Beatz Magazine - Issue 7

Issue 7 Winter 2013 Beatzmag.com

THE 2013 AWARDS

TOP 10 ARTists to watch in 2014

WIZ KHALIFA

Young, Wild and Free

PLUS

SHAGGY • Brandy • Tyrese • RYAN LESLIE DJ FRESH • KREPT & KOnAN • Ria Ritchie

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Visit www.Be

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eatzMag.com

THE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Forrester, andy@beatzmag.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Ayaz Hussain, yaz@beatzmag.com

Rap beefs originate from the very first rap battles in the 70s, but modern artists take to Twitter to vent their frustrations. Here’s how they call out their peers without tagging them directly!

ASSISTANT EDITOR Simran Gill DESIGNERS Sophie Spencer Sarah Bold Kate Monaghan Lee Shaw Paul Magosfalvi Crédo Teya Selorm Amuzu Maddy Rueda 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 Laura Garner Alice Michelle Oadie Blaine Evans Alice O’Donker Jasmine Abbey Raychel Addo

FASHION EDITOR Chardaé’ Jones WEBSITE OFFICERS Brendan Davis Lasé Anthony Laleye Uthman Olomide

Tw

INTERVIEWERS Gregory Linford Jesse Doodoo Jenna Jarrett

I haven’t really worn shoes this week. Or socks.

Maybe I am a hobbit after all. - @edsheeran 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

eet

t h n o m e h Of t

EDITORS LETTER

Who Beatz Meets

W

ow, what a year! Welcome to the seventh issue of Beatz Magazine! If you’ve been following since day one, you’ll know how far we’ve come on this journey. If you’re new to the Beatheadz clique then welcome! We hope you love what you see!

It’s been a crazy year, not just for us, but for the HipHop scene in general, so flip to our Year In Hip-Hop timeline to see some of our highlights of this action packed year. If that gets you excited for the year ahead, then don’t miss our Top 10 for 2014 list!

By now you must be wondering “what are these awards that were mentioned on the cover?!” We thought we’d round up the year by recognising the best artists of the year in a variety of categories including the esteemed title for Hottest MC of the Year. We took all of your Facebook votes and tallied them up to select the winners!

We’ve got an amazing lineup of interviews this issue, and we’re still pinching ourselves about meeting Wiz Khalifa - he was the most humble and chilled out dude you could imagine! We caught up with Brandy before her Musicalize show, Shaggy whilst he was in town for BBC 1Xtra Live, Ryan Leslie on his Black Mozart tour stop in Paris and Krept & Konan BEFORE they won a MOBO award for Best Newcomer! We also grabbed an exclusive backstage interview with DJ Fresh at Sundown Festival, where we bumped into YouTube sensation Ria Ritchie! Last but by no means least, we had the pleasure of speaking to Tyrese ( who’s acting career includes starring roles in the Fast and Furious and Transformer movies!) He has been a curator of rising talents Kenyon Brown, Siege Monstracity and Kristal, so head to www.beatzmag.com to get intimate with these rising stars.

We hope you enjoy this one! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the whole Beatz team!

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

BEATZ

IN NUMBERS

INTERVIEWS

7Issue In This

8 Artists

40

Given Out

Regulars

P08

10 The Mail Room We dig through the letters we receive from fans. The best letter wins £100!

The Mail Room

P10

62 Top 10 We pick out 10 of the top up-and-

Nominated

mentioned

P

08 Gossip Sam Maffia breaks down the hottest gossip of recent weeks and picks out the top 5 nicest and rudest stars of 2013.

AWARDS

93 Artists

win0! £1a0ge 10

coming artists to keep an eye on in 2014.

72 It’s a UK thing Some of the best unsigned UK talent gets a chance to speak. In this issue we chat to singer Ria Ritchie.

76 Fashion We bring you some of the hottest fashion items on sale now.

ISSUE #7

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Interviews

P12

DJ Fresh DJ Fresh talks about making chart history to the possibility of a kickboxing match vs. Example

or t i d E s Pick Top 20 Albums Of 2013 A countdown of the top 20 albums of the last 12 P34 months. Who will be #1?

The Perfect Christmas Presents They’ve got enough money, here’s what they should pamper themselves with.

P17

12 The Perfect Christmas Presents They’ve got enough money, here’s what they should pamper themselves with.

14 R&B Revived Are we witnessing R&B’s re-birth?

52 DJ Fresh DJ Fresh talks about making chart history to the possibility of a kickboxing match vs. Example

Homophobia in Hip-Hop We take a look at the battle against homophobia in the HipHop genre.

Features

FEAtures

48 Krept & Konan We chat to the UK Hip-Hop duo about their UK chart success and their desire for global success.

26 A Year In Hip-Hop A timeline of the key Hip-Hop events that shaped the year.

30 The Beatz Awards 2013 You’ve seen the nominees, Find out who won in our 2013 Beatz Awards.

17 Homophobia in Hip-Hop We take a look at the battle against homophobia in the Hip-Hop genre.

P52 56 Ryan Leslie From songwriting and producing to the centre spotlight. Ryan Leslie has transformed into the Black Mozart.

58 Brandy We sit down with the R&B singer to talk about her most recent album ‘Two Eleven’ and her career.

P58 P30 P17 20 Piracy: Yes Or No Should piracy be stopped or should we just learn to accept it?

34 Top 20 Albums Of 2013 A countdown of the top 20 albums of the last 12 months. Who will be #1?

46 Hottest MC Of 2013 from big hitters like Jay-Z to future superstars like Schoolboy Q, Who’ll be the hottest MC of the year?

60 Tyrese Tyrese chats to us about Acting, his group TGT and his upcoming album, Black Rose.

62 Shaggy From songwriting and producing to the centre spotlight. Ryan Leslie has transformed into the Black Mozart.

66 Wiz Khalifa Wiz opens up on the future and announces his 2014 collaborations

22 Misogyny Never Went Anywhere Hip-Hop artists are just more accountable 24 Beatz’ Favourite Lyrics Of 2013 We take a look back at some of the years best Hip-Hop lyrics.

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Gossip

By Sam Maffia

S

o if anyone has an affinity for UK Grime and Hip-Hop, it’s likely they will have quite a fickle relationship with Dizzee Rascal. Not Dizzee himself, but his music.

From the early day’s of “I Luv U” to the groundbreaking “Fix Up, Look Sharp”, “Sirens” and his more recent tracks such as “Dance Wiv Me” and “Bonkers”, Dizzee has captured the UK’s attention this far. His new album ‘The Fifth” has some big big songs but only 70% of them feel like the Dizzee that we know, the other 30% feel like a mixture of Tinie Tempah throwaway tracks and Flo-Rida. It seems Dizzee (or more likely his label) are dead set on releasing

those 30% rather than the tracks that actually represent him as an artist in the first place. Maybe that’s the reason why Radio 1 have declined his new single “Love This Town” to playlist on their station. To respond, Dizzee took to Twitter to address his anger at the snub “Who ever does Radio 1 playlist suck my d**k! I’m tired of you C**ksu**ers you better stop playing me. Make up your f***ing minds!!!” he then went on to proceed with “When Americans get played in on radio1 they make allowances for profanity but if it’s coming from the n***er down the road it’s a problem!”.Now Dizzee my friend, you do have a point.

Yes, Radio 1 can sometimes be

BEATZ MAGAZINE’S OWN GOSSIP COLUMNIST SAM MAFFIA BREAKS DOWN THE HOTTEST GOSSIP OF RECENT WEEKS. contradictory when it comes to playlisting a song, but you’re not the only artist to ever be ignored when it comes to being played on Radio. In October this year, Radio 1 refused to play Robbie Williams’ comeback single “Candy” on the reason being he was too old.

Britney Spears’ “Work B**ch” was refused a playlist position for being deemed too racy for its listeners.

Both artists mentioned are icons, as well as veterans in the music industry. So my advice to Dizzee would be to suck it up, release the music that represents you as an artist and if Radio 1 want to play it then good, but if not realise there are many other avenues to get your track some exposure.

Hot Not Who’s

EMINEM

The iconic rapper hit number one with his latest album “Marshall Mathers L.P. 2” in both the UK and USA. He also won the Artist of the Year award at the Youtube Awards.

ALESHA DIXON The former Mis-Teeq star gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Azura Sienna.

Who’s

justin bieber Bieber was charged for vandalism after a graffiti session on the walls of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

stooshe As exclusively reported a few issues ago in Beatz, the girls have been officially dropped by their record label Warner.

FUTURE & CIARA tamera foster The couple announced they were engaged which has heated up the rumors even more that CiCi is pregnant!

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The X-Factor favourite has been slated in recent weeks due to her demanding and rude behaviour with other contestants.

righteous or rude?

Top 5 Nicest and Rudest stars cest i n 1. alesha dixon For every sold out tour Dixon does, she is known for letting fans who were unable to obtain tickets, into her gigs for free!

2. beyonce

3. MIGUEL

Whilst almost late boarding a plane to Australia, the star still stopped to take pictures with fans.

5. BRITNEY SPEARS Whilst on her most recent tour, Britney let fans come on stage to dance with her.

At her recent “Mrs Carter Show” a fan jumped up on stage, to which B’s security tried wrestling the poor fan down to the ground. Mrs Carter then made a point of shouting at her security to leave the fan alone. Aww.

4. lil kim

After arriving and then having to cancel her performance at LoveBox, the rapper organised a free meet & greet at her hotel whilst in London.

3. diddy

RUDEST 1. rihanna Pushed a fan out of the way who wanted to take a picture. Ouch.

2. MADONNA Madonna- Told fans to “shut up!” whilst rehearsing for her “Sweet and Sticky” tour.

Refused photos with ANYONE at an album press party.

4. harvey

Insisted he wouldn’t go on stage unless he had a gold encrusted microphone recently at the Mobo Awards. He didn’t get his way, yet still went on stage.

5. lady gaga Ms Gaga had security push away a fan who simply wanted an autograph whilst leaving her hotel.

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The Mail Room LETTER OF THE Month!

Black Hippy

Dear Beatz Loved your feature on Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse, but as a community we need to give more credit to the other members of Black Hippy and not just Kendrick.

There’s so much talent in that group it’s unbelievable! When will you put the spotlight on the rest of them?

Jay, Via Facebook

We completely agree Jay! Schoolboy’s album Oxymoron is one of our most anticipated albums of 2014! Make sure you flip to the Newcomer of The Year award to find out how much we respect Black Hippy’s newest signing!

You’ve come Far!

Rizzle Kicks

I can’t believe how far you guys have come since your first issue! Which was your favourite interview to do and why?

Charlotte, Via email

Wow, we are so humbled that you’ve been following us since the beginning Charlotte, you’re a true Beatzhead!

For us, it’s probably the Brian Knight interview from issue 4, because we all grew up listening to his music! We managed to speak to him right before his show at The Jazz Café in Camden which was a truly special night.

Win £100 CASH!

I learned so much about Rizzle Kicks from your interview with them in your last issue! I didn’t realise that they were so intelligent!!

Lauren, Via Twitter

So did we Lauren! Their whole album concept about The Roaring 20s left us speechless, and that doesn’t happen to us often! They even gave us an exclusive copy of the album to listen to which was amazing!!

Doing A Great JOB!

Looking back at your last issue’s feature about Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse, you talked about who was in competition with Kendrick in regards to replies…but who do you think did it the worst?

I thought Lupe Fiasco’s spin on it was wack!

Jenny, Via Email

We would never say outright in respect to the artists, but we would definitely recommend that you go and have a few chuckles at the expense of the replies from the likes of Kevin Hart, Cassidy and B.O.B!

OMG!

