Mistjam premiered Sneakbo’s new single Zim Zimma on 1Xtra, here it is for you all to listen too.
July 17, 2012
MTV Wrap Up – The UK Rap Rundown
Wow! It’s been a busy week in the world of UK rap and although I haven’t been to any shows this week, I have heard many stand-out tracks. There are also a few mixtapes and one very big album to look forward to in the coming months. Can you guess who I’m talking about?
A few days before Azealia Banks dropped her ‘Fantasea’ mixtape, we were given a taster of what was to come with ‘Neptune’, featuring London MC Shystie. Shystie was only one of two featured artists on the 19 track mixtape, the other artist being Styles P. Last Monday the south London hip-hop collective Caxton Press released the video to ‘Big Buck Star’ from their debut LP ‘Shame The Devil’ which is out now. Another collective from London, Piff Gang, also released their third 11-track mixtape called ‘Plant Life’. This will be the first of three projects we will see from them in the coming months, so watch this space.
The USG boys have been busy as we saw three tracks released from them last week. The first was K. Koke’s ‘Roc For Life’, featuring MMG’s Wale. I loved the rocky beat on this track and the video was a perfect match. K. Koke tweeted as it premiered, writing: “This ain’t no music video. It’s my journey from streets up!”
Next up was Exo who released the video ‘Way Back Home’ featuring singer Tom Prior – again this had a rocky beat and shows a very different side to Exo. Youngest member Geko slowed it down for ‘Best Friend’ as he reaches out to his old friend. Look out for K. Koke’s album ‘I Ain’t Perfect’ and Exo’s 7 track EP ‘The 7 Day Mile’ due in October.
Ard Adz and Sho Shallow jumped on Sneakbo’s ‘Still Breathing’ to give us a banging remix of the track, complete with a video. These two have been putting in a lot of work this year, so we should be expecting big things from them. G FrSH was joined by Yungen and Cashtastic for ‘Grown A** Boy’; giving us a taster of what is to come from his upcoming ‘Legoman II’ mixtape.
Lastly The Jump Off team recently had a debate, asking: ‘Should Grime Artists Make UK Rap?’ LaLa asked the question ‘If he keeps doing grime, is he not allowed to ever, ever experiment?’
Some of the team thought it was okay to make a few one-off tracks out of their genre, but came to the conclusion that their fans would be upset if they were to completely cross over. However, examples of artists that have crossed over successfully such as Chip and Tinie Tempah show that it is more than possible to start off as a grime artist and move to rap.
July 15, 2012
SNEAKBO FEAT ARD ADZ SHO SHALLOW – STILL BREATHING REMIX
Ard Adz and Sho Shallow jump on Sneakbo’s Still Breathing for a sick remix complete with visuals.
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.
July 9, 2012
LIVE REVIEW: WIRELESS FESTIVAL – LONDON (7-8 JULY 2012)
This weekend was the one everyone was waiting for… Wireless Festival! On Saturday, I caught a few tracks from the beautiful Rita Ora, which included ‘How We Do (Party)’, ‘Hot Right Now’, and ‘RIP’. She looked every inch the Roc Nation princess in camouflage combat trousers, black crop top and black beanie hat…
I had to run to see the amazing UK act Clement Marfo + The Frontline, who sent everybody absolutely mental as one of the first acts on at the Pepsi Max Stage. Frontman rapper Clement and singer Kojo exuberated energy, gaining lots of new fans.
Tulisa was up next on the main stage after Rita, opening with N Dubz songs. She showed her ex what he was missing by wearing a black low cut bra style top, with her midriff bare and a high waisted, short black star print skirt. She then dedicated ‘Titanium’ to her ex, saying “this is to my d***head ex-boyfriend, Justin f****** Edwards!” She also performed a track from her new forthcoming album called ‘Leave Me Alone’.
I then ventured to Barclay’s Unwind Stage to catch Sneakbo, where I saw Political Peak, Sho Shallow and Ard Adz performing. Sneakbo then came out and the crowd went even wilder. He performed ‘Yo Sexy’, ‘Call Me A Naija’, as well as doing covers of ‘Imma Boss’, and ‘Oliver Twist’. Of course he then ended with ‘Show Me The Wave’, and recent release ‘Sing For Tomorrow’.
UK hip-hop’s savior Sway was next up on the Barclays Unwind Stage; again you could tell there were hardcore fans in the audience as he performed ‘Up Your Speed’. ‘Still Speeding’ was definitely a crowd pleaser and his latest single ‘Level Up’ left the crowd unable to control their high.
