Estelle feat. Baby Blue, Kardinal Offishall, and Skeme - Don’t Talk (Remix)

As the UK continues to establish itself as its own beast on the urban music circuit, companies will no doubt begin to pick up bits and pieces of the grime movement to shape and mold full-on pop drivel. Luckily, considering the presence of a stable of strong vocal talent, Estelle’s “Don’t Talk (Remix)” is a few safe steps ahead of being just that. Estelle doubles as an MC and an R&B crooner (rather than the much more common “rapper who happens to sing”). Her delivery may not be unforgettable, but it does the trick in both departments. Estelle, along with her three grime-taught guest vocalists, does a fair amount of justice to the tame garage-meets-dancehall stylings of the production. If any of the grime-pop types have potential to break through into the stateside spotlight, Estelle may indeed be the one. And if the Limey-accented raps shy away Yanks, no biggie; Estelle comes equipped with several potential radio singles without raps. And we all know accents are softened by singing (as opposed to rapping). (Sadly, the trick will probably be duping the American public into not realizing the artist is British.)

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Ghost Cauldron feat. Apani B. Fly - Whole World (Pulsinger Mix)

Berlin-based duo Ghost Cauldron graced the public with their full length debut, “Invent Modest Fires,” on !K7 in spring of 2002. Ultimately being dubbed as trip-hop, the pair released several promising singles, the first of which being “Whole World.” For that particular single, the remixers greatly outshined the work of Ghost Cauldron themselves. The Patrick Pulsinger remix is perhaps the best version of all, with its odd electro buzz-funk song foundation. However, the real star here is neither Ghost Cauldron nor Pulsinger, it’s the hugely underrated Apani B Fly, who is undoubtedly one of the best little-known female rappers you’ve ever heard, even considering her short and fragmented catalog. Her verse begins with the line, “This music sparked the light in my life / A love affair pure as mother and child,” and for a moment, Apani is on top of the world, towering over the MC Lytes and Jean Graes of years past and present. She rides Pulsinger’s beat like a caped six-year-old on a Pogo Ball. The vocal and the track seem made for each other; it’s hard to believe Apani didn’t record her verse specifically for this mix.

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Dirty feat. Bun B - Rollie Pollie

So, if Hustle & Flow hasn’t cast some kind of reputable light on notions such as “dirty south” and “crunk” among formerly non-believing hipsters, perhaps nothing ever will. The simplistic nature of the vocals and production just may be too rampant for certain types to ever muster. (However, it’s rather easy to pick out the simplicities in brands of music one actually tries to dislike.) And if your encyclopedia of tastes won’t allow even a glimmer of reverence for names like Ludacris, David Banner or Webbie, then you’re better off not exhausting our beloved bandwidth on this one. The bar doesn’t go much lower than it does on “Rollie Pollie.” It’s a little ditty about, ahem, “club hoes.” And in the world of Montgomery, Ala. duo Dirty, “club doors” does indeed rhyme with “club close,” as demonstrated in the first two lines of the first verse. Like almost every other radio single in this particular sub-genre, “Rollie Pollie” features a high-but-barebones production value. Only a few spare percussion sounds are harnessed to complete the track. The hi-hats are bright and clear; the handclaps are sharp and synthesized. The melodics are surprisingly expressive and moving considering the smutty, lewd vocal content.

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