Where can I cop the t-shirt that you had on in your picture with Rita Ora in the “Beatz Meets” section of issue 6?

RUmI, Via Facebook

Glad you liked the tee! It’s actually by a pretty popular brand called Obey.

You can grab one for yourself on their website, urbanindustry.co.uk

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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THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT

They’ve got enough money, here’s what they should pamper themselves with. with this Christmas...

DRAKE

MEEK MILL

For when Xmas Day in his mansion just gets too much and he needs to unwind.

Maybe if he actually started recording his dreams instead of just rapping about how many he has there’d be a bit more variety in his lyrics?

SCENTED CANDLES

WIZ KHALIFA E-CIGARETTE

While rapper-turned-super dad Wiz revealed he isn’t going to stop smoking up, at least hitting his green electronically means no respiratory health problems for lil’ Sebastian Taylor.

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DREAM JOURNAL

MILEY CYRUS RELAXING HOLIDAY IN CHILE This is more of a gift to the rest of humanity, without wanting to sound harsh, a few months without seeing her bared teeth everyday on Facebook would be a great start to 2014.

KATY PERRY GTA V Seeing her mow down civilians in a tank is the only way she could possibly get any hotter.

LIL WAYNE

SKATEBOARD PADS

Judging by internet footage of Tunechi attempting to skate, he’ll definitely thank us for these after a Boxing Day session on the halfpipe.

RICK ROSS PROFESSIONAL STREET DANCE LESSONS Seriously has anyone seen him attempt to moonwalk? Google it and you’ll understand...

KANYE WEST

BIG BOOK OF BABY NAMES Who names a child North?

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R&B revived THE RE-BIRTH W

OF R&B?

hen you’re vibing to R&B jams of the nineties – maybe a little Aaliyah, Ginuwine or Blackstreet, you may hear yourself say cringe-worthy phrases like ‘Those were the days!’ or ‘This is what I call real music’.

You don’t need to be pushing forty to appreciate that unmistakeable R&B sound of the mid-nineties. Bad Boy Records was on top, Boyz II Men were hitting us with their flawless harmonies and Montell Jordan showed us how to do it. Meanwhile, TLC, Toni Braxton and Brandy were holding it down, becoming the envy of many a crop-top-wearing girl and the desire of several Fubu-clad guys. At the time, R&B wasn’t just a style of a music or beat composed

by Babyface, Diddy or Darkchild – it was a way of life. Urban style, icecool image, a generous helping of sex appeal and the great synergy between musicians of that era all became components to an unrivalled R&B sound.

Rhythm and blues has shone in commercial music for decades and was advanced by 20th century greats including the likes of Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye. The nineties saw one of several revivals of the genre - one that many would argue, has become a definitive template for R&B music as a whole. Many artists have been trading slow jams for club bangers and amongst them we find Usher fans screaming, ‘Yo, Usher!

What happened – you used to take it Nice and Slow?’.

With the great reception of new kid on the block, Miguel and long-awaited return of Justin Timberlake, many are declaring 2013 as a year of revival in R&B. The question on their lips: will R&B ever return to full glory?

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HOMOphobia

in Hip-Hop

I

t is no secret that the Hip-Hop genre, our Hip-Hop genre, has a historic (and at times unavoidable) undercurrent of homophobia running through it. As we approach the closing stages of 2013 (the same year that has seen same-sex marriage licensing legalised across thirteen states of the USA), we are forced to ask once again not only how far Hip-Hop has come in tackling homophobia, but also how much longer we must wait until homophobia is eradicated fully from our genre.

It doesn’t take a genius to uncover the numerous examples of homophobic lyrics across the last three decades of Hip-

Hop. Far from it, most average listeners will most likely have heard dozens of homophobic bars by their favourite artists without batting an eye. Historically, HipHop has been littered with lyrical malice towards homosexuals.

It has come not only from once openly homophobic rappers such as Eminem (we won’t even dare to list Slim’s many examples, but there is a particularly savage and telling one on Criminal), but also from progressive pioneers such as A Tribe Called Quest. In 1988, Will Smith casually rapped about how “all the girls out there that don’t like guys” should remain silent at his shows, showing how even the most beloved of 90’s urban culture

superstars could reveal their true colours under the limelight.

And if you need an example of a more revered rapper offhandedly showing homophobic tendencies, allow me to remind you of how Notorious B.I.G once opened a freestyle by telling his DJ, Mister Cee, he was about to get “hardcore on these homos”.

Yet times have changed. Few will forget Eminem embracing Elton John after a joint performance in 2001. Many will question claims that Will Smith is truly homophobic, and they would be right to do so, considering he openly advocated same-sex marriage just last year.

And perhaps most interestingly, Mister Cee (still a well-known

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Hip-Hop figure across New York) came out in September, revealing a personal struggle that had troubled him for decades. Whilst artists’ views regarding the gay and bisexual community may have gradually changed over the last decade, most observers remain wholly unconvinced that Hip-Hop has come anywhere near expelling its long-standing homophobic tendencies. And who can blame them?

As the 2010’s loomed, the American Hip-Hop community prepared for a shift in its outlook.

This shift reflected one seen in wider society, change triggered by the presence of an AfricanAmerican President. One who had brushed the dirt off his shoulder in his election campaign, acknowledging another black mogul ten years his junior. One who was willing to fight for equality for other minorities. Whilst a young AfroAmerican generation had found its defining moment of wider equality, Hip-Hop was tensely awaiting its own.

It is of no coincidence that this moment should come from another eloquent and esteemed black man. Frank Ocean’s 2012 open letter via tumblr has become a landmark moment in Hip-Hop’s ongoing struggle with homophobia,

yet for all of the right reasons.

The letter was patient, and just as beautifully constructed as Ocean’s own songs are. Through its content and delicate delivery, it embodied a rightful desire to be treated as an equal, regardless of Ocean’s own sexual orientation. It portrayed so much of how the gay community surely feels, across society of course, but particularly in Hip-Hop. Yet most importantly, it reflected the method with which the gay community has wanted to place itself in Hip-Hop for so long. Not by kicking down the door to Hip-Hop with impatient demonstration and a demanding attitude, but by gently knocking on it, knowing deep inside that they deserved to have a seat at the table inside long ago.

Frank Ocean delivered his statement with honest and poise, the same honesty and poise that made it impossible for pioneering figures of Hip-Hop not to commend him. Both Russell Simmons and Jay-Z praised Ocean for his honesty and bravery, yet many will feel that this letter was only a piece of the puzzle – a single moment in creating the collage of establishing equality for the gay community in Hip-Hop. Just as Mister Cee’s coming out has been, and just as Eminem’s performance alongside Elton John once was. So after such

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groundbreaking progressions in 2012, what would 2013 bring?

Interestingly, 2013’s most valuable contribution to completing this puzzle came from an unlikely source. Macklemore’s single Same Love was released in mid-2012, but has only really found its place this year. Its place is not only on the charts, but within the puzzle of solving Hip-Hop’s homophobia problem. In truth, there are onehundred and one things that are right about the song, and about the fact that Macklemore should choose to record it. But in the context of Hip-Hop itself, a handful of these facts are especially relevant.

Firstly, the fact that Macklemore is a Hip-Hop artist himself is vital, chiefly because there will be a select few who dispute this, arguing that Macklemore is closer to new age “hip-pop”. Yet even Talib Kweli has recognised Macklemore as a son of HipHop, identifying the fact that Macklemore holds one half of a rapper-emcee relationship (alongside Ryan Lewis), one of Hip-Hop’s fundamental criteria.

Secondly, the way in which Macklemore abandons his normal excitable rapping style (which listeners became accustomed to on Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us) in favour of a sincere, spoken-

word style allows his lyrics to take centre stage. And in doing so, simply by making his voice quieter, Macklemore makes his message, his truly excellent and perfectly constructed message, so much louder. And finally, perhaps the most important element of Macklemore’s song is that it is just that, a song. By taking the time to record a single supporting gay rights Macklemore has distinguished himself from many of his peers, such as A$AP Rocky and Nicki Minaj, who were able only to show their support for the cause when prompted in interviews. In Same Love, Macklemore has utilised the greatest weapon Hip-Hop itself has had over the ages, that being its own music. The fact remains that there will possibly never be a greater way to support gay rights in Hip-Hop music than simply by being a Hip-Hop artist producing music which itself shows support for gay rights.

And yet as well as providing another piece to solve the puzzle on eradicating homophobia in Hip-Hop, Same Love also hints as to how the puzzle may be solved completely in the years to come.

With a few well thought-out lyrics Macklemore identifies how current discrimination against homosexuals mirrors the hate once shown to blacks (by certain groups) before the Civil Rights Movement: “It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion/ Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment/ The same fight that led people to walk-outs and sit-ins/It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference”. By carefully wedding these statements with images of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement in the music video, Macklemore elucidates the integral paradox within Hip-Hop homophobia.

Hip-Hop is a genre historically dominated by black American males. The same black American males who - a century ago - would have been subject to discrimination and hatred in their own country, just as many homosexuals still are.

It is regrettable that Macklemore’s credentials as a Hip-Hop artist should be questioned, but few will doubt the fact that these doubts arose in part because of

his own race. Aware of this, the Washington-born rapper has used his position to his advantage.

Macklemore appeals to a wider audience than most Hip-Hop artists, because whilst his style is one centred around skillful rap, his following is indeed ‘HipPop’. Macklemore makes Hip-Hop accessible once again to millions of non African-American fans, who haven’t felt like legitimate followers of rap music since Eminem. And it is these fans, their voices, and their often more liberal views derived from pop’s continual progression, which should make Hip-Hop traditionalists question their long outdated views regarding homosexuality in the genre.

The issue of race in Hip-Hop’s homophobia struggle is not to be underestimated. It is what made Frank Ocean’s coming out (and the largely positive response) so important, and why ‘Same Love’ is so brilliant, as it provokes listeners to think for themselves about the issue. And as listeners slowly come to the realisation that homophobia is still a very real issue in the Hip-Hop genre, they too will find the next piece of the puzzle which Macklemore has hinted towards.

The next step in tackling homophobia in Hip-Hop will require a lot of action from the influential African-American MC’s andrappers (not R&B artists like Ocean, nor DJ’s like Mister Cee).

They too must openly confront the issue of homophobia in HipHop as Macklemore has done.

For those who are heterosexual, this embodies showing the same fearlessness in accepting the gay community into Hip-Hop as Macklemore showed, again through music, the best form of action they know. For any black rapper who is homosexual, it requires a much greater leap of faith. One which would mirror Frank Ocean’s own bravery, but would take acceptance to a new level amongst the HipHop community. Should a black, talented, openly homosexual rapper emerge, they will undoubtedly receive a polarising response. Yet they should take some comfort in knowing that they may just hold one of the final pieces of the puzzle to potentially change the landscape of Hip-Hop for decades to come.

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PIRACY: YES OR NO? It’s common knowledge that piracy occurs on a daily basis and there is very little that can be done to stop the millions taking part in piracy every day. It hasn’t been until now that artists are more accepting of piracy but there are many that still oppose the illegal activity. But this is a world where technology is constantly changing and everyday is something new in the digital world. There will always be new ways of pirating even with the ongoing changes to the music industry because there is someone out there willing to take that next step to get that new song from their favourite artist before anyone else can get their hands on it.

S

YES: The argument for

hunned by the majority of the music industry piracy has actually created a positive spin on music.

Artists like Nelly Furtado and 50 Cent not only see that it is creating a positive spin but that time is ticking and maybe in time the laws will change; “If you love music, you’re going to make it anyway, and you’re going to find an audience.” “And you might not make, like, millions of dollars, but you’ll make enough money to have a living and have a family and have a house and a car. And I don’t know.

