THE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Forrester, andy@beatzmag.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Ayaz Hussain, yaz@beatzmag.com
So, Kendrick Lamar dropped probably the most talked about and game-changing verse in Hip-Hop for a while on Big Sean’s “Control” track. He told some of the hottest rappers (including Big Sean) that, while he has love for them, he is trying to make them irrelevant (but in a much more explicit way). He even went as far as calling himself The King of New York! Obviously that sparked a mass Twitter response. Here are a few people he didn’t mention.
ASSISTANT EDITOR Simran Gill DESIGNERS Sophie Spencer Sarah Bold Kate Monaghan Lee Shaw Paul Magosfalvi FEATURE COLUMNISTS Sam Maffia Thomas Wilkinson CONTRIBUTORS Sham Makhecha Rory Foster Yasmin La Ronde James Llewellyn Chardaé’ Jones Lasé Anthony Laleye George Rowland Simon Phelan Jack Roberts Jenna Jarrett Laura Garner Alice Michelle Oadie Blaine Evans INTERVIEWERS Simran Gill Gregory Narval Jesse Doodoo
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WEBSITE OFFICERS Brendan Davis Lasé Anthony Laleye Uthman Olomide Jesse Doodo
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FASHION EDITOR Chardaé’ Jones
Let’s make 2013 a year where music/talent/artistry is more important than gossip/fanwars I respect all fanbases 4 their passion #BeTheChange 4 B e a t z M a g a z i n e - w w w. b e a t z m a g . c o m
t h n o m e f th
EDITORS LETTER
Who Beatz Meets
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t’s the same old debate that’s been on America’s mind since the birth of Hip-Hop in the 70s and 80s, who’s better the East Coast or the West Coast? We’ve taken the liberty to highlight some of the key players that might tip the scales over the coming years, and shown a handful of the legends that have heavily influenced the scene so far. From Compton, the most dangerous neighborhood in the world we have Dr Dre, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole who battle against New York hailing newcomer Action Bronson, the masked mystery MF DOOM and G.O.O.D Music’s first lady Teyana Taylor. We take beef to a whole new level as Notorious B.I.G and Tupac reignite their feud and dig into the influence of Queensbridge in Nas’ music. From singers to rappers, West Coast to East Coast, find out who’s going to claim the crown as King of the Coast. Outside of NY we visit Philadelphia and North Carolina before zipping over to California for some West Coast sunshine. Who do you think will take the crown? Read on to find out! We’ve also been busy locking down interviews on an international scale; catching up with ‘Mrs Officer’ singer Bobby V and America’s (and Justin Timberlake’s favourite Uncle), Charlie Wilson during his European tour stop in France. We then get down with the trumpets with Brighton’s sensational rap duo Rizzle Kicks and the fiery Amplify Dot. All that and more to come in this anniversary edition of Beatz Magazine! We hope you’ve enjoyed our last year of progress!!! #ToTheFuture !!
ANDY F. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Beatz Magazine holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Beatz Magazine or it’s staff and we disclaims liability for those impressions Terms & Conditions: 1. Competitions are open to UK/ Channel Island residents, except staff of Beatz Magazine and their families. 2. There is no alternatives to the prize. 3. Winners will be notified by email/phone 4. Editors decision is final. 5. Entry implies acceptance of these terms. 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 5
CONTENTs
THIS ISSUE
IN NUMBERS
6 1116 PAGES
Compton, California
born rappers
win0! £1a0ge 10 P
Regulars
08 Gossip Sam Maffia breaks down the hottest gossip of recent weeks.
tweets from
rappers
10 The Mail Room We dig through the letters we receive from fans. The best letter wins £100!
used as
evidence
The Mail Room
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60 It’s a UK thing Some of the best unsigned UK talent gets a chance to speak. Leanne Louis is the first to feature.
Of Interviews
61
P08
62 Top 6 We pick out 6 of the top up-andcoming London born artists.
64 Reviews Beatz’ music critic has his say on recent music releases.
Artists
mentioned
365
Days since
Beatz’ first issue.
ISSUE #6
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P64 66 Fashion We bring you some of the hottest fashion items on sale now.
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Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt The West Coasts odd future.
Rizzle Kicks Beatz gains an insight into the lives of the punchline fuelled Brighton boys....
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r o t i Ed s k c i P
P12 East Coast vs West Coast Sports Day Forget the record sales, forget the Grammys –Its the annual East vs West sports day.
Is Kendrick Lamar king of New York? Causing controversy from P26 California to New York.
Interviews
Features
FEAtures 12 East Coast vs West Coast Sports Day Forget the record sales, forget the Grammys – Its the annual East vs West sports day. 14 Map Click the artist to jump to the article! 16 Dr Dre Straight Outta Compton.
28 Dom Kennedy Born in LA, California, Dom Kennedy is arguably one of the most homeproud rappers of his generation.
17 Jay Z Carter is the leader of Hip-Hop, and he’s far from finished.
32 J.Cole Born sinner, never a winner
29 Action Bronson From flaming grills to fiery verses 30 Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt The West Coasts odd future.
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34 French Montana Shot Caller 35 Tyga West Coast saviour?
P17 18 Tupac Tupac & how he defined an era. 20 Game Putting Compton back on the map. 22 Nas Queen B’s finest.
44 Amplify Dot Beatz Magazine talks to South London rapper Amplify Dot about her experimental style, musical influences and upcoming album.
36 Black Hippy Is West Coast Hip-Hop history about to repeat itself. 38 MF DOOM The man behind the mask. 40 Angel Haze Born and Raised in Detroit, Angel Haze is East Coast at its best! 42 Meek Mill Philly’s finest or cunning collaborator?
46 Bobby V R&B superstar, Bobby V, chats about the evolution of R&B 50 Charlie Wilson America’s favourite Uncle talks the struggles of fame and his goal to become the worlds most famous Uncle.
P50 54 Rizzle Kicks Beatz gains an insight into the lives of the punchline fuelled Brighton boys....
24 Jhene Aiko In the music industry since the age of 14, fans of Jhene Aiko are wating for the release her new album, Souled Out 25 Teyana Taylor G.O.O.D Music’s First Lady! 26 Is Kendrick Lamar king of New York? Causing controversy from California to New York.
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Gossip By Sam Maffia
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riana Grande. She is a multi-award winning actress, singer and has one of the most anticipated R&B debut albums by a female artist in years. The album I’m talking about is titled “Yours Truly”, the original album cover seemed to have caused a slight bit of controversy since its arrival on Grande’s instagram. The cover art shows Grande sat on a bed of flowers whilst posing innocently,although
she is wearing stockings and a long corset, some have quoted the cover as “bland and disturbing”. We feel the complete opposite. What bloggers, parents and media need to realise, is that Grande’s fanbase is slightly different to that of her Nickelodeon days. She’s now 20 years old, not 12. Her music is R&B, not bubblegum pop. If Rihanna can pose completely naked on her cover without anyone batting an eyelid, what’s the issue with
BEATZ MAGAZINE’S OWN GOSSIP COLUMNIST SAM MAFFIA BREAKS DOWN THE HOTTEST GOSSIP OF RECENT WEEKS. Grande posing fully-clothed on hers? Grande should be praised that her music isn’t drenched in lyrics about drugs, sex and money. However, after she caused a storm of uproar over the provocative cover, Grande’s team quickly decided to change it to something more appropriate. She already has platinum selling track “The Way” feat. Mac Miller under her thumb, We think Ariana Grande will become a household name and she deserves nothing less.
Hot Not Who’s
Who’s
Jay-Z
Solange
His new album, Magna Carter Holy Grail, gained platinum status in the U.S within the first day of it’s release following a lucrative deal with Samsung who offered the album for free to it’s customers.
Beyonce’s little sister, Solange, pulled out of all her festival performances giving fan’s the reason that she needs time for herself and her family. She had already pulled out of two UK appearances, at Koko in London and Yorkshire’s Beacons festival.
Alesha Dixon
ciara
Not only has Ms Dixon found love, become pregnant, bagged herself a TV show, but also will enter the recording studio with producers RedOne to begin working on her fourth solo album.
Despite her latest self-titled album, Ciara, reaching the dizzy height of number two in the US Billboard 200 chart, it is now available on Groupon for a discounted price.
Iggy Azalea
Wiley
Having already notched up two top 20 hits in the UK with singles Work and Bounce, Azalea has now announced that she is to tour with Beyonce on her Mrs. Carter Show World tour.
He has been rowing with everyone and anyone. This month he refused to give back a £15,000 fee to promoters of charity event after walking off stage after having things thrown at him.
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Seperated at Birth? It’s an age-old belief that somewhere on this planet, alive today, is someone who looks like another person - maybe not precisely, but close enough to be their double, their doppelganger.
Lil Jon & 2Chainz
Kourtney K & Amerie
Bow wow & Lil mama RYAN LESLIE & DRAKE
Rita Ora & Rihanna
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The Mail Room LETTER OF THE Month! Yeezus review Dear Beatz, Your ‘Yeezus’ album review was spot on! The album got so many bad comments and reviews and I have no clue why, totally agree when you said that no one else could have pulled that album off. Kanye is still boss!
These issues just keep getting better and better, the thing I love the most about Beatz is the fact that you don’t just cover the big multi-million album selling artists but you also include the smaller up and coming artists so I can read about my favourite artists as well as some that I would have never heard of if it wasn’t for this magazine!
Craig Zenko, Via Facebook
Tim Peacock , Via Facebook
People saying the album is rubbish just aren’t on trend with this next stage in the evolution of music! Think of Yeezus as the album after Watch The Throne, not a progression of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy!
How Nice is Derulo?!?!
I really loved your interview with Jason Derulo, he seems like such a nice, genuine guy. I didn’t know about his neardeath experience until I read the interview! Can’t wait to hear his new album!
Katie Cook, Via Email
Thank you! We love providing a platform for all types of new artists to get their voices heard! Who do you think is up and coming that we should cover?
You guys are life savers! Thank you for writing your festival Do’s and Don’ts in the last issue! I went to V Festival, which was my very first festival, and I was a lot more prepared then I would have been if I hadn’t of read the article, as you suggested I made sure to see some of the smaller acts and now have a new favourite band because of it, thanks Beatz!
Daniel Bewick, Via Facebook
Jason was really great to interview and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet! It was amazing for him to open so much about his life, girlfriend and recovery from his tragic injury
Win £100 CASH!
Doing A Great JOB!
A few of the Beatz team are veteran festival go-ers who learnt through trial and error! What were the highlights of your festival season? Any tips you’d share we didn’t cover? Here is your chance to appear in the pages of Beatz - and get paid for doing it! All that you have to do is send us your letters, jokes, funny pictures and anything else you think we may enjoy to mailroom@ beatzmag.com, via Facebook (www.fb.com/beatzonline) or through twitter @BeatzMag. The sender of the issues best letter wins the awesome cash prize of £100! The editor’s decision is final. Terms and conditions (Page 05) apply
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East Coast vs West Coast Sports Day
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orget the record sales, forget the Grammys – there’s only one thing that really matters in the heated East Coast vs West Coast rivalry in American Hip-Hop: The annual East vs West sports day. The day gives the biggest names from both camps a chance to put fueds aside and enjoy some high-octane sporting action away from the prying eyes of journalists. This year the event was hosted by none other than Maybach Music Group founder, Rick Ross, who donated the use of his sprawling Miami mansion gardens and generously offered to bow out of participating in sporting events in order to work the grill all day for his guests. Being the rapidly expanding urban music magazine that we are, Beatz was given exclusive entry to document the day, so sit back, place your bets and relive the true battle of the Coasts.
West Coast East Coast
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110m hurdles (9:30am) Wiz Vs Kendrick
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s the Miami sun begins to show its true potential, sweat is already running and the shirts are off by the time the first event is ready to kick off. A heavyweight showdown on a massive event to start the day – whoever wins this will bolster the morale of their team and take a strong position for the rest of the day. After deciding who’s pistol to use to start the race (Meek Mill’s gold plated Desert Eagle was eventually chosen), the shot rang out and the race was underway. Jay Z got off to a blazing start, but slowed down to reach for his phone 30 meters in, it seems he’d spotted a business opportunity for Rocawear branded running shoes. Game chugged to a comfortable win in 18 seconds, which is impressive considering he was carrying 9kg of solid gold Jesus pieces around his neck the whole time. Hova crossed the line in just under a minute, but wasn’t too distraught as he’d sealed a $27million business deal in the process.
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fter the West Coast drew first blood the East were eager to claw their way back level, although as Wiz Khalifa casually strolled over in a thick cloud of smoke to join an athletic and focussed looking Kendrick Lamar on the start line, their strategy was unclear. Both rappers seemed neck and neck over the first section but it soon became obvious that Wiz’s 32cm height advantage gave him a clear edge over the hurdles as Kendrick struggled to gain elevation. Wiz had cruised to a handsome lead by the halfway point, despite his severely limited lung capacity, when Kendrick’s teammates deployed their ace up the sleeve. Dr. Dre, seeing his protégé in trouble, pulled out a set of military-grade Beats speakers and blasted a police siren noise through them. Upon hearing the siren the effect was immediately noticeable on K Dot; he took one terrified look over his shoulder before speeding away with superhuman acceleration, launching himself over hurdles and running like his life depended on it. He crossed the line screaming “I’m innocent I swear!” and tossing what looked to be handfuls of crumpled bank notes out of his pockets, narrowly beating Wiz.
