Marvell - G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP

Marvell are always releasing mixtapes but their new G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP follows the trend of GOOD music. They're music has always been so simple - crazy beats, flows on point, and those big big big 1 liners - yet no one has been able to replicate it - and even if they tried, I don't think anyone could. They have got the perfect balance of it all to make every (and I actually mean every) track they've ever put out  be a b a n g e r. If you listen to their first tracks and compare it to the ones on the new EP, the sound hasn't changed because it doesn't need to. Their early tracks from years ago could be easily passed for a track made yesterday in a top US producer's studio. In a few years time, I'm sure you could say the same thing when listening to the G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP.

They have already released 2 of the tracks off the free EP: Weezy and London 2 Alanta and both were major tracks. New World, Killing All The Shows, Everything's on Me and G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S contribute to the 'wooooiiiiiiiii' section of the EP. The beats, especially on New World, are mad mad mad and if you don't even bop your head to the beat then I refuse to believe you're a human. Whether you're getting ready for a night out or work they will put you on a good vibe, and that to me is A* music.

Best Of Us and Kings and Queens are definitely the heartfelt tracks on the EP. I think Kings And Queens deserves a special little mention though. It's one of those motivational, grateful and feel good songs. It's got me even more hyped for summer to come because it's a tune that will sound PERFECT cruising around on a calm one in the sun on a Saturday (and I don't even drive). They hooked up with old friend (from Shocka's Chain Gang days) Wretch 32, who was the perfect collab for this track as I think this is one of the songs in which the lyrics are what really stand and are the main component of the tracks, while their signature heavy beats have taken the back seat. That's not to say the instrumental isn't good - Max Richards cleverly crafted a beat that brought power to the track but in a beautifully subtle way - making it even stronger.

Marvell don't have the recognition they deserve. Like I said before, they have a sound that is consistently great and doesn't even need to evolve to STILL be relevant in many years to come. Moreover, if it wasn't for their accents, their tracks could easily be the works of art of an American chart topping rapper #noexaggeration.
They're the future of music but not enough people know it yet so don't get left behind innnnnnnnitttttttt...
GO GET THE G.R.E.A.T.N.E.S.S EP (you have no excuse not to because it's FREE!)

Click Here To Get It

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55th Grammy Awards

One day, we in the UK need an award show to match Grammys. The awards and and performances are on a whole other level but the Grammys are actually ABOUT music and considers all music that is making a mark, which is something I don't think I can say for our award shows :(

One award I love that the Grammy's do is Song Of The Year (which FUN won for We Are Young). It's different to Record of The Year because Song of the Year is awarded rightly so to the composer/writers of the song rather than just the performer - something the BRITS need to take note of. Last year I remember when One Direction won a Brit Award for something along the lines of Best Song - bearing in mind they didn't have any input into the creation of it other than their vocals. Fair enough they made an impact on music, but in the UK I think we definitely need to pay a lot more recognition to the real artists we have in the UK - as in the ones that have more involvement in the music they actually put out.

Mumford and Son's won Album of the Year. Now I'm not even going attempt to try and wing a paragraph about this album because I haven't heard it but now I'm going to have to give it a listen ASAP. I've not really paid THAT much attention to them in the past but from their track's I have heard, I find it's easy listening and what I like most about their sound is; it is cultured. The four-piece need a massive congratulations without question. Being an English Act winning the top prize at America's biggest music award ceremony is definitely a power move.

Rap Album Of The Year went to Drake with 'Take Care'. If I'm real, I don't know if I'm happy about this or not. I think Drake has recently been overly hyped. Personally, there are albums that haven't even been nominated such as 'Cruel Summer' that, in my eyes/ears, were much better. Drake did have a some real good tracks on there, and with his carefully crafted lyricism he is definitely one of the best rap artists right now, but if I had to award best Rap Album, Drake wouldn't be the first name to pop into mind. Nevertheless let's all breath a sigh of relief 2 Chainz didn't win. I think the nominations for this award next year definitely need to be more carefully picked though - without a doubt Mr Kendrick Lamar is going to be a top contender for this.

 Contrastingly for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, no one can really deny Jigga and Yeezy this award - N*ggas In Paris was this year's anthem. I'll forever regret that I never got to witness this live at the Watch The Throne Tour or Hackney Weekend. Cry. The Watch The Throne album got them both another award, Best Rap/Sung Collab, along with Frank Ocean for No Church In The Wild. When you compare the power of every element of this song compared to that of fellow nominee Flo Rida with Wild Ones - they had no competition (once again).

Miguel won Best R&B Song for the ultimate slow jam: 'Adorn' - *Lethal Bizzle Voice* OBVIOUSLY. I don't think there are words to describe my love for Miguel, and in particular this one song. This song helped me come to the realisation that being serenaded by Miguel is something I must do before I die - I'm not even joking. Miguel's vocals are untouchable in R&B land right now and he has the sweetest way with words. Even Usher's latest album didn't have anything on Kaleidoscope Dream.


Adele won Best Solo Performance of the Year. Some of the nominees more than know to how to put on a show *cough* Rihanna *cough*, but Adele can make a whole room silent with nothing but her voice. But forget that, I rated Adele more last night for shouting at Breezy for being the only one not clapping for Frank when he won Best Urban Contemporary Album. She's still got that Tottenham feist bwooooooooy!
Frank's win was so well deserved. He has brought such a simple and beautiful sound to the scene. It's an easy listening album but when you delve deeper into it and witness all the different levels to it and the story it tells, it becomes something much more than just sounds. Frank crafted a masterpiece but he also created the perfect shower tune in the shape of Thinking 'Bout You - there is nothing better then the feeling of accomplishment when you (almost) hit those high notes - and you cannot front and say you never tried.

In terms of performances, thankfully there was not a repeat of a performance like Nicki Minaj's last year. My favourite performance was definitely Mr Timberlake's come back with his classy, old school, 'Suit and Tie' performance. He went in and brought everything to his performance from Jay-Z to an orchestra when he performed some unheard new material. The best thing about JT is that he hasn't changed one bit (plus he is still hot), but his style still stands out from everything out there right now - timeless is the theme of his whole set.

Anyway, I'm done for now but I'll leave you with my favourite outfit of the night; Rihanna. She looked stunning in this classy (yeah, classy) floating red dress that actually made her look like a princess - proving when she tries and actually covers up, she's still got it yo...

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Angel - The World

Angel is one of those artists that when he brings out a track I want more straight away. After yet another mixtape (because there have been that many) 'Inbetween Time', my iTunes was definitely refreshed. To think that the tracks he delivered on 'Inbetween Time' were just mixtape tracks, hopefully means his debut album is going to follow suit and have the same effect...that is when he actually decides to drop it, because he did say it was going to drop July 2012...erm, yeah safe.

The World has brought us one step close to About Time. Within the first few seconds of the instrumental to it you'll think: club banger. But match it to the visual and it makes it something totally different. I can't even front - I got emotional. Starring Zaraah Abrahams, the video tells a love story and trust me it gets deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! The fact the audio and the visual of the song contrast so much but compliment so well shows that Angel's edgy fusion of R&B and Pop is definitely going to have a positive influence on the scene. It's fresh and filling a gap that has been wide open for a while now. I have always been an Angel fan, but since meeting him (he is even prettier in real life - I swear) at SBTV-Xmas and watching him perform live, it hit me how talented he really is. He is got a good energy and he channels that through his music fo' sure.

So yeah, check out his new video here... p.s if you're a sap, you might want to grab a tissue

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