EDITOR’S LETTER The sun has got his hat on, bigup to all you seasonal guys and girls that are running down to the gym trying to get your tone on aha. Anyway we are back as usual, and as you know we have been putting out issues like nobody’s business, and now we are going to be giving you some strong visuals within our features, exclusive interviews and freestyles ooooooh yes!!!. With the amount of talent we are working with at the moment it is only right we share this with you guys…Please don’t thank us that’s just what we do ;0) And a lot of noise is what we are going to make. We are always growing behind the scenes so keep supporting us as we are working on some serious magic!!!!!
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This magazine is a fresh, quirky, HD version of a TV screen on paper, bringing you a diverse choice covering areas of dance, music, fashion, models, the latest news and more straight into your hands. Uksbiggest.com gives you the chance to create a profile, upload your material and promote yourself while receiving front page promotion. Simply update your profile, as often as you like, with your latest news, tracks, videos and pictures and you will have the opportunity of being featured on the front web page of the Uksbiggest.com - it’s that simple... Your fans can watch your profile and have quick and easy access to your material, information, events and projects. UKB News (SMS Alerts) - This is our direct SMS service of which we already have over 10,000 people plugged in. They will be receiving updates from the industry direct to their phones in the form of a txt message. UKBtv our ‘youtube’ channel will be bringing you in on the fun from behind the scenes of our front cover photo shoots and interviews.
Andre Anthony, Director
PREVIOUS ISSUE This issues trending topic is: Perserverance
Andre Anthony Louise Baker Jake Mills-Zivanovic Haze (HZV Photographer Studios) JCsFLAVOURs Head Designer Prar Eshun Marketing Manager Colin Rose Creative Director Deputy Editor Illustrator
Contributors Jem | Researcher Ismail Bello | Researcher Aaron Wallace | Writer (Rant of The Month) UKB magazine is published quarterly all material is copyrighted ©. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in any way without the permission of Uksbiggest ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information presented in this publication, UKB cannot guarantee the accuracy of all material due to the fact that some material has been created by external sources so Uksbiggest ltd holds no responsibility. E-Mails: info@uksbiggest.com Office: 0845 519 0821 Twitter.com/UKBmagazine Head Journalist: 07539 837 503 Address: UKB Magazine, 22 Birch Walk off Fraser Road, Erith, London, DA8 1QX
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 3
CONTENTS 7 | Nolays Interview / Buck Marciano Feature 8 – 9 | Ja ja Soze Speaks the Truth 10 | Motepsoulstar Article 11 | Artcle ‘Appreciation’
PAGE 7
PAGE 12 12 | Jaye Leigh Brings Back Old School RnB 13 | Breaking The Scene 14 | DVS Interivew / Imstubborn Feature 15 | Mikey Smith / Gambit Ace Feature
16 - 17 | Misunderstood Exclusive 18 – 19 | Lady Leshurr Exclusive 20 | His Fashion 21 | Her Fashion
PAGE 14
22 | Rant Of The Month 23 | Catch Up With Context / Paperboi Feature 24 | Connect With Slicks / Tony T 25 | Catch up With Vengence
PAGE 16 27 | Celebrity Gossip 28 | Games Reviews 29 | Recommended Movies and YoutubeIt
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 5
NOLAY PLAYS NO GAMES No La y aka Isabella Gotti is a femal e l yricist, singer and songwriter who originates from South London.
‘I got nothing just a pad and a pen... and the music helps me cope it became my best friend’ Since first making her debut appearance onto the UK urban scene as a member of ‘Unorthodox’ in which they released their first underground track and video ‘No Help No Hand Outs’. No Lay has gone on to embark on solo projects and released her first grime track ‘Unorthodox Daughter’ released via Warner Bros in print label (679). The track has been broadcast on TV and has even made it into the MTV Hip Hop Chart and since then No Lay has gone from strength to strength gaining interviews and support from the likes of MTV and others. Is your family Creative like you? Yes, my family is very creative before my father’s drug habit he used to dance at Pineapple studios with a guy named Charlie, I think maybe Charlie was a teacher there at that time my dad had won several trophies and was involved within dance offs and used to train with Bonnie Langford. What’s the best and worst thing about being in the industry? The best thing about being part of the industry is knowing that you can be heard and acknowledged to a certain extent, because making music and never having it heard would be a waste, but by far the worst things are the plastic smiles. It’s very thickle and shallow in the industry, and sometimes it isn’t about talent it is about sales and money and whom you know etc and this is evident but people act like it isn’t. What are your dreams and goal? My dreams change the more I grow as a person.... My immediate dreams are to move my family to somewhere better and to see them happy and not have to struggle. I would like to be recognised worldwide as the greatest female rapper to ever come out of England and one of the best full stop male or female as I can do it better than a lot of males! Other than that I have fashion/brand dreams and desires as fashion is my second love and
would like to have my own brand merchandise and hopefully branch out into cosmetics one day. What do you do to unwind? I like to have a hot bath light candles and have my favourite songs playing from Rock, Hip Hop, Alternative and the list goes on I love loads of different genres and as the water cools down I just run more and more hot water haha. Do people recognise you and how does it feel? Yes all the time it feels great but when I look like crap I hate it aha, the greatest time was when I saw a group of school kids and they ran up to me and one started to cry real tears and it made me cry because it was overwhelming to know I could touch someone in that way with my music. What else can we expect to see from you? I have a lot of visuals coming out around April, and my EP ‘Rebellion’ was released on Monday the 12th of March. I am currently writing for my album ‘Bleeding Hearts’ that I do not have a set release date for yet; I am also currently working on some merchandise so fingers crossed ;)
TWITTER | @no_lay www.nolayisisabellagotti.co.uk v
Buck Marciano has a unique rhyming method. Delivering the deepest Emotions of both love and struggle, which encourage the listener. He doesn’t cease to amaze the crowd with his stage presence, which is full of energy and perseverance. Buck Marciano has been simmering on a low heat making sure the music is right. You’ll regularly find him on the circuit doing shows and underground radio, Buck is now mainly in the studio working on his 3rd album. TWITTER | @Buckmarciano
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 7
JAJA SOZE UPFRONTWITHUKB Elijah Kerr, better known as Ja ja Soze is currently one of the UK’s most controversial Hip-hop artists. He has made headlines in the press about his ‘street gang operations’ and his ‘escape from gangland’ and is determined to pull away from all the negativity, focusing instead on being a great role model to the younger generation.
