(Red Bull Music Academy Magazine) Lord Of The Mics: An Interview With Jammer

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Interview Magazine: Discovery - Fazer

"I'm sure at some point, in the not too distant future, N-Dubz will be back together," says Fazer, when asked about re-joining the group that initially garnered him notoriety in the UK. N-Dubz were one of the UK's biggest selling urban/pop collectives, selling millions of records during their twelve active years. But last year, Fazer, Tulisa, and Dappy decided to part ways to pursue their individual music dreams. Now that he's going it alone, Fazer—real name Richard Rawson—combines his proven, deep vocals with enough energy and style to ensure that he can outlast the group's legacy.

AGE: 25

HOMETOWN: London, UK

FIRST MUSICAL STEPS: It was at secondary school, with Dappy. His dad had a studio, and we wrote our first song there and kept going until now. The inspiration was Uncle B, too—definitely. It's been a crazy journey, full of life experiences, music experiences; and production-wise, I'm always learning new things and keeping an ear out to progress my music. Lyrically, my inspiration has always been what's around me—I only write about what I know, from "Killer" to bars from N-Dubz's tunes, it's always based on what's happening in my life or around me and I think it's important to stay true to what they know.

ON OFFER: My music is versatile and alternative. There's a load of different sounds on my upcoming album, there's definitely something for everyone—I wouldn't put it in a box of just one sound. In my years as an artist and producer, I've worked with so many genres and sounds and, as a producer, I'm always about trying new things. I like house, I like dance, I like rap, R&B, I just like loads of different sounds, and it's all evident in my music. 

ON GOING SOLO: Sometimes, I look to my right—no one; I look to my left—no one. So it can still feel weird. It's exciting, though, and it's good to express myself, the Fazer way. I've done a few shows, Urban Classics and Majorca Rocks, and it's mad dominating the stage by myself but, at the same time, I love it and I enjoy it. I think it's natural to feel weird because I've been performing with them my whole life, but the same can be said for being in the studio without them. 

UP HIS SLEEVE: It's my time, but I'm not sure people are gonna be expecting what's coming—and I like that. There's a few parts to me that I don't think people recognized before, like, I'm heavily into my fashion and I'm producing for loads of artists that I don't think people would have expected, but that's the fun part. There were no expectations, so people can now expect the unexpected. 

ON NEW SINGLE, "KILLER": It's about heartbreakers, there are times where things get heavy between a guy and a girl. One starts acting too serious and the other just wants to do their own thing and they become a heartbreaker and a love-killer. I think a lot of people can relate [laughs]. I hope it's an eye-opener for people to take note. I didn't feel like there were expectations from me coming from N-Dubz, so I just hope people like what I'm doing and appreciate getting to know Fazer through my music. The support so far has been incredible and we hit one million views on the video in a week, so that was crazy. I just hope that people like what I'm doing and continue supporting. 

FAZER'S FUTURE: I'm finishing off my album, and will obviously be releasing more solo material. I just want to enjoy it, push myself, evolve and hopefully increase my fan base along the way—with a big tour somewhere in there. We're going to branch internationally as well, that's a massive desire of mine, as well as working on collabs through my new production company, Sky's The Limit (STL). It's gonna be a great ride.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Cooly G

Cooly G, the producer, DJ, singer, and semi-professional footballer from south London—oh, and she's a proud mother of two—calls her brand of UK bass house music "deep, sexy, and dramatic." Merissa Campbell, as her family and friends know her, got her first taste of success when Hyperdub signed her "Narst/Love Dub" productions to their well-respected independent label back in 2009. Since then, the beat-maker has performed around the globe and recorded a debut album, Playin' Me, out this week in the UK—and with a swath of laudatory British press behind it, we have the feeling it's only a matter of time before Cooly G arrives Stateside in a big way.

HOMETOWN: London, UK

STARTING OUT: Music has always been in me. Growing up with parents who loved everything from reggae, dub and rare groove soul, to acid house, hip-hop and jungle made me into the eclectic music lover and maker that I am today. Influence-wise, I'd have to say artists like Bob Marley, GangStarr, H-town, and Mica Paris were some of the main people.

