Check out the new video from Young Don Harder Than Them. This new street tracks shows us what to expect from his forthcoming mixtape The Weather Man 2 hosted by DJ Khaled.
July 11, 2013
Colours – Everything [Music Video]
He is one of the UK’s most respected and best road rappers. Check out the video to his new track Everything where we can hear sampling from Mariah Carey’s I Give My All and Colours spitting nothing but real bars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0dPOU97Sj4&feature=player_embedded
June 26, 2013
MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]
This week I’m going to start off with two very special Fire In The Booth sessions. If you don’t know what it is, it was started by Charlie Sloth on BBC Radio 1Xtra and showcases the cream of UK MCs where they get to display their best lyrics. SN1’s Gunna Dee who recently released a mixtape ‘Hustler By Nature 2’ was up first. Keeping up the heat surrounding the tape, it was only right he went on the show…
North London rapper Squeeks dropped his first Fire In The Booth in 2011; two years on he returned for the second installment, really showcasing his progression since the first one. He makes this epic freestyle look effortless.
i Records are keeping it busy with two releases from the label this week.
Dru Blu keeps up the work level staying consistent by releasing another net video courtesy of Rap City TV. Keeping it real as always with this street banger, he tells us his reasons for working hard; ‘Rude boy I ain’t rich yet so what the f**k should I rest for.”
Snap Capone’s mixtape ‘Return Of The Shooter’ is the second release from i Records family. You might have seen some videos and freestyles of his recently leading up to this 25-track tape which sees him discussing life on the streets and in particular his own life. This is a hard road rap release and isn’t for the light hearted.
Producer Bayoz Muzik dropped the fourth video off his ‘Death Of A Beatmaker’ EP. ‘F U Pay Me Now’ features Tigger Da Author, Paigey Cakey and Tzy. Bayoz is known for producing beats for UK rapper Giggs as well as many others and his EP features J Spades, Blade Brown and more.
Wretch 32 caused a stir last week as he released the audio to his second single ‘Doing OK’ which comes after ‘Blackout’ featuring Shakka from his forthcoming third album. This time it features Jacob Banks, who is also part of the Renowned group. The album has no release date yet but is set to be released this year via Ministry Of Sound.
Until next time…
June 9, 2013
J Spades – More Money More Pagans 2 [Free Mixtape Download]
After the success of More Money More Pagans, Mashtown’s J Spades releases the highly anticipated second instalment. The 19 track strong tape has features from some of the best from the UK rap scene such as DVS, Blade Brown, Chip, Joe Black and Cashtastic and also from the US Waka Flocka Flame.
Download J Spades – More Money More Pagans II here
May 28, 2013
Mynature – Mr Is Rap [Music Video]
Mynature releases the video to Mr Is Rap produced by EFX, Mynature proclaims the he is rap personified, a massive statement that he can back up with his trademark wordplay, lyricism and flow
May 28, 2013
Dappy Vs Scorcher – UK Rap Beef (Documentary) [Video]
The Rap Up UK are doing a brilliant job of putting together documentaries for us based on the UK rap and grime scene and getting people involved in the scene’s take on it. For the first UK Rap Beef series they look at Dappy Vs Scorcher check it out….
May 24, 2013
The Art of UK Rap – [Documentary]
Rap Up UK return with another mini documentary this time looking at the Art Of Rap where they talk to emcees such as Jaja Soze, Political Peak, Fem Fel, Dru Blu, Pepstar, USG, Young Mad B, Yung Meth, Sho Shallow, Lyrican, Mike GLC, Pane & Yardz, Wholagun, Pound Sterling, Marger + More
May 21, 2013
MTV Wrap Up – UK Rap Rundown [News]
Spit TV brought to you by We Hustle TV re-launched last Sunday on Channel AKA – it began about ten years ago on Channel U, before the days of Youtube and Twitter. This is where the best emcess from the UK are invited to spit for around three minutes. Ras Kwame the host described it as ‘one take, one mic, one spit’. Link-Up TV released a behind-the-scenes video along with the visuals for the Eurogang and Frisco freestyles. Look forward to seeing the likes of Benny Banks, Joe Black, Geko, Griminal, Scrufizzer, Coops and many more…
An array of some of the hottest UK grime and rap emcees come together for the remix of Lethal Bizzle’s ‘They Got It Wrong’ originally featuring Wiley. Krept & Konan, Kano and Squeeksjumped on the remix to make it an all-star cast.
Another remix to drop last week was Sneakbo’s ‘Ring A Ling’ which saw Wiley and Krept & Konan give the Brixton rapper some heavy-duty verses on his next summer club banger. Expect to see a video for this one soon, as the track is released in July.
Young Spray reminds people that Northstar are originals in new track ‘Pull Your Pants Up’. “Only saw So Solid’s before the North Star Chain, only knew PDC when North Chain came. I saw the best come and go; the rest are dumb and slow.” He also shows respect to Giggs, Blade Brown and Asher D in the track.
