iRate: Krept & Konan Feat. Josh Osho - 'So Far'

 

Nice video from Krept & Konan and Josh Osho for their new track, So Far. See if you can spot me and Hyperfrank's big faces!

iRate: Fekky Feat. Blade Brown, Fem Fel, Youngs Teflon & C-Biz - 'Ring Ring Trap' (Remix)

 

There's a lot of hype surrounding Fekky at the moment, so I thought I'd check out some of his stuff. From what I'm hearing so far, the guy is coming with something original when it comes to style and delivery. So for now, "Bu-Bu-BANG!"

iRate: C4 - 'Scene Smasher'

www.twitter.com/C4_OoRITE 

iRate: Lady Leshurr - 'Good God'

 

Good God is the first video from Lady Leshurr's DJ Whoo Kid-hosted mixtape, 2000 And L. If you haven't already downloaded the epic mixtape, then please do so ASAP! Stay locked for my exclusive interview with the pint-sized MC, which will be dropping soon over on Jay-Z's Roc4Life.com website.

iRate: Mr Mitchell - 'On The Rooftop'

Vibes!

MTV: JP & Hyperfrank Meet Benny Banks

Benny Banks recently came down to MTV HQ to speak with Joseph 'JP' Patterson and Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan, exclusively for The Wrap Up. In the interview, the 24-year-old north London rapper talks about being signed to a major, how he feels about being compared to other white rappers, his new single, 'Bada Bing', and more. Check it out after the jump...

iRate: Angel Feat. Wretch 32 - 'Go In, Go Hard'

Easily one of the best R&B male vocalists in the UK right now, Angel has just dropped the new video for his Wretch 32-featuring track, Go In, Go Hard. If you haven't already heard Angel's 7 Minutes Before Time, then I suggest you go and cop that - street-worthy R&B music!

JP & Hyperfrank + STATUS Magazine

Myself and Hyperfrank were recently interviewed by Philippines-based STATUS Magazine, for their latest issue, about our work in the UK's underground music scene. Mad, right? I know. Love to Cassette Playa for the garms...

(CLICK IMAGE TO READ)

iRate: Smiler - 'All I Know'/'Sure Shot'

Smiler showed me this track, along with a few other bangers of his, when we went to Scotland in December. Trust me, he's going to surprise a lot of people this year. Get to know from early, though, because being late on artists is, like, so 2011. Big up Morgan on the visuals as well.

iRate: Joe Black - 'F64'

"Show me the booth and I can show you what the truth is. Show me some food and I can show you how to move it. Keep the burna tucked, but I ain't tryna use it, cos unless I'm going in for the kill, it's useless..." #wheel

iRate: LJ - 'Clean Remix'

Leicester reppin'.

(MTV) Free Music: Lady Leshurr - '2000 And L'

When it came to creating a strong street buzz and receiving positive media attention in 2011, I think it’s fair to say that Lady Leshurr had a pretty amazing twelve months, but now the pint-sized spitter is ready to follow that up with hopefully an equally successful 2012. Starting the year off nicely, LL has just released some fresh music for the ears of her cult-like following...

The Birmingham-and-proud MC recently hooked up with G-Unit's DJ Whoo Kid to create '2000 And L', a new 9-track EP produced mainly by The Haitian Superheroes (DJ Whoo Kid and Red Spyda). On the free compilation, Lady Leshurr shows us exactly why she is one of the hottest (literally, some might say) females in the game today, as she unleashes her tongue-twisting flows and catchy bars over the well-made hip-hop productions.

Tracklist:

1. 'Good God' 
2. 'Bun Up' 
3. 'How We Roll' 
4. 'Like A Winner' 
5. 'Easy On The Beat' 
6. 'Can’t Be Your Lover' 
7. 'In And Out' (Freestyle) 
8. 'Beat That Beat' 
9. 'Those Days' 

Download Lady Leshurr’s new EP, '2000 And L', for free: H E R E

Words and editing: Joseph 'JP' Patterson (@Jpizzledizzle)


This also appeared over at MTV: H E R E

When JP, Smiler, Lioness And Merky Ace Hit Up BBC Radio 1 In Scotland!