FATHER KNOWS BEST: My dad had a little analogue set-up in our family house, and when he would have sessions, I'd always chill with him. I was a true daddy's girl! I was just amazed by the sound system days when they would travel around and play out. When I was seven years old, I used to sit on the wall overlooking the petrol station, and me and my mate, "Slimz," would ask people to let us wash their cars for money. When I saved up enough money, I bought some decks, mixers, and vinyls, and took some speakers from my dad. My first vinyl was by 5 star. [laughs]

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: I just make sure that my wonderful, amazing children are fully taken care of, and I deal with them first. As long as my kids are good, healthy and happy, I'm happy. I still somehow manage to squeeze in Cooly G time. [laughs]

RECOMMENDATIONS: I'm fully in love with DJ Gregory; I always have to mention him. I also like KariZma, Diplo, Havoc, Burial, and, of course, Kode9—whose new tune is dramatic, oh gosh! To be honest, I just like chilling out to a lot of music from back in the day.

DREAM COLLABORATIONS: It's really hard but if I had to name a few, I'd say Missy Elliott, because she has been such an inspiration. Snoop Dogg, because I love his voice and his style—plus he looks like my older brother. [laughs] Another person would be R. Kelly, because I think we could make sweet music together, and the video would be hot! I'd like to work with a lot more, to be honest, but those are the main ones. 

ON MAKING THE ALBUM: I was on tour back and forth so I just recorded and produced what I could in my spare time. It then became a mini-journey of things I had been through from the year that my son was born—like little situations I experienced—it wasn't a planned idea, it just all fell into place and I enjoyed every bit of it. I taught my son how to engineer my vocals, so he helped me on a couple of tracks while I was pregnant with my queen. It's amazing to know what I've done; just expect something a bit more than my previous releases and enjoy the ride.

UPCOMING PLANS?: Well, I have loads of things currently being arranged: more releases from my own label, Dub Organizer, as well as trying to get into soundtrack production. You can also expect to see me doing a lot more live gigs, and just generally enjoying what I do best—which is just being me!

COOLY G'S NEW ALBUM, PLAYIN' ME, IS OUT IN THE UK NOW. FOR MORE ON COOLY G, CHECK HER TWITTER. 

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Maxsta

Maxsta, a rapid-fire MC from east London, released his first mixtape—appropriately titled "The Maxtape"—in summer 2010, at age 18, and has been steadily building an impressive résumé in the two years since. Prized for his emotional bars and clever wordplay, the young lyrical mastermind has gained a decent amount of fans from his work within London's underground circuit, namely the grime music scene. His first release on Just Jam/Sony RCA, "I Wanna Rock," will determine if he's ready to conquer the pop world (we're betting yes).

AGE: 20

HOMETOWN: London, UK

FIRST MUSICAL STEPS: When I was younger, I was a bit of a musical wild card. I played loads of different instruments: the cello, the piano, and I even had guitar lessons! I've always liked music, even before I knew that I wanted to be an MC. I started listening to Kano and Dizzee Rascal and thought, "Yeah, I want to try this out myself."

MAXSTA AND GRIME MUSIC: No matter what I do music-wise, grime will always be the foundation behind everything. I cemented myself within that grime world and it will always be a part of me; everything else I do will rise from that. Do I still class myself as a grime MC? Well, yes and no. Yes because I can do a grime tune—I can always do a grime tune—but no because that's not all I can do, and that's what people are going to realize when they hear my new music.

MY SOUND: I make so many different-sounding things. In terms of my sound, people always ask what the "Maxsta" sound is, and I guess it's the way I spit, the way I flow, and the things I talk about. I talk about a lot of issues. No one can talk about my life apart from me, and that's what makes me an individual.

WHY TO LISTEN TO MAXSTA INSTEAD OF ANY OTHER MC: Everyone is an individual, and everyone talks about their own life. The thing with me is that I have grown up in so many different places and listened to so many different genres of music. As a kid, I listened to rock music and liked skateboarding, but then I would change into something else. I'm a really diverse person, and I feel like I've had a lot more experiences than just your average artist.

ON BEING SIGNED WITH JUST JAM/SONY RCA: I've known Jamal Edwards [who heads up Just Jam] for a while, but it was more of a case that my manager brought it to my attention. I never really had any initial conversations with them, but I must have done something right to impress them!

