EDITOR’S LETTER
RWD TEAM image by Andres Reynaga
John was sitting outside his local pub one day, enjoying a quiet pint, when a nun suddenly appears at his table. “You should be ashamed of yourself! Drinking is a Sin! Alcohol is the blood of the devil!” John gets pretty annoyed about this, and goes on the offensive. “How do you know this, Sister?” “My Mother Superior told me so.” “But have you ever had a drink yourself? How can you be sure that what you are saying is right?” “Don’t be ridiculous - of course I have never taken alcohol myself”.... “Then let me buy you a drink - if you still believe afterwards that it is evil I will give up drink for life” “How could I, a Nun, sit outside this public house drinking?!” “I’ll get the barman to put it in a teacup for you, then no one will ever know.” The Nun reluctantly agrees, so John goes inside to the bar. “Another pint for me, and a triple vodka on the rocks”, then he lowers his voice and says to the barman “and could you put the vodka in a teacup?” “Oh no! It’s not that Nun again is it?” Boom boom! Oh, I love a good joke and I love comedy’s; 30 Rock, Curb, Entourage, anything Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Kathy Griffin, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Murphy (Raw Eddie, not fat suit Eddie), and a load of Steve Martin. We’ve got one of the UK’s funniest films on this cover; Adam Deacon’s Anuvahood made us ROFL, LOL, MEGALOL and much, much more. This flick is seriously, seriously jokes and we have to take this time out to congratulate Adam on his incredible ability to turn actor and MC into writer and director. Also inside, we catch up with a cacophony of characters; comedians Dom Joly, Kayvan Novak and Affion Crockett, music types Yo Video, Kanye West (KANYE!!!), Modestep, Spark, Clare Maguire, Scrufizzer, Brenmar and Ed Sheeran, snowboarder Seb Toots, and this season’s Bright Young Things who are making their mark in the world of fashion. We also get our political on this issue - given the recent events in Egypt, we thought it was only right we looked at how social networking has played a powerful part in changing history right before our eyes. Who knew Twitter wasn’t just about following the rants of Wiley and discussing the merits of the Human Planet. A fairly mighty month, I think you’ll agree...!
Editor Hattie Collins Deputy Editor Danny Walker Staff Writers Nardene Scott, Jerry Gadiano, Hayley Joyes Contributing Editor Chantelle Fiddy Online Editor Tego Sigel Contributors Alex Johnson, Nick Russell, Jody McIntire, Manon Dave, Fadah Jassem, Cerriann Taylor, Emmanuel Ezugwu Art Director Dacre J. Bracey Designer Chidi Ubani Fashion Editors Nasrin Jean-Baptiste, Denise Brown, Luke Miley, Neesha Sharma, Style Editor Irene Asanji Style Assistant Cheyenne Davide Illustrators Art Jaz, Jiro Bevis, Rachel Goslin Photographers James Pearson-Howes, Andres Reynega, Kevin Joseph & Jake Green @ Response, Carnegie & Conway, Sara Nouman, Adrian Nettleship, Verena Stefanie Grotto Publisher Sales Director Senior Sales Thanks
Nigel Wells Paul Le Fevre Matthew Richards AMCK amckmodels.com, Bob Austin
CONTACT RWD W107 Holywell Centre, 1, Phipp Street, London EC2A 4PS Tel: 0203 176 4299 Email: staff@rwdmag.com
The king of the spoof, RIP Leslie Nielsen
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH: CERRIANN
21 year-old Cerriann was born and bred in Birmingham (“the land of guns and gold!”), but is currently residing in east London. Having read RWD for years, “It’s my one stop shop for what’s going on in the music world,” Ms. Taylor, who cites comedy man Keith Lemon as her ideal husband (er!?), joined us for a placement and impressed mightily with her really well written interviews (Dom Joly, Spark) and reviews. “I’d love to get a job in broadcasting and music journalism. I can’t really see me doing anything else.” Twitter.com/Cerriannie
RWD Magazine is published monthly All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publishers. RWD Magazine: 25p where sold Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which RWD holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of RWD Magazine or it’s staff and we disclaims liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally RWD is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations
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CONTENTS: 01/03/2011 REGULARS
6-10 INBOX 10-13 NEWS 16 ENOUGH ALREADY: SCARY MOVIES 16 DEAR DIARY: ED SHEERAN 12-21 POLITRICKS: EGYPT 22-24 ASICS ONE TO WATCH: YO VIDEO, SCRUFIZZER, 1913, AMPLIFY DOT 26-27 ABOUT TO BLOW: MODESTEP
STYLE
30-34 BOOTS 36-37 REFRESHED 38-39 BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS 40-49 FASHION
FEATURES
50-53 ANUVAHOOD 54-56 CLARE MAGUIRE 58-63 KANYE WEST 64-65 SPARK 66-68 KAYVAN NOVAK 70-71 OLIVIA LEE 72-73 KACI BATTAGLIA 74-75 SEB TOOTS
UNWIND
78 GADGETS: LAPTOPS 80-81 DOM JOLY 82-84 FILMS 86 WRETCH 32 88-89 GAMES 90-92 GID GUIDE 94-95 ALBUM REVIEWS 96 CHARTS 98 FINAL WORD: AFFION CROCKETT
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INBOX
Some of your letters have certainly had us in stitches this month (ahhh, you guys *wipes single tear*) the best of which goes to Dopson10 who wins a pair of high definition V-Moda CrossFade LP Remote Headphones worth £139.99...
attacks for serious situations like Alzheimer’s or people who don’t follow you back on Twitter?
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
Is this a f**king joke. Dizzee Rascal is an absolute idiot. Why is he so intent on signing acts that do not make hardly any revenue? [Shadrack and The Mandem] are criminals. They have probably stabbed people, been nasty pieces of work and caused the community hell and Dizzee wants to sign them and RWD want to help hype them. Why not promote some real artists for once. DJs that work hard and get no recognition, new producers sloggin’ away in their boxers till the birds are singing the next morning. This makes me sick. When will somebody say or do something positive. This isn’t positive. Somebody make a stand for once you bunch of sheep. This is pathetic and everybody reading this whether they admit it or not f**king knows it. Ridiculous!!! Dopson10 Erm, you know Shadrack... is a spoof, right? A bit of fun? Why don’t you save your 6 / RWDMAG.COM
Hey guys! Regarding that huge Michael Jackson poster article... I’m contacting in hope that you may know some more details about the poster? Would you know who installed it and who created/ printed it? Also would you know if anyone can actually go up close and look at it? (Instead of just from the air obviously!) Stephen Hey Steve-O, who are we the Poster Police? Going from country to country in helicopters documenting poster performances, signage specifications and oversized advertising campaigns for our own personal gain? In regards to that story, we posted everything we know. Need RWD mag’s help! Hi, wondered if you give me any advice... I’m emailing for my partner, known as NxtGen; a grime, hip hop and D&B MC from Loughborough, Leicestershire. Coming from a small town it’s hard for him to get the recognition he deserves for his hard work in his music. I was wondering if you could help in anyway, that may give him that promotion he needs! His vid is on Sky called Can’t Let Go, you can also find it on his YouTube channel. Appreciate any advice, thank you. Charlotte we love your dedication to ‘NxtGen’. A bit
more than we love his music, true, but keep up the hard work, we hope it pays off... RWD, I waited ten years plus for this mediocre song I Need A Doctor any rapper could have recorded. Ten years for the 1st (or 2nd if you include Kush)... but CD, TV, worldwide, radio single to not be produced by Dre? He could of done this eight years ago. By the way, I don’t like the song, this is not the Dre I wanted to hear, disappointment is starting to set in. I could handle this if it was album track maybe, but it doesn’t grab feeding to the mass sheep iTunes-using kids that buy the music, not the fans of Dre... Mr N.W.A is now corporate pop. Lee Law Lee? Are you ok? You need to take a seat after that rant. Let’s just wait and see what the rest of Detox is saying before we pass judgement shall we. Re: Mike Hough. I am Mike’s mum and I am so proud of him, and so glad that he is finally being taken seriously as a talented force within the UK music industry... I have always known he is a star, and always fully supported his drive, dream, and ambition. But it’s time now for the rest of the world to see it for themselves. Love you son. X Diane Nathan We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
HAVE YOUR SAY: SHADRACK AND THE MANDEM
We put in a call to our favourite spoof spitters incarcerated MC’s to see how staying at Her Majesty’s Pleasure is going, plus their recent signing to Dirtee Stank… “It’s hard in here we only get an hour out of the cell each day, we’re locked up 23 hours a day - I don’t have my skates, Abendigo doesn’t have his glove. We get by in here, we’re making a lot of money from selling biscuits…Custard Creams go for £20 a pack. If your not Shadrack and Abendigo you’re not a goon. We are the prodigal son’s here, you can’t teach this. We are gonna make our label, Dirtee Stank, a household name in the UK. No one on the label will sell albums like us, not even Dizzee. As founding members of So Solid, we started this movement first, so we ain’t bothered about linking up people from east London.” Follow the goons tweeting direct from HMP Twitter. com/shadrackmandem
INBOX
RWDMAG.COM/MAG QUICK QUESTION:
Lungzie says “I’m just glad the UK has stepped up on the comedy front, our own UK Friday! Fruitellas all round!”
RWDMAG.COM USERS CAST THEIR VOTE Each month we give you the chance to answer our Quick Question. This month:
What do you think of Adam Deacon’s new comedy? Gonna check it out cos the trailer looks good (16%) Looks joke, can’t wait to see it (68%)
I’m just glad the UK have stepped up on the comedy front(5%) I think I’ll pass (5%) I know a few people like K... sorry I mean Kenneth, wasteman!!! (5%)
Mad MC says “Looks joke, can’t wait to see it. It looks jus’ DAMN funny, can’t wait, can’t wait.”
Not too sure(5%)
OUR TOP SPOOF’S:
Bo Selecta (Craig David)
Don’t Be A Menace...
Jason Lewis Does Wiley For the full list of 25 clips and vids check bit.ly/RWDsTopSpoofs
RWD TV REVIEW:
CERRIANN TAYLOR REVIEWS RWD’S TOP SPOOF Westwood & Drake freestyle “Affion Crockett and Mark Douglas have got the accents, mannerisms and ‘flow’ spot on in this super spoof. The No.1 clip on our list is absolutely hilarious, so funny in fact that it’s been viewed over 300,000 times more than the real deal. As with any good spoof Mark and Affion exaggerate the cringe-worthy bits, highlighting the fact that Drake doesn’t freestyle to any kind of beat, “No man, I don’t need a beat, this is all off the top”, “Did you hear that ladies and gentlemen, he doesn’t need a beat, he IS the beat, he is the foundation, he is the whole building, he is the furniture!” and then cue Westwood sound effects for maximum drama. When re-enacting Drake forgetting his words, Affion even pulls out bits of paper to remind himself of his next bars only to be even offered his Blackberry by his security.”
TOP TWEETS BY @RWDMAG: TOP TWEETS @RWDMAG: 1. After that exclusive @nickiminaj interview we dropped on Sat we were just wondering if u wanted more? 2. Check out @ChipmunkArtist hollaring at @officialadele via @RWDmag to ask her to critique his new album 3. “Hello... Is this Drake?” “Erm, do you mean DACRE!” 4. Wile Out by @Hattiecollins at Pret A Manger
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1. @TheGreyFoxxx @RWDmag that article is as fake as dolly partons tits 2. @modestep @RWDmag haha no worries! All bout the cham podka! Careful tho that stuff gives you a sore head! 3. @jpizzledizzle @hattiecollins @RWDMag Nah Hatts, I miss the little video at the start! #bringitback Haha x
NEWS
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: Bredding in style I’m aware that there’s probably only a small minority of late-slang adopters that still use the expression ‘bredding’. And while bread gets mad love (especially the sliced sort), bredding doesn’t. But guess what? Fiddy doesn’t actually care what you, or you, or you, think. Go tell a friend to tell your dad’s friend while you’re at it. I does this. In style. With Mike Skinner aka The Streets going into retirement following the release of his fifth and final studio album, Computer and Blues, I need to show love. Long before I worked at his label home (679), and got to grips with organising the Prangin’ Out remix, I was a massssive fan of the man who wasn’t quite a rapper, wasn’t quite an MC. Blinded By The Lights, whether we’re talking the original or the Nero remix, would definitely make my top 10 tracks I’d pray to save on the world’s last functioning hard drive (trust me, the apocalypse is nigh). Original Pirate Material, for many of grime’s forefathers, is a key part of the scene’s musical evolution from the garage that went before. And from the woes of time spent in kebab shops to the pitfalls of celebrity, Skinner’s been the soundtrack to many of our own adulthoods over the last 10 years. He’s also a certified don according to the majority of rappers and MCs you speak to. Even Drake has reached out to him. And he’s always kept his ear to the underground, from his classic remixes, to the recent free mixtape, Cyberspace&Reds. To be honest, any further attempt to elaborate on my love of Mike Skinner and his impact on music would be pointless cause a) It’s too long b) The Guardian did an amazing job of it already. Lastly, I’d like to use my penultimate line to thank Skinner for schooling me on what a macchiato is – no longer do I look dumb in front of Italians by asking for a cappuccino in the late afternoon. Now that deserves respect. Say bye to The Streets: Thestreets.com and hi to Fiddy: Twitter.com/Chantellefiddy
THE STREETS - MUST HEAR REMIXES
> Fit But You Know It Ft. Kano, Donaeo, Lady Sovereign & Tinchy Stryder > In The Middle (Nero Remix) > Get Out Of My House Ft. D Double E, Bruza, Kano & Demon > Prangin Out Ft. Skepta, Wretch32, Ghetts, Tinchy Stryder, Devilman, Bossman & Frisco > Blinded By The Lights (Nero Remix)
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FASHION NEWS
ROBOT WARS
Streetwear brands get pop up store... As we pointed out last issue, it can be tough to find some of your favourite clothing styles en masse. Too often, it takes a detective of Poirot status to track down a one-stop shop for the finest in streetwear apparel. Lucky then that the man behind Robot Bunny, (who also happens to work for RWD’s computer manufacturer of choice, Apple Mac) has opened a pop-up store in west London that stocks his own amazing brand, as well as many other like-minded makers of T’s, hoodies and sweats. Boasting a geek theme - most of the merch features robot/ cartoons and tech related illustrations - the gorgeously designed space features the latest from cutting edge brands including Robot Bunny, PXL, DBD, Droneboy, Rock Cakes, Soap Box, Merrimaking, Studio Rudo and Villainous Visard. In some cases, the shop in the Whiteleys Centre on the Queensway, is the only place you’ll find some of these brands stocked in the UK. “The store is a huge hub of talent. I really feel there’s not enough of these kinds of opportunities for consumers to get their hands on specialist goods,” says Robot Bunny’s Daryll. As the pictures show, the store also looks rather lovely; the perfect pop-up home featuring a fusion of cutting edge cartoon design and laid back fashion. Whiteleys Shopping Centre, 144 Queensway, London, W2 6LY. Check robotbunny.co.uk
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FENECH SOLER
We spoke to brothers Ross and Ben about fashion, backing dancers and learning the harp, down at a their HL Music show in east London... What are you guys wearing? Ross: Just some white jeans, a pretty bog standard t-shirt and I’m actually wearing a headband tonight. Ben: Fashion and music just overlaps and we seem to be a band that sits in the middle of that. Bands pick up a lot of free stuff, it’s a nice perk of the job like we recently got some Henri Lloyd stuff and I’ve been living in that basically. Describe your style? Ben: We started to get known for wearing quite spangly tops and to be honest it wasn’t discussed; our music is based on imagery so it kind of fitted into what we were doing. Who are your style icons? Ben: I think the band Phoenix have it down, Every time I see a picture of the Strokes, they look pretty cool. What is the most you’ve spent? Ross: I spent like £120 on a jacket once and then felt pretty guilty about it but then I kind of didn’t after I’d worn it a few times. Confess your fashion faux pas. Ben: There was a phase where I wore a very, very, very gold top….! What can people expect from the upcoming tour? Ross: We’re adding a lot more to the live set and playing a lot of tracks that we haven’t played before so it’s just going to be a bigger show in all, kind of the biggest thing we’ve done really. So we’re excited about it. Demons is out now. Fenechsoler.co.uk
FREDDY, STEADY… Freddy’s Spring/Summer 2011...