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Written by Tom Wilkinson
100m Sprint (9:00am) Game Vs jay-z
Egg and Spoon Race (5:00pm) Holographic 2pac Vs Macklemore
West Coast East Coast
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ll the excitement of the morning was clearly too much for these hedonistic kings of Hip-Hop as the sports day was virtually abandoned after the hurdles. The rest of the day descended into drinking premium liquor and frolicking with the dozens of women Rick Ross seems to have permanently lounging around his pool according to every single one of his music videos. The last clear event that took place was the famous egg and spoon race, where championships are won and lost. The West Coast, sensing this was their last chance to snatch some points before the games were completely forgotten, sent forward the great Tupac Shakur. Lining up next to him for the East Coast was an awe struck Macklemore (dressed in what can only be described as a dead anteater). The West raucously cheered on their last competitor of the day who smiled warmly back to his admirers. However, as the starting pistol sounded the West could only watch in dismay as both the egg and spoon dropped effortlessly through Makaveli’s outstretched holographic hand. Macklemore staggered to an easy victory in 4 inch sharkskin platform shoes as Holo-Pac turned and shrugged, smiling, to his teammates. All was instantly forgiven.
FINAL SCORE Trophy Presentation (4:30am) West Coast
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t seems the guys decided to chill out and have a few quiet drinks before presenting the trophy to the victors. Almost 12 hours, 50 bottles of Moët and three crashed Bentleys later the ceremony finally got underway. An inebriated and staggering Rick Ross attempted to present the pure gold - microphone shaped trophy (pictured right) to Jay-Z, representing the East Side boys, before a sober (and uninvited) Kanye West burst in and interrupted him. “Yo Jay, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish but…” he began before launching into an imitation of his famous Taylor Swift diss speech to unenthusiastic murmuring from the crowd, reminded everyone just why he’s left off the invite list each year.
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t only 43 years old, Shawn Corey Carter (better known as Jay-Z) has an estimated worth of $500m, has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, has received 17 Grammy nominations, been CEO of the largest Hip-Hop music label and also created Roc-A-Fella records, clothing
beats saw him becoming a defining figure in the East Coast Hip-Hop scene with the release of Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life and Vol.3…Life and Times of S.Carter. The turn of the millennium saw Jay-Z continue to build on his success, and in doing so represent and define not only East Coast
and cutting lyrics allowed Jay-Z to tell his rags to riches story to the masses whilst introducing East Coast Hip-Hop to the world through a series of international performances, including his 2008 headline appearances at London’s O2 Wireless Festival and Glastonbury, a breakthrough for Hip-Hop.
line Rocawear and most recently his Roc Nation Sports Agency. Yet when stripped down to the core, Jay-Z is simply an artist. Even more, having grown up in Brooklyn, New York City, he is East Coast Hip-Hop through and through. Living in the Marcy House Projects in central Brooklyn, Carter used music to help him escape from a potential life of crime. He credits his mother, Gloria Carter, for introducing him to soul music, leading him to reject questions of early influences: “I’m into music that has soul in it, whether it be rap, R&B, pop music, whatever…as long as I can feel their soul.” Being a witness to violent crime and drug dealing meant Carter’s material was already similar to that of his East Coast Hip-Hop contemporaries. Yet it is in his style where Jay-Z gives away his New York roots. Like Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G (his high school classmates in downtown Brooklyn), Jay Z is a smooth talker, ‘flowing his way through his tales using intricate wordplay to keep listeners interested and entertained’. His lyrical dexterity and use of big
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Hip-Hop but the entire genre on an international stage. Carter’s The Blueprint Trilogy are seen as amongst the best Hip-Hop albums of all time, whilst tracks such as Run this Town, 99 Problems and Empire State of Mind helped Hip-Hop, a genre spawned from the five boroughs of New York City, become global. A combination of collaborating artists, anthemic samples and tracks, smooth vocals
J Cole Reshoots ‘Crooked Smile’ Video
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With his business empire ever-expanding and a family to care for, you may think music has taken a back seat for Jay-Z. However his recent collaboration with Kanye West on Watch the Throne was his 14th platinum album whilst 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail sees him continue flow with the development of 21st century Hip-Hop. Fans of the old school may not be best pleased with the new direction yet one things for sure, Jay-Z’s style and swagger on the microphone have not changed one bit, even if he is rapping more about his daughter Blue Ivy than the Brooklyn projects these days. In the past 20 years, Hip-Hop has grown from an American creation to a worldwide sensation. While Carter can’t be credited for its foundation, he has been at the forefront of the New York born genre since the turn of the century, leading its as new artists and new influences continue to shape its sound. Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter is not just East Coast Hip-Hop, he is the leader of Hip-Hop in its entirety, and contrary to what some choose to believe, he’s far from finished yet.
Written by Jack Roberts
Carter is not just East Coast Hip-Hop, he is the leader of Hip-Hop in its entirety, and contrary to what some choose to believe, he’s far from finished yet.
dr DRE
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STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Written by Jack Roberts
ndre Romelle Young (better known as Dr. Dre) is a record producer, entrepreneur and chief executive. Nowadays he is most renowned as creator of Beats audio wear and is referred to in hit tracks by the likes of Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Yet despite his business adventures, when it comes down to it Dre is all about the music. Widely considered as the father of ‘G-funk’, a slow, hypnotic form of West Coast Hip-Hop, Dre is quite literally ‘Straight Outta Compton’. Like many of his colleagues from the East and West Coast respectively, Dre turned to music to escape the gang culture and violence of his local neighbourhood. Still in the game after 27 years, Dre admits that despite his other ventures, music is still where his passion is, confessing in a 2012 interview that ‘I’ve never been out of the studio longer than two weeks in my entire career.’ Inspired by Grandmaster Flash, Dre began his career with the World Class Wreckin’ Cru. The self-dubbed ‘Master of Mixology’ featured prominently on the turntables for the Cru as they established a name for themselves in the Compton area. Yet it was 1986 that proved to be the key year not just for Dre but for West Coast
Hip-Hop as a genre, as Young met both Ice Cube and Eazy-E. From here, N.W.A was born, a group largely seen as one of the most influential in the gangsta rap genre. In his 2012 article, Dre explained how this was a crucial time for West Coast HipHop. In 1991, after a dispute with Eazy-E, Dre decide that he would go solo and the success continued. Hit singles such as ‘Nuthing but a G-Thang’ and ‘Let me Ride’ cemented Dre’s place as an influential figure
we were hearing about New York and Brooklyn and we wanted to put Compton on the map in West Coast G-funk Hip-Hop. Whilst Young was renowned for the use of deep bass, melodic synthesizers and hypnotic grooves yet differed from many in the industry in his use of live musicians instead of samples as it gave him ‘better control of where the track could go.’ His solo breakout was also coupled with Dre’s outbreak as a Hip-Hop producer and collaborator. Throughout the 1990s he worked with many artists in the Hip-Hop scene, including the likes of Snoop-
Dogg and 2Pac, both as a producer and collaborator. He is also largely accredited with the success enjoyed by Detroit born rapper Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, who shot to fame with the Real Slim Shady LP in 1998. Since then, he has gone on to collaborate and produce for a number of artists, including 50 Cent, The Game, Xzibit, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Justin Timberlake and most recently Kendrick Lamar. Whilst assisting other artists in their ventures, Dre also found time to release his album 2001 in 1999 to critical acclaim. The status of Dr Dre as one of the founding fathers of West Coast Hip-Hop is solidified by the hype surrounding his "upcoming" album ‘Detox’, which was initially announced in early 2000, and his invitation to headline Coachella 2012. Yet perhaps the most telling sign of his reputation in the genre is the continuous stream of artists coming to him as a producer, most notably upcoming talent Kendrick Lamar. Whilst many other artists at the forefront of their field are on the front line, Dre has been establishing himself as the Godfather behind the mixing desk. And even though he has his fingers in other pies, you can tell the passion isn’t dead yet. Here’s to hoping we hear Detox soon and it lives up to the hype!
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Tupac & How He Defined an Era
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upac Amaru Shakur was more than just a rapper; he was a writer, actor, activist, and a sign of hope for the struggling African American in the 90s. Born to two Black Panther members in Harlem, Shakur had no choice but to be a well-educated black man. This educational background and black pride helped him reach out to his diverse fan base and was the background for much of his music; he touched everyone from social activists to everyday people struggling to get by. Tupac’s debut solo album “2Pacalyspe Now” dropped in the early 90s and was immediately met with criticism and shock, famous for the hard-hitting honest political lyrics. “2Pacalyspe” didn’t top any charts but it opened people’s ears creating a strong fan base and opening the
conversation on topics like poverty, violence, teenage pregnancy and racism. It had an underground feel but it spoke about the things that Tupac was going through or seen in his young life, Tupac didn’t just rap about how wrong things were in the world, he rapped about how to fix them. He wasn’t just rapping about flashy cars and having sex with women, Pac was a voice for the voiceless. In the 90s he took the negativity that he saw in his community and created stories in turn creating a fan base of followers. None of his music was a façade, his popularity rose because he was just being himself and he didn’t care who didn’t like it A lot of the time Pac’s negative headlines overshadowed his positivity. Many
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Written by Chardaé Jones
Tupac Shakur was more than just a rapper; he was a writer, actor, activist & a sign of hope for the struggling African American in the 90s
people knew who he was sleeping with or beefing with but not many knew Pac was an advocate for positivity and education. He saw a need for more education and positivity in his community and did what he could to make it better. He created a program where he took local under privileged kids out and took them to basketball games and dinner. It wasn’t a surprise to find out that Pac would often take homeless people in. He encouraged the young to finish school and go on to college. Pac pushed young people into doing other things besides rapping and athletics.“We don’t need no more rappers, we don’t
need no more basketball players, no more football players. We need more thinkers. We need more scientists. We need more managers. We need more mathematicians. We need more teachers,” Pac explained, expressing a heavy need for knowledge in the African American community at that time. It seemed as if there were two sides to Tupac’s personality - on one hand you had the intelligent social activist Tupac, heard in “Changes” and “Dear Mama” and then on the other was this party-hard, thug persona displayed in “California Love.” Listening to his music defined what it was like for most of the African American people growing up in post-civil rights society. It was almost as if his music was the African American Californian community culture at the time. You had a great deal of African Americans involved in groups like
and jail couldn’t even stop him - in fact while he was in jail he was the first rapper to have a number one album in the charts while incarcerated. He also had people drinking his signature Thug Passion, half Alize and half Cristal. When Pac endorsed something or someone, the people were sure to follow and someone found that power to be too much of a threat. No one exactly knows who shot Pac that September night in 1996, but most people know it had a lot to do with that power he held. September 13, 1996 Pac no longer had to wonder about if heaven had a ghetto, he had actually survived surgery but later died from internal bleeding. The case of who shot him has yet to be solved. Seventeen years later people still listen to Pac and hear hope and stories of the past. Tupac represented a time when rap really meant something, more than just
Seventeen years later people still listen to Pac and hear hope and stories of the past. Tupac represented a time when rap really meant something. the Black Panthers fighting for rights and against racism and then you had the group of African Americans that just wanted to party and release the anger from the racial tension in the community. Being a kid so close to the Black Panther movement, Pac was surrounded by death and violence; it was interesting he spoke about death so much, with bars like “I wanna go in peace if I gotta go” in “Letter to My Unborn Child” and his song “I Wonder if Heaven’s Gotta Ghetto”, it’s as if he knew his time was coming soon. He seemed to exhibit this “Living for Today” attitude, many fans heard his music and they didn’t just listen, they heard it as if he was speaking to them. Pac’s death definitely had a lot to do with the power he had over such a large community, he had been shot several times and survived
fancy cars and sexing women - yeah, he talked about that too but he also had a message. No one expected that even years after his death he would still have so much staying power, that he’d be resurrected in a holographic format for a festival or that he would be considered one of the greatest rappers to Africans. There are many people who don’t’ consider him influential, but what they fail to realise is, that without Tupac there wouldn’t be rappers like The Game, Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West, and that Pac’s legacy will forever be remembered through the words he spoke in his music. He defined a whole era in that short period of time and he didn’t need flashy cars or super-hot models to sell records, he had something to say and many people wanted to listen and many people are still listening, even today.
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GAME
t’s a dark thought to begin with, but The Game’s career has been far from stable in the last few years. However you can’t discuss West Coast Hip-Hop without The Game receiving an honourable mention. Since his inauguration as a gangster rapper, Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known as The Game has become without a doubt one of the most influential rappers of the new rap generation. The West Coast was a ground zero for gangster rap in the late 80s as a revolutionary twist to traditional Hip-Hop coined by the East. Though in recent years, the West Coast has somewhat fallen with modern acts failing to reach the benchmark set by notorious predecessors such as N.W.A, Tupac, Ice T and more. The Game is heralded by many as a throwback to this glorious era. Call it a coincidence, but Dr Dre seems to have an unusual ritual of signing up and coming talent just after they have been involved in a shooting. Soon after 50 Cent, The Game was soon signed to Aftermath in 2003 after Dr Dre took a shine to his talent and flow following an assault where The Game was shot five times by his own firearm. With 50 Cent as his mentor The Game dropped This is How We Do and Hate It Or Love It under the G-Unit imprint. With catchy beats, strong lyrics and montage videos of downtown Compton, Los Angeles in the bag; The Game proved to be a tremendous success, with fans worldwide sitting up and diverting their attention back to West Coast Hip-Hop. However egos flared and The Game soon came to butt heads with 50 Cent and as a direct result was removed from
G-Unit and became a recluse, trapped within California. With the loss of Dr Dre and 50 Cent as mentors; the odds were stacked highly against The Game and this is where The Game truly fell into a dark pit of depression. It was during this period that The Game had possibly his most creative era. Lyrics such as “You makin’ songs for the club when niggas drinking, I make ‘em for the ride home when ni**as thinking” were common with deep soulsearching lyrics. There was a buzz in the underground that The Game could be the much-needed reincarnation of the disreputable king of HipHop 2pac. Feeling neglected by the rap world, The Game even considered suicide but fought his illness refutably to come out the other side with one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of
he will be the new addition to the Cash Money family. Now equipped with a strong producer and management behind him, as well as being equipped with a resilient fan base, things look considerably improved for The Game. The only question is, will The Game will ascend to claim his West Coast throne and put Compton back on the map?