THE MAINSTREAM: I think it is because, as an artist, I can only progress and grow more. I've done a lot of things, I feel like I've conquered the grime scene and worked with everyone that I respected, and now I want to move on from here. I don't want there just to be space for me in the mainstream, I want there to be space for me in the world!

ABOUT THE NEW SINGLE, "I WANNA ROCK": It just stood out from the rest of the batch. Even while we were in the studio, it just seemed to scream at me that this was the right one to lead with. It was all about the vibe, and it felt right. I want this single to keep me elevated and keep me in the direction that I want to move in. I want it to kick off the wave! I want people to expect some really strong albums from me. My focus is my music from here on in.

 FOR MORE ON MAXSTA, VISIT HIS TWITTER.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - A*M*E

There's a trend among the next generation of young UK musicians—they're unafraid to represent pop on an underground level. A prime example is teenaged London-based singer A*M*E. The Sierra Leone-born vocalist recently caught the attention of Take That's Gary Barlow with her quirky, '90s-influenced style and sound; Barlow eventually signed her to his Universal imprint, Future Music. After working on tracks with MNEK (The Saturdays, Misha B) and Naughty Boy (Emeli Sande, Chipmunk), A*M*E has won over pop critics in her home country and is surely set to do the same Stateside...


AGE: 17

HOMETOWN: Sierra Leone, Africa; now based in London

BEGINNINGS: I was born in Sierra Leone and lived there until I was eight years old. My dad was in a band with his brothers, so I would listen to them practicing before gigs and be in awe. As I grew up, I realised that didn't want to be in the audience anymore—I wanted to be the one on the stage! My dad and his brothers influenced me a lot growing up. Outside of the family, though, artists like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Bob Marley were my main inspirations. Westlife, too. [laughs]

ON SIGNING WITH GARY BARLOW'S FUTURE MUSIC LABEL: I was scouted at a school talent show that I was performing in, which is where I met my manager. Once that happened, I got into the studio and worked my butt off to make a demo CD and organized to have some pictures taken with a small plastic cow. Luckily, a few labels liked what they heard and saw, so after meeting a few of them, I just felt that Gary's felt like home and the deal was done!

IS THERE ROOM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR A*M*E?: I'm loving the explosion in the UK music scene at the moment. I think UK music is really expanding around the world, and I'm very proud to be part of that expansion. I definitely think there is space for me—if not, I'll just have to create space. [laughs] In all seriousness, though, I don't think any other 17-year-old kid from London is doing what I do right now, so there definitely a gap for A*M*E.

BLACK POP: Pop was never something that I was ashamed of. I've grown up listening to and loving pop music, but I do agree that more singers—not just necessarily black singers—are really into pop more these days. That said, pop is short for "popular," and it's such a broad genre that there's room for a wide variety of artists.

FASHION: I'm a massive fan of heels, so Christian Louboutin, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Jeffery Campbell are a few of my favourite heel designers. On the clothing side, I love KTZ—who have styled me for most big appearances or events I've performed at. I'm a High Street lover as well, so I'm really into clothes from Topshop and River Island. I like taking bits and pieces from different shops and working them into to my own style.

THE FUTURE: World domination. [laughs] Just kidding! I'm doing a few support tours across the summer with JLS, The Wanted, and a few other big names, and hopefully my first headline tour very soon. I'll also have my first official single release later on in the year, and there's also an album on the way. I'd love to work with Big Bang, who are a Korean pop band, and also Janet Jackson. Top of my list of producers who I haven't had a chance to work with yet would be RedOne, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis—that would be amazing because I love, love, love their work. Just watch this space!

FOR MORE ON A*M*E, VISIT HER WEBSITE

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Josh Osho

Josh Osho is a soul singer whose pain comes through clearly in his delivery—which isn't easy to come by in today's heavily manufactured music world. From selling drugs on the streets of south London to performing on Later... With Jools Holland, the 20-year-old rising star's life has thankfully changed for the better. Recently supporting both Emeli Sande and Rizzle Kicks on tour gave Osho the chance to be exposed to different audiences—preparing him for the big, bad music industry. But he is now ready and determined to prove that his take on soul music is the way forward.

