Every once in a while we receive something that blows us away... something that refuses to stick to what's current or popular, deviates from the mainstream, yet manages to sit comfortably with more cultures of musical audiences than the artist may or may not have intended to reach. This time it's Rag N Bone Man - Put That Soul On Me, a secret release from High Focus Records, that we were lucky enough to be sent. Rag N Bone Man has proved that his voice alone transcends genres with ease and has touched and effected so many people across the country since his debut on High Focus Records in early 2013. Bridging the smooth tones of blues, jazz and soul, accompanied by Leaf Dogs signature beats, he bought us Dog n Bone Man last year.
Since the release of the colab EP, the hype has continued to grow exponentially, getting plays on BBC Radio 1, touring the country with UKs Bastille and is even getting noticed overseas by the legendary DJ Premier, a testament to how many people his music is reaching.
Rag N Bone Man is someone who firmly believes in respecting the roots of hip hop and its many influences, the result is a blend of head noddin' anthems and music for the soul. Having caught him at Boom Bap 2013 and at this years HF Birthday Bash, we can tell you first hand that he is an artist that you should all take notice of. His live sets are amazing and a must if you ever get the opportunity. 
Taking care of the beats on this EP is Dirty Dike, more known as an emcee with a ferocious mix of wit and wordplay, but always shines whenever featured on production. Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to hear Dirty Dike take the role of producer when he featured on Edward Scissortongue's The Theremin EP, so we were stoked to hear that Put That Soul On Me was going to be a Dirty Dike production. The full release includes 3 vocal tracks, 3 instrumentals and an acapella for all the DJs and producers that wanna get involved in their own way.
The EP starts off big from the get go, with the titular track Put That Soul On Me opening up with a slick flute lick that floats up and down to some acoustic chords before the beat drops, accompanied by that sick bass line and Rag N Bone Mans opening hook "Just gimme that neat, sweet soul.... and nothing else", a line which I think perfectly sums up the hole vibe of this EP. Within 30 seconds, it's fully apparent that this is going to be a massive tune that praises the rawness that came with genres such as soul, blues and even funk, whilst incorporating his own unique blend of these styles through his incredible vocal ability. Definitely one of the more upbeat tracks on the EP and is one of our favourites already.
Across The Sky brings the tempo down slightly, giving us a smokey blues and jazz feel throughout the track. It opens with a crunchy sax intro setting up Rag N Bone Man as he guides us through the side effects of various drugs. The minimalist beat is effective and also allows room for Rag N Bone Man to shine inbetween the far placed kick and snare.
The final track on the ep has been highly anticipated since he dropped exclusive bars for High Focus TV back at the start of 2013. "My Business" is an extended version of this featuring Ronnie Bosh. Starting with that lovely vinyl crackle and piano, quickly bursting into life with a solo clap followed by the opening hook and bars featured in the video below.
The video caused a lot of buzz on the internet and was even re-tweeted by DJ Premier and 9th Wonder. Contact Plays Ronnie Bosh mixes perfectly into the track, delivering bars with flawless precision, complimenting Dirty Dikes body moving beat to a tee. Rag N Bone Man continues to impress with his voice as this song shows his range as well as his style, another reason why big names such as Premier re-tweet this gold.
As mentioned before, Rag N Bone Man is an artist who respects and explores his roots and this is constantly reflected throughout his music and helps show the deep culture that is involved in hip hop. Listening to the genres that built his style and always recognising it as a fundamental aspect of staying true to hip hop. He can also tear up a harmonica, as shown in the video below.
Put That Soul On Me is a must for the summer and I really hope we get to hear more colabs with Rag N Bone Man and Dirty Dike in the future. This is available now and you can purchase it from the links below. It will also be available to buy on 12" vinyl including the 3 bonus instrumentals and acapella. Strongly recommended.
DL Link
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/put-that-soul-on-me-ep/id896695187
http://shop.high-focus.com/product/rag-n-bone-man-put-that-soul-on-me-vinyl-ep
http://www.high-focus.com/home/
https://twitter.com/RagNboneManuk
https://twitter.com/DirtyDikeSMB
Reviewed by Double Es and NDLC.
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