Rap Up UK release the latest video in the mini documentary series on UK rappers. This time the focus is on Tinie Tempah who rose from the underground to became a mainstream, worldwide chart success. From Aftershock to track Wifey Riddem to his first album Discovery this shows documents Tinie’s journey to becoming a pop star.
March 17, 2013
Rugrat – Mula [Music Video]
Mozart’s Rugrat returns with Mula a track about getting in the money and getting on your grind.
March 17, 2013
Colours – It’s Going Down [Music Video]
Colours is back with a new street track It’s Going Down spitting some heavy bars over a nice bassy beat. Colours should be bringing out some new material very soon including a mixtape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CauX17Njs0&feature=player_embedded
March 11, 2013
MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]
I hit G Shock Sessions on Friday evening, the first one of 2013 and this was definitely one not to be missed. With a heavy-duty line up, people braved the rain to head down to the shop in East London and catch the live acts which included Scrufizzer, Saskilla, Mic Righteous, Dru Blu, McLean and Trilla…
When Shystie dropped the ‘Control It’ video featuring Azealia Banks last Sunday evening (March 3) to positive feedback, no one could have expected that her (ex?) friend Azealia was talking with her label about removing the video from the net. Whatever reasons she had for this, the New York diva did not come across well, as most people were backing Shystie and the video was re-uploaded. ‘Control It’ comes from Shy’s forthcoming ‘Pink Mist’ EP.
There was a lot of new music and videos out last week. We heard Wretch 32’s new single featuring singer Shakka. The track is called ‘Blackout’ and is the first tune to be heard from Wretch’s new album, giving us a little taster of what to expect. The album is expected to be released at the end of 2013.
Scorcher’s latest project ‘Simply The Best Vol 3’ was released in December last year and was heavily rated. A newly-released video sees him and Fekky going in hard over a trap instrumental called ‘One Time’ produced by Slic Vic.
In the lead up to the release of his single ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’ featuring Rita Ora which came out yesterday (March 10) K Koke did a bit of promo, which included an SB.TV twitter hijack, a USG cypher from himself, Aystar, Geko, Squingy and Lefty and a music video for ‘Do Dis Ting’, dedicated to the USG supporters. ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’ got to No.17 in the charts last night.
The USG team’s youngest member Geko along with their newest recruit Aystar dropped the video to ‘Play Around’, which sees the two proving that even though they are young, they can go in and lay down bars along with the best of them.
Sho Shallow and Ard Adz revealed the tracklisting to the general public for their new EP ‘G.H.E.T.T.O’ which is set to drop on Tuesday March 12 and will see 13 brand new tracks from the duo. Their video ‘Brixton Boy’ was due to be out last night, but due to technical difficulties it didn’t get released – I’m sure it will be out soon.
Link-Up TV put together a documentary on UK rap recently. The documentary was done in light of the UK rap scene gaining a lot of attention and to praise its success. It looked at the past, present and future and talked to rappers including Wretch 32, Mike GLC and Giggs. Make sure you check it out.
March 6, 2013
MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]
Last week saw two of I Records artists going to Tim Westwood’s crib for a session and one of them releasing a track. Young Mad B’s video ‘Come So Far’ showed the rappers emotion and depth; he also laid down some bars for Westwood. Dru Blu also had a lot he wanted to say, passionately dropping some reality lyrics in the crib. We also saw another Westwood crib session, this time from North London rappers Squeeks, Joe Black and Kaz who showcased their effortless bars. I wonder who Westwood will be bringing in next…
Yesterday (March 3), Shystie released the video to ‘Control It’ featuring ‘212’ rapper Azealia Banks. The video sees the femcee holding men on a leash as she asks if they can ‘control it, work it, show me you deserve this’ – it’s an interesting watch.
Disturbing London’s G FrSH called on DVS and Scorcher to lay down verses and Loick Essien the hook for the new track ‘Welcome To My Life’. They all work well together on this track.
Sneakbo gave a free track away last week, refixing his ‘Zim Zimma’ track over various popular electro and bass instrumentals, giving it an extra party vibe.
Big Tobz released the ‘Behind The Music’ EP last week, and he also delivered the visuals to the track ‘Line Em Up’ with Jobey, courtesy of Link-Up TV. You can download the EP for free now.
