Review

Late: UK Rapscallion (Wolftown Recordings)

At over a decade in the game, Late gets full marks for effort and passion, but at least once in each track on UK Rapscallion he sounds more than a bit wooden, almost like he’s reading someone elses lyrics (for the first time).

This, coupled with the fact he’s bragging about how brilliant he is, doesn’t make an ideal advert for him. Musically too, the album suffers, with many tracks sounding like they’ve been hastily knocked up on a laptop to fit a bunch of verses. On the whole though it’s atmosphere that lets the album down more than technical or material points.

If the whole thing had been recorded live it would be a completely different matter, as it stands, the album is clinically recorded and sonically flat. The high point of the album worth checking out is the six minute Mic Controllers, featuring over ten rappers taking their turn to spit a verse or two. Again, if this track had been recorded live, it would have so much more life in it.
Words ADAM IRVING