Lucy Rose - Live

DEADLINE REPORTER CHARLOTTE CHECKS OUT BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB COLLABORATOR AND ACOUSTIC SOUL STAR LUCY ROSE

Lucy Rose played a stunning performance at the Rough Trade East Store with one of thier instore gigs situated in Brick Lane.

Having never heard any of her music before I was curious to hear what she was like and I was thoroughly impressed. She's performed with Jack Steadman and she is the female vocals in Bombay Bicycle Club in the albums Flaw and A Different Kind of Fix! Steadily on the rise to fame she's one to watch. She's produced all of her own music, completely independently of any record label despite having the contacts to perhaps be able to.

Her voice itself quite unique, almost a blend of Regina Spektor with a hint of Laura Marling, lined with the clean, innocent sounding edge of the genre's best. The store was full to the brim, with many people being rejected from the store due to overcrowding, overflowing with cheering spectators.

While it may have felt cut short (a sadly short thirty minutes) the inclusion of favourites such as Nightbus and Gamble, which she admitted she rarely ever playes due to the song being so depressing, made sure the time wasn't wasted. And of course, her new single Scar. The backing band added a bit of extra weight, dramatising the music a lot more although at points it drowned her voice out which was a shame.

Lucy Rose has herself admitted in an interview that she has stage fright and this was quite apparent when she adressed the crowd in a wavering voice, looking somewhat unsure of what to say and where to look. This only adds to her charm. Once the music had started, the fright was almost forgotten not only did she get lost in the music; the crowd did too. In an almost dreamlike stance of beautiful melodies.

Words & Photos by Charlotte Stebbing-Boulet

Sway Dasafo - Live

MARTIN DUNNE TRAVELS UP TO ISLINGTON'S XOYO CLUB TO SEE SWAY DASAFO PERFORM SOME FRESH MATERIAL

   Sway Dasafo recently told me that his drive was to be a musician, not just a rapper. It's fair to say he's come closer than most to achieving his goal. Whether he's got the crowd chanting along to the lyrics of Blur's 'Parklife' or he's spitting rhymes fast enough to make Twista blush, the man is a musical chameleon.

    I arrived at Islington's XOYO venue with pretty high expectations. I'd been a fan of his since I was eleven and, at the time, was convinced I was the only kid in my town to have even heard of him. Now here I was, stood in a crowd amongst my fellow 'Dcyples' (an affectionate nickname for Sway's loyal fan base) waiting for the man himself. 

     After enjoying an impressive starter set from Sway's protégé Raptor and afrobeat duo Fokn Bois, the audience was raving for the main course. Sway's loyal companion DJ Turkish was positioned on the decks, while his live band set themselves up. The anticipation reached a high-pitched surge of energy, as the keyboardist played an orchestral melody than signalled Sway's arrival.

     He swooped on stage, reciting lyrics from beneath the shadow of his hood. The music intensified to a window-shattering crescendo as he revealed his face and urged the crowd to bounce along with him - they were more than happy to oblige. In between providing playful banter around the audience and his backing crew, older fans were treated to tastes of classic Sway, such as Up Your Speed, Flo Fashion and Little Derek, while debuting new tracks from upcoming album The Deliverance, including:

Wannabe

A track that skillfully takes all supposed aspiring fashion and music stars down a notch. He was careful to add that he meant no offence "Everyone's a wannabe, man. I wanna be a rapper, you know."

Level One

A nintendo-inspired tune that talks about the struggles of the rap game and its parallels with computer games - some inspired lyrics combined with slick production.

Still Speedin'

Sequel to fan favourite Up Your Speed which boasted a special guest appearance from none other than Kano himself. A sure-fire street hit.

 

Over the years Sway has toured with the likes of Mike Skinner and The Mitchell Brothers, he's collaborated with US heavyweights like Lupe Fiasco and Chamillionaire. Now that he's signed to Akon's Konvict Music record label (home to the likes of T-Pain and Travis McCoy), it's clear to see that it won't be too long before Sway is filling arenas with his eclectic style.

