Michael Hall - HURACHE Records

It has taken over a decade to get HURACHE Records where it is today in which the founder contends the label it is ‘a new kind of independent actor in the music industry’. From the reading of ‘I-Ching’ in 1991, to working and mingling with industry professionals in Chicago when founder  Michael Hall took a trip in 2001 to the United States to visit his paternal family.

I thought I’d catch up with Micahel himself to find out more.

Just as several members of his family are, Michael had always been musically inclined. His mother, a professional dancer for even continued to take classes during her last months pregnancy with Michael. 

In 1991, Michale completed a City and Guilds in Sound Engineering at Newton Abbot, Devon. After being disillusioned with his surroundings and hungry for an adventure in music he embarked upon reading an old Chinese divination book called the “I-Ching”  As a result this let to the foundations of HURACHE Records. He found that the book resonated closely with his thoughts and feelings at that time.

With the knowledge that his Uncle Reggie Hall was a DJ and Vocalist he took up an open invitation to visit his dad and their family, including Uncle Reggie in Southside Chicago, USA. This however meant getting a job - in a fish factory as a cleaner - and saving up first but, against the odds, he arrived at his uncle’s front door in March, 2001. 

Mike’s Uncle Reggie, a House Music DJ, knew of Michael's ambition to get into the music industry and decided to help. He took him to various recording studios introducing him to the big names of music scene on Chicago's Southside including Vince Lawrence, one of the originators of House Music.

After a few meetings and discussions, Michael eventually took a job as a Sound Engineer at Matt Warrens Warzone Studio in the inner city industrial area of Chicago. Michael took full advantage of his new found environment by learning and absorbing as much as he could deep in the heart of Chicago’s Music industry.

Whilst working there he would see the inner workings of the music industry, meet with various esteemed industry figures and learn techniques of music production and mixing down. He would also DJ two residencies in “The Get Me High Lounge” and “Bar Thirteen”. 

He worked for a time at "Studio Chicago" for a man named Al Ursini. While there, he worked with Ronald Gresham - renowned Hip Hop mixing engineer - on a marathon 48hour shift as an assistant engineer learning a great deal about mixing music professionally.

The trip to Chicago was pivotal to HURACHE’s founding. Upon returning to England fully inspired and with the Urban sounds of South Chicago in his ears, Michael was more prepared and determined than ever to produce music but needed an outlet.

It was for that reason that HURACHE was created.

The idea of HURACHE is to always be proactive, think outside the box as well as always act independently of the Music Industry where and when this was at all possible. For instance, Brixham in Devon is not exactly where people expect to find Hip Hop with authenticity and of the quality that HURACHE produces so as far as unconventional goes, that was already a good start! 

Michael's Brother Daniel Hall became involved very early on and would use his newly learnt MC’ing skills to help create the first ever HURACHE Recordings.

While the label acts as a record label in many ways – making and selling music, there are also many ways in which it's not a label. He explains  “whenever we refer to “HURACHE Records”, the second word is actually meant as a verb and not a noun, which we would pronounce ‘REE-cords’ as opposed to ‘REH-cords’” 

“We have taken a proactive approach to the distribution and sales of our music. We produce and package our own physical CDs, take them out on the street and sell them directly to the public in towns and cities around our local area. In this respect, we operate more like an independent label.”

“We run a lean operation, keeping costs as low as possible but fortunately, we are able to find enough new and returning fans of our music in the surrounding towns and cities to keep afloat.”

“Selling our own music for ourselves helps HURACHE to stay independent. Our music will never be subject to a corporate filter. It is very important to us that we produce and release music that is raw and pure as well as avoiding any non-musical (particularly commercial) influence over what we music make or choose to release.” 

“Despite being an Urban Music outfit, you will not be hearing any gun or "gangster" talk from HURACHE. It’s just not who we are. That is not to say that we will not speak on the gritty realities of life but we are not of the camp that thinks that making Urban Music must be all about being a “Bad Man” or, as we believe is more often the case, claiming that you are. It is our belief that many (but not all) rappers and other Urban artists are totally disingenuous and inauthentic when they talk about guns, crime and being on or from streets.  At HURACHE we’d rather promote intelligent discourse and intellectualism with recourse to comedy and the chaos that spills from creativity!”

 

“In terms of selling CDs directly to the public on the streets, there's much more to it than scrawling “HURACHE” on bunch of CD-Rs with a permanent marker. They have to look professional but not cost a bundle. Successfully selling CDs on road is an art in and of it self which we have all but perfected and we tend to call STREETAILING”. Michael highlights this as one of the difficulties the company faces.

He continues “One of the major limitations of street sales however is that we can only sell where we can physically get to. Not only are there practical issues involved but the increasing costs of travelling greater distances can very quickly eat up any profits that may have been made otherwise. This places obvious barrier on our ability to get our music out to a bigger audience. At present, we tend to frequent Plymouth and Exeter as well as other town in our surrounding area.”

“Until very recently, HURACHE was virtually invisible online as we concentrated on building up a following locally through street sales. We are now in the process of implementing a strategy to bring our music online in a way that plays into our strengths and feeds on the experience we have had selling face to face to new and returning customers or fans.”

“In the end, what it boils down to is making good music that people want and can relate to. It doesn't matter how good you can sell, if it's crap, no one will want it and crucially, no one will come back to get the next album we make. As long as we keep doing that, we'll be fine.”

“HURACHE does not “sign” artists in the conventional sense but rather collaborates on a project-by-project basis.” He replies when asked what the label represents and how they find artists to relay that image, he continues “We largely work with “undiscovered” talent and we aren’t look to tie artists down contractually – they are free to pursue their own ventures and come and go as they please”

“For vocalists we tend to look for people who are intelligent, witty, expressive, poetic and last, but far from least, authentic. They of course also have to be able to deliver a tight vocal whether they’re singing or rapping.”

“It is highly gratifying to know that the artists we work with are free to dissociate at any time but most continue to choose to work with us. There is even one local rapper, who goes by the name Fluid, who felt so deeply inspired by HURACHE and what we stand for that he decided of his own accord have the HURACHE logo tattooed on his face!”

The company are inspired by other labels such as No limit Records for their “Entrepreneurialism”. Trojan Records for their “gritty presentation with a professional twist”, Full Cycle because of their “Raw enthusiasm”, Planet V for their Collection of great new artists” and lastly, Hypnotise Minds for their “reckless abandonment and a punk like approach.”

