Future Grime Music is not just in safe hands but it has been scooped up, nurtured and given some almighty attention from one of the biggest Grime DJ’s in the UK: BBC 1Xtra’s DJ Cameo. Hosting his #GimmeGrime feature as part of his 1Xtra show everyTuesday at 10pm; DJ Cameo is now filming a series of freestyles focusing on the new faces of the Grime scene aka #FGM (Future Grime Music) which will be premiered via 1Xtra’s very own YouTube page each week.
FGM heavyweights such as Scrufizzer, Kozzie, Rascals and Drifter have already picked up the mic and recorded there#GimmeGrime freestyles, which were launched this week by 1Xtra, check them out here:
Wanna see the first-ever music video shot in space?
Well,
Chris Hadfield, the Commander of the International Space Station, shared his cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" yesterday on his Youtube page. Check it out.
I know a couple of Beyonce stans who must be very excited right now.
Beyonce bears her soul on her much anticipated HBO documentary, Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream. The music icon discusses her miscarriage, relationship with her father Matthew Knowles, husband Jay Z, and of course the birth of her daughter Blue Ivy. She also shares some private moments and studio sessions. Look out for her and Jay Z singing Coldplay's classic "Yellow".
When I first heard about the Harlem Shake craze earlier in the week I was surprised that the dance popularised by Diddy in the early noughties was making a resurgence....then I was much more surprised when I viewed the original video that started what is now the latest internet/Youtube sensation.
The first, Shake video can be attributed to DizastaMusic, but it was the video below by another Youtube user, TheSunnyCoastSkate, that popularised the dance, with his video currently at over 6 million views. The video also set the standard format for the over 12,000 videos that have followed.
The dance basically involves someone wearing a mask or costume of some sort dancing to the song while everyone else mulls about, then when it hits the harder part with the lyrics it cuts to everyone dancing and generally going crazy.
The Harlem shake track is actually a 2011 electronic song by producer Baauer. Check it out HERE in full.
Some of the videos have been creative, hilarious, and weird; and we've had students, athletes, military officers, and office workers joining in.
Check out some of my favourite Harlem Shake videos after the cut, and you can head over to Youtube if you still want to see more of the madness. I wonder if there will be a Naija Harlem Shake video.
The NFL Super Bowl took place last night, with the Baltimore Ravens taking home the title after defeating the San Francisco 49ers. A big highlight of the event was music icon Beyonce's half time performance.
Beyonce wowed in her 12 minute set with performances of Crazy in Love, End of Time and Baby Boy. Then her not so surprising surprise guests Kelly and Michelle joined her for Single Ladies and some Destiny's Child classics. She ended her performance with a powerful rendition of Halo.
Its the last day of the year 2012. Its been quite a year with lots of ups and downs, joy and sorrow. Its also been quite a year for music with quite a number of impressive new artists and debut albums, crew collections, return of legends, new directions, and some pleasing evidence of acceptance and advancement in some genres.
Heres the run down of my Top 20 Albums for the year.
20. Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
Fave Track - In The End
19. Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire Fave Track - Girl On Fire (Inferno Version) Ft. Nicki Minaj
18. Cocaine 80s - Erxpress og
Fave Track - This Can't Be A Crime
17. Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again
Fave Track - Home Again
16. Elle Varner - Perfectly Imperfect
Fave Track - Refill
15. Calvin Harris - 18 Months
Fave Track - Feel So Close
14. 2 Chainz - Based On A T.R.U. Story
Fave Track - Birthday Song Ft. Kanye West
13. Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough
Fave Track - Don't Wake Me Up
12. The Weeknd - Trilogy
Fave Track - The Morning
11. Rick Ross - God Forgives I Don't
Fave Track - Diced Pineapples Ft. Wale & Drake
Check out my top 10 albums are after the cut, and lets hear your top 5.
Efa recruits a couple of celeb friends for a viral video for bouncy joint Open & Close. Tuface, M.I, Dr Sid, Toke Makinwa and more join him and Dammy Krane, showing us their Open & Close performances. Well I'm not sure whose dance was best...i'll go with the Boogie Doggy...
The official video should drop soon.
You can download the viral vid to your mobile here.
Its been five years since the last chapter, and now R. Kelly's Hip-hopera returns with a new installment in his Trapped In The Closet saga as promised. It aired on IFC over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Expect DRAMA!
So you know I always discover new music and artists off soundtracks and scores for movies, trailers, tv shows and even ads, right? Well heres an interesting (read "different") one.
Off the Hitchcock movie trailer (of all places abi) comes the stomping atmospheric Iron by Woodkid. Its actually over a year old and I had heard it before (a rapper sampled it i believe and i searched it out), but it was used in an intriguing way in the trailer and I actually didn't add things up until i went hunting on Youtube. The song also comes up in the trailer for popular game Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Get those cheques Woodkid!
