Mr Bigz - My Funked Up Soul *Mixtape*

It's been about a year since we last heard from Bigz, one of the UK's finest HipHop veterans who we've seen steadily working up the ranks since Channel U days, but a couple of weeks back (yes I know - I'm a bit late) under his new more grown alias of Mr Bigz, he brought us a slice of the equally matured sounds of 80s soul flavoured with 90's HipHop flows and wit.

Skilfully produced completely by Turkish Dycypha, the mixtape is far from secreting the stench of "trying too hard" to imitate the sounds of the big hair and parachute pants days. Instead, it radiates the redolence of the reminiscent vibes that would have been floating about the studio, conjuring memories of the times when it was all simple and easy. Vibes which have seeped into the songs and given us 16 tracks of perfect Sunday morning easy listening material. It seems Mr Bigz's recent, and might I add: APPLAUDABLE, grind in the gym has not only helped him drop a few stone but also bad vibes as they're non existent amongst the witty wordplay, fun flows and hints of humour that you'll find in every track. It's seriously refreshing to have a whole EP of laid back, yet quality, tracks that do nothing but make me want to walk down the road in a Soul Train esque manner as I make my way to college.

Although I am not oblivious to music before my time (it would be rude not to be), as someone who is too young to have lived to remember anything even near times that these type of sounds originate from, I really enjoyed the authentic samples. Amongst the familiar ones used such as Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" which I recognised from LL Cool J's old school shenanigans, the not so familiar samples gave me an excuse to geek out, get my research orrrrrrn and expand my musical horizons so fist bumps all round for that Mr Bigzyyyyy and Turkish Dycypha.

My only qualms with this mixtape is the line in 'Trouble Man': "We only see shadows in the dark"  because you need light to produce shadows and the line lead me to getting into such a deep mental debate over this fact on the bus that I got so caught up in it and almost missed my stop. But apart from that rather picky criticism, Mr Bigz has beautifully united the funkaaaaaay sounds of soul and hard flows and lyricism of real Hip Hop into an EP strong enough to make it into my favourites of 2013. I'll probably be still pumping this as we make our way to 2014 because, and I can't stress this enough, it's so so effortless and eaaaaaaaaaaaaasy to listen to! It's also nice to hear something different coming from the UK scene - the absence of collaborations perhaps prove this; in that there wasn't anyone quite riding the same wave as Bigz and therefore worthy of being featured. I'm glad he has kept 'making good music' at the heart of the project and didn't sacrifice a feature of an artist that didn't quite get 'it' in order to reach out to their fanbases for a bit more buzz. Instead, he has poured a '100% pure with bits' glass of himself into the project ensuring the vibe he was feeling was channelled into a great mixtape.

If you haven't already then get downloading/streaming at www.mrbigz.co.uk 

PS. Merry Christmas innit :D

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Music Video Monday: ICEY - Skepta

Skeppy has let his creative juices spill over every inch of this project. Not only did he produce the song with Jason and Hooks, he also directed, with the help of Kritikal, the intriguing visual (albeit not as..."intriguing" as the 'All Over The House' video) which kills two birds with one stone with it being a platform to promote his new song and new clothing range. As a result of this efficiency, what we find before us on our screens is what is probably the hoodest catwalk ever.

In the spirit of being ICEY, the video was FRESHLY dropped into our laps less than 24 after Skepta and Kritikal had spent 26-odd hours creating it. It basically consists of Joseph Junior and co. walking up and down, rocking his golden-JME-pendant inspired (think back to: "She said she's in love with my Jesus piece. I told her to look a bit closer, it's not Jesus baby it's JAY EM EE") jumpers/t-shirts. It's not the most outrageous thing you'll ever see yet you'll find your eyes unexpectedly glued to the screen. It may have something to do with the visual being tailored so it wasn't solely an advert for the clothing range but still held relevance to the song and this was achieved just by adding in the little details like Yardy walking up the catwalk with the belt every time the track plays "still trying to get the championship belt of Yardy" - see, simple.

In regards to the song: it's okay. It grows on me the more I listen to it. It's not his hardest but it's enough for it to resemble what you'd imagine the backing track for 'Super Mario Bros: Tuggggg Edition' would be. It's not clear if the song is going to be a single or an album track but if it's just a song to go along with the promo for his clothes then it more than does it's job.

Check out the video below.

If you want to get your hands on the clothing then hit up: attackthezombies.com/

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Beyonce - BEYONCE Album

Recently my posts have been dropped here and there because, well, I've been busy. Atleast that is what I thought I was until Beyonce dropped an album of 14 songs and 17 visuals all whilst she was rehearsing for/performing a world tour, being one of the biggest international stars of our generation, a wife oh and a mother too. I then thought maybe I could spare a chunk of my now-not-so-busy schedule to write a word or two on "BEYONCE" - the album.

If you've watched Beyonce's biographical movie "Life Is But A Dream" you will be aware of the pure blood, sweat, tears and time from her years that she puts into a single performance. Multiply this by the amount of songs on her set list and then multiply this again by the one-hundred-odd shows she is doing around the world and you'll find yourself on a cloud of confusion floating around the question of how the hell did she even find time to (co)write an album, get into the studio to lay down the vocals and play about with them to fix them into an actual song, and then film 17 visuals to accompany all of this. God knows how she did it, but she has done didded it anyway. Perhaps she invested into new cutting edge scientific research around how to stop time, or maybe she has cloned herself, or maybe we are taking too much credit away from her work ethic, which seems to be even crazier than we first thought. It is this very work ethic that has got her to such a point that her marketing team can kick back for a bit and watch as she crashes iTunes with an album she dropped just like that with no promo. It is this very work ethic that drives her to pull such stunts to make sure that no one will be catching up to her any time soon as she, not only reaches but, surpasses the top of the game.

Before I even got to the visuals, I listened first. This was because I was intrigued to see if the focus on the visuals and the fact she has been so busy doing pretty much everything else, was going to take away from the quality of music. (I assure you my reluctance to not watch the visuals first did not stem from the fact I had to get to college and I didn't have time to let the videos sync on my iPod before I left the house). The album begins with "Pretty Hurts" - a song about society's pressures on the average human being to be perfect. Now if I'm going to be honest, a message about it's what is inside that counts and that "the soul needs the surgery" is all well and good and I'm ALL about self worth and stuff, but when it comes from one of the most visually appealing women in the world, who doesn't really exaggerate her natural beauty, the message is a tad bitter-sweet. Then again, I remembered that she is human and even she will feel self concious from time to time and she is under 10000 times more scrutiny than your average Susan Smith and maybe I should cut her some slack. Soz B. Anyway, as you get deeper into the album all that socially concious, deep stuff (as much as I do love a good uplifting message) fades into the background as in the second song she tells us she is "sold not for sale, probably won't make no money of this but oh well" implying that this album is more than just her doing her job as a musician and stacking a few bills from it, but it is in fact a statement of art. It seems interesting then that what's to follow on in the song and for the next few tracks is basically Beyonce's freaky side as she takes us through the more hot and sweaty parts of her life. For instance "Can you lick my skittles, that's the sweetest in the middle, pink that's the flavour, solve the riddle" is definitely not about coming home from work on a Tuesday night and stabbing up the plastic film on a microwave meal for one. Recently I have been reliving the sounds of my favourite Beyonce album, B'Day, and these songs have very much reflected the energy she channelled back then - from the bouncy, fun instrumentals to the kinky-er, "Kitty Kat" esque lyrics.

