"Up to date / state of the art / take part, get taken apart as I make my mark"
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Longusto & Devise – Stumbling (free 7 track EP)
The first line that really jumped out on me from the title track on Longusto & Devise’s new EP ‘Stumbling‘ is where Longusto is talking about the practicalities of surviving as a prole in a low-wage economy. ‘If you’ve got a low wage, grow some weed‘. He’s quick to point out afterwards that this isn’t an option he’s taken up personally, but one of his mates has. Good for him. I wonder if there’s any chance I could get this guy’s number? The rest of the track is okay, I’ll not make any grandiose claims for it but it’s certainly an appropriate listen for what’s always (in the UK at least) this bleakest time of year. It’s produced by Tom Caruana. The whole seven-track EP is available now on a pay-what-you-will deal on Bandcamp, or to stream via the embed below.
"Up to date / state of the art / take part, get taken apart as I make my mark" 
What a piss poor review of what is one of the sharpest and most heartfelt EP’s I have heard for a while. Reads like someone who has never really listened to Hip Hop before and doesn’t really know how to review it properly. Shame on Koaste for letting this poorly written review on his site.
Fair enough, that’s your opinion. My feelings about your rapping are pretty similar so I guess we’re even. One small point though – it’s not a review. It’s a first impression, a blurb. A review would be if I’d listened to the whole thing and made some serious attempt to assess its merits.
Shame on me? Really Paul? I don’t see anything wrong with the piece. I haven’t listened to the EP yet – I’ve heard bits, and what I’ve heard is very good, but I’m pretty sure that the last time I checked it was allowed to have different opinions on things, and Ringo’s is one of them. They say all press is good press, and I’m sure no one is going to change their mind on whether or not to download a free EP on an article on here. The fact its been posted suggests its recommended by us. I assure you that any writer for the site definitely has the credentials and background to write about Hip Hop. Regards.
I think he’s kind of pissed off that I didn’t get massively enthusiastic for the EP. I know that’s supposed to be standard practice when you’re covering artists from your hometown, but…whatever. Personally I post stuff cos I think it’s interesting, I suppose that’s some sort of recommendation. I’m not necessarily saying something is good or you’ll definitely like it but I am saying it’s worth a bit of your attention. In this case I rate Longusto highly, I have mixed feelings about (but a lot of respect for) Tom Caruana and I really need to do my homework on Devise. Maybe I should have been more clear about that? I dunno. Reckon the site would get repetitive and boring if every post was about ratings, though.
Hello Ringo,
Well, maybe the best way to avoid these sorts of misunderstandings is to listen to something before reviewing it- or if not, make it clearer that this is a ‘head up’ rather than a review and that you haven’t heard the ep in question. That didn’t seem at all clear from the piece.
As it was, your blurb sounded like a very dismissive, wholly unenthusiastic review by someone who had listened to a single line of a song and then explored that line out of it’s original context. That’s what I took issue with really, not that you did or didn’t like it (much as Longusto might be a good friend, I wouldn’t expect everyone to like his music or take issue with them if they didn’t), more that it seemed like you were dismissing it almost immediately, and that was a shame for such a sincere and multilayered project. Particularly one that is released on a relatively small scale and is well worth people’s support.
And, while I’m here, what do your feeling about my rapping have anything to do with the price of fish? And how are your feelings similar to mine? I’m not entirely sure they’re comparable in this instance. You seem a bit cross. Would you like a cuddle?
yours etc etc sincerely and so forth,
Professor Elemental
PS. I meant ‘heads up’, ‘head up’ makes no sense at all.