Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1990, London rappers Bionic and Rodney P released arguably the first true UK hip-hop album. A potent blend of the reggae, dub and cockneyfied rhymes, their debut album
Gangster Chronicle was also to be their last. Successful though it was, when their label went bust, it ceased to be commercially available. Rodney P later became a leading light in UK hip-hop, Bionic got into drum 'n' bass, and
Gangster Chronicle was all but forgotten about. Over a decade on and the original ten tacks, plus four ill-fated follow-up singles, have finally been resurrected and re-issued. And while a lot of water has passed under hip-hop's bridge since its first airing, it's fair to say nothing's ever sounded quite as London as this. Produced by radio DJ
Tim Westwood, it wasn't just Rodney P's Lundunn accent, Bionic's ragga toasting and slang only Ali G could appreciate that set the pair apart. Their use of dancehall reggae ("Money Mad", "Livin' Pancoot"),
Soul II Soul grooves ("How's Life in London") and speaker throbbing dub ("Oversized Idiot") ensured they were nothing like their US counterparts or anything else since. In retrospect, some of the boasting & bragging sounds naff, and the strength of Rodney's cockney accent on "Live Like the Other Half" verges on ridiculous, but essentially it's still as alive and unique as UK hip-hop gets. --
Dan Gennoe