the zone so long I’m a resident…

Karma takes on a different approach and for 4 whole minutes I feel like I’ve morphed onto the set of ‘Freddy vs. Jason’. You do somewhat become a little scared, whilst hearing this track but it’s that sort of frightened that afterwards you think ‘hang on I actually, strangely enough really liked that’. I love how Ghetts transforms into a deranged psycho – not saying this kind of behaviour tickles my fancy but when I listen to this track a vivid picture is immediately painted and I almost feel as though I am right there with Ghetts as he seeks revenge on his victim.

…the only thing going through my mind is a sentence…murderer…I’m in a worse position than I was earlier…

Next up is another quite emotional track featuring Mercston called Red Pill. If like me you’re sort of a nerdy film buff then the title alone will automatically remind you of the scenario which occurred in The Matrix where Neo had to choose between two pills (red or blue) to decide his fate. I think this track surfaces along those lines of choices as when we get older we immediately begin to consider what paths in life we want to take…

…I’m tryna walk on a righteous path, anybody that knows me well will tell you I don’t wana write violent bars…

Not only does Ghetts reflect maturity throughout this track but him and Mercston voice their opinions about the current climate we live in…

Ghetts:

…screaming knowledge is power, open a book knowledge is ours, now I can have an argument in parliament with them when its politics hour…

Mercston:

…imagine if Jack was Jill and Humpty was Dothery what I’m saying is how do we know what’s real; we’re all programmed still…

Insight is basically self explanatory as it’s a track which gives you exactly 5 minutes to learn a bit more about the character that is Ghetts…

…secondary school dropout….

…my birth names Justin my dawgs call me Reg, what’s next Ghetts I swapped the O for the S….

…I’m a man with a lot of names, a man with dirt on my hands that I can’t wash away, a man only hell can accommodate, but I’m also a man only god can change…

Venomous Tongue is a track where Ghetts sounds like he’s on one; his flow here is literally crazy as he lets his lyrics run wild with him, totally bringing back that ‘old skool’ grime vibe with this one.

…GHE, I’ll burn a man with a GHD’s, then tell my girlfriend to finish her hair later…

…eat Mc’s alive, eat Mc’s alive, eat MC’s alive…

Not Loose – if I described venomous tongue as a track bringing back grime because of Ghetts’ ‘ridiculous flow’ (meaning that in the nicest way possible), then the beat on this track would have to win first prize for being the ultimate ‘old skool’ grime track.

…first it was Bashy, then it was Napper, then it was Flirta D, then it was Wiley, then it was Skepta but no one murdered me, then it was P…

Ghetts defends himself in this track to be one of the best MC’s and I’m sure all true grime fans will never forget the epic freestyle battle performed by himself and Bashy where tensions got a little bit out of control.

Track 8 No Comment ft. Giggs, quite an inventive collaboration from these two artists, correct me if I’m wrong but I haven’t heard Ghetts and Giggs on a track together so this one immediately came to my attention. Simply because of the contrast between the two different flows, Ghetts’ angry yet passionate lyrics vs. Gigs’ laidback, punch line lyrics.

Ghetts:

…The industry don’t want this, two, three, n****** who belong with the convicts running around getting music money, so what you know about 4 bags or a 16…

Giggs:

…f*** the speculation I’m confirming the s***, f*** a do not disturb sign I’ma burst in this b****…

 I’m a Rebel; I think Ghetts tells us the very reasons behind his eccentric characteristics in this very track…

…I never abide by the rules…

…I can’t help myself I’m Max Branning…

Orions Belt – hmmm so 10 tracks in and I smell a track for the ladies. You already know too well that I’m literally wetting my pants right now as Ghetts even tries his luck at a little singing on the old chorus there…

…she don’t want a sweet boy she want a real rough neck – rude girl, she rather a man cooked food than a meal up west – rude girl…

Troubled Man – you just know this track is going to have a real deep message behind it. Ghetts tells us why being young and black in a white man’s world is the hardest struggle many will ultimately face. This track also has a very soulful vibe which plays hand in hand with the lyrical content.

…council housing, foul surroundings, it’s a blood bath and my town is drowning, some young dawgs in the balcony shouting, where I use to come past with an ounce in my Calvin’s…

…I do wrongs and I’m sorry every time but where I come from the minority is deprived, the economy turned us into cons, am I right? all the government ever did is take from us and obviously we went and responded with crime…

Story of the Pauper – this track has a similar outtake to the previous track Troubled Man as the concept Ghetts uses here is one of a storytelling nature. He conveys a mixture of his personal experiences and a generalisation of common issues facing those currently just managing to scrap by on a day to day basis.

…how you gonna tell a kid they ain’t got to rob, when the only role model he has just lost his job, unemployed without another choice heading down the same path he tried to make his son avoid…

…I don’t expect those from outside the slums to understand this, how you gonna relate your mum and dad’s rich, welcome to my ends it’s gully and none of us are getting no inheritance money…

Track 13 is entitled Girl At Home ft. Brutal, I don’t even have to say much you guys already know the drill but I will say one thing though Ghetts and Brutal show some genuine loyalty to that one special girl that quietly waits for them at home…

Ghetts:

…I don’t wana see my Mrs miserable, so when I’m in a dance these other b****** are invisible, thou shall not commit adultery, my n***** I’m living biblical…

Brutal:

…even though I use to think with the same mind as Peter north, back then I woulda beat of course…

The East London grime MC, Ghetts drops a free EP for us as a christmas present. This year has definitely been a good year for the grime ledges, with his smashing single ‘On The Level’.
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