Day 28

Goa. Arpora. Small Vagator Beach.

MY SISTERS BIG FAT GREEK INDIAN WEDDING. PART II.

I woke up and in my hungover state, emerged from the tent. I was in marigold heaven. I could see work being carried out in every corner I looked. Men were draping marigolds around trees (500kg of marigolds would be used for this day alone) staff were creating a wall of Jasmine where the ceremony would take place and the night Bazaar was taking shape. The atmosphere was calm but electric. The amazing wedding planners, Cherry On Top, were on hand directing the entire production. As bridesmaids our dress code was marigold, naturally. My sister didn’t go for the matchy-matchy look, instead let us pick dresses which suit our shapes and sizes. We walked down the aisle in twos, holding hands, dancing to Dum Maro Dum (a song about heroine addiction FYI) followed by Sheelah and my dad.

The ceremony was more of a blessing based on Hindu traditions. The priest was great value as he kept pronouncing Sheelah’s name as ‘Sheelah-ha’ and initially thought that Dimitri was the brides name. As I witnessed the ceremony I realised I was watching mirror images of the same soul. Two sides of the same coin. That’s what true compatibility looks like. That’s what joy and happiness and friendship looks like. Just when the priest started to pull focus again with his insanely endearing phrasing, I remembered the reason I was there - the love of two wonderful human beings.

After the ceremony, the guests were ushered into the night Bazaar. There was a candy floss stall, a bar, a tarot card reader, a bangle maker, a jewellery and scarf stand…it was our playground. Just before dinner the bridesmaids and the groomsmen made the entrance with the new Mr and Mrs Metaxas. Poms poms at the ready, we followed a four piece band and cheered and whooped as the bride and groom made their entrance. The table layout was stunning. Bulbs draped across trees, grey, pink and deep purple candlesticks, gold flower pots. It was all in the detail. Including the effort into the place names… mine was ‘Eat Pray Love’ (!) The most fabulous spread was served. And it was time for the speeches. Everyone who spoke, spoke from the heart. And it was truly touching to see what Sheelah and Dimitri mean to their closest friends. Though I’m not sure if Dimitri would still call Winkle his close friend after THAT speech…!

A first dance to Beirut’s Postcards From Italy declared the dance floor open. And oh how we danced. Right into the night to the point where the DJ started to slip notes into the guys palms who were dismantling the speaker system late into the night/early hours, he could play another tune. This went on until 5am.

A night of dancing and food and laughing. And love. Oh Sheelah-ha. I want to do it all over again.

Album of the Year?

Last week has been a blur of industry events, networking and serious wisdom from the likes of P Diddy, LA Reid and Andre Harrell (to name just a few). 

Last year, Revolt ran their first Revolt Music Conference, at the Fountaine Bleu hotel, Miami. I remember oh so well keeping in the loop with what was happening via the Revolt live video feeds and this year I made a promise to myself; I work so hard, I needed this ‘working holiday’.

 In true Meenal fashion, nothing is ever straight forward, and I started my trip as I hoped I wouldn’t mean to go on; in a blind panic! I’d cleverly locked my suitcase and lost my key. I can be an utter genius sometimes. Luckily the lovely men in customs in Miami came to my rescue!

 Thursday 17th October was pretty straight forward; I got my wristband, got a drink and hung out by the pool, listening to Tory Lanez soundcheck. Followed by performances from Bia, Rotimi, Steph Lecor, Sevyn Streeter and Tory Lanez. Tory was my highlight from this. I then had an evening catching up with my mentors- shoutout Kyambo and Rohan!

 The theme for the 2nd Annual Revolt Music Conference was ‘The Merging of Music, Techonology and Innovation’, and the panels were a great mix od each theme.

It was great to Karen Civil on a panel about websites/bloggers. I’ve followed Karen’s career, from her days working on Lil Wayne campaigns [notably, Weezy Thanx You] to creating her own brand ‘Be Civil’.

 The Lost Art of A & R was next, it was the first of many impromptu singing/rapping from delegates of the conference during the Q & A part. This guy was gutsy; not only did he start rapping, he got on the stage and had to be pulled off by security. It was all a little tense until Diddy stood up and started clapping.

The management panel was the one I was most excited about with the likes of James Cruz, Jay Brown, Ted Chung, Kevin Liles, Johnny Marines and Anthony Saleh- SO many greats on one panel!

I have two real highlights from the 3-day event; the first was asking Scooter Braun ad Andre Harrell a question. To those who may not know, Scooter Braun is Justin Bieber’s manager. To say I was nervous is an understatement! Not only to ask a question in the presence of such amazing managers, but infront of roughly 800 people!?  Going to Miami alone was brave, this was me stepping waaaay out of my comfort zone (plus I was sober!), but I’m very glad I got to do it!

