Way More Bounce To The Ounce: Volume 10

Volume 10: Pistolgrip-Pump and Where's The Sniper

From: Hip-Hopera [RCA, 1994]

An oldie but goodie today and one that can't fail to gee you up for the weekend. I tend to follow the code of posting up music that falls into the relatively obscure category but that's always a little trickier with Hip Hop as my knowledge doesn't go anywhere near as deep as some of the other bloggers out there and on our Hot List.

With that said and done, I do spend a large part of my music listening experience enjoying the world of rap and, revisiting Volume 10's Hip-Hopera the other day, I was so blown away by how original it still sounds that I couldn't resist featuring it on the site.

Volume 10 was originally part of the Goodlife open mic sessions before, as far as my knowledge goes, first laying down rhymes on wax on Freestyle Fellowship's Heavyweights. Volume then went on to release his massive and bass shattering debut single Pistolgrip Pump in 1994. The album Hip-Hopera followed soon after and, being a disconnected brit, I can only assume didn't do too well as a follow up didn't appear till 2000.
In a way I can see why the album might have failed to rake in the sales - it certainly doesn't offer up what would be expected after hearing Pistol Grip Pump. This is in no way a criticism of the album though as it mixes the upbeat bounce and gangsta vibes of tunes like Pistolgrip with songs rife with paranoia and social criticism.

Alongside the mix of somewhat psychedelic bass heavy beats, Volume 10's rapping style is what really sets the album apart for me. Tracks like the alcoholism themed Where's The Sniper show Volume switching between a mumbling style almost swallowing the end of sentences and a sing song style more reminiscent of Freestyle Fellowship recordings. The effect should be horrible but thanks to the man's gifts and the lyrical content on offer the results hold true as Volume trips and stumbles his way on and off the beat.

I couldn't really feature this album without including Pistolgrip-Pump so here it is for the 2% or whatever of the visitors to this site who haven't heard it. Reintroduced to a whole new audience recently when it was featured in GTA San Andreas it truly is a window rattling, head bumping, classic as Volume 10 delivers a venomous rhyme over THAT beat. Even if you've heard it a million times before it never truly gets old. Enjoy.