Madman Speakz

When I met this guy, I did what nearly everybody does when someone you know says "Oh, my mate/brother/Vietnamese-pot-bellied-pig is an emcee...", which is write it off completely, and pretend no-one said anything.

Having spent years submerged in UK (and world wide) hip hop and the London D&B scene, I've been exposed to the worst excuses for rapping the universe has (hopefully) ever seen, which has left me a little jaded.

I don't know what it is about emcees, but they seem to be more inclined than other vocalist to think that delusions of grandeur and a bad attitude can stand in place of talent. Actually, now I think about it, its probably because the vast majority of rappers fall into that category.

But I digress.

Initially we met through his older brother, when, the two of them were sharing a place in North London. His bro, who knows I'm into my music, introduced me to him a couple years back, and did the aforementioned "My brother's an emcee." thing. To which I replied "Uh huh." and left it there.

A couple of weeks later, I was on my myspace site (yeah, this is back when people were still using it) and I come across this guys page. On one of the beats on his profile he looped up a sample from Akira. You know that bit where Tetsuo wakes up in the hospital and the cuddly toys grow huge and start bleeding milk? No? Well anyway, it's a great sample, and he slapped a fat beat on it too, so I was like "Hell yes. Bro - that track is sick." Of course, I had no idea that I'd already met the guy, but luckily he remembered me, and sent me some beats to pick through. So we start hanging out, playing streetfighter (I get my arse handed to me-repeatedly) and it turns out he can rhyme too. And well.

"Like corn babies I'm more shady than porn ladies right now,
And even more crazy than Martin Scorsese's eye brows.
Born hades, i pour gravy on your beaten raps
And eat the crap, as if its Auntie Babs Sunday meat & mash."

Since then he's been pretty busy. He finished his, mostly self produced, album earlier on this Spring. And what can I say? Its the shit.

He's currently shopping it around, but in the meantime, he's dropped this mix tape of off cuts, featuring the likes of Dylan Sage and Illaman, and production from K15,which you can download for free here:

Madman Speakz - DABBLE IN THE DARKSIDE MIXTAPE

There's also some other bit and pieces on his myspace page here.


I recently caught him at Hoochinoo at the Vibe Bar, where he was testing out the album material on the crowd there. It was well received, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him back there in the next couple of months.

Also if J'da Kut (Sensei.fm) ever forgives him for flaking on that live PA he was supposed to do a couple of weeks back, you might see him at her night at Bar Vinyl in Camden.