Bobby Esmond - It's Not What You Know... (EP)
Bobby Esmond has been quietly crafting UK hip hop gems for time now. He has worked extensively with the best in the game out here including Pete Cannon, Dr Syntax and Leaf dog to name a few. A founder of the Tactical Thinking imprint, he has been notoriously tight lipped with solo releases but has finally released a 4 track offering titled ‘It’s not what you know…’.
The self produced EP has several guest features, all bringing unique styles that work in perfect tandem, making the set gel together seamlessly. On the DJ Format-esque banger ‘Out with the Old’, Bobby lays down a chopped up funk roller whilst Suave Debonair brings a mix of tongue in cheek punchlines and super smooth flow. Their styles go hand in hand to give that true school hip hop party vibe.
On ‘Wiped Out, Dr Syntax steps in to bring that rock solid flow and gentlemanly swagger to a surf rock meets synth funk based backdrop. Mia Wilson lays down a super catchy hook whilst Bobby steps to the mic with a syncopated flow that locks into the beat with perfect unison.
Next up is ‘Ain’t Gonna Rain’ featuring Deadline. This track, as with the previous two, is clearly ready made for a big club system and cuts from a synth based hook to a Neptunes' style bass guitar loop whilst Deadline and Bobby spit bars about the stresses, strains, realities and ridiculousness that we’ve all experienced in relationships.
The final tune ‘Shake my Hand’ is the pick lyrically. The almost Ian Brown-esque chorus prepares us for the exploration of social pressures and how we all get caught in the trap of, for want of a better term, ‘bull-shitting' about who we are to fit in. ‘My self made image may imitate/ just a little shade of what I want to really say’ is Bobby’s opening lament used to describe the way we adapt to the expectations of the people around us even when we know it’s bollocks. Deadline chooses a more direct approach by saying ‘For every pair of scuffed trainers that I don / it’s 10 cool points and half of my pride gone’. I’ve met the guy and, to be fair, he was wearing some serious kicks! Musically this track has shades of Bobby’s roots being a multi instrumentalist in progressive rock bands through live drums, bass and guitar whilst Henry Roberts’ violin parts give an ‘Eleanor Rigby’ timbre that adds to the theme of loneliness and despair.
All in all there is something for all occasions on this EP and the 4 tracks are a taster that will leave you craving more...