H K D MAGAZiNE WE ARE COVENTRY ISSUE 1 FREE
The talent within our city
Interviews | Photography | Music | Dance | Creative | Exclusives
Tweet your pictures with H K D MAGAZiNE at #HKDMAGAZINE
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Behind H K D MAGAZiNE My name is Harpreet Kaur Dawett. I am a freelance journalist/blogger/photographer and all round media lover! I go by the name HKD Media. I was born in London but moved to Coventry at a very young age, I went to school here and even did my degree in Journalism and Media at Coventry University. Over this past year I have discovered some great creative talent within this city. You could say I have a lot of hope and passion for Coventry and wanted to create a platform where I could show my work, as well as showing what young Coventry creatives have to offer to the rest of the world - that is my reason for producing this magazine. Some people say magazine’s are dead and nobody reads them anymore. But aside blogging and using social media, my heart lies in print. How good is that feeling when you kick up your feet after a long day, grabbing a cup of tea and reading a fresh new magazine?! BEST FEELING EVER! (Maybe that’s just me being a bit weird haha) but you get the drift... I wanted to focus mainly on images in this magazine because each image tells a story - I have an eye for natural shots and I guess I could say, I take some alright photos. I will also include interviews with local creatives such as, music artists, fashion brands and dancers. The designing of this magazine and all images/interviews are done by me unless stated. I hope you enjoy the read! Follow me: Instagram @hkd_media Twitter @HDawett Blog www.hkdmedia.wordpress.com
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CONTENTS 6-7 Meet the Coventry Music Artists ft SBTV 8-11 Interview with Coventry music artist Skatta 12-15 Interview with Coventry music artist ShadowCV6 16-19 EXCLUSIVE / Godiva Festival / Photos of Not3s and AJ Tracey 20-29 EXCLUSIVE / Headline Entertainment / Photos of Abra Cadabra, Yxng Bane, DBlock Europe, Dj Minus and DJ Kazz 30-33 Interview with Coventry music artist Eyeden 34-37 Photoshoot / Eyeden Clothing 38-39 Slickthreads Clothing
MEET Coventry’s Upcoming Music Artists
The photo above was taken from when local rappers, Skatta, SubZero, ShadowCV6, Ridla, BFast and Outz were filming their new music video ‘It’s Not a Thing 2 Man’ for one of the biggest grime channels - SBTV. Kirk Brissett and camera guy/visuals Courtney J. Bennett popped over to Coventry for the day and helped film the artists in various locations such as, Fargo Village, under the Coventry Ring Road and the Belgrade Theatre car park, which overlooks the city. The atmosphere on the day was something else! Everyone brought so much energy to the shoot - even crowds were forming around the artists when they were filming at their locations!
“I’m so happy and really proud with how the video shoot went, it really brought all us artists together. We made it onto SBTV!” - Ridla
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FOLLOW: @skattacoventry @ShadowCV6 @SubzeroArtist @RidlaArtist @Ddub140 @OutzCOV @courtneybennettdp @brissaveli
an M 2 g n i Th TV a B S t o N N O s W ’ It NO T U O
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INTRODUCING SKA T T A
Skatta is a hip/hop grime artist from Coventry, UK. The rapper has performed at Godiva Festival two years in a row and has supported artists from the likes of, Big Narstie, JME, Mikill Pane and Lady Leshurr.
Skatta was also invited to BBC 1xtra to perform, where radio presenter Sian Anderson “bigged” up his revived version of ‘Has it come to this’ by The Streets. I caught up with the artist to find out a little bit more about him! Firstly, why did you choose the name Skatta? My friend Kyle gave it me. I was on my way back from school one day and he was like “I’ve got an MC name for you - Skatta Kid!” So i stuck with that but took the ‘kid’ part away. Do you think you’ve changed as a person since you’ve started music? Definitely! I’m more of an ambitious person now. I’m so passionate about what I do because I’m doing something I love. It’s not just a hobby, it’s my everyday life - I live this culture. When did you start writing music? I started late 2007/early 2008 but that was messing around with music and getting into grime. I started writing seriously in 2012. What was the first song you released? Burning. It was my first official release on Soundcloud/ITunes. The song was about how fire our flows were at the time. Do you have any albums? Last year I released my first album ‘Skatta’d Pieces’. I spent 2 years making this album, so it means a lot to me. I collaborated with a lot of local rappers on this album. You’ve been on BBC Radio 1xtra - tell us more! Yes! I was invited to BBC 1xtra by Sian Anderson in 2016. I performed on air and spat some bars alongside Jaykae, SlickDon, Manchester Hypes and I got to meet Charlie Sloth and Mistajam! When I got the phone-call from 1xtra I literally dropped my phone, it felt like I got a call from god, haha. I was then called back 2 weeks later to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire for their BBC Introducing show with Hardzilla.