Favoured by Joss Stone, Alesha Dixon, Jesus Luz (Ed: Madonna’s super-hot squeeze) and Paris Hilton, Freddy is perfect for fashion lovers, sport enthusiasts and skilled dancers (obviously, that’s the category RWD fits into...!) alike. With a fusion of concepts created using seasonally selected colour palettes and quality materials, the Freddy range is designed for those looking to create a bold fashion statement with an ‘art of movement’ twist. For girls there’s the Pure line, for in and outdoor fitness, while those who prefer to get their cardio on inside, there’s the Work Out range, available in monochrome with a splash of fushia. For the dudes, there’s the Olympic and Boxing Academy Washed; the former for either the gym or serious Sky+ surfing, while the latter utilises dyed and fabric appliques to create a rainbow of unique colour effects. With prices starting as low as £17, get yourself ready with Freddy... Freddy.com 13
ENOUGH ALREADY: The Scary Movie Series
When it comes to spoofs, parodies and making a mockery of major movie releases it didn’t get better than the Scary Movie series. Funny, outlandish, overtly offensive... the Anna Faris and Regina Hall starring comedies had it all. Whether it was a Scream send-up, an identical rip-off of I Know What You Did Last Summer or a simple Pamela Anderson p*sstake, the films have led the way since 2000. 11 years and two franchise failures on (with the fifth voyage apparently on the way) Danny Walker wonders whether this sh*t has sailed... image by Jiro Bevis
A big, fat congratulations to Dimension Films and the companies who create, produce and distribute the Scary Movie series, we feel like hugging and kissing your wives until juice comes out. At this point I would breakdown the history of the films – how the Wayans brothers wrote and directed the first two before leaving to pursue great projects like White Chicks, how no one can remember what happens in 4, etc. – but I can’t be bothered. Let’s get straight to the point; the congrats have been issued for making $800m worldwide. There’s nothing funny about that. $800m; do you know how many dresses Alex Reid can buy with $800m? When your film earns more than eight hundred million Benjamins across the globe, we have to take our hats off to the creators. But when the eight-tenths of a Billion are built up from basically recycling the same film THREE times we have to firmly keep our hats on just in case our brains explode in disgust. Then, failing full cerebral meltdown, we have to start asking some serious questions; Why couldn’t they continue the quality of the original Scary Movie? Who paid to see Scary Movie 2 in the cinema? (Surely that was a Blockbuster Video/ Channel 4/ borrow from your friend never to return-flex), how did they get away with the Michael Jackson-spoof in 3? And again, how comes no one can remember what happens in 4? Seriously, the only residue left on my mind was that TERRIBLE Carmen Electra poorformance. I 14 / RWDMAG.COM
remember wondering if the character she was portraying was a bit challenged, but then I realised it was just her terrible acting. After the slating 2006’s Scary Movie 4 received – totting up a measly 37% on Rotten Tomatoes and a less than impressive 5/10 on IMDB – we’re surprised Bob and Harvey Weinstein even came out of hiding to announce the fifth instalment back in 2008. With the passing of comedic legend Leslie Neilson (R.I.P.), who played President Harris in the last two outings, we really don’t see the point of another movie from this dwindling series; especially as the main actress, Anna Faris, has already put the nail in the coffin. “I’m not sure that there’s enough kinda iconic... scary movies around?” she told reporters in 2009. “When we did the first Scary Movie there was like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and all those films were so popular. There were moments in those films that were visually distinctive - I just don’t know if that has happened in the past few years; if we’ve got enough films like that to go off on?” Sounds like a great tag line for a movie with a multi-million dollar budget, ‘We should stop!!!’ So if you add together; an unconvinced actor, another with a voice so squeaky dogs die every time she goes outside (Regina Hall) and times that by the small fact that they’ve already spoofed everything, Scary Movie 5 sounds like a great idea... and by ‘great’, we mean ‘terrible’.
DEAR DIARY: Ed Sheeran
We catch up with everyone’s favourite red headed, sofa surfing, guitar plucking phenomenon as he talks us through a day in his life this February...
‘‘T
his morning I woke up on SBTV’s sofa in jeans and a T-Shirt, made my way straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth using my trusty travel toothbrush, which I carry with me everywhere; it’s an absolute essential tool for a sofa-hopper like me. I jumped in the shower, sang my favourite shower-song (Every Time by Britney Spears), then brushed my teeth again, it’s my ritual. I never eat breakfast so I said my farewells and made my way to the tube. I got a call from Stewart, my manager, who dispenses with formalities to tell me about a load of radio spots I’ve got in the next few days. I assure him I’ll remember them and be on time. I make three separate changes on the tube to West London where I phone my producer Jake [Gosling] who’s going to be late to pick me up however much notice I give him...! He picked me up and we drove to his Surrey Studio where we worked on my album. After the session I sift through a barrage of texts from artists who want to work with me and who somehow have my number, I’m not sure where they were last year but there you go, that’s what I get for never changing my number! I’ve been so busy recently; the response to my Collaborations EP has been phenomenal. There were some people I asked to be on it who didn’t have time, and it was sort of rushed towards the end - there were two tracks that were made and not recorded in time and that was a track with Example and a track with Griminal - but the track with Example is being finished and might be an exclusive. It depends when it’s coming out, but I think we’re giving it out for free to 16 / RWDMAG.COM
“HE WAS GOING ‘YEAH, THE EP IS GREAT, REALLY FORWARD THINKING, ISN’T DEVLIN AMAZING?” everybody who bought the EP just to say thanks. Some of the reactions have been amazing; for example, I got a call from an LA number the other day. I picked it up and he was like ‘Oh hey Ed, it’s Elton. John,” ‘Oh, ah, umm, hello mate (laughs)’. What was mad was that he was going ‘Yeah, the EP is great, really forward thinking, isn’t Devlin amazing?” and I was like “Siiiick, you know who Devlin is, that’s f**ked!!!” After seeing Jake, I made my way down to World’s End in Finsbury Park where I performed for my mate Cal’s acoustic night. Then I headed off to see Random Impulse who is always going to be awake no matter what time. I don’t know when he sleeps, or if he needs sleep. We chilled in his studio for a bit where we played each other stuff we’re working on, and we talked about music and life and the sort of stuff you talk about at that time of the day, until 7AM, when I went to bed. I got a good few hours sleep which is better than last week when I was getting two a night...! As for the future, there’s a couple of people I’d like to collaborate with; Adele or John Mayer. With Adele, I could take her away from her amazing soul stuff that she does and maybe make something like Elton John did with Kiki Dee, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, just for one song. Just a duet and that’s it, and then say ‘Go, go back to your success and to your money!’ (laughs).” Ed is 1Xtra’s HOT42011. Collaborations Ft. P Money, Skepta, Devlin and more is out now. Twitter.com/edsheeran
presents
ASICS BIKU CV
ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE This spring, ASICS introduce their new low profile silhouette shoe; with it’s roots on the volleyball court, the ASICS BIKU CV is a great example of retro sport styling with an urban twist using clean lines and simple colours. It’s a real winner. Talking of which, we have three pairs to give away to three very lucky people. All you have to do is email (subject: ASICS) iwannawin@rwdmag.com and you’ll be in the running to get yours... Check RWDmag.com/terms for more.
YO VIDEO
First spotting their video for Fool on Youtube back in November, we considered putting Yo Video in our Tips for 2011 – but were unable to track them down. “They’re a bit enigmatic,” our sources told us, “No one really knows who they are.” Yet such has been the record label buzz about them (big-time A&R’s have been ringing down their management), the identity of Yo Video can be kept secret no longer. “I know Russo from school,” smiles Ali of the woman sat next to him, declining to reveal a surname, or age, before nodding toward the man sat on the sofa to his left. “Me and Jamie met through having the same sort of friends, going to the same gigs and clubs.” Ali and Jamie got together about a year ago to make music, they say, that was “different to what everybody else was doing. We wanted to do our own thing and without being too influenced by what was going on around us.” Sharing a love of ‘80s electronica like Tears For Fears and OMD as well as “odd pop songs” they enlisted Russo last September. “Ali kept telling me about this girl who he’d gone to school with who was sick. We went to see her doing backing vocals at Proud in Camden. She was totally perfect,” recalls Jamie. With Ali and Jamie on production and all three writing, within hours of doing their first session, they’d written four tracks; a week later they had enlisted video directing school friend Isaac Tomiczek (Maxsta, Aggro) to make a video to Fool for £500. Featuring Russo in various London locations, it wasn’t clear if just she was Yo Video or if she was the front for someone else. Why the mystery please! “Massive Attack and Unfinished Symphony was a huge influence on this project,” says Ali. “We always said, if we were our age now and we saw the Unfinished... video with this one woman in it, you’d be like ‘What is it? Is she Massive Attack?’ When we did the video, we loved the idea of it being called Yo Video because it wouldn’t hint at who, or what, we were.” “It was about excitement and impact,” Russo adds. Now we know who they are, we’ll attempt to explain what; fusing big pop hooks with disgusting bass and floor-shaking synth, their sound can only be described, quite genuinely, as unique. “We try not to be contrived,” says Ali. “If we think people are going to look at us and say we’re Chase & Status wannabes, then we’ll scrap it. We don’t want to sound like other people.” For this very, very new band (so new that Russo still gets the bus to work as a waitress) who are more influenced by early Aaliyah than current dubstep, it’s early days but tracks like the brainsplattering Rooftops and Go, have had us falling in love. Hard. “If there is a scene going on right now,” says Ali, “Then we are definitely the nonpolished, non-Brit school, rough around the edges version of that!” Fool is on iTunes now. Twitter.com/yovideo
jaystewartphotography.com
SCRUFIZZER
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More than just one to watch, west London’s Scrufizzer is one to listen to, learn from and break your neck to in 2011. “My plan is to bring out an underground album, testing the water with freestyles and instrumentals, to display myself more as an artist,” says Scru. Having been granted a wealth of support from DJs Logan Sama, Cameo and Ras Kwame, Semtex has also co-signed by comparing Scru to a young Dizzee. The 21 year-old, who is also an in-demand producer has been meddling with music since 13, inspired by the energy of So Solid and Heartless Crew. “I’m bringing an old skool vibe back to the scene. I have some big name collaborations in store,” he promises. Hedging his creativity across grime, hip hop and dubstep, his seagull like Shoi Shoi signal will be engulfing speakers in 2011, spewing out flows worthy of a straitjacket yet sustaining the lyrical clarity of Twista and Wiley. Find him on The Street’s new mixtape and work your way through Soundcloud.com/scrufizzer (NR)
photography by Tao Ruspoli
Mysterious three-piece Yo Video are RWD’s latest musical crush; Hattie Collins tracked down the secretive sonic sumpremos to find out who they are, what they are and why they are...
1913
When we caught this Mancunian indie-pop-rock band performing at HL Music’s event we felt we had to delve a little deeper into the band that previously supported White Lies, have upcoming sets at Ibiza Rocks and are currently writing for a new project from games supremos, Activision. Drummer Lee explained the reaction to current spacey synth assisted single Atlantis. “It made it onto Radio 2 and received 96% of the listeners votes on Steve Lamacq’s BBC6 Music show,” he tells us. “Right now, we’re busy working on the album, taking our time to keep the quality up there.” Lee alongside Joe (guitarist) met singer Ian - who brought in bass player Laurence - in the pub after their previous band came to an end; being signed at the exact same time as The Kaiser Chiefs, they missed out on the support from indie imprint B-Unique. But it’s onwards and upwards for the band now currently on the lookout for a label - we’re sure they’ll be snapped up sharpish. Twitter.com/1913music (NS) 19
ASICS.CO.UK/SPORTSTYLE
presents
BRENMAR Ever since this Chicago born, Brooklyn residing producer and DJ started refixing a selection of R&B’s finest including Aaliyah, and more recently Rihanna, the blogosphere has been going crazy for Brenmar’s “hip hop, R&B, UK bass and ghetto house sounds. Becoming a DJ at just 14 years-old after he was given “A pair of sh*tty Gemini turntables,” Double B’s influences have come from the hip hop and ghetto house he had pumped through his ears during his early teens at house parties back in the Chi. “The way I play with my vocal hooks is a direct reference to Chicago ghetto house,” the self taught producer tells us before elaborating. “Each element has its place; less is more is something you realise when listening to Chicago juke/ footwork/ ghetto house.” R&B came second to Brenmar’s love for hip hop initially. “Well, before dating girls and all that,” he laughs. “Suddenly R&B made a lot more sense.” He also packs in a heavy DJ schedule amongst an endless stream of remixes, counting New York as his favourite place to play. “People are just ready; you can really push it here,” he says of the Big Apple. Yeah, whatever NYC, he’ll find out what we’re about when he makes his flying visit to London next month. Apart from “Music, music, music”, part of his plans for 2011 include travel - “I want to hit up as many places as I can” - so you can expect DJ sets in London’s Alibi, The Roundhouse, The Nest and countless others trendy haunts. “I’m making club music, making people move and feel is the priority,” he stresses, which is exactly what the party DJ did with his first EP, At It Again. Released by Discobelle last December it also features remixes from our very own Ikonika. “I have a couple of EPs in the works for Grizzly (Sinden’s label) and Hum & Buzz and a lot of touring. I’m writing beats like my life depends on it right now.” Brenmar.biz and Twitter.com/bill_brenmar
AMPLIFY DOT
“I’ve been doing this from a very very young age,” the 24 year-old MC born Ashley Charles tells RWD. “My first experience with music was Salt-N-Pepa; my uncle had that album with Push It on.” Since then she has bogled and butterflyied her way through the underground and appeared on features with Jessie J, Ice Kid and the Game Over refix with the hottest girls on the scene. Despite the monotonous moans over her boyish look, (“If it makes you talk about me I’m all for it… I would rather be remembered for being different than forgotten,”) the Family Guy fan insists she was born ready. “I don’t think you can just say that I think it needs to be in you. I’ve been doing this since I could walk. I think for that reason, it’s not something you can learn, it sort of evolves.” Born Ready the single is out 6 March. Check amplifydot.com and @AmplifyDot for more. For the full interview visit RWDmag.com (DW) 20 / RWDMAG.COM
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MODESTEP Not only are Modestep the most dynamic and diverse band out there right now there’s more to them than dubstep - they’ve also got the whole of Europe going beserk to their bass-deafening, soulful-tinged productions. Nardene Scott meets up with the RWD fans from day, to talk bass overloads, strange champagne cocktails, Nando’s and the current success of single Feel Good...