When asked about the changes in digital media he says “in the past few years has digital media has presented several opportunities for us to bring our music to a larger online audience while continuing to maintain our independence from the industry in a way that was not possible when we started HURACHE in 2001 -  Facebook and Twitter were only launched in 2004 and 2006.”

“Nowadays, we are able to offer fans the opportunity to buy individual MP3s and full albums directly on our Facebook page or from our website!“

“We are also looking very closely at emerging online technologies which allow us to offer our fans a revenue share in return for helping to sell or distribute our music. We find this a very interesting and attractive prospect as we continue to grow our audience and following online.”

“Currently, we have chosen not to use iTunes in order to maintain full control of pricing for our music. We are open to using iTunes in the future but only if we after we prove to ourselves that people are just not willing to consider alternative services to buy our music.”

“We are continuing with street sales so fans in our local area will see very little change. We’re going to be coming online in a big way. We’ve recently released our latest work, a trilogy of Hip Hop albums collectively known as “The Future of the Digital Music Revolution” Look out for Futuristic Music, Futuristic Revolutions and Digital Revolution. This is the first time we are releasing our material online before making it available via street sales.“

“There are a number of new songs in the works for an as yet unnamed album. It is difficult to give a date when these will be ready for release. Suffice to say that they will be released when we are happy that they are of a standard we are happy with.”

On the last Thursday of every month for the foreseeable future, HURACHE will be taking over the studios of SoundArt Radio, a local community radio station, and broadcasting two hours of a released and unreleased HURACHE Music mashed together into a multi-genre DJ/MC fest. It's available by tuning to 102.5 FM around South Hams in Devon.

D Dark - The Quest

He began his music career during the early days of the Grime era where he made music alongside veterans such as Wretch 32, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah. He is known for his comical approach to music that aims to entertain as well as relay real life issues which he considers as ‘expression in an artful way.’ D Dark is a musician from London who has been developing his craft since the age of 17, he has just released his video The Quest via Youtube which has accumulated over 20,000 to date, he is also set to release his début EP later this month.

The Quest is a brief synopsis of D Dark's music career to date illustrating the reality of musicians giving up along the way but asserts that he is in the scene for the long-haul to a point where he's not evening resting on a Sunday. 

He recalls listening to Nasty sets on pirate radio and then perfecting his craft to a point where he performed in local raves, pirate radio stations and then Channel U and BBC 1xtra where he became a part of the collective U Entertainers which featured artists such as Triple Threat, Bruza, Royal and Krucial. Soon the collective soon fell apart as  they all had their own ideas of making success, some are still doing music and some have ventured off in other directions.   

I thought I’d catch up with D Dark himself to find out more.

‘I've been doing music since I was 12. I always took it seriously but it wasn’t until I was about 17 that I really started seeing things moving which made me take it up as a career’ explained D Dark, when asked how he made the transition between music as a hobby and now a career. He continues ‘I've always loved music and I don't see the point in working your ass off in a job you don't even like.’

I’ve made many sacrifices for my career; I hardly ever go out clubbing, hardly take holidays and have lost contact with quite a lot of people because I’m in studio making my dreams come true. I don't really have any regrets because being successful in life is where true happiness really lies for me and I believe hard work does pay off as all the greats would say.

’My audience are people all over the world who are into all types of music as I fuse many genres together. I appeal to people who like something that sounds original and like to dabble in all types of music. He mentions ‘hip hop, pop, grime, house, RnB and dub-step’ as some the genres he plays with.

’My alias represents me as a person; I use my personality to get my stories and ideas across in songs.  My humorous side comes out a lot in my lyrics, and so does my serious and focused side. I don't turn into another person, I’d say it’s still me but I’m just singing and rapping lyrics of what I see around me and express it in an artful way.
   

 ’I’ve worked with artists such as Tinie Tempah, Wretch 32 and Chipmunk when they were coming up and I’ve also worked with Xploder who is my brother and is doing big things at the moment.’

I think the industry is always changing especially with all the technology we have today. I think it’s a good time for artists in the industry because many are being signed.  We can use the internet, especially Youtube to build a fan base and get our music out there, so it’s easier to do things in today’s music industry. It maybe be harder to get noticed because there are so many people doing it, but not many people have the passion or last long, so it’s all good. If you believe in yourself you can make it happen.

’I have so many inspirations I’m inspired everyday by artists’, he names Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson, Wretch 32, Eminem, Drake and Chimpmunk as a few who have inspired him. He confesses ‘if I name all of them it would be to much, but he continues ‘Nero, Chase and Status, Frank Ocean, Wiz Khalifa, Tinie Tempah, Snoop Dog, Ludacris, Biggie, Cory Guns, Timberland, Dr Dre, Labyrinth, Taylor swift, Red One, Pharell, Ray charles, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Ryan Leslie, you get the gist, I could be here for days naming artist who inspire me.

D Dark is yet drop his EP at the end of the month which he says will have ‘a lot of great music to come.’ He continues ‘my fan base will naturally expand as i keep doing what i love and continue to create great music for the human ear’

You can now follow D Dark via Facebook , Youtube and Twitter. 

Mr ShaoDow - Get Stronger

At the age of 18 he travelled alone to China to learn Shaolin Kung Fu and soon realised it was much more that defence mechanism, instead a way of life that has taught him to work hard in order to achieve his dreams. His recent single Get Stronger ft Ghetts is living proof of his tenacity and determination to succeed as the animated music video managed to achieve over 30,000 views in the first five days of its release and was the 3rd most watched music video in the UK charts.


Mr ShaoDow is a musician from London who made a conscious decision to make music his fulltime career two years ago.  I thought I’d catch up with him to find out more.

‘I’m ShaoDow, a multi-genre rapper, aside from making good music I also travel around the UK, from Bournemouth to Scotland promoting and selling my music directly to the people. I started taking my music seriously when I was studying at university. But after I graduated 2 years ago I decided to take the leap and become a full time musician.’

  

‘First and foremost my music represents me. There are still too many people out there that believe you have to talk and act in a certain way to be a rapper. I want to show an alternative to the status quo and make music appealing to more than just rap lovers.’

