Beatz Magazine Issue 2 by Beatz Magazine

U N I V E R S A L M A G A Z I N E M A R C H 2 0 11

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For sales and advertising enquires please email andy@beatzmag.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andy Forrester, andy@beatzmag.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR

EDITORS LETTER

Ayaz Hussain, yaz@beatzmag.com

ASSISTANT EDITORS Nikk Price Becky Riffel Simran Gill

CONTRIBUTERS Blaine Evans Simon Phelan Sham Makhecha Sonja Polimac Tom Wilkinson George Rowland

INTERVIEWERS Grace Picking Laurens Haines Laura Owusu Tayo Adehin

REVIEW EDITOR Lasé Antony Laleye

FASHION EDITORS Hanah Mamoojee Sam Bentley

WEBSITE OFFICERS Brendan Davis Natalie Montezuma Anthony Doone Sam Cottingham

Tweet Of The Month: 50 Cent

We’re back again! Two months have really flown past! Whilst we’ve been hard at work prepping issue 2, there have been some incredible events over the last few weeks. Early October saw PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ break a Guinness World Record for most likes on YouTube; topping up 480 million views and 4 million likes. Jay-Z performed an eight day sell-out tour at the freshly unveiled Barclays Centre in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. He brought out his wife Beyoncé for the finale to perform ‘Crazy In Love’, ‘Diva’, ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ and ‘Forever Young’. Last but by no means least; Adele released the brand new James Bond theme for the upcoming 007 episode ‘Skyfall’. However despite the positives, the music industry lost a key figure with the tragic passing of Chris Lighty; manager, friend and hiphop role model. R.I.P Lighty, we salute you. So what’s new in Issue 2? Well for starters, we’re now iPad and iPhone compatible! We’ve learnt a lot from the launch issue and made sure that every website link you see in the magazine is clickable and will take you right there! As you’ve probably gathered by now, this is The G.O.O.D Music Issue, dedicated to Kanye West and his crew who recently put out the critically acclaimed compilation album Cruel Summer (flip to page 32 for the review). We have articles about Kanye & Kimmy K’s relationship; Kanye’s fashion line named after his late mother Donda; a comparison between the three label powerhouses Maybach Music Group, YMCMB and G.O.O.D and of course, probably the most important, our feature article: A History of G.O.O.D Music! We’ve been extremely blessed to be able to interview the likes of Tanya Lacey, Vince Kidd, Jermaine Riley, DJ Abrantee (of Choice FM) & Richie Mensah for this issue so make sure you read what they have to say about their respective journeys and support their music by purchasing it on iTunes. We’re taking our game to the next level with this issue, we hope you like it. In the immortal words of Jay-Z; “you could have been anywhere in the world, but you’re here with me” Thanks, Yaz, Andy & The Beatz Team

French Montana you ain’t Sh!t boy. You out your league talking about me you hoe. I read your little interview what the fucx is you high - @50cent After hearing about the Insanul Ahmed interview with French Montana, ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ rapper, 50 Cent, took to twitter to send a firing shot back at FM. Im pretty sure this wont be the last we hear of it! 4

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GIG GUIDE

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CONTENTS

NEWS

GIG GUIDE

10 IF I WORKED FOR LIL WAYNE 12 MAC MILLER 16 KIMYE: LOVE OR PUBLICITY?

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18 MMG Vs. GOOD Vs. YMCMB: WHICH IS BETTER?

page 28

22 A HISTORY OF GOOD MUSIC 26 WHY KANYE WILL NEVER BE KING page 34

28 INTERVIEWS Interviews with: Tanya Lacey, Vince Kidd, Jermaine Riley, K Young, DJ Abrantee & Richie Mensah

40 ALBUM REVIEWS

We review the new albums from GGOD music, Lupe Fiasco, Miguel & Elle Varner

44 TOP 6: ARTISTS TAKING OVER THE HIP-HOP GAME

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We pick out 6 artists from a new category every issue. This issues category is ‘Artists taking over the Hip-Hop game’’

46 FASHION

Top mens pics from BSKA, Camo picks for autumn, Ladies winter selections & an article on

page 48

Kanye West’s new fashion label, D.W.

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GIG GUIDE

A guide to the hottest urban gigs going on around the UK in NOV/DEC

FOR DATES VISIT: BEATZMAG.COM/ EVENTS

NICKI MINAJ Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour 2012

Nicki continues her Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour with 3 early November dates.

MUST SEE! Emeli Sande 4 November dates

Dappy Nov & Dec - 17 dates

Wiley 1 November date

Jessie Ware 7 November dates

Devlin 4 November dates

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‘

Cue internet memes featuring Kanye and Jay Z laughing their asses off and saying “Looks like the throne’s safe for now”.

’ E N Y A W L I L R O F D E K R O

‘IF I W

I think it’s important to begin by stating that I am a Caucasian male university student living in the rainy north of England. So it’s completely fair to say that I am not Lil’ Wayne’s primary target audience. I’m not going to use the term ‘dropped off’, however it’s clear to me that the relative quality of Lil’ Wayne’s music has recently declined at an alarming rate. This is a popular opinion on the message boards and Youtube comment sections across the internet, so I’m here to lay out exactly what I’d suggest if I was Weezy’s trusted right hand man. We’ve come to expect tracks of a higher calibre from a rapper that (despite the amount of toilet humour he drops in) used to treat his rapping as a craft. Lil’ Wayne was always better when he utilised a softer, flowing style and extends his lyrical vocabulary beyond various synonyms for money, drugs and prostitutes. So as his trusted advisor the first thing I would do is get the guy inspired - maybe a bit of leisurely travel might do him good. A trip to the Caribbean, a hotbed of local and diverse talent, could kick Weezy out of his funk and inject some meaning into his lyrics. He could wander by himself through the islands, getting lost in rundown neighbourhoods and discovering the vibrant local music scene for himself. So he gets back home, and starts recording again. Now what I say next might shock you. I wouldn’t let him record an album with Drake. Yes, every track they appear on together explodes onto the scene - rap music is truly nearing its best when you turn up your headphones and listen to Drake and Lil’ Wayne trading verses like old veterans sharing war stories. You can literally hear Drake putting in everything on tracks such as HYFR to impress his mentor and Weezy’s responses always hit the tone of the track perfectly, working with, not against, Drake to push them both further. I would go as far as saying their voices complement each other even better than Kanye and Jay Z’s.

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So why, you ask, can’t they do an album together? It simply could never live up to the hype that would precede it. It would be far too predictable, and an unavoidable let down. Any collaboration album between Drake and Lil’ Wayne could never escape the label ‘Watch the Throne 2: The Imitation’ and would consist of; 6 fast songs (including one inevitable appearance by Rick Ross, who we can now only assume sleeps on Drake’s sofa), 5 slow songs (that fail to live up to the single that was released ahead of the album) and some sort of floaty, trippy interlude in which Wayne boasts about how many women are willing to have sex with him. Cue internet memes featuring Kanye and Jay Z laughing their asses off and saying “Looks like the throne’s safe for now”. Wayne, buddy, you’ve got to stop pushing this whole Trukfit thing! I understand you want your legacy to extend even after you put the mic down, but it’s getting ridiculous! The blurb on the Trukfit website states that “Trukfit is a state of mind – it is about being free and having fun, while maintaining the drive and focus to succeed”. This is admirable, but Weezy, your collection looks like a 14 year old with ADHD and a rebellious penchant for bright colours went crazy during the Primark summer sale! All of this would be just about acceptable if it didn’t interfere with your rapping, but your verse on French Montana’s Pop That sounded like an advertising campaign! Seriously?! Are people that unprepared to pay extortionate sums for your merchandise? Wayne, stick to your day job – that’s an order. One last thing, if you’re going to keep wearing snow boots and skin tight leopard print leggings in public, you’ve either got to go hard or go home. Seriously, just go for it and become the world’s first openly gay rap superstar. The PR would be incredible, imagine rising above all the haters and still producing great music despite the prejudices against you! That would definitely make sure your name still shines, years from now, when people look back and say “Isn’t it incredible what he came back and accomplished in the end? I’m so glad he didn’t just settle for an album with Drake...”

’

LIVE NATION PRESENTS

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MAC MILLER pittsburgh’s next big thing! “Pittsburgh, let me show the world where my city at.” Well Mac Miller is definely stating true to his word, proving he is the top contender for the rising star in the hip hop industry. As a massive fan of Mac Miller, he leaves you wanting more and more. After his debut album dropped ‘Blue Slide Park’ in 2011, it showed how much talent and charisma he possesses. With ‘Blue Slide Park’ debuting at number 1 on the billboard 200, it proved staying true to your roots works. The majority of people didn’t know what quite to expect as Miller mainly focuses on mixtapes. Since the age of 15 Mac has been creating a lot of hype about his talent and work; dropping numerous mixtapes and participating in many MC battles. But songs like ‘Frick Park Market’, ‘Smile Back’ and ‘Missed Calls’ proves how Miller can adapt to the industry. His latest piece of work ‘Macadelic’ has definitely been a hit with the hip hop community. Mac Miller stays fresh by changing the way that his raps feel as you’ll learn when listening to his latest mixtape. This is due to him creating a new way in which his raps come across, proving Miller isn’t a one trick pony. Mac has many major connections within the music industry. Firstly, Miller is currently collaborating with Pharrell Williams on an EP named ‘Pink Slime’, this hasn’t been released yet. It is believed to have between 10-12 tracks on it; Miller has already leaked two tracks from it on twitter called ‘Onaroll’ and ‘Glow’. After listening to these two tracks I can safely say that this is by far Miller’s best

work to date. Not only has Pharrell been working hard on the EP but he’s been using his contacts to create the freshest sounds, using Swizz Beatz and Chad Hugo on the production front. Miller has also worked with Lil Wayne on a tracked named ‘The Question’ which features on ‘Macadelic’. This came about because Miller contacted Mack Maine and got him to record vocals for it. Miller also sent the lyrics to one of his best friends Kendrick Lamar however he felt that Wayne’s vocals were more suited to the track. Finally, who could forget Miller’s main connection, his best friend Wiz Khalifa. After attending the same high school in Pittsburgh for many years and being signed to the same label ‘Rostrum Records’ they may as well be family. Miller and Wiz went on a US tour with ‘Under The Influence Of Music’, this had critics in a frenzy stating it was one of the best shows in Hip Hop in many years. This tour also included Kendrick Lamar, Chevy Woods and Schoolboy Q. Wiz Khalifa’s close friend Snoop Lion/Dogg also took a very special interest in the young rapper and has been helping and mentoring him along his career. Miller has been dedicating time to help Wiz with his record label ‘Taylor Gang Record’ which is shaping up to be a good army of artists. In conclusion, I believe Mac Miller has what it takes to be one of the top artists of 2013. With having a massive fan base already he’s slowly but surely turning haters into fans and proving he there is nothing in the industry quite like him.

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KIMYE: LOVE OR PUBLICITY? Will Kanye West and Kim Kardashian be the next Jay Z and Beyoncé, or is this

Well, Kanye’s no angel himself. Do you remember the 2009 MTV Video Music

Kardashian destined for another 72 day marriage?

