Play Dirty’s Krept & Konan join UK’s rising r&b artist Kurt Collins for his new track Grind.
February 6, 2013
Krept & Konan – NUMB (I Cant Feel My Face) [Audio]
One for the clubs and a potential hit for Krept & Konan as they bring out NUMB (I Cant Feel My Face) showing their versatility as artists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfVDbdFcDfo&feature=player_embedded
December 4, 2012
MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]
Last Monday night I headed down to XOYO in east London for the event I Luv Live. The bill was particularly strong, with singers Jacob Banks, KOF, Arlissa and north London rapper Ikes. Last week Ikes dropped his mixtape ‘The Intermission: Sliding Doors’, hosted by DJ Infamous. ‘The Intermission’ series started in 2010 and have all been strong thus far. Ikes has proved he deserves his solid upcoming status as he showcases his raw lyrics on the tape…
Wednesday night was the MTV Brand New for 2013 gig and saw nominees K Koke and Rascals perform alongside the headliner DJ Fresh. The other eight nominees were announced on the night and included producing duo Disclosure and rapper Angel Haze.
Rap quartet Rascals were the first to perform with tracks showcasing their infectious energy, proving why they were picked by music experts to blow in 2013. K Koke was up next and put on an incredible show with fellow USG member Exo joining him on stage. The Roc Nation rapper performed ‘Roc For Life’, ‘Power’ and his newly released first official single ‘Turn Back’. We also got to hear his next single with Rita Ora called ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’.
Sway enlisted some fantastic MC’s for the remix of ‘Charge’; ‘Supercharged Part 1’. Lunar C, Stig of the Dump, Shotty Horroh, Rizzle, Black the Ripper and Jehst kill this track. They all go in and it’s actually hard for me to name who had the best verse. It’s great to see so many talented MC’s all on one track.
Meanwhile, SAS (Mega & Mayhem) dropped the audio to their remix of ‘Suave Life’ featuring Vinny Cha$e and CurT@!N$ which will be on their ‘Coming To America II’ mixtape.
Boy Better Know’s Skepta has made it clear he wanted to collaborate with So Solid Crew for a while now, and his wish has come true as co-founder Megaman joins him for a track off his recently released ‘Blacklisted’ album, called ‘We Begin Things’. The video dropped yesterday and goes back to the old school garage roots.
South London rap duo Krept & Konan talked us through the ‘Devils Playground’, i.e the streets, for their brand new hard-hitting track. They collaborated with JME, joining names for ‘Boy Better Play Dirty’.
The king of UK trap released his anticipated ‘Bags & Boxes 2’ mixtape which you can get from iTunes. The 21-track mixtape shows Blade Brown’s strength as he brings in some other well known, established rappers such as Youngs Teflon, Squeeks, Fekky, Fem Fel, Skepta, G Frsh, Sincere, Chip and more. It’s good to see again so many names on one mixtape – it is definitely proving the strength of the scene.
Until next Monday…
November 30, 2012
Krept & Konan – Devils Playground [Music Video]
Krept & Konan the South London rap duo talk us through the Devils Playground ie. the streets in this emotional hard hitting track.
August 23, 2012
Krept & Konan Ft Sneakbo & Siah – Light Up [Music Video]
Play Dirty’s Krept & Konan is joined by Sneakbo and Siah for Light Up.
March 8, 2012
Steel Banglez
Mixing for Big H, Ghetts, K Koke and Giggs, to Asian artists Mumzy Stranger, Preeya Kalidas and Panjabi MC. Nice!
Steel Banglez descent into music began as a young boy when he was taught to play various Indian classical music instruments by his mum, including the dhol, tabla and harmonium.
From there at the age of 10, his older brother taught him to DJ. This was just the beginning as he went on to study electronic music production and audio engineering at the School of Audio Engineering, and since then has been producing for artists from Big H, Ghetts, K Koke and Giggs, to Asian artists Mumzy Stranger, Preeya Kalidas and Panjabi MC. He was the personal DJ for grime legend D Double E mixing in various big clubs, and also shows including the Dizzee Rascalalbum tour in 2009, Estelle’s album launch, Sean Paul at Bristol 02 Academy and Busta Rhymes at Hammersmith Apollo. Now his focus is solely producing, and he is working closely with some of the biggest prospects for 2012, Cashtastic andKrept & Konan.
How has your family influenced your music career?
My whole family is musical, from my great grandparents up until now, to my mum and her brothers and sisters. There music professors in India, my mum’s brother is a classically trained music teacher, he teaches American Sikhs that come from America.