People that really want to commit suicide, they die. They commit suicide. 2012. Reportedly the Navy Seals were listening to Red Nation as they neutralised Osama Bin Laden in the Middle East; that’s pretty hardcore by any stretch of the imagination. It was safe to say that The Game emerged out the other side of his dip stronger and more determined to return to prominence. He has since dropped the much awaited RED album, as well as confirming rumours that
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Written by Simran Gill
I
PUTTING COMPTON BACK ON THE MAP
Written by Jack Roberts Asher Roth announces volume 2 of The GreenHouse Effect 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   2 1
NAS T
he success of East Coast Hip-Hop owes much to Nas and his rise to international acclaim from the humble street corners of the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York. Recognized across Hip-Hop as a geographical source of musical talent; Queensbridge gave rise to greats such as The Juice Crew, Tragedy Khadafi, Capone-N-Noreaga and Mobb Deep. But with over 25 million records sold worldwide, 8 consecutive platinum/multi-platinum albums and a career that spans two decades: Nas has most significantly carried the story of his block from underground art to mainstream success. Despite its modest residency of only 7000 people, Queensbridge,
established its distinctive voice in the 1980s that would soon become somewhat of a sub-genre within the Hip-Hop movement. During this time Hip-Hop music was expanding rapidly from its roots in the Bronx across the boroughs of New York, representing and refining Queensbridge’s very own sound. In the mid-80s Marley Marl formed The Juice Crew, including MC Shan and Kool G Rap, but at the beginning of the 90s, the Queensbridge scene had faded. Nonetheless, a platform had been built for younger MCs to step up, and in 1991 a fifteen-year-old called Nasty Nas appeared on Main Source’s Live at the BBQ with fierce lyricism that is regularly quoted: “When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffin’ Jesus”. Fast-forward to 1994, and as one famous journalist
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writer Sacha Jenkins put it, ‘things got a little ill’. Nas’ debut LP, Illmatic is widely regarded as one of the greatest HipHop albums of all time, is an almost unfathomably eloquent, socially aware young man’s perspective on Queensbridge life. The timing was flawless alongside the New York scene’s beef’ with the West Coast and with Queensbridge in need of a musical revival. The Illmatic cover artwork is a translucent union of two photographic images: a younger, pensive Nasir Jones and a groundfloor shot of Queensbridge buildings. The dusty, dreamlike photo effect would be used again for his second album, ‘It Was Written’ – and arguably inspired albums by other artists that have used old pictures to construct their covers (Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lemar and J Cole). With versatile lyrics at times playful (“The brutalizer, crew de-
Wordsby byCiaran Simon Phelan Written Thapar
QUEEN B'S FINEST
Nas’ debut LP, Illmatic is widely regarded as one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time, is an almost unfathomably eloquent, socially aware young man’s perspective on Queensbridge life.
Written by Jack Roberts
sizer, accelerator//The type of n*** who be pissing in your elevator”) and others philosophical (“Sometimes I sit back with a Buddha sack// Mind’s in another world thinking how can we exist through the facts”), Nas captured both the dark and light of Hip-Hop culture. It is a vivid 10-track description of post-industrial American ghetto life exploring themes such as drugdealing/violence, existentialism, nostalgia and urban poverty. As an immediately timeless soundtrack for Queensbridge, the production from the likes of Large Professor and DJ Premier provided the perfect backdrop for Nas’ storytelling; the minimal baseline in ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ is wonderfully suggestive of his father’s jazz background. In 1994 Nas couldn’t have found his voice without his passionate relationship with East Coast city life. Since then, his many other
albums have taken shape around the development of East Coast HipHop, playing a pivotal role in the progression of the genre. At each stage of his highly successful career, whether writing songs about ruling the world (‘If I Ruled The World’) rising to fame and answering to critics (‘Hate Me Now’), responding to beefs (‘Ether’), or even having a daughter ( ‘Daughters’), Nas has almost always remained loyal to one constantly adapting theme: creating music about his life experiences. Of course, in 1994 with ‘Illmatic’ and his soul “trapped in the projects”, ultimate subsistence, passion and 19 years of youthful reflection were his only experiences. The result was a translation of East Coast, New York, Queens and, most poetically, the Queensbridge housing projects into full-blown musical expression. 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 2 3
JHENE AIKO
In the music industry since the age of 14, fans of Jhene Aiko are wating for the release her new album, Souled Out
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First Public Picture of Baby North West Released
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work, making it unique and trying to get her name remembered like these historic artists. In a recent interview, Jhene was asked about the main factors in which influence her music, Jhene replied with her family, her love for music and the West Coast. Being born in 1988, she grew up in the 90s environment when the West Coast music was at one of it highest albeit most dangerous points. With her unique slowdown R&B style, Jhene adds a flavour of love and passion into the tempo traditionally associated with music to get high to. The release of Souled Out should do well in
With her unique slowdown R&B style, Jhene adds a flavour of love and passion into the tempo traditionally associated with music to get high to. getting her name out there as more than a features artist, and as a breakthrough solo act. If Jhene keeps doing what she is doing, releasing good mixtapes and if her debut album does well then we are looking at a girl who’s got a very bright future. Who knows, maybe the next big superstar of our generation, as she will get better and better in time with the more experience she receives.
Written by Blaine Evans
J
hene Aiko is the soulful songstress who has been making a name for herself on the West Coast over the last few years. With a series of underground R&B releases, Jhene (pronounced Jeh- nay) is fast becoming one of the most talked about artists in California. Her 2011 release, Sailing Souls was very well received and gained the attention of many big names in the music industry. Most recently, she’s been featured on Big Sean’s ‘Beware’ alongside Lil Wayne and supported Nas on his American tour. Later this year Jhene will drop her much anticipated debut album ‘Souled Out’ the follow up to the mixture with the same nautical theme. Jhene tragically lost her brother last year and as a result her music has been heavily influenced by his memory. You can hear the emotion in her voice every stage performance where she performs a number of songs to him including ‘For My Brother’ and always takes time on stage to talk the audience through her pain. Naturally this has become a huge influence on her music, often singing about love and protection. Jhene is a unique artist because of the depth of her gentle voice and the meaningfulness of her extremely personal lyrics. Jhene hails Los Angeles and naturally her sound is very much influenced by the West Coast. In one of her songs featuring Big Sean called ‘I’m Gonna Be’, she shouts out the West side at the beginning of the song declaring her love for her city. Jhene says some of her idols and musical influences all are from the West Coast including artists such as: Dr Dre, Female Power, Rodney O and Snoop Dogg. Rather than sample the work of some of these legendary artists, she wants to make her own
TEYANA TAYLOR H
G.O.O.D Music’s First Lady!
arlem born Teyana Taylor has been in the spotlight from a young age, but has always recognized that she is part of the East Coast urban music scene. At the young age of 15, she signed with the iconic Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak Entertainment. A year later, she was seen popping and locking in the music video to Jay-Z’s ‘Blue Magic’, a song that heavily references Eric B & Rakim, who, along with Jay-Z, make up some of the most successful and well known East Coast rappers of any generation. After her stint in Jay-Z’s music video, Teyana released her debut single ‘Google Me’, a song as catchy as it is cheeky, in reference to her sudden entrance into the urban music spotlight. Although not a top 40 chart
success, the song had more success critically, with Rolling Stone Magazine naming it one of their “Top 50 Singles of the Year”. Even Google themselves caught word of the track, and went on to describe it as “catchy”, and felt proud of the name’s use within the song. The song went on to be used as the lead track for Teyana’s debut mixtape, titled “From a Planet called Harlem”, naming her first LP after her hometown within New York. Teyana’s luck struck gold when, just hours before Kanye West’s album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” was due to be turned in to the label; West called Teyana to meet him and view fashion pieces and ideas for a separate venture. West knew Teyana through Pharrell, and had met several times before, with West
being a fan of her street fashion outfits, although he had never heard her sing before. When Teyana joined West in the recording studio, and she began to hum along to some of the “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” tracks, West knew he had to have her on the album, regardless of time quickly running before the album had to be handed in. Teyana eventually recorded vocals for two tracks, “Hell of a Life” and “Dark Fantasy”, and the album went on to prove both critically and commercially successful, with Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Time all naming it Album of the year 2010. After the release of West’s album, Teyana was released from Pharrell’s Star Trak label, although the split was apparently mutually agreed upon, and no hard feelings were hurt, and she still looks up to him like a big brother. As an independent artist, Teyana released a second mixtape, “The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor”, which featured a much more matured R&B sound, as opposed to her previous pop efforts which featured on her debut. Finally, last year Teyana signed a deal with West’s label G.O.O.D Music, and along with the other artists on the roster released the album Cruel Summer. All of the label artists are representatives of the East Coast urban music scene and Teyana features on three of the tracks on the album: opener “To The World” alongside R. Kelly; ‘Sin City’ with Travis Scott, John Legend, Cyhi the Prynce, and Malik Yusef, and ‘Bliss’ featuring John Legend. Teyana is scheduled to release her debut album on the G.O.O.D Music label sometime this year, so look out for future news on the young star in the near future.
FRENCH MONTANA SHOT CALLER
Written by James Llewllyn
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ Officially Goes Platinum 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 2 5
Is Kendrick Lamar king
of New York?
C
ompton born rapper Kendrick Lamar has caused a storm amongst fans and artists alike with his verse on Big Sean’s track ‘Control’, also featuring Jay Electronica. The track was actually meant to build hype for his upcoming album ‘Hall Of Fame’ although it kind of did that, it was Kendrick that took the limelight. Rapping ‘I’m Makaveli’s offspring, I’m the king of New York’ and then further on in the track he declares his superiority over J.Cole, Big Krit, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler and Mac Miller, saying ‘I got love for all of you but I’m tryna murder you n***as, Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n***as.’ Kendrick claiming he is the
i
king of New York, when he is from Compton was really just the beginning, following on with a long list of artists who really have been in the game a lot longer than Kendrick, he even includes the guys who were on the track with him! It was a brave move, but he finally got people talking about the Hip-Hop scene. Now one thing that sticks out, ‘I’m Makaveli’s offspring’, most of us are aware that Tupac was also known as Makaveli, who represented the West Coast, while Biggie represented East Coast, now if he is the offspring of Makaveli, why is he attempting to be the king of New York? This is what has caused all the various replies from artists. Kendrick is bringing real HipHop back, is he recreating the whole East Coast, West Coast
The Weeknd Announces Kiss Land Tracklist
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rivalry again? Not so sure. But it has got artists in the studio replying, the disses are flying all over the place, this is what Hip-Hop needs, the real artists venting their anger out on tracks, and Kendrick is setting the bar pretty high for all of the other artists out there, he is climbing up the ranks and was letting all of the other artists aware of his new position. It was a healthy move, if this was just the warning to tell the artists to keep up, who knows what’s to follow! It’s a real refreshing change from talking about girls and cars; Hip-Hop is going back to its roots… Although this time around it has the help of Twitter and various other social networking sites, let’s just hope they don’t take it away from the real reason these artists are battling, the music.
Written by Jenna Jarrett
Causing controversy from California to New York
WHO SAID WHAT It’s been quite an eventful couple of weeks for the new, self-crowned, ‘King of New York’. Whilst Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse sparked a wave of responses from rap and Hip-Hop artists across the US, those name-checked in Lamar’s lyrics have been slow to reply to the cutting verse. Some have simply responded with quotes or tweets, others with songs or freestyles. Nonetheless, here’s what those called out by Kendrick had to say. MACK MILLER went for the witty approach, tweeting that ‘If I can’t do no more nouns or verbs ima start comin with the wildest adjective bars that anyone has ever heard.’ Seems like its water off a duck’s back for the Pittsburgh rapper
Beatz Verdict: LUPE FIASCO released a track ‘SLR 2’ calling out Kendrick, saying “N---- you ain’t Nas, n---- you ain’t Jay Z/You will respect me, you will reject me/But I’ve done so much, no matter how far you go, you will reflect me.’” Whilst this is a typical Lupe track, thought-provoking and lyrically smooth, it really doesn’t gel as well as his other work.
Beatz Verdict:
A$AP ROCKY passed the verse off as friendly banter, telling Hot 97 that Kendrick was ‘smoking crack’. Yet in a freestyle by the A$AP Mob, Ferg fires back, claiming Lamar’s shot ‘barely grazed me’. He also questions Kendrick calling himself the new 2Pac, with ‘I will f**king Ja Rule you boy’. Whilst again for the most part it seems to be ‘banter’, this is the first real response with teeth we have seen from those name checked.
Beatz Verdict:
BIG SEAN having heard Kendrick’s verse, explained how he couldn’t go back and edit his part of the track; simply saying it’s not the done thing to do. No great response to being name checked, especially on his own track, but simply outlining that rap has some sort of etiquette (who knew). Similarly, Jay Electronica (also featured on the track) simply reiterated the view of many, that Kendrick’s call to arms is good for rap music.
Beatz Verdict:
WALE the name check certainly didn’t do anything for Wale’s self confidence, if anything it helped it. In a TMZ “interview” (They chased him in the street trying to stir something up), Wale claimed he was happy to be name checked, stating that it would have been far worse had he not. In addition, he reaffirmed his belief that he was ‘the best rapper on the planet’, before stating that TMZ should do too.