In December, myself, Smiler, Lioness and Merky Ace were invited up to BBC Radio 1 in Scotland for a special MC-based live show. As you will see from the videos below, the guys killed it! I was sitting in the back like a proud uncle....

Merky Ace - Beep (Live)

 

  Lioness - Don't Tell Me (Live)

 

 Smiler - Delorean (Live)

 

iRate: Cashtastic Feat. Youngen - 'Stay Scheming'

Cashtastic and Youngen go IN on Stay Scheming! Man, this whole new wave of UK rap is so exciting right now.

iRate: Dean Atta - 'I Am Nobody's Nigger'

Dean Atta, I salute thee.

Roc4Life.com: Dot Rotten

In our new segment, The UK Roc's, Roc4Life.com will be profiling some of the UK's finest urban music talent. Up first, we have a lyricist who goes by the name of Dot Rotten. Having built up a name within London's grime scene in its early days, the 23-year-old musical genius is now broadening his horizon's and has plans to share his deep and emotional beats and bars with the world. In this in-depth interview, Dot Rotten speaks to Joseph 'JP' Patterson about his past, present and exciting future.

Roc4Life.com: Dot! How are you, sir? Alright, first question. Take me back to the time when you knew in yourself that you wanted to do music on a serious level?

Dot Rotten: What’s good, JP? Yeah, music is just something that kinda came naturally. I was always around a family of musicians, and they would always be playing music and singing around the house. As I grew up, I always knew I would do something to do with music.

Tell me a bit about your musical inspirations…

Growing up, it was only my uncles and my aunties. My uncle used to rap, my aunty used to sing and they inspired me to do music. My other uncle used to produce – he was the one that made me actually want to sit down in the studio and touch things. I don’t really want to say a particular artist inspired me, because there are too many people to break it down to just one or two people. Plus, once you say one type of person, people will automatically start comparing you to them.

The majority of Roc4Life.com readers will probably not have heard of you before, so how would you describe your sound to them?

I’d say my sound is very melodic and I always try to make music that people can relate to it. So, despite the actual sound of the music, the feel is very earthy and there are different elements of emotions in there. It can’t really be described in words, you have to hear it, but there’s definitely always a moral or something in the music that every type of person can take to and understand.

You were previously named Young Dot before changing it to Dot Rotten. What prompted the change?

My name isn’t that new anymore. The name, Dot Rotten, is pretty old and that’s been my name for about four years now. So, I don’t even see the relevance of people asking me about Young Dot, it just brings up things that aren’t really necessary. But yeah, I changed my name because I was a producer and people only knew me as a producer. I released a CD spitting and it got a lot of love but, at the time, it didn’t get the recognition that it might have deserved because everyone saw me as a producer rather than an MC. Then other stuff happened in my life where I had to change my name, so I just changed it. I was actually called Dot Rotten before I was Young Dot, but no one knew that.

Not only are you talented in the lyricism field, but you’re also an established producer. When did you realise that you actually had a talent for making beats as well?

After I released my first big instrumental and it was getting played all over pirate radio stations. I gave practically every DJ who played 140 BPM all my beats and then I went away for about four or five months – I went away to live up in Reading for a while. I came back and told to my friend to turn on the radio and told him what pirate station to turn it to and said, 'I bet you one of my tunes is on.' He turned it on and my tune was playing (laughs). From that point, that’s when I started my first mixtape. I’d been away for long doing other stuff before that, away from music and doing road stuff, but I chose to do music from that point on.

Let’s talk about grime for a minute. What was it about that particular genre of music that made you want to MC over it and produce it back in the day?

I like spitting fast and, back in the day, I used to listen to everyone and hear the sick beats at a fast tempo and hear man spitting fast along to it. I used to like that, but obviously the tempo of grime is 140 and in an industry where everyone releases their tunes and does it 140, it’s classed as grime. We might be making music that an American would class as R&B at 140 but, because we release it here, it gets bracketed as grime. As a producer, and also as an artist, the whole time I was in the underground, you could probably find no more than twelve songs that I made that weren't 100% all mine. Apart from that, the majority of the catalogue on all of my mixtapes is all my beats. I make my music original, which makes it more like I did a young album than I did a grime CD. That’s why people bracket me as a grime artist.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, you controversially said that you’re not a grime artist. What would you say to people who feel that you've sold out on grime?