Maybe it’s limited. Maybe the clock is ticking.” – Nelly Furtado. It is the constant change in technology that sees piracy becoming easier to be apart of, thus causing a change in the moral of artists; “This album is all about giving. This whole process is all about giving no f*cks at all” – Kanye West.

Now before ‘Yezzus’ had been released West was one of the biggest artists known for his attitudes against piracy but perhaps the birth of his child has altered his perception on piracy. Kanye West is one of the most influential artists of

the 21st Century and by him being so secretive and insistent about not leaking albums in the past it has made him a desirable artist – everyone wants to know what Kanye has been up to.

The world has become less about piracy and more open to seeing what actually goes on behind those closed doors, and for an artist like Kanye to keep everything he does so secretive it starts to become a drive desire for fans to find out in their own way what he is up to.

This is why Kanye West leaked his latest album ‘Yeezus’, he still maintains in control but still keeping in line with what fans want.

Piracy enables free promotion; by downloading and distributing music it advertises for the artist and exposes others to the music for free. It is the beginning of a new revelation and one that will be around for a long time. But it doesn’t just advertise an artist it increases the chances of future purchases from those pirating certain tracks for genuine pleasure. Without pirating some of those purchases may have never been made.

Within the Hip-Hop music scene

pirating is growing, but it is growing for the better. This is a music scene that attracts the younger generation, a generation that has easy access to illegal downloads. Perhaps this is not the perfect combination but it is a combination that increases free advertising, file sharing and the increased possibilities of those few purchases.

In a recent interview Hip-Hop DJ Young Guru mentioned his opinions on piracy; “Basically pirates are showing a hole in society, something that they people want but we aren’t giving it to them. Instead of fighting a pirate you should see what it is they are servicing to the people and figure out how you yourself can service that. In dealing with digital downloading and the era we are headed in….with the internet you can’t just attack people, there is got to be a way to figure out what am I not doing that the pirate is doing and how can I monetize that simple as that.”

Piracy is going to happen and artists either move with it or they will be struggling to keep up with the direction it is heading – piracy is progress.

There are thousands of artists against piracy and it isn’t until strong action is taken against pirates that it will eventually stop. This is a world dominated by vast amounts of technology and the continual growth of the digital era, but why should artists have to lose out on revenue when they have spent so long producing something for us to hear?

H

NO: the argument against

ip-Hop music is one of the most pirated genres out there right now but it is causing a downwards spiral in the industry.

Piracy is illegal but it has become one of the easiest ways to obtain new and unreleased music, simply by hacking accounts or sharing files.

It is what has been slowing killing the music industry and what will continue to ruin the careers of many musicians.

Artists like Eminem have worked throughout their lives working on building up a strong reputation in the music industry and for it to all begin to start crashing down through the millions of illegal downloads is ridiculous. “I’m sorry; when I worked 9-to-5, I expected to get a paycheck every week,” Eminem writes. “It’s the same with music; if I’m putting my heart and all of my time into my music, I expect to get rewarded for that. I work hard and anybody can just throw a computer up and download my music for free. It could kill the whole purpose of making music.” – Eminem.

Piracy is theft, it’s claiming something without permission of the

rightful owner, and in the eyes of the law this is a serious crime but it has become a growing phenomenon and something that is now unable to be controlled.

It is not only highly illegal but it is a huge insult to the artists, arguably what is a betrayal from fans globally, taking advantage of somebodys work that has taken weeks, months or even years in the making. Bands and artists taking their first baby steps into the music industry live off the revenue that sales would bring and piracy takes that away and stops them from making a successful income. It’s a full circle when it comes to piracy and that circle keeps going round and round – the music is produced, it’s then illegally downloaded by fans, the artist loses money and the record labels, advertising campaigns who invest in artists have to increase prices, resulting in loyal fans having to part with more money just so that artists and all those who invested can stay afloat.

In a letter stated to the Prime Minister some of the biggest names in the music industry including Tinie Tempah and Professor Green

pulled together to write a letter of their thoughts against piracy; “We can realise this potential only if we have a strong domestic copyright framework, so that UK creative industries can earn a fair return on their huge investments creating original content. Illegal activity online must be pushed to the margins.

This will benefit consumers, giving confidence they are buying safely online from legal websites. The simplest way to ensure this would be to implement swiftly the long overdue measures in the Digital Economy Act 2010; and to ensure broadband providers, search engines and online advertisers play their part in protecting consumers and creators from illegal sites.”

There are thousands of artists that are against piracy and it won’t be until strong action is taken against pirates that music piracy will eventually stop. This is a world that is increasingly dominated by vast amounts of technology and the continual growth of the digital era, but why should artists have to lose out on revenue when they have worked hard and spent so long producing something for us to hear.

Misogyny Never Went Anywhere: Hip-Hop Artists Are Just More Accountable

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ap isn’t the only music culture that objectifies and over sexualizes women but it does get most of the blame pointed in its direction. When you ask any Hip-Hop head to describe Hip-Hop culture the frequent answers are money, cars, drugs, jewelry and last but not least half-naked women. Objectifying women isn’t anything new to the HipHop scene. Before Nelly was rapping about his tip drill, NWA was rapping about things they would do to women that were so bad; they became one of the first albums with a parental advisory sticker on it. The last women empowered rap song was Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y.” Although much has changed in Hip-Hop culture, rappers are still objectifying and over sexualizing women but thanks to technology in 2013, listeners are listening in and holding rappers accountable for their words. There’s no denying that some young naïve listeners mimic what they hear and see on the radio and television ad if no one corrects the behaviour, young minds get the impression that women are supposed to be treated like trophies.

Accountability in rap has been big this year. Rick Ross learned

that lesson the hard way. A great deal of his fans found nothing to be wrong with his verse in Rocko’s controversial hit “UOENO.” Ross raps about slipping a Molly in a girl’s champagne and taking her home and she doesn’t even know it.

Many people screamed foul causing Ross to lose his Reebok endorsement and later apologize for his actions stating that he meant no harm and his words were irresponsible.

His verse was later buried and many remakes were mad to replace the controversial words. Schoolboy Q even told a different version of the same story with lyrics “Mo`n her drink but she asked me to and oh yeah I got this on cam”.

Schoolboy’s version went over better than Ross’ did.

Just as the heat died down for Ross, female listeners found a new and bigger misogynist. What could be worse than slipping a Molly in her champagne?

Well boasting about how blurry the lines of consent are of course. Everyone knows “no” means “no” and after getting past the infection beat and the goat,

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eyebrows were raised and Robin Thicke’s song of the summer was deemed “rapey.” With lyrics like “I know you want it” and “I hate them lines, I know you want it.”

Thicke goes on calling women animals and feminist listeners didn’t think the song could get any worse until the video appeared. The uncensored version featured naked women dancing around a fully clothed Pharell, Robin Thicke, and rapper TI. By the time, everyone discovered the lyrics to this song; it was already number one in the country and still has numerous people petitioning for the song and video to go away.

Robin Thicke even responded to protesters saying the song apparently is promoting feminism by explaining that men and women are animals.

He also went on to state that all good music is controversial.

His response further infuriated feminists frustrated at how such “rapey” lyrics equated to female empowerment.

Thicke has been called so many names for this song but the most common one is misogynist.

By the time the MTV VMA’s rolled around feminists were 110 percent done with Thicke and his misogynist lyrics. That was until his VMA performance of “Blurred Lines” in a Beetle Juice inspired tuxedo and accompanied by a half-naked

DJ Corner

foam finger toting twerking Miley Cyrus.

It seemed like all of the attention immediately diverted from the lyrics to Miley Cyrus.

Hip-Hop culture is still ridiculing Miley after that performance.

It’s understandable that Miley wants the world to know she’s a grown up but her performance proved the opposite. It was as if Miley sat on YouTube the night before her performance and was fresh out of ideas.

Her performance was like a spoiled brat seeking for her parents' attention in order to prove she was an adult. It wasn’t genuine or tasteful for her to twerk. Many people found it to be offensive as if the former Disney star was mocking black culture.

Technology is definitely creating accountability in the industry for celebrities’ music and their actions. Now someone can tweet, Facebook and blog their distaste with their favourite artists. Before social media, it took ages to spread a wildfire that can now be spread in all of seconds with the click of a button. Objectifying women in hip culture hasn’t gone anywhere over the years it was just harder to make an artist accountable for his or her actions.

Where’s the best place to look for the future bass music that you build into your shows?

Without a doubt Soundcloud, about 80% of the music I play on my show comes from there. Tags are your friends and always use the correct music tags.

If you could combine any two songs in the world what would they be?

It would be Guile’s theme from Super Street Fighter 2 and any Biggie verse, Biggie had this incredible ability to sound amazing on anything If you weren’t a DJ what would you be up to do you think?

My childhood dream was to run a comic shop or a video game store, I’m sure I would do doing something in either on of those industries You can catch the Future Beats Show live every Wednesday at 9PM GMT on Westside 89.6 FM in London.

You can find out more about Complexion on the following places, thisiswestside.com & soundcloud.com/complexion

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Beatz’ Favourite lyrics of 2013 Here at Beatz we get through a lot of Hip-Hop. Some of it’s good, some of it is not. But perhaps the hardest task of all is picking what’s the best of the best, and this is nowhere harder than with lyrics. Not only is it a personal preference, sometimes when the line comes out from under the beat, it just doesn’t seem right. Anyway, we’ve had a go at picking some of the best lines from this year (apart from that verse, you know which one we mean). Take a look.

Trashwang scratched inside the knucks, Got some One Direction tickets, I should hit that up, Drive by with puppy signs plastered on the truck, Then see how many of they fans could fit inside the trunk.

Tyler’s come a long way since his days of giving away free mixtapes. He certainly wouldn’t have got one direction tickets back then. But we can see his deranged anger hasn’t changed one bit. As much as you may hate him, you have to give Tyler respect for sticking to his guns.

F*ck hashtags and retweets, ni**a, 140 characters in these streets, ni**a.

Pardon my laughing, y’all only flagging on beats, ni**a, Pardon my laughing, I happen to think you sweet.

Jay’s been around quite a while now. He’s seen the game change up in the digital world.

Maybe some would see it as a dangerous time to be a rapper – you don’t need to hustle your way up anymore, you can put your stuff on youtube for all to see and hijack someone’s beats to match it. But Jay’s confidence suggests that is not a concern of his, nor social media (despite releasing his new album through Samsung, the big sell-out).

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Your SL’s missing an “S”, ni**a Your plane’s missing a chef The common theme, see, they’ve both got wings If you fly, do it to death It’s only one God, and it’s only one crown So it’s only one king that can stand on this mound.

One of the most outrageous beats this year with some big words to match it. The first half of this is Pusha comparing two makes of Mercedes bendz, the second half is just a rich bit of riffing, that comes alive over the jitter of the Kanye co-produced track.

Comin’ off the last record, I’m gettin’ 20 million off the record Just to off these records, ni**a that’s a record I’m livin’ like I’m out here on my last adventure Past the present when you have to mention This is nothin’ for the radio, but they’ll still play it though Cause it’s that new Drizzy Drake, that’s just the way it go Heavy airplay all day with no chorus.

Drake’s new album is one of pure confidence, and this opening track shows it more than anything else. Coming to terms with the fame is something that Drake has not had a problem with and now, stepping up to the levels of the biggest artists out there, these lines show he’s ready. 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

2013

a year in Hip-Hop On January 10th Justin Timberlake released a video which ended in the words “I’m ready”. It was an announcement to the world that Justin was now in place to make his return to the limelight, and with no specific date given it was clearly just a teaser video, but one which definitely got the team here at Beatz excited in anticipation.