By the time we get to track 7, the tone changes as she begins to question her relationship with Jay-Z, sings about jealous suspicions and in "Mine", a track shared with Drake, she talks of the strains of a long distance relationship. By "XO" we can be reassured that Jigga and Beyonce are fine though *phew* and are still deeply in love."***Flawless", the following track, shows that in light of this, she's back on top of the world again and instructs us to "BOW DOWN B*TCHES B*TCHES". Rather than this being just an extremely un-modest declaration of her superiority, it also doubles up as a feminist statement of female suppression by males (although I think Queen B can be a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to her "independent woman" empowerment malarkey). Her next track features Mr Frank Ocean and continues to tell us the love story of her and Jay-Z. At this point I realised that since reaching the midway point of the album, her sound has become much more grown and serious and it increasingly resembles her last 2 albums. If I hadn't realised by then, I would have definitely been hit by this change in her penultimate track where she tells the heart breaking story of the loss of her unborn child. The final track titled "Blue", which is about, yep you guessed it, Blue Ivy, brings the whole album to an end but signifies the beginning of a new chapter in her life: Motherhood.

Upon reaching the end, I thought back to her statement in her second track with it's implications of this self titled compilation being art and it all made sense. The album is a biographical experience that lets us into her 2 most important jobs: being a wife and being a mother. It begins with "Pretty Hurts" which explains her coming to terms and adjustment to media's challenges as she rocketed to fame. This is the only track that directly discusses her career because the bulk of her life really revolves around her other half, and this is why this love story is what dominates the content of the album. The channelling of those "B'Day" album vibes is a symbol of reminiscence over her and Jay-Z's relationship when it was in the young, fun, honeymoon period. Bang on in the middle of the album the sound matures as we move into the next chapter of her life and we get a peek into the stresses and strains of keeping a relationship strong but we also see the rewards of making it work. Only the 2 final tracks are dedicated to motherhood, because this is the part of her journey she has only just begun.

I am glad I did listen before I watched because I feel I would have missed out on so much had I just watched the visuals...mainly because they pretty much all consist of Beyonce half naked and I'd probably get distracted by all the twisted moral - yeah I said it! Considering that a lot inspiration can be drawn from this project in terms of work ethic etc. it worries me that Beyonce, mother, wife and idol to many girls, chose to leave a little less to the imagination in these videos. It makes me wonder why we condemn Rihanna for doing the things Beyonce does despite Rihanna being in a more justifiable place (even though it still isn't justified) to do it (i.e. being less of a household name, international sweetheart, not a mother or a wife). To be honest all of Beyonce's videos seem to go along the theme of her behind a camera doing a dance routine or something, but I felt with this album she had a chance to get artistic and paint a more vivid story with the visuals. The videos dissapointed me because yet again I'm getting mixed moral messages from B and I feel sorry for the many people that have missed out on the real story running through the music because they went straight to the videos and were hypnotised by her jiggiling gluteus maximus.

Aside from the videos which I felt let her down and in my eyes stripped a little credibility from the album, the rest is GOOD quality. The production of the songs, the vocals and the actual story - it's nice to finally have a true album that is honest from Beyoncé. The only thing that could have made this more epic for me is, as you may have guessed, BETTER visuals and perhaps an ending video with a 5 second shot of Jay-Z sitting in a chair, smugly puffing on a cuban cigar and then all you hear is the *Jigga Laugh*.

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Throwback Thursday: Akala - 'Dat Boy' and Thieves Banquet Tour

So yesterday I went to see King Akalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala (aka Akala) and his support act and newly dreaded up Sir Josh Oshoshoshoshoshoshoshoshoshoshoshosho (aka Josh Osho) at Nottingham's Rock Citytytytytytytytytytytytyty (yeah, I'll stop now) as part of Akala's Thieves Banquet Tour.

In the humble setting of one of the smaller halls of Rock City, Josh took the stage on a oSHO ting...okay, maybe not quite in such a fashion but I didn't want to waste a good punchline so yeah...
He actually made his way on to the stage by squeezing between me and my friend (who I had dragged along) at the front of the crowd (obviously I, Miss eager beaver, was right at the front), turning to say sorry (like a proper cute little gentleman) as he pulled his guitar past us. With what was probably a smaller crowd then the other venues of the tour, he handled it like a true professional and managed to win over the somewhat, rowdier less engaged members of the crowd, using just the sultry sounds from his lips, symphonies constructed by just the six strings on his guitar and a dose or two of satire. I actually do think this is as a credit to Osho's skills as an artisst and performer considering he: 

1. was the support act
2. was an act that who's vibe was much more calmer than the one much of the crowd came to see (which isn't a bad thing for me but perhaps is for others) 
3. sang songs that were pretty much unknown to those that aren't big Osho fans (sadly there was no 'Redemption Days') which you'd think would make it harder as a crowd member to connect but the pure conviction and soul he saaaaaaaaaaangs with in his performance took care of that.

Now, I must say I am convinced that Akala morphed into a fly earlier that day and followed me around to eavesdrop on the tunes that had been pumping through my headphones and then put them all on the setlist (which he changes for every night of the tour) because it consisted of 90% of my top Akala songs. Although even if the set list wasn't full of many of my favourites I would have left the gig on the exact same vibe: empowered. 

If you already rate Akala, seeing him live is a whole new level. Sitting in front of YouTube watching his Fire In The Booths and being blown away by the outstanding flow, character and most significantly content, is a feeling magnified 100 times when the man himself is right in front of you and a crowd revved up with passion for his words surrounds you. It definitely brings an additional impact to what you get when you listen through your headphones as you journey over to your friends house. Speaking of such journeys, during some of my own, I sometimes used question why Akala uses the instrumentals he does. Why did I question them? Because I always felt they were slightly more rock-like than you'd expect from a Hip-Hop artist (although Hip Hop is really about the words) and could be a bit more epic and add energy to what he was saying. I put the reasoning down to the fact that the choice of instrumentals was probably a method to enable his message to spread to a wider audience, ensure you focus on the words more rather than an overpowering instrumental and helped portray his frustration and insubordination through a more angry rocky beat. Upon seeing him live, I identified another reason: the percussion provided plenty more power. The nature of Akala's music is really meant to be performed live - as a teacher, his lessons have even more capacity when given to you in person. Live music always multiplies the vibe, but in Akala's music the vibe explodes and it's residue sinks into you and I think the thrashy, energetic instrumentals (performed with the help of Cassell The Beatmaker) played a considerably decent part in this. 

I couldn't pin down my favourite performance but the most fun were definitely 'Pompous Pete' and 'The Thieves Banquet' where the enertainment factor was contributed to on multiple levels including Akala's acting skills. Now I thought I'd present you with a video of the night but sadly upon re-watching it my dodgy filming skills and the fact cameras couldn't capture the energy bouncing around the room that night. But oh well, in honour of Throwback Thrusday I bring you 'Dat Boy Akala' from the 'A Little Deeper' mixtape he release with sister Ms Dynamitee-hee which was one of his earlier pieces that evidenced his high level MC-ing capabilities as well as his concious lyricism.

Even if this video doesn't quite put across the levels of energy that I have tried to explain in this post, please please please get down to an Akala show in the near future because it is definitely worth it.

