DON’T WORRY PEOPLE, WE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE BEHIND AVENUE MAGAZINE. OUR DREAM IS TO BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST YOUTH CULTURE PUBLICATION IN THE UK WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE REBRANDED TO 1624 MAG. 16 TO 24 YEAR-OLD’S MAG. LIKE IT?
REGULARS 04 EDITOR’S LETER 05 CONTRIBUTORS 06 YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING DRUGS 10 MOST WANTED GADGET 12 PLAY THE PLAYLIST / YOUTUBE STARS 13 INTRODUCING STAGE 14 GET TO KNOW: CRITICS CLOTHING 18 GUIDE TO: KEEPING YOUR BOSS HAPPY 24 COLUMN: CHARLOTTE GEOGHEGAN 25 COLUMN: JORDAN BUNKER 26 COLUMN: SANA ANWAR 27 FASHION EDIT
FEATURES 09 DISTINCTION 16 MIC RIGHTEOUS 20 DJ TARGET 32 CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 36 RYAN KEEN
EDITOR’S NOTE AFTER SPENDING FOUR DAYS DOWN LONDON (MY FIRST TIME IN LONDON AND ON A TRAIN) IN JANUARY VISITING THE YOUTH MEDIA AGENCY AND OTHER YOUTH-BASED ORGANISATIONS, MY PASSION FOR YOUTH CULTURE GREW EVEN MORE. THAT PLACE IS FULL OF COOL KIDS AND CREATIVITY AND IT’S JUST BUZZING. WHY DOES IT ALL HAVE TO HAPPEN DOWN SOUTH THOUGH? WHY CAN’T DO IT UP NORF’, TOO? NOW IS THE TIME TO CREATE THAT BUBBLE... And really take this momentum to the next stage. Which is why we are now proud to announce the launch of Media 88 Ltd - the one and only youth engagement agency based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. We’re going to be working with local young people to really help develop, build and grow our community. As well as that, we were named Youth Media Agency’s Youth Media of The Month for February - another goal for a Derbyshire project. Oh and how cool is this, we are now part of the Vice Blogging Network, too. Anywyay, let’s talk Issue #3... As we delve more into the world of youth culture, page 06 hosts a strong piece on young people doing drugs and thinking it’s normal, a mentality that we need to stop ASAP. We spoke to man of the moment Mic Righteous as he enjoys the limelight and success of his lastest EP, “Open Mic”. See what he had to say on page 16. We caught up with cover star, Radio 1Xtra and Roll Deep member DJ Target to talk about the rise of grime and fall of garage music. For the full story head over to page 20. If like us, you love independent clothing brands, then page 32 has a treat for you in the form of an interview with Critically Acclaimed founder Ryan Blairs. Then to finish Issue #3 off in style, we had a quick chat with Ryan keen straight off the plane from France where the singer / songwriter has been recording his debut album. Page 36 is the one for that. What ever you do this spring, make sure that you enjoy it, we know we will. Visit us at www.avenuemag.co.uk to keep a check on what’s happening in the area. @ashleyallenuk
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THE CONTRIBUTORS
Isaac Luutu
21 year-old Ugandan now living in England. Founder of FASHIONAIRE256 and part of the Versailles Treaty Creative Collective.
Charlotte Geoghegan
21. Fashion loving, eyebrow obsessed, lipstick hoarding, food junkie, trying to turn a hobby into a career.
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE ISSUE Jordan Bunker
Jordan is not only a full-time student and aspiring journalist, he’s also the founder of Stranded Apparel, a uniuqe clothing brand that donates 10% of each sale to the homeless which is what his first column is about (page 25 for this). The 18 year-old interviewed upcoming singer/songwriter Ryan Keen for the issue, too (see page 36). Check out strandedapparel.bigcartel. com and jordanbunker.blogspot. co.uk. We have no doubt that Jordan will go far and we’re already looking forward to his next contributions.
1624 Mag is published quarterly by Media 88 Ltd www.1624mag.co.uk info@media88ltd.co.uk Registered no 08399393 Media 88 Ltd, 50 Richmond Avenue Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8QY www.media88ltd.co.uk Printed and boundy by PrintDomain.Net
Thanks to: O2 Think Big Youth Media Agency Rich London PR Barmy Dog Clothing Elit3 Apparel Stranded Apparel
Sana Anwar
21 year-old Nottingham Trent Fashion Marketing and Branding student. I run a blog called Northen&Quarter that features fashion, music and art.
JIMMY BATCHELOR
The old guard and senior mentor. Helping out spread the word and showcase musicians from the local area.
media88 05
08_AVENUE MAG_winter 2012
Nearly 20% of young people in Britain have taken drugs. But why are young people not taking their long-term health seriously and instead choosing to take drugs on a regularly basis?