With the streets being a distraction to teenagers growing up in London, Ja ja simply advises “Stick to your dreams”.
What does PDC mean? PDC means and stands for the journey we are on. It’s a meaning of growth, coming from ‘Peel Dem Crew’ in the early years, then to ‘Poverty Driven Children’ to ‘Pray Days Change’ and then now we are PDC Entertainments so the name shows you our progress. What do you think about the music scene at the moment? The music scene is growing but I think it is unbalanced, and the industry is only allowing one kind of artist through the door. I believe the fans should be able to have a better choice of what music they like instead of whatever the ma jors are saying is hot. What inspires you to do what you do? I’m inspired by my everyday life both past and present, and I’m very spiritual so helping and seeing people from disadvantage backgrounds do well inspires me to keep building. Who would you like to work with and why?
I’ve worked with a lot of people within the scene, and as long as they have a good message to spread then I’ll work with them. We’ve been watching your videos, you’re a very conscious rapper has this always been the case? I have always been a conscious person, but I was lost for a while and certain situations in my life had an effect on my music, but it’s all about good vibes, that’s the way forward. You seem to be very business minded, what have you got planned? In the near future I will be working on films, documentaries and a new magazine called hip-hop nation 28, I will continue to build until we own our own scene. What would you like to say to your fans? To my fans I always say the same thing, stay progressive. TWITTER | @Ja japdc
Scene from Official video | Just Like Me
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 9
ISMOTEP WHO
SOULSTAR?
23 year old up and coming multi talented individual from South East & North London. MotepSoulstar is a Designer, Music Artist, Philosopher, Writer, Poet, Creator/Owner of “So Real Clothing” and CEO of the company “Soulstar Graphics” It all began when I graduated from university and no real job would hire me, so I decided to make my own job. In 2009 I started my graphic design company “soulstar graphics” and began taking on freelance jobs aswell as selling a few t-shirts I made as a hobby. To my surprise I quickly became a highly recommended designer and also received a lot of t-shirt orders. I sold 20 hoodies in 2days and over 100 t-shirts in under 3 months without active promotion. People had been calling my t-shirts “soulstar” as that was my company name, however at the time my clothing did not have a name. With the public showing such a positive response to my clothing & design work, I decided to get serious. Websites, promotional material, market research, packaging, I did it all. Anything I couldn’t do, I learned!! In the end I named my clothing “So Real Clothing” with the motto that “Dreams are reality”. As a creative, I was inspired to make music by an amazing artist and close friend of mine - Leon (@ blackicon). He was always writing, recording and performing and I was always around to witness or get involved, sometimes just messing about recording freestyles for a laugh (they definitely were funny). Being on the mic awakened a hunger to write, which led to me writing over 50songs and hitting shows to perform not just music but also poetry. Leon (Black Icon) Gordon officially became the male face of So real clothing in January 2011 as his mentality and music matches my clothing labels style (Positive, Fun & Bold). My clothing label and design career took a big step forward when in February 2010 I partnered up with Stefan (@KosmicShush) Chilon owner of Karma Clothing, becoming the right hand man in his company Kosmic Shush “ the creative collective”. We met whilst working at O.G Clothing in Wood
street, Walthamstow. Which offers garment printing and design services but also runs courses training kids and adults commercial fashion, garment printing, business & branding. Since then Kosmic Shush has gained all kinds of clients ranging from A-list celebs & top models to your average Joe on the street. We’ve also featured our clothing in fashion shows, music videos and movies. THIS YEAR I PLAN TO DO IT BIG Focusing on 3 clothing collections - So Real, Elevate & Allure, Releasing 3 books - poetry emotion, my verse heart & mind, Space guys & also releasing many mixtapes & music videos. TWITTER | @MotepSoulstar
APPRECIATION APPRECIATION THANKs CARE LOVE AFFECTION GREATFULNESS GRATITUDE
I’m not going to write about anything this issue but will share something with you that I received as a BlackBerry broadcast. Far too often people forget and take for granted possessions, material objects and special people they have in life! This broadcast I received speaks volumes.
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated every one except her loving boyfriend, as he was always there for her. One day she told her boyfriend if she could only see the world, she would marry him. So one day someone donated a pair of eyes to her…. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything including her boyfriend. The boyfriend asked her, ”Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” The girl looked at her boyfriend and noticed that he was blind, the sight of his closed eyelids shocked her, she hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at him for the rest of her life led her to refuse the marriage proposal, her boyfriend left in tears. Days later he sent a SMS saying, “Take good care of your eyes my dear, because before they were yours they were mine.” This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember how life was before and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
On that note... I’d like to say... Think more postively about what you do have. Tell those close how special and important to you they are and how much you appreciate them.
