DJ Format AKA Matt Ford's debut album “Music For The Mature B-Boy” is one o… Read Full Bio ↴DJ Format AKA Matt Ford's debut album “Music For The Mature B-Boy” is one of the slowburn success stories of 2002. An album of soulful, funk fuelled hip hop packed with infectious beats and lyrical dexterity, it delivered in spades on the promise of his early releases for Mo' Wax and Bomb Hip Hop. Received with quiet acclaim in the press it quickly became a word of mouth triumph, going on to establish itself as one of the most successful debut artist album’s in UK hip hop/alternative urban/dance scene. The campaign was successful for a number of reasons not least it’s supporting batch of three incredible music video’s all directed by then unknown Ruben Fleischer. The most famous of these will undoubtedly be the rap and breakdancing costumed animals of ‘We Know Something You Don’t Know’ featuring the vocals of Chali 2na and Akil of Jurassic 5 - played out by a shark and tiger respectively on the big screen it is an unforgettable piece of feel good hip hop. “Music For The...” also led to Matt supporting Jurassic 5 on their European tour, and through subsequent touring in 2003 establishing Format & Abdominal as one of the hottest live hip hop tickets in town culminating in triumphant appearances at the Reading & Leeds festivals of 2004 and worldwide touring taking in the whole of Europe, North America and (most recently) Australia.
"We played a lot of shows, but Leeds & Reading was an amazing moment for me because it had been a while since the album, a while since me & Abs had toured and the first time doing shows with D-sisive, explains Matt." So we didn't know what to expect. But when we came out on stage, the tents were packed with kids going crazy, and I realised at that moment things were gonna be ok this year."
Now DJ Format is ready to climb back into the ring with his new album “If You Can't Join ‘Em… Beat ‘Em". A masterpiece of loop-digging construction, “If You Can’t Join ‘Em…” sees Format stepping up a gear, tightening the loops still further for a tougher, leaner sound. Like the Tarantino of beats, Format seeks out lost musical odds & ends, splicing and pasting favourite moments together to create future hip hop with a classic feel.
Format's signature b-boy instrumentals, down-tempo sketches and body rocking backdrops are interwoven seamlessly throughout the record, simultaneously hooking in both the casual initiate as well as the most hardened crate spotting freak. "Everything just fell into place," explains Matt with a shrug. "The album again has a consistent feel, although it's a lot tougher than the last, but still retains a sense of humour. I feel that this album picked up where the last left off, but everyone's just stepped up a gear."
Format's regular lyrical sparring partner Abdominal permeates the album, his trademark flow matched blow for blow by Canadian rap wunderkind D-sisive's verbal dexterity. "I centred the album around Abs & D-sisive as they are the guys who'll be out there with me on stage performing the songs live." says Matt. Lyrically, Abdominal keeps the subject matter fresh, rhyming about his and Matt's looks ("Ugly Brothers"), the make up of the group (Separated At Birth) and offering homespun logic as to their musical inspiration ("Participation Prerequisite"). In between this, B-boy instrumentals and the downbeat melancholia of 'Black Cloud' Format goes the extra yard on 'The Place' which sees him reunited with Chali 2Na and Akil to devastating effect.
As A&R men fall over themselves to find the next multi-million selling act, it's easy to dismiss an artist whose records exist outside transient trends. Format's records are a celebration of the music he loves and that passion is shared with a growing audience. This is music with the hum and crackle of human contact, skull snapping drums and sharp guitar licks lurk in every silted groove. So whilst most producers turn out a product according to the latest whims of fashion and trend, in 'If You Can't Join 'Em... Beat ‘Em' DJ Format has created (with a little help from his friends of course) a personal document that will resonate with the likeminded listener and deliver a knockout punch to the unbeliever. So what are you waiting for? get listening.
"We played a lot of shows, but Leeds & Reading was an amazing moment for me because it had been a while since the album, a while since me & Abs had toured and the first time doing shows with D-sisive, explains Matt." So we didn't know what to expect. But when we came out on stage, the tents were packed with kids going crazy, and I realised at that moment things were gonna be ok this year."
