REVIEWS

Reviews For The Album The Butterfly Effect

As we stare blinking into the bright burning sun of 2006, the Slashmusic office is united in agreement that the first truly great album of this year is 'The Butterfly Effect' by the Midlands' premiere female MC, C-Mone. Channel4.com, Jan 2006


This Nottingham MC came to prominence with her cameo as Mike Skinner's angry girlfriend on 'Get Out of My House' on The Streets, 2004 album 'A Grand Don't Come For Free'. But the 25 year old has been laying her distinctive East Midland-accented rhymes over beats since '97, after she went along to Nottingham's (in)famous Community Recording Studio. There she became a founder member of of the Out Da Ville crew, who caused major ripples on the UK hip-hop scene before splitting in 2001. Since then, C-Mone has been steadily winning fans (including Mike Skinner) withna series of 12" singles. Now she's finally releasing her debut solo album, and its very much worth the wait. Happily, just as Out Da Ville resisted the overtures of of several major labels, so C-Mone has stuck with tiny indie Son. In fairness, you can sometimes tell money hasn't exactly been thrown at the production, but there's a brilliant rawness to the beats and C-Mone's delivery that the majors would surely have polished away. That's not to say there aren't tunes here, the hooks are mighty and the vibe bouncing. And C-Mone unfurls the kind of of lyrical, literate real-life rhymes the Artic Monkeys do so well, here dlivery one-part Eminem, one part Monie Love and one part Pitman (an other Nottingham alumni). Its an essential listen. ***** Time Out, 22nd February 2006


You may not realise it, but C-Mone could already have a place in your collection. She appeared as Mike Skinner's long-suffering girlfriend on A Grand Don't Come for Free, but this excellent solo debut proves she is her own woman. The production, helmed by her former Out da Ville bandmate Nick Stez, blends contemporary flourish with old school classicism: Watching U adds gothic atmospherics to a dislocated crunk soundscape, while Stan Bac's pugnacious beat doffs its cap to Public Enemy's single Public Enemy Number One. But it is C-Mone's powerful vocal presence that dominates: rapping proudly in her native Nottingham accent, she hymns her musical upbringing in Ode to Hip-Hop and excoriates political bullies on the rock-fuelled Second after Second. **** The Times, 25/2/06


"Firstly, I emcee for me/chatting 'bout everything that I touch and see.." Its an approach that serves Notts stalwart well on this, her debut LP. So while 'Stan Bac' finds the emcee hitting the tiles with gusto, and 'Ride' covers the the post-booze quest for a taxi. 'Second After Second' is a banger with added global consciousness and 'D~isfunktional' celebrates family life. Thorough with both a pen and a mic, C-Mone's always been talented but here she's really spreading her wings. **** HHC, March 2006


This young Nottingham rhymestress didn't intend to become an artist, but her star is on the rise. This debut follows a turn as an apoplectic girlfriend on the The Streets 'Get Out of My House', but banish thoughts of that Skinner-approved lumpen rapping. On her own, C-Mone shines all the brighter, from the soul baring introspection to Black widow's news-school feminist manifesto. **** Mojo, April 2006


"Nottingham's C-Mone has definitely had a busy few years, working her way up through the ranks. Starting out as one quarter of Notts super crew Outdaville, touring the UK's clubs & radio stations, it wasn't long before C-Mone started mapping out her solo career, releasing EP's on her own label Dark Whisper, as well as releasing records through Son. All this activity paid off big time, leading to C-Mone collaborating with Estelle on her debut, & with Mike Skinner on The Streets second album, & to top all that, she then won Best Female Emcee 2005 at the UK Hip Hop Awards. So into 2006 & C-Mone delivers her own debut album "The Butterfly Effect", & yes, it does live up to expectations. Her style is cool with a sense of humour & a dark undercurrent, but it's her lyrics that are gonna make her a star. Highlights include the dumb, drunk & very very sexy "Ride", which is about trying to get a cab home after a night on the sauce. "Feel the chill in the air, there's cars everywhere, Donner Kebabs on the stair' With a sense of despair". Over a low slung groove with distant brass, that puts you right there on that wind swept city street. "Disfunktional" shows C-Mone's soulful side, with a tale about growing up on hard times. "When I was little & their weren't no rice for the peas, or no bread for the cheese, we wouldn't moan & scream, we took it in our stride yeah, & with any love we quickly learned how to dream, we soldiered on' We are family & I feel love coz we are one, wanna fuck around with one of us? Put it in your song". Another outstanding cut is the bombastic "Black Widow", with it's rabble rousing Diana Ross "No Matter What Sign You Are" chorus. C-Mone has excelled herself with "The Butterfly Effect". Now who'd of thought that the challenger to Mike Skinner's crown, would be a bird from Nottingham. ***** Album of the Week Update Mag, 21/2/06


