R E E D O T

Fonzie - Drank In My Cup

2012-02-19T20:16:00.000Z

'Football is my wife and music is my side chick' says. Fonzie the 22 year old member of the music collective Non Stop which includes Magic, Handles and D-1. Fonzie is a musician from West London who ironically picked up a mic and decide to pursue career in music only 4 months ago after his 1st performance at iLuvLive. Since then he has continued to release music such as Drank In My Cup and I Get Fly Girls' via YouTube.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out who is audience is, the best place he’s performed and his plans for 2012.

‘I have fun with my music’ says Fonzie when he’s not gaming on skateboarding or playing football. I got my alias from my dad we used to watch "Happy Days" and he just used to say I’m cool as Fonzie, so i took that and never went back.

‘I’ve always been interested in it so 4 months ago I picked up a mic and thought "let me give this a try. A lot of the artist these days are too serious and forget to be themselves, so I think they all tend to be the same.’

‘I try to aim at everyone when making music. I used to be on the road thing so I know what those who hustle are going through. I stopped because I started to see my brother was following in my foot steps and I didn't want him to go down that road.’

‘I’m a laid back cool guy so I do, do some tunes for the cool dudes. I was also brought up in a house full of women, so I tend to know what they are going through as well, so generally I just try and make music that EVERYONE can relate to.’

One of the best places I’ve performed at would have to be ‘iLuvLive, because it was my first performance’ He continues, ‘I was drunk so everything sounded on point, but I got mad positive feedback so it’s all good’ he laughs.

I think in this industry, ‘artists should be their own person. Everyone’s talking this gun thing or drug thing which is messing the minds of young people. Artists should definitely change their tune and talk about something else; everyone doesn't have to know you’re a “roadman”.

He would advise up and coming musicians to ‘NEVER STOP WORKING’

‘In 2012 you can expect to hear my name everywhere. Not just my name though, also my team Non Stop which includes. Magic, Handles and my producer D-1, look out MAYNE!!’

You can now follow him via Twitter and Facebook as well as check out his music via Youtube.

Marvin Live - Pre-Season and Live Show

2012-02-18T09:22:00.015Z

‘Music means the world to me and I hope I'll be able to continue making it for many years to come’ says Marvin Live who originally entered the music scene in 2003 making Grime music under the alias Be Marvel, alongside musicians such as DDark, Skips, Spyro, Kills K and Beastie. After taking a well-deserved break from music, developing and expanding his craft, Marvin returned to the scene in January 2011 to pursue his music career.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out his thoughts on the current scene, sacrifices and future plans.

‘I’m a rapper and song writer. I'd say it’s hard to distinguish my audience as I make music for a variety of genres – acoustic, hip-hop, dub step and electro. But, I feel I appeal to my listeners through simple concourse line and a very enthusiastic flow.

‘The scene has changed dramatically since 2005. Artist have more of a brand like approach, image plays a huge role and the internet is a big platform which allows artists - like myself - to gain fans, without any artificial promotion.Personally, this hasn't made any sorts of changes in an artistic stand point, but definitely made an impact on my promoting and marketing approach to the industry.'

He decided to make the transition between music as a career in comparison to being a hobby in ‘March 2011’,he continues.

‘The love I possess for music is huge, and to be giving the ability to speak your mind and views on music is an amazing feeling, especially when it's appreciated in the right way.

'Music means the world to me and I hope I'll be able to continue making it for many years to come.'

‘My biggest sacrifice has been time. I rarely see my friends and family due to studio, meetings, videos etc. Making steps closer to my dream, no matter how big the steps are, is always worthwhile. So far I would say The Roundhouse EMI showcase is the best place I’ve performed. I was given a huge opportunity to perform alongside great up and coming acts.

I've worked with a number of artists since I've been back. Treble clef, Mr Lonely, Trun, Ddark, Terra, Smokie Badbrey, Elshay, Bex the list goes on, but I‘m also good friends with most of them. I know it's a little farfetched but I've always wanted to work with Adele, Estelle, and Lana Del Rey.

‘I have two mix-tapes already finished called Pre-Season and Live show’, he says when asked what we can expect from him in 2012, he

continues.

‘I'm currently working on another one called Staged, but I would say just expect me to flood the industry dramatically. “It’s going to be a LIVE year "

You can now follow him via Twitter, add him on Facebook as well as watch all his latest music videos via Youtube.

Eddie Masih - I Remember

2012-01-26T21:30:00.004Z

After covering Hallelujah by AlexandraBurke he was nominated in the World Music Online Radio Charts, wherehe won 3rd place, not to mention being the only UK act in the top 10. Thisexposure allowed him to accumulate a large fan-base that has taken him to radiointerviews; tours and huge events such as The Birmingham Soho Oscars, TheOracle Trust Ball and London where he has opened for UK Boy band TheWanted.

Eddie Masih is a19 year old musician from Birmingham, England who has been pursuing his musiccareer since his early teens. He has recently released his new FunkyHouse single I Remember, which is attracting a lot of support.

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

'I’m as a model, singerand song-writer; music has always been my passion. But unfortunately at a youngage I developed cancer which stopped me from singing.

'From that moment on I decided to teach myselfagain and I’ve never stopped since, singing and songwriting based on my lifeexperiences.'

'I started like anyone else with doing videos locally, but luckilythey’ve spread global and ever since then things have progressed taking me togigs, radio appearances, tour, newspapers and a lot more and I’m hoping to keeppushing it as much as possible until I reach my dream.'

‘I’ve worked with a lotof UK rappers, but my dream would to be to work with my idols, either be MariahCarey or Stevie wonder, too be honest I’ve got too many people I would love towork with or even meet. '

'My music represents love and life and faith. I believelove is the only thing that can be given and received freely. Ialways keep god in my music as he’s kept me strong through everything in life,and I think it’s me being different what attracts listeners to me.’

‘I’ve learnt that thisindustry is not just a hobby but something you’ve got to work on 24/7 andalways push yourself. When you’re deep in the music industry it can break downyour confidence but you learn to never give up on faith. There are loadsof people that inspire me, seriously, I could name so many.

'I've learnt somuch from artists including vocal techniques, especially from Mariah Carey. Overall he would saythat ‘no matter how bad your life starts out you can always make something hugeout of yourself.’

In the future we can ‘expect a lot’ he says, hecontinues ‘I‘m doing TV work, radio work and new releases, a lot of upcominggigs and I’m close to signing a couple of life changing contracts so you shouldbe hearing a lot more from me.’

For more of Eddie log on to his Facebook and Youtube.

Michael Hall - HURACHE Records

2011-12-06T17:58:00.001Z

It has taken over a decade to get HURACHE Records where itis today in which the founder contends the label it is ‘a new kind ofindependent actor in the music industry’. From the reading of ‘I-Ching’ in1991, to working and mingling with industry professionals in Chicago whenfounder Michael Hall took a trip in 2001to the United States to visit his paternal family.

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

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

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

With the knowledge that his Uncle Reggie Hall was a DJ and Vocalisthe took up an open invitation to visit his dad and their family, includingUncle Reggie in Southside Chicago, USA.This however meant getting a job - in a fish factory as a cleaner - and savingup 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 ambitionto get into the music industry and decided to help. He took him to variousrecording studios introducing him to the big names of music scene on Chicago'sSouthside including Vince Lawrence, one of the originators of House Music.

After a few meetings and discussions, Michael eventuallytook a job as a Sound Engineer at Matt Warrens Warzone Studio in the inner cityindustrial area of Chicago. Michaeltook full advantage of his new found environment by learning and absorbing asmuch as he could deep in the heart of Chicago’sMusic industry.

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

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

The trip to Chicagowas pivotal to HURACHE’s founding. Upon returning to England fully inspired andwith the Urban sounds of South Chicago in his ears, Michael was more preparedand 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 outsidethe box as well as always act independently of the Music Industry where andwhen this was at all possible. For instance, Brixham in Devonis not exactly where people expect to find Hip Hop with authenticity and of thequality that HURACHE produces so as far as unconventional goes, that wasalready a good start!

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

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

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

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

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

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

“In terms of selling CDs directly to the public on thestreets, there's much more to it than scrawling “HURACHE” on bunch of CD-Rswith 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 allbut perfected and we tend to call STREETAILING”. Michael highlights this as oneof the difficulties the company faces.

He continues “One of the major limitations of street saleshowever is that we can only sell where we can physically get to. Not only arethere practical issues involved but the increasing costs of travelling greaterdistances 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 biggeraudience. At present, we tend to frequent Plymouthand Exeter as well as other town inour surrounding area.”

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

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

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

“For vocalists we tend to look for people who areintelligent, 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’resinging or rapping.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We are continuing with street sales so fans in our localarea 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 albumscollectively known as “The Future of the Digital Music Revolution” Look out forFuturistic Music, Futuristic Revolutions and Digital Revolution. This is thefirst time we are releasing our material online before making it available viastreet sales.“

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

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

D Dark - The Quest

2011-10-23T19:00:00.003+01:00

He began his music career during the early days of the Grimeera where he made music alongside veterans such as Wretch 32, Chipmunk andTinie Tempah. He is known for his comical approach to music that aims toentertain as well as relay real life issues which he considers as ‘expression inan artful way.’ D Dark is a musician from Londonwho 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 itseriously but it wasn’t until I was about 17 that I really started seeingthings moving which made me take it up as a career’ explained D Dark, whenasked how he made the transition between music as a hobby and now a career. Hecontinues ‘I've always loved music and I don't see the point in working yourass off in a job you don't even like.’

I’ve made many sacrifices for my career; I hardly ever goout clubbing, hardly take holidays and have lost contact with quite a lot ofpeople because I’m in studio making my dreams come true. I don't really haveany regrets because being successful in life is where true happiness reallylies 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 Ifuse many genres together. I appeal to people who like something that sounds originaland 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 andideas across in songs. My humorous side comesout a lot in my lyrics, and so does my serious and focused side. I don't turninto another person, I’d say it’s still me but I’m just singing and rappinglyrics 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 whenthey were coming up and I’ve also worked with Xploder who is my brother and isdoing big things at the moment.’

I think the industry is always changing especially with all the technology wehave today. I think it’s a good time for artists in the industry because manyare being signed. We can use theinternet, 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 toget noticed because there are so many people doing it, but not many people havethe passion or last long, so it’s all good. If you believe in yourself you canmake it happen.

’I have so many inspirations I’m inspired everyday by artists’, he names LilWayne, Michael Jackson, Wretch 32, Eminem, Drake and Chimpmunk as a few whohave inspired him. He confesses ‘if I name all of them it would be to much, buthe continues ‘Nero, Chase and Status, Frank Ocean, Wiz Khalifa, Tinie Tempah, SnoopDog, Ludacris, Biggie, Cory Guns, Timberland, Dr Dre, Labyrinth, Taylor swift,Red One, Pharell, Ray charles, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Ryan Leslie, youget 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 ‘alot of great music to come.’ He continues ‘my fan base will naturally expand asi 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

2011-10-16T23:20:00.000+01:00

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 away 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 determinationto succeed as the animated music video managed to achieve over 30,000 views inthe first five days of its release and was the 3rd most watched music video in the UK charts.

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

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

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

‘I listen to a wide range of music genres including heavymetal and that is represented in my music. I’d quickly get bored if I juststuck 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 namethat I made up and incorporates the word Shaolin as in Shaolin Kung Fu.'

'When I was18 I travelled alone to Chinaand studied Shaolin Kung Fu with the monks, it was a very important part of mylife and it proved to me that you can achieve nearly anything if you’re willingto leave your house and go get it. Since then I travel the country, mainlyalone 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 deathgrips, there’s a mentality and tenacity of spirit that you can apply to nearlyany life situation. If it hadn’t been for my training and travelling experienceI don’t think I’d be doing what I do now. Besides, Kung Fu directly translatesto ‘Hard Work’ and that’s definitely something I do day in, day out.’

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

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

‘If all else fails, if you aren’t listening now, chances areI’ll approach you in your hometown and ask you to buy one of my CDs. One way oranother, 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’dprobably be a lawyer, need to do something with that law degree!’

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

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

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

When asked what we can expect from in the future he says ‘goodmusic 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. Theanimated music video managed to achieve over 30,000 views in the first fivedays and was the 3rd most watched music video in the UK.

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

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

2011-10-14T06:30:00.000+01:00

What started out as a 4 man band, soon reduced to him and hismusic, which are one of the many lessons he’s learnt about the music industryand how quickly things can change. Since 2007, he’s been playing around withproduction software such as Fruity Loops, which has successfully given him songsand beats to upload to Myspace, where he's met and collaborated with up andcoming artist such as Enrico Delves and Duane Lamonte. EthanBreakaway is an 18 year old musician from West London, wholoves to make music when he’s not ‘meeting new people or staying up latelooking 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 askedhow he initially got into music. He continues ‘I was in a three man group, whichthen dropped to two which was a very R n B harmony wise and then turned to moreindie type music. From the split of that group, I joined a four person productionteam which included two writers, producer - me - and a robot - writer/producer . NowI’m in a one man band, artist. Hoping it doesn't turn to zero, I produce and writeall of my music'.

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

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

‘If you call not reallyhaving 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 notsomeone who regrets things, I believe everything happens for a reason, especiallyif 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 fromindustry veterans such as ‘Michael Jackson’ ‘Usher’. Four qualities he believesa great musician or artist should possess are’Talent which is the best head start. Dedication, positivists and love forwhatever you’re doing’.

When asked about the future he says ‘the near future for Ethan Breakaway iseven unknown to me, but you can definitely expect more and more original musicas 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 followhim on Twitter.

Juliyaa - The Rhythm

2011-10-11T13:06:00.000+01:00

During her teens she was involved with Bigga Fish which allowedher to tour with artists such as Estelle and Heartless Crew, she hascontinued to pursue her music career whilst redefining her craft, inspired by thelikes 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 Youtubewhich has accumulated over 3,000 views to date.

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

Music was always a part of my life growing up. I startedsinging in mum's church as a child and wrote my first song when I was 7. MyDad was in to reggae and soul, and I always remember him playing his favouriteartists 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 ‘Mumwas in to Ghanaian gospel and hi-life which meant that every Sunday morning I wokeup to the sound of her cassette player blasting out songs - they were goodtimes’.

She recalls ‘growing up music was about family and culture; it’salways signified something about who I am and what my parents have passed on tome. In my teens continued singing as a vocalist on the UKgarage scene and refined my vocal and song writing skills’. She feels thecombination of all the different phases of her life have shaped the type of musicshe makes today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Musically, I am inspired by artists such as Alicia Keys. Ilove her musicianship and her strength. Ms Dynamite, she’s always been aninspiration to me, she grew North London like me soseeing people like her around you succeed, helps you to see what you couldachieve’.

