INTRODUCING: SHOOTING STAR POETS
I’m often asked my opinion on crime prevention in the UK and whether I think the police are doing their jobs correctly in terms of stopping and searching ‘youths’ for guns and knives. Being the lil rebel that I am I always turn my nose up at the governments way of doing things and have a lil rant about seeing people stopped and searched for no reason, even so, when it comes to “so what will work then?” I’m always left with little reply and believe me, with the amount I talk, getting a low and mumbled response out of this pretty lil mouth is pretty unique. So I’ve come up with a fixed answer, it’s clever and you can’t really question it. “Ask the ‘youth’ themselves, what do the people committing crimes and the people who are victims of knife and gun crimes think will stop it from reoccurring?”
Now we’ve got an answer, not a full answer, but the ‘youth’ of Merseyside have spoken, in the form of “Shooting Star Poets”, they’ve made a track entitled “Campaign Time” which is centred around thinking about crime prevention, putting down the guns and knives and mourning for those who have lost someone to violence, in the form of six emcee’s and a singer. Now lets be fair, the tracks not that great in terms of ever trying to chart and have a hit record and they could have gotten someone way more famous then Trim but I doubt they’re trying to chart and at least they’re doing something to try and stop people from stabbing each other in the back – literally.
After doing a little research on the Shooting Star Poets it turns out they’ve been together since 2003 as a crew and have all separately been involved in crime in one way or another, if that’s not background and incentive enough to get up and take action then I don’t know what is. The campaign they are working on is supported by SAMM (Support After Murder and Manslaughter) and their aim is to tackle the subject of knife and gun crime using music as a platform. SAMM is a registered company who deal with the aftermath of the families affected by these issues and and they provide research into the affect crime has on society. I’ve never really seen how a tune about crime prevention could help the crime rate in the UK go down, music’s supposed to be a vybzers but I really hope that if everyone takes it a little bit more seriously and actually listens this could be a step in the right direction. I mean UPROAR and Rolling G’s made a tune about Swine Flu and had half the nation wearing swine flu masks so why can’t Shooting Star Poets make a tune about putting down knives and make half the nation put down their weapons?
I rest my case. Anyway – I dunno, let me know your thoughts and if you want more information contact their website. The tracks out in April and you can catch the Shooting Star Poets performing live at ILUVLIVE in Proud Camden on the 29th March.
Toodles.
Sian xxx
SUGABABES COMPETITION
Drop what you’re doing. Quickly. We’ve got a lastminute.com competition for you.
Are you a Sugababes fan?
Do you want to see them tomorrow night… live?
Well…
Go to the “contact” form on mistajam.com with the answer to the below question for a chance to win entry to the the Sugababes Sweet 7 Official Matinee Album Launch Party tomorrow at The Supper Club, London.
The Matinee Album Launch Party will include performances from the Sugababes, signed posters and complimentary soft drink. (Alcohol is not permitted on the night)
Question: Name the Sugababes’ first single release from their album (Sweet 7)?
I’ll be picking one person at random to win entry tomorrow night with two of their mates. Go to the “contact” form on this website now now now and fill in the subject line with “Launch Party Comp”. Include your answer in the “message” box and I’ll hit you back IF you’ve won =)
Please do not enter if you know you are:
A) Under 18.
B) Unable to make it to London tomorrow.
What are you waiting for? Competition closes at 6pm today. GO GO GO!!!!
P.s I’m so nice to y’all in’t I…. *sigh*.
Toodles.
Sian xxx
*The small print that everyone misses *evil laugh* Entrants will be added to the Sugababes mailing list for future events.
MY BARBIE DIDN’T LOOK LIKE THAT…
Ermmm can someone please explain this Nikki Minaj hype to me please?
I’m trying not to give a damn about Lil Kim the 2nd but it’s pretty damn hard when that’s all I’m hearing about on Twitter/Facebook/The Radio and now on the We Are Young Money album I purchased in order to drool over Lil Wayne and Drakes voices! (When I say ‘purchased’ what I really mean was downloaded from MPE via Umusic PR – thanks Shane O Neil) – Anyway, it seems as though everyone’s got some “It’s Barbie Bitch” fever and apparently it’s due to this Minaj chick.
So I YouTube her (as you do) and the first lyric I heard from her tune “Biggest Freak”, is… is… I can’t even type it, it’s too disgusting. Along with a picture of her.. wearing… more-or-less nothing and erm *ahem* sucking on a lollipop. Now can I just put it out there – I used to love those lollipops when I went to the funfair with my mates aged 16. After seeing that picture I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to look at a lollipop again in the same way. *No connotations intended*.
