Word Is Born review

[Kam Gill]

Album: Word Is Born
Artists: Specialist & Tru-Skool
Label: Easy Life Records

Having released his debut album titled ‘Higher Intelligence’ in 1997, The Specialist teams up with Tru-Skool to give us ‘Word Is Born’. In the past seven years, The Specialist, who was big on the club circuit, has put that on hold to Co-Produce this ten track album that puts a lot of the albums out this year to shame. Having worked with artists of the calibre of Panjabi MC in the past, he combines his production talents with the talented Tru-skool , whose knowledge of instruments is shown throughout the album having played the Tabla, Dholki, Dhol, Tumbi and Harmonium on this project.

The first track on the album ‘Sanehvaal Chounk’ simply leaves you wanting more. It’s a great introduction and a taster of things to come. It’s desi music mixed with hip hop, done the right way. Yes, this album has samples but the difference between this and other albums is that the samples are used intelligently and simply add to the track rather than dominate it.

‘Saibaa Dha Khath’ features Kulvinder Singh Johal, who does a great a job in catching the essence of the original done by the mighty Kuldip Manak. I expect this one to be popular at parties for the coming months. ‘Bindhi Koka’, preformed by Labh Janjua is a another track that bounces up at you, making you realise that these guys are not amateurs, they have done their homework and can expect excellent grades from the ever so important public.

‘Mooho Boldhi’ and ‘Basakhi Vaaleh Melah’ also stand out on this album. In a strange kind of way this album reminds me of when Tigerstyle released ‘The Rising’. Powerful vocalists, raw beats intertwined with desi flavours giving an altogether exciting feel. A few people are saying this is sure to be album of the year. That remains to be seen. What it is for sure, is a well produced album for music lovers to get lost in.

The Word is surely born.

Review By Kam Gill

[JG]

Not one weak track. Absolutely amazing album. People have been talking about this alot in Nottingham over the last few weeks and for once an album has not only lived upto expectations but exceeded the hype which is an absolute rariety these days. desi beats like we've never heard before mixed in with a few tracks that quite easily could have been on a mainstream album. NO MC's hurray!!!!!
Definatley going to be big.

Agree with the Tigerstyle similarity I think this album will blow up over the next few months.

10/10 for every track and 11/10 for the album. thats how good i think it is and fair play to them for having a go at doing it all themselves. videos phatt cause it shows the real life not driving around in limos and their uncles bmw's and having no tarts dancing around them. They showed it how it is RESPECT.


JG

[Ashamed]

I can't belive this album!

I heard the chittie sabhia track on tony & kams show on raaj radio 2nite & i thought it was manak, even thought they said it was someone else.
I 've just listend to all 10 traxs o nthis site & I hav 2 say this album is ....................................................................
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[glow=red,2,300]

THE DOG'S BOLLOX! BEST ALBUM AFTER A LONG TIME

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[Mr Opinion]

The review given by this site was really good but a bit brief on some tracks rather than others.

This album is brilliant and shows many different emotions of the producers - To me this is what production is all about and the way certain tracks are put together is on a very high level of production

The producers must have spent a long time on producing and mixing the tracks (yes thay are 2 different things) and this album must be supported - BHANGRA MUST BE PUSHED TO HIGHER LEVEL SO SUPPORT THE GOOD ARTISTS

SHOW SUM LOVE

[daboss]

Well said!

[support]

GIVE A SMILEY FACE FOR GOOD PRODUCERS ;D

[MissDesi]

I like this album. Bindi koka is my fav!!

[sexigyal]

BINDI KOKA is wicked - should take voice off and make that beat into hip hop ...would go bigtimez

heavy

[Summan]

yeh Binda Koka's ok.

my fave has to be Sabah Dah Khath..puure desi classic...love it!

album...umm im not too sure. i dont really like the whole album personally, but theres a pretty wide selection on there. and most albums only contain 1/2 good tunes out of a selection of like 4! But this one has a good set of songs on it, all for different tastes. So i giv credit for that alone.

[MissDesi]

yeh true. I think it is a good album though compard to the other albums that have been released.

[desitunez]

How many Asian people do you know that think that hip-hop and rap music started with 2Pac and finished with 2Pac with a little squeeze of 50 Cent thrown in near the end? Loads I reckon, but that's not the case. New York in the mid nineties was brimming with talent from Nas, Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and of course Biggie Smalls and in their debut album, production duo Specialist & Tru Skool give us a real NYC kick up the ass - desi style!!

First of all, I'll give you a quick intro to who Specialist & Tru Skool are: The Specialist has been around for a few years, appearing on many albums and DJ'ing around the circuit. This is by no means his debut album neither. His solo album was one of the most underated album back in the day entitled 'Higher Intellignece', and he also co-produced the Ballly Rai album '2 Lethal Desi'.Tru-Skool is the main desi influence in the duo; he plays all the Indian instruments to give the duo that extra desi edge. This release is the first on the new Easy Life Records label.

