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.

Read More

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.

Read More