Brizzle Kicks

Sticking with my birthplace, and 70 minutes of prime rap cuts from artists born and/or based in beautiful Bristol.

To use the vernacular, I don't know shit about rap but I keep discovering lots of music and artists that I like and so much of it can be found in the city. And hearing someone spitting out rhymes with a Bristolian burr is a singular pleasure.

Here's a 19-song selection, including some local legends - and obvious picks - with Massive Attack, Tricky, Kelz and Smith & Mighty. Others are long established but relatively new to me - Upfront, Res, Bil Next and Paro. And some has dropped brand new tracks in the last few weeks - Baileys Brown, Dizraeli and Viktus. 

And in another one of those happy coincidences, I discovered halfway through writing up this selection that it's Viktus' birthday today. This post was meant to be.

Happy 27th, Viktus, hope it's a good one!

1) Bristol Bullshit (Remix By Samadee): Res (2017)

2) Financial Times: C-Froo (2008)

3) Artets: Baileys Brown (2025)

4) Karmacoma (Album Version): Massive Attack ft. Tricky (1994)

5) Mirrors: Viktus ft. Liv Sangster (2025)

6) 2 Wheelin' It (Single Version By Badhabitz): Joey Paro (2020)

7) Protein (Rob Smith Dub Mix): Ree-Vo (2022)

8) Natures Way (Remix By Samadee): Life MC ft. Fliptrix & Upfront (2017)

9) The Butcher's Ball: Sober & Dribbla (2009)

10) Bristol To London: Tricky ft. Blackman & Marlon Thaws (2010)

11) Hit The Brakes: Res One, Upfront, Badhabitz (2025)

12) Get In Get Out: Rob Smith ft. MC Kelz (2007)

13) Bristol Track: C-Froo (2008)

14) Marvellous (Part Two): Dizraeli & Joy Machine (2025)

15) It's A Bristol Ting: Jinxsta (2006)

16) Danger: Smith & Mighty ft. Kelz & Rudy Lee) (2002)

17) Weedmasons Anthem (Remix By Chris Lucas): Bil Next & Paro ft. Jman & Prime (2018)

18) Black Magic: Viktus (2024)

19) Bristol Is Like: Upfront MC (2012)

1994: Protection: 4

2002: Danger EP: 16

2006: Bristol Fringe 2006 (Venue magazine promo CD): 15

2007: In One Way Or Another: 12

2008: Venue The Album #1 (Venue magazine promo CD): 2, 13

2009: Venue The Album #12(Venue magazine promo CD): 9

2010: Mixed Race: 10

2012: Sound Of Evolution EP: 19

2017: Spilt Prophets Present The Samadee Remixes: 1, 8

2018: Mongrel Melodies (Part 3) SP: Remixes: 17

2020: 2 Wheelin' It EP: 6

2022: The Joyzine Advent Calendar 2022: 7

2024: Black Magic EP: 18

2025: Concorde: 11

2025: Don't Do It EP: 3

2025: Marvellous EP: 14

2025: Mirrors EP: 5

Brizzle Kicks (1:11:44) (KF) (Mega)

Levelling The Vibes

Back to Bristol and Rob Smith aka RSD aka Blue & Red aka one half of More Rockers aka founder member of the legendary Smith & Mighty. And that's before I add other examples such as Zion Band, Restriction and Jaz Klash...

Today's selection is a brisk ten-track jog through Rob's solo and remix work between 2003 and 2021. It barely scratches the surface, to be honest, but at least gives a snapshot of the skill at work behind the desk and with a host of collaborators including Alice Perera, Sasha Perera, Jah Device, Kelz and Tammy Payne.

 

For more - much more - of Rob Smith's music, head over to his Bandcamp page.

 

1) Righteous (Dubstep Remix By RSD): Evergreen, Landlord & Ruckspin ft. Danman (2011)

2) Likeminded: Rob Smith ft. Alice Perera (2003)

3) Jim Screechy (Dub Roller Youth) (Remix By Rob Smith): Big Youth (2015)

4) Ningun Hombre (Rob Smith aka RSD Remix): Dactah Chando (2013)

5) Pump Up The Volume (Rob Smith aka RSD Remix) (Cover of M|A|R|R|S): Rude Boy ft. Kardi Tivali (2021)

6) State Of Emergency (Rob Smith aka RSD Dub Remix): Illbilly Hitec ft. Longfingah & Lady N (2013)

7) Work!: Rob Smith ft. Jah Device & Sasha Perera (2014)

8) Finding Feathers: Rob Smith ft. MC Kelz (2007)

9) Same (Smith 2019 Mix): Smith & Mighty ft. Tammy Payne (2019)

10) Boxes And Amps (Remixed By Rob Smith): Zion Train ft. Dubdadda (2009)

 

Levelling The Vibes (50:10) (Box) (Mega)

The System Is Unjust Because It's Not Made For Us

Side 1 of a Smith & Mighty mixtape, recorded 6th September 2002 and a belated return to the dub 'n' bass sounds of the Bristol legends. It's hard to believe that I posted Side 2 of this cassette compilation back in August 2021 and that it's been 20 years since the last Smith & Mighty album.

 

Again, this side is heavy on vocal tracks but a truly amazing line up of rappers and singers joining Rob Smith, Ray Mighty and Peter D. Rose. This selection is drawn from their three albums, Bass Is Maternal (1995), Big World Small World (1999) and Life Is... (2002). 