Beatz Verdict:
MEEK MILL another whose confidence was not shaken by the verse. Meek Mill stated on Philly’s Power 99 FM that he was ‘in a lane of my own’ and that Kendrick can ‘run that backpack; I’ma run these streets’ . Yet he also claimed that it was good for the genre that Kendrick called out his peers. Yet whilst finding it good for the genre, Mill seemed eager to prove his worth.
Beatz Verdict:
Cash Money Record Stars Reunited For 2013 BMI Awards 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 2 7
dom kennedy
D
om Kennedy was born in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California, and is arguably one of the most home-proud rappers of his generation. His one-liners often heard on many of his tracks representing his hometown “Leimert Park what’s cool” and “Westside get the money” are clear examples of this. Kennedy has regularly stated that his rap influences come from the rappers that, when listening to their music, give a clear sense of where they came from. Notable examples Kennedy gives include The Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, and LL Cool J. This pride in his home Coast is truly what gives Kennedy the edge over other rappers of his age. When speaking about his influences behind the Los Angeles sound in his own music, Kennedy states: “If
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Snoop Lion To Host BET Hip-Hop Awards 2013
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anything, and I can only speak for myself, I think that I’m trying to do it like DJ Quik did it, or Ice Cube did it, but this is just my way of doing it therefore I guess it’s natural. But I’m not trying to do anything, you know, different, or to say “This is new,… I set out to do it the way they did it, just in my own way”. Although having created a solid presence within the West Coast’s urban music scene, Kennedy has never been signed to a recording company, other than his own selfestablished record label, The OpM Company. Having released eight mixtapes, including the critically acclaimed “From the Westside with Love”, Kennedy created his record label, and, to date, has one studio album on The OpM Company, “From the Westside with Love, II”. A second album, “Get Home Safely”, will be released in the coming months off the OpM Company record label. Kennedy does have major record label experience, however, as he has occasionally collaborated with fellow West Coast rappers. Kennedy appeared on “Grooveline Pt. 1”, a track by fellow Los Angeles rapper Schoolboy Q and produced by Lex Luger. Whether Kennedy’s main goal in his Hip-Hop career is to be signed to one of the big league record labels in urban entertainment is unknown at present, however, when urban music executive and Hip-Hop legend John Monopoly makes a surefire comment along the lines of “he is going to get signed”, who knows where Kennedy could end up.
Written by James Llewllyn
Born in LA, California, Dom Kennedy is arguably one of the most home-proud rappers of his generation.
ACTION BRONSON FROM FLAMING GRILLS TO FIERY VERSES
B Written by George Rowland
eing the product of an Albanian immigrant father and a Jewish New York native mother, Action Bronson, real name Ariyan Arslani, could be the poster child for the ethnic diversity of New York. Instead Action Bronson led his talents to Hip-Hop, by the way of some of New York’s top flame grill restaurants. That may seem like a jibe at the portly rapper weight but he was in fact, a very highly regarded Flame-Grill chef, having been educated at the Art Institute of New York’s culinary program, for a period he even worked as a chef for the New York Mets baseball team and there have been talks about him even having his own cookery show in the near future, this influence is obvious when you listen to his lyrics, with references to hummus, brisket and grana padano cheese dropped in amongst obscure sports references. After mixtape ‘Rare Chandeliers’ was released last year with help from Hip-Hop legend The Alchemist it seemed that Flushing, Queens native Action Bronson was ready to hit the mainstream having been named in
the XXL Freshman Class for this year. His most recent work, EP ‘Saaab Stories’ , was a little disappointing from a technical standpoint, with only the virtuoso production of Harry Fraud standing out, as Action Bronson seemed to be lacking the typical energy and moreover the project as a whole seemed to be a little disjointed lacking the cohesiveness that his works normally has. His success has not been without controversy, he has been notably insensitive towards the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community having posted a photo on Instagram and Twitter of a transgender Mexican woman after he poured beer on her (he also referred to her as ‘it’) and his lyrics on women vary from misogyny to vulgarity, with his lyrics often reducing women to merely an orifice, with his latest EP ‘Saaab Stories’ being particularly guilty of this with the cover art as well as the content drawing criticism. We now live in a world where Hip-Hop stars are being called out for their misogyny with Rick Ross being dropped from
Reebok due to his rape apologism on his track U.O.E.N.O. and Tyler The Creator catching major flak for lyrics that promote violence towards women, it cannot be long before Action Bronson’s lyrics and content draw him more and more criticism. It’s tough to say what we can expect from Action Bronson next, his talent level is undeniable, and in working with Harry Fraud on his last EP, Saab Stories it seems like he’s found the perfect bedfellow for his flow, especially with Nas and Kool G Rap rumoured to be appearing on his upcoming album, it should have broad appeal. But, if the content level is similar to some his previous recordings, and his bigoted antics continue, he will not only render his music unlistenable (take a listen to Saaab Stories, you don’t have to be a particularly dedicated feminist to find some his lyrics very, very uncomfortable) but also he will find himself losing a large amount of listeners who aren’t comfortable with his misogyny. He has a natural gift for rapping but the obscenity and gimmicks need to be dropped if he is to become a major East Coast name.
Labrinth and Rizzle Kicks Support Naughty Boy at ‘Hotel Cabana’ Launch Party 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 2 9
Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt
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ut of all the rappers on the and many others, their releases span West Coast, there’s few that into double figures. If you haven’t are changing the Hip-Hop heard of a few of them by now game as much as Tyler and you’re probably never going to catch Earl. Not necessarily through up, but if you have, there’s as much their musical output, but in how they a chance you hate them as there is have encouraged the hype to swirl you like them. around themselves. The LA-based Although harking from LA, this young rap collective started out as a gang group of rappers and producers are doing everything themselves; from notable for curbing the trend in West making beats to artwork to putting Coast Hip-Hop, drawing more on mixtapes online. With releases from influences from alternative routes i artists such as Hodgy Beats, Frank than Dre and Tupac. No one does Ocean, Left Brain, Domo Genesis this better Odd Future’s Jay-Z announced new album Magna Carta than Holy two Grailofout July 7th
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biggest names, Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator. Tyler is best known for being hated and adored in equal measures. Offending pretty much everyone over the age of 30 and regularly getting in trouble with LGBT communities and other artists. Unfortunately for them he also possesses quite a lot of raw talent hidden underneath a colossal ego rapping over sprawling 6 minute beats expressing nightmares of dark lyrics and an emotional retelling of childhood pains. This seems
by Rory Foster Words Written by Jessica Kate Pierce
The West Coast’s Odd Future
Words by James JD Llewellyn
Written by George Rowland
leagues away from the West Coast’s stereotypical focus on drugs, women and guns; though there this sphere becomes more apparent as Tyler’s fame has increased. But what really sets Tyler apart, and first gained him the critical acclaim, is his production style that fits snugly with the dark content. Bastard is produced almost entirely by Tyler himself. Its chords are bizarre, warped monsters; its beats and synths extremely rough and unmastered. One of Tyler’s biggest influences growing up was the jazz piano of Robert Glasper. His complex chords are scattered all through Tyler’s production and this is what gives a lot of his beats their unique sound. Take for instance the keys on tracks such as ‘Seven’, ‘Bastard’ and ‘Oldie’ with their unique sound that are so discordant compared to the West Coast’s typical offerings. But it wasn’t until 2011’s Goblin, or to be more precise the video for track ‘Yonkers’, that Tyler’s sound really took off. Directed by Tyler himself; the video features vomit, blood, beetles and suicide soundtracked to an irresistible dry beat and deep bass. With over 60 million views, the video went viral and took Tyler up to the top. He dragged the rest of Odd Future with him but several have started pulling their own weight. Aside from Frank Ocean adding vocals to two tracks from Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne, the next in line is Earl. Earl is known for the guy who
with Earl’s raps attracting almost as much attention as Tyler’s. But in one sense they attract more; that is Earl’s unquestionable ability. Earl has been called the most promising debut since Nas’ Illmatic. But whilst Tyler has cemented his reputation, Earl’s output has, until very recently, been relatively small. Recently a mixtape of loose ends has been released and upcoming album Doris is set to be released on Earl’s own imprint Tan Cressida. Off the album proper so far we’ve only heard ‘Whoa’, ‘Chum’ and ‘Hive’. These songs are from the two ends of Earl’s rapping. Chum was the first to be released. A sombre track with little more than the bottom end of a piano for company, Earl raps about his upbringing and his first steps into Odd Future. ‘Whoa’ and ‘Hive’ are completely different; sounding much bigger and hitting a lot harder – but it sounds nothing like the West Coast’s typical OTT tracks because it still holds a certain amount of grime, only accentuated through the video shot partly inside a disgusting campervan. Doris is disappeared for a while; forced going to be a make-or-break release by his mother to go to Samoa to not just for Earl, but for the lifespan stay out of trouble. As arguably of Odd Future as a whole. If it does the best rapper in OF, it’s shocking well, Earl could see himself critically to think that Earl exploded on the (but certainly not commercially) scene when he was just 16. What’s competing with the biggest rap amazing about Earl is how this hype releases of this year. If it’s a flop, this has built around him with such few could be the last release from OF tracks to his name. Earl, his debut that the media pays any attention to. mixtape rapping with OF, has 10 Because of their success online tracks with only 4 tracks over the and within the West Coast LA scene, 3 minute threshold. The beats are especially amongst a generation of almost solely produced by Tyler, kids, Tyler and Earl can do almost save for 2. The sound is typically whatever they want. Whether this is lo-fi, with less of a jazzy grounding good for them, their music and the but keeping the same sinister vibe. West Coast as a whole, we’ll have to The lyrical content is equally dark, see. 2 of The GreenHouse Effect Asher Roth announces volume w ww ww w..bbeeaattzzm maagg..ccoom m -- BBeeaattzz M Maaggaazziinnee 3 31 1
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orn in Germany, bred in North Carolina and now making his mark from NYC, J. Cole is a well-travelled artist with confusion surrounding which side he’s reppin’. Just browsing through fan forums throws up different views on where J. Cole is from and which side he represents, with some believing the South and others the East. J. Cole himself however does not leave any ambiguity as to what side he supports when discussing this in an interview alongside Wale in 2009. When J. Cole was asked as to whether he was a down South rapper or East Coast, Wale interrupted asking the interviewer to explain what the difference is between them. It is clear from this as to the views of some modern artists in that there is no regional divide which was present in recent years. The
turning point in the US rap scene can be attributed to artists such as Lil Wayne, Kanye West and more recently, although strictly speaking Canadian the presence of Drake. This means that upcoming artists such as J. Cole, who only made his presence known in the rap scene in 2009, have entered a whole new chapter in the future of rap music. While J. Cole may not have categorized himself within a group during the aforementioned interview, it is clear whilst listening to some of his music that he sees himself as a southern rapper with an East Coast feel. One particular song is Good Game where the very first lyrics show that he is representing the city he was raised, “I’m just a Carolina n**** goin’ hard for the ‘Ville”. This shows that everything J. Cole does is for his home town of Fayetteville, and that this is where he sees himself as from. Later on during the same song he
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reiterates this when he raps “I’m just a down south n****, lil’ East Coast flow”. This is supported in another song entitled I Really Mean It where the 2nd verse opens with “I rep my city in your city”. This could be construed as being illustrative of J. Cole representing his home town, even after his move to New York. J. Cole has publicly confessed that he is hugely inspired by a combination of huge artists, such as Tupac, Notorious B.I.G and Nas. The big confusion surrounding which area J. Cole supports originates from his decision to leave his hometown in order to attend university in New York, where he felt he had a greater chance of becoming a recognised artist and therefore signed to a record label. There are some people who feel that because he was not born in New York but arrived in order to pursue his dreams and make a name for himself, he cannot be catergorized as an East Coast rapper. But in terms of the music scene and the opinion J. Cole held at the time of his move, it would have been extremely difficult to get noticed without relocation. But J. Cole did get recognised and as a result of this became the first artist signed to the Roc Nation Label. So as to whether or not J. Cole can be classified as an East Coast rapper is debated, there can be no dispute over his talents. Yet even if he was not born in the East Coast, J. Cole has become an adopted member for the next generation of music to come from those parts. Following this he released an impressive mixtape called Friday Night Lights which set the stage for future albums Cole World : The Sideline Story and critically acclaimed Born Sinner, which is filled with Biggie and Nas references.
