RWD mag June 11

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EDITOR’S LETTER There are some people who are just so right for the RWD cover. We first featured Mr. Edward Sheeran as ‘One To Watch’ in April 2010, and again as ‘About To Blow’ in August 2010, and he feels like one of the RWD family. He played for us last year at our 100th issue party, alongside Tinie Tempah and Yasmin - two other names doing rather well for themselves right now. And, like Tinie around 14 months ago, Ed is the name on everyone’s lips right now. Simply put, he’s on the verge of being that guy. With backing from Zane Lowe, Mistajam and Fearne Cotton and a career defining slot on Jools Holland, I’d be prepared to put money on Sheeran selling in the millions. Like Adele, he has that relatable appeal - and, like Adele, his music makes me actually cry. I love him and I’m so happy to see such a young talent - who, before signing to a major created his own career completely independently on the brink of major success. Next stop Grammy’s, Brits, No.1’s and US success. Ed talks us through his journey so far and his hopes for the future. Ed isn’t the only talent inside; another ‘flame haired’ singer, Nicola Roberts, is smashing our speakers right now. The Girl’s Aloud-er has made a genuinely interesting, edgy, exciting pop record. Loves it! We also love female duo Oh My!, Frank Ocean and Ed’s mate Dot Rotten - the Au Sauvage suited spitter is another truly unique talent, as is Marques Toliver; this violin playing troubadour is a special young man whose music is basically breathtaking. When it comes to US rap, there’s one man and his band who are really creating a storm; we catch up with Tyler, The Creator and his Odd Future mates over at SXSW in Texas. The Lonely Island are also a rap crew; but with a twist. This comedy trio are Laugh Out Loud funny and boast not only Justin Timberlake, but, erm, Michael Bolton on their new album. It’s not all music of course; footballers Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic tell us whose wife is the best at cooking, while VIP Vicky of Geordie Shore talks us though her 15 sick days, four no shows and a lot of lates. Not a bad line-up even if I do say so myself... Keep in touch with us over the month at RWDmag.com.

RWD TEAM Editor Hattie Collins Deputy Editor Danny Walker Staff Writers Nardene Scott, Jerry Gadiano, Contributing Editor Chantelle Fiddy Online Editor Tego Sigel Contributors Alex Johnson, JP Patterson, Francesca Dunn, Mahta Hassanzadeh Art Director Dacre J. Bracey Designer Chidi Ubani Fashion Stylists Nasrin Jean-Baptiste, Neesha Sharma, Patricia C Williams, Luke Miley, Denise Brown Fashion News Ed Caragh Logan Style Pages Editor Irene Asanji Style Assistant Cheyenne Davide Illustrators Art Jaz, Jiro Bevis, Rachel Goslin, David Flanagan Photographers James Pearson-Howes, Andres Reynega, Kevin Joseph & Jake Green @ Response, Adrian Nettleship, Verena Stefanie Grotto Publisher Nigel Wells Senior Sales Matthew Richards Thanks Verity and John at NACRO. Blackz, Soldja, Frets, Namso, Pane, Jimmy, Randy, Reece and Pedro at HMYOI Portland

CONTACT RWD W107 Holywell Centre, 1, Phipp Street, London EC2A 4PS Tel: 0203 176 4299 Email: staff@rwdmag.com

Twitter.com/hattiecollins

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

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH WAHIBA AHMED Somaliland born, Sweden raised Wahiba Ahmed currently lives in Harrow and got into the RWD building via our own Chidi Ubani. “He told me that RWD needed a new intern and I felt like it was the perfect opportunity for me to practice my writing further.” This budding journo wrote us some album reviews, did a bunch on online stories and got to see Wretch 32 at XOYO. “He’s wicked!” For this KiD CuDi and magazine obsessive, we hope the writing is on the wall. “I’d love to continue excelling as a journalist. My dream is to create a magazine one day and also a charity to help with the development of my country.” Twitter.com/violetnight

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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



CONTENTS 01/06/2011

REGULARS

FEATURES

8-10 12 14 16-18

INBOX NEWS ENOUGH ALREADY: OSAMA BIN LADEN ASICS ONE TO WATCH: MARQUES TOLIVER, MC BLIZZARD, FRANK OCEAN, OH MY!, LEVI SHERWOOD 20-23 UPFRONT WITH... MICHEAL CARRICK & NEMANJA VIDIC 24-24 ABOUT TO BLOW: DOT ROTTEN FINAL WORD: GEORDIE SHORE’S VIP VICKY

46-50 52-55 56-57 58-59 60-61 62-63

STYLE GUIDE

UNWIND

27-41 FASHION: T-SHIRT SPECIAL 42-43 FASHION NEWS 44-45 REFRESHED: ARINZE KENE MOKWE

65-67 GADGETS: IPAD 2 SPECIAL 68-74 GIG GUIDE: RWD @ CAMDEN CRAWL, LIVE FEST, SNOW BOMBING, THE BRITS 76 FILMS 78-79 GAMES 80-81 REVIEWS

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ED SHEERAN TYLER, THE CREATOR NICOLA ROBERTS THE LONELY ISLAND CALVIN HARRIS @ L.E.D FESTIVAL THE DUB RATZ



INBOX

HAVE YOUR SAY:

OG NIKI

Once again you’ve bombarded our Inbox and RWDmag. com with a whole host of craziness. The best of which comes from our new best pals 40winks and Jordan London, because of their hard work/ stalking they get a copy of Codemaster’s rally-fest Dirt3... 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

Earlier this month we received at least 10 envelopes addressed to various members of staff...

experience, the fridge, the fax machine... ok we made those last ones up) was genius. Annoying but genius. We’ve downloaded the mixtape and will let you know our findings. Thanks RWD for your reply. Good thing too as I was just about to send the second batch before you e-mailed! Good or bad, we’d appreciate any feedback whether publicised or not. We intend to shoot videos for every track on the project so stay tuned!! Keep up the good work. 40winkz Re: OG Niki Big up to [OG Niki], boys chat dirty all the time and she’s actually a good spitter, so I’m proud to be from the Midlands now! Least we got decent MCs. Mary Re: OG Niki Can’t you people see what [OG Niki]’s done, she made them lyrics to get high ratings and it’s worked, how clever, but she needs to tone it down now she’s getting big. Dee Matthews

Just a quick email to say that we got all 15 (or so) of your letters and your “marketing strategy” to bombard the whole RWD team (the editor, the deputy editor, staff writers, people on work 8 / RWDMAG.COM

Re: OG Niki My feeling is that regardless of what else she has to say, she will ALWAYS be known as the girl who rapped about doing it with six men on YouTube. The UK does not have the same platform as the US, she is not Lil

Kim and Wiley is not B.I.G, thus she will not make it big and go multi-platinum. She is young and I feel that when her career is stunted (as I think it will be), she’ll look back and truly regret what she did. I am not saying the song is nasty, I am going by how people judge certain actions. For her to make a song like that is a bit silly... For now it’s working for her. But I wonder what the repercussions will be in terms how she gets treated and the REALITY of life... Anon We let Niki Have Her Say... (see opposite). Chipmonth!!! I need to get the latest issue of RWD magazine (April 2011 – Chipmunk!!!) he is my fave artist and I really need to get hold of a copy and don’t know how. Please help me to get one. Thanks. Jaiye Gooding Jaiye, relax take a breath. Come down off the ledge, we’ll hook you up. Hello, RWD mag, My name is Ben Panter, I’ve just started up a music blog on the Internet. I was just wondering if you would like to do a little interview over email? Ben Panter A music blog, on the something called ‘The Internet’? Really? How do we access that? Jokes, send us the questions, be glad to help.

The controversial Brum femcee goes on Twitter to air out her grievances about bad mind followers... “It’s good to feel comfortable being yourself. Don’t act the way society says you should, which part of your name is clone? I go through my mentions and jus get bare joke, some people have got time to log onto twitter, search me, follow me and tweet me abuse. I ain’t asking for no one’s respect, I ain’t asking for friends or fans, I ain’t asking for no one to talk to me and I couldn’t care for 19,000 followers or 1! I don’t block people, that gives them satisfaction. They can tweet me all day, they get airtime. I didn’t wanna be famous anyway lol, I couldn’t give a sh*t!” Follow Twitter.com/ OGniki on Twitter



RWDMAG.COM QUICK QUESTION:

27%

RWDMAG.COM USERS CAST THEIR VOTE

...Odd entertainment but good music.

Each month we give you the chance to answer our Quick Question...

7%

...Good entertainment but odd music.

42%

...Just my kind of odd.

Tyler & Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) are...

20%

...A big bunch of odd hype.

3%

...Too odd.

Mr Smith says “Too odd...” They’re just a bunch of Lady Gagas, I dont even think their music is that good.”

WILL YOU BE WATCHING BIG BROTHER ON CHANNEL 5 THIS SUMMER?

Anonymous says “Just my kind of odd...” but my kind of odd is sniffin my Nan’s seat after she’s left to put the kettle on... Frank Ocean and Tyler are both good.”

1%

...Not odd enough

IS OG NIKI A GOOD MC OR JUST ANOTHER REBECCA BLACK...

39% 10% 61% 63% 27% GOOD MC

MAYBE

YES

NO

This month a debate raged online whether OG Niki is any good - whether she can handle a mic or whether she should just go away. As always online readers were very vocal and let us know their views. For more info on this search ‘OG Niki‘ on RWDmag.com.

iamaflanagan.co.uk

REBECCA BLACK

TOP TWEETS @RWDMAG:

1. @bwoywonder: RT @RWDmag We’re currently debating nun-kicks, what do nun’s wear on their feet? ‘NUN-LOPS’ :P 2. @will_paterson: Nike Air Nun-ties 3. @TalayRiley: @RWDmag some nuns have swag! Some! A good like 0.02 percent of them, there rest of them wear plimsolls isn’t it :S 4. Does anyone have a tank?!?!

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SEE SNOOP IN THE SUN! Win a trip to see Snoop, Far East Movement and LMFAO perform at Isle Of MTV Malta...

“MTV always throws a good party, and Isle of MTV is one of the best nights of live music in Europe over the summer. I plan to rock the Il-Fosos this June like that Square has never seen before,” said Snoop Dogg of playing at the event this year. And if the Boss Dawg says it’s so, who are we to argue! Actually, we can confirm he’s telling the truth. RWD were lucky enough to go and see Gaga perform at the Isle Of MTV Malta in 2010 - and trust us, we had a truly memorable evening. Watching Gagaloo and the Black Eyed Peas perform as the sun went down was pretty incredible; and the after parties weren’t bad too...! We are giving you the opportunity to fly, courtesy of Air Malta, to enjoy Malta’s sizzling summer sun, refreshing crystal clear waters and to revel in this summer’s biggest party, Isle of MTV. At this year’s event, you will be able to witness some of the biggest names from the international music scene. To win, all you have to do is email iwannawin@ rwdmag.com, subject ‘Isle of MTV Malta’ and answer the following question: What is the name of Snoop’s debut album? For more info, head to Isleofmtv.com. Isle Of MTV is on MTV Music, Saturday 9 July at 9pm. Terms and conditions: Open to UK residents aged 18 years and over. 2 x Economy Flights from and Air Malta serviced airport – Ensure that winners are able to travel to their nearest Air Malta airport (check http://airmalta.com for your region) 2 Nights stay in a 4* Hotel + Breakfast. Transfers in Malta only. Prizes don’t include spending money and are standard entry. The prize is non-transferable. The prize includes return flights from Manchester and London Gatwick only. You must hold a valid passport to travel.