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Joe started with weed. Then he was introduced to ecstasy, cocaine, phet and mcat. He was 13-years-old when he first starting smoking skunk. Now 17 years-old, he takes ketamine every other day, along with a mixture of MDMA and amphetamine at weekends. To Joe, this is considered normal behaviour. “My sisters boyfriend smoked weed all the time, and he offered me some one day and it’s become a regular habit ever since. It was only weed at the start, but now I take much harder substances.” For Jack, and many other young people like him, drugs are a part of everyday life because they are so easy to get hold of and is paid for from a mixture of student loans, maintenance and Jobseekers Allowance. “I get £10 a week pocket money and this is how I pay for my drugs. My parents don’t know this but i’ve done it for months now”.
“I get £10 a week pocket money and this is how I pay for my drugs. My parents don’t know this but i’ve done it for months now” “I could walk out my front door at any time of the day and score drugs. Mostly my mates sell me drugs now. I used to have to go find the dealers, now their runners find me. It’s in my face where ever I turn, and they’ll come and meet me at what ever time at night. Think of them as providing great customer service”, he says. “Most the people I know have dabbled in cocaine and the odd ecstasy tablet. Doing drugs used to be seen as doing a bad thing and we used to hide from the dealers because we were scared. Now a days, it’s just an every days thing”.
“Who wants to do homework when they get home from school? Nobody, so don’t blame this on me smoking pot” The worrying thing about people like Jay is that they think smoking a bit of marijuana and taking MDMA on a Friday night will not effect them in the long-term. “I get bored at school and some times I feel like I can’t eat, but that’s because I don’t like school and the food there is rubbish, not because of the drugs.” Jay wants to study music at the New College Nottingham but doubts he will get the grades because of the way he performed at school. “My GCSEs aren’t great. I failed some because I didn’t revise or do enough work for them. But that comes down to me getting bored at school, who wants to do homework when they get home from school? Nobody, so don’t blame this on me smoking pot [weed].” For many young students like Joe and Jay, the effects of regular drug taking aren’t taken as seriously as they should be, and to them failing a GCSE subject happens because they don’t like school. Evidence shows that regulary drug use lead to dependency, as well as mental illness. For the youth of today, as with anything in life, it’s all about choice. And in these kids minds, taking drugs is not an issue, a wrong-doing or an addiction. We need to educate these young people with the damages that drug abuse can lead to. *Names have been changed in this article to protect identities. *For information and advice on drugs, please call FRANK for free on 0800 77 66 00, visit talktofrank.com or text your question to 82111
Jay, a 16 year-old from Derby, began experimenting with drugs aged just 14. “Look, i’ve only got one mate that doesn’t take meow meow at the weekend. The rest of them smoke joints [weed] every other day from money that they have blagged from their parents.”
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TO ENTER TWEET A PICTURE OF A DOG TO @1624MAGUK USING THE HASHTAG #BARMYDOG 08
5 minutes with...
DISTINCTION People like Distinction are taking the bass scene to new heights. Having made the viral rounds online and on radio shows, he is pushing the boundaries of electronic music and proving that hard work will get you where you want to get in life. Who is Distinction? Distinction is a Leeds-born now London-based electronic music producer who likes cookies, unusual looking girls with lisps and jerk chicken with rice & peas. How did you get in to producing? When I first started DJ’ing I wanted to make my sets different from everyone else’s, so I took my favorite tracks, cut them up and re-arranged them in my audio editing software to make special versions that were unique and personal to me, for my sets. Then my producing stemmed from there really and I just started adding more and more elements of my own to the music I was making until it pretty much became my own. I also studied at Leeds College of Music for six years where I learnt things too, as well as learning things from fellow producers. You’ve just put out a new refix of Jessie Ware’s “Devotion”. How has this been received? Yeah, the refix has been received really well so far, which I’m happy about. It’s funny as I’m from the UK but seem to be getting more love from the United States right now. It’s just great to be making music how I perceive it in my brain and not be limiting myself to any tempo or “sound” as such it’s a very liberating feeling as an artist. You’ve released various other refixes over the past 12 months. Have you got any more in the pipeline? There will be a load more refixes in the future that’s for sure. As I said earlier, I started out essentially doing refixes so I kind of feel I am taking things back to my production roots by doing it now and finding my current mind state
within my music production. I have found the whole refix thing a great way to find my present identity as a producer. I just rework tracks that excite me or I feel on an emotional level really. Why do you think there is such a buzz around the bass scene in the UK at the minute? I feel the whole dubstep explosion has started to slowly demise now and also the current state of the charts is pretty shit so people will get bored and start searching harder to find things they can relate with. It’s like a backlash to boredom from listeners but also for producers like myself. I didn’t feel happy in my heart making dubstep anymore so I searched within myself and what I love about music to come with what I’m making now, which I’m happier with anything I’ve ever made. The amount of exciting and amazing music pushing through now is awesome especially in the UK. 2013 is definitely going to be a sick year for music here. What’s next for you in 2013? I just want to keep doing what I’m doing now and continue to get my music heard and build my name up then vibe from there.
