My Youtube Playlist

28 June 2011

Stefan Paul - Sketch Designs

Stefan Paul is an artist from East London, mostly known for his portraits designs and most recently as tattooist and interior designer. You could say his talent runs in the family, as his brother Shawn Paul, who is also his business partner, started the Sketch Designs company back in 2005, which is now a company they both own and have been running ever since . Their work has caught the eye of many mainstream musicians, such as Ironik, Dizzee Rascal and Skepta.

I thought I'd catch up with Stefan Paul himself to find out where it all started. 


'The ability to draw can be used for various things. That's why I've gone into tattooing and designing' says Stefan. 'Sketch Designs was introduced to me by my older brother and partner who is as skilled as I am, but with more experience. He brought me into Sketch Designs when he realised my skill level really improved.


He's noticed that 'a lot of portrait artist in particular just stick to portraits' so by expanding his craft to include tattooing and interior design he feels this is what makes him different. He says 'my audience is everyone, literally everyone. Young and old, poor and rich, Black, White or Asian. You name it. By drawing anything on their request, I appeal to them.


'So far he has managed to catch the eyes of musicians within the UK music scene such as that Skepta, JME, Frisco, Ironik, Dizzee Rascal, Double S and many more. But one day he would ultimately love to design ‘for the queen’. He says ‘If my passion was not art, it would have definitely been football. I was pretty good before I was diagnosed with asthma. But everything happens for a reason I guess.’


Right now we are working on our gallery; we have had it for a while but were just waiting to launch the website first before we begin to invite people over. So look out for your invite later this year. I am on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace non stop networking as much as I can, I also give out business cards every day and as I said our website is currently in its finishing stages, so you can definitely expect a lot more from us.

For more of Sketch Design, you can now contact them via Facebook , Twitter and Myspace and as mentioned above keep your eyes peeled for the opening of their fourth coming website and gallery later this year. 

24 June 2011

Michael Leon Carr - Hennessy

Michael Leon Carr formally known as MenaCe is a 20 year old musician from Manchester. Like many others he has gained motivation and influence from up and coming artists like himself he says ‘Manchester is a small place and the music seems to unite us all.’ Although he has been writing for the past 6 years and has featured on radio stations such as BBC 1xtra, Unity and WFM he feels he has only recently found his place in music during the release of his debut single ‘Hennessy’ taken from his forthcoming album entitled 'Sagittarius'

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out about his journey, influences and what we can expect in the future. 

Ree: So where would you say it all started?

MenaCe: I started my career in music when I was around 15 but it didn't really kick off until a few years ago,’ says Michael. Growing up made me take myself and my music a little bit more seriously. Grime and UKG however was my entrance to actually writing and making music I'd say, the buzz that came from London blew up in Manchester and everybody was doing it. I suppose it was just a trend. I got involved in live sets at youth clubs, entering talent competitions, recording at home and then eventually doing a weekly radio show on Unity Radio FM. My interest and excitement for writing music grew over the years, I mean, I'd always loved music, it’s always had a strong hold on my heart, but after actually getting involved I just thought to my self 'I'm actually good at this, I can do this, I used to look up to a lot of the older MC’s from Manchester in the grime scene, like Shifty, Hypes and O.G and now a lot of these people are my friends.  

Ree: What would you say makes you different from other musicians?

MenaCe: Personally I don't like to compare myself to other musicians. I like to be seen and heard for who I am and let my music and persona do the talking. I could say I was creative, motivated, born for this but so were a lot of the talented individuals today. I hope my music speaks for itself and shows off my originality. I can just sit in an environment or a room and if there is a vibe there I can just draw it in and express what i feel. I rely a lot on personal space and surroundings.


Ree: What are you trying to communicate through your debut single Hennessy?