What was the defining moment of your life that transformed a musical hobby into a successful and acclaimed career as a producer?
When I got fruity loops in Year 8. When I was in school my teacher Ms., Conwall, was the nicest teacher and she believed in my music so much. She used to treat me different from everyone, you know when there’s only one computer in the class, and I’d be that one guy on there. I was learning Cubase, and one day she walked in and said, ‘I’ve got this new program and its called Fruity Loops,’ and it just changed my life as soon as I got onto it. It just made me want to become a producer.
Do you feel that pursuing a career in music as a young Asian male still breaks certain family and community expectations?
Do you know what, maybe with the older generation but not with the younger generation. It’s not a good career choice in their eyes. To be honest I don’t have a life when I’m doing this career. It’s not like I get to see my family a lot and chill out.
What more can be done to encourage more young Asians to consider music a viable career choice?
I think the industry should let more Asians in the limelight, because in England there are as much or maybe more Asians than there is any other ethnicity. There is a lot of talent, and a whole scene of Asian music that’s not recognised at a commercial level. I think as a new generation comes, people like myself and artists like myself that are Asian have to set a standard for other Asians to be inspired and want to get through. I think Jay Sean smashed it for Asians.
In what ways has your Indian background influenced the development and sound of your music?
My culture, I’m a Punjabi and it’s very musical. Bhangra is at the forefront of Asian music. I think just my family and my background and my life experiences, and learning and studying classical music on the weekends from a young age influences what I do, and what kind of sounds I go for in my current production. That’s embedded with what I’ve learnt growing up on the streets in East London.
Wiley has been seen to be very supportive of your career. As he is the Godfather of Grime and a respected veteran, it must have been very instructive being around him. What have you learned from him that has helped you to further success?
I’ve learnt so much from Wiley it’s unbelievable. He’s shown me the business aspects of things, he’s shown me how labels think, MD’s, A&R’s, what kind of sound their looking for, what kind of direction I should go, how I should go about getting myself out there. It’s just endless. With Wiley I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for me. I’ve known people around me that are as big as Wiley or have the links, but never really gave me that opportunity. Wiley went out of his way, and he’s got a million people hollering at him and he saw my talent and he just believed in me. He just helped me out in every possible way, and I’ve learnt most probably everything about the music business from Wiley.
Who was the first person you produced a song for?
D Double E, it was a remix of a tune called ‘Colours,’ and that was when I was 15, I had my studio in Ilford. I used to make Grime then, and I invited Double and he vocalled the song.
You have been putting in a hell of a lot of work, and have produced for so many artists. What was the track that really made people take notice of you?
There are a lot of songs; I think I killed the rap mixtape circuit. I think I was out there getting on a lot of mixtape’s with the big rappers and rap was popping off at a street level. There was no sound developed yet for rap, so I came with a distinctive sound and I blew from there. I love all the music I’ve done. I think ‘Breakdown,’ has done a lot for me, I think ‘Let Go,’ with Krept & Konan is doing a lot for me, it’s most of my current work.
Your style of music is quite varied. So can you tell us the thought process behind the ideas for tracks?
Mad. What I do is nuts. I don’t know if I can give my secrets away (laughs). I can give one secret away; a lot of producers should try it. I’m surrounded in an area where there is a lot going on and it’s to the future so that’s one. I can just walk out my studio doors, and jump on a train or just walk on the streets and I can see the future, and it inspires me. I can capture certain moments and come back to the studio, and try to describe that as a thought of emotion. Or I get a picture of let’s say a waterfall or the Taj Mahal or the Pyramids, or some sort of emotional picture, and I just put it in the background. When I play my keys or make a beat I try to describe that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ilLILWZ1U
Why have you chosen to work so closely with Cashtastic especially and Krept & Konan?
I feel like it’s a new day in UK music now, I think the rap game is at the forefront of underground urban music, and Krept & Konan and Cashtastic are very versatile artists. They have a distinctive sound and style of rap that they do. Cashtastic is very good with making songs, and he’s young and he’s got a big buzz, and he knows where he’s going and I see the talent in him. Krept & Konan do the same, their raps are just incredible, the way they write, and the kind of stuff they come out with is just amazing. I just love working with them. I think there going to be huge artists.
Tell us about the EP your going to be releasing. What sounds can we expect to hear and who can we expect to hear on it?
I’m not releasing the vocal EP this year or next year. The vocal one will just be some of the stuff I’ve done with everyone if I do release it, and some exclusive tracks with Wiley, D Double E, and Blade Brown and DVS. I’m just concentrating on developing my production sound more, because I think I’m getting a new sound.