I asked, ‘Why is it so difficult for UK artists to break America?’.  Scooters reply was excellent, starting with ‘Okay…that is a ridiculas amazing question…’ , he touched on the facts that a lot of UK artists are actually ‘slaying’ the American charts. He talked about the live music culture we have here, which is actually really interesting as I didn’t even take that into consideration, but we really do have a thriving live music scene here.

My 2nd highlight was on Friday night. The Apple Yacht party baby! My love for Badboy Records was  brought back to life, the Ciroc was flowing, and not to mention Rick Ross and Nas performed. Imagine the scene;  a beautiful yacht in the middle of the water, Miami’s skyline at night, and Nasty Nas blessing the mic! It was unreal.

 I was lucky enough to have one-to-one conversations with the likes of Keith Clinkscales ( CEO of Revolt),  James Cruz and Andre Harrell (not to mention Nas and LA Reid!!!) .  

This trip was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had. I did an excellent job networking (if I do say so myself!) and I’m looking forward to the business that comes out of this trip. 

Miami. I’ll see you same time next year! 

Apple Music

 The question that arises most when in a room of music industry types is  ‘Is it too early for a glass of wine?’ ‘ Streaming, pros and cons?’ . This question has been exhausted at almost every seminar/conference I’ve been to this past year. With the example of Taylor Swift coming up almost every time (Mr keynote speaker, Ima let you finish….but please stop talking about T Swift).

 With Tidal gaining hype, and somewhat plodding along the waves of criticism, today, after much speculation that there had been a hold up, Apple revealed the plans for Apple Music.

 With a lending hand from Jimmy Lovine, Drake, The Weeknd and not to mention a dad dancing Eddie Cue, Apple Music was launched in front of what looked like thousands at WWDC 2015.

 So, what makes Apple Music different to Spotify, Tidal and whatever other streaming platform is around the corner?

Apple Music is all about the human touch; with all playlists curated by ‘real people that love music’. After selecting your favourite genre of music, and 3 artists, Apple Music will suggest related playlists. Cleverly, Apple Music also takes into consideration all the music you buy on Itunes.

 The real difference that sets Apple Music apart from the other streaming platforms, comes with Beats 1; a world-wide radio station which will broadcast across the world. With the help of Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden (from Hot97) and UK’s very own Julie Adenuga, the station will stream 24 hours.

The third part of Apple Music comes with Apple Connects. Drake introduced this service explaining:

‘Now we encourage you to spend the time on your body of work, on your craft, instead of having to post your stuff on these different and confusing places, it all stays in one place, and this is connect. ‘

The second advantage of Apple Connects sees artists uploading images and footage, allowing the audience to gain a personal connection, and see the process an artist goes through. 

 Eddie Cue ended the presentation with the following, 

‘Apple music is all of the ways you love music all in the same place. ‘

 So, swayed or not? I had my free 1 month trial with Tidal, but found myself being a creature of comfort and crawling back to Spotify. Tidal has pulled out some surprises out of the bag, but the clean-cut interface of Apple Music, and the amount of artists on board will definitely be a pull.

 Interestingly however, the value each artist gets from a stream was not discussed. Surely, this is the most important aspect of these new and ‘improved’ streaming sites?  With Spotify earning an artist peanuts (the cheap kind, not even branded), Tidal- with it’s army of artists embedded in the company, is more of a ‘for the people’, streaming website, giving artists a fairer share for each stream. Will Apple Music follow suit and create stricter regulations so that the artist is not exploited?

 Only time will tell, but for now, I’m fully geeked out and looking forward to how Apple Music changes the face of music consumption.

Making TIDAL Waves

Generation Why?

We are Generation Y. It’s a broad age range, but we are the ones who are asking the questions, ‘Is this normal?’, ‘Should I be earning more at my age?’, ‘’Does (fill in blank) really prevent cancer?’, ‘Does my butt  look big in this?’

We are a generation of sheep. We roam the pastures, getting by on a day to day basis, struggling to pay overdrafts and those ill advised credit cards off (darn you friendly banker!). We rent properties, while day dreaming about the houses we want to own. We flock to London for work, and realise the cliché saying, ‘It’s so expensive in London’, isn’t quite the cliché we thought.

 We are a save-time generation. Relentlessly swiping left, then right on Tinder, and complaining about our love lives.

 We are a step-behind generation. Marrying late, settling down late, business minded, career striving.

                                But always full of uneasy questions.

                                       We are Generation Why? 

