Jay-Z seems to have settled into his position as Def Jam president, as well as regaining the Roc-A-Fella name and re-shaping it’s roster he’s been signing some fresh new talent to look out for.

Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Teiarra Mari are all youngsters coming into the game but with Jay behind him have big futures ahead of them.

Rihanna impressed Jay so much that she was signed on the spot, and her debut album Music Of The Sun will hit stores August 30th with Pon De Replay as the lead single. Joining Rihanna is another seventeen-year-old Teiarra Mari whose been dubbed the Princess of the Roc.

After being discovered by producer Darryl Simmons she found herself auditioning for L.A Reid and now finds herself alongside Jay in the latest XXL magazine. Completing the trio of youngsters is Ne-Yo, who wrote Let Me Love You for Mario and can boast writing credits for Mary J Blige, B2K, Faith Evans and Musiq. Getting his name from the character in the Matrix, Ne-Yo will certainly be happy if his debut single can reach the heady heights of some of the those aforementioned artists.

Meanwhile after the split with Damon Dash, the Roc-A-Fella name will be held by Jay and he talks about the split in this months XXL magazine, following up on the interview they had with Dash previously. Staying with Roc-A-Fella are Kanye West, Young Gunz, Memphis Bleek, DJ Clue and Foxy Brown.

Looking out the window at work and seeing the beautiful sunshine has got me thinking about anything and everything other than work. As attentions turn to summer holidays, barbecues and sitting in beer gardens I thought I would drop a favourite summer track of mine every now again, for you to escape and reminisce about. If you want to mention a favourite summertime track drop me an email.

To get things going I have to start at what is undoubtedly the best summer track of all time, courtesy of Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. Summertime was released in the summer of 1991 off of the Homebase album and still sounds as great as the first time I heard it. You know summer is here when you first hear this on the radio, let’s hope the weather does justice to it. Someone fire up the BBQ!

The first and last word in Grime DVD’s is back for a third outing. Courtesy of Hotheadz Promotions Lord Of The Decks 3 is now out with a 2 DVD + 1 CD package, well worth your money.

With over 3 hours of footage spread across the DVD’s anyone who is anyone is featured from Kano to Bruza, Roll Deep to Lethal B as we are treated to interviews, freestyles, videos and behind the scenes footage.

The CD is hosted by D Double E and features exclusives from Akala, Wiley and Crazy Titch amongst others.

There really are too many highlights on there to mention but particular attention must be paid to the extended footage of the trip to Germany where Lethal B, D Double E, Target, Kano and Jammer have all gone to perform. Not to give too much away as amongst the radio appearances and rave footage are some hilarious moments including Jammers show stopping drop kick!

If your local record shop doesn’t stock this then www.ukrecordshop.com and www.rhythmdivision.co.uk are worth looking at.

Toys aren't just for kids anymore! Walk into any streetwear fashion shop and you'll find a range of collectables but these have got to be two of the best. If you've been looking to fill that void since you put that action man down, or barbie if your a girl, Addict are releasing two 12 inch figures of their sponsored artists DJ First Rate and Rodney P. Both figures will come with a range of clothing and accessories like microphones and turntables and as you can see in the picture are very realistic. Retailing at £85 each, the release date hasn't been confirmed yet, but you can pre-order them from the Addict website http://www.addict.co.uk/index.asp

Crossing the line between boy band and R’n’B act, teen heartthrobs B2K seemed to have the world at their feet. After two albums and a successful film, which spawned the hits Badaboom, Got’s To Be and Bump, Bump, Bump the last thing expected was for the group to part ways. But early last year that’s what happened and it seemed obvious that Omarion would follow his brother Marques Houston and go solo.

O is his debut offering and although the album plays it safe and doesn’t stray too far away from his B2K days, some of the tracks display a more racy, raunchier side and overall O is a decent album.

The album opens up with the dreamy I Wish, about a friend who Omarion falls for, and then leads into the first of two cuts where heavyweight producers have been brought in. Touch is produced by The Neptunes and features Pharrell on backing vocals while Drop That Heater is another track from Rodney Jerkins welcome return to the scene.

Both tracks are up-tempo numbers ready for club spins and will likely feature as singles. In fact it’s the up tempo tracks that are the albums highlights. Take It off has another heavy beat behind it and sees Omarion in playa mode where he gets straight to it dropping the line, I don’t mean no disrespect/but a nigga really trying to fuck witchu.

