Goldie Lookin' Chain
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Goldie Lookin' Chain are a rap group based in Newport in Wales. They produce humorous, often explicit songs that satirise both hip-hop and life in Newport.
Many of the songs contain references to places and hang-outs local to Newport. Much of the humour comes from the adoption of hip-hop style and language, adapted into the local South Wales vernacular, partly to poke fun at "chav" culture. Their music also satirises gangsta rap by highlighting the disparity between the band's deliberately unglamorous image, and the media hype and glamour usually associated with gangsta rap. The group's members include Duain Xain Zedong, 2Hats, Maggot, Billy Webb, Eggsy, Mystikal (not the US rapper of the same name), Mike Balls, Adam Hussein and Rosco.
The GLC have locally released the following albums: "Don't Blame The Chain", "Chain's Addiction", "The Return of the Red Eye", "Party Album", "Adam Hussain's Truth or Slander" and "The Manifesto".
The GLC were signed to Record label East/West, who also signed rock band The Darkness. Rumours suggest that GLC were signed after record label bosses heard The Darkness playing GLC tracks whilst on tour (source: BBC Radio 1 - GLC Documentary). GLC went on to support The Darkness in the latter stages of their UK tour.
Their first UK Chart Entry was Half-Man Half-Machine/Self Suicide, which reached a top 40 position. When group member Dwain Xain Zedong was phoned by BBC chart presenter, Wes Butters on the Official Chart Show to be informed of this, Xain informed the rest of the band that they had reached number 1, much to the shock of the DJ. 'Half-Man Half-Machine' was a surreal song about one of the members (Eggsy) believing he was a robot, dressing up in foil, and going down the shop to buy ten "fags" and some crisps. The song name-checks many well-known `80's 8-bit computer systems including Binatone, Spectrum and Commodore.
In August 2004, the group reached number 3 in the UK singles chart with Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do. With the tagline "The Gun is the tool, the mind is the weapon", this track - again satirising the US rap scene - was a popular radio hit. The B-Side was album track Soapbar.
Their first nationally released album was called Greatest Hits, the name being a play on the group's previous lack of commercial success; instead, it compiled a mixture of new material, and selections from their previous six unofficial albums. It was released in September 2004, and debuted at number 5 in the UK Album Chart.
Their next single release was "Your Mother's Got a Penis", with an accompanying video based on a supermarket theme. "Your Mother's Got a Penis" first appeared on their Album "Greatest Hits", and reached #14 in the UK. This song is based on a sample of "Behind The Mask" by Eric Clapton.
The band - informally known as "The Chain" or simply the "GLC" - released a pseudo-love song entitled "You Knows I Loves You" from the albums "Greatest Hits" and "The Manifesto", on 13th December 2004; this reached number 22 in the UK chart. News from sources close to the band suggest that an upcoming release will be a cover of the Beastie Boys hit "No Sleep till Brooklyn" entitled "No Sleep till Newport".
External links
- Goldie Lookin' Chain website (http://www.youknowsit.co.uk) including mp3s.
- Official GLC Forum (http://www.glcforum.com) - lyrics, full discography, fan chat