“Oh, it’s just some book,” shrug vocalist Josh and DJ Tony, the brothers behind the epic production powerhouse that is Modestep, about the Island Records books they’re clutching when they turn up to RWD HQ. Completely skimming over the fact they’ve been in meetings all day, we’re guessing the Island one was pretty important. Even when it comes to talking about current A-listed single Feel Good, the guys are pretty chillaxed. “When we made the single, we just wanted it to show up on people’s radar, we didn’t care about any chart position, we didn’t care about getting on TV,” Tony insists before Josh interjects. “I mean, we still don’t care about all that.” Somehow we think there’s going to be a shock when the tune, which has been viewed on Youtube two million times (and rising) charts nicely; it’s particularly mental considering the circumstances under which the brilliantly upbeat song with the filthy bass was made. “We were originally going to go with Sunlight, but at the last minute we changed it to Feel Good because it’s the time of year where everyone wants to feel good,” says songwriter Josh, explaining away the hype. We’re sure they would take charting seriously, but not when there’s other pressing matters at hand like, oh, say, getting a Nando’s black card, which Tony admits is the main aim of their Twitter account. “I might just get a Nando’s tattoo,” he exhales.
For anyone that does follow @Modestep they’ll know that is really all they do; shout out the Piri Piri temple and tell everyone what gigs they’re destroying next. Their sets are more than extreme, with the four-piece’s rider consisting of just one thing “Bass, lots and lots of bass” they say, almost in unison. The most recent gig, Dubstepic, in Belgium, in which the bass was so lethal the walls literally caved in, is currently their favourite to date. “We were on the same time as Pendulum so we assumed it would be an empty room, but we had 3000 people going mental singing back our songs,” Josh says excitedly before telling us the theme continued with another 3000 revellers in Belgium too. Tony, whose birthday it was that weekend, came up with some pretty interesting champagne cocktails on the Eurostar journey back, apparently. “We had the red Champodka, which was red wine, champagne and vodka, then there was the red Champodkarella which had Stella in it and then we incorporated Pringles, a Toblerone and a lollipop.” Delicious...! Stevie Wonder fan Josh and the Todd Edwards influenced Tony were well aware of their musical talents from a young age; they began producing garage and hip hop beats in their early teens. But when drummer Matt brought his metal-holic self to the sound after being in a rock band (and living) with Josh, the rock, disco, trance, D&B and dubstep mixing pot that is Modestep became complete. Add to this the crazy live visuals provided by long time friend of Matt to compliment the music, and you begin to see why there’s much more to the band than dubstep and remixes. “We want it to be an experience and get people excited. We want every single gig to be all-out madness!” Josh states of upcoming dates at Creamfields, Wireless , V Festival and, fingers crossed, Coachella. Considering he and the maskyielding Tony only started making dubstep just over two years ago, it’s clear they’ll be entertaining crowds for much longer. Feel Good is out now.Twitter.com/modestep
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STYLE GUIDE WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT... Sebago sebago.com £125 Five by Rio Ferdinand fivebyrioferdinand.com £55
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STYLE GUIDE
HEAVY DUTY With summer still a distant dream, keep your toes toasty with our selection of booty-full boots... Kickers kickers.co.uk £70 Converse All-Star converse.co.uk £90
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Hunter Hi- Top hunter-boot.com £70 Gola Scar- suede gola.co.uk £60 Palladium Baggy Lite palladiumboots.com £60
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STYLE GUIDE Boxfresh boxfresh.com £55 Simple D Solve pro simpleshoes.com £80 Fish and Chips baselondon.com £39.99
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Bench www.surfdome.com ÂŁ71.99 Dr .Martens Suede Manto store.drmartens.co.uk
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STYLE GUIDE GUIDE: HER The Duffer of St. George jdsports.co.uk £49.99 Henri Lloyd henrilloyd.com £52
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RWD DISTRIBUTION WITH MORE MAGS THAN EVER 98,033* ISSUES NATIONWIDE 55DSL
London W1F
ADIDAS
AvaiIable at your local
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BENCH
LONDON Bayswater W2 Beckton E6 Bexleyheath DA6 Brent Cross NW4 Brixton SW9 Bromley BR1 Colliers Wood SW19 Croydon CR0 Croydon CR01 Enfield EN2 Harrow HA1 Hounslow TW3 Ilford IG1 Kingston KT1 London W12 Oxford Street W1C Romford RM1 Stratford E15 Tottenham N15 Walthamstow E17 Watford WD17 Wood Green N22 Wood Green N22 Uxbridge UB8 SOUTH Bluewater DA9 Brighton BN1 Cheshunt EN8 Crawley RH10 Luton LU1 Reading RG1 Slough SL1 Southampton S015 Thurrock RM20 MIDLANDS Bedford MK40 Birmingham B2 Birmingham B2 Birmingham B24 Birmingham B5
MIDLANDS CONT. Ipswich IP1 Milton Keynes MK9 Northampton NN1 Nottingham NG1 Solihull B91 NORTH Blackpool FY1 Leeds LS1 Leeds LS11 Leicester LE1 Liverpool L1 Manchester M4 Manchester M4 Manchester M4 Manchester M34 Meadowhall S9 Middlesbrough TS1 Newcastle NE11 Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 Oldham OL2 Silverburn G53 Speke L24 Sunderland SR1 Teesside TS17 Trafford Centre M17 SCOTLAND Clydebank G81 East Kilbride G74 Edinburgh EH1 Glasgow G2 Glasgow G51 Glasgow G1 Glasgow G31 Glasgow G34 Glasgow G1 WALES Cardiff CF10 Cardiff CF11
* 1 July 2010 - 31 Dec 2010 - average distribution figure
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Amanda’s of York York Atoo Birmingham Blackmarket London Blu Orange Braintree Bolo Hull C2 Peterborough Carnasista London Chimp Leeds Dr Kruger Lancaster Driver Northampton Drome Liverpool Eastern Bloc Manchester Fabric Torquay G-Star Newcastle-upon-Tyne H&M London Hip Leeds KISS 100 London Kong Coventry Kushi Frome Limited Fashion Whitefield Mash London Net Clothing Leicester Northern Threads Newcastle Norton Barrie Wilmslow Platinum Redford Pulse Belfast Red Kidderminster Sakis Sheffield Solo Edinburgh Speedball London Studd Manchester Styx Cheetham Hill Village The Junction Corby Midi Music Company London Twisted Tongues Beds UKRecordShop.com Middlesex Well Gosh Leicester
ONETRUESAXON
Nottingham NG1
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STYLE GUIDE
“I hardly use anything in my hair, sometimes wax to make it less fluffy.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
TRESEMMÉ 2 IN 1 CLEANSE & REPLENISH
REFRESHED
(Available from Boots, £4.38 rsp) If you hardly use any product on your headtop Peter, who are we to complicate things. Luckily TRESemmé are of the same mindset and have simplified the hair cleansing process. This combined shampoo and conditioner is the perfect time-saver so you can keep it clean and keep it quick.
Looking good for the opposite sex is no joke; it takes time, skill and occasionally a little bit of help from us. Whatever your motive be; gettin’ some, feeding your ego or simply looking ‘fly’, make sure you take heed of our tips and refresh yourself before your wreck yourself... words by Danny Walker photography by Kevin Joseph hair by Michael Damiano for Wahl makeup by Analisa Sarno knitwear by shop.bench.co.uk
PETER TOTH (20)
Reading RWD for... a while. What have been your best and worst jobs? The best would have to be being a model scout and the worst is easily a cashier at a fuel stop. I like to... eat. My ambition is... to live healthy. How long do you take to get ready before you go out? It takes me 30 minutes to get ready
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and that includes having a shower, shaving, brushing my teeth and selecting the right outfit. What would be your reason for getting ReFreshed? Well if you have a date with a nice girl you have to look good from all angles [smiles]. Do you have any favourite films? I’d have to say The Matrix and also Heat. And lastly who would
play you in a movie of your life? Hmmm. Probably Matt Damon, although I don’t like him very much. To feature in ReFreshed, send us a pic of yourself and why you should be included. Email (subject: Refresh Me) to refreshed@rwdmag.com
“I use deodorant spray, it doesn’t matter what flavour, and Bvlgari Aqua eau de toilet.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
TED BAKER PASHION
(Available at select Pharmacies, and tedcares.com, £26 for 30ml) If you need to smell a little better than you usually do Pete (can we call you Pete?), one of Britain’s top designer’s, Ted Baker, has got your back. Pashion is the new sleek, metropolitan and timeless fragrance from the brand which will enhance your masculinity without being in any way overpowering.
MUST HAVES:
“I shave wet, with an oldfashioned Wilkinson ‘one blade’ razor, because it makes me feel like a man although I have very little facial hair! [laughs].”
Add these to the bathroom cabinet without delay…
RWD RECOMMENDS:
WILKINSON SWORD HYDRO 5
“I use a special paste in the morning to give the teeth protection during the day and a special paste for the night to seal the teeth... and mouthwash from my German dentist.”
(wilkinsonsword.co.uk, 7.99) If you want to feel manly Peter, then you need to step up to the Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5. With five blades under the hood (well, skin guards), an advanced hydrating gel reservoir (that hydrates the skin while you shave) and a trimmer on the flip side (to fix up the odd misplaced follicle), this will even make Sylvester Stallone feel manly.
RWD RECOMMENDS:
COLGATE MAX FRESH COOL MINT TUBE
(Colgate.co.uk, £2.29 for 100ml) Sounds like you really know how to take care of your teeth Peter, from now on you shall be known as the Tartar Terminator. If you need any brushing backup look no further than Colgate’s crystal infused Max Fresh toothpaste.
AFTERSHAVE OF THE MONTH
“I like looking after my skin but not going over the top with it.” RWD RECOMMENDS:
SENSITIVE MOISTURISER
(meetthebulldog.com, £6.99 for 100ml) To help in the face department Bulldog are championing the natural skincare approach and with a meaty picture of a dog on the package, products like this can’t get anymore manly. The Sensitive Moisturiser uses Green Tea as a powerful anti-oxidant, and Green Algae as an exceptional natural skin moisturiser. This is music to our ears face.
HAIR: Wella Shockwaves Re-Create Styling Wax (shockwaves.co.uk, £2.99 for 75ml) If you want to sculpt that scalp to perfection this is the stuff.
SKIN: Oxy Spot Defence Shave Gel (oxy.co.uk, £4.99 for 100ml) Skin problems or not, we all need a little help from time to time.
ADIDAS INTENSE TOUCH
(Available from Pharmacies nationwide, £5.95 for 50ml) With a sophisticated and sleek matte black packaging and infused with black pepper, pepper berries, green sap and rosemary, the new fragrance from adidas is ready to exude inspiration from the inside out. Using the legend of sporting heroes like Andy Murray and Zinédine Zidane the whole Intense Touch range is for athletes who want to follow in their footsteps and those who don’t give up until they reach success. Both refreshing and enriching, after one spray your girl getting game should increase tenfold.
BODY: Pocket Shower (Firebox.com, £14.99) This is genius; the festival season won’t know what hit it. 33
STYLE NEWS
Selfridges kickstart the New Year with one of their boldest talent initiatives to date. The famous department store scoured the UK looking for the hottest young talent in fashion and art, picking 25 amazing creatives. The chosen few were then given a pop up shop and window to display their concept until the end of February. Read on as we introduce some of 34 / RWDMAG.COM the Bright Young Things set to take the world by storm...words by Irene Asanji PATTERNITY
Design duo Anna Murray and Grace Winteringham are on a mission to bring beautiful patterns and print to the world of fashion and luxury interiors. They believe they can find beauty in the most banal, with their work found on everything from textile to hosiery and bespoke furniture. What influences and inspires you? We are continually amazed by the world around us and that comes into all the work we do as a studio... just walking around there is an abundance of patterns and daily happenings in the world that can trigger a new idea or project. Just a simple stroll along the street can unveil some fantastic sources of everyday inspiration - from day into night - shadows on the floor, scaffolding high above our heads, ornate drain covers, clothing, tiling, architecture. We are on a constant discovery that we archive on our blog. What are your aims this year? We are working on some really exciting collaborations across the creative fields this year - following on from the success of our exhibition A Tapestry Of Dalston, we will also be curating another exhibition elsewhere encouraging artists, designers and photographers to create a piece inspired by the mundane patterns around us. 34 / RWDMAG.COM
CHRISTOPHER SHANNON
The Central Saint Martins Graduate has already collaborated with the likes of Topman, Eastpak, Asos and Reebook and will be showing at London Fashion Week for his third time this September.
NEW POWER STUDIO
Thom Murphy and Ebru Ecron are the brains behind New Power Studio, and are another successful product of the infamous MAN show at London Fashion Week. Between them they have managed to produce unique and tailored sportswear with an avant-garde twist making each piece in their range a truly unique collectors’ item. Read on as Thom Murphy explains what makes the dynamic duo tick...
“WE ARE CONTINUALLY AMAZED BY THE WORLD AROUND US AND THAT COMES INTO ALL THE WORK WE DO... JUST WALKING CAN TRIGGER A NEW IDEA OR PROJECT.” PATTERNITY.
If you could pick one famous figure to design for, who would it be? At the moment it would have to be Rye Rye. How did you approach this project with Selfridges, what was your design process? Well, the show was all about Domesticity, connections and the home. So I have an overall feeling that translates into everything, as a complete [entity]. We have just shot a story, which has the same direction as the Selfridges window. It feels completely natural for me to translate things into other areas of design and approach. What influences and inspires you? For this collection, it was about the idea of ‘youth connection’ as opposed to isolation and ‘Outside Bad Inside Good’. The title of the collection was about staying in and getting domestic. What are your aims this year? Everything since we started has been super super fast, we have been overwhelmed by the response. I don’t think there has been a magazine or newspaper that hasn’t written about us . We have gone from making a few pieces to three MAN shows back-to-back, so I guess we want to just take a little stock after this show and figure out the most exciting way to approach our next project. I just want to come at things from different angles. We don’t want to get sucked into six monthly shows . I think that idea is long played out.
This is the first time Selfridges have ever given new designers creative reign over their infamous windows. What does this mean to you? For any new designer, a store as established as Selfridges taking an interest in your work is great; I hope it’s the beginning of a long working relationship. What are your influences? All sorts. This season it’s a lot of photo journalism, and also working with new fabrics and colours. Challenging ourselves and not getting too comfortable. If you could pick one famous figure to design a garment for, who would it be ? Hmm my work isn’t really about dressing famous people. I’d like to do tour and costume direction with the Beastie Boys, and I really like Devlin... Can you see yourself collaborating with any other creatives featured alongside you in the BYT? I’m not sure, but I’m a massive fan of both New Power Studio and Martine Rose.
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Jumper by adidas, watch by LTD, jacket by HL Jeans Co.
PHOTOGRAPHY: VINCENT DOLMAN STYLING: NASRIN JEAN-BAPTISTE MODEL: LOUIS DICKINSON at FM Agency ASSISTANT: RICHARD KEECH HAIR AND MAKE UP: DANIELLE HOOKER using Shu Uemura and Khiel’s stylist series
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Bomber jacket by adidas, tie dye scarf by Topman, jeans by Levi’s
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Bomber jacket by Nike, hooded top by Qasimi, jeans by Topman
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Jacket by Luke, T-shirt by HL Jeans Co.