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ACER ASPIRE 5600U The Acer Aspire 5600U is an all singing and dancing PC with the a sleek look to go with it. The black-and-silver plastic base and the nearly transparent stand makes it look like the desktop PC is floating on your desk, The 30 degree angle it sits on its to aid its touchscreen capabilities, like flipping through a magazine, or reading a book. Its 1920x1080-pixel resolution makes streaming videos and looking at pictures an absolute pleasure, and if that isn’t enough, you can add a second monitor using the HDMI port. Doing this means you can use the Aspire’s screen on a tablet, laptop or even a games console. The Aspire’s built in Geforce GT 630M means the PC is also capable of playing 3D games, as well as having a built in Blu-ray drive and dual TV tuner, if the rest of features aren’t enough to keep you happy. The tuner can record two programmes simultaneously or can record one whilst you watch the other, and the Avermedia software to do this is so easy to use.
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TOUCH IT It has all-in-one tilts capabilities to make it easy to switch from a 30 degree angle to an 80 degree angle. With 10-point touch control, viewing your entertainment of choice is a joy. LIGHTENING BOLT Multitasking is easy with the Aspire thanks to its 3rd gen Intel® Core™ i-family processors and Intel® HD integrated graphics or NVIDIA® GeForce® card options. Movies and other large files can be transfered quickly via via USB 3.0 -- and they can be stored on its cool 1 TB hard disk. SOUNDING GOOD The Aspire U Series presents presents visuals like no other. Full HD resolution, the Acer CineBoost color engine, and a wide 178 degree viewing angle.1 Audio is works well with its virtual surround sound speakers. Tech Specification Processor: Core i3 i33110M Processor Speed: 2.40 GHz Screen Size: 58.4 cm/23” Size: 422x574x43mm Hard Drive Capacity: 1 TB
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PLAY THE PLAYLIST
LONG.LIVE.A$AP
HOLY FIRE
ANNA
New York’s latest hip-hop star, Rakim Mayers – aka A$AP Rocky – debut album is exactly what we had hoped for. The 24-year-old pulls influences from the Houston ‘chopped and screwed’ scene and melodic chopper style of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and his impressive lyrical skills and flow are on show throughout the whole of Long. Live.A$AP, as he effortlessly switches tempos and goes in over woozy beats. The themes of songs are set on money, designer gear, drugs and ‘bitches’. With an impressive guestlist that includes the likes of Joey Bada$$, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Florence Welch and 2Chainz, the album lived up to all the hype A$AP promised.
Oxford quintet Foals continue to push their music to the next level. Not concerned about fitting in with the crowd, the band just do their own thing. The band chose to ditch the mix of their debut album and remaster Antidotes themselves, and Total Life Forever nearly bagged a Mercury Prize. So it’s no surprise that when they released Holy Fire people were waiting with big expectations. There’s a new sense of confidence displayed on Holy Fire, by Philippakis in particular, and because of this the band have delivered an even better record than their previous two. Holy Fire is the greatest material to date to be released from the Foals.
When The Courteeners burst on to the scene back in 2007 with St. Jude, we wondered if they would ever produce a record better than this. A modern day indie band with a charismatic frontman in Liam Fray and one that continues to see their popularity rise, including a sold out MEN Arena date. With ANNA, they have taken on the success of 2010’s The Falcon and built another top, top record. “Are You In Love With A Notion” kicks the record off with a bang and it continues that way through the whole EP. Fray and his bolshie vocals are on full display on ANNA and we are pretty sure this will go on to be a memorable album for the Manchester lads.
A$AP ROCKY
FOALS
THE COURTEENERS
YOUTUBE STARS FHINQ MUSIC
With over 18,000 subscribers and millions on YouTube, Fhinq Music are at the centre of a new bass music revolution. Run by two talented teenagers, Mitch and Milo, from Birmingham, their channels ethos is Future Hearing In Nice Quality. The likes of Rudimental have also been showing the youngsters love of late, too. 2013 is going to be their year, we’re sure of this.
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INTRODUCING STAGE
INDIANA
All eyes are on the Nottingham music scene at the minute thanks to the likes of Jake Bugg, Dog Is Dead and Nataile Duncan. And they have another star in the making in the form on Indiana. There’s nothing complicated about Indiana’s style, it’s just plain and simple beautiful music. The singers cover of Frank Ocean’s Swim Good shows her talents for turning a track on its head and making it her own. Recently signed to Sony Music Entertainment, the future is looking very bright for the musican and her crisp, effortless vocals. Take our word for it, she will be a star.
