Essential Hip Hop - Black Star at the Apollo!

One, two, three Mos Def and Talib Kweli……Definition echoed through the roof of Hammersmith Apollo as the 'best alliance' in Hip-Hop came to rock London town as the infamous duo Blackstar. Brooklyn rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli teamed up as Blackstar and recorded their album of the same name back in 1998, charged with conscious lyrics and soulful beats this album set a benchmark in this era and pioneered the way for “real hip hop.”

Returning to the London stage for the first time since 1999, this highly anticipated double act partied their way through the critically acclaimed album, banging out socially aware tracks such as Definition, a dedication to hip hop late greats 2Pac and Biggie. Tracks such as Black and Brown-Skin Lady draw on Afro-positivism and encourage black empowerment, and is symbolic of the historical definition of the name Black Star; which was the name of Afro-positivist Marcus Garvey’s shipping line. The thread of black appreciation and heavy cultural messages ran through each track they performed, and a special appearance from Jay Electronica sent the crowd in West London crazy.

The general consensus of the night was a group of London ‘hip hop heads’ paying homage to two of Brooklyn’s finest emcees, but on the flipside the onstage chemistry of these moguls was somewhat questionable at times. The arrangement of the tracks they performed which included random hits from 80’s non-hiphop artists failed to engage the crowd, and at some points the pair seemed a little disjointed which confused the audience who otherwise hung onto their every lyric. A little disappointing to say the least as more finesse and composure was expected from such seasoned pros.

A slightly above average night was saved by supporting artists on the night, the legendary De la Soul and Rakim who opened the show. Rakim kicked off with some real ol’ skool raw hip hop for the die hard fans, whilst De la Soul captured the crowd with their typical witty word play, humorous skits and banging beats, excitement ran through the audience as the group gripped them with tracks from debut album 3 Feet High & Rising and well as some of their most recent work. Its safe to say when these guys took to the stage the crowd where alive! Definitely an essential hip hop performance which was long overdue!

Jessie J - Unblocked My Writer's Block!

It is usually a common thing for writers to complain about having writers block, fellow writers will know how frustrating it is when you have so much to say but the words get lost in translation or just look like alphabet soup on the page. There comes a moment when you're at your wits end and about to lose control, when you throw on a music album and........

There they are, like sheep being led by their shepherd; as easy as that, the words are coaxed out of me by the sensual yet diverse vocals of Ms. Jessie J infiltrate her debut album Who you are....I am rescued. Like a wave following the motion of its ocean, my words start to flow....and perhaps even overflow.

As a Music Journalist I've always got my ear to the ground trying to seek out who will be the next act to blow, and although I'd seen Jessie J perform several years ago at one of Organics open mic nights (she killed it) I'd actually forgotten about her, up until now that is.

Her album was a pleasant surprise after the first listen, my first impression was how different each song was, each track consisting of creatively compiled lyrics which oozed talent, coupled with an overwhelming vocal range, with a healthy layering of her animated and exuberant character. With this album as an example of her creativeness, Jessie J has definately made her stamp on the UK music scene.

As the UK scene blows up, Jessie emerges as one of the most prolific acts Essex has to offer, illuminating herself as a successful songwriter as well as an astounding vocalist. Penning songs for the likes of Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, Jessie clearly has a voice and she’s not afraid to make it heard. At 23 the songstress possesses a mature disposition, boldly expressing her life experiences in feel good tracks such as L.O.V.E and Nobody’s Perfect. 

Inspirational tracks such as Who You Are from her album of the same name, encourage its listeners to look within and not to change who they are no matter what situation they are placed in. True to her word, Jessie remains incredibly down to earth despite her chart success which include Do It Like A Dude which reached No.2 in the UK and smash hit Price Tag feat B.O.B which went to No.1 in the UK and in 19 other countries.

Re-affirming my faith in UK music and instigating my creative juices to flow again after a brief writing drought, I feel I have a slight personal connection with this album, each track spoke to me in a different way and told a story that I was able to identify with, whether it was the melodic arrangement, the words or the vocal talent…..all I can say is Who You Are really did help me recapture who I am. Jessie, Nostaljik salute’s you!!

Distant Relatives Reunite: Nas & Damien Marley Wembley Concert

When I first heard that these two musical greats were collaborating, I was a little dubious and didn’t really pay the rumour any attention. Until the cold, harsh reality of melodic beats, ethnic bongo drum sounds and conscious lyrics hit me in the form of their debut album “Distant Relatives”. This album is a unique fusion of ‘hiphop-reggae’ influences, plagued with thought provoking lyrics , drawing from their African roots; this unlikely pairing formed last year’s most extraordinary collaborations. 

The walls of Wembley Arena were bursting at the seams on Thursday 31st March 2011 for the UK leg of their Distant Relatives Tour. The energy on stage was unreal, Nasir’s effortless Hip hop flow intertwined with Damien’s melodic vocal delivery made this performance not only unique but an eclectic array of spiritual words, cultural beats, colourful, united minds which created - musical genius. As they sang, rapped & danced their way through the Distant Relatives album; which birthed hits such as the infectious “Nah Meen”, the spine-tingling “Patience” and the conscious content of “Africa Must Wake Up” they kept the crowd engaged as they delved into a back catalogue of their own solo albums. 

The ‘God’s Son’ picked and mixed tracks from albums spanning over his 20 music career, hits from his Illmatic, HipHop is Dead and I Am albums sent the crowd wild, whilst cherry picked tracks from Jr. Gong’s Welcome to JamRock album aswell as a few dedications to the late Bob Marley added that tropical heat to an already sizzling atmosphere. 

A fantastic performance which united everyone from diverse backgrounds, speaking the same musical language; a true representation of nations coming together as Distant Relatives.