Sunday Debate: Genres?
Last night during my Radio 1 & Radio 1Xtra show, I had a trance fan post several times on my Facebook page that they thought Skream, Benga & Artwork’s Magnetic Man are a Trance act rather than Dubstep as they have used a ‘trancey synth’ on “I Need Air”. (more…)
Beatjacking or Fair Game?
Lil Wayne, Jadakiss and Jay-Z have all allegedly have done it but does that make it right? When does a freestyle over a producers beat become a problem or is it not cool at all to use a producers instrumental without permission?
Sian Anderson investigates…
Pop Chart Takeover
Is the current crop of Urban #1′s just a fad?
Written by Sarah Young
What is HipHop to you?
While Hip Hop has been a major influence on society since the days of Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa; 2010 paints a completely new picture as to what Hip Hop represents, simply because Hip Hop influences everything around us.
As the UK Hip Hop scene is finally emerging from the underground into the commercial scene, I was recently asked by a mate as part of his dissertation research the question, “What Is Hip Hop To You?â€
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
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
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
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
What Is It With Men?
This has been stressing me out for a while now. And I think it’s only right I should put it out there and get all of your opinions on this. Guys and girls.
Here’s what happened;
I’m on my way back from work, during rush hour on what felt like one of the longest days of my life. I was going out for drinks as soon as I dropped my bag off home so I’d done my make up in the office and fixed up a little bit. Now I don’t know about you, but getting on the tube during rush hour has got to be one of the most annoying experiences EVAH (no typo). I’ve made it from Whitechapel to Kings Cross on the tube, which to me is a relief now I only have to get the Victoria Line straight to Brixton. I’m on the platform, just listening to music and the tube says seven minutes. (Which believe me, is a hell of a long time in ‘tube world’).
Next to me, is the cutest guy ever. He’s noticed me, I’ve noticed him. Someone’s walked past us and dropped their travel card without noticing and we’ve both bent down to pick it up as it blows towards the platform edge. Sidebar: I know how cliché this must sound. Anyway, we’ve both laughed, he’s run to give the travel card to the lady and come back to stand next to me. We’ve had a laugh and a joke about “No way would I have tried to catch it if it had blown into the tracks” and we’ve started talking. He’s 23, he lives local (in his own flat) but works in Kings Cross, he works as a manager at a mechanics and he’s got a little sister who he adores. He’s 5 foot 7. I’m 5 ft 5. He’s sort of a Chris Brown look-a-like with gorgeous eyes a silver stud in his right ear and a very cute dress sense.
We’re still talking, just general chit chat, he’s taking a real interest in what I do and we’re laughing cause he completely doesn’t have a clue about Grime music but loves it anyway. He’s basically really perfect.
The train’s arrived, and we’ve both gotten on it. Him first. Now please, at this part of the story think how packed Kings Cross station is at 6:30pm on a weekday and imagine how many people were trying to get on this same train. There’s one spare seat. He takes it. I swear to you, he sat down in the seat and casually carries on the conversation. “Yeah so you were saying.”
What? Did you just not offer me the only seat on the train? Did you just sit down and completely ignore the fact that I’ve got a massive bag hanging off my arm? Like what????
I haven’t said anything; I’ve just put my bag down on the floor and carried on listening to what he’s saying. We’ve got to Brixton and left the station. Then there was that ‘awkward’ moment. Lets be adult about this now, we all know what ‘awkward’ situation I’m on about. The part where you’re about to say bye to the person and you’re not sure whether you shake hands, hug, just say bye and walk off, exchange numbers, like that kind of awkward.
The conversations drawn to an end, he’s said (iQuote) “I don’t normally do this but I’d like to get to know you a bit more, you seem like a really nice girl, you don’t have to if you don’t want too but maybe we can go out for a drink sometime.” At this point my heart is beating like mad! Every part of me head is saying “Yes Chris Brown look-a-like who I’ve only known for 20 minutes. I’d LOVE to go out for drinks with you”. I smile and get ready to give one of those casual “yeah I suppose so” looks. “So can I have your number then?” he says…
“No”. Was my answer? “But it was nice talking to you, maybe I’ll see you around”. I smiled and walked off. He looked completely hurt/shocked/baffled/amazed. But he smiled when I turned and said “Nice meeting you too darling.”
I’m walking off, completely kicking myself that I never gave him my number. BUT. He took the last seat on the tube, so casually, that’s not very nice. That’s not very… what’s the word? Manly, of him. I wasn’t having that. No way… No girl should stand for that, it’s inconsiderate… Right?
Anyway, since then I’ve seen him on my travels from work and after about the sixth time I gave him my number. I presume we’re going to get married and have gorgeous Chris Brown look-a-like babies and live in the Bahamas etc etc. I haven’t told him about the ‘seat’ thing yet. Cause I still think it’s a liberty. But I’m right to be annoyed… right?
Answers on a postcard…
Toodles.
Sian
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