MenaCe: My song 'Hennessy' is split into two sections,  The first half I am portraying the good sensation and feeling you receive from having a glass or two. I’m metaphorically speaking as if I’m talking to a lady and go on to explain how inspired and uplifted I feel, whilst alone with this so called ‘woman’. Without sounding like an alcoholic. We've all had that moment in our life where we've resorted to having a little drink, either to escape reality or to take our minds of things.

The song originally came about when I was experiencing a very difficult period in my life, so I started to write what I was going through with a little influence from a bit of Hennessy.  I switch up the vibe in the second half of the song, now explaining how 'Hennessy' or alcohol in general can make you loose control a little after large amounts.

I go into depth, talking about how I'm now reminiscing all the bad times in my life, hard times, emotional times, people I’ve lost and so on, all these feelings of anger, regret and sorrow, are all connected and unleashed in consequence creating the massive build up at the end of the song. I don't feel like I'm influencing anybody to turn to drink or act in anyway, I'm just simply sharing my experience and expressing what I was feeling at that difficult time.

Ree: In your opinion, what form of performance has the biggest impact, live shows, videos or radio?

MenaCe: Definitely, Live music. Watching artists tear up the stage and give it their all, being there, witnessing it, there’s no better feeling than the sound of a live band and a live voice, it just touches you. It intrigues me that everything runs so smoothly, the interludes, build ups, encores, improvisation, solos and more importantly the crowd interaction i'm definitely addicted to live shows!


Ree: Who and what would you say are your influences. 

MenaCe: Everybody knows me for being a HUGE fan of Alicia Keys, she just touches me like no other artist is able to. But I’m also influenced by most of the Motown era, Sade, Bob Marley, Damien Marley, Erykah Badu, Nas, Common, Novel, Nina Simone, John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi there really is too many for me to mention, you should see my itunes library! I definitely receive inspiration from everyday living, seeing people happy, seeing people sad, personal ups and downs, the weather, the scenery, friends and family. It's important to me.

Ree: Where would you ideally like to perform in the future and who with?

MenaCe: I’d definitely choose an intimate old fashioned place, maybe the Manchester O2 Apollo or The Royal Albert Hall ? If I could put a live show together and sell out a venue like that and really rock it, I think that right there would be my dream show. Intimacy is highly important in my eyes, the people always seem much more involved and the acoustics are usually better at such venues. If I had the chance to support any of my idolised musicians that would be crazy, obviously just getting the chance to meet them and sharing their vibe, grace and presence would just be amazing. Performing with a talented live band and backing singers is definitely one of my biggest aspirations.


Ree: What advice would you give to up and coming musicians?

MenaCe: Don't be afraid to take different approaches, if you've got money, spend it, if not earn it then spend it wisely! If music is what your serious about then you can't expect to get where you wanna be for free, definitely if your not signed, invest a bit of money and you'll see a big difference. Follow your heart, but don't forget to use you head, don't wait around for people, if there holding you back DIY. Remember everything is achievable. If you fall at the first hurdle, get up and prepare yourself to fall again. We learn from our mistakes, hard times are put ahead to test us it’s all a learning curve. Another bit of advice would be stick to those people who you know, who are helping you, never let them go, your blessed to have such people around you and you should respect and cherish them, after all you are where you are for a reason.

Ree: What can we expect from you in 2011?

MenaCeI am very excited about this project and what lies ahead, my mind is always in overtime, flipping around ideas and planning, I can hardly sleep any more. I'm definitely planning more videos and a lot of promotion, without giving too much away, I will be releasing at least another 3 videos and you will more than likely be able to get my fourth coming album entitled Sagittarius by the end of this year. All I can say is watch this space, I make things happen, and I aim to please, so don't sleep on me! 

I would just like to say a special thanks to my producers on the album, Jasper Dent and Kyle Lawton, my engineer at Blueprint studios Dave Woodhead, my video director and editor Ben Duff and everybody who has featured on my album, I couldn't do this without you. Much love.

