Home Sweet Home - Kano

Home Sweet Home is the 2005 album from London rapper and one of the UK's brightest young stars Kano (born Kane Brett Robinson), released on 679 Recordings, and with the majority of the tracks being produced by Davinche. When first released the album received rave reviews from many different media sources, including from The Observer and The Independent newspapers, and from Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and the Rza of Wu-Tang among ...
...work on his solo album, Home Sweet Home, which he would release the singles 'P's and Q's', 'Typical Me', "Remember Me", 'Nite Nite', 'Brown Eyes' and 'Signs in Life', with 'Nite Nite' making no.25 in the UK charts, a decent achievement for a track getting little radio or MTV play.


The Album

1 - Home Sweet Home

A nice start to the album, the beats are pretty basic but work well, a nice ... more

Home Sweet Home is the 2005 album from London rapper and one of the UK's brightest young stars Kano (born Kane Brett Robinson), released on 679 Recordings, and with the majority of the tracks being produced by Davinche. When first released the album received rave reviews from many different media sources, including from The Observer and The Independent newspapers, and from Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and the Rza of Wu-Tang among others. The record currently stands at gold status record sales in the UK.

As a kid Kano played football for (among others) Chelsea and Norwich youth teams but his interest was always with music. Becoming a member of the N.A.S.T.Y. (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) Crew, who counted Kano, Jammer, D Double E, Ghetto, Stormin , Demon and Sharky Major as members, Kano drew widespread recognition amongst the underground music scene as a talented mc. The N.A.S.T.Y. Crew would soon erupt with in house fighting leading to many members of the crew leaving, including Kano, often down to reports of violence from crew member Marcus Nasty, although they still perform today they have never recovered from losing the likes of Kano, Jammer, Demon, D Double E and Ghetto.

By 2005 Kano had finally finished work on his solo album, Home Sweet Home, which he would release the singles 'P's and Q's', 'Typical Me', "Remember Me", 'Nite Nite', 'Brown Eyes' and 'Signs in Life', with 'Nite Nite' making no.25 in the UK charts, a decent achievement for a track getting little radio or MTV play.

The Album

1 - Home Sweet Home

A nice start to the album, the beats are pretty basic but work well, a nice track to introduce Kano and find out a little of his history.

7/10

2 - Ghetto Kid feat Ghetto

Again a decent song but nothing special, some nice beats and nice raps but nothing out Kano's comfort zone, I do love Ghettos verse, he's got a unique voice.

7/10

3 - P's & Q's

Now this is more like it, the first song I ever heard from Kano and still one of his best, double time beats that sound like a cross between grime, rap, and garage accompanied by almost double time raps at times, Kano's lyrics are excellent in this one, there isn't anything I don't like about this song.

10/10

4 - Reload It feat Demon and D Double E

Another absolute banger of a track, this is definitely grime although it does have a Drum n Bass element to it, more double time beats but this time there is no mistaking the double time raps from Kano, Demon and D Double E. A great song by the former Nasty Crew members, love this track.

10/10

5 - Typical Me feat Demon

A guitar laced track, quite threatening beats, the lyrics are about Kano's personality and how he reacts when he goes out to bars/clubs and gets hassle. Great song overall, nothing to fault really but just doesn't quite have what the last two tracks have.

9/10

6 - Mic Check

Total grime, although Kano does question the different names for the music in this track, the beats are decent and all but nothing too special, possibly a bit to minimal for some people, I do like the lyrics though.

7/10

7 - Sometimes

A laid back track in which Kano reflects on life and how far he's come, its decent but doesn't stand out.

7/10

8 - 9 to 5

An interesting track which incorporates some violins and piano into the beats, quite a short track coming in at little over 2min, Kano raps about his days as a footballer and how he lost interest but always worked hard at his raps.

7/10

9 - Nite Nite

This ones produced by Mike Skinner from the Streets and you can totally tell even down to Leo the Lion singing the chorus as he does and many of Skinners songs. Quite a relaxed track, some really nice beats, Kano's raps are what triumph here, he comes across sounding very confident, relaxed and like he's having fun with the music, the tracks basically the closest to a love song you'll get in rap (which isn't too close).

8/10

10 - Brown Eyes

Another laid back track, some nice beats, love the piano, again another rap love song, Kano sounds quite heartfelt again on this one, I do like it.

8/10

11 - Remember Me

A crazy sounding track, almost salsa music mixed with hip-hop, love this track, its a head bouncer, Kano raps very quick on this one, basically a song about a drunk night out, as Kano says one 'for the drinkers'.

9/10

12 - Don't Know Why

Sampling 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath this track is a guitar ridden banger, Kano raps with much aggression throughout the track, almost shouting at the chorus, a good track worth the listen.

8/10

13 - How We Livin'

A reflective track looking at the violence on the street today and the alternatives to that lifestyle, the beats are similar to many of Dizzee Rascals softer songs, a nice song.

8/10

14 - Nobody Don't Dance No More

The beats switch up from sounding like something of a ministry of sound chill tune cd, to full on grime, an interesting mix, like this one, it doesn't do anything to really reach the next level but it should be listened to if you have the album.

8/10

15 - Signs In Life

Some great beats here, love the violins, love the base line, Kano raps with all his skills on this one, he has quite an aggressive tone throughout, as you might guess from the title its another track about life and how Kano handles things, a nice track to stick in near the end.

9/10

16 - Boys Love Girls

Total grime, almost 2 step and garage, wouldn't sound out of place on Dizzee's albums, love this track, the beats are some of the best head bouncing music on the album, I love it when such minimal sounds can combine to make so much, Kano's raps as ever are delivered with style, pace and charisma, you have to love this mans music.

9/10

Overall a 8/10 for this album from me, Kano's is one of the UK music scene's best young talents, for someone so young to make such quality is a true rarity, I love the fact he speaks about British things throughout unlike many UK mc's who seem to believe their American. Recommended to all rap and grime fans.
 

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