A Stark Contrast

CLARISSA PABI GIVES HER VIEW ON DAVID STARKEY'S CONTROVERSIAL NEWSNIGHT COMMENTS AND SPEAKS OUT ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD OF HIP-HOP

‘The whites have become black…you glorify rap!’ squalled David Starkey on BBC Newsnight days after the London riots -  for Starkey the young ‘whites’ who glorify rap are minstrels.  But they are not minstrels ‘blacking up’ in order to ‘take the mick’ out of ‘black[s]’, for Starkey it is much darker than that.  Are you ready for it? The ‘whites’ have literally become black and they are not ‘taking the mick’!

As asinine as this may sound it seems to be a commonly belief held by an old white middle class, who being from the class of 1899 are entirely out of touch with the youth and the rap culture that they seem to hate so much. So whilst listening to Starkey’s Newsnight interview, his talk on rap and ‘whites’ becoming black, I wonder what would Starkey think about white rappers?

Starkey’s comments about rap’s influence on white people and the way in which they supposedly speak were clearly informed (if informed at all) from an idea he has about American rap or ‘Ali G in da House’. And yet the way in which American rap has influenced people's speech all over the world is wholly different from the way in which UK rap has influenced the way in which young people use language. The globalization of rap and the ways in which black rappers speak has lead to the glocalisation of an identity that local young people (be they black, white, Asian or Arabic) have created in their own areas. Thus the issue is not as black and white as people like Starkey would have you believe. And as Nicki Minaj would say ‘Be lee dat woah!’ (believe that woah).

‘What is the relationship between rap, black culture, and the way young people speak?’

Yelawolf recently signed to Eminem's
Shady Records

'Ebonics', 'Black British English' and 'Multicultural London English' are different ways that people use English and many rappers have grown up speaking these Englishes. But Ebonics, often called Black American English, differs from MLE (what Starkey sees as ‘Jamaican patois’) as MLE also has influence from a few other cultures. As both these ways of using English emerge out of different contexts and how they relate to rap in America, the UK and the rest of the world is wholly different. It makes no sense to say 'UK whites have become black’ because of rap. Rap has not made young white people black - if anything, it has made young people value black culture and their own youth culture more than people like Starkey ever could.

Yet rap as it stands today is not as heavily reliant on Ebonics or the Black English as it once was. So in order to really interrogate and then merk David Starkey’s ideas about rap and young people, we must ask the question: ‘What is the relationship between rap, black culture, and the way young people speak?’

An interesting place to start looking is with white rappers in Americas. A new generation of white rappers is emerging in America, Columbia’s newly signed Kreayshawn and Eminem’s protege Yelawolf are just a few to name. But rappers of different ethnic backgrounds are nothing new. Matisyahau, a renowned American Hasidic Jewish rapper, has long been relating the Jewish experience to the black and Rastafarian experience. This is what rap is able to do at its best: make experiences and identities interchangeable. It is able to make people who maynot be from the same background understand some common ground.

To say the whites have become black makes no sense. The success of rap is partly due to the fact that certain parts of rap culture embrace different racial identity and (most importantly) youth identity. So if it is possible that there are white rappers, Jewish rappers, female rappers and even deaf rappers, who all relate the double-barrel part of their name to rap culture, what other genre of music can be named that does this so fluidly? I can't think of one that is so inclusive.

Indeed, rap culture is, at its best, so inclusive that it can even allow someone like David Starkey to become a rapper. Just check out ‘Starkey Rap 2: Even Starker’ below - in which the rapper GangStar-Key formally known as David Starkey recites some mad lyrics like ‘For me the key was listening to Jeremy Paxman/Turn the screen off you’d think I was black man’.

By Clarissa Pabi

Emeli Sandé: Out of the Shadows

ON THE ROAD TO MAKING HER DREAMS COME TRUE, MONIQUE TODD SPEAKS TO EMELI SANDE AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF HER DEBUT ALBUM

Simon Cowell has said Emeli is his "Favourite songwriter at the minute"

She helped put Chipmunk and Wiley in the top 10, she's been praised by Coldplay and Kylie and now she's on the verge of superstardom. But had she finished her degree, the Scottish soul goddess could have easily ended up pursuing an entirely different career.