Awards where Kanye ran up on stage and ruined Taylor Swift’s big moment?

Kim is well known for her publicity stunts. She shot to fame after her

Many have claimed that this was just a publicity stunt to sell more records.

obligatory celebrity home sex tape, which she made with singer Ray J and

Although, it’s not all doom and gloom. It would appear that they are genuinely

was released to the world in 2007. Following that was her famous wedding

in love (or at least together for more than just the PR).

to ex-husband Kris Humphries - which Kris himself has denounced as a

Even though Kim is well known for her publicity seeking ways, this time, it

Kardashian publicity stunt, used by the family to boost television ratings.

seems like she’s genuinely in love. The couple are constantly photographed

When Kris filed for an annulment in October 2011, he listed the reason as

together, often wearing matching outfits, and Kim can be seen following

fraud, openly accusing Kim of marrying him purely for publicity.

Kanye around like a lapdog. Kanye’s had his eye on her for a while too, so I

The pair got married two months earlier in August, and the wedding was

don’t think he’ll be giving up without a fight!

televised on the Kardashian family’s show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’.

And, to be honest, with all the drama still going on with Kim and Kris’s divorce,

The marriage lasted for a very ‘Hollywood’ 72 days, and a messy divorce has

which won’t be finalised until 2013, I don’t think there’s any need for another

followed, which no doubt boosted the viewing figures. So, you may ask, why

publicity stunt marriage just yet.

would this relationship be any different?

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MAYBE IT’S LOVE? Here are 6 reasons why Kanye and Kim may deserve the title of ‘hip-hop’ king and queen:

#1 FAMILY BUSINESS

#2 ADDICTION

#3 THAT’S MY BITCH

The couple have been friends for years, and Kanye is also seen as a friend of the family. And, rumour has it that Kim might have been cheating on Kris with Kanye before they even got married…

The pair seem infatuated with each other, and are hardly seen apart. If they’re in the news these days, they’re generally there together. Recently they were spotted jetting around New York fashion week.

Despite Kim’s TWO previous marriages, Kanye has yet to walk down the aisle, but he seems pretty serious about the reality TV star, as she’s already featured in one of his lyrics; ‘My girl a superstar all from a home movie’.

#4 DARK FANTASY

#5 POWER STRUGGLE

#6 THE ONE

Kanye has always been a fan of Kim’s. Exgirlfriends have revealed that he used to watch her sex-tape to, erm, get him in the mood... (although he has never admitted to watching it, and even banned his entourage from watching or talking about it!)

Kanye definitely wears the trousers in this relationship, he was seen on ‘Keeping Up with the Kardshians’ giving Kim a makeover, and she’s often seen out wearing clothes from his fashion line. Unlike Kris who seems to have been a pawn in the Kardashian’s game, I don’t think Kanye’s a man who’s likely to be walked all over.

Kim’s sister Khloe has called Kim and Kanye ‘cute’, and said that she didn’t think that Kris and Kim were compatible anyway; this may not prove that the couple are meant to be, but at least the family’s on board.

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We put the top three artists from each camp to the test and judged them on their Billboard rankings and sales according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Here we have a line up of the bosses, the right hand men and the third in command; all pitted against each other for the title of Best

18â&#x20AC;&#x201A;

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William Leonard Roberts II, aka Rick Ross, is a relatively new face on the urban block in comparison to with rival powerhouses Lil Wayne and Kanye West. Although he first appeared on a track in 2002 with Trina called “Told Y’all”, Rick Ross did not release any of his own material until 2006. To date, Ross has had 19 singles and 5 studio albums, four of which have reached number one. He is the Teflon Don or the BAWSE of record label, Maybach Music Group which has had two album releases, “Self Made Vol. 1” and “Self Made Vol. 2”. Despite working as a Correctional Officer in early 90s, Ross’ alias is named after notorious drug kingpin, FreeWay Ricky Ross, who made a name for himself traffic narcotics in the late 1980’s in L.A, California.

8.5

Kanye West is the founder of G.O.O.D. Music (which stands for Getting Out Our Dreams.) As a label they have recently released their first collaboration album named “Cruel Summer” including the successful “Mercy”, “Way Too Cold” and “Clique”. As an individual Kanye West is one of the most successful artists of recent times racking up over an impressive 30 million digital sales of his tracks and having all five solo albums rated platinum. He sparked controversy in the 2009 Video Music Awards as he interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech for the Best Female Video category for “You Belong With Me,” which beat Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).” Kanye took to the stage to declare say the award was rightfully Beyonce’s.

9.5

Lil Wayne, aka Weezy, is the founder and lead member of the Young Money group. The group has expanded to incorporate artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga and more. To date he has released nine studio albums, the most popular of which are the infamous Carter series. Racking up an impressive 140 released singles including over 30 as the main artist, he has collaborated with some of the best names in the business. Back in 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to a year in prison, he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and possession of marijuana. He served eight months of his one year sentence at Rikers Island

9.5

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Meek Mill signed to MMG in February 2011 and is currently regarded as deputy, behind Rick Ross aka the Teflon Don. He was heavily involved in MMG’s first collaboration album – “Self Made Vol. 1”, including the lead track “Tupac Back” appearing on four of the five singles released from this album before its launch. Meek Mill’s own projects Dreamchasers 1 and 2 have had some relative success with his debut album Dreams & Nightmares out in late October. In 2011, Mill was included in XXL’s “Freshman Class of 2011” and came in #7 on MTV’s “Hottest MCs in the Game” list.

8.0

Big Sean is a fairly new artist on the scene having joined G.O.O.D. Music in 2007. There are disputes to whether his mixtape “Detroit” counts as an album or not, but his album Finally Famous certainly did him justice as a recognised figure in the rap game. Big Sean is probably most well-known for his track “Dance (A$$)” which features Nicki Minaj and for appearing on the four tracks from The G.O.O.D. Music compilation album ‘Cruel Summer’ including the lead track ‘Mercy’.Big Sean is also a consistent epresentative of Ti$A clothing and hats, which is a vintage company run by fellow G.O.O.D Music recording artist Taz Arnold.

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7.0

The man who needs no introduction goes by the name Drake. He has released two studio albums, which both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and both went platinum. He has achieved the most number one singles in the history of Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop songs chart, surpassing the previous record of 9 held by Jay-Z! Interestingly Drake did this in just over three years while it took the HOV over twelve years. On October 24th 2011 Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham chose to get re-bar mitzvah’d as a re-commitment to the Jewish religion. At the same time he shot the music video for HYFR alongside DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne.

9.5

Wale signed to Maybach Music Group in early 2011, having previously been contracted to Interscope Records, where he released his first album “Attention Deficit”. After signing to MMG, Wale was heavily featured on the groups’ compilation album “Self-Made Vol.1”. In November 2011, Wale released his second studio album, his first as part of MMG, titled “Ambition”.. Wale also features quite regularly on “Self-Made Vol.2” making an appearance on 7 of the 14 tracks. This time featuring on the lead track “Bag of Money”. Wale was named at no.10 on MTV’s Hottest MC’s list 2011, a position which was occupied by Ludacris the previous year.

8.0

Signed to G.O.O.D. Music in late 2010 Pusha T hasn’t been the most active artist with his name more often than not found as a featured artist, however he has released an EP and a mixtape in 2011. More recently Pusha has appeared on “Cruel Summer” the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album, including the lead track “Mercy”. In total he performs on 5 tracks from the album, more than any other artist apart from Kanye himself. Pusha has found himself at the centre of controversy more than once in the past. While the situation is now quashed, Pusha and Consequence had a feud which originated due to the apparent theft of lyrics; diss tracks were recorded by both artists, before Consequence announcing that they had both moved on.

6.5

Hailing from Compton, Tyga has big shoes to fill with the city being the birthplace of renowned artists such as Coolio, Dr Dre, Eazy E, The Game and Ice Cube, but so far he has made a good start making a name for himself on a worldwide scale both as a lead and a featured artist. With his first studio album released under Young Money Records, he has another album scheduled for release in early 2013. Tyga has found some commercial success with “Rack City” and “Faded” and as a featured artist on Chris Brown’s “Deuces”. As well as a music career Tyga is a shrewd businessman with several ventures including his ‘Last Kings’ clothing line and an adult website.

7.0

Conclusion I would rate Young Money as the best crew featured on this page due to the strength in depth of its members. Furthermore Lil Wayne has had a staggering career with huge accomplishments which are unmatched by Rick Ross and Kanye West, and Drake is by a large margin the most successful second member with both albums and several singles rated platinum by the RIAA. I would rate G.O.O.D music at second due to the success of Kanye West and all five of his studio albums. Big Sean also holds a large amount of potential which will be released in forthcoming years but currently has little success to fall back on and it is for this reason that I have rated him as 7/10. In third place in the battle of the crews in my opinion is MMG. This is due to Rick Ross having had no singles reaching higher than number one7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although he has had great success with his albums until he gains success with his singles he is not even in the same league as Lil Wayne and Kanye West. Meek Mill is currently in a similar position to Big Sean in that he has not yet cemented his place as a top artist and it is for this reason I have graded them equally, again however there is potential to be a successful artist and working alongside Rick Ross could help him achieve this. w w w. b e a t z m a g . c o m - B e a t z M a g a z i n e

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fter gaining sponsorship from Def Jam, G.O.O.D. then released its first two artists; Consequence and Common. Despite positive starts, they didn’t collaborate with West in those early years, but did produce solo projects which featured the other’s verses. In 2004, Common spoke publicly about their relationship, saying,

“Not only do I love Kanye creatively and as a brother, but we doing business with a vision. I will be forever loyal to Kanye because I was in between labels when we started Be, and he produced the whole thing before he ever got a cheque.” John Legend’s arrival to the label resulted in several features in West’s videos; initially ‘Slow Jamz’ and ‘Gold Digger’, before himself inviting West to join him on stage at one of his shows. Also in that initial year, Kanye West met Kid Cudi at a Virgin Music event, where the latter complimented the ‘Jesus’ piece of jewellery that has become synonymous with West. The advice the fledgling rapper received that night in relation to getting signed was, “Keep working hard and your time will come.” It seems that Kanye West’s advice paid off, resulting in a G.O.O.D. Music signing for Cudi in 2008. Then came the summer of 2005 and Big Sean had just been introduced to West in Detroit during the Late Registration promotional tour. The ten-minute impromptu rap showcase that Big Sean produced for Kanye West certainly caught his attention, resulting in the former being signed to G.O.O.D. in May of 2007 as Graduation was in the process of release. However, the music industry must have been surprised at the absence of Big Sean on any of West’s records during that early period, but speculation suggests that Big Sean was occupied in the studio with Finally Famous Volume 1. While some dismiss it as ‘just a mixtape’, Finally Famous Vol. 1 goes a long way in proving that West had made the right decision signing Big Sean; the boy can really spit some bars.

