M.C. MELL‘O’
Thoughts Released (Revelation 1) – Expanded Edition
Imperious debut back in effect: April 18, 2011
ODOPE1004
“I am an emcee born,” says MC Mell’O’ of his all-pervading immersion in hip-hop culture. Born in Battersea into a close knit household, Mell’O’ began his career a key member of dance troupes The 52 Flash Kru, SAS (Strawberry All-Stars) and Truly Unique, throwing down in Covent Garden, the epicenter of the nascent UK hip-hop explosion.
Schooled in the fine art of b-boying by the likes of Jeffrey Daniels and all persuasive Zulu Nation leader Afrika Bambaataa, Mell’O”s early experiments in rhyme began to grow wings when he formed a deadly duo with future London Posse ruffneck Rodney P. More life-changing still was his linked up with DJ Pogo, Sparki and Monie Love in the Jus Badd crew, cementing an enduring friendship evident in the grooves of 1988′s collectible debut 12 Free Style.
His steely presence secured a solo deal with Joey Negro’s Republic Records, Mell’O’ wasting little time in laying down a clear marker with 1989′s Comin’ Correct EP. But that was merely the calm before the storm of his one and only solo album Thoughts Released [Revelation 1] – a hugely accomplished set that still defines British hip-hop to this day. But while the set retains sizable hints of the Britcore energy then all the rage, it differed from the madding throng thanks to producer Sparki’s soulful production and Mell’O”s articulate, thought-provoking tongue-trickery.
In a break from the norm, Mell’O’ split the original vinyl album into two distinct halves. The first (Side For The Physically Stable) catered directly to the straight-up rap fiend, moving from the bare beats and rhymes of opener Our Time through the ferocious A Total Eclipse Of The Art and All Terrain MCs, the latter a confident spar-off with Sparki, cementing his status as one of the best battle-smart mic-spitters in the business. Yet Mell’O’ showed another, more enduring dimension on the flip (Side For The Mentally Stable), peddling positivity by the pound on the excellent Subtraction and laidback summer anthem Open Up Your Mind, the album’s only single cooked up alongside Brixton remix dons Blacksmith.
This hugely expanded version of Thoughts Released (Revelation 1), remastered by original engineer No Sleep Nigel, includes an extensive interview with Mell’O', charting his rise to an internationally renowned emcee of real depth and quality. It’s boosted by six bonus tracks, including all three main features from the rare Comin’ Correct EP.
TRACKLISTING
Our Time / A Total Eclipse Of The Art / Let The Crowd Catch Breath / Voodoo Khan / All Terrain M.C.s / Open Up Your Mind / Subtraction / Acknowledge Yourself / From The Heart / Comin’ Correct / Wize / Bizzie Rhymin’ / Slipt On Some Doo Doo / I’m Coming Up / Words Spoken
Posted in Buy Now, Coming Soon, New Releases
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I’ve been searching for this forever. Growing up in the north of Scotland,pre-internet, it was hard to get a hold of a lot of music. So this passed me by. I knew of it, I just couldn’t put my hands on it. I’ve heard the album countless times, but that just isn’t the same as owning it!
Thanks O.D., can’t wait to get a hold of it on CD.