I had no idea this ever came out - the first MC-fronted jungle album. 1996.
This later EP from 2002 has a title that nods towards - perhaps forms a matching book end with - an era-inaugurating album from 1991.
What Ragga Twins and Det had heralded was at that moment reaching fruition with grime
Wonder how this post-SUAD Ragga Twins effort from '95 sounds? Probably not very ragga-y.
As Carl acknowledges in his review, jungle MCs rarely worked as "feat." artists on record - their style was built for and around the live set at a rave on a pirate
What are the great examples of a jungle MC doing it in the studio?
MC GQ is grrrrrrreat on this but it's really just one lick. Well one hook-lick and a bit of chat.
This is an exciting performance by UK Apachi - it cuts back and forth between a singjay sing-song mode that's quite plaintive and jabbered fast-chat that's raggaruff.
This from Stevie Hyper D is very early - 1991 - but it's more like a dancehall vocal rather than jungle MC-ing
Likewise this from the next year
Fun but pales next to this
Stevie Hyper D also did EP called Junglist Hooligan and the track "Junglist Soldier" in '95 and '96
A take on "Rub a Dub Soldier"
Another very early effort - 1991 - is Killer Man Archer - on "Narra Mine"
But it is more like a dancehall deejay guesting than a junglist MC (okay it's points along a line but feels like there's a distinction )
I went looking and found that MCs featuring in jungle records seemed to happen more towards the end of the '90s (which surprised me) and that earlier quite often if I look for say a famous MC like Navigator, they'll appear in discogs as the producer of a track. Bit like with MC Duke.
update 7/28 - how could I miss this one? MC Lethal's "The Rave Digger"
Except there's no MC-ing on it - he's one of the rave MCs who moved into production
Ditto this
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Suggestions in comments
nominated Anonymously
MC Dynamite on Roni Size / Reprazent's "Brown Paper Bag"
DaveK in comments pointing out the Conrad remix of PFM - which features his uniquely smoov and serene style of chill chat - reminds me that I have been remiss about RIP-ing MC Conrad.
DaveK also mentions this early effort involving MC Fearless on the Boogie Beat label
That's rather good and I like the melodic interpolation from "Moments in Love" too
Here's the whole Weekend Rush Part 3 EP
He also mentions Bassman's contribution to this classic
That's more on the lines of GQ on "Roll Da Beats"
Going back to Fearless, here's a bunch of later 'feat.s" from around '96
Aha - bit later than the period I'm looking at - but in 2003 Fearless teamed up with Shabba D, Skibadee and Det for this release under the group name The Professionals
There's a great tune featuring Skibadee but it's UKG
uploaded by yourstrools 4 da commonwealth
Another one that doesn't really count - it's not a release, it's an advert - is this pirate ad for Telepathy, the MC whose name I'm blanking on is also the guy who ran the club, indeed he voiced all their ads
