XVII - Issue Two

INTERVIEW

Muslim Alim Mixolgy: Swing!

Fashionology: Hats

Sola Rosa +Plus

DJ Psykhomantus Free Yasiin Bey Mixtape!

Profisee, Nasty P, Esperanza Spalding, Yasiin Bey, Q-Tip XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 1

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Issue II

CONTENTS XVII - The interactive eMag for Independent Creativity, Music, Culture, Art and Lifestyle around the world. Founded in Scotland 2012

Tings!

6

Esperanza Splading

8

Hip-Hop Tech

14

Muslim Alim

18

info@17thletter.co.uk

Sola Rosa

24

Edited & CURATED by

Audio Boutique

30

Profisee

32

Nasty P

37

Fashionology: Hats

42

Artist Focus

46

Mixology: Swing

54

Yasiin Bey Mixtape

60

Founded by 17thLetter Boutique Music Network

Matthew Quest & Hugo Abisset

Contributors & Thanks Sola Rosa, Andrew Spraggon, Janette Searle, Nasty P, Profisee, Bobby Jr from Ill Behaviour, Rasteri, Adrian Gomes, Deej Malik, Wayan Zoey, Ruth Robinson, Holly Ounstead, Rosalie McBride, 45-a-side Studio, Colin Austin, T-Kid, Muslim Alim & Tamsin Morgan from the BBC. Special Thanks to DJ Psykhomantus & Chris J. Collins.

Designed & Published by

17th Letter - www.17thletter.co.uk Maverick & Co. - www.maverickandco.com

Cover Image Sola Rosa

Maverick & Co. This issue was bought to you by the colour: Red joined by fonts - Trajan, Helvetica Neue, Blackout 2AM, Calluna, Code, Ostrich, Bebas, Museo, and of course, the number 17.

Music // Lifestyle // Culture

Sola Rosa

Disclaimer All works, trademarks, logos, photography, design and branding featured remains copyright original owner or creator where applicable. No aspect of this digital publication may reproduced, printed or copied without seeking prior permission. We endorse every word, every product and all opinions of guest journalists and featured content within. www.17thletter.co.uk / info@17thletter.co.uk

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Editorial The Auto-tune fad is dead, but so is the replacement! After Coachella 2012 it seems the future of the music industry is firmly upon us. It wasn’t so much the Tupac hologram itself, more the fact that Snoop and Dre have made motions to tour this circus..

Although an expensive process, they will have no problem re-cooping costs and will surely pave the way for similar reincarnations. It was all a very different feeling from watching the first Gorrilaz live show in Manchester, at least then it was a hybrid of animation and one of the largest live band setups of recent times.

Advances in technology are 4 - Q2 / May 2012 - XVII

a wonderful thing, our studio would look very different if not for them; but here at exVee, when considering the longerterm trends, events like this only reaffirm the need for original, quality, independent and ‘organic’ music.

This issue we are blessed to have just that. Sola Rosa from New Zealand, Esperanza Spalding from Portland with in-depth interviews from Scotland’s own Profisee, Nasty P and BBC Radio’s Muslim Alim.

We cap it all off with new sections and our first exclusive mixtape - Yasiin Bey / Mos Def from DJ Psykhomantus!

As ever, let us know what you think.

-MQ

BROOKLYN BASED Live Electronica group, NERVE, RECENTLY TOURED WITH DJ SHADOW around the usa. the shows were recorded and are now available from bandcamp. name your price. nerve.bandcamp.com

NERVE

www.jojomayer.com XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 5

Ticket Masters The blurb on the back cover pretty much says it all: “Reading this book won’t make you any happier about spending four hundred bucks to go to a rock show but you’ll understand how it happened and who’s to blame.”

Available in the usual outlets. For more on Dean Bundick and Josh Baron check their magazine > www.relix.com

Warmahorn Neoprene sleeves designed to protect, colour and add a little warmth to your horn...High street fashion for brass. New products available all the time, including valve guards and cuts for other instruments. Aside from being practical, adds some real modern style to a solo performance or horn section, just like Hypnotic Brass Ensemble pictured above.

“Various tones avaliable” www.warmahorn.com

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Akai - MPC Fly The final announcement from Akai in a triology of new products to hit the shelves in the UK this summer - MPC Fly. Coupled with an iPad it gives you genuine old school MPC pads with on-the-fly new school tech. Super-Fly. www.akaiprompc.com

more tings next issue...

If you have a product you would like us to feature or review send links / press release to info@17thletter.co.uk

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 7

The New Ambassador of Jazz

BY WAYAN ZOEY

On the 13th of February in 2011, the first shots of a new revolution were fired. In the face of stiff competition from the likes of Mumford & Sons, Florence & The Machine, Drake, and the ubiquitous Justin Bieber, a relatively unknown jazz bassist won the Best New Artist Grammy Award. Esperanza Spalding, at the relatively young age of 27, managed to become the first ever jazz musician to win Best New Artist, and on the heels of possibly the most challenging album in her catalog, Chamber Music Society. In a single moment, the entire world was forced to take notice that not only was jazz still alive and well, but that it was currently embodied in the form of the diminutive bassist with the 2nd best afro in music.

I was fortunate enough to first be introduced to the talents of Ms. Spalding in 2002, when I was plying my trade as a jazz musician in Portland and hearing many of my peers speak of this “Esperanza kid” that was killing on the bass. I got to catch at a tiny club called Disjecta, at a show that doubled as a fundraiser for her pending move to Boston to attend Berklee. As a young musician trying to work my way in to the tight-knit jazz community of Portland, I can’t deny that I felt somewhat relieved that this kid was moving to Boston, where she would be unable to continue showing up musicians twice her age. She certainly left an impression on me at the time, but I didn’t think much more about her until about 6 years later, when, while flipping channels on the TV late at night, I noticed her being announced as the musical guest on David Letterman’s show. I had no idea she was still active in the music world, let alone being featured on one of the most prestigious spots for music on American television. And she killed it.

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In the 6 years since I’d last seen her play, she grew from being a kid with a bright future and a precocious relationship with the bass and her voice to an attention-commanding frontwoman, wielding not only her brilliantly developed upright bass technique but also exceptional vocal abilities. She performed the song “Precious” off her sophomore LP Esperanza, and by the next day all my coworkers at the drum shop I was managing at the time were talking about this girl with the afro killing it on the bass and demanding that I play the album (which I had downloaded immediately after watching her performance) over the shop’s PA. I felt a twinge of déjà vu, only instead of hearing this sort of chatter in tiny jazz clubs in Portland, I was hearing it from everywhere in the massive musical community of New York City.

