Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip – The Logic of Chance (Album Review)
Sunday, 05 September 2010
Written by Rob Sleigh
When Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip’s ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ burst out of our radios back in 2007, it came as a fascinating and slightly shocking attack on British pop culture. Rapped over a catchy electronic beat, it took an ironic glance at life in this country and featured some humorously frank lyrics about the music and popular opinion of the time, including the now famous “just a band” verse. The single was soon to be followed by the duo’s debut album ‘Angles’, which was jam-packed with more thought-provoking and often comic songs about a variety of recent topics and it provided buyers with a stunning selection of beats and music that could compete with any of the then rising British hip-hop stars. Also, thanks to MC and poet Scroobius Pip, the album featured some of the best use of the Queen’s English ever to be heard in the rap genre.
Earlier this year, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip made their return to our stereos and iPods with their new album ‘The Logic of Chance’. This latest offering from the pair finds them with yet more catchy beats and loops, courtesy of producer Le Sac, and another truckload of provocative and amusing rhymes from Pip. As with ‘Angles’, the subject matter of ‘The Logic of Chance’ is another scathing discussion on the current state of the country with a positive and enlightening message attached. However, unlike the head-nodding hip-hop of the act’s debut, their second album adds more of a dancefloor-friendly feel to the proceedings, as you will find on the quick-paced drum’n’bass of opening track ‘Sick Tonight’.
Amongst the various hot topics featured in the album’s lyrics are knife crime (‘Great Britain’), underage drinking and pregnancy (‘Get Better’) and, of course, the government (‘Stake a Claim’). The lighter side of the record sees Scroobius Pip rapping about the difficulties of public transport on ‘Last Train Home’ and about past love on forthcoming single ‘Cauliflower’, which includes a collaboration with US female solo artist Kid A.
Once again, Dan Le Sac has proved himself as a definite competitor as one of the most talented hip-hop producers in the country. By blending the duo’s previous sound with a more dancey style, it is clear that Le Sac has tried and succeeded in setting himself the challenge of quickly moving on from the template he created for ‘Angles’. As well as being an excellent party album, ‘The Logic of Chance’ has a certain atmospheric and uplifting tone that fits perfectly with Pip’s vocals.
One of the record’s standout tracks is ‘Snob’, a song about the pretentiousness that certain genres unfortunately seem to carry with them. In the past, Le Sac and Pip have been accused of pretension themselves in some of their songs, including the aforementioned ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’. However, what these critics are missing is the sense of irony and humour that the duo manage to mix into their occasionally dark and serious lyrics. ‘The Logic of Chance’ is another brilliant example of this.
Once again, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip have made an album that is as stimulating as it is enjoyable and they have proven themselves as one of the most interesting hip-hop acts in the country, if not the world. They may not have any deprived or criminal backgrounds to discuss, but what the group do is deliver an exciting blend of positivity, education and entertainment that is very difficult to dislike.
Stereoboard Rating: 8/10
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Amongst the various hot topics featured in the album’s lyrics are knife crime (‘Great Britain’), underage drinking and pregnancy (‘Get Better’) and, of course, the government (‘Stake a Claim’). The lighter side of the record sees Scroobius Pip rapping about the difficulties of public transport on ‘Last Train Home’ and about past love on forthcoming single ‘Cauliflower’, which includes a collaboration with US female solo artist Kid A. 