Written by Simon Phelan
J.Cole
born sinner, never a winner
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or many, the nickname hustler image. In 2003, Fiddy made Shot Caller is a familiar an explosive commercial debut introduction to the man with ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’, turning from the streets of New heads with his funk-infused, ballers’ York known as French anthem ‘In Da Club’. Ten years later, Montana ‘from da block’. Originally we see Montana using the same key from Morocco, under the birth narrative: survival, rags to stupefying name Karim Kharbouch, he set wealth and not to forget being a hit out to carve himself a new identity with the ladies. under his rap alias. Judging by first A teenage Karim was influenced by impressions, Montana mentions his the likes of The Wu Tang Clan, Snoop name a fair few times in the intro Dogg and Nas and fully lives by the ad-libs - in competition with Mike gangsta image with heavy set chains, Jones it seems. Lyrically he shares watches, expensive cars and women. anecdotes of ‘dipping’ in the lac’ It’s a proven recipe in dire need of with lady friends and making piles of being reinvented, so French Montana money; as your typical rapper does. responded to that calling by using Montana jumped on the rap radar two tiger cubs in his video for ‘Gifted’ pretty quickly and despite typical with vocals sung by the breathtaking rapper bravado, has made a name Canadian singer The Weeknd. As for himself getting features from the your stereotypical rapper would do, likes of Nicki Minaj and The Weeknd. French brags about his penchance In a recent interview Montana said of drug use claiming he raps better “every couple of years someone when under the influence of less comes and sweeps the streets...first than legal drugs. As he so eloquently it was DMX, then it was 50. I guess put it “I’m gifted when I’m faded, I’m it’s my turn now.” faded all the time I know thats when Like Fiddy, Montana is a surviving they love me, they love me when I’m victim of a gun attack which gave high”. some credibility to his self-made French Montana is an interesting i 14 BET Hip-Hop Award Nominations for Kendrick Lamar
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artist. On one hand we cannot begin to compare his lyricism to Nas, but on subject matter we often see French narrating street life with an element of raw literalism. The non-comparison comes from Nas’ most impressive album Illmatic (1994), as an inspiration for Montana’s tracks with The Coke Boys. Vocally, he’s also adopted Snoop’s lackadaisical drone tone, crossed with the aggression of Rick Ross. ‘Excuse My French’ is propelled by what appears to be a neverending list of chart-topping rappers, a strategy which has received mixed receptions. Some critics say that Montana vanishes in a sea of rap royalty. Others say that rolling with some of the best only proves that he is one of them. Often, the first studio album creates an opportunity for a rapper to prove that they can make it alone, whilst standing on their head and with their hands tied! Montana has almost promoted a new of solo hustle, a success model that has worked for several rising rappers including Big Sean, Drake and 2Chainz.
Written by Alice Oadie
F
FRENCH MONTANA SHOT CALLER
West Coast SAVIOur?
T
Written by Simon Phelan
he West Coast sound has been associated with some of the greatest names in the history of rap including 2Pac, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. As far as the resurrection of that sound goes, newcomer Tyga is a fundamental feature, with music that moves away from the more traditional gangsta rap to a more “worldly” sound, as he himself puts it. After the era of NWA and Tupac the East Coast and the South sound has become more dominant within the music scene, but that’s all about to change! Tyga, who is most notable for his presence within Young Money and his lyrically recurring pop tunes, such as Rack City and Faded, has started his transition from pop star to rap star with his third and most recent album Hotel California. From the title to the features, Tyga is linking the West together again with names like The Game, Snoop Dogg and more. Tyga has approached his career in an alternate way to most rising stars; rather than try and collaborate on another rap artists’ song to become known in the Hip-Hop scene, T-Raww started his career in a different genre entirely, creating a public image for himself before settling into the genre that he now is part of. This has however led to Tyga abandoning his musical roots in search of chart success. He claims that outside of California, the public is unaware of his West Coast roots; due to the generic themes within his music and that now he is in the public domain, with his own fan following, he can concentrate on showcasing his musical origins once again. That’s not to say he’s entirely abandoned his sound, there are still West Coast roots embedded through samples of classic tracks from West Coast legends such as Dr Dre and Tupac.
It seems that with a little time and a little more risk taking Tyga could become a young generation rap star! Although his third album has begun to show where he fits in the music scene, it was maybe not as successful as was hoped. Critics gave the album mixed reviews, and stated that Tyga has not tested himself enough with his music; playing it too safe and using already famous samples, failing to put his own twist on it. Although Tyga has clearly moved on from his early days as a pop star, it is still unclear as to where he fits into the music scene and more importantly the re-emerging West Coast scene. It seems that with a little time and a little more risk taking Tyga could become a young generation rap star, but it remains to be seen as to whether Tyga has the resolve and ability to push himself out of the shadows of other Compton legends. If he prevails, we could see the emergence of the new West Coast era alongside Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q; if he fails however, we may have to find another West Coast saviour.
Tyga’s Timelime March 2008 - No introduction, Tygas first independent album drops. June 2008 - First single Coconut Juice released featuring his cousin Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. Dec 2009 - Collaborated with his Young Money label mates for album We Are Young Money. June 2010 - Appeared on Chris Brown’s Deuces, named one of the best songs of 2010 & best rap/sung collab at the Grammies. Dec 2011 - Drops double platinum selling track Rack City, which peaked at #7. Feb 2012 - Releases Careless World: Rise Of The Last King reaching #4 on the billboards and shifting 61,000 units in the first week. April 2013 - Hotel California, Tygas third album, is released and becomes Tygas second top 10 album. July 2013 - Second collaborative album, titled Rich Gang, is released. Rihanna Turns To Acting
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hilst it may be audacious to compare Black Hippy to one of Hip-Hop’s most influential groups of the last two decades, there is little denying that the parallel will have crossed many Hip-Hop listeners’ minds. Undeniable symmetries exist, most notably the existence of a gifted yet relatively unassuming group member who holds the potential to re-shape the Hip-Hop landscape. It is no coincidence that Dr. Dre played this role within N.W.A, and that Kendrick Lamar (the Black Hippy member to hold this honour), has become the most recent protégé of the N.W.A co-founder. But before getting carried away with the numerous similarities between the two groups, urban music listeners should firstly consider the many differences, both
BLACK HIPPY
in the era both groups perform in, and perhaps more importantly in the make-up of each group. To do so, it is necessary to delve a little deeper into the history and background of Black Hippy. Casual listeners would be forgiven for asking who exactly Black Hippy actually are. After all, apart from their popular remix of one of this year’s most controversial songs, U.O.E.N.O, they are perhaps best known for only one quarter of their membership, belonging to 2012’s Hottest MC in the game, Kendrick Lamar. The reality is however, that Black Hippy is so much more than simply a collection of Kendrick and his three labelmates. The rest of the group is made up of the highly regarded ScHoolboy Q, wordsmith Ab-Soul, and throwback gangsta rapper Jay Rock. Whilst none of these three
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rappers have enjoyed the solo success that Kendrick Lamar has following his debut solo album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, each brings their own individual and unique style to Black Hippy, which helps to make them more of a ‘collective’ than a group. This is especially true as Black Hippy itself is yet to release a single independent album, nor do they have a singular project which is credited to the collective itself. Instead, the group currently dedicates itself to one of modern Hip-Hop’s finest possessions, the collaboration. Those who paid particular attention to the track listing of Lamar’s solo album success will recognise perhaps only Jay Rock’s name out of the other three Black Hippy members. And those who also paid attention whilst listening won’t forget that this was because of his perfectly constructed (and executed) final verse on ‘Money
Written by Sham Makhecha
s ago, a Little over fifteen year tet named California-based quar t Coast rap es W e th k o to .A .W N their debut scene by storm with t Outta studio album Straigh s later, it Compton. Fifteen year tory may would appear that his self. Enter, be about to repeat it
Written by Simon Phelan
Trees’. So staying on the topic of the collaboration, why is it that Black Hippy works so well? The answer, quite simply, is the individuality of each of Black Hippy members. Unlike N.W.A, or other West-Coast groups that have preceded it, Black Hippy consists of four artists who are each totally stylistically independent. What is most impressive about this is the fact that these stylistic distinctions are derived from the differing backgrounds of each artist, none of which have been sacrificed to enhance the collective reputation. Whilst all four members may derive from South Central L.A, they are united as a group not by their long-standing friendships, but by their record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. In reality, the backgrounds of each member were very different. Kendrick Lamar was a straight A student, releasing his first mixtape and getting signed at the tender age of sixteen in 2004, whilst ScHoolboy Q was only signed to the label in 2009 (despite being only a few months younger than Lamar), having been a drug pusher and gang member up until then. Although it may appear that Schoolboy Q therefore shares a common history with Jay Rock, another L.A gang member, their gang affiliations were at arms. Schoolboy was a member of the Crip gang and moved to L.A from Texas, whilst Rock was a throughand-through Blood, having been raised in the infamously rough Watts district of L.A. Whilst living in these projects, Rock began developing his rapping skills from a very young age, as did Ab-Soul in the suburban up-town area of Carson. As Jay Rock released mixtapes to develop his rapping technique, Ab-Soul indulged in ‘keystyling’, typing raps on online forums to challenge others. And although Ab-Soul may have had an impressive academic record as Kendrick Lamar did, Ab-Soul idolised East Coast royalty Jay-Z, whilst Kendrick Lamar tended to stick to his West-Coast roots, and critics have frequently noted the influence of
Tupac Shakur on his music. It is these inter-connected loops which can be formed, the subtle similarities and differences between each Black Hippy member, which makes the collective so special, and which also makes them so distinct from their West-Coast forefathers. Black Hippy members are not united by their region as N.W.A were, nor do they share a particular rapping style. Instead, their strength, and the reason they work so well, is because of their substance. Their common characteristic of lyrical dexterity and their individual abilities as wordsmiths gives them appeal which spreads far beyond the streets of Compton, to worldwide urban music listeners. What is perhaps most refreshing is Black Hippy’s insistence upon finding their full collective style before releasing a joint album. In an age where artists rush their recordings to simply establish their name, Black Hippy members are taking time to solidify individual careers, and in the meanwhile are taking time to experiment collectively. Occasionally, these experiments just don’t work; Jay Rock is noticeably uncomfortable on the group remix of ‘Swimming Pools’, where his gansta-rap style simply doesn’t suit the Kendrick Lamar tailored beat as it did on ‘Money Trees’. Nonetheless, to his credit, Jay-Rock shows awareness of his stylistic differences to the rest of the group, deliberately slowing his flow to match the relaxed tone of his label-mates on the group remix of ‘The Recipe’. When given opportunity, he doesn’t need to be told twice to let loose on a beat; exemplified perfectly by his aggressive, confident verse on AbSoul’s ‘Black Lip Bastard’. He expertly rattles off his bars about how he’s the ‘The silent assassin of the fourheaded dragon, Black Hippy, Blastin' a 50, out the back of the Benz Wagon’. And speaking of ‘Black Lip Bastard’, Ab-Soul’s track gives us some indication towards his own
rapping motivation. The song title references the rare condition Ab-Soul grew up with, StevensJohnson syndrome, which made his skin hyper-sensitive and darkened his lip skin pigment. Ab-Soul’s bold reference of his condition is indicative of how fearless his style is. On the track, he acknowledges his own skill as a wordsmith, and he utilises this talent time and time again, most notably on the Black Hippy remix of ‘U.O.E.N.O’ and also on ‘Rolling Stoned’, a track outstanding also for the seamless transitions from one artist to another, allowing the whole group to flourish. Ab-Soul is wholly confident on tracks like these, and bears resemblance in his nonchalant and unconventional style to a blasé André 3000, with spitting speed that comes close to one of his major influences, Twista. But if there was one collaborative track which truly shows how much potential Black Hippy holds, it is the remix of Jay-Rock’s ‘Say Wassup’. It shows the best of each rapper; Ab-Soul providing an enticing hook, Kendrick Lamar utilising his vocal range, and Jay- Rock sticking to what he’s best at, relaxing over beats to let his lyrical prowess do the work. Most impressively however, is the remarkable way in which each artist jumps over one another at the end of the track, showing awareness of each other’s abilities whilst showcasing their own. Should the members of Black Hippy continue to do this, it is indisputable that they will restore West-Coast group rap to its former glory. With solo careers flourishing (ScHoolboy Q’s talents have been deliberately overlooked here, purely because there is little doubt they will be raved about later this year following the release of the highly anticipated Oxymoron), Black Hippy have created the perfect position for themselves as a HipHop supergroup. Following Kendrick Lamar’s album success won’t be easy, but if there were ever three talented rappers who could do so, they are the other three members of Black Hippy.
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Written by George Rowland
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MF DOOM THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
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n 1977 Bob Marley released Exodus, arguably the greatest album of his career, prompted to leave Jamaica due to an attempt on his life, Marley recorded Exodus in London and it’s success is considered by many to be what made him the international superstar that he came to be. MF DOOM will never be the superstar that Bob Marley became, but his latest album, like Exodus, was written while in exile in London due to immigration irregularities. DOOM, born in London to migrant parents who moved him to the States when he was
ever since. DOOM, like Bob Marley embraced his exile to create one of the most inventive albums of his career, embracing legendary British musicians Damon Albarn, Beth Gibbons and Thom Yorke without losing any of his signature stylings. While DOOM spent the majority of his formative years in New York, his music doesn’t really have a East Coast sound, having spent some of his youth in Atlanta and spending time working with many artists from the West Coast label Stones Throw, most notably Madlib on the collaboration Madvillainy. He has worked with some big
DOOM will be staying in Europe for the foreseeable future, having said that he's 'done' with the USA in an interview with Q Magazine last year. MF DOOM has drawn criticism in recent years though for some of his performances, particularly for using an imposter in live shows (including a gig in London last year) or for failing to show. Many promoters and event organisers have felt the wrath of DOOM as he would often belligerently ask for more money to perform, which voids the original performance contract, so he can legitimately send a double sporting his metal
DOOM, like Bob Marley embraced his exile to create one of the most inventive albums of his career just three months old, and had stayed there since, making his career and starting a family with his American wife, but most importantly he never received naturalised citizenship. But when he embarked on just his second foreign tour in 2010, with a British passport, he found himself unable to re-enter the US, possibly falsely assuming that his American wife and children would be sufficient to secure his re-entry, as such DOOM has been in South London
names from New York though, collaborating with Ghostface Killah as well as producing some of his work, as well as producing for Masta Ace and working with Danger Mouse on his DANGERDOOM project. Still exiled in Europe, DOOM has been laying low since releasing Key To The Kuffs, with the only track coming out being a collaboration with Lil B and Soulja Boy producer Clams Casino titled Bookfiends Forever. But from what it seems
faced mask rather than turning up himself. According to Ghostface, there’s a collaborative album supposedly in the works, but other than that things have been very, very quiet with DOOM staying in Europe. In his usual style, expect him to explode onto the scene without prior notice and perhaps we can anticipate more work with British musicians with the integration of Brit-Pop being successful on Keys To The Kuffs.