Big Boi of Outkast fame provides the big name guest appearance on Never Gonna Let You Go but in truth, the funky track doesn’t really need his appearance as Omarion does a good job of the track himself. And that’s no disrespect to Big Boi, it’s just another example of marketing guys wanting to put an emcee on an R’n’B when it’s not needed.

On the slower material we get to see more of that maturity and the transition from teen heartthrob to young adult. While tracks like I Know and Fiening You lack the lyrics that Usher would deliver, Growing Pains is an interesting number where Omarion gets off his chest the B2K split.

The title track O and In The Dark will have the young teeny boppers going wild but the album is good enough to provide the older fans of R’n’B with value for money. Like the recent Mario release, Omarion isn’t the finished article by far but as is evident on his debut, he will have a long career ahead of him and has taken the jump from being in a successful group to going solo with aplomb.

When we first heard Amerie on the heartfelt, Why Don’t We Fall In Love, we expected success but despite delivering an excellent album to critical acclaim, she didn’t have the sales to show for it.

Now three years on and with a number of release from the likes of Ciara, Beyonce and Mariah Carey there is a lot of competition in the female solo world. But when the single 1 Thing hit, not only had Amerie returned with a bang, the soundtrack to the summer was set.

Produced by the much under rated Rich Harrison, 1 Thing is so different from anything on the radio at the moment that you can’t escape it’s heavy drum beat and enthusiastic vocals.

The partnership of Harrison and Amerie has brought together an album that sounds unlike anything currently out there at the moment. Touch is a classy affair with it’s soulful retro R’n’B stylings combined with Hip-Hop beats which you could see your favourite MC’s spitting over.

The album also lets us get to know Amerie a little better as she unleashes a sexier side on the track Touch, produced by Lil Jon, and this Crunk and B number sounds much better than recent singles by Ciara and Brooke Valentine.

But not to disrespect those two artists, Amerie sounds more like a seasoned vet than one of the new school coming though, such is the superiority of the songs.

If hard pressed to name highlights than the b-boy feel of Man Up, which features
Nas, Like It Used To Be and Rolling Down My Face. Enough evidence that the future of R’n’B and modern Soul is in good hands.

As time goes on, and despite what music is available at the current time, we will always have albums that are looked back upon with great fondness. Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin On to the more recent Illmatic and Blueprint albums from Nas and Jay-Z respectively have all stood the test of time, and are just some of the albums that have shaped music’s growth.

Now one of Hip-Hop’s most respected sons can add his offering to that collection.

In a time where Hip-Hop albums are quickly forgotten and stick to the same tired formulae of club smash, ladies joint and filler, Common’s sixth label release is much needed, perhaps not just for Hip-Hop but for the Chicago MC himself.

After the release of the Electric Circus, many had questioned whether Common had fallen off, had the relationship with Erykah Badu really softened the man who had brought us such great social commentary on tracks like Sixth Sense.

In all fairness the album was misunderstood by those who weren’t used to the switch up in style, Common has after all never been afraid to touch on the softer subject of love with classics like, I Used To Love Her, the metaphor speaking ode to Hip-Hop and more recently his biggest hit to date, The Light.

That hit was supposed to escalade Common into the realms of MTV rotation and platinum sales but was never forthcoming, Be however is set to change all that.

The albums first single, The Corner takes it back to the Windy City over a boom-bap driven beat provided by Kanye West, as he reminisces about the Chicago corners that were a part of everyday life. The track is so unlike anything on the radio at the moment and confirmed to us that Common is back with a bang.

The track Go is a more softer affair as Common raps about a particular fantasy over a more R’n’B beat, reminiscent of Musiq Soulchild’s Forthenight. The track Chi-City is as the name suggests about his beloved Chicago and addresses a number of topics on his mind from so many raps about rims/surprised niggas don’t become tyres and I’m back like a chiropract/with b-boy survival rap.

With Kanye West behind 9 of the tracks, Common will become more accessible for listeners who before would have given his CD a miss. But Kanye’s inclusion is no marketing ploy as he provides some of his careers best production and only heightens the anticipation of his soon to drop Late Registration album.