None of us expected her to win a major Grammy though. I don’t think anyone could have hoped for such fortune to be bestowed upon the jazz world. Sure, NARAS had recently seen it fit to honor Herbie Hancock with an Album Of The Year award as recently as 2008, but much like their 2001 choice of Steely Dan, it felt mostly like overdue recognition for decades-old output.

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With Spalding though, the Grammys thrust the spotlight on the current generation of jazz musicians, and not only built anticipation for Spalding’s new release, Radio Music Society, but also generated attention and opportunity for her many like-minded compatriots.

Unlike Chamber Music Society’s explorations in free jazz and classical orchestration, Radio Music Society instead plumbs the depths of r&b, hiphop, and soul, all while retaining the unmistakably jazzy approach that is Spalding’s signature. The result is probably her most enjoyable album to date. It’s almost a subversive missile of jazz aimed at the ears of the pop-listening public, wrapping her gentle vocal acrobatics and complex harmonies in a comfortable coat woven of threads like Q-Tip production and Stevie Wonder composition. Your mum and newsagent will be inadvertently rewriting their sonic preferences to include the complex beauty of jazz, and hopefully in turn open them up to similar recent jazz gems as the new releases from Robert Glasper and Vijay Iyer.

The last generation of jazz musicians bore the face of Wynton Marsalis, determined to institutionalize and archive jazz as a historic relic. This generation is blessed to have a pioneer of exploration and inclusion as the new face of the never-dead genre.

-WZ

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Akira Kiteshi | Nasty P |Capitol1212 BZ | Deburgh | Naledi Herman 12 - Q2 / May 2012 - XVII

Independent music group based in Scotland, UK. Ill Behaviour are a music group which houses companies and musicians based in and around Scotland. Founded in October 2011, Ill Behaviour was formed to showcase Scottish musical talent and give artists a platform to become established acts across the globe.

Housing Retrosonic Records, Xplicit Recordings, Soul Biscuits, IBP (Ill Behaviour Publishing) and with artists like Akira Kiteshi, BZ, Capitol 1212, Deburgh & Nasty P on the releasing and booking roster, IBMG are covering a lot of ground across the central belt of Scotland and beyond. They are also just in the process of completing an album with singer/songwriter Naledi Herman, out later this year.

We’re anticipating big things from these guys over the coming months so keep your ‘em locked on the usual outlets for updates. http://illbehaviourgroup.wordpress.com

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Like the piano is to ragtime, and the guitar is to rock, hiphop is as much defined by the instruments as by the artists. Since the foundation of hiphop is the beat, the instrument that embodies the genre is whatever we use to create that beat - whether that be in the form of two turntables, an analogue drum machine, a digital sampler, or a computer.

Early DJs like Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flowers usually get the credit for inventing hiphop.

They established the template of the genre by using two copies of the same record to loop drum breaks while MCs rhymed over them. The earliest hiphop recordings were bootlegs from these parties, and later purpose-made mixtapes were released by the likes of Grandmaster Flash.

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The turntable of choice for these DJs was of course the evergreen Technics SL-1200. First released in 1972 as a hi-fi turntable, it’s strong motor, robust construction and excellent vibration damping characteristics quickly ensured it’s ubiquity in clubs and radio stations - a status it enjoyed right up to it’s eventual tragic discontinuation in October of 2010, thirty-eight years later. It is hard to imagine a world without the 1200, but their near indestructability should ensure their status as industry standard for years to come.

Interestingly, the first commercial hiphop records did not reflect the “two turntables and a microphone” roots of the genre. They were produced more like traditional albums - for example, the producers of Rapper’s Delight..

(the first commercial hiphop record) simply hired a session bassist to play the bass-line from Chic’s Good Times rather than sampling the original. Later records, particularly those in the electro style, stripped the instruments away and replaced them with analogue or digital drum machines. The analogue Roland TR-808 was particularly popular with electro artists like Afrika Bambaataa, and together with its digital cousin the Oberheim DMX they came to define the sound of early-tomid 80’s hiphop.

With the start of the golden era, sampled and rearranged drum breaks taken from old funk records started to replace drum machines. Early samplers were prohibitively expensive, so the first producer to use chopped-up breaks in hiphop - Marley Marl - used three Korg SDD2000 digital delay units as makeshift samplers. Originally intended to simply output a delayed version of the sound fed into them, the units could be operated to “hold” sounds in memory instead. These sounds could then be recalled at the press of a button - or triggered by an external input. When combined with the trigger outputs of the TR-808’s drum sequencer, Marl had built himself a basic sampler/sequencer setup.

The machine that really kicked off the golden age however was the SP-12, released in 1986. Emu Systems’ iconic drum machine combined a sampler and sequencer in one convenient, relatively cheap package. For the first time it was possible for a producer to sample breaks and rearrange them how they wished, and by the time the updated SP-1200 was released a year later, it had been adopted by virtually every hiphop producer in the world. The distinctively low-fi sound of the machine combined with the aggressive-sounding filters make it a sought-after product even today.

That brings us to the really big player in hiphop production. Chances are, even if you’ve never had any interest in beatmaking, you’ll have heard the letters M, P and C mentioned many times. They of course refer to Akai’s revolutionary Music Production Center range of sequencer/samplers, which are as inseparable from modern hiphop as boastfulness and vanity. They are the brainchild of the legendary Roger Linn, who designed several influential sampling drum machines throughout the early 80s, and foreshadows of the MPC can be seen the Linn 9000’s velocity-sensitive pads.

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Although the original Akai MPC60 was released only a year after the SP-1200, it didn’t catch on nearly as quickly. Early adopters, however, were blown away by it’s superior sound quality, advanced sequencing capabilities, and superbly ergonomic performance pads. Producers eventually adopted it en-mass in the early 90’s, and Akai went on to release several more MPCs with increased memory and sound quality, ensuring it’s dominance over hiphop production for an astounding twenty years.

With the increasing power and decreasing price of modern computers, the MPC is starting to be displaced in popularity by software solutions. The increased flexibility and clarity that working on a big screen offers over the more fiddly hardware-based sampler/sequencers is starting to win many beatmakers over to solutions like Ableton Live and Propellerheads Reason. Aimed squarely at MPC-refugees is Native Instruments’ software/hardware hybrid Maschine, which includes a controller with the familiar sixteen pads and a variety of knobs and buttons to aid production. Akai have released new versions of the MPC to try and regain some lost ground, but it’s clear that no one device will ever again completely dominate the hiphop production scene.

