spida

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SPIDA LEE, born Lee Roberts, started MC'ing about 10 years ago. When he was only eight years old, he performed for the first time at the Huddersfield Town Hall, Leeds Carnival and Bradford St Georges.



Mostly influenced by BEAT BUTCHER, who was the first producer to take his work seriously, and SKINNY MAN since his "Council estate of Minds" came out, he went to college at Huddersfield where he studied music for two years in 1996. One year later, he became a garage mc where he crafted his distinctive energetic live performance style.



In 2001, he became a member of (PHD) PRACTICAL HEADZ, and appeared in shows all over the UK from Bradford to London. PRACTICAL HEADZ recorded an album called ‘WHO IS IT’ that was made available nationwide through a small uk indie. The project got a lot of support so much so that SPIDA was soon noticed by RUBICON BEAT, who helped him develop his unique style of rap with both support and encouragement.



In 2005, he released ‘VERBAL ASSASSIN’, a hard hitting Northern hip hop track, with a strong UK emphasis, on the RUBICON label. The track, full of energy, attitude and enthusiasm brought SPIDA LEE to the attention of the rest of the country. The video was played on CHANNEL U and MTV BASE. Following this he then went on to release the of ‘VICTIMS OF SOCIETY’ EP which got played all over the country tracks like ‘U CAN’T RAP’ and ‘SICK TIMES’ featuring sparing partner J LYRICS became underground hits.



Keen to build his local support base before launching onto the rest of the UK, SPIDA recently completed a three-month tour around west Yorkshire schools.

Championed by SKINNY MAN, SPIDA has also been opening up shows for him, up and down the country, Which has helped him make quite a name for himself in the North delivering his hard-hitting hip hop beats and honest lyrics to a broader audience. †



On July the 2nd SPIDA LEE releases his debut album ‘THE FOUNDATION which features the bangers ‘CAN’T HANDLE THIS’ ft DAVO BROWN (PHD), ‘U CAN’T RAP’, ‘ENDZ LOCKDOWN’ and ‘VERBAL ASSASSIN’ produced by BEAT BUTCHA. ‘F**K HATING’ RMX produced by SAM DA SEED (PHD), ‘VICTIMS OF SOCIETY’ produced by MIKI B of BRUTAL ARTISTRY, ‘GETTING WORSE’ produced by DJ FAIR PLAY ft TONY BEAR, MEMORY LANE produced by MR MOWGLI, MAKE MONEY featuring new singer DAVINA ALLET and WEEKEND ft BISHOP (PHD).



Tracks from the album have had support from the likes of 1XTRA, BBC MERSEYSIDE, GALAXY FM, KISS FM and CHOICE FM and already received press from HHC, ECHOES, ONE WEEK TO LIVE and BIG SMOKE MAGAZINE. Video support has already come from MTV BASE, CHANNEL U, and will be broadcast on fresh new channel MUSIC FLASH TV by the end of June.

SPIDA LEE has laid ‘THE FOUNDATION’ for both himself and RUBICON RECORDS the only direction both of them are heading is upwards.



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"After releasing two well received singles, both of which appear on this LP, Spida Lee comes with his debut album on Rubicon Records, a new Northern Hip-hop imprint. I can’t deny, this is my first exposure to Spida, but it’s clear from the production credits alone that he’s a well-respected artist to those that know.



The album kicks off with the previously released “Verbal Assassin”, an organ driven brag-fest. The album proceeds to travel through various productional styles and subjects. Just some of the highlights are the lead track “The Foundation” with it’s floaty mid-90s sounding beat a la Salaam Remi and the monster party beat and lively lyrics on “Make Money”; you’ll be singing along to the hook for sure. The certified winner though is the Beat Bucha driven “U Can’t Rap”, which takes you back to a time when the Wu ruled the underground and Hip-hop made you scared to visit NY. Ok so this isn’t NYC Rap, this is that good ‘ole northern ish, but it’s as hard as anything you’re likely to hear this year.



All the way through Spida Lee provides a confident performance in his no-shame northern style and with an ear for some wicked guest producers, including some of his own work, “The Foundation” lays solid footings that should help build a productive career. This could easily make the top 5 best UK albums to be released in ’07". http://www.ukhh.com/reviews/lp/2538.html



"There is more than one way for an arachnid to make a name for himself than swinging through the Big Apple fighting the good fight. For one Yorkshire resident all it took was two slabs of vinyl and a verbal dexterity to rival the Readers Digest.



Spida Lee, hailing from the same West Yorkshire town that spawned Asaviour and Jehst, releases his excellent debut album, 'The Foundation' on one of the most exciting Northern labels, Rubicon.

Kicking off the album is a track that, when released as a single, got everyone talking, and 60 seconds in after already hearing lines that "hypnotize your mind like my name was Paul McKenna" and dropping constant "lyrical lead", it's easy to see why. 'Verbal Assassin' is jam packed full of metaphors and similes for days that always sound "fresh like an X-box" and the Beat Butcha produced backing will have you 'bopping to the beats in the streets'.



'Sick Timez' shows Spida's less playful side, dropping the tempo and the mood with his own production, but still keeping his vocal stylings to speak on life with J Lyrics. The grittier vibes comes very naturally, the broad accent and ease of flow make the offering appealing, believable and somewhat addictive.



Not only does the intricate wordplay define his talent, but the storytelling abilities behind 'Memory Lane' shows what can be achieved when an artist focuses on the whole lyrical spectrum, like a young Slick Rick.

In a scene where envy and beef has often torn apart the much needed peace, the sentiments behind 'Fuck Hating (Wid U Remix)' is one we can all sympathise with, beefs, brawls and battles forever tearing UKHH apart. The melancholic production from Sam Da Seed provides an interesting platter from which Spida Lee feeds.



If only to not look completely biased to my up north brothers, one criticism could be the inclusion of the 'Patrick Sleezee Skit', and that's purely because it's hard to see where it fits into the otherwise impressive ensemble, bringing out a more Ken Kaniff sounding homage than a break in the show.

Further production credits come from Fair Play and Mr Mowgli, with some stella features from Davina and Davo Brown. One listen through to 'The Foundation' and it becomes highly evident that Spida Lee doesn't ramp, he's here to stay.



The Foundation is out July 2nd 2007 on Rubicon Records.

Rating: 5/5"



http://www.ukmusic.com/reviews/hip-hop-and-rnb/spida-lee-the-foundation.html



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