Also the “instrumentalist” album….
It’s called instrumentalist because I like to think of myself as a mad professor, like a mad man. Instrumentalist meaning I’m mental, instrumental, mad. Its just nuts, and your going to expect it to be like a film. I think the way I think and the way I work, I don’t think a lot of people work like that, and its not a big headed thing, I just think its unique. I want people to know and see the insight to Steel Banglez to how I work. There’s going to be visuals as well, I’m going to post adverts up and stuff. It’s going to be a total new image and direction of sound. There’s going to be dubstep, dance, rap, film, contemporary, acoustic, but with a touch of my style. It’s going to be signature in that I’m one of the heavyweight producers in this country when that comes out.
February 8, 2012
Krept & Konan – So Far (Ft Josh Osho)
Josh Osho joins Play Dirty members Krept & Konan to bring you the tune So Far.
January 24, 2012
MTV Best Of The Best: UK MCs 2011
The 10-6 best UK MC’s were announced a few days ago for 2011. Last night on MTV Base the last 5 were revealed by Joseph JP Patterson, Charlie Sloth, Posty, Morgan Keyz, Nardene Scott and Hyper Frank. Here is the full list…
10. DVS & Blade
9. Krept & Konan
8. Skepta
7. Lowkey
6. Ghetts
5. Giggs
4. Chip (Chipmunk)
3. Professor Green
2. K. Koke 1.Wretch 32
Well done to Wretch who fully deserves the No.1 spot, and K Koke who is one of my favourite artists who made the No.2 spot. The other 8 were also well deserved and all of them have worked incredibly hard. In my opinion I would have put Joe Black, Mic Righteous, Benny Banks and P Money in there, but this is always a hard one to think of only ten top MC’s so big up to the panel for making the hard decisions.
What do you think of the list, and was there anyone crucial you think was missing?
January 4, 2012
Everyone Wants A Lil Bit Of Cash
Cashtastic is an artist set to take the underground scene by storm. He may have only recently turned 18, but his music is already punching way above his youthful years.
The early guidance and encouragement of an older brother to do music was reinforced by teachers at school, telling the then eleven year old that he had a gift for writing. Dedication and hard work soon led to a joint mixtape with LP called, ‘The Formula’, which sparked a lot of interest in the gifted artist, and soon after Big Lee Records of Peckham chose Cash to join their ranks. Whilst at Big Lee Records, he released a single and featured on other singles and mixtapes. 2011 was Cashtastic’s year as he featured on Charlie Sloths show on 1Xtra alongside Yung Meth, also featured on Ace & Vis’ show, performed at the Wireless festival, G Shock store and went on the Bigga Fish tour. Shireen Fenner interviews him to find out Cashtastic’s story, his new releases and what 2012 holds for him.
Tell us a little bit about who Cashtastic is.
I’m a rapper, just turned 18 from South London. Sorry I’m an artist that’s who I am.
How do you bring your personality and your life experiences into your lyrics?
I tend to tell the truth instead of lying and fabricating the whole situation. You would be surprised at the amount of people that can relate to you telling the truth. When you tell real life situations you have to remember people are living real life so they can relate without you even noticing that anyone else can relate. I just put anything that I’m going through at that present moment in my lyrics.
It sounds like you had a quite a tough childhood. Was music an outlet for you where you could escape?
Yes definitely. I came from the streets, the streets were an outlet for me to go and do madness. Growing up I was trying to go to a different direction, and music is what I chose to do. One of my older brothers used to do music, so I looked up to him as my role model. It got to the age where I started doing it and enjoying it for my own purposes.
How does being religious guide you and help you make decisions in everyday life?
It has. It’s a bit of both I’m Muslim, so I’m not really meant to be doing music in the first place. I believe that everything happens for a reason, so I’m doing this at this present moment for a reason. I pray every night and every day, so I believe that if I’m doing something like this interview today it was meant to happen. I don’t really bring religion into my music; I just say God willing and inshallah because it’s in my daily grammar.
How did your brother help in shaping you into the artist you are today?
I wouldn’t say he helped shape me, because when I was looking up to him and following his style of music it was more just doing exactly what he was doing. When I got to around Year 7, I started to shape myself. Them times I wasn’t even an artist. It was really a year and a half ago when I started shaping myself into an artist and trying new stuff and actually making a format for a song, and strategising without just rapping over a beat.
You’re from Peckham, growing up who else inspired or was influential to your musical journey from South London?
