Artist Feature #1 - Evil B

I have always admired the art of Jungle/Drum & Bass emceeing for the unique dissension from its hip-hop rapping and ragga toasting roots. Drum & Bass emcees use the idea of the voice as an instrument of sound to the extreme, with heavy and rapid, quick-rhyme word play in perfect chaos with the up to 160+ BPM tempo the music can demand.

The flow is generally seen as a compliment to the music rather than a primary role, as we see in Hip-Hop and Grime. It's a beautiful art form which disengages the ability of the emcee to use his verses as a poetic message, even if the verse has plenty of subject matter. Now I'm not saying the artist is incapable of reaching the audience with words. But, in my experience, it's usually about the artist using his energy to elevate the reception of the music; especially at those breaks preceding a wicked drop that wrecks the dance floor. In this respect, the emcee becomes under appreciated as an artist, reduced to a 'hype man' for the selectah.

It seems a new breed of emcee has exploded onto the D&B scene with a force of changing that. Evil B has returned to the roots of his career after a decade away. During that time span he was hard at work conquering the UK Garage/Grime industry operating as B Live (Evil B-->B livE). Collaborating with reggae star Elephant Man and Craig David, B Live gained widespread success. In 2007, he decided to return to Drum & Bass as Evil B. With an inventive approach to the undying scene, involving Garage overtones, Evil B has breathed new energy into raves.

On my last day in Britain for 2008 I was given a Drum 'N' Bass Arena podcast matching up veteran DJ Kane and MC Evil B. It seems Evil has come to change the perceptions of the D&B artist. By using a cutting-edge style, he's garnering quite a reputation. His slowed down, grimey flow allows him to employ metaphors into his on-the-surface party raps. Evil uses Kane's tracks to explore a variety of topics; his explosion on the scene, to gangsterism infecting the industry, to sex, death and the under appreciation of his art form.

The beginning of Kane's intro track, the Original Sin remix of ShyFX's "Raa," Evil emphasizes his unique stage presence. "Yo I crept up behind them/ Dum, Dum, D-Dum Dum/ The crowd knew it was my lot from the first rap/ A new style you ain't heard about/ Out in the streets they call it murder!" Evil B's flow immediately demands attention. His delivery makes no effort to hide his UKG influence, enabling him to generate a completely new style I had never heard before. As opposed to most D&B emcees, I felt I could maintain a constant connection to what he's saying, instead of a connection to the typical, fast-paced word flow in harmonium with the music.

Evil is critical of the current state of negativity affecting British youths. He addresses this on the second track, a Kane mash-up of Die & Break "Gettin' There" & Reprazent's "Trust Me," utilizing metaphor in his flow. *A young mum from Hackney/ Told me she got problems with her son/ He's a fan, can I talk to him? Done/ So I told him the story of my life and he took it/ And that's putting innovation in your son/ Look-- Oi, Oi! Am I still employed?/ It's a metaphor for joy I gave to the boy.* After the metaphor Evil openly reveals that it was so. He's challenging the listener to go beyond the sound of his voice and take his words for value with critical thought and poetic interpretation. With his innovative, down-tempo execution, Evil's delivery seems to be a D&B equivalent to GZA with the versatility of Method Man.

Evil continues to addresses negative aspects of society, such as gangster themes affecting the culture. Before Kane commences a new track, Little Punk's "Die," Evil puts the issue in the spotlight. "There's a whole new generation of actors going on-- now I don't feel that shit." Kane lays the tune as B commences his wit to dispel the notion of gangsterism within the Drum & Bass environment. "Ultra gangster, ultra gangster/ Every emcee has become ultra gangster/ The real gangsters, they think your all wankers."