Basically, everything I’ve just proved and said before is an answer to that. For example, Kanye’s 'Through The Wire' is basically like a 140 tempo beat, but people will class it as hip-hop.

Okay. So if you had to put yourself under one specific genre, what would it be?


At the moment, I don’t know. I can’t really put myself under a genre. I do a bit of grime here and there, I do rap, I do soul, I can do slow jams and I can do jazz. I can’t really say I'm a 'this' artist. Don’t bracket me, because I can do something tomorrow that is completely out of the bracket, then you'd say, 'He’s a grime artist trying to do something else.' That’s not what it’s about, the music talks for itself. Forget the genre, forget names, because names on something can sometimes create more problems. I'm not urban, I'm just another human being making music like the rest of the human beings in the world making music. On the subject of grime, and people saying that I'm not a grime artist, I'm not dissing grime. Right now, I just feel that if I was to bracket myself as a grime artist, it would be stupid because of what I personally do. If you look at what grime artists are doing right now, I don’t think I’m doing the same thing. As well as that, I'm a producer as well so I have a whole different type of view to music than grime artists spitting 8 bars and 4 bars like it’s 2004. Again, no disrespect. I just want the music to transcend worldwide, not just to a couple thousand people.

What are your overall thoughts on the UK music scene right now?

Anyone in particular that you’re feeling? At the moment, pretty much everyone. I like the fact that everyone is capable getting their music heard and their platforms to everyone at the moment. What I like as well is that quality control in the game has gone up. People know that their songs have to be good. As everyone rises, and everyone releases their tunes, it becomes more harder for the labels, the A&Rs and everyone else to ignore. Artists that I feel would have to be Ed Sheeran, Tinie Tempah, Wretch 32 and Labrinth, to name a few. There are so many people, even people that looked like they would stay underground, who are coming up. Obviously, as an artist, I have certain relationships with artists, which is really cool, and we all have a mutual respect. We all trade advice and stuff, so it’s good to be around it and see them as general people who have the same drive as you and actually want to express themselves.

Mercury Records snapped you up early last year, right? How did the deal come about and how are they treating you so far?

I was introduced to my management, Jack Foster and Archie Lamb (Takeover Entertainment), by Ben, Merf and Froe - who are also known as the production team, TMS. After a while, Jack and Archie started showing my music to all the record labels around London. I went to Mercury and they were really interested, so I sat down with Jamie Nelson And DJ Semtex - who are both A&Rs there - and we negotiated a deal. Shouts go to Zubin, my lawyer. It all went well and things have been rolling ever since. I made sure that when I went to show them my music, I had enough material there that I felt would be suitable. Everything I’ve shown them so far, they seem to be really excited about! They’re really comfortable with the stuff I've brought into the offices and me and the A&R trade ideas all the time, so it’s like a proper team. I just want to keep it all kosher.

Do you think the mainstream world is ready for you? If so, why now?

I don’t know, I hope so! I rarely look at comments and try not to look at what people say and pay too much attention, I just work. I think I'm a bit naïve, I see views and people will say, 'Oh my gosh! You got loads of views', but it’s just like a number in my head. I don’t think I really understand that it’s that amount of people watching it, or I have to remember sometimes that it’s like one person viewing it, but five people in the room could be watching it. I don’t really read into it too much but, hopefully, I think they’re ready for me. I think that if people have a spare three minutes of their time to pay attention, then I’ll definitely say something in those three minutes that they can relate to and make them smile or give them a feeling. So yeah, if they have spare time, I'm sure they’ll be ready.

If you could work with anyone inside or outside of the UK, who would it be? 

If I could work with someone, and I haven't told anyone this yet – even though I don’t know much about their music, I can hear that they’re very experienced and at the top of their game – I would like to work with Imogen Heap. I just think she's sick! I think it would be an interesting collaboration.

Yes, that would be very interesting. Someone make it happen! (Laughs) Lastly, what does the near future hold for Dot Rotten?

