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It always amazes me how people with the most uninspiring names reinvent themselves with an intriguing alter ego. For Rodney Smith read Roots Manuva, a man who shouldn't be ashamed by the title of a U.K. hip-hop pioneer. It was four and a half years ago that he was on stage warming up for Mark B & Blade.
How times change, Mark B & Blade have gone their separate ways and along have come the likes of Skinnyman to threaten to leave Mr Manuva firmly in the back of our minds. With Colossal Insight that should change, Roots Manuva is still relevant and still perceptive to the world around him.
With an almost Nintendo-like electro hip-hop beat and an eerie chorus Colossal Insight is a brilliant track. Laced with lyrics like "I don't give a damn about U.K. rap/I'm a U.K. black/Making U.K. tracks" you can't ignore the reality and sense of self the man has.
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