Even as Evil takes the lyrical ability of the D&B emcee to a different level, he still maintains the important rave vibe throughout the entire set. Over Angel's "Gun," Evil entices the his audience to have a good time. "Never experienced things like this/ You can experience things like this/ A little bit of belief, you chief/ Come on, pick your face up/ No body's tying your lace up/ the world owes you shit/ you got to take what you want, like its a stick up." Even with his fresh, slowed-down style, Evil proves his ability to spit traditional D&B "militant tones," often displaying them in switch-offs with his other raps. In Chase & Status' "Music Club," Evil B rides the entire track with trigger quick lyrical bullets riddling into a dope James Bond melody.

Evil gets sentimental at one point of the podcast, which is extremely uncharacteristic for a hardcore dance music. Before the tune starts, he demonstrates his reservations about doing this track. "I didn't really want to take it to here, and I've been in two minds for doing exactly what I'm about to do. But I'ma send this one out... to all the Drum and Bass family," including close friends Billy S. and Ryan Walsh as well as Daddy Dread, who was lost tragically last year. Over High Contrasts' floaty "If We Ever," Evil is still able to maintain a rave vibe while unleashing the most uplifting lyrics I've ever heard in any dedication track:

"I know that your gone Dread, but this ain't goodbye/ I know you've elevated to the big rave in the sky/ We met a few times and for that I feel glad/ But here's a little secret why I don't feel sad/ Cause I'm sad for your fam and sad for your little man/ But, sometimes we follow the path of God's plans/ When I say Dread, I walk past and just smile/ Cause Dread's bought a ticket to the best rave in a while."

Beautiful. He connects the song and audience with a mantra any British bass-head will rock out to: "From the rave to the grave, I'll die a Junglist!" His ability to hold subject matter such as this in his tracks, while still appealing to the raver crowd, demonstrates Evil's ability to create something new in the instrumental dominant Drum & Bass formula. Following his "R.I.P. Fallen Soldiers" song he goes into another track with crafty shout-outs to other artists, showing his intimacy with the D&B scene.

Evil B's re-entry has ignited the scene with his new style. Perhaps this will allow the D&B artist to become a more dominant figure in the DJ/MC relationship. It further allows listeners like myself, who aren't overly engaged in the D&B scene, a chance to experience the art of emceeing in a different light. A light in which Hip-Hop or Grime cannot. With a fast rising fan base over the past year, Evil B is accelerating to the top, many of which are calling him the new #1. Whatever his reception within the scene, Evil should definitely be given credit for venturing into uncharted waters to reveal a new, ground breaking style. Within or outside D&B, Evil has elevated the meaning of what an emcee is capable of creating. He also breaks down the genre labeling which are attached to an emcee. Continued exposure to stylistic approaches like Evils may provide more cross-over collaborations of different rap genres. Such versatile applications to different types of urban music will unify the culture which is often segregated by style-specific principles within each genre. Check out the full set and track list from DNBA below. P.E.A.C.E.

* - denotes the transcription corrections offered by Evil B in response (see comments below).


Picture: MC Evil B.

01. Raa – Shy FX/Original Sin Remix – Digital Soundboy
02. Gettin There – Die & Break – Clear Skyz
>>> Trust Me – Reprazent – Talking Loud
03. Gun – Angel – 2 Dope
04. Music Club – Chase & Status – Ram
>> Hush Hush Tease
05. Special – Drumsound & Bassline Smith – Technique
06. Equinox – Taxman & Heist – Ganja
07. Frost Bite – Pleasure – Co-Lab
08. D For Danger – Original Sin – Playa’z
09. Little Punk – Die – Clear Skys
10. Watch The Skies – Bone Shaker/Heist Remix – Sudden Def
11. Will We Ever – High Contrast – Hospital
12. Line Dance – Vital Elements – V2E
13. Unbeatable Ninja – Zero G – XS Records
14. Flash Point – Die – Clear Skyz
15. Ohm – ? – ?
16. Killa’z Don’t Die – Hazard – Playa’z
17. Nitrous – Bad Company/Dillinja Remix – BC
18. Decibel – Original Sin – Playa’z
19. Swamp Thing – Sub Focus – Ram
20. Gold Dust – Fresh – Breakbeat Kaos