Rating: 7 / Format: CD / Label: 1965
Despite the love he gets from Annie Hac and the West London fidget mafia, Toddla T is still one of the UK’s most overlooked producers. In ‘Manabadman’, ‘Soundtape Killin’ and particularly ‘Fill Up Mi Portion’, he’s put out some of the best singles of the last few years, and as a DJ we’ve never seen him not destroy a dancefloor.
Anyway, Skanky Skanky is his first full-length album, and it’s generally good. In fact, when it’s not good it’s rarely Toddla’s fault – the production on ‘Sunny Money’ is some of the best on the album, but Siobhan Gallagher does nothing for it, and Roots Manuva doesn’t come close to capturing that borderline-genius doddering uncle feel he gives off when at his best. If this album was just Toddla and his trusted MCs Serocee and Versatile (who, Tinchy and Herve aside, show up the big name guests) then it would probably be a lot more interesting and cohesive. As it is, it’s still better than most.
Tam Gunn
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