100% Giggs, because if your from Peckham, and your in my age group it was definitely Giggs that was doing this thing 100%. He’s made a lot of people start rapping. My brother made me start rapping, but Giggs defiantly influenced me to say well he’s from Peckham and he’s doing it so I can do it.
When did you realise that you could pursue your hobby as a career, and was there anyone in particular who really supported your decision?
I don’t like feeling like I’m wasting my time and that I’m doing something for no reason. I was building up a fanbase so I gathered that people were loving my music. There was a good amount of people that were supportive. Firstly one of my English teachers Ms. Fernandez. I loved English in school, so she could see my writing skills from there. She pushed me and a couple of other teachers pushed me. My friends loved the songs anyway; they banged the songs out and promoted it by sending them round and making everyone aware that I had new stuff coming out.
Talk us through your earlier days with Big Lee Records
There like the man dem from the ends. Big Lee was one of the mandem from the ends but he died, and his friends decided to make a label with his name in it. I’m still among Big Lee, the managers and CEO’s they are a part of my management team at the moment. They just got a collection of artists from the area, and just did songs all together, but I didn’t want people to think we were a group or a boyband. We started doing solo stuff and everyone went there own way.
Being young and a talented artist with a daily growing fanbase, what advise would you give to young people who want to pursue music?
Keep going, and I know you probably hear it and it’s a cliché but I’ve actually realised if its not happening now, its not meant to happen now. Don’t feel like your making however many tracks and your only getting 30 views, that doesn’t mean that you should give up. Just keep going because I remember when my only fans were my friends, now I’ve got fans in places that I’ve never been to in my life. I’d just say keep grafting and be persistent.
Did being on the Bigga Fish tour increase your presence on the scene and your fanbase?
Yes 100%. It was a great platform for me. That was my first time going on tour, and to not only tour London, but Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, which was my first time going to each of those cities. To go there and have the crowd sing back your lyrics, and I’ve never been there before was like how the heck do you know who I am. It was definitely great, and to finish up in London and get that love back from the hometown was wonderful.
You said recently that your female fanbase has expanded. Why do you think this is?
I don’t know I just think there feeling the boy. Females get attracted and I think if it’s not the lyrics they say it’s my looks.
Have you had any funny tweets from the ladies?
Yea, I get proposed to all the time. There’s a line for bookings and they phone and they book me, like they’ve got an event. It’s like, ‘yea we want to book Cash for a show,’ and they ask where’s the venue and they say, ‘my house,’ what’s the capacity, ‘no one just him and me. ’ I get that a lot, but it’s all love and I love the attention and the support.
A Lil Bit Of Cash is out soon, this is you first solo mixtape. Do you feel any expectations or more pressure because you don’t have anyone to share the burden with?
I don’t, the reason why is because I’m confident with the music I’ve got and if it doesn’t work its trial and error. You make mistakes to learn from them, so if I do this and it blows out the water and I turn into some next star overnight then I’d know I did the right thing. If I did it and I started losing fans, then I’d know not to do it. Personally I’m confident with the material I’ve got on it, and it will put me on a better platform than the one I’m on now.
Tracks collabs
I’ve shot 3 videos for 3 songs; they should all be on Channel AKA. I’ve shot ‘Gassed In The Rave’ ft. Krept & Konan, ‘Boasy,’ ft Stylo Gee and Rascals and ‘J Cole K Koke.’ ‘Boasy’ and ‘Gassed In The Rave’ are more up-tempo dancy kind of tracks. The majority of my stuff is about pain and slow kind of piano beats. I didn’t want people to think those were the only songs I could make, so I put those out. It’s just a journey throughout the whole tape. There’s a song on their called Flicker, and on the chorus I say, ‘I’m just here waiting, waiting for the day I can start celebrating.’ At that time I was thinking, I haven’t actually gone out and done something lately, I need some good news to celebrate. That’s earlier on in the tape, and later on in the tape, I got some good news and I needed to celebrate, so there’s a song called, ‘Celebration.’ The last song is called ‘Journey,’ and it shows the journey that I’ve made from where I was to where I am now, and the journey I’m trying to make from where I am now to where I want to be.
It’s nearly the end of the year, so what are your plans for 2012?
Bigger and better, epic, everything I do has to be bigger and it has to be better and it has to be epic. It has to be different; I’m not trying to do what everyone else is doing.
Any New Years resolutions?
I want to become a better artist, I’m always keen to learn and I’m learning every single day. I want to aspire to more things, I want to go to more places and become bigger than I am right now.
A Lil Bit Of Cash is out now on iTunes
Follow him on Twitter @cashtasticmusic
* published in Flavour Magazine
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