The Elementz

Based in Birmingham, U.K., the Elementz were comprised of Lickal Vain, Torsion, Noir Star, Decision, and DJ Rhize. As concerned with changing states of mind as much as states of dancefloors, the Elementz MCs brought socially conscious raps over beats that morphed from downtempo to jazzy to banging in the blink of an eye or the twist of a phrase. Formed in early 2000, the Elementz crew quickly made a name for itself in the U.K.'s underground hip-hop community with the Neon Verses EP, issued by Different Drummer that same year. Featuring three tracks with vocals and three without, the collection established the Elementz as competitors alongside Birmingham hip-hop heavyweights like MSI & Asylum. In February of 2001, the Elementz released an album version of Neon Verses, this time with 20 tracks. It further solidified the crew's reputation for uniquely formed beats (incorporating such disparate elements as oboe and homemade samples) behind socially informed raps. © Johnny Loftus /TiVo