You can now watch Hennessy via Youtube as well as contact Michael personally via Twitter and Facebook 

23 June 2011

Big Cakes - Blue Cheese

'I've always loved music and always wrote lyrics, so taking it on a professional level was the only thing that made sense', say Big Cakes who is a hip hop musician from East London. Earlier this year he released his mixtape 'Preheat' which featured artists such as Raggo Zulu Rebel, Flow Dan, Sherry Davis and Morfius. Since then he has released his debut album 'Blue Cheese'.  I thought I'd catch up with him to find our more.


'He or she who has ears should hear me. Every hip hop listener should hear my music because the essence of true hip hop is preserved in it', says Big Cakes when asked who is his audience. 'I'm quite skinny, most people expect me to be a big out of breath character that eats cake all day, but Big Cakes is a next kind of cake. After all what's a party if u ainte got CAKE? I've always loved music and always wrote lyrics, so taking it on a professional level was the only thing that made sense'

'Preheat was mixtape just to warm things up while I cooked up and served up my next meal' in this case he means his debut album Blue Cheese' which now available via iTunes. He says 'Before you cook something in an oven you preheat it, to get it ready at the right temperature to start cooking’ which was the idea behind Preheat.’


Cakes has had the pleasure of working with a variety of musicians including Raggo Zulu Rebel, English Frank, Mike GLC, Flow Dan, Frizzle, Logic, Lowkey, Mic
Righteous, Sherry Davis, Nadine Walker just to name a few. In the future he would like to work with Nas, Ghostface Killah, Beyonce, Jehst, Chris Brown and Rhianna. He says 'I think the collaboration of such diverse angles and views will be a beautiful thing'

The music industry has changed in the sense that 'Over here, I would say the market is getting bigger but ideas and originality is dwindling.' I love music and so supporting it is a standard operating procedure. I buy music all the time, from people selling CDs after shows or downloading from the internet. I haven't actually bought a CD from a shop in a little while but that's because I haven't been to a music shop in ages'


In the future Big Cakes hopes 'to keep setting goals and achieving them. You can now BUY his new album Blue Cheese from iTunes or Bandcamp, add him on Facebook and follow him via Twitter.

17 June 2011

Jimmy Snookz and Skipper - The Regime

Jimmy Snookz and Skipper formally know as Jahmal Tchikaya and Simon Suckram from North London are the duo behind the UK Rap collective The Regime. They are determined to produce and broadcast their new sound to the nation' as well as  'bring 'a new exciting look and feel to the UK hip hip scene'. Although they originally started off as Grime MC's back on 2004 where they recorded dub-plates and attended pirate radio stations, they have now decided to elevate and change their sound which has landed them the opportunity to complete a 25 city UK tour later this year.

I thought I'd catch up with Jimmy Snookz himself to find out how and where it started. 


'My first ever memory was going in the studio and doing a few remixes. We started making music together and formed Regime in 2008' explained Jimmy. They saw music as a way of expressing themselves and sharing beliefs with others. 'We hadn't seen each other since school, but decided to meet up one day as we were both serious about pursuing a career in music. We went to the studio and recorded a remix of Kanye West's  'Can't tell me nothing' which received a lot of support and ratings from the underground'.

They then met up with producers Boe and Simon who go by the name of Last Dynasty who they have been working with for the last two years to make tracks such as 'Judge Me' , 'Soul Survivor' and 'My Shine' Ft Mk. They are fuelled by the need to communicate with the youths of today, which is why the continue to make music.We each have our own story to tell growing up in London which many can relate in terms of the emotions, the struggle, the system and creating a better life in general. But our make target is deliver good music that anyone can follow.

'We listen to a wide range of musician such as reggae, urban, grime and hip hop. Mainly these genres because we can relate to the music as well as connect with the artists who originate from the UK and the Caribbean'. Through their music they 'hope and try to appeal to everyone. Jimmy says, 'If not now then we are working on it for the future, but we see and hear the feedback of the youths aged 16 to 25 in the country.