Political Peak starts to pick things back up again this year by dropping this hot new freestyle for the streets and impressing with his wordplay. He also dropped the video to ‘My Moment’ off his latest mixtape ‘Dreams 2 Reality 2’.
Mr Mitchell begins 2013 with the new track ‘The Give And Go’ with a dubstep inspired instrumental and the main character in the video played by Mic Righteous.
Rap Up UK released another mini biography documentary last week; this time the spotlight was on South London rapper’s Ard Adz and Sho Shallow, who had previously been on the series talking about other artists. The documentary shows their journey and called them the ‘most exciting rap duo in the urban underground’.
Sway joined GRM Daily for their Black and White series to discuss a few topics last week. He spoke on matters to do with his own career, elevation and how he perceives the music industry. Interestingly, he explained that record labels do not buy you respect and credibility – you have to earn that yourself.
*published on Monday 4th March
February 19, 2013
WRAP UP AND WATCH OUT: SHAKKA [Interview]
Starting off his career with celebrity fans such as Wretch 32, Maverick Sabre and Rita Ora is no surprise once you hear 23-year-old Shakka’s voice. His ability to fuse rock, reggae, hip-hop and r&b is so unique, he calls himself ‘Bob Marley’s and Coldplay’s birthchild’ – which is probably the best way to describe it. Following his online ‘Shakapella’ series and the release of his introductory single ‘Sooner Or Later’, 2013 is set to be a promising year for the London-bred singer and songwriter…
The Wrap Up: Your sound is quite different to anything I’ve heard – a blend of hip-hop, jazz, electronic and rock. How would you describe it and can you explain the reason behind the fusion of sounds?
Shakka: I’ve always been into hip-hop, r&b and reggae because my dad’s a reggae musician. I’d like to say I am Bob Marley and Coldplay’s birthchild – that’s where my current sound is. I definitely have the roots in r&b, hip hop and reggae, but reggae and alternative rock is the fun stuff I’m doing at the moment.
TWU: Your online presence is fantastic. Do you think you will continue the ‘Shakkapella’ series, as it has done really well, or start another conceptual series?
Shakka: I have ideas all the time, but I have one in particular that I want to do… it’s more production orientated, but it’s still in the works. I’m definitely going to continue doing Shakkapella’s because they’re fun and a lot of people like them. It’s something I don’t really have to think about that much; I just literally record and get down – and it’s a good way to speak to the fans.
TWU: You have many celebrity fans. What is the best advice you have got from anyone of them?
Shakka: I was in the studio with Etta Bond one time and she said there was a time where Labrinth felt like it was just a madness with regards to press and all that stuff. He came to the conclusion that it was just about making music, so he said to Etta, ‘just make music, just make good music. Don’t think about how much it will sell, don’t think about numbers, or the business, don’t think about the gossip or the details. Just make good music.’ It’s easy to forget that sometimes.
TWU: ‘Sooner Or Later’ is your introductory single. Can you tell us the message and inspiration behind it?
Shakka: We wanted to explore reggae and alternative rock. Coldplay was quite influential to me with their albums, especially their first album ‘Parachutes’. I was birthed in reggae, so we wanted to see what we could do and make a Rastafarian festival smash. The ideology behind it is pretty much trying to find out where you’re from and thinking about the contrary opinion to where you may be from…
TWU: How have you developed since your first EP ‘Foolishness Vol.1’?
Shakka: With ‘Foolishness’, I went into the studio and wrote, produced and recorded it without really thinking about whether it would sell or not or if people would connect with it. I was just full of ideas at the time and I thought just making them was the main concept. That’s why I called it ‘Foolishness’, because like a child, I pretty much just experimented with the innocence of the music. Since then I’ve gone back to finding out exactly where my parents are from and the culture that I belong to – those things have definitely affected it [his new music].
TWU: Your EP is out this year – can you tell us more about the concepts and tracks on there?