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Angel Haze
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onsidering Angel Haze was banned from listening to music when she was a child, her tracks are very cultured, eclectic, out of the box and into the hexogen. Like all great artists from the East Coast, she sounds like no one else and her sound is new, self-made and raw. New York City is the birthplace of Hip-Hop, that’s where it all started, music with real purpose and pure talent and that’s why Haze represents it so well. She even has a track dedicated to the city itself; in the lyrics she compares herself to some of the best New York artists in the game as she says; ‘Uh, I’m nasty n****, like Nas, like Kim, like Cassie pictures, like I’m f*cking Chris Stokes or that Raz-B n**** or the skin on the feet of a ashy n****’ If there’s one thing Haze isn’t short on, its confidence. Although it wasn’t always that way, Haze had a very sheltered childhood and grew up in a secluded cult-like neighbourhood,
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where domestic violence and abuse was a common occurrence, she grew up not even knowing what Hip-Hop or rap music was. When she first started writing, it was poetry; she wrote her experiences and her thoughts down and then turned it into lyrics, that’s where it starts for most rap artists, that’s why Haze represents the scene so well, she takes it back to where it started. Haze said in a recent interview that everything she went through as a child has an effect on how she writes, and you can hear this in her freestyle rap that she did to Eminem’s ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’, it’s possibly the most personal and graphic freestyle ever released by a female rapper. ‘I had to deal with my sh*t, I had to look at my truth. To understand that to grow you’ve got to look at your root.’ This theme of honesty continues in all of Angel’s tracks and sets the East Coast apart from the rest of the USA. Rap and Hip-Hop music shouldn’t
Drake ‘Nothing Was The Same’ Cover Explained
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just be a competition between artists, it didn’t start with diss tracks and threats, it started with fierce attitude and this is exactly what Haze is bringing back. When Haze was a teenager, she was taken away from the church setting, she began to really study music and listened to all kinds of genres, she would really delve into rap music and would research it on forums and websites, from there she discovered a range of artists and listened to how they interpreted rap. She was new to everything and didn’t belong to any one music scene and that’s why her own music has both West Coast and East Coast influences, she’s a rapper, singer, songwriter with a mix of Hip-Hop, rap and R&B. Her music reaches a whole audience of people from different countries, areas, ages and music scenes because she doesn’t fall into just one category, and if you ever need proof that you can make something big from nothing, its Angel Haze.
Written by Jessica Pierce
Born and Raised in Detroit, Michigan and later moving to Brooklyn, New York, Angel Haze is East Coast at its best!
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Meek Mill M
eek Mill is certified Philly finest. A born and bred East Coaster, he holds a collection of his region’s finest qualities. The stereo-typical Philadelphia swag handed down from former state rap ambassadors like Eve, the hustle and raw grit of a rapper well aware of the need to compete with the New Yorkers surrounding him, and the collaborative qualities of a young and hungry rapper more than happy to enlist the help of his MMG labelmates. Individually, these qualities would make for a talented street rapper from Philadelphia, a Roscoe or a Vinnie Paz. But combined, they make for the most exciting rapper to come from Philly since Cassidy. Yet whilst he’s established himself firmly amongst a commercial audience (with the help of his respectable debut album Dreams And Nightmares), a number of questions still hang over Meek Mill. Firstly, whilst he may have mastered the much-valued art of collaboration - with some help from his MMG stablemates, as well as GOOD Music and Young Money artists – does he have real commercial appeal as a solo artist? Hits such as “Amen”, “I’m a Boss” and “Burn” would suggest Meek
Mill has quality in abundance, but substantial credit for each of these tracks must go to Mill’s collaborative partner’s. Whether it be Drake providing his now standard guest verse (sandwiched between two of the lead artists own verses, and normally stronger than each of them), Rozay providing standard use of his poor rhyming vocabulary (surely there are more things that rhyme with “Ross” than simply “boss”?), or Big Sean jumping all over an aggressive beat, Meek Mill has a tendency to fade into the background on most of his released singles. Commercial listeners may only know him as the East Coast rapper who has a penchant for pumping up his own tracks with the ability of those around him. In reality however, Meek Mill deserves credit. He’s realised the delicate balance that defined modern Hip-Hop, the balance between releasing collaborative singles which appeal to casual listeners, yet still retaining depth in his other solo material. Dreams and Nightmares is an excellent example of this balance. Mill enlists the help of other HipHop heavyweights in songs such as Maybach Curtains and Lay Up¸ yet demonstrates his competency in continuous flow on Young Kings
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as well as his lyrical diversity and unpredictability on songs such as Traumatized and In God We Trust, rapping about everything from homicide and broken homes to Joseph Kony. Dig even deeper and real Hip-Hop fans will find gold in his contributions to the MMG label’s yearly Self Made compilation albums. Here, Meek Mill showcases his individual skills whilst collaborating with fellow MMG artists, and by doing so, gives East Coast listeners (outside of New York) hope in finding another Philly talent who can appeal to the masses yet keep his best material for the real fans. Add this quality to a bit of healthy competition with labelmate Wale to see who can claim lieutenant under Rick Ross for the MMG army, and you have a prime example of a young rapper who has understood the modern rap market, and is more than willing to play it. East Coast listeners and upcoming rappers take note, what Meek Mill lacks in rapping ability he more than makes up for in his knowledge of how to appeal to a varying audience. With his collaborative skills and individual creativity, Meek Mill is sure to develop into one of MMG’s very finest artists. And more importantly, one of Philly’s finest in some time.
Written by Sham Makhecha
Philly’s finest or cunning collaborator?
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AMPLIFY DOT Beatz Magazine talks to South London rapper Amplify Dot about her experimental style, musical influences and upcoming album.
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ow would you describe your sound in just one sentence, can you give us a brief summary? A quick summary? Wow that’s hard, I’d have to say I make experimental rap designed to break the rules. You could say that your career started when you were only 13, when you were invited on stage to perform by none other than Missy Elliot! How did you manage that? Missy Elliot has always been my idol, and when I heard she was performing at Brixton Academy I had to see her and it was my first ever concert. She started an impromptu talent contest to see if anyone from the UK had flow and asked people to get on stage. I wasn’t even at the front to start with, but managed to push my way through, that’s where a security guard grabbed me and put
me on stage. And then I just went for it and well … the whole crowd erupted. At such a young age that must of influenced you a lot. The best part is that she asked me to wait at the end, and she came up to me and said that I was born to do this and if I kept at it I would be big. It was all so crazy and really pushed me to do what I do. So now you’re all grown up and an established artist, can you tell us about your new album? Rap is definitely at the heart of the project but I have introduced a lot of experimental sounds. Ive worked with loads of different producers, to name one of many Chris Loco, to create this album which has really made it dynamic. With some albums, you wouldn’t even realise the tracks changed because the songs sound the same, I really wanted to
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go against that. I’ve changed the mundane formula and have come up with something that’s really exciting and really tests the boundaries. Are there any notable collaborations that you can tell us about? I really didn’t want it to be collab heavy, it puts a lot of dependence on other rappers to deliver. I don’t like that, I want the track done and polished off. Also its such a shame when artists let others fill in their hooks. These are the most attractive part of a song and define the track and artists are just giving them away which only hurts them. Saying all that I did manage to get Busta Rhymes on my track I’m good! Yeah that’s amazing, how did you manage that? When I Listened to the track I believe that the song was made for him. So management sent him the
song, but they said “chances are we wont hear back as you are a brand new artist”. 2 days later in the middle of the night I got a call, from none other than Busta telling me how much he loved the song which was surreal. And then the song was just made. You’ve been signed to a label for roughly a year, what has the transition from being independent been like? When you’re independent you have to be so many people, your manager, investor, radio promoter so the music focus is lost. Now I can focus solely on the music which is why I’m in this game in the first place. But being Independent I knew what was happening but now I feel like loads of decisions are being made around me and I have to keep checking in. Also its like other people have their hands on your baby, yeah you wouldn’t mind them babysitting a little but at the end of the day it’s my baby. So what are you listening to at the moment? I listen to a lot of music from the 90’s as I think this was an era that had real music, with the likes of Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot. In terms of now I’m listening to Magna Carta, I also like to slow and unwind at home so listen to a lot of Miguel and The Weekend.
Wow really? I didn’t expect that. So do you feel as if there’s two Amplify Dots; one, a hard hitting female MC vs the calmer more chilled version? There are many shades to me, I act completely different when I’m with my mates and family, work etc, but how I am on stage is different to how I am at home. There’s a whole spectrum to my personality! We love your track Kurt Cobain, can you tell us what influenced you to create it? When I entered the rap game I witnessed how people were pulled into this lifestyle of parties and women. I recently watched a documentary on Kurt Cobain and felt like he embodied the rock and roll lifestyle and that the things that seem enticing can easily pull the rug from beneath your feet and turn out to be your worst enemy. I really wanted to show that those aspects of life that seem exciting can lead to your downfall and that’s how the song was born. Im not encouraging the lifestyle like some people, its more like social commentary. There’s a strong femcee movement going on at the moment with artists like RoxXxan, Paigey Cake and Lady Leshurr to name a few. What are your views on the current female MC industry and
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where do you think you fit in? I don’t like to be put in a group as I like to move in my own direction. Its easy to put us all in the same box, but I don’t try to observe what others who tick the same box as me are doing. I don’t want the burden of being at the forefront or the responsibility that brings. I’m an artist in my own right and I want to be compared to the likes of Wretch and Tinie. There are a number of artists coming through world wide, so its important to recognise what makes you individual and really build on it. Which artist would you lEast like to be stuck in an elevator with? Haha...Pitbull, that would be my worst nightmare. He makes a lot of money but, it’s like you know… actually maybe Flo Rida. Are you aware they’ve collaborated with each other? No way, that sounds like torture and I haven’t even heard it. It may be lucrative, but in a elevator I would probably kill myself if he was in the elevator. with me To find out more about Amplify Dot and her music you can follow her on Twitter, @amplifydot, on Facebook, www.fb.com/amplifydot, or visit her website, www.amplifydot. co.uk
There are a number of artists coming through world wide, so its important to recognise what makes you individual and really build on it.
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BOBBY V
The evolution of classic R&B
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ou’ve just got back from Brazil recently. How was that? It was my first time in Brazil, the show was outside and there was probably about 3000 to 4000 people that came out to see me. They showed me a lot of love and lately I’ve been doing all my shows with my band so every time I perform compared to just playing the track. I think it’s a new experience every time because no two shows are the same, sometimes you follow the routine, sometimes you go off on how the music has made you feel and you go a little crazy from the love of the music. Brazil was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to go back. Tell us a little bit about the title for the upcoming Peach Moon EP and is it true that the peach was the first fruit on the moon? So excited about this, but yeah, it was the first fruit eaten by man on the moon. Honestly I just I came up with the title one day in the studio, it just popped in my head, and I was like God that’s it! I almost wish I could say I spent months brainstorming the name but to tell you the truth, those words were just crystal clear in my mind, I wasn’t even trying to throw a title out for my next album. The words had so much clarity, just Peach Moon, so you know for me it was more a thought that was given to me from up above.
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timeless story of two people that are in love and I think we need more of that in the world. In the last few years R&B has changed as you know; it’s become more Hip-Hop, a lot more pop and stuff like that and it’s all missing the true essence of R&B which soul music. A lot of artists, including myself have gotten away from that so once I like dropped my fifth album, I realised that I really gotta keep doing what I love doing. It was a wake up call for me and that’s why I came up with the first single ‘Back To Love’, because I was thinking how its time for me to get back to what I love, back to my roots, back to what I do. As other music genres evolve, how do you think R&B has evolved? I think its two very different stories to discuss evolution and sticking to your roots at the same time. Staying true to R&B is a proven love recipe,
of the greatest historical leaders in American History, especially in African American culture. He did the opposite of the masses, if everybody else went right, he went left. So what I meant was that I want to defy the trends like Martin Luther King, even if it means travelling alone. It’s gonna take myself and other R&B artists to come together and that’s what Martin Luther King did; he brought people together. It didn’t matter if they were black people, white people or anyone else, he brought different cultures together and it’s up to myself and it’s up to all of the R&B artists to stay true to what we do. How did you start the label you are with, Blue Kolla Dreams? So my first two albums were released on Def Jam/ Disturbing Tha Peace which is Ludacris’ label and it just came to a point in my career when I wanted to step out on stage and I wanted to do my own thing. There was no beef with Ludacris or DTP, I just want to be in control of my own destiny so I bid for a joint venture with Capitol records and EMI and it was dubbed EMI Capital Records / Blue Kolla Dreams. I got up to a really great start, you know I had Beep Beep which was a very powerful song for me and also Mrs Officer with Lil Wayne was a very commercial song so I’ve been putting a lot of my music out under my own label just to handle my own business man and when the time comes I want to expand and start putting out other artists through my label to give other people the chance and opportunities to make their dreams come true.
when you wanna be an R&B artist, you have a duty to share the message of love. I think we need a lot more of that in today’s world.