The main themes of 'Word Is Born' are summed up on the cover, which has images of traditional Indian instruments and some number signifying the digital age and how the two have been put together. It's not often that an Asian cover actually has some meaning and connotations behind it; it's unfortunate that cars and cheesy grins sell records.

The album kicks off with 'Sanehvaal Chounk', the main dance floor filler of the disc. Kaka Bhainivaala, the guy who sang Tigerstyle's 'Nachna Onda Nei', lays down an absolutely faultless vocal, sounding remarkably like Lembher over a cleverly produced track combining the old skool hip hop feel with some profound desi instruments.

The second track is 'Saibaa Dha Khath', the first of two old Kuldip Manak tunes emulated by Kulvinder Singh Johal. More of a desi flavour than the opening track, the keys underneath sounds brilliant as a cushion for what are quite raw vocals from Johal. When the beat is brought back at the end of the track you appreciate how the production has been laid down to great effect.

We're then blessed with one of my favourite singers on track three. The superb Ranjit Mani puts down a sick vocal over a Nas sample for 'Nashia Tho Dhoor', which makes possibly the best tune of the album. The Specialist puts down some cool scratching which complete the New York hip-hop sound and the desi work over the sample give this a wicked feel.

Now when you hear Labh Janjua's name you think of club classics like 'Kala Kala Munda', 'Ishq Nagni' and of course 'Mundian Tho Bach Ke', but when you listen to 'Bhindi Koka' you see a totally new aspect to Janjua. The man is singing over what is some kind of ballad, a bit like Everlast's stuff, and he sounds totally in at home. Dave Shepherd's guitar sound is great and the Indian flutes over it are pure harmony. Another rated track.

Labh Janjua stays on the line for track five, a proper 'nachdey' track called 'Basakhi Vaaleh Meleh'. Its got desi written all over it but the b-line has actually been taken from ODB's classic 'Got Your Money', and the effect is subtle enough not to be noticed. The production is crisper than Walkers and Janjua is on fire once more.

The desi vibe remains but is more chilled for track six, 'Mooho Boldhi'. This is the only track on the album I would call average, it's a desi joint and not much more, dholki, tabla and tumbi on the go but there's not much else to it.

The second Manak cover is number seven, which has a proper thug beat from NYC, and is one of my favourites on the album. The melodies are brilliant and Specialist scratches in some Mobb Deep vocal samples to perfect effect and you never thought desi singers could sound so Godfather. It's Kulvinder Singh Johal's best efforts on the album for me.

The hip-hop beats stay in touch for track eight, 'Thoka' with Labh Janjua returning on vocals. The strings are brilliant and lean well against a strong dholki and the beat brings the best out of Mr Janjua. Nearly at the end of the album and I've liked all but one track, this must be special.

As track nine fades in you can tell its top tune from the chords and Janjua is on fire again. 'Raah Ni Labhney' is a simple yet groovy desi piece which you just wouldn't change anything.

The album unfortunately finishes with 'Maama Dhe Poth'. I say unfortunately because I didn't want it to end. The track opens with a collection of mixed in vocal intros from some known NYC hip-hop tracks, I could pick out Mobb Deep's 'Give Up The Goods' amongst others and tells you where the 'Word' was born from. The musical intro is great, slow and a sharp crescendo through Kulvinder Singh Johal's vocal into one of the best laid back desi tracks.' The guitar is a bit like Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wildside' and the chorus is powerful. It's another big tune.

Now, we were chatting about this album in the DT4U office and said that most top albums have a killer track, another three or four decent ones and a few fillers. 'Word Is Born' doesn't have that killer track; the whole of the album is a killer! If you haven't seen the music video click here now to view it. With some top notch vocal performances and some sick production, 'Word Is Born' gets a massive 8.7 out of 10 as I think its groundbreaking, eclectic and shows that albums are made up of ten tracks and not one massive tune to carry it. Go out and buy it, it's wicked!!


desi tunes review

[RIPZ]

NAAAAAAAAA DIS ALBULMS NOT 4 ME MAN!!!!!!!!! I H8 IT!!!!!!! DA SNGS ALWAYS ON ZEE MUZIC N IT REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELY P***** ME OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOZ PEEPS!!!

[Deepy]

Da album isssss phattttt!!!!!! hevy tunes n a gd vid!! luv da advertisement on zee music for da album, wellll sweet voiceeee!! da video is all gd nowt wrng wiv it! n i luv da album cse wiked job!! da sngs r hevy extremly catchy! Basically it militantttttt!!!!! ;D

[G'Work$]

Proper oldskool album !

[Raveen]

[glow=red,2,300]It's a HEAVY album!!!!....that's all I need to say....[/glow] ;D