The albums only other producer is J-Dilla, who provides Common with the heart warming Love Is, which samples Marvin Gaye’s God Is Love, and the final track on the album It’s Your World which features the vocals talents of Bilal.

It’s hard to choose a particular track as a highlight as they are all exceptional whether it’s talking about hustling to make ends meet on Food or the John Legend assisted They Say.

With only 11 tracks the focus is on just the best material and won’t leave you wanting to touch the skip button, a nice change from albums that provide too much filler and leave the buyer short-changed.

With artists like Chingy and 50 Cent giving us syrupy love songs, raps about how much money they’ve got and portraying the role of a gangster in a hero like fashion, Common’s words are needed more than ever in the mainstream environment. Loyal fans will love Be and hopefully enough newcomers to Common’s music will pick it up as it’s a bona fide classic.

Caught Skinnyman live last night at the M Club in Southampton, first time I'd got to see him and got to say my respect for him went even higher. So many times when you see a US act live and pay £25 you get ripped off with a half-assed performance but with Skinny, you really felt the passion in his delivery. As a side note they also had an open mic afterwards which my mate Lavvi took part in. It was a bit of a free for all but he did his thing. It was his first time up on stage and is currently hard at work getting material together. One to watch out for. But then I would say that!

Apologies for the lack of updates the last fortnight. I've been away on work experience at FHM which was great fun, but am back to update you on the latest music. We have singles from The Mitchell Brothers, a return for Donell Jones and the new album from future star Bobby Valentino. Coming up very shortly will be reviews for the much anticipated Common album, Amerie and Omarion's latest sets.

Bobby Valentino - Give Me A Chance




Already a smash in the US and looking to do the same on these shores is the debut album from Bobby Valentino, Give Me A Chance and the label behind its release is from an unexpected output.

Ludacris Disturbing The Peace camp aren’t who you would expect to release an R’n’B album but they have and what a scorcher it is!

From the opening single Slow Down, about spotting an attractive female to the slow ballad Love Dream, it’s clear we have a real talent on our hands.

Bobby used to be in R’n’B group Mista but after that didn’t work out he got to work on securing a solo deal and being from Atlanta, its made sense to sign with one of ATL’s finest Luda.

Luda has only got involved with album creatively by featuring on the title track Give Me A Chance that hopefully will be the next single.

On the slower side of things Bobby gives up his playa card by saying there is One Girl For Me and the falling in love vibe of My Angel.

Other highlight include Tell, Come Touch Me and Gansta Love.

Unfortunately like any other new R’n’B star, Bobby will have to live with the comparisons to Usher but he is his own man and although not as strong vocally he has gone about crafting his own style. With producers Tim & Bob handling the bulk of the production the album has a nice coherent sound.

With Mario’s recent release, and albums coming out this year from Donnell Jones and Joe, there is a lot of competition in the male R’n’B market but Bobby more than holds his own and shows what a future he has. An essential album.

Singles

The Mitchell Brothers follow up their account of being stopped by the police with more tales of London life on the excellent Harvey Nicks. Featuring Sway the three lads tell us of their trouble when popping into the popular department store over a Mike Skinner production. There are plenty of lines that will raise a smile but it’s Sway steals it with a “little girl with a pen ran up to me and said I know who you are/and when I gave her my autograph she said mum is this how you spell Lemar”. All three of these guys look set to have a big year and it’s original material like this that will have lovers of grime and Hip-Hop appreciating them.

After people downplaying the R’n’B scene for trying to be Hip Hop or too many poppy tracks being released 2005 looks like the year that it slams the critics with so many quality releases already this year. Joining that list and a welcome return after nearly three years away is Donnell Jones who gives us a taster for his new long player with Special Girl. This is a quality slab of R’n’B that oozes class as Donell lays down what a woman must have to get with him over a slow tempo jam of the highest calibre that we have come to expect from the man. Perfect for playing at home relaxing or with your girl. Special Girl is the perfect taster for a new album due later this year.

After getting their wish to leave Bad Boy granted 112 dropped a disappointing first album for Def jam but are quick to follow up with a new album and are back to the high standard we have come to expect from a group who released classics such as Only You and Peaches and Cream. You Already Know sees the group getting back to making that sexy, sensual music we like with lyrics on the more descriptive side detailing how they are going to put it down form the bedroom to the kitchen floor. Hot stuff indeed.