Life is a gift. Today before you say any unkind words think!!, before you complain about the taste of your food, think!!, before you complain about your spouse think!!, before you complain about your children, think!!, before you argue, think!!, Before whining about the distance you drive, think!!, before you complain about life, think!!, And when you’re tired and complaining about your job remember you have one!
Remember It’s easy to get caught up when you aren’t experiencing the lower hand of a situation so you can’t appreciate what you have. Always remember, although you feel you may be in a bad place, there is always someone worse off and in a darker place.. Brighter days will always make up for the darker ones and you will look back and realise that! By Louise Baker
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 11
Jaye
LEIGH
Brings Back Those Old School RnB
Vibes with That Modern Twist
Photographer | Peter Wilson www.picsbypete.co.uk Jaye Leigh is an inspirational Singer/Songwriter, ready to take the music industry by storm. Jaye’s E.P is set to be released on May the 7th this year, bringing back those old school RnB vibes, with a unique modern twist. At only 21, he plans to bring music in the UK to a whole new level. Born and raised in Essex with his Mother, Jaye moved to Kent with his Father at the age of 17 for a better chance to expand on his music. From a young age Jaye has been performing in talent shows and school theatre shows, writing his first song at the age of 8, followed by an emotional song at the age of 10 with the title ‘Love Me Again’ based on his Mother’s divorce. Jaye began to write often, which started as a hobby before noticing the raw talent that was staring him in the face. The multi-talented artist originally started off with the ambition to become a Street Dance Choreographer or Graphic Designer, but eventually decided to incorporate all of his skills in to his very own music. He studied Music Performance/Technology at the Miskin Theatre where Mick Jagger first began, eventually leaving with enough knowledge and experience to make his own tracks. In 2010 he managed to gain a small fan base after releasing a track entitled ‘Cold Tears’ using an instrumental produced by Flukes. Through that year
the singer progressed vocally and grew more and more as an artist, he then released ‘Catch-22’ on YouTube, a duet with female Singer Laura Wolfie, which gained him a following of both teenagers and the older generation. Jaye was then signed to Drum Room Records, but soon following disagreements with the owner, they both agreed that Jaye should follow his own path to success as an independent artist. Jaye teamed up with his producer UrbanKode last year to start creating the forthcoming E.P entitled ‘The Evaluation’ which will be available for free download on the official website. The pair spent months in the studio recording what can only be described as The Future of UK R&B. Inspired by many artists such as Michael Jackson and Tonex, Jaye has pushed on to create his own artist identity. Jaye’s songwriting is extremely interesting, the EP is said to touch on many topics such as Depression, Bravery and Confusion. A mix of slow and upbeat tracks all filled with Life Experiences, Emotion and Sexual Emancipation. His falsetto will send emotion through any listener’s ears. So keep a look out for the E.P release and prepare to be amazed by this incredible new artist. TWITTER | @JayeLeighOnline www.jayeleigh.com
BREAKINGTHESCENE MALCOLM EFFIONG
Malcolm Effiong is an up and coming artist reaching out to a music, kickboxing and Chinese Martial Arts loving audience. He has achieved two British gold medals at Sanshou Amateur British Chinese martial arts championships. He is now aiming for another gold medal in April 2012 which will land him in the British team for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.He has written over 200 songs which have been popular amongst the younger generation as well as the older generation and has also featured in performances at Shepperton Studios, The Royal Albert Hall, Teddington Studios, Richmond theatre and OHTV Sky 199. His musical influences range from Johnny Cash, James Brown to current artist like Mobo award winners Jessie J, Yolanda Brown and Ndubz. Malcolm started to sing in church from a very young age to give him a platform to build confidence. He has since attended stage school and worked hard to enhance his singing, dancing and acting abilities. Malcolm’s key to success is a positive mindset and a never give up attitude. His favourite quote is...” my life begins where my comfort zone ends”. TWITTER | @MalcolmEffiong
M DOT R
M DOT R (Moses Mcgeorge) was born on the isle of Sheppy, Kent and began his music career as a drum n bass mc in 1997, by 2001 he was also concentrating on the UK garage scene performing around Kent and London at events such as his residency at local nightclub WOODY’S, where they were so impressed by him the club owner allowed him to do his thing every month as long as he stayed in the DJ box. He has performed on local stations such as HAZE FM and worked with artists such as MC CREED, SPARKZ & KIE, MC D.T (masters of ceremonies), MC VAPOUR, JASON KAYE and many more. After having independently released six promotional CD’s and with his latest single ‘IF YOUR SEXY’ feat 2SHADE (produced by NUTTY P, STINKABELL) he is doing so well he is now in talks about doing a new single feat U.S artist PITBULL due to feature on his album and to be released later this year. M DOT R is currently working on a new track and video “THINKING OF YOU” Look out for it. TWITTER | @mdotrartist
FLEX
Mr Flex from Chosen Spokesmen dropped his much-anticipated ‘Nothing To Prove’ EP in April 2011. Featuring productions from some the UK’s biggest beat-makers such as Kelakovski, Chemo, Risk Beats and Beat Butcha. Releasing two video singles ‘Nothing To Prove’ and ‘Street Drama’ Mr. Flex has solidified himself as a driving force in UK Hip-Hop. The EP is a must for UK Rap fans. As he learned and nurtured his craft as an emcee he started to feature heavily on mixtapes from DJ 456, as well as hosting the latest mixtape from the Ipswich based DJ Represent entitled ‘No Question Part 2’. The release of the EP took Mr Flex alongside Capital R and DJ 456 on an International tour. Throughout the project Mr. Flex showcases lyrical skills and versatility and is already getting the thumbs up from various tastemakers in the UK scene. Mr Flex is getting set to release the 1000 Deaths EP with a video and new material in 2012. “Mr. Flex is a talented UK rapper to watch out for.” www.HipHopLifeAndTimes.com TWITTER | @chosenspokesmen