“And I run G.O.O.D. music, Usain Bolt’n” Big Sean on “I Don’t Think They Want It” Kanye West describes the period after the death of his mother in November

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2007 as “a deep depression” on track Clique from Cruel Summer. The change in his attitude can be seen throughout his subsequent album 808s and Heartbreak. Greatly different to his earlier material in terms of style and texture, West spent more time singing on the album, deeply manipulated by auto-tune. The effect of Donda West’s death can be felt in ‘Coldest Winter’ ‘Welcome to Heartbreak’ and ‘Bad News’ from the 2008 album. The second R&B act after John Legend to be signed to G.O.O.D. Music came with the advent of Mr Hudson in 2008. West was so impressed by him that he invited Mr Hudson and The Library to perform as the opening act of the European leg of his ‘Glow in the Dark’ tour. The two later went on to collaborate and produced the hit ‘Supernova’ in 2009. During the ‘Glow in the Dark’ tour, West was also keeping an eye on Kid Cudi and his debut A Kid

Named Cudi, including ‘Day N Night’ which garnered international critical acclaim when mixed by Crookers. Later that year, West finally signed Kid Cudi to G.O.O.D. Music.

G.O.O.D Friday Series begins G.O.O.D. Fridays saw the return to the 90’s attitude of free release mix-tapes, but on a global level. Back in 2010, West would hold his followers in suspense before announcing a brand new free song with an impressive line-up that was capable of bringing Twitter and Tumblr crashing to its knees. The idea that one artist could collaborate with the likes of Pharell, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Mos Def and release all that music for free was inconceivable – but not for Kanye West. G.O.O.D. Fridays epitomised the pursuit of greatness by West and his peers, all the while forcing the music industry to rethink its entire perception of Kanye West. One of the features from the G.O.O.D Friday series was the notable ‘Runaway’ and featured Pusha T; one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse. Pusha T and Gene “No Malice” Thornton ended their professional partnership when the former signed to G.O.O.D. on March 21st 2011. From then, Pusha T

became involved in a number of ‘rap beefs’ with former G.O.O.D. Music signee Consequence, as well as clashing horns with Young Money artists Drake and Lil Wayne. Despite no direct mention of Lil Wayne on ‘Exodus 23:1’, that which wasn’t said provoked the Young Money boss to retaliate over the medium of Twitter, beginning a bitter, public feud. After several exchanges, Wayne made a public statement ending the argument as he was due to begin serving his jail sentence.

The takeover in 2011 The protracted grieving process that West went through after the death of his mother produced a game-changing album for hip-hop: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. These weren’t tracks produced for the purpose of release as singles; neither did they have the oppressive and banal beats of clubready music. Instead, West had created what he had always threatened to: an album filled with lyrical genius. While others may disagree, the album nevertheless went platinum, and would forever set the benchmark for his superstar peers to compete with. West further took the risk of showcasing his new signees by featuring Pusha T, John Legend and Kid Cudi on the album. West had lined up a heavy schedule of producing, recording and touring, but this didn’t stop his ambitions for G.O.O.D. Music to be the home of the best hip-hop artists the world could offer. When the opportunity presented itself to him, West signed the man behind ‘Oliver Twist’: D’Banj. While others in the music industry would have disagreed with the risk to sign an artist with only one hit under his belt, West identified the rise in popularity of afrobeats and not only took the leap of faith to sign the Nigerian star, but also immediately included him on Cruel Summer in ‘The Morning’.

Watch The Throne After a few tough years in the limelight, West now had the mammoth task of garnering respect for his music rather than his extra-curricular exploits. The hotly anticipated collaboration with Jay-Z that was finally released as Watch The Throne would turn out to be the biggest thing to hit hip-hop in 2011. Once again, Kanye West managed to land superstar names in the form of couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé on the track ‘Lift Off’. However, some would argue that the show was stolen by newcomer Mr Frank Ocean. Appearing on two tracks from the album; ‘No Church in the Wild’ and ‘Made in America’ as well as a third unreleased ‘Sweet Baby Jesus’, Ocean was propelled to worldwide fame. Watch The Throne proved a masterful, well-formed piece, but wouldn’t have

been the same without producers Q-Tip and Hit-Boy, nor without the delicate vocals of Mr Hudson on ‘Why I Love You’. Despite an overarching electro-dubstep theme, the duo experimented with some of hip-hops most eclectic instrumentals and brought a brand new dimension to the genre. The album spawned two charttopping hits; ‘Paris’ and ‘Otis’ ft. Otis Redding, proving that hip-hop still has global commercial viability as well as a place in popular music.

Fact: Cruel Summer Movie Premieres at Cannes Film Festival with Kid Cudi as the star. It required a 7-screen experience to watch. Date: 5/23/2012 Cruel Summer During the first half of 2012, G.O.O.D. Music finally released the first teaser of their collaborative efforts; a track named ‘Mercy’. The lead single from Cruel Summer heavily sampled the dancehall song ‘Dust a Sound Boy’ by Super Beagle. It also introduced the newly renamed “2Chainz”, formerly known as Tity Boi, and the Georgia native became part of the magic that Big Sean, Pusha T and Kanye were

creating. The video was shot in Qatar, in line with the Cruel Summer movie project. The camera pans across what feels like a house of mirrors in a repetitive parking garage, featuring a stunning Lamborghini Gallardo – not the Murcielago suggested by the song title, possibly due to the discontinuation of the line by the manufacturer. Featuring numerous cameos by G.O.O.D. artists Kid Cudi, Hit-Boy, D’Banj, Mr Hudson, Cyhi the Prynce and recent signing Teyana Taylor, the group manage to create a kaleidoscopic effect which the monochrome styling makes even more effective. The video ends with the Lamborghini moving past the screen, and the artists disappearing after it passes by. The video received mixed reviews, with Mark Hogan of Spin praising the video: “as with the track itself, the visuals at first might not appear to involve anything flashy – just West and friends, all lurking about and looking chic in start black-and-white. But there’s one big exception: If the highlight of the audio is the moment where the synths lift off right before West’s laconic verse, then that’s where the video peaks, too – watch closely, or you’ll miss two Wests lip-synching for the price of one.” A with the sublime video for ‘Mercy’, all G.O.O.D. statements are real

showstoppers: the collective dressed up in all white at this year’s BET Awards and pushed it over the top by bringing a Lamborghini on stage. It also served as a showcase for West’s new project ‘New God Flow’.

G.O.O.D. Music releases Cruel Summer 18/9/2012 It felt as if Cruel Summer had been in West’s plans since G.O.O.D.’s formation in 2004 when it was finally released in 2012. The album is a real insight into the label and the way it functions; though West’s Midas’ touch can be felt, the project allows all the collaborative artists to shine in their own individual way. In a way, West has put together something of a G.O.O.D. timeline in Cruel Summer; all of the things that he and his label-mates have learned along the way have found a place in the album. As with all of West’s past projects, it always leaves the listener with questions; this time it’s the speculation of whom of all the featured new artists will join G.O.O.D. Music next?

Cruel Summer debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rap Chart on 26/9/2012 205,000 copies sold.

so, What does the future hold for G.O.O.d Music? In Q-Tip’s own words; “If there’s a Cruel Summer, then there’s got to be a Cruel Winter right?”. The G.O.O.D follow-up album can only serve to showcase the fantastic stable of talent Yeezy has unearthed. Given Kanye’s dedication to delivering promises such as Watch the Throne, expect a potential Cruel Winter album to be dropped sometime in 2013, and expect Kanye & co. to be rapping and producing with a vengeance. Given the mixed reception towards G.O.O.D Music’s collective album Cruel Summer by many critics, Kanye West’s brainchild music label appears to face an uphill struggle to establish itself as a major urban music label. The perceived lack of consistency within Cruel Summer means that the label’s artists, whilst having established themselves under one of hip hop’s most colourful figures in an experimental album, are now likely to have to distinguish themselves strongly in order to establish themselves both from

one another, and from rival record labels. But what is it exactly that the future holds for G.O.O.D Music’s artists, both collectively and individually? If there is one thing that Cruel Summer indicated, it is that the label’s artists are certainly not shy when it comes to collaborating. The unique fusion between established names signed to the label (including John Legend and Kid Cudi), and the fast-emerging talents mentored by West (CyHi the Prynce and D’Banj to name but a few), indicates an experimental yet successful approach. By pairing budding talents such as Teyana Taylor with stars in their genre such as John Legend on tracks such as Bliss, G.O.O.D Music flaunts its undeniable upcoming talent on the world stage, and artists like Taylor rise to the occasion. Both she and more established names like Big Sean do not simply piggyback off their collaborative partners, but rather seize the opportunity to reveal and develop their own

styles. Boasting producers including Hip hop’s finest Q-Tip (producer of pioneers’ A Tribe Called Quest’s first three albums), up and coming Hit-Boy (creator of the infamous Niggas In Paris beat), and long-established No I.D, the assistance of such inventiveness will guarantee West’s label and artists to produce songs in the future ranging from dark and experimental tracks reminiscent of Ye’s own to certified club bangers. Individually, the upcoming year will perhaps be the defining period of many of G.O.O.D Music’s artists. Artists such as D’Banj and Pusha T must take the opportunity to step out from Yeezy’s shadow and launch their own debut albums and recent signees including Teyana Taylor and brand-new Travi$ Scott will no doubt use the forthcoming year to ride the successful wave following increased popularity off the label’s album. The future is bright, the future is G.O.O.D.

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WHY KANYE Will Never Be King

In case you have been living in a whale research station in the Antarctic for the last few months, Kanye West’s latest offering Cruel Summer has recently dropped. To be honest, even then I’m willing to bet a few of the scientists have Mercy playing secretly through their headphones instead of sonar mating calls. It is a remarkable tour de force by West’s record label G.O.O.D Music, but it also made something very clear to me: Kanye Omari West will never truly be a King of Hip-Hop. The very term ‘King of Hip-Hop’ is hotly contested, it’s a claim made by virtually every rapper with a few thousand YouTube views and Jesus piece. However, it is a title that will forever elude Kanye. This is not to say he is less talented than other AAA-grade artists, he is arguably the biggest star in world at the moment, but he has a more important role to play in Hip-Hop; the Anti-King. Shakespeare taught us that every good storyline needs an anti-hero, a mischievous Prince of Darkness who will never conform and ‘settle-down’ into the kingly lifestyle: enter Kanye West. A perfect example to illustrate this point is other guy’s girlfriends. Superstar rappers make non-stop references about how they love to go out and steal other guy’s dates, despite being perfectly capable of getting any single girl they want. It’s an inferiority complex

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probably stemming from the fact that they spent their high school years singing in drama class instead of making girls swoon as an All-American Running Back. Eminem even went as far as devoting a whole song, Seduction, to describing in detail how he repeatedly slept with some guy’s princess, simply because Em was a superior rapper: “What you expect her to do? How you expect her to act in the sack, When she’s closing her eyes, fantasizing of digging her nails in my back to this track”. You get the point. The thing is, Kings of Hip-Hop don’t really do that; it’s too low-rent for a true patriarchs of rap. If I took a hot date to Jay-Z’s 40/40 club and we were lucky enough to run into the main man himself, he’d be a gentleman. Hova would quickly call over some free drinks, shake my hand and whisper to my date how lucky she was to bag such a handsome, aspiring man before making a charming exit. Kanye would lock onto my date from across the bar with Predatorlike vision, and then proceed to slide into our booth, stealing my date from my grasps with his style, swag and a certain “je ne sais quoi”. Knowing full well that every time Power comes on the sound-system in our little bar, Kanye is sat on a pile of money somewhere laughing at me, simply because he can. “No one man should have all that power”, ladies and gentlemen, I present The Dark Prince of Hip-Hop.

