Run The Road in association with Duck and So Effective present Skinnyman, DJ Semtex, L Man, Jammer, DJ Shinobi and more suprise PAs to be announce on the night and official Run The Road and 679 giveaways including CDs,DVDs,Mixtapes and much more plus a live screening of the Run The Road 2 DVD. Friday 2nd December @ Paradise Factory, Princess Street, Manchester. £7 in adv, more on the door tickets from Ticketline/Piccadilly info on 07743 796 969. 10pm-4am. Look out for more Run The Road nights hitting UK Cities in upcoming weeks and in 2006.
Wednesday 30 November 2005
Beats & Bars
If you haven't got this yet there's still a competition running on his forum to win copies as well as on Kano's myspace.com page (myspace.com/kano679). Alternatively ukrecordshop.com are selling these online so hit them up. Featuring 20 freestyles over both classic hip hop and grime beats, Kano confirms just how sick his flow is these days. It might be too heavy on the road front for those who prefer it 'Nite, Nite', but forget you. This one's for the streets. Oh and in you're online Thursday at 5.30pm onwards, Kano wil be doing a live webchat. www.ka-no.com, forum's where it's at. Sign up, log in.
Rio Rox
What? Rio Rox. Brand new baile funk night. Baile funk is the soundtrack to Rio's favelas (ghettos)... think City of God meets miami bass. Rio Rox will play a mixture of baile funk (nothing like normal James Brown funk!), electro, miami bass and dirty underground sounds.
Where? The Soho Social Club, 139 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1 (below Gama restaurant, opposite The Ship pub)
Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Piccadilly Circus/When? This Sunday 4th December. Time? 8pm till late How much? £3 all night with this email (email her for it cause obviously I'm catting... info@ellejsmall.co.uk
DJs/MCs/vocalists: DJ Sandrinho & MC Xana (flying in from Brazil, playing baile funk, female MC), DJ Cutlass Supreme & MC Hyperactive (from the UK, playing miami bass, booty shaker and ghetto tech), DJ Cheeky & MC Jammer (playing underground UK sounds)
Tuesday 29 November 2005
The Legacy Out Now
DaVinChe, possibly the grime scenes only grade 5 piano player, is responsible for so many street anthems, from Kano’s ‘P’s & Q’s to the Dirty Canvas series, that it’s hard to know where to begin...
Touch: How would you describe your sound?
DaVinChe: I don’t know, cliched as it sounds, I always have a musical element and a strong chord sequence so you can write melodies. I’m Influenced by what I listen to - sweet boy music and and thug music, so I try and keep a balance.
Touch: Your back catalogue is massive, which of your tracks would you recommend we hunt down?
DaVinChe: Firstly check out the older stuff. ‘Roxy This Gyal’ was one of the first things I released and ‘Status’, that had a Neptunes influence. Back then Sticky was the biggest name on the scene, so as the music's changed so has my sound. Favourites of mine include the Shystie ‘Make It Easy Remix’, Essentials feat Katie Pearl ‘Just Dance’, and I think ‘Leave Me Alone’ would have gone the distance at a different time. Definitely check ‘Phaze’, ‘Number 13’ and ‘Sometimes’, I’ve used a sample in that, I wanted to show people I know how to do it cause I don’t normally use samples.
Touch: So the album, what’s the deal boy wonder?
DaVinChe: It’s a 17 track instrumental album which will be available on CD, my work past and present. I wanted to give people a chance to hear the music from MC’s and producers to general music listeners because not everyone owns decks. Cameo chose the track order so it flows right from a DJ’s perspective, we’re doing something different but I hope people will get we’re moving with the times.
Touch: Sell it to us, why should we buy it?
DaVinChe: It’s just good music, some of the best stuff I’ve done and at the end of the day we’re in the entertainment industry and I want to do just that. If you’re entertaining the people what are you doing here?
Words: Chantelle Fiddy. For more info and audio visit www.paperchaserecordings.com.