‘I listen to a wide range of music genres including heavy metal and that is represented in my music. I’d quickly get bored if I just stuck to one style so I’m constantly challenging myself to improve lyrically, not just for the listener, but for myself as well.’

  

‘My full alias is Mr ShaoDow. ShaoDow is essentially a name that I made up and incorporates the word Shaolin as in Shaolin Kung Fu.' 

'When I was 18 I travelled alone to China and studied Shaolin Kung Fu with the monks, it was a very important part of my life and it proved to me that you can achieve nearly anything if you’re willing to leave your house and go get it. Since then I travel the country, mainly alone and have managed to sell over 6,000 copies of my CD’s to date.’

‘Kung Fu is about more than just weird noises and death grips, there’s a mentality and tenacity of spirit that you can apply to nearly any life situation. If it hadn’t been for my training and travelling experience I don’t think I’d be doing what I do now. Besides, Kung Fu directly translates to ‘Hard Work’ and that’s definitely something I do day in, day out.’

  

‘I appeal to people who enjoy variety in their music I’ve also managed to gain support from listeners who dislike rap and hip hop. I’m trying to bring something a bit different to the table; I’m not attempting to be the next Jay Z so it’s difficult to say how well this will work out without an already established reference point.’

‘However, if you’re looking to listen to some good music with honest, well thought-out and skilful lyricism then I’m your rapper. Follow my journey and see how I’ve managed to build my career out of nothing through sheer determination and ambition. You won’t be disappointed.’

‘If all else fails, if you aren’t listening now, chances are I’ll approach you in your hometown and ask you to buy one of my CDs. One way or another, my music will find you’ he laughs.

He describes his journey so far as ‘proof of what you can achieve, if you believe’ and ‘epic’. 

When asked if he wasn’t a musician what would he be he says ‘I’d probably be a lawyer, need to do something with that law degree!’

  

He feels the industry has changed and recognises that it has become ‘a lot more internet based’, he continues ‘people want music now and are able to get it for free. 

I’d guarantee that a lot of record label execs are pulling their hair out trying to work out how to stay relevant. 

All I know is that I bring my music directly to the people, that is something nobody can take away from me. I bypass the industry, so it can change as much as I want, I’ll keep moving forward’

When asked what we can expect from in the future he says ‘good music and progress’, he continues ‘as my fans know, I released my newest single ‘Get Stronger ft. Ghetts’ to iTunes and it’s doing very well so far. The animated music video managed to achieve over 30,000 views in the first five days and was the 3rd most watched music video in the UK.

'Currently I’m working on my next official single, but in the mean time I will be releasing more tracks and music videos for people to listen, watch, share and enjoy, as my main focus has always been to consistently provide good music.

'On the live front I recently supported Giggs in Nottingham and I am planning a number of performances in venues across the country, so keep an eye on My Shows to keep updated. Thanks very much for the interview and the opportunity to speak to the people, nuff respect to all my fans, supporters and anyone that enjoys my music.'

For more of Mr ShaoDow visit his Official Site, Facebook, Youtube, follow him on Twitter and join his Mailing List.

Ethan Breakaway - Some Stories Are True That Never Happened

What started out as a 4 man band, soon reduced to him and his music, which are one of the many lessons he’s learnt about the music industry and how quickly things can change. Since 2007, he’s been playing around with production software such as Fruity Loops, which has successfully given him songs and beats to upload to Myspace, where he's met and collaborated with up and coming artist such as Enrico Delves and Duane Lamonte.  Ethan Breakaway is an 18 year old musician from West London, who loves to make music when he’s not ‘meeting new people or staying up late looking at the moon’.

I thought I’d catch up with Ethan himself, to find out more.

’Four years ago I started producing, playing about with the good old Fruity Loops uploading to Myspace just like everyone really at the time', he says when asked how he initially got into music. He continues ‘I was in a three man group, which then dropped to two which was a very R n B harmony wise and then turned to more indie type music. From the split of that group, I joined a four person production team which included two writers, producer - me - and a robot  - writer/producer . Now I’m in a one man band, artist. Hoping it doesn't turn to zero, I produce and write all of my music'.

’My music represents my life in a way it’s all based on true stories with the main word being "based", so all my inspiration for my music are stories, which reflects the tattoo across my chest which says; "Some stories are true that never happened".

'As of appealing to my listeners, I feel they appeal to me in the sense that they make me want to make more music’.

‘If you call not really having a social life a sacrifice then that would be it’. He says when asked about the sacrifices he's made in order to pursue his career, he continues,  ‘I’m not someone who regrets things, I believe everything happens for a reason, especially if you're positively focused on something you really want to do’.

'I've worked with Enrico Delves and Duane Lamonte. In future i'd love to work on a record with Alex Da Kid, Labrinth, Angel, Dappy, Wretch 32, Chipmunk and loads more UK wise. US wise the list is endless’.

He identifies that a lot of his inspiration comes from industry veterans such as ‘Michael Jackson’ ‘Usher’. Four qualities he believes a great musician or artist should possess are’Talent which is the best head start. Dedication, positivists and love for whatever you’re doing’.

When asked about the future he says ‘the near future for Ethan Breakaway is even unknown to me, but you can definitely expect more and more original music as always.

'As for the future ahead of the near future, A Number 1 single? Sold out tour? Brit, Grammy award? The Jonathan Ross show?

I mean who knows?’

For more of Ethan you can add him via Facebook and follow him on Twitter. 

Juliyaa - The Rhythm

During her teens she was involved with Bigga Fish which allowed her to tour with artists such as Estelle and Heartless Crew, she has continued to pursue her music career whilst redefining her craft, inspired by the likes of Alicia Keys and Ms Dynamite. Juliya is a singer and songwriter from North London who has recently released her debut video The Rhythm via Youtube which has accumulated over 3,000 views to date.

I thought I’d catch up with Juliya to find out where it all started her sacrifices and plans for the future.

Music was always a part of my life growing up. I started singing in mum's church as a child and wrote my first song when I was 7.  My Dad was in to reggae and soul, and I always remember him playing his favourite artists on the record player in our front room’, she names ‘Bob Marley, Toots & The Maytals and Al Green’ as some of his many favourites, she continues ‘Mum was in to Ghanaian gospel and hi-life which meant that every Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of her cassette player blasting out songs - they were good times’.