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 13
DVS SUPER FLY
We all know uve been in the music game for a while, what made you get into this? I felt there was gap of realness that I could fill. What’s the best and worst thing about being in the industry? I don’t do any of the industry stuff , I don’t go to shows any events so I don’t feel like in the industry so you can’t ask me that. I’m just going to continue with the music and make much more commercial sounds if I feel like it. What are your dreams and goals? To find piece and find a wife that’s it. What’s your outlook on the music industry today? It’s getting better but everyone wants to be a rapper these days and not everyone has the talent, which puts me off a little and bores me. What inspires you to do what you do? Different things inspire me, shit rappers that make, haters, love for the music, the man dem locked up depending on me to make it, and most important the supporters. Those are the 5 top things. You seem to be a hit with the ladies, what female artist would you date and why? I don’t know I got a wife now so no one. Who in the industry would you like to work with and why? I don’t know…. Adele she’s a good singer, probably John Legend or someone oh yeh Jay Z. Not someone like Styles P, it’s probably like a grand to get them on a track. I don’t think there are many credible rappers anymore. Who wouldn’t you like to work with? That’s a good question I’ve never been asked that, half of the industry, half of the rappers, half of the singers in the UK and overseas theres hardly any credible rappers anymore. What have you got coming up? I got lots of videos, lots of music lots of everything, I know I been quite for a while but you will see much more soon, Inshallah TWITTER | @Ja japdc
I’m STUBBORN
DVS started rapping at a young age growing up on the toughest streets of Brixton and since then he has got the attention of international listeners due to his heart felt lyrics about the gritty truths of his life. The factors of an absent father, broken home and poverty has driven DVS to spit some real bars in the booth which is felt through his blunt, emotional lyrics allowing listeners to feel closer to a misunderstood, strong individual. He has featured on Tim Westwood and Charlie Sloth BBC radio.
East London based MC, Stubborn, is a member of the popular growing movement “The People’s Army”, riding alongside some of the industry’s biggest names including Mic Righteous, English Frank, Logic and Lowkey. He is currently releasing his first project that takes the name of ‘Stay Free Vol.1’ recorded by Universals very only Random Impulse. This independent artist is currently performing all around London’s venues and has recently been able to perform live at the 02. Stubborn previously released a warm up session for the UK’s leading youth broadcaster SBTV, reaching over a staggering 165,000 views and is looking to release his very own F64 in upcoming weeks for SB. He has also had previous appearances on Radio 1xtra, Linkup TV, Urban Kingdom, Grime blogand many more which can be found via his YouTube Channel http://www. YouTube.com/StubboRnMC. TWITTER | @Follow Lady Leshurr
Mikey Talks ‘For The Love Of Music’
Mikey Smith (Image Right) is a rap artist from South London. Participating in music from an early age; for the past four years he has been writing songs and eventually decided to put together a demo tape working with producer Links. After creating his demo tape, Mikey Smith decided to make an album, collaborating again with producer Links. The album was completed in 2010 and entitled ‘Look at Me Now’. On the album’s final title Smith says, ‘I wanted to make a statement that I was here and here to stay.” In 2010 Mikey Smith teamed up with fellow rap artists Gambit Ace and Caliman to create team ‘Double or Nothing’. Together the guys penned the album HD3 & Double or Nothing presents – Time 4 Bizniz: a 10 track record produced by Plymouth’s Bizniz Beats. You can hear Mikey Smith on tracks such as Emergency, 2nd Round and Man in the Machine. His sound is raw and unrefined but extremely positive and thought provoking. He is unlike any other tackling many different genres such as: G o s p e l | H i p H o p | E l e c tr o Pop | RNB | Acoustic Forming another movement named F.T.L.O.M – For The Love Of Music the aim to draw passionate fellow
artists, listeners, singers, song writers, directors etc who are all like minded and passionate about their goals also aspirations much deeper than money material things. As the year of 2012 progresses he will move further on to establish the name as a brand and household name. His newest project “The Story So Far” EP is on its way and will be out on May 15th 2012 this 6 track EP is about moments in his life after the album and collaboration project. He talks about life for him right now working and aspiring to be a song-writer and its challenges. Relationships, its strengths and its breakdowns. Love interests. What separates him from others and his failures. Losing family and loved ones on the way through life. ‘The Story So Far’ EP will have sounds similar to the ones mentioned above, Commercial and underground all subjects reflecting life right now that all can relate to. Gambit Ace (Image Left) (born David Bonnick Jr.) is a rap artist and actor. Discovering a passion for acting at the age of 16, he went on to attend Mountview Drama School. Since graduating Mountview in 2008, he has featured in many theatre productions, TV commercials and films. Alongside his acting, Gambit Ace is a talented musician. From
early childhood, music has been his constant companion and his exposure to an eclectic array of sounds helped develop his diverse style. 2010 saw Gambit Ace collaborate with several other rap artists, namely Mikey Smith and Caliman. Together they created, wrote and produced the LP HD3 & Double or Nothing presents – Time 4 Bizniz: a 10 track record filled with high energy and up-tempo tracks. Gambit also has an EP titled “So Sporadical” which is filled with 7 tracks that will give you a variety of emotions and thoughts that holds strong meaning with everyday situations. also out of the box concepts that will either make u laugh, open your horizon or leaving questioning who is Gambit Ace with his sporadic thoughts. Gambit is also working on a new project that will dropping later on this year so keep your eye on this talented artist. Mikey Smith and Gambit Ace are set to make their mark on the industry look out for FTLOM! TWITTER | @mikeysmith121 TWITTER | @Gambit_Ace SOUNDCLOUD | mikey-smith SOUNDCLOUD | gambit-ace