Embracing The Martian

Every so often you get an artist who, as Yeezy would say, breaks through the glass ceiling. This year, we had the great Chance the Rapper- who infuses soul, jazz with rap. We also had Asher Roth, best known for his 2009 Asleep in the Bread Aisle album, having taken some time out, he came back, hair longer, and with a sound stonger then ever. Retro Hash is one of my favourite albums from 2014, a sound I can only describe as psychedelic rap inspired. Take one second to let that sink in….psychedelic inspired rap!

 One artist who never fails to deliver is Kid Cudi.

I’ve been a fan of Cudi for years. In itself, his story of how he moved to NY, met futue mentor Kanye, and went on to make the song most people know him for- Day and Nite, is amazing. But beyond the fairytale that is “Kid Cudi signs to G.O.O.D’, his music speaks volumes.

His eclectic inspirations are evident, from the highly experimented sounds, to the heavy use of electro music. This places Cudi ahead of the rest, you’re not able to pin point a genre on him, creating a mystified sub genre that can only be described as Scott Mescudi.  

 His latest release ‘Satellite Flight:The Journey to Mother Moon’ proves no different. Releasing the album digitally with only 24 hours notice, this project sees a different side of Cudi. With him singing (Troubled Boy), the 10  song album also sees some of the tracks as straight instrumentals. The unusual album marketing technique paid off, with the album being named by Complex as one of the best albums in the first half of 2014. 

A relatable rapper, who started out for the stoner generation, has now moved on to represent the misunderstood and confused. His dark emotive music, mixed in with his more commercial upbeat records puts Cudi in his own lane. A quadruple threat; talented writer, producer, rapper AND actor (if you haven't checked out How to Make it in America- do so now).

Talented beyond measure, I hope 2015 is the year the world can embrace the martian, and Cudi gains commercial success, as apposed to just being known for the dance track Day and Nite. 

2015 will see Man on the Moon 3 released on Kid Cud's own label 'Wicked Awesome Records'.

The Misinterpretation of Lauryn Hill

When I heard Lauryn Hill was touring in the UK a few months ago, I was excited. Not only is she my favourite female artist, but she is notoriously know to rarely give shows. And so one rainy day in April I was desperately refreshing Ticketmaster to grab two tickets. Her first UK gig at Brixton Academy sold out within minutes. Due to the popularity, 2 extra London shows were added- todays, and an intimate gig at Brooklyn Bowl in a few weeks. Having forged such a successful career after the split up of The Fugees, everyone anticipated new material would follow. Yesterday was the day I went to see her. Listening to her entire back catalogue during the run up to it I was excited. Yes, i'd read the few horror stories from the past, but this was Lauryn Hill- surely she would pull it out the bag? Known for her deep meaningful lyrics, her raspy voice and ...her tardyness, Ms Hill was a merely 1 hour late. But that wasn't all so bad with her DJ keeping the crowd hyped with a set from old skool reggae to dancehall to hiphop. We were back in the 90's and the whole crowd was looking forward to reminiscing with L Boogie. She definitely kept it BK with her cap and sweat towel! She opened with Bob Marley's Soul Rebel, the one of many Bob tracks she performed. This was a good start but the next few tracks left the entire audience dazed and confused. Her rendition of Killing Me Softly was a disappointment to say the least, and almost unrecognisable. Everything is Everything was like a bad The Beetles cover matched with paisley graphics. When she performed Lost Ones, she truly lost us all. Ex Factor was the biggest let down of the night for me (and that sentiment seemed to have been shared by the rest of the 4000 people in the venue!). The rich lyrics, heavy emotions and strong meanings were replaced with heavy bass, loud drums and all singing, all dancing backing singers. Not cool. This is a track every girl has a story about, appearing on many peoples post-break up playlists, and so for her to perform a barely recognisable version was disappointing to say the least. At this point, the fed up crowd had had enough and a ripple of boos were heard. Lauryn and band left for the new stage set up to be sorted (some reports that she left the stage because of the booing are false.) When she came back sans band, we were all relieved, perhaps we were going to hear something great afterall. The next few tracks were nice, Mr Intentional and Turn the Lights Down Low were done justice. I was happy. Bizarrely, she redid Killing Me Softly, this time staying a bit more true to the original. My favourite part of the evening was the little section she covered a few Bob Marley tracks. It's not a secret that Lauryn Hill's sound and life is really inspired by Bob, and this was evident. Her passion glowed, her famous raspy voice hit all the right notes and it was stunning. Is This Love was my favourite song from the night. She won the crowd back. Well, most of the crowd, some had walked out out of sheer rage earlier! She ended with Doo Wop (That Thing), which was double the tempo. With no encore track, the lights came up and a stunned crowd swiftly left, sharing looks of 'did that just happen?' with each other. To conclude, we were all in the same boat; we all wanted to hear Lauryn at her finest. The Lauryn Hill we're all still bumping to this day. We wanted to hear her and sing along, reminiscing But in an attempt to remain current, she lost us all. The crowd was a mix of 30/40 year olds who purchased The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill back in 1999 and wanted to remember the classic Lauryn, and young people like me who wanted to hear the artist that is referenced heavily and is the inspiration for so many current artists today. Her talent cant be questioned. She hit all the right notes, not a flat one once, and her fast rapping mixed with her silky singing was second to none. Not a gig to regret, but Im glad i was at the opening night and not going tonight! Lauryn, i know your old self is in there somewhere, mixed with you anger towards society and consumerism, but i miss you!

