The Herbaliser - Take London (2005)

If Surrounded By Silence (Prefuse 73) isn't the type of hip-hop that you'd put on to get the party started, then Take London most certainly is. With phat beats, razor-sharp rhymes and a heavy dose of the funky stuff, The Herbaliser will have your head nodding and your feet moving. Hailing from the U.K., The Herbaliser is a production team that combine the best elements of hip-hop, soul and funk, to produce a sound you'll want to revisit again and again. Similar to Prefuse 73, The Herbaliser recruit a slew of guest MCs to add rhymes to their rock solid productions, and they also divide the tracks between vocals and instrumentals. My only qualm with the album, is that the sequencing sometimes leads an up-beat vocal track into a slow grooving instrumental, which seems to upset the flow slightly, however, this is a small gripe. The highlight tracks for me are Generals, which features six MCs throwing down on the one track and never fails to get increase my heart beat (particularly when I'm doing my best B-Boy impression on those LA freeways); Lord, Lord, which features the inimitable Roots Manuva ('nuff said); and Gadget Funk, which is an electro-funk jam that is sure to have your bootie shaking. All in all, The Herbaliser is a quality album that should appeal to hip-hop heads and the casual listener alike.

Check out: http://www.herbaliser.com/