I’m on Labrinth’s tour in February and I’ll be doing shows throughout the year. I just dropped the new single, 'Keep It On A Low', and I just did another one called, 'Are You Not Entertained'. We’ll have some more dropping throughout the year as well. I'll be doing freestyles here and there to keep the fans happy and hopefully, in due time, I’ll be travelling and working with bigger people and just making ends meet. I'm gonna be grafting in the studio and making it happen! No one can do this for me, no can write my lyrics for me, I've had to make this happen for myself, so I'm just continuing the journey...

– Joseph 'JP' Patterson
Photography: Liam Ricketts

This also appeared over on Jay-Z's Roc4Life.com website: H E R E

(MTV) Best Of The Best: UK MCs 2011 (Full Show)

MTV's Best Of The Best: UK MCs 2011 show has been interesting this year. Some people agreed with my views and the final list, some people - namely Max from Choice FM - thought it was pointless and a complete waste of time, but then bigged up every MC who won. Baffled much? Anyway, I don't think anyone can deny the achievements of anyone on the final list. Yes, there were a lot more UK rap acts than grime this time around, but that's life. Definitely looking forward to the next show!

Watch the full show back: H E R E

Watch the ones to watch video: H E R E

iRate: Joe Black, Young Mad B, Yung Meth & Fekky - 'Stay Schemin'

iRate: Swindle Feat. Footsie & Nadia Suliman - 'Ignition'

I've been into Swindle's music for a long time now (Beautiful Music still gets regular reloads), and he's one of the very few producers who's been able to keep the sound of grime exciting over the years, while others fell by the wayside. On his latest track, Ignition, he teams up with Footsie and Nadia Suliman. It's very special.

iRate: Squeeks - 'Behind Barz' Freestyle (Link Up TV Take 2)

Based on his style and flow alone, Squeeks is definitely one to watch for 2012. This Link Up TV freestyle is major!

iRate: Macca - 'Lightwork'

Yes, Macca.

(MTV) Best Of The Best: UK MCs 2011 (10-6)

Catch myself, Hyperfrank, Charlie Sloth, Posty, Hyperfrank, Morgan Keyz and Nardene Scott on MTV Base tomorrow (Monday) on MTV Base at 9.30pm for part two!

MTV's 'Best Of The Best: UK MCs' Show Returns!

In December 2011, myself, Hyperfrank, Charlie Sloth, Posty, Morgan Keyz and Nardene Scott joined Vis to discuss which 10 MCs we felt made enough impact to be in MTV's Best Of The Best: UK MCs 2011 list.

This coming Friday at 5pm, head over to www.mtv.co.uk/thewrapup to see us debate the MCs down from 10-6. We will be counting down places 5-1 on MTV Base this coming Monday night from 9.30pm.

Will I be getting sent for again this year? Tune in to find out...

(MTV) Free Music: Scratcha DVA - 'Ugly Bass' (MTV Mix)

As reported by FACT earlier this month, Scratcha DVA has stepped down from hosting Rinse FM's popular 'Breakfast Show' after six years. Fear not, though, as he won't be leaving the underground music station for good. The producer/DJ will now be hosting a monthly show on behalf of independent label, Hyperdub...

As well as hosting the label's new show, Scratcha is also set to release his new album, 'Pretty Ugly', on March 19. To give fans a little taster of what to expect from the 12-track experimental offering, the Londoner has kindly put together an exclusive free mix for The Wrap Up.

'Ugly Bass' is a new 11-track mix that is sure to keep all you bass-lovers happy until his forthcoming Hyperdub-released album drops in a couple of months.

Enjoy!




Tracklist:

1. Portico Quartet Feat. Cornelia - 'Steepless' (DVA's Reprise Dub Mix) 
2. DVA - 'Polyphonic Dreams' 
3. Lil Silva - 'What Son' 
4. DVA - 'Ganja' (French Fries Remix Feat. Taiwan) 
5. Aaron B - 'Bomberman 2' 
6. Shy One - 'Skank Out 2' 
7. Roska - '480bc' // DVA - 'Kill All A Dem' (Accapella) 
8. DVA - 'Where I Belong' 
9. DVA - 'Step 2 Funk' (VIP Mix) 
10. DVA - 'Bare Fuzz '
11. Joss Ryan - 'Melancholy Dreams' 

Stay up to date with Scratcha DVA on Twitter

Words and editing: Joseph 'JP' Patterson (@Jpizzledizzle)


This also appeared over at MTV: H E R E

The Daily Mirror: Album Of The Week - Wiley's 'Evolve Or Be Extinct' And Eskimo Dance Review

The godfather of grime is back, and he has a new and rather harsh message to share with the world: 'Evolve Or Be Extinct'.