-RS

Rasteri ...is a producer and turntablist, blending classic Jazz-inspired beats with modern scratch techniques. Heavily influenced by golden era groups but with no unnecessary nostalgia to hold him back, he is sure to engage the discerning heads. His debut release ‘Soul before Style’ is due to drop in Summer soundcloud.com/rasteri

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[ 45asiderecordings.co.uk ]

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 17

muslim Alim

For m have ing in in Sco domin eleme of hig local m whole

Pop, Electr been never as co now. is sha a truly platfo

Steppin der a d a passi venture program he has tion of BBC R ment o presen 18 - Q2 / May 2012 - XVII

many years you would been correct in thinkndependent black music otland had been a prenately underground ent, however a plethora ghlights now grace the music scene from a e host of backgrounds.

Jazz, Hip-Hop and ronica talents have ever-present locally but r as exposed and never ollectively organised as Home-grown product aping the beginnings of y stable and sustainable orm.

ng back from this, a little undecade, a Media student with ion for music, Muslim Alim, ed from post-college training mme into the BBC – since then been involved in the produccountless shows across the Radio Networks. With an assortof Jazz and Hip Hop elements nt on these shows, a list that

includes BBC Scotland, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, we ask the person behind the people his thoughts on this on-going, yet tangibly present, shift with black music in Scotland…

How would you best describe the current music scene in Scotland?

The local music scene has reached a critical point that has been a long time coming. I started

listening to hip hop in 1984, breakdancing on the streets of Dundee, by the late 80’s crews such as II Tone Committee emerged, the 90’s saw the fledgling Mo Wax signing tracks from Scottish acts for their Headz compilation along with the likes of DJ Shadow, clubs such as Seen in Edinburgh sold out on a weekly basis, Roots Manuva linked up with Oh Eye Records, RCA signed Glasgow’s NT and Edinburgh’s Blacka’nized.

By the 00’s Scotland Yard Emcees started making headlines beyond Scotland, DJ Nu Mark from Jurassic 5 featured a track by Ayrshire’s All Time High on his Hands On LP and Plus One became the World Champion. All of this has led to now, where battle raps... >

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 19

...have moved from Kelvingrove Park (Glasgow) to selling out venues but it’s th comfort of rapping in native dialect enha by local sla and idioms “a critical point that has empow the scene. has been a long

time coming...”

Nearly ever country in t world that embraced hip hop started by mimicking the originators but over time t realised that to “be real” you had to be y self. This is why the second biggest hip h market outside of America is France with a mid-Atlantic accent to be heard.

Watching Hector Bizerk support MF Doo or Madhat McGore kill the BBC Introducing stage at T in the Park is the tipping p – lazy journalists can keep their ‘Scottish Eminem’ comparisons – there’s more cha of Scotland’s youth identifying with them any U.S. rapper.

So, what do you look out for when sele ing independent new music for your sh playlists?

The things I look for in music for the Rad 1 BBC Introducing show include, origina passion, uniqueness, quality of recording ing the best in their genre, lyrics, strong v and relevance to our audience. All artists a spectrum of influences but if you refere them too hard you’ll end up sounding like 20 - Q2 / May 2012 - XVII

he anced ang s that wered

ry the

they yourhop h not

om point h ance m than

“All artists have a spectrum of influences but if you reference them too hard you’ll end up sounding like an imitation...” imitation rather than an inspired origination…. so take care with that. And If you’re making music and want to be played on the radio, do some research on which Network eg Radio 1/ Radio 2/6Music etc and which show within those networks are best suited to your music before submitting.

Thanks to Muslim Alim and the BBC.

ecthows

dio ality, g, bevoices s have ence e an XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 21

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RIP MCA 1964 - 2012

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 23

Amidst a non-stop schedule, releasing a new album and embarking on a world tour we pinned-down Andrew Spraggon from New Zealand’s live groove outfit; Sola Rosa...

How was Sola Rosa born?

I’d played in bands from the age of 13 till I was 27. Mostly they were indie rock bands, later in my 20’s my musical taste changed from rock to hiphop, funk, soul, jazz and reggae. I wanted to take a break from being in a band, have some autonomy and sit in a room and just have some fun with it. I bought a computer and some software and out of that came Sola Rosa.

Sola Rosa seems to have quite a collective spirit, who represents the core of the live band?

The core band members are Spikey Tee on vocals, Ben White on guitar and Matt Short on

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Would you place your m genre?

Not really. I simply describ music influenced by vario listen to everything from f gae, drum and bass to roc all good musical styles.

What’s your approach w

I’ve only just finished our be released in a few mont started my list of guest vo album. We always have S front man and he’s aweso keep things interesting an people as well. Usually I h other peoples tracks and on a list. Then when it com beats I make contact via F see if they are interested i they are. Haven’t had any

Bass. We work with a bunch of different female vocalists when we play live, which is reflective of the album sound. At the moment we have Cherie Matheson performing with us, and with the new album we’ll have Cherie and L.A. Mitchell who appears on the new album. They’re all a really great bunch of people, a pleasure to work with.

music within a certain

be it as groove music – ous forms of groove. We funk to hip hop to regck etc. So we draw from

when collaborating?

next album, which will ths and I’ve already ocalists for the next Spikey there as he’s our ome, however I like to nd work with different hear them featuring on write their names down mes to working on new Facebook, Twitter etc to in collaborating. Usually ybody turn me down yet.

Producing organic music takes a long time, with many processes – I assume you must have your own project studio; can you tell us a little about your approach to this...

Techincally or otherwise, anything you each can’t be without when in the studio or on the road?

Yes I have my own studio, so some tracking I do at home, but lots of it we do at other studios – drums, horns, strings etc. I work with loads of different musicians outside of the core band for strings, horns, percussion that kind of thing.

We’re basically all live these days when it comes to recording, we have a few samples or loops but far less than we use to. I find recording real players more interesting and inspiring than using loops.

The initial writing process goes something like this: I find a sample off various old records, bang out a drum beat, add a bass line, put some keyboards in there and create a beat, a vibe. The beat might only take one or two days in the studio of just mucking around.

Once I get it sounding stronger in terms of the idea and bones of it, I’ll bring in Ben and Matt and we’ll build on it from there. I just keep adding layers.