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

A team 10 rappers strong, with many further affiliated artists. They formed one of Hip-Hops best groups, filled with their eclectic taste, impeccable flow and deep lyrics. Each artist has gone on to forge a very successful career, in all types of creative ways; RZA’s The Tao of the Wu is a fantastic read which lets you follow the Wu Tan Clan story and all the influences the brand represents. It’s a book I’d recommend; giving you a taste of RZA’s incredible knowledge and spirituality. Having had a successful 14 years, the group went into hiatus, springing across America doing various solo projects. Which brings us to the present day.

  Artists and their teams are constantly thinking of new ways to ‘hook’ in their audience. We’ve had Kanye and his projected video, Drake and his pop-up shops, and the countless listening parties put on for fans. But what Wu Tang have done is innovation at it’s finest. They have recently revealed the album ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’, a double album which was recorded over the last few years. Although not out yet, this album has been making ripples all through the cyber-waves. Why? Because the rap collective have vowed to only produce one physical copy of the album. Before it’s release, they plan on making the 31 song album available in museum exhibitions across the globe, allowing fans to sample their work for a small fee, once this audio tour is over, the double album will be gone to the highest bidder. The innovative idea is a brainchild collaboration between RZA and Dutch producer Tarik 'Cilvaringz' Azzougarh. Cilvaringz first met the group in Amsterdam, and after staying in contact with RZA, the album began its fruition. Inspired by the Nipsey Hussle’s $100 mixtape, the duo are taking the art of listening to an album, back to that- art.

In a modern twist, the album will never penetrate the digital airways, creating an album which symbolizes the true essence of music. We live in a time constantly filled with music. From streaming devices such as Youtube and Spotify, to internet gimmicks. Therefore the value of good music has dwindled. What this album does is create a cultural commodity.  This unconventional approach sees the album being treated as an art piece, with it touring museums globally, giving fans the chance to hear the album for a small fee, treating this limited edition album as an elaborate piece of art. Allowing true fans of Hiphop to visit the exhibition to listen to it, in it’s true form, 2 hours of uninterrupted music. When was the last time you listened to an album…I mean, really listened to an album? The last album I heard was Asher Roth Retrohash, playing on Spotify whilst I was working. Our music consuming habits tell us that we no longer listen to music to appreciate it’s form, instead playing music to avoid awkward silences.

 The actual specifics for the double album are closely guarded, but it has been confirmed that Cher, yes you read correctly, Cher of ‘If You Believe in Love After Love’ fame will be making an appearance on 2 tracks. Mind. Boggled. Hidden in a vault in Morocco, the album has apparently already received a $5 million offer. If, like me, you can’t afford the 5 milli, then you can look forward to their offering to the masses; A Better Tomorrow is expected to be released in July.

With Jay Z’z Picasso Baby, and Drake’s recent comment on the collision of the art and rap world as being corny, I have no doubt that this recent collaboration with art and music will continue to catch fire, and I expect that fans of music will be flooding to their nearest Tate in no time.

An Open Letter to Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell Williams

This is an open letter. Not a letter to society about the environment nor is it a letter about state of the financial climate. This, is an open letter to Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams

 I’m going to be straight with you guys. I don’t trust you anymore. 

You’re cool and all, Lupe, you have some amazing tracks, I really respect your resistance to comply in the music industry. I respect your deep, socially conscious lyrics, and I’m happy that you are not one of the ‘yes men’ of the music industry. I, along with other hiphop heads appreciate artists who keep the art of hiphop alive by going against the grain; instead of creating EDM club bangers. When artists record music for the love of it, it’s more often than not conveyed in the track. Passion is what is missing in music these days. We have the chart chasers, but don’t let that confuse you with the dream chasers.  Alongside Ed’s lovely vocals, I really enjoyed the wordplay and references you made on Old Skool Love, it was a nice balance between commercial vibe, with meaningful verses. So bravo, that was great.