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Leather jacket by Fly53, hooded polo by Nickelson, T-shirt by Henri Lloyd, jumper around waist by Fly53, jeans by Levi’s
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Jacket by Alfa Industries, T-shirt by Levi’s
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T-shirt by Nike, blazer and hoody by Topman, shoes by Dr. Martens
Alfa Industries - alphaindustries.com Luke - luke1977.com FLY 53 - fly53.com Nike - nike.com adidas - adidas.com Henri Lloyd - henrilloyd.com DOC MARTENS - docmartens.com Levi's - levi.com LTD - ltdwatch.com Nickelson - nickelson.co.uk
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ow do you feel about the positive way the film has been received, so far? The trailer had people going nuts...! I was hoping it would happen, I was hoping the hype would be there, but you never know. You write the film and you don’t know what the outcome is going to be until it’s out there. We had a screening where JME came in, and he was laughing, he got the jokes and that has been the reaction for it, I guess. The music industry has been sticking together and supporting each other and everyone is going to No.1. You’ve got Tinie Tempah, N-Dubz, Stryder... everyone is doing it. I think if we could just put that into the film industry as well, it would be amazing, so I’m just calling out all my supporters for this one. Already the Fruitella aka bad man sweet has blown up off the back of the trailer? (Laughs) The love on Twitter has been mad with the whole Fruitella thing, I wasn’t expecting that at all. If I would have known it was going to blow up like this, I would have talked about Apple Mac or a Nando’s Black Card (laughs). But I do like 46 / RWDMAG.COM
Writer, actor, MC, comedian and now director, Adam Deacon has worked his way from a Hackney schoolboy shouting Oi My Size to a respected figure within the British film industry. With his Revolver backed directorial debut, the comedy feature Anuvahood on the cusp of hitting box offices, Nardene Scott speaks with the east Londoner to find out the peaks and troughs he overcame to make it all happen, his hopes for the UK scene and how he wished he had said Nando’s instead of Fruitellas...! images by Andres Reynaga Styling by Neesha Sharma make up by Analisa Sarno
Fruitella’s, I’m there for them to put my face on a Fruitella or something innit. How was the transition going from in front of the camera to behind it? It was a mad one to be honest, the whole experience. I’ve literally been having half hour sleeps, but I knew that if I could get through this year then it would pay off. Me and Michael Vu, my co-writer, we spoke about making films years ago when we was at school, but then it was just a dream. Obviously I got into my acting and as the years went by I found that I reached a wall. I was doing all these films and I was getting a lot of love from the people and at the same time it didn’t really make sense to me that I was still in the hood. I’m still in my council estate and I couldn’t work out what was going on. It
felt like I was getting put in a box where there was a lot of politics involved and that I couldn’t really fight myself out of that. It wasn’t until I reached the end of my tether with it and Michael come up to me and was like ‘Bruv the only way you can change this is if you prove yourself. We’ll write this film and that way you can prove to the world. Bam!’ I guess the biggest thing was that as an actor you just go on set and just do your thing, you just do your lines and go home. Whereas behind the camera, I got to see all of the politics behind it which I never saw before, plus the whole thing of gaining that respect on set. Personally, I don’t think I could ever see the industry in the same light again because I’ve seen how and what they do. How long did it take from concept through
to production? I’d say it was three years in the making. We spoke about it for about two years (laughs) and then it was four months of solid writing; I didn’t go out at all last Christmas, so... There’s a few well known comedians in there - Richard Blackwood, Eddie Kadi and Jazzie. How much was improvisation? The script was a mad one, it was a bit hypocritical to be honest because I’m the type of actor that will go on a set and if I don’t like it, I’ll change it and make it work. With my film, it was kind of the opposite because me and Michael sat there for literally hours and hours on one line, just to make sure it was right. We worked really hard on the dialogue, so when an actor came and tried to change it up, I was on to them! But at the same time, I was open to let people improvise and so all of the actors done a bit of impro on the set. If it worked, it stayed, if it didn’t I was on to them! Who is Kenneth aka K,
based on? I’d say it’s an alter ego of me, you know really. It’s just been a lot of chilling with the mandem to make the film basically (laughs).... I just wanted a light hearted film that takes people out of that hood, gritty, urban element for a couple of hours. If you’re from the hood you don’t want to keep going to the cinema to see your life on the screen, you can go to your council estate to see that. What I want to do is let someone come to the cinema and come out of the zone for a few hours. You’re going to relate to it because you know that world but even though it’s a comedy I think there’s a really strong message in it. It’s about being yourself. Any last words? Yes watch out for Everywhere and Nowhere, I’ve got another film with Bob Hoskins called Weighed In and you can catch Bonded By Blood on DVD now too. So 2011 is looking pretty busy for me...! >>
SPOOF SPECIAL What is your favourite comedy/ spoof film? it’s got to be Friday, I could watch it over and over again it never gets boring. I remember watching that in school and it was just one of them films that become a classic. It was a silly film but it was a good film. Who are your favourite comedians? Chris Tucker is a legend, also Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, his early films like Trading Places and Coming to America. In the UK, obviously Richard Blackwood, I was a big fan when he had his show on Channel 4. Jazzie as well; that boy has got a lot of talent, he’s the equivalent of a UK Chris Tucker. I was a bit late on Slim and I’ve got to say I was just disappointed that we didn’t get him into Anuvahood. I’d love to work with him.
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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ow did you get involved with Anuvahood? I just got told about an audition from my agent, went along, met Adam and read with him. It was a completely different part in the beginning but, yeah, it went from there. What was the original role supposed to be? Originally, he was just sort of a posh English kid, like the stooge that 48 / RWDMAG.COM
you see in a lot of hood orientated films. There’s a funny stereotype of these posh people (laughs) it’s probably completely true, it’s probably exactly what I am really; middle class people who don’t really understand a thing about anything. So, eventually we were all in the auditions and we’re all messing about doing different voices and I just started doing a Spanish accent. Adam came in and everyone was just cracking up like ‘Look Adam, check this out and he was like (does a spot-on impression) ’Ah yeah we might
roll with that you know’. So he became a Spanish exchange student. I hope it goes down well, I hope people from Spain aren’t offended. How is it going from the character JJ you played in Skins to Enrique in Anuvahood? I think I kind of found my niche in victim parts, I don’t know maybe it’s just me! I’m never usually an alpha male type character. In Skins I played a slightly more raw character, he was autistic and he had a lot of problems, he was always patronised by the other characters. So in Anuvahood, he’s
just a bit of an outsider, he’s not a cool guy. he thinks he is, well, all of the goon squad think they are. He’s really confident he just can’t understand what anybody else is saying (laughs). What was the funniest part of making the film? Oh God, just watching Richie Campbell was phenomenal, I’ve never laughed so much. I’d go home and be like thinking about it and start laughing. It was just the way he acted, he just nailed it. Watching Richie work was one of the funniest things, but there were many other great times too. We hear there’s a Skins film in the makings too? Well, I, I...I don’t know, I really don’t know if I’m at liberty to say because they haven’t told me anything. In my mind it’s been put on hold so if it gets there, it gets there. Obviously the new series is on now and they’ve got the whole American launch which they’re getting quite a bit of stick about. I like that we can put out TV that’s still gritty and realistic, to an extent, and we can still shock. What other projects are you working on? I did a play just before Christmas which was an amazing experience, because I never tried to become an actor; I just got into TV and then film. If you can act on stage, then you can act in front of a camera or anywhere, which I think I did to the best of my ability. Well, I hope I did!
SPOOF SPECIAL What are your favourite comedy films/TV shows? I love Spinal Tap, it’s very good. When you realise that Americans are doing it, it’s fantastic. I’ve got to admit I love The Inbetweeners I think that’s fantastic and funny and Misfits. Comedy-wise, my all time favourite, I don’t think I can do but I can say 30 Rock is a fantastic show, I love everything about it. And Frasier for the writing, it’s just incredible. Who are your favourite comedians? I’m a bit biased because my dad is actually a stand up comedian; he’s quite weird and secretive but I think there are some great comedians out there, if you go out and watch comedy you’ll see some fantastic stuff. What’s your favourite joke? Off the top of my head, I couldn’t say, but I’ve got the worst joke I could tell you which was told to me only a couple of weeks ago. What did the buffalo say to his son when leaving his house? Bison. That’s bad!
Anuvahood follows its main characters - all outcasts and wasteman in their own right! - through their daily lives getting caught up in all sorts of nonsense. Far from the badman they would hope to be, here’s a breakdown of the ‘goon’ gang and the constant threat that is estate bully, Tyrone.
KENNETH AKA K (ADAM DEACON) The biggest wasteman of them all, K, a constant let down to his mum (played by Linda Robson), joke to his little sister, wannabe MC, Laimsbury shelf stacker and leader of the softest pack on road.
TYRONE (RICHIE CAMPBELL)
TJ (JAZZIE ZONZOLO)
The bully of the estate if he’s not busy frothing at the mouth whilst holding up some poor yout then he’s doing all sorts of nastiness with the estate’s bicycle, played by Aisleyne.
K’s right hand man TJ, follows him around like a love sick puppy, the elaborate slapstick character is never less than a foot behind him.
BOOKIE (FEMI OYENIRAN)
LESOI (MICHAEL VU)
The biggest geek out of them all, Bookie is the first to run and hide when trouble comes around.
The only one with a little sense, his family churn out DVD’s to the whole estate as he tries to stay undercover, which is pretty much impossible with a friend like K.
Anuvahood, starring Adam Deacon, Jaime Winstone, Ollie Barbieri, Ashley Walters and Richard Blackwood is in cinemas from 18 March. Check Anuvahood.com for more details and to see the trailer that blew up on Twitter.
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LIGHT UP
“WHEN I HEARD BREAKAGE’S REMIX, IT WAS LIKE AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT WAS SO BRILLIANT. IT WAS THE SAME WITH CHASE AND STATUS, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH...”
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lthough it seems the lady with the huge voice appeared on our screens out of nowhere, it’s been a long struggle for Clare Maguire to become one of 2011’s Most Wanted. Dropping out of school early after teachers dismissed her dreams, she moved away from her huge Birminghambased family (Maguire has 50 cousins) at a young age to try her luck in the Big Smoke. Things were tough but she was determined not to give up. “I did find it hard but I had such tunnel vision,” she says over the phone when RWD grabs some time with her just after she wrapped a photoshoot alongside fellow hot talents Katy B, Yasmin and Sunday Girl. “I wanted to get signed, I wanted to do an album. It was a really different experience and quite isolating at the time because I was quite young and I only knew my manager,” she admits. “It was a little bit secluded, but I like the whole thing of having a new challenge.” Success was inevitable though, as a couple of years later US labels were desperately trying to sign her up. Columbia even managed to get her to meet her idol, Rick Rubin. “He was one of my heroes,” says Clare of meeting the legendary hip hop, rock and pop producer, and label guru. “I met him at his house, and I saw this huge picture of Johnny Cash, who I love, when I got there, so I was dying with happiness. He played me some unreleased Johnny Cash demos and got me to sing to him. It was surreal,” she grins. Just a week after that, whilst stuffing a burger into her mouth, she then met Jay-Z. “I was like, ‘That’s not Jay-Z, it’s a lookalike and he came over and as soon as he said something I was like... ‘Oh my god, it’s >> 51
SPOOF SPECIAL Favourite comedian: Peter Kay Favourite comedies: The Office, Phoenix Nights, Peep Show, Father Ted. Last time you did a massive laugh? It was the other day when I was having an interview with a German interviewer. He said something about people in Manchester having really short skirts! It just made me really laugh because it was just so weird!
“IT WAS REALLY, REALLY INSPIRING TALKING TO JAY-Z BECAUSE OF HOW HARD HE’S WORKED AND HOW DEDICATED HE IS TO WHAT HE DOES; HE’S REALLY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING.” << Jay-Z!’” she remembers with a laugh. Taken to his New York pub, The Spotted Pig, Clare and her crew were treated to drinks before being schooled on the game. “It was really, really inspiring talking to him because of how hard he’s worked and how dedicated he is to what he does. He’s so well put together; he’s really on top of everything.” Despite all of these amazing meetings with label heads and writing sessions with Linda Perry (Pink), Richard X (Kelis) and Sam Dixon (Christina Aguilera), Clare found the best working relationship was with Fraser T. Smith, the man behind Kano, Tinchy, Ellie Goulding, Cee Lo and 8000 other a-listers. 52 52//RWDMAG.COM RWDMAG.COM
Smith, alongside Maguire, wrote and co-produced the whole of her debut Light After Dark, bar one song written by youngsters Parallel, which sneaked onto the album a few weeks ago. “I really wanted to have the album with one person, just to give it more of a theme almost. When I went in with Fraser, it just clicked.” She’s quick to point out though that this won’t be a running theme. “I’m always going to be writing with other people and I don’t want to stick too much to one sort of sound. I want to keep developing and changing genres like the track [Midnight Caller] that I did with Chase and Status; I Iove that.” Powerful vocals plus super
producers usually results in a banger where we come from, so it’s no wonder there’s floods of remix offers around. “I get a say in who does them,” points out the Topshop, D&G, Hasaan (who is currently making her stage wardrobe) and Chanel devotee. “When I heard Breakage with Ain’t Nobody, it was like an out of body experience because it was so brilliant. It was the same kind of thing with Chase and Status, I love them so much because I love all kinds of music.” As well as C&S, Breakage and Johnny Cash, Clare, who cites Betty Page, Marilyn Monroe and Dita Von Teese as fashion icons, and Jack Nicholson as her celebrity crush (I know, we did a little S.I.M (Sick In Mouth) too), is a big fan of Kanye and Nicki Minaj. “I keep playing Beautiful, Dark Twisted... it’s amazing, as is Pink Friday. Oh, and I love the Wretch 32 track, Traktor,” the Last Dance singer says excitedly. Gigging has been a staple for the grime and beatbox fan for a while; she’s toured with Plan B, while her European tour begins in March. You won’t just get a standard Maguire music set though; “I like to incorporate the remixes into my set,” she says. When we witnessed the live version of Midnight Love, alongside C&S, it was hypnotic. “All these people in the front row were staring at me blankly because they were so off their faces!” Before Clare heads off for more press and promo, we had to find out what the likelihood was of the joining together of two of the UK’s most distinctive voices. “Oh I absolutely think Florence is incredible, I met her actually at the Q Awards and she was the loveliest person,” she gushes of the Machine frontwoman. “She did say to me to sort of meet up and she’d talk to me about what it’s all like. I’d absolutely love to do something with her.” We’ll keep our fingers crossed for that collab then, until then, she says lastly, “buy the album!” Light After Dark is out now. Twitter.com/ClareMaguire
SPARKS WILL
FLY...
Graduate of the BRIT school, Spark is a feisty 18 year-old who has already toured the UK with Marina and the Diamonds and supported Janelle Monae at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Cerriann Taylor caught up with the singer songwriter before she stirs a storm among the scene.