Shak Corleone released the video to ‘Voice Of The Streets’ from his latest mixtape ‘Purgatory’. The Brixton rapper keeps it 100% road rap with the track featuring Lil Torment, Skore Beezy and Don Slice who all spit hard street bars.
PW is definitely a rapper who has a lot of heat surrounding him right now with a lot of co-signs from Dappy, Cover Drive and The Saturdays. His latest release ‘From PW With Love’ was well received and last week saw him drop the visuals to featured track ‘Here With You’.
UK rap veteran Mike GLC was the next up on SB.TV for his 3rd Degree freestyle. He spits over some classic joints with his effortless flow, showing people how it’s done.
Benny Banks gave us the visuals to track ‘48 Freestyle 1&2’ off his new mixtape ‘Patiently Waiting Vol 2’ which is available to download for free. The two laid back instrumentals allow for Benny to drop his classic relaxed flows which he is known for.
May 12, 2013
MTV The Wrap Up – Context [Interview]
Four years ago in 2008, Context released his debut EP ‘Dialectics’ with Huw Stephens, revealing his first track to the world on BBC Radio 1. This was a fantastic start in his journey as a music artist, and he later went on to win MTV’s Brand New Unsigned Artist competition in 2012. Now the narrative story-telling MC is back with new single ‘1.4 at 12’ – he talks The Wrap Up’s Shireen Fenner through his sound, going to university and what’s next for him…
The Wrap Up: What was the foundation to your journey as an MC?
Context: I was always really into rap music in a major way. I moved out of home when I was 19 and I was working in a call centre; I just started messing around, writing tracks to talk about what I was experiencing. I just did songs about living in a ropey house, having a ropey job, but also having a really amazing time with my mates.
Of course, as I’ve got older and experienced more, I have more and more to write about; but at its core, my music has a thread running through it, and I guess that thread is me – exploring what it means to be a young man from a small town. I guess exploring parochialism and everything that comes with it.
TWU: Your sound is very unique, mixing dubstep productions with hip-hop and indie sounds. How did your sound develop?
Context: It just came from the fact that I’m into a lot of different stuff; but the main reason is a bit more conceptual I think. The whole of idea of being unashamedly yourself is something I’m really keen on. People like Giggs or Drake; they just do exactly what they want musically. Whether you like them or not, you can’t deny that. I rate that a lot.
TWU: Where does the influence for your sound and lyrics come from?
Context: My influence is my life and the life of my mates. I felt like “Urban Music”, for lack of a better term, didn’t speak to us at all. All our life we grew up on hip-hop and grime, but apart from The Streets, we never related to the artists in the genre. We’re not living in the hood, but we’ve not got any money either. Who speaks for us? Who tells people how large amounts of young people live, well, at least the young people I know anyway, day to day? I felt like I had to do that and do it honestly.
TWU: How do you feel about being called a ‘game changer’?
Context: It’s great. All I really ever wanted to do was tell our story. I wanted to take the music that I loved and grew up on, but use it to tell people about how we live. Everyone loves to listen to the stories of people in far off lands like Queensbridge or the Marcy projects. When you live in Norwich, London is glamorous too! Like when we heard ‘Boy in the Corner’ – what did we know about Bow? It’s a different world to ours. So if people like the fact that I’m changing the focus of attention to different groups of people, I think that’s great.
TWU: Whilst you were releasing a lot of material, you were at university. Wasn’t it hard to balance the two?
Context: It’s a doubled edged sword. Of course it slows you down, but uni is the ONLY reason I can make music, that’s a simple fact. How else would I live day to day? I can’t live with my parents; my dad’s in Scotland and mums in Manchester. My student loan IS my income. Music is an incredibly expensive hobby. It’s like a full-time job that pays no money in the short term. I would always tell people to go to uni if it’s right for them.
TWU: Your new track ‘1.4 at 12’ was just recently unleashed to the public – Tell us about the track.
Context: I was driving around Norwich on a Saturday night going over to my mates. I started writing down all the things I was seeing; a guy bleeding outside a kebab shop, ‘rudeboys’ in maxed out cars, couples arguing… I started thinking about the track ‘Aston Martin Music’ and was just like; the whole ethos of that track has nothing to do with our lives. It’s meaningless to us. This is our life. And honestly, it’s great! Who else is chatting about this? The song basically wrote itself.
TWU: What is Context up to this year?
Context: I’ve just dropped ‘1.4 at 12’ and the video for that. There are a series of remixes dropping in the next few weeks too. Then I’ve got an EP of entirely new material dropping in April or May called ‘Lacked Capital’. I think there will be another single from that EP too. The plan then will be to start getting everyone ready for the album, which is mostly written now. I’ve also got some amazing live dates happening this year too!
Words: Shireen Fenner (@Shireenxoxo)
May 8, 2013
Meeks – Co-Lab-Adoration (Hosted by DJ Cage) [Free Mixtape]
Birmingham and S-Squad’s Meeks releases a free mixtape Co-Lab-Adoration hosted by i Records DJ Cage with a mixture of various collaborations he has done. Check out this comprehensive ‘whos who’ of talent from the UK rap scene/industry.
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