Emeli, whose debut single soared up the charts, spent three years studying neuroscience at uni before the temptation of music proved too attractive to ignore. "I really enjoyed studying in Glasgow and I thought it was an amazing course but when I saw people who really wanted to be a doctor and put so much work in to their learning, it dawned on me that medicine wasn't what I had dreamt of since I was a kid, so I felt I had to go for music."

So she packed up, ready to head to London, where the urban music scene received her with open arms. "I really love how creative the urban scene is here, and I felt that when I first came down, I was embraced by so many people, you know, a lot of MCs like Chipmunk, Wiley - it felt really exciting, there were no real rules."

"I think I've always done things dependent on how I feel. I don't like following any kind of rules or trends, I just like to express myself."

Take a further look at her CV, however, and you may be surprised to see TV talent show stars like Cher Lloyd, Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle have all been clients to Sande's songwriting talent. "I found it really cool to be honest.I never wrote for someone based on where they come from. I'm up for anyone singing my songs as long as they understand what it's about."

Despite her collaborations, Emeli still questions whether talent shows are a good option for hopeful artists. "I don't really know if talent shows properly prepare artists for the music industry. I feel you can never fully prepare anyone - it must feel so daunting to come out of that show, they have to learn on the job. I'm glad I had more time and experience to get what I needed from the industry."

Industry moguls can't seem to get enough of her. Alicia Keys told her 5 million followers that Emeli is a 'Bad Giiirrrl' and one of her favourite singers. She still hasn't recovered from the shock, "It feels incredible. I remember being obsessed with Alicia Keys since I was 14 or 15 and it's great that someone I've been looking up to for so long appreciate what I do. Opening for her at the Royal Albert Hall in June was a highlight of my career. I thought I was gonna be nervous but I felt quite calm and serene walking on stage."

But it's not just her music that's attracting a wave of attention. Her captivating stage presence, striking bleached mohawk and array of tatoos, including a tribute to her artist hero Frida Kahlo, help too. "I think I've always done things dependent on how I feel. I don't like following any kind of rules or trends, I just like to express myself. So I feel like having bright, blonde hair - why not? You only live once. When I left medical school, I felt a bit rebellious. I kind of felt like I wanna do what I want now."

Emeli's album Our Version of Events is due out January 20th. Sandé doesn't seem at all phased, "I love performing live and enjoy putting on a good show. It'll be the first time that some people have seen me live and I'm just hoping it goes fantastic. Fingers crossed!"

One listen to her voice and it becomes clear that Emeli doesn't really need luck at all.

By Monique Todd

A Piece of Palestine

ZAHRA HUSSAIN TALKS TO ONE YOUNG PALESTINIAN AS HER COUNTRY BRACES ITSELF FOR INDEPENDENCE. WHAT WILL IT MEAN TO YOUNG PEOPLE THERE?



Flying the flag for freedom

 You are walking to school but all is not what it seems: an armed military official has replaced the lollipop lady and you wonder where her smile has gone. Forget UCAS - university has closed its doors to people like you. If you're lucky, you'll just about catch a glimpse of its ivory tower peaking above the checkpoint that's barring you from a future. Whilst London may be under constant surveillance, at least it's by CCTV rather than armed military.

This scene is a daily reality for young Palestinians and a familiar one for 23-year old Tasneem Alhadi, who grew up in occupied Palestine. But it seems change might just be around the corner. Tasneem now lives in Leeds but believes independence means everything to her counterparts back home. "It would mean freedom, socialising - the chance to go to university and to travel." The state of Israel was officially formed in 1947 when the UN awarded a section of land around Jerusalem to the Jewish community.

Previously, the same area that had been known as Palestine was occupied by Arabs, Jews and Christians alike, under the rule of Ottoman and British empires. However, since this date, disputes have remained unresolved. Tasneem also believes that independence will allow Palestinians to develop their own economy. "Just yesterday, I walked into Tesco's to buy dates. They were advertised as being from the West Bank - presumably Palestine. But on closer inspection, it turned out they were grown by Israelis." 