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TANYA LACEY Singer, songwriter, rapper, Bristol-born, Tanya Lacey is definitely heading places. Tanya’s route to her current fresh UK soul sound has included ragga, drum’n’bass and electro. After quitting her A-Levels Tanya joined a local reggae band which she toured with for three years. More recently Tanya co-wrote Will.I.Am’s “T.H.E” and Loick Essien’s “That’s How We Roll”. The latest chapter in Tanya’s career is the her recent release of her ‘Head Chef’ EP. Hi Tanya, pleasure to meet you. For our readers at home, could you please give us a brief introduction to who you are? Well, I first landed on the UK music scene when I worked with Tinchy Stryder on his first album. After that I co-wrote ‘How We Roll’ with L Marshall, and did the duet with Loick Essien, and I have been working on my EP ‘Head Chef’ which drops on the 8th October. What’s your favourite way to create new music? Do you have a set song writing process? My favourite way to create music is to start from scratch, organically. It could just be starting with a bassline or drums, and then just vibe. That’s how I used to make music when I was in a band. Just jammin’ and music comes out of it. Your second single “Too Many Cooks” is inspired by the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth”. Tell us about where you were in your life when you wrote that. I was signed to a major label and I just felt like there were a lot of opinions telling me what they thought I should be doing musically. So

She sings, She cooks!

the concept “Too Many Cooks” was about me regaining my creative control, being the ‘Head Chef’ (which is the name of the EP) and it’s about having a vision and driving that forward with conviction.

How did Loick Essien and his own persona to “That’s How We Roll” that you co-wrote with L Marshall? I think he definitely made it more of his own. He tweaked a few of the lyrics to make it more personal and identifiable to him. But I think he did a really good job, the track sounds great with him on it, he did his thing. What are your main musical inspirations? My main inspirations are my parents hands down. They are cool, supportive and really strong, kind people. I wouldn’t be here without them. How would you describe the sound of your recently released Head Chef EP? You can expect some Caribbean flavour, a little bit of old school hip-hop added in the mix, some soulful vibes, and positive, uplifting tracks. How easy is the transition between singing and rapping that you’ve managed to portray so easily? I think we all have different sides to us as people, so musically the same happens. Parts of me come out that fit the track more. There might be a track I’m creating that I feel might be better if I sang-rapped, or rapped on it or sung on it. It’s very intuitive for me, so I just go with what I feel. What do you think of the UK music scene right now? I think the UK music scene is buzzing, I think it’s in a healthy place. A lot of the people doing music right now have the opportunity to expand and crossover, because I think the US more than ever are paying attention to what we’re bringing to the table. It’s anyone’s game. It’s just about hard work and determination. Where do you see your musical journey taking you in the next few years? The future definitely involves creating more

“The concept “Too Many Cooks” was about me regaining my creative control, being the ‘Head Chef’” And, do you cook? I do, I like to cook quite a lot of Mediterranean food. I haven’t quite got the hang of cooking soul food just yet, but I look to cook fish, and y’know……salads. Tell us about the video concept for “Too Many Cooks” We wanted the video concept to have a narrative and be fun, bright, and bold, so when we had the opportunity to film in Antigua, we wanted to set up a shack called Tanya Lacey’s Hot Spot. The sauce is a metaphor for my music, it’s not for everybody but it’s my sauce, and I’m cooking it in my kitchen, aka the studio. You performed at the famous Notting Hill Carnival this year, what do you love about carnival? I love how mad it is, from the whistles to the horns, how everyone just shocks out in the street and doesn’t care. They’re just dancing and enjoying the music, and that’s what carnival is supposed to be about. It’s celebrating music and culture and bringing people together.

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music, performing more, connecting more with fans and collaborating more. I definitely want to try different areas, like working in visual media as well as music, because I’m very interested in various creative avenues. The debut album is definitely going to be out by the middle of next year, I haven’t got an exact date yet but it’s practically done. What advice would you give for upcoming artists? Don’t rush what you’re doing and stay true to what you do best even if it doesn’t seem popular at the time. We all have our own identity and musical lanes so when you try to step into another lane just because it’s hot right now, it does you no favours. Stay true to yourself and have fun! Tanya’s Head Chef EP is available on iTunes now for £3.49 so make sure you grab a copy! Keep up to date with her at www.facebook.com/ tanyalaceyofficial and on www.twitter.com/ tanyalacey

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VINCE KIDD

Vince grew up in South London, the son of a cab driver with an incredible voice. A chance night out led to a phone call from King of Pop Michael Jackson! Whilst at dinner with friends, a phone was passed to Vince with Michael on the end of the line. Vince promptly burst into song, with Michael declaring Vince a future star. Vince took part in the first series of ‘The Voice’, and under the mentoring of Jessie J reached the final of the competition, before signing a deal with Island Records. A true talent, Vince writes all this own material including his debut Sick Love remix EP which is out 4th November on iTunes. Let’s start at the beginning. Before The Voice, you were part of a group called Futureproof in the 2007 X Factor Finals right? At what point did you know it was the right decision to go solo? No. I was never on the X Factor, I think I have a long lost twin brother. If you’re out there bro, please holler, I’ve always wanted a twin. And you’ve been writing songs since a young age so how have the themes changed as you’ve grown older? And has there been a shift in the sound too? I feel like I was actually more fucked up when I was younger, I was pretty troubled. There’s still a few messy edges here and there, but I’m more together now and write more about the life I want and to inspire than write about what I’m going through. Mainly because what I’m going through right now is living in a fantasy world, I guess I’m done with reality. Has that sound shift got anything to do with appearing on The Voice and working alongside Jessie J? What was that like? No, The Voice hasn’t inspired any of my writing really. I was just singing covers and thinking about getting a record deal there. My music has gotten closer and closer to how I want it to be, as I’m getting more and more comfortable with myself. With regards to Jessie, she’s an inspiration and I love her to pieces! Many would say you’re comparable to the likes of The Weeknd, but with a more upbeat twist. Is that something you consciously aim for? Thank you, I had a Weeknd obsession when I ran

away to LA. ‘Wicked games’ reminded me how much I love sex music. So… which mixtape from the Weeknd Trilogy do you like most? Any favourite tracks? ‘House of balloons’, cause the songs are stronger. The rest is just vibes and good to burn candles to, but the first one is the one to sing along to. Moving on, the original ‘Sick Love’ has got that slowed down, hypnotising melody to it. But most importantly it’s your message to the industry. How pleased were you with the popular reaction across the internet? Over the moon of course, I love the Kidds and anyone that shows interest in my music, cause

star, not the a e lik l e e f a n n “I wa own the road.” d m ro f oe J e g avera it’s the one thing in my life I’m consistently passionate about. The lyrics to that track are pretty selfexplanatory, but are you speaking about one individual, or are you talking about an entirely new species? When I wrote it I actually wasn’t having sex funnily enough. I was with someone who wasn’t giving me that, so I became a bit sex obsessed, it was kinda weird. And the EP is out soon with remixes from Lady Leshurr, Benny Banks on the ELE remix and Scorcher, EXO and Shystie on the Red Skull produced remix. How did each artist or producer add their own persona to the track? EXO is such a g, he’s like an older brother and looks out for you but then raps and is an animal. Scorcher is just such a sick rapper, simple. Shystie is one of my favourites, she’s the badass I needed on this, again she’s big sis, but when she spits it’s like this bad bitch comes out! Lady Leshurr, don’t even get me started, she’s the best, she’s too good, I’m such a fan, she’s like a cartoon character, have you seen her f64? Just sick! I knew from when I saw that I wanted her on my first single. Benny Banks I haven’t met yet, but when my friend ELE made this remix for

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me, I just knew he’d kill it and he did. Onto your style. Some have branded you “scary looking” because of your boldness, it’s an extreme look right? Has it always been a case of individuality and not caring if all eyes are on you? Do you carry your unique style through to your music as well? I’m so inspired by fashion. Fashion inspires the music, the music inspires the fashion, so yeah, I love that people think I’m scary! I wanna feel like a star, not the average Joe from down the road. And on your Twitter and Facebook profiles, you say, “I’m going to be a rude boy. Like my dad.” What does that mean exactly? That’s a quote from Sid and Nancy. I liked and it just stuck with me. My dad’s not a rude boy, he’s a cab driver. He is feisty though, my mum is the biggest sweetheart you could ever meet. Some would say you were born for the spotlight. From your performances on The Voice, to your SBTV A64, and now you’re touring soon right? Would you say you love your work so much it’s what you were born to do? Yes, my whole life has been about art, music, creating, performing. It’s quite unhealthy but it’s just the way it is. And congrats on getting signed by the way, when can we expect some future releases? Are they finished yet? Thank you so much! I love, love, love my team at Island! I couldn’t be happier with how the records sounding! Expect… just expect me. I dunno how to describe that. A lot of my fans are young and troubled and I just want them to feel confident you know? The only way I can do that is by being myself. It’s kinda cool they got to see this little crazy theatre kid who don’t fit nowhere, up singing on the BBC and realise yo, if he can do it, then I can achieve my dreams.