 Pharrell, it isn’t because of your freakishly youthful looks that I don’t trust you. Don’t worry, like many out there, I don’t fear you’re a vampire (although the picture that is going viral is something to be wary of…) I too, appreciate your love for great art, the I Am Other movement just shows how out of the box you are, with that you have really tapped into the new media market and created a very marketable enterprise. Your silky smooth voice, matched with your ability to rap is great, so that is not why I dislike you.

 But the truth is, I just don’t trust you anymore. 

In the past we have had 2 amazing super-groups , Child Rebel Soldiers which saw Kanye, Pharrell and Lupe release US Placers (the video to which is brilliant) and All City Chess Club which had the likes of Lupe, Asher Roth, B.O.B, Diggy Simmons, J Cole, Charles Hamilton, Wale and Pharrell. Both promised mixtapes, both had me excited, both failed to deliver. The concept of super-groups seems to not allow any notion of failure. It brings together artists, and takes away the element of competition which is often present in the music industry. Instead it shows an act of unity, it’s not for album sales or profit, it is for the love- right guys? All City Chess Club had some of the hottest artists of 2010, I remember oh too well  patiently waiting for more tracks, none of which materialised.

The reason I am so mad at you, Lupe and Pharrell, is that you are the common denominator in this. We need more supergroups to form, not only does it show the love of music, it also brings out the best of all artists. Imagine if Kanye, Pharrell and Lupe joined forces now; the creativity and level of work created would be off the scale. THIS is the type of music we need right now. None of this Flo Rida business.  We are missing the real heart of music these days. Sam Smith (BRITS Critic’s Choice) said it very clearly with his track Money On My Mind. His challenging of breaking into a major recording deal is an eye opener, it shows the real politics that goes on behind the scenes in music, the pressure of making your advance before being able to make an actual profit, and his reluctance to get sucked into it.

So there we have it. I’m mad at you both, and hope you can see past the busy schedules, stop procrastinating and actually get some constructive work done, if not for yourselves, for the music industry!

NB- if any of my readers gets this to Lupe or Pharrell, you can have my prized Ipad, which features the very exclusive, very annoying Flappy Birds app…!

Lupe’s Tetsuo & Youth out soon Pharrell is featured on Major Lazer’s five-track EP titled Apocalypse Soon on the 25th of this month.

Why Andre 3000 is Better Than Your Favourite Rapper.

Andre 3000 is the king. King of current Hip-Hop (lets not tread on Pac’s toes now, that would be silly), King of RNB, heck ,chuck him a gritty beat and I’m sure he’d be the king of Grime! Too far?! Okay maybe I got a little caught up in the moment. The truth is, Andre 3000 is better than your favourite rapper. End of.

Rumours went flying last week that Outkast were to reunite at Coachella this year. With the prospects of one of Hip-Hops heaviest duos coming together again, I wanted to reflect just why Andre ‘3000’ Benjamin is one of the strongest, most talented guys in the game.

I’ve always said that Three Stacks was the master of guest verses; stealing the show with a mere few bars, but it has to be said how he has conquered every aspect of the music, and to some degree- the entertainment industry.  

In recent years, Andre has blessed us with guest verses for the likes of Beyonce, Rick Ross and Drake to name just 3. Each and every time, his instantly recognizable voice, immaculate flow and detailed word-play captures the audience. Having gone into a music hiatus, when Andre features on a track, he make it his own, and reminds his fans why he is one of the most respected artists in the music industry.

What I love about  3000 is his versatility. We all know how capable and comfortable he is with the typical ATL style beats, but his recent collaborations with Gorillaz (Do Ya Thing) and Capital Cities (Farrah Fawcett Hair), show his ability to cross genres and still come off on top.

Yes, his Georgian drawl makes him very distinctive, but another reason he stands out amongst the sea of artists is his unique fashion style.  With childhood friend Fonzworth Bentley, their fashion taste is eccentric to say the least. With clothing label Benjamin Bixie (one line in 08, and one rumoured to be coming soon), Andre 3000 and Pharrel Williams are 2 great examples of how Hip-Hop can leak to the fashion world and still remain high-fashion. Kanye-  I think you need to speak to ‘Dre- sounds like he got the answers you’re looking for!

As well as being a successful music artist and fashion designer, Andre 3000 is a triple threat, the final area he’s conquered is TV and film.  A recent project has seen him starring as the legendary Jimi Hendricks. Also staring in Idlewild, Four Brothers and Be Cool. Andre has his fingers in all the pies; owning production company Moxie Turtle too. In partnership with Cartoon Network, he produced, created a lot of the music for, and voiced a character in kids cartoon which put out Class of 3000, a cartoon series  based on a blues teacher and his class, short lived on Cartoon Network. 