What musicians do you look up to? I’ve got a lot to be honest. One day I’m feeling one person, the next I’m feeling someone else! If the song’s good, I’ll like it. I would say though, Mobb Deep, Giggs and Devlin. Devlin’s Fire in the Booth on 1xtra was so sick - it was equivalent to an album for me! Where does your inspiration come from when you write music? When I write music I go into a zone. My inspiration
comes from me. It’s like if you put Picasso in front of a blank canvas with paint he’s going to come out with a big picture. If you put me in a room with musical beats, I’m going to come out with a fire song. Where do you want to be in 5 years time? I just want to be a lot more advanced and have some more knowledge in music than what I have now. Success isn’t a destination, it’s more of a journey. In 5 years I’m hoping that music is
permanently my job. You have quite a big fan base here in Coventry. How does that make you feel? I have so much respect for all the people that support me. Big up each and every one of you! I do music for them - without them I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now.
Turn page over...
Image not taken by me
You can watch my full interview with SKATTA on YouTube
Follow SKA T T A Twitter @skattacoventry Facebook @SkattaCoventry SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR PHONE TO WATCH
YouTube @Skatta
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INTRODUCING ShadowCV6 Adam Hedge, also known as ShadowCV6 is a hip/hop grime artist from Coventry, UK. The rapper has appeared on GRM Daily, SBTV, BBC Radio1 Xtra and also performed at Coventry’s Godiva Festival. I caught up ShadowCV6 to find out a little more about him! How did you come about the name ShadowCV6? Growing up, before I did music my nickname was Hedgey because my surname is Hedge. When I was around 13-14 years old I started to really get into music and decided to go with the name Sonic (haha!). I then changed it to ShadowCV6, which came from Shadow the Hedgehog and my postcode. Who are your musical inspirations? Devlin for sure! But my playlist varies to be honest, one minute it can be Adele, then Drake, then The Kooks (haha!). When did you start writing music and why? In about 2015, I was always good at poetry and writing. I started because I didn’t see much music coming out of Coventry back then and wanted to just bring my music into the scene. What was life like growing up for you? I grew up like, council estate life - but by no means I say I lived in poverty because I did have a good upbringing in a very family environment. My mum and dad are still together (big up mum and dad!) and I’ve always had the things that I needed. I always had fresh shoes for school. Do you think you have changed as a person because of music? Yes I think I have. I now have a goal I can work towards. My goal is to get my music out there and be as successful as I can. Why would I get in trouble when I have so much going for myself! It’s given me a different outlook on things. Have you been on any major platforms? Yeah! I linked up with Sox from Birmingham, he’s well known for his tune ‘Birmingham to Ibiza’ which has over 2 million views! He’s someone I look up to as an artist. One day I emailed him as a fan saying I’d love to collab and he emailed me back so we hit the studio! I even got to spit on BBC Radio1 Xtra on DJ Cameo’s ‘Gimme Grime’. I’ve had my tune ‘Everybody Wanna Chat’ on GRM Daily and have recently had ‘It’s Not a Thing 2 Man’ uploaded onto SBTV.
Where do you want to be in 5 years time? That’s a difficult question! Basically, I’ve just had a son so in 5 years time I want to make him proud. I want to financially support my family and I want to do all that by doing something I love - doing music. Keep up to date with ShadowCV6 on all his social media platforms. Full video interview coming out on www.hkdmedia.wordpress.com soon!