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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: Re:Definition My flatmate is forever submerging herself in culture. As I lay in bed, getting high on The Only Way Is Essex, I can guarantee she’s hitting the theatre or something that involves the arts. I once tried to partake and joined a trip to the White Cube but the only thing I managed to summon was the temptation to get my Tempa T game on and ‘smassssshhhhh...’ But I didn’t. Thankfully, the urbanite seeking culture lover in me has found a solution. Re:Definition, a collaboration between Urban Development and the Barbican as part of the east London Create festival. Having grown in stature over the last few years, it’s due to take place on 7 July at Hackney Empire and the line-up in itself is more than worth the tenner for the ticket. We’re talking Kano, Ghetts, Donaeo, RoxXxan, Talay Riley, Lovelle Hill, Mike Hough, Scrufizzer, Jay Norton, MPHO, Selah, Shezar and the Urban Development Vocal Collective [eat your heart out Glee fans). But don’t be expecting a series of straight PA’s as the artist’s songs are woven into a storyline with their lyrics doing the talking, resulting in a conceptual showcase designed to redefine urban music by uniting established acts and emerging talent through collaboration, and blurring the boundaries between theatre, multimedia and live music. The show is directed by Matthew ‘Excalibah’ Xi with visuals from main man Jak Frsh. “Re:Definition is a platform for sharing stories in a musical form, like a staged concept album,” explains Ex. “I did it last year and I’m happy they approached me again cause it’s time to step it up. I’m especially excited about the Kano and Ghetts collab...” Tickets are on sale now from £10 at Hackneyempire.co.uk. Box office +44 (0) 202 8985 2424. For updates on Re:Definition: Urbandevelopment.co.uk



ENOUGH ALREADY: Osama bin Laden He was head of Al-Qaeda until US Special Forces shot him (ironically in the head) in the early hours of Sunday 1 May 2011. But now he’s rotting at the bottom of the sea, can we finally say Enough Already to the world’s most wanted beard... words by Danny Walker image by Jiro Bevis Everyone knows where they were when they found out about the death of Princess Diana; for your information I was at home, in my pants, watching Sky News. Everyone knows where they were when they heard of the horrific terror attacks of 9/11. I was at home, again in my pants, when I got a text from a uni mate saying, ‘Put on the TV, World War 3.’ But do you remember your exact location when your ears digested the news that the world’s biggest criminal’s reign of terror had literally come to an eye-opening end? It was only a couple of weeks ago. Think back, the BBC even interrupted its stellar lineup of breathtaking Bank Holiday blockbusters, whist sparing no detail in informing of Osama bin Laden’s demise. During their broadcast saturated in augmented facts, HD images of the siege that infiltrated the super terrorist’s $600k+ “secret” super crib – which had walls so thick Osama could have had a mini anti-infidel carnival – and what some would described as a plethora of Americaloving, pro-freedom, pencil-pushing propaganda... I couldn’t help but think; is this the last we’ll hear of Osama bin Laden? How did Pakistani intelligence not know Bin Laden was there? And, 14 / RWDMAG.COM

more importantly, who has the most famous beard now? Chuck Norris? Zach Galifianakis? Rick Ross’s mum? As the news broke of Osama’s death, CNN/ ABC/ Fox showed footage of American citizens partying at Ground Zero, where thousands lost their lives just under a decade ago. What is this, an eye-for-an-eye??? Now the Al-Qaeda mastermind is no longer of this earth, the last thing the western world should be doing is the Running Man on his watery grave. That will only lead to retaliation, reprisals, revenge, retribution, and other scary words that begin with ‘r’. We do not need any more 7/7s and 9/11s thank you very much. Forget releasing pictures of his Swiss cheese-like corpse, bin any Blu-ray bootlegs of that Navy Seal footage that Obama and the crew got to watch and cancel the lucrative Call of Duty spin-off. This is a moment for remembering those who’ve lost their lives before, during and after this War on Terror at the hands of Bin Laden. This is a moment for showing solidarity and discretely celebrating this evil man’s exit and this is a moment to remember that there is ALWAYS another nutter only too happy to step in and fill Osama Bin Laden’s shoes sandals.



presents

ASICS BIKU CV

ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE This spring, ASICS introduce their new low profile silhouette shoe; with its 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.

MARQUES TOLIVER This classically trained violinist has one of the sweetest voices we’ve heard in a while; teamed with influences from Bach to Beyoncé, it’s no wonder fans like Adele are helping to pull some strings. Words by Hattie Collins... “My old violin was from 18-something but it got destroyed at a burlesque party at The Box.” This sentence pretty much sums up all you need to know about Marques Toliver. He might play the fiddle but you’re more likely to find him in the achingly trendy (and odd) New York hotspot than you are at a violin concerto. Having played the instrument since the age of 10, the former busker from Daytona, Florida, counts fans like Daisy Lowe, Bat For Lashes, and, more crucially, Adele, who helped Toliver get signed. “I’d been in the UK on tour with a band and wanted to come back over. Daisy [Lowe] helped front my flight money (thanks Daisy!) and when I came back on my own, Adele had done a blog about how I was her new favourite artist. By the of that week, I had a publishing deal with Universal, I’d played in front of Spike Lee, with Daniel Merriweather at the Royal Albert Hall and had a spot on Jools Holland. I didn’t even have time to unpack my things.” It’s no wonder the 21 star loved him so much; check out his violin-slash-singing performance of Sail Away on Jools and pick up his new EP Butterflies Are Not Free to see why they, and we, are so in awe of the man who has played for TV On The Radio and Grizzly Bear. “I guess I’m mostly influenced by classical music

and R&B and gospel,” says the former Music Education major of gorgeous tracks like Deep In My Heart and Charter Magic. “Vocally it’s Destiny’s Child, lyrically it’s fiction and sci-fi, things like Philip Pullman and then my compositions are based in classical western music, specifically Bach.” The EP, he says, hints at “Youthfulness and a sense of longing. When I say Destiny’s Child I don’t want people to think they’re going to hear Bug A Boo, it’s more in the attitude. The music is like a narrative of a book that we’ve all read but forgotten about. Like a story that you’ve heard before but it’s been so long since you’ve heard it and its so new to you but you’re like ‘Oh, this is familiar’.” Currently signed to Bella Union, who are releasing the EP, Toliver hasn’t made any major decisions yet about his first album. “After Butterflies... we let the stew sit there for a little bit, let everyone eat from it. If they have food poisoning then we adjust it,” he laughs of his metaphor, “and if they like it and they want more, we’ll create more. As an artist I want to have the longevity like Dame Elizabeth Taylor – those guys that hang around for a bit.” Counting BRITs, Grammy’s, film soundtracks and his own music school as his life ambitions, Marques is confident that he will soon be joining the likes of Beyoncé and Liz in the hall of fame. “This whole thing has already sort of blown, but it happened in a way that wasn’t forced or contrived or with cruel intentions,” he says of his current success. “I have big plans because at the end of the day I don’t want to be shoulda, woulda, coulda.” Butterflies Are Not Free is out now. Twitter.com/marquestoliver

MC BLIZZARD

17 year-old Mancunian Bradley has been spitting since eleven; before that he entered spoken word competitions but being around fellow MC and cousin Shifty meant the inevitable outcome. Always the smallest in the crew meant Blizzard needed a place to vent. “In a way [spitting] was something I used to beat bullies but also keep me occupied.” After a youth club studio visit, the bar sprayer decided to study music for GCSE and learn the piano and drums; now Merky Ace (Assassin) and Wiley (Soundboy Killer) have vocalled his productions whilst Marco Del Horno is lined up to work with him next. Following April’s Distorted Eyes mixtape, out now, will see the Soundboy Killer EP drop. Also look out for freestyles galore including a Cameraman Sketch freestyle coming soon. Twitter.com/iamblizzard (NS)

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Jackson & Joshua Stewart

FRANK OCEAN

There’s not a shortage of R&B singers in this world, but there’s none delivering in quite the same way as this 23 year-old. Part of the Odd Future clan, Ocean’s excellent nostalgia: ULTRA mixtape, which he describes as ‘bluegrass’ saw the N.O born, L.A resident deliver a novocaine soaked alternative to the smooth jams of Trey Songz et al. Despite a little run-in with the LAPD recently (“f**k a cop”), Ocean is currently busy building beautifulness for Pharrell (“the harmonizations. swag”), Beyoncé and Nas (he’s previously written for Bieber too) as well as creating his own debut LP; basically, think Bruno Mars, but, good. We’ll let him have the last (Tweet) word. “Don’t let em tell you you can’t be who you don’t wanna be.” Exactly. Twitter.com/frank_ocean. Download nostalgia.... from Oddfuture.com. (HC)

17


ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE

presents

OH MY! Mahta Hassanzadeh meets pop’s latest ace act, Oh My!... Oh My! are Alex and Jade. They are named after that Tweet song, you know the one, where she touches herself then acts all surprised. They make pop music. You might not want to like it, but just be prepared to deal with the high probability that you will. Meeting at school, the duo migrated to London from Leeds to try this here music ting. “You learn a new lesson everyday in London,” proclaims Alex. And they must have learnt fast because now signed to 679, the girls are writing songs with Example, including the addictive debut single Run This Town and banger Dirty Dancer. Sales, mate. But it’s not just about pulling in the odd musical master... attitude matters here too. Referencing the status quo ‘girl power’ bands such as Spice Girls, All Saints and Destiny’s Child as influences, it’s pretty flipping obvious to see that Oh My! have incorporated a healthy dose of sweet female attitude into their lyrics that can be understood by both an 11 year-old school girl and

a 40 year-old, Patrick Swayze loving mumzie. “This town ain’t big enough for me, you, your bit on the side, so take your toothbrush and your packet of lies” and “you think your special ‘cos you’ve got a special watch, but you’re not’. Pop poetry. But you can’t move to London and escape the grime scene and that’s what’s most interesting about Oh My!. They’ve paired up for forthcoming tracks with dark horse RoxXxan and highspeed spitting Scrufizzer. “I felt like a complete grime scene girl”, says Jade, re-calling a recent video shoot with OGZ. Already getting attention from the notoriously outspoken Popjustice (Peter Robinson) who would par his own mother all in the name of being a real critic, Oh My! have also got DJing slots at London’s Electricity showrooms with Alex playing classic party bangers and Jade drawing for the old skool garage anthems. And they play with animals in their music videos... Parrots, chameleons, the whole rassclart zoo. ohmyofficial.com, ohmyofficial.tumblr.com

LEVI SHERWOOD

Still only just 19, this talented Kiwi has been earning a name for himself in the world of FMX (Freestyle Motocross) on his kitted out Yamaha bike. Last year he managed to bag fourth place in the prestigious Red Bull X-Fighters Internationals despite breaking his femur and wrist on a jump, which caused him to drop out of the competition. “Nothing beats the thrill of the first round of RBX in Mexico ’09,” the flexible rider tells us of his best moments, before admitting he never really had an alternative career in mind. “Working in KFC probably,” he says of his Plan B. After this year’s Heartbreak jump bagging him best trick in the Dubai leg of RBX he’s determined to make it onto the podium this season. Redbullxfighters.com (NS)

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UPFRONT WITH… MICHAEL CARRICK AND NEMANJA VIDIĆ Danny Walker takes a trip to a surprising sunny Manchester to speak with influential United players Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic. A few days before their ill-fated away game at the hands of Arsenal, the duo talk big game mistakes, handcuffing Lionel Messi and ponder whose wife has the best cuisine?!?!?!

NEMANJA VIDIC: OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO PROVE YOURSELF AGAIN WHEN YOU COME TO A BIG CLUB. IT CAN BE HARD...

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After a short wait (compared to some interviews we’ve had with stars of the Premiership the delay was nonexistent) we walk in on Michael Carrick about to lose a game of table tennis to the paddle of Serbian international Nemanja Vidic. Their impromptu battle with the bats ends 11-7...

MICHAEL CARRICK: [LIONEL MESSI WOULD] PROBABLY SLIP OUT OF HANDCUFFS AS WELL [ROOM LAUGHS].

How is it going today? Michael Carrick: Recovering from the last game and getting ready for the next one. [I assume they’re talking about their 2-0 victory over Schalke and not the table tennis] What was it like when you first met each other, in 2006, right? MC: Yeah, Vida was already here. Nemanja Vidic: Yeah I was here for six months. Michael already had that speculation because he was gonna come before from Tottenham, but I knew it was a big signing for us. We all knew about him. Over the years we’ve had a very successful team and had a good time here. Michael, what did you think of some of the stars at United? MC: I tell you what, that first day at training is a nervous day. [Looks at Nemanja] I dunno how you found it? Cos you feel you have to earn their respect. Whether it is that or not, it’s probably not, but you want to prove yourself, that you’re good enough to be there for starters. NV: It’s true Michael, I forgot about it. When I came as well, especially as I come from Russia, to be honest not many players know about me, where I am playing [room laugh]. Michael came from Tottenham and he had the reputation as a big signing and a big player. Obviously you have to prove again when you come to a big club. It’s hard. Obviously, this season is going great for you guys (which is unfortunate for me as an Arsenal fan).. It looks like the title is in the bag right...? MC: [Both look at each other] Not yet. We don’t like getting carried away. We’ve got a big week next week really; it would be stupid for us to start shouting about it. We’re not like that. How are you going to stop Messi in the Champions League final? MC: [Laughs] We’ve got to get through to the final first [room laughs]. We might as well give up now, according to 21


you the season is done [both laugh]. I dunno. He’s obviously a special, special player. There are obviously a lot of ways you would try and stop him. We’ve listed down a few ways - what about handcuffs? MC: [Laughs] He’d probably slip out of them as well [room laughs]. What about cement, cement on his feet before the game? MC: It’s an option isn’t it. NV: It’s not just him though, the whole team is playing well, they have style. Yeah he is one of the best, but there are other players that you have to think about. Good point. Who are your best pals at Man U? MC: I think we’ve got a good spirit to be honest. I don’t need to single anyone out. Everyone gets on, families get on really well and the kids are close and I think that helps. It’s important that outside of football, you have a settled life. When your family is happy, you’re happy. I can imagine you guys all having barbecues at each other’s houses... MC: There is no time for that but our families do get on well. Whose wife cooks the best? MC: I dunno. NV: It’s a hard question. I think different kind of food. Different countries. It depends what is on the menu. If it’s Serbian food my wife would be winner, if it’s English one it will be Michael’s. What’s good in the Vidic household? NV: [Says a Serbia dish, very fast] Puuuulyapapic [That is what he sounded like anyway as the room laugh]. Can you spell that? I might have to Google it... MC: [Laughs]... Have you had any of Mrs Vidic’s [I try my best] Puuuulyapapic? MC: Nah, it doesn’t sound like it’s for me that [room laugh]. Brilliant, and Nemanja, what have you had over by Michael’s? NV: I like the food, I don’t mind. Any kind of the food and I’m ok. What is your best moment in football? MC: I’d have to say winning the Champions League for me. That was my favourite. NV: Yeah, that was good and I’d have to say winning the league. Three times in a row... to win the Premier League as well. 22 / RWDMAG.COM


And lastly, you’re both sponsored by Puma. If you were a cat, which would you be? NV: What does that mean? Oh, erm... MC: [Looks over at PR] Gem, help me out here... [laughs]. Gemma: A Puma? [room laughs]. NV: I don’t know... MC: I don’t know... For more check pumafootball.com

OFF THE PITCH

What do you guys do when you’re in your free time. When I walked in Nemanja, you were beating Michael at table tennis, but what do you guys really do? MC: Family really. Spending time with the kids, takes up the time. If I can I like playing golf as well... [To Vidic] Have you played him at golf? NV: Not yet, I’m thinking to take the lessons. [To Carrick] You could give him some lessons... NV: I would like to learn first and then play [both laugh]. And what about music, I can’t imagine you guys listen to the same music... MC: I listen to anything me. I’m really not nailed down to certain artists or certain types of music... Patrice [Evra] is the one who is in charge in the changing room, with his iPod. Has he put on any bad stuff before? MC: He mixes it up to be honest. NV: He is ok, he is ok. Do you guys have a favourite song? MC: I’m a big Usher fan, me. Old Usher or new Usher? MC: Both. My Way and all of that but that Raymond vs. Raymond I think that is a great album. I went to his concerts and everything. He was very, very good. Who would win out of these sports between the two of you? Pool... MC: We haven’t played. Table Tennis? I’ll put Nemanja, as he just won. MC: That was just then though! NV: [Laughs] No... Darts? NV: We could try!!! MC: [As if from nowhere] We played at your house, remember... I won! NV: I don’t remember [room laughs]. Arm wrestling? MC: He’s stronger than me, look at those arms.