The Black Eyed Peas return with Don’t Phunk With My Heart. The track further moves them away from their sound we had become used towards a more accessible pop sound, which will no doubt bring more success ahead of the release of their Monkey Business album, collaborators on the set include James Brown and Justin Timberlake.

Jon B's Everytime gets a reworking with a remix featuring Beenie Man and Ferena. More on the dancehall tip than the original that featured the late Old Dirty but no will doubt have you 'thunder clapping' on the dancefloor.

R.Kelly is out to put the dramas of the Best Of Both Worlds fiasco behind him with a new album. First offerings have been the original and remix of Sex In The Kitchen which lyrics don’t leave much to imagination. Word is that neither of these will feature as a an actual release though.

The next single from the queen of Crunk & B, Ciara is Oh featuring Ludacris, verging on a chopped and screwed style while John Legend supports his live shows with the release of Ordinary People. Hot off the release of No.1 Spot Ludacris will be releasing Pimpin All Over the World with a video to follow shot in Africa.

More reviews on the way...hold tight.

We may have had to wait three years but with Its Me Again, Tweet has made sure that its been worth the wait.

On the albums intro, over a piano loop Tweet recites her happiness at being able to deliver another chapter in her life and I’m glad that she has.

The first single Turn The Lights Off will by now be familiar to you and this sets the scene for the album. There may not be an up-tempo track in the vein of Oops (oh my) or Boogie 2 Nite but there is plenty of soulful ballads and laid back R’n’B to keep everyone happy.

From Tweet dealing with a relationship turned sour on Iceberg to falling in love with someone un-expectantly on the Rell assisted duet Could It Be, Tweet displays less of the uncertainty she faced on SouthernHummingbird. Now she has come to terms with the trials and tribulations of love and this maturity is displayed throughout.

Tweet brings her daughter in on the project on the lovely Two Of Us. Her voice sounds like her mum and at 15 we may have a future talent on our hands.

The track Sports, Sex & Food has a great retro feel with its piano and hand clapping beat. This is almost like a calling for woman as Tweet drops knowledge by telling woman how to get their man.

Other highlights include the Missy Elliott featured Things I Don’t Mean and Taxi.

The only disappointing aspect of the album is that Missy throws in one to many shout outs, which interrupt the flow of a song. Apart from that this is an album that will be on many peoples lists at the end of the year for best album. Another modern classic from the Southern Hummingbird.

Highlights on the live front this month come in the form of Nate James. After selling out the Jazz Café Nate will play a one off date at the end of the month at the Shepherds Bush Empire with support coming from Dawn Robinson. Meanwhile due to public demand John Legend and De La Soul have both added extra dates to their UK tours with Estelle supporting the formers London gig and Doc Brown supporting on the latters tour.

Nate James

May 26 – Shepherds Bush Empire

De La Soul

May 15 – Bristol Academy
May 17 – Manchester Academy
May 18 – Leeds Met University
May 19/21 – London Forum

John legend

May 15/16 – Shepherds Bush Empire
May 18 – Manchester Academy
May 19 – Birmingham Academy

K-Os

May 25 – Brighton Concorde
May 26 – Manchester Academy
May 27 – London Jazz Café

Rhian Benson

May 19/20/21 – London Jazz Cafe

Homelands Festival


The Streets, Root Manuva, Jazzy Jeff, Rodney P & Skitz, Skinnyman & DJ Flip, Kano, Mitchell Brothers, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Melle & Scorpio, Scrath Perverts, Kentaro

May 28

Here’s a brief round-up of what’s on the shelves this month in the world of urban music press.

Hip Hop Connection’s cover star is R.A Rugged Man who gives a revealing interviewing and shares his views on Biggie, almost working with The Neptunes and dealing with P.Diddy. There is also an interview with the rotton one Blak Twang and news on the Ghostface and MF Doom collaboration.

Kano is Undercover Magazine's cover star and he speaks about his upcoming album release. This months cover mount CD includes a great track from Wordsmith.

Touch Magazine is running with a double cover of Faith Evans on one side and Roll Deep on the other. Touch speaks to Faith about Biggie and her new album while Roll Deep give us the low down on their debut set. Teedra Moses gets some shine while there is an interesting round the table discussion with Chantelle Fiddy, Disorda, Martin Moulton and Riki Bleau about some of the latest issues including Grime and Channel U.