FULL INTERVIEW ON www.hkdmedia.wordpress.com OUT SOON!
FOLLOW SHA DOW CV6: Twitter @ShadowCV6 Instagram @shadowcv6 YouTube @ShadowCv6
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GO D I VA FES T I VAL
EXCLUSIVE
AJ Tracey, Not3s and Skatta perform at Coventry’s Godiva Festival and it got the city moving!
The Godiva Festival is a free three day music festival held each year in the War Memorial Park, Coventry. The festival brings together people from all parts of the West Midlands. Artists from the likes of The Enemy, ABC, The Fratellis, Kasabian, Maximo Park and Lethal Bizzle are just a few who have previously performed at the festival. This year some of the biggest grime artists performed in the Rhythm Tent on Saturday as part of the three day event. Opening the show was Skatta with his entourage – Krnix, ShadowCV6, Lerome, Ridla, BFast and Outz and Subzero. The local performers got the crowd on their feet. Performing for the third time at the festival, these guys really knew how to get the crowd going! The Coventry artists were lucky to share the stage with grime MC, AJ Tracey who performed his hit single ‘Pasta’ and hip-hop rapper, Not3s who had the crowd singing along to ‘Addison Lee’. I’m pretty sure this tent was the loudest of them all!
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Follow NO T3S Twitter @Not3sofficial www.godivafestival.com
Instagram @not3sofficial Snapchat @not3s1
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Follow A J Tracey Twitter @ajtracey Instagram @ajtrcy Snapchat @ajtracey
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EXCLUSIVE
HEAD/INE ENTERTAINMENT
YXNG BA NE x A D-BLoc
HEAD/INE Entertainment is a new brand dedicated to bringing live music to a venue near you!
Co-founder, Anita Piasecka, 21, from Coventry, UK has been working hard on building her business in event management. With British rap duo, Krept and Konan often supporting the brand, Anita has managed to turn her dreams into reality. With four events upcoming throughout the year, HEAD/INE Entertainment hosted their first event featuring British hip-hop rappers Yxng Bane, Abra Cadabra, D Block Europe, DJ Minus and DJ Kazz at Coventry's live music venue, The Empire where the likes of The Enemy and Big Narstie have previously performed. A successful start, Anita explains: "Six months ago all of this was just an idea floating around in my head. A dream I've always had, but never thought I could achieve. Now we're a registered limited company and hosting four major events this year! Our first event went better than I'd expected and everyone enjoyed themselves!" The night began with DJ Kazz on the decks, who has previously worked with artists such as Tyga, J Hus and has also featured on BBC Asian Network's Takeover. After getting the crowd hyped and ready for the main acts, rappers Yxng Bane, Abra Cadabra and D Block Europe alongside DJ Minus all took the stage and created a night to remember! Performing some of their hit songs, Shape of You (Yxng Bane Remix), Diamonds, Robbery, Traphouse, Dun Talkin’ and many more. The rappers brought Coventry to life and had the crowd singing along all night! We can't wait for the next three events, which will include the likes of Kojo Funds, MoStack and Yungen! Get your tickets NOW from https://headlineent.co.uk/
Follow H EA D/INE EN T Twitter @headline_ent1 Instagram @headlineent
Follow YXNG BA NE, A BR ACA DA BR A & DBLOCK EUR O P E @yxngbane @abznoproblem17 @DBlockEurope
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T PRESENTS
A BR A CA DA BR A x ck Europe at THE EMPIRE
Turn over for pictures of the night...
Get your tickets NOW from https://headlineent.co.uk/
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INTRODUCING EYE DEN
22-year old, Deniz Apaydinli, also known for his stage name – Eyeden, is an upcoming singer/rapper from Coventry hoping to make it big in his music career.