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

‘In my teens I was involved with a youth organisation calledBigga Fish that saw me tour with artists such as Estelle and the HeartlessCrew. It was an exciting time being a teenager and touring alongside suchbig London artists who have nowgone on to such musical success. They’ve inspired me to think big for thefuture’.

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

In the future we can expect an EP from Juliya in 2012 aswell as ‘more gigging, more songs and more dancing! She says ‘After that, Idon'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

2011-10-03T14:10:00.002+01:00

Reflect is a rap artist from Birmingham,England who grewup 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 ofcompleting his debut album entitled ‘Burp’ which illustrates his interpretationof everyday life collaborated with his warped sense of humour that he uses toentertain and engage his listeners, along with an occasional burp, he says ‘I'mnot going to lie, I do say things for the shock value.’

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

'It all started when I bought my first rap tape- yes tape, not no MP3 - "KID N PLAY" off my school mate for a coupleof quid - my lunch money – I’ve never looked back. I thought the way theyrhymed was so cool and clever; I just wanted to do it and be just like them. Iexplored more into rap and came across NWA, 2pac, etc. I really found the westcoast music moving especially 2Pac. I remember growing up, I had one of histapes 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. Obviouslybeing a kid, there were some words I didn’t know the meaning of so I'd search thedictionary and find out what it meant. I felt so free and relaxed and enjoyeddoing it to fill my days; we had no internet back then’. He used what he learntto write his own lyrics where he began to learn, explore and develop the craftof rap.

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

‘It ain't pleasant but hey, life ain't always. By me puttingit that way I guess I'm just trying to enlighten the mood of the situation. Iam 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 whathe wants to say or do without thinking twice about it. Music is such a powerfulthing and I believe in freedom of speech, so when 'Reflect' is on themic, 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 thingsfor a laugh. My music is comical and not to be taken too seriously, peopleshould listen to me because I say so, if they don't, I will curl upinto a little ball and cry myself to sleep every night until they do’.

‘I used to be a semi pro basketball player so I probablywould of headed into that direction’ if he didn’t choose music as a career, hecontinues ’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. Recordlabels also search on the internet for the artists too. For an artist, it's soeasy to promote online, sell music and build up their fan-base. A lot of recordlabels expect the artists to build up their own fan base, so unfortunately, many artistsare 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 ‘thankyou so much aspirins, BURP!!!

He has just finished his debut album entitled Burp which is receivingamazing 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’mlooking 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

2011-09-28T11:43:00.000+01:00

Razor is a musician from North West London who has beenpursuing 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 withwhat he believes will one day gain him success in the music industry. He’sperformed at I Luv Live and Camden Unplugged, has current single Sci Fi, islisted 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 moreabout his journey, sacrifices and aspirations for the future.

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

‘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 comeson everyday from 12-1am, its actuallya regular song on that playlist. When it first came out I promoted it with mylife, I originally filmed the video for rap city so for it to get onto ChannelAKA was very good for me. It’s been up for about 3 months now, and I have had afew people text or come up to me and say 'I saw your video on TV’, I couldn'tbelieve 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 mixtapelast year called 'Venting’, which was just about me being away from music andcoming back with a lot to say. That mixtape had on 7 times jump off champion SamKhan 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 pastwho hated on me for the wrong reasons.’ Reinventing' just shows that I am overthat 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 canmess up my sleeping pattern at times but that's part of the cycle. Obviously,going up and down London to performcan be tiring but that's my only sacrifice at the moment. Hopefully it will allpay of because I am not getting paid from shows yet, right now its just for thelove I have for the music. I know if I keep pushing I will get to where I wantto be. When I'm not writing lyrics or tunes, I’m watching my favouriteprogrammes such as Family Guy, Simpson’s, Two and a Half Men and EverybodyHates Chris. I also play football every Saturday, when I’m not at a show or inthe studio recording’.

He thinks ‘the industry is doing very well', he continues'. 'It's shown me to believein 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 actuallylike, shows that the scene is getting better and they are opening doors forother artists to go through it.

‘My inspirations are J Cole, Drake, Skepta, Wiley, Wretch32, the list could go on, I would be here all day telling you who it is andwhy. The one that sticks in my mind the most is Wretch 32, I've been listeningto wretch ever since his mixtape 'Learn From My Mixtape', since then I’ve followedand bought all his music. The reason why he inspires me is because I actuallyhad the chance to meet him before he got signed. We met him on New Years Eve2009 in a club in Tottenham called 'The Black Grape', my sister’s husband andcomedian Eddie Kadi ran it. Richard Blackwood was there as well, that night Iwas thinking about taking music seriously’,

‘It was New Years Eve so I was kind of drunk, when I walkedin I saw Wretch just on the dance floor with his friend Calibar. I rememberkind of being star struck even though he was still an underground artist at thetime, we had both been drinking. If I was sober I probably would have been tooscared 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 Zyou 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 notstop music because he will blow. When I said that it’s like he froze as if hecouldn't believe what I just said. It’s like he was trying to take it in but hecouldn’t. I could tell it meant a lot to him. It made me think 'wow, this guyis one of the most talented rappers in the UKand he's so cool'. A lot of people would have been big headed, but he just tookit on the chin’.

‘After that night I saw him a few more times and he'd be theone to say hi to me before I did. Even when his track 'Traktor' made it tonumber 5, that same week he performed at 'I Luv Live'. I jumped on the open micbut didn't win; when he saw me come up the stairs he had a big smile on hisface and said 'Wa gwan blood?' in a jokey way. He was standing with Eurogangand all them big artist, I just said 'I'm cool' smiled and walked away. I kindof felt out of place an awkward but its shows that he respects me and becausehe is so talented and down to earth I respect him a lot more because of this heinspires 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 mostsuccessful, he explains ‘I have a lot more people on there and when I post oneof 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 mixtapesfrom him. He continues. Hopefully I will be performing at the next Bigga Fishevent which is on the 27th of October but I will find out by this weekend. I amjust working really, if I not at studio, I'm doing videos, if not videos thenill be doing shows. If you want to check out any of my videos go on Youtube andtype 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 andears peeled.

Showerz Spaceboy - Young & Restless

2011-09-27T12:29:00.001+01:00

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

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

'I’m Showerz but I’ve also recently adopted the nameSpaceboy, 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 inschool or catching up with coursework I like to keep busy and work as hard aspossible. 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 asI can and break barriers; I think that’s my main motivation. I’ve had to growup a lot sooner than most people my age, I’ve never really had much time toparty or have fun outside of music but that’s not something I regret that’s justthe way it has to be'.

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

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

When asked to name three artists that he admires he says ‘Iwouldn't say I admire them but I am inspired by Wretch and Tinie for allthey’ve done for the UK’sindustry over these past couple years. Seeing those two hitting number ones andbreaking the states is inspiring. Overall, I think Jay-Z is definitely a biginspiration. Watching him over the past 10 years really shows how far this canbe taken'.

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

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

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube and download thenew mixtape The Method ToMadness.

Young Kingz - Road To Stardom

2011-09-24T12:02:00.000+01:00

‘As far back as the age of 6 I remember me and Fari running aroundthe house singing and pretending to be superstars’ says Zei one half of the duoYoung Kingz from London. The duo grew up with music, using their Caribbeanand American heritage to retell stories and issues embraced with U.K flows andconcepts. 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 forthcomingEP 'Road to Stardom' which will be available by November.

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

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

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

‘Young Kingz was originally a group of 7 people, but no oneelse in the group was taking music as seriously as us. The work load got heavierand 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 policeour trying to take our away our right to perform because certain songs tell aharsh story of the world in the perspective of the urban subculture’.

‘Young Kingz is not only a music group it is a brand andlifestyle so we appeal to the urban scene specifically, as we take inspirationfrom our experiences. Anyone that falls under the category of the urban scenecan relate to the concept of our lyrics. More broadly we appeal to people whoenjoy 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 ofopportunity doesn’t stay open forever. So a lot of social luxuries get missedlike parties and chilling out with friends. We take our music very seriouslywere 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 ourchildhood, so it stuck and we ran with it. All our fans have a Young king orqueen inside them'. They go on to explain their alias’s individually.

Fari, symbolisesour family as well as leadership. It being our last names & name of HaileSelassie Fari the last king. Zei is pronounced Zee, as a kid a used to play the Saz andwas pretty good, fom there, I developed the nick name ‘Saz Master’. The Saz isa musical instrument with Mediterranean origin in string family, with a pear-shapedbody and a long neck. As I got older I got rid of the first 2 letters and wasknow by ‘Z’, the last letter of the alphabet, there have been letters beforethis 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 - wedon’t discriminate on the basis of recognition but talent. So we have workedwith some names that may not ring a bell. The tune we did Double S is stillbeing debated when to drop and the date for our shoot with Lethal B isapproaching’.

‘On a larger scale we are working towards releasing apre-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 ballrolling on creating/directing a new single concerning the Londonriots. We have managed to get Nims Obunge behind us with this project and it’slooking promising. Those are the main releases; in the meantime we have about 6videos ready to drop for our fans that will be out on the internet to progressour buzz’.

When asked their views on the current industry this is whatthey had to say. ‘I think music industry is in a tough state because of how therecord labels and DJ's are operating. Instead of playing music based on talentthey 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 asmuch money branding & promoting anymore. It’s more about how much moneycould be saved and made than making good music & selling it. With that saidit seems like every week someone is blowing up, so that can only be a goodthing for the U.K music. I think 'Ed Sheeran' is a very underrated artist histunes are deep and banging! He’s a talented fella’... he’s next to go global’, saysFari.

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

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

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

Castro - Broken Promises

2011-09-20T06:19:00.003+01:00

Like many artists, his career started as a hobby where hehad lyric battles amongst his peers in the school playgrounds. But, after seeinghis brother climb to success as a member of the infamous So Solid Crew, hebegan to pursue his music career more professionally. Castro is a musician fromLondon who is due to release his EP Broken Promises in October. He also plansto release a snap back clothing line in the same month along with a follow upalbum in the New Year.

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

I'm a musician, I rap, sing and I also song-write for a lotof artists. My passion started when in school, when I was 14, I would rapbattle in the playground with other kids in my school and from me seeing thesuccess of my older brother Kaish's - a member of the urban collective So SolidCrew - ‘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; Italk about what is relevant in my life at that moment in time. I've sacrificessuch as time, money and my social life for my music in order for it to flourishin the way that I want it to. Fortunately, my close friends are also involvedwith 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, sothat's definitely a complicated area.

I have no regrets on anything I've done during my life, evenif situations are real bad, they have groomed me into the man I am now so Ican't really complain. Life is a school and everyday is a new lesson. I’ve workedwith a lot of people in the UK industry such as Double S, So Solid Crew, MutyaBuena, Fundemental, Swiss, Frixtion, Fumin, Stylah, Junior Brat, JD aka Dreadyand 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 tomingle and network with everybody you can. There’re a lot of shady and snakeypeople in this industry that haven't got you're best intentions at heart soI've learnt how to work with them but distance myself enough not to be effectedin a bad way. It has also taught me to be a great business man and to make gooddecisions.

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 structureswhich will allow you to appeal to a wider audience as well as maintain persistencedespite 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 entitledBroken Promises, which he says is some of the most real and heartfelt music he’sever done. He’ll also be releasing a snap back line in October with a lot moredesigns and garments yet to come in the future. His album should also be out inJanuary.

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

Mr C'mon - Alpha

2011-09-19T00:09:00.001+01:00

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

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

'I’m an artist, I prefer to be called an artist rather than arapper 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 theearly days of the garage era. I wrote lyrics with friends in school and aroundmy estate'.

'My first actual proper bars were 70% written by my olderbrother’ he laughs, ‘but with a few tweaks and enthusiasm, I was able to runwith it’. He begins to describe the music scene during the mid 90’s ‘the garageinfluence 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 mymusic would have been classed as gangster rap, it gave me a chance to have moreof a passionate platform to express my views and values'.

'I did this sort of music for about 4 years and due to mytalents 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 referredto 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, glamorisingthe gangster life and its effects. It soon became a ghost, haunting me, onethat I just wanted to stay dead! Lox influenced thousands of youth the wrongway and I wanted nothing to do with that anymore. I also wanted to prove apoint that I wouldn’t have to succeed off the back of my former alias Lox butwith faith and hard work I could become much more than Lox could ever haveand impact the world in a much greater way and most importantly a positivelight!'

‘People should listen to me because I’ve been blessed with areal 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 girlsthongs to entertain a male audience, neither do I need to rap vulgarly aboutsex to engage a female audience, you can play me on the radio without the radioedit’ he laughs ‘ I don’t swear, I don’t believe its necessary, I’mgetting my point across to you right now without f-ing n blinding. My music representsthe struggle, represents the youth, most of all I aim for my music torepresent hope'.

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

'As Mr C’mon I haven’t collaborated with anyone yet, simplybecause, I’m still in the process of finding myself as an artist. I’ve gotsongs 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 Iwould like to make songs with Bob Marley and yes I know he’s dead, but he’sstill a legend, Wretch 32, Dappy, Adele, Sway, Coldplay and Malimusic'.

'I love music but I hate it’s industry. I think it’s allpolitics! A lot of artists are being fabricated and there’s no real essence ina lot of stuff being put out there. But on a brighter note I believe the nextto 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 Isee a lot of similarities with young Mandela and myself, both very adornmentand courageous. Tinnie Tempah is an inspiration as he’s successfully crossoverto the mainstream U.K and crossed over to the U.S.Also my pastor is a big inspiration; she reached out to stiff necked gangmembers 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 workinghard, real hard and real passionately.You can expect to see me on your T.V screens in the future’ he laughs butrestates ‘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

2011-09-18T19:20:00.000+01:00

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

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

‘I would record at friends studios just for fun and attendsong writing and singing sessions at a local recording studio in Brixton’ sheexplains when asked how she initially got in to music. ‘Everyone said Isounded really good and believed I had something, so they introduced to a fewexternal producers in the area. I started believing I had a little talent, plusI 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. Youngladies 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-tapeLove & 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, soI just try to keep them, smiling, dancing, relating and listening’.

‘The mix-tape itself is about love: being in love, out oflove, confused with love, trapped in love, love of money, appreciating thelove. 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 arefrom real experiences I've had, some are from experiences my friends havehad and some even scenarios that are made up by me that I know listeners can relateto’.