 

There's also bonus cover version of U2's Drowning Man, an album track from 1983. In a 2018 interview, Ray Mighty explained that “War was a favourite album of ours in the studio. Drowning Man had a dub feel about it. It was definitely a dubby bass line. Not so hot on the band, but I still love that track.” A dub version of Drowning Man eventually appeared on the debut album, but this full vocal version originally appeared on the rather excellent soundtrack to 1994 film Shopping. 

 

I'll return to Rob Smith, who has been an incredibly prolific DJ, remixer, producer and solo artist in the last two decades, in a future post. For now though, revel in the glorious sounds of one of the greatest acts to come out of Bristol. Much love, respect and thanks.

 

1) 1,2 Mic Check (ft. Kelz & Louise Decordova) (2002)

2) Drowning Man ("Shopping" Album Version) (Vocal Mix ft. Felix) (Cover of U2) (1994)

3) Time (ft. Felix & Marilyn McFarlane) (1995)

4) Closer (1995)

5) No Justice (ft. Rudy Lee) (1999)

6) Year 2000 (ft. Niji 40 & Louise Decordova) (1999)

7) Maybe It's Me (ft. Hazel Jayne) (2002)

8) Believers (ft. Tammy Payne) (1999)

9) I Saw You (ft. Chantelle Champagnie) (2002)

1994: Shopping OST: 2

1995: Bass Is Maternal: 3, 4

1999: Big World Small World: 5, 6, 8

2002: Life Is...: 1, 7, 9

Side One (45:59)

Side Two here

 

Buy Smith & Mighty and friends' music on Bandcamp:

The Ashley Road Sessions 1988-1994

The Three Stripe Collection 1985-1990 

Connected Sequences 1985-1992

Smith & Mighty albums released on !K7 

Rob Smith / RSD  

Rudey Lee (aka Rudy Lee)

Sir Beans OBE & MC Kelz 

Louise Decordova (with More Rockers)

Tammy Payne

If Is The Middle Word Within The Word Life

In the 1990s, the Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 was exactly that. Launched by Pete Tong in 1993, it's still going to this day and whilst I'm not going to pretend that I've stuck with it, over a thousand shows have literally provided a Who's Who of mixing majesty.

 

Smith & Mighty delivered one of the greatest Essential Mixes ever way back on 24 November 1996. This in a year that featured other excellent sets from Armand Van Helden, Goldie, Slam, Richard Fearless, Carl Cox and Andrew Weatherall. 

 

What is so great about Smith & Mighty's 1996 mix is that it showcases much of their own music and productions, including Massive Attack's first single, Any Love, a Top 10 hit with Fresh 4's Wishing On A Star, aliases More Rockers, Jaz Klash and Blue & Red, as well as new material such as Seeds, which inspired today's post title, but didn't see an official release until 1999. Forty - count 'em, 40 - tracks down the line and you'll barely notice that two hours have passed.

 

This set seems to be pretty widely available on Soundcloud and Mixcloud, but possibly from the same source as most postings seem to have a few minutes missing at either end. The link below is 192kbps but the full two hour Essential Mix.

 

1) Any Love: Massive Attack (Massive Attack)
2) Walk On: Smith & Mighty (Three Stripe)

3) Mix Me Down Maestro: Smith & Mighty ft. MC Kelz (Three Stripe)
4) The Time To Rhyme: The General (FFRR)
5) Wishing On A Star: Fresh 4 (Ten)

6) Anyone: Smith & Mighty (Three Stripe)
7) Irrational: Receiver (Swarf Finger)
8) The Look Of Love: The Wild Bunch (4th & Broadway)

9) Seeds: Smith & Mighty ft. MC Kelz & Tammy PAyne (White Label)
10) A & R Man: Wilks (White Label)
11) Love To The Power Of Each: Dub Ghecko (Dub Head)

12) Killa: Smith & Mighty (FFRR)
13) Blessed: Blue & Red ft. Freddie (Acetate Pressing)
14) Unity: Blue & Red (Acetate Pressing)
15) Don Anything: Blue & Red ft. K.Oil (Acetate Pressing)
16) Baltimore Remix 2: Tamlins (Acetate Pressing)
17) Baltimore Remix 3: Tamlins (Acetate Pressing)

18) Heavens In: Smith & Mighty (Acetate Pressing)
19) Ghuraliya: Bally Sagoo (Columbia)
20) Rainbows: Virginity (More Rockers)
21) New World: Flynn & Flora (White Label)
22) Off The Edge: Jaz Klash (White Label)
23) BQE: Jaz Klash (White Label)

24) Same: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)

25) Higher: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)

26) Another Day: More Rockers (More Rockers)
27) Sound Boy: More Rockers (More Rockers)
28) Show Love: More Rockers (Acetate)
29) 162: More Rockers (Acetate)

30) Nightfall: More Rockers (More Rockers)
31) First Time: More Rockers (More Rockers)
32) Frush: More Rockers (Acetate)
33) Das Ya One: More Rockers (More Rockers)
34) 1 2 3 Break: More Rockers (More Rockers)
35) Talk Is Toy: Silent Poets (Acetate)
36) Than The Haze: Jaz Klash (Acetate)
37) Bibo: More Rockers (Acetate)
38) Cure: More Rockers (Acetate)
39) Down In Rwanda: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)
40) Bass Speaker: Flynn & Flora (White Label)

Essential Mix, 24 November 1996: Smith & Mighty (2:00:06)

 

Buy Smith & Mighty albums on Bandcamp:

The Ashley Road Sessions 1988-1994

The Three Stripe Collection 1985-1990 

Connected Sequences 1985-1992

Smith & Mighty albums released on !K7 

RSD (Rob Smith) on Bandcamp  

There's a great interview with Smith & Mighty from 2018 on the Vinyl Factory website.