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 15
ITHINKYOU
MISUNDERSTOOD
US
Introducing Misunderstood... Misunderstood are a new UK Pop/R&B Singing Duo. Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh may have binned them several months ago on X-Factor 2011, but the South East London pair are now standing on their own two feet. Formed in 2010, Misunderstood consists of two multi talented young men – Stephan Benson and Jeffrey Okyere, whom together possess the gifted skills of song writing, vocals and the ability to dance pretty damn good! It’s actually through dance that the two guys met back in 2008, where they became members of the London dance crew ‘Myztikal’ whom then went on to reach the semi-finals of televised talent contest ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in 2010. Nevertheless, the two guys realised they had a lot more to offer and together, decided to take on the music scene – pursuing their passions for singing and song writing and now we have Misunderstood. After having a hectic few months of being opening acts for UK rapper Chipmunk and US R&B sensation Boyz II Men at the 02 London! The pair have now released their first promotional single ‘Break Your Neck!’, with an accompanying visual featuring stand-up comedian Adot. Serving up youth, grit and hordes of energy, Misunderstood are really showing us that a public knockdown won’t ever stop them! The boys have a ever growing fan-base and are currently on a School tour around London and are hoping to make some noise this year!
UKB CAUGHT UP WITH MISUNDERSTOOD... How you doing guys as you know we have been following you career for a few years and now your on the cover of UKB Magazine how does that feel? Finally! Lol! we are very privilege to have had this great opportunity to be on the front of UKB Magazine. From this we hope to keep on repping what we’re about and our music and hopefully generate a bigger following from this. Who in the UK scene would you guys like to take out? (Don’t worry we wont tell them) Stephan: Well… Rita Ora is definitely doing it for me right now! Trust me I don’t mind if you tell her lol Jeffrey: I’ve recently fallen for Alexandra Burke again lol! Them legs in her new video are omggg! We hear uve opened for a few big artists such as Chipmunk and Boys II Men, how did that come about? That was so much fun opening for them two big acts, we just happened to be exactly what the organisers were looking for at that time. We’d never been on a tour let alone opened for one so it was so manic for us. You guys dance and sing at the same time, have you ever mimed at a performance loool? Haha the old Top of The Pops and CD:UK methods ey? We’ve never done that, we’ve always wanted every performance to be different to what the audio version of our tracks are. With miming you don’t really feel anything, we love performing live. What inspires you to do what you do? Seeing girls scream over us haha! It’s like a dream come true! Nah but really its that and all of our supporters
who believe in what we do. It’s also inspiring when we do performances and people are singing along and proper going mad over our stage performances. Your Official Video ‘Break Your Neck’ done very well, how did you come up with the concept and how did it go on the day? We’ve always said imagine if our first video was in a type of classroom environment, and with ‘Break Your Neck!’ it just made sense to do it that way. The whole day was a shambles believe it or not, stuff just kept on flopping we wished there was a reality TV programme on it. It kept raining outside, equipment kept breaking, we were so stressed. But when we saw the finished product we were so pleased. We just need to say a massive thank you to everyone who came down and showed support especially the director Raheem Bakare. What have you got coming up? If you thought Break Your Neck was something then get ready for what we’ve got coming up. We can’t say a lot just yet, But we’ve got more material coming, school tours, a load of performances and hopefully supporting some more ma jor acts on tour. For all the latest we need you all to join us on our journey so please follow us on twitter @mdsofficial Facebook Misunderstood and YouTube iammdsmusic Thanks for your times guys.
UKSBIGGEST.COM | 17
CLOSEUPWITH
LADY LESHURR Make no mistake about it; Melesha O’Garro is the complete package. It’s very possible that you’ve heard her feature on Tinie Tempah’s mix tape, ‘Sexy Beast Vol. 1’, or on the ‘Female Takeover’ remix of Tinchy Stryder’s ‘Game Over’. If you’ve seen her perform on stage or YouTube, you could remember her for being a consummate rap mimic, especially on her show-stopping take on Chris Brown and Busta Rhymes’ “Look at me Now”, which notched up over 80,000 views in one day on worldstarhiphop. com, and now has in excess of 500,000 YouTube views across the 3 different video versions. We hear that you’re a fashion designer, tell us about this? I wouldn’t say I’m a fashion designer aha but I have created my own clothing brand called Friggin L which was inspired by one of my recent mix tapes that I put out and got A crazy buzz all over the globe. What’s the best and worst thing about being in the industry? Best thing about being in this industry for me personally is getting to meet the people you grew up listening to and being inspired by. Worse thing about this industry is that the same people that inspired you may not like you because they see you as competition. Or you meet someone you’re inspired by and they turn out to be the opposite to what you imagined. That’s always been my worry if I ever get to meet Lil Wayne because it might make me change my thoughts on him as an artist! What do you do to unwind? I don’t think I ever wind down. I love going through beats and finding a track that makes my heart skip a beat and get me excited! That’s a great feeling as weird as that sounds.
