INBOX EDITTOR’S LETTER
RWD TEAM image by Andres Reynaga
Love is in the air over at Buck Pal – in just a few weeks time Kate and William will be married at Westminster Abbey and how lovely that is. Expensive, yes, but hey, of course we’ll all chip in at the cost of a day off. I’ve got dough to spare, sure...! The only part of the day I care about is the bit where I’ll be chilllllling thanks to it being a Bank Holiday. I suppose we should be grateful for that. As for the rest of it, well I’m not too fussed. I’m sure the Royals are useful for something (tourism? historical, er, stuff?) but I’m not too sure what that is and if they’re worth the vast expense. But enough about what I think; we’ve asked a whole bunch of people their thoughts, while Danny offers an alternate guide to the Big Day that could save us all a bit of cash. Lupe Fiasco, Hesta Prynn, Liam Bailey, Kevin Jay, Jess Mills and The Naked & Famous, all offer their opinion on Windsor and Middleton’s union. One young man I have huge admiration for is Chipmunk. At RWD, we’ve watched him progress from a determined 16 year-old to a chart-topping superstar. He’s done this while studying for his GCSE’s and A’ levels and has, for the most part, built his own success outside of the major label system. Once signed to Jive, with their help, he’s overseen his second album, Transition, and it’s an incredible piece of work. Utilising his contacts – Keri Hilson, Chris Brown, Mavado – he’s complied a starstudded album that retains both the Britishness and the high levels of lyricism that we’ve long respected him for. We talk to Chippy about then, now and what’s next. Also inside, we go undercover with the Illuminati. Ok, that’s not entirely true – we go online and talk to people about what they think – for some reason, the triangle loving team haven’t reached out to RWD yet...! With everyone from Rihanna to Jay - and even our own Ed Sheeran - being accused of throwing up diamonds, we take a look at what – and who – the Illuminati is. There’s also our usual mix of sports (check the amazing trail-biker and internet sensation Danny MacAskill), art (End Of The Line), comedy (lol at Kevin Jay) and an ace short story from mysterious band, The Bullitts. There’s also fashion news, gadgets, games, and film reviews and our guide to the month’s hottest clubs and gigs and we get our hands on the Nintendo 3DS. Until next month...
Editor Hattie Collins Deputy Editor Danny Walker Staff Writers Nardene Scott, Jerry Gadiano, Hayley Joyes Contributing Editor Chantelle Fiddy Online Editor Tego Sigel Contributors Alex Johnson, Maisha Lewin, Dynamo, Ra’ed Poetical, Jeymes Samuel, DJ Cable, Cerriann Taylor Art Director Dacre J. Bracey Designer Chidi Ubani Fashion Stylists Nasrin Jean-Baptiste, Denise Brown, Luke Miley, Neesha Sharma, Style Pages Editor Irene Asanji Style Assistant Cheyenne Davide Illustrators Art Jaz, Jiro Bevis, Rachel Goslin Photographers James Pearson-Howes, Andres Reynega, Kevin Joseph & Jake Green @ Response, Carnegie & Conway, Sara Nouman, Adrian Nettleship, Verena Stefanie Grotto Publisher Sales Director Senior Sales Thanks
Nigel Wells Paul Le Fevre Matthew Richards Sam Payne, James Earp, Bob Austin
CONTACT RWD W107 Holywell Centre, 1, Phipp Street, London EC2A 4PS Tel: 0203 176 4299 Email: staff@rwdmag.com
Hattie hangs with the happy couple...
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH: CARL W.
24 year-old Carl Williams sent us a portfolio, got a meeting, “hopped on a couple of trains” and arrived at RWD two months ago. As well as designing some of the mag, the Victoria sponge fan has been revamping our various social media pages. Carl, who would pick Camilla over Kate (“experience is everything”) has high hopes for the future. “I want to break into the world of advertising and work on some award winning, thought provoking projects.” Twitter.com/carlito_w and Carlw.co.uk
RWD Magazine is published monthly by Rewind Creative Media Ltd. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publishers. RWD Magazine: 25p where sold 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 RWD holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of RWD Magazine or it’s staff and we disclaims liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally. RWD is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations
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CONTENTS: 01/04/2011 REGULARS
4-6 INBOX 10 NEWS 14 ENOUGH ALREADY: THE ROYAL FAMILY? 12 DEAR DIARY: RANDOM IMPULSE 16-18 RWD & COME AGAIN: ROYAL WEDDING 20-25 POLITRICKS: ILLUMINATI 26-28 ASICS ONE TO WATCH: JESS MILLS, REWD ADAMS, BENNY BANKS, KEVIN J, RA’ED POETICAL 30-31 ABOUT TO BLOW: THE NAKED AND FAMOUS
STYLE GUIDE
33-38 DENIM 40-41 NEWS 42-43 REFRESHED 44-53 FASHION
FEATURES
54-59 CHIPMUNK 60-62 END OF THE LINE 64-65 HESTA PRYNN 66-67 LUPE FIASCO 68-71 DANNY MACASKILL 72-73 THE BULLITTS 74-75 LIAM BAILEY 76-77 WAKA FLOCKA FLAME 78-79 AJ KING (KISS)
UNWIND
81-85 GADGETS: NINTENDO 3DS AND SONY ERICSSON PLAY 86-87 KEELEY HAZELL 88 FILMS 90-91 GAMES 92-93 GIG GUIDE 94-95 ALBUM REVIEW 96 CHARTS 98 FINAL WORD: LILY LOVELESS 4 / RWDMAG.COM
INBOX LETTERS
INBOX
HAVE YOUR SAY:
There have been some ‘nice’ message about Will & Kate from you guys that we’ll be passing on (to Mi5). The best of the rest is from Jake H who wins a limited Union Jack timepiece from ToyWatch...
PHYSIC MEDIUM
“SO HOW DID GRIME GO FROM BEING CRIMINALISED TO CELEBRATED?” - JAKE H much runs the system (well the stuff that we like anyway). Keep those views coming. Send all your letters to: Attn. Editor, RWD Magazine, W107 Holywell Centre, 1 Phipp Street, London, EC2A 4PS or staff@rwdmag.com
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Dear Editor, In the beginning MC’s battled on rooftops at illegal pirate radio stations in east London. Lyrics about violence and sex clattered over dark edgy 140bpm bedroom beats that no-one really had a name for yet. Fast forward 10 years and what was grime has suddenly become a huge mainstream success. Although now household names, artists such as Chipmunk, Skepta, Devlin and Dizzee Rascal, were once frowned upon by the mainstream. However, many MC’s have turned into award winning “urban artists” as they spit socially acceptable lyrics over what some would call “watered down grime”. So how did grime go from being criminalised to celebrated? Thanks for your time. Jake H Thanks for your letter Jake sorry we had to cut you a little short. We hear you’re passionate about what you do and we’re glad you enjoy doing it. When RWD started grime was just a blip in the system and now it pretty
I won letter of the month... Thank you RWD. Following my call, I’d just like to repeat that I didn’t know that Shadrack and the Mandem were a comedy thing haha. I got emotional cos my boy just got killed by a knife attack and it’s emotional times. I apologise for my rant!!! I feel like a top d**khead. Anyway, here’s that address [removed] to send my headphones to. I still can’t believe my rant about a crew that is a spoof actually won me some headphones. I feel like such an idiot for being upset at a crew who are just joking and I ranted so much I won??? Dopson No worries and thanks for the call. Sorry again about your boy. We hope you enjoy the V-Moda headphones. Modestep Cheating... I’d just like to say, the fans of Modestep are using a bot to gain more votes... upon refreshing the page I noticed that they had gone up by over 300 votes, which cannot happen by people voting. It is illegal and unfair to other artists in the poll. Tigger01ie Who Will Smash 2011, I thought I’d let you know I think that it’s unfair that Modestep and their fans get away with
using an autoclicker / add on whilst everybody else does it normal way. Annika W Hi Modestep on the comp are cheating as they’re using... [this email continues in the same vain for a while]... Chantell Thank you Tigger/ Annika/ Chantell [and the other voters] and thanks to all of the crazy fans that took part in our quick poll to see who you guys think would smash 2011. Just remember we will be counting the emails (and we got thousands of those) not the poll, so watch this space to see who was victorious. Dear RWD, I’ve been in touch before about doing an article in RWD’s style for my coursework. I’ve taken and edited the photos and got it all written up and laid out, the only problem is I can’t find your font. If you could send me them or tell me what they are called that would be a great help. Aaron Hey Aaron, unfortunately the RWD fonts are securely locked away in a safe in Mexico. Every month we pay a ridiculous amount of pesos just to use them so we couldn’t even give out that info if we tried. It’s like Jay-Z says; “They don’t...paint pictures. They just trace me.”
We’re not ones to gossip here at RWD (ahem) so that’s why we’ve hit up the professionals i.e. a physic medium to read into the future of Will and Kate… “They’re going to stay together forever and ever and behind the scenes she (Kate) is stronger than him but they are truly in love and spiritually balanced. She’ll never humiliate him in public or disrespect him, but behind closed doors she’ll give him a b*****king; it’s Kate’s characteristic strength, which he loves most about her. The only thing is she shouldn’t have accepted the ring because it’s got a curse on it; unfortunately there’s also going to be an early death but we can’t talk about that too much, let’s just stay positive.”
INBOX ONLINE
RWDMAG.COM QUICK QUESTION:
13%
RWDMAG.COM USERS CAST THEIR VOTE Each month we give you the chance to answer our Quick Question...
I’m very happy for them
Juliorebello 24 says “Not fussed either way, it’s pretty cool I guess nothing really Should be good, interesting has happened to I love a wedding the royal family in time.”
5%
29%
5%
Don’t care but thanks for the bank holidays
Do you give a fudge about the Royal Wedding?
Shadow Kayuza says “Don’t care but thanks for the bank holidays. Best of luck to Will & Kate, hope you have a great wedding at our expense.”
WHICH DO YOU WANT MORE IPAD 2 OR NINTENDO 3DS?
Bored now, can’t stand the whole thing
48%
Not fussed either way
WILL PRINCE WILLIAM’S HAIR LAST UNTIL APRIL 29TH?
70% 85% 20% 10% I DON’T KNOW YOU KNOW
YES
NO
75% OF
RWDMAG.COM READERS THINK KIM KARDASHIAN’S DEBUT SINGLE IS WORSE THAN PARIS HILTON’S! 8 / RWDMAG.COM
TOP TWEETS @RWDMAG:
1. @mistadee Just have to say I’m really enjoying the content on @rwdmag not just music, news, sport, films = a great read! Keep it up guys! #Recommended 2. @TZPhotgraphy I’ve just realised @RWDmag has an online version of the magazine so I don’t have to see my b*tch of a manager to get the mag :D 3. @dannywalker1 “@DazzaTheDon99: RT @REDmag: Would you eat poo for an iPad 2??? « yes 3 times” LMAO, I think it depends on the size of the chunk?!?!
INBOX NEWS
BIG WILL STYLE
Within the space of a week, the Godfather of Grime Wiley has had the whole scene bussing up over his stream of YouTube videos.
Love him or hate him, Richard Kylea Cowey is one of the most entertaining characters in the UK. Already known for giving away 8million (ish) tracks, and a love for U:Streaming for periods of up to 148 hours (approx), Wiley has decided to have a go at advertising. What started out as (his idea of) viral marketing for his various upcoming musical releases, has evolved into fashion promos, in his jacket and polo, of food (the joys of squeezy jam, plus Wiley’s guide to egg and soldiers) and love for others in the scene, in particular Giggs. We know what you’re thinking, how can Wiley possibly fit all of this into his day? Especially considering his constant barrage of banter on Twitter, reeling in the likes of Labrinth, Chipmunk and Dot Rotten; if you have time Wiley’s timeline is a good read. So whether it’s was Wiley finding Ed Sheeran’s name so hard to pronounce, or calling a crocodile a dragon, or helping people with their butter in jam ramblings, or lastly spraying his bars over, erm his bars, we salute you for making this month a lot! Oh, in case you forgot Offload Volume 1 is out now on iTunes. If you weren’t already, follow Twitter.com/WileyArtist.
10 / RWDMAG.COM
FIDDY’S WORLD OF WHATEVER...
Seeking some self-improvement in her life, journo, consultant, blogger and mentor, Chantelle Fiddy (tries to) find a life. This month: Doorstep appreciation. I’ve always appreciated Prince’s William and Harry. Of roughly the same age, William’s become the designated driver I’d want to give a friendly hug. Harry on the other hand seems the perfect addition to a Friday night out, who given the chance, would don a balaclava and skank at Sidewinder. Along with the Royal Family, there are many other things that are considered institutionally British – think chips, milky tea, not replacing the ‘s’ in a word with a ‘z’ because you feel like switching up a language, Dane Bowers... okay, okay, I digress. Whether you’re a royalist or not it does start making you think about what’s good at home. Our food isn’t as sh*t as people make out. The weather means we don’t sweat loads. TopShop is way cheaper here than in America (HA!). Where music’s concerned, we’ve always been at the forefront of creativity and originality (well except when Dane Bowers got dropped, I’d have turned that around, trust). We’re also adept at building scenes, the foundations of which equal sustainability. Look at organisations like Urban Development – their input into the industry over the last decade, hosting events, seminars, workshops, education programs and the rest have nurtured a generation. With government cuts seeing many projects reigning in their belts (those that can of course survive the hard times), it’s a more important time than ever to go back to the roots. Whatever your genre-du-jour remember why you liked it in the first place and remember where you heard it first. If you’re addicted to trying to blag guest lists now’s the time to chat to your inner wallet. While you owe nothing to the artists, your future aural enjoyment could rest on it. There are other things on your doorstep worth appreciating of course, like the fact that you are free and weren’t born into the royal family, a life of little choice, public condemnation and politricking at every level. Kate Middleton, do one thing for the country I beg of thee – book Dane Bowers for the reception. Urban Development’s Industry Takeover All-Dayer is on 16 April at Richmix, London. Urbandevelopment.couk. Dane Bowers won’t be there. Twitter.com/chantellefiddy and Chantellefiddy.blogspot.com
INBOX DEAR DIARY
DEAR DIARY: Random Impulse
He spits whilst simultaneously strumming strings and backs Jägermeister before shows. This month we allow Random Impulse to let you into his world... Words by Nardene Scott
S
o I’m still working on my studio revamp at the moment, if people saw what I’ve been recording on they’d laugh. I’ve been recording on a £20 mic! So I’ve been getting little things... The Overload video is out there now and there’s been a really, really good reaction, that was a lot of long nights of coffee storyboarding it. The True Tiger remix got played on Radio 1; I’ve known Stanza for years and always been a fan. I wanted a remix and they just extended the arm and it was live. I didn’t sleep for five and a half days getting the EP finished, but I didn’t expect it to have this air of anticipation. I’ve just noticed that when people put out a single they consider it an EP because it’s got more than one track. But I’m not tight; I’m giving three additional songs, all different flavas, just a little extra something to bubble to. I don’t know if I can say, but there’s a few big collaborations on the way. There’s one which I’m very lucky to be a part of but I can’t say or I’ll get in trouble. “Jovel shut up”; they actually said those words, so yeah it’s deep. As far as the refixes, I’ve had to take a break because I did 29 weeks without stopping; I’ve been stocking them up so that everything is still on track. Season 3 is a lot more band influenced as opposed to the first two because there’s a lot of other artists that I listen 12 / RWDMAG.COM
to, there will be a couple of bangers from the urban side though. I’ve had so many shows recently too, playing at YoYo’s, then there’s SXSW, then there’s the o2 in April; I’m on a panel alongside Labrinth, that’s going to be cool and Ed Sheeran is playing there. I’m starting a new YouTube show as well; we’re recording a couple of pilots now. I can’t tell you lot too much about it, it’s a secret. In between everything else, it’s hard to have any sort of plan because everything is so busy but I practise man, every day, I rehearse with my band every week, that’s all we can do. I’m doing a university tour sponsored by Jägermeister, that’s the one! The mad thing is Jäger is like the drink I drink before every gig that’s like my ritual always; I need to let all aspiring musicians know to have one Jäger and lemonade before a show, just an hour before trust me that does magic. Dot Rotten’s coming on the tour with me; we’re in a similar situation, when labels dance around you. So we decided to go on tour. I’ve got four label meetings this week alone, so if I keep my head down and keep on working, I don’t need to worry about anything else. That’s what got me here; just working hard and being creative. Check out Randomimpulses.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter.com/randomimpulse
29 APRIL COMETH What do you think of the royal wedding and tell us what wedding present would you buy the happy couple? I wouldn’t really say I have much of an opinion on it to be honest. In my eyes it’s just as important as anyone else’s marriage. I’m really happy for them both, but simply because they’re two people, that are in love, getting married. I’d buy good old Prince Will a 1968 original Fender Stratocaster electric guitar so he can get his Hendrix on!
INBOX ENOUGH ALREADY
ENOUGH ALREADY: The Royal Family?
Apart from the odd Bank Holiday, an unhealthy distain for corgis (even Queen Lizzie 2 must be bored of poop-a-scooping micro mounds on a Sunday morning, especially after a heavy session the night before), and overwhelming International embarrassment, what have the monarchy given to the masses? We don’t want to sound unpatriotic/ ungrateful/ un-WilliKate but it’s time to weigh up the pros and cons of having these palace dwellers... image by Artjaz
CONS: Being Enough Already, we’ll naturally start with the negatives first... The British royal family have been around for centuries passing down the swelling sceptre of sovereignty (pause) to each generation. Every year they continue the remarkable traditions, uphold the values of their relatives and govern with such grace. The only problem is all of those tremendous traits are maintained by doing absolutely NOTHING whatsoever. Diddlysquat, nada, McZilch... and the Queen’s been studying Noughtology since she was in (gold plated) nappies. Her Royal Majesty is a 10th Dan in Nil-Quan-Do, that ancient Martial Art that leaves the victims dumbfounded because she hasn’t lifted a finger for 106 years. In fact, it would be rude to say that the royal family don’t pitch in because that is an insult to those who revel in the duty of nothing. At least the soap-dodging, sofa-surfing, benefit beneficiaries contribute to one British institution... Jeremy Kyle. For our amusement those dregs drag themselves on from all corners of the UK with tales of extra marital affairs, the drunken disorderly and long-overdue DNA tests... wait, they’re starting to sound more and more like the royal family??? Jezza should do a three hour special. Next con (pun intended), did you know our Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth, 14 / RWDMAG.COM
the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the chick who is on all of our money reportedly receives over £40 million a year (for staff, fire extinguishers at Windsor Castle, royal trips, etc.), this is obviously also shared with the rest of the crew. That is the equivalent of Megaman collecting the So Solid cheques and giving Harvey £20 for a shape up. Imagine £40 million a year...for 59 years??? No wonder she’ll be celebrating a ‘Diamond’ Jubilee in 2012, that’s what the invites will be made out of. And lastly, on a serious note, this is something that is close to my heart; for the imbeciles who were laughing like pregnant hyenas when Charles and Camilla were attacked in the student protests in December; Shame on you!!! I am disgusted at your immature behaviour, disregard for the things that matter and your complete lack of respect... that Rolls-Royce could’ve been seriously damaged. PROS: Having a royal family is great for tourism. So there you go, we’ve fairly weighed up the pros and cons of having a royalty and analysed the Queen’s role as Head of State. We’ll leave the verdict to you... anyone for Pimm’s???