Blues and Soul has the usual respected columns and cover star Faith Evans speaks about her new project.

Roll Deep have taken over Rewind magazine for a month and includes various features around them including news on their upcoming album, Danny Weed on why skunk is bad for you and Riko get’s off his chest how he feels about weak DVD’s trying to create beef.

Style magazine I.D has a 12 page feature on the new sound to be breaking out in London, Grime. Written by Hattie Collins and Chantelle Fiddy the spread features some of the key players in the scene from artists such as Kano and Sway to the behind the scenes people.

Even publications such as the New York Times and Montreal Mirror have touched on the subject of Grime. Expect The Sun’s Bizarre columnist Victoria Newton to soon tell us that Kano is the next big thing in British Music!

Mos Def is the subject of an interview in the May issue of Dazed and Confused which mainly focuses on his role in The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy but he does find time to talk about his next album.

If commercial ish is what takes your fancy then XXL are running with a double cover of Fat Joe and T.I. They also give an XXL rating to Common’s new album. Meanwhile the once great Source Magazine continues it’s attack on all things Interscope in a report on corporate manipulation in the Hip Hop game. Cover star is Interscope recording artist The Game but the article inside is an interview with a Black Wall Street affiliate who dishes the dirt on the recent beef with 50 Cent. Vibe asks the question, Why haven’t we learned anything from the murders of Biggie, Tupac and Jam Master Jay.

Kanye West returns to bless us with more of his backpack ballin with the eagerly awaited College Dropout follow up, The Late Registration. Alongside Jay-Z, Kanye premiered the first single Diamonds on New York radio station Hot 97 last week.

Inspired by his time on the Blueprint Lounge Tour of 2001 and being part of the Roc-A-Fella movement Diamonds includes his usual array of punch lines: ‘I realized that I arrived/ Because it takes more than a magazine to kill my vibe" and "All I need is y'all to pronounce my name/ It's Kanye, but some of my plaques, they still say 'Kayne.'.

Kanye told radio host Angie Martinez that he had mixed the CD about 14 times until he had felt perfectly comfortable with the end product. In interviews at the time of the College Dropout album being released Kanye spoke about being unhappy that he didn’t have the time to mix the record enough.

This is a big year for Kanye and there is a lot of pressure on him to better the College Dropout, an album self-described as a classic. It's certainly one of the best albums released in the last couple of years but many critics will be waiting for him to slip up and dent his arrogance. I’m sure this won’t be the case though and look forward to the release, which although not confirmed, looks like being the 12th July.

Meanwhile the wheels have got in motion for many Hip Hop fans dream collaboration, Ghostface and MF Doom. Already six tracks have been recorded but as yet it’s undecided as to whether Def Jam or MF Doom's indie label Nature Sounds will be the ones to release the project.

This month Hip Hop Connection magazine carries an interview with Devin Horwitz who reveals what many have been hoping is more than just an Internet rumour.

Scheduled for release by the end of the year it will be one of possibly three albums to be expected from Ghostface. One is tentatively titled Rappers Delight and will feature some MF Doom production; the other is a follow up to the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx with Raekwon.

Common - Be
Geffen Music

Tracklisting

1. Be
2. The Corner Featuring The Last Poets
3. Go
4. Faithful Featuring John Legend and Bilal
5. Testify
6. Love Is
7. Chi City
8. The Food
9. Real People
10. They Say Featuring Kanye West and John Legend
11. It’s Your World/Pop’s Reprise Featuring Bilal

Production: Kanye West (9 out of 11) & Jay Dee (2 out of 11)

One of the most hotly anticipated albums of 2005 drops May 23rd. Yes people, forget the hysteria over recent releases from The Game and 50 Cent, I’m talking about Common. One of the most blessed MC’s to grace the mic, the release of Be is his sixth album and the follow up to the mixed received Electric Circus.

Already being hailed as his best work, the album has received the top rating in XXL magazine and other full marks are sure to follow.

The first single already picking up radio and video rotation is The Corner, produced by Kanye West who handles 9 out of the 11 tracks. Speaking to Allhiphop.com he said that “Common’s album will go down in history” and that it fully deserves the early reviews “I’m telling you right now it’s five mics, five stars across the board.”

The inclusion of West can help attract the larger audience that his own success has brought and give Common the mainstream success he deserves.