'Love & Lies is my first proper project produced byCarns - Hill productions – I’ve worked quite closely with him and even coproduced a track called Is It over which is on the mix-tape. I’ve also workedwith Youngs Teflon on his GMT 1 and 2 and Blade Brown on his Bags nBoxes and Financial Times. Look out for a video called PackThe Duffle featuring myself and Yugen, which is out soon, produced byDice 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 rawand edgy track on iTunes entitled Only You in September so look out for that. I’vegot another tune released under seamless sessions called Perfect Love alsoproduced by Trevor Davey which can be found on seamless sessions Miami 2011mixed by Graha Sahar, it’s a house and dance track’. She’s also worked withother 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 asyour strong, passionate, committed and a hard worker, you can be quite fulfilledin this industry. I’ve had to sacrifice some late nights in with the boyfriendor 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 hadany regrets so far! There’s a lot of singers and rappers coming out thesedays so its like you have to have something different or extra special butdefinitely 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 ToniBraxton, 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 outsome good ones’, she laughs ‘I like listening to male singers as I find theycan 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 Imust say Destiny's Childs Writing on the Wall was like one of the first albumsI studied in terms of vocal arrangement, harmonies and creativity so I try tocarry 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 withconcepts, style, feeling and arrangement’.

‘I want to expand my fan base by doing more interviews withlovely people such as yourself, doing shows, radio interviews, featuring onradio 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 alot to say in my music and I want everyone to hear it, smile, relate and enjoyit!’

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

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

Zuby - Commercial Underground 2

2011-09-16T23:47:00.001+01:00

When many of his peers were applying for investment banking internships,he spent his summer promoting and selling his first album 'Commercial Underground' which sold over 3000 copies. In 2010 he performed at the Hip Hop Lives touralongside artist such as DJ Semo, Mr ShaoDow and Scarz and also became the onlysolo rap artist to reach the final 20 of the Surface Festival. Zuby is a selftaught musician from London who is inprocess of releasing his follow up album ‘Commercial Underground 2’ which isscheduled to début later this year.

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

‘Zuby is Zuby’, he replies when asked how he differs from hisalias. He continues ‘my artist persona is the same as my real one, maybe a bitmore extroverted - sometimes deep, sometimes humorous, but always honest. That’swhy I never tried to brand myself as a ‘conscious’ rapper because I’m notone-dimensional. There’s a time to be serious and a time to have fun'.

‘I was 19, in my 2nd year at uni when I released my firstalbum ‘Commercial Underground’. All of my friends were applying for investmentbanking internships and never being one to follow the flock, I actually spentthat whole summer on the street, selling my CDs in central London. It was atruly eye opening experience and I think after selling my 1000th copy I waslike, you know what? I can do this’. He explains, when I asked how he made thetransition from music being a hobby into a career now into a career.

‘I don’t regret anything. I wish I knew as much at the startas I do now but that’s not how life works! I definitely had to make sacrificesand still do. Sleep has become less frequent’, he laughs. With my background and education, many don'tunderstand why I’m trying to find success in music but that's not how I think.You only live once so you have to fully explore your passions. God gave me thistalent for a reason right?

‘My audience is actually quite broad. This is anotherimportant thing I learned from my street selling because you’re out thereseeing how people respond to you and your music. From overly excitable teenagegirls to adults, who like substance in their music, my supporters come from allwalks of life and I really like that’

‘Besides my albums and EP, I’ve performed live with a widerange of artists, within and outside of hip hop. Last year I did a 5 date tourcalled ‘Hip Hop Lives’ with DJ Semo, Mr ShaoDow and Scarz, which was a greatexperience. Shout out to all of them for that because we definitely proved itcan be done independently. I also reached the London Final of the SurfaceFestival this year. I was the only rapper and only solo artist to reach thefinal 20 of an event that’s essentially catered to rock bands, so that must saysomething!’

‘The music business is an interesting place. No one reallyknows where it’s headed. I think the playing field will level out over time,opportunities are endless. Next to blow? I don’t know, there are hundreds ofartists who have the talent to do that, we’ll have to see who works the hardestand grinds it out for long enough. Me? I’m not trying to ‘blow’ I’m trying tobe successful'.

‘His inspirations include his parents and older siblings, heexplains ‘they’ve have taught me more than they’ll ever know – amazing rolemodels. I’m generally inspired by anyone who has achieved success in theirchosen field. You can always learn more’.

In the future you can expect his music promo which he says ‘isgoing to kick into overdrive towards the end of 2011’ for his new album‘Commercial Underground 2’. He hopes to become Local, regional, national,global, he says ‘That’s the plan, in that order. Stay tuned…'

For more of Zuby, you can now contact him via his Official Site, Facebook andTwitter.

Bianca Simmone - Super Human

2011-09-12T20:54:00.000+01:00

‘Only the hungriest and hard working will survive, sometimesit isn't always even about the talent’, says the West London model,turned songstress Bianca Simmone who is now in the process of releasing herthird single Super Human. Her last single Pressure ft Baby Blue received immense support accumulating over 25,000 Youtube hits, she has also had thepleasure of working with individuals such as Eric B and H Money and plans to collaboratewith Wretch 32, Neyo, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne in the future.

I thought I’d catch up with her to find out where it allstarted, who her inspirations are and what sacrifices she has made during herjourney.

‘I’ve always loved music ever since the day I could walk andtalk’ says Bianca when asked how she initially got into music, she continues ‘It’sin my blood’ She laughs ‘without music I wouldn’t be unhappy, its like love,without it where would we be? My mum loves music and is a great dancer, mybrother can sing and used to DJ and play instruments so it’s in my family’.

‘No day is ever the same really’, she says as she explains atypical day in her life. ‘One day I could be working a 9-5, next minute I’mhandling calls and bookings and exchanging ideas in-between working,then head home to go studio on the other side of London and don't get hometill 4am and knowing my alarm clock is going to go off and drive me crazy in 3hrs. Then working all day again to jump in the car and have to drive out of Londonto do a show’.

‘My audience are 14 - 25, females who are trying to findtheir feet in life and boys who are turning into men but need a littledirection as to how to deal with females as lets face it, they have no clue anymore’ says sarcastically. ‘Sometimes they just need it said in black and whiteand ladies just need to be more real and not beat around the bush about thingsand also know to put themselves first as we know many fail to do so due to fearof loosing or never finding their love. I’ve lived and travelled down this roadso I totally understand and can share my experiences with them all’.

‘I’ve had the honour of working with H-Money and the BOE team.They are special and talented people who I have much love for on a professionaland friendship level. I have also worked with Eric B who is a writer and singer- who has worked with Chipmunk on Champion and In The Air - and wrote for other artists in the US and UK’.

‘I would like to do a track with Wretch. He’s a talented artistwith great energy and we get on really well so I'm sure we would makegreat music together. I would also like to work with Neyo as I thinkvocally he is great and his writing ability is just spot on. I would love to doa song with Busta & Lil Wayne as their creativity on atrack and energy is out of this world, they kill every beat they jumpon and I know working with both of them we could make killerhits’.

When asked when is the right time for artists to take theirmusic to a professional level in comparison to it just being a hobby shereplies ‘I think the right time depends on each individual, never wait onsomeone to tell you now is the right time’. She explains ‘You will feel it, youwill breathe it and it will present itself to you in a way that will tell you,you need to take it to the next level. The only thing I suggest is to study andgraft at your art first before taking a leap, believe in what you are doing andmake sure you are ready and determined as the industry isn't as easyas people portray it to be. Only the hungriest and hard working will survive,sometimes it isn't always even about the talent’.

Her music has taken her to a variety of places but she feelsthe best is when she can sit in a studio and have no idea of what song is goingto be made next’. She continues ‘with no writing team or someone directing meand with just me and the producer sitting there creating a vibe with each otherto the point we both bring something so magical and full of life to the tablethat others walk in and listen and are blown away’.

‘I never regret, everything happens for a reason and its allapart of the journey. I have sacrificed financially and definitely sleep time.Emotionally you sacrifice too but you have to as nothing, is justhanded to you without hard work'.

‘I’m inspired by many different people and artists, my muminspires me with her hard work and determination to succeed and provide andalways fill those around her with her love. I was brought up on hip hop likeRun DMC, Jay Z, Nas, soul artist like total, soul to soul, SWV, I love today's artistslike Ciara, Keri Hilson, especially Beyonce, her ability to alwaysachieve more and her hard work, the creative artists who push their bounds andsustain. I guess I look at anyone positive, who isn't afraid to stepout the box and be themselves at the same time’.

‘I’m putting out my third 3rd Super Human produced by Truth (BOE)and co-written by myself and Jermaine Riley - former singer of the groupFundamental. ‘Im also working towardsputting together an album hopefully to come out next year. With a few collaborations overhere in the UKand in the UStoo’.

She is also working on building a Company/Academy for youngfemales who are getting into the industry called The BTA Academy which will allbe revealed soon stay tuned and follow Bianca via Twitter and Facebook.

Triple Threat - D.W.A.I.N

2011-09-09T11:12:00.001+01:00

He attended stage school from a young age,which gave him the opportunity to appear in American commercials as well as Eastenders.Later he became a member of the collective Chaos managed by Simon Cowell wherehe performed on Blue Peter alongside Sonita and appeared in her videos. He isnow in the process of releasing his self entitled audio biography ‘D.W.A.I.N’. TripleThreat is a rapper, singer, producer and an inspirational speaker from London.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find outwhere his career began, his views on the current industry as well as what wecan expect from him in the future.

‘It all started when I was 8. My mumdecided to teach me to sing, as both my parents sung in church. My mum sent meto stage school when I was young and managed to get myself into commercials forAmerica and even popped up in Eastenders as an extra. Later, I managed to getinto a group managed by Simon Cowell and at that time the group was namedChoas’.

‘We performed with Sonita on Blue Peter andmade a cameo appearance in one of her video’s. My first rapping experience wasin school, I performed at an event and everyone in the hall went crazy. Sincethen I’ve continued rapping. In school I was into poetry and very intriguedabout writing.

‘Over the years my music and my mindset haschanged, as a result of particular life experiences. Life itself tends to teachus many things, which can influence one’s way of thinking. So I would say nowmy music represents hope, encouragement, enlightenment and struggle. My musicrepresents my life and how I feel about particular subjects.

When asked what he is motivated by he says‘life itself’. He explains ‘my life and significant others within it. I onlytalk about what I see or feel I use my music as a form of therapy, atherapeutic healing method, which allows me to express my concerns or evenhighlight my achievements. My songs are significant chapters and stories of mylife’.

‘Triple Threat basically means threetalents in one, rapping, singing and producing. I think it signifies howversatile I am as a person. I’m always keen to learn new things and always takea lot on’.

When asked who his target audience, he says‘anyone who would listen to my music. He continues ‘I’ve met and spoken to many different people who havetaken an interest in my music and they all come from different walks oflife. So, I guess anyone who canrelate to where I’m coming from’.

He feels people should listen to himbecause he has something relevant to say which some may feel as refreshing. Heexplains ‘I am only being myself, and try to be as honest as I can with mymusic. Each song is more or less like a chapter in my life, hence the reasonwhy I have called my next project an Audio Biography which is entitledD.W.A.I.N - Determination With Attitude Intelligence and Navigation - Dwain isactually my real name I thought to myself what title would represent me? And Ithought nothing better than my own name.

‘The best place music has taken me in myeyes would be when I performed on stage with a live band and my uncle JuniorMarvin it was truly a defining moment for me. It was a wonderful experience.one I will cherish for ever to be honest’.

‘The industry has changed in recent yearsas more and more UK acts or artists are getting more recognition for the work.The UK scene has blossomed well with many acts making it through and makingquality music. It is good to see people like Tinie Tempah who I know from thepast doing well and Adele who’s album I love listening to again and again, aswell as Jessie J, Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder.’

‘The UK has definitely grown in terms ofworldwide recognition. It is a positive step and I feel there are many morequality artists out there waiting to be heard, to me it means that the door hasbeen open for other quality acts to rise and provide the world with qualitymusic.

‘There are a lot of artist’s out thereworking hard at their craft so it is a bit difficult to say who would blownext, but people like Mz Bratt, Blue Robinson, Leon Jean-Marie, Raphaella, Ebruplus many more are doing their thing and could all be the next big thing tocome out of the UK’.

When asked what we can expect from him inthe future he says ‘I have the Audio Biography on its way soon, just currentlyworking on some material so more music really. I currently have a videorotation at the moment entitled Drive Your Car, which has more of a deepermeaning than what the title indicates. They’ll be more videos to come, moreprojects in the near future; you can download some of my current material viaReverbnation for free, follow me on Twitter and add me on Facebook.

Triple Threats Audio Biography will be outsoon stay tuned.

MC Tigz - The Coundown EP

2011-09-04T17:47:00.000+01:00

After hearing him on SBTV’s Warm Up Session I wasblown away by his lyrical ability. To date, the same video has received over30,000 views and he is continuing to accumulate a large following on andoffline. MC Tigz is a 19 year old musician from London whohas been pursuing his music career since school. He is now in the process ofrealeasing his EP ‘The Countdown’ which will début later this month.

I thought I’d catch up with MC Tigz himself tofind out what his music represents as well as why people should listen to him.

‘Predominantly I’m a grime MC but I do dither about with rapoccasionally. It all started in the playground; people would gather in circlesand spray the SAME lyrics for 30 minutes on the SAME beat’, this is wherehis music career stemmed from.

‘My music represents me, my experiences, my life and just myideas but in audio form. I’m a simple guy. A normal day for me consistsof studio, Xbox, chillin with my music brothers because they’re my actualfriends outside of music. I’m always on the look out for new music, from Drake,Lil wayne, Rick Ross and J Cole’.

When asked why people should listen to him he says ‘I feelas if I’m one of the few MC’s that actually care about being witty with words,having good metaphors and not just blurting out the 1st thing thatcomes to mind. I never tell lies in my lyric, no guns, and no murders. It’s allme, I’m versatile and make sure there’s definitely quality controlwith whatever I release’.

‘I don’t really tend to work with MC's a lot simply becauseI keep the majority of what I do within the circle I’m in. So thecollaborations you will see will be with either my circle OR singers!’

Alike many artists he uses social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube topromote and publicise his work, which include his two previous mixtapes 'AboutTime' and 'Hard Way', he describes this as his ‘main avenues’for promotion. He continues ‘the most successful video I’ve released isprobably my SBTV warm up session video which got just under 30,000 views. Itwas successful because I released it under a good friend of mine Jamal Edwards.I used his Youtube account which is a good platform for up and coming artists!'

'In the future you can expect my music video ‘Superstar'produced by a close friend of mine L.Momrelle and my new CD called ' TheCountdown EP' which will be out in September‘.

Clarence Jackson - The Poetic Preacher

2011-08-31T14:21:00.002+01:00

Clarence Jackson formally known asPoetic Preacher is a self taught spoken word artist from Jamaica.Clarence came to London over nine years ago to pursue his career in youth work,where he hopes to inspire and motivate young people to achieve to the highestdegree. In 2010 he was nominated for the Spirit of London Awards for hiscontribution to music and although his main vice is reaching out to people viasocializing he is an avid reader and footballer.

I thought I catch up with Clarencehimself to find out why he entered the realm of spoken word and what motivateshim to write.