AGE: 20

HOMETOWN: London, UK

ON HIS START IN MUSIC: I knew when I was around 14 that I wanted to have a career in music. Simon & Garfunkel influenced me a lot, their songwriting ability, the way they were able to draw from so many sounds so fluidly, it was amazing. Lauryn Hill, Donnie Hathaway, Ben Harper, and Nick Drake also played a big part, and then I really started getting into 1920s-1950s blues. I was heavily into my hip-hop, KRS-ONE, Mos Def, Fugees, etc., and I still am today.

WHAT MAKES YOUR SOUL STAND OUT?: I guess that's for you guys to say, but I put a lot of myself in what I do. When I'm inspired, it's captivating. It takes me by the scruff of the neck and possesses me to do things beyond what I could ever personally take plaudit for, which is a beautiful thing. I try to give from the heart.

SIGNING WITH ISLAND RECORDS: I had written the album's core, so I started courting publishers. One amazing guy by the name of Alan Pell loved what we were doing and he passed it on to the MD of Island Records, Darcus Beese. He listened to it and within a matter of days, it was that time!

STAYING GROUNDED AT 20: I'm a young one (laughs). I just think it's important to stay close to the truth, the truth of who you are, the truth of what you want to achieve in your life, and with that in your heart, I think you can stay on course. For me, family is a big thing. I've had a lot of madness with my family, but we are still holding on in there. There's a lot of real deep love, we've dealt with a lot together and they're the major reason that I'm here doing what I love. They're not afraid to give you a slap on the neck-back when you try and get too nice (laughs).

WORKING WITH GHOSTFACE KILLAH AND CHILDISH GAMBINO: No words can explain what it was like working with Ghostface Killah, he is a phenomenon—as a creative, as a man and as a visionary. Wu-Tang Clan are legends, so having the blessing to work with him was great, and I felt like we really connected. Working with Childish Gambino was also an amazing experience. Besides his obvious talent, he had a great energy about him and came across as a proper genuine and driven person. He has an insatiable ambition, but humility as well. Other artists I'd love to work with would be Mos Def, Common, Joe Budden, J. Cole, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Chris Martin, and Adele. 

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: My career highlight so far has to be having written my first album and hearing it fully mastered. It's such a daunting but really proud moment finishing my first body of work to share with the world. I was blessed to have had the inspiration to take part in that kind of moment. So much time energy and heart was poured into it, so now to be able to share some of the magic with the world is something so crazy!

WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT FROM OSHO'S DEBUT ALBUM, L.I.F.E.: People can expect something sincere. It's difficult for me to even begin to try and summarize what my first album is about, because when I was making it, I just sat down, pen in hand, and surrendered everything that I felt and imagined—every experience, every perspective. I felt out of control for so much of it, so I guess that I've managed to encapsulate 45 or so minutes of the sounds and words of my soul.

FOR MORE ON JOSH OSHO, VISIT HIS WEBSITE.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Ayah Marar

"Epic doom-pop": that's what Ayah Marar would like you to call her unique take on music from now on. Currently one of the leading females in UK bass music, this London-based vocalist—who is inspired by everything from soul and R&B to drum & bass and dubstep—has a lot to live up to. Ayah's Yogi-produced track, 'Follow U', received plenty of love from the underground music masses when it was released via Ministry Of Sound in 2011, but now she's ready to go it alone under her own independent record label, HUSSLE GIRL.

AGE: 27

HOMETOWN: London, UK

EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORIES: I have vivid memories of my dad listening to 'The Sound Of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel when I was little. He'd set up his record player and have it on repeat, and he'd stop occasionally to pop the headphones on my head and tell me what an incredibly well written song it was. Funny, the things we remember! My parents were massive Beatles fans, and they later got caught up in '80s music, but I was always more of a soul/R&B girl growing up: Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Gwen McCrae, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie, Prince and so on. Then I moved on to hip-hop: Big Daddy Kane, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, The Roots, Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Reggae has always been the love of my life. When I moved to England, I got totally immersed in the drum & bass scene. It was Ed Rush & Optical's "Wormhole" that did it for me.

WHY INDIE OVER MAJOR?: My label is called HUSSLE GIRL, and we're all very proud of her. To be honest with you, I've been doing this for a while now and I reached a point a few years ago where I had to stop and decide whether I wanted to compromise myself and my sound and be put in a box, because that's what I was always asked: "Who are you? Where do you fit in? Where is this going?" I was never ready to answer that because it was more about making music and being on stage than worrying about fitting into a box for me. When the opportunity arose to keep doing this ourselves, there was no other way and nothing more appealing. I don't want to be caught up in that rat race either, I love what I do and I'll do it as long as I'm breathing - not until my industry shelf life expires. 