They are now in the process of completing a 25 City tour around the UK with Skinny Man, called the 'Smoking Ban Tour', which will be followed by 20 university stage shows around the country. In the past they have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with major artists such as Dead Prez, Devlin, Legendary Curtis Blow, Jadakiss, VV Brown and more. They agree that the tour was a great experience and allowed them to elevate their confidence as artists, as well as give them the exposure they needed. 

According to Jimmy, a good musician should 'have their own style', 'stay grounded' and most importantly be 'talented'. He says, 'originality goes a long way and if you have the patience and stay dedicated you can better your self professionally as an artist and personally as an individual.' He feel that up and coming musicians should 'Be open minded and be able to come to terms with their own originality' and 'be able to take criticism and learn in the process'  

As a collective they intend to 'Bring a unique style of music to the industry' and 'make a stamp on the scene that all the up and coming talent can follow' you can expect more expect more music, video's with good visuals but mainly expect to catch them in a town near you performing.


You can now check out they Official Site as well ad follow them on Twitter via Jimmy Snookz and Skipper

14 June 2011

Ashley-Rae Tapping & Abi Fashesin - Loud Culture

Ashley-Rae Tapping and Abi Fashesin are the duo the label Loud Culture. They decided to combine their love for journalism and fashion in order to create an empire. The duo met just over six years ago, but since then they have not only constructed a business, but also a sisterhood that allows women to 'be seen and heard through what they wear'. I thought I'd catch up with Ashley-Rae herself to find out about their plans for the future.


'I'm a press and commission officer 9 - 5 and entrepreneur and co-owner of LOUD.' Says 22 year old Ashley-Rae, from East London. 'I have a degree in Journalism and also write in my spare time and take part in hosting events. On the other hand Abi Fashesin is as 23 year old full time fashion student and entrepreneur from North London, who designs and makes clothes for their label and extended client base.

They both agree that  'LOUD is what the brand represents’ as well as the slogan which stands for 'Live Out Ur Dream'. Ashley-Rae explains 'it epitomises the journey we have embarked on. It is show stopping, attention grabbing and aimed at those who wish to communicate and be heard through fashion.'

'Our audience are women who want to be seen and heard through what they wear. We appeal to them because we are LOUD and we aren't afraid to express ourselves through our clothes, hair and make up. Anyone who wears our clothes are bold and confident.'


They often shop in Brick Lane at vintage shops to get the most unique garments but they are also intrigued by 'one off pieces from boutiques’. Ashley-Rae says, 'any item of clothing we buy we usually customise anyway.' 'Urban Outfitters', American Apparel and 'Blondie’s' are a few of the many labels they admire.

Some of their influences include Oprah Winfrey, Kimora Lee Simmons, Vivienne Westwood, Duncan Bannatyne but most importantly they have gained a lot of motivation and influence from life experiences.

A LOUD power house, menswear, record label, PR Company, modelling agency and more can be expected from the duo in the future. 'We've started and there's no stopping us or time for us to turn back. Says Ashley Rae 'We will continue to do fashion, all we can do is try and move on to bigger and better things.'


You can now check out their website Loud Culture as well as add them via Facebook

12 June 2011

MyM - Hold Me Down

Hold Me Down’ is the debut single from Maryam Shofowora formally known as MyM.  She is a 23 year old musician from South London who has often been compared to the likes of Shingai from the The Noisettes and Adele due to her unique eltro-indie-pop music style. Similar to a majority of musicians MyM's career started at a young age, in her case 7 years old which is where she began imitating the pop starts of her generation whilst watching 'Top of the Pops'. Since then she has gone from strength to strength taking up a career in music as well as acting and comedy. I thought I'd catch up with her to find out more.


'Don't let 'them' or 'situations' hold you down from what you believe you’re meant to do in life, don't let people's pessimistic reality dampen your dreams'. Says MyM, when asked what she is trying to communicate through her new single 'Hold Me Down'.

