Roots Manuva – 4everevolution Album Review

Prolific London-born rapper Roots Manuva lays his 8th album on the table: “4everrevolution”.

Rodney Smith has been has been making music as Roots Manuva for over 10 years now, and from the off “4everevolution” has all the hallmarks of his distinctive sound.

His voice has always been one of those that is instantly recognisable, and he continues using it to good effect on this album, his melodic rapping style acting as the vehicle for the majority of the tracks.

That’s not to say his production skills have gone amiss, each track has a distinctive style about it, and that is perhaps where this album could be said to be revolutionary. Whereas on previous albums you’ve had a dub beat pretty much as the basis to every track, ‘4everrevolution’ changes: from the ‘gangsta-rap’ stylings of ‘Revelation’ through the dance-floor ‘Beyond This World’, to the more ballad-like ‘Wha’ Mek’, there are signs that Roots has decided to expand his musical repertoire.

His lyrics have always been sharp, and we’re not let down here, with words like the insightful “The cost of life’s so cheap ’round here but the cost of living ain’t cheap ’round here” (Skid Valley) but there are times when he’s having more fun: you will find gems such as: “I’ve got to let you know, your kind of chemistry hypnotises me” (Watch me Dance) .

It’s enjoyable to hear something slightly different, and “4everrevolution” is another solid entry from (one of) the UK’s leading rappers and innovators, it’s a great smorgasbord of styles and beats, with something to fit every mood, but is perhaps a little bit too long, after the first 10/12 tracks you begin to wish it would stop; a bit like a TV series that you’ve really enjoyed but carries on milking the high ratings it used to enjoy.

‘4everevolution’ is out now on Ninja Tune

3.5 out of 5 Stars

By Robin Lewis
Twitter.com/justarobin