Sunday 27 November 2005
Late Night Reading
CF: You got celebrity friends now big man?
LB: I got a few, Rio Ferdinand, Jodie Morris, Sway, Klashnekoff, Kella’s cool. I know the Sugababes from back in the day. I’d like to meet McFly after they slagged off Pow! On Popworld. They said something like ‘these guys look like they need to go to the toilet, they’re all screaming.’ If I saw them after that I don’t know what I would have done, now I don’t care. But cause of our situation and the scenes situation, we’re trying to move into that world so when meaningful acts say shit like that. It makes it harder for us. Rio was telling me about Xposure. One time he took Paul Ince, Robbie Fowler, Ian Wright and Lampard to Xposure. Hahahahaha! He said they got in there and people couldn’t believe it, this was when they were in their prime, megastars. Fowler wanted out I think. Original garage boys now. Trust me they all watch Channel U and know the tunes. They’ll ask me for updates on clashes ‘what’s going on with you and Wiley.’ They take me raving in Liverpool and Manchester, Roonie was at that one, Champagne glass in hand. It was cool, they dropped Pow! That association could really help us.
CF: Would you clash McFly?
LB: Someone did tell me to do it but wouldn’t give them the time of day. Who would I give it to Jez Wellam?
CF: Your albums had a re-release right? Why?
LB: Yeah and to be honest with you I’m not too happy with my label. I’m just doing my thing but if I was relying on them I don’t know where I’d be. Right now I’ve got the Twista single out there, my single Fire, the x-rated video and Forward 2, that’s me. I’m grafting. There’s been no posters for my album nothing, I’ve sold about 10,000 I could have done that myself. It’s a rock label, when people from urban don’t do well they put you in the same category; Kano, Estelle, Lady Sovereign. But we’re all very different. They just look at it like they’re spending loads of money but they’re not getting the results they should be getting. I’m going to be concentrating on a lot of my own projects. It’s hard cause a lot of people like the music but there’s no outlet for it. What pisses me off the most is getting it on national radio. I paid for my own posters to be done for the album, and the advert on Channel U. They were taking too long and V2 have to make money, they tell me they’ve nearly recouped on me so that shows you how much money must have been put in. It’s a good look for me cause I’m in control of my situation and I’m learning a lot from it. All of this is going to give me the ammunition to do it myself because end of the day all that happens in this game is you get signed and you get dropped. They’ve offered me another album but I’m not sure at the moment whether to try and do it to myself. I signed to take me to another level but I feel I’m in the same place. The Twista thing had nothing to do with that. All they’re doing is distribution and a bit of plugging. People need to know getting signed is not a bed of roses, I’m working harder than ever.
CF: Have you ever been kicked out of anywhere for wearing a hoodie?
LB: I haven’t you know but If I went somewhere to perform and they tried to make me take it off I’d go home. This hoodie shit’s mad. How can you ban an item of clothing? They’ve got patrollers these days who wear red uniforms, I think they’re looking for kids who aren’t going to school, not hoodies though. It’s nuts out there.
CF: How was America with the Krayz?
LB: The girls were loving the accent, they were getting emotional, breaking down. The girls are ridiculous too. Levels are high. The man dem were showing love too though. Ruff Ryderz came down, some of The Games people, a load of rappers. When they heard my verse they were shocked, they didn’t know the UK had spitters. They just think we drink tea, kind of narrrow minded cause they got so much going on. I was singing Prretty Ricky and they were like ‘you know this song’ and another person said ‘so you got black people in Europe?’… There’s black people everywhere, when I told them that they seemed shocked.
CF: Did you go to college?
LB: I did still, I was studing for a BTEC Diploma in plumbing and engineering. If your TV breaks down I can fix it. I didn’t finish cause Oi! blew up and I got signed so I thought, tracks at no. 7, I’m famous, I don’t need to go to college. Then there was air, I knew four months before it happened that we were going to get dropped. Funnily enough I saw the A&R who dropped us last week.
