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Brand New Second Hand | 
 enlarge | Artist: Roots Manuva
Label: Big Dada Records
Category: Music
List Price: $10.98
Buy New: $6.13
You Save: $4.85 (44%)
New (27) Used (10) from $3.00
Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 137022
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 625978401026
EAN: 0625978401026
ASIN: B00000ICLB
Release Date: March 23, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Movements | | • | Dem Phonies | | • | Juggle Tings Proper | | • | Inna | | • | Soul Decay | | • | Baptism | | • | Strange Behaviour | | • | Big Things a Gwaan | | • | Sinking Sands | | • | Wisdom Fall | | • | Roots-Fi Discotek Skit - Roots Manuva, | | • | Clockwork | | • | Cornmeal Dumpling | | • | Fever | | • | Oh Yeah... | | • | Motion 5000 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
For a long time, it seemed like any sort of hip-hop that came from Great Britain was immediately labeled "trip-hop." But it's impossible to pigeonhole crews like Black Twang and London rapper Roots Manuva into that category--and sometimes it's tough to slot Roots Manuva into any category. Unfortunately, the production on this album is spotty, veering uncomfortably from the hopelessly fractured reggae of "Dem Phonies" to the live funk of "Fever." Roots Manuva's skills, though, are undeniable, and he maneuvers through tracks like "Big Things" and "Baptism" with a keen intellect and an impressive moral authority. His Brit-accented flow differs greatly from that of his American peers, though, and may prove to be an acquired taste for some. Flawed as it may be, Brand New Second Hand shows that international hip-hop need not mimic that of the States in order to compete--but it could take some lessons in the studio. --Justin Hampton
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| Customer Reviews:
Roots Manuva's Debut is a stunning UK based Hip-Hop Entry... June 15, 2005
fetish_2000 (U.K.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Roots Manuva - "Brand New Second Hand": Roots Manuva (aka "Rodney smith"), has managed to crave out something of a niche following for himself in the UK, since this his 1999 Debut "Brand New Second Hand", a supremely talent Rapper/Producer, who's intriguing take on UK life, through a distinctly Jamaican ideals and mentality, have garnered him various awards in the UK press (and narrowly missing a 'Mercury Music' award) . Unfortunately for him, the UK hip-hop market, just isn't anywhere near as big as it's US equivalent, and so, his albums (all critically appladed), just haven't managed to translate into significant sales. But please don't let that stop you from picking up this album for one of the UK's most incisive and distinctive voices.
One of the main appeals of Roots Manuva's work, isn't just the swaggering beats or the distinctly original approach to production, which is a mixture of swaggering rhythms, hard-edged beats, syncopated percussion, a strong tendency toward dubwise beats, bottomless bass and reverberating vibes, or oddball squelches and aggressive sounds and energetic thumps. It's that it owes as much to: Ragga, Dancehall, Electronica, & Dub, as it does U.K. Hip-Hop, and although there's a strong element of bass heavy sounds, it's the diversity and ingenuity of production throughout the album that immediately impresses.
but as hugely impressive as the production sides of things are, it also equally as much to do with the fact that he is a distinctly impressive lyricist/Vocalist. One that sees things from a decidedly UK urban standpoint, throwing his thoughts, views, ideas over a great many social concerns / injustices / inequality, and yet is able to command a presence and strength in his persona, that transcends his contemporaries, and pushes him into a field of of his own. He is intelligent, humble but most of all conscious, pouring scour on: weak-minded individuals led into temptation ("Movements"), trying to make sense of life in general ("Juggle Tings"), The problem of the mind playing trick on you ("Strange Behaviour"), which are all delivered with a gritty and slightly gruff vocal delivery that cement the seriousness of his subject matter. His themes although resolutely embedded in a strong urban take on things, belie the fact that he is arguably one of the finest talents in the UK rap scene, and few (if any), come close to matching his production skills, style, voice and rhymes, as they are all so uniquely him, that nobody else seems to mimic quite the direction he seems intent on taking his music.