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Music Video Monday: Pharrell - Happy

When it comes to Pharrell the words "artist", "genius" and "how does he look so god darn fine at forty" come to mind.

2013 has seen the strong (possibly even stronger than his anti-ageing cream) return of Pharrell, as he managed to hold down world wide number ones with his collaborations with Daft Punk of 'Get Lucky' and Robin Thicke and TI on 'Blurred Lines'. But 2013 isn't over. In fact there are about 864 hours left of 2013. And you can spend 24 of them watching Pharrell's latest project - Happy - the first ever 24 hour music video.

The words that may come to mind now are "Ain't nobody got time fo' dat". I mean come on Pharrell, a man like you, who must have a paaaaaaaacked schedule, should know more than the average person that time is precious. Some of us have work/college/school/eating/Eastenders/sleep/lives to be getting on with. But the concept isn't as outlandish as it first seems. The level of thought that has been put into this, evidenced by the little details that make it such a fun and interactive experience, has nurtured it something pretty cool.

Get yourself onto www.24hoursofhappy.com and someone will be dancing away on your screen along to the catchy (but not annoying... yet) 'Happy', a track that you may recognise from Despicable Me 2 (that's if you're wise - unlike me who decided that 'The Conjuring' would be a more fun and worthwhile choice of movie to watch). The video is essentially 24 hours of people dancing. Every 4 minutes or so the song will end, someone new will take the stage, the song will start again and they will take their turn to infect you with a bit of cheer as they shuffle, shake, slip, and slide. Some of these will be familiar faces like Tyler the Creator, just your average person from down the road or at hourly intervals that person busting a few moves across your monitor will be Pharrell himself and you can use the 'P' buttons on the 'clock thing' to skip to the parts with just him. This 'clock thing' is a clever little thing that helps you skip through to any point of the video and uses the changing sunset and sunrise times to ensure that when the video starts up on your screen it corresponds with real time and what's outside. So basically, if you find yourself depressed that you've only just got home from work at 17:58 and the light of day has already left us, go and watch Happy to cheer yourself up and the person bopping away on the screen will also have a dark sky behind him that mirrors the one outside your window. Is it just me that finds little things like this really really cool?

With naked Kim Kardashians on motor bikes and naked Miley Cyrus' on giant wrecking balls being hailed as revolutionary artistic music video master pieces, it's nice to see something simple, innocent and fun land in our laps. Kim Kardashian naked on film isn't exactly a new concept (yeah, I said it, what say suttinwhat) so even if you think the idea of a 24 hour music video that no one will ever watch all the way through is pointless, you can't say it hasn't been done before.

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Wretch 32 - Daily Duppy

It's Sunday. A day of reflection. So let us recall one event of the week in particular. Wednesday. The day of the storm. The storm that ripped up the UK rap scene. Wretch 32's Daily Duppy. 

There is a reason I have always loved Wretch. He has been my favourite UK Rapper since "End Scene" days where his story telling skills first captured me. On a lyrical front Wretch the Wordsmith has always been untouchable and it's the very reason I feel he is underrated by so many - because his lines simply go over too many people's heads. It's such a shame because there is nothing like sitting on the bus and getting that gas mark 100000000 feeling after uncovering the double (sometimes even triple) meanings hidden amongst the bars - and I can assure you there is not one artist that has got me pausing, rewinding, looping the track as much as Wretch has so I can bask in that very feeling. That's probably why I still haven't got over his Daily Duppy. Until Wednesday I didn't actually think it was possible for him to elevate any higher on the lyrical front. The wordplay was unmissable (quite literally as good ol' GRM daily illustrated it all for us) and if BBM didn't flop then I could predict with 99.9999% confidence that my recent updates would be full of lines taken from this very masterpiece (amongst the odd 'pop up I'm bored'). After taking a few deep breaths and getting over the content, you can then begin to appreciate that full power in the punch does not finish in his words, but lives on in the charisma that leaks out of his delivery and that strong flow - both of which have always been present in his work (if you need proof listen to his Woo Riddim Freestyle), but have also been upgraded, continuing with this theme of growth which we can clearly witness.

I forget in which interview, but I remember when talking on the topic of his achievements, him saying: "it's less celebrating and more elevating". He is improving with success. He reversed the formulae. Charts have changed him - but for the better. He's not sitting around getting too comfortable and allowing himself to slack. That's the kind of mindset that will get him the attention of the US scene. The attention and recognition he definitely deserves because if he was from the USA, this Daily Duppy would have the world going mad.

NOW CAN I GET AN AHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH

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Mercston - Back To 95

So it seems 'The Movement' (that's Wretch, Ghetts, Scorcher and Mercston by the way) are all back to...well making musical movements really. There was talk a couple of years ago about a reunion mixtape from them, but evidently that wasn't followed through and the members continued to work on individual projects. Then along came this summer and they hooked up to give us a 'Fire in the Booth', a 'Car Check', but still no confirmation of any big plans to produce a musical something-something to get us all nostalgic. But it seems Mercston has got it covered and has thrown us back even further than the Movement Days by bringing us 10 Garage infused tracks on his new release.

Now before you do, don't expect classics like "Bring You Flowers" or "Please Don't Turn Me On". It would be silly to even expect that from:

1. A Grime artist 
2. Any artist in 2013 -  the genre isn't as significant anymore so that level of vibe just can't replicated right now.

But what Mercston has managed to produce are brand spanking new tracks that have the authenticity to pass as actual tracks that would have been floating around all those years ago have you time travelling back to a decade or so. Therefore, its safe to say it is clear that he has successfully replicated the sound and vibe of the good old days and he has done what he set out to do - take us "Back to '95".

There is a great deal of risk surrounding the mixtape which has so wonderfully paid off. For one, there was a risk of mocking the genre in effort to replicate it's sound - it is like doing a cover of a classic song. Thankfully he captured the right energy. There is also risk of not recieving a good reaction to bringing something so new to the table - especially when "new" comes not in the form of diverse beats or multiple flows, but in the form of, well, the old. It did help that he managed to do do the 'old' properly but no matter what the quality, with anything slightly different there is always the risk of a hostile reception. Personally, I like different. Especially when it's good different. So mercy Mr Mercy-Mercston for the fresh dose of old skool and letting the vibes get H'IIIIIIINSSSSSSIDEEEE my body!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

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MOBO Awards 2013 - 18 Years Old

The past few years I found myself slightly... unsatisfied...with the nominations and winners of some of the categories in the MOBO awards - that being said, it's hard to complain when it is one of the biggest supporters fighting in the "urban" corner of the music scene. This year however, restored some faith into me I must say. I shall explain how and why in my MOBOs 18th birthday analysis which I know you didn't ask for but you might as well just read because you're here now...

Now, I'm abusing the powers of juxtaposition to make sure this post is positive, so I'll get my negative out of the way. Note that I said "negative". Singular. Which is progress from last years negatives.