Andre is an elusive character, leaving no footprint on the social media sphere. Which, in this digital age is actually quite refreshing. He, and Jay Z show us how very little fan interaction can actually leave us wanting more.  With questions surrounding his personal life (and sometimes sexual orientation), the mystery of Benjamin Stacks keeps him forever current, I read a great quote today; ‘gossip is plentiful, scandal is profitable and falsity is just part of human nature’.

 What can we expect during the run up to Coachella then? ‘Leaked’ tracks from Outkast, rumours of a split after the performance, and a flamboyant outfit from our leading man. 

A look at 2013 from a music perspective.

New Years Eve. The day everyone is reminiscent of their year, the whole ‘new year, new me’ thing is a paradox which I won’t find myself falling into! But, enough about me…I wanted to write a quick little post looking at this years music, and the influence it will have on next year.

2013 was a year of  fads. Namely Gangnam Style (shudder) and Harlem Shake (…again, shudder). These irritatingly catchy songs did not fail in capturing the nation, with them forever in circulation on the radio and clubs- seriously though, shall we make a pact to not…I repeat, not bring these dance crazes into the new year? Seeing a drunk man gyrating to Harlem Shake is really not a great visual.

2013 also saw controversy. After all, what is a good year without some sort of scandal? We had die hard Beliebers crying over their idols new found bad boy image. From smuggling a monkey into Germany (I kid you not.) to spitting over fans, to some inappropriate antics at the Anne Frank Museum, we see the start of Justin Biebers transgression, from lovable teen sensation, to a credible artist (that you’re not embarrassed to admit to liking!) . His recent track with Chance the Rapper is just evidence of this. For those who have heard me talking about this before; I promise not to mention it again, but let me point out to those who haven’t heard, that this is all a very clever marketing strategy thought up by J.B’s management team. After all, what 25 year old wants to go to see Justin Bieber when his concerts are packed with teeny boppers?! Yes, the younger generation have a disposable income to spend on his cringe inducing merch’, but it is the older crowd that he must please in order to gain a superstar status. Following?

And then we had Miley, there’s really no words for Miley Cyrus’ recent rebellion. Although, I find her use of ghettoization to be quite exploitative. Her name has been on the tips of everyone’s tongue this year, from her terrible twerking to her provocative performances. I have no love for Miley, I don’t think she is an exceptionally good artist. Miley leads us on quite nicely to the most controversial song of the year, which incidentally, was also the best selling song of the year; Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, Pharrel Williams and TI. It caused an out roar, and had everyone discussing the lyrics and misogynistic video. As much as people loved to hate it, it stayed number one in the charts for a staggering 16 weeks. Which just shows how controversy sells!

We’ve had the standard Twitter beefs, speckled with a few Instagram shots fired (what would we do without social media?!) but when Kendrick dropped THAT verse on Control, it was almost like everyone stood still, opinions were flung, responses were recorded; it’s got to be one of my music highlights of the year. And the legacy still live on with J Cole recently addressing the situation on the TKO Remix.

The UK industry struggled, with no artist selling 1 million units. However we have seen the rise and rise of  Wretch 32, Tinie Tempah and Nuagty Boy to name a few, and the welcomed comeback tracks from Mr Hudson, Sway, Giggs and Kano. A special mention must go to One Direction and the newly formed McBusted- keeping the ultra cheesy boyband alive!

Across the pond we have had some strong contenders for album of the year from the likes of J Cole, Kanye West, Drake, Jay Z, Eminem and Beyonce. Can we take a moment to just think about the latter; releasing not just an audio album, but visuals for each track! With no promotion behind it, it was evident that Beyonce’s fans were strong enough to hold down the #1 position almost from the get go. The album caused quick a stir, and gave the reaction Beyonce’s team were after. Genius!

 2014 sees the return of Lupe Fiasco with the awaited Tetsuo & Youth, and Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon 2, Kid Ink’s In My Own Lane – just to name a few. With the music industry changing and progressing as much as British weather, I’m looking forward to seeing what 2014 has in store.  

Recently my room has been sounding like a euro-trash club (minus the seediness). I’ve just ‘discovered’ French rap, and in doing so, found my new favourite artist Stromae. Whilst reading my copy of Music Week, I noticed how unlike over European counties, France wasn’t dominated by the likes of Miley Cyrus, Pitbull or Avincii. I googled the mysterious fellow that appeared in the charts a remarkable 3 times. You might not know his name from the get go, but I assure you you would have heard his song ‘Alors On Danse’ which trickled over the English Channel to our clubs a few years ago. So successful, that in 2010 Kanye West himself did a verse on the remix. Having opened for the Black Eyed Peas in France in the past, a hit new album; Racine Caree which was out in August, was #1 in four European Counties, Stromae went on to win the Best Belgium Act Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards earlier this month. So, you may not know of him yet, but you soon will!