She recalls ‘growing up music was about family and culture; it’s always signified something about who I am and what my parents have passed on to me.  In my teens continued singing as a vocalist on the UK garage scene and refined my vocal and song writing skills’. She feels the combination of all the different phases of her life have shaped the type of music she makes today. 

'The Rhythm' is a song that’s all about the effect music has on you. Sometimes you can be sitting there in a room and your favourite song comes on, and before you know it your shoulders are moving, your feet are tapping and then you're up on your feet dancing wildly. That’s what 'The Rhythm' represents to me - the effect the bass, the beat and the melody can have on you as a listener’.

‘My main aim with music is to accurately reflect different emotions that we experience in life – such as love, anger, faith or hope. For me, joy is a big emotion that comes through in my music and I hope my listeners can be uplifted by my music and performances’.

Juliya identifies ‘time and energy’ as her biggest sacrifices in pursuing her music career, she explains ‘as an unsigned artist you’re managing your career independently - doing a lot of gigs without pay, spending spare time doing music administration and generally trying to promote yourself. Music is a round the clock pursuit and you have to be careful not to let it infringe too much on your personal life.’

Yet she feels ‘this sacrifice is worth it’, she continues ‘I believe that I've got a talent and I’m called to share it with the world, so when I see people enjoying my music and I see the joy that it brings them, it all feels worthwhile!

I think female musicians can be limited by negative gender stereotypes in music. Most bands that I’ve been involved in have been male and there can sometimes be senses that if you’re a female musician, people in the music industry don’t take you seriously.

She also feels ‘female artists have a huge pressure to conform to certain unrealistic expectations in terms of their image and appearance.’ She says ‘I am eager as an artist to be respected as a female artist for my music and not to be forced to objectify myself’.

When asked who she thinks is next to blow she says ’my good friend Michael Kiwanuka.  He has recently come off touring with Adele, and sings heartfelt retro soul that sounds like Bill Withers or Otis Redding.  Michael reflects what true music is about - he's amazingly talented and yet humble and let's his music do the talking’.  

‘At the moment the industry has a lot of great artists, and the UK is shining bright globally with many artists seeing success overseas.  At the same time it’s a hard time to be a musician, the market is quite saturated and it has become harder to stand out from the crowd and get your music heard’.

‘Musically, I am inspired by artists such as Alicia Keys. I love her musicianship and her strength. Ms Dynamite, she’s always been an inspiration to me, she grew North London like me so seeing people like her around you succeed, helps you to see what you could achieve’. 

‘My personal inspiration would be my mum.  She is a strong African woman who has shown me what’s important in life and taught me to prioritise my faith and family. She’s always given me the space to pursue my dreams and believed in me even when it has been hard to believe in myself’.

‘In my teens I was involved with a youth organisation called Bigga Fish that saw me tour with artists such as Estelle and the Heartless Crew.  It was an exciting time being a teenager and touring alongside such big London artists who have now gone on to such musical success. They’ve inspired me to think big for the future’.  

In the future, I want to continue to collaborate with great musicians such as the ones I have already been working with and I want to build on amazing relationships that I currently have with friends and musicians such as Si Cliff and Niji Adeleye.

In the future we can expect an EP from Juliya in 2012 as well as ‘more gigging, more songs and more dancing! She says ‘After that, I don't know but I'm excited about what is in store for me’.

You can now follow via her Official Website, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. 

Reflect - Burp

Reflect is a rap artist from Birmingham, England who grew up listening to American, Westcoast rappers such as NWA and 2Pac, which influenced him to start his career in music. He is now in the process of completing his debut album entitled ‘Burp’ which illustrates his interpretation of everyday life collaborated with his warped sense of humour that he uses to entertain and engage his listeners, along with an occasional burp, he says ‘I'm not going to lie, I do say things for the shock value.’

I thought I’d catch up with Reflect himself to find out more.

'It all started when I bought my first rap tape - yes tape, not no MP3 - "KID N PLAY" off my school mate for a couple of quid - my lunch money – I’ve never looked back. I thought the way they rhymed was so cool and clever; I just wanted to do it and be just like them. I explored more into rap and came across NWA, 2pac, etc. I really found the west coast music moving especially 2Pac. I remember growing up, I had one of his tapes and I'd be in my bedroom with a pad and pen listening to his 'All Eyes On Me' album ’.  

‘It played and wrote down all the lyrics as he said them, I'd rewind the tape back to catch the odd words I missed here and there. Obviously being a kid, there were some words I didn’t know the meaning of so I'd search the dictionary and find out what it meant. I felt so free and relaxed and enjoyed doing it to fill my days; we had no internet back then’. He used what he learnt to write his own lyrics where he began to learn, explore and develop the craft of rap.

‘Growing up as a kid into an adult as an emcee, I'm sure like other rappers, I had loads of rap names. I used to battle a bit back in the day, I was called Machete’, he laughs ‘but now, I’m known as Reflect, which represented my feelings towards my music. My music basically reflects what is going on in this world but I just put my style into it and make it different, amusing but sometimes - well most of the time - harsh’.

‘It ain't pleasant but hey, life ain't always. By me putting it that way I guess I'm just trying to enlighten the mood of the situation. I am a joker in normal life and a smart ass so this does come across in my music. How does Reflect differ from Peter? 'Well, Reflect just says and does what he wants to say or do without thinking twice about it. Music is such a powerful thing and I believe in freedom of speech, so when 'Reflect' is on the mic, all hell brakes loose’.

‘My music represents the people that are not easily offended and have a sense of humour and do understand that I’m just trying to entertain people through my music by making light of all the dreadful things that we have to deal with in life. By actually, highlighting things that are bad in this world, maybe people would take notice and try and make a change. I'm not going to lie; I do say things for the shock value’.

‘My audience are the people who understand that I say things for a laugh. My music is comical and not to be taken too seriously, people should listen to me because I say so, if they don't, I will curl up into a little ball and cry myself to sleep every night until they do’.

‘I used to be a semi pro basketball player so I probably would of headed into that direction’ if he didn’t choose music as a career, he continues ’I love this sport and I am still a big fan of it. Come on Miami Heat!’