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ABOUT TO BLOW: DOT ROTTEN Descriptive or Dirty On Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told To Educate Nations isn’t the standard abbreviation expected from an underground producer/ artist about to take his uncompromising sound to the masses. But as Nardene Scott finds out, Joseph Ellis aka Dot Rotten is far from your average.

“I should have blown from long time is what some say,” Dot spat on Westwood back in 2009 and even then it was a seriously late call. Finding a home behind the boards and also making a transition into spitting in his teens, the now 22 year-old south Londoner has already racked up an impressive discography producing tracks for everyone on the scene including Durrty Goodz, Maxsta, Scrufizzer, Tinie Tempah and Spark, just to name a few. “I recently did a hook on a Bashy song... I’m going to try and get some work in with Random Impulse... There’s a Cher Lloyd tune I’m featuring on, I’m just working there ain’t no stopping,” the quick fire lyricist tells us during a brief moment away from the studio at Brixton cafe SW9. The all round artist is also putting together his upcoming album. “It could be a week, two weeks, I don’t even remember, I’ve barely slept,” he explains when we inquire how long he’s been holed up in a top West London studio where the likes of N-Dubz also record. Known for spraying bars consisting of more than gas (we’ll get to the lyrical beefs later) it’s no wonder the avid readers’ influences range far and wide, “Life experiences influence my music a lot but musically I’m influenced by people like Sting, Tracy Chaplin, ELO, Phil Collins, Tears For Fears, Jamiroquai, Lenny Kravitz...” For new Dot fans who weren’t there when he co-founded OGz (through which P Money emerged) or don’t know how hard he smashed the Lemonade freestyle on Mistajam’s show, then a

- a cover of Pakistani singer/actress Salma Agha - it’s a breath of fresh air from an emerging grime artist. For the recently Mercury signed star to make up words like superer and still somehow get reloads in the RWD office is some feat, trust us. He praises producers TMS and his management team, who also manage Tinchy Stryder and Giggs, for negotiating his label deal. “I see a lot of people like Bolton Wanderers; Jack and Archie are like Man United they’re on point working. It’s good there’s a machine behind me, pushing me but I think nothing has changed, I’m still doing exactly the same thing I was doing before, I’m still in the studio.” So what can we expect from the Mercury debut then? “Just me, I haven’t really watered it down or tried to make it all poppy, it’s all me,” he insists. “It might not be them beats that you’d expect to hear me on, but it’s all me it’s got my style on it.” He’s still rotten though, don’t get it twisted as Wiley found that out recently when he decided to mention his name in a diss track. “Obviously when people do a diss track and there’s no reply there’s a problem... I look at it as good banter; you diss me, I diss you back. Wiley is a good guy I THINK, he’s highly sane, I THINK.” There’s plenty of artists banging down the calm and collected character’s door though, having recently working with Mz Bratt, Beat Geeks and new singer Lolo Ellis plus starting up an interesting project. “I’m going to do this thing called MINarmy

“LIFE EXPERIENCES INFLUENCE MY MUSIC A LOT BUT MUSICALLY I’M INFLUENCED BY PEOPLE LIKE STING, TRACY CHAPLIN, ELO, PHIL COLLINS, TEARS FOR FEARS, JAMIROQUAI, LENNY KRAVITZ...”. quick listen to his new free EP Above The Waves will give you an idea of his sound. “It’s just emotional music,” he says, dismissing The Guardian’s ‘high gloss grime’ label. The first release from the EP, Normal Human Being, co-produced by Naughty Boy has already had a huge reaction, with everyone from Semtex to GQ blogging it. From the A. Sauvage suit he’s sporting through the Parisian streets to the beautifully shot video (courtesy of Luke Monaghan and James Barber), to the track itself 24 / RWDMAG.COM

which is basically Musical Inspirational Army, there’s loads of people involved already. The first three members are myself, Ed Sheeran and Jamal Edwards [SBTV]... the anthem for it has already been recorded.” That’s all we can get out of him right now; just keep an eye out for the upcoming heavy grime/hip hop single Are You Not Entertained and live performances at Outlook, Wireless and many more. Download Above the Waves EP now and follow Twitter.com/itsdotrotten


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STYLE GUIDE T-SHIRT SPECIAL | FASHION NEWS | REFRESHED

>>

WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT...

Louis wears T shirt and Varsity by Play Dot Apparel, shorts by Penfield, trainers by adidas

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STYLE GUIDE MENS

SHORT SLEEVE

PHOTOGRAPHER: KEVIN MOROSKY STYLIST: PC WILLIAMS MODELS: HARRY, HENRY, LOUIS AND MILES @ AMCK MODELS STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: CHRISTINA DALY GROOMING: LINZI DOWER 28 / RWDMAG.COM


(opp page) Miles wears T shirt by PXL (top left) Louis wears T shirt by The Duffer of St. George (top right) Miles wears T shirt by Soapbox, jacket by Star In The Hood (bottom left) Henry wears T shirt by Star In The Hood, jeans by Insight, Boots by Wolverine (bottom right) Harry wears T shirt by Raw Power, jacket by adidas, jeans by Wrangler

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STYLE GUIDE

TRAPSTAR Bad Kid T store.iamatrapstar.com, £30

RAW POWER @ SELFRIDGES Nightclubbing T selfridges.com, £40

LRG Stranger than Fiction 020 8993 1010, £24.99

KING APPAREL Signature White T king-apparel.com, £24.99

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(this picture) Harry wears T shirt by Bench, jacket by Carhartt (top right) Miles wears New Era hat (bottom left) Henry wears polo and cut off denim shorts by Insight, socks by Topman, trainers by Puma (bottom right) Miles wears T shirt by 55DSL, Trousers by Topman, boots by Palladium

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Henry wears T shirt by Billionaire Boys Club and jeans by adidas

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LUKE Wryley luke1977.com, £30

PXL Dead Format Brave PXLclothing.com, £25

HL JEANS CO. henrilloyd.com/hl-jeans, £35

SUPREME BEING SBMT Fragminted supremebeing.com, £25

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STYLE GUIDE

MCKENZIE Times T jdsports.co.uk, £14.99

WEEKEND OFFENDER weekendoffender.com, £25

SOAPBOX No Dough T soapboxworld.com, £25

NORTHERN BOYS CLUB Nrthrn Bys Clb thenorthernboysclub.com, £29.99

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(top right) Miles wears T shirt by Star In The Hood and shorts by Nike (top left) Louis wears T shirt by Nickelson (bottom left) Miles wears American Football shirt by Nike, jeans by Wrangler and Dr. Martens boots (this picture) Louis wears polo by adidas, varsity by One True Saxon, shorts by Fred Perry, socks by Topman, shoes by Dr. Martens

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(this picture) Miles wears cap by Supreme, vest by Insight, shorts by Nike, trainers by adidas (top right) Harry wears T shirt by Urban Nerds (bottom left) Louis wears T shirt by Famous Stars & Straps @ Chemical UK (bottom right) Henry wears T shirt by Nickelson

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Harry wears T shirt by Raw Power, jacket by The Duffer of St. George, jeans by Wrangler, boots by Kickers

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(this picture) Henry wears jumper by Umbro, Toywatch, chinos by Boxfresh Harry wears long sleeve T shirt by adidas, jacket by Luke (bottom) Miles wears T shirt by 10 Deep @ Chemical UK, Shorts and shirt by Penfield Henry wears T shirt by Famous Stars and Straps @ Chemical UK, denim jacket by Insight

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APE APPAREL Ape Hunter II jcadams.co.uk, £10

NEW ERA Multicap T neweracap.co.uk, £25

PINS Leopalicious pinspired.com, £35

THE DUFFER OF ST. GEORGE Rocket T jdsports.co.uk, £19.99

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STYLE GUIDE

DRUNKN MUNKY Black Matrix T drunknmunky.co.uk, £25

STAR IN THE HOOD @ JD Classic Pixel T jdsports.co.uk, £24.99

AMPLIFIED Green Day sugarbullets.co.uk, £25

VOLCOM Jimbo Phillips T volcomeurope.com, £29

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Louis wears T shirt by Benjart, jacket by adidas, jeans by Insight, trainers by Nike

STOCKISTS Insight - insight51.com The Duffer of St. George - jdsports.co.uk Puma - puma.com Supreme - supremenewyork.com Nike - nike.com adidas - adidas.com Kickers - kickers.co.uk Urban Nerds - urban-nerds.com Star In The Hood - starinthehood.net Billionaires Boys Club - bbcicecream.com Dr. Martens - store.drmartens.co.uk Wolverine - plumsoles.co.uk Wrangler - wrangler.com Umbro - umbro.com Toywatch - toywatchwatches.co.uk Boxfresh - boxfresh.co.uk Luke - luke1977.com PXL - pxlclothing.com Play Dot Apparel - playdotapparel.com Benjart - benjartclothing.com Nickelson - nickelson.co.uk One True Saxon - onetruesaxon.com Palladium - palladiumboots.co.uk Penfield - penfieldusa.com/uk Desigual - desigual.com FSS - chemicaluk.com 10 Deep - chemicaluk.com Fred Perry - fredperry.com Topman - topman.com Barratts - barratts.co.uk New Era - neweracap.co.uk Bench - bench.co.uk Carhartt - thecarharttstore.co.uk Soapbox - soapboxclothing.co.uk 55DSL - uk.55dsl.com

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FASHION NEWS

PEN FRIENDS New Era teams up with UK artist and illustrator, Jon Burgerman, to create the exciting new collection, ‘Artist Series’. B-BOYS b Store On Tour In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, b Store has teamed up with Selfridges to create an ‘on tour’ pop-up store. Having already completed a stint in Manchester’s Selfridges Exchange, the popup store will be available to visit at London’s Selfridges store throughout the first week of June. Containing a selection of the brand’s SS11 collection, the store will also see performances from folk / electro singer Dallas Boner, adding to the ‘on tour’ feeling. The independently run b Store, owned by Matthew Murphy and Kirk Beattie, has long celebrated the work of upcoming designers, and over the last decade have been awarded ‘Shop of the Year’ at the British Fashion Awards and presented collections at London Fashion Week. Visit the pop-up b Store at London’s Selfridges from 8 June. Bstorelondon.com

Back in April, RWDmag.com revealed that New Era had announced N*E*R*D* as the latest name to join their ‘Fly Your Own Flag’ campaign; a celebration of individuality and an era of entrepreneurs. To coincide with this campaign, we can now announce New Era’s latest project, Artist Series, which promotes selfexpression through design. This new series will see a handful of Europe’s most innovative and expressive artists invited to create a collection of exclusive designs for this ongoing collaborative project. The first artist to feature in Artist Series is cartoon illustrator, Jon Burgerman. Best known for his colourful and monster-like doodles, Burgerman’s New Era designs will feature some of his best-known characters. Pens Are My Friends features artwork from his book of the same name across the entire cap. Paying particular attention to detail, designs aren’t limited to the outer hat; some comic detailing is included to the inner lining too. To top off the personalisation of the collection, the artist’s signature can be found to the underside of each cap’s peak. Burgerman’s neo-primitive artistic style has become popular with journalists, artists and streetwear enthusiasts, as well as other big brands having previously worked with the likes of Pepsi and Puma. New Era x Jon Burgerman will be available from June 2011 in flagship stores and selected boutiques. Artist Series will continue throughout the year we can’t wait to see which exciting artist will feature next. Neweracap.co.uk

LUKE AT THAT! Luke celebrated the opening of their flagship store in Birmingham’s Bullring shopping mall on 1 May with a host of celebs. With their roots in the Midlands, British menswear label Luke has come home in style. The official launch party for their new store in the Bullring was a roaring success. Andy Hopkins (The Enemy), footballers Mark Albrighton and Craig Gardner and Britain’s Got Talent’s Twist and Pulse joined Luke fans for the celebration. The crowd were treated to an enthralling

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in-store performance from beatboxer, Intensi-T and subsequent performances at the Chameleon Club from both The Capital Sun and The Draymin. With the Strongbow, Fosters and Red Bull flowing steadily, K Klass delivered a classic set, aided by Girl Roc’s incredible fire and acrobatics show. An extra special touch was added to the event by two Luke lion ice luges; guests were treated to ice-cold shots of Patron XO Café Liqueur by fabulous Patron girls. Luke1977.com


PALLADIUM LITES Last month RWDmag.com told you about Palladium’s ‘Hidden Gems of L.A’ video, featuring the new Palladium LITEs. Dubbed “the perfect boot for summer”, we decided to put them to the test.

