Roots Manuva is one of Britain’s most distinctive MCs.
Sure, his flow owes much to Stateside hip hop but the rapper came of age amongst the London soundsystem scenes. Dancehall’s outlandish behaviour and over the top sense of humour infused his work, allowing a sense of British-ness to creep in.
Recently the MC was given a reminder of his roots. Acclaimed producer Wrong Tom supplied a remix for the rapper, impressing Roots Manuva with his forward thinking take on digital dancehall.
Soon label Ninja Tune had stepped in, providing Wrong Tom with the stems to some of the rapper’s finest cuts. The result is an album which firmly places Roots Manuva within the British dancehall tradition.
Retaining the essential flow of the MC’s rhymes, the background production is demolished in what is more a complete overhaul than a standard remix. Out today (September 6th) ‘Duppy Writer’ isn’t the first Roots Manuva redub, but it is certainly one of the most complete.
Far from a standard re-working, the result feels like a cohesive collaboration. To celebrate, ClashMusic has grabbed Wrong Tom’s version of ‘Butterfly Crab Walk’ as an introduction to the project.
A stunning slice of dancehall, the track retains Roots Manuva’s effortless rhymes and features a guest slot from Riddla.
Listen to it now… Grab it HERE.