You’re really trying to bring the original R&B recipe back in this project and you’re trying to strip it back to its roots. Why do you think we should bring R&B back? When you wanna be an R&B artist, you have a duty to share the message of love and that’s why I think the industry needs that positivity back again. I think we need a lot more of that in today’s world because there is so much negativity going on. That’s not to say that other genres of music don’t spread love; but when you think of R&B, the first thing that that pops in your mind is love ballads. It’s that
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evolving your sound means change towards whatever trend the public is digging. When you abandon your roots and chase a trend, you sell out just to try sell records. There are so many great R&B artists that are sticking to their true sound from the 90s, because that was when the genre was at its best. Around the same time Hip-Hop became very popular and began to merge with pop, but you can’t forget how much we were competing with Rock n Roll. I think every genre has had its time, right now it’s more Hip-Hop and pop but people still love R&B music, they still love good music so I think if R&B artists stay true to R&B and what they love to do then people are gonna embrace it and they’re gonna appreciate it. You once said that you want to be the Martin Luther King of R&B. What do you mean when you say that? [Laughs] Well you know I was joking around when I said that. I’m not comparing myself to him in terms of human rights but he was one
You mentioned you like having control of your own music. Do the big major labels not give you control or is it something deeper than that? When people invest in millions of dollars into you, they kinda want things done their way. With a lot of money on the line that’s when people say that major labels are political. It’s funny because when you start you are creative, and you get signed to be that way, but when you have major backing and all of the capital invested in you, its pretty
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much their way. There is some creative direction and flexibility, anticipation builds and once people start seeing that it’s a new me, it’s a new Bobby V, then I will release the full album where they can get a hold of me but for right now since this is something different, I just wanted to give the people a slice before they get the whole pie. This new project that I have, Peach Moon EP and my new single ‘Back to Love’, I’m putting this out because this is music that I want to do, these are lyrics that I want to sing, this is how I’m feeling right now and this is where I wanna take my career. If I was signed to a major label right now I would have been restricted to which countries I could play in, ticket prices and venue capacities and now I can get on stage and do what I want and love to do. In your eyes what’s the difference in your eyes between an EP and an album? Wow, I guess EP’s are kinda like a teaser, you know it’s not a full album. This Peach Moon EP, there’s gonna be six tracks and since im trying out something different I didn’t just want to put out, I wanted to show the fans a piece first, lets call it an appetiser. Mostly so that they can hear the new sound, so that they can live with the new music and once the anticipation builds and once people start seeing that it’s a new me, it’s a new Bobby V, then I will release the full album where they can get a hold of me but for right now since this is something different, I just wanted to give the people a slice before they get the whole pie. To find out more about Bobby V and his music you can follow him on Twitter, @bobbyv, on Facebook, www.fb.com/ bobbyvmusic, or visit their website, www.bobbyvmusic. com.
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CHARLIE WILSON Known as America’s favourite Uncle; Charlie Wilson is perhaps most famous for working with Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and more. In this intimate interview he reveals the struggles of fame and his goal to become the worlds most famous uncle.
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tarting off a few weeks ago you received a lifetime achievement BET award, does this award make you feel like you are at the peak of your career or is it more of a motivation to continue? I always say that the award came at a good time for me, but at the same time I’m the only one out of all the recipients receiving that award after 12 years who is still current and still has records out. I had records back in the day, so I feel that it’s a little strange receiving a lifetime achievement award, because usually when people receive that award they like to end their career on a high and go sit down, but I’m still going. Nevertheless I was still happy that they gave me the award, because I’m still achieving my goals and I’m still having a good time, and I’m still number one records in America, so now it’s time to make number one records for you guys
in the UK and the rest of Europe. We’re already aware that you have won a lot of awards across your lengthy career what is your biggest achievement and do you any goals left to achieve? Achieving goals and achieving awards and getting accolade that’s just one part of it, I mean when you are nominated for a Grammy that’s a great achievement, but I’m still achieving personal goals and breaking my own records. People call me America’s favourite Uncle; Uncle Charlie in America so I’ve got
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the world is just great enough for me. You’ve worked with a lot of artists such as Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake and we can hear you on the last Kanye West album. You have been working with Kanye West for a long time now what is your relation with him now and do you think you will be Uncle Charlie for baby North West? Definitely when North gets a little older they bring the baby to visit us and when it’s time that the baby can
People call me Americas favourite Uncle; Uncle Charlie in America so I’ve got to achieve another goal, the world’s favourite Uncle! once I get to be the world greatest Uncle, I’m good, I’m happy.
to achieve another goal, the world’s favourite Uncle! That means that I’ve got to come onto this side of the pond and let y’all see who Uncle Charlie is, and once I get to be the world’s greatest Uncle, I’m good, I’m happy. Then you don’t have to give me another award, just being worldwide and having fans all over
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travel and do jets and things like that, they’ll pop in and out because I’ve already made it clear that they’d better hurry up and bring the baby to meet me and my wife, so he agreed, okay. Just give me a little more time so that the baby can fly, you know, I’ll definitely be Uncle Charlie to baby North, Yes.
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You are an inspiration, and icon for a lot of famous artists, but who were the artists that influenced you in your childhood? That would have had to be James Brown & Stevie Wonder – I just remember those guys they were exceptionally well. Do you have any regrets to share about the dark side of life in this industry? Well let me say this, I’ve had my share of alcohol and drugs and I know where it took me. I ended up on the streets for a few years, it was not good at all for me. I was sleeping under trucks, cars and being homeless, and so to come out of that and to come back to where I am. I mean I don’t know any entertainer who has achieved that goal either, because drugs and alcohol will kill you and destroy you. Look at Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Rick James, Michael Jackson, the list goes on and on, and if you don’t stop,
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what are the terms behind this album and which track best represents your message? ‘Love, Charlie’, every song on the album is about love and always more than one, the way we kissed, the way we hugged, the way we touched, the way we feel, the way we talk and so every song has something to do with love. The song called ‘ I Believe’, which is the first song is about my love for God because he was the one that got me out of that street because everybody else tried to talk me out but couldn’t convince me. So God gave me another chance, like a lot of people don’t get and especially when you had a young career and did with it whatever you, you did with it. As you get a little bit older than everybody else, everybody turns their back at that particular point, so if you just gather your things together, God will bless you one more time. That was my belief in God and the love I have for him and if I believe in something greater than myself I’m lucky to get
The song called ‘ I Believe’, which is the first song is about my love for God because he was the one that got me out of that street because everybody else tried to talk me out but couldn’t convince me. So God gave me another chance,
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where you end up is dead. For me to come up out of that darkness to where I am now, cutting number one records, it has never been done. So I will just tell people, play around and have some fun in your career, if you’re thinking about music have a career but I’m not saying don’t have fun, just don’t go to a party and be the last one there. Cause 9 times out of 10 you’ll be left there to party and it’s going to take a hell of a lot to get you out of there. Sometimes people just don’t make it back, my advice having been there is have a drugfree career, have some fun and make a lot of money, kick it with your kids, watch your grandkids grow up and die of old age.
back to this love I have for music, and so I would have to say that’s one of them for sure.
You released an album earlier this year called ‘Love, Charlie’
You’re a singer but also a songwriter, what song that
You and your band are touring all over the world what is a country you enjoy the most? Ah France. Of course France, I love the city, the country is incredible, I mean I love going to the Eiffel Tower. There’s some beautiful places out there, we were in the South of France, Montpellier, and its beautiful, I’ve been in many different places before and it’s just gorgeous, knock down beautiful, and I would love to buy a home in the South of France, and come and spend time in the fall or summertime.
you’ve written for someone else you are most proud of? I can’t answer that one, I’m still writing songs, but a lot of people just think that they can’t get me to do the song and so they will just sample one of my creations. Artists want some of that Uncle Charlie vibe from hearing me alongside Kanye, Snopp Dogg or Justin, and they sample it, and I’m still apart of it anyway. What do you think about the current state of R&B, is it dead, is it evolving or is it coming back? Right now it’s evolving and I’m at the forefront right now. I know this part of the world its hit upon a rock and pop music dominates and even Hip-Hop staggers a bit. I know pop is dominating, but R&B is getting back; the programmers have to re-introduce R&B music, if you don’t ever do that, you’re stuck with one type of music, and I don’t think that this generation should be stuck with one type of sound. I think this whole country needs to understand all genres of music and they need to hear it, and love it and embrace it. Now do I need to come with a different kind of record so you can see who Uncle Charlie is? Maybe, maybe not, maybe I just get one of my famous nephews and we just come over here and do one for you like that. What combination of new school and old school is best? Are there any artists you think have seen evolving whilst sticking to their roots? I think Justin Timberlake stuck to his roots, and look he is already almost three million sold, but he says it took him to bring R&B music back. Now, I’ve been doing R&B music all along, I’ve seen people like Pharrell evolve yet stick to their guns, and emerge as the R&B lovers, with a different spin on it , so it sounds like a pop record, do you follow me? It’s R&B music, so it just sounds different when he does it, that’s all. To find out more about Charlie Wilson and his music you can follow him on Twitter, @ imcharliewilson, on Facebook, www.fb.com/charliewilson, or visit his website, www. charliewilsonmusic.com.
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Kicks Beatz gains an insight into the lives of the punchline fuelled Brighton boys.... 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   5 5
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Obviously, you’ve always mentioned fashion since day one, what inspires your fashion? Jordan: Well Harley started trying to pinpoint how he could get a particular style of women. He was thinking, I really like the look of all of the Australian models. That’s what he was looking for…and then he kinda starts to pinpoint parts of clothing that they like – suits. He starts saying, “Hm, everytime I wear a shirt or a suit, I seem to get like attention from Australian models”. So, starting wearing like Dr. Marten’s and then it just [Snaps Fingers], that’s it. Done. Harley: Yeah, that definitely happened! Definitely the exact opposite of what happened. Brand wise, Dr. Marten’s are my favourite shoes at the moment, Jordan: He embraced the indie style, the Pete Doherty look. Harley: Yeah, I’ve started wearing clothes that fit a little more recently. Jordan: Toyboy chic, that’s what we call it. Looking for that older lady… So, you’ve a little hiatus, away from the game after your first album. Jordan: Away from the game! Why don’t we have more interviews like this, bruv? Yes, that’s it! We were away from the game!
were promoting the album for a year and a bit and the whole time it was like ”No, no, no – there’s other sounds that we wanna try and capture”. Jordan: I wanted to bring the tempo down a bit, so it’s all a bit more mid-tempo. Some people we’ve met on the way; recently I made friends with Etta Bond for example and she’s the soundest chick with such a wicked voice. One day she wanted to come through to the studio and she was literally just sitting there and vibing it out – bouncing to the beat and suddenly she backed up a few vocals and then dropped a chorus. There’s even a song on the deluxe edition of the album where she just stood up in the middle of us recording and interrupted “I’ve got a song, a little vibe” and just put it down, like four bars whatever and it sounds sick like an old school sample.
How did you transition from the first album Stereo Typical to the upcoming Roaring Twenties? Harley: We actually started recording second album …five months after our first album Stereo Typical. Jordan: It was like “Why not? Why not make more music?” I couldn’t stand not making music. The only way I’ve been able to even bear the thought of having to wait until Roaring 20s is out…I’ve just tried to keep myself drunk the entire time!
What’s the theme for the Roaring 20s? You know, like Lost Generation? What sort of message are you getting out there? Jordan: Roaring 20s is based on like a tongue-in-cheek thesis that human age kinda correlates with the 1900s, right? So, the Roaring 20s is obviously representative of a period of time, as well as the fact that we are in our twenties. If you think about the First Word War, 1914 to 1918, so if you put it into human
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Jordan: The only way I’ve been able to even bear the thought of having to wait until Roaring 20s is out…I’ve just tried to keep myself drunk the entire time! Harley: There were some vibes left over from Stereo Typical… there’s even one song on The Roaring 20s which we demoed before the first album. There were some frustrations with the first album left over, we
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age, 14-18, end of GCSEs, drinking is legal, you’re probably driving. All of these things are happening; it’s kinda like a war period in your life. Then you got the crazy years, the twenties, this is when there were like
aristocrats, the bright young things, they used to have fancy dress parties, treasure hunts. You know, people were becoming out-spoken about homosexuality, like women’s rights were starting to pop up; black people were performing for white people at the cotton club. Like in the 1920s, this is when you had like the Harlem Renaissance basketball team and stuff like that. All of this stuff kept kicking off in the twenties and we were thinking, that’s like how you are when you’re twenty. Then of course the punchline is that in 1929 there was The Great Depression, which obviously everybody winges about becoming thirty. So, it kinda works on that level so we just wanted to represent the twenties, basically. Harley: We felt that the twenties in comparison to the Victorians, that was the stage before, was such an amazing leap. You had like, women in corsets to women in flapper dresses. It was almost like black and white was a colour and if you wanna bring that into musical context now, we’d like to be like a splash of colour upon what people may perceive as black and white, kinda thing. That’s deep...I’m speechless. Jordan: And Lost Generation is in reference to a group called The Lost Generation in the 1920s who were F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Gershwin Stein. Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, which is kinda what our album’s theme is about. We didn’t know that was
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gonna come out, to be fair but that’s Hemmingway, famous for writing poems and stories from the back of the war. Society as a whole was majorly pissed off that everyone was gallivanting around with the money off the back off the war, without even taking into consideration how painful it was being in the war. So, they were called The Lost Generation – probably self-titled, I don’t know. So we wanted to bring that into a modern day context, if we were looking at our society, what would we be pissed off with? There’s not really like, anger, it’s like a observational aspect and whatever. That’s a very good concept. Harley, would you say you’ve found more confidence in your vocals and Jordan, you’ve found yourself as more of a punch line kind of rapper? Harley: Hm, yeah! It was the people who listened to the first album, but only heard the singles who wouldn’t necessarily think that I was a proper singer. I mean like, Jordan was very adamant that on this album I should sing a lot more and I guess it’s kinda cool because I think I sound a lot better. Jordan’s progressed just as much in his rapping. I dunno, it’s growing older and experiencing more things, you’re always gonna develop as a songwriter and for me, I think with every album we do, we’re gonna keep continuously getting better. Jordan: I already know that the next album’s gonna be better than this album.. Obviously, you always
have those acts who have a huge first album, everybody’s kicking off and there’s like mad pressure on the second album and that’s where the whole phrase came about, “difficult second album”. In my mind it’s like, you’re literally just building upon what you’ve done. I feel we know enough about ourselves to
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honed in a way to get so rhythmic and the lyrics so kinda rememberable – that’s kinda like another hook as well. Jordan: He did that with Thrift Shop to be fair. Harley: Yeah, a lot of them are too fast to even listen to so a lot of people don’t usually pay attention.
