Smif N Wessun

Review: Classic Brooklyn hip-hop alert! First released on 12" way back in 1995, Smif-N-Wessun's "Sound Bwoy Bureill" is a golden-era treat. It sees Tek and Steele - then fresh faces on the scene rather than the grizzled veterans they are today - spout forth over a killer beat produced by Evil Dee and Mr Walt. That beat is sparse but heavy, with crunchy kicks and snares being accompanied by little more than reggae vocal samples, moody chords, occasional electric guitar notes and a suitably deep bassline. You can hear it loud and clear on the flipside instrumental version, though it also provides a near perfect bed for the duo to showcase their flows on the superior A-side vocal mix.

Review: Given the recent upsurge in interest in '90s "golden era" hip-hop, we're not all that surprised to see a new pressing of this lesser-celebrated NYC gem - an early highlight from the now long-serving Smif-N-Wessun crew. It first landed in 1994 on house imprint Nervous' relatively short-lived rap offshoot Wreck. "Bucktown" is reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest cuts from the period, with on-point raps rising above suitably dusty beats and prominent samples from Jack Bruce's 1970 jazz-rock classic "Born To Be Blue". This seven-inch single version boasts both vocal and instrumental versions with the latter naturally allowing the smoky jazz samples a little more room to breathe.

Review: Here's a cheeky little surprise from Nervous, as they dig back into the hip hop end of their vaults and offer up this gold-standard slice of mid-90s funk from New York heroes Smif-N-Wessun. "Wreckonize" appears in its remix form here, sounding as fresh as the day it was originally dropped and a perfect document of a true golden era for rap music. As well as the flawless vocal, the flip has the instrumental groove if that's your thing. Handily contained on a 7" for quick deployment when you need to whip out the good stuff.