Yorkshire, England, 2006: A young up-and-coming producer on a small-but-cool label readies his debut album for release but needs a big single to give it that little extra boost towards the big time. So, he reaches out to Lateef, and the Truth Speaker responds, choosing a tune and laying down something truly memorable (with a little help from Vadim muse Yarah Bravo and some mighty flute action from the aforementioned studio wiz).

The latter is Kid Kanevil, aka Gerard Roberts, whose single 5th Gear is one of the fresher UK hip-hop records you’ll ever hear. As indeed is that album, Problems and Solutions, which emerges on the highly-regarded First Word Records later this …