Words: Cee
Mix certain finer elements of life together, you get a madness. Mix one of the most lyrical rappers in the UK, some old school favourites, and a touch of class and finesse, you get Youngs Teflon’s ‘March Madness’.
Now, when a tape opens up with an intro taken straight out of Goodfellas (if you haven’t seen this film yet, you’re not on job) and goes straight in on a LOX instrumental like “None Of Y’all Better” (that CLASSIC DJ Premier sound), we already know we have to get the oven mitts out, cos’ this is about to get seriously hot.
When the tape then takes us onto the classic EPMD beat, “It’s My Thing”, and Tef’ starts spitting that 90’s gangsta street suaveness and dropping sauce all over the beat, we had to get a full on anti inflammatory suit thing (like the fire mandem).
In the two opening tracks mentioned above, ‘March Madness’ opens up like a can of Perrier waiting to be poured over ice with a slice of lemon; it’s clean and refreshing.
In an era where the trend is a lot of trap, a lot of codeine type beats (you know what I mean) and, of course, the popularity of grime going through the roof, a lot of grime productions (but hey, we’re not complaining at all), it’s good to hear someone as talented as Tef’ go back to some classic instrumentals and show the people that same passion and ability he’s always put into his work.
“Money Trees” creeps in behind those two opening tracks. Tef’ effortlessly ascends the top of it with an impeccable flow to match that of Kendrick Lamar’s original, with punch lines galore and real life stories to go with it. It’s a nice way to introduce another West Coast classic.
If ever there was a case, then murder was the one. “Murder Was The Case” catapulted Snoop Dogg to the world with a real story that had the whole world transfixed about the reality of the tune and the style it was delivered in. As soon as that dope Dr Dre production hits the speakers laced with Tef’s distinguished and unique style, it’s like 1994 all over again. Gritty street stories that will have your head bopping heavily til’ the very end, with a crescendo flow leaving you on the edge for a plot twist in every bar. Real shit!
There are so many genuine gems on this project, as much as I really don’t want to spoil the whole tape for you guys, I need to run through a couple more.
The next joint is possibly one of my favourite instrumentals of all time. Nas, AZ, Cormega and Foxy Brown killed this back in ’97 (before we had Nicki, we had Foxy and she rapped about “he had a fucking villa in Manilla” aiggght) and this track featured on Nas’ ‘It Was Written’ album. While some people were under the misconception that “Affirmative Action” was produced by Dr Dre, it was actually produced by Dave Atkinson and Trackmasters, and was also a huge international hit with an official French remix which featured legendary French rap duo NTM alongside Nas. Anyway, fast forward to 2016 and Tef’ spins this beyond any other type of storytelling abilities I’ve heard recently, executing the perfect mafiaesque scenario, sounding like it was taken straight out of a movie. Close your eyes, listen and let the story unfold as he paints the most vivid picture. The only downside to this tune is that it’s way too short, but I guess that will just leave you wanting more.
This dope project carries on with some more classic fire from “Guess Who’s Back”, to the emotional “Just A Moment”, where Tef’ gives us a heartfelt rendition of the Nas and Quan classic but in his own words, to “Bartender” (T-Pain & Akon… remember them?) where he shows his versatility in a mini love song wearing his heart on his sleeve as ever.
Fast forward a couple tracks (not that you’ll want to skip them, but I can’t give everything away on this tape without you discovering it first) and we have one the biggest tracks of the tape, in my opinion. Not only is this a classic instrumental, but it’s also a classic instrumental from the UK which holds a lot of history and importance within the foundation of the scene we are now all happily sitting in.
The year is 2008 and a legendary tape featuring Giggs (the landlord) and Dubz dropped called ‘Ard Bodied’ (please download it for your history’s sake if you still haven’t done so). On that tape was a track that was to become a classic. The track is entitled “Pain Is The Essence” and the rest is history as they say (seriously, if you still don’t know about it then I don’t know man…).
Tef’ does this justice from the very first bars; “Thinking that only Allah knows, how I could never cop things with a barcode, I was thirteen playing out in my house clothes, life changed up when I weighed up an ounce though”, and the rest is just a perfect continuation of the flows and bars reminiscent of the original track but, as ever, with that Jimi Conway stamp of originality. The way Tef’ raps on every beat, but this one in particular shows us, once again, the passion and respect to others’ work that he may admire, but instead of just following, Tef’ leads his own way with his unique touch of lyrical talent.
The tape continues into an incredible journey with Tef’s rendition of the Eric B and Rakim classic “Paid In Full”, taking you back into a lyrical time machine of storytelling executed to perfection, followed by a super slap served on the mesmerizing Alchemist produced joint, “Lose Your Life”. We sail from “93 Til Infinity” courtesy of this Souls Of Mischief classic before ending on a very special version of Adele’s “Hello” which will give a lot of you goosebumps when you listen to it. It’s just a very special way to end a very special project.
Once again Youngs Teflon, The Boy King, Jimmy Conway or simply Tef’ (whichever way you want), delivers another well crafted and well thought out musical piece of brilliance, showing his knowledge and love for the genre he loves. The passion and effort put into this is remarkable. There is nothing biased about this breakdown, once you listen to it, you will know exactly what I mean.
In a time where we sometimes overlook our most lyrical talents there is no denying what Tef’ has always accomplished in his many years in the game, and that is to be at the very top. Combining consistency with quality is a rare feat to master but one that he has always done so effortlessly. To put it simply (and I don’t really like making comparisons because each artist is his own person), Youngs Teflon is to the UK what Nas is to the States. Like Nas, Tef is a lyrical story teller with edge who only needs one mic to make a buzz. Why should we deny it? Because it’s British music? One of the first words I learned when I came to this country best describes that. Bollocks! Mixtapes these days are not mentioned in the same way they used to, yet they still remain the bloodline of this industry and ‘March Madness’ is a definite master piece for the streets and anyone who chooses to embrace it
Listen to Youngs Teflon’s ‘March Madness’ mixtape here.