(Strong Records/Inertia)

So you are an up and coming MC in the UK, you have one of three choices - Hip-hop, garage or drum n bass, what do you choose? In the case of Dynamite you choose DnB, but on your first long player show us your love of all three forms.

World of Dynamite is an innovative release in the way it is set out. It is laid out in three rooms, Room 1 showcasing five hip-hop tracks, Room 2 with a three track smattering of garage and Room 3 a seven track closer of the Drum n Bass sounds Dynamite is known worldwide for. Given this the best way to review it is one room at a time.

Room 1 is hip-hop and this is an area most Drum n Bass fans will have an affinity with and an area apparently Dynamite MC has some flair for. First up is Marvellous, a really clever track where Dynamite plays the part of three MCs – Marv, Val & Loss – all with their own unique style it could have fallen in a huge heap but it actually works well over a tight Skitz beat. Next up for me is the pick of the album across all three rooms, Visions, a traditional hip-hop beat is smooth and rolling (courtesy of Dynamite himself) and really grabs your attention while the lyrics construct what the world is today and what we would all like to see. It is a quality track and up there with some of the better British hip-hop being released.

However the wheels soon fall off, lyrically Dynamite remains strong but the beats on the remaining three tracks are a little too experimental for my liking. On an album with a room each for three styles experimentation within the styles is perhaps a little too much, especially considering the class of the previously mentioned pure hip-hop of Visions. All three tracks sound a little cluttered and busy for my liking. A solid selection, although overall it could have benefited from sticking to a traditional hip-hop formula throughout.

Room 2 is one for the garage heads, a style largely overlooked in Australia. All three tracks here are tight and when you check the producers it’s no surprise why, Zinc, Wookie & TNT being three of the better known garage exponents – and none disappoint here. Lyrically again all are well done, the pick being Rush The DJ where Dynamite bemoans the fact everybody always wants to hassle the MC and get on the mic but nobody ever seems to “rush the DJ”. A solid room again if a little short at three tracks.

Room 3 and it is the style that made the man famous worldwide and gave him the contacts that are a who’s who of Drum n Bass that appear here on the production tip. Any album with beats from Roni Size (two), Andy C, Marky and High Contrast and you have the potential for a classic LP. As a result the tracks in room three do not let you down. From the rolling sounds of Andy to the jazzy vibe of Marky each beat has its producer’s signature and Dynamite knows exactly how to rip them. My personal favourites through this section are 5ive 0/The Scene/Tribute where Dynamite creates verses using the names of all Drum n Bass’s biggest DJ’s and nights that fit brilliantly together, and Over Here Now where he trades rhymes with my other favourite DnB MC Skibadee.

This is a rock solid release for two and a half of the three rooms and had it not had the more experimental hip-hop could have been a classic. It’s no mean feat to MC over a number of styles and Dynamite MC should be applauded for his courage in pushing the boundaries. Something here for fans of three genres and you could do a lot worse than using this as an education to some varied styles of dance music.