Like many she has face a variety of hardships, but due to her persistence to make something of herself she persevered in order to make a career out of music. She explains 'Most recently with my singing, I used to do backing vocals for a lot of artist, which I enjoyed. I loved it, but deep down inside I wanted to create my own, but I listened to the doubting voice and held myself back from expressing my full potential but when I realised  what was dwelling inside me I couldn't contain it, it was written all over me. By believing I am born to do what I do, I overcame it'

'It all started at the age of 7 my first love was singing. I sat in front of the TV imitating artist on Top of the pops, which then it grew into acting when I was around 14 and I only got into comedy about 2 years ago by accident, some one said 'your really funny do u wanna host my event' and here we are! My audience are who ever I touch or relate to through my music whether it’s an insecure teen, a single parent father or a 25 year old graduate.'


Her inspirations include 'Beyonce' for her 'crazy work ethic' she says 'her gift is phenomenal, I might not agree with her sexy image but I admire her song writing, vocal ability and performance. She also like 'Little dragon' because she feels they are 'a quirky group'. She says 'their music has no genre and the lead singers vocals are hauntingly beautiful they just experiment and it works giving us classic's like 'Twice''

Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and live Gigs are a few of the ways she promotes herself as an artist. She explains 'These all are great ways of getting my music out there, I prefer gig's because its more intimate and I can talk to people in person. She would say the most successful medium has been 'gig's' because 'once you captivate someone through your 'live' performance they'll now find you on Youtube, follow you on Twitter and befriend you on Facebook its brilliant'

In the future you can expect Mym to be doing a lot more Gigs and hopefully an album towards the end of the year. She has also featured on label mate Commission's new hit single 'Gold Rush' which created a storm on Dave P show on Choice FM. She describes her style as a mixture of genre fusing different styles together, I’ll be dropping another single so if you like 'Hold Me Down' then brace yourself for fire!' Her album 'Changing Rooms' is well also début later this year. 


You can now add her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and check out her latest music via Youtube. 

E.gle - The Take Off

E.gle is a 22 year old musician from North London who 'makes music for the world to relate to'. Although he has been making music for a while, he officially made an impact in the scene in 2010 as he got the chance to work with a lot more artists such as Nadine Caesar, Lunakidz, Kaptin, Rago, Tu Tu and more. He has recently released his first mixtape ‘The Takeoff’ I thought I'd catch up with him to find out where it all started.



'My music started off from my bedroom. I would listen to rap and try to relate a message in a similar way. I started getting the hang of swinging words to make meaning, which made me take it a lot more seriously. I called up my cousin, Nadine Caesar, who featured on my First mixtape The Takeoff. e introduced me to two guys who were apart of the collectively Lunakidz Music which is an Inde label and I've just taken it from there. He says, 'I've taken music to be a job which I now call NINE2GRIND'.'

‘I try to keep my music on a level where I can relate to the world what I’ve done or what I've been through, I’m NOT a ‘call of duty’ guy. My ultimate place to perform would have to be Madison Square Gardens.' He says, 'it’s like a landmark of success and maybe the pinnacle too, I would like to place my mark there.

His alias E.gle, pronounced as Eagle was influenced by the way he thinks and aims to be. He says 'The Eagle is known as the only bird to soar to the highest of peaks'. When he's not in the studio making music, he likes playing football or simply hanging out with friends.


The last albums E.gle bought via iTunes were Katy B’s ‘On a mission' and 'Adele’s 21'. He feels 'it's very important to purchase what you like as it credits the good work of an artist'. But for him his aim is not the selling records, instead he'd rather have EVERYONE pumping his music and make the money back from stage shows. He's fan of DJ's such as Jenny Francis of Choice Fm because he feels ‘she’s a good DJ’ and plays music he can listen to.

