Is Henok Achido's video for "High On Life (When The Drugs Don't Work)" one of the best Independent rap video to ever come out in Europe? You decide. Here's my opinion:
It's one of the only rap videos currently in circulation that doesn't depict images of jewelry, cars, cash, models, and fashion; but that's not what makes the video great. The reason why this piece is so captivating is because tackles issues that are rarely spoken about in the hip-hop community. Issues such as isolation, depression, homelessness and mortality. It shows a side of urban life, that the public rarely gets to see. The social aspects, such as, the night clubs, parties, public gatherings, are replaced with images of confinement, paranoia, and desolation. When looking at the big city, we often focus on the lights, skyscrapers, and glamorous events, yet, we rarely think about the thousands of people confined within their apartments living with an array of social anxieties, addictions and mental disorders. We see a beautiful bridge in Brooklyn, but we don't see the people living under it.
Henok Achido, once again, proves that he's simply cut from a different cloth. A rapper that refuses to follow the mainstream trends of the music industry. Henok Achido has exalted himself to an unreachable plateau by creating one of the best Independent rap videos to ever come out in Europe.

"High On Life (When The Drugs Don't Work)"
Artist: Henok Achido
Music Producer: Vito
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2009
Director: Mattis Gustafsson & Oskar Ljungholm of www.slagskottfilm.com
Cinematographer: Erik Nordlund of www.skapetskasta.se
Editor: Alexander Widerberg
3D Imager: Fredrik Nilsson
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com

This is the official video for the amazing remix of Major Lazer's "Hold The Line," from the album "Guns Don't Kill People… Lazers Do".  The video contains exclusive clips from some of Henok's live performances. You're going to love this!

"Hold The Line (Remix)"
Artist: Major Lazer (Switch & Diplo)
Featuring: Henok Achido, Santigold, Mr. Lexx
Album: Guns Don't Kill People… Lazers Do
Year: 2009
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Major Lazer on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/majorlazer
Record Label: SSC/Mad Decent
Booking: TheSecretSocietyClub@gmail.com

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really don't like this video. It's too American! Seriously… I love listening to Swedish rap because it's usually progressive, creative, different, avant-garde, and rebellious. This video just doesn't take me anywhere that I haven't been before. It's sounds very reminiscent of 2001 to 2003 Hip-Hop Club Songs and the video looks like something that I've seen before. Plus, where's the lyrics? Tensta? Eboi? What happened on this one? Lazee had the best verse out of everyone on this song. The whole record seems like it was rushed.

Now this is suppose to be Kartellen's big summer hit of 2009, and it probably will end up being their big summer hit of 2009… overall, it's probably one of the most marketable records that I've ever heard from Kartellen. I hope this record does really well over there in Stockholm. I just can't deny the fact that this record simply doesn't live up to the great Swedish dance rap records like Adam Tensta's "Dopeboy" & "My Cool"; Lazee's "Rock Away"; Paragon's "Aavisst"; and Henok's "Pusher" and "Can I". I wish the record had a stronger foundation of meaningful lyrics instead of "have fun and party". Freeway and Memphis Bleek already mastered the art of "have fun and party" music. I gotta hear something more progressive. So I'm just voicing my opinion on this one. I'm sure that some people will feel the same way.

I'm going to continue to support Kartellen because their music is simply getting better and better, I just hope their next single is a bit more thought provoking and ground breaking.

"Ga Loss"
Artist: Kartellen
Featuring: Lazee, Adam Tensta, Eboi, J-Son, Glaciuz, and MOFO
Director: Mikadelika
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Year: 2009
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kartellen

Henok Achido is one of the only rappers that can perform without a hypeman. That's all I'm going to say. Buy the album!

"Stones In My Shoes"
Artist: Henok Achido
Footage: PopCirkus on SVT (Sveriges Television)
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2009
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com

I'm calling this out early, even though the track is unfinished, and there's still 8 months before 2010, I honestly believe that when these two artists begin to establish themselves as two of the world's most popular rap acts, people will look back at this collaboration in the same light as the legendary 1997 Masta Ace & Eminem collaboration for Hellbound.
I got a chance to listen to this record about 3 months, ago over the phone; I still have no idea when the full remix will be done and released, but I know for a fact that it’s going to feature some pretty big names (you'll have to wait and see). This verse was recently placed on the new "Please, Hold" mixtape which is a gathering of some very very old XV songs such as Cooler Than Ya Boyfriend, along with some very new XV songs and remixes including this one right here. It's sort of a mixed bag for me since I already had 60% of those songs on my computer, but it's great for people that missed all the unreleased XV songs through the years and feel a need to catch up.

