Album Reviews
Two Fingers - S/T
Hip hop has seldom celebrated the spirit of Trans-Atlanticism, but Two Fingers’ self-titled album dredges up dark and international flavors for an album that is an island between cultures. Two Fingers takes on the template of late 90’s era electronica (primarily drum ‘n’ bass and trip hop) and cross-pollinates it with hip hop aesthetic, creating a sonic middle ground palatable to enthusiasts of either genre. The beats are an international affair, served up by Amon Tobin, the Brazilian legendary drum ‘n’ bass and trip hop innovator and Joe “Doubleclick” Chapman. The deep fuzzy bass and driving beats (Electronica geeks may call it a bit “aggro”) feature the rapid-fire flow of North Londoner Sway and the lazy raps of Missy protégé Ms Jade. Sway’s Cockney drenched word bullets fly on “That Girl,” a big drummed jam that’d gives “Bombs Over Baghdad,” a run for it’s frenetic money. The album creates a new sound for English rap, which breaks from a streak of bad luck in the States. The unpopularity of U.K rap in America has less to do with the choppy Cocky accents and undecipherable cultural references (Sowf Londo’ digs on the “woop-woop” don’t help either), as it does beat incongruity. English rap and American hip hop evolved in distinctly different environments; whereas American hip hop takes cues (and most of its samples) from soul and funk songs, English hip hop derives its influence from dub, dancehall, and early techno. Drop an American hip hopper into a Brixton club and immediately watch the Septic (rhyming Cockney for Yank) become the water in the oil. The beats just don’t make sense. Most Americans dance on “on the one,” (just ask James Brown) so when dub and English rap drop on the fourth beat, American asses cease movement. But Two Fingers’ rumbling debut gets asses shaking for East End birds ‘n’ blokes and homies in the Westside Connection.
from Flaunt Magazine, Issue 103 2008
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