RWD & COME AGAIN! ROYAL WEDDING
16 / RWDMAG.COM
A
plague of pictures starring Prince William and Kate Whatsherface have been plastered everywhere; the papers, the television, the celeb-stained walls of well-wishers and stalkers alike and it seems everyone is excited about their forthcoming ceremony on 29 April. But before Katie back flips down the aisle there’s one question we’d like to ask; who’s paying for this bloody royal wedding? Prince Charles? The Millionaire Middletons? The Queen? One of Bin Laden’s nephews? The humble taxpayer? Whoever it is please read our money saving guide… Wedding planning by Danny Walker images by Rachel Goslin So it looks like the joining in matrimony of Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, KG, FRS and Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton (what a mouthful - the names I mean, not Kate) will be the event of 2011. Well, that and the highly anticipated big screen release of Smurfs 3D. But exactly how much is it going to set Prince Charles back and will he be dipping into his tax payer slush fund to top up those monthly repayments? The UK seems to be blinded by the plethora of Public Holidays to realise that – in one way or another – we’ll be paying for it. When Prince Charles married Camilla in 2005 it only set The Queen back a cool £5 mill’, there’s speculation that Wills x Kate will cost an estimated £50 million. That isn’t even including the estimated £5 million for extra policing that needs to be addressed. Whoever fronts the bill/s, we think the costs need to be reduced, DRASTICALLY.
THE WEDDING CAR(S)...
1000 WEDDING INVITES: THE CHEAPER, THE PLAINER, THE BETTER
RWD: I’m calling on behalf of a client regarding their wedding on 29 April ... WBFS: [Blunt] Yes. RWD: Will you have ANY flowers available? WBFS: [Even blunter] Yes, we have yes. When is the wedding? RWD: 29 April 2011. WBFS: [Incredibly even blunter] Call us TWO weeks before. RWD: How will my ‘client’ know you’ll have everything in stock? WBFS: Huh? RWD: One sec, I just need to find out what flowers Wills and Kate want? WBFS: [Clueless] Huh? RWD: [In the background to ‘client’] WILLS, WHAT FLOWERS DO YOU WANT? WBFS: [Still clueless]. RWD: We’d like ‘nothing too special’? WBFS: [A new level of unhelpfulness] Yes,
COST: £138.98 The urge to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on fancy wedding invites must be overwhelming, especially for a family who have gold plated bidets, eat roasted pheasant for breakfast and have servants to clean out their ears... probably. When ordering wedding invites we found a cheap looking site and went crazy... on the basics... (Plain matt finish, plain white envelopes, no spell check, free delivery, etc.) Remember Will, only invite those who you know won’t turn up. Start the cull with Prince Andrew as we think he’s teaching a few ‘How to be Rude and Embarrassing’ workshops around the same time.
COST: £0 How are the happy couple arriving at the Abbey? We’ve got a dodgy mate called Boris who can get a great deal on transport? Just make sure the vehicles are returned to their docking stations on time.
THE VENUE: WESTMINSTER ABBEY
COST: £WHO KNOWS? One thing which is out of our control is booking the venue. Without even consulting us Wills and Kate are going for their first choice, Westminster Abbey. Don’t worry Kate, it has a few back doors so if you need to do a runner it’s fully equipped.
FLOWERS: DEAL OR NO DEAL
COST: £0 Anyone who has ever stayed awake through a whole wedding will know two things; one; they’re boring as f*ck and two; people certainly know how to waste their money on flowers...We call a flower shop Westminster-based flower shop: [The man sounds like he should be working with fish and chips] Hello, [Westminster-Based Flower Shop].
just call us TWO weeks before. RWD: That a little close to the big day? We can’t dress the Abbey in a couple of days? WBFS: Two weeks... RWD: Ok, thanks. No Deal.
POSH TRANSPORT TO THE RECEPTION
COST: £1,800 When you’re travelling to a royal after party, you have to do it in style... RWD: Hello, I’m calling on behalf of a ‘client’ and I’d love a quote on your best Hummers... Hummer Place: No problem, how many of them are there? RWD: There will be quite a few people at the reception [we withhold the fact that the Abbey seats 2,000]. WBFS: We have eight seaters. And you can hire up to three at a time. RWD: Can you hire them for the day? WBFS: Yeah, the cost is £600 per Hummer. RWD: That’s fine. Cost isn’t really a problem for my ‘client’. Our only concern now is the driver? Can we provide our own driver? WBFS: No, no... we provide our own. RWD: Ah, we’re just concerned about the security because we’ll have some very high profile occupants. WBFS: Where are you looking to go? RWD: Well it will be from Westminster Abbey to a secret location in London where they’re holding their wedding reception? WBFS: Ok, that is no problem... RWD: I need them on 29 April? WBFS: Huh? RWD: Yeah [thinking he’s finally realised] WBFS: And who are the clients and what sort of trip is it? RWD: I can’t divulge that information I’m afraid as a matter of National security? WBFS: [Confused] Alright? RWD: Are the drivers equipped to handle things like a terrorist threat? WBFS: [Confident] Oh... they’re well trained. RWD: Excellent, I’ll get one of my colleagues at the Palace to book it up. WBFS: Ok, thanks a lot, bye... 17
RWD & COME AGAIN! ROYAL WEDDING
WEDDING RECEPTION
COST: £A HELL OF A LOT LESS As Prince William’s mummy was The People’s Princess, there is only ONE place we’ll be holding our wedding reception, Alexandra Palace... The People’s Palace. Ally Pally is a fully licensed venue (so grandma can have a swig of port to the sound of Hype Hype Ting or down some gin and juice to the mushy murmurs of Snoop Dogg’s Wet, the track the Snoop dedicated to the happy couple). With a chill out room which can be utilised by the likes of Camilla Parker Bowles, this will be the perfect place for Kate, Will and guests to get their groove on. With parking for the Hummers and a massive “£2 million refurbishment to the ice rink,” this will indeed be the event of 2011.
FUN AND GAMES
COST: £48 When Tom Cruise wed Katie Homes in 2006 he hired a midget to entertain guests and talk nonsense about the Church of Scientology the whole time. Actually, that was just Tom Cruise. Let’s see if we liven Katie and William’s day... RWD: Hello, I was wondering if you hired 18 / RWDMAG.COM
out uniforms in advance? Reputable Fancy Dress Shop Employee: What was it you were after? RWD: Well, I’m after a uniform for this April. My client’s brother wants to spice things up at a certain wedding reception. RFDSE: Ok, well we have army jackets. RWD: Anything German? Or something that could pass as high ranking Gestapo? RFDSE: [Confused] Erm... Let me check. [Ruffles around a bit] I have a wartime officer that could pass as German, for £48. RWD: Well money isn’t really an issue for my client. Can I book it for this April? RFDSE: Who is it for? RWD: I’m not at liberty to say. RFDSE: [Laughs] Owwwwwww, you can’t say that!!! Just tell me, tell me now. RWD: I can’t say... RFDSE: Is it Prince Harry? RWD: I can’t say who my client is. RFDSE: It is, isn’t it [shouts in incoherent excitement] Oh my gosh, his brother’s wedding is in April, it’s Prince Harry. RWD: I can’t say anything... but please don’t say anything to the press. RFDSE: Ok. There you go, we saved ‘em 10 million.
WEDDING PRESENTS HMMM, A PRESENT FROM A PRINCE AND PRINCESS? THE UK DIGS DEEP…
@JamieHowardHaHa says “What I would buy them for the wedding??? I would buy them Call of Duty and a memento from my ‘gap yah’. What I wouldn’t buy them for the wedding... A Mercedes!!!!” @SangaHQ says “What about a box set of the Royal Family” @JAY_RISKYROADZ says “Hmmm... a Tinie Tempah album” @KojoTweets says “For Will & Kates wedding present I’d get them two tickets to a Beenie Man concert! Every good relationship needs Rum & Redbull to stay sane.” @VHhammy says “I’d give Kate my number so when she’s bored of Will she can bell me ;).” @iLLAMADi says “a Lego Crown!” @MarkieMark1892 says “a bank holiday. Oh wait that’s what they’ve give us...” @akirathedon says “How about a flipping BILL? We already paid for their bloody wedding! And their breakfast! bloody scroungers!”
POLITRICKS ILLUMINATI
What is the Illuminati? Who is the Illuminati? Why are the Illuminati? Ove r the past few years, conspiracy theorists have decreed that some of our biggest stars have ‘sold their soul to the devil’ in order to achieve power, money and success. A secret society, it’s said that the Illuminati run the world and are the ones seeing a ‘New World Order’. But is all a load of nonsense? Or is there moreit to this pyramid love pool of people? DJ Cable, a man who has read extensively about the secret society, breaks down exactly what it is, while Ra’Ed Poetical dissects videos from Lady Gaga and Kanye that people insist ‘prove’ they are members of the Illumi’s. This being RWD, we had to put our own spin on it, so Danny Walker, in ‘CEO Of Fun’ style, helps us all to begin our own secret society; the Hallouminati. Yes, really. images by Rachel Goslin
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Multi award-winning DJ Cable is the tour DJ for Yasmin and owner of digital label Triangulum Recordings. Check him at Djcable.com and Twitter.com/djcable Don’t worry, I’m not going to go off into a David Ike-style rant, and spend the next 800 words telling you that I’m the son of God, and that the Royal Family are really a bunch of shapeshifting reptilians from Alpha Draconis (or somewhere equally as bonkers), who are hell-bent on enslaving the human race. What I will do, however, is attempt to tell you why I think the Illuminati could actually exist, briefly explain who/what they are in layman’s terms, and clear up the rumours regarding whether or not certain recording artists are members. For the sake of not coming across like a complete mentalist, and therefore ruining any credibility I may have within the music industry, I’ll be keeping the conspiracy theories to a minimum. Saying that, I’m pretty sure Elvis is still alive, the moon landings were faked, and that Tupac is actually living in Cuba... Okay, maybe not. Founded in 1776 by German philosopher Johann Adam Weishaupt, the [Bavarian] Illuminati (meaning “the enlightened”) was a secret society dedicated to science and technology. Various influential intellectuals and political figures were members, and over time they also started to recruit members from various Masonic lodges, which apparently caused upset. Eventually the Bavarian government deemed them a threat to the monarchy, and banned all secret societies in 1785. However, it’s argued that they still exist today, consisting of 13 different bloodlines (some of which are descendants from the original Illuminati) from influential financial and political backgrounds (e.g. The Rockefellers and the Rothschilds), pulling the strings on world politics and finance, and have been the main instigators behind certain events. >>
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POLITRICKS ILLUMINATI << Why do I think they could still exist? There are from hundreds of conspiracy theories out there, ranging French the to y, Kenned nt Preside of ination assass the I’ve Revolution, etc, but one of the main conspiracies that ed found interesting (and more believable) is the suppos ruled “New World Order”, where the world will eventually be was by one world government. Evidence suggests that this said, have to quoted was he as , wishes upt’s Weisha of one the “It is necessary to establish a universal regime over take a whole world,” in the Writings of the Illuminati. If you and look at what’s recently been happening in the world, does the fact we’re constantly being watched on CCTV, it make you wonder whether all is what it seems. Some of the signs and symbols associated with the on Illuminati and New World Order can also be spotted ng everyday items; in particular the pyramid and all-seei eye (the Eye of Providence), which are visible on the of reverse of the American one dollar bill and Great Seal and the United States. Rather than go into extensive detail 13 talk about 13 layers of the pyramid (representing the with different bloodlines), the hidden hexagram and its link Occultism, I’ll let you make your own minds up. One of the most recent theories though, is whether rs of artists such as Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye are membe I have the Illuminati, or in league with the devil. As much as this is an open mind when it comes to conspiracy theories, , nonsense. When it comes to arts such as music, fashion film and literature, we are aware that controversy sells. allIn the case of Jay-Z et al, if you throw a few pyramids, your seeing eyes and the occasional occult symbolism in he did videos, then you’re bound to get a reaction. Granted, rs of name his record label after one of the supposed membe in the Illuminati (Rockefeller), has used freemason imagery Roc” “The up throw nally occasio to likes and line, his clothing r, hand sign, which people say is actually a pyramid. Howeve grand to say that he worships the devil and belongs to this masterplan to form one ruling government? That’s just preposterous. Remember, the Illuminati is supposedly made up of bloodlines. You can’t simply join them, like they’re a Sunday league an football team. Could it be possible that Jay-Z is actually marastute businessman, who knows a thing or two about keting and promotion? It’s more likely. The same also goes for Rihanna. Yes, the Umbrella music video does contain some interesting symbolism I (there’s a video on Youtube which explains it all), but argudoubt she’s in league with devil. There’s always the to ment that singers like her are merely puppets, used for spread the word of Satan, but this has been around conyears, with bands such as Led Zeppelin apparently ati do taining Satanic messages in their songs. If the Illumin exist, I’m pretty sure they’d be more interested in taking porary over the world than hiding Occultist lyrics in contem R&B music. So, to answer the question: Are they members of the e. Illuminati? Not at all. Are they Freemasons? It’s possibl Similar to the Illuminati, the Freemasons are also a secret society but are more of a fraternity. According to legend, King Freemasonry was formed during the construction of and Solomon’s Temple, and was divided into various grades 22 / RWDMAG.COM
of classes with responsibilities as described in the rituals the lodge. Nowadays, Freemasons operate in various lodges rs, around the world, with an estimated six million membe some of which are politicians, police officers, and from that financial backgrounds. There are some backhanders most likely go on (part of the society is also built around d helping out your “fellow brother”), and it’s also rumore that some high level members are also into the occult. apron Saying that, I can’t really imagine Kanye wearing an kind and a tricorn without being a diva and having some only of fashion-related meltdown. Also, the Freemasons a. Rihann out rules which , society their into males accept day this in exist ati Illumin the does all it To summarise us and age, and are they pulling the strings on numero e. governments and financial institutions? It’s quite possibl shapeCan you join them? No...Unless you’re some kind of shifting reptilian.
SIGNS, SYMBOLS & SECRETS... No one is safe under the All Seeing Eye of the Illuminati. With everyone from Rihanna to our own Tinie Tempah accused of being a part of this apparent ‘devil worshipping’ cult, we jumped on the Internet to see what exactly these ‘secret society hunters’ were talking about! Words by Ra’ed Poetical RIHANNA: “Princess of the Illuminati” Conspiracy theorists on YouTube have broken down almost each milli-second, to what seems like every video of Ri Ri’s, convinced that the red head Bajan worships the devil! Not one for seeking attention (side eye!), Rihanna has even included the accusations in her S&M video, where the words “Princess of the Illuminati” flash across the screen alongside other bizarre headlines! However, her Umbrella video has by far received the most condemnation from the Illuminati-Watch for its peculiar symbols and unorthodox concept. According to them, the video defines the moment Ri Ri ‘sells her soul to the Devil’, gets possessed and eventually becomes a
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POLITRICKS ILLUMINATI
slave to the ‘dark side’ (Good Girl Gone Bad?... Literally!) The infamous picture of Rihanna, painted in silver chrome, kneeling down on the ground inside a pyramid triangle, apparently represents “Bathomet” (who is a 19th century figure of Satanism!) LADY GAGA: “The Illuminati Puppet” Confessing then explaining in detail, about dreams you have of Illuminati rituals may not have been the wisest decision Lady Gaga made in 2010, as it inevitably led to multiplying the ongoing finger points of being, an ‘Illuminati Puppet’. Gaga has always been under the Devil worshipping firing range for her constant hand signs, covering one eye in pictures and strange symbols in her stage performances: The singer, who turned up to the Grammy’s in an erm, egg [still waiting to hear what that decodes to!] set off the Illuminati alarms in 2009, when she released her famous Paparazzi video [you know the one where her boyfriend pushes her off the balcony!]. According to our Illuminati police, this video signifies Gaga’s fall and rise to the top, with imagery of hypnotism, Baphomet [yes... again!] and Masonic colours, making her an ‘official Illuminati Puppet!’ KANYE WEST: “The Prince of the Illuminati” Mr West seems to make the news for just about anything he does, so it wouldn’t be fair to leave him out on this one! Although he has previously tweeted jokes about his apparent Illuminati membership “I’ve got question about “the illuminati” ...what is it exactly ???... and why do people think pop stars have a membership???!!! LOL” – They are 24 / RWDMAG.COM
still not convinced and believe his Power video was just a waving flag of his alliance. The necklace that he is wearing in the famous video represents “Horus” [who is known to be an Egyptian “God of war and hunting”] and supposedly the video’s entire theme is dedicated to worshipping the bird looking ‘God’ – what type of people worship this thing? The Illuminati of course. Mr West also caused mayhem in 2009 at a Kid Cudi concert when he decided to tell the confused crowd, “I sold my soul to the devil” - we’re convinced however he just enjoys causing controversy whenever speaking on a microphone... [Taylor, are you okay now?] BEYONCE: “The First Lady of the Illuminati” Before we get stampeded on with heels thrown by [crazy,sorry, ‘dedicated’] Beyoncé fans for including her, let us at least explain why Jigga’s other half has been caught up in this Illuminati palaver. You liked the Single Ladies video right? Yeah, we did too. Unfortunately, some didn’t, nor did they like her ‘alter-ego’ Sasha Fierce. Once again, according to the ‘truth activists’ when Ms Knowles decided to unleash Sasha to us, that was actually her possessed by a darker entity [Yes, we are being serious!]. The imagery in her >I Am…> CD also provoked many questions over her cult alliances. Sources claimed her outfit was actually that of the “Sigil of the Church of Satan,” where Baphomet’s head [yes, he’s back again!] can clearly be seen in the middle! Not forgetting the countless times Ms Uh Oh Oh x 10 has been pictures throwing up her hubby’s ROC [All Seeing Eye] triangle hand sign! Ducks cover!