So pick that mixtape up, and enjoy the very short, yet memorable, verse from XV on this epic Swedish instrumental with one of the world's best rappers, Henok Achido.

Download: Right Click Save As

"Fly, Fresh, Forever (Remix)"
Artists: XV and Henok Achido
Producer: Filthy
Album: Please, Hold
Year: 2009
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/xtothevizzy
Contact: Xtothev@gmail.com

First off, This is one of the best songs of Henok's debut album, "Almaz Charming Child" (Buy It). It's lyrically in another world. This record is just years ahead of it's time. So enjoy one of the most lyrical songs of 2009! Henok Achido's "Crazy"… and yes you are CRAZY if you don't have the new album from Henok titled "Almaz Charming Child", so go get yourself a copy, you won't regret it. Preview the rest of the album at http://www.myspace.com/henokachido.

"Crazy"
Artist: Henok Achido
Producer: Dj Large
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2009
Country: Sweden
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com

Americans may not understand. The urban music industry is just a giant bandwagon, where everyone's music preferences are dictated by the gatekeepers in the mainstream media, such as bloggers, radio-jocks, and magazine writers. (Apparently no one likes to discover music anymore.) Let's take Henok, for example, (being the first DJ in America to spin this guy on radio, I think should know a little something) if Henok wasn't featured on Youheardthatnew.com, then the music tastemakers in America would be still sleeping on his music. I felt like there was a mad dash of writers (bloggers) trying to find out who this guys was, after he got featured (even though there's been people (not including myself) in the USA promoting and distributing his music and writing about him since 06 and earlier).
The bandwagon bloggers bother me because all these writers that are now writing about Henok, have had his music in their inbox for over a year! Why wait until the biggest blog in the world writes about it, check your bloody email!

Now for the music. It's not hipster, mainstream, underground, pop, grime, trendy or gangster. It's not for people that consider themselves urban. It's for people that want a change but don't want to hear another Barack Obama tribute record.

Henok's new album defies all the rules of modern hip-hop, and redefines what it means to be creative in rap music.
The production choice is extremely left field, although the producers on the album, Astma & Rocwell, Filthy, Sakis, are some of the best in the world. If you're familiar with the type of music they produce, you may start scratching your head when you start to hear this record. The beat choice is unpredictable, the lyrics and song topics can often seem random at times, yet you'll finish this album looking for more.

After releasing an underground mixtape and three mainstream singles, no one could predict an album like this. It may not win a grammis from the sometimes snooty academy but it'll definitely cause a dedicated world-wide cult following.

Henok Achido – Almaz Charming Child – Best Rap Album of 2009?

"High On Life (When The Drugs Don't Work)"
Artist: Henok Achido
Producer: Vito
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2009
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com

So many rappers are reliant on fads while others are reliant on skill. Henok Achido is one of those rappers that are reliant on skill. You can play his music 5 years from now, you could have played his music 5 years ago; his style is timeless and classic. So many rappers are all about their shoes, clothes, and coolness. Henok is simply about being a good rapper period, nothing more nothing less. His delivery is so powerful that he doesn’t even need metaphors in his music. Right now we live in an era where rappers are defined by the amount of metaphors they can sneak into a song. Tupac, B.I.G., Nas rarely used metaphors… yet they're still considered the greatest rappers of all time, why? The answer to that question is the reason why Henok will be considered as one of the hip-hop greats when it's all said and done. Fly Fly Fresh Forever!

Henok – "Fly Fresh"

"Fly Fresh"
Artist: Henok Achido
Cameo: Cami
Director: Karl-Uno and John Lindgren of Film de Liberte
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2008
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com

Henok, aka the best international rapper in the world, has finally dropped his brand new single, and video, "Can I". It needs no introduction… just dig it.

“Can I”
Artist: Henok
Producer: Astma & Rocwell
Directors: Senay, Kristoff Kolacz, TekleStreet, Morgan Röhl and Douglas Wahlberg.
Album: "Almaz Charming Child"
Year: 2008
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokmusic
Website: http://www.henokmusic.com/
Record Label: DLX/SSC
Booking: burntfacemusic@gmail.com

The Scandinavian Hip-Hop Invasion is a new movement headed up by borderblaster.com that supports a lot of up and coming artists located in Scandinavia. If you're a fan of Henok, Timbuktu, Kocky, Looptroop, Promoe, Lazee, Parasto, Nalija, Million Stylez or Adam Tensta; then I suggest you add: http://www.myspace.com/scandinavianhiphopinvasion to your friend space.

Link: http://www.myspace.com/scandinavianhiphopinvasion