The Solo List.

What is Valentines Day*? For some of us, it is a myth. A myth that is apparently dumbed down to deep red, roses and dinner -Kanye shrug-. My mate wrote a piece about this, and it is apt. Others will be pretending to not care, some definitely won't. But if you're here, you care. About generating some vibes that make you feel at least plausibly indifferent. With films like How To Be Single recently released, I'm all in aid for championing self-sustainment and casting out the ghosts of romance past.

This is a delicate one, so I've made a point to get large from the start. French Kalash & Pompis "Independent Gyal" is a batty-flicking madness.It calls for too much. Mean-mugging, trigger fingers. Anything necessary to dun the dance.

Next we have three directly meaningful songs. From the "one" chanting in Lauryn Hill's classic "Lost Ones", the throwback to Outkast's "Roses", and Dizzee Rascal's unbelievably clever cyclical "love" story in "Round We Go", you're bound to get lifted. 

This is all good and well, but sometimes you have to harness the negative to make room for the good. We all have different healing processes. Some of us need to wallow to the sounds of some powerful lyrics (Arctic Monkeys, "Do Me A Favour", Etta Bond "Break Free"); some need a smash & flee release ("Best For Last", Adele); or to make some sweeping accusations (Chris Brown). Either way, it's all cathartic.

Sounds like: Strength & weakness
Skanks like: An emotional journey in skankin'
For: Lone wolves *For love, spooning anthems and the like, please see The Valentines List of 2014.

The Gas List.

Quite simply, 8 tracks that are bound to get you amped. Any pre-mashup activities, draw for this playlist.

Nothing wrong with bubblin' to instrumentals. Especially beats that sound like pure chaos in the best possible way. Chimpo knows how to get the skank started; ask anyone that's been to Hit & Run. "Blowfish" is not for cheap laptop speakers or crappy room acoustics. Sort. it. out. and. skank.

Always enjoyable hearing musicians utilise every aspect of a track. No time-wasting with fillers while keeping up lyrically to very decent beats. Kano, Wiley, Wretch 32 & Scorcher are testament of this in "E.T.", as are Frisco and Shakka in "Different Kind". Two great hype tracks, and the Grime continues with "Armageddon", a dub interlude by Mungo's Hi Fi, and a powerful intro by Young Spray on "Better Just Know". The latter features swift skanking Tempa T, so you know there's relentless energy involved.

EDM is synonymous to party music, so it's almost compulsory to include Calvin Harris. Dawn Richard concludes this one though, with experimental glory and the general idea here - dance!

Sounds like: The soundtrack for the weekend
Skanks like: Lord of the dance
For: Hype

The Righteous List.

It's very important to flex on the fact of merely being alive. Feeling good, loving thyself and transfiguring into a full-fledged badman. For this reason, first up - Florence and the Machine, ladies and gentlemen:

Listening to Florence Welch is like experiencing a sermon, embarking on a celestial journey full of Godly righteousness, ominous chanting, power and spirit. This is the gospel. She even flips verses from the Bible, and well. "Bedroom Hymns" is the one. The one that makes you want to drink from the highly compelling cup that is Flo, until Kingdom come. Feel supreme and power up!

Tap-dancing loops (Wizzy Wow), a tale of ascension by the amazingly stylistic Wretch 32, and a conflation of Christian goodwill and batty-whining persuasion by Wizkid in "Eledumare". 

Of course, you can always head-bang to the political inclusions - Plan B's "ill Manors" and "F**k the System", equipped with standard System of a Down fury. By the time you reach Betty Davis (who was almost listed just based on the strength of her afro), it's a lot more humble brag. Hashtag people power.

Sounds like: Giving you life

Skanks like: Nobody's watching
For: Supreme everything

The New Year List.

Start as you mean to go on. Consequently, it's only fitting that Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Who Gon' Stop Me" is the perfect catalyst to dead the plateaus of 2015. If that's not enough, you have the option of amping up on a purely instrumental level to Labrinth - "the UK Timbaland."