I then went to see Taylor Gang general Wiz Khalifa who looked very indie in a bowler hat, long t-shirt, black skinny jeans and denim jacket, performing his well-known tracks ‘Roll Up,’ ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ and closing on ‘Black & Yellow’.
Fans gathered early to see The Weeknd. From the ‘House Of Balloons’ mixtape he sang ‘The Morning’, ‘The Party & The After Party’ and ‘Wicked Games’. He also played tracks from the infamous ‘Thursday’ mixtape, which the crowd enjoyed the most. His solo performance for me was the best of the night; his vocals were 100% and you could hear every word of his stunning voice.
Next up was Ms Nicki Minaj. She got carted to the stage kicking off her set with ‘Roman’s Revenge’, ‘Did It On Em’, and ‘Beez In The Trap’. When ‘Moment For Life’, and ‘Starships’ came on, everyone was singing along. Near the end she did a dancehall inspired set, singing and dancing to songs like ‘Who Am I’ by Beenie Man and Tony Matterhorn’s ‘Dutty Wine’, where she showed everyone how it was done by wining on stage. ‘Superbass’ and ‘Monster’ were the closing tracks for the first lady of YMCMB.
Despite the rain, it was then time to see the artist everyone was waiting for – Drake. Coming on looking every inch the superstar, he was dressed all in black with touches of gold. He opened with ‘Underground Kings’, and ‘Lord Knows’ before quickly moving onto ‘I’m On One’ and ‘Over’.
He then said: “London is like my second home, I don’t give a f**k about the rain tonight.” The Weeknd came out to join him on ‘Crew Love’ and ‘The Zone’. Drake almost brought tears to The Weeknd’s eyes when he put his arm around him and told him, “I remember when I met you in Toronto, I knew you were going to be the greatest musician alive.”
Nicki also came back on stage for ‘Proud Of You’. The crowd joined in with Drake for ‘Take Care’, filling in for the missing Rihanna. He made the females falling for him judging by their love struck eyes! Despite the bad sound quality from the main stage, Drake put on a brilliant performance and proved why he was the headliner for Saturday and no one else.
Sunday’s Wireless saw Hyde Park become a lethal mudbath. The day was an eventful one, with the ‘King Of Hearts’ Lloyd taking to the stage to wow the ladies in the afternoon. UK soulstress Cleo Sol also represented in the afternoon, performing her new smash ‘Never The Right Time’. Other memorable acts included rapper K-Koke, StooShe, Labrinth, Flux Pavilion, Rizzle Kicks, Jessie J and J Cole.
Rihanna headlined Sunday’s event, which unfortunately was impacted by the poor sound quality, as it was for Drake’s set. Kicking off her set late, the star demonstrated her love for Egypt with an Arabian themed stage. The singer performed tracks like ‘Hard’ ‘Live Your Life’ ‘What’s My Name’ ‘Where Have You Been’ ‘S&M’ and finished off with ‘Umbrella’, at which time it was actually raining.
The 24-year-old’s headlining set was finished off with fireworks and bouncy balls being thrown into the crowd, before she told her adoring crowd: “Thanks for staying to watch me in the rain… Only in London would you guys stay to watch this show.”
June 25, 2012
MTV The Wrap Up Interview – Sneakbo
Sneakbo is the south London rapper that quickly rose to fame as part of the new wave of rap talent to grace the UK. His sound is so unique that Drake has cited him as his favourite UK rapper, calling him an inspiration for his ‘Take Care’ album. The Wrap Up’s Shireen Fenner talks to him about Drizzy, changing negatives into positives and his new music, which includes a mixtape dropping in August and a 2013 LP…
The Wrap Up: Hey Sneakbo! What have you been up to?
Sneakbo: I’ve just been working hard in the studio; I’m working on new singles. I’ve been doing shows all over the UK… just working hard!
TWU: How did being in prison change your outlook on life and what did it teach you?
Sneakbo: It showed me that the road I was walking down really wasn’t worth it. Now I’ve seen what I can achieve from music, I’d rather stick to it and just stay positive.
TWU: Do you feel that there you may experience setbacks due to your time in prison?
Sneakbo: Yeah, the police might stop a show if they feel the area isn’t safe. But I’m not really sure if anyone’s trying to bring me down; I haven’t really come across it yet.
TWU: Your musical influences range from afrobeats to rap music. How would you describe it yourself?
Sneakbo: I’d say it is a ‘Jetski Wave’ because I do all kinds of things, that is why I named it that because it’s got its own type of sound. I wouldn’t say [‘The Wave’ track] is afrobeats music; I’d say it’s a dance vibe with a bit of emotion to it as well.
