A recent conversation with Half Decent at a BG All Stars gig reminded me of just how long he’s been striving in the rap game: from honing his skills at a local youth work music project I was involved with, to being part of the now sadly defunct noughties hip hop promotion team Beats and Rhymes.
Half Decent drops mini-album Pieces of Life with strong opener ‘Time’. A moody, string-laden beat with choppy drums and a threatening cohesion, plus light keys, are complemented with forceful lyrics and switched-up rapid-fire bars to get your attention from the jump. After such a powerful opener, the energy and quality drops marginally with next track ‘Can You Get Away’, but a slightly below-par beat is rescued by a strong hook from Smilex’s Lee Christian.
‘Losers’ is a leftfield, electro-style D&B stepper which Half Decent rides with confidence, perhaps as a way of letting heads know that he can flex on any style or genre you give him. Then we get to the most commercial offering on display – ‘Move Yr Body’ has club banger written all over it. Sonically, it ticks all the right boxes, pumping riddim,catchy synth lines and throwaway but witty wordplay. My only gripe would be that the female vocal on the track lacks the necessary authority to really take things to the next level. Oxford’s own soul vocal diva Jada Pearl would perhaps give this tune the attitude it needs.
Sombre, introspective album closer ‘Life’s What’s Important’ makes far better use of Natasha Chomyn’s folky, mellow vocals, and is a strong end to a more than Half Decent (sorry) debut.
For the most part, Half Decent’s rhymes are witty and his delivery is deft, with an impressive ability to juxtapose a variety of speeds and flows. It remains to be seen if he is distinctive enough in the increasingly saturated UK hip hop market to stand out. However, his ability to produce and create his own strong beats is an advantage, plus the leftfield/electro direction hinted at on some of the interesting productions on this mini-album gives hope that Half Decent can rise above the regular.