Stromae is unique in more ways than one. His stark looks and flamboyant personality make him instantly likeable. He is certainly stylized to be this humble yet slightly bizarre character, and it works. His Youtube ‘lessons’ show him dressing as a woman on a gondola, eating ravioli out of a tin in a supermarket (getting ready for the end of the world, naturally), and dodging security to join Major Lazer on stage.

 What I love most about Stromae is his great marketing techniques to engage his audience. Take for example, the video for his single Formidable. The video, shows a ‘drunk’ Stromae singing (or  rather shouting) his sorrows on a busy road in Brussels. This, of course was a set up- unbeknownst to the public. Secret cameras captured Stromae’s sterling performance as well as the publics priceless reactions. Some ignored him, awkwardly looking at their watches or awaiting their trams, others stuck true to the digital age and recorded the whole experience on their phones. At one point he was even approached by some concerned police officers! This was a successful public stunt as it created such a buzz; many people going home to upload the footage, speculation of a Stromae mid breakdown. 

His Youtube channel provides much entertainment too, and an enhancement for fans; it helps that it’s subtitled too! Stromae is certainly a character who takes his craft seriously, the few music videos he has online are fantastic.

 Check out the video above too. He’s definitely Kanye Westing it on this one; his off the wall video, unique beat and not to mention the brilliantly placed elephant noise…!

 I love how different Stromae is, and hope that his unique sounds get the recognition they derserve and find themselves played here. Give it a listen and brush up on your largely forgotten French!

JME&Skepta

Boy Better Know and its members have pretty much shaped the grime industry to what we have today. Wiley, creator of the Eskimo Dance's is known for creating Grime sub0genre Eski Beats. We also have Jammer, known for the, 'Lord of the Mic' series. This DVD and CD series shows clashes between Grime artists. Clashing and grime go hand in hand, if you are unfamiliar with the concept, clashing puts two Grime artists head to head, and with a 5th dose of LOTM promised soon, the DVD has some of the infamous clashes to date recorded. As well as co-founding BBK, JME is an artist in his own right. His debut album Famous? And most recent Blam! came out on the BBK label. JME is also social media savvy, and forever updating his Twitter. His unique way of connecting with his fan base is a classic example of how rappers of this generation utilises the social platforms to allow easy access to their audience. He’s a new-media musican. His Youtube channel (Man Better Know) gives us a little look into his life; in particular, JME has a number of videos in which Police Officers have stopped him citing the 'random stop and search act'. The young rappers highlight to the racial profiling that is still evident in policing, is just another reason why he is so popular; people can relate to him. JME is known for rejecting the stereotypical rapper imagery (instead his lyrics include references to things such as Pro Evo!)But big brother Skepta has found more success within the mainstream charts, with 'Bad Boy', 'Cross My Heart' and 'Rescue Me' all placing within the top 40s single chart.

Some artists I reccomend!

I wanted to create a quick little post to talk about some artists that currently stand out to me. The music scene just isn’t what it used to be, and instead of moving forward, it seems to me that the heavily sampled beats (and in some cases, lyrics) are setting us back a pace or two. With many artists chasing the mainstream route, we are yearning for some Kanye Westing (and by that, I mean some out of the box sub -sub genres being created- not egotistical artists ranting at the papp!’) . However, swim through the banal sounds, and you will come across some gems, of which I hope to reveal to you today!

I will start with an artist that I’ve been bumping alot recently is Chance the Rapper. Introduced to his stuff through Youtube (the power the internet has these day!), his mixtape Acid Rap has been forever looping in my Itunes. The Chi-town native is fairly new to the scene, with his 2nd mixtape coming out in May this year. Chance has a heavy Jazz, Soul fusion Hiphop vibe with the mixtape, which is so refreshing. And, considering he has the likes of Childish Gambino, Twista and Ab-Soul on his mixape, the prospects of an album (which is likely to have more financially and promotional backing) on the horizon is promising; if this is the kind of material he is giving away for free, I can guarantee his album will be one to watch out for. He is yet to make himself known across the pond, but 2013 is set to see him soar as he supports the likes of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis here in the UK.

Now for a British artist. I’ve been following this guys career since 2008, albeit a little late (seeing as his first mixtape nicely titled Ur Mum Vol One was out in 2004), he has gone strength to strength since, and is really one of the most under rated talents in the UK industry. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, get to know; Bashy. Causing a stir with his track Black Boys in 2007, Bashy has gone on to act in films such as Shank, Cockneys Vs Zombies, and he is due to embark on a tour with Akala and the Hiphop Shakespeare Company (tickets of which are on sale now- I’m definitely going to cop some for his Manchester leg of tour!). Bashy has recently realsed his new single Those Were the Songs, his hands on approach (giving artistic direction for the video for example) shows all the good points of being an independent artist. I’m looking forward to his new material.