“Not creatively because I wrote my album before I was signed, so all the songs that are going to be on the album, I wrote before all this,” says Jess Morgan (her middle name is Spark truefax) confidently, when asked if she feels any pressure about being tipped as one to watch for 2011 by the likes of the NME and HMV. “I’d already done the tour with Marina, that started the day after I left school, so it’s just been like ‘Here is the stage, here is an audience, do your thing, see if it works’ and... it works,” she grins, digging into a breakfast burrito in Hoxton’s Breakfast Club. “Obviously there are girls out there killing it, but I could’ve done it a year ago and there would’ve been girls killing it. Next year there will be more girls killing it. That’s just the nature of music,” she says of fellow tipped chicks Jessie J, Clare Maguire and Yasmin. With so many graduates of a certain south London school now revelling in chart success, the black haired, red lipped teen who has been compared to everyone from Lily Allen to Debbie Harry, gets a little defensive when we asked if she thinks she has has big BRIT shoes to fill. “The thing is, I went to a normal secondary school in Walthamstow, and Lethal B went there, but no one mentions that. BRIT is just a place where you can only go if you’re talented,” she explains. “Everyone who is successful from BRIT has had a completely different route. Leona Lewis went there but she was on X Factor, so it’s not a ticket at all, it’s just a school.” It’s also where the birth of the Spark was musically conceived. “In my first week, I performed a song by Kate Bush, Wuthering Heights, which is a big song. The Head of Music said it was the best performance she’d ever seen at the BRIT school. So I was like ‘Well, why am I just sitting here with guitar, being boring? Let me try something else.’ I became Spark from that.” What that is, has been described fairly accurately by the Sunday Times Culture as “Sublime, sharp-elbowed electro pop”. She may have started musical life with a guitar, six strings and some nice words, but tracks like Revolving and forthcoming single Crave are barn-storming, explosive 54 / RWDMAG.COM
bangers. Both tracks, an indeed her entire album, is produced by hotly tipped beatmaker, Amir Amor [N-Dubz, Plan B, Marina]. “Hopefully, with this me and Amir can move up together, because I rate him very highly,” she says of both tracks, currently found on an internet near you. Having had her songs remixed by the likes of Mike Skinner (“He did it because he wanted to, because he liked the track, which is a massive honour”,) the young songstress also likes to make her own beats too; when asked to describe her production process, she gets out her phone and shows us her 10-part harmony vocal tracks from the day when she almost broke Amir’s studio. “There were like 60 vocal tracks, which is a lot, I think like 64 is the biggest anyone’s ever done,” she laughs. “That’s one the things about my music, there are loads of harmonies, loads of backing vocals, that are all me. I love the sound of one person’s voice, blended into a wall where it’s just like harmony, harmony, harmony.” Having a relaxing day off from the studio, and nursing a hangover, Spark today sports a hoody, leggings and some amazing Basquiat Reeboks. However, the Liverpool born, Walthamstow raised singer usually has a rather distinct style ‘80s style. “I look a right tramp today,” laughs the Lee Evans fan who does an uncanny Jim Carrey impression, before telling us her musical influences include everyone from Eminem to Tracy Chapman and the writer Haruki Murakami. “Everything he writes, I feel like he’s directly talking to me.” So is she too cool for (BRIT) school, or is Spark, for all her artistic credibility, essentially a pop artist? “People shy away from pop, but the best songs in the world are pop. I think, if this wasn’t me and I’d just heard, say, Crave on the radio, would I be like ‘Who the f*ck is that? I want to buy it.’ If I can do that, then I feel good with that, even if no-one else likes it. If what you’re doing isn’t true to you, then you should be doing it. Full stop.” Crave is out 14 March. MySpace.com/sparkthemusic
“EVERYONE WHO IS SUCCESSFUL FROM BRIT HAS HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ROUTE. LEONA LEWIS WENT THERE BUT SHE WAS ON X FACTOR, SO IT’S NOT A TICKET AT ALL, IT’S JUST A SCHOOL...”
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“BEST ASIAN PERFORMANCE IN A BRITISH COMEDY BY AN ASIAN, PLAYING ANOTHER ASIAN, BUT FROM A DIFFERENT PART OF ASIA... I WAS BOUND TO BE IN WITH A SHOT.”
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ey Kayvan... Hello. So what are you filming up in Leeds? A forthcoming series for Channel 4, it’s called Naked Apes and it’s about three paramedics. I play the brown one. Are you the token brown one, or are there more? [Whilst eating food] Erm... I dunno. I think I’m pretty much the only brownie for, like, three hours of telly. So it’s a good thing. I’m happy to be representing. In about an hour I’ll be going out in a real ambulance for the night. For research purposes, or do they not like you up there? Well we’ve been ordered to by the producers. So there will be people with severe head injuries and instead of being treated by someone who can potentially save their life, they’ll be greeted by someone who can do a couple of funny voices. How was the Comedy Awards the other day? Yeah, I was very chuffed to be nominated and to win one... You won Best Comedy Performance, which was great. Yeah, it was a funny category wasn’t it? Best Asian Performance In a British Comedy by an Asian, Playing Another Asian, But from a Different Part of Asia. I was bound to be in with a shot. What face would you have done if you would have lost though? Oh, the surprised face? [Laughs] When you lose an award, what happens is you’re smiling but very nervous whilst they’re reading the winner out. When they announce the name and it isn’t you, your 56 / RWDMAG.COM
PAGE JACKER
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face keeps smiling and everything else just drops into a chasm. Then you have to do a smile that isn’t even convincing your nostrils. And everyone is sat around the table with that look of, ‘We knew you weren’t gonna win it anyway.’ I went to St. Aloysius College and you went to Highgate School, which was up the road... [Munches food] Ah, we were like enemies. Oh my god. Yeah, you had your posh playing fields and we were just a poor school from Islington. Yeah, I never got involved in all of that, I just always heard the stories and we would all go to the aerial slide. Aerial slide? Yeah, don’t you remember the aerial slide in Highgate Village? [Laughs] That’s cos it was OUR turf innit!!! [Puts on funny whiny ghetto voice] You weren’t allowed near the aerial sliiiiide. [Eats food some more]... Oh, I’m sorry about my crunching. What are you eating? I’ve just made some salad. Nice. What were you like at school? The joker? I was the joker. I would take the p*ss and do all the classic stuff that the comedians would do at school; make fun of the teachers. I fall under that cliché. And now it’s a job. Yeah, I’ve turned it into a job and I’m very lucky! Where do you get your ideas from? ‘Doovdé’, Brian ‘Bing’ Badonde, an orphan mouse? I’m just infantile really. As long as I tickle myself, that is my best kind of judge to what is going to be funny. If you can make yourself laugh then you’re a thousandth of the way there. And Terry Tibbs, is that based on anyone? Did he sell you a car and you ripped him off... They don’t have car salesmen anymore like Terry Tibbs, they’re all apologetic and meek now. There is no brash, [Does Terry Tibbs voice] ‘Oh, you wanna buy this Mercedes, its beauddaful...’ He was an amalgamation of all of the very brash, charismatic, rich, slightly cockney geezers that I meet. 58 / RWDMAG.COM
SPOOF SPECIAL
“IF YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF LAUGH THEN YOU’RE A THOUSANDTH OF THE WAY THERE.” Are there any phrases that get on your nerves? The thing is right, when people spot me, they can’t believe it’s actually me. So they have to come and get confirmation and then they ask, ‘Can you do a voice?’ or ‘Can you ring my mate?’ I’m happy to do it. And where is the strangest place that you’ve met a fan? In the toilets at football...? With my d*ck out and someone just says, ‘Oi, are you the Fonejacker?’ And then I p*ss all over my hand?... That hasn’t happened; that would be horrific. Imagine you’re taking a sh*t in a public toilet and doing a particularly stinky one and a fan was waiting for you by the sink. Yeah, ‘You were my idol before I smelt that coming from you’... Exactly, this is the line, the tightrope that I have to walk on. Is that fun? Not really. People love the show and you’re worried that once they meet you they’re gonna be underwhelmed or disappointed, or you won’t do enough voices or you won’t be craaaaaaaazy
enough. Whenever I meet a fan, for me it’s an opportunity to disappoint them and I’d hate to do that. I just paint a picture and I love it. The fans are amazing. Do you want to take on more serious roles or have you been typecast as ‘The Joker’? People will remember my name for the comedy stuff but I’m just doing three months with a great script and I’m glad I get to work with other actors. That is so important, no one was born a great actor, it’s about practice and getting better at your craft innit. And make sure you get the ‘innit’ part in. It’s kind of like an oxymoron... Yeah, very un-thespian like. I’m just going to put ‘innits’ into the whole interview. Innit, innit... innit innit. Cos I’m in-it... innit. Naked Apes is out this year on Channel 4. Facejacker and Fonejacker are out on DVD. For audio excerpts of this interview, check RWDmag.com/tag/ audio-interviews
If there was a spoof of your life and someone was to play you in a movie, who would that be? Er... Richard Blackwood. Apart from a cameo in Anuvahood, what is he doing now? He’s actually about to do Shrek: The Musical, he plays Donkey. I know that because my mate Nigel Lindsay, who plays ‘Barry’ in Four Lions is in Shrek. When you’re not acting and doing all kinds of madness, what do you do? I kind of run a hot bath and call up one of my many lady friends to go and sit in it. Then I’d light some candles, maybe go and wander into the bathroom while they’re in there and just brush my teeth. This sounds like a move you’ve tried many times? The old run you a bath and then brush my teeth? It never succeeds. But that is the thing, dental hygiene is important. Indeed.
SPRUCE LEE
Known for brash, in your face pranks, spoofs and general naughtiness, Olivia Lee, has become one of the UK’s top comediennes. After appearing in rib tickling shows like Balls of Steel, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and her own comedic creation Dirty, Sexy, Funny the actress, television presenter and writer tells Danny Walker that there’s much more in store. The elegant professional talks OCD, snogging Will Smith and mastering the art of swallowing?!?!
“I wouldn’t want to go back to doing that kind of stuff,” protests Ms Lee as we reminisce the genius of the pranks in Balls of Steel, which were performed by what she describes as her younger, more naïve self. “I think that was the old Olivia. The silly and enthusiastic girl that wanted to be on the telly and now I guess I just have a bit of maturity.” Did we hear that right? Olivia Lee’s been behaving herself? “Erm... no, why would I want to do that?” Soon the Thursday afternoon chat (we tried to speak to the fearless comic the day before but she had a ‘boring work function’ to go to) had us debating the precise difference between the Channel 4 sensation and her own Comedy Central project, (“Balls of Steel was very much like, ‘Look, we’re taking the p*ss out of everyone, aren’t we funny. Ha ha.’ So we made a conscious choice for [Dirty, Sexy, Funny] to make the jokes on me.” Delving into the people she portrays, “We’ve created a load of daft and crazy comedy characters,” Olivia explains that it’s about creating environments in which comedy can flourish instead of cheap gags. “It’s about their worlds... rather than making people feel uncomfortable.” Despite us telling the writer we felt a little uneasy when the flat seeking OCD lady drank urine (actually apple juice) from the fridge, we soon discussed what made that memorable sketch, from the first series of Dirty... fun. “She’s brilliant. That actually came from real life,” the Miranda Hart fan begins to explain Ms OCD’s true origins. “I was looking for a flatmate as I was about to let one of my spare rooms out and I was making myself laugh, so I asked one of the girls a question; ‘What shoe size are you?’ and held up a dress and asked, ‘Have you got anything to go with this?’ She obviously thought I was mental but I thought; ‘This is a really funny idea getting people to come and view a flat and then wreaking havoc with them.’” So finally, 10 minutes of light probing reveals she is mental in real life? “Cross me and you will feel the wrath!!!” Ms Lee laughs as I try and see if there is a darker side to her, 60 / RWDMAG.COM
“Nah, nasty is obvious. The obvious place to go for comedy. I always endeavour to do something a bit more. A bit smarter.” Always dressed stylishly and not someone who’s been hit by a single ugly branch, it was only a matter of time before big name stars were falling at her feet. “Will Smith was amazing,” she smiles when recalling her favourite celeb moment. “I interviewed him on the beach and he was sat on a deck chair and the deck chair collapsed and he fell on the floor. It was testament to what a good spirit he had cos he laughed and he laughed and he laughed at himself. He didn’t get cross with anyone and he wasn’t embarrassed, cos that could have potentially been disastrous. He just said ‘I’ll sit with YOU then [at that point Olivia laughs exactly like Will Smith]’.” Was she tempted to go in for the kill we hear you ask? “At that point I tried to snog him... [laughs]... I obviously didn’t but I was tempted.” So with a second series of Dirty, Sexy, Funny planned for April (“We’ve got loads of new characters, prosthetics... like this old Jewish New Yorker who’s deaf and gets everyone to shout”), another stint on one of America’s biggest chat shows (“I’m going out to the States soon to do Jay Leno again, he’s just such a professional, the real deal,”) and now being able to officially master the ancient art of laugh hiding (“I swallow it. Often I look like a baby passing wind or far worse than that. ‘Is sheeeee pooing her pants or is she swallowing a laugh?’ Fortunately it’s the latter,”) there’s just one more thing RWD need to know; does Olivia Lee think kids should have their EMA taken away? She ends our time together with her swiftest answer, “Absolutely not. Give them a chance. It’s going to polarise our society even more. We’ll feel the knock on effects in about 10-15 years when our class system will be even more... opposing. It won’t do our country any favours.” Dirty, Sexy, Funny is back on Comedy Central in April. Comedycentral.co.uk and olivialee.com
SPOOF SPECIAL What is the best way to pull off a prank or a spoof? You never know what is going to work that is the thing. Because with hidden camera, you can’t control anything, it’s all about the reaction. Get good laughs, try and get people setup and hope for the best. If there was a spoof of your life, who would play you? [Thinks long and hard] I don’t know. Ok, who would you want to play? [After no deliberation at all] Joan Rivers. What would be your tip for a comedienne coming into the game? Ah, don’t do it. Just have a baby instead. It’s too hard forget it. FORGET IT!!! Would you say it’s been a hard route for you... Yeah, it’s been hard but it’s worth it.
“I SWALLOW IT. OFTEN I LOOK LIKE A BABY PASSING WIND OR FAR WORSE THAN THAT. ‘IS SHEEEEE POOING HER PANTS OR IS SHE SWALLOWING A LAUGH?”