‘I’m a poet giving hope to mygeneration through marrying the spoken word with rhythm, music and personalexperience’ which he hopes will make the entire art ‘more appealing to theyounger generation. The roots of spoken word are gathered from his religiousexperiences, he explains ‘in 1999 spoken word came to me in the form of an impromptupresentation during a religious gathering’.

He says his biggest difficulty isprobably being misunderstood. He explains, ‘as soon as a lot of people hear thename Poetic Preacher, some instantly turn off, before listening to what I haveto say, as it’s associated with church’. Other difficulties include a lack offinancial support and finding the right medium to present his work.

‘I have overcome these obstacles byfirst being true to myself and people and learning to appreciate differencesand preferences in life. If it wasn’t for my relationship with the Creator, Iwould not have overcome the most difficult times in my life. I have also learntto use innovative methods of promoting my project for example streetcanvassing, live events, religious events and many other ways which have helpedme raise funds to record music and videos that I’ve broadcasted on YouTube andother social network. It has taught me to be patient whilst developing the artof contentment’.

People should listen to me because ‘whatI’m saying is real, current and relatable and will impact society in a positiveway. My message has triumphed the scrutiny of many critics. Many youths -including myself - have benefited positively from abiding by wholesomeprinciples, some of which are embed in the message.

‘Without doubt, I’m motivated by theMost High. I am also motivated by my own personal experiences, the experienceof others, social issues affecting society and my passion for working withyoung people. My greatest achievement to was the nomination and benefits thatcame with the Spirit of London Awards 2010 for contribution to music’.

‘My inspirations include Martin LutherKing Jnr for his commitment to peaceful demonstration and equal rights, NelsonMandela with his spirit of reconciliation, Harriet Tubman for her selflessness,my mother in her devotion for my development and a whole host of others whomentored me. I have learnt from them that life must be lived with others inmind. There are quite a few artists I would like to collaborate with, but astime goes by, we will see’.

When asked what we can expect from himin the future he says ‘GREAT THINGS! You can now contact him via Facebook

Ella Chi - Chi Chi Pop

2011-08-30T17:28:00.004+01:00

‘Spaindoesn’t really offer that scene and I felt trapped. With no creative outlet Idecided to head to London’ sayssongstress Ella Chi who moved to Londonfrom Spain toembark on a her music career. From a young age she regularly performed with herdad at late night jams, squat parties and local gypsy flamenco bands. In 2010she performed at the Glastonbury Festival to thousands and continuesto do so across London at renownedlive night events such as the Notting Hill Arts Club, The PigalleClub, Shoreditch House and Ronnie Scotts, she is also due to release her self entitled album 'Ella Chi' later this year.

I thought I’d catch up with Ella Chi herself tofind out more about her music, inspirations and plans for the future.

‘I realised that I was at my happiest listening to goodmusic’. Ella Chi explains when I asked what made her originally get into music.‘For some it’s travelling, eating, sport or whatever, but there’s nothing thatmakes me feel like music does. When I realised that, I decided to make it mylife.

‘My dad was the first to tell me I had an actual talent. Iwas horribly shy and hard on myself, it scared the hell out of me, but thatmade it more attractive. So I started to perform. I lived in Spain,which had no real outlet for the kind of music I love so I moved to Londonand enrolled in a music college where I started to work with musicians andproducers’.

‘I've always spent my money and time on my music. Isacrificed my social life at the start and went into a shell concentrating onmusic until I realised I was lonely and that friends are seriously important,especially since I didn’t have my family around me. I missed out on the wholewild gap year thing. I've travelled but I love idea of just taking off anddisappearing and becoming anonymous’.

‘My stuff is written honestly; I find it difficult to writea tune about something I don't properly connect with. I get a total block mywriting seems to flow most when I'm frustrated so that's a popular topic! ButI'm on a journey just like every other human being so I guess my music willrepresent whatever I'm feeling and thinking at the time I write it’.

‘I'm just expressing myself really. Sometimes I vent bywriting a song, instead of actually solving a problem, but I'm learning to doboth now. I'm quite careful not to tamper with initial feeling or ideas of thesong by making sure I preserved those aspects for when it comes to production’.

She feels that ‘talent, discipline, versatility and being humble’ are fouressential qualities of a good musician. She explains ‘I believe that talentwill to some extent guide you if you allow it to. Discipline allows you to ‘bethe best at your thing and be tough on yourself. You should listen to all kindsof music, it sinks in and even if you don't realise, it will come out in yourplaying. In regards to being humble she says ‘It’s such a turn off when youfind out some one whose music you love is a total arse. It sounds silly but it’sso simple’.

She has been influenced by the liked of ‘Prince’ she says‘his music had so much character, at times comical. He's incredible in the wayhe uses his voice. So many tones, incredible ranges and energy, yet sounmistakable. His music is most definitely his’. He’s a ‘wicked performer, heexcels in every way you should as an artist. ‘Kate bush’ she says ‘I've justrecently properly discovered her, she is so versatile. A true musician, hersongs are so beautiful and some of it dark and she's not trying please anyone.

Missy Elliot, especially for her beats, lyrics and videos. Icould listen to her stuff on repeat for days. Her album 'This is not a test'was the soundtrack to my teens’. She also mentions ‘Faithless, Massive attack,Roy Hargrove, George Harrison, Rachelle Farrell, Lauryn Hill as otherinfluences. When asked about who she would like to collaborate with in thefuture she says ‘I pretty excited about the guys I'm working with right now soI don't really have a burning desire to work with anyone in particular. ThoughI'd love to do a feature with Gorillaz US rapper K'naan is crazy talented, acollab with him would make me very happy’.

She would advise up and coming talents to ‘Listen a lot.Realise you have to put the work in. No one else will do it for you. Time isprecious. Keep developing your skill to your best ability. Enjoy meeting peoplebut make time to be in your own zone. Be humble. Learn about the industry. Playlive as often as you can. Be clear and honest to yourself about your goals.

In the future we can expect ‘More music, live shows and newmaterial. My next single 'Chi Chi Pop' will be released in the near future.I’ll be shooting the video soon’.

For more of Ella Chi check her out via her OfficialSite, Facebook, Twitter and

Soundcloud.

Skits9 - Skitsophenia Vol 1

2011-08-29T01:10:00.003+01:00

In 2005 he featured on the notorious underground anthem Real-ion in alongside artists such as JME, Lethal B and Shizzle. This exposure open doors, giving him an array of platforms to perform across such as Deja Vu FM and Heat FM as well as stage shows across the country. Since then he has released 'G Rap A G Is Born', 'A Few Good Men', 'You Can't Handle The Truth', and on the 21st August he released his début EP 'Skitsophenia Vol 1'. Zeph formally known as Skits9 is a musician from Tottenham, North London who is also a model and event organiser for Streamline Entertainment.

I thought I'd catch up with Skits himself to find out more about Skitsophenia Vol 1 and his views on the current music scene.

‘From as far back as can remember I’ve been doing music’Skits replies when I ask him how and when he got into music, he continues, ‘Iused to freestyle with Professor Green in primary school. Then in secondaryschool I gained mores exposure featuring on underground radio stations’.He highlights Heat FM and De Ja Vu as some of his early platforms where heshowcased his musical talents. ‘I got my first feature on a track called Real-ion, which also featured the likes of JME, Flirta D, Napper, Neeko andmany more.

From there ‘I went on to feature on DVDs like Risky Roads,L.B.T.V, and loads more.

I dropped a CD entitled ‘Skits9 G Rap A G Is Born’, featuring Shizzle, Mike GLC, DjIronik, and many more. I try to merge grime - which is the scene of musicI came from - with rap - which is the music I express myself in today - tocreate a g-rap’. I then dropped my promo CD ‘A Few Good Men’ followed by ‘You Can’t Handle The Truth’ featuring Corey Johnson,Chipmunk, Fresh and Ryder. Now I'm releasing my first free EP entitled ‘Skitsophenia Vol 1’ featuring Chocks the rapper which is now available via digital download.

‘My poetry is real to me and I choose not to glamorise mymusic in the hope that it will sell. I believe i speak from my heart. If Ispeak about general issues and my life, as well as create good music, it willplace me in a position where I am different from the rest. I am motivatedby the things I see around me, other artists that work with me - Random Impulsebeing one of them - and basically the drive to do better than those ahead of mein the game. I mainly feel my videos are doing it at the moment for me but I guess it can all change'.

‘I took some years out to sort out my attitude towards mymusic and to educate and re evaluate my surroundings’ he replies when I ask arethere any sacrifices. He continues ‘ I don’t regret it. I’mwiser, smarter and a better person than I once was. Hopefully it can be seenthrough my music’.

Three songs that he really likes are ‘Otis Reading - One More Day’ heexplains ‘it’s like he spoke from his soul on the track. There’s so much painand so much concentration in one song. Real music carries real emotion. Thenext is 'Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up’, he explains, 'it’s an inspiring song which always possesses the power touplift me. Lastly ‘Max B - Tryna Go Home’, he explains ‘I thinkhis life experience can be heard through his music. I really related to the vibeof the song so I decided to get Random Impulse to refix it and create myversion.

'I believethat the UKindustry has a lot of good musicians, good music, character, class andcharisma. The UKindustry will continue to strive and push the boundaries of music. The UK has come along way from just listening to rappers to becoming rappers.Three artists that I admire right now are Wretch 32, his poetry is outstanding to say the least and his music and swag are on point. Ed Sheeran, his talent and song composition is incredible, he’s truly inspiring. Lastly, a band called The Milk. They’re absolutely fabulous and I had the privilege of being invited to a few of their gigs'.

Skitz promotes himself via variety of different mediums thatinclude Twitter, Facebook, blogs, videos, and shows. In the futureyou can expect ‘Skitsophenia Vol 2’, new vids , especially ‘Tryna Go Home’filmed by UKoverstood as well as his new track entitled ‘Ready To Go’.

Keep your ears and eyes peeled for more Skits !

Fatal Hitchkoch - BreddWinnaz

2011-08-27T05:00:00.000+01:00

‘I view my lyrics as a movie script; I always try to give that cinematic feel to my records, my listeners can actually picture scenes of what I'm saying in their head’ said Richard Anaman, also know as Fatal Hitchkock CEO of the urban music label BreddWinnaz. In 2010 his remix to 'Hello Good Morning' featuring Tinchy Stryder was spotted and promoted by P Diddy, since then he has made appearances on DJ Mixtapes including the likes of DJ Woogie , DJ AME and DJ Drama as well as featuring onBBC 1xtra Home Grown Selection.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out his ambitions, sacrifices andinfluences.

‘I'm a Jack of All Trade, Master ofAll’. He confidently replies when asked how and where it all started. He laughsand confesses ‘I had to change the ending of that expression. I'm abusiness-man, rapper, producer, manager – big up Maveriq - label owner, videoand photo editor, web designer, should I go on? I'm 360 degrees. I do a lot ofeverything, if that makes sense’.

‘I know this is going to sound realcliché, but I just knew. It’s always been music. Ask all my Ex girlfriends. It’salways been MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC! I studied it in University; I spent all of mystudent loans and grants on recording equipment. Plus I knew I was too good tojust let this gift go to the scrap. I mean P.Diddy thought I was good enough topromote my remix to 'Hello Good Morning' on twitter twice, so u know. If I gotDiddy's attention off just a short 16 bar, imagine the effect im'ma have when Ireally go H.A.M.’

‘I started rapping when I was about 8or 9 after I heard my brother playing 2pac's "Hit 'Em Up" I washooked. I was one gangster 10 year old talking about a whole lot of sh*t I knewnothing about. I thought I was the Sh*t I had the American accent locked,bandana's I went the whole 9 Yards with it. I remember recording my 1st realstructured track when I was about 14, at my secondary school friend J-Flowzhouse – who now produces for Wretch32. He put me straight about the

accent. I gota Cubase 5VST that’s real old school, a piece of wood from my bunk bed ladder,a karaoke mic, a chair and some duck tape and from then it was on’.

‘Richard handlesthe Business side of things, and is the brains behind the Brand BreddWinnaz andFatal Hitchkoch is the brain that lays the music’, he replies when asked how he differs from his alias. ‘The Fatal part of my name actually stands for ‘F*ck All Traitors And Liars’ and well theHitchkoch part came Alfred Hitchcock as he is like the originator of thethriller and horror genre. He put his personal stamp on all his projects, whichhave influence so many films to date. I see myself like that. I view my lyricsas a movie script; you know I always try to give that cinematic feel to myrecords, so you can actually picture scenes of what I am saying in your head’.

‘My music is for anyone thatappreciates my music. I don't want to close bracket and exclude anyone. I meanI make music for myself; I’m just fortunate enough to have people thatappreciate and support it. I have a wide audience from the ages of 13 - 60. Themusic I make is aimed to inspire, entertain, inform and educate. I remembersome one telling me once. "Yo forget the man'dem. Make music women love,because the man'dem will want what ever women are on" Which to me makestoo much sense, so I always have women in the studio with me when I’m crafting,asking what do you think of this lyric? Should I say this? What do you think ofthis song?’

In the past he has had the pleasure of collaborating with other UK acts including Roll Deep, Baby Blue, Donaeo, Selah, Davinche, Maveriq, PW, Base N Rebulz Entertainments and many more. He says ‘I always try to ‘Keep it Real’ in the respectsI don't try to sugar coat the truth. There is a problem, just come to innercity London, or any lowincome area across the country people are getting their heads blown off; peopleare hook on dangerous drugs, child molestation, and underage pregnancy. Realissues. But you know it's like out of sight out of mind. I'm not with that. SoI act as the voice for the unheard. My lyrics are real life stories, somewhereI’m the main character, and sometimes I’m just the observer, the narrator.’

If he wasn’t a musician he’d probablybe ‘Manager of WIMPY burgers, what else?’ he laughs and continues ‘onlyplaying it would have to be something based around music or the film world likea Manager, video collaborating and photo digital editor, actually a pilot. I love planes. I'mactually in the process of completing my Private Pilots License; I'm atdifferent altitude. I love it. It’s a weird feeling. Because you’re justorbiting in the air, there's not left, no right, no top, no bottom. You’re justorbiting. Once you try it. You’ll know exactly what I mean’.

‘If I am not in the studio, I’mperforming, or I’m out on location doing some filming, or editing, or puttingin work behind the scenes for other artists, I’m always on the move. I don'tsee it as a sacrifice more of an investment. My whole life is music. The onlyregrets I have are, umm well, they’re a few situations which I didn't handleright at the time. I don't really want to go in to specifics but I could havehandled a lot of opportunities and situations a lot better. But life is forlearning and I won't be making those mistakes again. Trust me!’

Hitctkoch would love to rock the Stagewith Jay-Z, he explains, ‘like him or hate him, you can not deny his abilities,dude makes me appreciate music as an art, and show's me it isn’t just aboutpairing words together, it's a lot more. Look at all the best rappers these areall intelligent guys regardless of the persona they put out in the public eye.Just look at Eminem, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, all smart dudes! His ideal place toperform would be in ‘Africa’ specificallyin ‘

Ghana

’.