Then I’ll look at what else it needs and start to collaborate with other players, singers etc. > XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 25

The first part is easy, however it does seem to take me about 3 years on average to make an album. I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

Spiritually speaking, I don’t know - I can only make music when I’m in the happy positive headspace.

Things we can’t be without – Ableton Live. Also sleep and good food are tour essentials.

Your videos, presentation and design are also top-notch, does this stem from an element within the band or something external?

Quality is really important – across the board. It’s the whole package really, how you present yourself and how you portray yourself. It’s the same as how you dress when you leave the house. How do you see yourself, how do you wanna be portrayed. You can look like a bag lady, or you can put some effort in.

I like art as much as I like music, I don’t profess to know as much as I do about music, but I know what I like. So I think the art and visual image is important. When I’m record shopping I look for cover art first, then label then I’ll check it out and listen to it.

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If it’s got a shitty cover then chances are I’m not going to listen to it.

Also you end up collaborating with various people working in various creative fields be it musicians, designers, video producers – whatever. So it creates a community.

You surround yourself and your band with like-minded people whom you respect and admire.

You all support each other, which is how business should be.

Tell us a little about the music scene in New Zealand...

I guess you could say for such a small country it’s a particularly healthy scene. The production levels are high. However it hasn’t always been like that. Over the last decade its been taken more seriously - certain artists and bands can make a living out of it now, but it wasn’t always like that, unless you were in the top 5% or whatever.

I know it’s strong in the reggae soul and funk genres, and there are a small number of rock bands that are doing their thing. There’s also quite a few pop artists breaking out now internationally – Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, Brooke Fraser etc. >

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 27

I think that on the whole there is a lot more support and focus on music right down to management and production and everything.

Organisations like Play It Strange have really helped bring new talent out into the public and industry eye. Kimbra came through Play it Strange and there have been other great artists like The Checks and Anna Mac. Government sponsored funding programmes like Outward Sound help artists build their market overseas, while NZ On Air and Creative New Zealand are helping artists with album, single and video production. So the support has definitely grown with the help of these organisations and more love from commercial radio.

However lots of top kiwi bands don’t get played on commercial radio.

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Instead they have to build a reputation from live performances, which is basically what we did.

Your embarking on your inaugural tour to the UK & Europe in Oct/Nov this year, what are you all looking forward to most?

We’re heading over to the US in July – Starting at the Ska Festival in Canada on the 12th of July then heading down the west coast from there. Really looking forward to getting back there, had a great time last time. We’re then aiming to be back in the northern hemisphere, travelling to both the US and Europe again in October/November this year to promote the new album.

This time we’re bringing the full band, last time it was just the sound system. We had a great time last time. The audience responded really well and that was just with me on gadgets and two vocalists. This time is the full band which is a whole different experience and is what we’ve built our reputation on down here, so we’re really looking forward to sharing that with the fans in the northern hemisphere.

What else is forthcoming on the Sola Schedule?

2012 is going to be a big year for us again. We’re heading back to the US again to for another round of Get it Together and to help promote the remixes due out later this month. Then we have a brand new album due out later this year, which I’m really stoked about. We’ve had some great people working with us on this album, Olivier Daysoul, L.A. Mitchell, Miles Bonny, New Worboys, and of course Spikey Tee. We had Yaron Fuch’s mixing this album and it’s sounding amazing. We’re heading back to the US in October and then to Europe in November to promote that album and I can’t wait. Thanks to everyone who came to see us on the last tour – hope to see you again soon! www.solarosa.com

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Audio Charts We asked some of the guests in this issue for a Top 5 chart to feature in our Audio Boutique section. With a fantastic and varied collection we have everything from current to classic, singles to albums.

Nasty P breaks down his selection whilst Profisee and Mulsim Alim from the BBC share their current playlists and favourite tracks...

Nasty P Nas “The Don”

Clams Casino “real sh*t from a real ni**a”

This is Nas back on his raw rhyme style. I like this because it sounds current with the switch up in drums, the low end 808 feel. But still sounds like nas. This goes down amazing in my sets for the old heads and the teenagers!! Great track!

This is from the Clams Casino mixtape, he has been heavily involved in Asap Rocky’s tracks up to this point.

He has a cool style, sort of Shadow meets crunk meets Portishead if that makes sense but sounds hip hop to me.

Rustie “Hyperthrust”

Marvin Gaye “Desperate Situation”

A little unothodox for me but I really like the use of the sounds and layers in this song. On that 140 bpm psychedilic mad shit!!! I really appreciate the time this dude must spend on tracks!

Not many people can do it so emotional and soulful. This is a heartfelt track. If you don’t like this track, or can’t at least appreciate it, I want to know why.

-NP

Bumpy Knuckles “stoodiotyme” This is that classic preemo style! Always a sucker for preemo drums and a piano. In my mind no one sounds better on a track like this than Bumpy Knucks! Really puts you in a zone!

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Mulsim Alim Profisee Movin Hector Bizerk Burst Love Madhat McGore Electric Mista Bohze & Loki A Lot Of Emcees Zayn The Daydream Generation

Only the finest relaeses from around the world, tastes from trend-setters, artists and bands. Look out classics you may have missed and new sounds yet to discover....

Profisee David Axelrod Warning Talk: Part II (Earth Rot) Gza 4th Chamber (Liquid Swords) Kate Bush King Of The Mountain (Aerial: A Sea Of Honey) Mavado Don’t Worry (Mr Brooks...A Better Tomorrow) Various Production Hater (The World Is Gone)

If you would like to submit a chart, get in touch for Issue 3 now. audioboutique@17thletter.co.uk

XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 31

Profisee has just released his debut album, ‘From All Angles’. A post Hip Hop exploration with a number of guest producers and a whole heap of lyrical topics. We sat down and asked Prof to share the angles...

Can you explain a little about the history that brings you to your debut Album…

Well my history goes back to the late 90’s when I first landed in Edinburgh. I got my first break with Blackanised – an Edinburgh collective of producers, DJ’s, MC’s and singers. Around the same time I continued to work with local talent and developed my craft in a burgeoning scene with clubs such as ‘Seen’ and ‘Scratch’. Scotland Yard MC’s was a group born out of that era - numerous open mic sessions, Hip Hop jams and ciphers. The SYM moniker was shortened to Yard Emcees, and our self-titled EP earned us a Dazed & Confused award for music and a deal with innovative label One Little Indian in 2003.