START YOUR OWN SECRET SOCIETY (Shhhhhh!)
If you’re jealous of the Illuminati, the Freemasons, the Stonecutters, the T-Birds, the police or anyone with a Nando’s Black Card, why not start your own secret society? At least that way you’ll know you’ll get in... MAKE SURE IT’S A SECRET The first rule of your new New World Order is, you do not talk about your new New World Order. The second rule of your new New World Order is, you DO NOT talk about your new New World Order; unless you want it to be really cool, have loads of Facebook fans and people following you on Twitter of course? Hey, maybe an up and coming MC will join?
COME UP WITH A COOL NAME What will last the test of time and make its mark on history will be your secret society’s moniker and what you stand for. ‘Illuminati’ is taken from the Latin word ‘illuminatus’ and means ‘enlightened’, why not think of some other cool Latin words like ‘Fellatus’, you could be called ‘The Fellatio Boys’??? Or think of something you’re really into; I’m quite fond of halloumi cheese, anyone want to join the Hallouminati? We’ll give you free pita breads at every meeting.
PRIVATE MEETINGS You’re nothing if you don’t meet up once a week (at an abandoned bingo hall or something) and discuss important things on your secret society’s agenda; gruelling initiations, world domination and who has to do the washing up or take the bins out. Make sure everyone knows the time, the place and whose turn it is to bring the custard creams.
WEIRD YET INSPIRATIONAL HANDSHAKE You HAVE to get this right, we can’t stress this enough. Your secret greeting will set you apart from the dregs of society... AND confuse the f**k out of people on road. If any fledgling fiend followers want to use this we don’t mind; fist to fist, handshake, fist to fist, palm to wrist, palm to fist, fist to wrist, ball tickle, head, shoulders, knees and toes.
SUPERSTAR STATUS If you get a few famous faces (celebrities, CEOs, someone who used to be in The Bill) then your new surreptitious side project will slowly start to take over the world. Imagine seeing Obama do your new handshake (again, feel free to use the aforementioned) or Katy Perry get a piece of halloumi tattooed to her bosom? Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility...
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presents
ASICS BIKU CV
ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE This spring, ASICS introduce their new low profile silhouette shoe; with it’s roots on the volleyball court, the ASICS BIKU CV is a great example of retro sport styling with an urban twist using clean lines and simple colours. It’s a real winner. Talking of which, we have three pairs to give away to three very lucky people. All you have to do is email (subject: ASICS) iwannawin@rwdmag.com and you’ll be in the running to get yours... Check RWDmag.com/terms for more.
JESS MILLS
“I don’t really think it was so much of a conscious decision; I just never had a plan B,” Jess explains of the roots of her passion for singing. Despite taking a short hiatus to study Social Anthropology and Philosophy at Brighton University. “For that whole experience of moving out of the city down to Brighton with all your mates. It’s just a total laugh basically,” the Ibiza lover found herself catapulted staright into music. Teaming with friend Dom from The Nextmen, she hooked up with Adam Midgley to form band My Girl Friday. Now though, she’s flying solo, working with Breakage and is about to head to Australia as a vocalist for the Leftfield tour. Before even getting her own album together, the Fighting Fire singer, who signed to Island last August, has been vocalising Leftfield classics across the globe. “Yeah we were playing to 33,000 people headlining gigs,” she says of touring with the electronica duo. “There’s a few serious perks, Ibiza is like the motherland for me, I f**king love it. I go there every year,” the fashionista laughs.” Having first ventured to the legendary Glastonbury at the age of 9 (“I’m a sort of veteran”), the Portishead, Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac fan goes on to tell us what her and James Breakage have been cooking up for her debut album due later this year. “The music I’m doing with Breakage is not all in the guise that people have been used to seeing from him; it’s more electronic. He’s amazing, he’s got the ability draw and cross reference so many different sounds from the musical world.” This unique electronica hybrid boasting with live instrumentation has resulted in a friend of the Kentish Town native calling her first single, the Breakage produced Vulchers a mixture between Wu-Tang and Portishead. “The drums have got this really hard, almost live sounding hip hop and a much more soaring sounding vocal,” she explains. Drawing on life experiences 80% of the time, lyrically the metallic catsuit wearing writer (check out the vid!) covers a myriad of subjects on the album which she’ll be test driving throughout the year; including love and break ups, confronting your demons on upcoming single Vulchers and living life from the heart on Live For What You Die For. When asked about the upcoming royal wedding Jess responds honestly. “Is it really bad to say that I don’t really give a toss,” she laughs. “I’m very happy for them but I couldn’t even tell you what day it’s on.” Fighting Fire is out now. Follow Twitter.com/jessmillsmusic
REWD ADAMS
For all those puzzling, wonder no more: “Rewd is an anagram of my first name Drew, and Adams is my second name,” says the UK rapper formerly known as Skandal. The name change came about after Rewd saw too many others with the same name in the music scene, which he felt stripped away his identity. Describing himself as a “UK rapper that sings, produces, and has music waiting in the wings that goes a lil’ beyond that margin,” the name isn’t the only thing that’s changed when it comes to Rewd. The music itself has evolved too, with the insightful MC getting his Plan B on in the Black The Ripper featuring Drift Away, or fully going in on This, Promise and Hurt. With Radio 1 airplay, heavy support from the blogs and support slots with Joell Ortiz and Raekwon, we think artists should change their name more often. Check out rewdadams.com to download the free LP. Twitter.com/rewdadams (NS)
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photography by Tao Ruspoli
Having teamed up with Breakage on the massive Fighting Fire - which she wrote in 15 minutes - Nardene Scott grabs some time with Island signed singer/songwriter Jess Mills...
BENNY BANKS
Despite only starting to rap in the summer of’ ‘09 after uploading a video onto his now manager’s website Zee TV (part of Cream Block’s collective of MC’s), north Londoner Benny’s carefree flow has already earned him a lot of support in a short space of time. The Streets, Plan B and Styles P fan is currently working on a free mixtape for the fans he’s racked up via SBTV and 1xtra’s Fire In The Booth. “I’m giving them a free download which is payback for everyone supporting, there’s gonna be a lot of big features, a lot of big producers on there...I got people like Joe Black on there,” Banks tells us. You can also look forward to more emotion lyrically on the mixtape, the chilled out rapper briefs us. “Rather than gas... I’m coming from the emotional side of things and the struggle side of things, so people can relate to that.” Ahead of his mixtape dropping in April, look out for another mixtape featuring the fluent MC, Joe Black and Squeeks produced by Westy.Twitter.com/MrBennyBanks (NS) 27
ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE
presents
KEVIN J
The day after the anniversary of his third year in the game, comedian Kevin J tells Danny Walker the secret to his impending success...
“I’ve never sat down and studied it,” laughs the 22 year-old, Kojo inspired comic of the origins of his Nigerian impression, which is as frighteningly funny as it is accurate. “Some people are good at football, some people are good at maths, and I guess accents are just easy for me!” Although this former class clown didn’t excel in either sports or arithmetic in north London’s Park View Academy, he soon found his feet at the foot of a mic stand. “I didn’t tell anyone apart from my mum,” the iPad owning, Zara wearing, Tinie Tempah listening, Tweet-a-holic chirps of his successful first gig. “She was happy for me but also nervous too; it’s a risky thing to go on stage and put yourself into the firing line. Once I got the ball rolling, everyone was really supportive!” In three short years, that family backing has seen him earn Best Newcomer on MTV Base, and helped him perform all over the world. “My dad’s not very affectionate at all,” the tea loving entertainer says of the true-to-life anecdote which actually garnered one of his biggest laughs at the Hackney Empire gig, in which he supported one of his favourite comedian’s Danny ‘Slim’ Gray. “When he found out I was going Nigeria he actually said, ‘Take care I love you,’ which shocked me [laughs]. I thought, ‘If my dad’s telling me this, I better take care!’” Although Mr. J doesn’t give a ham about the royal wedding (“I’m a fan of the bank holidays though! And I think they should start with Jägerbombs at the reception, that will get the Queen up to do the Candy dance,”) he has his goals hammered into his sights. “I’d love to get [my own show] I Love Comedy on TV, we’re getting bigger and bigger every year.” We’re pretty sure it’s just a question of [comedy] time [ing]. Myspace.com/kevinjcomedy and Twitter.com/kevinjcomedian. See more over on RWDmag.com
RA’ED POETICAL...
23 year-old Ahsan Khan AKA Ra’ed Poetical is one of the UK’s most interesting rising young writers. During difficult times, RP turned to poetry to express how he was feeling. “I always enjoyed writing as a kid; friends and family read some of my stuff and told me I need to get published, so it took off from there really.” He’s just published his first book, One Day It’ll Make Sense, a collection of poetry focusing on “various social issues that youths from urban culture face... Each poem is based on different aspects of struggle i.e. depression, gang culture, teenage pregnancies - and illustrating how I dealt with it.” Currently also working for RWD, Urban Development and MTV Wrap Up, this budding penman hopes to edit his own magazine one way. Get ODIAMS online from Waterstones, Tesco and WHSmiths and check Ra’Eds 140 character based musings on Twitter.com/MrPoetical (HC)
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THE NAKED AND FAMOUS
ABOUT TO BLOW! THE NAKED AND FAMOUS
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Kiwi’s David, Thom, Aaron, Jesse and Alisa are currently the musicians putting their country on the map. Having made it into the BBC Sound of 2011 list whilst continuously being courted by international media and confirming festival dates around the world Nardene Scott meets The Naked and Famous ahead of their first headline gig in London to find out more about the laidback band... Walking through the tunnels of Charing Cross’ Heaven nightclub to the backstage area, we find pool tables and arcade games deserted as we discover the band splayed across leather sofas; some are watching Dragon Ball Z on their laptops, others are catching 40 winks and just generally chilling out whilst Wolfgang, their support act, complete their sound check. “We’re here indefinitely until September. October we’re touring around everywhere and this is where we going to be based, so it’s crazy,” drummer Jesse drawls of the band’s new temporary UK home as he and bassist David join us for a chat. “It’s unfortunate that you get to go to some places and you’re never really there for too long, so you can’t be a tourist which sucks,” David chips in. Well there’s definitely enough time for them to venture around the UK before heading over to the US supporting Brit band The Foals, which the drummer with the serious blonde tresses is still trying to get his head around. “It just doesn’t make sense, it’s awesome”. Having had their songs used for adverts back in New Zealand and Australia, Skins promos here and in episodes of Gossip Girl over in the States, you pretty much have to have been hiding in a cave not to have heard the catchy lyrics and gently captivating tone of vocalists Thom and Elisa. Metal fan Jesse fills in the gaps for us. “In 2006 Thom, Elisa and Aaron got together and started writing some material, they did a couple of EP’s in 2008, then in early 2009, me and David joined and we just started working on the album,” he continues. “Thom and Elise are principal song writers and Aaron and Thom producers, and the album was basically recorded in early 2010.”
Passive Me, Aggressive You already considered a classic by some, features as the bass strummer puts it “alternative pop music” produced at home on laptops, passed back and forth via the electronic highway. It was recorded in just a fortnight at legendary Auckland studio, The Lab. “We did all the big instrumental stuff in the studio, but the rest of the electronic production was done at home,” Jessie tells us before breaking down the album lyrically. “According to Thom and Elisa they said it’s more like themes and ideas than isolated things or writing for one particular thing... So Young Blood for example is that theme of youth being young and naive and making mistakes, Spank has that sort of panicky vibe, dealing with being isolated and strange.” No wonder TNAF appeal to the producers of all of those teen programmes. So other than making incredible music, what are The Nakeds actually like once they put the instruments down? “We’re all pretty mellow, just watching cartoons that’s about it, we’re not really crazy kind of people,” the guys decide. They usually give away tequila from their rider to the crew, sticking to water after gigs rather than tweeting. “Jokes about getting drunk are funny. When you’re 15.” Ohhhkayyy, changing the subject, abruptly, we ask David about what we can expect from TNAF live. “I always want to be in the audience to watch us, and it sucks because you never get that opportunity” he says. “We’re just really excited to be here and have all these shows coming up,” adds Jesse, coming to life briefly just as the interview wraps up. “To be here now and have it all here happening is truly amazing.” Check thenakedandfamous.com for tour dates and follow @ tnafofficial on Twitter. Passive Me, Aggressive You is out now 31
STYLE GUIDE STYLE: DENIM | FASHION NEWS | REFRESHED | FASHION
>>
WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT...
FEATUR MAVERI ING C SABRE K THE DUFFER OF ST. GEORGE jdsports.co.uk, £59.99
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STYLE GUIDE MENS DENIM
TRUE BLUE
When an invite to an occasion says dress smart/ casual look no further than these denim treats... concept by DJB images by Jake Green styling by Irene Asanji
THE DUFFER OF ST. GEORGE jdsports.co.uk, £59.99
NEW ERA Gatsby neweracap.co.uk, £28
NIKE 6.0 Balsa Mid nikestore.com, £57
LEVI’S 1890s 201 Super Stoned jeans levi.com, £90
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LUKE luke1977.com, £40
SECOND SON supralondon.com, £85
BENCH Surfdome.com, £39.99
LEVI’S Levi Slim Fit Trucker Clean Sweep jacket levi.com, £95
NEW ERA 59Fifty neweracap.co.uk, £30
LUKE luke1977.com, £75
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STYLE GUIDE MENS DENIM
ONITSUKA TIGER onitsukatiger.com, £65
SUGAR CANE togged.com, £469.99
ADIDAS ORIGINALS adidas.com/originals, £55
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LEVI’S Tide Dyed shirt levi.com, £70
PH 7 threadsaddiction.com, £210
ADIDAS ORIGINALS adidas.com/originals, £65
TED BAKER 020 8970 6273, £60
ETO JEANS etojeans.co.uk, £44.99
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STYLE GUIDE WOMEN’S DENIM
LEE smock dress Surfdome.com, £40
FREDDY freddy.com, £40
RUTME 0203 358 0030, £69
NUMPH numph.dk, £70
LIPSY lipsy.co.uk, £55
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STYLE GUIDE FASHION NEWS
GREAT VYBZ
Who doesn’t love a Clarks shoe. When RWD were kids, we rocked them real hard. Now the British brand is enjoying a resurgence with the latest in their smart shoes... When Vybz Kartel sang “Clarks is a badman shoe’ (roughly translated), he reminded those of us not in Jamaica that the quintessential British footwear brand are indeed some of the finest high street shoemakers around. From the desert boot to the Wallabe (shout out Ghostface), Clarks compliment every look you might care to rock this Spring. For the girls, the Yarra Desert in Walnut Suede (£99) are an absolute must-have, while the boys have their pick of the crop with the Mead range. Featuring super soft suede, the Mead Welt comes in chocolate, tan and apple tan, while the classic brogue is redone in letterbox red and white with canary yellow trims. For £89.99 from a Clarks near you (or Clarks.co.uk) you, and Kartel, know it makes sense. “A weh yuh get dah new Clarks deh dahdi?... A you alone have dah style deh dahdi di queen fi England haffi love off yardi.” Yes. Exactly. Don’t be surprised to see Queenie rocking some desert boots this April. 40 / RWDMAG.COM
UMBRO COSMOS COLLECTION
To celebrate the launch of the new home shirt for Major League Soccer legends the New York Cosmos (who are coming back), Umbro and Future Shorts, went all out earlier in the month and brought a slice of the big Apple to east London. A soccer spirited Secret Cinema shindig was held in the depths of Shoreditch, and the venue was renovated into a 1970s New York block party with over 250 guests let loose to revel in all things Cosmos. After being shown the iconic New York Cosmos film Once In A Lifetime, lucky invitees (including yours truly) got to see the collection in the flesh. Inspired by the 1977 kit, worn by Pelé – during the season the star played his last ever professional game – the range itself takes key attributes from the original Cosmos uniform and places them onto classic Umbro sportswear silhouettes. Former New York Cosmos goalkeeper Shep Messing attended and recalled his time at the club: “Playing for the Cosmos can only be described as a dream, I played in the most famous team in the world with the best players in the world, it was a fantastic experience. When I heard the Cosmos were coming back my heart skipped a beat, I can’t wait to see the team back on the pitch and experience the atmosphere once more.” Trevor Cairns, International Chief Marketing Officer for Umbro perfectly summed up the whole evening. “We wanted to look at an alternative way to showcase the new spring/summer 11 Cosmos collection. Taking our audience through the history of The New York Cosmos and then introducing the rebirth was a great way to tell them the story and introduce them to the new Cosmos on-field and off-field collection.” The Spring/ Summer 2011 New York Cosmos range will be available from March 2011, all inspired by the legacy and promise of The New York Cosmos and brought back with Umbro’s English football tailoring style. For more check Umbro.com
WHEELS UP
Wayne shows his soft side with Jeremy Scott’s latest sneakers... What do the Beastie Boys, Kurt Cobain and skater Stevie Williams all have in common? Well, they’ve all graced the legendary site that started life as Rough Trade in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden. The once one-stop vinyl Mecca, where the Beasties did their first ever UK show, is now the site of Slam City Skates, a site that has dedicated itself to the art of four little wheels and a big plank of wood for nigh on 25 years. This last February, One Distribution launched ONE at Slam City, with Williams as well as his fellow pro’s Chad Muska and Ali Boulal and actress Jamie Winston. The space is the new site for essential apparel-ists (is that even a word?) KR3W and Supra, AKA the perfect place to pick up the most hardy in denim and kicks. The store, in homage to the site’s rich history and cultural relevance will produce unique products that reflect Skate City’s rich history. 16 Neals Yard, Covent Garden, London, WC2H.