The night kicked off with Tinie Tempah. He is a great performer, he did his thing and yeah... Quite frankly though, I thought that was all the stage time he really should have got. It sounds harsh, I know. I can't argue that he has done so much for the scene, I've hailed him on this very blog before, but when he returned to the stage to accept the award for Best Hip Hop/Grime Act I can't say I was pleased. I like Tinie. He's humble despite his success. Trampoline was a tune (even if it is slightly Americanised). However, winning the award over nominees such as Akala and Wretch 32 who fit the category much more appropriately made me feel like the MOBOs missed the spot once again. I know the vote is public, but he shouldn't have really been a nominee. You can hardly class Tinie's music as Hip Hop or Grime anymore - that's not a bad thing at all...he's got to do what he has got to do and he is still very much supporting the scene he came from. My problem here lies more in the hands of the MOBOs who seem to have slipped him in as a nominee not based on the music he is supplying but the hype he's surrounded by. With the power the MOBOs have, they shouldn't be filling the nominations with artists that will get the show the most views but supporting the artists who may be underground yet are simultaneously worthy contenders of the category. 

Anyway lets be happy now...

WILEEEEEEEEEES FINALLY GOT A MOBO! Joy and jubilation! For someone who created one of the most prominent genres in the UK urban music scene it's shocking that this is his FIRST ever MOBO award. It's so refreshing - and I mean cold glass of water after running a marathon in a heatwave (lol) refreshing - to see his years of graft paying off. Along side his plaques for his number one singles he can now put a nice, shiny MOBO on his mantlepiece. In true Wiley-styley there was no sign of him at awards but lets give credit where it is due...he did leave a video message and I'll give him 10 bonus points for putting Angel aka my babes on my screen to represent and pick up the award for him. Maybe in the near future he'll get the chance to accept his own award for the success of an album full of, dare I say it, Grime tunes? No, this isn't me getting caught up in the excitement of him finally winning a MOBO. Mr Cowie, dedicated to the genre he fathered, is apparently leaving behind the formula to success he's been using since Summer 2012 and is bringing it back to the days we saw in the Lights On video. It's not a crazy Wiley-styley stunt. Now that he's in a stronger position than ever and has a better experience of the industry, it's an educated move to become successful and in his eyes this means making music he wants to make. Who knows? It could be possible. Maybe he will bring real Eski to the charts. Either way....congratulations and a big fat GWAAN WILEY!

Krept and Konan winning Best Newcomer was not only responsible for another burst of joy but was also responsible for best reaction of the night, coming from Krept's evidently proud Dad. It makes me proud to see such humble and nice guys (I've met them so I can actually back these claims up) tearing the scene up. They're so unstoppable right now its unbelievable to think this is all being achieved independently. They held a top 20 position in the Official Album Charts for A MIXTAPE and then win Best Newcomer at the MOBOs with no backing of a major label. They had tough competition from fellow nominees (who were ALL worthy so well done MOBOs) Jacob Banks, Shakka, Daley and Etta Bond but the award belonged to Krept and Kones and their victorious past few months. It feels like their recent success is the brewing before the storm rather than the climax of it. That makes me really really excited because they're adding strength and direction to the UK rap scene, which seems like it's lagging at times. They have a real potential to impact.

Other stars of the show include Naughty Boy who won two awards (the second win was accompanied by a wonderfully entertaining drunken speech) with Sam Smith (who looked adorably shy on that stage...and much taller than I had expected) for Best Song and Best Video with their, not even catchy but, contagious song La La La La (dun know the Indian musical flavours seasoning that track!). Also getting the double was Laura Mvula who's soul cleansing sound  helped her cop Best Female and Best R&B and Soul Act. 

After playing a flashback of past MOBO performances - such as LL Cool J, Jigga, Destiny's Child and Mary J Blige - the performers this year had their parade slightly rained on. Nevertheless, the stage held the likes of Iggy Azalea whose cake is way out of Mr Kipling's leauge, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ODG and Rudimental with a capital MENTAL. Now, if we are giving out prizes for the performance of the night then it goes to none other than So Solid Crew who closed the show with the same song they opened the show with 12 years ago: 21 SECONDS T-T-T 21 SECONDS T-T-T. They created a legacy so strong they were able to come back years later and still kill the stage using just their history and energy. It makes me wish I went to that comeback show. Maybe then I could have blagged my way backstage and asked Lisa Mafia how she still looks fiyaaaaaaaaaaa.

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Kendrick Lamar "Diss Track"??

So I was doing that whole wake-up-scroll-through-twitter-find-out-what-the-world-is-on-today routine and my TL was full of "KENDRICK" "DRAKE" "DISS" ... "Say whaaaaaaaaaat?" was my immediate thought. I proceeded to scroll deeper into my timeline to find a link to this "diss track" and upon listening to it, it turns out Twitter was playing Chinese whispers again. Nevertheless the track was on the opposite end of disappointing.

In celebration of the fact that Big Sean's upcoming album "Hall Of Fame" is now available for pre-order, he released "Control", a 7 minute track featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica, which didn't make it onto the album due to sample clearing issues. It's a straight rap track bursting at the seams with street, grit, fire and UUUUURGHHHHHH. Consequently it has gassed every human being that's heard it. All 3 artists were evidently in beast mode when recording their verses as it is laced with that "who gon' stop me huh?" attitude -  recklessness, elevation, breaking boundaries, doing the unstoppable. Jay brought the flow, Sean Don brought fire yet this was all overlooked because Kendrick brought it all.

Like the brewing of a storm, all was calm as Kendrick built the bridge of the track with a poetical flow thus doubling the impact of his following verse by letting us recover from Big Sean's rhymes only to, out of no where, hit us even harder with his. His whole 3 minutes radiated "ruthless" but it was these lines that got everyone talking:

I'm usually homeboys with the same n*ggas I'm rhymin' wit

But this is Hip Hop and them n*ggas should know what time it is

And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale

Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake

Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller

I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you n*ggas

Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*ggas

The don't wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n*ggas

Now whether the track has disrupted your humble Tuesday morning or you've just read the above (if your case is the latter then you need to hear it ASAP #NoRocky), I'm hoping you're with me and my line of thinking in that this isn't a diss to Drake or any name he spat. He is just calling them out, sort of sending for them or more of a warning that he's coming for their careers. Whatever it is, much of it has been blown out of proportion due to the whole hype factor of the song and everything surrounding it. For instance the essence of Pusha T's tweet in response to the track: "I hear u loud and clear my n*gga... @kendricklamar" has definitely been exaggerated. Surely being part of GOOD music, and this track belonging (I use that loosely as I think the owenership has been signed over to Kendrick to be honest) Big Sean, Pusha T must have heard it already, and his tweet was there to merely build more hype and publicity and not to mark the start of a war.

Truthfully, he is complimenting them - highlighting that they're at the top of the game right now and the ones to watch. Yet it IS still a diss. A diss to those he didn't mention - highlighting that they're irrelevant in the game right now and no competition for Kendrick, one of Hip Hop's newest saviours. If I was an american rapper in the game right now I'd want to be at that level where I was Kendrick's competition. I'd be begging for Kendrick to be sending for me...especially if it meant I was part of a verse as hard as that.

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BBC Urban Proms 2013

Today a sample of  6 of our finest urban artists took the genre to a whole new level and switched up the BBC Proms 1 Xtra styley. Urban Classics live back in 2012 was an event but this was an occasion. The Proms have been celebrating classical music for 119 years, and tonight it invited one of the UK's least appreciated genres and let it's ambassadors show the world how we do. It really felt like UK urban music got that seal of approval and was welcomed with open arms - forget the top 40, we roll with the BBC Proms now yo!