'The industry has changed in a big way'. He feels its all ‘internet, internet, internet. 'Many artists do everything for themselves nowadays, promoting, selling and networking all thanks to the internet. Record labels also search on the internet for the artists too. For an artist, it's so easy to promote online, sell music and build up their fan-base. A lot of record labels expect the artists to build up their own fan base, so unfortunately, many artists are too busy promoting themselves than actually concentrating on their music which means they don't take time on their lyrics as much as before.

When asked to describe his journey in one sentence he says ‘thank you so much aspirins, BURP!!!

He has just finished his debut album entitled Burp which is receiving amazing feedback which he is very grateful for. You can expect a lot more from him including live performances, videos and albums, he says ’I love to perform live, I get so amped’ he laughs ‘I’m looking to promote this album as much as I can, via the radio, magazines, blogs, etc and in the new year I’ll be finishing off my next album entitled 'Pardon Me!'. All the funds for that album will be going to MIND- Mental Health Charity’.

Stay tuned for more of Refelct, check out his Official Site, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Youtube. 

Razor - Reinventing

Razor is a musician from North West London who has been pursuing a career in music since he was in school. Artists such as Wretch 32, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah have shown him that working hard and preserving with what he believes will one day gain him success in the music industry. He’s performed at I Luv Live and Camden Unplugged, has current single Sci Fi, is listed on rotation on the Channel AKA playlist and has his début mixtape Reinventing out on all mixtape outlets including Mixtape Madness and UK Rap City.

I thought I’d catch up with Razor himself to find out more about his journey, sacrifices and aspirations for the future.

‘I've been writing lyrics since high-school, but only since the start of last year I decided to make mixtapes and do shows to promote myself. I would say my career started last April after doing a show in Camden called 'Camden Unplugged'. I’ve done a few open mics and shows before, but this event had artists such as Gfrsh, Dotstar, Jazzie and many more. Although I was nervous, the event gave me the confidence and enthusiasm to believe in myself a lot more. To perform at a show with these people was a good experience.

‘The best place music has taken me is on TV, because it's the best exposure where loads of people around the country can see me. My song 'Sci Fi' is currently on Channel AKA, its playlisted to 'hoodtube' which comes on everyday from 12-1am, its actually a regular song on that playlist. When it first came out I promoted it with my life, I originally filmed the video for rap city so for it to get onto Channel AKA was very good for me. It’s been up for about 3 months now, and I have had a few people text or come up to me and say 'I saw your video on TV’, I couldn't believe it! To request the video text 5421 to 71000 it's only £1 pound, thanks!’

‘I’ve worked on quite a lot of projects, I release a mixtape last year called 'Venting’, which was just about me being away from music and coming back with a lot to say. That mixtape had on 7 times jump off champion Sam Khan on it who is also my childhood friend. This year I made a mixtape called 'Reinventing' which was the follow up to 'venting'. The mixtape just shows that I've grown up a lot, and I am more focused. I had a lot of people in my past who hated on me for the wrong reasons.’ Reinventing' just shows that I am over that nonsense and I’ve moved on and it has made me a better and stronger person’.

‘The only sacrifices I’ve made have been in my social life, and to be honest that's not really a sacrifice. I do a lot of shows so it can mess up my sleeping pattern at times but that's part of the cycle. Obviously, going up and down London to perform can be tiring but that's my only sacrifice at the moment. Hopefully it will all pay of because I am not getting paid from shows yet, right now its just for the love I have for the music. I know if I keep pushing I will get to where I want to be. When I'm not writing lyrics or tunes, I’m watching my favourite programmes such as Family Guy, Simpson’s, Two and a Half Men and Everybody Hates Chris. I also play football every Saturday, when I’m not at a show or in the studio recording’.

He thinks ‘the industry is doing very well', he continues'. 'It's shown me to believe in myself and I work hard so I can get to where I want. The fact that Tinie, Chippy, Wretch and a lot of artist are putting out music that they actually like, shows that the scene is getting better and they are opening doors for other artists to go through it.

‘My inspirations are J Cole, Drake, Skepta, Wiley, Wretch 32, the list could go on, I would be here all day telling you who it is and why. The one that sticks in my mind the most is Wretch 32, I've been listening to wretch ever since his mixtape 'Learn From My Mixtape', since then I’ve followed and bought all his music. The reason why he inspires me is because I actually had the chance to meet him before he got signed. We met him on New Years Eve 2009 in a club in Tottenham called 'The Black Grape', my sister’s husband and comedian Eddie Kadi ran it. Richard Blackwood was there as well, that night I was thinking about taking music seriously’,

‘It was New Years Eve so I was kind of drunk, when I walked in I saw Wretch just on the dance floor with his friend Calibar. I remember kind of being star struck even though he was still an underground artist at the time, we had both been drinking. If I was sober I probably would have been too scared to approach him, but I just went up to him and said 'You’re wretch init?’ he smiled and said 'Yea'. We had a chat and I said to him 'if you clashed Jay Z you would win', he just laughed but he didn't deny it’.

‘I was amazed at how down to earth he was, I told him to not stop music because he will blow. When I said that it’s like he froze as if he couldn't believe what I just said. It’s like he was trying to take it in but he couldn’t. I could tell it meant a lot to him. It made me think 'wow, this guy is one of the most talented rappers in the UK and he's so cool'. A lot of people would have been big headed, but he just took it on the chin’.

‘After that night I saw him a few more times and he'd be the one to say hi to me before I did. Even when his track 'Traktor' made it to number 5, that same week he performed at 'I Luv Live'. I jumped on the open mic but didn't win; when he saw me come up the stairs he had a big smile on his face and said 'Wa gwan blood?' in a jokey way. He was standing with Eurogang and all them big artist, I just said 'I'm cool' smiled and walked away. I kind of felt out of place an awkward but its shows that he respects me and because he is so talented and down to earth I respect him a lot more because of this he inspires me the most, almost as much as Wiley’.

Although Razor uses online mediums such as Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and his Blackberry, but he would say that Facebook is the most successful, he explains ‘I have a lot more people on there and when I post one of my new videos up, Facebook usually gets the views up for me.

In the future you can expect to see a lot more videos and mixtapes from him. He continues. Hopefully I will be performing at the next Bigga Fish event which is on the 27th of October but I will find out by this weekend. I am just working really, if I not at studio, I'm doing videos, if not videos then ill be doing shows. If you want to check out any of my videos go on Youtube and type in 'Razor Rap City' or 'Razor Link Up Tv'.