[**UPDATE - The photo Sian uploaded to Photobucket above is the famous Nicki Minaj does Lil' Kim on the front cover of the hardcore album legs akimbo squat so you can see her hoo hah while licking a lollipop shot you can see here - the fact that it violates Photobucket's terms of use under "unsuitable content" speaks volumes]
This is the point where I ask myself. “Is this what we’re promoting in life?” I know this is hypocritical, considering my iTunes consists of various tunes entitled “Suck Your Mum”, “I Slapped Your Girl” and “Champs and Weed”, but at least it’s UK music and at least it’s not an absolute disgrace to females all over the world. I’ve got a little cousin, who is aged 15, if she ever, and I mean ever comes home wearing a pink leotard reciting lyrics from Minajs tune “Sticks In My Bum”, then I swear on my beautiful mac laptop’s life she will be calling the NSPCC after I get my hands on her.
In the wonderful words of Bashy during an unreleased interview I had with him last week “We should all just listen to Bob Marley”. Maybe then we’d find actual love, instead of Ann Summers coupons (I mean vouchers right? See what this chick is doing to me?) then we can all hold hands under the apple tree (No Adam & Eve) and sing pretty songs about shooting the sheriff instead.
Anyway – can a Minaj fan just clear up the whole “Minaj hype” for me please and maybe give me a reason (other than to drool at her polystyrene breasts) to watch her music videos and endorse her sound.
Thanks
P.s. Remember a recent MistaJam blogpost I did where I asked you all wether female emcee Lady Leshurr is the new Nikki Minaj? I take the question back… the answer is NO. Not unless she’s looking to get her tits out, and if she is.. uhr… llow it.
Toodles
Sian xxx
HOW TO GET LISTENERS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Last night a DJ saved my life… Okay not literally but one day I will save someone’s life. I know I’m Sian “Journalist/PR/everything-else-media-related” Anderson, but now you can add to your list Sian “Radio Host” Anderson…
Rinse.FM Sunday 11am-1pm is where you’ll find me now. Every week. Jealous? Thought so. We’re on our third show at the moment, when I say “we” I obviously mean my partner in all things non sexual, Julie Adenuga. We contacted Rinse about a year ago about getting a show but we didn’t really get anywhere. I mean we’d never really done radio before. A couple guest shows on LBC with Tre Azam and Nick Connrad and various other radio stations but we’d never actually hosted one. And DJing? Phahahaaa. As if we could DJ. So naturally we didn’t get a great response about having a show.
During the “Sian’s a rude blogger who says hilariously mean things about music on her blog” stage of my life, I was invited on BANG radio by the lovely and amazing Tahirah Edwards where myself and Loukia “HIYA”d up the place and talked all things rude boys, sex and the music industry”. Anyway blah blah blah was contacted by Scratcha DVA who hosts a hilarious morning show on Rinse FM. Smacked that up in my normal grime-rude-girl stylee and BLAM. Me and Julie get a show.
On our first show we had the experienced and mixing genius DJ JJ to support us as we hosted, Twitted, shouted out the phone number and played some exclusive grime tuneages. It was amazing fun! Our last show was on valentines day. And in true give-a-f*ck-about-valentines-day form we entered the Rinse building ready to basically take the p*ss out of the people in love.
Sidebar: How funny is this?
We’ve got a monthly playlist of amazing music, (also known as tunes that me and Julie have on our iPhones on repeat), have a look at our playlist it’s fantastic. Then we made an agony aunt section where we respond to peoples problems using tunes. It’s probably the funniest part of the show. Imagine being told your girlfriends having a baby by your twin brother and we tell you to get some nuts via “Blacks ft Jammer – Timid”. Julie made an agony aunt terms and conditions; I very nearly wet myself with laughter when I heard it.
The bottom line is; radio is fantastic. We’ve even learnt to DJ as well. Julies on vinyl and I’m on CDJ’s. Proof that if you lock myself and Julie in a room with anything we’ll have the basics on lock in under 24 hours.
P.s Grime Forum tw*ts who reckon (iQuote) “What have they done to deserve a Rinse show? there’s more deserving DJ’s”. – Get a show on Rinse and THEN holla. Thanks.