Nottingham rapper C-Mone has been steadily climbing the home-grown rap ladder, starting out with East Midlands crew Outdaville and recently guesting on Estelle's debut album and The Streets' second LP, 'The Butterfly Effect' is a smart, accomplished debut that sees C-Mone observing and absorbing the world around her, commenting on topics ranging from CCTV to refugees and council tax but without descending into righteousness. The brooding 'Nightvision' captures a fear of sleeping and dreams, and 'Disfunktional' celebrates family' whatever its shape or size. The discordant 'Stan Bac' meanwhile is a dramatic, prickly narrative of a typical night out, while album closer, 'The Nina C-Mone Theory' lays down a blueprint for breaking vicious circles of drugs and violence. 'The Butterfly Effect' is proud to be different, providing fresh perspectives through C-Mone's twin voices as a hardened child of the inner cities and a honest, humane rapper. Metro, 13/2/06

Now we're back in the picture, its time for the main event. 'The Butterfly Effect', including theawesome single 'Stan Bac', C-Mone's debut full-length is all killer and no filler (sorry for the corny comment but its true). If Estelle can have a pop smash with '1980' then 'Disfunktional' with its heartfelt-narrative should surely be smash. The posse cut, 'The Magnificent 7' sees Pariz 1, Cappo, Matic, Smiely, Cizzigrim, Pijin and Midnyte grappling the steel, each emcee trying to outshine the next. Another floor filler is 'Inside Out' with its infectious loop and rolling beat. The dirtiest track (and we mean that in a good way) has to be 'Black Widow'. Sounding like a cross between a blaxploitation theme tune and an old school anthem, we're left in no doubt C-Mone's the queen. No. 1 in chart Homestyle, HHC, Mar 2006


Nottingham's C-Mone comes correct on this Son Records release and her debut album which follows her win at the UK Hiphop Awards and several strong EP's, which have already gained her lots of respect and fans. From the get go, there's a loud sense of integrity and quality control. The production is classy and the first two tracks alone showcase range in lyricism and flow which you'd find hard to come across in many rapper's whole albums. In 'Article 5' C-Mone tackles a range of topics which so easily could have ended up with a teen angst treatment, but that are handled maturely over a slice of atmosphere produced by Smiley. 'Disfunktional' is a deep and retrospective track produced by DJ Fever, whilst 'The Magnificent 7' provides a huge party of solid guest appearances including Pariz 1, Matic, Smiley, the legendary Cappo and more. What's great about this release is the sophisticated and honest nature with which C-Mone carry's herself, such as on the P Brothers produced 'Inside Out'. 'Ode To Hip-Hop' does what the title suggests, in an extremely passionate way which won't fail to touch any true hiphop head. Produced by Nick Stez, it subtly incorporates dialogue of guy's conversing about the topic at hand. C-Mone's worlds, combined with the gentle string and clapping beat pattern creates something really beautiful. 'Ride' is of really vivid and captivating lines and 'Black Widow' delivers yet more intelligent verses with a really enjoyable chanted hook. 'Watching U' concludes the album with a seductive beat and lyrics to match. All in all, this is an extremely listenable and fullfilling effort which C-Mone deserves a lot of attention for. It's quality UK hip-hop through and through and already a significant contender for album of the year. www.rapnews.co.uk


Best Female Emcee 2006: C-Mone. With her "poetry in motion", the UK’s Nottingham "femcee" kicked mad game on the "other side" (if you’re in the United States) of the ocean. Hip-hop outside of the U.S. is nothing new, but C-Mone’s classic style is a testament to hip-hop’s global influence as much as London’s first-ever hip-hop concert in Royal Albert Hall in September, headlined by Jay-Z along with guest appearances by Beyonce, Nas, Chris Martin of Coldplay and, um, Gwyneth Paltrow. As C-Mone’s flow covers a wide range—politics, racism, sexism, partying, seduction—her strength is being hard enough to beat you in a rhyme battle, but cool enough to chill with you at the club. In 2006, this self-described black widow held it down amid releases from Lady Sovereign, Remy-Ma, Shawnna, and (oh shit!) Fergie Ferg. Hopefully, we’ll see more female emcees flourish in the game. www.popmatters.com ( by Quentin B. Huff ) Back to Home Page



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