Album Review: Roll Deep – The Winner Stays On
3 min read
2010 has been a prosperous year for 8 piece hip hop maestros Roll Deep and the success train doesn’t seem to be running out of steam anytime soon as the flavorsome collective have this month released a definitive record of monster tracks in the form of their 4th studio album, The Winner Stays On.
Already having achieved commercial and critical acclaim following the release of the outfits 2010 chart toppers, Green Light and Good Times, as well as latest single, Take Control, which enlists the smooth vocals of the nations RnB sweetheart, Alesha Dixon, Roll Deep are set to solidify their standing within the UK’s hip hop scene as one of the years most celebrated breakthrough acts.
The Winner Stays On is the groups 4th record. With almost a decade of creating masterful pieces of commercial hungry hip hop releases including the bands debut record In At The Deep End, this year has seen Roll Deep climb to new heights with their latest offering and have also been joined by an impressive array of guest musicians in their ambitious mission to make their mark on on the UK charts.
The Winner Stays On isn’t just another rap record. Together with the outfits combination of expressive lyrics and quick and precise vocal delivery, the record is a showcase of the outfits ability to merge a number of genres including electronic, rap, dance, pop and grime to create one of the highlight albums of 2010.
Green Light and Good Times, the acts recent number one hits, are the obvious highlights and sellers of the record. The tracks have given the group worldwide exposure and taken the radio waves hostage throughout the summer.
Take Control, the groups latest single, welcomes in the sultry smooth vocals of fellow musician Alesha Dixon. Alesha’s voice sits sweetly yet confidently between the quick delivered licks of her male companions. The track showcases the singers vocals perfectly as she whips through 4 minutes of synth laden electro-grime that is carried by an almost Euro-pop backdrop.
The underground slamming of Team is a heavy addition to the record with a more dark feel to it than the surrounding numbers. Its bass heavy grind is complimenting and contrasting around the mainstream aimed remainder of the record.
Morning After follows the same template as Good Times with its female vocal attribution giving the song an uplifting, catchy and very memorable nugget of hip hop to The Winner Stays On in the final quarter.
Wiley and co are vocal heavyweights on the records 11 tracks as they throw rhymes in high speed brilliance that engulf the collections 40 minute lifespan of toe tapping hip hop flows.
The Winner Stays On is an album that always came with some of high expectations. Following the groups single chart success and choice of collaborations proving to be a fruitful addition to the backs recordings, The Winner Stays On offers as much as anticipated, proving to be a record packed to the brim with uplifting and powerfully constructed hip hop diamonds. The Winner Stays On promised a lot but delivers so much more.
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