With over 51,161 YouTube Views, 7 BBC Introducing radio plays and a passion for vlogging, Eyeden hopes to show the world that Coventry does have talent! From performing at fashion shows and many festivals such as, Godiva Festival, Southall Mela and Manchester Academy. Eyeden has supported big acts from the likes of; Yungen, Akala & D Double E. The singer began covering various songs with a twist and uploading them onto YouTube, he then started writing his own songs and freestyles, including Turkish versions. In 2016, he had a huge success from the single Do it like me and an interview with the BBC, Eyeden saw his career blossom and his views rise, including the opening of a clothing line, which can be found at http://eyedenclothing.bigcartel.com/ So, why did you chose the name Eyeden? My full name is Deniz Apaydinli, Eyeden comes from Apaydinli because you pronounce it as ap-eye-den-leh. I took out the eye-den and used that as Eyeden. I hope that made sense, haha! Who are your musical inspirations? Drake is a HUGE one. He’s a flippin’ legend! He reaches out in different parts of the world. So probably, Drake and Dave, anything with a bit of melody. Performance wise - Travis Scott is amazing! This guy goes bananas on stage! What music genre would you say you fit into? Like an RNB/Hip-hop/Pop kind of vibe, there’s a lot there. An all round really. What was life like growing up for Eyeden? I’m not gonna lie, Primary School was difficult, I had to move from Kent to Coventry and it was that process of making new friends again because I was in year 3 at the time. In Secondary School there was a lot of bullying involved. I use to get bullied and then I flipped it around and became the bully because I was getting bullied. It was difficult, and it sounds extremely cliche but it does shape you and it makes you who you are. When did you start writing music? I’ve always been writing, ever since I was young. When I was 7/8 I use to write lyrics in my bedroom. When I use to come back from school I had this box in my room and I use to just write songs and rap in an American accent then, which is cringey haha. Do you think Coventry is an important part of your journey? 100%. I think everyone’s hometown is an important part of their journey. You have to embrace it. I want to bang down the door for musicians in Coventry because once one person bangs down the door, other people can come through. But I’ve always had this in my head - success is not a sprint. I don’t want to be Usain Bolt, I want to be Mo Farah, honestly, I will do this so long I don’t care. For example, did you guys know who Skepta was before ‘Shutdown’ or ‘That’s Not Me’? This stuff takes time. That’s why I do vlogging, to have a voice and have a platform I can build. Have you experienced any haters? BARE! Honestly, so many. They’ve said everything you can imagine. “You can’t sing. You can’t rap. You can’t dress. Go get a day job”. Now anytime anyone says anything to me it’s indomitable, you can’t break it. I’ve built up thick skin. But at the moment I have more love than hate. I’m in a good place.
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For each song you’ve released so far, is there a meaning behind it? They all have meaning because they’re all real. What I do is go out and live my life, then I come back home and write everything down on a piece of paper and write a song from it. You have a clothing line - are you releasing any new products? Yes! I’m so eager to design and create stuff! Every 3 months I’m releasing a new collection. At the moment I have jumpers, jackets, t-shirts and hats. I have people from all around the world buying my clothes! I also held a meet and greet at the Section pop-up store in Coventry City Centre where I gave away CDs and free t-shirts, it was crazy to see how many people are supporting me. This is just the start though! What are your main goals for the future? I have one main goal but I like to keep it to myself. I know what direction I want the music to go. I’m going back to perform at Southall Mela again and I’ve just performed at the London Youth Games 2017. I’m going to take the rest of the year as it comes. Rahzilla!
Follow EYE DEN Twitter @EyedenMusic Instagram @eyeden1 YouTube @Eyeden SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR PHONE TO WATCH INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
Chloe Mcconnell modelling the Oceanic T-Shirt. Available from www.eyedenclothing.com
@mj.mahjoub modelling the Sand T-shirt. Available from www.eyedenclothing.com
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SlickThread is an independent streetwear fashion line established earlier this year by visual/creative designer Joel Williams. Supplying retro themed clothing, the brand strives to push the urban agenda forward by sharing inspiration to the youth with heavy graphic designs. The lines produced consist of t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, shorts, outerwear and accessories for both men and women. As the brand continues to grow, SlickThread plan to venture in the footwear and kidswear scene. Shop online at www.slickthread.com
Follow SL ICK T H R EA D Instagram @slickthread
Images taken by Slick Thread
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