D Dark - The Quest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr ShaoDow - Get Stronger

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


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

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

  

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

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

  

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ethan Breakaway - Some Stories Are True That Never Happened

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I mean who knows?’

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

Juliyaa - The Rhythm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reflect - Burp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Razor - Reinventing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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