ADY SULEIMAN
A few months ago, by default, we were introduced to the wonderful sounds of Nottingham singer/songwriter Ady Suleiman. Since then, the talented musician has become a lot more known, which has lead to reports that a host of record labels are chasing the youngters signature. Nottingham-born 1Xtra presenter MistaJam sured up the hype surrounding Suleiman by inviting him to record a live session for BBC Introducing which he has played on his own show and and Huw Stephens has given it some airplay on Radio 1, too. Watch out for Ady Suleiman.
1624
WANTS YOU! 1624 IS ON THE HUNT FOR 16-24 YEAR-OLD’S ACROSS FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE MAGAZINE, ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN MEDIA, THEN EMAIL INFO@1624MAG.CO.UK
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GET TO KNOW...
CRITICS CLOTHING
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Critics clothing is a new urban menswear fashion label that is focused on the socially active people of the world, as well as the media industry. Founded by model and TV presenter Samanah Duran in early 2013, the likes of Rita Ora have already been spotted supporting the exciting brand. Critics Clothing dedicates itself to providing its fans with high quality garments and they pride themselves on individuality and simplicity. We are tipping the brand for big things in 2013, so keep your eyes peeled because Critics Clothing are about to blow.
EVERY 3 MONTHS WE DISTRIBUTE 40 PAGES OF YOUTH CULTURE TO A THOUSAND READERS AROUND DERBYSHIRE AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE YOU’D BE STUPID NOT TO ADVERTISE WITH US! CONTACT US FOR DETAILS info@media88ltd.co.uk 07583 293003 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK /AVENUEMAGAZINEUK
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mic righteous
MIC RIGHTEOUS
The UK has seen many MC’s struggle to make the progression from underground to nationally-known stars. Margate-born Mic Righteous made the transition with ease.
“Ed [Sheeran] is the only guy in the country that has done it the smart way. There has never been an up/down, up/down with Ed, it has always been up like Adele. They are the only two people I can name that have really done what I am trying to do,” said Margate’s Rocky Takalobighashi of his ambitions in music. The MC, best known as Mic Righteous, rose through the underground scene and has since gone on to work with some of biggest UK artists out there - Naughty Boy, K Koke Cher Lloyd - not forgetting his 2012 collaboration with New Machine on the remix to Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love”; “It was sick for me that somebody of his stature reached out to me. He [Ed] showed me love purely on the stuff I was writing at the time and from just him being a real nice fella. And’s that’s what I’m all about, that kind of love, “Ed was putting out “Give Me Love”, and he had the remix package to go with it. He sent me over the New Machine remix, and BOOM! I sent it him back the same day and it was a quick turnaround like i’ve never done before, but i’m massively pleased with the outcome”
“I’d be a fool if I had a gift like this and I just did it every week or so”
something like this happens and then I think “Boy I’m on the right path,” said the young musician on being named on the prestigious list.
What’s followed since being named on the Radio 1Xtra list has earned the Kent MC his star stripes. Righteous’ current single has been added to Radio 1’s playlist and the likes of Zane Lowe have showed it love. “The day the single came out I was checking it, I was Tweeting it and I was just going mad. Opinions are opinions at the end of the day, everybody is entitled to them and I respect them for that because I love them. But so far i’ve had one bad comment about it, so yeah, there’s been no real negative feedback so far,” said the rapper about the release of “Ghost Town”.
“When it all started I looked up to my brother who was a garage MC, he was spending some time in the studio and he could rap really good. My brother was called Mr Blitz, he was a hiphop scratcher and a garage MC. This was back in the 90’s man, around 1997-98 time, you know the 90’s baby. By the time I came to my senses and realised it was more of a garage name, it was time for me to up the name game.
From the title of his latest EP alone, “Open Mic”, comes an indication that there’s a serious message that is getting ready to burst out as soon as you hit the play button, even though he didn’t give himself the time to collaborate with close friend English Frank and others on the iTunes topping release. “I thought to myself “If I’m going to come out with a seven track EP, l think people will just want to hear me on my own.” I didn’t really have time to invite artists to the studio, it was just like quick, let’s crack on whilst we are creating bangers and let’s just do it. But then on the flip-side, I always try and stay a step ahead and there is going to be loads of material with me and [English] Frank on and other artists.
