The sign of a great song is when flicking through radio stations in the car, you stop and turn it up. The moment I knew I loved this album was when I realised I was grooving and driving to ‘Put It On Wax’. Wild Colonial is Ozi Batla’s first solo album and is a stand out effort. While the rhymes are generally very good, even clever, sometimes (only sometimes) they lack creativity. However, this album has an impressive range of tracks. From the more frivolous and fun-loving ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ to the mellow closing track ‘A Distant Shore’, this album is full of great songs, so many that it is hard to pick a favourite.
Thanks to the talents of Sandro and DJ Bonez, this album avoids the homogeneity that can plague some hip hop records. Each track has a different flavour underpinned by distinctly Australian sounds. It’s a fantastic illustration of what Australian hip hop is and should be. Perhaps Ozi Batla’s next album would benefit from a few featured artists on tracks. The more I listened to this album the more I liked it, so give it a few listens before you make up your mind.