CLOSEUPWITH LADY LESHURR Do people recognise you when you’re walking down the street? How does it feel? People do especially in London! Just recently I was on the train two guys was sitting opposite me and I could clearly hear them discussing if it was me or not! Quite an awkward feeling really but it’s still funny at the same time. What’s your outlook on the record industry today At the moment? The music industry today is quite crazy because the sound changes all the time. You don’t know when a genre of music will die down because music moves so fast and can surprise us in many ways. I would say that UK music is very healthy and we’re totally in charge in terms of record selling and chart topping. It’s a very good look. What inspires you to do what you do? My passion alone inspires and motivates me to keep making music but knowing I have a strong group of supporters constantly telling me they can’t wait for my album gives me the motivation to work even harder. Also my mother inspires me to be successful. I’ve always wanted to make her proud and see her smile so if I become very successful the first thing I’m doing is buying her a house! When we listen to your music we notice that you’re very particular with your topics, any reason for this? Haha you noticed huh...I like to challenge my brain and see what kind of concepts I can create next. I did a whole mixtape about a journey of finding out my best friend was cheating with my boyfriend and that was inspired by Mike Skinners ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’ album. Mainly small things to everyday life situations help inspire me to make crazy concepts. I tend to get my main ideas from other peoples experiences and write like it happened to me so people can relate. Who in the industry would you like to work with and why? Lil Wayne. He’s inspired me for years now and there was a time where he was the only artist I really listened to in general. I love his style, lyrical content, sense of humour and how his personality is evident on tracks. He’s amazing. Who do you want to stay away from? Hmm I don’t know you know...now that you mentioned it... anyone that knows me more then I know myself! Ha What have you got coming up? I’m working on my album that will be released this year. Clothing line Friggin L will be official this year too and just a lot more videos and shows really! Lady Leshurr, thanks for your time and make sure we get some clothing ;) TWITTER | @Follow Lady Leshurr
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HIS Fresh, Neutral & Print Fresh as in mint... Yep grab a couple of mint tees and team them together with your old cream or white chinos from last summer. Add some printed items whether it be a shirt, scarf or jumper. The extreme bright Hawaiian style shirts isn’t what I mean. If you’re new to prints, team with an item to tone it down. Add some brown tassels loafers and you’re ready to roll.
Republic £8
Topman £26
Topman £30
River Island £30
Vans £45
Office £99.99
New Look £9
River Island £35
Burton £10
Ice Cream Pastels
HER
Team pastels together for this spring and summer. Wear with denim if you’re worried about clashing. Get a couple of pieces (jacket, pumps, shorts) wear them with either denim, prints or something white to break down the look and give it a light summery feel without feeling like your OTT. Splash out on some killer wedges to match your key pieces!
Miss Selfridge £18
Firetrap £80
Topshop £22
River Island £28
ASOS £53
ASOS £35
Dorothy Perkins £10
Oasis £50
Office £55 UKSBIGGEST.COM | 21
rant of the month TFL (Transport For London).The end! Really that could be my whole rant cause I think everyone knows exactly what I’m gonna say about these bunch of *censored, censored, censored!* TFL or Totally Frickin Lame as I like to call them have just made me late for yet another appointment, and as I stand here holding my travel card which cost me £7.30 I’m thinking… ‘there’s at least 300 people on this train 300 x £7.30 = £2,190 per train during peak time, not including standing. Trains come like every 15 mins from my station so lets’ say 4 per hour that’s £8,760 per hour!’ And that’s just from my stop, not including trains going the opposite way! …let’s just say TFL won’t be going broke anytime soon! I’m sure they could bring the fares down a bit if they really wanted to. I swear I actually hate giving them money, every time I go up to one of those big machines and buy a ticket I feel like some 6 foot guy is just going through my pockets saying “Yo what you got for me fam!” ROBBERY! When I was younger I used to just bunk the barriers, I had some ongoing battle with the ticket inspectors, I was like the road runner they where always trying to catch me. And to be honest, a £50 fine every 6 months was better than paying £120 every month (now don’t go trying this at home kiddies I was a trained train dodger specialist) plus its much harder to get away with now… or maybe I’m just old. Either way it’s not about getting stopped by inspectors anymore there’s always some old couple just tutting at you or a hot girl just looking like your scum! And finally oyster cards! What the hells up with oyster cards argghhhh don’t even get me started I swear they just wind me up! I think they actually just charge you whatever they want. Making up charges as they go along …argghhhh Eff it, I heard on the radio that tube drivers earn around 40k per year, 40GRAND! For driving in straight lines…. “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em!” Least ill get free travel whoop whoop!! Twitter / @aaronmufasaaaa Facebook / Mufasa’s house
We Caught Up With
CONTEXT The ONLY unsigned act EVER to win a coveted place on the MTV Brand New for 2012 list.