On the futuristic-sounding album, Wiley proves that he has what it takes to keep his respected title - showing growth in both the lyrical and production departments.

Over the course of thirteen tracks, Richard Cowie explores different sides to his complex character: a motivational side ('The Door To Zion'), a lovey-dovey side ('Miss You'), and a humorous side ('Can I Get A Taxi Please?'), but he makes it perfectly clear that he is by no means bipolar on the track, 'I'm A Weirdo'.

Wiley? Bipolar? Never!

'Evolve Or Be Extinct' is set to add to Wiley's long CV of well-made compilations.

Not only is Wiley a mastermind when it comes to everything grime, but he's also a bit of a club night promoter too. 

With the help of his good friend, DJ Cheeky, the east Londoner decided that it was time to resurrect his 10-year-old grime event, Eskimo Dance. 

Thousands from around the country headed to London's Proud2 venue last Saturday with the hope of seeing their favourite spitter tear up the microphone, and boy were they in for a treat. 

Veteran grime MCs - Skepta, JME, Jammer, Riko, the elusive Wiley himself and various others - were joined on stage by some of the scene's new blood - Scrufizzer, Merky Ace, Rival, Kozzie et al - who all had an aim to get the most reloads on sets hosted by the legendary DJ Slimzee, Kiss FM's Logan Sama, Rinse FM's DJ Maximum, DJ JJ and DJ Spyro throughout the night. 

Catering to the people who could no longer be bothered to mosh and throw up gunfingers, Marcus Nasty and Funkbutcher - also from Rinse FM - calmed the hype down in between the grime all-nighter by throwing down some house and funky bangers. 

You done well, Eski-kid. 

Words: Joseph 'JP' Patterson

This also appeared in The Daily Mirror and online.

iRate: Squeeks - 'Big Squeeko'

 

 The flow is extremely nuts.

TheSource.com: The UK Class Of 2012

Joseph 'JP' Patterson and Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan are two music journalists from the UK who know a thing or two about grime and UK rap music, and they have joined forces to give TheSource.com their top 12 pick of MCs – from a grass roots level, all the way to the mainstream stage – that we should keep a watch out for in 2012 from across the pond...

VIBE: The UK VIBE With Joseph 'JP' Patterson: S.A.S.

Yo, VIBE.com! It's your boy, Joseph 'JP' Patterson, and I'm back to give you the lowdown on some more UK talent that you should definitely be checking out in 2012. This month, the spotlight is on S.A.S. UK hip-hop is now a force to be reckoned with, worldwide, thanks to the likes of Tinie Tempah, but there were a few others flying the UK flag, be it on a more underground level, way before the 'Pass Out' star hit the top of the global charts. If you haven’t heard of Mayhem and Mega, also known as Streets All Salute, before now, then please allow me to introduce you to the dynamic rap duo. 

VIBE: For the people who don't know about S.A.S. from your Diplomats days, can you give a brief history as to who you are and what you're about...

Mayhem: We are a rap duo from north London called Streets All Salute, also known as S.A.S.. We're also biological blood brothers. When we came in the game and we were known for being crazy with metaphors and punchlines.

Mega: We're known for being versatile with the flow and subject matter. We’re fashionably conscious and trendsetters when it comes to a lot of rap moves that have happened over the last decade in UK rap.

How would you describe your sound? You guys clearly have a very different style to other UK rappers out there...

Mayhem: I would say that our sound is global. Our sound appeals not just to the UK, but the whole wide world – whilst still painting a picture of our world here in UK.

