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"What's most important is applause from my fanbase / The presence of a genuine smile and a handshake," says rapper Koncept on 'Aspirations'. For him, it seems, the music is all about dope beats, catchy hooks, smooth flows and thought-provocative rhymes, all of which contribute to waking up in the morning and really living the Hip-Hop culture.

It's an incredibly feel-good song -- featuring production from J57 and guest vocals by Soul Khan -- with lyrics that contemplate the good life and inspire others to do the same. Perhaps most importantly, Koncept seems to be having a lot of fun with it, which further contributes to genuinity of the track and provokes a whole lot of head-nodding to go with the thinking.

Although released in the winter season, I can detect a real summer vibe to this song that further underlines its ambition to create/maintain the listener's positive aura. England may not get the sunshine, but I can really feel this track's hotness right across the Atlantic.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2012.