TWU: How’s the Jetski Wave clothing going?
Sneakbo: The clothing’s going well; most of the fans are supporting it. Hopefully I’ll be doing some stuff for girls as well!
TWU: Your own music is very distinct. How do you make sure you remain different?
Sneakbo: I just come with new and different angles all the time; it just comes from my mind when I’m chilling and stuff. I don’t follow the crowd; I just go with whatever I think sounds right and whatever I think is live.
TWU: How does it feel knowing Drake cites you as his favourite rapper and your music was influential on the recording of his second album?
Sneakbo: I was happy because I’m a fan of Drake and everyone I know is a fan of Drake! I’ve been listening to him for at least 3 years, so when he said I influenced him I was overwhelmed. I listened to his album and I heard the track ‘Cameras’ where he actually does use a part of my lyrics. He also said that I influenced his track ‘Take Care’ with Rihanna.
TWU: There are rumours you two will release a track together. Can you tell us anymore on this?
Sneakbo: Yeah… I can’t really say anything about that to be honest! It’s up to everyone to think what they want to.
TWU: What has been the best advice you have received from another artist?
Sneakbo: I haven’t had an artist support me throughout my whole career, but I’ve had chats with people like Chip, D’Banj and Drake. They’ve all told me that if I keep positive, focused and out of trouble then I’ll get far.
TWU: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind ‘Sing For Tomorrow’?
Sneakbo: I was going through some rough times and I just thought about it and wrote down what I was going through. I added a bit about what my friends were going through, because some of them are in a bit of trouble right now. One of my mates died in a car crash too. Essentially, I’m just talking about going from negative to positive.
TWU: How did you and L Marshall get together to collaborate on the track?
Sneakbo: When I was looking at singers for the track, I was listening to different songs and I came across L Marshall’s mixtape. I liked one of his songs on there so I showed my manager and he hooked it up. We both went into the studio and we just connected; he wrote the hook and blessed it.
TWU: ‘Sing For Tomorrow’ is quite different from ‘The Wave’ and ‘Fire’. What can we expect next?
Sneakbo: I’m definitely going to be doing a dancehall track, that’s the route I’m going down. As for ‘Sing For Tomorrow’, I’m going to do a couple of tracks like that as well, but the party vibe is more my scene.
TWU: What would you like to gain from your music career and where do you see yourself in the future?
Sneakbo: I just want to be successful and make sure I can help my mum and my friends if they are in trouble. I want to be a big star, but I’m not really after the fame to be honest.
TWU: Is there any advice you would give to up and coming artists who have come from similar backgrounds?
Sneakbo: Just work hard and stay out of trouble. Don’t hang out on the streets with friends, read your books. Just be focused in whatever your doing, It doesn’t even matter if it’s not rap, you know?
TWU: Can you give The Wrap Up any exclusives on your album features? I’ve heard names like Jessie J, Roll Deep and WizKid being said…
Sneakbo: [Laughs] I can’t really say. You can expect more songs like ‘The Wave’, and just a few like ‘Sing For Tomorrow’. The producers I’m working with are Ill Blu and some others that aren’t really known that much.
TWU: In between now and the album dropping early next year, is there anything else happening?
Sneakbo: I’m going to be releasing a new single, but right now I’m doing shows all over. I’m working on a mixtape that should be released in August and that will feature a couple friends I grew up with. There are a couple tracks on there that are already done.
TWU: Last word?
Sneakbo: Hopefully I’m going to open a Jet Ski shop in a hot country!
May 9, 2012
Orange Hill ft Vybz Kartel – Pon Time (+Sneakbo Remix)
Orange Hill Productions return with their new single, this time collaborating with dancehall supremo extraordinaire, Vybz Kartel.
Continuing to push boundaries with their unique artistic vocal pairings, the dancehall influenced UK rap maestro Sneakbo provides that homegrown flavour on the remix.
April 20, 2012
Sneakbo ft.L Marshall – Sing For Tomorrow
Sneakbo releases the visuals to his new single Sing For Tomorrow featuring L Marshall. Released 4th June on Play Hard Records.
April 3, 2012
Sneakbo ft. L Marshall – Sing For Tomorrow
Last night Mistajam premiered Sneakbo’s new single Sing For Tomorrow featuring the vocals of L Marshall. The single is set for release 6th June 2012.
March 23, 2012
L Marshall – The Wait Pt. 2 ft. Sincere, Sneakbo
L Marshall releases the video for new track The Wait pt.2 featuring Sincere and Sneakbo, which is the lead single from The Wait EP, available to download on 2nd April.
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