23 | THE VOICE JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2012
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POSTER BATTLE BRANDY & MONICA
GZ BI Ready to take the crown Culinary skills
Stocking fillers
Model Jourdan Dunn We play Santa cooks up a jerk storm to the stars
24 THE VOICE DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2012
ALL THEY NEED FOR CHRISTMAS… We’ve decided to play Santa to the stars this year. Check out our virtual shopping list below
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BEYONCE When money is no object, what new mum could resist these cute baby Louboutins? Thank us later Blue Ivy
RIHANNA When you’re scantily clad for most of the year, thermals should be at the top of your list. Here’s some warmth on us Ri Ri
WRETCH 32 In a recent interview with Young Voices, the British rapper said he had a soft spot for Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon. Call us cupid!
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RITA ORA With the week she’s had, we’re sure UK songstress Rita Ora could make great use of these boxing gloves
SNOOP LION Earlier this year, the rapper claimed he was a ‘reincarnation’ of reggae legend Bob Marley. We’ve bought him a house in Jamaica so he can live out his dream
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AMBER ROSE We’re sure the mum-to-be is going to follow the trend by snapping back to her pre-baby shape. Here’s a personal trainer on us
NICKI MINAJ Her infamous spat with singer Mariah Carey was caught on camera and she recently accused Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler of being ‘racist’. Nicki got a muzzle
VYBZ KARTEL The Jamaican dancehall star has been in jail for over a year. We’ve decided to send him some reading material – he’s name-checked in this book too!
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ROCHELLE HUMES The Saturday’s star, who announced she is expecting her first child with JLS member Marvin, can make full use of this paper mache pregnancy kit
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CASSIE We’re not sure if P Diddy will get the singer one of these any time soon, so here’s an engagement ring on us Cassie!
LABRINTH Hackney producer Labrinth took the YV editor’s ‘I Love Hackney’ badge at a recent festival. Now he can have a badge for every outfit
CHRIS BROWN It was between a muzzle and a PR team. We chose the latter
From the age of 13, Doyin has worked as a church children’s co-ordinator, offering support and guidance to young people in her parish and has extended her desire for “grassroots helping” in the wider community by
OPRAH We’ve decided to buy the media mogul a plane ticket to Nigeria so she can meet the person who has taken her ‘richest black woman’ title
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KATT WILLIAMS The troubled comic has had us worried about his welfare for the last few months. A few sessions with a counsellor could help
TREY SONGZ The US singer found himself the victim of an attempted mugging in London last month. A bodyguard should prevent similar attacks
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STACEY DASH She controversially supported Obama’s opponent Mitt Romney. Obama won. We’ve got Stacey two tickets for a tour of the White House
Doyin Fagbenro
WHILE ATTENDING school in Italy for three years between the ages of 11 and 14, Doyin set up the Vacation Bible School with her parents. The annual programme welcomes around 40 disadvantaged children from Italy and overseas to enjoy a faith-led holiday.
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volunteering with the British Heart Foundation and establishing a mentoring scheme in her school. Moved by the injustices she witnessed on her trips to Nigeria, Doyin’s ultimate ambition is to set up a chain of orphanages across the country – and possibly even the continent. Of her greatest ambition to date she says: “From the age of 14 I’ve been telling myself I want to do this. I want to live my dream. I’m living my dream, and helping other people”.