He is inspired by 2Pac who he says ‘definitelyinspired me’, Jay-z for the flow, business sense, lyrics, style. ‘Hustlersinspire me, anyone that is not willing to just settle for the cards life hasdealt them, and take a hold of the wheel and steer in their own direction aremy inspiration. I'm inspired by creative people and like-minded people. I loveto be around creative people, because they give me that spark I need’.

In 5years time you’ll see him ‘back here with me doing anotherinterview’, he continues ‘I aim to be in a much better place than I am in now, Iwant to take this as far as my God will let me go. I've got my companyBreddWinnaz which is a management, production and record company. The aim is tobuild on that brand and acquire global recognition; I'm shipping out to thestates next year for a few months to hook up with a lot of the links I’ve made.So I’m taking the brand out there with me’.

‘We set up BreddWinnaz Africa, which isa promotion company hosting events and promoting West African Artist. That isstill in its baby stages so we aiming to get that running properly. We TakingBreddWinnaz global! I'm also managing the future of the R n B world. Maveriq in5 years I want to see him touring the world, I want to see people that don'tspeak English singing the lyrics to his words!’

He is currently working on his debut EPentitled the ‘Kraft’ which is due for release 11/11/11 whilst managing and producing fellow label mateMaveriq’s EP entitled ‘5Star’.

Formore of him you can check his material out via his Official Website, Youtubeand Soundcloud, as well as contact him personally via Facebook and Twitter.

Also Check out :

HOLD ME BACK – FATAL HITCHKOCH ft Bee (BreddWinnaz)

LET’S MAKE MUSIC – FATAL HITCHKOCH ft MAVERIQ

JammTyme - So You Think You Can Dance?

2011-08-12T21:58:00.008+01:00

'It's London and beyond for us', says Ricsean, one of the members of the music collective JAMM TYME. In the past year we've seen them explode on to the UK Funky scene with theirinfectious dance moves and vocals featured in their music videos ‘FitnessFirst’ and ‘So You Think You can Dance’.

I thought catch up with the CEO of the collective, Ricsean Campbell-Ramsay himself to find our the groups formation, influences and views on the current music industry.

Ree: So Ricsean, tell us how it all started….

Ricsean : JAMM TYME originally started as a Duo in late 2009consisting of - myself - Ricsean "Uni Klone" Campbell-Ramsay and Jordan"Jay Flo" Ellis-Baptiste. We only set out to make one up beat clubtrack called "Fitness Test", but at the time and it seemed like everyone was making tracks about dances, mainly in the UK Funky Scene so both Jordanand I thought we'd give it a go. We combined our sporting experiences infootball, athletics and boxing and made a few slides to the left then a few moreto the right.... Then "BOOOOMM" the "Fitness Test" wascreated.

Ok, well that explains two members, but what about the third?

After a few performances and support from family and peers, we were jumping onstage to perform our song produced by Danny "Dee's Beats" Hunt, wenoticed that out of all dozens of people who regularly jumped on stage with us,ONE stood out as an incredible dancer, this is where Brendon "SocaKing" St.Catherine joined the group permanently and started to make hisimpact. We’ve been performing ever since, with loads of material available overthe net and at any good show.

So what does JAMM TYME stands for?

Just Any Modern Musical - Topics You May Enjoy. It basically meanswhatever your doing just make sure your having a good time and enjoying it.

Why should people listen to your music?

People should listen to us if they want a break from the norm, and areready to hear a slightly different perspective on everyday and extraneoussubjects. In the collective we believe several skills are unified: Jordan’sability to sing and rap, mixed with my ability to write and rap which syncs inperfectly with Brendon’s ability to dance &amp; choreograph. Watch aperformance and you'll understand.

What did your "So you think you can Dance" represent?

Originally it’s a saying fromthe mass hit television show, but more importantly it’s a concept that Jordanhad always mentioned which inspired me to write about it in the form of a song.I’ve been to places such as clubs, raves and house parties and you get somepeople who just don’t want to move and stand still looking like statues. Thesong is based on taking this concept to an almost a battle type scenariobetween guys and girls competing to be the best in dance. Anybody who isanybody can dance, since the beginning of man we danced to music, so why notnow?

Where is the best place your music has taken you ?

It has definitely taken us to great heights,whether it be online, stage shows or festivals including different parts of thecountry such as Milton Keynes, Kent and the Midlands, It’s shown us that musicis a universal language, it's not just London based. It's Londonand beyond for us.

What are your views on the current music industry andwhat has it taught you as a collective?

The current industry is fast and exciting and it’s grown so much, overthe last few years. We’ve seen a lot more artists representing from our UKindustry, which has also been received really well by the United States, it is definitely a time to show thebest of your abilities, but it is hard with so much talent coming out of one barrel.Being slightly different helps you stand out though.

You’ve definitely brought something original to the sceneso where would you say you’ve gained your influences from?

Everywhere really. The early days of Lauren Hill,Wyclef Jean and Pras who were apart of the Refugee Camp, this showed us thatmixed abilities work well as a unit and content can be portrayed in a lighthearted way and still relay a deep message. Locally, from the success of N-DUBzwhich shows us that with the commitment of time you can achieve your goals,just stick to what you’re doing. Black Eyed Peas show everyone that you can gofar by using such a diverse selection of music as long as it is qualitycontrolled, and I think they inspire us to be confident to be different.

Also the raw talent in the UK itself, growing up in a scenewhere there is so much talent around you, from MC's like Kano, Ghettz and PMoney even Tinie Tempah living on your doorstep to rappers from Giggs to ReckyRamps and singers such as Loick Essien, Katy B and Adelle and never forgettingthe endless Dance talents of the mighty Flawless and Peridot. The list isendless with so many new and unknown talents which drives you forward tocompete to the best of your ability.

What’s next for JAMM TYME?

This is only the beginning. So subscribe to JAMMTYME's Youtube channel and make sure you get out there to our live shows andperformances, we believe that's where real raw talent lies. You can expect moreEnergy, more moves and definitely more music from us.

You can now contact Jamm Tyme via Facebook, follow them Twitter and Youtube.

Abe Lincoln - All Black Everything

2011-08-08T23:29:00.018+01:00

‘I don't just want to be another passer-by on this planet, Ithink it's important to leave something behind to be remembered’, says theco-founder of the clothing label All Black Everything. Abe Lincoln isa designer from Cork City, Ireland whohas been developing his clothing label for just over 2 years. He specialises inprinted t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts but is continuously developing hisbrand to include other garments. He is currently working on a collaborationT-shirt for Dj Kryder and his affiliates who will be supporting theworld biggest DJ and Producer Tiesto later this year on tour.

Abe has also recently released his debut mix-tapeentitled ‘Liquor Spillages &amp; Dillinger’s’, which is now availablevia Download. Ithought I’d catch up with Abe himself to find out his inspirations,sacrifices and his plans for the future.

‘I'm from Cork City in Ireland, a place where not manypeople choose to do what they want and instead, end up following the same routeas other people such as college, apprenticeships. They end up waiting everyday forwork to be over, rather than love every minute of it, by doing something theylike, which is what I do’ says Abe, who decided not follow the traditionaleducation route and instead embark on a road to success with the development ofhis clothing label All Black Everything.

‘Around the end of 2009 I started to play around a littlewith Microsoft paint, just messing around and creating images, sketches andstuff. I always had an eye for designing and creating and decided to keep upthis new hobby I had found’. In order to further his creativity he decide toteach himself a bit of graphic manipulation on Adobe Illustrator which he isstill continuing to learn. He continues ‘this opened a lot of doors for me. Idecided that the designs I was making weren’t much good on a blank canvas, somy friend suggested printing them to T-Shirts and other garments.

‘After our market research we found out it wasn’t a cheapbusiness to get into, but we persevere. At this stage my friend DJ Ja Ja and Iwere already operating a YouTube channel. Ja Ja would do remixes and send themto me, I would then put together a video for it using recycled clips from theinternet and post it on YouTube, at first we weren’t getting many hits, so itwas just a hobby and not a business, but then our views began to grow to acouple of thousand which made us realised it was the perfect way to help getthe brand out there. At this stage, the brand was named Pennies &amp; aDollar, or P&amp;D for short‘.

‘I then came up with one T-Shirt design that changedeverything, this was when I came up with ABE aka ‘All Black Everything’ anddecided it was the perfect name for a brand, so Abe Brand was born. I startedto sort out all my designs and images and focused on making them crispy clearin order to represent us well. We then started a Facebook page where we wouldupload our designs and our newest remixes on YouTube, this is where the hardwork started, but we’re still working hard, its a never ending cycle’.

Abe tries to keep his personal life separate from hisbusiness life as he concentrate on building a brand that is almost a 24/7 job,but according to him that’s just the way he likes to have it. Before he beganhis business he made a promise to himself self to focus more on being happywith what he does, than to focus on making more money than he can count. Heexplains ‘I value legacy's and hope to leave my own some day, I don't just wantto be another passer-by on this planet, I think it's important to leavesomething behind to be remembered for.

‘I have a lot of hobbies, most of them have sadly been puton hold and pretty much forgotten about at this stage, as I really don’t havemuch time for them, he identifies this as part of the sacrifices he’s mad, hesays ‘I've turned into somewhat of a hermit, a line by Wretch 32 I think describesme right now, "I'm the type of guy that will have no life, just so I canshine like disco lights", what this line means to me is that all the timesI've refused to go on nights out with friends, family, I’ve sacrificed them forworking on the brand to ensure it become exactly what I want it to be.’

His hobbies include playing sports, musical instruments andhis love for cars and motor sports, which, he still has even today. He recalls‘I've played pretty much every sport you can think of, I played a lot ofbasketball during my schooldays and also rugby and soccer. There was also astage in my life where I would spend literally hours playing the guitar, fromthe time I came home from school until it was time to be quiet and let theneighbours sleep, no doubt my fingers didn’t enjoy that stage of my life.

As I got older, I developed a big interest in cars and motorsport. I'm a massive fan of drifting and try to attend as many ProDrift eventsas possible over here in Ireland, it's a fast growing sport over here, I hopeonce the brand gets off the ground that it can help me get involved in thedrifting scene also through sponsorship of cars and drivers. All these hobbieshave been put on the back burner to allow me to build a brand and image tohopefully capture the eyes of people globally someday, it's safe to say I'mboth mentally and physically worn out from it but in the words of Cee-Lo Green"why close my eyes, I'd rather sleep when I'm gone"

At the moment they’re are operating a YouTube channel whichhas accumulated close to 100,000 views in addition to their Facebook, Twitterand Tagged accounts which they use to promote their Online Shop where they sell clothingsuch as T Shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts. They have also use their socialnetworks to promote their debut mix-tape entitled Liquor Spillages &amp;Dillinger’s, which they both agree have been ‘rather successful’ and ‘withoutthese websites it's safe to say we would be nothing, this has allowed peoplefrom all over to globe to view our designs, clothing, stock and mostlyimportantly make a purchase’.

‘Our YouTube channel has been blowing up over the past yearor so, with our most successful remix out of all being our Written in the Starsremix feat. Tupac &amp; Eminem, its received over 33,000 views alone andbeen download thousands of times and it's received nothing but good comments’They agree that this has really set the mark for their brand and helped peoplenotice them, yet their work doesn’t stop.

‘There have been many remixes after that which have gonewell into the thousands of views mark and many more to come. If you look atmusic videos lately the "all black" theme is being used a lot in theclothing worn, what our brand does is blends in with this trend and helpspromote it even further. You don’t need to be wearing luminous clothing inorder to shine, let your talent speak for you. The name Abe to us actuallystands for All Black Everything, we also incorporate Abraham Lincoln into thebrand a lot to give it more character and basically give it a figurehead.’

If Abe wasn’t a designer he’d ‘probably be working atsomething to do with cars, possibly a mechanic or car salesman. He says ‘Itmight sound like a monotonous job and at times it would be, but it's probablythe only thing I would enjoy doing. I'd love to have unlimited spending powerand be able to buy what I want, when I want, but I think the fame is moreimportant, not for me myself but for the Abe Brand. I want this brand to stillbe here when I'm gone and show that I came and left my mark on the earth andthat I created something big using just my own mind from such humblebeginnings.’

He continues ‘A legacy is something much more valuable thanmoney. I'm very particular when it comes to brands, If I don’t like a brandthen I don’t like it, its simple as that, two brands I admire much more thanothers though are Rogue Status and Crooks &amp; Castles, both LA based brands.I don’t know if it's the fact I have some fetish for gun imagery than I don’tknow about yet or what but those two brands appeal to me on another levelcompletely, especially Crooks, as once said there the Louis Vuitton, the Gucciof the street, and it's true, their gear might have gone up in price and gotmore expensive but the quality and originality is sublime and something we aimto have with our brand’.

‘The brand is built up from inspiration. I don’t just sitdown and decide I’m going to design something, I design once I get an idea. Imust say music is the biggest inspiration, I'll sit down and listen to some rapor even some metal for a while and let my mind just run free and getillustrator up and start creating, it's a really enjoyably process once it goesright’

‘At the moment we are only beginning to work with people, wehave only reached that level now and it's a good place to be at. We are goingto be working with many UKgrime artists, DJ's and more to help promote our clothing and also our ownremixes. We have been in touch with a DJ by the name of Kryder recently onedesigning a collaboration t-shirt for him and his crew for their upcoming tourwith the man himself Tiesto, where they will be performing in places like Ibiza,Las Vegas and many more.

‘This has been the biggest opportunity for us yet and onewe’re taking it on headfirst, it's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see theoutcome so keep your eyes peeled.’ He’d still like to work with a lot moremainstream artists as he is a fan of musicians such as Devlin, Pro Green andGiggs, he says ‘it would be awesome to see them performing while wearing ourclothing.’

‘As far as other brands go we are open to work with anyone,the more the merrier as long as it isn’t some neon clothing brand’ In thefuture they hope to branch in both the clothing and music sides of the brand.They hope to see their stuff on sale on many online stores across the globe aswell as see some celebs spotted in our clothing, but until then ‘the work rateisn’t slowing down and were going to keep on going, so keep supporting us’.

You can now have a look at their Online Shop as well as contact them via Facebook andTwitter.

Daeshawn Ballard - Freshman 15

2011-08-03T16:16:00.002+01:00

Daeshawn formally known as LiL-D Da Prince is a rapper from Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania USA. Although he’s studying a full academic scholarship at California University, he has decided to pursue a career in music, which has given him the chance to put his skills acquire on his course to good use. He see’s a bright future for himself where his is signed with a major label making money and good music and has recently had his latest song ‘Built Ford Tough’ ft Big Meach which has had airplay in two states in the USA.

I thought I’d catch up with Daeshawn to find out his inspiration, sacrifices and where it all started.

