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Month: April 2017

Skepta: Banned From America Tour 2017

Skepta: Banned From America Tour 2017

Land of the free, home of the brave: America’s slogan. But at what cost is this freedom if we can’t give the people the music that they want? This question tolled among thousands of fans when Skepta’s visa was denied last April. One year later he’s back with his “Banned from America” tour. It was unclear why his visa was denied, though he is not the first artist to encounter problems with coming into the U.S. Giggs is permanently banned but still landed a spot on Drake’s new album More Life. No one can keep the UK mandem down.

Skepta kicked off his tour at Coachella in Indio, California. He’ll be touring in places like Chicago, New York, Philly and DC. He’ll also be throwing down at Bonaroo festival and closing out Lollapalooza before making a cameo in Portugal, then heading home to the UK.

Looks like Skepta’s made moves in all the right directions. Keep on the lookout, he’ll soon be performing in a town near you.

 

-Written by LadyRox

 

skepta-banned-from-america-tour-dates.jpg

American Grime Presents.. PROPER!

American Grime Presents.. PROPER!

From the team behind the Oh My Grime Warehouse parties… comes a new South Beach experience. Representing the sounds from the UK underground all the way to the USA, including Grime, Garage, Deep House and Dubstep, this is bass done PROPER… for FREE!

 

Proper
April 21, 2017
Doors open at 9p

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

PROPZ
FUNK DE LA CUEVA
PANDA
REAZIN
Jumanji
Argyle Bixby

Kill Your Idol
222 Espanola Way – Miami Beach, FL

 

Pop Up Sale: Tshirt 4 $20

Pop Up Sale: Tshirt 4 $20

4 only $20, get 1 American Grime Tshirt. One Day Only. Offer valid only April 20, 2017.

 

Monday Editorial: Is Drake the new Top Boy?

Monday Editorial: Is Drake the new Top Boy?

      Have you ever daydreamed of moving to a new country to pursue your passion? A country for which your fire burns bright as you reignite a love for what once was? Rumor has it, that’s exactly what rapper Drake is doing. Why? The three time Grammy winner will be starring in the third season of Top Boy. The UK drama has been running since 2011, outlining the struggles of young Londoners as they try to make their way to the pinnacle of gangland life. Come with me as we dive into the world of Drake’s acting career, his dalliance with London, and where it will take him next.

      To give you a rundown, Top Boy takes place in Hackney, London. Within the vicious (but fictitious) Summerhouse estate, drug dealers Dushane and Sully traverse the perils of crime-filled life. They move ‘food’ (drugs) and gain momentum through such acts to become top dons of the game. Dushane is played by Ashley Walters (former member of So Solid Crew) and Sully is played by, none other than, Kane ‘Kano’ Robinson. The first season entails the aforementioned hardships of thug life, and the choices they must make in order to maintain elite ranks of this risky business. The second season opens up with a fatal mistake, a cliffhanger that abruptly ended the first season. In a disastrous turn of events, two friends turn into foes. Also, pregnant Heather (played by Kierston Wareing) tries to use her cash crop of chronic to propel her unborn child into a better world. And other new characters try to find their way in wild world of East London. The show was cancelled on Channel 4, but there is definitely a third season BECAUSE the rights of the show were purchased by Drake himself.

      In order to understand Drizzy’s journey and his ties to Top Boy, we must start from the humble beginning. Drake isn’t new to the big screen, especially TV dramas. He attended Forest Hill Collegiate Institute (FHCI), a high school in Toronto, Ontario. He lived with his mother and grandma, even sometimes took care of his mother when she was sick. In FHCI, the father of a classmate said, “If there’s anyone in the class that makes you laugh, have them audition for me.” As luck would have it, the father just so happened to be a talent agent. After his audition, this agent became Drake’s manager.

      Shortly thereafter, Drake landed the role of Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation. His character was a basketball player with a claim to fame until another classmate fired a bullet, hitting Jimmy by mistake, paralyzing him from the waist down. Many can recall Drake’s character always having a sunny disposition, despite the crippling circumstances he was dealt. “Wheelchair Jimmy” (his moniker after he became a paraplegic) was easily the most lovable character in this teenage drama. Being on the show for seven years, he quickly rose to fame, receiving a Young Artist Award from the Young Artist Foundation in 2002.  