Sick Love EP is out 4th November on iTunes with remixes from the likes of Scorcher, Benny Banks, Lady Leshurr, Redskull & EXO. Follow @kiddulthood on Twitter and keep up to date with Vince at www.facebook.com/ badkidds

“We were grown men in a frustrated limbo in real life.I really miss FDM, that was my heart, but I have to keep it moving.” Since parting ways with UK R&B group FDM in 2011, 25 year old Jermaine Riley has wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the hottest solo artists on the rise right now, with his debut album “Hello Earth” amassing over 125,000 downloads, landing an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park and taking his show around the London live circuit, all totally independently. We got the chance to ask Jermaine Riley about the Superman theme, the honesty in his music, his younger brother Shaun Riley and his greatest inspiration; Michael Jackson. As Jermaine gears up for his next mixtape “Ten Eleven Twelve” out November 10th we feel excited to hear what a more evolved and mature Jermaine sounds like, that mixtape is definitely going to be one to look out for! What’s the concept behind the debut album ‘Hello Earth’? And why the Superman theme? The concept of the album is basically our world through the eyes of Superman, the things he goes through from day to day; his responsibilities, how he’s perceived amongst normal human beings, as well as his love life. I really wanted to introduce myself as a solo artist in a different way, and do something no one’s done before. I’ve always been a fan of superman and I’m a huge comic book enthusiast, so I have enough knowledge to write the songs from an educated perspective. You’ve been writing songs since a young age, so how have the themes changed as you’ve grown older? And has there been a shift in the sound too? I think the themes have naturally progressed over time, as I’ve gained more life experiences. When I was younger, I used to write about situations whilst imagining what it would’ve been like, whereas now, I don’t really write about things I haven’t been through or can’t actually relate to. You won’t hear songs about me being in the club, popping champagne or driving fast cars with honeys in the back... because I don’t do any of those things. Hahaha! Although I can be very creative, it’s important for me to be authentic. I can write those kinds of things for others, but I like to stay true to who I am when it comes to my own songs. I’d like to think there’s been a slight shift in my sound because it’s great to evolve as an artist. Plus, I’ve come from a group, so hopefully fans will hear some kind of growth since my years in FDM. Up until 2011 you were a part of R&B group FDM aka Fundamental, when did you realise it was time to put your music out as a solo artist? I never came to a realisation that I wanted to be a solo artist at any point. I didn’t want to go solo. But my back was against the wall to a certain degree when it came to deciding whether I wanted to pursue this dream with an honest chance of success, or still be under the guidance of the team we had been with for 8 years. I couldn’t do it anymore, not with that team, or lack thereof. I wanted so bad for us all to leave and start again, but it was somewhat... “biologically” political in the end. Plus, we were grown men in a frustrated limbo in real life also,

jermaine Riley

so it was a combination of things. I really miss FDM, that was my heart, but I have to keep it moving. Tell us about your debut album ‘Hello Earth’? How pleased were you with the popular reaction across the internet? I was overjoyed! Obviously no one really puts something out unless they believe people are going to like it, but I didn’t expect that reaction to it online. It made me extra proud of it and glad that it showed everyone and the artists/ producers involved that I’m worth listening to and working with. As an independent artist, you can come across a lot of closed doors, but everyone involved was so open to being a part of it and it really filled me with confidence. The project did a lot more than I envisioned it doing for me. And how did you distinguish between the two mixtapes and the debut album which was also free? Was it meant to be a mixtape part 2? Yeah, it was supposed to be the sequel to ‘Goodbye Krypton: The Mixtape’. But after hearing the music people were giving me, I felt that making it a mixtape would be an injustice. It became a body of entirely original material and forced me to put the ‘refixes’ I had in the pipeline on ‘Nine Ten Eleven: The Refixes’. I had to create a whole ‘nother project for the mixtape-type material. My mixtapes are when I put my spin on other people’s music. You’ve said your greatest influence is Michael Jackson, how can we hear elements of his music in yours? I think there’s a certain attitude I adopt when channelling Michael, most of the time it’s involuntary. It’s all about the execution and timing. Sometimes even lack of diction, replaced

by emotion. That’s what MJ was about; delivery and making you feel what he’s singing about... even if you can’t understand it. Hahaha! When I go for the big adlibs and high notes, the MJ comes out sometimes. You’ve mentioned your desire to discover and develop new artists. Who’s the most underrated or undiscovered artist our readers should know about? Probably my brother, Shaun Riley. We’ve only scratched the surface with him, but his voice is so good. He’s had a couple mixtapes out already, most notably his ‘#LifeGoesOn’ project, but that was 2 years ago and we’re mapping out what his sound is now that he’s a young man at 19. We’re hoping to have new music out in 2013 and I’m excited about his EP. So when can we expect the second album? How is it going to define you as an artist? Late Summer 2013 hopefully, but I don’t want to rush it. With the next album I’m going to be moving away from the Superman theme but really honing in on the elements that made ‘Hello Earth’ a success. It’s going to be a very vulnerable album. What’s crazy is I can almost hear it now but it’s not even half way complete. My new mixtape; ‘Ten Eleven Twelve’, which is slated for November 10th, should set the tone for the next album. I’m sure my heroes will enjoy it.

Jermaine Riley’s new mixtape TEN ELEVEN TWELVE will be available via his website www. jermaineriley.com on Saturday 10th November 2012. Make sure you do him the honours at www. twitter.com/Jermaine_Riley and www.facebook. com/JermaineRileyMusic. Stay up to date with his music at www.youtube.com/SUPERspectiveTV and www.jermaineriley.bandcamp.com.

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K-YOUNG

The apprentice of the legendary Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins

-Young landed his first record deal at the age of 11 as lead singer of R&B/pop group 3rd Storee. Back then he was simply known as “Lil’ Man” and he got his first taste of the limelight touring with N’Sync and Britney

Spears, where he met super producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. The legend took him under his wing after his work on the movie soundtrack for “Honey”. K-Young soon graduated to becoming a fully fledged member of the Darkchild camp at a time when it was one of the biggest

and most influential forces in pop music across the world.

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D A H I , D L O S R A E Y E I WAS NIN . E IM T E H T T A S D N IE 2 GIRLFR D N IE R F L IR G W A S I , Y ONE DA NA G IN S IS K E N O R E B NUM D E T R A T S I D N A Y OTHER GU CRYING LIKE A BITCH.

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Let’s go right back to the start, I heard that your music career all started because you wanted to borrow a pen from a lady working at Kinko’s? What happened there? That’s a fact! Shout out to Jackie Dorsey. My mom had some documents she needed to print. I was running around with the homie, full of energy, and I can’t remember exactly why, but I needed a pen. I walked up to the counter and said “Excuse me, can I borrow your pen?”. Instead of giving me a pen, she just asked me “Can you sing?” (weird right?). Of course, I told her I could, and she asked my mom if I could come back in to her office to sing for her and to make a long story short, that opened many doors for me. Thank god for Kinko’s! You’ve come a long way since selling your CDs on the streets in Hollywood, what would you say is the key to success, and how would you define success? Success is happiness, health, wealth and good friends. Giving up isn’t a part of me. I’ve learned to not take no for an answer when it comes to

reaching my goals. The game doesn’t wait, so I can’t either. What was the first song you ever wrote? I was nine years old, I had 2 girlfriends at the time. One day, I saw girlfriend number one kissing another guy and I started crying like a bitch. I went home and wrote a song called “Young Luv”, which would eventually be the song that got me signed to Babyface months later as the lead singer of a group called 3rd Storee, so I guess it wasn’t such a bad thing in the end! One of the first people to really take you under their wing was the legendary Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. What was it like working with him? I met Rodney Jerkins in Miami at The Hit Factory whilst he was finalizing Michael Jackson’s album, “Invisible”. He produced 8 songs on that album. I met MJ for the first time that same day too. Rodney is hands down one of the most positive and most important influences I’ve ever had in my life. Working with him was a life changing experience. My first writing credits came from nine songs in the movie “Honey” starring Jessica Alba, all of which were produced by Darkchild. From all the acts you’ve written for and worked with, what’s been your most memorable studio session to date, either for the right or wrong reasons!? *Laughs* I’m not going to go into details but let’s just say that my sessions with P. Diddy, Rob Holladay, Yung Berg and Ray J were definitely the funniest sessions I’ve been in. Ciroc Boyz! With record sales declining, from your experience, what are the most lucrative parts of the music industry and for an outsider, what may appear to be very lucrative but in reality isn’t? Good question! In my opinion, the most lucrative way to make money in any industry is to be open minded. Treat everyone you meet with respect, especially in an industry that’s evolving so quickly, as you never know who’s going to help you make a billion! Were you in the studio with Wiz when you recorded the collaborations, if so, was he how you’d imagined? Wiz has a unique spirit: low key and humble, but Taylor Gang to the fullest. He actually came out to my studio in Glendale and it was a great experience working with him. With the likes of Wiz and Mac Miller doing such big things right now, the face of hip-hop has changed a lot. Where do you see it going in the next few years? I see hip-hop doing what its always done. Wait for the next one to change the game. Hip hop ain’t going nowhere. Done deal. What are your top 3 rappers, top 3 singers and top 3 albums of 2012? My favourite rappers? It’s still got to be Dr Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent and as for singers: Brandy, Kimberell, and KeAna Pratt. My top three albums have been Rick Ross’ “God Forgives, I Don’t”, 2 Chainz - “Based On A Tru Story” and Chris Brown - “Fortune”. Are there any new acts coming up right now that you’re excited about and we need to have our eye on? Horseshoe Gang, One -2, Slaughterhouse, A Roc and my sister, KeAna Pratt, are the ones you need to be looking out for right now! What’s your favourite ever R&B song? Hands down it has to be Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Over the past 10 or so years, you’ve worked on projects with a lot of the centuries defining R&B artists, can you see R&B making a comeback or is it totally evolving into something new? R&B will never die, but it is evolving into something different. I’ve always said though, that new is better. What would you say are the best ways to get your music out there today? Believe in what you’re doing, do your best and let God do the rest! Any final words? I love y’al!, I’ll keep doing me and be sure to get my new album “Free Will”! Thank you. ‘Free Will’ is avaliable on iTunes now for just £5.99. For more infomation on K-Young, Check out his Facebook page, facebook..com/K.YOUNG.OFFICAL snd find him on Twitter @K_YOUNG.

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DJ Abrantee has done enormously well in promoting afrobeats in different venues across London. He hosts a daily show at Choice FM, which provides us with regular afrobeats, and he has a weekly afrobeats show on a Saturday too. This interview will provide an insight as to how afrobeats began, the rise of afrobeats and the future for this genre. Tell us about yourself? I’m a radio DJ and a television presenter, which sums me up in a nutshell. I am passionate about music and the entertainment business. What made you want to enter the entertainment business? Tell us about your journey to become a DJ? My love of music is what inspired me to become a DJ. When I was younger I used to hang around with my older cousins who were really into music. We used to go to house parties before I was allowed out. I mean you know African parents don’t allow us children to go out. The African parent mentality is for their children to become doctors, lawyers etc., so I had to sneak out the house and go partying, and the love of music started from there. When my cousin decided that he didn’t want to be in the music business anymore, he handed his DJ-ing equipment to me. The equipment included a record selection, which was major because he had some exclusive stuff, and then it built from there. I then joined a group called 90 Percent, which was a bunch of Ghanaian guys. We started doing events such as Ghana independence, Miss Ghana and other Ghanaian events which was good because I had loads of fun doing it, and this was also beneficial in promoting a name for ourselves. That really sums up how I got into the music business. What sort of music did these Ghanaian events consist of? Was it strictly afrobeats or was it a variety of different musical genres? I was playing African music so it was like Hip life and High life back then. It was basically music that originated from Ghana, so it only made sense. Obviously we mixed it up with RnB, hip-hop and funky house and garage also. How do you think African music has changed from when you started? It’s more widely accepted now on the commercial market, and that’s the only difference. Before it was very underground, just like garage and funky house. There has to be opportunity for some commercial revenue