‘I rap, inspire and entertain anybody from the internet to your favorite hotspot in town. It all started with my father noticing and believing in my talent while I was 12 years old. I believe people owe it to their ears to listen to me, because what I am putting in their ear canals are beautiful vibrations, simply put... great music! By being me and giving them my all every time, I appeal to them’

He would say that he’s made a few sacrifices to fulfill his career some of which include music ‘invites to countless parties other events during high school and relationships’ He takes his music career very seriously and when he’s not writing lyrics you can find him in the studio recording. However when he’s not in the studio, you can find him ‘being a nerd, observing beautiful woman or watching endless movies’. He says ‘in the end I see what I have accomplished thus far and I see that sacrifices I made were necessary, so no regrets here’.

He’s gained a lot of his inspiration from and learn a lot through the experiences of others as well as what he’s witnessed himself. ‘I look up to my parents because there are no harder working people in my life besides me that I know of still able to support the dreams of their children and their own.’

He feels the music industry ‘has gone almost completely digital and this helps with those independent labels by having easier access to fans and providing information that had been hidden from general population’.

I never like to think I have a best, because I still am growing as a artist and young man, but a song that I am most proud of is the latest song me and father ‘Big Meach’ did ‘Built Ford Tough’. I am proud of it because it's HOT!! It’s been on the radio in 2 states and it has my father on it!

I am currently working on a mixtape 'Freshman 15' because I wanted to share, not my experiences, but the different emotions I felt in college. The last album he bought was his own mixtape ‘Good Morning Good Night’, he says I know this will sound a little self-centered but, that was actually the last album I bought iTunes. That’s what happens when I win a free iTunes gift card, I turn it into capital'.

In his opinion, ‘people should buy music because we artist are offering you a service and that service, is appealing to your emotions. For example, if you go through a break up and no one understands the situation when you talk to them, you turn on that one song that gets it just right to help cope with your heartache; we provide that one service over all other groups of people can.

In 5 years times he see’s himself ‘signed with a major label making money and good music’. He sees it as way or him to give back and also ‘love to do and see the young men I have inspired doing something positive with their lives’.

You can now contact Daeshawn via Facebook, follow him on Twitter, as well as watch all his latest his via Youtube.

Aramac - Sticks “N” Stones Recordings

2011-07-27T14:59:00.003+01:00

‘Putting regular track out, on my label, gradually more DJs are taking notice’ says the up and coming DJ, producer and owner of the record label Sticks “N” Stones, Aramac. Orginating from South London, he has been producing from his college days and had his first air play on Rinse FM entitled ‘Hurt Inside / Intruder’ in 2010, The track received a lot of support from DJ’s and Radio staions alike including Rinse FM, 1Xtra, Déjà Vu and DJ’s such as Marcus Nasty, Wifey, Footloose. In 2010 he ranged in the top 100 tracks by Boomkat and has been described as ‘something different but definitely something good’.

I thought I’d catch up with Aramac himself to find out his triumphs, influences and ambitions.

‘I’m a DJ, Producer and Label owner of Sticks “N” Stones recordings. I started during my college days as a rapper and then I progressed from there to production and DJing. I’m motivated to make music by listening all types of genres especially UK Funky, Old skool, Afro Beats, House, Disco, Hip-hop, Funk, soul, just good music in general’.

His first single ‘Hurt inside / Intruder’ was first played on Rinse FM in 2010 by Marcus Nasty. This accumulated immense support, thereby giving him air play with his second release “A Journey through time E.P Vol 1”on Rinse FM, 1Xtra, Déjà Vu, Hivemind FM, SubFm and many other local and pirate stations. It was also a success, with limited vinyl copies selling out in most stores within days of release.

Through playing out in clubs, featuring on guest sets on radio and distributing his music to DJ’s across the spectrum including the likes of Marcus Nasty, Ranking, Footloose, Joy Orbison, Shortstuff and Brackles, some of which have described his music as ‘pumping’ and ‘one hell of a groove’. He hopes to create a bigger fan base and appeal to variety of audiences who he says ‘is anyone and everyone who is into UK Funky, UK Bass, UK Garage, and underground Dance music in general.’

Similar to many artists, he has faced difficulties such as getting his music played on radio, however, by putting regular track out on his label Sticks “N” Stones Recordings, gradually more DJs started taking notice. He is influenced by 'Fela Kuti, Sunny Ade, Youssou Ndour' who he says are 'the originators of the Afro Beat’. Through listening to Afro Beats regularly, he has developed a better understanding of the drum pattern in beat making and recognisese it as a key feature when producing music.

He feels ‘the industry is in a good state especially the UK Urban scene, There is a platform for different styles of music and the best thing about it is that, its is independent. As an artist this has made me more business minded because after all the music industry is a business. I am currently working with an Artist called Enchanted. He is signed to my label, Sticks “N” Stones Recordings; he has a project coming in October and and EP coming out together next year.

When asked who he would like to work with in the future he says ‘to be honest, I would work with anyone, who is in the right frame of mind as me. Sticks “N” Stones Recordings is all about discovering and developing new talent. I have a few singles coming out before the end of the year and we also have a release by Enchanted and Tactics coming out this year on Sticks “N” Stones recordings.

For more of his music you can check out his Soundcloud, follow him on Twitter contact him via his Facebook page as well as the SNSRecordings Facebook.

Sam Khan - So Many Dreams

2011-07-26T00:47:00.004+01:00

‘I was never encouraged to pursue my dreams I had to grabthem myself’ says the North West London musician, Sam Khan who has had thepleasure of performing at some of the UK biggest urban platforms includingJumpOff, The Sunday Show and ILuvLive when he’s not watchingstand up comedy or watching contestants get fired The Apprentice. Not only hashe received over 2 million Youtube hits, but he has also immense supportfrom BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100 and BBC 1xtra for his latest EP 'So Many Dreams'.

I thought I’d catch up Sam Khan himself to find out, whereit started his sacrifices and ambitions.

Like many musician, he recognised his talent for music from ayoung age, in his case, 8 years old. Sam loved writing poems, so he beganworking on verses and creating structures which allowed him to develop songs. ‘Ienjoyed doing, it was how I dealt with a lot of things growing up. Writing was always therapeutic for me, whichis why called my first CD 'Me, My Pen and I'. I bought musicequipment, built a home studio and the rest as they say is history!’

‘My ambitions motivate me as an artist. I want the world tohear my music and my story, I want to make other young people believe theycan strive for success regardless oftheir circumstances and that’s one of theideals of our brand 'B Somebody'. I've been through rough times but always maintain a positive attitudetowards life. I believe I'veovercome problems, so I always aim to bring that message through in my music.When people tell me they can relate to my words and feel they are not alone,that gives me a great motivational feeling too.’

Although he;s performed at big industry events likeILuvLive, The Sunday Show, Astoria, JumpOff and other big festivals, he would say the the best place he's performed at would be 'at a high school for teenagers' aged12 – 16 during their assemblies.' He explains 'I got a massive reaction, I told the kids to strive for whatever they believedin and because this is an issue close to my heart. As a kid I was neverencouraged to pursue my dreams I had to grab them myself. ‘

‘I feel like I have a chance to help others who are in thesame position I was. B Somebody is not just about music, its about inspiring people to positivelybelieve they can do or be anything, andso being able to make a difference to young peoples outlook on life is the best feeling for me.’

His influences include the likes of 2pac, who he refers toas an ‘early inspiration’. Kanye West he says’ I loved The College Dropout’. J Coleas he’s ‘feeling a lot of his tracks’ as well as other singers and songwriters andLowkey, he says ‘I rate highly out the UK coz hehas strong morals and is mad lyrical at the same time’ Overall his biggestinspiration is ‘life itself’ and the things he experiences.

He would say that is biggest sacrifice has been ‘spendingtime on things other than music’ such asmore time socialising, reading, or just relaxing but he’s continued to work on prioritizingthe different aspects of his life. ‘Because I’m an independent artist I can’trely on other people to get me airplay and gigs, making tracks isn’t enough. Ihave to spend time making sure the music is heard, and this means I have tosacrifice other fun things I could be doing, but its all to achieve the endgoal so its all good! Making a sacrificeto make sure the music pushes forward will only serve to benefit my career inthe long run’.

He believes that in the current UKindustry ‘there's a space for everyone and everything, and depending on yourgoals, you can be successful as long as you persevere. The UK Urban scene hasreally risen and more rap is being heard in the mainstream which is great.There's always going to be different tastes and preferences but if someone is inthe charts, or selling records, then there must be a demand for that so u can’thate on it! The one thing I don’t think is correct from a moral perspective iswhen the industry exploits certain topics that aren't positive, just to sellrecords. I think people should remember their principles and if the message inthe music isn’t something you would agree with yourself, avoid supporting it.’

In the future we can expect ‘a lot more tracks, music videosand performances, so watch out for all the new material’

You can now check out his Official Site, add him on Facebookand follow him on Twitter.

Mikel Ameen - Backside

2011-07-21T23:55:00.001+01:00

It’s not often you hear musicians comment positively the human derrière, especially in the case of females, but after hearing his latest release ‘Backside’, I wascompelled to get in touch with the musician himself to find out more. Mikel Ameen is musician andsocial entrepreneur from North West London who began pursuing his music 4years ago, since then he has gone from strength to strength accumulating over 900 follower on twitter and multiple video hits via Youtube.

I thought I’d catch up with Mikel to find out his motivations,inspiration and where it all started.

‘I got into music naturally when I baby. It has alwaysplayed a big part in family life. Music got my dad to this country soit was kind of inevitable that his children would be into Entertainment’.

He would say the best place music has taken him is to ‘a higherlevel of consciousness’. He explains ‘I can’t describe how much listening tothe right music has taken my mind to a better place of thinking’

When Mikel’s not making music or reading he’s involved insocial events, such as Dance 4 Life UK,a nationwide initiative that uses media, music and dance to educate, empowerand unite young people in taking a stand against HIV and AIDS.

In the same vein he is also involved in the youthorganisation Get Familyar which is a branch of his father’s charity ACDF – African CarribeanDevelopment Foundation – that specialises in entertainment and arts, that aimsto develop social, personal and communication skills for young people, as wellas provide them with productive training via workshops.

Music for him is literally therapy; he says ‘reciting mypains and loves to a rhythm is refreshing. If something is on my mind for awhile then usually, I’m compelled to right about it. My song backside is a question to men andwomen about the obsession with the females BUM, is it natural or is itperverted. Like most of my songs I’m trying to get people thinking.’

His inspirations include Bob Marley, he likes the way ‘hedelivered his music, his love and his mission to the people’ and he feels ‘hedid so much through his music for the lives of others’, he wants to do the samein the future. 'Michael Jackson', he says ‘he is the LORD of music entertainment whatcant you take from him’ and lastly ‘Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan’ he says ‘as aman I look up to him. He is the greatest example of how to conduct yourselfwith morals, strength & discipline. He has spent over 50 years dedicated tothe uplifting of black people and is still going strong. I follow him ontwitter.’

He would say the right time for a musician to take the transition frommusic to a profession in comparison to it being a hobby is ‘when you’vewhole-heartedly decided that, that’s what you’re going to do, but he stillunderstands that ‘it’s different for everyone, he explains 'I know more doors are openingfor me. I just got to continue doing the best for me and my time will come’. Hewould advise up and coming musicians to ‘go in’, with their music and ‘don’t look back’.

He thinks ‘the industry right now is the best it’s been, especially for UKartist', he says 'we are hitting the top of every chart’ so he’s happy.

For more of Mikel you can now contact him personally via his Facebook, Twitter and Myspace as well as check out the GetFamilyar Official Site.

Saffron Parker - GoldmiineLABEL

2011-07-20T17:25:00.003+01:00

'I didn’t think I earned the right to be called an artist so I didn’t promote myself.' Says Saffy the South London designer who owns and has been running her own label GoldmiineLABEL since April this year. She creates and deigns a wide range of items from logos to wall paintings, posters and clothing and has had the pleasure of working artists and designers such as Mista C'mon, Boost and James Rotimi and hopes to design for Mishka in the future.

I thought i'd catch up with Saffy herself to find out more about where it all started.

’I'm an artist from South London and I design a variety of different things for a range of clients; anything from logos to wall paintings, posters, clothing and fashion designs and story boards'. Saffy originally put her creative career on hold to study Sport Science at college, but she soon realised that 'art was something people appreciated'. She says 'I was always a good artist but never thought I was good enough to do something with it, people started coming to me for designs and after hearing a sermon in church about your skills and gifts making a way for you, GoldmiineLABEL began! I made a twitter and clients started pouring in, it’s been going well ever since!'

She feels her work has 'the ability to speak all languages and touch all people which she think is 'awesome' and the reason why she started GoldmiineLABEL. When ask what her names represents she says 'There's no particular reason, I just feel that art in general is like a pot of gold you find at the end of a rainbow, so i named it GoldmiineLABEL'. She says 'I think I follow a certain form of art, but my crazy imagination and personality make my artwork unique and distinctive. My collages are quite popular and I think have become my trademark. A guy I designed a logo for said he looked at my art and saw me which I thought was a really great compliment!

She says that sports, writing and having a good time are three of the most important things to her, but like many she has overcome a number of obstacles to get her to where she is now. The lack of confidence she had in the beginning as well as maintaining a steady image of what she wanted GoldmiineLABEL to be are two big things that held her back. She explains 'I didn’t think I earned the right to be called an artist so I didn’t promote myself which kept GoldmiineLABEL off the map, so no work was coming in. I overcame it by simply pushing that negativity to the side, taking on board all of the compliments and advice I was getting. I sat down and brainstormed until I figured out why I am doing this, what I want the outcome to be, what I want it to symbolize and who I want it to reach out too. I’ve realised we can sometimes be our own worst critic, so this definitely changed my mind set and now I’m confident in my skills and ability to produce dope artwork!

All in all she says, 'I’m a fan of small vintage shops but apart from them I really dig Mishka for their comical cartoony like designs. Supreme for their retro colourful apparel footwear and accessories and Obey is a really cool brand, I love their almost art nouveau type designs as well as their simple stencil prints and pop art pieces. Each brand brings something different and has what I call a real presence in your wardrobe which I think is what I admire most. It motivates me to create artwork that makes people feel like that! The mood I’m in definitely influences what I draw and my environment and lifestyle also plays a big part in what and how I choose to design things. Roy Lichtenstein has always been a big influence, I love the simplicity and boldness of his work and after seeing Chris Brown’s album cover (F.A.M.E) I’ve become a fan of Ron English’s artwork/prints.