      Drizzy has always been a music fanatic, though it wasn’t until 2008 that he really began to pour his heart and soul into his mixtapes. This, and releasing hot studio hits later, secured the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. He would stay up until 4 a.m. in the studio and then be up at 9 a.m. for dress rehearsal. Degrassi gave him an ultimatum, and he chose his love for music. In 2009, he received a phone call from Lil Wayne to join his tour. Shortly after, he was signed to Weezy’s label: Young Money Entertainment.  

      While building momentum in the States, the next three years were chock-full of hit singles and international tours. Worthy of noting, Drake’s first tour in London was in 2012. In 2013, he focused more on touring North America, but revisited London again from 2014 through 2017. You can find an outpouring of love and adoration for London rappers and grime artists alike on Champagne Papi’s Twitter. In 2012, he discovered artist Sneakbo, and was in disbelief of, “the pockets he was finding and the consistency of his flows.” Between the close companionship of Skepta (with whom he and Wizkid collaborated the track Ojuelegba), being the first Jewish African- American to be signed to Skepta’s label (Boy Better Know), a lifelong tribute of BBK ink, and partying with Section Boyz, his unabashed respect grew exponentially. (Side note, the list of Drake’s lyrical homage to the British capital goes on and on).

      Let’s revisit to when I mentioned Ashley Walters as a former member of So Solid Crew? This Crew produced UK garage, grime and hip hop music. So, it comes as no surprise, that Drake would give a Twitter shout-out to Walters about his role in Top Boy. Drake’s disappointment was apparent when the show was cancelled. His reverence and admiration for all things London goes deeper than Mariana’s Trench. Posting a picture of Dushane (played by Walters) back in 2014, led to the two sending words of veneration back and forth via Tweets. Rumors began buzzing and speculation was all a dither as viewers and listeners alike wondered if Top Boy was being resurrected. Then, in 2015, Walters announced Drake was hungry to start feeding the fans with a collaboration between the two on the third season of Top Boy.

      Speculation among critics suggests that the fictional Summerhouse Estates is not like Hackney. There are hardly any police in the show up until the end of the second season and neighborhood kids run amok, building their empire. Almost as if the carefully crafted puzzle pieces don’t fit. It would stand to reason that somewhere, in the vast universe of faultfinders, somebody is wondering if Drake really fits in a show that’s outside of his culture. There was some shade thrown Drake when he dropped his new album More Life featuring UK artist Giggs. There are some who think that Drake is a beg (wanna-be) of the London music scene. It gets rough in the world of keyboard warriors. Drake buying the rights of the show could also cause controversy too, as if that could be the sole reason for landing a role on the show. Not having a passport may have something to do with it but honestly, I’m not certain we’ll ever know.

      As a final point, not only did he buy the rights to show, but the cast and crew are currently working on a major role for Drake. The Young Money superstar attributes large parts of his success to London rap music and he’ll be relocating across the pond for filming. The ties that bind Toronto and London are so deep rooted…extending from their native speak to music and beyond. It’s no wonder, Drizzy Drake wants to profess his love from the rooftops. He’s still waiting on his British passport, but that doesn’t stand in his way of conquering the world, one act at a time.  

 

Article by LadyRox

Must Watch Movies: Kidulthood

Must Watch Movies: Kidulthood

Every now and then, a film stands out for a generation. It sets a tone, one that transcends a nationality, and instead begs to the human experience in us all. Those films grip you. They hijack your memories and tie themselves to your emotions. They stay with you.

For me, that movie is Kidulthood. Written by Noel Clarke and set in London’s urban sprawl, this coming of age tale is raw and real. What happens when youths are exposed to adult behavior? This intense character drama revolves around several themes: the broken love story between a popular teenager named Trevor and his now pregnant ex-girlfriend, the brotherhood between friends, confronting bullies and unfair odds, and an early tragedy that sets the storyline into a spiral that continues throughout the next 2 movies.

This film is heavily laced with UK slang and grime music.  The cuts are exciting and the backdrop is constantly shifting from one inner-city location to the next. The acting is relatable. Natural. The pacing of the movie is fast and upbeat and the storyline keeps you strapped in from start to finish.

From an American perspective, Kidulthood gives the outsider an insider’s point-of-view. Its intimate portrayals of London living splashes us into a culture not our own. With it, we learn the lessons of life in the ends. Where small problems escalate into big ones. Where at times, everyone feels trapped. Where any way out is the best way out.

I give this movie a 9/10 and highly recommend you watch this one as soon as you can.