JANUARY

The Super bowl XLVII, on February 3rd featured Alicia Keys singing the American national anthem and Beyoncé during the halftime show. Although heavily rumoured to appear Jay Z claimed it was Beyoncé’s moment and he did not want to encroach, which instead left Beyoncé to rule the show alongside her ex Destiny’s Child band mates.

FEBRUARY

MARCH

In the early hours of January 28th Rick Ross was the target of a drive-by shooting, which resulted in him crashing his Rolls Royce. Although both he and his passenger were unharmed it could so easily have ended a different way. It was claimed that the incident was simply a publicity stunt however, but as the gunman evaded police some questions remain unanswered.

Snoop Lion, an alternative persona for the man known as Snoop Dogg, released his 12th studio album, the 1st under this name on April 23rd. The album was different to previous work as it centred on reggae music and was seen as distinctly average by review members. The move to reggae followed a transition in Snoop’s life where he felt that he was Bob Marley reincarnated.

APRIL

MAY

The month of March was all about one man, Lil Wayne. On the 15th it was reported that Weezy had been rushed to hospital with serious seizures. There was a huge contrast in the reports with some claiming that Lil Wayne had been placed into an induced coma and others claiming he was alive and well. Although the truth will probably never be determined, what we can be sure of is his release from hospital and then his following album release only days later. I Am Not a Human Being II was released on March 26th and became Lil Wayne’s 10th studio album. Although it debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200, it received mixed reviews with some claiming that it seemed a half-hearted attempt.

February was a big month in the Jay Z / Beyoncé household with Hov claiming 3 Grammy awards alongside Kanye West. Ni**as in Paris was awarded Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song while No Church in the Wild was awarded Best Rap Collaboration.

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Another announcement on May 1st brought with it sadness as the death of Chris Kelly was declared; a member of the rap duo Kriss Kross who hit massive fame in the nineties, at the age of just 13, with their single Jump.

Chris died at the age of 34 of a suspected drug overdose.

Jay Z released his album entitled Magna Carta Holy Grail. Released to the general public on July 8th this album, in a similar way to that of Kanye West, had no singles released prior to it. One particular promotional technique used was to give away the album, for free, to the first one million users of a new app available on Samsung products. Although the deal with Samsung did not contribute to album sales, the album still debuted at number 1 on the Billboard album chart.

The 24th and 25th of August saw Eminem headline Reading and Leeds Festivals respectively.

However as always he could not escape controversy, with some fans upset at his refusal to allow the BBC to record his set for televised viewing, and others disappointed with his decision to mime during his performance. Many however were overjoyed to see the rap legend perform a greatest hits set, with the appearance of Dido an added highlight.

The highlights in September for us were the releases of two highly awaited albums, Drake’s Nothing Was the Same and Nelly’s M.O... Nothing Was the Same became the fastest selling Hip-Hop album of 2013 in the UK on its release, which speaks volumes considering some of the other albums released this year. Meanwhile M.O. has been a work in progress for Nelly for several years now with his last album release happening back in 2010; however it would seem that it’s been worth the wait, with tracks like Hey Porsche and Get Like Me.

A Twitter announcement on May 1st by Kanye West gave the date to which his new album would be released. Entitled Yeezus, this was a highly anticipated album, yet very little promotion was used in the run-up to its’ release. The date given was June 18th.

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

August was the month for controversy it would seem with the Video Music Awards throwing up some scenes it will be hard to forget. On the plus side a reunion for NSYNC brought smiles to the faces of us here at Beatz Mag, however a performance by a certain artist could not stop us, and the rest of the world it would seem, from cringing.

It was of course Miley Cyrus’s twerking and the resulting facial expressions of Robin Thicke; a sight that will play in our minds for a very long time.

As with March being a big month for Lil Wayne, June was a huge month for Kanye West. Not only did he become a father with the birth of his child North West with partner Kim Kardashian, but he also won the battle of the triple release against J. Cole and Mac Miller. It is reported that the birth occurred on June 15th several weeks premature and around the same time Yeezus was leaked online. The official release date for the album was June 18th, yet even with it appearing online beforehand it still made it to the top of the Billboard 200 beating J. Cole’s Born Sinner and Mac Miller’s Watching Movies with the Sound Off, both of which were released on the same day.

Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose tied the knot in July creating a celebrity couple to rival Kimye, and the ceremony apparently showed a softer side to the couple with both admitting that there were tears shed. 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

2013

a year in Hip-Hop After causing global controversy by twerking to Robin Thicke; Miley Cyrus raises the bar and lights a joint in front of thousands of fans on stage at the European Music Awards. This is not the first time the 21 year old has been caught misbehaving and failing to act as a role model for millions of global fans.

October

November

After dissing Drake in an interview, Future is thrown off Drake’s Would You Like A Tour? Future responds by attempting to sue Drake for $1.5 Million! Upon hearing this, Drake adds him back onto the tour – what a load of drama!

craziest haircut of 2013

coolio

Sean Paul

Rif Raf

Despite the name, Coolio’s hair wasn’t even cool in 1995 when Gangsta’s Paradise came out....it’s even worse now!

miley cyrus

cassie

will.I.Am

Geometry was Will I.Am’s favourite subject at school, he just loved using a set square to make right angles!

and the winner is....

Call it swag or a stylish new look but Riff Raff’s beard is just not natural. That said, some one needs to tell Coolio it’s time to ditch the trademark dreads and accept he’s gone bald.

Best dressed of 2013

Kanye west

pharrell

rihanna

rita ora

A$AP Rocky

and the winner is....

As amazing as Rihanna looks in Ricardo Tisci designed Givenchy clothing, there’s nobody who pulls off their look as effortlessly as Pharrell.

Maybe that’s why he hasn’t aged in 20 years!

BEST NEWCOMER 2013

schoolboy Q

A$AP FERG

isaiah rashad

danny brown

joey BADA$$

dizzy wright

and the winner is....

In a year dominated by Top Dawg Entertainment, it’s no surprise that two of the artists made the cut! Newcomer Isaiah Rashad put up a good fight but this year is Schoolboy Q, hands down!

Hot mom of 2013

amber rose

kim kardashian

who wore it best?

labrinth

parker ighile

beyoncĂŠ

Blac Chyna harley

and the winner is....

Beyonce and Jigga made parenthood look cool and Queen Bee is still scorching hot after giving birth to Blue Ivy.

(rizzle Kicks)

Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR

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17

20

WALE The Gifted

18

The Dream IV Play

Game jesus piece

TGT Three Kings

16

14

A$AP rocky Long.Live.A$ap

15

Mac Miller WMWTSO

13

Earl Sweatshirt Doris

AlunaGeorge Body Music

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Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR

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John Legend Love in the Future

Tyler, The Creator Wolf Naughty Boy Hotel Cabana

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resh from producing Emile Sande’s hit debut album, Naughty Boy saw 2013 as a chance to step out from behind the producing desk

and put forward his own material.

In Hotel Cabana, Shahid Khan, aka Naughty Boy, produced a mesmerising record that takes you on a journey through this fictional paradise.

The work is filled with established collaborative artists including long time friend Emile Sande who features on multiple tracks, Wiz Khalifa and Tinie Tempah, yet also showcases some

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upcoming British talent. Yet it is the tracks created by Khan that really set the album apart, as the perfectly blended mixture of soulful chill out tracks and dance anthems ensures the listener feels like they’re already on holiday. Singles of the track such as ‘Lifted’ and ‘La La La’ have already had resounding success in the UK singles chart, yet don’t let this deter you from purchasing the complete album.

Altogether, Khan’s debut solo effort is a resounding success, leaving much promise for the future, as he whisks you away to his Hotel Cabana.

9

Janelle Monae The Electric lady

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anelle Monae never does the expected. Before this album was released, it was expected that it would be great but instead when it was released, we found out it was incredible. The Electric Lady opens with a feature from Prince and continues with appearances from Erykah Badu and man of the moment Miguel.

The thing that makes the album so likeable is that it really is different from the R&B and Soul songs that are currently out there, Monae is good at being different. Q.U.E.E.N, assisted

by Badu, is the epitome of Monae with its funky beat and

incessant guitar keys. Beyonce’s younger sister Solange even joins Monae on the title track The Electric Lady in one the highlights of the album. Monae’s modernised version of a retro funk style has only improved since her last album and been honed more inher second studio album, which ultimately creates a refreshing record with plenty of high points. It is hard to skip a track on this

album without missing out on something.

DISClosure Settle

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rothers Guy and Howard Lawrence were unknown commodities a little more than two years ago but the Lawrence brothers, also known as Disclosure, have definitely made a name

for themselves with their first studio album Settle. With their first hit Latch, featuring Sam Smith, hitting the airwaves and getting a lot of airplay and attention, no one was prepared for the monster track White Noise which had vocals from Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge. The song reached number two on the UK singles chart and fully established the House duo as a group to be taken seriously.

Settle is a very strong album

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and it could be argued that every song on it could be released as a single and would do well commercially. The other released singles You & Me as well as F for You are also currently doing well in the charts. With features from top UK talent London Grammar & Jessie Ware as well as the others previously mentioned, Disclosure are definitely creating an environment for a new generation of British artists and have really put house music on the map in 2013.

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Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR Jay-Z MCHG

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veryone knows that Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter is a man of many talents.

Since The Blueprint 3 in 2009, Jay has expanded his global enterprise, become a registered MLB and NFL agent and most importantly had a daughter. Since his last solo effort, his own musical involvement was his Watch the Throne collaboration with Kanye. Yet 2013 saw his return to the solo stage and what a return it was. Unlike his previous works, centred on his troubled past, the East CoastWest Coast Hip-Hop rivalry and life on the streets of Brooklyn, Magna Carta Holy Grail is a

complete change of pace - ‘Rap and Hip-Hop for adults’ some might say. The album is littered with references to daughter Blue Ivy - his first lyric on the record includes her name - whilst also dwelling on his status as an international star. There is a return to his iconic use of sampling, from the Smells like Teen Spirit chorus to Michael Stipe on Heaven. Overall, traditional fans may not like

his new direction but everyone grows up, even Jay-Z who now prefers fine art and suits to ‘popping molly’ and rap battles.

Rudimental Home

H

ome is the first studio album from the vibrant London, Drum & Bass/ Electro quartet made up of Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor and DJ Locksmith. The album collates

some of the hottest musical talent around right now and the track listing practically doubles as a compilation of their greatest hits of summer 2013! If you have a weakness for killer vocals and a dope beat, this album was made for you. Emili Sandé lends her stunning talents to the exhilarating Free and mesmerizing ballad More Than Anything. Alex Clare also joins the bill on Not Giving Up and

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Give You Up bringing a wealth of charisma and distinctive charm with him. This album as a whole replicates a lot of the music we adore from the peak of 90s House, Drum & Bass, Electro and Garage takeover. Rudimental are on a mission to liven things up and not one of sixteen euphoric tracks fail – many propelled by a winning concoction of progressive compositions, blaring trumpets and wild drum pulses. This is one to jam to with your windows rolled down, whilst Alien Bashment and the Rudimental VIP remix of Feel the Love work a treat for winding down.

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Kanye West Yeezus

peaking to Zane Lowe in September, Ye referred to himself as the biggest rock star in the world.