Currently, Palestinian farmers can't sell their products internationally. Tasneem asserts that independence would give young people jobs and prospects that they would otherwise not possess. However, even thinking about independence has required a step-change in attitudes from one generation to the next. Tasneem's parents feel differently: "They are sceptical as they worry it will involve giving up a lot of land."

"Young Palestinians feel robbed of their identity. An independent Palestine would give us the chance to tell people that we have a country to call home"

It seems young people are less consumed by what has come before, than interested in what is coming next. "At the moment, if I tell people I'm from Palestine, they reply 'Don't you mean Israel?' Young Palestinians feel robbed of their identity. An independent Palestine would give us the chance to tell people that we have a country to call home."           

The UN has recently put off a decision on whether or not to admit Palestine recognition as an independent state. While countries suuch as Russia, China, Brazil and India are expected to support the bid, Britain and France say they will abstain on the grounds that recognition of a Palestinian state at this time would undermine the prospects for a negotiated political solution. 

As the nation waits for a decision, Tasneem waits in Leeds, hoping that the benefits of independence will be shared amongst future generations of young Palestinians.

By Zahra Hussain



Sway with Me

THE UK'S ORIGINAL HIP-HOP ARTIST SWAY CATCHES UP WITH DEADLINE EDITOR MARTIN ON HIS UPCOMING PROJECTS...



 You’ve been called the hardest working-man in British Hip-Hop. Do you get much of a chance to chill out and, if so, how?

I’m definitely not the hardest working-man in British Hip Hop. I do work hard, but I’m not the hardest working by a long shot. I spend a lot of time with my friends and family doing recreational stuff.  I like going to the theatre and the cinema. 80% of my life is based around music but, for that 20%, I lead a relatively normal life.

You like theatre much?

Yeah, man. Last thing I went to go see was Fela, which was like three hours long but it was amazing. I’ve seen Wicked as well, that’s one of my favourites, I love Wicked. There’s a song from that called ‘Popular’, which we sampled for a track. I like theatre in general, but I like musicals mainly.

Do you set aside specific time periods to write songs or are you constantly jotting down ideas?

My gift and curse is that I’ve got a home studio situation now. So whereas before I might have loads of little ideas, then go to the studio and cane out three or four songs in a night. But now, I might wake up at 5AM with an idea then actually turn it into a song by 9AM. It’s kind of strange now. There’s no actual method to the madness, it just happens.

Obviously you’ve got your roots in Ghana, now you’re signed to Konvict and you hail from Hornsey. Where do you spend most of your time?

As in, where do I live, or?

Where do you live, where do you work?

I live in London. I travel a lot, you know. I’ve been everywhere from Ghana to Kenya, Malawi, all over America, Canada. I’ve travelled all around the world and I continue to travel because wherever the music calls me to go, I go. But I live in London.

The early game plan for you was to make five albums. Is that still the case?

Really and truly, maybe it was a bit stupid of me to put a cap on how many albums I was gonna do but, the reason I did that was, when I started rapping I didn’t really wanna be a rapper. I wanted express myself with words on music. My drive wasn’t to be a rapper, it was to be a musician, even if that meant taking a back seat and producing for other people. I hate to say it but: I like the sound of my own voice. So for my own good, I wanted to tell the fan base that I was only gonna do five albums. Which may not be the case, because I’ve got five albums worth of material and I’m only on my third. 
     

If you hadn’t have gotten involved in the music business, is there another career that you think would have interested you?

I definitely have an interest in politics. I don’t follow it religiously but I enjoy watching how people’s decisions effect our environment. I think after my music career, God willing, I will venture into politics to some capacity.

"I’m a pretty emotional person, as you can hear in my music. I find strength in music. If I go through something in life that I find kind of hard to swallow, writing about it always makes it easier for me."

A lot of rappers like LL Cool J, Will Smith and Plan B went into acting. Is that something that interests you?