Shakka: ‘Sooner or Later’ will be on there and that’s co-produced by DeanyBoy. The rest is entirely written, produced and performed by myself. There’s a song with a dubstep/indie/reggae tone to it called ‘Strength Of An Ox’ – I’ve performed that a couple of times. There are a few songs dedicated to love, attraction to the opposite sex, and the problems that may occur. It’s a thick bodied piece of a bunch of ideas that have been floating around in my mind. It’s a good transition from the ‘Shakka Crown Affair’, but I do still experiment with hip-hop, r&b and grime.
February 19, 2013
MTV The Wrap Up: UK Rap Rundown [News]
Last Sunday saw the release of Mic Righteous’ ‘Open Mic’ EP and on Tuesday (12) he held a launch party in Camden with special guests. Support acts consisted of one of London’s finest female DJ’s – SB.TV’s Melody Kane, rapper MyNature, lyricist RoxXxan, grime’s Big Narstie and ‘the people’s prince’ Charlie Sloth…
Mic performed all of the tracks from his EP and the recent Radio 1 Live Lounge cover of ‘The Power Of Love’ with singer Lucia. Vocalist Ella Chi also joined him for my personal favourite track off the EP, ‘King Of Hearts’. Everyone was excited to see English Frank join Mic on stage along with wordsmith Akala. It really was a special night and it was great to see Mic captivate and wow every single member of the crowd.
A mini biography documentary on Giggs was released by Rap Up UK recently, talking us through his come up, achievements and why he is important to UK rap music. It features artists like Ard Adz, Sho Shallow, Pepstar, Propane, Manga, D Dark and Squingy, who all gave their positive and respected views on him, showing how significant Giggs is to the scene.
Wretch 32’s biography video came out last night via the same platform, looking at his career from his huge underground success and being part of The Movement along with Devlin, Ghetts, Scorcher to his most recent mainstream success.
His ‘Crown Me’ mixtape dropped in December 2012 and became a much talked about and listened to mixtape; so it was only right for Ratlin to drop the video to one of the bangers off their entitled ‘Roley’.
Sneakbo released another video from his forthcoming ‘Certified’ EP, getting people geared up for the release. ‘They Don’t Know Me’ has a catchy beat and hook and is definitely one I can expect to hear in clubs. Sneakbo’s bars and flow sounds effortless too.
Young Spray hit up Fire In Booth on BBC Radio 1 with Charlie Sloth, starting off by spitting hardcore bars over the instrumental ‘Clique’ then ‘Renegade’ and ‘Home Town’. His lyrics switched to different subjects but irrespective are fueled by his passion and emotions.
A lot of heat was surrounding Bayoz Muzik last week as his ‘Death Of A Beatmaker’ EP was released. It has seven strong tracks and features some of the UK’s best emcee’s including Giggs, JME, Blade Brown, Gunna Dee, J Spades, Youngs Teflon and more. The tape has helped propel him more into the limelight and spark new interest and fans.
This is my favourite track of the week… ‘Passion’ comes from South London’s DVS. The piano led instrumental is beautiful and fits the various topics of the track, with the lyrics showing DVS’s depth and thoughts.
February 18, 2013
Wretch 32 – Biography (Documentary) [Video]
Rap Up UK look at Wretch 32‘s career with many of the people featured in the video agreeing he is one of the best in the UK. He has risen from the underground to achieving mainstream success and things can only get better for him.
February 18, 2013
Giggs – Biography (Documentary) [Video]
Rap Up UK released a mini biography documentary on Giggs interviewing other UK artists to see why Giggs is so influential to the UK rap scene and has become a pioneer in the game. It looks back to when he started and lists some of his achievements. Ard Adz, Sho Shallow, Propane, Manga, D Dark, Pepstar Shaun White and Squingy are all featured.
February 3, 2013
WRAP UP AND WATCH OUT: RATLIN [Interview]
Ratlin only been on the scene for a tender two years, yet the lyricist’s authentic style and lyrics grabbed the attention of the underground – which saw him pocket an OMA last year, hailing as the ‘Best Newcomer’. With his third mixtape ‘Crown Me’ dropping in December and the ‘Infinite Possibilities’ EP already sorted for 2013, The Wrap Up’s Shireen Fenner speaks to Ratlin about future projects and the idea of getting signed…
The Wrap Up: Hi Ratlin. Let’s take it back in time – your dad was a producer. How did he influence you as a musician?