The accuracy of this statement is highly debatable, however Yeezus certainly contains enough screaming, ranting and electric guitarshredding to support his statement. Abundant in bold statements and outlandish bars, Yeezus brings out yet another side of the complex but innovative rapper. Kanye comes forward with a plethora of new terminology and clever quips like ‘I be speaking Swaghili’! Being the rap craftsman that he is, Kanye always presents something unlike anything we have ever

heard before. The album includes verses from the likes of Capleton and reggae artist Assassin, unearthing Kanye’s surprising inclination to dancehall. At times however, Yeezus draws on some of Kanye’s past works with hints of 808’s & Heartbreak coming through on the auto-tuned Blood on the Leaves and the prominent soul influence of Late Registration in Bound 2 featuring Charlie Wilson. Yeezus is a stark contrast to his collaboration

with Jay Z, Watch The Throne and a reminder that Kanye West will always dance to the beat of his own drum – whether it be in the shadows at the VMA’s or in flashing lights.

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Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR J Cole Born Sinner

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n the intro track of Born Sinner, Villuminati, J Cole announces: ‘It’s way darker this time’. True to his word, this album narrates Cole’s internal battle with good and evil. Deep, right?

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J Cole left us with a lot to talk about after the commercial triumph of his first album.

He’s never backed away from ‘real life’ themes, something that has been key to his trail-blazing success. This time around, the self-confessed perfectionist steps out of the booth and onto the decks as the lead producer. For Cole, this potentially has earned him vast turf in the rap game and become his best career move

yet – a trend modelled by Dr. Dre and Kanye West. In Rich Niggaz, Cole ruminates on everything from money, social anomalies and relationships.

He continues to lean on his own experiences with stark candour patent in Forbidden Fruit, a jazzy contribution featuring Kendrick Lamar on the hook. Cole eases up in the second half with Crooked Smile, a summery track with irresistible vocals from R&B royalty TLC. The album is intersected with a fair number of quirky skits and interludes to change the dynamic, a testament to his versatility as an artist. Born Sinner is a straight winner.

industry. It’s hardly surprising that he got a hook from Rihanna on The Monster, which serves as a follow up to Love The Way You Lie. However more intriguing than that is e collaboration with fellow Interscope Records signee and prodigy Kendrick Lamar over an unlikely country Western beat. Without a doubt that standout track of the album is appropriately titled Legacy.

Eminem does what he claims to achieve and more, by continuing his most successful project over 13 years after it’s release, doing the project justice, and leaving behind a legacy.

Emimem MMLP2

minem decided to return from a lengthy hiatus and put everyone else to shame. The most crucial aspect of this project, is it’s progress in picking up where the first Marshall Mathers LP left off 13 years ago. With throwback and sample sounds from country and rock influences, MMLP2 is not a typical rap album, so it’s been given the love it or hate it stigma by global rap fans.

Luckily, Eminem has a knack for getting guest artists to feature on his tracks, because of his legendary status in the

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Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR

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Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience

fter a seven year music hiatus due to taking time to focus on his acting career, Justin Timberlake returned earlier this year with the first part of the 20/20 Experience. The first single was purposely chosen to introduce the new, older and more importantly refined Justin Timberlake and that single was the smooth swing infused Suit & Tie which featured rap legend Jay-Z providing us with some high roller bars to match the classy mood of the song. Then JT released Mirrors which showcased the pop pedigree that has been present throughout Timberlake’s career.

The third and final single released from the album was Tunnel Vision with its infectious sound created

by Timberlake and close friend/ producer Timberland. It was almost a shock that Timberlake only released three songs from the album considering how much quality is in every song.

The connection between Justin and Timberland is fundamental

to what makes the album such a successful one and a thoroughly enjoyable one to listen to.

Timberland produces every song on the album and that is a big positive as they both know

what works for the other and aren’t afraid to experiment with certain sounds and elements.

The album is well structured with songs often reaching 7 minutes long with creative beat or key changes in the middle.

No song is more an example of this than Let the Groove Get In which starts off in percussion

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and African drum beginning before eventually changing to a modern Michael Jackson sounding classic. There is no end to the songs that make you want to get up and move, Don’t Hold the Wall again has an ear catching and exotic beat that will have people bopping their heads and snapping their fingers every time they listen to it. Then there is Body Count, which is a bonus track on the album, which sees Timberland make a small rapping cameo in the intro. Justin Timberlake has put every effort into making his return to music appear seamless and he achieves it by making the whole album a smooth and classy journey. Timberlake was sure not to make the same type of sound he made seven years ago and evolved to create something that would fit in well in this era of pop and R & B music. Even Blue Ocean Floor, the track that most sounds unlike a typical Timberlake track with a slow and almost gothic lull is one that is well crafted and that evokes emotion out of its listeners.

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Top 20 Albums OF THE YEAR Drake Nothing was the Same

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nly two years after releasing the highly acclaimed Take Care, Drake is back and once again he is putting his stamp on Hip-Hop. Nothing was the Same sees Drake take a dramatic change of direction in his outlook whilst keeping the quality that made us love him in the first place. Take Care was a dejected outlook on Drake’s position then, with the Canadian star continuously referring to the ‘loneliness in his mansion’. Nothing was the Same is nothing but positive, demonstrating Drake’s newfound pride at reaching the heights he has. The single Started from the Bottom is the definition of catchy hook line, with Drake firing back at his peers who critique his privileged background. The opening track of the album Tuscan Leather meanwhile sees Drake boasting of his lyrical prowess and his position in the music world ‘This is nothing for the radio, but they’ll still play it though, Cuz it’s that new Drizzy Drake, that’s just the way it go’.

It is an emphatic and powerful

way to begin the album which is a huge difference from the opening songs on his previous two albums. Tuscan Leather has no chorus and is just straight bars from Drizzy, perhaps a warning shot to his detractors who say he is only good at singing. For all the bravado on

songs like Tuscan Leather and Started from the Bottom, Drake has always been good at the soft and introspective songs.

In From Time, Jhené Aiko adds her delicate touch to the song where Drake ponders a past relationship and then British vocalist Sampha performs the chorus on Too Much in

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which Drake questions the goals and motivations of his family members. Then there is the purest form of R & B on the album which is Hold On, We’re Going Home. The song is arguably one of the top R & B songs of the year and is a sure fire song to be played at weddings for years to come. The varied nature of the songs Drake creates is what adds to his allure. The fact that he can showcase his rapping talent at a high level and then switch the mood with a classic R & B sound makes anything he makes interesting to listen to. Whilst the majority of Take Care was spent wallowing over the loss of a love, Nothing was the Same sees Drake take pride in where he is at the minute and so it should be.

A very solid and cohesive third record, with some big tracks just shows how far the Degrassi star has come whilst, perhaps more importantly, giving us a taste of the future of Hip-Hop. For rappers in general to be able to top a record like this, while also sustaining their careers, it is going to be vital for them to be versatile and innovative because these are the qualities that Drake has in abundance.

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Hottest MC OF THE YEAR This year has seen a range of newcomers to the rap and grime scene, we have had some refreshing changes, seeing rap and grime both become a lot more acceptable, with national radio plays, to television coverage, but let’s not forget some of the veterans in the scene too, they are the reason rap and grime are now widely accepted. Let’s take a look at our top 10 MC’s and Rappers of the year:

10. A$ap Rocky 9. Schoolboy q 8. Azealia Banks 7. Wiley 6. rick ross 5. wretch 32 4. Big Sean 3. Drake 2. Jay-z 1. Kendrick Lamar

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here is no denying that too and having plenty of sold out Kendrick Lamar has caused shows. the biggest storm in music Let’s take a closer look at the this year, not just vocally artists listed in the top 10, A$AP but he had the social Rocky released Long Live A$AP networks going crazy, he really this year and reached number 1 hasi earned his place as a rapper on the billboard charts, he also this year, not just with his ‘Control’ managed to win best collaboration verse butJay-Z with announced his other tracks with Carta his track Problems’. new album Magna Holy‘Fuckin’ Grail out July 7th

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He was also nominated for various other awards too and gave a lively performance at this year’s Reading and Leeds festival. Azealia Banks caused a bit of a scene as usual, having arguments with every artist possible and more highlighted her argument with Perez Hilton, now after the craze of Harlem Shake,

Banks posted her own version of the Baauer track and he requested that she remove the track, in all fairness, she made the track a lot

more bearable.

Wiley, as always, the godfather of grime has not disappointed, with various releases and collabs this year, he has earned his place in this list, how can you leave him out?!

Rick Ross, although we are still waiting for his mastermind album, Rick Ross has featured on various tracks this year, such as ‘No New Friends’ and more recently the ‘Pour It Up’ Remix.

Flying the flag for british artists this year is definitely Wretch 32, coming up next year is the expected release of his ‘Growing Over Life’ album, a stand out track

from Wretch this year has to be ‘Doing Ok’ featuring Jacob Banks and ‘Blackout’ featuring Shakka, which is the lead single from his upcoming album, if that is anything to

track for everyone on that album, we are really just waiting now for a response from Drake towards Kendrick Lamar, Drake really will bring it to the table and I hope he really shakes things up in the rap scene, they really need to get back to this battling thing, it’s a healthy move.

No introduction is really needed for Jay-Z, he is a boss, with his Magna Carta Holy Grail album giving Hip-Hop fans everywhere a soundtrack, he did it big, with a free download of the album for Samsung customers, the album was certified platinum too. He even did a performance in an art gallery for the ‘Picasso Baby’ video, it really highlighted the connection between music and art and how they can really go hand in hand. The album also caused a bit of a storm as he was told that the downloads from Samsung users would not go towards the figures that billboard use to compile the charts, not that this made much difference as it still debut at number one. Jay –Z is not a artist to compete with realistically, everything he does is on a huge scale.

Now number one, how could go by, the album is going we forget THAT verse, we don’t to be a huge success. even need to say what verse it is, Now, with the release of Hall Of Kendrick really has helped towards Fame and That ‘Control’ track, Big the Hip-Hop scene this year causing Sean really has proved himself as a stir, sending for every current an artist this year, he could have artist. He has earned his place at been outshone after Kendrick went number one, his confidence levels a little bit crazy, but he really did must be insane. He really has bring it to the table with his album worked hard though, the shakeup and the quality of tracks on there. was needed in the Hip-Hop scene, There could be no list without to liven it up again and make Drake, his ‘nothing was the same’ everything a bit more real. That is album received mixed reviews, but why he is Beatz number one Rapper in typical DrakeAsher style,Roth there is a for 2013. announces volume 2 of The GreenHouse Effect

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KREPT AND KONAN YOUNG KINGZ

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irstly congratulations on entering the charts with Young Kingz, you have done this without a label or anything like that, it was just you two, were you expecting the reception to be like that?

Krept: we were more nervous than anything, the main thing we wanted people to do was like it, like obviously we wanted it to float somewhere in the charts, cos we had got to do something as we had put so much work into it, something had to go through, but we didn't really know how well.

Konan: yeah we wanted it to do well, like we were like hopefully we can scrape a top 40, like we didn't know, and then obviously when it came to putting it out we were like forget all of that, are they even going to like it. It was like 11:55pm and we were sitting there like forget everything else, will they like it, cos

if it didn't chart, that was all that really mattered.

It must have been pretty overwhelming...

Krept: yeah, when we found out that we were officially top 20, we were so gassed.

So, did you celebrate?

Krept: yeah yeah... But we are going to do a proper celebration.

Konan: yeah we didn't do anything too mad; we went to the studio and just played a couple Drake songs and Biggie Smalls.

How does it feel to be independent and having huge success, as not many artists can say they are and have had success also?

Krept: I feel like it’s just like people don't realise how hard we work, if you work as hard as much as you out in you get it out, and we

work so hard and I feel like kind of, something had to come out.

Konan: yeah it was due, we just didn't know on what scale it would be.

Do you think there is more support now for the underground scene, what has made it become more acceptable?