CF: Not alot of people know Maxwell's a landlord, so tell me, although I doubt I'll ever own property to rent is it hard work?
LB: Not now I’ve given it to an agency.
Wwwhut Are U Doing?
Murkle In Sheffield
Apparently Its the first time anyone has put on a proper grime night in Sheffield, so here goes the info... C90 presents JAMMER & KNUCKLES vs. SHADETEK (JahmekTheWorld/Warp/Grimetime Berlin), Friday December 2nd, upstairs at Sharkey's, Regent Street, Sheffield, 9-12, £4 advance, More on the door. www.c90.org.
Out Soon
Video vote number 630 on Channel U (467). Currently riding high at number 1 in ZZUB club chart, you can catch the B on tour with Roots Manuva and headlining his own Cargo gig on December 6th. Free downloads up over at www.time4planb.com and listen out for Missing Links, a cheeky number circulating at the moment.
Monday 21 November 2005
What Happens When...
thanks to Darkside. Alternatively read the review over at RWD
Big up to Danny Walker who repped hard on the night (as ever). Or there's The Record Of The Day award nominee Collins
version/breakdown of our set. My girl actually had boys moshing on the stage too, don't get it twisted. I tried to take a picture but they pulled me in and I had to lick a couple of shots to the jawside. All in spirit of dance, of course. Didn't get to see much action after that, running around, sorting out blaggers and generally worrying. Heard Chevy & Jus Quirk had go-go girls scaring the shit out of grown men on the main floor but I managed to miss that too. Thanks to everyone who reached, DJ's, MC's, party people, Boorman, 333 and secuity who were even shocking out to Rossi B's jungle set. P.s. Bruza if you happen to read this, what happened cuzzie? Are you still lost in Essex?
Monday 14 November 2005
One Dedicated Fan
And all to win a copy of Beats & Bars... well it might not have been the only reason but you know, that's love for you. Check out more on www.ka-no.com. Can you top this?
Lioness Playlist 12/11/05
Purple - Blowin Up [true Tiger Mixtape]
Faction G & Shyam - Its Over [Committee]
Devlin - Untitled [OT dubplate]
Swiftee - Motown Dreams [White]
Swiftee Feat. Brothers Grim - More Than Music [Dubplate]
Geeneus - Grand Theft Auto [Dumpvalve]
Mr Slash & Snipe Keedo - Concerto Freestyle [Dubplate]
Spooky - Joy Ride Riddim [Dubplate]
Spooky, Slew Dem & Neckle Camp - Joy Ride Vocal [Dubplate]
Nasty Crew - In The Place [White]
Finesse - War Path [Dubplate]
Jiggalo - Funkville [Dubplate]
Rossi B & Luca - Run For Cover [White]
Dogzilla - Storyteller [OT dubplate]
Nasty Crew - Gang Banger [Dubplate]
Wiley - Crazy Freestyle [Dubplate]
Rossi B & Luca - Mugged Off [Dubplate]
Dcoy - Barbarian [Dubplate]
Chunky B Feat. Merkston - Summertime [Dubplate]
Wiley & Merkston - Soon As I Get Home [Dubplate]
B Live - Merkin Ps & Qs [Dubplate]
Plasticman Feat. Slayer - Section 7 Vocal [Terrorhythm]
J Sweet - Marxman [White]
Jiggalo - Grime [Dubplate]
Spooky Feat. Others - Firin Range [Dubplate]
Bashy - Never See Me Fall [2NV]
Dreama - State Of Mind [Dubplate]
DVA Feat. Stormin - Freestyle [Dubplate]
Bruza Feat. Triple & Krucial - So Real [Dubplate]
Triple Threat - Break Through [Dubplate]
Finesse - Nimi [Dubplate]
Wong Feat Charley - I Just Wish [Dubplate]
Dogzilla - Busker [OT dubplate]
Jai Box & Lee Henry - Help Me [True Tiger Mixtape]
Chunky B Feat Merkston - What If We [Dubplate]
Jai Box - Dont You Think [Dubplate]
Regal Players Feat. L Man - Part Time Friends [Frog dubplate]
Triple Threat & Bruza - Money Talks [Dubplate]
Wong - Cool It Now [Dubplate]
DVA Feat Amy King [Dubplate]
SATURDAYS FROM 3PM ON RINSE 100.3FM
Sunday 13 November 2005
One More Scar
Homegrown
Friday 11 November 2005
Showerface Saturdays
Wednesday 9 November 2005
Channel U For NTL?