In the past she has had the pleasure of working with loads of up and coming designers such as RedLust who specialise in retro plasteramic jewellery, she's designed logos for various dance groups and rappers such as Mista C’mon aka LOX, James Rotimi - who is the maker of College DropOut. She's currently working on designs for a rapper named Boost who will be releasing his Garshh T-shirt Line soon. In the future, she'd love to collaborate with Mishka and hopefully design some artwork for them even if it was for free. She thinks 'they’ve got a dope clothing line and my designs could totally fit in, Mishka people if you happen to see this give me a shout lol'

'I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by a lot of successful and motivated people who help promote GoldmiineLABEL to their fans, listeners and viewers. I think twitter is the best ever and if you ever wanted to start a project or business, it’s definitely the place to go! I’d also recommend you make a blog, I joined Tumblr five months ago and it’s become my online portfolio of art work, fashion and music articles. It’s a great way of connecting with people worldwide and promoting your talent'.

'GoldmiineLABEL is pretty much an artistic movement and the umbrella name for loads of different projects Saffy does. She has recently started work on a mini project called Tatted T’s, which are hand drawn vintage designs on white t-shirts - she'll basically design anything you bring to her - In the future she says we can look forward to 'a range of screen printed designs for T-shirt line ‘Goldmiine Tees’ soon out. I’m planning on customizing Vans and Converses which will hopefully blow up and get crazy attention!'

For all the latest on GoldmiineLABEL you can follow Saffy via Twitter where she says 'she'll definitely follow you back' as well as check out all her new designs on Tumblr.

Kingsley Nebechi - Pompey Plantet

2011-07-14T21:03:00.007+01:00

His father was an architect, so he was always around artfrom a young age, but it wasn't until he enrolled in college on an Art and Designcourse 3 years ago that he chose to pursue a creative career. Kingsley Nebechiis a Graphic Designer and Illustrator originally from Italy,but now lives in North London. He recently launched aproject called entitled Pompey Plantet down in Portsmouth, which has featured on BBC News reflecting the ‘iconic parts of the city’.

I thought I’d catch up with Kingsley himself to find out hisinspirations, sacrifices and goals for the future.

‘I always draw not only as hobby but as a way to express mymood, visions and thoughts. My dad is an architect, so when I was younger I would always see him drawing houses, people and vehicles on a big canvas in ourhouse back in Italy.He used to take me to this architecture studio', for Kingsley, this is where hefound his love for art, he explains ‘I would find myself observing the otherarchitects work on the variety of canvases and as I grew older, no matter whatstage I was in my life, I would always draw’. He then made the conscious decision to make it a career in his first year of college, which is where he started an Art and Design course.

When asked if he’s experienced any difficulties so far he says ‘there's been quitea few, especially when you're in the positions I'm in’, he explains ‘the biggest difficulty is howhard you choose to work and what you choose as a motivational source. I believethat if you want to go far in this type of field you need to be able to lovewhat you do and work as hard as you can. During my journey, so far, I have comeacross so many designers who are motivated by money and you can clearly see itin their work too. At times this profession might get harder than usual and ifyou don't have love for what you do you might find it impossible to carry on'.

’My work means various things to me. I'm extremely fascinated by humanemotions, life and poetry so most of the work I do has some sort of feeling andmovement. My work helps me express myself a lot too and allows me to show adifferent side of me. He recently created a project called ‘Pompey Planet’ for thesouth sea gallery in Portsmouth',which he feels has brought him the most recognition and has been his biggest,project so far. He has gained a lot of positive feed back and ‘the locals love it’ which haslanded him with ‘some very interesting opportunities’. In his view ‘theillustrations show the iconic parts of the city. I've had the pleasure to contribute to great projects and exiting opportunities’.

'I'm influenced by a lot of things but my biggest inspiration hasto be the town I grew up in’, in this case he means Poggibonsi in Florence;he recalls ‘the place is beautiful and the memories of my childhood aresomething I can never forget. It gives me inspiration when I need it the most. Thecompany I would love to work for has to be Ilovedust down in Southsea. I've hadthe chance to meet the guys over there and I must say they are the coolestcompany around. From the work they create to their personalities as well'.

‘It’s important to think positive as it helps me to improve my work, set goal and achieve dreams’. In 5 years he sees himselfworking as an successful and established designer and illustrator with his ownstudio and a collection of ‘super cool works for super cool clients worldwide’.

For more of his work you can now check out his Official Site as well as contact him on Facebook.

Infecta - The Bridge

2011-07-13T02:26:00.004+01:00

He has had the pleasure of working with the BBC, Channel 4 and RWD Magazine and has also been described as ‘a young, talented, upcoming musician, an artist’ by Kiss 100’s DJ Logan Sama. You could even say he’s a media mogul considering his track list of achievements, which include designing, event organising, performing, recording and more. Infecta is a musician from South London who is set to release his debut single ‘Sometimes’ from his long awaited album ‘The Bridge’ featuring Oronde Bennett later this summer.

I thought I’d catch up with Infecta himself to find out where it all started his views on the current industry and more.

Infecta initially got into music as he ‘just wanted to communicate’ with others, He explained ‘after arriving in London around the birth of the grime music scene I gained a lot more influence from everyone in the scene’ especially from artists such as ‘Dizzee Rascal, Kano, and Wiley. This gave him the initial kick-start to 'actually spitting lyrics and joining in the playground cyphers' which where he says 'it all started’.

His alias 'Infecta' stands for: 'lyrically sick and influence others to spit' which was given to him by a close friend who passed away, yet he decided to keep the name in his honour. Sadly, he experienced prejudice in the form of bullying so music quickly became ‘a form of art therapy’ for him. He says, ‘I wanted to find a way to overcome my language barrier as I was a young black boy fresh from home so I couldn't speak properly’, in terms of homes he means Nigeria, where he lived for 10 years before coming to London.

As a child he was ‘influenced by all forms of music’ and spent hours sat in front of the radio, he would say his three major influences were Madonna, Michael Jackson and Missy Elliot. He focuses mainly on vocals, so whether it be gospel, poetry, grime, spoken word, rap, singing or song writing he would say ‘he’s about it' he says, 'what I make is good music that has a positive theme to it. It carries meaningful messages most of the times, plus I try to keep it clean rather than dirty. I’m not here to take your money or win souls or do something that is silly, twisted or corrupt because I believe that music was made for expression and once you start using it for other singled out self gaining goals you add to the corruption which we all know exist within the scene today.’

‘My music represents myself firstly as I know I can't speak for others. It represents positivity, morals, originality. The things that play a part in my life like my surroundings. I convey this through my lyrics and reflect on them through what I record. My motivations are my dreams and my ambition is to make them a reality, by sharing my gift and not saving it to myself so that way hopefully I can influence others’.

When asked if he would choose fame or fortune he says, ‘If you mean fortune as in wealth then I choose fame because there’s a lot more with the favour you will gain from fame, than just having the money. I chase the rank not the bank so I’d rather leave my mark. Everything I do, I do it properly, or at least try to and I always say I only wanted fortune then, as far as music is concerned I would’ve been a songwriter or ghost-writer’.

‘Aside from music my talents lie in acting and directing. I’ve featured in films and helped with some which have been on BBC and Channel 4. I design for my clothing label called 'i&i' which is in sync with HustleBucks which was recently featured in RWD Magazine recently. I also model, I’ve worked for Nike, Addidas, IFeelExperience, Urban Development, Box Frsh, Forreduci, and other fashion and runway Shows. I’ve recently started an Electrical Engineering Apprenticeship because I’ve always loved technology from a young age, I remember the day we were making my alias I wanted to be called 'Gearz' because I was interested in Electrics and Mechanics. I also do a lot of youth work with a number of companies such as; Prince's Trust, Black Police Association, Safer Southwark Partnership, Kickstart, and Foundation 4 Life'.

‘I promote myself through any means necessary literally. Anything I can get involved, from flyers to posters. I’m always building contacts and networks when I go to music events, talent shows, music competitions, and other online opportunities. I also promote through all my social mediums and outlets which are on on my official site’.

‘An example of promoting myself successfully was when I emailed Whtvr.org for around 2 years asking for support as a Southwark resident, so I thought that it made sense for them to support me. They just launched and showcased someone close to me so I though I’d have a chance instead of gazing at the stars go out and introduce yourself as one, so I did, but they never replied, but I never lost hope’.

'They eventually replied and contacted me through my boss Chloe Newman and the interview was done at last. At the time they were also a bigger magazine company so they gave me a two page spread and a front cover which was sent through the whole of Southwark and opened the doors to two more front cover opportunities and got me as one of the headlining acts alongside; Scorcher, Princess Nyah, Egypt, Akala, RD and many more.’

‘This all happened through persistence, it taught me something serious in music, that people only care when there is a buzz. When they where ready, they contacted me but only because I was still working hard in the background and pestering them. Then one thing or another came under their radar and they remembered me and the bookings and magazines opportunities followed. I learnt to be persistent not just on waiting for a bring in from someone else but on making the next big thing for yourself, which was kind of what I was already doing but it only came to my realization at that time’.

He would say that the current music industry ‘is very pretentious and corrupt, but music itself is evolving and growing, making new marks and breaking boundaries. He adds ’I love it, it's inspiring to see so many artist building empires with their supporters not just a fan base and seeing the way technology is adding to the evolution of music, it scares me a bit but also excites me. I have now learnt to support an artist based on the ethics, work rate and music not just music and this is due to the current climate’.

‘My future is bright, but not necessarily is it orange and that I can assure you! I do have an album called ‘The Bridge’ featuring Oronde Bennett aka The Bridge who is a producer and Singer so he produces the melodies and I lace them with words and together we grace them with wisdom mixing down then WALA, a finished product.‘

‘The first single 'Sometimes' from the album will be making it's début on television before August, also an EP with an established producer that does music for commercials by the name Yung Sir. I’m also working with one of the highest ranking female DJ - DJ Nikki From Beatnik on a project and also a whole heap of videos working with YouTube channels so you can enjoy audio visuals as I give freestyles here and there.’

‘Also the clothing will be available online soon for supporters. I wouldn't give it all away or there would be no show so follow on twitter to see what's in store, but know this when one starts it would not stop, the way I have projects lined up is to start and then keep going.’

For more of Infecta you can now checkout his Official Site as well as contact him on Facebook and Twitter.

Shadez The Misfit - Misfit Maximus

2011-07-11T14:22:00.002+01:00

His performances at I Luv Live propelled him to the centrestage of the Channel 4 EVO Music Rooms where he was described as ‘one of thebest unsigned acts’. Since then, he has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Drake,Cee Lo Green, Kelly Rowland, and B.O.B, so his dreams of featuring with Andre3000 or The Noisettes may soon become reality. Shadez The Misfit is a musicianfrom South London who has just released his début mixtape Misfit Maximus.

I thought I’d catch up with Shadez himself to find out moreabout where it all started, who his influences are and what he has planned forthe future.

'Everyone has music in them. Only the gifted have the abilityto share it with the rest of the world. I always saw music as a way of venting my thoughts andfeelings and story telling or creating scenarios with melody’, he explainedwhen asked what music meant to him and how he initially got involved. ‘I foundit hard to keep a diary so I saw music as a way to illustrating my journey butalso adding emotion with beats. It was purely me knowing that I can bring somethingdifferent to the table so I decided to pursue it' in which hie means his career in music

He decided to take his music professionally in comparison tojust being a hobby because of the ‘response from the crowds and people in general,he explained ‘I started out doing open mics events, performing at I Luv Live. Iwanted to see how the crowd would respond. From there people started asking mefor more material so that for me confirmed it all'.

He would say that one of his greatest achievements waswining Channel 4's EVO music rooms where he was described as 'one of the best unsigned acts'. He explains 'this was a huge milestone which really impacted my career. It gave me a chanceto perform alongside Plan B and the fun loving Criminals, music has taken me to alot of places. I've been able to meet and be in the same room as people Iconsider to be great. I feel the best place is yet to come. I am still growing as an artist but I’ve been fortunate to meet Jamiroquai, Drake,Cee Lo Green, Kelly Rowland, B.O.B and Tyler the creator.’

'I'm grateful to have worked with a lot of talented artistsin music. Most recently I've worked with Ski Beatz who has produced for many USstars such as Jay Z , Curren$y and Jim Jones. I've also worked with Toddla T onthe Redbull Mixtape.'

So would you say you've made a lot of sacrifices and if sothere are any regrets? 'Yeah I have. I've made many sacrifices in life and inpursuing my music career. I feel my biggest sacrifice is sleep. It can behard balancing music with your studies and living your life on a low battery.What's worse I'm a workaholic so I don't know when to stop or rest. I don'treally have regrets or don’t see it as regrets, I call it learning life's lessonsreally. I strongly feel that if I didn’t go through those lessons, then I wouldn't bewhere I am now, knowing I have the opportunity to become something bigger thanmyself.'

He would say that is main inspiration is 'God', he explains'I feel I owe my all to God after coming from a place where people doubt youand don't believe in you, to doors now being opened and being seen as a newinfluence in UK music scene. I feel that my prayers are being answered one byone'. He feels that another inspiration is 'life itself' although he has facedstruggles, hurdles and negative experiences; they've each contributed to him asan artist giving him something to write and say. Also, he can't forget the'support from friends and family who always have his best interest at heart andinspire him to be better, especially his Mum!

Some words of advice he would give to up and comingmusicians would be 'to understand yourself, there's no rush. In such acompetitive market, knowing what you stand for and your niches are key forpeople to understand you as a character and as an artist. Always aim to do whathas not been done, there's no point living your career being compared toothers. Most importantly be yourself, don't try to be something your not,there's no need to live a lie Peoplelike sincerity and knowing that the music is coming from you.

In the future he would love to work with Andre 3000, The Noisettes,J*davey, Muhsinah and Everything Everything. He says 'their sound andwhat they bring to music is very unique and I would love to see what we couldmake in the studio. This year has been great so far and there's still a lotmore to come from the misfit in 2011. Expect more music and more visuals. I'mjust trying to represent something which is not heard in the UK,good experimental music.

You can now download Misfit Maximus via his Official Site,add him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Dzham - I Like It

2011-07-10T23:10:00.014+01:00

Dzham is recording artist from Smolensk in the Russian Federation who has been pursing a music career for as long as he can remember. He has been described as ‘one of the biggest Hip Hop stars of the Eastern Bloc’. Although he has release 4 albums in his native tongue, he is looking to develop his style and craft by taking his music to international level performing in UK, Europe and the rest of the world. In the past he has collaborated with the UK’s Sway and Ironik as well as the US’s Jim Beanz, Onyx and DJ Whoo Kid.

Earlier this month he released his debut single ‘I Like It’ ft David Todua which has received over 10,000 views. I thought I’d catch up with Dzham himself to find out the concept behind his début single as well as what he has planned for the future.

‘About 8 years I started organising Hip Hop parties which allowed me to get more involved in music. The UK music scene had a major influence on me as an artist as it pretty much shaped what type of music I make right now. My latest single ‘I Like It’ aims to take my listeners thoughts away form everyday problems and make them remember what they like to do in their life and provide them with a positive attitude’.