Krept: I feel like that the mixtape changed the demographic, like when they saw it chart it was like ''oh my god" this rap scene has got fans, the underground got fans. When we've been in a couple of meetings with labels, it's been like you lot are showing us how to do our jobs, they're seeing that there is a market, it's just knowing how to tap into it, like no one knew how to, but I think we showed them.

My Story received a huge response, clocking over 500,000

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views in 24 hours, what made you release such a personal track?

Konan: I feel like music is an expression of yourself, so I felt at that period of time, that was on my mind and I was going through the court case and I felt like it was the right time to put it out, everything is out in the open now, it was in the papers, I was in the papers, everything was going on, so I thought, you know what, I may as well just let everyone know what is really happening, cause obviously the papers are going to tell a side of the story and I wanted to say how it really happened, from my point of view, with my mum and everything, so yeah man, I thought it was the right time.

Were you nervous about what kind of response you were going to get?

Konan: 100 percent, but at the same time, it's like, it happened, there is nothing I can do, so you've just got to take me how I am, if they are going to take me, take me, if they don't they don’t. It was kind of make or break.

Krept: if we got bigger, like massive, they were going to bring it up some way and be like ah you were doing this and that.

Konan: so it was best we got it out in the open now.

In the track it mentions about thinking to quit music, was it hard to not go down that route?

Konan: it was very hard because like that situation, I had never been in a situation like that before in my life, like what do I do now?! Like do you ignore it and just chase the music, but not knowing who did it and what was going to come of it like is this it, are they going to come back? So it was the only thing I could think of positive, two negatives ain't going to breed a positive. So it was best to go with the positive, the music.

Krept: it was like destined to do that kind of thing.

And the track came out and it was mad...

Konan: yeah and it was my birthday too so it was like yeah, you better do the music now. This is your sign, run with it.

Young Kingz has loads of features on it, who was your favourite to work with?

Krept: I'll base this on the session, I'd say Giggs, because the session was the most funniest session we've ever had, like we were just getting bare jokes and it was all natural and we were just vibesing in the studio, but like all of them are good in their own way, we were close with Gfrsh and we have a close relationship with Yungen, he's a part of the team, so we were just having fun, on a different scale they were all kind of good. But with Giggs we saw a different side to him.

Obviously with there being two of you, is there much competitiveness with your verses and when you’re recording?

Konan: yeah it's just not letting one completely destroy the other on a beat, we try and do what's best for the song.

Krept: yeah like influence each other like if his verse, no matter how we go onto the song, we are always going to be competing...

Konan: cos there are two of us. You don't want to sound like the like limp arm on the tune, do you know what I mean, like everybody's going in.

It's always competitive.

Do you think that it helps though?

Krept: yeah 100% it keeps you on your toes. Like I will say to him, sometimes I'll be pissed off that there is two of us, cos I can't just write a rubbish verse, sometimes I just can't be bothered to sit down and think I just want to say anything, but because he's saying things, I've got to keep on saying things.

Konan: So it's pressure.

So you're not tempted to do a Kendrick or anything?

Krept & Konan: nah nah nah

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[Laughs] Konan: I feel like he had just had enough of the world man.

With the huge success of Young Kingz, where are you going from here, what are your future plans?

Konan: hopefully to have a tour and on the bigger scale an album, a successful album, a lot of people do albums to have them, but it's making sure we have one that is successful and do better than what we have now.

Krept: whether that's with a label or being independent, we don't know yet, but we want to sell more units than what we did this time, getting more fans, more promotion and just making everything better, even the quality of videos to song quality, just everything.

You have some amazing almost unheard vocalists on young kings how did the features come about? Did you search for people with the right sound or did you already know them?

Krept: we kind of knew them all already, like all of them, we kind of knew, we were friends with, they are up and coming as well, we just like to work with people that no one really works with.

Konan: yeah people that people don't really know and haven't worked with.

Krept: we don't like to go on 'ahh yeah everyone's done a song with that person so come we all go' we try make it like 'who the hell was that' we would rather keep the suspense and excitement If you could pick one song that influences you the most what would it be?

Konan: I know it's going to be a Drake song. I don't know which one but one of them...

Krept: Started from the bottom. It's going to be a Drake song, cos you

we want to compete on a worldwide level. How they are in America, they are performing in France, why can't we be performing in France

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see Drake, like I feel that his lyrics, I feel like I'm experiencing what he is talking about and certain situations out of every other rapper.

Konan: Like an insta video he did.

Krept: and he was like 'I dropped a mixtape that sounded like an album, everybody got a deal but I did it without one'.

Konan: so when he's saying stuff, I just feel we're just relating to it.

Do you find you're more influenced by US artists than UK artists?

Krept: yeah 100 percent. That’s where the mass is, that's where rap and Hip-Hop came from so were tryna compete with the best, cos I feel that if you're competing with people from the UK you'll be competing on the same level, we want to compete on a worldwide level. How they are in America, they are performing in France, why can't we be performing in France, why can't we be going mad and everyone's shouting like again, so we've got to compete with that, they're selling out arenas in our country as rappers, and were tryna be rappers, there doing that in their own country but they are coming

over here and doing that too.

Konan: so they're the main influence, you got to compete with the best to be the best.

How did you two decide to become like partners, how did that come about?

Konan: yeah when we were younger there were a lot of us that used to do it, then it just ended up being fate and it was him.

There's not many rap duos about...

Krept: it wasn't planned...

Konan: yeah it wasn't planned, we were individual artists before and then we got to a stage and we started getting more fans.

Krept: the first ever mixtape we did there was meant to be 3 of us, but one went away, so it just ended up being two of us, then after that we thought, you know what, we just observed things and we noticed that a lot of people that when they come up with a crew, one of them is the main person and everybody gets left behind, so to not get into that situation we just decided to do it together. So you can't get a song without both of us on it.

Konan: You got to make room for a verse cos were both going to be on it, so one doesn't outshine the other.

Do you ever have any major disagreements about it though?

Krept: Yeah we disagree on loads of things but like our heads in the same way, like what we disagree on it's like nothing major, like we both know what we're talking about at the end of whatever were disagreeing on, like it could be so small but we know exactly where we want to go.

So Play Dirty, is that like a motto for you guys?

Konan: Yeah it was meant to be the name but like we wasn't meant to be Krept and Konan, we were meant to be Play Dirty, but everyone just ran with Krept and Konan, so there was nothing we could do about it, so we turned it into the movement, a slogan and the brand and just branded the hell out of it.

You can find out more about Krept and Konan and their music on Facebook: www. fb.com/kreptandkonan, Twitter: @kreptplaydirty and @ konanplaydirty.

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dj fresh Beatz Magazine talks to Drum & Bass and Dubstep producer DJ FRESH

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here did the name DJ Fresh come from?

I used to be a champion kickboxer and basically one day I was walking down the path on the way to a championship match that I really wanted to win. To me, it was a life changing thing to fully establish myself as a great kick boxer. On the way to the venue, I saw a sign that said ‘Fresh’ and beneath it was a picture of Armand Van Helden and I thought to myself ‘he looks cool, fuck this I’m going to be a DJ and call myself Fresh!’ Ha-ha! I answer this question a lot, so I always try to

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to make whatever I want to make.

Just like the genres people listen to changes, what you want to make changes as well. For example, when I was in to drum & bass, the drum & bass fans really wanted everybody to do the same thing all the time but that’s just not for me so I make whatever I want to make. I’m just trying to ensure people get used to the idea that I could create anything.

So with the single 'Louder' it was obviously the first of that genre to hit number one, that’s an amazing accomplishment, how did you feel?

It was really good! In fact,

I just want to be an artist and

a musician and I want to be able to make whatever I want to make. keep the story from being boring so I change it up a bit!

So how would you like to define your music?

I'd define it as uplifting and exciting.

I try to do new things all the time and actually the name is pretty funny because it’s just a complete coincidence, being fresh is very much my approach to music. Weirdly enough, every time I make a track I want it to be different, I never use the same beats and it’s always a totally different idea every time.

What genre would you put yourself in?

That’s the thing I don’t want to be in a category, I just want to be an artist and a musician and I want to be able

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apparently when 'Earthquake' went to number 4 it was the first time that one artist had got four different genres into the top ten in history.

That’s crazy!

Yeah! So now everyone is starting to understand what I am trying to do but it’s just nice to challenge yourself and do different things all the time.

Is it important for you personally to create a song more for radio play or give it your fans and create the music they want?

I think it’s probably important for my record label to release singles that they think will get the biggest amount of support. Record labels are supposed to sell records and want to release records that are going to

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be popular which means that a lot of people will like but I don’t let that govern what I make in the studio.

I govern it to the sense that I’ll make a radio edit or change the name of a song in order for it to be played easily on radio but I try to keep it as similar as possible. I only make a tune if I’ve got a specific idea in my head and that doesn’t come from anything. It comes from me getting an idea and me thinking that creating a disco sounding tune like ‘Power’ and putting it with the hook

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well.

So after working with Ms Young what other artists are in your plans?

I’m working with Iggy Azalea and Ellie Goulding and also will be in the studio with Ms Dynamite again doing something. Plus, with Linkin’ Park and lots of new artists like Little Nikki, Dan Lancaster and hopefully I will manage to finish off something with Fleur at some point which should be good. We’ve been on the road for about two years and not

these are the sounds that are really influencing me. From what I’ve heard though, drum and bass is really strong at the moment and I think that kind of commercial interest in the genre has brought a lot of younger people back into the music because at one point there was a growing age gap. The people that were listening to it were getting older and older but they weren’t being replaced with youngerr listeners.

i don’t feel like i have been at the front i’ve just been doing my own thing really.

that I thought of in my head and that’s how I’ve always made music so it just depends really.

That’s awesome! Your new single 'Earthquake' features Dominique Young Unique, how did that happen?

Well my manager had just begun to manage her so that’s where it started. We were looking for a rapper to appear on the track, however there was a bit of an issue with that.

We gave the song to Diplo and also to Angel Haze; however Angel Haze instead did a diss track on it and put it up on Soundcloud. She was dissing Azealia Banks so then not only had she ruined the track a little but she had also implicated me. Dissing is something I don’t want to be involved with, plus, I wouldn’t want to get the shit kicked out of me! It’s quite dangerous with Azealia Banks; you know what I mean...

You wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her...

Exactly, especially if you had never even had a problem with her in the first place, so we decided that we had to re-do the track. We made it a bit different to what was already out there, but we thought that a female rapper worked really well on it and my manager, Andy, suggested Dominique Young Unique and we went to the studio and recorded it and it eventually worked out really

managed to do anything with her which is probably my fault, so it’s good working with new artists as much as possible because it’s really rewarding to be responsible or partly responsible for helping somebody get their career started. I think it’s nice when you can listen to Rita Ora now. Whenever I see her there’ll always be a certain special bond between us because of what has happened and it’s quite a deep thing because its completely changed her life and changed loads of other people’s lives who now get to listen to her music. I’m not trying to take credit for that at all but at the same time it’s very rewarding to see that happen. It’s nice to keep thinking you can do that, give people a launch pad and also give the public a window to a new artist.

You have been at the forefront of the drum & bass and also the dubstep scene, how do you think these scenes have evolved over the last 12 months?

I don’t feel like I have been at the front I’ve just been doing my own thing really. I haven’t been that in touch with the scene so I don’t get to see that much of it. I think that’s part of the reason I diversify more because you get inspired by what’s around you and because I’m playing all over the world and embracing all these different styles of music,

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If you had to have a kick boxing match with one other artist who would it be and why?

