Chrome - Flow Man EP

East Anglian old hand Chrome continues to stroll through the decades and carries on coming on strong and hungry. Definitely leaning to the old skool, drum-hustling side of Def Tex’s Thanks But No Thanks, as opposed to the otherwise prevalent future frontiers, Dise Beats mans the controls with vibrant, vibing horns bellowing “who’s the man?”and bass-lodged drum snaps allowing DT to just let go about how nice he’s remained after all these years. Completing each bar with slavish grime-style attention to repetition, namechecks of society’s mightiest personalities (y’know, Hulk Hogan and Ian Botham) are completed without sounding clueless or classless, perfecting the science of making wordplay entertaining out of duplication. Big tune.
Hip-hoppers regular wear self-indulgence as a right of performance passage, but you can agree to a thumbs-up in Chrome’s direction for having a bash at a personal favourite, selecting Organised Konfusion’s Bring It On for tribute. With its descending bass getting its gristle upped to dig under ribs, and posse ready chorus repping stoop and street corner, Chrome has no problem wrapping his tongue around the syllable stacks presented by Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po. Nicely tying together the previous two encounters, there are further pronouncements of getting raw like ‘94 with the dangerous to know double bass and gritty Timberland booted attitude to Miles from Home, in tandem with Sir Beanz OBE. Originally a release with Beanz’ name on it, Chrome brings it back with a hard-headedly nimble spraying of warning shots to would-be challengers.