NEWS
EVENTS
Hip Hop Legend: Chester P
Tuesday 5th March 2013 | Louise
2013 is shaping up to be an exciting year for hip hop. Why you ask? Because this year sees the return of the forefather of UK Hip Hop, Chester P. A seminal figure in the rap industry Chess has often been credited as influential by a wave of artists before him.
Prior to being a celebrated icon in Hip Hop history Chess began his rap career working alongside his brother Farma, in what would later become the most talked about collab in the past decade. Inside the Highbury estates of London in the late 90s the two brothers created Task Force, with Chess providing the main vocals and Farma creating the beats.
The brother’s first record New Mic Order shone through as a smooth piece of hip hop. Coupled with insane scratching from Mr. Thing alongside quality production value from Mark B, Task Force were beginning to make a name for themselves musically. However it wasn’t until their next record The Voice of the Great Outdoors dropped that the hype surrounding Task Force came to fruition.
The Great Outdoors EP itself is a flawless portrayal of the brothers thought processes, including some of the greatest hip hop tracks ever released such as Butterfly Concerto and Cosmic Gypsies, featuring incredible vocals from both Jehst and Braintax. The record was later released to Braintax’s label Low Life Records, however in early 2001 the brothers created their own business venture, a record label called Music From the Corner, which accompanied their first release: Music From the Corner 1. This sparked off a plethora of albums from the same name, cementing Task Force as the most formidable UK rap group of their time.
Task Force’s success is defined largely by their variety of releases, the often deep, profound lyricism and the consistently tight beats laid down by Farmz. Their close relationship together is yet another intrinsic part as to why these two have lead the way for other rappers in the UK scene.
Away from Task Force Chess was starting to create his own music, which proved to be just as creatively spectacular as his joint work. Many heads wondered how his release would fare without the support of Farma alongside him, however his solo debut From the Ashes proved to propel him further into higher levels of hip hop fame. Released in 2007 the album garnered positive acclaim and features stand out tracks such as Wickerman Theory and Faith, both of which are delivered with a rare panache and flair.
But what qualifies Chess as a Hip Hop legend is his brutal honesty in his music. In one of his latest offerings My Last Trip, an exclusive teaser just before the release of Music from the Corner 5, he waxes lyrical about his struggles trying to confront his demons - in the form of psychedelic drugs. The bars are powerful and intriguing, the words take you through a journey from his own mind describing each trip in poetic detail. To a lot of people this is why Chess will always be the king of the underground scene, but perhaps what also makes him such an iconic man in the world is rap is because his genuine love for music and for his family shines consistently through in the hip hop he makes.