With the rapper being named in Radio 1Xtra’s Hot 10 for 2013, it’s safe to say that now is Mic Righteous’ time. “I can be nothing but happy for being named on that list. I’m content because it allows me to think I am on the right path, and that I am doing the right thing. During this process there is also a lot of doubt, you know the little lier in my head saying that “You might not make it and what are you going to do if you don’t” and when
And how does “Open Mic” differ to any other modern-day grime album out there? Well, if you’ve been following his career since the early garage and pirate radio days, you’ll know that Mic Righteous has improved in both his in his lyrical delivery and song-writing on the latest offering. Something that the spitter has put the hard work in to achieve. “For me, every second is very important and I’d be a fool if I had a gift like this and I just did it every week or so”
Now, Mic Righteous stands tall in the music industry as one of the UK’s top lyrical talents, one that learnt his trade being a garage MC with his brother:
Interview: Jimmy Batchelor Words: Ashley Allen
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GUIDE TO KEEPING YOUR BOSS HAPPY When you are at work, you want to enjoy your day-to-day life there. You also want to make sure your career stays on track and more importantly, that your always on the right side of your boss. It sounds like an obvious thing to do, but you’d be surprised at the amount of employees who find it easy to get themselves into their bosses bad books. The problem often is that these people don’t realise the things they are saying and doing, the way they are communicating to the big boss. Incompetence, uncooperative, immature, unreliable - these are all qualities no boss will want in an employee. You don’t want to this type of employee. You need to steer clear of saying these things will get your boss mad. 1. “I’m too hung over.” This is something you want to keep to yourself and not to brag about. Drinking on a “school” night as they say shows
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your boss that you aren’t taking your job as seriously as you should be. 2. “I need a pay raise.” Managing your own finances are your responsibilty and nobody elses. It’s not down to your boss to pay your phone bill, credit card or your food allowance. So don’t get banging on about how you need a pay raise as this will only aggrieve your boss. 3. “It’s not in my job description.” Your job description won’t have any aspect of your job in, so don’t complain if you have to do something you don’t like. If the boss asks you to do it, you do it. When you decline this task, you’ll only sound like an disrespectful, moody child. 4. “It’s not my fault.” Even if it’s not your fault, saying this will make you sound like a 5 yearold that has just been told off by their mummy. It’s about taking responsibility and being accountantable for your work. Bosses want employees that fit into this category. . 5. Too much or too little. As an employee,
you may not know how or when to communicate with your boss. So don’t bug them with pointless information, only share with them the critical stuff that you feel is important to yourself and to the boss.
that bad you can’t come to work, and they find out you’re lying, disciplinary action could soon follow. Don’t make the silly mistake of putting the wrong thing on Facebook or Twitter. It only takes the wrong person to spot it...
6. “I’ll quit if ...” No you won’t, do don’t ever threaten this. If you do call this and your boss calls your bluff, then you don’t quit then the chances are you will more than likely lose your job after.
9. “There must have been some misunderstanding.” We are all human, we all make mistakes. Your boss will respect you more if you own up to a mistake, opposed to try and cover it up. Ensuring the same mistakes don’t happen twice and that you take on board your managers feedback will help you in the long-term.
7. “I don’t like Chris.” You may not like all your co-workers, but you’re there to work and not to be friendly with everybody. Spats and bitching happens in workplaces, you’re best to stay way away from this. Bosses don’t appreciate having to give up their time to sort out meaningless arguments. Bosses like their workers to be respectful of one another and ones who conduct themselves like grown adults. 8. “I’m too unwell to work.” If you have a contagious illness, then this is fine. However, if you have a cold and lie to your boss that it’s
10. Constant whinging. You may be asked to do the boring jobs at work once every while, you may not like this, but it’s part of being a team player. Nobody wants to hear employees constantly whinging about their job roles, especially bosses. Your boss will not appreciate you if you are the team member bringing the rest of your colleagues morale down.
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DJ Target Interview: Jimmy Batchelor Words: Ashley Allen Grime is still a genre that many people don’t understand. Dominated by the same artists for the past several years - names such as Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Skepta. These artists are more well known than other grime legends such as Kano and Bashy because they have dipped into the mainstream market. Because of this dabble into making music for the charts, these are MCs that continue to receive love from people that aren’t just fans of grime music. But is the Simon Cowell-minded philosophy killing the grime scene? Is there still room for true grime MCs to spit over 140BPM beats? Or is it all about MCs making mainstream music now? For those of you that have stuck with grime since day one, since the days of Wiley’s “Wot Do U Call It?”, Kano’s “P’s & Q’s”, you’ll know that grime isn’t what it used to be. The days of Lord Of The Mic’s, Sidewinders and Pirate Radio Stations are now nothing but distant memories. That’s not to say that the grime scene is a complete write off, because it’s far from that, too. There are artists such as Maxsta, Scufizzer, Preditah and C4 that are young, fresh artists staying true to the grime blueprint. But when it began, it was all about the grimey beats and lyrics, kids walking around the streets playing Dizzee Rascal’s “I Luv U” out loud on their mobile phones, or playing out Roll Deep’s “I Will Not Lose” on a portable CD player on park at the weekend. For these kids, tracks like these still remain the most played on their iPods. Somebody that has been around the underground scene before grime even existed is Darren Joseph, better known to you as DJ Target, and to this day you will not find somebody more passionate about UK music, not just grime, not just garage. Having grown up with the likes of Wiley, seen a young Dizzee Rascal go on to achieve number one hits, we caught up with DJ Target to find out why the industry changed.