Toodles
Sian x
[Getting a show on radio and keeping it and learning the art of DJing is a lot harder than Sian makes out in this post which is essentially full of lies & more gas than Calor. Rinse don't even broadcast live between 11 & 1 on Sunday, they just tell the girls they're on air to stop them from going Tempa T in the Rinse offices. Trust me, I know - Jam]
BACK TO SCHOOL?
I dropped out of college cause the assignment was to make a short film and the school gave me a PC. I did the assignment whilst in my own time I was working on a film for the BFI. I got a D in my final exam, the same day my film was screened at Southbank in front of hundreds. GiveafuckaboutaD.com/haha/
My problem with the PC was “when I’m 20 the worlds not going to be running on a PC”, and now look. I’m running on iMovie. Pricks. I promised myself that if the next two weeks of my life weren’t spent constructively I’d go back to college. That was three years ago, and I haven’t looked back… Until now.
I’ve been thinking recently, about school, education and my journey in life.
Old friends have been updating their Facebook status’ recently about how exciting university life is and I’ve found myself wondering if it would make more sense to drop out of working life and go back to college or uni.
It’s kind of life a life path isn’t it? You go primary school, secondary school, college, uni, then you wait five years, get a highly paid job, have kids go back to work and eventually you die and get eaten by maggots, but it must be easier than being 19 and a freelancer of all things media.
I love the music and media industry, the buzz and energy is what makes it so entertaining. But the thought of being 20 years old, with no set job, is pretty scary.
I get shit loads of freelance work, enough to keep me in Ugg boots, Pauls Boutique coats and frequent nights out, but I’ve suddenly thought what happens when there’s no freelance work left that I enjoy? I mean I’ve never had a job interview in my life yet I’ve had about 200 media related freelance jobs. Sidebar: This proves it’s definitely a lot of who you know integrated with what you know.
I’d really like to be a Psychologist. I was so good with cognitive psychology, eye witness testaments psychological theories and all of the rest of it. Believe me when I say Alan Baddeley’s proposal on ‘components of a working memory’ gave me sleepless nights for weeks on end! But now I’m wondering whether it’s even worth another five years minimum of my life to go back to education and qualify to do it and whether I’m even the type of person who can do an everyday 9-5 without the glitz, glam, goss and greatness of music-bizz.
I need inspiration people… hit me! I wanna know the ups and downs of uni, what 9-5 ish is like and whether the education being taught now is even going to help me later in life if I did decide to go back to it.
If I do go back though, I’m definitely getting rid of the secondary school hairstyle!
Toodles.
Sian x
SABRINA WASHINGTON UNCOVERED
When girl bands go solo, it’s always a bit cringe-worthy and embarrassing, I mean, we expect them to fall flat on their faces and drop straight off of the pedal stool they’re swinging on into a crumbling mess on the floor. So when the British Garage/R&B crew Mis-Teeq (who were undoubtedly the coolest trio of 1999) broke up in 2005 and Alesha Dixon went solo… I for one was expecting to never hear from Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington again.
Now, five years after the break up Sabrina Washington is back and this time she’s doing it solo. Every girl band has their bitch fights, their power struggles and their personal problems, if you want the fame you’ve got to play the game but did the media over exaggerate the reasons for the split, or were there genuinely problems within the three?
SBTV’s F64
EssBee TeeVee also known as SBTV also known as lil Jamal; stepped into the music industry making YouTube video’s of grime emcees going about their everyday lives and emceeing. The artists loved him, the fans loved him and the industry as a whole became dependent on his YouTube channel for general Twitter, Facebook and drunken sleep-over gossip.
We’ve seen him grow, from a below average video with a shakey camera, to uploading a million videos a day and annoying more or less everyone by having Twitter breakdowns on how many people are asking him to do unpaid videos. The joke is: he never used to charge, but lets be realistic; aged 18 and in popular demand from emcee’s all over London was bound to put a dent in his pocket. I’ll have you know that London Underground Oyster cards are not cheap and the winter is nobodies friend!
At one point I stopped watching SB’s video’s completely. (No it wasn’t because GrimeDaily arrived). I stopped watching, because there was such an overload of videos to keep up on that it made me throw up a little bit in my mouth; a ten second clip of someone bigging up their crew.. like really SB?!
Anyway – he listened to the wise people around him, and by “wise” I obviously mean me, who couldn’t resist sticking my petite little nose in to send him an email about quality over quantity and blah blah blah. He more or less instantly shut me up the week later replying with his website print screens and a write up of what he had planned for the future of SBTV. I was impressed… very impressed.
419
Oh my frigging gosh, you’d never guess what?
