Ready
your ears, if you can, for the mind-blowing, astounding, sonic boom
that is Yo Majesty's first full release. This Florida duo takes the
attitude of Kelis, mixes it with M.I.A. and Missy and takes it to the
limit… before pushing right through it.
Though they've been
making music since 2000, it's only in the last 12 months that things
have really taken off for Yo Majesty. Since signing to Domino Records,
performances at SXSW07 and supporting The Gossip and CSS have led to
complete media hysteria. NME put them in their 'top 11 bands of 2008'
and they also featured in a list of 'the 25 most exciting artists in
America right now'.
It's fair to say this is not going to be a
release that sinks without trace. But if anyone can handle that wave of
frenzy and the accompanying pressure, it's Shunda K and Jwl B. Rapper
Shunda first met gospel singer Jwl in a club –their fitting philosophy
is ''church in the morning, club at night''.
Don't be fooled by
their gender: there is nothing girly about this Basement Jaxx
co-produced album. Opener F***ed Up is pure expletive-ridden vitriol,
with lyrics screaming, ''hit me I want some attention'' juxtaposed with
soppy ''I love you''s. Take the rage in Kelis' Caught Out There and
multiply it by ten.
These are punchy, lyric driven tracks on the
whole – though there are some great melodies like Buy Love and Don’t
Let Go. The album title is fitting - this could be the soundtrack for a
film set in 2500 AD where women rule. The oozy bassline on Never Be
Afraid certainly feels out of this world.
They may look like
they’d be more at home outside the school gates, but don’t judge a book
by its cover. They've been compared to Public Enemy and Outkast and
credited with ''coining a female equivalent of macho'' but Yo Majesty
are making and breaking their own boundaries - like a new improved Salt
n Pepa for the Noughties. This brilliant, powerful hip hop never hits
safe territory; it's a challenging listen which will more than reward
those brave enough to try it.