Mixtape Madenss, UK Rap Music and Free Mixtape are some of the places you can get his mixtapes. Look out for his official website coming soon, until then; keep your eyes and ears peeled.

Showerz Spaceboy - Young & Restless

Showerz also know as Spaceboy is an up and coming musician from Walthamstow, East London. At the tender age of 16 he is eager to establish his place in the music industry by making his music appealing to a variety of tastes and genres. He hopes to transform his hobby that started in his bedroom into a career, inspired by the likes of Jay Z, Wretch 32 and Tinie Tempah. Earlier this month he release his mixtape The Method To Madness which and he is now in the process of releasing his pre album Young & Restless which débuts later this year.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out more...

'I’m Showerz but I’ve also recently adopted the name Spaceboy, so some call me Spaceboy Showerz. I’m, 16 from Walthamstow in East London which is the place that has really helped shape me, both musically and in general life'.

'When I’m not in the studio or performing I’m usually in school or catching up with coursework I like to keep busy and work as hard as possible. I rap and song write and it all started in a bedroom in East London'.

'I enjoy making music and I always want to push it as far as I can and break barriers; I think that’s my main motivation. I’ve had to grow up a lot sooner than most people my age, I’ve never really had much time to party or have fun outside of music but that’s not something I regret that’s just the way it has to be'.

'I think I’m very fortunate in terms of my audience, it’s so varied. From my old-school friends who all grew up on my local estate to young girls who come from complete opposite backgrounds. I’m just grateful I can make music which appeals to such a wide range of people'.

'I would definitely say the UK industry is at its best right now. I’m glad to see rappers and musicians in general breaking such massive barriers and opening doors. I think the internet has helped a lot of new artists build their buzzes, if you can use it right it’s your best friend. It’s definitely changed me, as the industry is evolving so am I'.

When asked to name three artists that he admires he says ‘I wouldn't say I admire them but I am inspired by Wretch and Tinie for all they’ve done for the UK’s industry over these past couple years. Seeing those two hitting number ones and breaking the states is inspiring. Overall, I think Jay-Z is definitely a big inspiration. Watching him over the past 10 years really shows how far this can be taken'.

'I’d say now the internet is the biggest and most powerful platform as far as promoting yourself with out a major budget and building a fan base goes. There’s really no limit in how far you can take it using the internet'.

'Right now I’m working on my Pre-Album ‘Young & Restless’ which is really shaping up nicely, plus we start filming the video for my first single this week so that’s also something to look out for also every Sunday I do something called #ShowerzSunday where I release a new free promotional track or video for the people so make sure you check them out! Finally I would like to take some time to thank my Tru Starz Entertainment team for being behind me and pushing me'.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube and download the new mixtape The Method To Madness. 

Young Kingz - Road To Stardom

‘As far back as the age of 6 I remember me and Fari running around the house singing and pretending to be superstars’ says Zei one half of the duo Young Kingz from London. The duo grew up with music, using their Caribbean and American heritage to retell stories and issues embraced with U.K flows and concepts. They have had the pleasure of working with artist such as Lethal B, Double S and Timbar and are now in the process of releasing their forthcoming EP 'Road to Stardom' which will be available by November.

I thought I’d catch up with Young Kingz to find out their influences, meanings behind their alias’ and plans for the future.

‘We began to take music more seriously in 2008 and 2009 when we saw the amount of hits on our videos and songs as well as promising feedback from our mixtape. Says Zei, who explains how they made the transmission from music being hobby and now their career. He continues ‘it was these kinds of early accomplishments that proved we had the talent and the drive to reach new heights as artists. Since then me and my brother have undertook college & projects to expand our knowledge on music business & technology understanding of the industry.

‘A lot of our influence came from our father, who was also a musician and our role model. Naturally growing up with music side by side helped us to develop our love for entertainment and media. As far back as the age of 6 I remember me and Fari running around the house singing and pretending to be superstars’

‘Young Kingz was originally a group of 7 people, but no one else in the group was taking music as seriously as us. The work load got heavier and people started to drop out. Our music comes at a great cost at the moment. We make a lot of tunes with varied narrative and lyrics, currently the police our trying to take our away our right to perform because certain songs tell a harsh story of the world in the perspective of the urban subculture’.

‘Young Kingz is not only a music group it is a brand and lifestyle so we appeal to the urban scene specifically, as we take inspiration from our experiences. Anyone that falls under the category of the urban scene can relate to the concept of our lyrics. More broadly we appeal to people who enjoy quality Hip-Hop and R&B’.

Some sacrifices they've made include time and money, Fari explains. ‘Time is a precious resource to us, as we all know; the window of opportunity doesn’t stay open forever. So a lot of social luxuries get missed like parties and chilling out with friends. We take our music very seriously were always on time and stick to our word, after all this is music industry; you’re not going to go far if you cannot stick to the basics'.

'Our dad always told us we were Young Kingz throughout our childhood, so it stuck and we ran with it. All our fans have a Young king or queen inside them'. They go on to explain their alias’s individually.

Fari, symbolises our family as well as leadership. It being our last names & name of Haile Selassie Fari the last king.  Zei is pronounced Zee, as a kid a used to play the Saz and was pretty good, fom there, I developed the nick name ‘Saz Master’. The Saz is a musical instrument with Mediterranean origin in string family, with a pear-shaped body and a long neck. As I got older I got rid of the first 2 letters and was know by ‘Z’, the last letter of the alphabet, there have been letters before this but none after.

‘We’ve worked with a range of artists such as Timbar, Kraze, Lethal B, Hardpalm Dun, YoungStarz and Double S - Of Marvel Boys - we don’t discriminate on the basis of recognition but talent. So we have worked with some names that may not ring a bell. The tune we did Double S is still being debated when to drop and the date for our shoot with Lethal B is approaching’.

‘On a larger scale we are working towards releasing a pre-album 'Road to Stardom' which is a more censored and mass market piece, this should be available from November. Just a couple days ago we got the ball rolling on creating/directing a new single concerning the London riots. We have managed to get Nims Obunge behind us with this project and it’s looking promising. Those are the main releases; in the meantime we have about 6 videos ready to drop for our fans that will be out on the internet to progress our buzz’.