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BRING THE NOISE
As a child starlet, Kaci Battaglia enjoyed UK chart success with sugary hits like Paradise and I Think I Love You. 10 years on and the now 23 year-old is all grown up, singing about whipped cream being licked off body parts and all sorts. Danny Walker speaks to the LA-bound songstress about Ludacris, Nicki and her new album Bring It On…
How has everything been? Today is fantastic... I’m in the middle of driving across the country right now. I’m in El Paso, driving across from Florida to LA, because I’m moving there. Do your family support your dream? Are you kidding me? My poor family, ever since I was little my parents have always wanted what was best for me. I had to be very good at school, they were always encouraging me to stay in and become a doctor or an attorney. Of course I was like a little gypsy rebel. Couldn’t you work in a bank or something for them? [Brief pause] No. I just told them, ‘I’m going balls to the wall for my career.’ You only live once. You started singing when you were three, which is very young to be so focused... You know, I think it helps being a child sometimes with so much tenacity and you’re a dreamer and you don’t quite grasp the concept. Like, ‘This is reality and this is a fantasy’. So you just kind of mesh the two and it’s actually a very powerful thing to do and it’s something I still try to go into. What have you been doing since your hit in 2003? I had the opportunity to study abroad at Cambridge so I left the entertainment industry for a few years, I was like, ‘Screw this’... [My parents] were all happy and everything but the longer I left the more I couldn’t shut up about [the music industry]. Obviously you’ve had to re-invent yourself now you’re an adult – how important is your image? It’s very important in general. What people know of me is really just scratching the surface. Right now, all that they’re familiar with is, ‘Oh, Kaci has grown up, she’s edgier. She’s singing songs about partying and stuff and being a crazy girlfriend’. My album is called Bring It On and it starts to open the doors to who I really am and what I’m going to be writing about and what people will experience when they listen to my music in the near future. It’s a constantly developing thing. It’s a process that doesn’t stop, it moves... but I’m very excited about how I’m going to be portrayed. 62 / RWDMAG.COM
What are your views on people that go all out? Like Nicki MInaj is always evolving and... Oh Barbie? I love her style. Sometimes her voice can get to me but she’s very entertaining and her style is fantastic. She goes for it 100% and I appreciate people like that. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, those artists... when it comes to their image it’s as important as the music. Can I read you some of your lyrics; this is taken from Body Shots - ‘Baby get the whip cream, feeling like a wet dream...’ Would you like to elaborate on that? [Laughs] That is a very sophisticated lyric right there. It’s about taking a body shot and how it feels. That whole song is about how I imagined what my 21st birthday would be. How was working with Luda on that track? Yeah, he is a very cool guy. It was definitely a learning experience working with him because you could tell he was a professional, he had like a rockstar swag about him, at the same time he was humble and he hung out with real people. There are a lot of stars out there that I could have worked with, that probably would have been douchebags, maybe not to me but with other people, but he was truly a nice professional person and it was an honour. And musically, what are we going to get from you? You’re gonna get big hooks, you’re gonna get ‘tell is like it is’ lyrics, it’s gonna make you feel good. Speaking of ‘Body Shots’ and male attention, do you get harassed? Does your other half mind...? I’m single so I don’t have another half to worry about [laughs]. I guess it’s a part of my job and I think that as somebody who looks to constantly refine myself mentally and physically, I’m proud of how I look. I work out and I take care of myself so obviously it does cause a good bit of attention but I’m proud of my sexuality and I definitely like to walk the line between very, very sexy and pushing the limits and also still being classy. I think it’s a lethal combo [laughs]. Body Shots Ft. Ludacris is out now
SPOOF SPECIAL Do you have a favourite comedian? Robin Williams is my favourite and Katt Williams is my second. Is it only comedians with Williams in their name which you like? [laughs] I didn’t even recognise. Apparently. I frigging love comedy though. I used to go to the comedy shows all the time, so I’m sure in LA I’ll be able to find somewhere. That’s what I love to do instead of going to clubs... I work in clubs. I don’t wanna go to clubs, I’m always there. If there was going to be a spoof of your life or one of your videos, how would it go? [Laughs] I dunno. I think they’d be really funny spoofs. Some girls beating each other up, I would love to see guys dressed up... doing body shots.
“I LOVE NICKI’S STYLE. SOMETIMES HER RAPS AND HER VOICE CAN GET TO ME BUT SHE’S VERY ENTERTAINING AND HER STYLE IS FANTASTIC. SHE GOES FOR IT 100% AND I APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT.”
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SNOW JOKE!
There’s a new sports scene in town. One with its own rules, attitude and culture and it’s taking Europe and North America by storm. Emmanuel Ezugwu layers up in Switzerland to meet snowboarding’s Fresh Prince, Seb Toots...
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Sebastien Toutant is well on his way to becoming one of the most significant figures in winter sports, but at face value, you wouldn’t know it. On the surface he’s just a regular 18 year-old who enjoys video games, skateboarding, baggy clothes and hanging out with his “homies”, until you probe him on his most expensive purchases: “I suppose I do have more money then most guys my age. I bought a Motocross 450 MX Bike and the new GTI with some of my winnings,” he admits before sensibly adding, “I know it’s always good to invest, but fun to buy a little.” The speed-mad, French-Canadian teen also known as ‘Seb Toots’ took up snowboarding after breaking his skis on the slope, and turned pro aged 16 where he first competed in O’Neill Evolution in 2008. Having finished in 29th place then, after failing to get past the first stage, he was tipped as the favourite to win in the much anticipated SlopeStyle event, held this past January in Switzerland. Now in its 11th year, O’Neill Evolution has become a Mecca for the world’s elite snowboarders as well as a hangout for the young, cool kids who gather in groups to see and be seen. Hip hop has been adopted as the music of choice by boarders and due to the competition’s open soundsystem, the whole ski resort was treated to a selection of hits from The
HIP HOP HAS BEEN ADOPTED AS THE MUSIC OF CHOICE BY BOARDERS AND DUE TO THE COMPETITION’S OPEN SOUNDSYSTEM, THE WHOLE SKI RESORT WAS TREATED TO A SELECTION OF HITS FROM THE BEASTIE BOYS, WU-TANG CLAN AND KANYE WEST
Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan and Kanye West, with a wild card from the likes of Johnny Cash and Daft Punk mixed in by DJ BoogieDan. “Music is pretty important. When I’m competing I need to hear my board but when I’m training, rap and hip hop help push me to the next level,” says Seb who also happens to be a fan of fellow Canadian rapper Drake. We took our spot on the hilly Swiss Alps of Davos, and though it’s -9c, he’s wrapped up nice and warm in his self-designed jacket; the third in his signature collection with O’Neill who Seb signed a five-year sponsorship deal with. Many think he’s about to become the next Shuan White. According to Forbes, the US two-time Olympic Champion earned $7.5mill in 2010 and with prize money, endorsements, licensing income and bonuses. Seb could soon follow in White’s show shoes, but he’s not concerned with the hype. “My advice to kids that want to snowboard or do well in any sport is not to think about being pro. If you think too much about the future it’s never going to happen,” says the sage snow obsessive. Though his prodigal talent and origin mean he could be crudely described as the Justin Bieber of snowboarding, he isn’t half as savvy as his Canadian mop-haired singing counterpart. He
doesn’t have a Twitter, YouTube channel or MySpace, which isn’t surprising since he’s rarely inside , so he’s yet to get used to his burgeoning fanbase. “I’ve had girls Facebook message me writing very freaky stuff and that they can’t believe it’s me,” he laughs. “It’s just fun but a little crazy at the same time.” Later that night at the competition, in true soap opera dramatics, Seb finds himself in second place with one final run to do. He’s the last competitor and hurtles himself off the near-vertical slope, finishing with a cab double cork 1260. It’s an entrancing, heart pounding rush of a move, which asserts Sebs steely showmanship - the same move broke his ankle and left him out of competition for much of last year. Nonetheless, the crowd-pleasing stunt earns him gold as well as a slice of the $125,000 prize money. “This is just so crazy,” a jubilant Seb later reflected. “On the last run I was out of the podium. I wanted to be up there with my friends so bad. So just to put it down and then catch up to first place was insane.” In an industry full of adrenaline, baggy clothes, hip hop, homies and ski chicks, Seb Toots is most definitely living the teenage dream. Check Oneill.com and Facebook.com/oneill 65
UNWIND THE BEST OF STAYING IN... AND GOING OUT...
HP ENVY 14 BEATS EDITION
(From ÂŁ1,339, hp.com/go/ENVY) Launched alongside the HP ENVY 17 3D (which starts at a cool ÂŁ1,559) the new range of ENVY laptops from forward thinking HP have more advanced audio processing technology and design enhancements than most on the market. With Dre, Jimmy Iovine and Monster on board sorting out the sound, 6.5 hours of battery life and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card this is some bit of kit. See overleaf for mobile masterpieces... >> 67
GADGET GUIDE UNWIND
Laptops
What’s the point of having all this lovely comedy if there’s nothing cool to watch it on? Words by Danny Walker
SAMSUNG X125
(From £TBC, samsung.com/uk) Grabbing both the lightweight and performance torches and running with them the X125 does HD movies, graphics and 3D gaming with ease. Using the AMD Athlon II Neo processor and the ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics card it adds realism, depth and a powerful output to each project. The stylish looks (“all black everything”) also help it shrug the lack of sophistication stigma PC laptops usually bear. Buyabilty: DLNA, 11.6 inch HD LED display, not power hungry, super sensitive webcam, Bluetooth 3.0 and even has a super silent mode, nice. Longevity: Durable and affordable, the perfect combination (or does that go to cookies and cream?) J Factor: Not exactly mind-mesmerisingly mouth-watering but owns lethal innards.
TOSHIBA PORTÉGÉ R700
(From £575, toshiba.co.uk) Toshiba pride themselves on being leaders and innovators and the R700 certainly backs that boast. This super thin, mega light and fully functional (it has an optical drive, unlike the MacBook Air) lappy offers both mobility and performance in one unit. Available with either solid state or traditional hard disk drives, the HDMI port, (up to) 4GB RAM and TruBrite LED backlit display are just a few reasons to part your cash. Buyabilty: 3G connectivity, webcam, 3xUSB... shall we go on? Longevity: A decent enough spec to last you until your inevitable upgrade. J Factor: It may not look like the dog’s dinner but the features within are the mutt’s nuts.
MACBOOK AIR
(From £867, apple.com/uk) If you’re not quite sure what you can get in the Apple store with £867, try 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB flash storage and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics cards worth of MacBook Air that’s what... (or eight Apple TVs!) This ultra-thin, ultra-mobile, Multi-Touch trackpad-packing laptop just keeps evolving. Buyability: The 11 inch Air is just 2.3lbs, damn!!! Longevity: This is very robust for something so thin (did someone say Vybz Kartel?); perhaps it’s something to do with single sheet aluminium construction. J Factor: Jealously will consume onlookers like a ravenous plague, until they whip out their Blu-ray drives. 68 / RWDMAG.COM
ASUS EEE PAD TRANSFORMER
THE GOOD, THE SWAG AND THE LOVELY:
(£TBC, uk.asus.com) Grab all of your comedy, spoof and general hilarity and load it onto ASUS’s lightweight, super-portable tablet that looks so slick we’ve snuck it into our laptop feature. Able to playback 1080P video with full support of Adobe Flash (are you listening iPad?) this is a NVIDIA Tergra 2 chipset loaded, 13mm thick, Google Android 3.0 running slice of fun that we can’t wait for. Buyabilty: It’s not out just yet so get in the queue. Longevity: We’re not wary about the build quality... promise. J Factor: With a docking station that doubles as a keyboard, a certain iSlab better start quaking in its slivery boots.
A few more ways to transport that comedy…
ALIENWARE M11X
(From £849, dell.co.uk) When you have a choice of Stealth Black or Lunar Shadow colourings, you know you’re dealing with a serious bit of out of this world technology. This lightning fast, 5.1 surround sound enabled lappy, with its 720p ready HD LED display and up to 8GB RAM, it’s perfect for portable projects. It may have an 11.6 inch HD widescreen but what it lacks up in dimensions it makes up in speed. Buyabilty: With the latest NVIDIA Optimus graphics card inside there is no stopping this beast when it comes to mobile gaming. Longevity: Built to last. J Factor: We’re getting jealous just writing this.
GADGET OF THE MONTH
GOOD: Deadmau5 4GB USB (deadmau5.com, £30) Deadmau5 LIVE from Earls Court on a crazy 4GB stick that lights up? Yes please.
SWAG: Sound Machine (Firebox.xom, £8.99) Comedy sound effects at the push of a button.
DELL INSPIRON DUO
(Dell.com/Inspiron, £449) After spending two weeks flipping the screen numerous times, (we were amazed at the innovation, don’t judge us!) it came to our attention that, Dell’s new [breathe in] 10-inch-HD-innovative-easy-flip-design-screenthat-changes-from-touch-to-type-in-seconds-netbook [breathe out] has to be one of the best gadgets we’ve played with in a while. Great during journeys or that much needed personal time... (Games, books and music in one! Woo-hoo!) Despite being a little unresponsive and only having an Ethernet port and 7-in-1 card reader via the neat JBL docking station (sold separately or included in the £529 version) this will rival the iPad and more! And did we mention, you can flip the screen vertically? (RP)
LOVELY: Q-Waves (play.com, £129.99) Enjoy your 1080P hi-def comedy on your TV, genius.
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Unwind With
DOM JOLLY Best friends with Rufus Hound and the Tree of Temptation, Lebanon born Dom Joly is now an award winning comedian and travel writer. The Trigger Happy TV star is currently writing new gags for his headline UK tour in May, Cerriann Taylor caught up with the I’m A Celebrity joker to talk Gillian McKeith, lemons and Osama Bin Laden?!?!?!
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hat was the first thing you did when you came out of the jungle? Had a two hour bath and watched the Ashes laughing loudly at any
Aussie within earshot. Have you been around for tea at fellow camp member Gillian McKeith’s yet? No as I don’t want to be up for murder. I did have a drink with Jenny Éclair last night though; she is a pal for life now. Nice. Does the title of your book The Dark Tourist have anything to do with school days with Osama Bin Laden? It’s more that I like travelling to weird places; North Korea, skiing in Iran, Chernobyl, etc. I have been back to my old school in Lebanon to try to get a school photo of when Osama and I were there together. In the past you’ve been hit over the head with a guitar by Pete Doherty and punched in the face by Lily Allen; have you any other wishes before retirement? I would like to be head butted by The Krankies. Can you tell us some of your career high points please? Skiing down a volcano in Nicaragua, getting drunk with Robert Smith in my kitchen, dressing up as a six foot turd, travelling to the Seven Wonders of the World and simply saying “That is sh*t” in front of them! And the low points? Being taken round Swindon by the Town Council and having to apologise for insulting the place on live radio. Is there anyone you wouldn’t work with again? I find it difficult to be near traffic wardens without hitting them so best keep me away from them as I’m not responsible for my actions. You are currently developing a hidden camera show. If we add you as a friend can we be in it? I’m not - don’t believe Wikipedia you lazy b*stards! [Research Ed: Shame up] I’m currently in 70 / RWDMAG.COM
development for a movie we’re going to shoot in the States, the ‘Ben Hur of hidden camera movies’, flashmobs, stunts with thousands of people in them, it’s gonna be great. When people recognise you do they still shout “HELLO?” Yes, about ten times a day and they always think they’re the first. I wish I could copyright that word... I’d be minted. The Welcome to Wherever I Am tour starts in May, if you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would love to do a tour of the world’s trouble spots; Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir. What’s the tour about? Have you got any new gags you care to share with us? It’s basically a look back at the last ten years of my life using my photos, trying to work out what exactly it is that I do and why? I will be selling stones for the audience to chuck at me. And who are your favourite comedians of all time? Erm, Shelly Berman, Larry David, Dennis Pennis and Harry Hill. And lastly, if we gave you a camera, a megaphone and five lemons... what would you do? Set up a very limited “Fresh Lemonade” stall and use the megaphone to lure customers in while taking photographs of cracks in the pavement... Dom Joly’s Welcome to Wherever I Am tour opens in May visiting 60 venues around the UK. To book check out ticketzone.co.uk
JOLY’S TOP FIVE SECRETS TO A GOOD SPOOF/ PRANK: 1. A straight face 2. Ability to lie convincingly 3. Having some sort of intuition between the participants 4. Put someone on the spot, out of their comfort zone 5. It must have an element of believability
TOP FIVE TRIGGER HAPPY TV SKETCHES >THE NOKIA GAG Nokia rings in public place, Dom pulls out ridiculously huge phone and shouts “HELLO!” and has a really LOUD conversation. >DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN There’s a Big Billboard with Dom’s face on which he stands in front of and gives directions on unsuspecting tourists. The Billboard reads “DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN” >RED FOX Spy on the park bench. Dom sits down on a bench dressed as what some would describe as Sherlock Holmes attire. He is clutching a brief case and in a strong Russian accent asks the man next to him if he is ready to swap. The concerned business man explains he has no idea of what he is talking about. “Oh you’re not Red Fox, my mistake” replies Dom and gets up and walks away. (At the same time a human sized fox walks past in background!) >TRAFFIC WARDEN VS. STREET SWEEPER Dressed as a traffic warden, Joly asks a street sweeper to move his vehicle (those Yellow Cart things) as it is parked on a double yellow line.