The other two tracks are produced by Jay Dee who did a lot of work on Like Water For Chocolate and it’s a shame that he didn't have more of a share of the production on Be. Some may not be happy with only 11 tracks but too many albums these days let themselves down with too much filler. Here we have only 11 of the best cuts.

The album has already leaked on many sites so those that download it make sure you get the release copy as this album will take Common above the realms of being deemed underground and it will be refreshing to hear material of such substance gaining such success.

I for one can’t wait for the release and I’m sure this will feature heavily in everyone’s end of year top tens. As soon as the album is released I will have a full review for you.

The mixtape DVD scene has been blowing up on the underground in the UK now for a minute. It’s a great way for artists to get recognition and let their fans get to know them, while at the same time promoting their music and continuing the growth of the scene.

In recent months it’s the Grime scene that has been churning out the DVDs from releases such as the Lord Of The Mics and Risky Roads series. But the latest release available focuses on UK Hip Hop.

BIG is the official UK Hip Hop music lifestyle DVD from MadDog Productions that features interviews and freestyles from the hottest acts that are making moves on the UK scene right now.

Everyone from Sway, Baby Blue and Kyza to the lesser known acts such as Arms Length, B-Sharp and The Execution Squad are on this DVD giving a nice snapshot of the developing scene we have here.

The DVD opens up with the man of the hour Sway who is joined by Biggs at The Max Power show checking out the rides and fooling around with the talent on display. Baby Blue let’s you know where she gets her kicks from and takes us on a tour of Deal Real Records store while Kyza drops knowledge inside a London takeaway!

Other artists featured include Blak Twang protégé K9, Street Politiks, Slim Dutty and many more who drop knowledge on how they started and lace the camera with a freestyle.

It’s not just the artists that get to shine though. Key players in the scene from Rewind editor Matt Mason to your favourite clothing shop Dark’n’Cold are featured. For those unaware of the two you’ll get an understanding of how they began and how they are supporting the scene develop.

Luke Biggins is a name you may not be familiar with but he is responsible for some of the freshest videos of the moment from Blak Twang to Estelle and he talks about how he got started, his company and future plans including his first feature film. Another outlet that is supporting the artists is The Lyrical Pad night down in Camden and the DVD includes a performance of Up Your Speed from Sway and Pyrelli on a recent night.

Releases like the BIG DVD are important for artists not signed to a major to get the attention of the people and get their message across. The DVD highlights the work that is going on independently on the scene and proving that you don’t need a major backing you to get on in this industry. If you put the grind in then you can move units and make a living like the featured artists.

The BIG team have put together a decent package and even throw in some Essex girls playing up to the camera for good measure! But seriously get to the independent stores to pick this one up as it’s a valuable and enjoyable two hours of UK artists repping the UK scene to the fullest.

Revealing interview with former Source editor and XXL creator Reginald Dennis on Hip Hop DX site at the moment. He speaks about the early days of the magazine through to the current troubles and gives an interesting insight into some of the goings on between Dave May and Benzino.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.406

There are still tickets left for The Urban Music Festival at Earls Court this Saturday. As you may already know the Sunday has been cancelled and Will Smith is now headlining in place of Lil Jon. If your quick you may be able to pick up some of the special Nokia tickets priced at £10. Although not so sure those that paid full price will be so happy.

Although it was always going to be hard to follow up last years success of Jay-Z, Beyonce and Alicia Keys there are still enough reasons to go especially with the amount of UK talent there. Unfortunately an event this big will always need to have the big name US acts on board to sell tickets. Hopefully the cancellation of Sunday won't put the organisers off organising the event next year.

The Line Up: Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff, Xzibit, De La Soul, Common, Craig David, Akon, Jon B, Floetry, Faith Evans, Blak Twang, Estelle, Killa Kela, Jay Sean, Kano, Nate James, Sway, Mitchell Brothers, Keisha White, Jamie Scott, Kevin Mark Trail, Javine and Lady Sovereign

www.princes-trust.org.uk/umf/

Continuing in the growth and popularity of urban music a combination of R’n’B, Hip Hop and Grime acts have made it on the bill for this years Glastonbury Festival. Already sold out and taking place on the 24th,25th and 26th June you can catch Terri Walker, Roots Manuva, Tyler James, Skinnyman, DJ Flip, DJ Format with Abdominal & D-Sisive, Plantlife, Wiley, Crazy Titch and J2K all performing. This is going to be great exposure for these artists and hopefully the crowd will be receptive to them. I doubt anyone a couple of years ago would have expected any Grime artists to be booked at Glastonbury and it just shows how much waves the scene is making. Also a big hats off must go to the organisers for recognising and booking the mentioned artists.