Roots Manuva may always seem to condemned to a cult audience, not because of a lack of quality control on his albums, but purely because it's far harder for UK acts to make waves internationally, and coupled with the fact that Roots Manuva's label (Big Dada) has seemingly lacked the marketing muscle to truly push him into the general public consciousness. Instead having the rely on Critical acclaim (of which he has had a great deal), and word of mouth, to draw people into his curious mixture of Dancehall inflected Hip-Hop. All Roots Manuva's albums demand investigation. yet each release, sees him finding his feet & confidence with each successive album, and for those that are yet to actually buy an album of his, and are undecided, I'll suggest that this album is the perfect primer, if you've heard some of his work, and are curious for more. And this will (hopefully) lead you onto his subsequent albums, which grow broader in sound and lyrical complexity, culminating in 2005's exceptional career best.
a few quotes for this classic lp November 18, 2003
etienne (kosovo)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
ROOTS MANUVA - 'BRAND NEW SECOND HAND' (BD010/BDCD010)"Extraordinary... a crucial release and a landmark for UK beats and rhymes"-Update, ALBUM OF THE WEEK
"The uncertain, fluctuating British soundscape may not be ready for he sound of 'Brand New Second Hand', but after it lands and is taken in by the curious, it could emerge into the type of abiding legacy that 'Blue Lines' went on to become. Comfortably distanced by time and space from anything else before it, rooted to history with flickerings of the future, an artist and an album for all your millenium domes"-Hip Hop Connection, cover story and ALBUM OF THE MONTH
"The most original slice of British hip hop in years"-The Observer, POP CD OF THE WEEK
"The best rap album from this or any other country you'll hear all year. Already. Very deep and very dark, echoes of dub, electro and dancehall frame laid-back but gripping narratives, the sort of music Massive Attack once made. Gorgeous and vital, it makes you realise how long the Americans have been on cruise control" -Esquire
"Arguably the best hip hop album to emerge from the UK this decade... unique... In fact, it should be mandatory for anyone with even a passing interest in hip hop culture to check out a bit of Roots-Fi Boogie."-DJ
"The most important UK black music album since the seminal Soul II Soul debut... a brilliant vision of the hip hop sound"-Front
"A multi-cultural cauldron which offers a true taste of the Brit-hop experience. Like the b-boy incarnation of James Baldwin, Roots Manuva delivers his street ministry with the conviction of a preacher's son... a wilderness of dubwise beats, bottomless bass and reverberating vibes that lie somewhere between Mobb Deep and Massive Attack. A new testament from an old soul. This man hurts like the truth."-Time Out, CRITICS' CHOICE
"A unique vision... a place where lo-fi creative sensibilities run the dance. Throwing together elements from reggae to ragga, dub to hip hop, he has created a supreme audio cosmos that manages to wrestle the Black musical legacy into a new form... (he) utilises sonic effects like Lee 'Scratch' Perry's long lost son. His artistry reminds us of what came before the commercialism of hip hop. Self-produced and deeply personal it harks back to the days when the music was the product of intimate collaborations. Roots Manuva is blessed with the ability to unfurl and communicate life's subtleties through his rhymes... a drop of hip hop perfection"-Echoes, Code Of The Streets COVER STORY.