I FIND IT DIFFICULT T O NEAR TRAFF BE WARDENS W IC IT HITTING THE HOUT BEST KEEP M M SO FROM THEM E AWAY A RESPONSIBLS I’M NOT E MY ACTIONSFOR .
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FILMS
There’s nothing like a film to keep your funny bone entertained... words by Danny Walker
ADVANCED PREVIEW
BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON 20th Century Fox Cert PG
We don’t know how Martin Lawrence keeps getting himself into these situations, but sure enough girdle-loving FBI agent Malcolm Turner is back for another trans-tastic adventure in full prosthetics. This time he’s managed to coax his 17 year-old son Trent (played by funny man Brandon T. Jackson) along for the ride. After witnessing a murder Trent and pops have to go undercover (dressed to the nines as Big Momma and “Charmaine Daisy Pierce”) to get the bottom of what’s going on, naturally this must be done in a ridiculously unconvincing masquerade. Despite it looking like the same ol’ same ol’ you’ll probably get a few laughs thrown in.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
PAUL
Paramount Pictures
Universal
Cert 15
Cert PG
For those who don’t know about the ‘Friends with Benefits’ philosophy, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher take you on a quick comical crash course. Working through almost all the scenarios (the after work link up, the late night drunken text text, the post-party put out, etc etc.) they finally realise that their convenient series of hook-ups are getting complicated. A great cast helps make this more than a chick flick with extras, it’s a fun, throwaway adventure with an above average laugh-rate.
Social misfits Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back and this time the Hot Fuzz duo have linked up with (the voice of) Seth Rogen for alien spoof Paul. This extra terrestrial is unlike any we’ve seen before too and makes E.T. look like a boring non-entity; Paul’s like a little brother you never wanted, but is welcomed all the same. Although predictable in places, stupidly silly and a little bit pointless and definitely not on par with their previous work it’s still worthy of a watch... just make sure you get in for free to avoid disappointment.
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UNWIND
ADVANCED PREVIEW
I AM NUMBER FOUR
RWD were among the very lucky few invited to an early screening of the brand new teen action thriller, I Am Number Four. Tego Sigel fills us in on the film based on the book of the same name...
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roduced by Steven Spielberg (E.T, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, basically every ace film ever) and Michael Bay (Transformer, Bad Boys, The Rock) and directed by D.J Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye, Smallville) there was always going to be an other-worldly element to the film, which boasts a young but hotly tipped cast. Trailers for the film have spiked our interest over the last few months, with glimpses at some impressive special effects and hints toward a suspenseful, engrossing plot not typical of the sci-fi genre. Excited and perhaps a little unsure of what to expect, we headed to Leicester Square with our increasingly high expectations. Actor Alex Pettyfer (Storm Breaker) plays our hero with a less than heroic name - John Smith, or Number Four. John Smith and his guardian Henri (played by Deadwood’s Timothy Olyphant), who poses as his father, move from town to town leaving little trace of their existence as they attempt to evade an alien force. The evil ET’s are hoping to track nine teenagers from the planet Lorien, who were sent to earth to grow up before they could come back and defend their race from the Mogadorians, an evil race of 7ft, bald, tattooed, monsters who are hunting down and killing the Nine in order. John Smith struggles, as any young person would, with having to uproot his life over and again; going from a popular water-skier in Florida to an introverted outcast in Paradise, Ohio.
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“ENOUGH BUTT-KICKING ACTION TO PLEASE EVEN THE MOST SKEPTICAL SCI-FI FAN” After almost having his identity revealed via an online viral video in Florida, John and Henri disagree about whether the teenager should attend school in Paradise. John eventually wins as he’s firmly established on the fringes of the mainstream within the school, making friends with fellow outcasts, UFO enthusiast Sam (Callan McAuliffe) and photographer Sarah Hart (played by Glee’s Dianna Agron). Struggling with a blossoming love for Sarah and the impending arrival an army of Mogaderian bounty-hunters, Smith stands at a crossroad; flee, as he has so many times in the past, or stand and fight in the only place he’s ever really considered home, with the only girl he’s ever loved. Elements of Smallville and Twilight are well represented in the film which features a few twists that we won’t spoil for you. Eternal love, loneliness and powerlessness are key themes that add a depth of story which will appeal to males and females alike, with enough buttkicking action to please even the most skeptical sci-fi fan. We give this Four a four out of five...! I Am Number Four is released 23 February. Check Findnumberfour. com for more info
photography by Will Robson Scott
UNWIND
WRETCH 3-VIEW
RWD were invited down to the set of Wretch 32’s next banger Unorthodox, featuring Example, so it was only right Nardene Scott gave us the full lowdown of what went on.
On a rare sunny afternoon RWD headed deep into Tottenham’s infamous Broadwater Farm Estate (No, we weren’t shook. Ok, maybe a little), to check out the making of the follow up track to the super seller that was Wretch’s Traktor. The daunting array and maze of flats was the backdrop for the video, from stairwells to impossibly small and slightly scary lifts, to dimly lit car parks; every piece of the estate was used to give a real English feel to the gritty and unique update on the Stone Roses sampled song. Receiving a Radio 1 airing the same day filming commenced, there’s no doubt it’s been filtering through your ears for the last few weeks already, but just in case it hasn’t here’s what Mr. 32 had to say about the tune. “It’s produced by FutureCut and in terms of sample, for those that know about music they’ll know they were one of the coolest groups. The Stone Roses are who the Gallaghers’ look up to,” the rapper tells us as he waits for his food to arrive. It’s probably not the best time to chat to the MC who’s been shooting since the crack of dawn - but he continues nonetheless. “I just remember hearing that when I was younger and remembering how everyone reacted to it, it was edgy and I wanted to emulate a British sounding record. We sent it through to Ian Brown and the guys and they were really feeling it,” the North Londoner says before getting into teaming 76 / RWDMAG.COM
with Example. “We bumped into each other on quite a few tours and festivals. I respect what he’s doing, he makes incredible songs,” he says of the wild-haired wordsmith. The admiration is certainly reciprocated as when we catch up with Example he has nothing but good things to say about the well punctuated spitter. “I’m a big admirer of his flow, I think it’s just effortless the way he spits... some people’s rhymes sound written and his rhymes just flow. Not many rappers can do that.” Mutual respect is a good thing, especially when you’re heading off on tour together, as long as Wretch understands what he’s in for. “Well he keeps telling me to expect mayhem and there’s something in that sentence that just gets me worried,” he laughs. “But I’m expecting mayhem so I’m ready.” It seems 2011 is already showing sure signs of stardom; he’s been invited onto stage by Diddy, spat all sorts of naughtiness over Talay Riley’s Sergeant Smash; caught the attention of Mark Ronson bagging himself a place on the Bike Song remix and he’s even had time to invite Jeremy Kyle down to one of his many upcoming gigs. This Wretchro Boy is definitely keeping it kosher...! Unorthodox is out 17 April and you can buy tickets for the tour here trythisforexample.com. Twitter.com/Wretch32
BEHIND THE SHOOT: > Customised adidas jackets were given to Wretch for the video - complete with ‘32’ on the back. > Extras and cameos in the video included Got To Dance winner Akai, plus Marvell, G FrSH, Ghetts, Scorcher, Calibar, Reggie Yates and Yasmin. > Everyone munched on Thai Chicken Curry and naan bread (except Wretch and his crew who ate Curry Goat and Rice). > Director Ben Newman also directed Traktor and has worked with the likes of DJ Fresh, Wiley and Example. > Will Robson Scott also took shots for the Unorthodox single cover in Broadwater Farm including a shot where Wretch’s peeps tried to fit into an amazingly minute lift (which I’m sure they broke at one point). > Part of the video was also shot down in east London at legendary pirate radio station Deja Vu. > Example let us know that he’s also got collaborations coming up with Giggs and D Double E and then he’s focused on his forthcoming featureless uplifting epic rave album.
UNWIND
GAMES
When games get funny, we’ll let you know. Until then here is the best this month has to offer...
ADVANCED PREVIEW
ANGRY BIRDS RIO Rovio
iP/ Android
Those irate birds are back again and in an interesting move Rovio Mobile – the makers of this weird and wonderful game – have linked up with 20th Century Fox’s forthcoming animated film, Rio, for a very special edition. Not only will characters from the film appear in the title (which will appear on iOS and Android in March, to coincide with Rio’s release) but it will also be set in the lovely Rio de Janeiro. So if you’ve got three stars and all the achievements on all of the seasonal specials this will be right up your street. We expect all train journeys, toilets and Monday morning meetings will be filled with the sounds of exploding birds, petrified pigs and top score celebrations.
BULLETSTORM
DE BLOB 2B
EA Games
THQ
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Not only are there are many creative ways to cause mayhem in this futuristic frenzy, you can upgrade your skills, unlock weapons and switch up your style along the way. Make sure you mix it up too because every time you keep doing the same moves your rewards decrease in value and Dead Echo – the elite squad you’ve just been kicked out of – will run wild around the galaxy. This first person shooter may not be Epic Games best work but it sure is playable... until they drop Gears of War 3 of course.
Weird... don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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MONTHLY MUST TRY
DEAD SPACE 2 EA Games PC, PS3, Xbox 360
For those who were fans of the original (yes, we can all put our hands down now) the scary third person shooter is back. This time developer Visceral Games have added a multiplayer mode into the mix and it works all the better for it. Dead Space 2’s protagonist, Isaac Clarke, is once again battling alien crazies and it’s definitely not about being infected by these nasties. It might take a while for us to work our way up to Hardcore mode but we’ll die trying. This is a great title in solo mode and on the multi maps and once you hit those zero gravity levels it gets very adventurous. You must play this game.
TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2
WORLD OF GOO HD
Atari
2D Boy
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
There’s something about speeding our piano black Audi R8 Spyder through the leafy meandering location of Ibiza, that makes the 10th game in this series very playable. Add to that the free roaming element of the online multiplayer and the inclusion of a serious amount of cars and you’ve got yourself a decent driving experience. Unfortunately with Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit fresh in our minds not even the changing of the decals on the cars can keep the disc in longer than an hour. Still a long way to go.
iPad
We know there are a serious amount of games, apps and general nonsense for your iPad and half the time you’re basically showing it off and justifying your purchase. Well after a quick download of World of Goo HD (£2.99) you can hit (or shall we say, stick) two birds with one stone. Beautifully designed, and a crazy concept, this is one for those with free time on their hands to reap the benefits. Although not the longest of games, you find yourself going back for more. 79
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GIG GUIDE
BLACKBERRY PRESENTS... MTV BRAND NEW FOR 2011
Ruff Diamondz, Wretch 32 and Jessie J are all a part of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest acts according to MTV (and have all been within the pages of RWD, coincidently!) We went down to one of their live showcases to catch a couple more from the hotlist; in particular, Clare Maguire whose performance was engrossing, her powerful vocals complimenting the band perfectly on Ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Nobody and current single The Last Dance. The latter was of course recently remixed by show closers, Chase & Status, whom she joined later for a hypnotic rendition of Midnight Caller. As expected, Will and Saul were everything you want them to be and more; you definitely need to catch these guys live once in your life. The super producers took things back with Eastern Jam and Take Me Away before inviting just about everyone off the album to join them on stage; Maverick Sabre, Tinie Tempah, Liam Bailey, Tempz, Delilah and Mali all throwing it down, and proving they have another classic album in the bag. (NS)
MARCH
1 Janelle Monae @ London Roundhouse, London Devlin & Ed Sheeran, Griminal and Ghetts @ O2 Academy Islington, London 2 Ne-Yo @ NIA Birmingham Beardyman @ Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Example @Shepherds Bush Empire, London
3 The Streets @ Manchester Academy, Manchester
9 Chase & Status @ Southampton Guildhall, Southampton
4 Robyn @ 02 Academy, Bristol
Nero @Audio, Southampton
Chase & Status DJ Set (Ft. MC Rage) @ Forum Bar and Club, Aberdeen 5 Night Slugs @ XOYO, London 7 Plan B @ Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon 8 The Script @ Odyssey Arena, Belfast
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10 Mike Posner @ XOYO, London
12 Two Door Cinema Club @ Roundhouse, London 16 Giggs @ XOYO, London Cee Lo Green @ Manchester Academy, Manchester
Bruno Mars @ Manchester Academy, Manchester
17 - 19 Katy Perry @ Hammersmith Apollo, London
11 Chase & Status @ Roundhouse, London
19 We Fear Silence presents Metalheadz @ Cable, London
11 - 13 Bloc Weekend @ Butlins, Minehead
21 Random Impulse @ Vibe Bar, Brick Lane, London
22 Kate Nash @ Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Nottingham 24 Jaguar Skillz @ Brighton Concorde 2, Brighton 26 Fenech Soler @ HMV Institute, Brimingham 28 Eliza Dootlittle @02 ABC, Glasgow 31 Nas & Damian Marley @ Wembley Arena, London
Photography By Yinka Adepitan
UNWIND
TIME TO TAKEOVER
For the last 10 years Urban Development has been inspiring a host of up and coming music talent from east London and beyond. Through their Industry Takeover Music seminars and showcases they’ve helped many of today’s stars along the road to success, Words by Nonny Orakwue
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ith UK artists such as Tinie Tempah, Chipmunk, Katy B and Labrinth making a killing in the charts, it’s no surprise that more and more urban acts believe that there’s never been a better time to breakthrough. How to go about that can seem a mystery – but not anymore. Aiming to nurture and empower forward-thinking young people aged 14 – 25 years old, the annual Industry Takeover All-Day Seminar & Showcase gives aspiring artists, DJs, producers and music professionals a chance to gain invaluable knowledge from those in the know. The likes of Ras Kwame, SB.TV, Grime Daily, Twin B and Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson will all be taking a seat on the top table as panelists on a range of innovative seminars. Find out everything from how to get your dream industry career in ‘How to Steal My Job’ to whether it’s best to go independent in ‘Signed or Solo?’ Encouraged to hone their skills through essential masterclasses and workshops such as ‘Digital DJ’ing’ with DJ Wonder, ‘The Glam Squad’ with Mac Cosmetics, Sarah Young and Richard Shoyemi, and our very own RWD ‘Top of the Blogs’ masterclass with Chantelle Fiddy and Sian Anderson, visitors to Industry Takeover will find it hard to find a dull moment.