BORN INTO THE ‘90S…. If you were an ‘80s baby then you’ll remember (arguably the best) ‘90s UK street style, Off-Key Crazy Mosch. Inspired by this era in Moschino’s history, stylist Julianna Sseruwagi-Nesbitt has directed a series of photographs, entitled ‘Off-Key’, to be privately exhibited at The Strand Gallery, London. Focussing on Moschino’s diversity, Off-Key will feature 35 well-known faces, such as Jamie Winstone, Shaun Wright-Philips and Toddla T. We caught up with Julianna to find out where her love for Moschino began... Why Moschino? For me Moschino was as much a part of the ‘90s as jungle and Jodeci, but somehow a variety of people can still wear old and new Moschino today. The same can’t be said of Iceberg. It’s also a personal thing - Moschino was a status symbol growing up in South London. I don’t wear it for the same reasons now, but I’m asking everyone in the exhibition to take a trip down memory lane with me. Do you think anyone featured in Off-Key could star in a Moschino ad campaign? The most likely would be Matthew Hitt because he is a model. If you could have any celeb as your muse, who would it be? Polly Mellen [the stylist and fashion editor]. Her work is really sexy without being contrived. What should RWD readers be rocking this summer? Moschino. Preferably vintage, but as bright and loud as poss! Julianna-sseruwagi-nisbett.com

FOR ME MOSCHINO WAS AS MUCH A PART OF THE ‘90S AS JUNGLE AND JODECI, BUT SOMEHOW PEOPLE CAN STILL WEAR OLD AND NEW MOSCHINO.

We’re not used to high temperatures in the UK and the summer heat provides a footwear dilemma; sandals vs. kicks. Kicks can be too heavy for a hot day (and no one likes a cheesy trainer), but c’mon, flip-flops?! There’s no guarantee that the sunshine will last and no one wants to be the numpty wearing flip-flops in a downpour. With that in mind, RWD went in search of footwear as lightweight as they are stylish. We decided to test the LITEs whilst exploring London (pub crawl/exploration – same thing). With the temperature at 21 degrees, we pull on our LITEs and take a walk to our local beer garden. What’s most striking about the Palladium LITE is the support; boots can often feel too flat, but these babies are cushioned with the brand’s trademark rubber. And although they’re sturdy enough to protect your toes from being stamped on, they’re the lightest boots in the brand’s 60-year history, weighing just 8 oz. The uppers are made from a lightweight fabric and feature moisture wicker linings, so despite the sun beaming down and our feet having been encased in a boot all day, they feel cosy yet aired in our new favourite footwear. Seven hours and five drinking establishments later, the sun sets and the temperature drops. And whilst our friends are complaining about how chilly they are in their flip-flops, we’re just gearing up for the night ahead. Palladium LITE is available now from £45 at Palladiumboot.com

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REFRESHED

“I use a green thing on my hair; Palmolive, that’s it. I use the shampoo and the hair cream as well. I never use those designer products; the last thing like that I tried on my skin... it just didn’t do anything.”

Known for playing the proverbial bad boy, actor and playwright Arinze Kene is no stranger to looking tough. After a rinse and a splash of a good scent this former EastEnders and current Hollyoaks star tells us he scrubs up well... words by Danny Walker images by Rachel Goslin

RWD RECOMMENDS:

ARAMIS CLASSIC MULTIPLEXX GEL

“I remember when I had dreds, it was all about taking care of yourself. People need to find products that are good for their hair and their skin.”

(0870 034 2566, £14 for 100ml) Arinze, Arinze, Arinze... sometimes designer products can save the day. For instance, if you had hair we’d be recommending Aramis’ protein enriched styling gel. Ideal for all hair types; this citrus, sage and Bergamont infused classic is truly a timeless scent. Since you don’t, we won’t be saying anything.

RWD RECOMMENDS:

VO5 FINISH-IT HAIRSPRAY

(vo5extremestyle.co.uk, £4.07 for 200ml) ‘Find products that are good’ for your hair and your skin... we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. If your barnet is looking like it needs to be finished to perfection look no further than the latest from VO5 HQ. With firm fixing, staying and styling power even the sweatiest club couldn’t get in your hair’s way.

“I also shave my own hair as well. Sometimes you’ve got an important meeting (or a casting) and you need a trim.” RWD RECOMMENDS:

REMINGTON MAVERICK

(remington-europe.com, £34.99) We love hearing that you know how to trim your expenditure as well as your own head Ainze, nothing wrong with shaving a few pounds off hair and there (apologies for the puns). With a quality Pro Power Motor, which is 2x faster than their previous range, this advanced titanium coated, self-sharpening, USB charging all in one clipper is always ready for action.

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“I’m very careful with what I use under my arms; sometimes I even use women’s products.” RWD RECOMMENDS:

SUREMEN V8 SPECIAL EDITION

(suremen.co.uk, £3.56 for 250ml) We were just about to recommend a lovely rose-scented, flower-infused, womb-friendly antiperspirant for you Arinze before we came to our senses and found the manliest man spray we could find. With 48 hour heat activated protection this will keep you cool on and off set. Just try to stay away from Carol Jackson though, yeah.


“Sometimes guy’s products smell a bit metallic, I can’t deal with that. When it comes to a scent it can’t be too powerful.” RWD RECOMMENDS:

THE BODY SHOP MACA ROOT DEODORANT STICK (thebodyshop.co.uk, £4.00 for 75g) This little wonder stick is aluminium free so you don’t have to worry about nasty clothing marks, metallic smells or annoying underarm irritations. You’ll also be pleased to know that it’s hard on odour and very sensitive on the skin. The theatre won’t know what hit it.

“When I was doing [the basketball film] Freestyle, every day the makeup lady would cleanse, tone and moisturise. I do the same now with Simple, I’d advise it.” RWD RECOMMENDS:

SIMPLE FACE WASH

(simple.co.uk, £3.99 for 150ml) With all that Aloe Vera, Tea Tree and Willowherb niceness packed inside, your ReFreshment routine couldn’t be made any erm... simpler?!?!

AFTERSHAVE OF THE MONTH EAU DE LACOSTE

(lacoste-parfums.com, £40 for 100ml) Available in a trio of scents (Bleu, Vert and this, the Blanc edition) Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 takes inspiration from the brand’s classic men’s garment, the Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirt. Zingy, refreshing and clean this version relies on its grapefruit top note, rosemary, cardamom and Mexican tuberose accompaniments to help you lure in the ladies, rather than crazy adverts and over the top packaging. Saying that, we do love the packaging and the advertising is pretty cool too.

ARINZE KENE MOKWE How is it going? We hear you’re very busy... Yeah, I’ve written a play, The Little Baby Jesus. It’s about the transition into adulthood. It’s on from the 25 May-15 June at Oval House Theatre. This is weird because you sound like that guy Connor from EastEnders... For real, some people say that. What’s the difference between acting ‘on screen’ and for the theatre? ‘On screen’ it’s a lot more subtle, on stage you have to be a little more open with your actions. Whether it’s gestures or emotions you have to make them a lot bigger. You seem to play this rogue every time, are you a bad bwoy? It’s the weirdest thing, I think nice people get cast as bad people and bad people get cast as good people. So who is bad? [Laughs] I won’t say any names [laughs]. So how long do you take to get ready? It takes me about 30 minutes. The only grooming I really do is shave, I also do my own hair as well. Sometimes you’ve got an important meeting and you need a trim. Have you had any ReFreshment nightmares? Yeah I have, believe. When I was younger my own brother gave me a bad trim. He cut my hair and just took my headline back, so far back. On top of that he cut it so much it was bleeding [he hears me laugh]. It’s ok bro, it’s funny now but it wasn’t funny at school. Mans slapping your head and sh*t. Catch Arinze om The Little Baby Jesus at The Oval House Theatre. Ovalhouse.com

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COVER STORY ED SHEERAN

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COVER STORY ED SHEERAN “Is it a bit wet though?” wonders Ed Sheeran as a track off his album finishes playing on his iPad 2. “I think it is a bit, but that’s cool,” he decides. Produced by Chicago beatmaker No ID (the man responsible for inspiring many an incredible performer including Kanye and Common), the only wet thing about the song is the tear it puts in your eye. Like Adele, Sheeran can write a song that reaches inside your chest, grabs your heart and squeezes it so hard water pops out of your eye (yes, by this we do mean tears). Another track on the album, Small Bump is another duct-destroyer; when Sheeran’s label, Asylum, played it for us, we – shame up – got a big old boo on. But you don’t really need RWD to tell you how amazing Ed is; you’ve heard his official debut single, The A Team, the intricately told tale of drugs and despair, and bought his No.2 iTunes EP, No.5 Collaborations Project featuring Devlin, Wiley, P Money, JME, Dot Rotten, Ghetts and many, many more.

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First coming to RWD’s attention after we saw him perform You Need Me, I Don’t Need You on SBTV (now over 1.7m views), we’ve followed Ed from newbie troubadour playing 280-odd gigs a year, to a man on the brink of Adele-like success. This ginger kid is about to sell millions. Millions. One of the hardest working acts who has utilised the Internets to his own gain, we headed to the RWD cover shoot in east London to find out how life has changed for the 20 year-old superstar-in-waiting... You look quite fit and well, Sir. Well, I’ve been going to the gym. The day I gave up drinking and smoking, I thought the only way I can justify this is by getting it all out of my system, so I’ve been going to the gym and jogging and boxing and sit-ups and stuff. I started on 1 January because being a musician, you gig every single night, and you go through 20 to 40 cigarettes and drink eight or nine pints, and that’s not healthy. The Example tour, I was going in really hard. How was the tour? It was amazing; a proper family vibe because there was the Example crew and then Devlin and Yasmin, so we were hanging out every day, which was really cool. Me, Devlin, Yasmin and Griminal made Young Guns on that tour, produced by Lewi White – the video is coming soon. I won’t say the concept

I was so jetlagged but I was like, ‘I’ll do this and then I’ll have a couple of days off’ but then next day it was, bam!, back in the studio. There’s no time. But there’s no point complaining about stuff like that because two years ago I would have given my left leg to do that. Life isn’t always as peachy as everyone thinks it is, but it is also really good...! And the toughest lesson you’ve learnt? Probably having to realise that not everyone’s going to like you. I used to read all my press – I’ve stopped that now. They’d say it was sh*t or insipid or that it made Paolo Nutini sound edgy. I’d think ‘Why would you say that?’ I picture myself as a nice person – I’m probably not! – but I try to treat people how I’d like to be treated, so when you read something bad about yourself, it makes you realise that someone can be really opposed to you. Master Shortie actually gave me a bit of advice. I get like one bad tweet for every 200 good ones, and I’d tweet back at them. He asked me why and said ‘You’ve got 200 fans saying they love you and one guy saying he hates you, and you’re replying to the guy who hates you? Why don’t you use that tweet to ignore him and reply to a fan and make their day?’ So every time I get a bad tweet, I go to the next good tweet and reply to that. Instead of focusing on the hatred, it’s better to focus on the love and who

but they set fire to me and covered Devlin in water, so... How’s life; hanging out with Example, performing at Nobu with Clare Maguire for Princess Beatrice... The grass is always greener – but I do have the best job in the world. I enjoy my job so much and it’s so fun. But there’s lots of downsides to it. What’s the toughest part of the job? Well I’m still sofa-surfing – not because there’s no money, it’s that there’s no time to go and look at a flat. It gets to 2am and I’m like ‘F**k where am I going to stay tonight’? That’s not a nice feeling. Or being told you have a day off and then it’s a last minute studio session or gig, photoshoot etc., you just keep going, The day I flew back from LA to Jools Holland,

likes the music. It’s good advice. You’re that guy right now. Surprisingly I don’t feel that. I thought the day I played Jools Holland and got played by Fearne Cotton and Zane Lowe and got playlisted – and all the wonderful things that have happened this past month – I thought that would be the day I was ‘that guy’ and I’d feel like I’d made it. But I keep putting the goalposts further back. So I’ve done all that, sold out the tour and all these wicked things, but I’m just still going. Now it’s a No.1 single and a No.1 album. After that, it will be a million selling album and after that, it will be to go platinum in America. I’ll just keep going. How do you feel about RWD calling you the ‘Male Adele’?1 >>


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COVER STORY ED SHEERAN INTERVIEW FACTS Ed played us a couple of songs during the shoot - Give Me Love and a cover of Britney’s One More Time He names his guitars - his current one is called Lloyd, stemming from an in-joke with rapper XO Man (something to do with a fake bodyguard, “awkwardly” named Lloyd Ed’s mum’s jewellery line is doing well - it’s been spotted on Yasmin and T4’s Jameela The shoot took place in east London overlooking Canary Wharf. Ed nicked RWD’s strawberry Ribena. Rude! On the day, Sheeran chose three - three! - G-Shocks to rock. The GA-110C-7AER, the DW-6900NB-7ER and the GA-110C-1AER. Get yours from Gshock.co.uk

<< That’s wicked; she’s owning things at the moment. There’s going to be no guests at all on my album. I did five EPS, the last one being Collaborations. I think everyone is expecting the album to be like that. But actually, the four EPs before that are more like what the album is going to be like. It’s very much a singer/ songwriter record. The other day I saw LMFAO at No.1 in the charts, and it’s a good dance track, but what happened to the days of some dude sitting with a guitar or piano, writing and recording it and releasing it? Adele’s done that quite nicely and people like Jamie Woon and Maverick Sabre and Ben Howard are coming through, so it will be good to have a movement. What can you tell us about the album, +? There’s lots of different tunes on there; I’ve tried to do some proper storytelling tunes, like The A Team and there’s a track called Snall Bump as well, which is from another person’s perspective. The whole theme on the album is what my life has 50 / RWDMAG.COM

been for the past year and a half; love and death and heartbreak and that’s encapsulated in the album. I’ve been with the same girl for a bit of a long time. We went on a break last January but then got back together. During that time I wrote a lot of songs, and when we got back together I wrote a lot of songs. Will your long-term collaborator Jake Goslin be producing? I did the whole record with Jake and then a couple of people did touch up bits, such as that track you heard with No. iD and another guy called Charlie Hugall. Jake’s the main guy though. Spoken to Jamie Foxx recently? No, I’m a bit weird with that one; I don’t really want to ring him up until I’ve got to a point where I can ring him up and say thank you. I’d like to have success in America and then be able to say thank you to Jamie Foxx for giving me my first break. I’d like him to see my success and know he had a part in that. Will The A Team scoop a No.1?