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It all began for DJ Target as a young kid growing up in Bow, East London, the same place where Dizzee Rascal and Wiley grew up. But it was the latter who he formed a close relationship with, and still to this day Target and Wiley remain best of friends;
it grime, it just got called grime because they didn’t know what else to call it. Journalists were writing about it and didn’t know what to call it so they just started calling it grime because the beats were grimey and then the name stuck with it.”
“I was like 10 years-old so I was still at primary school and that was kind of how we [me and Wiley] met. His dad was a musician so he had decks and stuff at his house and you could feel the music vibe everytime you was at Wiley’s house and that’s kind of how I got into mixing from messing around on Wiley’s dads decks.”
In the ten years and more that DJ Target has been around the garage/grime scene, he’s scene the likes of Dizzee Rascal release one of the best grime albums to date in “Boy In Da Corner”, he’s witnessed the likes of Wiley transform from an underground MC to a chart topper, but he’ll be the first to admit that grime isn’t what it used to be;
When the two East London youngsters set out on their respective musical journies, garage was the music they were into. As time passed though, the garage scene slowy faded into the background and born was the whole grime music tag; “If it wasn’t for garage, there wouldn’t be a grime, there wouldn’t be a dubstep.” claims Target and he is correct. Before grime exsisted So Solid Crew were dominating underground music. However, they soon became a victim of their own success as the buzz around them spiralled out of control; “It blew up so fast and everybody of that age listening to garage music and it got so popular so quick. Then you had the whole chart success of certain acts, and then you had the whole success of the So Solid Crew, and then the negativy that followed. And I think when the negativity started to kick in, it was around the same time when So Solid, Pay As You Go and Roll Deep was starting to make music that was more MC driven. As Pay As You Go, So Solid Crew and Heartless Crew came into the scene and got big, the tracks we were making were more MC driven, like rapping on garage beats and the music started changing.” This was a ground-breaking moment for the underground scene, both on a high and low note as the grime scene was born, the garage scene took a step back. This new gritty sound came with such a buzz, so quickly that even music journalists wasn’t sure what to call it; “The younger lot like ourselves were edgeing this new sound called ‘grime’. We never called
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“A lot [of new artists] are thinking ‘I want to get where Tinie Tempah is, I want to be where Wretch 32 is’, people are making music a for different reasons. Some of them are making it with a scope for that music to go a lot further and access much more people so the sound of the music has changed a lot. Then again you have the purists that only stick to the grime blueprint and don’t go out of it. Then you get grime arttists that will shoot a video that is more commercial. This is why DJ Target has always stayed true to his UK roots. Through his ‘100% Homegrown Show’ on 1Xtra, Target helps pick out and promote the hottest UK underground talent, a job role that he take’s very seriously; “I think for me that it is very important [laughs]. There isn’t too many shows on national radio especialy in the day time where you are going to hear this type of music. There is so much talent in the UK. It’s not just a grime thing, it’s not just in London. There are so many different genres, places and people making great music and we need somewhere to showcase it. And when I say showcase it, I mean somebody sends me a track, I listen to it and decide “right i’m going to play that”. It’s a genuine show of emerging UK music. Being able to put on and play people early on in their careers, then see them get record deals, seeing them have a hit or some air time on the radio or what ever the next step is, that makes me feel like I have done my job.”
“If it wasn’t for garage, there wouldn’t be a grime, there wouldn’t be a dubstep”
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Graduation day, the beginning of the rest of your life, great job prospects, loads of cash, not having to move in with your parents, and then you wake up from that blissful dream and realise the real world has come knocking. The truth is (although this is extremely clichéd) that the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary (oh yeah, I went there), we all have to start somewhere, and unfortunately for the majority of us, that’s back at the bottom. Starting from the bottom isn’t always a bad thing, this way you get to try new avenues you may not have considered, and any experience has got to be good experience, right? Take me for example, since graduation in July I have been a (terrible) waitress, a fashion intern, a retail assistant, and for one surreal and eye-opening evening, the desk attendant at a strip club. Now I know you’re thinking it, but at the time, I was not considering changing my career to that of ‘professional exotic dancer’. My student loan had run dry and desperate times lead me to spending one interesting evening avoiding the advances of some extremely drunk Irish men on various stag parties, discussing the meaning of life with a surprisingly well read
“I’ve had an internship where my brew making skills were honed to perfection” and absolutely massive bouncer named Walter and having to sit and listen to the noises coming from a £1,000 private dance that I’m not actually sure were made by a human. Safe to say I only stuck around for the one shift.