Having already caused a stir on the underground music scene, the time has come for Context to come up for air. Since the release of his first EP in 2008 Context has gone from strength to strength. 2011 saw ‘Listening to Burial’ being play listed on Radio 1 daytime as well as across the MTV networks. The buzz recently culminated in him being announced as the ONLY unsigned act EVER to win a coveted place on the MTV Brand New for 2012 list, beating thousands of other applicants and joining the ranks of previous nominees Lady Gaga, Tinie Tempah and Wretch 32. Context’s sound channels Mike Skinner, classic garage tunes,
and the vibe of that late-night taxi ride home from a club. His music takes the gritty beats of someone like Burial (a big influence, who Context honoured in the title of his single ‘Listening to Burial’) and slams elements of drum and bass, huge synths and his raw, from-theheart MCing on top. Next up for Context is his first London date scheduled for this April 20th at The Enterprise in London with promotion from AEG and Coda Agency. Hotly tipped by everyone from SB.TV, The MOBO Awards, The Independent, 1Xtra, Kiss and, incredibly for an unsigned artist who works out of his bedroom, been daytime play-listed by both
BBC Radio 1 and MTV Base - it seems 2012 is the year for Context to rise. The new single ‘Drowning’ is released on the 22nd of April with production from Great Skies. Original debuted by Ace and Vis of BBC 1xtra, the track continues in the theme of Listening to Burial with ‘mellowed out’ rap. The accompanying video (directed by Louis Ellison) was premiered across MTV’s broadcast and online platforms on Friday 16th March. With support in all the right places the future looks very bright for Context. TWITTER | @context__
PAPER BOI
Some would label South London artist Paperboi E&J as up and coming but he is far from that. Boasting 5 mixtapes over a 4 year period, having worked alongside artists like Giggs, Wretch 32, Fem Fel and Wizzy Wow to name a few, Paperboi E&J is an artist to look out for. Each mixtape has a distinctive sound and the growth in Paperboi E&J as an artist is easy to distinguish. This is an artist who is willing to share his love for hip hop with the world as well as his growth as an artist and through life in general. Nominated for the Best Hip Hop Mixtape of 2011 award at the Official Mixtape Awards, for his latest mixtape Paperboi FM, he doesn’t plan on letting this small feat go to his head. With 2 planned releases we know about this year, Cheese on Toast E.P, due to be released in April 2012 and Freekings, a collaboration album, due to be released in summer. To kick start the campaign for his upcoming release, Cheese on Toast, check out the audio for his first single Red Bone Yellow Bone Green Buds, produced by Debo Beats, which is to be followed by a few visuals from the upcoming E.P Check out the Paperboi website to join the growing army of fans purchasing Paperboi tees, hoodies and woollies and more www.paperboiuk.tumblr.com Paperboi E&J is set to continue in his stride to make himself heard in the music scene follow him on twitter. TWITTER | @paperboiEnJ
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Slicks Lets It All Out On Hot Seat….
“It’s your boi Slick you should get to know....”
I go by the name of ‘Slick’. I’m a 90’s baby and I’m a Sagittarius so that should tell you how young I am ;) not that young though might I add. Music is my passion. From an early age I fell in love with music, the lifestyle, the talent, the way it touched me and the way it effected my emotions in different ways depending on the song. My motivation then came in from young artists such as bow wow and lil Romeo who managed a certain level of success at such a young age. If they could do it, why not me? I wrote my 1st song at the age of ten just for jokes, and then my second one at 12am on my 11th birthday lol. This track then turned into a little year 6 class tune, from then on it all kicked off. Started off writing and singing songs, then by
TONY T
the time I was 12/13 I fell in love with rap. X By the age of 15 I got my 1st beat and things started picking up and so I started writing more to the beats rather than just stories, this is when my style began to change. I came across a lot of problems with funding and studio quality so a lot of what I did was me on my laptop but soon realised that timing is key and quality is always better than quantity and so I always strive for the best and plan short term tactics to reach long term goals. I am currently still studying Sports Biomedicine at Middlesex University but can’t let the music go and so I continue to take it as seriously at it will let me, it’s just so much fun, I get so much Joy out of a completed song and being able to express my emotions which I
In 2010 Tony T entered one of the UK’s biggest music competition for singers and solo artists, Open Mic UK. He beat over 8000 other artists to reach the Grand Final at the Indigo2 at London’s o2 Arena. Being the only rapper in his category this has proved to be a great achievement for Tony T. Ever since the Open Mic UK competition he has performed at venues all over London whilst collaborating with artists such as Vengence and Razor. He has now entered the Live and Unsigned music competition for another chance at competing at the o2 and hopes to make it all the way to the end. This is set to be a busy year for Tony T. TWITTER | @tonyt99
know other people can relate to, being able to make a difference in the society is something I love. This talented being can never go to waste and I thank God everyday for such a blessing. With the success of “Move Your Body” and the growing success of “Matrix” I hope for people to begin to understand me more. “...Las gidi repping, UK living, versatile so I’m globally chillin’, the past presents the future is how I’m living” TWITTER | @officialslick
VENGENCE
Releases NEW Clothing Line
Since we last caught up with South East rapper Vengence it seems he has been quite busy with shows and has no sign of slowing down any time soon. Besides from doing as many shows as he can to promote himself and his up and coming clothing line I.S.S.N.A.S (I’m So Sweet No Added Sugar) Vengence has also managed to put out 3 music videos for his newly released 19 track mixtape. He is releasing his first official mixtape early this march named “The Ex Files” which gives the listener a real insight to the type of person he is. He displays his witty flows over a host of soulful beats delivering a conscious message which he believes is very important in the music scene. Vengence hopes to create a massive buzz for himself this year. His sound consists of rap/hip-hop, soul and jazz, this guy is not afraid to go outside the box of music or collaborate with other artists. Check out his first single on YouTube “There You Go” and his new soulful single “Its You” Download the Ex Files mixtape ep for free via limelynx TWITTER | @vengencevng
TRICKY ISA
This year Tricky Isa has mainly been going to music events to network & build up his contacts. At this time he is producing, writing & working on projects with other artists. He has begun to make house music which is getting rotation at a venue called The Whitehouse by DJ Big Rookz who is part of a group of resident DJ’s called ‘Move The House’. He has recently done an interview & track (In The Zone) on a YouTube channel called RD TV which is an up & coming platform for all kinds of talent. TWITTER | @_TrickyIsa FACEBOOK | Tricky Isa SOUNDCLOUD | Tricky Isa
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Celebrity
Gossip
Rita Ora Is Taking Rihanna’s Shine
Adam Hits Criticism At BAFTAs
The 21-year-old British singer is one of the many artists signed to Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation record label, and is making waves with her catchy tunes “Hot Right Now,” and “How We Do (Party).” She reached out to fellow Londoner, Tinie Tempah to feature on a track “We were doing interviews. There was one media outlet, a massive one, all set up, had their lights and their cameras, and they interviewed everyone else - all the other actors. “They turned round to my manager and said, ‘We’re not really interested. We don’t really want to interview Adam... he’s not right for our audience’. “What do you mean I’m not right for your audience? It’s a people’s vote and you’ve put them on a massive stage to say they’re nominated and you can’t do that for me?” After his win, Deacon revealed that he was the subject of online criticism from “middle-class people” who dismissed him as a “chav”.
