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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Etta Bond - Inside My Head

ETTA OH ETTA.

Listening to someone vent at stupid o'clock in the morning doesn't usually get me vibsing but Miss Bond just has that honesty leaking out her voice, that I feel like I'm floating around her brain. It's funny because I actually wrote that "I'm floating around her brain" line before I even registered the fact the song is called 'Inside My Head'. I guess it pretty much shows the song does exactly what it says on the tin and I needed nothing else but my ears to catch what Etta was throwing out to us with this track - I didn't even need the title. That makes me happy because it's refreshing to see artists mastering the talent of chanelling their exact vision through purely their sound. It takes skill to write in such a way that the audience feel that vibe the artist was on right there in the studio. If I bumped into Etta tomorrow in Asda she'd know me merely as the little clutz with smart price baked beans in one hand and toilet paper in the other (remember you can pay for school but you can't buy class like me yo!), however she still managed to wrap up that stream of consciousness, shove an instrumental on top and pass on that vibe.

And let's also take a moment to appreciate that instrumental - courtesy of Balistiq. They got it on point with helping deliver what Etta was trying to do here. Never under estimate the power of an instrumental - especially with production like that - it's simple, nothing too complex, but if I close my eyes and let my ears do the work I'm somewhere else - certainly not in my front room, with the TV on mute while these women on the Teleshopping show preach about how this mop changed their life. I'm thankful for this track as it lead to me discovering Balistiq - each track on their Soundcloud is a gateway to a different dimension. Don't deprive yourself: https://soundcloud.com/balistiqofficial

Etta has always had the perfect mix of being so blunt and blatant but delivers it in a way that is gentle, but still strong enough to slap you round the face with uncensored reality. I lav it.

   

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Wiley - The Ascent

It's been a long time coming for this album to finally drop, and I don't think anyone has been anticipating it more than the man himself; Wiley. After years of grinding, beefing, controversial tweeting and spitting it seems like Wiley's recent chart success came from nowhere and blew up as fast as you can say Dizzee Rascal (ha ha)

"But he has sold out though blah blah blah blah"

In a perfect world, I would be living in a penthouse flat in London, working part time between BBC 1 Xtra and SBTV, have a body like Maya Jama, face like Jessica Alba, engaged to Aston Merrygold and Wiley would have got that number 1 with 'Where's My Brother'. 

Sadly this isn't reality. 

Unfortunately the UK music industry isn't grown enough to accept music in any form that doesn't resemble Pop. Wiley for a long, LONG, time stuck to his principles and refused to make any other music than the genre he fathered. He has been in the game long enough to adapt that "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" approach...but being so in love with Grime he hasn't strayed too far from his true sound - his Step freestyles and The Ascent show this. The rest of the album is a contrast to the tracks he has released for the charts. He used the singles to build platform and introduce Eskiboy to his increasing audience.

My 5 tracks with that vibe & are definitely worth a listen: Lights On, Skillzone, Ninja, Tomorrow and My Heart. 

My Heart, bearing in mind it features Emeli Sande, isn't even the slowest song on the album *gasp* - for me this shows that the album isn't what your expecting. You probably doubted the album and thought it would follow the same pattern as his singles but after listening to the album, you feel like a tool for doubting his loyalty to his roots. My favourite track Skillzone backs up my point nicely; a load of underground's finest (Ghetts, Double S, Frisco and Griminal to name a few) taking in turn to spit a bit of heaaaat ona the high tempo beaaaat - a formula that can produce nothing but a pure example of a Grime track.

don't watch the paint skills b!

If I'm truly honest, some of his Step freestyles have excited me more than a couple of these album tracks which are a little boring, but you can't have your cake and eat it too (summer is coming and you have to keep that body on point yo!). HOWEVERRRRR the more I look at the tracklisting/features and of course the more I actually listen to the tracks, the more I appreciate what Wiley has produced. He balanced commercial with his roots without compromising too much at all. No one is saying Wiley is best lyrically or has the meanest flow but he essentially is grime. It's safe to say he has kept it as real as possible with this album, from the music, to the attributions in the booklet.

P.S If you're gonna get it, which you should, get the Deluxe iTunes version and watch the 8 minute documentary that comes with it because it's interesting and you may aswell:) https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-ascent-deluxe/id611380645

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