Never afraid to make an impact, he burst onto the drum and bass scene back in 2000, announcing his arrival with a raucous remix of a hardcore classic, Nasty Habit’s ‘Here Come the Drums’ on Reinforced.
He backed up this bold move, however, with a series of EPs for the legendary label proving he was no young pretender. Breakage was at the forefront of a new wave of breakbeat scientists bringing a percussive sound back to drum and bass at a time when the scene seemed to have forgotten it’s jungle roots.
Breakage continued his good form dropping a number of sort after releases for the Inperspective label, his remix of Equinox’s ‘Acid Rain’ twisted the Amen break to new levels and served as a rallying call for producers looking to bring back the original drum and bass sound.
Further releases came on labels including Critical and Scientific Wax, before his debut album release in 2006 ‘This To Shall Pass’ gained wide spread critical acclaim and included some slower tempo material, hinting at what was to come.
James signed with Shy FX’s mighty Digital Soundboy imprint in 2007, and soon turned heads with the haunting half- time beats of ‘Clarendon b/w Shroud.’ It came as no surprise that he would make waves in the dubstep community with his next release, ‘Callahan b/w Untitled,’ after having remixed one of the scene’s biggest tracks to date, Benga & Coki’s ‘Night,’ alongside Shy FX as Digital Soundboy.
2009 saw Breakage cemented himself as a main player across the British dance music press and taste- making elite. Following on from the superb ‘Together’, Breakage released ‘Run Em Out’ feat. Roots Manuva b/w ‘Higher’ followed by the thuggish reworked ‘Hard’ feat. Newham Generals and David Rodigan, which has gone on be become a underground anthem with Zane Lowe naming it his ‘Hottest Record In The World’ on his Radio 1 show.
His sophomore LP ‘Foundation’ was released in March 2010 on Digital Soundboy, featuring Skream, Burial, Roots Manuva, David Rodigan, Newham Generals, Donae'o and more. The album has been a tremendous success across the dubstep/d&b scenes as well as widespread mainstream acclaim. IDJ, DJ MAG, NME & Mixmag all named the record 'Album Of The Month' and it supporters included the likes of Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, Laurent Garnier and Benga.
Alongside his original recordings James has also recently turned in remixes for the likes of Massive Attack, Florence & The Machine, Plan B, Magnetic Man, Underworld & Claire Maguire.
To quote a certain Mr. Roots Manuva... “Breakage is a man with an ear for deep, deep, sub-sonic frequencies. He goes in low. I thinking he’s talking to sea-life. He’s talking to the squid”.
2011 saw Breakage up the levels once again. His single ‘Fighting Fire’ featuring Jess Mills caused serious damage across dance-floors and airwaves worldwide. Zane Lowe named it his ‘Hottest Record In The World’ again (Its James 6th Hottest Record in the last year!), and further support came from Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw, Mista Jam, Rob Da Bank and even Vernon Kay. Fighting Fire charted at 34 in the official UK national charts and spent 5 weeks on the BBC Radio 1 A-list.
In 2012 James remixed Benga, Loadstar and Ellie Goulding, plus the critically acclaimed released of his ‘The Promise EP’ earning his another Zane Lowe ‘Hottest record’ slot.
Dec 2014 see's Breakage release the first single 'Treading Water', taken from his forthcoming album 'When The Night Comes' - due for release spring 2015.
Hard
Breakage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard, hard, gal ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Hard, hard, man ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Hard, hard, gal ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Hard, hard, man ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Hard, hard, gal ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Man ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Everybody's locked in like dem man ah hard
D Double E:
I'm that lyrical father
Name an MC that spits harder
Look you really ain't my partner
Cos you really ain't my partner
Ain't got time for mucking around
Just know when we're in town we'll take you down
Get in the back man are
Gettin around man are addicted to the sound like brown
Addicted to the sound like crack and it's all sold out
It's fully packed
Dirty stank I will fully back
If a boy tries tings I'll walk on his back
A must it's a must
I will lyrically make a man eat my dust
I'm a deep pan, you're thin crust
Trust me I'm deep with the mic, trust man ah hard
Hard, hard, man ah locked in like them man ah hard
Everybody's locked in like them man ah hard
Hard, hard, man ah locked in like them man ah hard
Everybody's locked in like them man ah hard
Hard
Them man are soft but us man ah hard
Spent bare years in the game
And no we've never been parred
A couple man tried it (stay at home?)
But they didn't get far
In the end it's scarred
Look, this game is a walk in the forest
Looking for a bear man
has anyone seen one, where man?
I remember guys talking tough
But I'm still here, fam
I'm a dan let me make that clear
Man wanna clash I'm cool, I'm here
I'm a dan let me make that clearer
And I rep for the Newham area
David Rodigan:
Keeping up the theme of hardcore music.
The music is what it's all about. I love it just like you love it, that's why you're here.