Ratlin: My dad played a major part of me getting into music. As you said he was a producer; he’s worked around many artists. He did give me that spark to start rapping, but it was more of a self-decision. It was the people I was around – life experiences and what I’ve been through in my short period of time gave me the power to talk. [It also] made a lot of people want to listen.
TWU: Tell us about life after dropping your first mixtape ‘Youngest In Charge’ in 2011.
Ratlin: That was the crucial biting point for me. If I thought the people didn’t like it enough, I don’t think I would have continued making mixtapes to that extent – I maybe would have carried on making music, but not as seriously. ‘Youngest In Charge’… I loved it, everyone loved it, I done a few videos and in no time ‘Summertime In Mexico’ came out. Off that I won the ‘Best Newcomer’ Award at the OMA’s in 2011 – I’m just getting over that, I was happy about that! This December I’m dropping a mixtape called ‘Crown Me’.
TWU: You have quickly built a name for yourself in the scene. How do you think a rapper maintains a good reputation in the UK?
Ratlin: Stay positive and keep being yourself; don’t change for anybody, that’s what people want you to do. Once you change, you fall off. If you continue being yourself and making the music people liked in the first place, you’ll have no problem as a rapper.
TWU: What is it that you love about the UK music scene that sets it apart from the US and the rest of the world?
Ratlin: We’ve got our own sound, a traditional sound. That’s what some artists in the US are trying to catch onto now. We need a bit more unity; if we had that there would be nothing stopping us. There’s not a lot of support, if you’re not already a team no one is willing to give that extra hand. [But] we’ve got our own sound, that’s what keeps us different.
TWU: What is your take on getting signed?
Ratlin: Getting signed… that’s something that comes with how talented you are and how much work you put in. I have no problem with getting signed, but it’s getting signed to who and for what. If a deal comes along down the line then I’m grateful, but right now it’s just music. You can get far on your own, but it depends how far you want to get and where your dream lies – it depends where you want to be as an artist. I’ve only been in the game for two years so I ain’t rushing anything.
TWU: A lot of the content in your songs focuses on how little you had growing up and how hard you had to hustle to get by. Has music saved you from a risky path in life?
Ratlin: Not just yet, I’m still me and I’ll continue to be me. I wouldn’t say I had a hard life coming up, but I went through a lot of stuff coming up. What I’ve been through has made me who I am today. I’m a very smart guy; I would have come up with something else to do. I didn’t plan to start rapping, I started music as a hobby and people started liking it; I saw the business in it. I would have come up with a plan B.
TWU: Your new mixtape ‘Crown Me’ is out in December. What’s the idea behind the name and what can we expect from it?
Ratlin: ‘Crown Me’ is about the fact that everyone wants to be the best and everyone thinks they have got talent. Me personally, I don’t think rappers are touching me. They don’t hit the subjects I hit; they can’t switch it up, they’re not versatile like me. They might have a few hits out there, but they don’t reach out to the people and touch people’s souls – they just make people like [their] music. ‘Crown Me’ is something completely different to what every other rapper has thought about – my dreams are something crazy. I want that crown; I want to be crowned a legend.
My other mixtapes had a few features, but I’ve never really reached out to other artists. On this mixtape, every single track apart from two have features; I’ve got around 20 UK artists on there. I’ll be premiering a lot of the songs soon on BBC 1Xtra. I’ve got people like G FrSH, Squeeks, Benny Banks, Harry Shotta, Blade Brown, No Lay, Sincere, a singer called Karina from Birmingham and a singer called V.
TWU: Following that, what is next for Ratlin?
Ratlin: After ‘Crown Me’, ‘Infinite Possibilities’ is going to be out, my seven track EP – it’s already finished. I’m just waiting on the right release date and talking to a few majors because I’ve got a few signed people on there. It’s gonna be more of an iTunes thing, so get your 79p out because I’ve given away a lot of mixtapes – now it’s time to get a little bit back so I can continue. There’s a lot in store, don’t sleep on me. Next year I’m [also] planning on releasing a mixtape called ‘The Lost Tapes’ – that will be another free mixtape with every song that I haven’t released yet – it might be a double CD, it might be a triple CD.
Words: Shireen Fenner (@Shireenxoxo)
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