Worry about yourself - you can catch Janelle Monae and Limp Bizkit exploring similar sentiments. Shedding nonsense is the theme here, so you know Jhene Aiko is queued. A timid voice with prolific powerful messages. You better sway! And do so all the way into Little Simz' "Wings" with peak self-belief.

Skepta's crowning of the new year-new me feels on Chipmunk's "Someone To Love Me" is the seal:

"Do some work. Talking about doing work, is not doing work."

And with that, Happy New Year folks!

Sounds like: Hype music

Skanks like: Warm-up > workout > cool down
For: Motivation

The Valentines List.

Tis the season to dote on your significant other. The partner and I have decided to postpone our plans, but for the rest of you who are planning on sealing tonight with some very strong stroking, click play.

Speech DeBelle's sweet-toned rap in "I'm With It" has been on my Top 25 Rinsed Tracks for sometime now. Considering she's massively underrated and coupled this track with a powerful video, I'm going to leave this right here. Wretch 32's "Anniversary" is one of few tracks incorporating love on my personal playlist that will get multiple pull-ups indefinitely. Soft batty-whine on your beau to that!

There's the obligatory Amy Winehouse song, and Clean Bandit's "Rather Be" that is likely to stretch out until summer, because it's that bad. The good kind. "Hey" by the Pixies is a track I came across in a soundtrack for a film whose title I won't mention for PG purposes. There are relatively little lyrics, but Lord knows it's a tune.

The playlist concludes with the well-known "Opposites Attract" where Kendrick Lamar asks many rhetorical questions, and an addition from R.Kelly's Chocolate Factory, which, if you know anything about slow jams, is compulsory.

Sounds like: Butterflies, but in your ear
Skanks like: The gentlest batty whine
For: The lovers

The Apocalypse List.

Happy Anticlimax!!!! As is standard for New Years celebrations, I present the best of 2013 ideal for celebratory skanktivities. To go clubbing would be an insult to my bank account, so you'll find me living it up at home, committing to some very subpar twerking. For those trying to relive something similar to Jools Holland's Hootenanny and Channel 4's House Party - proceed.

Janelle Monae's self-explanatory "Dance Apocalyptic" drops first, followed by Benga, Kano and Azealia Banks; all of which roused me to cardiovascular problems. Scrufizzer is a total hype machine, reminiscent to the alarming vocalisations of Flirta D, and gained more recognition this year with "Kick It". The man is simply a Lord over any Preditah production. To hear him in his prime, keyword 'Logan Sama 2Face Teeza' on YouTube.

For further vibes I've included a rip from James Arthur's album. The guy undoubtedly has soul, and this is actually one of the top tracks - "Lie Down." Similarly with the Kanye addition which is my most played song this year. That TNGHT sample is tough. Too tough, and clapped my speakers as soon as the first trumpet sounded.

The list is topped off with Citizen's "So Submissive" - straight mucky.

Sounds like: Pure pandemonium
Skanks like: Trigger fingers & the likelihood of saying "CHOOOOOON!"
For: Good vibes and power skanking

The Monochrome List.

Sometimes in life, you've gotta get sinkhole deep profound and manifest your melodrama, nahmean? Let me help you:

This playlist features sombre piano notes accompanied with sad slur champ Ghostpoet, and some unsettling glitch loops common to Crystal Castles' sound. SZA's "Teen Spirit" and Ruff Sqwad's "Misty Cold" breezy additions are mandatory for winter's sake, as is Sam Smith's intensity on Nirvana. As a pick me up, you can always rely on DMX to make you involuntarily skank to some diabolical raps, in addition to Mike Skinner's intro in "Empty Cans" which is faultless. Thank you for The Streets.


I was introduced to The Feeling somewhere in between Sixth Form and wondering what happened to Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Long story short, her husband (Richard Jones) is the bassist, and these guys created a ballad on Rosé wine. White Zin for the win.

Sounds like: A transition from self-pity to TOTAL LIFE DOMINATION

Skanks like: A sluggish two-step - head bob

For: The night