IS THERE ROOM FOR AYAH MARAR? I think there's never been a better or more exciting time to be in music, [in the] UK or otherwise! I love that anyone can do anything they like, however they like and you can always find a platform to do it. Gone are the days when only a certain sound would get on the radio, or if your track wasn't mixed by a certain engineer, you might not get air play. It's anyone's game! You can be making beats on your laptop or singing a capella on YouTube and get noticed. I feel lucky to be part of it, and if people keep supporting us like they have been, things can only get better.

ON JESS MILLS AND KATY B COMPARISONS: Well, both ladies you've just mentioned are very talented, and it's nice to be recognized with talented people. I understand that there is this fascination in the UK to compare people if they are even vaguely similar. We have all worked with underground music, so I can see the link there. But we are all so vocally and lyrically different that it would be unfair to all of us to put us in the same box, but I do understand it. We've all come from very different musical backgrounds, too, but I guess people hear the music first so it's harder to know where it comes from. 

DREAM COLLABORATIONS AND FUTURE GOALS: I'd love to work with Sly and Robbie. Frank Ocean would be a dream, but Prince is the ultimate fantasy. I won't lie, Sean Paul would be a guilty pleasure (laughs). With regards to future plans, I'll be doing a lot more writing with different producers, releasing more singles, an album will be dropping soon, I'll be non-stop pushing my label, performing at summer festivals and doing a lot of touring. Oh, and world domination, of course! Just another day at the office (laughs). 

FOR MORE ON AYAH MARAR, VISIT HER WEBSITE.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Pepper

"Working with Pepper suits me fine," says Dizzee Rascal. Pepper, real name Katie Pepper, is the latest addition to the Dirtee Stank family, headed by Rascal, East London's biggest grime export. The singer got her big break when she appeared as a contestant on British talent show Must Be the Music, impressing judges Jamie Cullum, Sharleen Spitari, and—unbeknownst to her then—her new boss, Dizzee Rascal. It was Pepper's soulful voice and confident stage presence that hit the heartstrings of the rapper on the show, so much so that he and his good friend and label partner, Nick Cage, decided to sign the young lady to their major-run independent record label. Although her sound has been compared to Katy B and Adele, Pepper is ready to show the world that she's in a league of her own.

AGE: 22 

HOMETOWN: United Kingdom

STARTING OUT: I've sung for as long as I can remember. My mum is a singer, not professionally or anything, and she has a wicked voice! I was always around her. My mum listened to all sorts of music, so I grew up listening to a lot of Tina Turner, Meatloaf, and as I got older, I started listening to more soul stuff. I massively got into Lauryn Hill, she was a huge inspiration for me. Then you have Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. I was really into the big soul singers, definitely. I felt that I could blend in with that sound.

ODD JOBS: I was working in recruitment in Oxford for about five years and I just got to the point where I was like, "Fuck this! I can't do this anymore." I didn't really know what I wanted to do, though. I just never thought that music was a viable career for me. Went out for the ski season and then when I got back to the UK, I knew that I wasn't willing to do another desk job. I wanted to do something within the music industry, but still didn't have aspirations to specifically become a performer. I just wanted to work in the industry and be around it.

ON SIGNING TO DIRTEE STANK: I did the Must Be The Music show on Sky 1 and Dizzee [Rascal] was a judge. He and his manager, Cage, were actually at the auditions at the Hackney Empire. We didn't win the show, but the guys got in touch. I don't think he intended to be my manager and they weren't intending to sign me on the label, but he just took me under his wing. The show wasn't like The X Factor, there wasn't anything set up to go to a label, Dizzee was just an advisory. Then he just fell in love with me, I guess. [laughs] We went to a few labels, but they didn't really get it and how I could I translate from the show, so Cage was just like, "Fuck it! We'll do it."