I was most excited to see what Lady Leshurr and Wretch 32 would do. As much as I love my Mr Wretchy Wretch (who may I add looked SUAVE as hell) my favourite of the night was Miss Lesh because she came out and just did her, herself, she and she only. She's already a female grime artist from *Lady Leshurr Voice* "BRUM BRUM BRUM BRUM" excelling in world whose A* students often come in the package of a London based male artist, yet still, even in the illustrious venue of Royal Albert Hall, she looked as comfortable as she would be spread across the sofa at home watching Eastenders. In her element, sporting her self branded "Lady Lesh" attire, bringing her feist to the front line, she tore up the stage. She was a perfect portrayal of the well blended union of two opposing genres without having to compromise (except one or two swear words).

It was great to also see that this fusion wasn't something that can only be achieved by some of our most talented urban musicians, but also obtainable for amateurs. Fazer managed to gather up a group of fine young artists and set them the challenge of firstly merging their own individual styles and then incorporating the BBC Symphony Orchestra. They pulled it off and the consequence was not only a great piece of music but more evidence supporting the argument that all elements of urban music - be it rap, soul singing, beatboxing - could walk hand in hand in harmony with classical music.

People often see that all that lies under the urban music bracket, infact lies on the other end of the universe from classical music. However music is a universal language and so in the presence of the coalition of two expressions of art, there was no translation required in sending out this very message. The going ons inside the Albert Hall on the evening of the 10th of August proved stereotypes of the like of "rap not being real music" wrong. If it wasn't real music it wouldn't sound so damn good on top of dirty bass or the double bass.

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BGV - Etta Bond and Raf Riley

This post will mean I have 2 Odd Child related posts in a row now. Don't blame me for the lack of variety. The music world hasn't been doing much worth blogging about except Magna Carta but I was too busy at the time and now the moment has passed to write about it. Plus you should know by now Odd Child tend to be a reoccurring theme in this blog because they're doing something that music desperately needs so obviously I'm going to be celebrating that. So yeah, lemme just force down another slice of them down your throat :D

There is a good chance you might have seen the #BVG hashtag bouncing around on Insta and Twitter recently. Attached to it you will see pictures upon pictures of beautiful human beings, rightly so, celebrating the skin they're in. This was all at the hands of the amazing Miss Etta Bond - my favourite oxymoron (yeah I said it again and I'll keep on saying it! Refer to previous Odd Child posts to find out what the hell I'm on about). 

Everything surrounding Raf and Etta's new track, Big Girls Vouge, promotes self worth which makes the track double exciting for me because I have a (slightly ambitious - but that's not a bad thing) vision that self worth can change the world. I'd go on but we'd be here for hours so back to the track...

They've switched up the sound a bit, but at the same time that makes no sense in the context of Etta and Raf because they don't really have a "sound". They're "sound" is anything and everything because on whatever they put out, it's their fresh and edgy energy that they flavour the tracks with which make it identifiable as their works of art. They don't need a single "sound" because they don't run with labels and they definitely aren't confined in any boxes - they do whatever they want, but most importantly they do it really really really really really well. 

 It's a track that makes you wanna dance like no one is watching and sing along like no one is listening. It is so fierce but so fun at the same time. It's not rebellious because rebellion would mean that it's breaking the rules - there are no rules when it comes to beauty. But it's fierce in that it's belly bouncing (no abs just rolls) all of societies norms out the arena and filling it with a new attitude of loving you for you and ripping up that "thinspiration" picture stuck to your fridge. What's even better is that the message doesn't come as cheesy - #NoCheddarJustRafAndEtta - which is a sigh of relief because a lot of songs have shared this theme but the message in the bottle came at us washed up from a sea of cottage cheese. The song is great, but the message is greater and that's what takes centre stage with this release.

The video, directed by Jeremy Cole, contributed to the entertainment factor bringing a fun and funky visual to the screen. Every element has been balanced just right with this creation. The real art to this song is that it's not just a song, it's a statement.

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London and Lunch With Labrinth

I don't usually post about my life on this, seeing as it's a music blog and my life is not interesting. But seeing as Tuesday was linked to music and actually quite interesting and there are loads of people that have asked me what went down, I thought I'd blog about it.

In case you haven't noticed I'm still gassed.

Sorry this post comes so late - Wednesday and Thursday I was chucked back down to earth and busy doing real-life-rhea type things which I assure you are not quite as fun as being part of the Odd Child crew for a few hours. It didn't help that Nottingham had the gloomiest day on Wednesday - just to make that smack down to earth sting a little more -_-

But anyway back to Tuesday. Literally getting on our 7:10 coach (yeah you don't wanna know what time I had to set my alarm for) at 7:09:58, we sat at the only seats left at the back of the coach, which I niavely thought were the best seats until I realised they were right next to the toilet with the door that didn't even lock. (You don't wanna know about this experience either)

3 hours later we got off at Marble Arch and from there walked round most of Central London and gave James, the London Virgin, the full tourist experience. Oxford street was naturally the first stop and we (the girls + James' ear) decided to get photoshoot phreshhhhhh in the Topshop photobooth (don't watch me in the top right).

Later the crew split ways when I dragged Sophie along with me to Woodgreen to hit MOSAICA, Labrinth's qwerky?/querky? (basically I mean cool) little restaurant, and sat munching on the nicest bread ever while we waited for Etta, Raf, Labrinth and the rest of the Odd Child team.

I managed not to cry or make myself look like too much of a weirdo which comes as a surprise as you all know I love me some Odd Children (I realise that sounds slightly dodgy after a proof read but you know what I mean so shush innit). All I do is hail my favourite personified oxymoron Etta - the beauty with the purest voice but ratchet lyrics - and her partner in crime Mr Riley - who is hot but, as discovered at the lunch, has a hairy chest which could have potentially lost him a couple of cool points, however I will let him off because:

1. he doesn't give a FFFFFFF-alafel about my opinion so it makes no difference
2.  he provides us with that god damn goodness when he lets loose on what he calls "gangsta beats" and evidently are.

(If you wanna know more about 2 of my favourite ARTists check out my previous posts on 'Inside My Head' and 'Resolve').

So basically yeah it was friggin fandabydosy. The whole team is just as cool as they seem. They made us feel like part of the crew and were just as normal as *enter something normal here because I couldn't think of an effective similie*.

It was an afternoon of nice food in plates bigger than me, crushing Labrinth's hype when I told him the whole Nottingham-Robin-Hood thing just "isn't that deep", laughs, laughing and more laughter, Marc interrogating me about future plans in life, me getting more gassed when Etta said she loved the bracelet I made and wanted one herself and then getting even, more gassed when Etta and Raf took us up to the studio and we got to hear some exclusives from their upcoming EP following from Emergency Room (which you should already be hyped about but I can now confirm you definitely should be!). 

The day was an inspiration - these people were living/working towards their dream and the good energy was present all over the house - #NoSkeptaJustOddChild - and that alone left me a lot to think about. 

I'm really thankful for the experience, not just as a fan, but as someone who has been left in awe of them all. A real and seriously nice guy (Mr Marc Williams who just oozes that big-daddy-gentle-father-figure persona) leading a team of  real and seriously nice people (the artists and the assistants all of which are genuinely lovely and talented individuals).
With even just my slight insight into the type of people they all are, there is no wonder as to why this team already do have, and are going to have even more, success and I'm really happy I can say I have met them and have been a supporter from day one!