When asked their views on the current industry this is what they had to say. ‘I think music industry is in a tough state because of how the record labels and DJ's are operating. Instead of playing music based on talent they are basing it on how much buzz they got already’, says Zei.

‘It is a money thing now days, they don't want to spend as much money branding & promoting anymore. It’s more about how much money could be saved and made than making good music & selling it. With that said it seems like every week someone is blowing up, so that can only be a good thing for the U.K music. I think 'Ed Sheeran' is a very underrated artist his tunes are deep and banging! He’s a talented fella’... he’s next to go global’, says Fari.

Artist that they are inspired by include Busta Rhymes, Drake, Lil Wayne, Sizzla, Freeway and Ludacris. They explain ‘purely on the basis of natural talent, intelligence, wordplay, flow and lyrical insight. Listening to music of all these different genres and origins has definitely played a part in growing our sound'.

‘We are able to put together hooks, flows and concepts that combine U.K life with Jamaican and American influences, which makes us unique and gives us a diverse sound. Producers that inspire Zei to make beats are Dr Dre and Mannie Fresh! They’re the best in the game, with talent that seems to be unrestricted by ability’.

'We’re just going to keep doing us that means work & more work. We are always trying to improve as artists and true entertainers, so we looking to push the boundaries of music. Look out for ‘Road to Stardom’ the EP and stay up to date with all our videos dropping subscribe Youtube and follow us on Twitter. 

Castro - Broken Promises

Like many artists, his career started as a hobby where he had lyric battles amongst his peers in the school playgrounds. But, after seeing his brother climb to success as a member of the infamous So Solid Crew, he began to pursue his music career more professionally. Castro is a musician from London who is due to release his EP Broken Promises in October. He also plans to release a snap back clothing line in the same month along with a follow up album in the New Year.

I thought I’d catch up with Castro to find out his sacrifices, what his music represents as well as what he’s learnt about the industry so far.

I'm a musician, I rap, sing and I also song-write for a lot of artists. My passion started when in school, when I was 14, I would rap battle in the playground with other kids in my school and from me seeing the success of my older brother Kaish's - a member of the urban collective So Solid Crew - ‘I knew that music was what I wanted to do’.


As a solo artist my music represents me as a person. I’m hold back anything; I talk about what is relevant in my life at that moment in time. I've sacrifices such as time, money and my social life for my music in order for it to flourish in the way that I want it to. Fortunately, my close friends are also involved with my music so I haven't lost any close friendships, but relationships are hard, because obviously sometimes you loose out on spending time with a partner, so that's definitely a complicated area.

I have no regrets on anything I've done during my life, even if situations are real bad, they have groomed me into the man I am now so I can't really complain. Life is a school and everyday is a new lesson. I’ve worked with a lot of people in the UK industry such as Double S, So Solid Crew, Mutya Buena, Fundemental, Swiss, Frixtion, Fumin, Stylah, Junior Brat, JD aka Dready and K Koke, but there’re a lot more in the pipeline.


I’ve learnt to keep your circle very close but to still have an open mind to mingle and network with everybody you can. There’re a lot of shady and snakey people in this industry that haven't got you're best intentions at heart so I've learnt how to work with them but distance myself enough not to be effected in a bad way. It has also taught me to be a great business man and to make good decisions.

He feels a good artist should be consistent in terms of material and output. Have passion for what they create, be creativity with ideas and structures which will allow you to appeal to a wider audience as well as maintain persistence despite the setback you may face in the industry or any industry in general. 

Castro is currently working on his second EP, which should be out in October entitled Broken Promises, which he says is some of the most real and heartfelt music he’s ever done. He’ll also be releasing a snap back line in October with a lot more designs and garments yet to come in the future. His album should also be out in January.

Until then you can continue to follow him via his Official Website, Facebook and Twitter. 

Mr C'mon - Alpha

Previously, he used music to embrace and glamorise inner-city gang culture and violence under the alias Lox. But, he soon saw sense and reformed his entire, character, attitude and beliefs system and now uses his music to uplift and inspire those around him, in addition to working with youths in his local community to combat gang culture. Mr Cmon is a musician from South London who has been pursuing a career in music since the age of 16. Now 22, he is in the process of releasing his debut mixtape Alpha which can be purchased via iTunes on the 24^th September.

I thought I’d catch up with Mr Cmon himself, to find out more,

'I’m an artist, I prefer to be called an artist rather than a rapper because rapper sounds proper cliché and what I intend to put out there - music wise – will be everything but cliché! I started of rhyming during the early days of the garage era. I wrote lyrics with friends in school and around my estate'.

'My first actual proper bars were 70% written by my older brother’ he laughs, ‘but with a few tweaks and enthusiasm, I was able to run with it’. He begins to describe the music scene during the mid 90’s ‘the garage influence soon faded and rap became much more popular on my side of the bridge - South London – which is when I began to embrace rap a lot more, at that time my music would have been classed as gangster rap, it gave me a chance to have more of a passionate platform to express my views and values'.  

'I did this sort of music for about 4 years and due to my talents and influences of my circle of friends, it generated quite a large buzz. I originally went by the name Lox, both in the streets and on the beats; I referred to myself more as Loxamillion. I changed my name from Lox to Mr Cmon many because I changed as a person'.

'Lox represented the dark side of the streets, glamorising the gangster life and its effects. It soon became a ghost, haunting me, one that I just wanted to stay dead! Lox influenced thousands of youth the wrong way and I wanted nothing to do with that anymore. I also wanted to prove a point that I wouldn’t have to succeed off the back of my former alias Lox but with faith and hard work I could become much more than Lox could ever have and impact the world in a much greater way and most importantly a positive light!'

‘People should listen to me because I’ve been blessed with a real gift when it comes to rapping, I see myself as a motivator, an entertainer, basically an all round positive pass time. I don’t need to rap about girls thongs to entertain a male audience, neither do I need to rap vulgarly about sex to engage a female audience, you can play me on the radio without the radio edit’ he laughs ‘ I don’t swear, I don’t believe its necessary, I’m getting my point across to you right now without f-ing n blinding. My music represents the struggle, represents the youth, most of all I aim for my music to represent hope'.

