An Introduction to Intellectual Intercourse – Scroobius Pip in Observation
Scroobius Pip has been catching my eye as of late. He first appeared on my radar when I was a wee nipper watching NME TV (RIP), with his jovial, yet thought provoking track/video, ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’.
More recently, he has been prickling my interest with his Distraction Pieces Podcast (learn more here), a weekly chat show with trendy names from varying backgrounds. This podcast gave me license to look deeper into Pip, and believe me, I am glad I did.
Now, I am not the most profound lover of Hip-Hop. But something about Pip’s strong, yet apprehensive confidence endears me. It has allowed me to find worth in the music I would normally have dismissed. The hooks that wrap themselves in his beats are heavily addictive (try the Johnny Cash-esque, ‘The Struggle’), and at times completely entrancing.
In addition, Scroob is a man of strong convictions. To paraphrase Zane Lowe; ‘He’s not self-righteous. He’s righteous’. Through his music he tackles a variety of issues; from mental illness to nationalism. Heavy duty stuff indeed.
In spite of this, his work is loaded with enough quick-witted dry humour to entice you, due to his lyrics being heavily founded in a spoken word artist background. Anyhow, summarisation out of the way, let’s have a look at some of Scroob’s latest solo project’s finer moments.
‘Introdiction’
The Gateway snap shot of the rage that fuels Scroob’s work.
Covering a variety of topics, from his critics, his writing process to his home. What this track achieves most is to introduce you to Scroobius’ personality. As aforementioned in the Zane Lowe quotation, Scroobius is righteous. This is not something Pip is known from shying away from. If he has something to say, he will do so.
There is a filter, but in comparison to the every day Joe, it’s minute. This is shown in his lyrics “stream of conscious” approach, demonstrating palpable connections made from reference to reference. Pip is clearly an intellectual sponge. This is what makes Scroob’s work so addictive, and here that addiction is condensed to a musical backing of similar effect.
‘Let ’em Come’
Here, Pip establishes his target audience; the great mass of the disenfranchised intellectual youth. Remember how the early days of Enter Skikari‘s sound and lyrics captured the thoughts and tastes of their audience? That. ‘Let ’em Come’ is an intense amalgam of Street Punk, Grungy Dance and Hip-Hop that will get you pumped.
‘Domestic Silence’
Here Scroobius’ career as a spoken word poet is particularly evident. The man can weave a captivating story laced a moral like nothing else. The moral of ‘Domestic Silence’ concerns itself with the stigma surrounding discussing mental health through the backdrop of a vastly reticent protagonist struggling with personal demons.
Moral: “Silence can be golden, but gold can sometimes suffocate like that girl in that James Bond Film. Too late to respirate.”
A worthwhile message that should be considered in today’s society that is still struggling to fully comprehend mental health issues.
‘Death of the Journalist’
This song keeps me on my toes. Check out the second verse.
And it ain’t just the news reporters it’s the muso’s too
If you got a music blog, then son, I’m probably talking to you
Don’t skim intros, listen to each track through
And maybe running a spell check before you post a review
They drop a million band names to get the Google hits
Remember, “You heard it here first” and it was in bold italics
Throw enough shit at the wall and some of it will stick
But make no mistake, you’re walls still covered in shit.
Okay, in the past I could be held accountable. But I am working hard right Musically Fresh!?
All internal MF banter aside, ‘Death of the Journalist’ is an intelligent comment on modern journalism that encourages you take what you read with a pinch of salt, whilst calling for a quality over quantity; A message we endorse here at MF.
Scroobius Pip’s work can be located in all your usual digital media outlets, including his Official Website. And I can’t encourage you enough to track down the podcast. He’s bringing back the art of the long conversation and teaching me so much about different cultures every week. But anyhow. Peace out. And…
#StayFresh