After we said our goodbyes, we met up back up with the rest of the guys in Camden and rolled round the markets, had some cwaaarrfee (that's supposed to be Coffee in a NY accent btw) by the canal, got attacked by a pigeon in Victoria Coach Station and hated myself for not being rich enough to avoid the pigeon attack and afford a train home and then loving my life again as I near enough wet myself on the funniest coach ride back with my bubbas.

I'd elaborate on the coach ride back, but I think it's best it's left between us so seeing as there isn't really much else to say here, I'll just leave you a picture of us looking peng :D

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Cleo Sol - Borderline

After 'Never The Right Time' Cleo Sol has been on a lot of people's radar, but it seems she has been pretty much undetectable since her August dropping of 'Code To Crack' with Scrufizzer and Toddla T. Well, she is back now, and to compensate for her brief absence on the sound waves, she has given us a 3-in-1 treat with new track Boderline where she has combined Kendrick Lamar's "The Recipie", Aaliyah's "More Than A Woman" and The Fugees "Ready Or Not" then seasoning it by laying down her own flavours.

Her vocals delicately grace 3 classic tracks from 3 generations and she has managed to add some of her classic SOuL to your time travelling experience making it a smooth ride. Her vocals are a spa session to my ears - soft, sultry and strong enough to stay significant in the presence of 3 ionic tracks while doing them justice.

Oh and you can download it..for free. Sounds even better.
 

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Trampoline - Tinie Tempah

It has been just shy of 3 and a half years since Tinie Tempah Disturbed London. He's never been a stranger to big tunes - throw yourself back to 'Tears' and 'Wifey' - but what was originally just a demo, Pass Out, had an unexpectedly HUGE impact. It dropped back in the first months of 2010 and ever since then Tinie has been riding that shockwave of success to a double platinum album, touring in any country Virgin Airlines could take him and all the while sitting comfortably in charts all over the world. There is no doubt that he has broken boundaries, one of which was the barrier between our underground urban scene and the Top 40. Recently the UK music scene has transformed and Tinie's disturbance is partly responsible.

With such effects, it's only natural he's had a considerable amount of weight on his shoulders over the past 2 years. The Demonstration has been pushed back further than Jamie Foxx's hairline (Sorry Jamie) and, unlike the hair near Jamie's forehead (Soz again), the anticipation has grown and grown. His silence since his debut album was tapped at with his 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY EP' and collab on Calvin Harris' 'Drinking From The Bottle'. But it was only after yesterday's Monday-Evening-Lull was shaken when he uploaded the final installment of his teasers, that the silence was shattered on Mista Jam's show tonight as 'Trampoline' met our ears and violated every cell in our bodies...

Now, I'll give you 3 words: TURNNN IT UPPPPP!

And I'll give you 3 more: REALOAD IT YOOOOO!

The same cheeky personal plastered over the track. The same crazy energy invading your body from the speakers. But this time over a ridiculous instrumental, courtesy of Diplo. And to help tame the beast, a rapper - who lets face it, is used to featuring on a banger or two - 2 CHAINZZZZZZZZ (if you didn't read that in the proper voice then please re-read and try again).

The sound is interesting. It's hot and fresh. It didn't come as a total shock to me, but that didn't stop it from hitting me and making me reload it so it could hit me again. I would say it dropped at the perfect time as summer has now started, but whatever the weather, whatever you are doing and wherever you are if the volume is up loud, you can be stiffer than Wiley and still be moving as fluid as the petrol igniting the fiyaaaaa that is 'Trampoline'.  It's lively. It's strong. It's proof that Tinie hasn't lost the ability to switch it UP and make you get DOWN.

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Let Nas Down - Made Nas Proud Remix

Hip Hop is beautiful.

"Let Nas Down" was the story of Cole's hurt when he found out that his first hit didn't impress his idol, Nas.
Rapping about his own struggle, Nas jumped straight onto a remix and explains that he was only trying to pass on what he had learnt: "While you was writing down rhymes, I was just tryna show you/That if you say what's on your mind, you can stand the test of time" and finishes by saying, with Born Sinner, J Cole has achieved just that.

Something special just happened. The true power behind HipHop was unleashed as it nurtured the growth of a man. The growth which inspired their inspiration.

A moment that proves HipHop is in fact not dead at all.

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Born Sinner and Yeezus Review

Before the anticipation of the 8th of June leaked away along with both albums, when J Cole moved his release date forward to compete with the highly controversially titled product of Kanye's that is Yeezus, Born Sinner suddenly became top of my to-do list as I was fascinated to see if what J Cole had produced was actually worthy enough to compete against King Kanye (or more appropriately Lord Yeezus) or if it was just a cleverly thought out marketing ploy to boost Mr Cole's sales because of the public's newly provoked curiosity to compare. I thought it was probably going to be the latter...Miss America dissapointed me and although Power Trip was a great record, I felt J Cole had a long way to go before he was on Yeezy's level, especially since Kanye's latest deliveries came in the form of Watch the Throne and Cruel Summer - some of Hip Hops heaviest.

Turns out all my assumptions were wrong.

I was expecting more from Yeezus, and my expectations grew when the hype all down my Twitter timeline from the aftermath of the Yeezus leak was much more immense than any of what I had come across following the Born Sinner leak.

Soul Culture's interview with J Cole as part of their #OkayNotToBeOkay campaign revealed that the making of Born Sinner helped him overcome a phase of depression. This naturally led me to expect a whole lot of emotion and a trace or two of darkness packed into the album, but compared to Yeezus, Born Sinner is dusk.

No track fades into the background and lets you subconsciously nod your head to the beat while you get along with your day. Instead your back is against the wall and you are forced to listen to his screams which accompany, what I feel, is a battle of his sins. You are submerged into a chaotic sea of of unpleasurable listening with clashing instrumentals, samples that just don't fit and sour lyrics. It finishes with your ears thinking "Why Kanyeezy?". Is it that the displeasure and exhaustion that is caused is a punishment? I would say it's a punishment to us (which it kind of is) but I doubt Kanye even stopped to consider his fans with this record. Instead, he reaches the heights of vanity and reinvents himself as God, or Yeezus, allowing him to look down on himself, and punish himself for his sins, without actually damaging his ego because he still holds the title of Yeezus...God...the highest figure of power of all.

Now I don't like to be all negative. With my iPod on shuffle, I stumble on upon some of the tracks and on their own and they're actually decent. Put together, however, is too overwhelming for me. Maybe I've misunderstood and didn't catch on to Kanye's artistic genius. I'll attempt to try again and translate his vision...when I have the energy.

It came as a relief to listen to something on the other side of the spectrum - Born Sinner.

After Good Kid MAAd City, I was worried that Kendrick was possibly going to push J Cole over to the sideline (lolz...Sideline...J Cole...) especially as nothing J Cole released so far seemed really strong and it seemed for a while like he was getting forgotten. Born Sinner proved my worries were pointless, because J Cole has come back on top form and ticked every box on his way up. Unlike the unsurity surrounding what Kanye was trying to achieve with Yeezus, Born Sinner is a definite self reflection and checkedy-checking himself before he wrecks himself. While addressing his own personal needs through his music, he hasn't failed to address the needs of his fans by bringing out - yeah I'm gunna say it - the best Hip Hop album of 2013?