KIMBERLY WYATT
From the upper echelons of Pineapple Studios, we catch up with former PCD turned Her Majesty & The Wolves frontwoman, Kimberly Wyatt... When you were judging on Sky 1’s Got to Dance, and dancers were blatantly rubbish, what did you say? [Laughs] I didn’t think I had a face but then I watched it back and I did. Like, ‘Ew, I need to work on that,’ [laughs]. I do have a face but I wasn’t aware I was making it. And how did today’s session go? It’s been an incredible day being involved with vinspired has been inspiring in itself. I’ve met with the Movement Factory, who are going to put on a performance at the vinspired national awards on 17 March. You went to the BRITs with Taio Cruz (as friends) but what kind of guy do you go for? An honest guy who is ambitious, creative and talented. And communication is key. What type of style do they have? [Based on some gossip we heard] An Olly Murs type style? [Laughs hard] That is so NOT true [laughs]. I like an individual/ humble style. I’m not really attracted to a certain type. Chauvinism is unattractive. Are you aware of Will and Kate’s impending marriage? [High pitched] Yes, how could you not be? I just hope that they’re in love and they continue to work at staying in love and communicating. What kind of first dance do you think they should have? Tinchy Stryder or Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers (Dubstep Remix) [Room laugh]... or Her Majesty & The Wolves Glaciers (Roksonix Dubstep Remix). That would be even cooler. Kimberly Wyatt is supporting the vinspired national awards to celebrate and recognise young volunteers for the inspirational work they do. To find out about the awards go to vinspired.com 41
STYLE GUIDE REFRESHED
“When I shave I always wet shave because it’s better for my kind of skin.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
LAB SERIES MAXIMUM COMFORT SHAVE CREAM
(labseriesformen.co.uk, £13 for 100ml) Sounds like you like to get real close with your shave Artur. As long as you have a steady hand and a good shaving cream you’ll be fine. That’s where Lab Series, who’ve been catering for men’s faces since 1987, come in to play. This Comfort Cream is rich for a smooth shave.
REFRESHED
With millions of people watching Prince William on his special day, we’ve got a feeling his suit, stylist and shape-up (not that he’s got much hair) will be on-point. This month’s ReFreshee, Artur Rovira, is more than regal when it comes to his ReFreshment regime... words by Danny Walker photography by Kevin Joseph hair by Michael Damiano for Wahl makeup by Analisa Sarno knitwear by luke1977.com
ARTUR ROVIRA (18)
My ambition is... “To be a really good teacher one day. I love passing on knowledge.” During the day... “I work hard and take care of my body.” I like to... “Have a good time with my friends, go to galleries, enjoy nature - walks in parks and things like that - and discover new people.” How long do you take to get ready?
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I only take five minutes to get ready. What would be your best job/ worst job? I’m not sure about a best and worst job but whatever you guys do [journalism], I’d love it, [why thank you Artur but it’s not all trips to America and film screenings you know] [Ed: Well...]. I’ve never had a terrible job. I can’t think of one either. So tell us Artur, what is
your reason for being ReFreshed? I think the main reason is to feel comfortable and make sure you leave a positive impression on people and feel good throughout the day. To be featured, send us a pic of yourself and why you should be included. Email (subject: Refresh Me) to refreshed@rwdmag.com
“On my body I use moisturisers and natural vitamins.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
ABSOLUTION LA CRÈME DE L’HOMME
(beautique.com, £49 for 30ml) Launched in the UK earlier in 2011, after success in France, this bespoke luxury unisex range will adapt to your skin’s needs. With bamboo, hemp oil (for firming and repairing), baobab seeds oil, ginseng, Aloe Vera juice and a whole lot more natural goodness.
MUST HAVES:
“You might not know but I use moisturising masks too.”
Wedding or no wedding, we all deserve to look good…
RWD RECOMMENDS:
BAXTER OF CALIFORNIA CLARIFYING CLAY FACIAL MASK
“I take a lot of pride in looking after my body during the day.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
DIESEL ONLY THE BRAVE SHOWER GEL
(carterandbond.com, £18 for 120ml) Nothing wrong with a man who takes pride in his appearance; straighteners, man bags, bang bang boots... men be doing it all. This cleanser is the latest in a long list of products to make us. Packed to the rafters with Bentonite and Kaolin clays this mask will absorb any excess face oil and leave you well cleansed. Enjoy.
(Available from Selfridges, £22 for 200ml) Artur we know you like taking care of yourself during the day so what better way to start than jumping in the shower with Diesel’s explosive scent, Only The Brave. Not only does it leave the skin revitalised it will add a manly whiff to your walk and invigorate your pits and your life at the same time. What woman will be able to resist?
“On my hair, I use a new treatment that comes from Brazil called Keratin.”
HAIR: ghd Gold Mini Styler (ghdhair.com, £119) Very sleek and very manly, the new Gold series from ghd is big.
RWD RECOMMENDS:
LOCK STOCK & BARREL GROOMING LONDON VOLUMATTE
(In salons and barbershops nationwide, £16.50 for 20g) As well as championing all things Keratin, those crazy scientists over at Lock Stock.. have just released a revolutionary prep and styling hair volumising powder. We likey!
SKIN: Freederm (freederm.co.uk, £4.99 for 10g) Don’t be afraid to get a little assistance in the skincare department.
AFTERSHAVE OF THE MONTH PAUL SMITH OPTIMISTIC
(Exclusively from Boots from 1 May, £34 for 50ml) ‘Paul Smith has no time to doom and gloom,’ reads the info that came with their latest fragrance. This new Eau de Toilette from the creative brand is all about seeing the positive in everything and capturing “The youthful enthusiasm and energy I see around me every day,” says Smith. Vigorous sparkling citrus meet exotic peppery notes to create a vibrant sensual fragrance which is both warm and seductive. With a bottle design to match the smell this is a definite winner.
BODY: Tweezerman (tweezerman.co.uk, £24) Clip, snip and file down those unsightlies. Brilliant little kit.
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Maverick Sabre wears Solid Pine hoody £44.99 denim £49.99 all by The Duffer of St. George 44 / RWDMAG.COM
ON THE BUTTONS With Maverick Sabre A few days before the unveiling of his new release, The Lost Words EP, music maestro Maverick Sabre is adding the final touches to what people are already describing as his best work to date. Following on from the well received Travelling Man mixtape, introspective tracks like Look What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Done and Run to the Roof reflect on love, life and the pleasures/ perils of growing up in these times. Much like Maverick Sabre The Duffer of St. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new collection is all about encapsulating the goings on of the modern day and putting their own spin on things... but not without hard work and a nod to yesteryear.
The Duffer of St. George is available exclusively at JD, for more info check jdsports.co.uk Directed: DJB Photography: Vincent Dolman Styling: Mark Haddon Grooming: Oriona Robb 45
Maverick Sabre wears Riggs rugby shirt £39.99 denim £49.99 Tonnant footwear £34.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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denim £49.99 and leather high tops £49.99 both by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Fifth Gear jacket £39.99 Riggs rugby shirt £39.99 both by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Tonnant footwear £34.99 denim £49.99 Calgary T-shirt £19.99 Claypool baseball jacket £44.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Palmers sweat £44.99 Flying Tiger T-shirt £19.99 denim £49.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Striker jacket £49.99 Huntington T-shirt £14.99 denim £49.99 Conqueror navy trainer £39.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Clegg fleece hoody £49.99 Clegg jog pants £34.99 leather high tops £49.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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Maverick Sabre wears Home Run jacket £49.99 Contest long sleeved polo shirt £29.99 denim £49.99 all by The Duffer of St. George
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INTERVIEW CHIPMUNK
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First featured in RWD back in November 2007, Chipmunk has gone from a teenager with street heat to one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest pop stars. Gracing our cover for the second time in two years, Chippy sits down with Hattie Collins to trace the disintegration of grime, the suicidal tweets, and how, ultimately, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s come out on top as a Champion... concept by DJB images by Andres Reynaga styling by Neesha Sharma tattooist Sparx from London Tattoo, Goswell Road, Angel, London
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utside a non-descript tattoo shop in north London, there are about six girls screaming so loud they’re threatening to shatter the lens of the nearby paparazzi. “Ohmygodohmygod I love you Chipmunk. I was at that show in Peckham three years ago when some boy threw a bottle at you! I beat him up!” shouts one, before flinging herself onto the 6’ frame of the non-perplexed 20 year-old as the papp takes his snaps. “Thanks man, it’s all good, I appreciate that,” he grins laconically as the girls continue to pierce ears within a 50 mile radius. “I have fans from the beginning that have grown with me and have accepted whatever choices I’ve made as an artist,” he reflects back inside the tatt shop sipping on a cup of tea with five – FIVE – sugars. “I came into this year saying I’m going to make what I want, I don’t give a sh*t if it sells. Champion is what I wanted to make and it sold, so I’m happy. I’m just doing what I want and it’s working. It’s good to know I can be me – no character, no gimmick – this is Jahmal Fyffe’s life being executed to the public.” And what a 20 years it’s been. In our four or so years dealing with the Tottenham MC, we’ve seen him grow from self-assured mid-teen to effervescent chart-hitter popping bottles in the club with his mates Skepta and JLS. During that time he’s had shots fired from Wiley, tweeted about depression, recorded in LA, shot videos in South Africa, went platinum with his debut I Am... Chipmunk, won two MOBO’s and had a No.1, a No.2 and three other top 10 singles. In 2010, after experiencing the realities of fame and the pressures it can bring, he took himself away to concentrate on his new album. As he explains below, there was a strategy, but the only tactic was to make the music he wanted. And Transition doesn’t disappoint; it’s hard and it’s lyrical yet it has got the capability to smash the charts around the chops, as the Chris Breezy featuring Champion proved. We don’t like to have favourites here at RWD, but we have to say Chipmunk is a bit one of ours. Intelligent, witty, friendly, incredibly down to earth and just really very likeable, he’s an artist we truly believe will have a long and thriving career. But enough of the breading; take a seat beside us as RWD and Chip get inked up... Tattoos. You have a lot. (Laughs). Yeah. I love tattoos. I got into it before it was the ‘in thing’. I’m just moving with the times man, having fun with my life. When I’m old and wrinkly, they will be old and wrinkly too!
What’s next to get inked? I’m going to get my top half of my back done. With the RWD logo? No (laughs). I’m going to get ‘Champion’ written with some mad skulls and stuff. It’s about 18 months since we last had you on the cover – how’s life been? Life since I was last on the cover has been me trying to find myself as an artist. I’ve been around different genres but I’ve been finding myself as an artist, having fun, and doing everything that I think everyone my age wants to be doing, so I can’t complain (laughs). I’ve been putting out music, reaping the rewards of hard work, having fun, drinking, partying, chicks... it’s all good. What’s been your wildest night out so far? I’ve had a quite a few but Glasgow with Diddy was pretty mad. It was a different sort of party. It was just close people in a private pool, so that was cool. There was no cameras there on the day, you know what I mean, so I don’t know if I can go into the in’s and out’s, but it was a private pool party. Diddy’s a really cool dude; he’s embraced what’s happening here in the UK, very strongly. I met him through Skepta – shout out to Skepta for that link - but since I met him I’ve gone on to do further work with Dawn and Kelena of Dirty Diddy Money. How do you think the US involvement of Diddy and Whoo Kid etc., helped the UK scene? To be honest, I don’t know too much about the Whoo Kid mixtape thing but it’s good that it’s getting to the point where it’s normal for them to f**k with us. Word for word, swag for swag, it doesn’t look too bad when Skepta is next to Diddy, it doesn’t look bad when I’m next to Chris (Brown), we’re being respected for what we are; British creators of a new wave. We’re the first of a successful wave. When So Solid had it, it was just So Solid. When Dizzee had it, it was just Dizzee. Now it’s a wave and we’re the first of the wave so however far this is going to go, it’s only down to us. Lets talk Transition. You get your whole life to write your first album, you get a year to create your second. How did you feel about topping I Am Chipmunk? Honestly, I held back on my first album so people could see the growth in my second album. Little things like my voice changing, writing an album at 16, 17, but now I’m 20 people are going to hear the growth and development of me as a person; I want to engage with my fans. A lot of people try to please the person that doesn’t like you. I broke it down as people that don’t like you, potential fans and fans. The potential fans are just waiting for that song that they can engage with, that relates to them, and then there’s the fans that love everything you do. So I’m working with the fans and the potential fans. On the track Then And Now, you talk about Sidewinder and Jammer’s Basement. What do you miss about those days? It’s funny you should pick up on that because I had a very successful career as a grime MC, that’s how I mastered the craft of rhyming, but I’ve never been to Sidewinder, I skipped Jammer’s basement, I skipped Eskimo Dance. North London wasn’t a part of it, apart from Skepta. So the career I had and the path I took was one where I kind of got pushed as the pinnacle of my generation for the speed of success rate that you could have. People forget that I’m from me, Griminal, Ice Kid and Double S. That’s my age group, that’s my stratosphere of artists, that’s where I come from. I found my own lane, >> 57
INTERVIEW CHIPMUNK
<< my own path. It’s good to know that there’s different paths for different artists, but as for Sidewinder, I’ve never been. How do you feel about ‘#teamuk’ and grime in general? ‘Me I want the whole film/ F**k the scene’ (laughs). Honestly, #teamuk I root for, I vouch for. The scene? I think that’s too broad a stratosphere, what it is right now. Due to bickering and artist segregation, it’s my personal opinion that the scene is deteriorating because MC’s aren’t embracing other MC’s success. That’s how I see it. That why me, right now, I don’t want no part of no beef, or diss track reh-teh-teh. As long as I’ve got Champion at No.2, sales-wise, it doesn’t kill me to go and do a freestyle video, so I’m going to make sure I still do those. As for the scene, I don’t really know what it is right now. #teamuk I’m rooting for all day. 58 / RWDMAG.COM
You’ve pretty much ignored Wiley’s Twitter jabs. I mean, Wiley, honestly... It’s not a problem for Wiley to get my number so if he tweets me something, I feel like... some of the things he gets away with saying, no one else gets away with. But I’m about what’s fair, and I don’t think I could get away with ‘ethnic banter’ [Ed: Wiley recently tweeted that he would ‘slap the turban off the next Asian man I see’ causing upset throughout the Asian community], so however you want to put it, Wiley, I respect what he’s done, musically, for our country, but as a person the respect is going down. But it’s all love. Did you ever have doubts that Champion would do what it did? Champion, I had doubts of the success on paper, by which I mean sales. To sell, you need TV, you need radio. Obviously, Chris had his situation that prevented him getting on TV
and radio playlists, but I’m just glad that the UK embraced a Chipmunk song featuring Chris Brown and they gave it the support I honestly feel it deserved, just for the sentiment of the song, and where it showed I was going as an artist. It hit No.2 so big up everyone for buying it. Do you think Chris can put the past behind him now? I think Chris has put the past behind him and I think the people that are holding on... like I don’t see Rihanna is holding on (laughs), you see videos like S&M, so... I think bygones is bygones. Everybody lives, but not everybody learns so to understand you’ve made a mistake and take full responsibility – and to not try and share that responsibility – that shows the growing of a good person. You’ve lined up Keri Hilson for the next single, In The Air. She’s amazing. The US acts that are on my album, it’s not Chipmunk trying to ‘crack America’, it’s Chipmunk trying to create the best possible album that he can for the UK and understanding that my fans are fans of Keri Hilson, Trey Songz, Mavado, Wretch, Chris Brown... As a listener, when I bought Kanye’s album and I saw the feature list, I thought ‘This is going to be an event’. So I wanted to duplicate that in my own style and form, so it’s like all these artists are working with me. All these people are showing they respect the UK. We go for dinner, we go clubbing, we sit and talk about music. I went for dinner with Trey and Ne-Yo and the guidance that they gave me, being seniors in the game, is unbelievable. Why is Wretch is the only UK artist on the album? He’s on Armageddon because I believe that Wretch’s ability on his play on words is the best in the UK. I sincerely believe that. His style was a big influence on me. I’m not that MC that pretends I wasn’t influenced by the MC I grew up listening to or grew up with. When I was with Frisco, you could tell. I had his flows, he had mine. Wretch has got it. I’m about confidence, flair, swag, triple meanings, all of that, so it made sense. He’s like a mentor to me, guidance wise, not letting people get to me, and making me always believe in my own ability. Was there anyone you wanted to get that you couldn’t? Yeah, there were a lot of UK artists to be honest. I tried reaching out to Plan B, I was in the studio with Jessie J, just mucking around, doing what writers do. I tried to get Jay Sean but he’s been mad busy so we’re good. There was a few of them, still, but I don’t dwell on them things. I think a few of them might have thought I was written off for a second, but obviously... I’ve noticed people gravitate towards what’s new more than anything else. When you’re new and you have that spark, you carry it for as long as you can. And that’s not knocking anyone. I’ve had the ‘new guy’ buzz, Tinchy’s had it, Dizzee’s had it. When you have it, you’re everything, they love you. But pop music buyers, they have the gravitation span of that [snaps fingers]. So I really had to sit and study how I was going to come back as a new artist. That’s what it’s about with me, the music. I have got to give good music. Transition is very deep; what’s the most honest track? Transition is a real honest album and every single track is real gospel truth, but my most heart on my sleeve track is Picture Me into Pray For Me... Everything is from the heart. But those other two, I don’t really go in like that unless I’m p**sed off. You talk about losing yourself for a minute on Picture Me. Yeah, I will openly say I lost myself for a minute; I fell into the trap of making a pop song cos it was too easy man (laughs). Once I mastered it, I was laughing all the way to the bank. But just studying something and reaping the rewards, it’s easy to
fall into a pattern, which I did. But what got me noticed was the words that came out of my mouth. So, I’m back (laughs). On Pray For Me you describe the realities of being famous; the suicidal tweets, issues with your family... Yeah. I feel like, everyone does want to be famous and that’s not a bad thing, but the worst combination is broke and famous (laughs) cos then you’re forced to live a lifestyle that you can’t afford. Through me, people can see it’s obviously not easy. If there’s anyone that’s good at taking shots from people, it’s me. Sometimes I might say something to you, sometimes I just don’t respond, I’m just not bothered. I want people to understand the realness and the realities of what we’re doing, especially as London MCs. Cos London is a small place, you can bump into me, you might see me in your chicken shop in your area, and you might want to chat sh*t to me and I might just not have it. So I want people to understand the realities of what I’m trying to do and what I’m trying to become and my values and my path of this whole #teamuk thing, because I’m trying to keep so many people happy at one time. People that want to be happy, I’m trying to keep happy. People that don’t want to be happy, I don’t care. So Alexis Jordan... I mean, I’m a big fan of Alexis Jordan. I think she’s got that spark, it’s not that she can sing and dance, it’s more than that. Do you fancy her though Chip! She’s a very beautiful girl but I’m very good at respecting a lot of famous pretty girls. Like ‘Yeah, you’re famous and you’re beautiful, but you can be famous and beautiful over there, I’m cool with that.’ I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you haven’t seen me in a snapshot with no famous chick. Er, Pixie Lott? Ah, yeah, but we’re just friends though (laughs). Did you get to speak to Adele yet? Yeah, I bumped into her at the BRITs and she was real. Then I found out she was from Tottenham as well, so I was like, She’s a G!’ (laughs). Hopefully, that’s someone I’d love to do something with in the near future. What does this year hold for you? My hopes for what I wanted to achieve by the end of 2011 is 80% achieved already, which was bridge the gap between my core fanbase and what people consider my new fanbase. It’s good to know I can be me – this is me, no character, no gimmick – this is Jahmal Fyffe’s life being executed to the public. That’s what I feel that MCing and rapping is about; your life, your truth, your moments, your story. The second my life isn’t interesting, no one will relate to me and no one will buy my albums, that’s the day I’ll go into acting, (laughs). Until then, I’m happy man. I’m still the same person I was when I started and my audience are growing with me. What’s been your highlight so far? Probably making the album and seeing what it turned into. As much as I’m an MC, I’m a fan of #teamuk. Regardless of what you think of me, whether you like me, love me or don’t know me and dislike me, you want to hear what I say. It’s good to see that I’m still relevant, still a key part of what’s happening in the UK. I’m not living off my old buzz; I’m not still talking about the No.1 I had then, I’ve got new stuff, new music that’s doing well, that’s charting, I’m current, I’m witty, people still care about what I have to say and that’s good. That’s what matters. And as far as #teamuk, it’s good to see the elevation of young people go upwards; that’s what I’m about. Transition is out 18 April. Twitter.com/chipmunkartist 59
ART END OF THE LINE
GET SPRAYED
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isney, Capcom, New Era, Sony and Paramount Pictures are just a few of the companies whose projects have been given that extra unique edge by End Of The Line, the brainchild of Jim Vision. “I’ve always been into painting, always been into comic books, drawing and I guess what started out as a hobby and some fun turned into something that is basically my career,” explains Vision of his unconventional route into the art world. “I didn’t go into the street art gallery kind of thing that was going off at the same time. I just concentrated on what I did, which was painting huge murals.” We’re happy that he decided to stick to his guns; anyone who has seen the amazing Tron piece on east London’s Great Eastern St. will most certainly agree. Former interior designer Matilda, who Jim brought in around 2008 to get a hold of the business due to huge amounts of work flooding in, describes what the time was like after their DIY Dragon Bar exhibitions launched in 2005. “It was always kind of happening, there were all these people up there, like Banksy and that was five years ago... Now a lot of these people are on the top billings”. It’s that recurring thread of being original and going against the grain that has earned End Of The Line the reputation they have as leaders in the street art movement. Part of this is because of the impact they make on the scene each year with their Meeting of Styles event. Now in its fourth year of pulling in all the best artists from around Europe, Jim names Tizer, Bonzai, Insa, Revert and Vybz as some of their favourites. “I always like to look at different artists, it’s a good way to kind of keep your stuff fresh, by collaborating with someone who pushes you further. That’s the main focus of Meeting of Styles; to bring people together and see how different countries paint and collaborate.” It’s these events that really excite Jim, as Matilda points out. “The commercial jobs are always good, they pay you and it’s good to be doing something that is exciting and also it means that the rest of the year we can be doing Meeting of Styles or a completely non-profit project and exhibition.” These commercial jobs sound and look like anything but commercial; EOTL have excelled at transforming the front of G-Shock stores into Avatar murals, launching new ranges for car manufacturer Kia and illustrating Tiger Beer advertisements. Somehow though Jim finds it easy to pick out his favourite project to date. “I think that the stuff that we did for Watchmen was a whole new level when we got to that point,” he says before giving a quick shout out to any haters. “I don’t think anyone really knew that that was possible and then when we put all this energy into it, we created this incredible piece of artwork. But at the same time as creating this artwork in the day, it was destroyed in the evening; the whole process was like a complete cycle.” The Youtube comments for the time lapsed Watchmen piece, something pioneered by End of The Line here in the UK, prove just how much of an impact the commission had; they range from ‘jawÓ on the floor’ to ‘I could watch this all day. You know?! I think I >>
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<< will!Ó’ while some shared too much ‘Sorry. Just cleaning the jizz off my keyboard’. I feel sorry for that dude’s keyboard when he finds out what else they have in store; they’ve just finished filming a new 3D time lapse piece of the recent Tron wall we banged on about earlier. “We always break some kind of new ground, so doing the 3D cameras there’s a new way to give more depth and more clarity and it makes it so crisp,” Jim affirms, before going into the progression of the company. “It means we can bring in all these other talents to the mix and make something new”. Plans for 2011 are already in full swing; Meeting of Styles gets a special UK boost with more British artists involved, while the team are moving into new studios amongst a whole other bag of creative types. “In the past we’ve worked with a lot of artists and now we’re working more with animators and video makers and directors, so it means we can bring in all these other talents to the mix and make something new,” Jim says of the space; expect bigger, better and increasingly impressive projects from End Of The Line over the coming year. Follow End Of The Line on Twitter.com/EndofthelineLDN
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PRYNN AND PROPER INTERVIEW HESTA PRYNN
From rapper to singer, to DJ and fashion model, New York indie hip hop goddess Hesta Prynn is getting set to lay it all out with her new album...
