Don't Sleep On: Big Smokin' Joe - Single Minded
Hailing from Burnham-On-Sea, a sleepy South West town that is frequented by coach loads of OAPs visiting from the midlands, BigSmokin'Joe is not necessarily in the place that you would expect for an enigmatic and seriously driven MC and producer, but somehow he has built a local following, and through connections and self bullt interest, he has crafted a successful musical career.
As the founder of Eye Manfiest records and developing The Glastonbury Grow Rooms, the former DNB MC has crafted a defined, lo-fi sound and style that has led to him embarking on a tour in Australia! Last time we spoke about BSG he was our Amplify artist of the month (read the interview here) so check that for more info about the artist himself, but right now we want to let you know about a rather dope album that he dropped recently called Single Minded.
WIth 10 of the 12 tracks being self-produced, BigSmokin'Joe has a defined sound, with seriously strong Sean Price inspired Boom Bap vibes that'll get you head nodding and laughing at the sam time. With each track he has a visual to tell the story of the project in a different, and more creative way.
With an honest and at points light hearted approach to his content, Joe talks about life in a relatable and entertaining way. When it comes to live shows he's one of the finest performers on the UK scene, controlling crowd in incredible ways, and using clever techniques and skits to blend his tracks together. If you've seen artists like De La Soul performing in their hay day, or Slum Village when Dilla was around, you'll get an idea of the seamless transitions between tracks. The common theme is his clear admiration and passion for classic artists, with Sean P being a common theme, and also an artist who he's created a tribute to as the opening to Single Minded.
His defined visual style is the first step in developing the self run EyeManifest label, which, as you may expect from BigSmokin'Joe's sound, is working with a wide variety of talented lyricists to develop dope hip-hop for future generations. Joe is currently developing EyeManifest events, including a regular event at the Glastonbury Grow Rooms, a new venue in which he's helping to shine light on talented artists around the South West and beyond. He's touring around Oz until March and then he'll be back in Glastonbury smashing the hosting and live vibes.
There's a wide variety of videos for Singe Minded, but our favourites are Nothing To My Names and Crazy Cheddar. Also, be sure to check Vexed, produced by Wordplay's very own Vice beats.
In addition to a digital version of the album, Joe is currently crowd funding for 12" Vinyl via Qrates. You can Pre-Order your wax here: https://qrates.com/artists/bigsmokinj...
Also, Joe will be involved in a VERY exciting Wordplay shindig that we'll be revealing VERY soon!
So, that's BigSmokin'Joe for now, be sure to check this fella, and as ever support your scene and get involved in sharing, caring and copping that wax!
Check out BigSmokin'Joe just about everywhere!...
CD's & Merchandise http://eyemanifestrecords.bigcartel.com/
Download Full Album Bandcamp https://bigsmokinjoe.bandcamp.com/alb...
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sin...
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/04HifD...
https://bigsmokinjoe.com
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Words by James Kennaby