Finally, a little mention of one of the UK’s finest; Sway Dasafo. I’ve got good memories of bumping his music while I was at school, so very happy he is still delivering good quality tracks. Do I even NEED to point out that he is a lyrical genius? Sway’s one liners always get me! He’s recently been teasing fans with one track every Sunday (Sway’s Sunday Service), With an album coming very soon, I’m looking forward to his follow-up from The Deliverance. The latest Sway Sunday Service, ‘Super Charge Part 2’ was released on Sunday, do check it!

'This is Hiphop...' ?

As all social media addicts do in the morning, I reached over for my phone and checked my Twitter timeline. Twitter is a really interesting social media platform as it spreads news fast. News of Margaret Thatcher passing away and the Boston Bomber being caught all broke on Twitter first. Now, that's a powerful tool! This morning, Twitter was going loco about Kendrick Lamar. His latest verse on Big Sean's Control was causing quite a stir in the twit-hemispere, with the West Coast rapper claiming he's the 'King of New York'. Music heads will know how protective rappers in NY are over their turf, so you can imagine the outcries it caused. With the hype over J Cole, Mac Miller and Big Sean recently, Kendrick didn't want to remain a distant memory of the mind, and instead got tongues wagging, with many stating that his bars won the 'best verse of the year' status. But, is this just due to the controversial nature? If you haven't already, you should check the song in question out. I'm not the worlds biggest Kendrick fan, but it definitely shows a different side to him, no longer a slow pace rap, but a few minutes full of fast aggression. Having compared himself to Nas, Jay Z and Three Stacks himself (I'm speechless), and sending shots left, right and centre, no doubt a few replies will be recorded and flinged through the airways by the weekend. I'm looking forward to the reactions the track gets; in a time where beef tracks consist of subtle indirects, and rihanna fuelled fights, where a line is so controversial that you apologies (Cole, Im looking at you), where you're writing an open letter to your favourite rapper (Cole, I'm still looking at you!) is Hiphop really gone soft? Would 'Pac be apologising? Whatever your view on how HAM Kendrick went, like he said, 'This is HipHop, these N* should know what time it is'. We're missing the essence of Hiphop, we're missing the competitive nature. The nitty gritty side of it (which reminds me of the good old Grime days- Bashy has threatened to do a UK version, lets hope he does!) This might be because of a progression of time and recognition Hiphop has got, but it feels like the dream chasers are chart chasing. I'm looking forward to seeing what this one track does to Hiphop in general.

The following event review appeared in my local paper The Burton Mail on 21st June, I recieved my first by-line in a newspaper, second time my work has been published as a graduate! Photo taken by Jack Gaunt.

  Friday 28th June saw the latest monthly I Luv Live event take place at Club 10, Derby. For those that don't know; I Luv Live is a national event that has acted as a launch pad for many UK music artists. The live music event boasts a house-band that plays alongside  national and regional artists. The night also holds a 60 second open mic opportunity, which audience members can sign up for on the night- with the most popular act winning the opening slot for the next show.  Due to the popularity it has gained in London, I Luv Live has branched out to Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Derby.

I Luv Live Derby kicked off with host Jay Swarve welcoming the crowd to the event, followed by Juliana; the winner of last months open mic competition. Performing a few cover tracks, she gave the crowd a taste of the talent they could expect during the rest of the night. Following Juliana was Reggimental, a Derby local who self-describes his genre as B-Boy Soul. Performing three tracks, he showed just how promising emerging talent from Derby is. Next up was Abbee Audio; born in Africa, raised in America and currently settled in the UK, the diversity is evident in her music. Her unique singing style saw her being a huge hit on the night. SPZ About was next. Birmingham based, he kept the crowds attention with his great flow . Finally, headlining this month's I Luv Live Derby event was Jamie Joseph, a talented Soul Singer from Derby. Citing Marvin Gaye as an influence, his smooth voice enchanted the audience from start to finish. Performing four tracks, he ended the night on a high note.

With Jamie Joseph finished, Jay Swarve invited the open mic participants to take the stage. With 60 seconds, accompanied by the house band, each artist took to the mic'. Based on the audience's reaction KC Da Rookee was crowned the winner, and will be opening the next I Luv Live Derby event on Friday 26th July. With good quality music, an amazing atmosphere, and the chance to see some emerging talent, it was a fantastic night.

For more information about the next event follow @babypeopleUK on Twitter and check out www.iluvlive.co.uk.