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Profisee From All Angles After parting ways, my next project was the bass infused Great Ezcape (Hip Hop meets DnB, predating the grime explosion; it was a unique and innovating sound, but somewhat of an anomaly). After the G.E project, I began to focus on solo work and features, gigging from London to Mexico, whilst headlining at the Big Chill Festival on a tour with Hexstatic along the way. Championed by the likes of Rinse FM, Kiss FM and BBC Radio 1, the Zoning E.P was the first official release through my Cloak X Dagger label. Produced by acclaimed San Francisco producer Eprom, with remixes by the LuckyMe cool-ective, on both digital and vinyl format. After years of featuring, collaborating with and pushing other artists, I felt I wanted to dedicate a project solely to reflect the different degrees of Profisee. This album encompasses a huge spectrum of music influences and forges a fresh perspective of hip hop.

Did you approach the ‘Angles’ project as a complete album? Did it start with a selection of tracks or a single idea?

The ‘Angles’ project was approached very much as an album, I set out to produce an album which would engage the listener and serve as a ‘journey’. The concept of an ‘album’ appears to be slowly disappearing in the mainstream, but I grew up in an era where you would listen to an album for weeks if not months on end. So it had to ‘take’ you somewhere...

My aim was to make something that would have longevity and depth.

I want the listener to be able to keep coming back to it and find something new or different, and also be able to just stick it on and play all the way through.

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Can you give us a little insight into your creative process…

In the main, the process usually starts with the music, although it can be an idea first – maybe something I see or I’m reading something. Often it can be something random that sparks things off.

For the ‘Angles’ album, I had an overarching vibe/concept. But once I got beats from producers, I would let their music dictate where the song would go...

Once I get a beat, I will usually put it on my various systems, phone/computer/car and just let them circulate. I actually road test a lot of music in my car, or when I go for a run...

Then at some point, I’ll keep going back to a specific beat, or something might jump out as suiting a melody.

Then I just zone out to that track. The best songs usually just flood out, but it can also be the case that I have to really work on a song, building and rebuilding a verse or researching into something.

How intrinsic are collaborations to your work?

For the ‘Angles’ project, I just wanted to focus on writing, and crafting songs. I love building with other people and I enjoy the social aspect of working together on ideas. I guess that’s why I have been in a few groups previously... I’m thinking for my next project, I might just work with one or two producers...who knows?

Maybe I’ll focus more on my own beat making??

On the track “Ten Thousand” you broach your work ethic - as an artist, what drives you?

Work ethic is something that has been instilled with me from a young age, so it is kinda engrained. I feel it’s about growth. You have to put in energy, focus and time to see something develop, progress and evolve – too grow. Everyone wants to be valued or accepted in whatever their chosen field is. I have always been a bit of an outsider, or an outlier.

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Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly mentions the “10,000-Hour Rule” in his book Outliers >> claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. That is perhaps the literal meaning of the track 10,000, but more than just that track, the deep essence, is of striving for perfection. Having a passion for something and wanting to get better, improve, be remarkable. And of course the Love, it may sound cliché or obvious, but loving what you do drives you on.

There have been some landmark developments with black music in Scotland over the past few years. What are your thoughts on the current scene?

A current decline of quality venues and nights in Edinburgh is worrying concern for clubbers, dj’s and musicians alike. The recent closure of Cabaret Voltaire and the possible closure of the Bongo Club spell doom and gloom for the bubbling music scene. Emerging artists are finding fewer venues and outlets to hone their craft, and instead simply releasing material from their bedroom. This in itself is not the problem, rather lack of opportunity to perform and receive response from a live audience – not simply ‘likes’ or ‘followers’. Despite this, I think there is an enormous amount of talent coming through the scene. Added to which there is definitely more opportunities to reach out further a field and a chance to reach an audience which previously didn’t exist. Scenes always go through transitions, so I’m hopeful what the future holds.

What does the future hold for Profisee?

From All Angles is finally complete, but the journey has just begun… More gigs, more visuals, more music – Peace!

www.profiseemusic.com

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From the opening string bars of ‘Story So Far’ you know the latest Nasty P release is a little different from other albums coming out of Edinburgh just now...

Who is Nasty P? Artist/Producer/Deejay/Promoter/ Skateboarder...

You feature a few American independent MC heavyweights on your latest release, how did these come about?

The Oddisee collaboration started when I was promoting my own club night “Soul Biscuits”. Whilst I had booked him for a show I was also in the process of making an album, so I asked if he’d be interested. After listening to my tracks, we rocked it out!

Another American collabo was Akil from Jurassic 5. That came about because we were on the same bill. He asked if I could deejay for his set because his deejay was sick! I obliged, he came by the house and we hung out on a real natural vibe. We even

had chance to complete a dope video for it next time we met!

I’ve seen you play with an iPad on live shows and in your videos online; is it now intrinsic to your process?

It’s not essential, however the iPad is amazing as a portable device and for gigs. The App I use is “Beatmaker 2”.

It has the same sort of sensibilities as the AKAI MPC 2500. The main objective of using it live is to show all the button pusher beatmakers - This is how Nasty P gets down - cutting, beat juggling, percussion, loop rolls, live remixing, all with my own material.

So what technology is vital to you?

When I started I was just on the MPC. As I evolved, and the compositions grew from looped beats to songs and more complex arrangements, I stepped my game up to Cubase then Logic Pro. My current toolkit is Akai MPC 2500, Korg R3 Keyboard, Logic Pro 9, Rane TTM57, Serato and turntables. >

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The most vital is Logic although I always start my vibe/drum tracks on the MPC to get the live feel. I strongly recommend this process because that way people are dancing to your beat as opposed to quantised pre plug in drums.

develop I can see collaborations with more singers across different genres.

I intend to move a little bit away from the MC side of things, unless it’s Nas or Pusha T or something! haha.

People who are talented and who think outside the box.

Best gig you have played, supported or even just attended?

What’s next for Nasty P?

That’s a hard one. Supporting the likes of my heroes such as KRS ONE, Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Talib Kweli.

I smashed the KRS gig!! that was a real turning point for me, noticing my ability to really rock a crowd.

To be honest I think my best gig was supporting Talib Kweli, not because it was Talib necessarily but because I played strictly my own music and performed rather than just deejayed!

So I held it down, in my mind, as a reputable artist rather than someone simply doin’ another deejay set!