I’m a millionaire. Well no actually. I think the correct term is billionaire. I’m so excited I could keel over now in utter shock and happiness. Turns out right, that I’m the long lost daughter of a miss Anita Mabu and her husband (who is presumably my dad) has just died, leaving her a widow, and she hasn’t got a bank account in Nigeria, so she’s leaving me all of his money. All I’ve got to do is send her my bank details and I’m quids in.
I can’t breath, I’m soooo excited. I’m going to take all of my friends shopping in LA, buy a massive car (a pink one with Betty Boop designed seats and baby blue dice), then I’m going to go to the Bahama’s on holiday with my boyfriend (okay I don’t have one YET, but I’m sure the offers will start rolling in once everyone realises I’m like dirty stinking rich), then I’m going to give the woman who I thought was my mum (i.e the woman who’s an older looking version of me who’s brought me up my whole life), give her like a million pounds so she can do whatever, I’ll explain that I’ve found my new mum now and so therefore she’s no longer needed (and all that jazz). In the midst of that I’m going to quit all of my jobs and completely be rude to every single member of staff I’ve never liked and ruin any relationship in the ‘working world’ that I have. But who cares? I’m a millionaire. Right?
- Yeah. Pull the other one.
In all honesty its quite hilarious. The grammar they use, the way they try and sell their story and make you feel sorry for them whilst trying to make you believe you’re a special person and you’re going to become dirt stinking rich, the way they’ve composed their story… It’s all a bit LOL.
What isn’t LOL though, is the majority of people who actually fall for it. Let me tell you from now, you are not… I repeat NOT going to become a millionaire. Some rich widow from Nigeria does not think you are her long-lost-African-daughter, this is NOT a family reunion, she is NOT going to give you a millions pounds when you give her your email address, what she is going to do though, is scam the shit out of you, ruin your financial situation, steal all of your money, transfer large sums of other money into your account and then wipe all of the evidence so there’s nothing in the world of worlds you can do about it and so you’re left with a big fat dirty debt.
Anyway, I’ve replied to some of these messages to see what happens. A good journalist always chases her story. (think journalist Kate Spicer loosing over a stone in 6 weeks and becoming ridiculously thin all in aid of a good story).
I’ll let you know how it goes. But for now I’m off to spend my fortune…
Toodles.
P.s (boyfriends apply within – CV’s to be sent to iwannabesiansboyfriend@mistajam.com with a paragraph on how amazing I am and how you’re going to help me spend my fortune).
Luvage
Sian x
LADY LESHURR = UK NICKI MINAJ?
Lady Leshurr – The Unleshurr.
We love that I’m brutally honest right? So in my review we shall trust.
Now if you haven’t heard “Unleshurr” – the new long awaited and heavily Twitter promoed (as Leshurr had been mentioning it via her Twitter for months!) mixtape from the 22 year old female self confessed “diva”, then you’re missing out. The mixtape was released last night and contains 11 tracks and a Westwood skit. Most interestingly, out of those 11 tracks, 8 of them are cover versions of Drake songs.
This could have gone both ways as expectations were very high.
Recent conversation has sparked within the UK industry regarding UK being as strong lyrically as America and Leshurr has been dubbed by MistaJam as “equally as good, if not better than Young Money’s Nikki Minaj” – Drake’s label mate. Was this Leshurr’s way of proving that to both scenes?
Now as I’ve mentioned before in my OMA’s review, I’m unsure as to where the Rap/Grime barrier is raised nowadays, but I’d call Drake rap, and Leshurr is (as she says herself) a Grime artist; so her spitting over American rap beats had me completely confused – and before you all get your knickers in a twist, yes there is a difference between being an ‘artist’ and a ‘Grime artist’!
The UK is full up with talented Grime producers: Royal T, Silencer, Terror Danjah and Rude Kid to name a few; not to mention disgustingly good Dubstep producers such as Sukh Knight, The Others and Doctor P so why were none of them on UnLeshurr? I asked her – are you trying to be the UK Nicki Minaj?
“The reason I did a Drake CD is because every beat he’s vocalled I have always liked to do myself. I was going to call it Drake VS Leshurr but settled with UnLeshurr, [but] I am going to do a CD each month which will be a different genre just to show people I am versatile and experimenting with my voice/style and technique”.