T
he diva that I’m identifying with most right now is Mariah,” announces Hesta Prynn, backstage at east London’s Vice owned grot-pub, The Old Blue Last. “I heard Mariah sleeps for 13 hours in a chamber cos Cece Winans told her to, and her voice sounds great, so for this tour I emotionally divorced from my body and slept for 14 hours,” she laughs. “Then I went and sang and sounded great. “ She maybe be channeling her inner Carey for vocal purposes, but it’s another big hitter that’s inspiring Prynn in her personal life. “Right now I’m identifying with Christina but the Dirrty period. I’m in a hot new relationship that inspired me to make a slutty video and that has made me a third-rate sex positive feminist.” A what? “A sex positive third-rate feminist. I’m going with it,” she laughs, acknowledging RWD’s confused expression. “It’s a really obnoxious feminist term – cos I’m like a women’s studies dork – it’s a way of being slutty but putting a label on it that makes it intellectual. Am I talking myself into a hole? Right now, I’m just feeling it. What are you gonna do?” Splitting up with her old boyfriend has propelled the New York singer and sometimes rapper into an entirely different way of thinking. After filming a video for Can We Go Wrong from her debut EP of the same name about the breakup, she hooked up with the director Randy Scott Slavin, became a model and decided to pose naked on the cover of her first full debut album (due towards the end of the year). “I was never like ‘I’m fat or ugly’ I just always equated being sexy with being stupid because I started out in a very intense feminist hip hop group [Northern State] and I was very much about giving an alternative to the way women are shown in the media. It’s not like that’s lost on me, but I feel
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like I’ve gotten to the age where...Here’s the picture I’m thinking of. I took this while I was on the phone. It’s dope right,” she says flashing an iPhone pic of herself completely nekkid. “I need to slow my roll or I’m going to end up writing a Nicki Minaj record – which would be awesome actually,” she grins. “I feel like if I’m going to take my clothes off at some point, then it should be for my record so I own it. Is that a disgraceful thing to do? I don’t know.” Excuse us while we snap our neck and shout things like ‘You go girrrrrlfriend’, but yes Ms. Prynn, we co-sign that. Already picked out as having model potential by the designer Daryl K, Prynn’s slim-fitting frame recently graced the catwalk at New York Fashion Week. “As a super model, it’s a natural thing for me,” she jokes with a self-deprecating shrug. “Did you ever see the Sex & The City episode when Carrie models for Dolce & Gabbana? (Carrie stacks it. Hard). “Well, I approached it from Madonna circa 1994. I’m was bawse!” So with a looming fashion career, a lauded EP, DJ spots across the globe (this rap fan knows her Professor Green’s from her MOP’s BTW), a new boyfriend making her hot videos (check Turn It Gold), will this once ‘indie art alt-rocker’ become an all-out balls-out bawse-n up pop star on her debut album? “On the reals, f**k yeah I’d kill to have a real pop record,” she admits. “ It would be f**king awesome. I dream of having that success. On the not real I just want to make music and hopefully people will like it and I’ll sell things and play festivals. I don’t want to make wack indie sh*t that no one likes, I want to make awesome dope commercial sh*t that people like but I want it to be cool.” Can We Go Wrong is out now. Twitter.com/ hestaprynnmusic
29 APRIL COMETH “I thought William was a dish until a few years ago. He isn’t now. But I don’t get the whole thing; is there another issue you’re doing I can talk about (laughs)? I just don’t get why it’s news; I mean I guess she’s becoming a princess and she’s kinda beautiful but she’s so square. Our royal family is like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan who keeps getting arrested for shoplifting.
“I’D KILL TO HAVE A REAL POP RECORD. I DON’T WANT TO MAKE WACK INDIE SH*T THAT NO ONE LIKES, I WANT TO MAKE AWESOME DOPE COMMERCIAL SH*T THAT PEOPLE LIKE BUT I WANT IT TO BE COOL.” 65
INTERVIEW LUPE FIASCO
He made skateboarding cool again before taking hip hop to new levels. With his conscious lyricism demanding respect, he attracted the attention of both Jay-Z and Kanye West... Now, after settling ongoing issues with his label, Lupe Fiasco releases Lasers, his third (and long-awaited) album. RWD catch up with the sharp tongued rapper a day after his birthday, where he opens up about his style, his music, Egyptian riots... and his dislike for our royals. Words by Ra’ed Poetical
LAZOR SHARP LUPE ON... LASERS It’s the label-tainted political record, so I couldn’t put the ‘Lupe Fiasco’s’ stamp on it... but I like it. I like the music, I like the album. We were constantly editing and I could only put so many songs on the album, so we had to put the best of the best on it. My favourite joint on it is All Black Everything, which talks about if the black people in America got paid for slavery. There’s a couple of lines on the album which are directed back at the record company for the hell they put me through to get this record out, but moreso it’s about my world perspective and hopefully being an inspiration to people, bringing some positivity and balance in to the game, and making that cool. You don’t have to sell dope on all of your records, to be dope. LUPE ON... THE ALBUM ART WORK Well I guess, it’s about taking something that’s inherently negative, which is the word ‘losers’, and changing it to something positive by redefining it, ‘lasers’. I got this ideology that you don’t have to change the entire world; you can just change a little piece of it and make it something new and different. LUPE ON... HIS CONSCIOUS LYRICS It’s an unspoken type of respect. Even the people who hate me, will say “I hate that 66 / RWDMAG.COM
“THE ENGLISH MONARCHY DOESN’T REALLY IMPRESS ME; I DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CELEBRITY SIDE OF IT. I’M MORE WORRIED ABOUT LOOKING AT THE STUFF FROM THE COUNTRIES THEY STOLE FROM. LIKE, WHEN YOU GONNA GIVE THE JEWELS BACK TO INDIA?” dude... But, he nice!” and you can’t deny when something is nice. I’m not tooting my own horn, but at the same time too, in the face of people who are bringing you down, you got to have a certain level of confidence. So even the people who dislike Lupe Fiasco can deny the swagger, or the beats, but CANNOT knock the lyrical content. Anywhere there is injustice I speak out, because I can. I’m not really trying to please anyone. LUPE ON... THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS The thing with Egypt is that it is an American ally to maintain stability in that region of the world. There are no opportunities there, just an oppressive regime that America has backed for the longest but again, to maintain stability. So now that regime has gone, who knows how it’s been. I don’t know what the trajectory of the country is, I don’t even know if the Egyptians know what the trajectory of their country is, it is still much undetermined. So as it takes formation over the next couple
of months and years, it’d be better to have an outlook on it then... but more power to the people; it was a good thing for getting a dictator out of there! LUPE ON... AMERICAN REVOLUTION America is a very long way from revolution. I think there needs to be some shifts in the policy, because America’s all about keeping the elite, elite. And that’s the trend of the world in most places, to keep the elite, elite. And the poor, poor. There’s not enough for everybody, so there’s definitely an attitude adjustment that needs to take place in America. As far as the way the domestic policies of the US go, America has tons of problems, we’re only 40 years in since blacks can vote. I don’t even vote but just something like that, it’s only been 40 years, which isn’t that long ago, shows we definitely ain’t that free. In comparison to Egypt, as far as the rawness of it, America is still forming itself, and there are a lot of open wounds.
INTERVIEW FACTS:
LUPE ON... HIS STYLE I stopped caring about that about three years ago. I don’t really care about the business, or imagery. Like these [shows sunglasses] are prescription [laughs]. It’s like, ‘I’m gonna wear these to see!!!’ It’s one of those things where it’s me being comfortable, it’s not about showing off to some fans or anything. It’s not as constructed as people may think - I don’t even have a stylist!
Lupe arrived at the hotel in Marble Arch from Paris, just five minutes before our interview started! He wore a Cartier watch on his left wrist and a red rubber band on the right. Unique. He gave both [Deputy Editor] Danny and I a fantastic 6/10’s for our style, erm... SIX?! All three of us in the room were wearing... Vans! (No, it wasn’t planned!) He did not mind that we hadn’t gotten him a birthday present, but did mention he would have got us one though! Apologies Lupe, there’s a recession up in this mother.
LUPE ON... THE ROYAL WEDDING The English monarchy doesn’t really impress me; I don’t really care about the celebrity side of it. I’m more worried about looking at the stuff from the countries they stole from, like when you gonna give the jewels back to India?! [Laughs]. When you gonna give this land back? So I don’t really get into it, it’s meaningless. They’re just there to keep people entertained. I’m glad to be American on that one! And I wouldn’t get Prince William sh*t either [laughs]. Seriously. If my homey off the street got married, I might get him a TV or something, but nah, I ain’t getting no billionaire motherf***er something for his wedding! Anyway, congratulations though! [laughs]. Lasers is out now - LupeFiasco.com. For the RWD video check bit.ly/lupelasers 67
RWD CHALLENGE DANNY MACASKILL
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DANNY MACASKILL VS. RWD
THE WEDDING CAKE CHALLENGE
The memories (and the colour) of the dress may fade, no one gives a damn about the speeches but one thing guests will always remember, the wedding cake. With Will and Kate’s big day fast approaching we enlisted the help of food fan and biking legend Danny MacAskill to see if he had what it takes to resist eating a slice... Gauntlet thrown down by Danny Walker Assistance by Ra’ed Poetical Images by Verena Stefanie Grotto
#RULES This is a challenge to the death (or at least until someone gets a queasy stomach), brains vs. brawn (which is which, you decide), an intense duel where man meets machine in a gruelling clash that could leave one of us DEAD needing the toilet. Over three bouts we’ll dare each other to face the impossible, using only our wit and a trail bike, to perform some jaw dropping stunts. If you fail your feat you have to eat a massive wedge of M&S wedding cake... simples.
RWD: Before we start, Way Back Home is amazing, [seriously you NEED to get onto RWDmag.com to see his skills] let’s talk about the first flip, how do you practice that? Danny MacAskill: Well I wanted to start in Edinburgh, so the obvious place was Edinburgh Castle. [As soon as I got there] I seen this wall with this grass bank and I just thought, ‘I want to do a front flip.’ I landed it a few times on the mats and then spent a few times just going up to the edge and then stopping - then you force yourself to do it and just tuck and hold. I landed it and just couldn’t believe it. RWD: Have you heard of the phrase ‘Have your cake and eat it’? DM: Yes. RWD: When was the last time you had your cake and ate it? DM: Erm... I dunno. Maybe getting to make the Way Back Home video with Red Bull. To work on a project like that and actually go through with it is amazing.
RWD: Are you a fan of cake? DM: Yes, my favourite cake at the moment is actually carrot cake [smiles]. It’s definitely all about carrot cake. Wedding cake can be good too but it depends what icing it has. If it has the marzipan, sometimes that can have too much icing. Or it can be a bit too rich in the middle. You need a real balance. RWD: The cake we have today is an M&S wedding cake so the balance should have already been addressed. DM: I sense quality. Should be good. I was at a wedding about a year ago and I ate their cake. I ate all of it. RWD: Will you be attending the Royal Wedding? DM: I’ve not had my invite. RWD: Damn, we’ll email Charlie now. DM: Yeah, I’ll text the Queen. I’m not too good on current affairs, as I’ve got other things going on. RWD: You must be excited about the bank holidays? DM: Well for me, every day is a holiday. 69
RWD CHALLENGE DANNY MACASKILL THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH
Mr MacAskill breaks down where he gets the talent from... How do you take to being referred to as an ‘Internet sensation’? Ahhhh... [smiles] I just laugh it off really... It’s an unfortunate name but what can I do? And when was the last time you Googled yourself? Probably about 10 minutes ago actually [laughs]... What did you find? A few scary things, people on forums saying that I’d died doing the world’s longest skid before, which is an odd one. So when did this first start for you? Were you on a tricycle or something? Yeah, even when I got my first bike I was trying to do tricks and things, skids mainly or little wheelies and things. It’s been a gradual progression. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time just riding my bike for hours. What do you eat? I like to eat lots of big healthy food; I don’t like to fill myself with rubbish but I’m not food conscious.
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THE RESULT
DANNY MACASKILL: CHALLENGE 1 RWD: Can you hop all the way across those bollards? 1, 2, 3, 4... all the way across? Danny MacAskill: I’m not too sure if I can... can I drop my front wheel? RWD: Yes... [Straight away hops across the bollards in sequence... all four and then returns swiftly with a smug skid].
RWD MAGAZINE: CHALLENGE 1
RWD: My go. Give me a chance though. DM: ’m going to challenge Danny to go into the middle of the roundabout here and balance for 10 seconds... RWD: Is that it? Ok... watch this... [rides up and falls off straight away]... No, I have to try again... [tries again]... DM: 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9... RWD: Yes!!! Bring it on [does a rubbish skid after]...
DANNY MACASKILL: CHALLENGE 2
[Cos he was so smart I get tougher] Can you hop down from the [reasonably high] roof down to the wall? PR girl Charlotte: Basically, your life is in my hands. How dangerous is that from 1-10? RWD: That looks about a six... DM: Erm... you don’t need to worry about that... about a six... [before we could even say ‘wait’, Danny was on the roof and preparing to jump down]... RWD: Brilliant [Secretly think, ‘damn’].
DANNY MACASKILL: CHALLENGE 3
RWD MAGAZINE: CHALLENGE 2
DM: I challenge you to hop over me [laughs as everyone else goes silent]. PR girl Charlotte: Oh my God!!! Ra’ed: Are you sure? DM: Go for shins! Don’t land too hard... [lies down in the middle of the road]. PR girl Charlotte: Are you actually???????? RWD: [Looks slightly scared]. [Takes the longest run ride up of the day] Woooooooahh!!! [RIDES FAST LIKE THE WIND!!!!!!!] Woahhhhhhh... [Aims straight for the exposed legs of Danny MacAskill]...