A typical day in the life of Dzham starts off like this, he wakes up pretty late, more or less lunch time which he says ’is so typical for artists, because we spend nights in recording studios’. If he’s not recording himself, he spends his day attending and scheduling meetings. He syas ‘I like being me I travel a lot, and perform in different cities. Everyday brings something new and different’.

He explains how his collaboration with Sway on the track 'Redhanded' came about, he says ‘I met him in UK studio and we decided to make a song together the same day. It was so great to work with Sway, I enjoyed every minute of our work. He is very easy going and professional.’ Aside from Sway he has had the pleasure of working with artists such as UK’s Ironik, American producer Jim Beanz, who works with Timbaland, G Unit member DJ Whoo Kid, Hip Hop legends like Onyx, and their front man Fredro Starr. Although it was his first experience collaborating with American artists, he described it as being very ‘epic’.

On the UK music front, he would say ‘right now the musicians in the industry are here at the right tine. You can see a lot of artists growing and bringing their own thing today, because of the social media boom, listeners now have the ability to choose and support artists that they like and make them bigger and greater. But he feels an artist should ‘stay true to their music and style’. He continues ‘some people take life too serious I want to bring positive vibes to people. I want to make the type of music that will let them forget about their domestic problems and concentrate on fun stuff’.

All in all, Dzham would say that his music ‘tends to reflect both the good and bad sides of the Russian way of life such as the dark suburbs, luxury clubs, family problems and criminal atmosphere all of which are vacant in his hometown. Every experience has influenced him to become a better artist as his bases his poetry is on the things that surround him every day, thereby reciting the struggles of life he knows.

His ambition for the future is to ‘become an internationally renowned Hip Hop artist’ touring and performing his music overseas and most importantly releasing new videos and music. He says ‘I want to be able to share my thoughts and music with the rest of the world. I plan to release my new album in the end of 2011’.

For more of Dzham, you can now watch is latest release 'I Like It' via Youtube as well as contact him personally on his Official Site and Facebook

Writeway - One Way

2011-07-10T14:20:00.006+01:00

Writeway are a gospel music collective from East London that consists of singers, rappers producers andsongwriters. As a collective they are determined ‘Lead the world to live theright way!’ by making music with a positive influence entwined with their beliefsin the Christian faith. They have had the pleasure of working with commendablegospel artist such as Victizzle, Guvna B and Dwayne Tryumf in addition toperforming at events in the UKand overseas.

I thought I’d catch up with Tunday, one of the four membersof the group to find out where it all started.

‘My Names Tunday, I’m a gospel rapper, songwriter, andsports fanatic, I love gym and football. I released my 1st album ‘Identity’on 13th June 2009 atan album launch with the MOBO Award winning Victizzle who won the Best GospelAct 2009 which attracted 2000 people the event. I also won an award in 2009from the Christian Broadcast Council which gave me the chance to tour the UKand abroad sharing my life experiences at youth seminars in countries such as New York, Florida, St Luciaand India. Ihave also worked with men from prisons and Youth institutions. My style is ablend of Hip Hop, Indie Rock and R&B.’

‘I wanted to use music to influence the people around me tolive a life that was in direct contrast to the negative lifestyle celebrated byso many. I understood the impact that music had on the growth of a person andfelt there was a gap in society that an organisation with the right manifestocould fill. Luckily, I came across individuals who felt the same way andliked this concept. So we all started this Journey together.’

‘The name Writeway is taken from Proverbs 3:5-6 meaning forGod to direct our steps and lead us in the right direction. The names speltthat way because we want to lead the world the right way through our writing’

He feels that it’s very important to buy as an artist as ‘It’sa symbol of empathy and support. With the amount you invest as an artist, you wouldn’twant to see it go down the drain when someone could have easily bought yourmaterial. We all bought Triple O's album, a UKgospel artist who released his small project called ‘Come Home’ in December2010.’

‘As a group we'd love to collaborate with Mali Music. Hisqualities are so diverse, a producer, a rapper a singer. He'd compliment oursound on a track because he sounds like 3 different people in one! Our music isaimed at young teenagers aged 13 and upwards. Our siblings are those ages, andeven though we are in our early 20's, we haven’t forgotten what its like to bein our teens and we obviously know what its like to be a young adult in thisworld. We appeal to this age group because we relate to them.

He’d describe the journey so far as ‘a roller coaster ridein the dark. Thrilling, fun but a scary ride because you just don’t know what’sgoing to happen next. I’ve got a sophomore album out soon, but I’m notgoing to reveal when it will be out just yet’.

The collective consists of three other members who go by thename of Presha J, Leke and Rhema, this is what they had to say.

‘I'm Presha J, im a 22 year old is a rapper. I released asingle in 2008 called “No More” featuring Tunday which pushed me to start myfirst project which was my EP named “Changes” in 12th December 2008. Ialso released a music video named “Whose Side Are You On” that has gained over31,000 views so far and was also featured on Channel AKA playlist. On the 10th December 2010, Ireleased another video called “Changes” which was taken from my EP, which hasprepared me for my release of my 1st album in 2011. My style is a mix ofIndie Grime, Hip Hop and RnB.

Aside from music he ‘goes to the gym’ and ‘writes a lot’.When asked about his journey so far he says ‘This for me has been exciting, Ican’t complain, I love music so I'd say it’s a privilege! Im currentlyfinishing up on a few singles planned for the year and my 1st album.’

‘My names Leke Akinyemi I’m a 20-year-old worship leader,singer and songwriter, I’m also an official worship leader in my church. I’mcurrently working on my EP and a music video for 2011. I have collaborated withthe likes of Dwayne Tryumf who is an International Gospel Artist, Victizzle whowon a MOBO Award for the Best Gospel Act in 2009 and Guvna B who aslso won aMOBO Award for Best Gospel Act in 2010. My style is R & B, Acoustic, IndieRock and Worship.

When he’s not making music Basketball is his hobby. He woulddescribe his journey so far he says as ‘a motorway journey, some what of a tourof Life, making many stops and progression along the way. I’m working on variousthings but focused on my E.P. and a single! The Writeway Short-film is also dueto be released soon!

‘Yo my names Rhema and I'm a 21 year old rapper and youthleader in development,

I've always desired to use music to spread my testimony. Iam a newly recruited artist on this firm. I released my first music video &Downloadable track with Writeway on 31st January 2011, which received 5,000 views nationwide & over 1,000,downloads within the first week. My mixtape is set to be released in later thisyear.

Aside from music he also I loves basketball andwriting! He says that his experience so far has been ‘Awesome’ he explains‘I've met a lot of people, this time last year I’d never think I’d be doingwhat I’m doing now, I’m just very grateful, a very awesome journey. I have afree mixtape coming up this year, please look out for that! I'm working on itas you read this lol!

According to the collective the ‘Impact is more important than music but music will be thefoundation for WriteWay to expand and create an open door for the youngsters ofthis generation to use their gifts whether it is singing, acting, photographyor to represent the youth in politics to continue in the “right way’

For more of Writeway, you can now contact them via their Official Site or Facebook.

Xploder - Line OF Fire

2011-07-04T11:10:00.003+01:00

From being the centre of attention at family function to taking his music abroad to The Czech Republic and Italy as well as receiving major support from radio stations such as BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100 and Choice FM after the released of his EP ‘Line Of Fire' as well as being described as ‘an artists to look out for in 2011’ by BBC Radio 1 DJ Ras Kwame you could say this musician is destined to succeed this year. Xploder is an up and coming musician from East London who has been pursuing a music career for just over 4 years.

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

Similar to many artists, Xpolder started, rapping and producing his own material underground. He then joined the infamous ‘Highly Rated Camp’ alongside Beckz Winter and his brother DDark as they shared the same ambitions to further their music careers, individually as well as a collective. The camp was a huge success and became recognised as an underground company, which then gave them the chance to appear and perform on

pirate and internet radio stations such as Mystic FM, Deja Vu, Rinse FM, Heat FM and Axe FM.

Since then he has released two singles ‘Don’t Trust You’ and ‘So True’ which have both accumulated mass support and following in addition to being selected as an ambassador for the “I Am Awards” which aims to offer unsigned and self-releasing artists a platform to share their music. His name alone may come across as intimidating to most, but it’s simply an expression, that represents his unexpected talent. He describes himself as ‘quite a reserved individual’ yet he is ‘known to astound music lovers with his explosive lyrical energy and musical abilities’.

’I'm a grime musician from East London, so I write and perform songs’ says Xploder ‘From a young age I always used to be the centre of attention when it came to family gatherings whenever music was played. I remember singing and dancing around with a small toy cassette player that had a microphone attached to it. So music has always been part of my life.'

He would say that the best place his music has taken him has to be ‘abroad to Italy and the Czech Republic. He explains ‘seeing hundreds of people being able to connect to my music even with the language barrier, it's amazing trust me! He would say that he’s more interested in that fortune rather than the fame as ‘as it gives you the power to invest and build.’

‘My inspiration is my mum as she is such a hard worker, and has always made me believe that anything is achievable with working hard’. He is also inspired by a range of artists include Dizzee Rascal, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Michael Jackson, Nas, Outkast, Stevie Wonder and UB40.

Four qualities he feels a good musician should have are ‘Consistency, organisation, focus and versatility. He says 'all these go hand in hand. Once you leave one of these elements out, you end up falling short. In the UK I think we’re all finding ourselves within the industry and understanding the infrastructure behind it. This is helping to boost the music we love and make to the forefront of the UK. This definitely helps me as an artist, as it creates many avenues for me to get my music heard.’

’I promote myself in many different ways. For example, I have a good team consisting of a plugger, PR and booking agent. I also make sure my social networks are always buzzing with something. He says 'The most effective way to promote yourself as an artists is the internet. You allows you to have unlimited access to a wide range of people instantly'.

Although his Line of Fire EP is out now via iTunes, in the future we can expect him to be ‘pushing a few single from the EP with visuals’ as well as a ‘single release and video for HYPE SHOW’

You can now contact Xpolder via his Official Site, Facebook and even follow him on Twitter.

Platinum - K Sounds

2011-07-01T10:52:00.004+01:00

‘Our music has always been about channelling energy through whichever instrument or source is put in front of us’ says Planitum the CEO of the collective K-Sounds.

The collective broke into the music scene back in 2007 with their first underground release ‘Next Up' which was a huge success. It held them as number 1# in the charts on Channel AKA for several weeks as well as receiving immense airplay on Choice FM, Kiss FM and other local radio stations.

I thought I’d catch up with Platinum the CEO and Founder of the collective to find out where it all started.

K-Sounds originally began in 2000, with members Platinum and Dmac from South London. What started for them as a hobby soon became a potential career path that they began to take more seriously. So they decided to expand their collective and recruited two new members which where Drastick, and Chaser.

They began distributing music locally and hosting at house parties, youth clubs and any other social event possible. As their fan base grew, so did the will to maximise their potential as artists, provoking them to take their music to an even bigger and better professional plateau.

They group began to release their music officially, starting with their underground hit single 'Next up' which sold over 500 copies on white label vinyl. They also shot a video with Mastermind productions which held number 1# spot on Channel AKA for numerous weeks, in addition to them receiving immense radio play via Choice FM, Kiss Fm and other local station. This exposure they received enabled them to perform both nationally and internationally in countries such as Cyprus and Germany.

'In a small group it's hard to imagine people being so similar but also individual in different aspects' Says Platinum. Me and Drastick provide the energy and love for music, while Chaser possesses the business skills. He has a more structured approach to music. His willingness to push things forward, as well as mine, Drasktick's and Chaser's musical passion fuels the group and our success.’

‘Our music has always been about channelling energy through whichever instrument or source is put in front of us. As kids from an urban background our lyrics are always sourced from experience and life’s challenges. Every year since we were young we've been faced with different situations but we always manage to portray that in our music.’

Platinum speaks on behalf of his gang when he says ' K-Sounds are entertainment. Some artists forge a career from acting in front of the camera and creating tracks that over hype their career. K-Sounds give you the truth in music, but with careful thought and precise beats to accompany our stories. Everything from the thought to the final project comes from us, our ideas and our lives so if people still have an appreciation for real music then they should be following us.'

Showing love to other artist's is a must for Platinum, he says 'If I see something I like in an artist I make sure I listen to them however big or small they are. During my years in music I’ve showed interest in a lot of artists and tried to help them further their career, most notably Smart kid aka Smartz and Tinie Tempah. The last single I purchased was by Twissman ft Dotstar. I got in contact with Twissman via Twitter and saw a couple of his tweets. I decided to purchase a song or two and I enjoyed it. Dotstar is an amazing artist as well and after listening to two tracks I knew I had to purchase his songs.'

Four qualities he thinks a good musician should attain are ambition, determination, honesty and diversity. 'The 1st two qualities are self explanatory, without those you'll never succeed in anything. Honesty is important for an artist as I believe that it separates you from others and your honesty will be picked up on. Artists such as Eminem and Nas have used their life experiences in their music and have gained a strong fan base purely on the back of their honesty. The last quality for me is diversity. When I first entered the music scene I didn't want to do anything but grime but over time I realised I had to adapt my style to suit people's musical tastes in order to increase my fan base. Some people may call this selling out, but the more people you appeal to the more successful you are. The main reason for people doing music is to reach people emotionally so I see no problem with it.

Their alias K-Sounds, actual stand for Charismatic sounds; it represents them collectively making good music with a positive influence. They've been fortunate enough to work with the likes of Splurge , Lioness, Kadey James, Ghetto, Tinie Tempah, Messy, Raharma, Nico Mills (F.A.T) and Erico (Sony) just to name a few. Plantinum says ‘In the future, we would like to work with more singers and artists similar to us. We’re interested in artists such as Davinche, Cleo Sol and Loick Essien because of their love for their craft and beauty in music.’

‘This year is a make or break for us. We’ve already completed a mix tape which is currently in its mastering process and we'll be releasing 5 or 6 videos for our mix tape tracks. We’ve also recorded a track with Splurge entitled Drunk remix which is due to be released before the summer. People can expect to see us doing freestyles for Grime Daily and SBTV and many other media sources. In a nutshell, we aim to do as best as we humanly can. We’ve been in touch with many labels and management companies and if putting pen to paper is what finally pushes us to where we wish to be then that’s the next step we’ll be taking.'.

"South Circular”, “The Freestyles" and "All or nothing" are their earliest material. Ontogenesis E.P is their latest release which is now available on ITunes and various outlets now aswell as their newest videos Guns & roses and Wave control . So keep your eyes peeled for what they have yet to come. You can now contact via Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Youtube.

Stefan Paul - Sketch Designs

2011-06-28T14:40:00.002+01:00

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.

Michael Leon Carr - Hennessy

2011-06-24T01:00:00.020+01:00

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?

MenaCe: I 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

Big Cakes - Blue Cheese

2011-06-23T13:11:00.001+01:00

'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.