 

  • Written by Calvin Cyrus
Monday Editorial: Is Giggs grime? by LadyRox

Monday Editorial: Is Giggs grime? by LadyRox

      Everywhere I turn, I’m bombarded by melancholy news or some political debate. It’s only when I turn to music of 140 bpm (or higher) that I find that happy place to drown out the war drums, inside and out. In a fulfilling way, it’s Giggs who brings me to this place of dark morning light with his lyrics of struggles and plight. It comes as a small surprise that debate worms its way into the world of music –fanning the flaming theme of this read: is Giggs rap or grime? This hot topic has fueled its way through Reddit, Twitter and other forms of social media, spreading like wildfire.

giggs 2

      So where does Giggs fit in? His style ranges from bangers like “Talkin’ the Hardest” (circa 2008) with talk of the hardest drugs and the highest of material highs, to” Just Swervin’” (from his 2016 album, Landlord): a tune of deep dark truths, riddled with emotion and old scars from the streets. Even from his early days a Peckham boy, while he inevitably took to the street to make ends meet, he was still on his rap game. Speaking from the heart, he put together verses about bangin’ with the neighborhood kids and living the only life he knew to create revenue and hold it together.

giggs3

      Against all odds, with jail time and felonies in his wake, Giggs still managed to keep the bangers coming (with and without recording labels). His talent grew as he developed his own label, Spare Number 1, or SN1 for short. After some time in the studio, he dropped his newest album, Landlord, on August 5th 2016. Then, he came up in the U.S after he was featured on Drake’s new album, More Life, which released on March 18th 2017. Drake is from Toronto and giving love to grime isn’t a new thing for him. However, it’s only after this collaboration that the age old question began making its way back through social media. For example Cammy (@cammy_camilla) said “Giggs is not Grime but Giggs has the same energy as Ghetts he just channels it differently in his delivery”. Kieran Murpsy (@KieranMurphy94) said “Skepta and Giggs best in grime”. Animated Fleshball (@HalfBlaked) said “Giggs and Skepta are what the album. Grime is the shit”. (Insinuating the Giggs is, in fact, grime). Twitter is on fire with the feud.

      Grime isn’t something that emerged yesterday, last week or even last decade. In the early 2000’s, within a small East London flat, a new genre of music arose. As a derivative of jungle breaks, hard hitting synths & 8 bar beats merging together better than coital puzzle pieces, grime had finally come on to the scene and burst forth like lightning and fireworks.
 
      But it isn’t just about heavy beats or hard hitting synths. The magic of grime lies in the synergy when an MC lays down lyrical spitfire over an eskibeat, (Wiley’s beats with names like “Igloo” and “Eskimo”, that stood out as a pioneering sounds for the early grime genre) painting pictures with words as they weave a perfect web of their struggles and successes, alike. Artists who grew up on “the wrong side of the tracks” peppered wobbly instrumentals with their true tales of trial and tribulation, transmuting negative into positive energy.

grime cipher

Now, if you listen to the slang that’s used in Toronto, London, and Jamaica, you’ll notice the similarities in the verbiage. It goes to show how this genre has grown and evolved from the same roots, into something completely different. From UK garage and 2-step, it grew darker and held many titles before being transformed into the well-known eskibeat, which is Wiley’s signature sound; so you can see how the grimeline grows. Looking back, it’s clear how the jungle roots and Jamaican jams were watered with words of love and hate of the game from East London.

      Across the pond, rap had its roots deep within the 70’s –from legends such as Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc. They created an amalgam of music and rhyme. MC’s would chant rhythmically over the beat, spilling their thoughts through the mic and infusing the music with something to fill your mind with and nod your head to. Sound familiar yet?

It’s ironic how when music brings international artists together, that the debate of difference is sparked. Sure, rap was around long before grime, but by no means does it even fall into the category of a sub-genre. Categorizing it as such takes away the intrinsic value of these dark heavy sounds and sets limits that each grime artist has vowed to surpass. Moreover, our brains like to assimilate outside information by way of building boundaries and cozying concepts into nice, four-walled ideas, so whatever information is passing through can be better understood. Music may come from different places, but in the end, all serves the same purpose.

      At the end of the day, everybody wants to build a thorough and complete understanding of why something is what it is, wouldn’t you agree? Sure, grime can be easily placed into a neat little box of filthy beats layered with UK rap. However, to do so would circumscribe the totality of where the music comes from and where these artists are going. What started as an artistic outlet in a small London flat, turned into a spectacular genre of music that would travel around the globe, uniting people from all places for one simple yet sublime idea: the love of music.   

 

Article by LadyRox

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