RWD: Can you ride along that thin thin fence... DM: That’s very unlikely but I’ll try... [rides off to clean tires]... Erm... that is very unlikely... [wobbles]... urghhhh [falls]... RWD: CAKE CAKE!!! FAIL!!! Cake please massive slice of cake!!! Mr MacAskill that is a fail. DM: [Takes massive bit of cake]...
How was Danny today on a scale of 1-7? It was a pretty tough challenge, but if you lose you get to eat cake so it doesn’t seem bad. It’s kind of an incentive to fall off really [smiles]. Do you see me following in your footsteps? My name is Danny I can ride a bike, your name is Danny you can ride a bike... I think so. Red Bull were getting a bit worried when you were wearing my hat [laughs]. I was a bit worried as well. Funny you should say that because I’m actually looking for sponsorship... Well with those skidding skills...? Yeah, exactly that skid was really long... it was like half a mile. Yeah, and that hop [laughs]. Oh yeah, apologies to your shins.
To find out the hilarious results visit…. bit.ly/weddingcakechallenge. For more on Danny MacAskill visit redbull.co.uk/macaskillconquers
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SHORT STORY THE BULLITTS
SHORT
STORY “I WATCHED AS HE KILLED HER... I FILMED IT. WHEN HE SAW ME I RAN... NOT BECAUSE I WAS FRIGHTENED JUST BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOUR BRAIN TELLS YOU TO DO WHEN A MURDERER CHASES YOU”
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What is the Bullitts? Why is the Bullitts? Is it a film, a book, an album? Featuring the production of Jeymes Samuels, the narration of Lucy Liu and the artistic input of Jay Electronica, Tori Amos and Mos Def, welcome to the world of Action Adventure. Visually, musically, artistically it’s something quite amazing. Don’t believe us, then just ask Ferne Cotton and Mistajam who also love their debut single Close Your Eyes. Here, in a short story by Samuels, we discover the inception of the album, They Die By Dawn, And Other Stories as Jeymes takes us back to the very beginning....
A
fter that night things took on a life of their own. It was still my life but I felt like I was an actor playing a part in it. Somewhere out there people are waiting to kill me... But I will get to them first. My name is Amelia Sparks. I hear voices. I am not paranoid. They are real. I used to go to the park and sit in the cold, watching. I was never lonely... the voices kept me company. I’ve recently quit my job, burned all my photos, dispensing with my past, because the voices told me something bad was about to happen. I was in a diner when I first saw Michael Jeffries. He made me feel... uneasy. When he got up to leave I knew I would see him again. Two days later, there he was, sitting at the bar of a place I had been to once before. I watched as he sipped his beer. I watched when he greeted the girl. I followed them when they left, embracing in the sloppy way that drink filled lovers do. And then I watched as he killed her... I filmed it. When he saw me I ran... not because I was frightened just because that’s what your brain tells you to do when a murderer chases you. The only thing that scared me was how much I wasn’t scared. That night I was excited. I knew what I was going to do. I was going to kill Michael Jeffries. Murder. Death. Kill. I tracked him down. Arabella, the waitress at the diner told me his name. I don’t know why she helped me. I found out his name then found out where he
lived. Getting in his apartment was easy. I walked up to the doorman and said ‘I need the keys to Michael Jeffries Apartment’. He handed them over. He didn’t even know what I was there for. I looked around the apartment then left – with some souvenirs; a ring with a symbol of an Acropolis on it and Michael’s cell number. I called Michael. He answered and I simply said; “I have your Ring” then put the phone down. Then I waited for him to find me. I wasn’t the only one looking for Michael. The next day a detective, Saul Emmanuel, told me to meet him. I didn’t know how he found out about me but he knew what I was going to do and tried to warn me off. But Michael came to my apartment and I was ready for him. I had been looking forward to it. I hid as he walked around slowly, watched him as I had before...only this time as a victim. I slit his throat and watched as he died. It was easier than I thought. I slept peacefully that night... the first time in weeks. I called Saul to tell him. He helped me get rid of the body but I was glad I hadn’t given him Michael’s ring or phone when he asked for it. After that night things took on a life of their own. It was still my life but I felt like I was an actor playing a part in it. Michael’s phone was full of numbers but had no names. A man called from a blocked number and told me to meet him... It was too late for hesitation. He told me that he was a detective and the real Saul Emmanuel. Then he said I was a dead woman. I didn’t know what to believe. Two days later when he showed me
what the codes meant I believed him. 263542:772757. Alphanumeric numbers for Amelia Sparks. For the first time in weeks I felt something. Fear. The fake Saul Emanuel – Anthony Campbell – was on the list too. I wasn’t surprised when he went missing, I was just glad that he had told me about the Circle Of Acropolis – an organization that Michael belonged to. They were easy to find; Circleofacropolis.com. When Anthony’s code appeared on the site it explained his sudden silence. I tracked down the guy who hosted it - some punk kid called Christian Chapman. He said he was paid by Michael to post the codes and didn’t know anything else... but he was lying. Like most people in life his innocence belied the truth. He was as much a killer as I was. More even. Then it happened. My alphanumeric code was posted. I thought that meant Anthony was dead but Saul told me otherwise... he had followed him to an address in Philadelphia. Despite Saul’s warning I got straight on a train and went there, with Arabella in tow... my accomplice? I don’t know how I found Anthony but he was lucky I did because Christian Chapman had beaten him to within an inch from death. But he is not dead and neither am I. My number may have been posted but I’m not going anywhere. Somewhere out there people are waiting to kill me... But I will get to them first. Close Your Eyes is out on 5 April. To continue reading go to Twitter.com/thebullitts
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INTERVIEW LIAM BAILEY
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KEEP THE FAITH
He’s just hit the charts rather hard with Chase & Status, so Cerriann Taylor goes for a cup for tea with cheeky northerner Liam Bailey to discuss tarot, R. Kelly and giving birth!
I
will admit my knickers came off for a day, but then I came back down to the ground,” grins a clearly still buzzing Bailey about recently reaching No.5 with Chase & Status’ Blind Faith. The Nottingham born and bred 26 year-old has just been dubbed by The Guardian as “the first bona fide male retro-R&B sensation,” before filing him next to Otis Reading and Sam Cooke. However, Liam looks slightly withdrawn when we mention the attentions of Rehab Queen Amy Winehouse, who signed the singer to her imprint label Lioness Records back in 2010. “It’s like a pleasurable pain,” he sighs of Wino. “People like Amy introduce something new, but the unfortunate side of it is that you are constantly being reminded that it is her bandwagon,” he points out. “Also, I take Otis comparisons as a compliment but my voice is so different; I’d rather be compared to Liam Gallagher than Sam Cooke. That’s where I’m from.” Whilst at school, Bailey’s talent was distinctly noticeable; so much that one of his teachers even quit to manage Liam and his then band. “That’s some belief,” Bailey nods. “He encouraged me to write my first song, I still have it on tape. I was 14 and my voice is so high it’s ridiculous. And it sounds so Oasis-y.” The band wasn’t to be however; his mum pointed out the music was too loud, and she couldn’t hear him singing. “I’d copy Michael Jackson, Boys II Men, and R. Kelly. I could do all the all the frilly bits - the intro to Bump and Grind, in fact I can still do it,” says Liam of his influences. “My mum and dad always knew that I loved singing, but where I come from, achieving something like that seemed so far away.” With his own tour soon to be announced, he’s currently gearing up for on the road antics with Plan B and Jessie J. “Plan B’s audience will be more receptive to me than the Chase & Status lot,” he says. “I played to Jessie’s crowd
“COLLECTIVELY ALL THE INDIE, ROCK, SOUL AND REGGAE IS KIND OF LIKE THE JEWS GOING INTO PALESTINE. BUT IN MY PALESTINE IT GOT SORTED OUT FAIRLY...” the other week at Scala, they like attitude, so I’ll pull my ‘Ian Brown’ out for that one”, he announces, getting up and showing us his most wide legged, northern parka strut. “I dress pretty simple, I’m not into all this neon stuff,” he sniffs of Shoreditch style. “If I’m going on stage, I’ve got to look cool man and wear a great pair of shoes.” The loafer lover describes his debut album as a ‘woman going through the later stages of labour’. Out Of The Shadows is due in May, and is Godfathered by its producer Salaam Remi [Nas, Amy]. “I write what I’m feeling, it’s either happened already or is going to happen, for me writing songs is a bit like tarot,” says the Radiohead and Mos Def fan of writing tracks. “If I analyse it too much, it’s just a massive head f**k.” The melodic wails and subtle sombre tones of Bailey’s voice demonstrate his diversity and although his style is slightly hanging on the edge of urban, his debut single You Better Leave Me has been remixed by the likes of Shy FX. “I can’t define my music,” he shrugs. “I realised all that stuff doesn’t matter, that’s just filling in. I know it sounds cliché, but every song on the album defines me. Collectively all the indie, rock, soul and reggae is kind of like the Jews going into Palestine, but in my Palestine it got sorted out fairly,” he decides with another grin and a final sip of OJ. “if you could put it on a shelf, on the seal of that jar it would say ‘Liam Bailey made in Nottingham, Est. 1983’.” You Better Leave Me is out now. Myspace.com/liambaileyuk 75
INTERVIEW WAKA FLOCKA FLAME
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WHAT THE FLOCK?
Known for his energy more than his lyrical content, Georgia raised Waka Flocka Flame (born Jauquin Malphurs) is about to have his best year out of the three he’s had in the game. With the Giggs laced Gangsta Hop, debut LP Flockavelli and hit single No Hands doing the rounds, the 24 year-old rapper speaks to Danny Walker about girls, Gucci Mane and a great deal more. It’s just a shame we can hardly hear him...
Hello... What’s up? You good? [Pause] Ah man, I’m past good. I’m GOOD!!! So where are you right now? I’m currently in my house, [incoherent sounds]... interviews. Ok, ok... and are you glad to be out on road? [The interview took place just weeks after he was released from Henry County jail on bail following minor drug and firearm possession charges]... Yeah man, I’m glad to be out making this good music. [Incoherent sounds]... chilling with fans. Break down your style of trap/ southern music. [Long pause] My music is the type of music that your grandma would listen to when she wants to beat the grandkids [laughs hard]. [Laughs] Are you happy with how No Hands is being received? No Hands is a hit man. No Hands is just for the ladies to make the ladies go wild. Ya’ll like No Hands out there? Yeah, the UK is going mad. The video looked fun... Ooooooooooo!!! Aw yeah man... There were so many girls in the video, we had stop girls from coming to the video... [laughs]. Did you get to hand pick them? [High pitched] Yeeeeah!!! [laughs]. You’re getting some stick over your flow and your lyrics, especially your lyrics... I don’t really got lyrics. I CAN’T break that down. Do you feel Southern rappers get respect? We weren’t really doing it before but now the South is taking over. Before the South took over there was Outkast and [incoherent sounds]... So the South is coming up? The South IS up! Anything to say to the haters? I can’t wait for the haters to have kids so then can be my haters too. They can’t help but hate, it’s in dey DNA. Let me say something about a hater. You can’t get mad at a hater cos it’s in their DNA,
their mama was a hater, they grandma was a hater, they granddaddy was a hater. They can’t help it. It’s like a hate family tree. We hear you and Gucci are about to film a reality show, is this true? Yeah. They’re trying to give me a reality show but I don’t know if that is in my vision right now. That would be too crazy for TV right there. It would probably be you two going in and out of a tattoo parlour... [Laughs] Yeah.. [incoherent sounds]... What are your views on Gucci’s face tattoo? Do you have face tattoos? Nah, I would never get my face done. So you wouldn’t do a Gucci? I don’t think he’s finished. What? What’s next? A van!? Ain’t no telling, he’s a wild dude [laughs]. What is the craziest thing you’ve seen him do? When we were in the bit [Ed: The bit?!], I seen him drink six bottles of [incoherent sounds]... and it wasn’t even five o’clock. We were so drunk, we were just wasted. But that was a long time ago. We’ve done a few crazy things. How is he now? Is he ok? Yeah, he good. Finally, explain the meaning behind the new album Triple F Life: Friends, Fans, & Family They all come first. There is nothing else after that, that’s the lifestyle. After that there’s death.
“HOW WOULD I EXPLAIN MY MUSIC? MY MUSIC IS THE TYPE OF MUSIC THAT YOUR GRANDMA WOULD LISTEN TO WHEN SHE WANTS TO BEAT THE GRANDKIDS.”
Flockavelli is out now. Wakaflocka1017.com
WHO HAS WAKA GOT A FLAME FOR? The rapper talks rappers... Waka on Gucci Mane: Guch is a renegade! He’s a pound for pound rapper. Waka on Giggs: Ah, Giggs is hard. Giggs be keeping it real, he’s one of the biggest rappers out there, I like Giggs. A lot of people are loving the Gangsta Hop track... Yeah, look out for Giggs, Waka On Diddy: One of your favourite tracks of mine is O Let’s Do It (Remix) Ft. Diddy and Rick Ross...[Gasp] Oh, you like that remix don’t you? Yeah that was a good remix. My views on Diddy are like, he’s had a career! He knows how to stay up to date on music; he’s a hip hop mogul. Waka on Rick Ross: I think he’s the best word for word rapper. Waka on Soulja Boy: He’s got that young game. Got the young people onl ock. Waka on Nicki Minaj: We’ll be collaborating soon] we just need to wait for the right song. [Incoherent sounds]. 77
NEW KING ON THE BLOCK INTERVIEW AJ KING (KISS)
When KISS announced at the start of the year that they were looking for radio stars of the future, thousands of wannabe presenters applied. After weeks of searching, 28 year-old AJ King, a part time student and DJ from Wembley, was announced as the victor. Maisha Lewin caught up with the humble and very animated DJ to talk Will and Kate, the whirlwind he’s been in since winning and why he’s not ashamed to be filmed in his boxers...
“I’VE WANTED TO BE ON KISS SINCE I WAS EIGHT YEARS-OLD. PEOPLE DO NOT ACTUALLY REALISE WHAT THIS MEANS TO ME...” AJ KING
Kiss Breakfast Show presenters Rickie, Charlie and Melvin with The Chosen One AJ King
Why do you think you were selected as The KISS Chosen One winner? Because it was so obvious that I wanted it, and that I live radio basically. I’m in my element, being a little bit silly and having fun with it, but obviously delivering the necessary information, you get me! What do you feel you will bring to the industry that doesn’t already exist? Wow! I’m just gonna bring me and my take with whatever I’m faced with. I’m very knowledgeable about music and I can present a wide range of things, I’m very versatile, I’ve got a lot of experience... you know presenting and talking to people, cos fundamentally that’s 78 / RWDMAG.COM
what it is, communicating with people. I owe everything to a community radio station in Harlesden called Bang FM. I was with them for four years and I used to present a breakfast show so that’s how I learnt about radio. What type of show are you presenting? It’s basically a Sunday morning show, from six till eight in the morning. It’s very up tempo, very interactive, with listener’s texting and calling in, connecting with people on Facebook, just a fun, up tempo show. When you won, you were filmed opening your front door in your briefs, did this embarrass you? No it didn’t! You know when you’re just
so happy. I’ve wanted to be on KISS FM since I was eight years-old. People do not actually realise what this means to me, boxers or no boxers, I could have opened the door naked, I wouldn’t have given a toss trust me. Will you be wearing clothes in the studio? [Laughs] Erm yeah... Yeah I will but at live events, boxers only. Nah I’m joking! Has everything been a whirlwind since you won? Definitely man, I was up at (KISS) for a few days, learning in the studio, getting introduced to everyone and then Sunday was the first show. The fact that it’s been under a week and I’ve already
image by Moonrunners
done my first show, it’s a completely different level from what I’m used to, things have moved rapidly. What about the groupies... any love? No I haven’t had any of them yet, don’t write me off though, a lot of people have been saying ‘I didn’t know your legs were that skinny.’ I dunno, maybe the whole skinny legs thing is putting off the groupies. [Laughs]... Maybe you should go to the gym... [Laughs] I was thinking this morning that I should go to the gym but I’m fine with my body image, thank you very much! And finally, who’s your ideal female celeb? I’m gonna give you three, we definitely
have to have [Victoria Secret model and Kanye West’s Runaway starring] Selita Ebanks; me and her would have to get involved. I’ve got a thing for Alesha Dixon. I don’t know what’s going on with Beyoncé at the moment, back in the day Beyoncé was the one but the third and final is Ciara. AJ joins the KISS Presenter line up to become an valued member of the KISS family – Keep it KISS to find out more info on AJ’s journey at the UK’s youth radio station. For more information on The KISS Chosen One, Sponsored by BlackBerry visit totalkiss.com
29 APRIL COMETH Are you looking forward to Will and Kate’s up coming wedding? Well it’s a good thing, because the whole nation’s gonna be on a vibe. If they asked you to play at their wedding reception, what music would you play? For the first dance I would play Jagged Edge’s Let’s Get Married but the hype remix! I’d drop some bombs and horns on that sh*t. You know what? I did that at my friend’s engagement party, and he was expecting me to play the slow version, I dropped the remix and it was bananas, it was so funny... Would you get with Kate... if she was single? She’s got good dress sense I must say, but she’s not my cup of tea.
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UNWIND
ROYA WEDDINL SPECIAL G !!!
GADGETS | FILMS | GAMES | ALBUMS | REVIEWS | FINAL WORD
>>
THE BEST OF STAYING IN... AND GOING OUT...
NINTENDO 3DS
(From £196.99, nintendo3ds.co.uk) When our Nintendo 3DSs arrived (yes, plural... you know how we roll) the whole office came to a standstill. If it wasn’t someone ripping open the packaging in a toddler-like excitement (Chidi) it was a certain someone saying they ‘didn’t care’ before hogging the unit for at least 30 minutes (Dacre). When I finally got my hands on a unit, and degrubbed
it from its various fingerprint, saliva and what I prayed were mayonnaise stains... it was all about investigation. On first inspection, the glasses-free 3D is big, especially the Augmented Reality Games (where basic-yet-addictive 3D games appear from nowhere) but the 3DS comes into its own when you’re playing purpose built titles. Luckily we had Ridge Racer 3D at our disposal, the Nintendo 3DS is stupidly enjoyable; start saving or start begging mumzy. >> 81
UNWIND GADGETS
NINTENDO 3DS SPECIAL
We got our hands on Nintendo’s new handheld wonder machine and successor to the DSi XL, the Nintendo 3DS, a month before release. Words by Danny Walker
We enlisted our favourite magician Dynamo to see if the Nintendo 3DS had any magic of its own... Firstly, on your left you have TWO iPhones and an iPad... Yeah. It’s just how I roll innit [laughs]. So are you a big gamer? Yeah. I only really play a few games though but I play them like... every day. I play Fight Night Champions, I was one of those people queuing at midnight to get it straight away. I play FIFA too. Favourite game of all time? 82 / RWDMAG.COM
Mario Kart is definitely up there. What was your first ever console? I think it was like the Game Gear. It took SIX double A batteries, which would last like an hour and Sonic was far superior. [Continues playing Ridge Racer 3D in a bid to beat each other’s scores]... How are you finding the 3DS? It’s pretty awesome, I must say. I think that’s why you’re interviewing me now, whilst I’m trying to beat your score... in an effort to put me off. What are you talking about? Will you add this to your gadget collection. Definitely. I’m a big gadget freak.
