Nasty P – Story So Far
Story So Far by Nasty P is a cohesive, satisfying collection of hip-hop cuts aimed squarely at the dancefloor.
Nasty P is a stalwart of the Edinburgh scene, and this album is a showcase for his Golden Age hip-hop-influenced music. With lush production values, technically impressive scratching, and guest spots from local heroes like Profisee (who features on several tracks) and international stars like J5's Akil (both are on the excellent State Of Mind), it is a deeply satisfying album in musical terms, alternating stately string-based vibes on True Lies with cut-up digital dub on Signs (Part 2), and straight-up boom-bap on Soul Biscuit (featuring UK hip-hop scene-leader Skinnyman).
It would be too easy to accuse Ol' Nastizzle of a poverty of ambition – the album's reliance on 90s hip-hop samples and loops means there is nothing particularly ground-breaking on offer – but it is perhaps more accurate to say that he is a purist and a classicist. On Story So Far he offers a cohesive, satisfying collection of hip-hop cuts aimed squarely at the dancefloor, and no-one who has a love of hip-hop's 90s rennaisance will be disappointed. The vocal cuts elevate the album still further, and demonstrate Nasty P's potential as a producer, one from whom we can expect great things in the future.