I’ve dabbled in it. I would do more acting if I had more time. I respect actors that really take the time, like Plan B, to make a film and learn scripts. Not just for the sake of widening your fan base. You have to have a passion for acting. If an actor just decided to start rapping because he wants more fans, that would be disrespectful to the culture. I’ve been called for a few acting roles but until I have the time to commit to it 100%, I don’t think that’s something that I aspire to do in the near future.

There’s a divide in opinion within the music industry over the ‘X Factor’ economy churning out new stars every year. Do you have an opinion on that?

I think ‘X Factor’ is great, I watch it when I got the time to. I’m not like “X Factor is ruining the music industry!” If you’re worried about ‘X Factor’ ruining the music industry, maybe you need to evaluate the kind of music you’re making and start making music that you’re confident will sell. People will only complain about something else going on when there’s a problem at their own table. If anything, ‘X Factor’ is making everybody’s mum and dad an A&R, it’s inviting people into the industry. We’re gonna cheer, we’re gonna boo and then we’re gonna phone and vote. So now your nan’s an A&R. Yeah, it’s an entertainment show, so it needs the shock value of people that are pretty crap, but then that already exists in the music industry anyway. Not everybody that gets into the Top 10 is especially talented. You have people like Afroman – I don’t think he’s that talented but he had a hit because he released a record that was entertaining.  

You’ve had a lot of deeply emotional songs. Is it therapeutic to write songs like that?

Totally man, that’s the perfect word to describe how I feel when I write songs like that. As a musician, as an artist, I like to express myself. I’m a pretty emotional person, as you can hear in my music. I find strength in music. If I go through something in life that I find kind of hard to swallow, writing about it always makes it easier for me. I’ve managed to maintain strength through writing, it’s my way of reflecting on things and learning and healing.

As well as being an artist, you also founded Dcypha Productions. Was there ever much fear that it wasn’t all going to go to plan?

Not really, to be honest with you. I don’t really have the mind state of ‘This isn’t gonna go to plan’. It has to go to plan. Or if the plan isn’t working, you have to be a man about things and change up. That’s what success is about, it’s a journey, it’s trial and error. Even the people that go Top 10 on their first albums, they’re usually backed by a team of people who have gone through many failures, learnt their craft and have come a long way to get to where they are.

What’s the best thing about being involved in an industry like this?

One of the best things is, for example, the other day I was at the bar getting a drink and this guy stopped me, and he said “You’ve really helped me get through a lot of things in life. I’ve listened to you since This is my Promo all the way to now. Your experiences and words have inspired me.” Just to hear that I’ve had an impact on someone’s life who didn’t exist to me prior to that conversation is a wonderful feeling to me. That motivates me to go back in the studio and say I wanna touch other people, I want them to dance, I want them to feel my pain and understand it and heal along with me. I want people to have a laugh. If I can achieve that, then it’s far greater than any monetary gain.

And the worst thing?

The negative side is that when you put yourself out in the public eye, you’re there to be ridiculed. You have to take it with a pinch of salt. You could put what you think is the greatest song ever up on Youtube, you could get 300 thumbs up and 1 thumbs down and that is the one that will play on your mind. You have to try not to think like that but, as a human, you fall into that trap. I know most artists in the UK that release records are actually on Google, Youtube and Twitter to find out what other people are saying about them. From the top to the bottom, everybody’s concerned about what people think. 

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

God willing, I see myself alive and successful in a powerful, prominent position. More powerful than I am now with a lot of accolades for the work that I’ve put in over the years. Five years isn’t that far from now, but I aspire to do a lot in the next two, three years. Five months. I’m always trying to develop and grow.

What can fans expect to hear from your next album, The Deliverance?

The fans can expect to hear an undiluted Sway. You know, real, genuine, heartfelt, passionate, entertaining music. The first album done really well, the second album done okay. I love my second album, I think it’s some of the best music I ever made, but it’s very personal and I think I got a bit caught up in my own world. I lost some people in my life and it was therapeutic to write about that. Now I’m at a space in life where I’m more grown up. I understand that it’s an entertainment business and people wanna be entertained and that’s what The Deliverance is all about. Setting yourself free, setting your mind free of any restriction: be it physical, spiritual, emotional. It’s about having fun.

By Martin Dunne