Definitely not Dizzee Rascal! I would not win a boxing match with Dizzee Rascal, I would shit myself because he’s such a big dude. I’d maybe do better against Example. Are you going to tell him this? you should tell him 'We asked Fresh if he could have a kickboxing match against anyone who would it be with and he said you!’

You could set it up for charity [Laughs] What was it like working with Diplo?

It was really good, he’s a really big inspiration to me, I love the way that he’s brought a new world perspective into the dance culture. He constantly keeps people’s eyes open to what’s happening on the outside of the normal, in terms of music. I love it because I feel like that’s what I enjoy doing as well, bringing different influences and ideas into what I do and showcasing it to people. To me Diplo has a similar role to me but in America so he’s a big inspiration to me.

You can find out more about DJ Fresh and his music on Facebook: www.fb.com/ djfresh, Twitter: @ DJFreshUK or at www.thedjfresh. com

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RYAN LESLIE From songwriting and producing to the centre spotlight.

Performer Ryan Leslie has transformed into the Black Mozart.

How did you come up with the name for your fans, The Renegades?

The Renegades are a group of supporters that are willing to take a risk to do something that has up until this point, never been done in the music

business. By being a part of this movement they are also being a part of an artist’s journey making sure the artist knows who his or her real supporters are. We are making history because we have chosen to bypass iTunes so I can actually know who is supporting the movement!

Every member is added to my personal address book and is encouraged to reach out to me and my team directly as desired. When I left my record label, I did so because I realized that most people are only worried about sales figures and sales volume. I am worried about you - the people whose money make my dream possible. I want to be able to say thank you, not just to a huge group of anonymous fans, but to specific ones that actually care about my career and the art that I’m sharing with the world. I call this group the

Renegades because I know this is an unorthodox approach.

Nevertheless it’s one in which I truly believe.

Tell us about the concept behind the album name Black Mozart.

Interpretation is up to the individual. For me, it’s about setting the standards high and showing appreciation for musicianship and creativity on that level. If you really want to know about the album, I can only show you in my documentary.

Do you think your album themes have evolved since your last album?

I’m just being as honest as I can be on the records. An honest reflection is always a sign of an artist’s evolution.

We are always evolving as human beings, what we have in experience, that experience impacts us and evolves and changes us. So for me it’s about being as expressive as possible with regards to the music and collaborating in new ways with new artists that always challenge me.

You can find out more about Ryan Leslie and his music on Facebook: www.fb.com/ ryanleslie, Twitter: @ryanleslie or at www.ryanleslie.com

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Brandy Beatz Magazine sat down with R&B singer Brandy to talk about her most recent album ‘Two Eleven’ and her career.

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our most recent album ‘Two Eleven’. You had many elements of ‘old school’ R & B on there so was that a conscious effort when you were conceptualising the album?

Absolutely! I felt like it was a personal request from the stars and the fans to get back to what I’m supposed to do which is real R&B music. However, for me I don’t like to stay the same, I don’t like to do the typical sound so I wanted to bring a new freshness and edge to R&B as well as keeping some elements the same. It was a challenge but it was something that I needed to do and I’m extremely proud of the work.

Throughout your career you have worked with a number of songwriters, but sometimes it seems like songwriters can be underappreciated in this industry, people Like James Fauntleroy & Esther Dean. So, if you could choose any songwriter to get in the studio with and work with, who would it be?

I would work with all of them but my absolute favourite would be James (Fauntleroy). I feel like I can sing every song that James has written because I just think we’re connected musically in that way without ever having to be in the studio and I love him. He’s one of my favourite

writers and I happen to be one of his favourite singers, which is amazing.

I love being appreciated by amazing people!

Do you remember your first musical memory? Whether it was an artist, a song or a moment?

I think my first musical memory was pretty much singing in church with my dad and then Whitney Houston was my very first idol outside of my dad and seeing her video or concert on television. The way she moved those people and the way she moved me, I was too young to even understand what love was or anything deep and emotional about life. But something about her voice just moved me and in fact I couldn’t understand why. I was like ‘What’s happening to me, is everything ok’.

So to love someone like her, it’s been amazing to witness that.

One of my favourite tracks of all time by you is Talk about Our Love featuring Kanye West.

Kanye has completely changed his sound since then. So what do you think of the new futuristic minimal vibe that Kanye has brought with Yeezus and Watch the Throne?

Really? Well, thank you! I loved Watch the Throne! I think Kanye is incredibly talented but I haven’t really heard his new album yet so I

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have got to get into that.

It is very dark and minimal.

What I love about Kanye is that he’s true to himself, he doesn’t follow, he’s not afraid to do what he wants to do and that is the epitome of what an artist should be. Artists should be fearless and I don’t think he’s worried about any outcome, or what people have to say, he does it because he wants to do it and I love that about him.

So to build on that, what would you say was the dark side of the industry?

Oh, there are so many dark sides to the industry and I try not to even focus on them, that is how dark they are.

You are a very spiritual person, so obviously you are looking at the positives.

I am very spiritual, I have to stay positive because if I don’t, I will go crazy and you don’t want to see me crazy. Now in the studio I’m a nut!

You don’t want to witness that. As long as you get that vocal you want though, right?

You can find out more about Brandy and her music on Facebook: www. fb.com/foreverBrandy, Twitter: @4everBrandy or at www.4everBrandy.com

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Tyrese

BEST OF ME Music has always been my first love without a shadow of a doubt. Anything around that is just a pure blessing You first hooked up with the singer/songwriter Kenyon Dixon on your 2012 album Open Invitation and you’ve been working with Siege Monstracity since 2008, so how will your next project feature these two talented visionaries?

Their work will be all over my album. Their art form is just inspiring, and in my opinion they are going to be the next best thing in R&B and Hip-Hop in general.

Look at Siege, he’s been working with the likes of Dr Dre, right now as we speak, he’s in the studio with Kelly Rowland. To fully appreciate Kenyon’s talent you should check out his latest single All The Way, I’m sure you can find a copy on the internet which I’m actually quite angry about, as I sort of wanted it to be an exclusive thing on my album [Laughs].

Prior to your project, these two artists were pretty fresh on the scene, how did you and Kenyon meet?

Well it’s actually a really modest story, I saw him at a guitar shop; where he worked, doing his thing and I was immediately taken aback by his talent, so naturally I had to get him involved and now he will feature heavily on my upcoming album. It’s as simple as that.

Being from Watts, LA, how has that affected you?

Actually Kenyon too is from that area which is great as we can draw upon similar experience.

Growing up in Watts I had a very strong church choir orientated background. That’s what got me

into music in the first place and also gave me the faith to continue on this pathway.

After signing with Atlantic records, you released your debut collab album three kings. How was it working with ginuwine and tank, because obviously your all great friends but they are very large personalities in their own sense and have their own fanbase.

We’re all brothers, so I feel like there’s no competition between us. We’ve all got the same goals and aspirations which works so well. We all naturally jell together and it just seems effortless. The only place where a slight rivalry does appear is the gym, I mean you have to look good when tank will take any opportunity to take his top off. [Laughs] But there’s no struggle to be at the forefront.

If anything the work now is a lot stressful as I’m working a lot more with Kenyon and siege who produce and help write my music so all vocals are on me.

Your first love was always music, despite your talent for acting, so after forming TGT and releasing the collab, what can we expect from Black Rose and the concept?

This album will feature some of my greatest work to date. Its exciting dynamic and well without giving too much away, one to look out for!

The introduction to your acting career was a short commercial

for Coca Cola, at this time you were already an established vocal artist, did you feel you had to make a decision between the two pathways or did you predict that you could combine these two passions?

Did the likes of Will Smith and Jamie Foxx inspire you?

Music has always been my first love without a shadow of a doubt.

Anything around that is just a pure blessing, but I feel like I never really had to choose between the two as others have been successful in both aspects. Also Jamie is a very close friend of mine and has always offered strong support and advice.

Your single Best Of Me was inspiring and powerful, what we got as listeners is that it came from a personal place.

What was your muse or inspiration to create the single.

Thank you, for me it’s the best single and video that I have ever created. Its very close to me personally and I drew from a lot of life experiences when approaching the song. In terms of inspiration, its very simple, its women. The female physique is the greatest inspiration of all, the beauty that surrounds it has always stirred something in me. Personally there is no greater splendour than a woman.

You can find out more about Tyrese and his music on Facebook: www.fb.com/ Tyresegibsononline, Twitter: @ Tyrese or at www.Tyreseonline. com

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S H A G G Y

OUT OF MANY, ONE MUSIC

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our latest project, Out of Many, One Music, is more than just a solo project, it’s a collaborative project with the legendary reggae duo Sly Robbie. How much synergy in the studio did it take to get the creative balance right between your vision and their vision?

Well it’s really a collaborative album cause I wanted to start a Shaggy album at the top of the year, but it’s really a collaborative album. The synergy wasn’t hard cause Sly and Robbie and I are friends, we were in Australia, when we decided to work on a project together, and so they came to my house and they did about 30 tracks! Then we left it alone for about a year and we went back afterwards and did about another 10 in Jamaica. A couple months afterwards, we came back and decided to finish it at my house in New York, and then we put a couple of collaborations together and call people like Ne-Yo, Damien Marley and put them together and they say, let’s put out the record!

How do you go about recording a reggae inspired album in New York, without that atmosphere around you to visualise?

I’ve been doing it for years, the music is not where you are, the music is within you. Sly Robbie play reggae music all around the world, they are in reggae in essence. Likewise, I don’t have to be in a particular place, I’m not the guy that needs to be in an atmosphere and a vibe, I get up in the morning and if I’m told the studio time is between 8 and 10, I’ll make music. I’m not telling you I’m going to like the music but it’s going to be done, it’s not brain surgery.

You’ve obviously adapted from where you grew up in Jamaica for a long time, and then you moved to Flatbush in Brooklyn, Ney York. So how did that mould you between a reggae star and an international star?

Well I think Flatbush is like a melting pot cause it’s such a large West Indian community, you have w ww ww w .. bb ee aa tt zz m m aa gg .. cc oo m m -- B B ee aa tt zz M M aa gg aa zz ii nn ee 6 3

blacks you have whites, you have Bajan, you have Trinidadian. It’s such a fusion of music, so when you decide you want to make music, it’s not the hardest to be inspired by all these different influences, so it helped me in that way.

In your mind, where does the boundary lie between being a Reggae star and an international Pop star?

Say Lauren Hill decides that she wants to get up tomorrow morning and do a rock album, she’s still Lauren Hill, but she’d be the HipHop artist doing a rock album. I will always be a reggae artist, but I just do what I want to do. If I

Reggae and Dancehall traditionally and in modern society?

Well. Dancehall is a more colourful type of music, it is more controversial music, it’s a younger feel to be honest with you. What you really start to see is that Dancehall has got to a stage where its losing its commercial lustre, it’s still got the streets but it’s not commercial. So you find the global scene is ready for reggae once again, and it’s a cycle, I’m in that mood right now where I’m not really being excited by the dancehall that is being made now, I just refuse to do what they are doing. I make music for expression, I don’t make

Meanwhile you’re there living with this composition that doesn’t represent you best and you have to live with that for the rest of your life.

Looking at your legacy, were there any artists you wanted to work with that you couldn’t, that may have passed away or?

I don’t choose artists like that, I let the song choose the artist, I will come up with a song and be like “that song sounds like that artist”.

If any great Reggae stars like Peter Tosh or Bob Marley were still alive today and you could

Well all depends on the synergy, the music can’t be great unless the relationship is great. am inspired by calypso, dancehall, soca or pop music - that’s going to impact me when I make music.

How did Ne-Yo react when you gave him ‘You Girl’ and asked him to write the hook? That’s quite a different vibe for him...