J Cole still possesses his fantastic ability as a skilled storyteller which adds a sense of intimacy and a resultant connection can be built with this album - even if you can't relate to his life, you can feel the real. The beats are alright, his lyricism is intelligent and interesting - from touching on topics such as homophobia to letting his idol down - ,his flow is tight tight tight, and he has kept it trillllllll. From the direction of the Power Trip video to the production of most of the instrumentals, this whole album is an exploration of Cole's creativity and capabilities as an artist. Okay maybe he hasn't quite mastered the art of production - but he has scored highly everywhere else (face included). What he has presented is a product of his progression and I'm pleasantly surprised.

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Random Access Memories - Daft Punk

I thought my first exposure to Daft Punk was in the form of "Get Lucky" only 2 weeks ago. Turns out, the song that brings back floods of childhood memories, "One More Time", is actually one of their creations. But this was a product of my research AFTER I had listened to Random Access Memories. I decided I wanted to listen to Random Access Memories before I properly researched anything else Daft Punk had brought to the table. I wanted to see if their new offerings' effect on me, as a Daft-Punk-Virgin (well..I thought), would mirror the effects their old music did back when it first fell on the ears of the 90's era - such an effect that their comeback was so anticipated that R.A.M became the fastest album of 2013. In a nutshell - I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

The 2 tracks that stole my soft spot were; Lose Yourself To Dance and Doin' It Right. Maybe it's Pharrell's vocals that helped me take a liking to the track because lets face it Pharrell is Pharrell and I really wouldn't mind taking up on his offer of his shirt and wiping off all that "sweat sweat SWEAT" as I Lose Myself To Dance and allow the grooviest (yes I said grooviest) track on the album to entrance me. Doin' it Right intrigues me because it's slightly distant as a track on it's own, as well as standing out from the rest of the album with it's stuttery, spaced beats it feels a bit less warmer than the rest of the album. As the penultimate track, for me it's a sort of a signal of the ending of the journey and a step back from the experience before you move into the final track, Contact, and cool down.


The best thing about the album though, was me getting something I never expected. Looking at the genre of the album described as "Electronic", my mind flicked to images of artists with the likes Labrinth and Disclosure. It therefore became a contrast to have the expectations of synthetic, futuristic, computerised beats and actually end up being hit with the undistorted and pure forms of the flutes, violins, horns among all the other instruments that hold up the the groovy (yes I said groovy again) beats seasoned with the sounds of the synths and vocoded voices. I was tricked by their robot helmets and computer Jargon related titling into thinking I was going to be hearing something quite the opposite to what in fact, ended up reminding me of something I'd hear on Top Of The Pops 2.

I like Top Of The Pops 2. I also like Random Access Memories.


Freshly Old School.

A Step Back Into The Future.

Funkaaaayyyy.

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Dot Rotten - Voices In My Head

As Dot's first studio album, it's a decent body of work.
I was actually surprised with a couple of the tracks on the album. Obviously as his first album since commercial success, it was bound to be more varying sound to reach out to more people, but considering the tracks Dot has released as singles, I still wasn't really expecting Dot to deliver some of the tracks he did.

The first part of the album that greets your ears comes in the form of "Hello". It begins, gaining momentum with Dot "bringing you poetry", making your introduction to the album...well pure. As the track gets into it, it's a bit downing a glass big glass of cold water on a hot day... I normally associate Dot with a dark sound, so this lighter and dainty track is something new and refreshing and I really like it. This mirrors my reaction to the other lighter track on the album; "Thank You" - it's a buoyant track dedicated to his fans out there that have supported him - especially those that have stuck by him while he's switching up his sound and climbs up and down the chart. I like the little statement he makes by thanking the fans that have stuck by him since the underground, on a track that is so not underground. It's a blatant fist bump to the supporters, and a subtle two fingers up to the haters that say he's "sold out". I think these people forget that a slight adaptation in sound doesn't undermine the skill that he obviously still habours.

Running through most of the rest of the album are the heavy, anthemic beats that Dot's been associating himself with for a while now. Underneath these beats though, I get the sense of both growth and frustration from Mr Rotten in some of these tracks. It's almost like recently he has learnt a lot and he's come to some sort of realisation. There is a hunger back there which make me feel like he feels to achieve something more with this album itself. Maybe it is infact, the Voices In His Head, that are holding him back? I don't know - this could me just going off on one and getting some random vibe off it but never the less, on the topic of achieving something with this album - I think Dot can be proud of this one.

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Lay Her Down - Skepta ft. Kano

So Skepta decided to hook up with KKK-AAAA and make an extended version to the vibe that is 'Lay Her Down', from Blacklisted, which he is now putting on his new upcoming album (yay), Konnichiwa.

I've seen a few of the oh-so-typical "this ain't a grime track reh reh reh" comments ...well no one said it was so shhhhhhhhh and let the 80's flavours soak into your veins and feel the music. The vibe it creates and the whole relaxed aura of the song means it doesn't need all the technicalities of a crazy 'agdfayfagfigci' flow and mad metaphorical wordplay. It's not what the song was made for or aimed to achieve - it's just a song which gives you that good feeling. Simple. The 80s influence with a fresh twist have formulated a calm summer jaaaaaaay-yummmm and whether you're cutting the grass or cutting a slice of mango you know you have to stop and cut some shapes to this one. 

I like this. Yeah. I like it a lot. 

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Miguel - How Many Drinks ft. Kendrick Lamar

Miguel goes down in the book with the likes of Bobby Valentino in the chapter of borderline offensive lines that still weirdly sound romantic. I'd say Bobby Valention's: "Slow down, I just wanna get to know you, but don't turn around 'cos that pretty round thing is good to me" makes you feel at least a bit more 'worth it' than "you look good, and yeah I got money but I don't wanna waste my time" from Miguel. But, albeit his dodgy lines, Mr Miguel has mastered sounding like an a** yet making you think "Miguelo Miguelo, where for art thou Miguelo?" at the same time. A good slow jam needs that va-va-voom passion, which Miguel formulates perfectly with his sweet tenderness balanced with blunt sourness. A TRUE slowjam though, is defined by peppermint-spray-in-the-eyes-worthy-chat-up-lines actually sounding like Shakespeare's finest sonnet. And that's exactly what How Many Drinks does.

After 'Adorn', 'How Many Drinks' was my FAVOURITE song off Kaleidoscope Dream, so when I found out it was being released I was happy happy happy. When I heard Kendrick was featuring though, I was a bit wary. I love Mr Lamar but I didn't think the song needed to be or should be tampered with. However, Kendrick pulled it off managing to match the boyish/cheeky side to the song, laying his verse over what was originally Miguel's half-rap. I like that the verse was really Kendrick-ish, even adding in a few "Swimming Pool" references but still actually relevant to the song. God knows how many remixes I've heard when an artist has jumped on a track with lyrics that don't fit with any part of the track except the rhyme scheme. Good job Kendrick, you didn't kill the vibe (harhar).

When I imagined the video to this song, I imagined there would be some sort of story set in a club with a few slick slides across the dance floor over to the bar where the pretty girl is standing. Instead they opted for the whole performance visual, which I think is a missed opportunity and a lazy lick of the envelope to seal a damn-good-package. I will be positive though, and say I like the way Kendrick throws the mic at the end of his verse and Miguel catches it - yeah, I'm amused by the little things... (and NO, that "little things" was not in reference to Kendrick - although he does look like an ikkle cutie in this video).

