It’s been a while since I posted a tune, so here’s something a little special and different – a rare and in-demand UK hardcore hiphop track from around 1989. This was first brought to my attention by Luke Vibert who also featured it in his Classic Hardcore UK Hip Hop Mix posted here years ago. “Uno Get Ruff” has a bit of a different feel to me from the other early UK Hiphop + Britcore stuff I like so much. The production sounds a bit more grimey and home-brew (in a good way) than your average hard-hitting Simon Harris or MOL production, though it clearly works here. The musical elements are all wicked: a classic loop or two, scratching, low fi acid bleeps, and a nice crunchy breakbeat. Also of note with this release (and one of the reasons it’s relevant to this site): the music was produced by one Amos Bellot, aka Sky Joose from Ibiza / Third Eye / Jet Star etc. It’s quite cool to hear such a choice hardcore/jungle producer a couple years before he started making that style, since almost all the elements featured in those styles are already there in this track, just in hip hop form.
Johnny MC – Uno Get Rough