Did you have the last DS? The DS Lite? I did actually. In fact I helped launch a magic game for the DS. So how are you finding the 3D on this? It’s awesome. It takes a little while for your eyes to adjust but 3D without glasses is amazing. It’s the only place I’ve seen it outside of a fancy 3D studio. What are you up to at the moment? Look out for Comic Relief next week. I’m working on a very cool project with Barclays Premier League too, they’ve made me an ambassador so I’m doing cool stuff for that. I think a lot of the football fans will like that.
DYNAMO ON WILL AND KATE:
Every marriage needs magic... What are your views on Will and Kate? I’m all for it. They seem like a happy couple and they actually look quite suited... like they should be together. All I’m saying is, you NEED a magician at your wedding reception [room laughs].
‘I love 3D but I just hate wearing the glasses.’ How many times have you heard that phrase bellowed from the bowels of your boring mates? When are they going to realise that the future takes time to arrive in our front rooms, if those fools had their way we’d be downloading strawberry flavoured pizzas from our fridges and using nothing but iPad 5s and hoverboards to communicate. Enjoying 3D without the aid of glasses is some way off...Oh, what’s that? No it’s not... Nintendo have already successfully achieved this and their flagship unit the Nintendo 3DS is coming out 25 March... damn. We better check that out.
RIDGE RACER 3D Namco Bandai Nintendo 3DS
Although Dynamo couldn’t beat RWD’s super quick Hamilton-esque lap time of 3’54”456 (with his slow fastest time coming in at 4’14”424) he certainly enjoyed this classic series’ first 3D adventure. “I remember the first Ridge Racer I played,” says the magician moments after the 3DS spouts ‘You got owned’. “It was on a PS2 time ago. This is amazing though. The glasses-free 3D really is amazing. After I put my name in and it took a photo for the grid it was straight into the action. The cars look good and the graphics are the best I’ve seen on a DS.” Thumbs up all round we’d say.
WHAT IS A 3DS?
The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld device that allows glasses-free 3D using a process called autostereoscopy. The 3DS has three cameras (the two rearfacing ones produce the 0.3MP 3D images) and the front 2D camera. The unit weighs approximately 230 grams, is 134 mm wide, 74 mm deep and 21 mm in height. It packs an SD card slot, a new Circle Pad like an N64 controller, WiFi, a mic, IR port and a nifty new expandable stylus. This is not the first time Nintendo have dabbled in the 3D market, in the 1980s they released a game called Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally... but you had to wear glasses back then and it was probably rubbish. 83
GADGET OF THE MONTH UNWIND GADGETS
TH PLAYST E A PHONE TION IS HERE
FREE CONTRAON CT
SONY ERICSSON XPERIA PLAY
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a very busy month in the world of the handheld gaming device; excitement levels raised another echelon when we went hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY... words by Danny Walker 84 / RWDMAG.COM
MEET THE SONY ERICSSON XPERIA PLAY
Dubbed the ‘PlayStation Phone’ by many the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY is the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone. Not only does is provide PlayStation-quality gaming it’s also wrapped neatly alongside Google’s Android 2.3, also known as Gingerbread. As you’ve probably read on RWDmag.com, we’ve been scouring the Internet for any information regarding this unique project so when the delivery dude arrived with a PLAY unit with RWD’s name on it, we went crazy. Well, we didn’t go Charlene Sheen crazy but we did sort o f grab the box out of the poor chap’s hand, sign ‘Mickey Mouse’ on the docket and start gaming before he’d
WORDS ON THE XPERIA PLAY The big-wigs talk PLAY...
even left the office. Apologies. After the initial hysteria calmed down, again, apologies... we were soon analysing the PlayStationess of this smarter than smart, phone. Groping the graphics, with our stern gaming eyes, and putting the dedicated
controls to good use. Sony Ericsson make good phones, Sony Computer Entertainment make great consoles and the Android Market is getting bigger and bigger with each update; when these worlds collide does it make a deadly device?
GUARANTEED GAMES
With major publishers on board (Electronic Arts, GLU Mobile/ Activision, Gameloft etc.) the selection of games should be consistent. Remember Sony also has a MASSIVE back catalogue of games to choose from too, ours came with Crash Bandicoot. Look out for these in the near future.... Need For Speed Sims 3 FIFA 10 Guitar Hero Splinter Cell
THE VERDICT
It’s been an amazing month for gadgets and we loved playing around with the Xperia PLAY and it’s great to see a device that can do both gaming and smartphoning, well. The Xperia PLAY isn’t exactly the most glamorous of looking gadgets (as it could be more rigid, shiny, less plastic-based, etc.) but as soon as slide down those controls you’ll have everyone’s attention. We were playing the legendary PlayStation title Crash Bandicoot on the train on the day of its arrival and you could feel eyes staring at you. FIFA 10 was also a joy and it was quite fast too, probably due to the 1GHz Scorpion processor. In short this is a great Android addition; you’ll be hard pressed to find a more fun phone. Keep your eyes on RWD’s Unwind and RWDmag.com as we’ll be scouring the next for game updates.
Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented... “Today is a very proud moment for SE as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.” Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said... “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.” Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile... “We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”
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Unwind With UNWIND WITH...
KEELEY HAZELL You’ve known this English rose intimately in her previous incarnation as one of the UK’s most sort after glamour models. Now 24 year-old Keeley Hazell has turned over a new leaf in her debut acting role in short movie Venus & the Sun. Danny Walker talks boobs, books and blogging with the budding actress... images by Jake Green
So you’ve gone from Keeley 22, Bromley to a model/ actress... how has the transition been? The transition has been ok, I mean I think it’s slightly hard to go from a model to an actress anyway, there have been many obstacles but I think that is part of the journey that you have to overcome. What’s the best/ worst of Page 3? [Takes breath] The best part of it was that it was such a fun job, it was like a family, we would go away and it was literally like a family holiday with a bunch of girls. I want to be in this family... couldn’t I have been like a weird nephew... [Laughs] You could ask, maybe. But it was so much fun. Going away with your friends and getting paid at the end of it. The worst thing though was when you were really cold and you’d have to do freezing beach shoots. Sometimes it was horrible. When we think of the worse of Page 3, we just think stalkers and sleazy photographers, did you get any of that? Erm... no. Not really. No weird stalkers. I don’t think many people recognised me to be honest and when they did they didn’t quite know if I was or if I wasn’t, ‘Are you the Keeley?’ I’d be like, ‘Erm... no. Who’s Keeley?’ [laughs]. Did you shy away from the whole celeb side of things... Pretty much. For me, I kind of didn’t enjoy the celebrity side of things; it was like a worthless notion. I didn’t really 86 / RWDMAG.COM
aspire to be in that kind of part of it. I liked doing my job and having this kind of fantasy going... and then I’d go home and be my normal self, drink some tea and read a book. As you do. Explain Venus & the Sun... Well, it’s basically a modern story about Venus and Adonis, the Greek myth. I play a fictional version of myself; I’ve got magical powers and I speak Latin... At the end, in the final shot you look
very emotional... I think the last shot was the hardest thing for us. The ending changed so much... I think when it came to that pivotal moment where me... as me [laughs]... has gone through everything that had happened and I didn’t realise that I’d felt like this about that. And when you make the decision of what you want to do, ‘Do you have to leave this life and go to that one? That was mainly the thought process. How do you UnWind? Are you blogging all the time or is that someone else? No that’s me. I spent the whole day yesterday blogging and learning how to resize images and work with HTML and margins... I enjoy it. It’s all me, I put everything up there, I’m a control freak so it’s definitely all me. I sit there and spend hours doing it. What else do you do? I watch a lot of films. Favourite film? That’s hard; Sophie’s Choice, Pulp Fiction; Godfather series, Hook... That was my favourite childhood movie. I like films that leave you with something. Are you a library goer, in the film we saw you open up a book? I would always go to the library at the last place I used to live in. My favourite book has to be To Kill A Mocking Bird. Venus & the Sun is out now. Download the app from venusandthesun.com
29 APRIL COMETH...
What are your views on the Royal Wedding? To be honest I haven’t really been following it. No one really cares, do they? I know. It’s really sad. Well, my sister did order the Will and Kate coin though. She ordered it for the novelty factor or something. She’s a geek!
What about this fashion sense? Is that something you’d go for in a man? [Smiles] No... probably not. What would you go for? What do they need to have? They’re usually scruffy; skinny jeans and look like they need a shower!
QUICK FIRE WITH KEELEY Easy way or hard way? Hard way. Hot or cold? Hot. Night in or night out? Night out. Upstairs or downstairs? Downstairs. Salad or chips? Salad. Chicken, fish or meat? Fish. Bath or shower? Shower. Bingo or bowling? Bingo. Love or lust? Lust [room laugh]. Shopping, sex or sleep? Sleep. Boots or bags? Boots. Flats or heels? Erm... flats... no heels... no...I like in between actually like a wedge, like this [shows off massive wedge]. Trackies or jammies? Jammies. Beard or no beard? Beard. No job or no rod? [Laughs] No rod [laughs hard]. Nice car or nice bra? Nice bra.
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UNWIND FILMS
FILMS
We’re not quite sure if these flicks are worthy of the royal couple but we think they’re hot... words by Danny Walker
ADVANCED PREVIEW
BRIDESMAIDS
Universal Pictures Cert TBC
It doesn’t take a genius (or anyone of regal heritage) to work out that the people who brought us Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40-YearOld Virgin (Judd Apatow and his crew) are quite brilliant. Their latest Paul Feid-directed slice of sublime celluloid looks rather like an all female version of Hangover at first glance but seems to promise much more. The Kirsten Wiig-led cast of feisty femme fatales look strong too and are backed up by our very own Little Matt Lucas and Chris O’Dowd (Peep Show). Let’s just hope Kate Middleton and her bridesmaids do exactly the opposite of the film’s lead character Annie, who appears to be a humorous mess. 13 May is you.
ANUVAHOOD
RED RIDING HOOD
Revolver Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures
Cert 15
Cert TBC
Adam Deacon’s first foray into the world of directing looks set for success, with pure hype surrounding the comedy. K, played by Deacon, depicts the typical wasteman running around on road with his equally pathetic ‘goons’ trying to be something they’re not. Runins with the Deebo style character Tyrone have got to be the stand out features of the film; along with cameos from Ashley Walters as the estate crack fiend and Richard Blackwood as Kay’s boss at Laimsbury’s. Go watch it, you’ll catch jokes, trust us!
Thinking this was going to be some deadpan Twilight drivel (well they do have the same director in Catherine Hardwicke) it took a few minutes to get into this thrilling adaptation of a legendary children’s story. But when Gary Oldman is involved and in full anti-werewolf mode, severity is instantly applied. Although the script churns out the odd cube of cheese the acting and the dialogue are far from square and despite really liking Amanda Seyfried in Jennifer’s Body this is easily her best role. Red Riding Hood is worth the watch.
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UNWIND GAMES
GAMES
Wills, (listen up, come closer... no, closer). If it gets a bit boring on your honeymoon unpack your favourite console and whack one out...
ADVANCED PREVIEW
L.A. NOIRE
Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360
The only time you’re allowed to travel on the District Line with a smile on your face is when taking a trip to Rockstar HQ. This time we were treated to an up close and personal look at L.A. Noire, their detective thriller set in the ‘40s. The first thing we noticed was that this crime caper looks very photorealistic and the MotionScan technology utilised by the game’s developers Team Bondi works very well with the story. As you transcend up the ranks playing the Noire’s lead character, Cole Phelps, you move from case to case looking for clues, roughing up bad guys and literally reading people’s faces to solve the abundance of murders in post-war L.A. We fear the return of 20 hour sessions again.
DRAGON AGE 2
LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS
EA Games
Activision
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
Not ones for magic, mystery, dragons, quidditch, Harry Potter, people who look like Harry Potter or even people who should have gone to Specsavers, it was a while before the second Dragon Age made its way into the PS3. Once there it didn’t leave for a while as the action, combat system and seeing the universe through Hawke’s eyes soon impressed (not too sure about his dress sense though). It just goes to show you can’t judge a game by its cover art... or the useless game that preceded it.
The saga continues...
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MONTHLY MUST TRY
KILLZONE 3
Sony Computer Entertainment PC, PS3, Xbox 360
We rather annoyingly got this just just just after the reviews were wrapped up for the last issue but we’re going to shout about it this month anyway. Killzone 3, now that we’ve had a longer time to evaluate it, is another deep first person shooter to add to your steadily increasing collection. This time around, the game features split screen co-op, which was long overdue in the series, some killer online modes and a whole host of fancy features (which include the ever-impressive Move compatibility and 3D support... providing you’ve got all of the accessories to go with of course). Apart from the price, this is a great leap into the future of gaming.
HOMEFRONT
APPSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE ROYAL WEDDING BY HELLO!
THQ PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Hello Ltd
This has intrigued us for a while and like many others before Homefront, it took a minute for us to get into this futuristic first person shooter. The year is 2027 (still no sign of hoverboards) and America needs saving from the tyrants that go by the name of the Greater Korean Republic... or as I called them, ‘Annoying so and so’s who take ages to die!!!’ When you’re fighting for the resistance you have a large array of weapons at your disposal but (at the moment) there’s nothing calling us to return.
iPhone/ iPad
To the guys that made threw together this iTunes abomination just days before the Royal Wedding, we salute you, especially as it seems you will be charging for this “app” soon. That’s like a corgi taking a dump on the Queen’s Dr. Martens and then turning around, holding out a paw and expecting payment for the steamy one resting on her toe. Yes, it includes Will and Kate’s timeline, a look at gifts, rings and prefect photos but we’d at least thought you would have put ONE game on there? Terrible. 91
UNWIND GIG GUIDE
GIG GUIDE
LE SCRATCH @ XOYO, LONDON
This Shoreditch haunt is fast becoming a favourite for everyone from Skepta and Jamie xx to Fake Blood and Wiz Khalifa; the reason we were there though was for the first of new monthly night Le Scratch, mixing the best in live music and art installations with the most amazing DJ sets. DJ/producer Snips represented on the decks drawing for some old skool hip hop classics whilst DJ and stylist Sarah Young didn’t disappoint either. A live set from Chimi Anya got the crowd hype downstairs alongside a whole host of some pretty interesting PA’s - someone definitely played Pat-A-Cake during their set – weird, right? Magnetic Man man and pretty much dubstep originator Artwork tore down the basement with his bass inflicting set and despite qualms about the sound system Roska pleased the East London crowd to no end. Basically if you’re after a night of old and new school music including hip hop, dubstep and bashment vibes from established to up and coming acts, head down to the next Le Scratch event at XOYO. Check lescratch.com or xoyo.co.uk for more details. (NS)
MARCH
26 Urban Nerds incl. Newham Generals Live Set @XOYO, London 31 FWD>> Oneman, Slimzee, Braiden @Plastic People, London Nas and Damian Marley plus Erykah Badu @Wembley arena, London
APRIL
1 Dwele @Jazz Cafe, London Rinse - Boy Better Know, P Money, Skream... @Fabric, London
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Flawless: Chase the Dream @Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Theo Parrish @ Plastic People, London
Time Out Nite Sessions... presents Modestep @ East Village, London
3 Rumer @Bridge Water Hall, Manchester
2 Wretch 32 Club Tour @Oceana, Plymouth
4-9 Snowbombing Festival @ Mayrhofen, Austria
Labrinth Club Tour @ Liquid and Envy, Essex
5 Jessie J @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Back To 95 10th Birthday @Fire & Lightbox, London British Music Experience @O2 Arena, London Kate Nash @Bush Hall, London
Trey Songz @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London 7 Wiley, JME (Boy Better Know), A-List, Fugative @ Plug, Sheffield
DELS @ Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London
10 Bilal @Jazz Café, London
8 Supa Dupa Fly Ft. live set from Adian Coker @ Jazz Café, London
Professor Green @Mandela Hall, Belfast
Licked Beatz 1st Birthday Bash Ft. Sukh Night, Youngsta + more @ Cable, London 9 Eliza Doolittle @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London Katy B @The Stiff Kitten, Belfast Wiley @Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff
11 Bigga Fish Live w/ Scorcher, D Double E , Mz Bratt, Ghetts, Griminal @Dingwalls, London 12 Fugative @Fleece, Bristol 13 Cee Lo Green @02 Academy, Bristol 14 La Strada Fashion and Music Circus @Proud 2, London
1XTRA EXCLUSIVE PRESS NIGHT @ NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB, LONDON
Far from a stuffy industry party, (the free drinks didn’t go amiss), 1Xtra churned out a night of impressive homegrown live music and Tim Westwood provided a DJ set to skank to dropping everything from Waka Flocka to Vybz Kartel. Ed Sheeran kicked things off smoothly with Angels Fly and then U Need Me before unplugging and creating a cosy circle in the audience for a cheeky third number. Next Yasmin sang her way sweetly through On My Own after an embarrassing intro courtesy of Gemma Cairney before being followed on stage by Aggro Santos who rapped through his chart hits. Maverick Sabre continued to show his versatility going from the subdued Look What I’ve Done to screaming Run To The Roof sans his trusty guitar. Whilst Lethal B journeyed through the ages from Oi to Pow finishing with the Donaeo produced Go Hard before BBK got fully represented by Skepta; the live band complimenting the producer/MC nicely as he spat his way through Mike Lowery and current single Amnesia. Big up 1Xtra for further showcasing UK’s high calibre of artists. (NS)
APRIL continued
18 Adele @ HMV Institute, Birmingham
16 Ghost Poet @XOYO, London
ILUVLIVE Music Connex Special Ft. Ed Sheeran, Maverick Sabre, Random Impulse + more @ Cargo, London
15 Lykke Li @ Cockpit, Leeds
Eric Benet @O2 Academy, Bristol Urban development presents...Industry Takeover @Rich Mix, London DJ YODA @KOKO, London Clare Maguire @ Sound Control, Manchester
19 Jamiroquai @MEN Manchester Arena, Manchester 22 Basslaced - Plastician, Untold, Lil Silva + more @ Cable, London Lovebox Presents... Tayo’s Tracksuit Party @ Village Underground, London
23 R. Kelly @ O2 Apollo, Manchester MC Solaar @Jazz Cafe 24 Trevor Nelson @GateCasher, Birmingham Norman J, Jazzie B & The Soul2Soul Sound System Indigo O2, London
26 Aloe Blacc @Library HMV Institute, Birmingham 27 Amp Fiddler @Jazz Café, London 28 David Guetta @O2 Academy Leeds
29 Live at Leeds Festival Ft. James Blake, Aloe Blacc @ Various Locations, Leeds Garage Nation @HMV Institute, Birmingham
30 RWD x Camden Crawl line up TBC @Jazz Café, London
Raphael Saadiq @O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Hospitality Ft. Noisses and RackNRuin @ Audio, Brighton
BOOK NOW!