A little later than expected Sway returns with the second instalment of This Is My Promo and it’s well worth the wait.

Fresh from the success of Volume 1 Sway has set himself up nicely for the release of his debut set This is my demo now due for release this coming September.

Sway picks up where he left of with brand new tracks, remixes and guest appearances that highlight him being a massive star on the UK scene.

The key to an artist mixtape has to be the right balance with new material alongside using other artist’s beats and Sway has done that, letting his serious side come across alongside the more humorous lyrics.

Sway touches on subjects such as downloading, stalking celebrities and even Michael Jackson’s nose on a freestyle excerpt from his supporting duties on the Dizzie Rascal tour. “Gotta keep him on his toes/I like his music but I don’t like his nose”

From sampling the Magic Roundabout theme tune, (not as annoying as you would think) to the story of slapping A & R’s over the Lean Back beat Sway will definitely raise a smile at some of his lyrics. But Sway does have sensitive side too as reflected on Love Story 05 with Baby Blue and the inspiring tale of One Day, where he chats about a day in his life and his dreams.

Amongst the radio segments are Destiny Child mentioning Sways name to Snoop Dogg dropping not the greatest of bars over the Up Your Speed instrumental. He even makes an appearence on TRL, something only the more established acts get when they are releasing an official album.

It’s refreshing to hear an artist like Sway who can switch up topics from following celebrities to the more serious issue of downloading. A subject hot on everyone’s lips where Sway questions the down loaders mentality on stealing tracks to chasing Kazaa.

Sway is the name on everyone’s lips at the moment and his guest appearances from Terri Walkers Whoopsie Daisy remix and The Mitchell Brothers next single Harvey Nicks are included. In fact just before the latter there is a radio clip from Semtex chatting to Mike Skinner who speaks highly of Sway, maybe the next signing to The Beats label?

With UK Hip Hop getting more and more recognition it’s great to hear a track like London. Using the instrumental to Ja Rules recent New York single Sway flips the script with Baby Blue and Bruza as they proudly rep where they are from.

Standard out tracks have to be the aforementioned London, Download and One Day. The production on the mix CD could be a little better in places but like the man says on the TRL clip, he is trying to carve out his style and by bringing out these two releases he more than wets the appetite for his debut. Already showing great potential Sway’s official release should gain the support of the TRL crowd while still satisfying the Hip Hop heads.

Hit up www.scenariorecords.com for the purchase.

The once great magazine we knew as The Source is again involved in more drama with the recent resignation and then reinstatement of co-owner Benzino. A press release was issued Friday announcing he would be stepping down and it looked like it would be the first step in turning the magazine around after their declining popularity. But just a couple of days later he has revealed that he is now back in his original position.

Allhiphop.com spoke to Benzino on his latest move and are featuring their two part interview with him at the moment and it’s interesting reading. He alleges that Jimmy Iovine, head of Interscope Records would be involved with the firing of Def Jam president L.A Reid unless the record label pulled its adverts from the magazine. As we know Benzino isn’t the biggest fan of Interscope and has channelled these feelings through the magazines editorial content. He also talks of disregard towards former editor Kim Osorio and the haters who are knocking the magazines output.

The rap magazine everyone regarded as a bible to the scene has been in controversy over the last couple of years with Benzinos beef with Eminem and their war on anything Interscope related. With sales dropping, bills unpaid and the recent lawsuit against the company from former editor Kim Osorio the magazine is in a whole lot of trouble.

After the all out bias against the Interscope label it seems that this could be another stunt to try and boost the sales of the magazine and Benzinos records. Have a read for yourself and see what you think. www.allhiphop.com/features/index.asp?ID=1049

I personally think that if Benzino keeps his vendetta up there will be no Source magazine on our shelves soon. The content itself has started to pick up recently but they have lost a lot of readers and credibility forever over their attacks towards Eminem and Interscope, arguably the hottest artist and label around at the moment.