"Roots Manuva is by some distance the most significant and original new voice in hip hop."-The Independent, LEAD REVIEW
"Why Buy? Because no one else is being this honest about your life. Because no one else in hip hop is as opened-up to real musical innovation and intrigue.Because once you've heard him, you realise he has the most unmistakable voice anywhere in pop."-Melody Maker
"There are edgy, innovative beats and his booming, dancehall reggae-tinged lyrics, imparting punchy observations of south London life, the odd line about impending global disaster and 'the complete guide to skiving and surviving.' With bubbling effects and a huge dubwise rumble on board, you have the best UK hip hop album in ages."-NME
"Combining his roots in reggae with the hip hop beats, Roots Manuva is on the verge of changing thisculture forever. When you hear Manuva you know you're hearing something as fresh as Tribe's "Midnight Marauders". Booming bass, science fiction sound effects and backwards snares lay the canvas for Roots to spit his own language, creating music that has never been heard before. 100 percent original, just like hip hop should be, Manuva has truly turned the English language inside out."-The Fatboss, cover story
"An outstanding statement of his potent skills and the vibrancy of the British scene... a contender to watch in an increasingly globalized hip hop arena"-Urb "Fierce and beguiling... unlike anything else. A highly promising debut"- The Sunday Times
"An album that's dark enough to make Wu-Tang seem like a troop of children's clowns. Easy listening it ain't. But persevere and it becomes more than worthwhile. It is hip hop, kids. But not as we know it. And that's no bad thing."-Mixmag
"His is the voice of urban Britain, encompassing dub, ragga, funk and hip hop as it sweeps from crumbling street corners to ganja-filled dancehalls, setting gritty narratives against all manner of warped beats."-The Times
"This LP mixes a multitude of musical flavours, jazz, soul, dub, hip hop and techno. Roots Manuva's smooth but attitude-packed lyrics ride all these different musical styles with ease. Weird beats and breaks that come in at strange points make you listen again but they definitely work. There are so many strong tracks..."-Wax
"A hip hop contender to conquer America, Roots Manuva has lyrics to go and a voice like gravel. Onceheard it's imprinted deep in the subconscious."-Straight No Chaser
"Conceived in a future mindset era, Roots Manuva's "Brand New Second Hand" is a striking assemblageof reggaefied hip hop textures with wilder bass patterns interwoven beneath. These open-ended adventures into the Roots-Fi zone make the music sound even better, exposing reasons behind the abrupt shifts in the fluctuating constructs of the album. At the hub of it all is the imposing bass-tinged voice coated in layers of reggae and hip hop and stained with the noxious ingredients of the weeded tobacco cylinders he smokes."-Sleaze Nation
"Roots Manuva is a great rapper and 'Brand New Second Hand' is a great hip hop album period. The 26 year-old Stockwell MC has wit, brains, originality, warmth and a fine voice. For those worn out searching for something to invigorate a lost love affair with hip hop, 'Brand New Second Hand' should cancel any renunciation of faith"-Jockey
"The brilliant 'Brand New Second Hand' is an audio omni-verse which wrestles a black British musical legacy into cohesion"-Dazed & Confused
"The saviour of British hip hop. Humour, sadness, anger, life. Smith keeps his hip hop real, not to the ageing musical rules of a foreign land, but to the street, his streets. And, with his vision and rhymes, the ordinary/extraordinary streets of anyone who listens to this album"-Flipside
"An album that can sit in your collection alongside Rakim and do that with pride"-Ministry, HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Da Bomb November 1, 2003
A. Ingel (Los Angeles)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This album is slamming. Run Come Save me was dope, very dope. Witness was deff. the song of the year last year. But I stumbled on this album, his first major release, and it is even better. Beats are ridiculous. Ryhmes ... ridiculous. The only wackt song is track two, besides that, complete satisfaction. If you an American underground head that likes old Boot Camp, old Jeru the Damaja, and just dope hip-hop - you'll dig this.
The best UK hip hop album out there.... March 3, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
really. As for knocking the production on this album....stupid.
Brilliant. The only hip-hop I like February 28, 2002
Simply put. Roots Manuva is intellectual enough and mature enough to cross that hip hop border I've set up. So foten I just can't stand hip hop lyrics, but this man's are great. I think movements is beautiful. My favorite album is the new hope single, where the movements is scratchin' all over the place. Roots manuva has a very raw and sincere style. I hope to see more, and I hope he gets the money we pay our braindead burnout artists in the states.
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