N-Dubz @MEN Arena, Manchester
27 May Kevin Hart @Indigo o2, London
25 Trey Songz @O2 Academy, Birmingham
Red Bull Music academy presents Diplo + v. special guests @ Koko, London
28 May Urban Nerds 4th Birthday @Scala, London
UNWIND ALBUMS
REVIEWS LUPE FIASCO Lasers Atlantic
Wow, Wasalu has come in for some crazy heat over his third album, with even his own fans saying it’s terrible. Granted, there are some gross moments (step forward Out Of My Head) but it’s not all bad for the Kick, Push kid. Letting Go, Words I Never Said and All Black Everything prove he hasn’t lost his sharp, analytical, political and conceptual edge. Yes, some of the beats are wiggidy-wiggidy-wack and clearly shoved on there by the powers that be, but this is still, for the most part, a whole lot better than the average offering. Hold tight for Album Four. Track To Check: Words I Never Said Ft. Skylar Grey (HC)
ILLAMADI
RYE RYE
Duppy Your Disco
RYEot powRR
Mixtape
Mixtape
Despite my initial concerns regarding whether the title of this mixtape would encroach upon the Trade Descriptions Act (I doubt the legitimacy of whether ‘80s devotee iLLAMADi could “duppy” a tea party let alone a “disco”), I listened to the end (all 72 minutes)... twice. Tracks like Gwop Boy, clever F U(R GF) and his interesting take on Space Cowboy’s Egyptian Lover save it from being a complete floor clearer. Humorous word play, old skool references and decent beats make this FREE download playlist worthy; I just wish there was more quality not quantity. Track to Check: FU(R GF) (DW)
The Baltimore rapper signed to M.I.A. returns this year with her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang! that features production from Diplo, Pharrell and the one like Maya Arulpragasam. To precede this, the 20 year-old just dropped this riotous one-hour mix of covers, snippets and remixes. Loud, brash and bold, this is 60 exciting minutes of brain-crushing bass and to-The-Wire raps (see what we did there). Bring on the new album please. Track to Check: Party In The USA and Whip My Hair (HC)
METRONOMY The English Riviera Because
Opening with some of the lushest strings you’ve heard since, um, Mozart (Culture Ed: Really?), Metronomy’s frontman Joseph Mount sculpts 11 tracks of eclectic aural inspiration. From tranquil openings the album flits between the wildly odd and the bloody gorgeous, but at its core, this is essentially an epically ace pop record and we love it. Track to Check: We Broke Free (HC)
ALEXIS JORDAN
JAMIE WOON
THE NAKED AND FAMOUS
MARSHA AMBROSIUS
Alexis Jordon
Mirrorwriting
Passive Me, Aggressive You
Late Nights Early Mornings
Polydor
Polydor
RCA
Already Night Air and Lady Luck have made us fans of Woon; we featured him in our 2011 list and rightly so, but somewhere throughout this ultra laidback album offering you almost wish his soulful and sultry tones would be taken a little more up-tempo. Saying that, we could easily listen to this album on loop; the Michael McIntyre lookalike has firmly stamped his sound on Mirrorwriting; great to see from an artist whose debut album is so eagerly anticipated. Track to Check: Spirits (NS)
Our About To Blow stars prove why they’re worthy with this debut; there’s a number of singles on here we could bang on about, but for closing the album as strongly as it begun, The Ends and Girls Like You deserve a mention. I think anyone would find it hard to dislike these Kiwi’s; putting aside the many MGMT comparisons the ‘80’s esqe, feel good funked up and rocked out synth-sters have hit the nail on the head with Passive Me, Aggressive You. Track(s) To Check: Punching Ina Dream and Frayed (NS)
Sorry Alexis Jordan, but this is how you do it. AND she took it to No.2 in the US Billboards, proving quality and commercial aren’t exclusive. One of the best vocals this country has produced, ever, the former SE5 soul singer who has written for MJ and worked with Dr. Dre. smashes the soul out of soul. If that makes sense. Sensual and seductive, this arresting debut solo is lol(step forward I Hope She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player). as well as being beautifully made with a timeless feel. Brilliant. Track to Check: With You (HC)
Roc Nation
If you like generic, personality-free Stargate produced dance/ R&B blandness with the odd ballad thrown in, you’ll like this. Personally, we find it depressing. Track to Check: The Air That I Breathe (HC)
94 / RWDMAG.COM
BEARDYMAN I Done A Album Sunday Best Rec
VARIOUS ARTISTS Underground Miami Ministry
It’s that time of year when music industry types and ravers head to the M.I.A for the Winter Music Conference. Those lucky mo’fo’s dousing themselves in oil on South Beach can expect to hear some of these anthems as they party at Space, Mansion and Opium Garden – from hands in the air house to the dirtiest of dubstep, this collection collates greatness from Laurent Garnier, Afrojack and Benga on three discs of dance inspired hotness. Pass the suncream please... Track To Check: DJ Nibc Hold On (Don and Palm remix) (HC)
If you still haven’t heard of Beardyman please locate your nearest YouTube portal and digest clips for at least 15 minutes. Much like the vids of the man born Darren Foreman, his debut is versatile, weird and random. Sometimes that can be a good thing (and crazy Big Man, the comically dark dubby must that is Vampire Skank and of course edgy electro mash-up Where Does UR Mind Go? are proof of this) but other times it gets a bit too hairy (for want of a better word). I think Beardy’s output is best served in his seemingly immense live improvised sets. Track to Check: Vampire Skank (DW)
DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH?
RANDOM IMPULSE
Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
Fullfill
Cooking Vinyl
From singing to straight bars, the electric guitar yielding MC fully goes in on this EP, covering relationships and drunken escapades, to straight destroying speakers in Overload and its remix treatment from the likes of True Tiger and Stinkahbell. On You’re Welcome he spits, “My music touches every hand it don’t stand in a bracket/ So they don’t understand how to brand it or pack it.” Major label backing is not always necessary, with this currently riding high in the Top 10 iTunes charts, it’s £2.49 well spent! Track to Check: You’re Welcome (NS)
Since they kicked off in 2006, the rowdy Reading band have gone from strength to strength, doing all things electro, dance, punk, rave, dubstep, house... well. Their new output DSWDWY is an eclectic mixed bag of madness but somehow strings together nicely. Just for the Wrestler track alone, this needs to be purchased, but you need the other nine bumpy anthems to set the scene. And believe, the scene is messed up, especially as you know... The Monkeys Are Coming. Track to Check: Wrestler (DW)
Overload EP
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
CHIPMUNK Transition Jive
We could talk about that ‘difficult’ second album and how to follow up a platinum debut, but luckily Transition answers all doubts. Starting out incredibly strong with the title track, Chipmunk delivers an album that is lyrically diverse, intricate and open, backed up by a brilliant backdrop of beats by JD and Harmony that are bold, emotional and insistent on the ear canal. As well as punchlines for days, the Tottenham MC adeptly addresses suicidal tweets, difficulties with his family, the state of grime and his rise from underdog to chart-topper. There’s so little to not love here; eclectic guest features, clever wordplay and incredible production sees Chip not only match I Am... but better it. A true Champion of an album that is hard to tear yourself away from. Tracks To Check: Pray For Me/ Transition/ Champion (HC)
RWD’S REWINDS
Paper Crows Follow The Leader (G. Lenton remix) (Future Cut) Her Majesty & The Wolves Glaciers (Roksonix Remix) (Chime) Does it Offend You, Yeah? Wrester (Cooking Vinyl) Chasing Pluto Crazy World (White) Jay Norton Black & Yellow/ Limit To Your Love (A64) Ed Sheeran The A-Team (Asylum) Roxxxann Smoooke (Backpack Gang) Lil B Ft. Jean Grae & Phonte Lil B The Based God (MP3) Wiz Khalifa Ft. Snoop Young, Wild & Free (Atlantic) Lupe All Black Everything (Atlantic) Eminem Ft. B.o.B Things Get Worse (MP3) Raekwon Ft. Rick Ross & Ghostface Molasses (Ice H20) Low Key Top 1 Selected (MP3) Ben Westbeech Falling (Strictly Rhythm) Elro Hypocrite (MP3) The Game Ft. Yelawolf Rough (Aftermath) Marvel Boys Marvel FM 4 (Mixtape) K Koke My Home (Mixtape) Swindle Moodswings (Swindle Producitons) Fem Fel Hero (TenTen) R.I.O. What If (MRK1 Dubstep remix) Rare Breed
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UNWIND SINGLE CHART
UKG / GRIME / DUBSTEP CHART BY DJ CHEWY 01 KATY B Broken Record (Rinse Records) We warned you that this south London singer would be one to watch this year. This is the third release from the funky queen, who continues to deliver with her unique, raw style, this time dropping a house / garage vibe. 02 D1 FT. JENNA G Flood Of Emotions (Dub Police) I’m not too sure how many years I have been listening to and buying this dubstep producer’s material for, but this is without a doubt his biggest shot at crossover, without selling short. It’s also great to see the brilliant Jenna G back on the mic. 03 KROMESTAR Mental Universe/ Trianglez (Get Darker Records) Compared to his usual hard and dark style, Kromestar is opting for a much softer approach with this track. With a more melodic and slightly Balearic approach, the warm bassline manages to be gripping as any of his darker stuff. 04 KODER Culprit (Defender Ents) Over a killer riddim produced by G Tank, this new kid on the block delivers some sick bars. Not quite feeling the awful video,which is just terrible in comparison to an otherwise great tune. 05 SEIJI 3 More Of You/ Sticks (SEIJI Records) If you are into hybrid multi-platform tunes that keep on elevating and changing, then you need this big time. Putting four to the floor firmly back on the map with a touch of dubstep, More Of You is the standout of the two. 06 ALEX BLAK Loving You (AMS) I’ve not heard the original R&B version from this singer/ actor/ producer/ writer, but this amazing remix from Digital Dubstar has been getting some serious support from the specialist DJs from funky garage scene. 07 SELAH I Want You Out My House (MyIsh Records) Organically growing in its appeal, this funky offering has been getting some major support across the airwaves. This version features the veteran vocalist, producer and entrepreneur Donaeo. 08 JAMIE GRIND Foot Work (Fortified Audio) There is talk of a garage renaissance, and if that’s correct this EP is a sure sign that the old skool production values of soulful funky garage is valid. The release encompasses dubstep with an electro house sound. 09 ILL BLU Meltdown EP (Numbers Records) Fast becoming the go to guy for your killer remixes, Ill Blu has delivered three original tracks on this cracking EP. The opening track Meltdown is dirty and raw funky house, very reminiscent of the original UKG era. 10 MODESTEP Mode Step EP (AE1 Music) Still getting some serious support and a mountain more bookings is this breakthrough act. Log on to Souncloud for more impressive tracks; you need to hear their massive anthem Don’t Bite The Hand.
t cks a ur tra m/ o y s o u c Drop ndcloud. box Sou ag/drop rwdm
96 / RWDMAG.COM
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
COLECO Matyr EP (Orientis Records) CASPA Terminator & Marmite Remixes (Subsoldiers) DJ MADD When I First Saw You (Subway) BODDIKA Electron (Swamp1 Records) N TYPE & CYRUS Dark Frequency (Blackbox) KATY B FT. MS DYNAMITE Lights On (Rinse) ORPHAN 101 Into You EP (Saigon) GEORGE FITZGERALD The LetDown (Hot Flush Recordings) BE-1NE Tube Sound/ Illusion (Area Records) HELIXR Undivided LP (Seven Recordings)
RWD DISTRIBUTION WITH MORE MAGS THAN EVER 98,033* ISSUES NATIONWIDE 55DSL
London W1F
ADIDAS
AvaiIable at your local
London WC2H
BENCH
LONDON Bayswater W2 Beckton E6 Bexleyheath DA6 Brent Cross NW4 Brixton SW9 Bromley BR1 Colliers Wood SW19 Croydon CR0 Croydon CR01 Enfield EN2 Harrow HA1 Hounslow TW3 Ilford IG1 Kingston KT1 London W12 Oxford Street W1C Romford RM1 Stratford E15 Tottenham N15 Walthamstow E17 Watford WD17 Wood Green N22 Wood Green N22 Uxbridge UB8 SOUTH Bluewater DA9 Brighton BN1 Cheshunt EN8 Crawley RH10 Luton LU1 Reading RG1 Slough SL1 Southampton S015 Thurrock RM20 MIDLANDS Bedford MK40 Birmingham B2 Birmingham B2 Birmingham B24 Birmingham B5
MIDLANDS CONT. Ipswich IP1 Milton Keynes MK9 Northampton NN1 Nottingham NG1 Solihull B91 NORTH Blackpool FY1 Leeds LS1 Leeds LS11 Leicester LE1 Liverpool L1 Manchester M4 Manchester M4 Manchester M4 Manchester M34 Meadowhall S9 Middlesbrough TS1 Newcastle NE11 Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 Oldham OL2 Silverburn G53 Speke L24 Sunderland SR1 Teesside TS17 Trafford Centre M17 SCOTLAND Clydebank G81 East Kilbride G74 Edinburgh EH1 Glasgow G2 Glasgow G51 Glasgow G1 Glasgow G31 Glasgow G34 Glasgow G1 WALES Cardiff CF10 Cardiff CF11
* 1 July 2010 - 31 Dec 2010 - average distribution figure
Covent Garden W2H Bluewater DA9 Brighton BN1 Bristol BS1 Gateshead NE11 Glasgow G1 Liverpool L1 Meadowhall S9 Trafford Centre M17 White City W12
CARHARTT
Covent Garden WC2H
DIESEL
Bicester OX26 Birmingham B2 Greenhithe DA9 London W1F London WC2H Glasgow G12 London W8 Leeds LS1 Liverpool L1 Manchester M2 Nottingham NG1
GOLA
London W1F
HENLEYS
Manchester M17 London W12
HENRI LLOYD
London W1F Manchester M2 Liverpool L1
LUKE
Cardiff CF10 Bristol BS1 Manchester M4
N.DEAKINS
West Yorkshire LS1
ONETRUESAXON
Nottingham NG1
ONITSUKA TIGER
London W1F
RBK
London WC2H
SUPERDRY
Covent Garden WC2H
WESC
London W1F London W1F London WC2H
ALSO AT:
Amandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of York York Atoo Birmingham Blackmarket London Blu Orange Braintree Bolo Hull C2 Peterborough Carnasista London Chimp Leeds Dr Kruger Lancaster Driver Northampton Drome Liverpool Eastern Bloc Manchester Fabric Torquay G-Star Newcastle-upon-Tyne H&M London Hip Leeds KISS 100 London Kong Coventry Kushi Frome Limited Fashion Whitefield Mash London Net Clothing Leicester Northern Threads Newcastle Norton Barrie Wilmslow Platinum Redford Pulse Belfast Red Kidderminster Sakis Sheffield Solo Edinburgh Speedball London Studd Manchester Styx Cheetham Hill Village The Junction Corby Midi Music Company London Twisted Tongues Beds UKRecordShop.com Middlesex Well Gosh Leicester
FINAL WORD: Lily Loveless
Known for her fresh faced acting skills in the third series of BAFTA award winning series Skins, 20 year-old honorary Arsenal fan Lily Loveless talks KFC, skets and Kate Middleton (no connection)... words by Danny Walker In the forthcoming movie, Sket, you play ‘Hannah’. What’s your definition of a ‘sket’? A sket? Gosh, it’s not a very nice word is it? It is erm, well I know it as a slag term for like, a nasty girl. I don’t really like using derogatory terms like that. My older sister would kill me if I said a word like that. It’s just a word made up to use against girls. Do you think mainly girls use it or guy’s that are trying to get with girls? I don’t know... Probably more boys, because, if a boy tries to chat a girl up and she’s not interested, the boy will go [does man’s voice] ‘Oh you f**king sket!!!’ which ain’t true cause I’m not letting you talk to me, so obviously I’m not. Make up your mind mate... [Laughs] Yeah, exactly. And can you break down the film? It’s basically about a girl who goes up to London with her sister and they meets some rough around the edges girls. She’s learning about the new city so she gets drawn to them. When her sister is attacked, she actually has no one left and the girls are the only ones that she can really turn to and she hopes that they’ll help her in getting back at the people that did that to her sister and... Don’t tell us the ending! No, no, no... I wasn’t... I wasn’t. Ok well actually, I shouldn’t tell you the next bit then. We hear you were up until 3AM when filming, not even KFC is open then... Yeah we’d like wrap at three, so that wasn’t great and we didn’t get any KFC. I‘m gonna complain! Everyone was really nice 98 / RWDMAG.COM
though; there wasn’t one horrible person. What’s your advice for up and coming actresses? Try not to concentrate on the way that you look cos it’s not important! Bedlam was on the other night, It was good... Oh yeah I missed it, but my mum’s recorded it. She records everything [I’m in]. I never tell people when I’m in things. Like my dad will phone me and say ‘I just saw you in a trailer’ and I’ll be like ‘oh yeah, yeah I did that’. Do you still get shy? Really shy and I don’t really know why, I just get kind of awkward, I don’t really like talking about it Do you like talking about the royal wedding? What are your views... I really don’t have any! Well what I’d say is, I kind of feel a bit sorry for them, I think if you’re in the royal family and you get to a certain age and you’ve been seeing someoneI reckon that there’s a point where, the royal family people sit you down and say ‘You need to get married’. I don’t know, no one knows. I just hope that they’re happy, good luck to them I’d say. What about some style tips for Kate? I think she’s probably told how to dress. And if you could get them a wedding present, what would it be? Oh f**king hell, a present! They’re the royal family; they don’t need no presents... For more check facebook.com/SKETmovie and twitter.com/lovelessandmore