Let’s just say I’m working with someone very talented right now, co-writing and producing them; all will be revealed in due course! Me and the Ill Behaviour team have set up a subsidiary label under “Soul Biscuits”, where I will produce and oversee new and exciting artists with a similar artistic vision.

So, first an album for July/August, a tour live set, a Nasty P E.P start of April 2013 and another Nasty P album soon after. Plus bigger gigs boyee!!

Shout outs...

As well as production and DJ’ing, do you play any other instruments?

I can drum basic 4/4 beats, and I have made a few tracks without any samples. I can play melodies on the keyboard but generally through trial and error rather than any training.

I’m a dab hand at beat juggling and scratching but i guess that might still count as deejaying.

Who would you like to work with on a future collaboration?

It’s funny because as my sounds

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Shout out to all my real friends who have supported me, all artists doing their thing. Terri, Simon Xplicit, Bobby Junior, Fin, Keir, Giuseppe, Neil state of mind, David Jack, Scott Macdonald, Profisee, Paulo, Miles, Chris Rubey, U turn, Gino, Cunnie, P styles, Sons of Scotland, Sandy, Rennie, Benji, Colin all my skating homiez!! Capitol 1212, Bunty….. loads o’ folks!! www.facebook.com/nastypbeats www.nastypbeats.com

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Many inspirational fashion icons are raised from the musical stage, and when musicians are living their lives at the forefront of news headlines, sell-out tours and magazine covers it is not surprising that we admire them equally for their style as we do their musical talents. Music and fashion have lived in harmony for many years, an ever growing and popular duo that inspires renowned and upcoming fashion designers globally each season.

Despite the outrageous outfits, shoes and body armor we so often associate with today’s musical stage, there is one accessory all musicians appear to never shy away from, the hat.

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Frank Sinatra is possibly one of the most recognised names in the world. He was often seen sporting a felt fedora hat, which later proved very popular amongst the 1950’s Hollywood movie stars. As Fashion repetitively ticks around in a reoccurring circle of trends, Michael Jackson resuscitated the fedora hat through public appearances, concerts and music videos during his earlier fame days. Sending the fedora to it’s peak of fashionable fame, known to many as Jackson’s most favoured dance partner.

Lets rewind the tape to October 1917 when American Jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk, was born musical years ahead of his time. Monk became one of the most talked about and one of the least understood musicians in the history of Jazz.

Similar to his music, Monk shared a misunderstood style, which ironically raised fashion awareness of the short brimmed Trilby hat. Monk drove Trilby to its peak of popularity in the sixties, but, the hat sadly ran out of fashion fuel by the early seventies, and apart from making a brief appearance in the eighties as a retro comeback trend, the brimmed Trilby has since been discarded by fashion dictators. Greatly remembered for its musically talented master, Monk. The early eighties were a time when clashing prints, baggy trousers and rave scenes hugely influenced music and fashion. Fashion brands such as Adidas, Pro-Ked and Le Coq marketed themselves with emerging hip hop talents, delivering accessories such as eyeglasses, gold jewellry and the bucket hat within close proximity of the fashion radar.

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Admittedly the bucket hat hasn’t got the most glamorous of titles, as it’s original use was for fishermen.

Yet this soft, cotton accessory made its journey to the high-life of eighties fashion and music. Naturally “bucket hat” had to go, and so the hat was renamed “w”, after the Stone Roses drummer Alan Wren who was a well known supporter of the new fashion turns fisherman craze. Sadly nowadays the “Reni” doesn’t hold such a fashionable title in the EU. However, hope remains for “Reni” in South Africa, as on the plains the hat is very popular amongst urban black youth. Seen as a symbol of street-cred and a knowledge of foreign hip-hop trends.

During the late eighties, black African influences were growing at speed within the music industry, birthing a whole new generation of dance-oriented rappers, such as, MC Hammer, Public Enemy and X-Clan. Baggy bloused trousers and Kente cloth hats soon became a part of eighties fashion.

The Kente cloth hat is made from silk and cotton interwoven strips and native to the Akan people of Ghana.

Driving on to the pop hip hop era of the mid-nineties, when we saw musicians sourcing their headgear inspirations from the classic gangster hats of the 1930’s and 40’s, becoming especially fond of the bowler hat. Now, I am a great fan of the bowler hat, mainly because it has sourced so many different fashion routes in it’s time. From a working class Victorian uniform, the hat grew to become a phenomenon in the twentieth century, affirming a well earned place as one of the most well-known hats in history.

Stocking Caps were merging on to the hip hop scene in the nineties as well, with sport brands Tommy Hillfiger, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and DKNY all jumping on-board this particular trend. The stocking hat was greatly supported by rapping legend Snoop Dogg, filtering down as a well established trend amongst black communities in America.

The Rastacap was represented through music by the

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legendary Bob Marley. The p of Jamaica and Barbados cl to have originated the cap s which is now globally ackno edged as a colourful, croche tall and round hat often relat to Reggae music. Marley lift the already established Cari bean trend onto the worldwi stage, pushing the Rastacap to the centre of fashion within reggae music.

Musicians have brought headgear to the centre of fashion, creating phenomenal trends from otherwise ordinary hats. Evolving the Trilby, the Flat Cap, the Fedora and the Rastacap into musically acknowledged fashion trends. Which musical gifted, secretly fashion genius will take on the next big craze?

-HO

people laim style owleted, ted ted ibide

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“from the first to the last of it delivery is passionate” By the time I was put on to Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) shortly after the release of his seminal debut solo album ‘Black on Both Sides’ in late 1999/ early 2000, he had already achieved the type of acclaim many an MC would sell their Grandma’s rhyme book for. He had signed to legendary underground hip-hop label Rawkus Records, been heralded

by De La Soul and Q-Tip as one of the successors to their highly influential Native Tongues crew and put out a string of releases with his siblings as Urban Thermo Dynamics and Medina Green. Bey had also collaborated with fellow Brooklyn native Talib Kweli to release the universally exalted album (and candidate best hip-hop LP of the late 90’s) ‘Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star’.

“i’m trapped in between the lines” Like fellow Soulquarian Common, Bey is one of the few rapper/actors who has consistently excelled in both fields. He has taken such a range of parts on stage and screen that it’s clear that he is truly passionate about his craft as an actor (sometimes taking much maligned breaks from music, e.g. a tortuous 5 years between ‘Black On Both Sides’ and it’s follow up ‘The New Danger’) rather than merely “expanding the brand”. The dualistic nature of Bey’s work is further expanded by the fact that his back catalogue consist of as many tracks where he is singing as he is rapping. Although very much an “underground’ artist, Bey’s name (as Mos Def) is recognised through his Hollywood work and esteemed albums which mean that at least two of your work colleagues (the one’s that I like) will know who he is.