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to be made out of it, which opens doors, and now it is more mainstream with the likes of D’banj, P-square, Sarkodie, and Atumpan. They are the ones who are making it more acceptable in the mainstream, so that’s why events such as ‘Afrobeats Sundays’, and afrobeats music festival are now popular, and every single DJ is playing afrobeats. Have you heard the track, ‘The Morning’ on Kanye West’s ‘Cruel Summer’ album? D’banj has a vocal edit on that track, what is your opinion of that, and does it make a statement about Afrobeats hitting the mainstream? D’banj is that guy, and at the end of the day it’s like he is the one who is taking a risk to put himself forward to represent the artists from Africa. I mean, he got a top ten hit with ‘Oliver Twist’ so no one can talk to D’banj as far as I am concerned. He has done it, and he’s rolling with Kanye, I mean you can’t roll with a bigger artist. For me D’banj makes a statement and he should keep it moving. Do you think it is due to the influence of Kanye that ‘Oliver Twist’ made it to the top ten? I think they took a risk with D’banj’s ‘Oliver Twist’, because no one really knew what it would do, but the fact that somebody believed in him is what is more important than anything else. D’banj has always believed in himself, however it takes somebody to believe in you to give you that opportunity to put your belief to the mass market. D’banj has always had swag and he has always done what he has been good at. For Kanye to give him a chance and believe in him is what makes this story different. Someone has got to give you that helping hand and Kanye has done it, good luck to him and good luck to D’banj. You are currently the middle man between afrobeats and listeners. Do you think afrobeats is here to stay, and how do you think it is going to change in the future? If I could tell you that then that would be great, but unfortunately I cannot tell the future. I can only tell you now, that there is a lot of talent in the African world and the African community. I mean even in the UK there has been a promising rise in the genre. People think that Afrobeats is a short term thing, it might be or it could last

T S E B S ’ K U THE forever… who knows. We didn’t expect Afrobeats to be recognised to a great extent. I mean no one predicted that D’banj would get a top ten hit with ‘Oliver Twist’ saying… ‘Lebite’ ‘Lebite’ ‘Lebite’. No one understands what he is saying, and he got a top ten hit. I am just supporting the genre, and shout out to everybody who is supporting it as well. Shout out to all the DJ’s playing afrobeats and all other promoters who are putting on shows, all the other artists who are making music. I mean D’banj is there but there are other ‘D’banjists’ out there who need to be discovered. The minute that other record companies start discovering them then you will see that more and more will come through. Choice FM is currently the only radio station that has a show dedicated to Afrobeats. Talk to us about the idea, and your involvement in dedicating a weekly show to Afrobeats? I have to thank Choice for being the first to actually do it. Basically it’s a bit of luck and being at the right place at the right time. I just felt that the whole Afrobeats circuit was just popping off, and it was good to go to a club where it will be playing the likes of Wizkid, Sarkodie and other afrobeats tunes. I said to my boss that we need to get an afrobeats show together and he said that I should do a demo. I mean people think that because I work for Choice that it was just automatically given to me and it wasn’t like that at all. I had to do a demo just like any other DJ, and submit it a few times before they actually turned around and said ‘alright it looks like it could work’. So I guess it was different and it sounded professional, I put it together the same way that I compose my drive time shows, I mean the only difference was the music that I was playing. Imagine Nicki Minaj, Jay-z, Drake and Dr Dre playing back to back, instead of that you have D’banj, Wizkid, Sarkodie and Atumpan back to back. The links and everything were tight and it was all formatted properly as a proper radio show. So I think that helped, and they had a listen to it and they said ‘you know what let’s give it a try’. I mean I was really pushing for it, I was saying ‘I know this would work’ and I even said ‘if this doesn’t work then you can take away my drive

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time shows and I will do the afrobeats show’. I was fully convinced on how big this would be, so they were like, ‘yeah, yeah, it’s cool, let’s put it on and let’s see what happens’. So we put it on and the response was phenomenal. It was something that people wanted to be associated with, there are a lot of people from Africa who listen to Choice, and from around the world in general and I think they just wanted something that is theirs. I mean Bollywood has successfully done it with Punjabi and hitsquad - they are my boys. They pushed their genre to the movies and it’s been successful. Their song ‘ A ning a ning a ning a ning a nimi nami’ was a badboy tune, the tune went in each time you heard that song. At the end of the day Afrobeats is kind of the same thing, you might not understand what they are saying but once the beat helps you to move that’s all everyone is interested in, and that’s what afrobeats does. It’s got that beat and that rhythm that makes you want to dance. So I think that’s why it has been such a success so far. In your opinion which Afrobeats star is shining the brightest at the moment? I think they are all shining in their own light, I’m not going to pinpoint saying certain individuals are the best. I think they are all shining and all doing their own thing and I respect all of them as artists. I mean I am not an artist, I am just a DJ, but I wish I could sing - I wish I could be an artist but I’m not. All the female artists, all the team UK guys, all the international artists from Africa are also doing it, so I’ve got respect for all of them and I think that everybody is going to get their chance to shine at any chosen opportunity. They are not all going to be great at once, for example the MOBO category has come out, you have P-square, D’banj, Sarkodie. Last year the Mobo category only had D’banj. This highlights different artists utilising the opportunity to make Afrobeats known and this has been done successfully. Who should we look out for in the years to come? Obviously Sarkodie is a big name, Atumpan with the big tune ‘The Thing’, R2Bees, Wizkid who is already out there. You have got a guy

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called Iyanya (I hope I have said his name right otherwise he will cuss me.) You also have Wande Coal. In terms of the UK, you have Mista Silva, Kwamz, Flava, Vibesquad and May7ven, but there is still more to come from the UK> Most of the names that you mentioned were male, do you think that Afrobeats is male dominated? I think music in general is a male dominated area, I’m just keeping it real (laughs). It is what it is, but there are a lot of afrobeats female artists such as May7ven, Tiffany, a new girl called Lusika and Eazzy. There are a lot out there who are going to be doing big things in the future. The Azonto is now a worldwide dance craze. Talk to us about how successful the Azonto has become? I think that it is great because with every genre of music it’s always handy to have a dance with it. It pushes it to the next level when there is a dance involved. I read an article the other day that one of the princes was doing the Azonto. I mean if you can’t do the Azonto then you really need to learn how to do it. The Azonto started off in Ghana and since then it has spread and it’s great because you can Azonto to anything nowadays. You can Azonto to Beyoncé, Azonto to Jigga, Azonto to Kanye West. I mean no one cares anymore because everyone puts the Azonto to anything. Talk to us about your involvement in Ghana Independence? I have been doing Ghana Independence for a couple of years now. Every

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year is just a massive celebration, and that was the foundation from where I started. Next year there will be bigger and better things and this will take place on March 9th. People need to be proud of where they come from, whether it is Ghana, Nigeria or Pakistan it really doesn’t matter, if the opportunity is there to celebrate it then why not. Nowadays Ghana Independence caters for a large crowd, 70 per cent are Ghanaians, whereas 30 per cent is made up of different nationalities who help celebrate Ghana’s independence at these events. Since your involvement in ‘Afrobeats’ what has been your biggest success? I would say that witnessing D’banj entering the top ten is amazing. It’s not necessarily my biggest success because I didn’t go top ten, but I feel that I have helped in the same way other people have. But for me it was like ‘yes’ because if he didn’t go top ten then this would have been seen as a waste of time. All eyes were on D’banj in order to make this happen. The fact that radio stations are aware of Afrobeats has been a good look in terms of support and promoting the genre. Also playing it on Choice FM, and the Afrobeats Sundays that people attend in their thousands is a great look. I personally find it amazing when people from nationalities talk, listen and dance to Afrobeats, because I feel that it has crossed over successfully. I also did an Afrobeats UK tour last year, we went to Liverpool, Manchester, and Cardiff, and it was good to see how Afrobeats has spread across the UK and I hope this continues to grow.

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Richie Mensah is a Ghanaian, singer, songwriter and a producer who is the

which has made ‘Azonto’ what it is today. Pop was the nation’s favourite

founder of Lynx entertainment in Ghana. He was ambitious from a very young

worldwide, however in Ghana this wasn’t the case. I wanted to find something

age and has been very successful in the music game. He started the Lynx

similar so I decided to Africanise some material. I came up with the ‘Wengeze’

entertainment family and has signed numerous artists in Ghana which has

rhythm which was fast and popping which became popular in Ghana.

gained him and artists great recognition. He has also collaborated with the

Coincidently at the same time Donaeo put together ‘party hard’ which had a

likes of London rapper Sway with the hit single ‘intoxicated’

similar tempo. This became a strong trend and then the azonto was formed

So Richie, tell us about yourself and Lynx entertainment and how has this has

with these fast popping beats such as ‘kiss your hand’ by R2BEES. Traces of

expanded?

the ‘Azonto’’ dance came from Asamoah Gyan. This was a common dance

Lynx entertainment started in 2003 when I was 17 that’s when I finished

which was used to celebrate his victory after scoring a goal so the dance

school and then I started with the record label.

became popular in Ghana. The word Azonto came from Ghana’s fastest rapper

How has music been instrumental in your life, such as an early age. What

‘Sarkodie’ which set the wheels in motion and from then it has blew up to

were your influences?

what it is right now.

Music has had a massive impact in my life. I have been singing at an early

Tell us about your single changing faces.

age, I used to perform songs from the ‘Blues Brothers’ with my brother. I

This song was a project that I was passionate about. I wanted the single

started this at a very early age, I enjoyed school very much, I was seen as a

‘’Changing faces’ to signify that you can always turn back and rectify your

geek amongst my peers. My choir teacher told me that I was too talented to

mistakes which is what people tend to think that this is not possible. I

sacrifice my voice for engineering which is what I wanted to major in. So I

wanted the video to portray this message, so I grew my hair and braided it.

decided to combine science and music in order to do sound engineering.

Everybody knows that I am a calm guy that doesn’t take any risks with his

What inspired you to name the record label Lynx?

look. I went to the extreme with my look to highlight that this could be done.

Lynx is a cat, it’s a wild cat with sharp eyesight, that sees further than most. It

You have won and have also been nominated for several awards. How has this

highlights the eye of the future and also every time a cat falls down it lands

shaped your music career? Has this given you an incentive to work harder?

to its feet.

It has definitely given me an incentive to work harder, when I started Lynx

Are there any new editions or any upcoming artists that we should be looking

Entertainment people put me down telling me that this wasn’t going to work.

out for?

The fact that I became heavily recognised in Ghana gave me encouragement

Ohhhh yeah loads! We have recently released D3 which is the new girl group

to strive forward and to not give up on my dreams.

and we have a couple of new artists that we are working on. We are mainly

Your style of music is very different to other Afrobeats artists. How would you

concentrating on young talent, so that we can nurture and prepare them to

describe your type of music?

become great artists that will produce good music for a long period. Most of

I’m an ‘ashawo’ (prostitute) when it comes to music. I tend to mess around

our artists are between the age of 17-22.

with different genres, I have done RnB, Afropop, dancehall. I try not to

The Afrobeats scene has become increasingly popular especially within the

associate myself with a certain genre. Especially as an African artist I

younger generation, what is your view on the recognition of Afrobeats?

would want to show that I am versatile in order to strengthen myself in the

I think its in a great place right now, people are actually paying attention

music market. I personally don’t think that any musician should just restrict

and they want to hear more which means it is up to us to give them the

themselves to one genre. I think this is why my music is very different to

right stuff and to market it in the right way. The material that ‘Afrobeats’ have

other African artists this is because that I have experimented with different

produced over the past few months shows that Afrobeats is in a good place

types of genres. My first single ‘Frema’ was RnB, my second single was ‘when

at the moment.