Well I’m out 12 June, the same week as Tinchy and Dappy, who are going to smash it, I’m out the same week as Example and Maverick and Pro Green with True Tiger, there’s probably lots of American people out too. So, I’d be over the moon if I got a top 20, I’d be over the moon if I got a No 5. But if I got a No.2 that would kill me. Anything but a No.2! What’s the highpoint of recent months? My mum and dad coming to Jools Holland and sitting next to Ringo Star was pretty cool. Ringo came and said ‘hi’ to me at the end. What else? Having The A Team played on Radio1 was such a big moment because I wrote that in a really scummy student house in Guildford, Surrey, and a year later it’s playlisted on Radio 1; that’s pretty f**king cool. Actually, in general, life is pretty cool right now. Yup, pretty flipping cool! The A Team is out 12 June, followed by + in Sept. Twitter.com/edsheeran. For the full interview, check RWDmag.com



INTERVIEW TYLER, THE CREATOR

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D D F U T U L

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INTERVIEW TYLER, THE CREATOR

TYLER AND ODD FUTURE

ARE ABOUT THE MOST EXCITING,

IMPORTANT, SEMINAL THING TO HIT RAP SINCE KANYE DID HIS JESUS WALK. OFTEN OBSCENE,

OCCASIONALLY OFFENSIVE AND FUNNY AS F**K,

THEY MAY BE COMPARED TO WU-TANG, EMINEM, BAD BRAINS AND SLIPKNOT, BUT WE THINK THEY’RE IN AN INCOMPARABLE

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. HATTIE COLLINS MEETS TYLER AND HIS WOLF GANG IN TEXAS IMAGES BY JULIAN BERMAN

ON INTERVIEWS… I hate sh*t

questions, like ‘how you get started’, or ‘how you guys meet’. Cliché questions. They just irk me.

ON D*CK RIDING… People don’t

know how to be fans anymore. People are afraid to have their favourite artists poster on their wall cos you’re ‘a d*ckrider’. F**k that, if you’re a fan, swag it out. People don’t know how to do that anymore, people are so self-conscious. F**k it, live in the moment.

ON SONGWRITING… I write

songs with my eight year-old imagination in it. In the studio, it’s just me and my imagination that runs wild. Every song to me is like a movie, so if I make a beat it will be the soundtrack to a scene in a movie, to me.

ON DEATH… I don’t want to die

today. Not today. I could get shot today. You never know. I don’t know how I’m going to die; I can’t work out how the movie is going to end. I thought at 25 I was going to get shot in the stomach by an obsessed fan but I have to be 40 doing jazz and sh*t, so that can’t happen. It’s not going to be a car accident either. It might just be natural causes when I’m 70.

ON COMPARISONS… I hate

genres, I don’t like being put in genres that I don’t like, like that horrorcore sh*t is f**king stupid. People that put me in Horrorcore don’t listen; they think I just talk about rape and dark and the devil and sh*t. I don’t really care if they get it or not though, I make music for myself. 54 / RWDMAG.COM

ON STABBING… I do want to stab

Bruno Mars. Well, I don’t want to stab Bruno Mars. I just hate that music that’s being made right now. Pop music is annoying. It all sounds the same with the dumb-ass hooks and the girl singing some motivational sh*t and the sh*tty breakbeat drums with the guitar doing the same f**king chord progression. It just f**king sucks.

ON BEING ‘STRAIGHTEDGE’… I’ve never had a smoke or

drink, ever. I’m waiting for Grammy night to get drunk. That’s my goal. I’m straight edge, I don’t do sh*t.

ON GOBLIN… Goblin is like the

last year in one, I guess. Every song is like a movie but you’ll have to listen to [debut] Bastard all the way through and then listen to Goblin, cos it’s like Part 2. It’s like a movie. I’m into that concept-y type sh*t. It’s just me and Odd Future. I try to keep it in house so when I do get big I don’t owe anybody anything.

ON LYING… I like lying a lot. I lie

every day. There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t lied. I like f**king with people; some people like stealing (pauses). I like stealing too. I play like, I’m a secret agent and this guy over there is undercover. Everything’s a movie to me.

ON HIP HOP… I just listen to what I listen to. Some people are like ‘I only listen to late ‘90s hip hop’. Shut the f**k up, listen to what you want to. Wacka Flocka dropped the tightest album to me last year. I’m a big Wacka Flocka fan. People hate it cos it’s not no complicated-ass

lyricism; he’s just making fun music that’s real hard and gritty that we haven’t heard in a long time.

ON MUMZIE… Yeah. She’s chill.

She tried to push me to do sh*t I didn’t want to do, like basketball or wear certain clothes, until I got older. She had moved up north and I lived with my grandmother and was finally able to do what I wanted and it worked out.

ON LIVING THE DREAM...

My video just got on MTV and I always wanted that, forever. It’s at like 5m hits, it’s on television. To turn on television and see that is a childhood dream. I made it to where I make sure everything I want to happen will happen.

ON BIEBER FEVER… Yeah,

Justin’s tight, he’s chill. He’s young, he’s doing him and he has talent. And people wouldn’t think that. Me and Justin, in some people’s eyes are total opposites; I’m a black kid talking crazy sh*t, he’s a white kid talking about whatever. I can do whatever I want, and that’s the same thing Justin believes. I see that with him.

ON WHY THE WORLD LOVES TYLER… I stand up and I be what

I want. I’m not the only person in the world doing this, everyone has opinions, but I guess I’m one of the youngest right now to not care about other people. I just do what makes me happy.” Goblin is out now. To download OFWGKTA’s free mixtapes go to Oddfuture.com. Twitter.com/f**ktyler


TYLER ON OFWGKTA That’s the

people I kick it with. It’s not like a ‘group’ who rap, these are ni**as I’ve known for years. We all have something in common; we’re all big ass kids who don’t want to grow up. I think people don’t know how to say f**k it and run into Target into the candy aisle and have a ball. We did that the other day; we just ran in there and bought junk. It was fun.

SYD THA KYD, OFWGKTA’S ENGINEER I love it cos it’s what we

always wanted, all of us. Even the haters have to like it. We’re pretty good at what we do. I think a lot of it has to do with the shock value, as much as we hate to give credit to it, shock value does attract a lot of people. After a while, the most outrageous sh*t Tyler might say becomes meaningless. It’s just words.

55


INTERVIEW NICOLA ROBERTS

HEAR THE DRUMMER…

Not to be rude to the other Girls, but you do know that Nicola Roberts is kind of the coolest of the Alouds, right? Who else would assemble Diplo, Dimitri From Paris and Metronomy for their debut album? And it’s good. Really, really, really good. Not only that, but the Scouse singer co-wrote and co-produced the whole damn thing too. Hattie Collins talks to Nicola about going solo and the music that makes her tick...

THE SONG THAT MEANS THE MOST TO ME ON MY NEW ALBUM IS… It’s impossible

to say because I co-wrote everything. I really put myself into it... maybe a little bit too much! I’ve been given an amazing opportunity and I’ve made me own record and so pretty much, lyrically, it’s all about me and what I think. It was important that it all came from my mind; it’s my record and I have to believe in it and it has to be a reflection of who I am. When I was given the opportunity to make an album, I wanted to make a proper album. I couldn’t have just been given songs if they don’t feel like me, or haven’t come from my brain cos it’s not me...

I’M APPREHENSIVE BUT EXCITED ABOUT GOING SOLO BECAUSE… It’s going

to be like being in a different world (sighs). For the last year I’ve been in the studio every day. You’re with your producer and you turn up in your scruffy trackies, you’re there till 3am. You’re in a safe bubble and a creative space without no judgment. When the day comes when that bubble has kind of popped and everyone else has to get involved... but that’s what happens when you make a record. I’m going into unknown territory, I’m going to be on a stage on my own, without the other girls there. With five girls onstage there’s a lot going on, there’s a lot to look at so I’m like ‘Am I going to do? Just me on my own?’ (laughs). It’s scary but if I wasn’t making this record, I’d be dreaming about making a record, so I’ve just got to man up to the opportunity. 56 / RWDMAG.COM

I’VE WORKED WITH SOME AMAZING PEOPLE… Dimitri

from Paris, Joseph from Metronomy, and Diplo did me first single, Beat Of My Drum. Me and Dimitri had made the beat, and so I’ve always been a massive fan of M.I.A. and Major Lazer, all that mad, crazy, big sound and I knew I wanted that on the record and I knew that he would be the person to do it. He is the future. I felt so proud of what he’s done.

“I REALLY PUT MYSELF INTO IT... MAYBE A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH! IT HAD TO BE PERSONAL TO ME. I COULDN’T HAVE JUST BEEN GIVEN SONGS IF THEY DON’T FEEL LIKE ME, OR HAVEN’T COME FROM MY BRAIN COS IT’S NOT ME...”

I HAVEN’T PLAYED MY ALBUM TO THE GIRLS…

But I am going to but I want it to be completely mixed and mastered and then I’m going to go round to Kimberley’s, cos she’s just bought a new house. We’re all going to go round and I’m going to play it to them.

MY FAVE SONG IS... Adele.

Oh my god. Someone Like Me. She’s incredible; I love her to bits. Nicki Minaj I’m in to as well, and Eminem.

I RAP ON MY NEW ALBUM... Well, it’s fast, not rapping. Like speaking, but fast. I actually wrote the middle 8 of my song Sticks and Stones to one of the beats from Eminem’s Recovery. He’s like, me hero. I wrote it from a rapping point of view.

IF THERE’S ONE GENRE OF MUSIC I CAN’T STAND IT’S… Heavy rock and heavy indie bands... I can’t be doing with all that racket.

THE LAST GIG I SAW WAS… M.I.A. at Brixton Academy last year. I’m seeing Katy B next week. I love gigs.

A SONG THAT MAKES ME CRY IS… Sticks And Stones on my

record makes me cry a bit. It’s a bit deep. Maybe a bit too deep, but oh well.

FOR THE NEXT GIRLS ALOUD ALBUM I’D…

Like to be much more involved in the writing. I was lucky that Brian [Xenomania] used to use some of my stuff, but I think I would like to be heavily involved. Will there another Girls Aloud album? I can’t really say anything, but it’s our 10th anniversary next year so I would absolutely hope there was something from us next year.

I DON’T HAVE TOO MANY HOPES FOR MY ALBUM BECAUSE… I don’t like to hope too

much cos I never like to be let down. I’ve made it, and I’m proud of it and I’m just going to take it one little step at a time. Beat Of My Drum is out on 5 June. Twitter.com/nicolaroberts


57


INTERVIEW LONEY ISLAND

LONE WOLVES Independent of convention, comedic trio Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg make up the Grammy-nominated, Emmywinning faux hip hop superstars The Lonely Island. With hits like I’m On A Boat Ft. T-Pain, I Just Had Sex Ft. Akon, The Creep Ft. Nicki Minaj and the more recent Jack Sparrow Ft. Michael Bolton they’ve amassed YouTube views in the 100s of millions. Akiva and Jorma from The Saturday Night Live-spawned group talk their second LP Turtleneck & Chain, sleeping with each other’s mothers and the phenomenon that is ‘No Homo’... interview by Danny Walker

[‘NO HOMO’] ALMOST BECOMES OCD WITH PEOPLE, I’VE JUST REALISED. IT’S ALMOST LIKE A [NERVOUS] TICK. THEY HAVE TO SAY IT ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY SAY. THEY’RE SO AFRAID SOMEONE MIGHT THINK THEY’RE GAY.