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“it’s kinda dangerous to be an m.c” Despite this mainstream acceptance, Bey recalls a previous age in the way that he has never shied away from sharing his personal and political beliefs in his work. This has been on subjects as wide ranging as his Islamic faith, the Eurocentric standard of beauty, the Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and the corporate domination of the entertainment industry. Alongside fellow political rapper Immortal Technique Bey released the highly controversial single ‘Bin Laden’ in 2004 which blamed the “Reagan Doctrine” of foreign policy and the Bush White House as the root causes of the attacks of Sept 11th.

ism and discrimination Af poor in general have face through the criminal justic education, policing, gover amongst other places. Th ful of ‘mainstream’ source power structures.

“need i.d to get i.d”

In September 2011 Mos D MTV2’s ‘Sucker Free’ that retire his Emcee name to Yasiin Bey is the name Mo vate life and in explanatio

to have to deal with having a between the self that I see a

“I don’t want to have to deal with having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as”

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In March of 2007 Bey alongside lauded professor Dr Cornel West appeared on the American talk show ‘Reel Time With Bill Maher’. During this interview Bey and West talked about the terror-

Although this has caused even consternation amon the music industry itself, M reclaim and reassert his id precedence. This is evide African-Americans/Caribb names have not ‘belonge formed as a legacy of slav British-Grenadan actor/di Kwame Kwei-Armah who . Converts/Reverts to Isla Shahadah (the declaration the age of 19 often take a this spiritual re-birth (see El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz a viously known as Cassius unification of personas wi already introspective lyric

frican-Americans and the ed and continue to face ce system, inadequate rnment internal policies his has left Bey mistrustes of information and

”

Def announced to t as of 2012 he would work as ‘Yasiin Bey’. os Def uses in his prion he stated “I don’t want

any moniker or separation and know myself as”.

d some confusion and ngst some fans and Mos Def’s decision to dentity is not without ent especially amongst beans whose given ed’ to themselves but very (for an example irector and playwright o was born Ian Roberts) am who after taking the n of faith) as Bey did at an Islamic name to signify also Malcolm Little/X/ and Mohamed Ali – pres Clay). Whether this ill have an effect on his cs is yet to be seen.

“it just gets better with time” At the back end of 2010, shortly after appearing on the Gorilllaz single ‘Stylo’ and Kanye West’s ‘Lord, Lord, Lord’, Bey confirmed that he had signed to West’s G.O.O.D Music label. Since then Bey has split his creativity between working on the forthcoming G.O.O.D Music compilation; the long awaited Black Star reunion album with Talib Kweli; making notable contributions to Robert Glasper’s ‘Black Radio’ project and working on an interesting concept called the Top Forty Underdog series. This series sees Bey reinterpret popular songs into his own style (at the time of writing he had transformed Jay-Z and Kanye West’s ‘Niggas in Paris’ to ‘Niggas in Poorest’ and with dead prez and Mike Flo turned Nas’ ‘Made you look’ into the Trayvon Martin tribute ‘Made You Die’).

With this current glut of releases and guest appearances, signing to a high profile credible label and having an impressive looking tour schedule Bey seems (consciously or not) to be mirroring those heady days at the start of his career, when a certain Mancunian B-Boy was spending his weekends at Fat City Records and Friends & Family absorbing musical recommendations from the gods that worked there.

-DM

“MOS DEFinitely YASIIN BEY” Included with this issue is an exclusive mix by DJ Psykhomantus featuring a host of classic and rare joints, with guest appearances by Common, Q-Tip, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, Robert Glasper, DJ Honda, Alicia Keys and more.

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Better kn 10, 1970 group ‘A Q standi attention of “The G

QTIP

BY HUGO ABISSET

This yea the light his signi see him Island D This rele a drop o tones, Q ing the fi alongsid He has a Rhymes fessiona others in

Even tho also be a in their o albums, On his a side JDil studio to ignore m of hip ho which is a hip hop track pe in house that sho

-HA

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nown by his stage name Q-Tip, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan Davis April 0), is a MC and producer who first made his mark on the music industry as part of the A Tribe Called Quest’. Known variously as MC Love Child, The Abstract and Q-Tip (the ing for Queens), this New Jersey resident has brought jazz influenced HipHop to the n of people all over the world, and at XVII we consider him to be one of the pioneers Golden Era”.

ar Tip announced plans to release a new LP - ‘The Last Zulu’ - which should be seeing of day in 2013. This will represent his fourth solo album and is being realised after ing with Kanye West, on his record label G-O-O-Dmusic/Def Jam. This new LP will working once again with Barry Weiss - Chairman and CEO of Universal Republic and Def Jam - who worked with A Tribe Called Quest to release projects back in the ‘90s. ease is much anticipated, and judging by his prior solo releases, should prove to be of gold. As well as being a renowned MC with a delightful flow in his own distinctive Q-Tip also has a reputation which proceeds him in his production abilities. Producfirst three albums of A Tribe Call Quest almost entirely by himself, he has also worked de with other HipHop forerunners such as JDilla and Slum Village, to name just a few. also produced for a wealth of major artists like Nas, Mobb Deep, D’Angelo, Busta s, RZA, Beyonce, Phife Dawg, Kanye West and Jay-Z. His vast accomplishments, proal experiences and longstanding presence in the music industry are enough to make n the industry both amazed and probably green with envy.

ough Q-Tip is most primarily recognised by his work on A Tribe Called Quest, it should acknowledged that he has released three albums as solo artist, which are impressive own right. ‘Amplified’, ‘The Renaissance’ and ‘Kamaal/The abstract’ are all beautiful full of diversities, but which all possess an undeniable ‘Q-Tip’ characteristic to them. album ‘The Abstract’ he collaborated with many studio musicians, and working alonglla, got jazz legends like Kenny Garrett, Gary Thomas and Kirk Rosenwinkel into the o record cuts unique to this album. Going against the grain, the tracks on this album music industry conventions and on this joint Tip let himself loose - creating a blend op, soul, funk and jazz, and allowing the grooves to unfurl. The track ‘Abstractions’, s definite representative of the album, is without a doubt a piece that is more than just p hit with good lyrics, it is a Jazz infused story that relays his own life and roots. This ersonally took my breath away on my first listen, and the etiquette of doing everything e to create something that truly represents your identity is without a doubt a method ould be deployed more in the hip hop scene.