I get you’ which was Hip Hop and other songs such as ‘London’ which was

The D’banj track, “Oliver Twist”, has been a massive breakthrough worldwide.

country.

Do you think this could open doors for Lynx entertainment?

What has been the biggest highlight of your musical career so far?

Definitely , the fact that an African has been able to make it big just goes

This was when I won ‘record label of the year’ in Ghana in our first year of

to show to rest of the world that Africa is a force to be reckoned with and

operation which was very promising. I was completely blown away because

Lynx is a force to be reckoned with. If their eyes are in my neighbourhood I’m

we were children when Lynx started and just to see how it has evolved is

going to shine.

outstanding. I mean we were small kids with big dreams which came true.

I personally think that every artist has to make their own mark within music,

If you could perform alongside any artist, who would it be?

what has Lynx entertainment brought to Afrobeats or music?

Michael Jackson is my musical idol so it would have been nice to feature with

We have revolutionised the system, we have brought in a new sound which

him. I would also say usher because he is a great performer.

hasn’t been done before. We were bold enough to sample different types of

Any shout outs that you want to give?

music. We brought Hip Hop, Rnb, which is developing successfully within the

I would say shout out to the fans, you can’t say that you are a celebrity

record label. African music has just been recognised and we thought that this

without anybody celebrating you. I wouldn’t be Richie without the fans and of

was the perfect opportunity to develop our music which has strengthened us

course a massive shout out to the Lynx management, for their hard work and

as a record label.

support who have brought out the best in the record label.

The Azonto is a Ghanaian dance craze that has become worldwide. Talk to us about your involvement within ‘Azonto’

Check out Richie Mensah’s Youtube channel “The Lynx Family” and follow his

There are different era’s and influences within different genres of music

inspirational movement taking afrobeats to a new level.

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G.O.O.D Music Cruel Summer Album Review KANYE WEST CONSEQUENCE JOHN LEGEND COMMON KID CUDI BIG SEAN MR HUDSON MOS DEF Q-TIP HIT-BOY D’BANJ CYHI THE PRINCE PUSHA T TEYANA TAYLOR MARSHA ABROSIUS 2CHAINZ After wrapping up the Watch The Throne tour, Mr West hit the studio straight away to put together his G.O.O.D Music compilation ‘Cruel Summer’. After the hype of G.O.O.D Fridays in 2011, Yeezy had a lot to live up to, and ‘Cruel Summer’ definitely exceeds the previous body of work and much more. The result is a more evolved Kanye from The College Dropout era and Graduation days and we get a cross between My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch The Throne. With the rest of his G.O.O.D Music family accompanying him to create this record, what we are given is the perfect showcase for this roster to stake their claim as hip-hops’ finest supergroup. Kanye opens the album with the ‘King of R&B’ R. Kelly, on an uplifting track titled To The World, with a defiant message throughout the song telling people to ‘put their middle fingers up to the world’, it definitely is a good way to start with a well-known featured artist pulling off some brilliant vocals. The next song on the album is the popular track Clique with its instantly recognisable grimy beat and three heavy hitter rappers. Big Sean is joined by both Kanye and Jay-Z, who provides a standout performance with some memorable bars. The trend of big tunes is continued with the lead single of the album Mercy, with its unique sample and unique video style. These songs are then followed by equally solid tracks New God Flow and Cold. With such a boisterous and impressive first half of the album, it was expected that at some point the quality of songs wouldn’t be as good for the second half. However, The One, which includes Kanye, Big Sean, 2 Chainz and the beautiful voice of Marsha Ambrosius, is a truly brilliant song towards the end of the album. The three rappers on this track spit about the fact they have made it in the game over a soft piano melody which is then added to by the voice of Ambrosius, all culminating in a well put together song. In addition to this, Kid Cudi is given the chance to showcase his talents on his own with his song Creepers. This may be the most underrated song on the album but it is the perfect kind of track for Cudi because of its spaced out and futuristic beat and he delivers the song in the

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way everyone knows he can. My one qualm with the album is the fact that maybe there were a not enough songs to properly promote a lot of the artists in G.O.O.D music. Legendary rapper Common, only appeared in one song and I think Kanye West missed a beat by not letting up and coming singer Teyana Taylor have more of a chance to let everyone know who she is. Furthermore, it would have been nice to let D’Banj have more than just the backing vocals on the bridge of one song. D’banj collaborating with one of the other members of G.O.O.D music would have been interesting to listen to and would have given the album a different kind of flavour. Ultimately, no one can deny that Cruel Summer is definitely a hit album, with Kanye West having such control over the direction of the album; it was inevitable that this collection of songs would be great. Guest appearances from Wu Tang duo Raekwon and Ghostface Killah and a surprise return from Ma$e put that extra gloss on the album to further cement Kanye West’s claim to be one the greatest musicians of all time.

Producers Oak & Pop // Label: RCA & MBK Records Elle Varner burst on to the scene earlier this year with her stylish, charismatic hit Only Wanna Give it to You, featuring long term schoolfriend and rising superstar J. Cole. Whilst it appears J. Cole is rapidly rising in the rap game, Elle Varner’s elegant debut album Perfectly Imperfect suggests that she may well be one to look out for in the R&B genre. The album helps to top off what has been a fantastic year for the American singer-songwriter, as she has successfully found a style which seems unique in the otherwise packed neo-soul genre. Varner’s attractive and likeable personality is reflected in her music videos and portrayed through well-constructed lyrics a, yet arguably her real strength lies in singing about the insecurities young women such as herself are too often covered by. Perfectly Imperfect is undoubtedly a summer success, however its smooth and melodic vibes make it perfect for easy listening. An album for all year round, true neo-soul and R&B lovers would be silly to miss this one.Varner’s album Perfectly Imperfect is a breathtaking debut, and one which illustrates the singer-songwriter’s potential to soar as an R&B artist. It is the ease with which Varner dissects the genre into its individual, classical elements – rhythm and blues – and gives each of the alum’s songs a distinctive dose of each of these components. Songs such as Not Tonight and Refill confirm her ability to inject each song with a classical and loveable dose of the blues, whilst the brilliant acoustic version of So Fly exemplifies her capacity to balance this tendency with a fantastic grasp of rhythm. The album’s lead single Only Wanna Give it to You epitomises this rhythmic expertise, which is most likely a product of Varner’s musical upbringing. The influence of her parents - both of whom were songwriters - is evident both in Varner’s lyrical prowess and more subtly in the production credits of the album, which reveal her father to be one of the pioneers behind the impressive vocals. Whilst it is perhaps wordsmith J.Cole’s featured verse on the albums lead single which brought both the single and Varner’s album to the attention of many causal urban music listeners, those who may consider themselves more devoted or ‘hardcore’ R&B and soul fans may find

“Thought you were just another Romeo. The shoe you pass by in the store window. But soon as I got home I wish I’d bought you instead, I got it bad, I’ll take the black, take the navy & red” only one, minute criticism of Perfectly Imperfect. Those who have enjoyed the debut album, as I have, and have thus delved deeper into Varner’s musical history may have also unearthed the brilliance of her 2012 mixtape Conversational Lush. Despite continuity in terms of style, Perfectly Imperfect seems to lack some of the character of its forerunner mixtape, as songs such as WTF and EV (which daringly uses both the Kanye West produced instrumental of “Izzo/H.O.VA.”, as well as Jay-Z’s style over the hook) help give insight to Varner’s colourful and playful personality. It is perhaps this rather bold swagger which, after hearing the mixtape, fans may also wish was more prominent in the album. However, in the American singer-songwriter’s defence, Conversational Lush was created as a mixtape to give fans an insight into just what the artist is capable of, and that it most certainly has done. Perfectly Imperfect is undoubtedly one of the stand-out R&B/neosoul albums of 2012 to date, and is only strengthened by the mixtape which preceded it, which helps to pave the way for a more stylistically bold and daring Elle Varner in years to come. Having earned plaudits from none other than the likes of Michelle Obama, Elle Varner has well and truly rocketed herself into soul music stardom with her debut album. And with the landscape of female R&B singers rapidly shifting as previous superstars such as Beyonce and Alicia Keys begin to indulge in the luxuries of marriages to hip hop superstars (as well as the enjoyment of motherhood), we may well be looking at a new First

Keep up with Elle Varner on www.facebook.com/ellevarnermusic & follow her on Twitter @ElleVarner. You can grab a copy of ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ right now in stores nationwide. w w w. b e a t z m a g . c o m - B e a t z M a g a z i n e

Label: First&Fifteenth/Atlantic Production: B-Side, The Audibles, Simonsayz

Twitter @LupeFiasco www.facebook.com/LupeFiasco

Following the long and unwanted delay between his second and third album, Lupe Fiasco has quickly followed up ‘Lasers’ with the much anticipated first part of his two piece album boastfully titled ‘The Great American Rap Album’. Critics of ‘Laser’s claimed that Lupe hadn’t delivered the high standards that were expected of him and that instead of being an album for the fans, it turned out to be an album for the industry; filled with generic and trend following song subjects and high profile featured artists. Interestingly, with this fore-coming album Mr Fiasco has gone back to his trusted method of featuring relatively unknown talent on his songs and addressing some of the world’s most controversial topics in his lyrics. This surely will be a recipe for a brilliant and well received album. In the hip-hop world, Lupe Fiasco has established himself as one of the best wordsmiths in the game with his thought provoking and intelligent rhymes and he has proved no different in this his fourth studio album. The album is definitely exactly what you would expect from Fiasco, with songs ranging from a spectrum of different topics. Bitch Bad, the sixth track on the album, focuses on the use of the word “bitch” in the rap world to refer to females and how it can have a negative influence on the younger generations in the future. In addition, the opening track ‘Strange Fruition’ takes shots at the American government and tackles how they have failed the African- American people of America. The darkest point of the album comes in the form of ‘Lamborghini Angels’, in which Lupe raps explicitly about religion and the highly charged topic of Catholic priests and sexual abuse. It’s not all about negatives in this album though, as Lupe pulls out all the stops in the upbeat track Heart Donor, a feel-good track telling his fans how he gives his heart and soul to them in the hope that we are motivated and encouraged by his music. The incredible jazz influenced beat on the lead single of the album ‘Freedom Ain’t Free’ which provides for a really fun tune to listen to and the brilliant vocals of Guy Sebastian who is featured on the track ‘Battle Scars’. On a whole, Lupe Fiasco has come out all guns blazing and has created an album that sounds like a rapper on top of his game with a point to prove in silencing his critics and returning to the type of sound that has gained him so many plaudits. With familiar featured artists from his previous albums such as Pooh Bear & Bilal adding that extra specialist touch as well as giving the hiphop world and the world in general with plenty of issues to ponder, fans will definitely enjoy ‘Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1’ and discover that Lupe Fiasco is back to his best.