Now DJ Format is ready to climb back into the ring with his new album “If You Can't Join ‘Em… Beat ‘Em". A masterpiece of loop-digging construction, “If You Can’t Join ‘Em…” sees Format stepping up a gear, tightening the loops still further for a tougher, leaner sound. Like the Tarantino of beats, Format seeks out lost musical odds & ends, splicing and pasting favourite moments together to create future hip hop with a classic feel.
Format's signature b-boy instrumentals, down-tempo sketches and body rocking backdrops are interwoven seamlessly throughout the record, simultaneously hooking in both the casual initiate as well as the most hardened crate spotting freak. "Everything just fell into place," explains Matt with a shrug. "The album again has a consistent feel, although it's a lot tougher than the last, but still retains a sense of humour. I feel that this album picked up where the last left off, but everyone's just stepped up a gear."
Format's regular lyrical sparring partner Abdominal permeates the album, his trademark flow matched blow for blow by Canadian rap wunderkind D-sisive's verbal dexterity. "I centred the album around Abs & D-sisive as they are the guys who'll be out there with me on stage performing the songs live." says Matt. Lyrically, Abdominal keeps the subject matter fresh, rhyming about his and Matt's looks ("Ugly Brothers"), the make up of the group (Separated At Birth) and offering homespun logic as to their musical inspiration ("Participation Prerequisite"). In between this, B-boy instrumentals and the downbeat melancholia of 'Black Cloud' Format goes the extra yard on 'The Place' which sees him reunited with Chali 2Na and Akil to devastating effect.
As A&R men fall over themselves to find the next multi-million selling act, it's easy to dismiss an artist whose records exist outside transient trends. Format's records are a celebration of the music he loves and that passion is shared with a growing audience. This is music with the hum and crackle of human contact, skull snapping drums and sharp guitar licks lurk in every silted groove. So whilst most producers turn out a product according to the latest whims of fashion and trend, in 'If You Can't Join 'Em... Beat ‘Em' DJ Format has created (with a little help from his friends of course) a personal document that will resonate with the likeminded listener and deliver a knockout punch to the unbeliever. So what are you waiting for? get listening.
Ugly Brothers
DJ Format Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by DJ Format:
2 We know something you don't know, and if we don't…
A Name I Call Myself [A-Plus] He hah... hahaha!! Yo y'all want to know about hoes…
Another One of Those Songs It's time to start shit, roll out the carpet and turn…
English Lesson Backstreet Boys Miscellaneous Hey Mr. Dj (Keep Playing Tha…
Hit Song [Cut in Voice] People always asking me, man how do you…
Humble Magnificent I roll my rhymes well so that your brains burn…
I'm Good (Transcribed by Rishijin) -Verse 1- I'm good But I pr…
Ill Culinary Behaviour (feat. Abdominal) [VERSE 1: Abdominal] Well hello and we…
Ill Culinary Behaviour (DJ Format remix) [VERSE 1: Abdominal] Well hello and welcome If you could wip…
Inner City Boundaries Once we have the knowledge of self as a people…
Night Owl A catfish he tends to groove on the water It's just…
Participation Prerequisite …
Save Me Save me, somebody save me Save me, somebody save me, yeah P…
Separated at Birth Well hello, hey, top of the morn', bonjour Bueno Dias, I…
seperated at birth ft. abdominal and d-sisive Well hello, hey, top of the morn', bonjour Bueno Dias, I…
Sunshine Of Your Love It's getting near dawn When lights close their tired eyes I'…
The Hit Song [Cut in Voice] People always asking me, man how do you…
The Place [Chali 2na] Here come the rhyme prime ministers, son of the…
Turn Tha Party Out Yeah, Tha Alkaholiks Ay J, I got a crew They called the…
Vicious Battle Raps (feat. MC Abdominal) [Abdominal] I like to rap a lot so …
we know something We know something you don't know, and if we don't…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found