Harley: It’s growing older and experiencing more, you’re always gonna develop as a songwriter and for me, I think with every album we do, we’re gonna continuously getting better. step forward. The main feedback we got from Lost Generation is that people aren’t confused as to who it is. Do you know what I mean? It’s an improvement but you’ll hear us on the radio and they’ll be like, “Oh right, that’s Rizzle Kicks” and you recognise the record. So, we managed to step forward and not confuse anyone. In terms of the rap, practice makes perfect. Well not perfect, but – the best way to learn is through experience. I think I’ve managed to pinpoint a few of my weak spots and improve them. I’ve still got a long way to go and I still won’t be a rapper’s rapper, on the basis that we try and make music in a different sense. It’s not like, I’m looking to write 32-bar verses that will blow someone’s mind. I’m looking to make the 16 that sends out a tribute to the brain, with a good hook and entertain. That’s what we want. Harley: What’s good about Jordan’s rapping at the moment is that, a lot of people, like a lot of big rap songs, for example like the new Macklemore song, the Can’t Hold Us song, no one knows the rap but everyone knows the chorus. What I think is really impressive about Jordan’s rapping at the moment is that, he’s kinda
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Jordan: That’s what Tinie Tempah’s good at like, hooky lyrics. A lot of the time he does the things that no one’s gonna forget. Like Scunthorpe, do you know what I mean? He’s writing lyrics that will stick in people’s memories. Do you think that it’s a bit of a coincidence that Down With The Trumpets and Lost Generation have that jazzy trumpet kinda sound on it? Jordan: No, we like trumpets! Harley: I was talking to G-Frsh the other day and he was like, “Oh, what’s the first single of the new album?” I was like, ‘It’s really different man– there’s gonna be Spanishy trumpets on it’ and he was like “What? Isn’t that exactly the same as your first album?”. Jordan: [Laughs] Yeah I know what you’re thinking but it is pretty different. It was almost like we were going through the same stages again but just better. If you two could trade places for the day, like what kinda mischief would you get up to? Jordan: Ah man, I’d actually write loads of songs because Harley can play the guitar. So I’d just write and freestyle some chords. Harley: [Laughs] I dunno like, Jordan always gets invited out - I never get invited out so [Laughs] probably just go out or something. To find out more about Rizzle Kick and their music you can follow them on Twitter, @ rizzlekicks, on Facebook, www. fb.com/rizzlekicks, or visit their website, www.rizzlekicks.com
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Incisive A GIFTED AND VIBRANT EMCEE LOCATION: LONDON
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irstly, Winners is a big track! How did it happen? A producer I know, TE1, made the beat. I got an artist called Obenewa to come to the studio to sing the “ooohs” – he sampled them, filtered them and cut them up to give it that authentic reggae sound and made a monster of a beat. I remember sitting in my bedroom with the beat on, I looked out the window of my flat which overlooks a council estate and saw kids playing – the verse started to write itself. The son of the legendary Bob Marley features on the track, how did you manage that?!! And what about Dionne Reid incredible vocals? Julian spent his childhood in West London. He grew up with my manager. So through that, one day, he asked me if I wanted to do a track with Julian Marley, I was like…”Hell Yea”!! We sent him the track with just the first verse on it, he loved it and the next time he was in the UK, we arranged a studio session. On the morning of the session, I was with Shakka, and I was watching reggae gigs on YouTube. I noticed that the artists always had amazing female backing vocalists. I wished I had called Dionne who I knew had that whole reggae vibe going on. I thought it was too late though – the session was two hours away. But Shakka
said to call her – so I did! It was like the stars were aligned – she come straight away! The likes of SBTV and Earmilk bigging the single up, I even saw support from Sway! How has the reception and reaction been for you? I started at the top of the year with ONE goal – consistency. So at the top of the year, I put out my EP, titled Where Is He, then between February and June, we released 3 videos from it, all with amazing reception, and I guess building with each one. Winners is the first single off my yet to be released EP so this is the 4th video I’m releasing this year. The support and reaction to my music has been amazing and grows more and more everyday. I’m blown away. On top of rapping, you are also a Law graduate. How important was it for you to continue your education? My parents are African so in my household, Education was everything. I think by the end of the first year I knew I didn’t want to do the Law degree, but I figured I had started, So I should finish – which I did – reluctantly. In retrospect, I’m glad I’ve got it under my belt. Its something no one can ever take away from you, also university isn’t just about learning for your degree. You learn
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about yourself, other people and broaden your perspective of the world. Education is very important, so, stay educated. You sound like an educated rapper, like an Akala or Sway, who rap with messages and purpose. How much of this stemmed from your education or from a life experience perspective? I think its more life experience. I know very well educated rappers who rap about the Trap as good as the best of them so I don’t think my education has anything to do with what I rap about. I actually used to be one of those angry rappers. The more I did music, the more serious I got about it, I started thinking about its impact – my nephews would want to hear my music – once my parents realised I was serious, they wanted to hear my music and I think it’s a shame to be embarrassed to play your music to your parents and if you rap about guns and drugs – you’re probably going to be ashamed. Was music always the first love or was it a hobby that just took over and became the dream? Always a first love. I started rapping when I was 8! Not seriously, but I was rapping. Ive never changed or varied so I think its always been a first love.
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Every issue we pick out one category and pick out 6 people or places who we feel are currently the best of that category. This issue we have chosen ‘Past & Present American record producers’.
past & present American record producers
DJ PREMIER Gang Starr, MOP, Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Nas. DJ Premier has created the sound of some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and helped to shape the genre itself and has some of the most unique work in the genre. Producer networks: n/a twitter.com/@realdjpremier facebook.com/djpremierofficial
DJ SHADOW Create the greatest piece of Hip-Hop music ever and you get an automatic spot on here, despite the rest of his repertoire being disappointing, ...Endtroducing is enough of a masterpiece to make up for it. Producer networks: djshadow.com twitter.com/djshadow facebook.com/djshadow
From the late producers early work with artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and The Pharcyde to his later instrumentals Dilla Dog’s music just makes you feel good about life, music and Hip-Hop. Producer networks: jdillafoundation.org twitter.com/jdilla_fndn facebook.com/jdillafoundation
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Written by George Rowland
J DILLA (DECEASED)
PETE ROCK Pete Rock helped shape the sound of 90’s Hip-Hop grabbing the baton from Marley Marl and running with it. To quote the great man “Short and to the point is much better because when it’s over, they already want to hear it again.” Producer networks: peterock.com
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facebook.com/realpeterock
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RZA C’mon, the dude created Wu-Tang, do you really need anymore explanation than that?
Producer networks: wumusicgroup.com
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facebook.com/rzawu
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DJ QUIK Has any other DJ been as consistently good as DJ Quik over a span as he’s been relevant? Answer - Probably Not.
Producer networks: n/a
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We have our say on some of the albums and singles of the past 3 months
Magna Carta Jay-Z, Roc-A-Fella & Roc Nation
T
he colour Blue has a vast number of associations around the globe, most notably the traditional name for unskilled employees in the United States was ‘Blue collar workers.’ In this context ‘Blue’ is the first name of Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s daughter of course and it is hardly a coincidence it is the first word uttered by Hov on his July release Magna Carta Holy Grail. When Hov dropped a fairly lacklustre Blueprint 3 in 2009 and followed this up with an ego driven Watch The Throne in 2011, it seemed the unthinkable had occurred. Had Hip-Hop’s eldest statesman finally run out of content? MCHG answers that question with a firm no. In the words of fellow Brooklyn rapper and former sparring partner Notorious B.I.G., “Mo Money More Problems,” well for Hov it seems to be just that. As he testifies on opening track Holy Grail, riches have brought Jay-Z new problems from those he was accustomed to when he was a drug dealer on the streets of New York City. Featuring longtime collaborator Justin Timberlake, Jay vents on a sometimes overly aggressive press, who can make
the simplest of tasks impossible, he vents, “Can’t even take my daughter for a walk.” For a man who prides himself on privacy, Jay-Z has hit the headlines far more than he would have liked to since the birth of his child and the media’s fascination with him is a modern theme throughout the piece. On Picasso Baby he raps “They try slander your man on CNN and Fox” bullishly taunting sections of the American media who widely criticised his family trip to Cuba earlier in the year. Whilst Jay-Z, like the average man may have his difficulties, MCHG is not slow to remind us nor himself that finances aren’t one of his 99 problems. After all, what is a Jay-Z album without a little (or a lot) of braggadocio? On the aforementioned Picasso Baby, he describes wife Beyoncé as a modern day Mona Lisa with better features whilst the mere title of Tom Ford should allure to the content on the record. Elsewhere there is the starstudded BBC where Jay is joined by an array of talent including fellow rap game veteran and legend, Nas; unfortunately the track underwhelms as the Black Billionaires Club, failed to manifest their monetary value into an equivalently brilliant song. It is perhaps surprising to hear Jay-Z so openly questionable of the power elite that many accuse him of being a part of, but this album is about surprises; even if they are subtle. Jay-Z’s remarkable honesty
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on MCHG was startling for usually such an introverted artist, yet he was frank throughout, divulging on the demons that preoccupy his brilliant mind. The sampling of 1981 film ‘Mommie Dearest’ during the outstanding Jay-Z Blue tells its own story, whilst lines such as “Father never taught me how to be a father, treat a mother,” paint a very vivid image of the paternal anxieties facing the former Def Jam Star. Despite the range of emotions and themes on display, the album is cohesive; expect no less from a Jay-Z project. Credit must go to veteran producer Timbaland who had a major role in the album’s production, giving MCHG a unified flow throughout. Unfortunately, the features are inconsistent with their success, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean and wife Beyonce provide memorable efforts on Holy Grail, Oceans and Part II respectively, and Rick Ross once again proved his inability to keep on topic with FuckwithmeyouknowIgotit. However, despite its many strengths, MCHG falls shy of ‘classic’ status; it simply lacks the standout tracks that push an album to the next level, whilst the likes of Oceans and Jay-Z Blue are brilliant, there is no Renegade or Dead Presidents; pieces that underpinned two of his previous classics; defining their era of Hip-Hop in the process. As for its cultural impact, it is simply too early to judge. Only in years to come will we know if others rushed through the barriers that Jay-Z has been so willing to break down. Will the game be played by his new rules; will his ‘Magna Carta’ set precedent? If history is any indicator, then the answer is most likely.
Written by Aniefiok Ekpoudom
REVIEWs
Singles
AVICII - Wake me up
This is the track that sees the return of Dollar Bill singer Aloe Blacc, the perfect anthem to any event, and with Avicii’s album TRUE up for release there is plenty more in store from the DJ.
Blurred Lines
Give it 2 U is a further emphasis of his new sound, the track’s booming electro beat Robin Thicke, Star Trak & Interscope definitely sounds chart-like yet obin Thicke has been a features a verse from Kendrick staple in the R&B world for Lamar on a very different beat to many years but the build-up his usual flow. to his sixth studio album, Old school fans of Robin Thicke has been much different shouldn’t worry though; he still to any of his previous offerings. provides those recognisable Leading up to the release of the falsettos on thosesoulful R&B album, titled Blurred Lines, Robin tracks. Ooo La La is a soothing Thicke was seemingly on his way track, with the beat being perfect down the R&B ladder. His previous for Robin’s soft voice. In addition, album Love & War was his lowest Top of the World even features debuting album and none of the Robin trying his hand a bit of singles he released from it were rapping and it doesn’t sound received well by listeners. bad at all, ultimately creating a However, that all changed feel good song with a feel good when he released the title track message. We see Mr Thicke at his alongside Pharrell, Blurred Lines, most personal towards the end of which has become one of the the album on the song 4 the Rest best selling hits of the year. The of my Life where he depicts his overall sound of this album is relationship with his wife Paula something very different from a Patton. normal Robin Thicke album. As a Robin Thicke is a veteran, he result of the current popular music knows who he is as an artist and landscape, we can tell Robin has has a winning formula when it taken many influences from the comes to making his songs. But dance/pop genre and incorporated a talented artist isn’t afraid to try those sounds into many of his something new and this is exactly own. The playful first single is a what Blurred Lines is. He manages prime example of this with a funky, to pull off the transition into the catchy beat and a memorable modern dance/pop genre to make video to match, it all comes a cohesive and brilliant sounding together to create the sound of the album while managing to maintain summer and a fun song to listen all the skills that made him a great to. R&B singer in the first place.
R
JOHN NEWMAN - Love me again
Yorkshire is more than just hills and cattle, and John Newman has proved that with this hit single. It’s the jazz and swing that kicks this single into shape and we can’t wait to see what he does next.
Lady gaga - applause
It’s been dominating pop fans conversations since two snippets of the song leaked on the 10th August which lead to the single being rushreleased. Lady Gaga is officially back!
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