Konan | pixiewithapen

September 3, 2013

MTV The rap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]

I’m back after a break last weekend for the Bank Holiday where Team Wrap Up headed to Reading Festival and caught some incredible performances from Giggs, Mic Righteous, A Trak and the massive headline set from Eminem. It was definitely the best festival I went to this summer…

Giggs has really taken it to a new level with his next video to ‘Is It Gangsta? (Yes Yes Yes)’ as we saw the trailer being released last week. This looks more like a movie then a music video and we can expect the Mark Ronson produced track to be released on October 6th, so watch out for that.

Disturbing London rapper G FrSH dropped a video from his recently released mixtape ‘Legoman II’. ‘Wings’ is produced by Goldielocks and features a healthy line up of some of the best in out scene; Mic Righteous, Fem Fel and English Frank.

French rapper Frenchy Le Boss hooked up with one of South London’s finest Sneakbo for ‘Jump In The Car’. I was looking forward to this release after watching the studio session and am 100% feeling this tune. The two rappers compliment each other so well and I really like Frenchy’s flow. This track is taken from the forthcoming mixtape ‘Ces’t La Vie’.

In the run-up to the release of their mixtape ‘Young Kingz’, Krept and Konan kept their fans happy by releasing another video ‘Don’t Waste My Time’. Taking it back to their roots with the hard hitting production and catchy hook, they really have showed their versatility recently which we will see more of on the tape. The duo are set to be UK rap’s future stars, also previewing the mixtape online, hyping everyone for the release, which is today!

Top Boy hit our screens again for the second series and we’re onto episode two, so make sure you get watching as there is a whole host of new talent in this one including Cashtastic, Exo, Bashy and Lefty.

I’m going to end on a big release from last week and that comes from North London rapper who has impressed me for a while now, Squeeks. His mixtape has a massive 40 tracks and has some big features from Joe Black, Blade Brown, Youngs Tef and more. A lot of the production comes from Cakes and Westy who he was worked closely with previously.

Make sure you download ‘Presidental Musiq’ for free now!

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Tags: Frenchy Le Boss, G FrSh, Giggs, Is It Gangsta (Yes Yes Yes), Konan, Krept, MTV, Presidental Musiq, rap, Rundown, Sneakbo, Squeeks, The Wrap Up, UK, Young Kingz

February 14, 2013

MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]

Myself, The Wrap Up’s editor and the Avit! Clothing crew headed to Leicester this weekend to go to Eskimo Dance at the 02 Academy. The line-up, as with every Eskimo Dance, was an all-star one – Midlands crew StayFresh were the first MCs to spit. Wiley, Boy Better Know, Ghetts, Trilla, Flirta D and many more also took to the stage. Fekky made a special surprise appearance and closed the show, making it different to any other one I have been to…

MistaJam premiered Krept & Konan’s new track ‘NUMB (I Can’t Feel My Face)’ last week and it was a different sound to the normal from the Play Dirty boys. This is one more for the clubs and could be a potential hit for them.

Benny Banks also went down the club track route with ‘Molly’ and last week we saw him release the video to it. The track is taken off his recently released ‘Patiently Waiting Vol 2’ mixtape.

Propane dropped a video to a track taken off his ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ mixtape. ‘Bill Another One’ is a street banger, featuring Squeeks and Birmingham’s Malik MD7.

Producer Skott Summerz is known for working with some of UK rap’s finest and recently enlisted four heavyweight underground rappers, Rebler, Double S, Mic Righteous and King Cas for new track ‘Deal Or No Deal’.

Mic Righteous was in hospital last week, leaving people worried about what had happened to him. Luckily he is out and even released a freestyle yesterday to build up the momentum of his ‘Open Mic’ EP. It has already reached No.1 in the iTunes hip-hop/rap album charts and No.8 in the album charts. Remember it’s the launch party tomorrow, so for all of you going I’ll see you there – and if not, come back next week to read what went down.

Check out my interview with Mic Righteous to hear a special exclusive about what’s coming next from him – you’ll catch it on The Wrap Up site later today (Monday 11).

Until next time…

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Tags: Benny Banks, EP, Eskimo Dance, interview, Konan, Krept, Mic Righteous, Open Mic, Propane, Squeeks

January 24, 2013

MTV The Rap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]

I hope everyone has been enjoying the snow over the past few days; last week was pretty jam packed and we have a few good events this week to look forward to! It looks like Chip has been having a hard time with singers recently, as he tweeted last week: “Hollering at singers for hooks does get long after a while. Time to start singing them myself here and there. #onthescene #actionman #GDS”

The Grand Hustle signee also headed down to Madame Tussauds last week, releasing a video unveiling East Coast and West Coast rap greats, Tupac, Biggie, P. Diddy and Snoop Dogg. Alongside it he wrote, “I wasn’t really allowed Biggie or Tupac’s music as a kid. The first I think I bought Biggie Smalls ‘Ready to Die’ and ‘Life After Death’ at the same time, I bought both at an age when I was actually allowed to have them as music on my own.”