The four qualities he feels that a good musician should have are, to keep it real, 'that’s the only way you can tap in with the audience'. To be consistent 'fans are always expecting good music'. Be true to yourself as well as your music, as 'people can try to dig some dirt on you and find out that you weren’t all the things you said you were in your music' and lastly be punctual, which he says ‘can be a very hard quality to have as we all have. We all something else going on, but from my personal experience if you can be punctual in what you do i.e. performances, recording music, meetings, etc. Then it the will make you a whole better artist.'

He is inspired by artists who have worked hard and have been through the hustle, because he feels it’s something he can personally relate to. In this fickle industry you'll find that it's much easier to make music nowadays, but ever harder to make any money from it. 


In the future you can expect a lot more good music from Egle. You can now contact him via Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.  

8 June 2011

Sir Spikes - Cast the First Stone

‘I’ve always been into music from a young age, I used to turn all the pots upside down and beat them with sticks' says 21 year old Samuel Jimmah formally known as Sir Spikes from East London, who is a musician, poet and aspiring actor. After migrating to the UK, just over 10 years ago he found his love for music. Samuel is currently working on his forthcoming mixtape 'Cast the First Stone' which débuts July 2011.

I thought I'd catch up with him to find out where it all started. 




'I'm a poet, rapper and an aspiring actor' I have always been into music from a young age. When I moved to the
UK ,I fell in love with Grime. This is where it all started for Sir Spikes, who originally claimed the alias 'Spikes' due to his love of knives. I used to listen to and record sets on my mums old tapes, which she wasn't too happy about.' What he loved about Grime, was the rawness of the scene, the ability to say anything. Sir Spikes found himself writing lyrics which he then recited over the beats recorded making him feel as though he was really there on the radio himself, but it wasn't until year 8 where he decided to write more. 

'I was way too shy to let anyone hear, but as I got older my confidence grew. I was a very angry and violent growing up which influenced a lot of my early material. I felt like an outcast the only tune I felt that people listened to was when I rhymed so to me that was my voice.' As he got older 
he started to realise that he could do more with his gifts, but it only really hit him after loosing two of his close friends and coming close to loosing his own life. From his experience he started writing poetry, as he found it easy to put his words on paper. For him 'poetry quickly became a release rather than waiting for a beat' to record music. 'My music has grown and matured a lot and have finally found my self through music. '


'No other musician is like me', he says when I ask how he
differs from other artists.
'I'm far from big headed, but I feel that the scene hasn't experienced a mind like mine. I bring soul to a track which enables the listener to fall in a trance and be taken on a journey. I appeal to a lot of people from males to females and to a general age simply because I am very versatile. I don't tie my self down to one thing, like to explore to create new things'.

It's obvious to see that the UK music industry has opened up and allowed a variety of artists to take the mainstream by storm, but for Samuel all he can see in the current industry 'is people who really don't have a passion for music'. He says 'most people go into the industry simply for the money so the messages they reveal are shallow. I would like to bring back heart and soul to music. I am inspired by singers such as Adele because she is real. Nowadays when you switch on the TV all you see are recycled versions on a few people. No one is original any more.'



Michael
 Jackson, Alicia keys, Jessie J, Adele, Eva Cassidy and Tracy Chapman are just a few of his many inspirations he feels 'they are true to themselves and they truly care about the influence of their music.' In the same vein he admires artists from the rap scene such as Kanye West, Dizzie Rascal, Wretch 32, Tu-pac, and Gigs. He feels inspired by them as they prove that it is possible to make it in the music industry, despite all the negativity around. He says 'if you work hard and push for it then nothing is impossible’. He is also inspired by a lot of Nigerian artists such as Debanj, 2face Idibia and Ice Prince, he says I am a proud Nigerian so I support the music
.

'Open your eyes and go for it' is the advice he gives to up and coming musicians 'you only loose when you stop trying. Hard work plus determination gives birth to success. Clear your minds and vision how your life will be when you make it'. In the future, Sir Spikes hopes to have a successful career in music and give back to others by 'helping the less fortunate'.