CHARLOTTE
WHERE TO FIND ODD JOBS 1624’s columnist on being patient in finding that dream job @CHARLgeoghegan
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Sitting down and deciding an end goal, a job you would love to do (because let’s face it, there’s no point in doing a job you’re going to hate) is probably the best way to start your ascent from the bottom rung. You aren’t going to get your dream job right away, for instance, after deciding a career in fashion was my goal I’ve had an internship where my brew making skills were honed to perfection and a retail job where customers genuinely come in trying to return one shoe (just one shoe, not even a pair of shoes) that was soaked through and clearly over worn because, apparently, it was ‘an uncomfortable fit on the one foot’ and she swore he’d ‘only worn them once’. Once you start working in areas that apply to that future career then the ‘all experience is good experience’ actually applies. You can turn every bad job into positive experience (maybe not working at a strip club though) for your CV and use this learning period to work on your interview skills, customer service, and (obviously the most important) dressing well for work! Time to suck it up graduates, a degree isn’t a one way ticket into the job market, a little something called hard work is also required!
With the number of homeless people rising again in 2012, I think it’s time to rethink and scrap the stereotype associated with the homeless. Yes, you will have some that are on the streets due to their own downfall, but there are those out there who have simply been unlucky. Some become unemployed and others lose family members and turn to drink with it eventually leading to living rough. There are many other reasons why someone may find themselves homeless, but there are many who are trying to get out of it, too. Hands up those who have walked past or crossed the road because they see a Big Issue vendor up the road? Yes, we are all guilty of doing it, which is why I think now is the time we should all change our attitudes against them. I went and talked to both my local vendors and although it can be nervy to talk to absolute strangers, you’ll realise pretty much straight away that they are just like you and me, trying to earn a living, trying to get their life back on track. Mark, one of the vendors I spoke to, was out from 9am and I went to speak to him around 1pm, When I asked him how many copies he had sold he said “three”. Three sales for four hours work. I was rather shocked by it, but he seemed pretty pleased. He was more than happy to talk about his ‘story’ and simply happy just to be talking to someone. It’s small things - like conversation - that they really value. They’re not looking for pitty or want to live in selfwallow, they just want the opportunity to be treated equally and I feel we should all play our part in helping them assimilate themselves with society. So next time you see a vendor I’m not saying go buy an issue, I simply think we should all start to acknowledge them when you’re walking past, because the effort they put in, truly does deserve it. In the next few issues, I’ll be talking about issues in society that may need a new perspective and we want to hear from you about your views on these topics.
“Hands up those who have walked past or crossed the road because they see a Big Issue vendor up the road? Yes, we are all guilty of doing it”
JORDAN
THE TOPIC: HOMELESS PEOPLE 1624’s columnist wants more to be done for homeless people @JSBunker
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Smart casual is a term that has always confused me. Does this mean shirt and tie or jeans and a clean t-shirt? As a university student “smart casual” normally means a night out outfit instead of the usual hoody and jeans that is so favoured by students up and down the country. I looked into what “smart casual” is supposed to mean on the Vogue forum and everybody had different answers. Normally I would think it doesn’t matter now, it’ll be a long time until I have a job that I have to dress for, however I have an interview tomorrow for a work placement and my wardrobe is now suddenly looking a little more “casual” than “smart”, cue panic. Unless you work in finance or law - where there are strict dress codes to abide by - dressing at work has slowly become more and more casual. For instance offices now have “Casual Friday”, a day which my Dad implemented at his company, now he wears jeans and a jumper on a Friday. Looking at him now and comparing him to five years ago where everyday would be a suit, coat and a pair of smart brogues is fascinating. Office attire has now become in itself a catwalk. Looking at the next few years ahead of me I can’t suddenly see myself shopping at Marks & Spencer for clothes that I associate with mums, kids and a mortgage.
“Unless you work in finance or law where there are strict dress codes to abide by - dressing at work has slowly become more and more casual”
Looking at the choice on the high street, picking out suitable office wear is enjoyable because there is so much choice and the ability to mix and match.
SANA
WHAT DOES SMART, CASUAL MEAN? Sana tackles the meaning of dressing smart but casual @sana_anwar20
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For men I can understand that is a lot harder to get the right balance between smart and too casual. Jeans are acceptable in most situations and when paired with a nice shirt and a pair of desert boots they can look just the right end of smart casual. Desert boots are a nice option as opposed to brogues and look perfect in earthy coloured suede’s. Alternatively in the winter months, jumpers are a fantastic solution to a shirt. I always find hunter green, a rich warm colour perfect for wrapping up and staying stylish. Shirts can be samey and boring but recently there has been a sudden rise in patterned shirts and for summer, denim shirts. Worn with a heavy long coat and the right pair of jeans, smart casual can be right on trend.