Because you both sound the same can I we do a voice check first... Akiva: This is Akiva and I sound like this. Jorma has a deeper voice than me. Jorma: This is Jorma, I sound like this; I have a deeper voice. [Laughs] Thanks. The Lonely Island is made up of three words; explain who ‘The Lonely Island’ are in three long ones? No homo. Jorma: [Laughs] I’d say, ‘nice, smelling, fellas...?’ [Laughs]. Are they the longest words you have? J: Oh, you meant really long words. Erm... ‘Superfluous, omnipresent, gregarious,’ [laughs]. Who was the last person to have sex out of you guys? No homo. Akiva: I just had a kid so I can tell you it wasn’t me [both laugh]. We’ll have to collaborate on that. J: Let’s just say Andy. A: Yeah, Andy. He probably got some 58 / RWDMAG.COM

last night. That guy likes to hit skiiiins! Groupies or official lady? J: He’s got a lady, he’s got a lady... we’ve all got wives. A: But we all cheat [both laugh]. All the time. Who has all of the ‘brains’ in The Lonely Island? No homo. J: Akiva. Akiva does. That’s how we describe him ‘The brains of the group’, he’s also the biggest nerd. A: What? Deal with it, man! The reason I’m saying ‘No Homo’ is because you have a track called No Homo on Turtleneck & Chain, and it’s hilarious... who was behind it and why? A: We’ve been wanting to make fun of that for a while now, ever since that phrase came along. Is that phrase popular over there? Yeah, we have ‘Pause’ too... J: We were actually thinking we should’ve had a song called ‘Pause’ between the No Homo song and [the

next song] No Homo Outro. It almost becomes OCD with people, I’ve just realised. It’s almost like a [nervous] tick. They have to say it about everything they say. They’re so afraid someone might think they’re gay. Some rappers are very scared... A: We want to invite them on to the No Homo (remix). J: [Laughs] We want to reverse it so if you say something that could be construed as gay, you can back it up with ‘by the way... homo.’ Complete the sentence; if we weren’t


comedians we’d be... A: Prostitutes. Male prostitutes. J: We’d be those nasty ones in the bathroom at a truck stop. A: Not the good ones, we’d still be wearing turtlenecks though. Complete this; If I had a moment alone with Andy Samberg’s mum... A: Oh God. J: Ohhhh. A: I’d give her a big ol’ hug and ask her how she’s doing. Speaking of which, where is Andy today? A: We have a show called The Today

Show, it’s one of those morning shows and he’s actually on live TV right now. J: He’s very regretful that he can’t be with us today. We’re taking that as a personal snub... A: Talk us up, talk us up. It’s fine with us if you want to talk sh*t about him. That’s how we roll. If one of us leaves the room... f**k him!!! J: F**k ‘im!!! You guys have done a film in the past [Hot Rod] and this is now your second album, where do you want to take The Lonely Island next?

A: Erm, I dunno Hawaii I guess [both laugh]. No, the next album is going to be just all house music, the jokes are going to be funny sounding snares and funny sounding drums. J: No verbal jokes. Anti-comedy. A: It sounds bad when I describe it but once you hear it you’re going to love it. You know, we’ll be singing out of key and stuff. J: You won’t be able to stop laughing. Turtleneck & Chain is out now. For more check thelonelyisland.com 59


INTERVIEW CALVIN HARRIS

60 / RWDMAG.COM


READY FOR THE WORLD Nardene Scott catches up with Calvin Harris to talk touring with Rihanna, DJ residencies in Vegas and Ibiza, playing Creamfields, and his highly anticipated third album.

RWD x L.E.D PRESENTS DEADMAU5

How are you doing? What are you up to right now? I just arrived in Carlisle! I’m playing the Radio 1 Big Weekend - should be a fun one. I’m relatively local; Dumfries is only 30 miles away... it’s funny to think of the likes of Lady Gaga hanging out round these parts. You’ve been away for a minute, now you’re touring with the one and only Rihanna, what has that been like? I haven’t released any music for

Kelis features on your first single; who else have you been working with on the album and why did you choose to work with them? I keep all of that stuff secret until the time is right. You’ve got a residency at Surrender Saturdays in Las Vegas, you must have some Hangover style stories by now. I feel like I’ve spent more time in Vegas than anywhere else this year. Every day there feels like a week. And Vegas stories always get people into trouble so I’m keeping quiet (laughs). All I’ll say is you have to experience it for yourself. What do you have on your rider? All I really need is at least two bottles of Patron. How does Vegas shape up to Scotland? Vegas has the weather, girls, parties, but it is all like a fantasy land you can get caught up in – it’s a dangerous

“IT’S INCREDIBLE TO ME HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THAT ONE SONG HAS HAD. IT WAS A RISK WHEN I MADE IT, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO... NOW THAT SOUND IS EVERYWHERE”

We’re giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the epic event, just answer the following question: Which singer features on Calvin Harris’s new single Bounce? Send answers to iwannawin@rwdmag.com by Monday 6 June with full contact details (Name, Age and Contact Number). See Calvin Harris at L.E.D presents deadmau5 live at Victoria Park, London on Saturday 11 June. Other artists performing include Skrillex, Zane Lowe, Nero, Mark Ronson, Modestep and more. Tickets are now on sale, for information go to Ledfestival.net/deadmau5 If you miss out on the deadmau5 show be sure to catch Calvin Harris and many more at Creamfields on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 August, Bank Holiday weekend. Grab tickets from creamfields.com to witness the likes of Diplo, Magnetic Man, Joker, Mistajam, Annie Mac and countless other acts tearing up the legendary dance festival.

maybe a year or so, I’ve been touring the whole time though. I’m not up for holidays. The Rihanna tour was a lot of fun, and she’s a great girl; very funny and down to earth. This year a few Calvin-esque tracks have dropped, namely Chris Brown Yeah x3; what do you think about other artists/producers basically ripping off your sound? Out of all of them, the Chris Brown one was definitely the best! It’s incredible to me how much of an impact that one song [I’m Not Alone] has had. It was a risk when I made it, almost three years ago, because it sounded so different to what was going on at the time. Now that sound is everywhere, and some great songs have come out of it, so it’s all good. With two gold albums already under your belt what can we expect from your third release? I want to make classic tracks, that is my goal, I suppose. Dance anthems you know? I’ll always be a dance artist, so it’s a case of making something a little bit different to the mainstream while still being accessible, and also having fun at the same time.

place. I’ll always love Scotland, Glasgow in particular, the people are brilliant, generous and funny, the architecture is amazing and we all know the Scots love a party. We hear you’ve got a new studio set up, what’s your favourite new gadget? I’ve been in my current studio for about a year, I love the place. I go through phases of wanting every synth ever made, even though it’s really unnecessary. I paid well over the odds for a Korg MS-20 recently, but it sounds so good I can almost justify it to my bank manager. What’s been the most memorable or just the best party full stop you’ve ever been to? The best parties I can’t remember. You’ve got a residency for Cream over in Ibiza this year, which has a great heritage on the white isle. Are you looking forward to it? Amnesia is my favourite club in Ibiza hands down. I couldn’t be more excited. I played there once last year and it blew me away. I love Ibiza too. I’m going to spend as much time as I can there this year!

61


INTERVIEW THE DUB RATZ

THE POWER OF DUB

Working one for all and all for one, Splints, Reload, and Barley are better known as The Dub Ratz. With big releases on the way like the powerful Lovestep EP the three north Londoners talk us through their rise to the top... image by Adrian Nettleship

RWD: So, how did the group come together? Splints: Well, me and Barley have known each other since we were about 11 years-old, we both used to skateboard together. Reload and I met at college about three years ago, I Introduced him to Barley and it started off from there. RWD: So why should we lock into your Dub Ratz Tuesdays (weekly music uploaded onto YouTube) and pick up these EP’s? 62 / RWDMAG.COM

Reload: Boy... it’s the realness man. We need to bring the realness back. People just doing what they wanna do, because a lot of music nowadays has got to go a certain direction and people ain’t doing what they love. I feel like we have this certain marketability cos we’re different. We’re not the norm. We’re doing what we love, just tryna bring it through. Who are you inspired by as a group? S: Well on the dubstep side I would say, obviously the big names like Skream,

Plastician, Benga and people like that. On the acoustic side, Queens of the Stone Age, erm, Red Hot Chilli Peppers... You got some legends in there... S: Yeah, of course! I guess every tune is inspired by someone different. And Barley, you bring that acoustic element to the camp? Barley: Yeah, I’m the musician. It’s not just all-out dubstep, you’re doing acoustic covers of Erykah Badu... B: I’d like to say it was world music,


raw and... youth culture I guess. R: We were bought up around all types of music, reggae, R&B, garage, soul and dubstep brought us together. Is that what makes you different? B: We don’t want to talk about what everyone else is talking about like trying to grab a girl or whatever. Yeah, we’ll talk about that stuff cos it’s real life and that is what happens in real life. There is a lot of trouble and a lot of hardship, you know. But we’re just about making quality music.

What are you working on? S: We’ve just done two videos for SB.TV (one is an A64), we’ve got an EP on the way called The Attack of The Dub Ratz which is going to be mainly dubstep, but everything will be bass heavy. We’ve also got another EP coming out with (dubstep production duo) STINKAHBELL. They’ve just been signed to Sin City and they’re good friends of ours. The EP will be called Lovestep. Lovestep? S: It’s dubstep with mellow, sexy vibes.

R: We just want people to enjoy it, cos we enjoyed making it. With the Stinkahbell EP, Lovestep, it’s gonna have a feel good vibe to it. So where do you wanna take this? S: We would just be happy if people appreciated our music really. Our main goal is to breakdown the social barriers to different types of music. That’s our goal. Check YouTube.com/user/TheDubRatz, Soundcloud.com/the-dub-ratz and Twitter.com/TheDubRatz 63



UNWIND

GADGETS | GIG GUIDE | FILMS | GAMES | ALBUMS THE BEST OF STAYING IN... AND GOING OUT...

>>

PAD CAN I LACE 2 REPHE T OP? LAPT

IPAD 2

(apple.com, From £399) The second generation of iPad is here, the astutely named iPad 2. But does it pack enough raw energy in its 1GHz duelcore processor to make you leave your lappy at home? Is the touch screen sensitive to your needs? Are the added cameras just additional hot air? This month those all important questions about the tasty tab have finally been answered... in layman’s terms. >> 65


GADGET GUIDE CAN THE IPAD 2 REPLACE THE LAPTOP? Thinner, lighter, faster, FaceTime-ier, Smart Cover-er-ier but can Apple’s new upgraded tablet finally replace the cumbersome laptop... words by Danny Walker

The new iPad is thinner than any laptop, in fact it’s thinner than any iPad. Battery life is also an impressive 10 hours, but does it have the juice to see off its keyboardwielding competitor?

Laptops have everything you need when you’re on the move (as long as you can put up with the weight). You can update the OS, use powerful programs and even drop them a couple of times before they show signs of wear... Try dropping an iPad 2 from your desk.

66 / RWDMAG.COM


We’ve waited a long time to get our hands on an iPad 2; those who were in the queue melee come release day (and before), we salute you crazy fools but it’s just not our style. That stalkerflex is too geeky, even for us. With patience being a virtue and good things coming to those who wait... it was finally time to test Apple’s second coming and see if it will eventually lead to the death of the humble laptop computer. We didn’t have to open the box of the black 64GB Wi-Fi and 3G enabled device to know that it was smaller, lighter and more desirable than any laptop in the office. Even the powerful MacBook Pros were looking over with an acute side-eye as the packaging hit the floor in a hurry. Once armed to the teeth with the right apps; GarageBand, iMovie, Football Manager Handheld, Dropbox,

Documents to Go, Sky Sports News, BBC News, Angry Birds Rio HD, Adobe Photoshop Express, Adobe Ideas, Wordpress and of course the immersive social media beast Flipboard we went to work to see if we were truly at a transition in portable computing.

LIFE WITHOUT LAPPY… I tried to go a

whole week without using my laptop and fell on my face at the first hurdle. It wasn’t even a huge hurdle; it was a mediocre bite sized hurdle, one that Paralympians would laugh at; someone sent a funny (Flash-based) video viral to my Inbox and I was out of the loop for hours. Despite files Apple that don’t like, lacking a decent keyboard for anything other than Twitter and having to buy an additional case, life without lappy is possible.

ADD THESE TOO: Logitech Wireless Speaker Z515 (£89.99, logitech.com) Treat your ears.

ZAGG CAse ($99, zagg.com) Simply genius.

iPad Smart Case (From £35, apple. com/uk) A must, especially the leather versions at £59.

FUNCTIONALITY VS. FLEXIBILITY After weeks

of testing, this is what it comes down to. Do you want full functionality on the move or can you be flexible with your portable computering needs? If you can’t live without a CD drive, the ability to use fullyfledged programs like Adobe Photoshop (instead of the underpowered, mobile make-do Express version), the ability to update your operating system on the move, access removable devices such as a flash drive and don’t like living in constant fear that you might drop/ crack/ lose your device, then a laptop is for you. If you want a mega-thin, Multi-Touch, multitasking, multi-fun, easy to use super gadget (for light use or in addition to an existing computer) then the iPad 2 is right up your street.

MAKING A TRACK ON GARAGE BAND Don’t be afraid to invest £2.99 in something that you’ll soon be addicted to.

Jump straight in by choosing an instrument (with everything from Grand Pianos to Hip Hop Drum Machines you’ll be spoilt for choice) and laying down a few loops.