Ne-Yo is an artist; you’ve got to understand that. So as an artist, it was a challenge for him, because he’s a lover of reggae which not many people know. He found the sound pretty quickly because he’s always there soaking up the music and the women haha! Over the last few years he’s become a friend of mine, because we have the same lawyers and now we are talking about a collaboration for his album!

So if we zoom out a little bit, what do you think are the defining differences between

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music studying a market, I make music to please my own ears and hope that it connects with the world. I have to be happy with the music before you even hear it, sometimes I’ll be in the studio and someone says they love that song and I say “You don’t have to live with it again, I have to live with it for the rest of my life, I’m the guy that will have to play it on stage every night, a song that I don’t like, that I never liked and I sit their playing these cards and singing these melodies and these words that I wasn’t happy about.”I make music to play music, when you play music you must feel that energy from it every night. You must never make music because some executive is telling you that they like it, because after they hear it a couple of times they go off and do their thing, taking their business to the next artist.

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have worked with them?

Well all depends on the synergy, the music can’t be great unless the relationship is great. I’m the guy that did ‘Angel’ with Rayvon and ‘It Wasn’t Me’ with Rik Rok. I don’t care if they aren’t famous when I work with them. I didn’t do this record with Ne-Yo because he’s famous, I’m not saying it’s a bad look, but its not the reason I did the song. Somebody said to me the other day ‘I can’t believe you wasted collaboration with Neyo on a reggae track? I just dropped it because I was like ‘wow, I wasn’t even looking at that, I just thought his voice fitted the vibe.’

You can find out more about Shaggy and his music on Facebook: www. fb.com/shaggy, Twitter: @ DiRealShaggy or at www. shaggyonline.com

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WIZ KHALIFA

From fatherhood to worldwide touring, Wiz Khalifa opens up on the future and announce his 2014 collaborations exciting too because I can’t wait to get on the studio and write about this.

Moving with that, how are you going to balance family life, recording and touring?

Well when my son was born, we had just wrapped up the O.N.I.F.C album and I made sure I took three months off to be with my family through those first stages. I guess I’m just learning how to allocate the right

“

It’s more than where I’m from, it’s a way of life; it’s encoded in me like DNA.

“

F

irst of all, congratulations on entering the world of fatherhood and getting married this year! We can’t wait for you to talk about these two new life events in your music, how is this going to impact the music you make?

Thank you, It’s been the most amazing year. It’s crazy that no matter how long I’m away for, or in what time zone, Amber is always supporting me 100% and we can share that bond halfway around the globe. I’m not saying it’s perfect being on the road all the time, especially when I’m busy and she’s busy, but we make time.

Also like you said, my son was born in February this year, and honestly that’s changed my life in more ways than you can imagine. Now I’ve got a family to take care of, and I wanna be at home now, I wanna see him grow up because family time is so important to me.

Of course it’s gonna impact my music. When I write my lyrics, I talk about my life experiences or things that I notice and being a father is the biggest change of all. It’s a beautiful thing, but obviously I gotta work and do what I do, but it’s so

balance between my family and my music. Music is such a huge part of my life and has been my world for a long time, but my family depend on me and want me around, so I gotta be around. I wouldn’t want my son growing up thinking his Daddy was always working!

Looking back at the song that

opened you up to the masses “Black And Yellow” and making 12th December Wiz Khalifa Day in Pittsburgh, can you possibly put into words how much your hometown of Pittsburgh mean to you?

I think you just said it perfectly, I actually CAN’T put it into words because it’s the hugest influence of all on me and that’s what Pittsburgh does to people. It’s more than where I’m from, it’s a way of life; it’s encoded in me like DNA. Black and Yellow was for the Steelers, that’s our team man. It’s not just a sport to us here, it’s a community and a city supporting our team and that’s love.

Pittsburgh influences everything we do, from NFL to how we act, how we dress to how we chill; we’re always repping Pittsburgh all day everyday.

Almost straight after your release of O.N.I.F.C we got word of a new project Blacc Hollywood with a lot of the feature artist tracks recorded already, including Adele, Miley Cyrus what’s to be expected from this LP? I’ve seen her whole come up and her whole rising and it’s really similar

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to mine because she just goes with what she feels; and I feel a really timeless song could come from us working together. The same goes for Miley, she’s expressing herself and she’s a free spirit, she loves to have fun and that’s what I’m all about. On top of that we both have a message to say so when you put that energy into music and you can only get good from that, so I want the best from this project so that’s why I got them involved.

And you also said you want to work with Lady Gaga, what kind of new vibe would the two of you bring?

Ah man, I don’t even know what sound would come from it. It’s hard to speculate it would sound like this or it would turn into like that, but I’d want it to be a mixture of everything I am and represent and all of the energy in her music.

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I’d want it to be a mixture of everything I am and represent.

Now there’s no way we could interview you without bringing up your smoker lifestyle. So a question that I have got to ask, is it true you have your own chemist who grows your own supply?

[Laughs] well I have this guy, he’s not exclusive to me but he gets me my weed. It’s cool you know, I don’t try to hide it. That’s me and I’m honest with myself and my fans.

For me and thousands of your fans, the standout track on ONIFC is Remember You with The Weeknd, please tell us you’re working with him again soon!

Definitely, I just saw Abel before coming over to Europe, but he’s got one or two things on the go so when I’m back with him we’ll get in the studio and make some more magic.

You can find out more about Wiz Khalifa and his music on Facebook: www. fb.com/wizkhalifa, Twitter: @wizkhalifa or at www. wizkhalifa.com 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 6 9

Ria Ritchie DISCOVERED BY PLAN B ON YOUTUBE LOCATION: SUFFOLK

For the readers, would you like to introduce yourself?

My name is Ria Ritchie and I’m a singer songwriter from Suffolk, East Anglia.

How would you define your sound, genre wise?

Well, it kind of started off as acoustic soul and I recently performed my set with a full band for the first time.

So I’d say that it is kind of like Pop Soul, a bit edgy and with maybe a little a bit Rock thrown in.

Who would you say has been the biggest influence on your journey here so far?

It has definitely been Plan B. He is the person who discovered me, so he’s a massive influence of mine. He just got in touch with me, told me that he had heard a couple of my songs on Youtube and he said I reminded him of when he was younger and starting out and said he wanted to help me out. He saw my potential so he just got me down to the studio the week after. I wrote like five songs with him. I kind of didn’t really believe it was happening at the time - but

yeah, it was wicked.

What were the energy levels like working with him in the studio?

He is so intense and intelligent as well, but you can tell when you’re speaking to him that he’s really listening to everything you say. It’s quite intimidating at times, but he’s such a nice guy and you just know he’s serious. He’s such a talent, too.

What’s the plan for the future?

Where do you go from here?

I’m just promoting my EP that’s out at the moment on iTunes called ‘Wrong Side of Paradise’. I’ve also got loads of songs I want to put together for an album, hopefully towards the beginning of 2014. I’m just sort of working with new writers and new producers and trying to nail the sound. I’ve got the sound in my head that I want, but it’s just finding the right producer to bring all my songs together and make them coherent for an album.

Are you producing your own work or are you working with

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anyone in particular?

I’ve been working with Karma Kid. He’s a young, up-andcoming producer – but he’s so good. I had a session with him and he made a really good beat that I worked on. I’m having some more sessions with him in the next few weeks, so we will see.

Do you think that there could be a possibility of you moving to London when your career takes off properly?

I don’t know. I love living where I live because it’s only an hour and fifty minutes on the train to London. Plus, I’m so close to the beach - I’m a bit of a water baby. I love water sports so I’m always down the beach or on the river. It’s good being at home with my family, too. I could have moved already but I suppose there are reasons why I haven’t….I love going to London, though, so we’ll see. If I have to I will.

You can find out more about Ria Richie and her music on Facebook: facebook.com/ riaritchiemusic, Instagram: @ ria_ritchie or on Twitter: @ ria_ritchie

Top 10 to wa Waju

At the risk of sounding like a hipster I will say that you almost certainly won’t have heard of Waju unless you have been keeping a beady eye on the most underground Hip-Hop blogs. Based in South California, Waju introduced himself to the scene last year with his track ‘Heavy’ which was a taster for his first project ‘Something Special’. He’s now back with a new track ‘Insulin’ which should mean an EP or Album is on the way next year. The track has production from OilWorks of Japan, and bodes well for his next release.

SchoolBoy q

Don’t mistake any of the members of Top Dawg Entertainment as “Kendrick’s crew”, because Schoolboy Q is certainly not banking off anyone’s skills but his own. His mixtapes have been extremely well received in the global rap scene and 2014 is the year the much delayed Oxymoron lands. Watch out for the Q takeover!

Kilo Kish

Songwriter and vocalist Kilo Kish has collaborated with some huge names in the past year and looks set to make the big time in 2014. Her K+ mixtape features verses from A$AP Ferg, SBTRKT, Childish Gambino and Earl Sweatshirt, but her own style is comparable to that of M.I.A. Her flow spans a few different genres, with definite influences from Hip-Hop, soul, electro and R&B. With a full length album hopefully on the way soon, we should be hearing a lot more about Kilo Kish soon.

Freddie Gibbs

This is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy as Gibbs is sure to get a great deal more exposure in the next year as he’s the next collaborator to be releasing an album with Madlib, under the name ‘Madgibbs’, with the album being called ‘Piñata’ to be released February 2014. His debut album was released in 2013 and peaked at no. 24 in the US R&B charts, which is impressive for an underground but expect his following and popularity to quadruple after his collaboration with Madlib!

dANNY bROWN At age 32 you’d be forgiven for thinking that Danny Brown was past it, but the Detroit rapper seems ready to hit the big time on both sides of the pond as he gears up for his first major label album next year. Brown mixes esoterica and eccentricities to create music that seemingly appeals to the underground and the mainstream. His “proper” debut project ‘Old’ comes out next year, in the meantime check out ‘XXXX’ and his track ‘Grown Up’.

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atCH FOR 2014 Chance the Rapper

Chicago has a growing reputation as the home of aggressive ‘Trap’ Hip-Hop,but Chance the Rapper bucks that trend, with melodic traditional rap being his calling card. Having been born Chancellor Bennett, he chose, much like Kendrick Lamar to just his birth name as his MC name. His mixtape “Acid Rap” was released in April, and has been downloaded 240,000 times and features artists such as Twista, Action Bronson and Childish Gambino. What an impressive list for a newcomer!

KID iNK

Covered from head to toe in tattoos, 25 year-old Los Angeles-based rapper Kid Ink actually spent the majority of the early part of his career behind the control board and not the mic. He began working with multi-platinum artists like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sean Kingston and is now signed to RCA Records

Awkwafina

Coming from LaGuardia High School, Awkwafina could join a long list of success stories from the school, that include Nicki Minaj, Azealia Banks and Eagle Eye Cherry. Having studied journalism at The State University of New York and Mandarin at Beijing Culture and Language University she has now taken up a career in Hip-Hop. With a spiky, punk-like style, she could become the first major female Asianact to become a star in the States.

A$AP FERG

As soon as A$AP began to make a name for himself he brought his whole A$AP Mob with him including Trap Lord, A$AP Ferg. Next year their whole team will be dominating and dropping guest verses on each other’s tracks.

Clams Casino

With a growing reputation as a producer, Clams Casino has worked with the likes of MF DOOM, A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller and The Weeknd in the past year, as well as lesser known artists such as Sikai. You may well have heard his latest track if you tuned into Flying Lotus’ station (FlyLo FM) on the video game Grand Theft Auto V, but if you haven’t you’ll be able to find his instrumental mixtapes online.

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