fashion edit trends|street style|brands
Nicholas Deakin The Firm Jacket
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Model wears Known Clothing t-shirt and snapback
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Model wears New Love Club t-shirt
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55DSL SS13 collection
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INTERVIEW WITH CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FOUNDER RYAN BLAIRS What’s the history behind Critically Acclaimed? Critically Acclaimed came from an idea I had while at school, I was in the middle of experimenting with t-shirt printing and other methods to create my artwork and I fell in love with design, one of the first mediums of design I had found was garment decoration and it was fun to get my artwork onto some tees, in 2009 I put in for some designs to be printed and I did them under the name Critically Acclaimed. In January 2010 I decided that this is something I would love to do and since I was a huge fan of US streetwear brands and indie brands in general, so I set up Critically Acclaimed officially. The name itself came from the marketing phrase I saw thrown around “the new
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critically acclaimed film by...” I never understood why those two words made all the difference. On a similar note to how Shepard Fairey uses his Obey name to make people question and to direct attention away from all the advertising he found locally that people were blindly led by I used Critically Acclaimed as a brand name so it hijacked the direction of someone’s advert. With them desperately trying to sell a new book or TV drama they would indirectly advertise me – I believe this works extremely well and once you know about the brand every time you hear the phrase it is near always associated with me. What were you doing before you began your journey?
I was just a kid, so much ambition, so many dreams and I still think that is a major part of where the brand is today. I lived for creative subjects at school and these days I make a living by creating things. Being no more than 15 when I started this idea, I was just doing what normal kids do, having fun, relaxing with friends, listening to music and playing games. I was hoping to go into a graphic design industry and was looking for ways to get there. Describe what your brand stands for in 3 words. Originality, Quality and Youth. What do you believe makes your clothing bigger and better than the rest? I believe fashion is an art form and has a heart and
“I believe fashion is an art form and has a heart and soul; I take into context every single detail of an item, detail of a design and detail of my brand”
soul; I take into context every single detail of an item, detail of a design and detail of my brand. Nothing gets over looked and I believe our attention to detail and our hungry attitude gives the brand a heart and soul, it’s created and developed not thoughtlessly manufactured. With a name like Critically Acclaimed you’ve really got to try and be the best. What should we expect from Critically Acclaimed in the future? Expect bigger, better things from us. We’re working on some huge releases and we’ve got our eyes set on big goals, not just this year but for the brands lifetime. You’ll definitely hear more about us!
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street
style Our street style photographer for this issue is Manchester Metropolitan University International Fashion Marketing student Isaac Luutu. We all know Manchester has some of the sharpest looking males in the UK, so when Isaac went out to snap some of these fashionable guys, we knew straight away the results would be high-end. fashionaire256.com
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RYAN KEEN
LAST YEAR Ryan Keen toured with Ed Sheeran and Newton Faulkner, HE ALSO Released thE brilliant E.P “Back to the Ocean”. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO FIND OUT WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2013. So you’ve just got back from recording in France, how was it getting away from England? It was really good, it gave me the chance to put all my attention in to the album.... although I’m still pretty terrible at French! I know you’re a relentless gigger [if that’s even a word], but was it a nice for a change to just to be in the studio and record and refine tracks for the album? In some ways yes but I love gigging, I ended up doing an impromptu gig out there! What can we expect from the new album? Have you done any collaborations with other artists that appear on the album? There’s a mix of old and new stuff on there, I’ve re-recorded some of the older tracks as I feel I’ve progressed a lot in the last couple of years and the sound has matured. 2012 was a big year for you. How was it touring with Ed Sheeran up and down the UK and receiving airplay from the likes of Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton on Radio 1? It was amazing, it’s the kind of thing you dream about so when it happens it’s a crazy mix of emotions. It’s terrifying but exciting and both a milestone reached and reason to carry on. As well as touring with Ed, you’ve also toured with Newton Faulkner. What did you learn from touring with them and have those experiences made “the dream” all the more real? I’ve picked up lots of bits and pieces from both
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of them, they’re both incredible artists. It totally makes the dream seem more real. I’ve been friends with Ed from before it all kicked off so watching him rise to fame has been an amazing thing to witness. Newton had been an inspiration to me for years so to write, record and tour with him was a real honour. I feel privileged to be able to call both of them friends. I managed to catch you at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton supporting Ed Sheeran last year. When did you start to play guitar and realise your potential as a solo artist? I started playing guitar when I was eight [years-old], originally learning classical and flamenco and [I] haven’t really stopped since. I started my solo career after losing a friend just over four years ago, but I’ve only been going for it the last couple of years. You went on your own first headline tour named after your newest E.P “Back to the Ocean” at the end of 2012. How was it to be doing your own tour in comparison to supporting others? It’s was awesome. Several venues sold out. Having a packed crowd singing along to everyword of a song I wrote by myself in my bedroom is a crazy feeling. When can people get their hands on the album and what else can they expect from you this year? It should be out in spring, you can expect more gigs, more festivals, more songs.
Interview & Words: Jordan Bunker
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Roll on the sum
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pounding the ground or the pedals, one more mile just one more mile, or te looking for the powder, hell, even ping down to the shop for a paper milk, our stylish gear is perfect for the life you lead.
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