WRETCH 32
named ‘R.I.P.’. The single was widely believed to be written with Rihanna in mind to feature on the vocals, but it seems she has been bumped for Rita, is Jay-Z making a statement?. This talented singer is tipped for massive success this year.
Instead of going for a gritty Wire or Top Boy-style show, he’s bagged himself a cameo in Hollyoaks. The rapper surprised his fans by shooting a scene for the soap on stage at a special gig in London. He said: “No one had any idea. There were a lot of priceless looks. “I’ve only ever acted in school so I couldn’t really ask for tips or the stars would have laughed at me. “I’ve had to style it out.” Wretch shot the scene opposite characters including Bart, Sinead, Tilly and Jono.
HARVEY
MC Harvey has insisted there was no romance between himself and Cheryl Cole, claiming that he never said they were in a relationship. The 32-year old then hit back at allegations that he was using Cheryl to gain publicity, stating: “Why would I do that? What has me being associated with Cheryl Cole done? Because all of her fans definitely won’t buy my single after this. “I could have done with her 1.5million fans buying my single. Now I’ve got all of them hating me for something that I didn’t do. Why would I want to be against Cheryl’s ‘army’?”
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GAMES
REVIEW The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Release: 17/04/12 X360 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is the sequel to developer CD Projekt’s mature-themed fantasy role-playing game based on the works of author Andrzej Sapkowski. ‘Assassins of Kings’ contains many different paths and storylines, along with multiple endings. As in the first game, the player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans that have been genetically enhanced and trained to fight monsters from a young age. They have special powers, different in each witcher. These include alchemy, magic, and sword handling. Tera Release: 04/05/12 PC TERA provides all the depth of any MMO including quests, crafting, an intricate plot, PvP, and combines for the first time with the satisfaction and skill of a console action game. You will no longer be confined to tabbing and then standing around while fighting on a boss. You will be at the centre of the action, hitting where you aim and reacting in realtime to dodge and move out of the way when attacked. TERA combines
#EPIC FAIL
skill and substance to create an entirely new MMORPG experience
Operations team has to expose the actions of the company.
Resident Evil Raccoon City Release: 23/03/12 X360
Hard Reset Release: 30/03/12 PC
The game takes place during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and is set in Raccoon City, whose residents have been turned into zombies after an outbreak of the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the Umbrella Corporation. Players will take the role of either an officer of the Umbrella Security Service or the United States Special Operations force. The two sides have a vastly different objectives: members of the USS are tasked with destroying evidence of Umbrella’s illegal activities, including killing survivors of the outbreak, while the Special
Hard Reset is modelled on “old school” video games such as Quake and Unreal, which results in more simplistic gameplay than most modern first-person shooters. The player lacks the ability to do more than walk, sprint and jump, placing a strong reliance on strafing and quick reflexes, rather than cover and tactics. The various stages have
secret areas with hidden pick ups such as health and ammunition. The environments are designed similarly, as there are explosive barrels and various vending machines outfitted with electroshock anti-vandalism defences.
RECOMMENDED
MOVIES
CHOSEN BY UKB Safe House Action | Crime | Mystery Matt Weston (‘Ryan Reynolds’ ) is a CIA rookie who is manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) the CIA’s most wanted rogue agent is captured and taken to the safe house. During Frost’s interrogation, the safe house is overtaken by mercenaries who want Frost. Weston and Frost escape and must stay out of the gunmen’s sight until they can get to another safe house. The Awakening Horror | Thriller 1921 England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she knew in unravels as the ‘missing’ begin to show themselves.
Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a saviour.
In the 4th instalment of the Mission Impossible series, Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt by the team to stop him at the Kremlin ends in a disaster.
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Animation | Family | Fantasy
Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance Action | Fantasy | Thriller
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
Johnny Blaze, a man who made a deal with the Devil who called himself Roarke at the time, is on the run trying to make sure no-one is harmed by his alter ego, The Ghost Rider. He is approached by a Monk named Moreau who tells him that he can help be him free of the Rider, but first, he needs Johnny’s help to protect a boy, whom Roarke has plans for.
John Carter Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Action | Adventure | Thriller
Top YouTubeiT Videos • Abel Miller - SBTV “No Gentleman” A64
• The Fourth Kind - 3.33 • Rita Ora ft. Tinie Tempah - R.I.P. • Razor - Sci-Fi (Rap City) • Cashtastic - Marching • Mista Flix - The Real (Prod. by Stealth) • A Star Link Up TV - Dappy No Regrets Cover • DVS - Hometown • Mike GLC Link Up TV - Take 2 • Squeeks - Big Squeeko (Remix)
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