Last week saw more videos from the USG collective. One from the youngest member Geko, who dropped ‘Night n Day’ off his recently released ‘Voice Of The Future’ mixtape. K Koke’s visuals to ‘Real Right Now’ from the ‘Pure Koke Vol 3’ mixtape was also released, as well as the behind-the-scenes to his latest single ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’ with Rita Ora – the video for that is out now.

A track for the streets and a big collaboration is also here as Pound Sterling joined Jaja Soze to talk about being ‘Real OGs’. Sneakbo has definitely been putting in the work this year, as we saw him drop the third video from his forthcoming EP ‘Certified’ recently.

SN1 representative Gunna Dee also has a mixtape coming out on January 31and gave us a video from it – ‘4 My Town’ features singer Loick Essien and is produced by Wizzy Wow. This is a banger and I look forward to listening to ‘Hustler By Nature 2’ when it drops.

Cashtastic is back with Steel Banglez, who produced most of his tracks for their first one of the year, entitled ‘One Day’ which features three great vocalists – Abel Miller, A.R.I and Akua.

Black The Ripper headed to Amsterdam to shoot the video for ‘You Will Never Know’ which is one for the smokers and the first track to be heard from his forthcoming EP called ‘Married To Marijuana’ – the EP will drop on January 31.

There are a few good events happening this week – weather permitting I will be down at I Luv Live tonight to catch Ard Adz and Sho Shallow, alongside singers Tom Prior and Bobbi Lewis.

Saturday will see Musicalize go down at the o2 where you can see Chip, Krept & Konan and Professor Green take to the stage. See you there!

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Tags: 4 My Town, Black the Ripper, Cashtastic, Chip, Gunna Dee, Jaja Soze, K Koke, Konan, Krept, MTV, One Day, Pound Sterling, rap, Rundown, Sneakbo, The Wrap Up, UK

October 6, 2012

Krept & Konan – Don’t Judge Me (Ft Anthony Thomas) [Music Video]

Krept & Konan cover Chris Brown‘s Don’t Judge Me featuring singer Anthony Thomas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3MDPM1PX8U

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Tags: Anthony Thomas, Don't Judge Me, Konan, Krept, music

July 9, 2012

MTV Wrap Up – THE UK RAP RUNDOWN

This is my first UK Rap Rundown column; here I will be bringing you the week’s highlights in the UK urban scene – I hope you enjoy it! I haven’t even been back from the BET Awards in L.A a week yet and have already attended a festival – Hyde Park’s Wireless. I was pleased to see underground rappers Political Peak, Sho Shallow and Ard Adz get a packed out tent and an amazing crowd reaction – it proved how well UK rap is doing…

Of course, Sneakbo smashed his set too. Sway did an old school hip-hop style set, with verses from Wu Tang, Tupac and Mobb Deep. Roc Nation signee USG member K Koke also performed on the Sunday supported by his fellow crew members.

In other news, Scorcher has replied to Dappy’s ‘Tarzan 2’ diss which hears him say: “I still roll for my hood and I wear my chain, f**k a Top Boy Scorcher he can’t do the same. Real recognise real, how many albums have you sold to date?”

Scorcher wasn’t too happy with Dappy and replied via an SB.TV video called ‘Rockstar’. The MC dropped punchline after punchline, saying that he is an “underground king, you could never be my equal” and “you could have a mill still look like a tramp.” He also mentions Tulisa and the now infamous tape that her ex-boyfriend leaked to the world.

Personally I liked Dappy’s ‘Tarzan 2’ video; unfortunately he had to re-shoot and re-release the video due to the heavy controversy it received. Props to Scorcher; he went in on the diss track and I feel he is the better man in this situation.

The video that caught my attention last week came from Donae’o. I was at the video shoot for the track ‘YDKAM’ and know there’s going to be a lot more to come from the ‘Party Hard’ singer on his album. He told me: “It’s going to have a lot more hip-hop and R&B, there’s a want for it, so I can put it out.”

The song ‘You Don’t Know About Me’ features some of UK rap’s hardest lyricists, such as Joe Black, Squeeks, Dru Blu, Ratlin and Lethal B.

Another interesting one was the Labrinth produced ‘Watchtower’ by Devlin featuring Ed Sheeran. It is the first single from his forthcoming album ‘A Moving Picture’.

Leicester based R&B singer Luke Bingham was also recently joined by Play Dirty’s Krept & Konan for the track ‘Shut It Down’. I really like the beat to this track and Krept & Konan really give the song that hip-hop edge it needed. I predict big things for Mr Bingham; he has the voice, the style and looks to match.

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