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For those more about hanging out, there will be exclusive screenings from up and coming filmmakers in the urban cinema, an unmissable fashion show hosted by the I Feel Experience and a music market jam-packed with the hottest urban brands. Emerging artists will be given the opportunity to take to the main stage at the open mic sessions culminating in a live music showcase from some of the hottest names in urban music including RoxXxan, Scrufizzer, Mumzy Stranger, with more headliners to be announced. Urban Development are giving away FREE tickets to the Industry Takeover All-Dayer, which include backstage access and the chance to meet industry professionals face-to-face. If you see yourself as the next big thing to hit the scene, make sure you get on the website and sign up to become one of our Hot 100 Entrepreneurs. If you want to be part of the music industry revolution then make sure you head down to the Rich Mix on 16 April for Urban Development. With more headline acts to be announced over the next month, it’s clearly going to be a lot. Industry Takeover All-Day Seminar & Showcase will take place on Saturday 16 April 2011 at the Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA. For more info check the all new Urbandevelopment.co.uk
UNWIND
REVIEWS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
REWD ADAMS
Sinden: Free Gucci 2: The Burrrtish Edition
rewd awakening Halal Beats/ Kilimanjaro
Free
RAEKWON Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang ICEH20/EMI Records
“Rae decided this was an LP to please just the fans,” explained Rae’s manager, Mel Carter, before playing RWD the latest release from the Shaolin spitter. This will explain the non-radio/ non-club friendly tracks, apart from one banger, Rock N Roll with Ghostface, Kobe and Jim Jones on featuring duty. Other stand out moments include the Wu flavoured Silver Links, the female friendly Rich And Black Ft. Nas, and Crane Style where Buss-a-Buss kills his verse. Some miss, but mostly a lot of (unintentional) hits. Track To Check: From The Hills Ft. Meth & Raheem De Vaughn (NS)
Mr Ice Cream Cone face gets a twitchy, bleepy, grimy makeover from the other half of the Count And... Sinden is a producer, remixer and DJ don with some rather great contacts; on this 16 track refix, he enlists Wiley, Tinchy and Ghetts on the bars, and Hudson Mohawke, Terror Danjah, and Rude Kid on the beats to re-energise and re-imagine Gucci’s recent record, to great effect. It’s ccccoooold out here! Gu-CHI! Track To Check: Remember When Ft. Wiley & Dream McClean (HC)
FAR EAST MOVEMENT Free Wired CherryTree/Interscope
We all know what to expect here: friendly electro-pop with catchy hooks and bouncy choruses. With BIG features from Kayla Kai, Snoop Dogg, Roger Sanchez, Ryan Tedder of One Republic and Lil Jon (yes he’s still floating around), we’re sure the G6 quartet will rinse at least three Top 10’s out of this album. The first major label release from the Asian Americans is nicely balanced out with melodic soulful tunes that will no doubt zoom faster up the chart than the private jets they like to sing about. Track to Check: So What (CT)
After a quick name change Skandal Rewd Adams loutishly larks his way over 13 big productions to create his finest work to date. Starting with Rewd Awakening, in which he insists “there’s nothing to stop” him now, he then links up with Black the Ripper on Everyday, Klashnekoff and P Money on radio-ready Kill ‘Em Wit The Flow and sweet sounding Neenah on insightful Struggle. Not for everyone but definitely a grower, as this free mixtape marks a new chapter for this artist who’s moving swiftly up the ranks. Track to Check: Everyday Ft. Black the Ripper (DW)
LYKKE LI
ED SHEERAN
THE STREETS
DIDDY-DIRTY MONEY
Wounded Rhymes
No.5 Collaborations Project
Cyberspace and Reds
Last Train To Paris
Atlantic
White/ Download
Mixtape
Bad Boy/ Interscope
The Swedish singer and songwriter returns with a Bjorn Yttling follow-up to her debut Youth Novels. As was hinted at in her first record, Li is a mysterious sort; this album is gorgeously atmospheric, loaded with strange, sullen instrumentations and oddly etheral wordplay. A contemplative album whose musicality twists from overloaded drums to layered vocals and little else, this considered album is really quite brilliant. Track To Check: Unrequited Love (HC)
[This actually should have gone in last issue but our designer threw a tantrum...!] If you’ve never seen (now recently signed) Ed Sheeran and his guitar live then you really need to re-evaluate your whole musical game. Sheeran’s latest must-own project is a combination of his soulful voice and some of the best MCs in the business. Devlin, Wiley, P Money and JME have linked with the Suffolk-bred singer/ songwriter over eight iTunesfriendly tracks. Brilliant. Track to Check: Family Ft. P Money and Little Lady Ft. Milkill Pane (DW)
Weeks before the introduction of Mike Skinner’s fifth and final Streets album, Computers and Blues, the innovative Brummy-bred wordsmith scoured the underground to link up with some heavy hitters for this mixtape. Reminding us of Streets of old, he bounces over electronic fusions of grime, hip hop, dubstep and spaced-out pop. Joined by the likes of Kano, Wiley, Ice Kid, Trim, Jammer, Scrufizzer and Wretch, this is a futuristic freebie of many merits. Track to Check: Don’t Hide Away Ft. Wiley, Rinse and Ice Kid(DW)
Despite the intro track sounding like an aftershave advert (or was it just me who was waiting for him to say “Unforgivable 2, take that take that!!!” in the final seconds?), an awful Usher inclusion in Looking For Love and the odd lyrical letdown, the DDY album is surprisingly decent. After a sloooow start the train picks up speed with features from Rick Ross, Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and many more. Sonically rich and catchy in places, we’re just not sure how many times we’ll be getting onboard. Track to Check: Loving You No More Ft. Drake (DW)
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SIRENS 3 Kitchenware Records
KERI HILSON No Boys Allowed Mosley/ Zone 4
In late 2010 there was a lot of hype around the video for The Way You Love Me Ft. Rick Ross... unfortunately Keri’s second studio album doesn’t live up to the Bawse buzz. Overall the sound is heavily over produced and lacks any narrative or journey; it’s the kind of record you put on to hoover, if you get my drift. The title leads us to expect female empowerment, however 7 out 12 songs that are written by men and that speak of ‘bitches getting money’. Of course Keri is a massive, massive talent and it’s not that we don’t like it Ms Hilson, this just falls really flat. Track to Check: Buyou (CT)
The elder stateswomen of pop return with their latest album; will it be a case third time’s a charm this time? It’s unfortunately not terribly likely that Sirens are about to see international success given the tough competition from all the major-label backed girls out right now; however, while some in the RWD office might write this off as ‘overly mature cheddar’, there’s some strong production and nicely written songs here. Don’t Let Go and Murda keep the feet tapping while Headlines take care of the ballad side of life. Just about a three for 3. Track To Check: Good Enough (HC)
CALIBAR
AGGRO SANTOS
Lost And Found
Aggrosantos.com
Indie
Mercury Records
Making the transition from mixtape to album may be hard, but we think Cali is more than ready to take the next step. Pride, Ft. the under-rated Darren B, really marks out his MC ability. Indeed, Calibar moves slightly away from the punchlines he’s known for, concentrating instead on baby mama drama and on From The Heart and Hardwork, he makes it clear this is his year. With Dot Rotten and Wizzy Wow on the beats and G FrSh and Double S on the bars, don’t sleep. Track To Check: Lets Go Ft. Sway, Wretch 32 & Chipmunk (NS)
This album took so long to release, we thought we’d already reviewed it. Drawing heavy influence from his mixed backgrounds, you can hear the samba of Sao Paolo as well as the garage vibes of Streatham, which isn’t a bad thing at all. More like the UK’s answer to Pitbull rather than the next Tinie Tempah, the understated Aggro confidently delivers some Carnival vibes, with a few top 10 ten hits your Nan may even know the words to. Track To Check: Saint Or Sinner (CT)
ALBUM OF THE MONTH ADELE 21 XL
Three years on from her amazing debut 19, award-winning Adele Adkins is back and as soulful as ever. Linking up with musical greats such Paul Epworth (who co-wrote and produced the mammoth chart-topping single Rolling In The Deep), Rick ’99 Problems’ Rubin and RWD favourite Fraser T. Smith, the south Londoner really lets loose from the first poetic warble. Beutifully harmonising over lost love, more lost love and a “heroin addict making his journey into rehab, which really moved me” (she said on Channel 4 of the theme of jazzy number He Won’t Go). There isn’t really much else that can be said of 21 apart from the fact that it really is quite brilliant and that we can’t wait for 23. Sure, it’s packed to the rafters with wetness but give it a try, and download without delay. Track to Check: Turning Tables (DW)
RWD’S REWINDS
Example Lying To Yourself (MOS) Lil B My History (Amalgam Digital) Giggs Take Your Hats Off (Whoo Kid Mixtape) Wretch 32 Ft. Example Unorthodox (MOS) Riz MC All In The Ghetto (MICroscope) Durrty Goodz Oi, What You Looking At? (Inapiece) J. Cole Ft. Drake In The Morning (Roc Nation) Clare Maguire The Last Dance (Chase & Status remix) (Polydor) Wiz Khalifa Taylor Gang (Atlantic) DDY Ft. Trina Ass On The Floor (remix) (Bad Boy) K Koke My Home (RCA) Yo Video Rooftop (White) Chipmunk Ft. Keri Hilson In The Air (Jive) 50 Cent When It All Goes Down (G Unit) Swiss Ft. Klash, Akala, Black The Ripper Bad Boys (remix) (White) T-Pain Best Love Song (Jive) Lil Wayne Ft. Busta Bill Gates (remix) (Young Money) Wiley Mike Lowry (freestyle) (Free download) Wiley Tweet Back (Free download) Lil Wayne Green And Yellow (Freestyle) Timbaland Ft. Brandy 808 (Timbaland Thursdays) Is that DRAKE? Ft. Dacre RWD Office (RWD Soundcloud) 85
UNWIND
UKG / GRIME / DUBSTEP CHART BY DJ CHEWY 01 MODESTEP Modestep EP (AE1 Music) Released on 7 Feb, this monster EP includes the absolutely amazing track Feel Good which is already a huge anthem and Youtube smash. If there were an award for Best Club PA, these guys would win. 02 ICICLE Redemption (Shogun Audio) What an amazing turnaround from the run-of-the mill instrumentals currently blighting the dubstep scene. Featuring one of the biggest names in the house world, Robert Owens, the combination equals brilliance. 03 GEORGE FITZGERALD The Let Down (Hot Flush Recordings) Providing the dubstep sector with that rare, but brilliant and slightly housey slant, this will make you mosh out the hardest on the middle of the dance floor. A bullet. 04 HELIXIR Undivided LP Sampler (Seven Recordings) Via a short trip across the English Channel from France comes this brilliant label. The levels of production for just two tracks is incredibly high; Atlantis in particular is great. 05 VARIOUS Evergreen, Landlord EP (Reggae Roast) Definitely one of the biggest selling tracks out right now, this includes four massive engineers; Nucleus Roots, Dark Arx, Danman, RSD and Evergreen & Landlord, who produced Righteous + Dub, Dubstep and Step remixes. 06 COLECO Martyr EP (Orientis Records) This has been floating around since the end of 2010, but has been growing organically due to the merit and credibility of the material. Another Pandora’s Box when it comes to picking the best of a great EP. 07 SEPALCURE Fleur EP (Hot Flush) Obviously this is available on MP3 but if you are going to actually put out vinyl, don’t skimp on the quality control. With many EPs this month, this one should have been a single. 08 WAX 20202 (WAX Records) One of the most broken of broken beat tracks that we’ve had in the charts for a long time. This is a 2002 anthem remixed for 2011; check out the Pinch and Elemental remix’s, which are just so well executed and delivered. 09 BROKE DJ’S Jaan (Awkward Movements) This is the most comprehensive EP of the month with three proper tunes that you could start or end any DJ set with. It’s too hard to positioning in any order, just check Jaan, Navigator and the killer F**k You B*tch. 10 KATY B FT. MS DYNAMITE Lights On (Rinse) You will be hearing this track until at least September, possibly even October this year. You know when a songs a hit when you get in to a random cab and a Ukrainian driver with the most limited vocabulary is singing Lights On.
t cks a ur tra m/ o y s o u c Drop ndcloud. box Sou ag/drop rwdm
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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
THE ALIENS Exterminate (Aliens) YELLOWMAN Zungguzung (Greensleeves) CASPA Geordie Racer / Back For The 1st Time (Dub Police) DJ MADD Dub Marine (Blackbox Records) LX ONE You (Wheel & Deal) GRANTORINO Shake The Blackstar (Rasani) ENCORE Wind Up (2000f & JKamata remix) (Island) EMELKAY Crusader (Dub Police) CODE 071 A London Something (One Gun Salute) ROOM MATE Mercy Riddem (King Dubbist)
FINAL WORD: Affion Crockett
It would have been a sin to do a spoof issue without including this guy; Nardene Scott speaks to Affion Crockett about his infamous comedy videos, a new TV show and his favourite comedians. How did you start out? It started with dancing, a lot of break dancing and popping and I figured I had the stage ability to perform. I would also do impressions a lot as a kid so I fused them together and started doing stand up comedy; that’s when Def Comedy Jam was a really big show and it was the first place I really saw hip hop comedy. I moved to LA and got more into the acting side of things... that’s the short story! What have been the pinnacles of your career so far and what do you think you’ve still got to achieve? Right now I think the show Wild N Out with MTV, that’s the one that everybody really knows me for and that’s where they saw the beginnings of all of the stuff that I do now, all the spoofs and all the impressions of rappers, you really got to see it on Wild N Out first. I look at Will Smith’s career as what I really want to patent myself after, just to be a success and be a very likeable, talented guy at the top of the world market like he is; an international superstar. The Drake and Westwood freestyle spoof you did gets an unhealthy amount of views in our office. Do you know Westwood can’t even bring himself to watch it? Do you get a lot of complaints from artists? People are pretty cool, for the most part I don’t really disrespect the artists, most of them I’m fans of. 9 times out of 10 they appreciate it, they laugh at themselves, everybody from Jay-Z to Trey Songz, Drake. They’ve all come up to me and told me they love what I do, so it’s a compliment. What’s that 1 out of 10 response like then? As of now, I have no issues... (laughs) 88 / RWDMAG.COM
Do you know any British people that you think could make a good spoof? I mean we already got Tim (Westwood). I didn’t know who he was when I first did him, but I knew that he had the top of the line A-List rappers on his show. To see this tall slim white guy, but he obviously knows the hip hop world authentically, and his energy is unmatched so I think Tim stood as the ultimate guy that I was able to parody over there. What is your favourite joke? It’s hard to pick a specific joke but I tell you whose style that I really like was Bernie Mac. His style was real, it was just straight to the point and from that real urban, real hood perspective. On Soul Men he embraced me like an uncle. What are your favourite comedies? Don’t Be a Menace; it’s one of my favourites because it’s the first time you saw a younger take on the spoof genre like Aeroplane. They brought it to the hip hop community by spoofing all those hood movies from the ‘90s. Tell us about the show you’re doing on Fox alongside Jamie Foxx. It’s similar to In Living Colour, right? Exactly the same type of flavour, we’re just bringing it up to today, making it more modernized and in conjunction with the flavour that I use on YouTube, all those types of impressions. Final word? I appreciate the love from across the water, I need to get over there and see you guys, we need to figure that out soon. Twitter.com/affioncrockett For RWD’s top spoofs, check bit.ly/RWDsTopSpoofs