Be creative and sample with the audio recorder (Our designer Chidi chose the seductive Underground tube announcement lady for his beat).

Export your sequence to iTunes and then sell it to upand-coming MCs, simples.

THE VERDICT Even if I didn’t use my laptop for EVERYTHING - video editing, burning CDs, writing iPad 2 reviews, etc - I still think it would be hard to completely change into a solo Pad pushing poster boy. Even when coupled with a desktop computer, there’s just always a situation where the 9.7 inch screen just doesn’t cut it, the programs are just too limited or you need to multi-task with a vengeance. Sure it can do a neat video call or two (btw not all faces were meant for that), but can it aide you in finishing that design coursework on the train, the Fruity beat for your DJ set or simply LET YOU WATCH FLASH VIDEO?!?! No. 67


GIG GUIDE RWD X THE CAMDEN CRAWL @ THE JAZZ CAFÉ 1 MAY 2011 With the entire population of Camden, London and the UK waiting for Odd Future and their gang of rabid wolves to hit NW1 (even the old biddies who frequent the Bingo hall behind Parkway Odeon were fighting to see), those who were in the know, knew that the real party was at The Jazz Café. Invited back for the second time to host at the prestigious venue, RWD were once again in fine form, even if we do say so ourselves. Joined on the night by the ambidextrous instrumental Marques Toliver, singing hottie Yasmin, shaded crowd 68 / RWDMAG.COM

pleaser Tinchy Stryder, excitable PVT and Mr Demure himself Giggs, there was something for everyone. With Manny Norte and our very own Chewy keeping the digital decks and the compacted Crawlees entertained between sets there wasn’t a gloomy face in sight. It’s hard to say a highlight as there were too many to mention – one could say Marques and Tinchy stole the show – goodie bags, giveaways and more genres of music than we can actually remember it’s safe to say We Heart Camden Crawl. (DW)

RWD WERE ONCE AGAIN IN FINE FORM, EVEN IF WE DO SAY SO OURSELVES. JOINED ON THE NIGHT BY THE AMBIDEXTROUS INSTRUMENTAL MARQUES TOLIVER, SINGING HOTTIE YASMIN, SHADED CROWD PLEASER TINCHY STRYDER, EXCITABLE PVT AND MR DEMURE HIMSELF GIGGS.


MAY 26 Just Blaze VS The Alchemist @ Moho Live, Manchester Jamie Woon @ ABC, Glasgow 27 DJ Zinc and Dynamite MC @ Village Underground, London 28 Urban Nerds 4th Birthday Party @ Scala, London

Annie Mac presents Skream and Benga @ O2 Academy, Brixton

2 Modestep @ Ministry of Sound, London

3 Giggs @ Sound Control, London

29 DJ Premier @ Garage, London

Rakim @ Jazz Cafe, London

David Rodigan, Caspa, Trolly Snatcha + more @ Fabric, London

FWD>>>Rinse Ft. Joker, Plastician, @ Millenium Music Hall, Cardiff

JUNE 1 James Blake @ Liquid Room, Edinburgh Kings Of Leon @ O2 Arena, London

Elijah & Skilliam, Swindle + more @ Koko, London Two Door Cinema Club @ O2 Academy, Bristol 3Oh!3 @ Rock City, Nottingham

4-5 We, The People Festival Ft. Dot Rotten, The Streets, Giggs, Annie Mac + more @ Bristol Harbour, Bristol 8 Yelawolf @ XOYO, London

9 Maverick Sabre @ Jazz Cafe, London 11 Deadmau5, Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, Zane Lowe, Nero, @ Victoria Park, London Arctic Monkeys @ Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 11-12 Parklife Weekender Ft. Kelis, Katy B, Mark Ronson + more @ Platt Fields, Manchester

13 Wu Tang Clan @ HMV Institute, Birmingham Alicia Keys @ Royal Albert Hall 15 The Heatwave pres. Ft. Wiley, General Levy, Skibadee, Glamma Kid + more @ Cargo, London 24 Saigon @ XOYO, London Joy Orbison @ Clwb Ifor Beach, Cardiff 69


LIVE FEST @ 02 23 JULY Finally a festival that doesn’t require wellies; Live Fest London’s biggest indoor festival, is taking over The 02 this July and you don’t wanna miss out!

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If camping, mud, portaloos, and just general uncleanliness isn’t you, then Live Fest not only provides all of the qualities of a full-on festival with some of the best grime, pop and alternative acts in the UK, but also some seriously lavish surroundings to enjoy it all in. Expect to see the once Camden teen trio now representing the UK worldwide N-Dubz, east London’s grime stars Roll Deep and Tinchy Stryder, plus Tempa T who will be providing his usual high level of hype at the festival on 23 July in The 02. Live Fest doesn’t discriminate either so alongside the acts above you can catch the likes of Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Guillemots, Kids In Glass Houses and many, many more. Not content with one venue, Live Fest have secured a further four venues within the 02 including the Indig02 (where you can witness the next big things performing at the finals of Live and Unsigned), Inc Club, the swanky and spanking new Proud2 as well as ASBaG. As festivals go, there’ll be a lot of skanking, so if you seize up a little be sure to visit the famous Ibiza angels who will be set to massage out those glitches

in the chill out zone whilst you jam to some acoustic sets; remember Live Fest will be going into the early hours! Even the people at Live Fest are overly excited at the approaching

N-DUBZ, ROLL DEEP, TINCHY STRYDER PLUS TEMPA T ALONGSIDE THE LIKES OF DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP, GUILLEMOTS, KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES AND MANY, MANY MORE. festival: “This is going to be a massive festival and a great day out. Headliners N-Dubz are sure set to blow the crowd away and alongside them we’ve got a great line up of top acts, we can’t wait to bring it on in July and rock The O2!” You should cop your tickets quick if you’re smart for the early bird price of £25 and we’ll see you there! Check livefest.co.uk to purchase tickets and @livefestuk for line up additions



ALPINE AFTERPARTY

RWD take to the slopes for this year’s best snow-based festival fun. Make sure you book ahead for next year...

SNOWBOMBING - MAYRHOFEN, AUSTRIA The hills are alive with the sounds of dubstep, D&B, reggae and rap; Nardene Scott donned skis for the legendary Volvo Snowbombing festival thanks to ERISTOFF, the vodka from the land of the wolf... DAY 1 The early start was a minor for

RWD who had already decided to opt for no sleep until Sunday on meeting ERISTOFF Vodka peeps at ridiculous a.m. for our flight to Austria. By the time we hit Mayrhofen’s prime residence - that’s the Strass Hotel, coincidently also our abode (not sure about the unisex nude spa though?) - we headed to the Volvo Snowbombing (VSB) garden party where we caught up with a pretty knackered artist, Example. “Skream, Benga and Artwork are probably the most rock n roll people in the industry today... I guarantee you”, the musician says of reports we had of the dubstep pioneers rolling through the 72 / RWDMAG.COM

street drinks still in hand this morning. The newly shorn singer/MC is at more festivals than anyone this season although none will be like VSB he told us. “It’s just a vibe, man, you’ve got to look around the place it’s like being trapped in The Sound Of Music innit! It’s beautiful, the scenery, weather...”

DAY 2 Following a random

conversation with Mr Motivator (yes, he’s still about and no, the outfits have not got any better) it was straight onto the renowned Mayrhofen street party, before heading down the picturesque hill, to catch DJ Yoda’s mash up set full of crazy visuals. After that, clearly

all roads were leading to Urban Nerds event, featuring legend Rodigan, who smashed the arena to pieces. Everyone broke their necks to see the reggae aficionado take the crowd through the origins of dub; Annie Mac, Sub Focus, Example, Toddla T and Mistajam were all vibesin’ side stage in awe of the infamous DJ’s relentless energy. After a sad attempt at skiing which resulted in a quick perch at the Snow Disco Bar, we missed Mark Ronson arrive in a helicopter for his DJ set, so heading back to the sun-drenched Strass. Catching up with Chase & Status’s Will, we filled him in on VSB so far. “I would have been there all


night!” he says when we told him he’d missed Rodigan. He also filled us in on some info - the already brilliant No More Idols could have had another very special guest. “We were talking to Adele about working but it didn’t work out... so hopefully in the future we’d love to make that happen.” Leaving Saul to the rest of his interviews, RWD blagged a couple of tickets to the super exclusive Arctic Disco; a huge bonfire, fire dancers and the likes of Doorly and Fatboy Slim on the decks inside the specially created igloo, nearly made us forget it was -2º.

DAY 3 Seriously how has it only been two days?!? Anyway RWD managed to hook up some bonafide time on the slopes via an even sketchier cable car ride. This time luckily our friends over at ERISTOFF Vodka provided training in

the form of pro-skier Joe Tyler who said we’re natural skiers despite that pretty epic collision with that poor guy and his toboggan! On being given the details for the mysterious party in the ERISTOFF forest we followed the beating of Krafty Kuts’ breaks which were already echoing through the wilderness. Whilst RWD were tucking into our first Black Bull (ERISTOFF Black and Red Bull, trust they’re moreish), beatboxing badboy Beardyman began his set which covered everything from James Blake to jungle and D&B, ahead of the riotous headliners, The Prodigy. By the time Maxim and Keith hit the pricey stage (the lighting alone cost 80k), RWD exited the VIP to see the pros churn out classics like Firestarter, Breathe and Omen. Obviously they’re not as energetic as RWD who, following

“EVERYONE BROKE THEIR NECKS TO SEE RODIGAN TAKE THE CROWD THROUGH THE ORIGINS OF DUB; ANNIE MAC, SUB FOCUS, EXAMPLE AND MISTAJAM WERE ALL VIBESIN’...” the forest festivities, sped back into town for Jaguar Skillz set. We’re not quite sure when it finished or started, more importantly we made it back to The Strass for our airport transfer – the perfect way to round off the first of (we hope) many a VSB experience. Check out Facebook.com/ ERISTOFFVodkaUK and check Snowbombing.com for excluse footage 73


2011 BRITS MUSIC & WINTER FESTIVAL - LAAX, SWITZERLAND The BRITS Music & Winter Festival was seven days of top snowboard and ski action, world class freestyle competitions (Protest Slopestyle, Giro Big Air, Trespass Snowboard/Skiercross, and British Halfpipe Championships) with seven nights of live music, parties and DJ acts.

THE COMPETITIONS The best

THE RESORT LAAX has some out-

THE SLOPES LAAX was the first

standing hotels and self catering apartments, most of which are brand spankers. The resort is quite small which creates a really friendly atmosphere. So throughout the week you’ll be rubbing shoulders with fellow revellers, the athletes competing in the events and the DJs and performers. 74 / RWDMAG.COM

of the UK’s snowboarding and skiing youth are all in attendance so take a break from your day of snowboarding to learn some techniques and marvel as 13 year-olds pull tricks that would leave you hospitalised. European resort to offer snowboarders freestyle courses. These days there are 220km of snowboarding and ski terrain, four world-class snow parks and two halfpipes. The Swiss Alps are a great destination and the resort has a broad selection of pistes to keep you entertained. Much of the infrastructure

including ski lifts are recently built and of a high standard...

THE NIGHTLIFE If you’re looking for an eclectic mix of après and club night mayhem, then The BRITS is for you! The team put together a full week of live acts, DJs and parties that should satisfy your partying needs. This year, highlights included Pendulum and a stirling performance from band of the moment The Correspondents and the ‘80s fancy dress night and numerous DJs. Foodwise, I recommend the noodle bar, Nooba, to line your stomach before some serious après ski – book early, it gets busy!” (DB) The-brits.com



UNWIND FILMS

FILMS It’s time to get ready for summer as the blockbusters are starting to roll in...words by Danny Walker

EVERYWHERE & NOWHERE Arena/Miracle Cert 15

The generational gap separates Ash (James Floyd) from his strict and traditional family, as he pursues his life-long ambition of becoming a DJ. What would be a normal coming of age drama is injected with serious grit by Menhaj Huda; the director of Kidulthood ensures we’re shown every aspect of Ash’s life; the prevailing issues of identity along with a few lolz make this a thrilling watch. (NS)

ATTACK THE BLOCK Optimum Releasing Cert 15

Joe Cornish (from Adam and Joe fame) has linked up with the producers of Shaun of the Dead to write and direct his first feature film. Funny, thrilling and scary (99% of the females in the screening room were hiding behind their white BlackBerrys) this is a modern day twist on your typical alien invasion flick. Great entertainment and highly recommended by the RWD crew. (DW) 76 / RWDMAG.COM

ADVANCE PREVIEW X-MEN: FIRST CLASS 20th Century Fox Cert TBC

The unstoppable Marvel money train takes a trip back to the origins of the extraordinary X-Men for what is already looking like an epic prequel. The HD trailers, insightful ‘see what they did there’ posters and Internet buzz surrounding the cast (especially with James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier and Nicholas ‘About A Boy’ Hoult as Beast), ...First Class is looking class. Let’s just wait until next month to see if it’s actually any good though, many a time have we been fooled by an X-Men trailer only to leave the cinema wanting.