His mixtape Cast the First Stone is due to be released July 2011 so be sure to support him. For more of his music check out his Soundcloud, Youtube and follow him via Twitter.

6 June 2011

Tribal Man Magz - 21 Dares

We keep it global not local’ says Kofi formally known as Tribal Man Mags who brought us the infectious funky house anthem ‘Tribal Man Skank’ back in 2009. Tribal Man is a musician from East London who originally started out his career at pirate radio stations such as Axe FM and Flava FM but immediately accumulated a huge following propelling him into the limelight via BBC 1xtra, Choice FM and Kiss FM. He is currently in the process of completing his long awaited album ‘21 Dares’ which débuts later this year.

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


Alike many artists Tribal Man Mags started his music career from a young age.  In his case, his secondary school playground, where he battled against his peers in year 8 and 9, but he eventually decided to make the transition between hobby and profession when he entered into sixth form. He was then known as 'Magma Man’ and established his own music label ‘Down & Dirty’. He went on to release a single with his collective entitled ‘Prepare to Rewind’, earning ‘Down & Dirty’ the titles of ‘Best Up & Coming’ for the Urban Fusion Awards and ‘Best Newcomer’ for the British African Music Awards in 2008. 


Due his persistence and commitment as an artist he then got the chance to take his music overseas to Ghana, his home land. He explains ‘it was kind of weird because it was a whole different environment, but at the same time they appreciated the music more. I love my country so you could call it a perfect marriage’. When asked how he differs from his alias he says ‘Tribal is more confident, he’s a real bossy guy and likes everything his way’, he says. But Kofi ‘is more reserved and just loves to chill and watch movies all day and laze around.’

His motivation for music comes solely from his emotions, he explains ‘everyone calls me a skitzo, I have different emotions everyday, but I’m just blessed with a gift. I am very versatile so I adapt to any genre my audience likes. My audience ranges from primary school children to Grandparents my sound is universal really’. In his view ‘the funky scene has turned in to a phase instead of a genre and I think we all need to work together to get it banging again.’ 


In the past he has had the pleasure of working with artists such as Ruff and Smooth, Sway, The Saturdays, Gracious K, Flirta D, Funky Dee, K.I.G, Dotstar and Ramzee. He would initially like to work alongside Rick Ross and Pharrell Williams in the future. His inspiration are Jay Z and Rick Ross as he can relate to them as they run their own businesses just like hum and he feels ‘they are great business men. My journey has been a long and exciting one, but I’ m ready to continue on the road to success. In the future you can expect to hear and see ‘a lot of different kind of music. We keep it global never local!

You can now contact Tribal Man Magz via Facebook and Twitter 

4 June 2011

Cyko Logic & Strata G - Valleys to the Alleys

‘As a collective we're just trying to express who we are and what we do’ said Cyko Logic and Strata G, the duo behind the DOWN WID IT Empire which consists of both fashion and music. Both Strats and Cyko have worked with a variety of underground and mainstream artists and have featured on ITV’s Tough Gig alongside Roll Deep. The duo from Kensal Green, Northwest London have teamed up to collaborate on the fourth coming EP 'Valleys to the Alleys' which is set for release 15/06/2011.  

I thought I’d catch with them to find out what we can expect from the E.P.


‘We've always worked well together and often spoke about doing this collaboration’ says Cyko who is well known for his graphic and fashion designing. ‘The name Valleys to the Alleys was actually what Strats' was going call his own CD, but we thought about it and it just made sense to use it for this collaboration . It was a sort of 'there meets here. This EP is just something we want out there, individually we are as sick. Together, it’s madness! So overall it’s about recognition.'

Cyko has been working hard in the scene for a while always trying to get the team more involved. He initially gave Strats' is debut when they featured together on his remix of Down Wid It alongside HoodStars and Slix from Ruff Squad. The collaboration  'is something people have expected from us, it just took a while’ said Strata G.'I'm also a producer currently working with my team and a few UK artists and genres of music’. 