'As Lox, I only made songs with people in my circle such as Serious Sykes, Political Peak, Drowsy, K.B, Komoshen and many others, I did a one off collaboration with Krept, some tracks with an artist called Chase, he was talented and I used his studio to record and occasionally he was one of my suppliers that was also be an aspiring artist. Back then, I didn’t collab so much mainly because of a sense of patriotism to my former gang'.

'As Mr C’mon I haven’t collaborated with anyone yet, simply because, I’m still in the process of finding myself as an artist. I’ve got songs in the pipeline with Ja Ja Soze, Asteroid boys, Young Teflon, Youngsta, Boost, Guvnor B, A Money, Lola Godheld, A-star and others. In the future I would like to make songs with Bob Marley and yes I know he’s dead, but he’s still a legend, Wretch 32, Dappy, Adele, Sway, Coldplay and Mali music'.

'I love music but I hate it’s industry. I think it’s all politics! A lot of artists are being fabricated and there’s no real essence in a lot of stuff being put out there. But on a brighter note I believe the next to blow other than myself is Young Teflon because he’s consistent, talented, and can make actual music'.

'I’m inspired by Nelson Mandela and after reading his book I see a lot of similarities with young Mandela and myself, both very adornment and courageous. Tinnie Tempah is an inspiration as he’s successfully crossover to the mainstream U.K and crossed over to the U.S. Also my pastor is a big inspiration; she reached out to stiff necked gang members and helped reform them through determination and love'.

'I intend on expanding my fan-base by consistent work rate, songs, collabs, performances and securing airplay. Basically, just working hard, real hard and real passionately. You can expect to see me on your T.V screens in the future’ he laughs but restates ‘even though I ain’t joking!' 

In the very near future he’ll be realising his mixtape ‘Alpha’ on the 24th September, followed by the EP entitled Limitlesss which will debut in late December or early January.

You can now follow him via Twitter and Facebook .  

Taymah - Love & Lies

Love & Lies is her debut mix-tape featuring the likes of Blade Brown, Youngs Teflon, Rae and Komoshen. In the past she has also collaborated with rappers such as Fem Fel, Timbar and Little Dee Dee. Later this month, she is also set to release another track via iTunes entitled Only You. Taymah is a musician from London, although she decided to take up music as a career at the age of 17, she still sees it as a hobby, where she has the pleasure of  keeping people ‘smiling, dancing, relating and listening’.

I thought I’d catch up with Taymah to find out her inspirations, her views on the current industry as well as what she has planned for the future.

‘I would record at friends studios just for fun and attend song writing and singing sessions at a local recording studio in Brixton’ she explains when asked how she initially got in to music. ‘Everyone said I sounded really good and believed I had something, so they introduced to a few external producers in the area. I started believing I had a little talent, plus I discovered I was passionate about it. Music is my passion so I use it to make a career where I can reflect, have fun and relax'.

‘My audience varies so I would say most people can relate to my music really. Young ladies and men, the mature and sexy, and I even find my parents like my stuff’, she laughs 'so my target audience is quite wide. I would say my current mix-tape Love & Lies is targeted at young ladies and gents and the mature and sexy, also general hip hop and RnB lovers. I appeal to them by writing songs that they can relate to or party to, so I just try to keep them, smiling, dancing, relating and listening’. 

‘The mix-tape itself is about love: being in love, out of love, confused with love, trapped in love, love of money, appreciating the love. It’s also about lies: the lies women may experience from their partners, love that's based on lies and lies that women may tell. Some of the songs are from real experiences I've had, some are from experiences my friends have had and some even scenarios that are made up by me that I know listeners can relate to’.

'Love & Lies is my first proper project produced by Carns - Hill productions – I’ve worked quite closely with him and even co produced a track called Is It over which is on the mix-tape. I’ve also worked with Youngs Teflon on his GMT 1 and 2 and Blade Brown on his Bags n Boxes and Financial Times. Look out for a video called Pack The Duffle featuring myself and Yugen, which is out soon, produced by Dice Beats who I'm currently working on my second album with.

’I've also worked with Trevor Davey - SBI productions - and I'm releasing a raw and edgy track on iTunes entitled Only You in September so look out for that. I’ve got another tune released under seamless sessions called Perfect Love also produced by Trevor Davey which can be found on seamless sessions Miami 2011 mixed by Graha Sahar, it’s a house and dance track’. She’s also worked with other rappers such as Fem Fel, Timbar, Little Dee Dee, Youngsta, Krept n Konan, Notes, Rae and Yungen.

She feels ‘the music industry can be tuff but also a lot of fun, as long as your strong, passionate, committed and a hard worker, you can be quite fulfilled in this industry. I’ve had to sacrifice some late nights in with the boyfriend or seeing family because I'm in studio recording, or going out with my girls, but it isn’t too bad because they see the bigger picture, and no I haven't had any regrets so far! There’s a lot of singers and rappers coming out these days so its like you have to have something different or extra special but definitely get ready to see more of me’.

Some of her inspirations include ‘Teedra Moses, Erykah Badu, Truth Hurts, Selena Johnson, Jamie Fox, R.Kelly, she explains ‘I grew up listening to Toni Braxton, TLC and Destiny Child, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Sunshine Anderson, Angie Stone and Floetry, the list can go on forever. I know I've missed out some good ones’, she laughs ‘I like listening to male singers as I find they can be a lot more creative with concepts and vocal arrangement’.

’Amy Winehouse R.I.P and Erykah Badu inspires me with the song writing and I must say Destiny's Childs Writing on the Wall was like one of the first albums I studied in terms of vocal arrangement, harmonies and creativity so I try to carry that energy through my music! I also enjoy listening to Lover’s Rock and Indie because those genres also inspire me to be more creative with concepts, style, feeling and arrangement’.

‘I want to expand my fan base by doing more interviews with lovely people such as yourself, doing shows, radio interviews, featuring on radio and club playlists and just keeping my work-rate up by releasing more material. I'm hoping that the masses will feel my wave and embrace it because I do have a lot to say in my music and I want everyone to hear it, smile, relate and enjoy it!’

Love & Lies is out now and up for Free Download featuring the likes of Blade Brown, Youngs Teflon, Rae and Komoshen. Her debut single Only You will be released on iTunes later this month and she’ll also bee working on her forthcoming project in with Dice Beats! 

Look out for more music and videos via Facebook, Twitter and Youtube,