* www.rarerecruitment.co.uk
JADEN SMITH Will Smith’s youngest son allegedly subjected a female fan to a foul-mouth tirade. Naughty step for him
youngvoicesmagazine
@youngvoicesmag
DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2012 THE VOICE 25
www.voice-online.co.uk/entertainment
UK rapper Bigz talks to Y V’s Akilah Russell about his surprise love of R‘n’B, overcoming adversity and living up to legendary status
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OU SHOULD already know who UK rapper Bigz is. But if you are not one of the 8,000 or so following him on Twitter, or better yet, one of the hundred thousands of people who have watched his videos on YouTube, allow me to politely remove the rock that you have been living under for the last seven years. The star first introduced him-
self to the world in 2006 with his debut single, Cor Blimey, which instantly become a cult classic. He has since released four solid mixtapes with his latest, The Bigz Bang Theory, gaining nearly 10,000 downloads in a week. An impressive feat considering the high demand for his latest music managed to crash the download website. He says: “I laughed when I
saw that it had crashed! Sometimes even when the music you are giving fans is free, you feel like you have to force feed people and it can get a bit jarring. But to get all of that love for my mixtape felt great because I feel it's a great project. “I put it together in four weeks and it was to serve a purpose. I put out a track from it called Forever, which has a kind of a
dub-step sound and it got me the most radio support I have ever had in my life. After that I said let me release more music because you have to feed your fans. But honestly, I am happy with how it has been received so far.” Despite Forever being blasted across the country as I write, he surprises me when he says that his favourite song on the mixtape is the R'n'B inspired, Confident, which features British singer and songwriter, J Warner. Sensing that I need an explanation regarding his shock choice, he reveals: “I am actually just an R'n'B man even though I rap. For me, I think the best music for my generation was 90s R'n'B.” He laughs: “I still love Forever obviously because I have never really heard house and trap music mixed together like that before. I guess you could call it 'Trap-step'.” The north Londoner is no stranger to coining phrases after famously creating the now infamous slogan ‘Flygerian.’ It’s meaning? He explains: “A Flygerian is someone who is of Nigerian heritage that is extremely fly, extremely ambitious and pushes for the better things in life.” On the question of copyright, he adds: “I seriously don't want to hear anyone else say they coined the term ‘Flygerian.’ “You got that definition from the source, so don't let anybody tell you any different (laughs). But for me, it's more of a lifestyle than just a word…make sure you
write that down!” Hailed as ‘one of the most charismatic and instantly recognisable rappers in the UK’ by MTV he agrees that it is his “consistency in the game” and his ability to overcome personal tragedy, that has set him apart from the string of MCs who have all tried and failed to succeed in the often unforgiving music industry.
With nothing to lose and everything to prove, it seems Bigz, who has achieved huge underground acclaim, is eyeing up mainstream success. “I wouldn't classify myself as underground anymore. I'd say that I am in between. Fans are the ones that get to say who is a legend and who isn't, and mine are loyal so if I had a message to them I'd say 'God bless them'.”
“A few years ago I lost my older brother, cousin, best friend and grandmother in the space of 12 months. That's why I had to take a brief hiatus from music. I just wasn't prepared for it at all, I don't think in my whole entire life I have ever gone through anything as crazy as that.” He adds: “I'd say coming back from that is my biggest achievement. I achieved by finding a way to smile again and live again despite the catastrophes that I went through.”
“The one thing that people want to see is an artist get better and I feel like I am doing that. Some people put out their best work in their earliest days, so they end up trying to catch up to that success. With me I am getting better not only as a rapper but as a musician, so keep on supporting me and you won't be disappointed.”
JAY Z:
The rapper's superstar wife Beyoncé bought him a $4 million(£2.5m) watch for his 43rd birthday
� To download The Bigz Bang Theory go to: www.mrbigz.co.uk Follow @MrBigzOfficial on Twitter
JOURDAN DUNN:
The model's one-off cooking show, which featured on Jay Z's website, was an internet hit
OR BUSTED? F F U B Dear Kat, I lost my phone while I was out with my friend a few weeks ago and I was really upset because I just got it. She told me that she was going to get the same phone as me ages ago but her mum said she had to wait until the new year. The next thing you know, she turns up with the exact same phone I lost - a few days after mine went missing. My sister thinks she stole it, but I don't want to accuse her of doing something like that to me. In the past she has stolen things from shops and stuff but never from me. I don't know how to ask her if it's mine but I honestly think it might be. What should I do? Tiffanie, 15
RITA ORA:
The singer was forced to deny claims that she cheated on reality TV star ex, Rob Kardashian, with “20 dudes”
Hi Tiffanie, I think it's unwise to blame your friend until you have concrete evidence. If you accuse wrongly, that could spell the end of your friendship. Did you see anything suspicious? Does your phone have any distinguishing features, like a scratch or a dent that only you would know about? If so, calmly ask her outright. Remember not to accuse her of anything, just simply give her a chance to tell you her side of the story. If that seems too daunting, maybe you could ask your mum or dad to speak with her parents and ask how much they paid for her phone on the premise that they were thinking of buying you one for Christmas. You may have your answer there.
BUFF
TWEET OF THE WEEK British singer Estelle took to Twitter to share her excitement following news she had been nominated for a Grammy award:
BUFF YOLAN BROWND:A
Chic, cute, understated
JOE BUDDEN:
A nude picture allegedly of the hip-hop star was leaked online and spread like wildfire
SHINGAI SHONIW A:
“Happy. God is Good! Naw he's amazing.....”
Unique, sexy , simple
Estelle
D’BANJ
26 THE VOICE DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2012
LE T T A B R E T POS d MONICA
BRANDY an
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