But yes, although the video isn't "extraordinary" and I think a lot more could have been done with it, it's the closest we'll get to being serenaded by Miguel... *sigh*

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Goodbye JLS :'(

I'M EMOTIONAL YOU KNOW.

WHO SAID YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR IPOD ON SHUFFLE AND BE LISTENING TO RUFF SQWAD - XTRA ONE MINUTE AND JLS - BEAT AGAIN THE NEXT? 

12:05 am and I'm sitting just watching the Homes Under The Hammer I recorded (you ain't about the Homes Under The Hammer on series link life and what... say suttin...I'm not a weirdo - just versatile) and I have a look on twitter and someone has RT'd Ronan Keating "JUST HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT @JLSOfficial. WISH THE BOYS THE BEST IN WHATEVER IT IS THEY ROLL ON TOO. THEY HAD A GREAT FUN". I sat there thinking how can a member of Boyzone just write off my teenage years in a tweet like that though yo?

The split doesn't come as a shock to me. I know exactly why they did it. They came on to the scene through X-Factor, where their first audition was Shai - If I Ever then they went on to release tracks like The Club Is Alive. How can a boyband go from singing 90's pure RnB to autotuned pop? When they were making songs before X-Factor they had those hot, urban, original, R&B flavours - their true sound. None of their albums reflected this. But the point was the albums sold. Then on their latest album 'Evolution', when the boys put in everything and attempted to bring out music more true to them - it didn't sell. I think they accepted the fact that if they wanted to carry on being a successful band selling units after units, they wouldn't be able to be true artists selling the music from their heart, but music purpose built only for the chart. Their current position, other talents and genuine personalities, allowed them to move on to other projects and set them up for a life where they have options for different lives that they can put their heart into - something music didn't quite let them do in the end. 

I'm upset about the fact the fact that JLS had potential to bring so much more to the music scene (even though I feel they made massive movements in making boy bands cool again), but I'm MORE upset that I feel like a big part of my teen years has finished. You may be thinking this is pure mature cheddar cheese, but I've met so many people, made such good memories and had so much fun being a *cringe* "JLS'ter" *cringe*. They will always be my NOT-so-guilty-pleasure and I will miss being able to become that little girl again and giggle foolishly at the TV screen when ever they were on it, because they were a great escape from the big bad world. I'm not the hyper little fan girl I was a few years ago, but during the years that I was, they had such an impact on my life - they made me unique atleast...I never did meet anyone else that had BBK and JLS sharing a playlist on their iTunes...

The end of the year is going to bring the 4 brothers' last ever performance, where they will leave in separate cars, and drive off on separate paths after saying goodbye to eachother and to the thousands of fans they built a connection with. They won't be seeing eachother 2 weeks later in the studio. 

Goodbye JLS x

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GFrsh - Legoman II Mixtape

FIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

On terms of consistency, range and overall mad vibes - Legoman II has hit the spot. The sun has finally decided to show itself and this mixtape couldn't have come at a better time because mateeeee - these tracks + summer vibes = yes.
 So far, it's the UK mixtape of 2013 (yeah, it's only April, but if there are going to be any UK releases this year that will rob GFrsh of this title then they have got be be fiyaaaaaaaa x2)

Full of braggish bars on hoodish tracks, he gets away with making you get to the end of the track thinking "lol woteva ya little priiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...". Maybe it's the fact that he does actually practice half of what he preaches or the fact that some of these tracks gas you to such a level, you get caught in the energy he delivers and feel you have no reason to envy GFrsh's "20 on his wrist" and the "license for his kicks" ...not that material possessions determine a happy life, ofcourse ;)

The choice of features reflects the true "L.O.N.D-Boy" in GFrsh, with him choosing some of the finest talents floating about the scene at the moment without the man himself being overshadowed. The vaunting verses, matched with the heavy beats add a little American flavour to the tracks. That doesn't mean he hasn't kept it grounded and goes in with that pirate radio flow on a couple of these tracks though - he took it thurrrrr! He manages to go in without forcing himself. Everything on Legoman II is well within his comfort zone - and considering the standard of the tape, it shows the level of talent GFrsh is working with. To be honest, I didn't expect anything less from him, but you may find he's slightly exceeding expectation when you remind yourself this is only a FREE MIXTAPE... muadddddd.

GFrsh has released 3 visuals for Legoman tracks.

Check out the latest visual for my favourite track on the mixtape: #IMBALLLLLLLINNNNNNNNNNN (don't expect to be able to say that normally once you hear it) 

AND if you haven't already - DOWNLOAD THE TAPE HOSTED BY GRM DAILY http://wp.grmdaily.com/gfrsh-legoman-2/

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Angel - About Time

If this album is your first experience of Angel, you'll think of him covered in tats, rocking the Trapstar hoodie and sporting the Nike Air Max - then you'll ready yourself to nod your head to a few gully beats underneath his stories of the struggle. Press play on his debut album and you will hear the sultry sounds of Angel's vocal pouring out your speakers and coating your eardrums.

Not to say he hasn't seen the mean side of the streets, but with this being a more commercial catalouge of his talents he had to replace the slight grittier, not-so-clean-cut side of his music with songs more focused on the struggles...of love, that is. That doesn't mean he didn't keep it real but About Time really is an album to show off Angel's musical capabilities (which are high) as well as appeal to a wider audience.

My favourite aspect of the album in general is the choice of collabs. Personally, this is one of the ways I feel he kept this body of work real. He has used artists that have helped nurture/maintain the originality and rawness of his music - the collaboration with H.I.M (his breddaaa from EARLY) is a display of the strength of the grip Angel has maintained on his roots - despite stretching to the heights of writing with Frank Ocean on the album. I love the link up with George the Poet because I love George the Poet. I think we could have done with a bit more George the Poet because I felt this was the only structure we really got on the album. After listening to Angel's commentary I realised I hadn't clocked the story hidden in this album. But then again this is Angel's body of work, not George's. Plus, as I said, this album wasn't primarily made to tell a story but to get his music out there. If people are interested enough, the commentary tells the story just fine.

For me there aren't tracks to top his previous works Ride Out and Forget About It. Circles In Squares and More Fire are probably my favourite tracks.  More Fire has got that energy - goooooood energy and the stronger and more powerful vocals deliver it well. Shakka was the perfect collab for this track helping build that organicity. Circles in Squares, is a different story - so calm. The subtlety and softness in his voice that plays with the ear is perfect. These two tracks come one after the other and not only show that Mr Charles can not only sing but sannnng, but also show his versatility in what he can create as a songwriter/producer too - a true musican.

I was anticipating this album to make movements in the progression of the UK urban music scene. R&B has never really broken into the commercial scene. I wouldn't describe Angel as a typical sweet-boy R&B artist. He's always had a little edgy vibe to him and his sound has always had that street influence. This vibe still vibrates through the album with that fusion of pop. He is not only helping the R&B genre break through the chart, but he has made his own mark by switching it up. He's complied a group of fresh, quality tracks. Some tracks are worthy of a sly shoulder shimmy on the bus while you vibes through your headphones and some are perfect to serenade me with (that's a demand not a hint, Angel).

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