Toronto - Everything is Borrowed is the fourth album from Mike Skinner aka The Streets. If you are unfamiliar with them, The Streets are a rap unit out of Birmingham, England. Their lyric contents have far more range then the usual “lets party/dance/fuck/look how rich we are” topics that the American Hip Hop scene is plagued with. A Streets song is something unto itself - Skinners lyrics and delivery are completely unique and there is never mistaking a Streets song from something else (maybe its the English accent). The slow driven ballady-rap songs have depth to them that few rappers can achieve. They are one of my favorite hip hop outfits.
Whereas the third Streets album - Hardest Way to Make an Easy living focuses on the up and downs of Mike Skinners celebrity, this album sees the rapper coming to terms with celebrity, life and who he is in general (”I came to this world with nothing, and I leave with nothing but love”). This is a man who has definitely matured and the music represents this. What the album lacks in frenetic energy (like say, Original Pirate Material), it makes up for with a tighter, more concise backing music. This album definitely sounds more focused. Theres a bit of everything in this album - guitars, horns, drums, backing choirs..I am sure I’ll pick up more sounds as I listen to this more.
Basically, this album is very good upon the initial listen.
Vik’s quick-take:
The Streets music used to make me smirk and nod my head feverishly. Now it makes me want to pour out some liquor. Everything is Borrowed is a great album but I long for tracks like ‘The Irony Of It All’ and ‘Fit But You Know It’. Skinners quirky take on society as opposed to his personal issues made for far more interesting listening.
4/5
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