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T-Kid started writing in The Bronx during the mid 1970s. A future style master even by 1979 he was a consistent presence on multiple subway lines and walls. He became famous for his unique lettering and illustration style, a style that has influenced others in New York and around the world.

All the breakthrough films and books from this embryonic period of street style feature T-Kid’s works and in the late 1990s he made a reappearance on the streets of New York City and is still going strong.

T-Kid - Style Innovator http://tkid170tnb.tumblr.com

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Mixology

BY ADRIAN GOMES

Drinking and music have been synonymous with one another since the invention of both. In the second of a fourpart series for XVII; Adrian Gomes from bar consultancy 10 Dollar Shake will take a look at some of the colourful periods in history that pull together two of the worlds favourite pass times.

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Part 2

Don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing...

Vintage is back. Big time. Vintage is not an era though. It’s reminiscing about past times. Are the 80’s considered vintage? No, they’re the 80’s. So what’s vintage? The 1920’s? Yeah, I’d say so. The 1940’s – 1950’s? This is maybe where we need to agree on where the line is drawn. I would define the post-war period as still qualifying for the vintage tag. Hell, in wine terms, if 2010 was potentially a legendary vintage, then maybe we don’t need to go too far back after all…!

Following on from the previous issue’s chronological-related article on jazz and prohibition, we’re going to explore the relationship between drinking culture and swing/big band/pop crooner music in the 1940’s to early 60’s. Famous quote from that era: “I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. They wake up in the morning and that’s the best they’re going to feel all day.”

(Dean Martin) Swing was an American form of music developed in the early 1930’s. Swing music abandoned the string orchestra and used simpler, “edgier” arrangements that emphasised horns and wind instruments and improvised melodies. From swing, big band took over until the legendary crooners of 50’s/60’s took the bastardised original African-American music style into the mainstream…and white America.

Crossing the boundaries was one Frank Sinatra. A fundraiser for Martin Luther King Jr., Frank Sinatra was an active voice in the struggle for black rights and a crucial element of the Rat Pack, an influential clique of musicians and actors which, as well as Sinatra, included the likes of Humphrey Bogart and David Niven (Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. were to join much later).

Sharing a love for the stage, the group also discovered another mutual love - alcohol.

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HBO series ‘Mad Men’ stereotypes the attitude towards drinking in the middle of the 20th century – the three-martini lunch being the epitome.

Old-Fashioned’s, Manhattan’s, Martini’s…this was the age of the gentleman’s drink – a category that Diageo have brought back in this year’s World Class competition (of which yours truly is in the UK final taking place at the end of this month).

Ocean, tiki came to define an important theme in cocktails.

In 1934, Don the Beachcomber opened a Polynesian-themed bar/restaurant in Hollywood.

Featuring exotic rum punches and Cantonese food, Donn Beach, founder of the restaurant, was said to have created the tropical drinks category, so popularised by the Tom Cruise film, ‘Cocktail’. A rival opened up a competing restaurant (Trader Vic’s), and a fight ensued over who actually invented the ‘Mai Tai’. of

“…this was the age the gentleman’s drink” These classic cocktails enjoyed their heyday in the swing and post-swing era. Subsequently, swing became bebop, which in turn, became rhythm & blues (R&B). As the music styles metamorphosed, the care-free culture of drinking continued.

Enjoying an equally prominent rise as the Rat Pack, was tiki culture. Originally the name given to the large wood and stone carvings in the Polynesian cultures of the Pacific 56 - Q2 / May 2012 - XVII

Making a comeback is a sign of either misguided nostalgia or an unfinished past. Swing, the era’s style and tiki (see ‘Mahiki’ et al) have experienced a resurgence in recent years and I have no doubt they have longevity, just like the first time around.

-AG

The Blossom of the Thistle 45ml Johnnie Walker Blue Label 20ml Byrrh 20ml Cynar Dash of Regan’s #6 Orange Bitters v. slight pinch of sea salt Method: Stir all ingredients over ice, strain into a small chilled goblet.

Garnish: Zest with mandarin and discard peel.

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This issue the Visual Showcase falls to Peter Jarowski Designer and Photoshop Jedi. He is one of those designers that has not only found a style niche but also a market to exploit his talents.

With engagements from brand heavyweights and television, not only is Jarowski’s portfolio fantastic it’s also work for companies such as, Nike, Red Bull, Playstation, Mercedes Benz, Nissan and The Discovery Channel.

He is also Designer, Director and Co-Founder of Creative Agency; Ars Thanea - The Art of Imagination. www.hejz.com www.arsthanea.com

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As a DJ: Psykhomantus’ mission is to give the people a commercial break and show them the beauty of good underground music of nu-jazz, broken beat, neo-soul, acoustic jazz, soulful house, hip-hop & funk.

As a Turntablist: the concept of Psykhomantus’ musical creativity is performing turntablism live with up coming and established creative underground music. The combination of inspired off beat/on beat sound displays the essence of his purpose to construct new percussion pattern from its original form.

We are now blessed to be joined by DJ Psykhomantus with an exclusive 1hr 40m mix; MOS DEFinitely YASIIN BEY. Continuing on from the featured artist article this issue, the mix documents the combined audio story of Dante, Mos Def, Yasiin Bey and the myriad of collaborations along the way.

You can stream the mix here > www.mixcloud.com/17thletter You can check download here > www.facebook.com/17thlettermusic www.psykhomantus.blogspot.com www.mixcloud.com/psykhomantus www.twitter.com/psykhomantus

FREE MIXTAPE!

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Studio & Equipment Bags designed by DJs and Musicians www.nambagear.com

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TALIB KWELI - SCOTLAND 2012

XVII is out every quarter. Issue 3 will be out in August 2012 and we hope to bring to you more of the same, whilst constantly evolving and developing our distrubution, advertising and further interactive features.

We are currently on the look out for contributors with articles, interviews, designs, products or even just audio and video links we should be checking out.

Wherever you’re based in the world, get in touch, let us know what you think, what you would like to see and what you enjoyed about this second edition.

- XVII facebook.com/17thlettermusic twitter.com/xviiletter soundcloud.com/17thletter info@17thletter.co.uk / demo@17thletter.co.uk XVII - Q2 / May 2012 - 63

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