‘Having the time to actually get it done’ was there only obstacle, Cyko says ’this could have been created ages ago but we all have a life outside music so making it happen has been a bit of an obstacle in that sense’ They are influenced by ‘Good music and life's lessons and experiences’ as well as seeing other UK artists doing well which they say ‘is always a good influence'.

When asked how they differ as musicians ‘Strats' is more of a straight to the point, tell you how it is kind of MC, he brings his ‘I'm from Wales no-one can chat to me' vibe, his style is very versatile but on Grime its 100% straight forward’ where as ‘Cyko is the same but adds the fast flows at times and gets clever with the wordplay. We have something we call a 'TELL-A-MAN' flow many MC's have this 'I'M TALKING TO YOU' style Cyko just thinks he's the best so you can hear his confidence every time’, both feel they ‘stay in this lane when it comes to grime’.


‘Buying music is something we haven't done in a while, maybe because we spend so much time making our own and always hearing the latest being in the industry ourselves. Cyko would have bought '6FOOT TO 6FIGZ' which was the last mixtape he heard, but it was given to him for free. 'There are a few artists we know and have met and we appreciate their music, such as Ed Sheeran, Dot Rotten, Amplify Dot and a few more'. We like the way 'they express their sound, we can relate and like to listen, real simple. ’

‘You’ll be hearing my stuff on mixtapes and in music videos, I’m also currently working on a producers CD so look out for that!' says Strats' when asked what we can expect from him in the future. Cyko says’ I've been putting in the work and will be leaking a few singles before I release two more CD projects which I’m currently working on, it’s a grime vs. Hip-Hop situation, I'm also featuring on a few albums as well as working with some top producers so expect more music and videos from me. We're also thinking about a 'Valleys to the Alleys 2' but we'll see.


You can now preview a few track from the EP, via Soundcloud, contact them via, DownWidIt  and add them both on Twitter via Strata G and Cyko Logic

3 June 2011

K.I.G - The UK Funky House Veterans

Kings Inda Ghetto, formally known as K.I.G initially began making music nine years ago. They took their music from pirate radio stations, youth clubs and charity events to the forefront of the mainstream music industry in 2008 when they released their hit funky house anthem 'Head's, Shoulders Knee's and Toe's'. The single received immense airplay and claimed a place in the UK’s Top 40 Singles Chart as well as featuring on BBC's Radio 1xtra, Choice FM and Kiss FM.

I thought I'd catch up with the CEO Skitz to find out what’s happened since then.


After performing in front of thousands of people at the BBC Radio Weekender as well as the MOBO Awards, Skitz would say, this is the best place their music has taken them. He likes the fact the UK music scene is moving forward and getting heard all over the world, but dislike the fact a lot DJ’s ‘kiss ass’ and ‘follow fashion’ and that artists in the scene, ‘don't show enough love to other artist they only show love when an artist is at the top’. 

K.I.G are not just a group of nine males, but a family of talented individuals who love 'making people dance and enjoy the good vibes'. Their group consists of DJ's, rappers and singers as rave promoters. They are well known for hosting raves such as Anne Summers V La Senza, Leo Link Up and Sexy Cinderella which have taken place in North and East London.


Making music 'is a way of using our energy in the correctly instead of being on the roads and doing something that wouldn't let us be happy'. Skitz says speaks on behalf of his team yet along the way they've still overcome the difficulties of DJ's not supporting and playing there music as well as receiving negativity from other artists in the scene. They believe 'when you make good music no one can stop because they will always be other people that want to hear your music'.  

The collective plan ‘to be making a lot of noise’ and being loud so they can be herd all over the place. So expect great music, clothing, mixtapes, albums, videos, and schools tours, ‘basically a world take over’


You can now follow them via Twitter as well as add them on Facebook