UNWIND GAMES

GAMES If you’re very keen on in-tent handheld action mid-festival, try playing computer games instead... words by Jerry Gadiano

MONTHLY MUST TRY L.A. NOIRE Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360

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You know anything with the Rockstar logo means it’s going to be nothing less than stellar. Proving that they are truly the masters of open world gaming, their (criminal) rise through the ranks has been the stuff of legend. Just when you think they would kick back for the rest of the year they’ve surprised us again with another banger in the form of L.A Noire. Set against the backdrop of the seedy glitz and glamour of 1947

Los Angeles you are put into the shoes of rookie detective Cole Phelps who must unravel The City of Angel’s unsolvable cases using some detective work (and sometimes an abuse of power with the badge). Don’t expect the game to just be about looking for clues and ‘interrogating’ be prepared for some shootouts as well – y’know cos it wouldn’t be a Rockstar title without some good old fashion violence.


ADVANCE PREVIEW OUT 21/10/2011 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY Warner Bros. Interactive PS3, Windows, Xbox 360

After 2009’s highly successful and award winning Batman: Arkham Asylum the bar for super hero video games was set high. This October will see you step back into the role of the Dark Knight to take on a whole host of familiar faces such as Two Face, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze and – of course everyone’s favorite psycho-villain – The Joker. Also making an appearance is Catwoman, what role she’ll play in the game is not yet known but given her history with the caped crusader it’s going to be interesting. It also seems like they’ve upped the game’s ante with the Bats having more gadgets and methods for taking out some of Gotham City’s biggest goons.

REVIEWS: BRINK Bethesda Softworks PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Having worked on maps and expansion packs for the likes of Doom 3, Return To Castle Wolfenstein and Quake Wars, Softwork’s first fully developed game Brink should come as no surprise as a first-person shooter. Brink is a game that is consistently innovative in both gameplay and customisation, which would give both the CoD and Halo franchises a run for their money.

STREETS OF RAGE 2 Sega Android, iOS

Sega have been stepping up to the plate releasing games from their Mega Drive heyday and they’ve been killin’ it on the app scene. This is the latest release for Apple iOS and Android. The 2D scroll beat ‘em-up has been revamped for the touchscreen generation and it still looks good today. They’ve also fixed the dodgy control systems making it play just like the game from days of yonder.

PORTAL 2 EA PS3, Xbox 360

Despite receiving rave reviews it took us a while to get into Portal 2, moments after we got into it we played something else.

GAMING FACTS The first westerndeveloped Xbox 360 game to break into the top 10 of the Japanese game chart was Gears of War. It made its debut at number seven. GTA IV has the dubious honour of being the most expensive video game ever made costing Rockstar a whopping $100,000,000 (that’s £60,388,549 to you). 42% of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (20%). That means that there’s still some hope for all you male virgingamers out there playing in your bedrooms and basements...

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UNWIND REVIEWS

REVIEWS EMALKAY

UKG / GRIME / DUBSTEP CHART BY DJ CHEWY 01 WILEY

Eclipse Dub Police

BRENMAR Gold Bricks: The Fader Free Download

One of our favourite US mags teams us with one of our favourite US DJ and producers. As well as some original tracks (If You Want Me is a tuuuuune), Bill gives Ashanti’s Fancy a little reworking, before mashing up Destiny’s Child and Craig David with What’s my Name and Fill Me In. So. Very. Brilliant. Also getting a Brenmar’ing is Kellz, Jim Jones and Boyz II Men. This is worth its weight in...! Track To Check: The Whole Thing, Fool! (HC)

For those who feel dubstep and D&B is getting a little too mainstream, Brummie producer/DJ Emalkay has come to the rescue with Eclipse; less of the vocals and more of the beats, bass, wobbles and warps that lovers of underground bass music yearn for. When I Look At You, Crusader and Fabrication are the obvious moshpit makers and while Why Don’t I You Like You is a little too far down the experimental scale for me, it shows an artist unafraid to try something new. Track To Check: Fabrication (NS)

100% Publishing LP (Big Dada)

The King is back with a flurry of hits. 02 SKREAM

MARCO DEL HORNO

Where Should You Be

Wake Up Call

Featuring the very talented Sam Frank and a vocoder; both used to great effect. Simply amazing.

Bullet Train Records

An honest account of the life of Bullet Train’s CEO , we go from Never Enough, which depicts Marco’s near brush with death, to Wake Up Call, his journey back into music. Vocalling most of the tracks himself, this album is uncompromising and incredibly personal. Mixing house, garage and dubstep vibes makes it an easy listen despite the serious concept behind the LP. Basically, just head to iTunes and download. Track To Check: I Don’t Want You To Love Me Ft. Emi Green (NS)

(Rinse)

03 D1

Chocolate Orange/ Conquest (Dub Police)

Two great productions that cross genres with ease; from funky to house to ragga and dubstep. 04 J KENZO

Rokets (Tempa) If you’re searching for that next big dubstep smash, look no further than Tempa’s new signing. 05 DOCTOR P & FLUX P...

Circus One LP (Sampler) Starting with Bass Canon and ending with 50 Calibre, this is brutal. 06 WYEN SOLO

Smile

(Groove Odyssey)

STARKEY

J.LO

DELS

Space Traitor: Vol 2

All You Need Is Love?

GOB

Civil

Def Jam

Ninja Tunes

This Philly producer specialises in post-dubstep sci-fi sounds... And while we’re not sure exactly what that means either, we do know it’s really ace music. Ambient, esoteric and other big words, this is a proper listening experience that takes you on a sonic journey over various unfamiliar soundscapes. Charli XCX joins in on Lost In Space while rapper Curly Castro adds rhymes to the beats and bass of Bricks. The highlight though is face-cruncher Sunlight which is about as filthy as it gets. Track To Check: Lost In Space (HC)

I’d rather peel off my own fingernails than have to listen to this album. Sozzo Jenny From The Block, the day you do a track with Pitbull, you’re dead to us. (Ps, you still look amazing btw). Track To Check: Er... (HC)

We first featured Kieren Dickens back in 2009 after being mightily impressed by this blogger/ graphic designer and rhymer’s track ShapeShift. With production from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and Micachu, if Roots Manuva and Ghostpoet is up your aural alley - i.e. experimental sonics and existential lyrics then you definitely need this in your life. Representing the average office worker with a hangover, Dels will appeal to everyone who understands the struggles of everyday life. Track To Check: Capsize (HC)

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Getting full support across all garage and house genre’s cos it’s simply great. 07 DONAEO

Swagger

(Zephron/ My Ish)

As ever, D delivers another catchy dance track. Excellent. 08 LIL SILVA

The Patience EP (Good Year)

Three crazy funky break beatbangers including the full vocal of On Your Own Ft. Sampha. 09 ROOMMATE

Mercy Riddim EP (King Dubbist)

I swear this label are simply shipping in dubs from Jamaica and conning everyone. 10 LURKA

Tempted

(Black Box)

The bravest and baddest single-sided piece of dubstep vinyl out there currently.


JESSICA 6 See The Light Peacefrog Records

BLACKS & P MONEY OGz Ogz

From the opener of Blacks & P, it’s apparent that the south London MC’s are going in hard (pauz). Beat and flow switch every few seconds (approx) as the pair go head to head (pauz again) over grime, rap, funky and dubstep from Nero, Chase & Status, S-X, Darq E, Spooky, Young Dot and many more. Lyrically, there are so many rewinds it’s impossible to even begin to highlight the hottest lyrics, just know there are a lot. A serious album with barely a skippage, but probably not one to put on if you have a headache. Track To Check: Just Do You (HC)

This album seems to be in two halves – the first being ‘80s crap that makes you dance like your mum, and the second being impressively cinematic and interesting. U Motion despite being an awful name, is actually the best track here – think experimental guitar, great drumbeat and epic chords that Nomi’s husky, androgynous vocals. The album is a mishmash of genres and perhaps a bit too varied. Jessica 6 describe themselves as “kind of like Fleetwood Mac”. They’re not. Track to Check: U Motion (FD)

WILEY

THE LONELY ISLAND

100% Publishing

Turtleneck & Chain

Big Dada

Universal Republic

THIS IS A REVIEW... Despite saying “I was getting held back so I left Big Dada”, Wiley has returned to the label to unleash grime flavoured hell. This is lyrically rich, extra extroverted and so sonically slick it makes some previous outputs sound like they were produced in a laundrette... but the concept falls flat when you realise this is 100% Wiley. The Plan Bs, Ed Sheerans, Labrinths, Charlie Drews, Cherri Vs, and [insert name of singer here] are definitely missing. Like the overall idea, but it could have been better... THIS IS A REVIEW. Track to Check: To Be Cont... (DW)

Despite not watching much Saturday Night Live myself, I’m well aware of TLI aka Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg, how could you not be with millions of hits on their sketches, tracks like I Just Had Sex Ft. Akon and a weak film called Hot Rod under their tan belts. Whilst the latter wasn’t that funny, this album is. It’s a cross between the Beastie Boys and Team America’s Official Sound Track and lines like “We should f**k each other’s mothers...’ pretty much sums up the hilarity. Musically poor but satirically great. Track to Check: No Homo (DW)

­­ALBUM OF THE MONTH COCKNBULLKID Adulthood Moshi Moshi/ Island

No, this is nothing to do with Noel Clarke or Adam Deacon. And yes, Anita Blay you are siiiiiick! This ‘Kid has been about for a few years now, so we’re very glad to finally have a fully finished album from the 25 year-old Hackney resident. Produced by Liam Howe (Marina) and with co-writes from All Saint’s Shaznay Lewis and Chilly Gonzales, Blay has created a timeless, gorgeous, innovative album that is begging to be played in the sunshine with a glass of something alcoholic in your hand. Listening to this will actually make your day better. Track To Check: Asthma Attack... (HC)

RWD’S REWINDS

Young Chris Ft. Future Racks On Racks (ClockGrindMusik) Sway Ft. Rednek Big Bad Wolf (D’cypha) Bianca Simmone The Artist EP (White) Bias & Gurley Roll (Keysound) Adele, Jamie xx X Cecile... Rolling... (Heatwave refix) (White) SBTRKT Wildfire (Young Turks) Skream Disfigured Dubz EP (Disfigured Dubz) The Lonely Island No Homo (Universal) Skream Ft. Sam Frank Where You Should Be (Rinse) Ed Sheeran The A Team (True Tiger Remix) (Asylum) Dev Ft. Tinie Tempah &The Cataracs Bass Down Low () White Rizzle Kicks Prophet (Better Watch It) (Island) Toddla T - Take It Back (Feat. Shola Ama & J2K) (Ninja Tune) Smiler Spender (White) Tyler, The Creator Tron Cat (XL) RoxXxan Too Far Down (Mixtape) Hudson Mohawke All Your Love (Warp) Tinie Tempah Hustle Hard (Whoo Kid Mixtape) Josh Osho Ft. Ghostface Killah Redemption Days (Island)

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FINAL WORD: VIP VICKY Nardene Scott speaks to northern angel devil and ultimate party girl Vicky Pattison about starring in the MTV spin off show Geordie Shore, wack chat up lines, swillin’ plus getting her tash on...

How did you get involved in the show? I’ve always been interested in the celebrity world and I’ve always thought I’ve got a really strong personality that would come across well in something like this. I was in a job that I hated in a call centre, where you cannae stand getting out of bed every morning, it was killin’ us babe! Me sister saw something on Facebook and I thought ‘arr I’ve gotta give this a go’ like. We hear in the call centre you racked up 15 sick days, 4 no shows and a load of lates...! D’ya know what it is right? My boss was dead sound and then the bitchy boss at work that hated us like has read this and gone bootin’ off at my manager like, where are all these absence forms? I got away with absolute murder because one of my bosses was adorable, I was like her daughter and I got away with murder with the blokes because... you know. You used to control the guest lists for Newcastle’s top spots, right? Yeah I used to be a little rope rat! (Laughs) I absolutely loved it babe, all 82 / RWDMAG.COM

the lads in, all the footballers in and any birds that wanted in got the third degree. I love going out and getting paid to get drunk which is funnily enough one of the main things that made us wanna do this. Just get pi**ed on someone else’s coin. We’re not familiar with Geordie slang; what is swillin’ and what is tashin’ on? (Screams) Geeeerrrrin!!! You have to get that in as well. D’ya wanna give that a try (RWD embarrasses themselves and adds a fist pump). Swill, I thought this was national but it’s when you just throw your drink at someone. I’m not saying it’s big or clever but I’ll never do something like that unless I’m provoked. Tash on, it’s a kiss, a neck on, it’s all about the tash on! So you’re known to drink guys under the table, give us some good hangover cures? It’s boring right but it’s seriously getting a decent sleep. Like, if you wake up and there’s birds outside go back to bed, you need as much water, ibuprofen and paracetemol and if you can, drag yourself into a cold shower. Plus, what

makes you bad makes you better, get straight back on it! Give it a go pet! You’re currently single, so when’s the last time a guy tried to chat you up? I’m 110% single, 110%! I cannot reiterate that enough! I’m single for a reason because I love a tash on. I am actually the cheesiest person when it comes to chat up lines so if someone used a bad chat up line on me I’d probably buzz off it. Let me think of one... (Licks her thumb then dabs it on my arm) let’s get you out of them wet clothes. (Laughs hysterically) Someone did that to me and I was like geeeerrrrin, I loved it! Any Final Words? No babe, just I had an amazing experience. It wasn’t all plain sailing in the show, like, there were times when I was really homesick but it was thanks to a really great crew and cast, Sophie and Charlotte in particular. I’d just like to say thank you to everyone like, it was really brilliant. Tuesdays at 10pm from 24 May on MTV. Twitter.com/mtvgeordieshore




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