I'm here cos I love to play, you don't come I can't play and and I love to play.
So, I won't make too many speeches cos it's all about the music.
You just heard a hardcore sequence of hot-shot dubplates from down Jamaica way.
Right about now we're gonna start to change the pace and change the style.
During the course of the night we switch and we swap and we ride round the track together
I said to myself go harder
So I stepped up my lyrical game
And I make sure my drums and bass bang harder
While dem man are seeking fame
Me and dubz in the studio working harder
There's no rest for the wicked
I need some food for the brain
So I go and check my farmer
Nah, I'm not inna no drama
But there's this voice in my head that keeps on telling me
Foots, go harder
Yeah, you're large in the game
With a little work, blud, you could be a lot larger
So, I'm listening to myself
I'm working on my health
I'm in the gym pumpin' weights harder
The song "Hard" by Breakage is a hard-hitting tune that features lyrics and vocals by D Double E and David Rodigan. The song's lyrics are all about being tough and strong, with lines like "man ah locked in like dem man ah hard" and "Them man are soft but us man ah hard." The song is repetitive, with the chorus and verses featuring the same lines, but with different vocalists delivering them.
D Double E's verse talks about his lyrical prowess, claiming that he is the toughest MC around. He also talks about how he and his crew are always on the move and taking down opponents. David Rodigan's speech towards the end of the song is more focused on the music, with him talking about how he loves to play and how the night will feature a mix of styles and speeds.
Overall, "Hard" is a high-energy song about toughness, both in terms of vocals and music. The song's repetitive structure adds to the feeling of a constant, unyielding beat, making it a perfect track for anyone looking to get pumped up.
Line by Line Meaning
Hard, hard, man ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Facing challenges like a true warrior and keeping hardness in the heart
Hard, hard, gal ah locked in like dem man ah hard
Women who are equally tough in facing challenges
Everybody's locked in like dem man ah hard
Everyone is facing struggles and putting up a brave front
I'm that lyrical father
Confident in his rapping skills and ability to guide the young MCs
Name an MC that spits harder
No other rapper can match his lyricism and flow
Ain't got time for mucking around
Focused on his craft and not wasting time on unnecessary things
Get in the back man are
His crew is ready to support him and ride till the end
Addicted to the sound like crack and it's all sold out
The music is as addictive as a drug and everyone's loving it
If a boy tries tings I'll walk on his back
He won't tolerate any disrespect and will shut down anyone who tries to start trouble
I'm a deep pan, you're thin crust
He's got more layers and depth in his music than others who are superficial
Trust me I'm deep with the mic, trust man ah hard
He's confident in his ability to deliver hard-hitting lyrics and make an impact
Them man are soft but us man ah hard
Others are weak, but he and his crew are tough in the game
Spent bare years in the game
Been in the rap game for a long time and put in a lot of work
In the end it's scarred
The struggles and challenges have left a mark, but he's still standing strong
Keeping up the theme of hardcore music.
Staying true to the roots of raw and intense music
During the course of the night we switch and we swap and we ride round the track together
The night is full of surprises and the music takes everyone on a journey
I said to myself go harder
Pushing himself to improve and reach new heights
Me and dubz in the studio working harder
Collaborating with his partner to create more music and put in more effort
Nah, I'm not inna no drama
Not interested in getting involved in any negative situations
There's this voice in my head that keeps on telling me Foots, go harder
His inner voice motivates him to keep improving and working harder
I'm listening to myself I'm working on my health I'm in the gym pumpin' weights harder
Taking care of himself physically and mentally to be in the best state for his music career
Contributed by Hudson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ntnnot
Skream - I (Loefah rmx) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0gdOuyxXWI
Scuba - Speak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-f4gMT7tM
Goth Trad - Alone Warrior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWK7XR8g5Zg
Sir Spyro - Topper Top (ALXZNDR rmx) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBCafg3zkJ0
Kahn - Prophet (Gorgon Sound dubplate) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2k6N_K4ITQ
Burial - South London Boroughs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6EirL1kU8
Tes La Rok - Virus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLUm7gQFexE
TMSV - Dem A Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDj7_uL8tlU
Also check out Get Darker dj sets
@MikeyCB199
Heard this on Radio 1 Xtra today and it took me back! Classic tune! 🔥
@MegaWarrenG
Same 😂 classic! 🔥
@MegaWarrenG
Big up sunrise selecta
@elquique1079
Gotta luv Breakage!!.. always go hard & wicked!
@X0GUNZz0X
This is way too good man!
@adamwalkeraw
Never gets old, clasdic
@sr.enriquen7925
Imagine being in Breakage's brain!!!
@sophieryan132
This song is underrated it goes HARD
@vs6752
That low frequency bass is a mazza
@soulsessionsradio4234
Ridiculous tune till this day fam...🔥