Things To Check
by Georgie C, the new issue of i-D with Sovereign on the cover, also includes my pieces on the Kings and Queens of street customisation Kesshia, Airheads, Not Guilty, Rohan Sparkes and Mena, DaVinChe and Jammer. New Touch with Sway, Klashnekoff, Lethal and Killa Kella adorning the front (by myself and Miss Helen Jennings), reviews and much more. Martin Clarks new Pitchfork column
which deals with the current issues facing pirate radio stations (did you hear how many got locked off last week alone? Rumour has it after the madness in Birmingham which was sparked on a live call in, DTI had to save face). FMagazine.com where i'm just been awarded the new role of underground editor. Myspace.com pages from JME, Wonder, Dexplicit, Kano, Roll Deep and many more. Why didn't I know about this sooner. Wastewoman, check for the exclusives.
Meet Baby Blue
Q: How does the 2nd mixtape vary from the first?
A: It's a growth, a deeper look at me, the beats are better, the mixes are better the whole way it is is better. I'm all about lyrics, instruments and different sounds.
Q: Any favourites on there?
A: 'I Still Don't Care' and 'Dreaming'. The first ones a big collaboration and 'Dreaming' is creative, I think that's why I like it.
Q: Lyrically what subjects do you deal with?
A: What I've done to get to this point, relationships, stuff in my mind. It's about my imagination, dreaming about things. I'm pleased where I am, I'm building a fanbase and had a good response from videos. I'm just waiting to put my album out next year.
Q: How's that coming along?
A: I've done four or five songs for it already, whether they'll make it or not I don't know. I'll probably record 20 or so and pick 12. I'm going to do a video for 'Dreaming' next though I think.
Visit www.babyblueonline.com for more information.
Overground V
November 11th Dublime
end experimentation! We have dub legend Don Letts educating us of past and present with Kode 9 and Digi Mystikz providing the crowd with the freshest sounds from the dubstep movement.
DON LETTS (Dub Cartel Sound System), DIGI MYSTIKZ (DMZ / FWD), KODE -9 (Hyperdub/ FWD), Hyponik DJ's: Shifta, Bazrah, Professor J-S, 8pm - 12am, FREE ENTRY, The Old Blue Last, 30 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3ES. Nearest tube old street/liverpool street
Fiddys Faves
2. Lady Sovereign feat JME, Skepta, Jammer, Ears & Baby Blue - Hoodie Mizz Beats Remix (Promo)
3. Virgo - Down (A.R.M.Y)
4. Wiley - WD25 (Eye Of The Tiger Vol. 1)
5. Plan B - No Good (Pet Cemetery)
6. Kano feat Katie Pearl - Nobody Don't Dance No More Remix (679)
7. JME - Mind Out (Dub)
8. Roll Deep - Trim & Scratch (White)
9. Ears - Oh My Dayz (Jahmek The World)
10. Lioness - Stil-hul (Dub)
Monday 7 November 2005
Thursday 3 November 2005
Tuesday 1 November 2005
No Good
Windows Hi
Windows Lo
Real Player Hi
Real Player Lo
Plan B has also started a myspace page
where you can hear tracks and read his blog. Interesting guy, trust.