To be honest that could have been a fail as far as I’m concerned, but fortunately in terms of flows and in terms of concepts the covers on the mixtape are all good so I see no reason why she shouldn’t now receive props for it. Leshurr – that could have gotten messy for you though. Which again, shows me her confidence in herself not being just a Grime artist, but an artist. Her lyrical content is hot and the way she mixes up her flow is pure talent. While the Birmingham born & raised female emcee hasn’t mastered her flow just yet, this mixtape proves she’s putting in the work and developing as an artist.
The track I’d tell people to wheel-uppppp would be ‘09 – Last Hope’, it’s very deep, an insight to Leshurr’s feelings about music and contains a good use of metaphors.
I’d like to hear some hard core Dubstep beats and Grime beats on your next mixtape Leesh but this will definitely be transferred onto my iPhone for long TFL journeys and general listening. “Money To Grow” (track 12) is also a wicked track. On it, she talks about Twitter and sings on the track “Minaj style” I’m hoping for more of these tunes in the future and we here at MistaJam.com wish her all the best!
Toodles…
Sian x
Flygerian Bigz – Flight Of The Navigator
Although I’m a self confessed Grime fanatic I have no shame in admitting my love for Rap, I grew up on American rap; Styles P, Rick Ross, Papoose and Jules Santana were my main love back when I was 16 and used to slick my hair to my forehead, wear baggy tracksuits and refer to everyone as ‘bruv’. (I kid you not).
In 2009 the only Rap music I came across that was UK and hot included about 80% of SN1’s rappers (Namely Fem Fel, Kyzer, Tiny Boost and Giggs), Kid Bliss’ Auto Pilot Mixtape and Skandals Hunger Pains in 2010. That’s not many, so Grime was my main UK love.
In Kid Bliss’ Auto Pilot Intro and track entitled Boarding Pass my attention was brought to Bigz and GFrsh, I immediately thought they we’re both brilliant and even thought Bigz sounded a bit like Rick Ross (which is a win as far as my eardrums are concerned). So when yesterday I saw Skepta Tweet (yes Twitter is my life, do not judge me!) tweet that Bigz was putting a Mixtape out I almost collapsed. Again – do not judge me, good music excites me!
I patiently waited. Patiently found the download link, and patiently waited for the files to download. (When I say ‘patiently’ what I really mean is that I paced round my room cursing my laptop for taking so long and wondering whether maybe I should chuck my Mac out the window and ‘Window’s 7″ it.) Anyway – it downloaded, I clicked, and a collective of twenty one, yes TWENTY ONE tracks popped up on my screen. At this point, I went to my iTunes and deleted Keisha Coles album (sorry Keisha but les-bi-honest your album was shit) in order to make space for the Flygerian that is…Bigz.
Best decision I’ve made in AGES!
This mixtape is [ofhadgtfhiudjaghfaihdhjdkcbjkfhjktgjkdfsjkghjkggrfjkhitjklrfij
aegrhkfjkgrgrhrtjjrygddfhtbfhijotfjklgsijrfhijtijthiogoehrre – FANTASTIC.
His flow is wpehrtgvoghudsghfoefrwhijotgiejrgjrgrfjdklrkl
His lyrical content is wp[sefhrgjfoiejgkrtiuywyet4irufoiduehwrfidhuergfihjferfidhrfe
His concepts are saohretyghopiuhrtfjkdewrgifdepofirghfdeiortudfoeirtugh
This is Rap at it’s bloody finest, I couldn’t have asked for more, and for an artist to give us 21 free tracks of pure quality with features from Wretch 32, Scorcher, & Wizzy Wow, Talay Riley, Badness, Professor Green, Baby Blue, Sway… Arghhhh it’s too much I can’t even go on.
If you didn’t get this Mixtape, then your life is a MESS right now. He’s comical, he’s confident he’s cocky – look I could go on about how great this Mixtape is forever but you really should have stopped reading this and be on 70% of the download from when you saw the first “[ofhadgtfhiudjaghfaihdhjdkcb”
My favourite track (she say’s like there’s not about 18 of them I’m listening to on repeat) is King Of Rock, now we know how much iHeart Rock so having a rock beat and successfully making it happen just makes me happy. It proves to me that he’s an artist. All of the features are hot, all of the beats are fire and I haven’t yet found a track that I don’t immediately like.
Bigz, whoever you are, where ever you are, you’ve done the UK proud!
DOWNLOAD THIS MASTERPIECE HERE!!!
*Disclaimer Note – Dear Mac laptop, I love you, I was just kidding about the Windows seven thing, please don’t leave me. I am NOT a PC. Love Sian xxx
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