Mega: The typical UK rapper sound today would be 'road' (street), with the same subject matters revolving around the streets and usually involving pain and struggle, a flashy lifestyle or just straight gangbanging. We're versatile enough where that would only be a small part of what we would have to offer consumers.

Talk to us about the situation with Diplomats/Roc-A-Fella. How did that come about and how did it end?

Mayhem: We approached Cam'Ron, Jim Jones and Juelz in London outside a studio that they were doing interviews in. They took our numbers and Jim called us the next day, so we went out with them and held them down. That night, Jim invited us up to his room to record some songs on the Mac. By the time that they were checking out in the morning, we were officially London Diplomats. Now, Dame started coming months later – we figured that with him involved, it would speed up our Dipset deal. Roc-A-Fella almost ended up stealing us from Dipset (laughs).

Mega: It ended for us with Roc-A-Fella like it did for everyone else: the Jay-Z & Dame break up at end of 2004. To top that off, we didn't get back to the States from their side from summer, from 2004 – 2006, due to some flying issues that we had to sort out. When we arrived in 2006, Jim was doing his thing with 'Ballin', Cam was awol, so Juelz took us in. Jim had a meeting with us, saying that he was supposed to sort out our deals, our apartment and car, but it never came quick enough. So seeing that we hadn't signed any paperwork, we left in 2007 and put out an official statement of why we were parting ways with the Set. We're still cool with Cam today, nevertheless.

You've been back in the UK grinding hard for a few years now, but how does the hip-hop scene there differ to the one in America?

Mayhem: Hip-hop is everything over there. It’s a lifestyle, a way of life and, over here; I don't really think it's respected like it should be, as far as radio, labels etc. goes. You’ve got unsigned artist in the US on 20k a show. That could NEVER happen here! That’s more than some who have been No. 1 on the pop charts more than once get.

Mega: Our whole hip-hop scene is kept in the underground. Even the only two street artists signed here have police targeting their shows, and them in general, just because of their previous criminal activities. To me, there is no comparison. It's not championed here at all by the powers that be that really make things blow worldwide. All the love comes from the street, or people who relate to that lifestyle heavily.

What would you say has been your best piece of work to date and why?

Mayhem: I'd have to say 'Galaxy Fly', because we always improve on every mixtape we put out and we pushed boundaries on that one. It wasn't just a street mixtape with the same generic subject matter.

Mega: For me, it has to be 'Streets All Salute'. We did everything by ourselves on that CD. We even paid for the beats out of our own pockets and had the whole world thinking that the CD came out through Diplomat Europe (which was just a brand that we started and spearheaded, nothing to do with Cam or Jim).

Is it true that you've been signed to EMI in New York? If so, how did that happen for you?

Mayhem: Nothing has been signed, yet!  Let’s just say that we’re in talks with a label affiliated to EMI.

Mega: I went to New York on a quick trip and happened to have this meeting, which went really well, and here we are now.

What plans does the label have for you and are you planning to move back to the States to be close to the label?

Mayhem: For now, I think we’re just gonna be based in London and fly into the States for weeks or months at a time.

Mega: The plan is to eventually move there once we get our new foundations laid out.

Have you got any exciting collaborations coming up that the hip-hop world should be knowing about?

Mayhem: Yeah, we’ve got a few, but I'd spoil the surprise if I told you (laughs). Erm, Lil B shouted us out on 'Dutty Pop' and we are supposed to remix that. We're actually working on a collaborative EP now with Cy Fyre from Houston, Texas, who's produced for Wiz Khalifa, Travis Barker, Game, Wale, Big Boi, Rick Ross, Lupe Fiasco and others.

Mega: The others we'll keep to our chest for now, but go and check out French Montana’s 'The Rush', because it features us! That was a nice collab that we did not long ago.

And finally, where do you hope you guys will be in the 6-12 months?

Mayhem: We want to have a couple of big singles out there, with an album ready to go out to a global audience and a lot of money being made (laughs).

Mega: We’d also like to do a US tour and hopefully get a nice big apartment over there, just so that we don't have to spend weeks in hotels (laughs).

This also appeared over at VIBE: H E R E

iRate: K Koke - 'Power'

Good track. GREAT video!

iRate: Benny Banks - 'Bada Bing'

This is very good.