So heres Iron. You can look out for it in the trailer for Hitchcock below. I've also put Woodkid's 'Epic-ish" video for the song after the cut.
So the Fuse ODG Antenna dance competition is heating up. You remember the suited tube guys right? Well now we have a UK couple hitting us with their very impressive and entertaining entry. The lady was rather good. They both were, but I think she'll be getting most of the praise.
Frank Ocean helps kick off SNL's 38th season with two dope performances - a shortened version of Pyramids, with John Mayer assisting, and Thinkin' About You.
Check out Labrinth's cool acoustic rendition of stomping hit Earthquake. Talk about flipping the tone of a song.
With the impending Olympic season ever approaching, Coca Cola unveil the first of the sets from the London 2012 Olympic torch relay concerts. Feauturing the ever impressive Labrinth – one of the artists who, alongside Dizzee Rascal and Emeli Sande are set to perform at the concerts which will take place up and down the country.
I think theres something about mashing up Jay Z classics with indie/rock tracks that gets producers/DJs' juices flowing (see: The Grey Album). I spotted these mash-ups over at pigeonsandplanes, and I had to share.
First up is Wait What, fusing Jay and his Mrs Beyonce's collabo '03 Bonnie & Clyde' with indie band Passion Pit‘s latest single 'Take A Walk'. The resulting track is a rather different, bouncy, refreshing joint. Take A Walk With Bonnie & Clyde will be on Wait What's upcoming mixtape.
The Melker Project also have a go, lacing Jay's verses from 'Say Hello' (off American Ganster) over a rarely heard accapella version of 'Because' by The Beatles.
This kid has enough SWAG sha! He definitely went HAM in this unofficial video for Kanye's Way Too Cold (formerly known as Theraflu). The vid is courtsey of Ashleysmithfilms. Kanye should put him (with or without his Paris Hilton babe) in the official video.
How cool and surreal is this?? The late Hiphop legend Tupac Shakur made an appearance in Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s headlining set at Coachella 2012 last weekend. A very lifelike hologram of the icon performed classics Hail Mary and 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted with Snoop Dogg. Technology! Check it out.
So I'm not in the UK, which means I don't get to watch things like Britain's Got Talent, but theres always Youtube! I saw this on my Twitter timeline and decided to check it out. Its a BGT audition by 19-year old Irish Singer/Songwriter Ryan O'Shaughnessy from some weeks ago. He sings 'No Name' a beautiful, romantic and heartfelt original ballad with a lot of personal significance. Check it out. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from dude in the near future.
Hmm now I'm not really surprised that this is coming out of Snoop Dogg's stable.
Snoop is planning to release a Songbook titled 'Rolling Word', that is made of hemp and can be used as rolling paper.
The book includes pages of lyrics to some of Snoop's older songs, including "Gin and Juice" and "Drop It Like It's Hot." Constructed mostly of hemp materials, the book even features a strike paper spine so that readers can light up whenever and wherever.
Rolling Words is a promotion for Snoop Dogg's Kingsize Slim Rolling Papers.
Check out the promo video and some pics after the cut.
Yes I'm rather late on Azonto, the Ghanaian dance craze thats steadily becoming an international phenomenon. I actually got tuned in earlier in the year, but it wasn't until my recent trip to Ghana that I got the full effect, courtesy of my boy KOS (shout out to the #1 Azonto dancer!) and the fun Accra night life. Everywhere we went, from The Office to Labadi Beach, I saw people bursting into different versions of the infectious dance.
E.L - One Ghana (For Your Pocket)
Azonto is an expressive dance thats rather interesting to do and watch. It incorporates co-ordinated body movement, hand gestures, and non-verbal communication in a rhythmic fashion in very few one-two timed steps. It allows for personal creativity, with dancers re-enacting activities like boxing, talking on the phone, washing, ironing, driving, and other stuff.
Sarkodie Ft. E.L. - U Go Kill Me
Azonto is definitely giving Ghanaian music a bigger international audience, with the likes of Sarkodie, E.L., and R2Bees increasing in popularity. Even without knowing the dance, their songs are hot.
Get Familiar with some of my favourite tracks:
E.L. One Ghana (For Your Pocket)
Sarkodie - U go kill me oo
R2Bees - Ajei
Keche - Sorkode
Buk Bak - Kolom
Sarkodie Ft. EL - Dangerous
I know Azonto has not fully permeated the Naija scene, and quite a number of people don't know the first thing about it. So far the only time I have heard a Sakordie track in Lagos (at Likwid), there were only a few attempts at azonto, including me showing my sis...and they were woeful. So why don't we learn from the videos after the cut. I think the 'One Ghana (For Your Pocket)' vid above is a good video to learn from too. Those masked dancers killed it!