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Three years ago, Miguel was an unknown name in the music world. These days however, he is heralded as one of R&B’s finest and most exciting prospects. His debut album All I Want is You was only a minor showcase of his capabilities; Kaleidoscope Dream, his second studio album, has seen Miguel fully demonstrate his skills as an artist. In a way only he can do it, Miguel experiments with unique beats and soulful lyrics that culminate in a well put together album which will now force all the other R&B artists to step their game up. ‘These lips can’t wait to taste your skin…’ the opening line of the first song is as smooth as any throughout the album. Adorn is such a silky and romantic way to start off the album with the passionate and meaningful lyrics, accompanied by the most seductive of beats. Opening up the album in such a way really wets the appetite as we anticipate what else the album has in store. The second song to be released from the album is titled Do You, and carries on the romantic trend of the opening few songs. It’s different from the rest because of its funky, summery beat and is definitely another song that will become a popular hit. The albums’ title track Kaleidoscope Dream is a stand out, giving

off a cool hip-hop vibe as Miguel soulfully repeats the words ‘kaleidoscope dream’ in the chorus as if he wants to send us into a peaceful trance with colourful pictures. It is produced by Salaam Remi who is known for frequently working with Nas and previously with the Fugees. There is even a place on the album for a star as well-known as Alicia Keys to feature on the album and supply her vocals to Where’s the Fun in Forever? Miguel shines just as brightly in the song as Ms Keys compliments the R&B crooner. The final song on the album is called Candles in the Sun and it’s a thoughtful way for Miguel to conclude the album as he bemoans the world we live in ‘white collar, war, crime, money gets spent…’ before sending out the diplomatic message that there’s no separating us, we’re all one. The album is aptly named Kaleidoscope Dream because it’s a record that is definitely filled with a lot of vivid colours and imagery, taking the listener on a journey of different and obscure sounds but presenting them in a way that our ears will love to listen to again and again. Miguel plays his role perfectly in luring us in with his lusty words before singing us into a dream world.

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Artists Taking Over The Hip-Hop Game

Every issue we pick out one category of artist and pick out 6 musicians who we currently feel are the best of that category. This issue we have chosen ‘Artists taking over the Hip-Hop game’.

Joey Bada$$

Age: 17 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Label: N/A For Fans of: Nas, AZ Key Track: Hardknock Twitter: @JoeyBADASS_ Facebook: www.fb.com/fckingbadass Website: www.Badassjoey.tumblr.com The recent launch of his 1999 EP has put young Joey Bada$$ into the hip-hop limelight. Where young contemporaries Chief Keef and Earl Sweatshirt favour a darker more aggressive style, Joey Bada$$ draws his inspiration from the ‘Golden Era’ of New York rap with not just his beats and style, but also his vocabulary.

A.Dd+

Homeboy Sandman Age: 31 Hometown: Queens, NY Label: Stones Throw For Fans of: Madlib, MF Doom Key Song: The Carpenter Twitter: N/A Facebook: www.fb.com/ homeboysandman Website: www.homeboysandman.com

Queens MC Homeboy Sandman has rapped about topics as diverse as ‘train of thought’ and the technique of writing tracks, which can be seen in the song ‘The Miracle’ (the video is well worth a watch too). Now signed with independent label Stones Throw, Sandman can launch his laid back beats, innovative rhymes and unconventional style to a wider audience. His fourth album, ‘First of a Living Breed’ is released 18th September.

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Age: Both 24 Hometown: Dallas, TX Label: N/A For Fans of: Outkast, UGK Key Song: Insomniac Dreaming Twitter: @addplus Facebook: www.fb.com/divehiflylo Website: www.divehiflylo.com

In their track ‘Insomniac Dreaming’ A.Dd+ claim they want to ‘put Dallas onthe map’, and they may have done just that with their 2011 debut album ‘When Pigs Fly’, r. Their style has been described by some as quirky yet conscientious, and they possess a rare ability to create records about poignant topics while maintaining a distinctive, unique sound. New EP Dive Hi Fly Lo should be dropping soon.

Age: N/A Hometown: Dusseldorf, Germany Label: Melting Pot Music For Fans of: DOOM, J Dilla Key Track: PGOB Twitter: @suffdaddy Facebook: www.fb.com/suff-daddy Website: www.suffdaddy.com It’s a truly tough task to make original, provocative instrumental Hip-hop. German beat-maker Suff Daddy’s music has the unique attribute of providing meaning and atmosphere through merely the lyricism of his synthesizer. His album ‘Suff Sells’ was released earlier this year and is one of the most eminently listenable albums I have ever heard, it’s available for purchase through the Melting Pot Music website.

SUff daddy

SpaceGhostPurrp Age: 28 Hometown: Chicago, IL Label: N/A For Fans of: Dynasty Era Jay-Z, J Dilla Key Song: Die Twitter: @MCTREEG Facebook: www.fb.com/mctreegee Website: www.divehiflylo.com 28 year old MC and Producer Tremaine Johnson’s (AKA Tree)

latest mixtape Sunday School (available now!) has earned high praise in the media, but the Chicago native’s music is much more layered and subtle than anything from the cities ‘drillhop’ scene. His unconventional production technique is outstanding and his thoughtful, relatable style more than makes up for what can be at times a lack of eloquence. Tree definitely cannot be accused of being unoriginal.

Age: 21 Hometown: Miami, FL Label: 4AD For Fans of: Wu Tang Clan, Three 6 Mafia Key Song: The Black God Twitter: @klvn Facebook: www.fb.com/mctreegee Website: www.4ad.com/artists/spaceghostpurrp

Native Floridian SpaceGhostPurrp’s first album ‘Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp’ was released earlier this year and has already been listed as one of the best album’s of 2012 by Complex Magazine. He has a dark and mysterious sound and is also an accomplished producer, having worked with A$AP Rocky.

TREE

Know of an artist we missed out? Want to suggest a category for the next issue’s ‘Top 6’? Let us know on Facebook (www.fb.com/beatzonline) and on Twitter (@beatzmag) w w w. b e a t z m a g . c o m - B e a t z M a g a z i n e

Kanye is so inspired by Tisci it’s hard to tell whose design is whose. A little hint: the first and third are DW and the second and fourth are Givenchy.

DW. By Kanye West

Which rapper was spotted wearing Celine at their performance at Coachella 2011, Designed shoes for Louis Vuitton, donned a Philip Lim suit in his video ‘Runaway’ and has a customized Marc Jacobs ‘heartbreak’ brooch pin? Can’t guess? It was KANYE WEST! Surprised? Well you shouldn’t be. For some reason, a lot of us hip hop lovers out there absolutely refuse to accept the fact that high fashion and hip hop music go hand in hand. So for all you hip hop fans out there that are denial, or think that high fashion isn’t ‘swag’, I have one message for you: you’re delusional. High Fashion is synonymous with successful music artists, particularly hip-hop artists. Rappers from Biggie to Rick Ross have forever been sprinkling their inspirational lyrics with the most elite, most expensive and most high fashion brands across the world, many of which you would not associate with ‘street fashion’: Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel… the list is endless. One of the most fashion conscious rappers to ever reach our ears, Mr Kanye West, has put out his own fashion line, exclusively for women! The audience of spring’s 2012 Ready-to-Wear show in Paris (including the likes of Mary-Kate, Ashley Olsen and Anna Wintour, who for the record have no relation to hip-hop at all!) witnessed the first of ‘DW’ by Kanye West, named after his late mother, Donda. Well it’s obviously evident that this it not like anything any other rapper has come up with before, and considering its Kanye we are talking about, that’s hardly surprising. He has recognizably gone beyond all that, gone against the grain by creating a women’s collection and clearly taken a lot of inspiration from Ricardo Tisci. For those of you who don’t know, Tisci is the head designer of French fashion powerhouse Givenchy, which was founded in 1952 by the magnanimous Hubert Givenchy, most famous for

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dressing Audrey Hepburn. Tisci’s talent is unquestionable. Remember the cover of Watch The Throne? That was Tisci.Remember Jay-Z and Kanye’s black graphic t-shirts with their initials embroidered on the sleeves that they wore on tour? That was Tisci too. Before his catwalk show, Kanye reportedly pleaded with his audience saying: “This is my first collection. Please be easy. Please give me a chance to grow. This is not some celebrity s--t. I don’t f--k with celebrities. I f--k with the creatives in this room—the amazing people who spend every day of their life trying to make the world a more beautiful place.” Personally, I don’t think it’s worth arguing that Kanye was not talking about Tisci. The two have had a strong friendship for sometime now and it would seem that Tisci is creatively influencing Kanye. Tisci’s desgins for Givenchy have taken the fashion house into a new era. The designer himself, according to stylist.co.uk, has been “quietly advocating gothic beauty for years” and he has finally bought this to the brand, giving the clothes “a dark softness…a fragile strength to it”. Tisci’s evocation of the Gothic completely accompanies the rappers flair for dramatic dressing to the extent that Kanye devotedly expresses his respect for Tisci in his own clothing range. It seems the fashion world and celebrities alike loved his debut. Jeremy Scott said: ““Everyone probably thought it was going to be another like Jennifer Lopez‘s Macy’s line and it’s really clear it’s not,” said Jeremy. “Kanye has impeccable taste and you see his taste level is up there…” and artist Ciara said: “it’s so cool to see someone come from our music world and do something like this. It’s really hard. I walked away from this show feeling like I would love to wear this line. There is so much in it that’s right up my alley.” She later tweeted, “KANYE is A GENIUS- TONIGHT was MONUMENTAL.”

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI CREATES ‘CRUEL SUMMER’ SHOE FOR KANYE WEST

Kanye teams up with shoe connoisseur Giuseppe Zanotti to design some white hot heels (Above). Similar to his first shoe design with the Italian brand, Kanye sticks with the theme of white – which is also a theme seen on the cover of his G.O.O.D Music compilation Cruel Summer – and in ode to the album’s artwork, stuns with an all-white, cut out leaf design as the focal point, clearly drawing on Grecian inspiration. There’s no word yet when or how much the shoes will be retailing for, but with his last shoe being sold for nearly $6k we can take a wild guess that it’s gonna cost a pretty penny.

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essential autumn wear

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CREDITS: WHO’S THE BEST CREW? SIMON PHELAN HISTORY OF G.O.O.D MUSIC AYAZ HUSSAIN SONJA POLIMAC PITTSBURGH’S RISING RAPPER - MAC MILLER BLAINE EVANS IF I WORKED FOR LIL WAYNE & WHY KANYE WILL NEVER BE KING TOM WILKINSON INTERVIEWS TANYA LACEY GRACE PICKING AYAZ HUSSAIN VINCE KIDD & JERMAINE RILEY AYAZ HUSSAIN K YOUNG LAUREN’S HAINES DJ ABRANTEE LAURA OWUSU TAYO ADEHIN RICHIE MENSAH LAURA OWUSU FUTURE OF GOOD MUSIC SHAM MAKHECHA ALBUM REVIEWS LASE ANTONY LALEYE SHAM MAKHECHA

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FASHION PAGES SAM BENTLEY HANAH MAMOOJEE WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LYNX LIVE NATION KARMALOOP EGO DEVMEETSDESIGN.COM BSKA WEAREINNO

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