THOUGHTS ON THE UK MUSIC SCENE:  I think it's a really exciting time for UK music. It's really getting out of the UK and I think the type of music that we're heading, in terms of female vocalists, there aren't any that have my angle. You either have the Adele types with beautiful songs or you have the more poppy end, but the music that we're doing, people can jump around and mosh. Obviously, you've got Katy B but I think we're very different.  I do get compared to Adele and Katy B a lot and I do see why people would compare us. When people hear the music and it gets out there, people will realize that it's not a direct comparison, but I get why they say it. There aren't really any plans to work with anyone at the moment. I've done some stuff with Dizzee, but we want to keep it totally Pepper for the first album so that I can really establish myself.

DEBUT ALBUM AND FUTURE PLANS: Because of the way we made the album, it wasn't like we sat down and said, "Let's write a song like this," it was just because of the creative mood that we were in. It wasn't a traditional writing session in the sense of sitting down with a guitarist or a pianist and writing lyrics to them. The tracks weren't made before I came in the studio to write lyrics. We created it all together. Each song has got its own sound to it, depending on what happened in the studio that day or how we felt. I feel like each track is an extension of me and my personality, or a story. Cage has produced the whole thing and it's got this nice sound. It doesn't sound like a mad mish-mash. I'm currently supporting Rizzle Kicks on tour, so we've literally got the last few dates of that now. After the tour, it's time to plan the first single! I would love to say it's finished, but I can't. The album is definitely gonna be out later this year, though. There's also a lot of acoustic stuff that people can listen to.

FOR MORE ON PEPPER, VISIT HER WEBSITE.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson 

A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Russo

Hailing from Brixton, south London, Russo is about to change the way the world views pop music coming out of the UK. Mixing her hypnotizing vocal and straight-to-the-point lyrics with edgy dubstep and electro productions—courtesy of her favorite beat-making outfit, Yo Video—this 25-year-old songstress is thankfully injecting some cool back into a scene that has lately been filled up with a load of talent-show rejects...

AGE: 25

HOMETOWN: Brixton, London

BEGINNINGS: I first started doing backing singing for a singer called Ayah Marar – who is a friend of mine – and I just did it for fun, really and truly. I enjoyed it, but I never really took it seriously. Through her, kind of in an accidental way, I got in touch with her friend, Ali from Yo Video – who was also someone that I went to school with – so it was just like bucking up with an old friend. Ali and Jamie, who is also part of Yo Video, have always been producing and they were making beats, and they just wanted to do a song to try something out. So I went to the studio, fiddled about with a few ideas and 'Fool' came out of it. From there, it was just something I was doing on the weekend or when I had time, because I was waitressing and still had a full 9-5. I was excited about doing something different, but I never really thought anything would come from it.  Them lot were on doing a video and were like, 'Come on, it would be sick!' So, basically, we put all of our money together and spent about £500 on making a video for 'Fool'. My friend, Isaac, did the video and it was all filmed in my house and on my road – all local and cheap. Considering how much money we spent on it, it came out pretty good (laughs). We put it up on YouTube and bish, bash, bosh, people started knocking our door. It was a bit crazy! It all happened by accident. Yo Video, they’re really into their music and I think they knew hand-on-heart that they could say, 'Yeah, we had a feeling it was gonna be something.' But with me, I was just like, 'Whatever, you lot', but it actually worked.

EARLY MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS: When I was growing up, I loved R&B. I was really into TLC, Mary J Blige, Aaliyah and all of those kinds of artists. Biggie and Tupac as well. I was always big on American rap, like when Mase came out. It’s weird now because the word ‘urban’ doesn’t really define the music that used to be urban. Urban has kinda spread now, and it’s basically a form of popular music. When use the urban term now, it means a lot more different genres of music. It’s like pop music, not many people want to be a pop artist but, at the same time, everyone wants to be popular. That’s basically what it is.

ON HER MUSICAL STYLE: I make intelligent pop music. Not in an arrogant way, but my music is thought about. I don’t want to just put throwaway music out there and just call it bubble-gum pop, or whatever. These are songs written, produced and made with love, it’s not like someone just comes in and says, ‘This is the theme of the album and this is what you’re gonna do.’ It’s not like that; it’s not controlled in that way. In everything that myself and Yo Video do, we do it together. I want to build a sound. Not to say that I'm not influenced by loads of things, because I am, but there are a lot of songs on the album that sums up loads of different things.  I know a lot of people are going to class me as an urban artist, but I’d like to call it intelligent pop. I could say urban because that’s probably where all my influences come from, but I like a lot of things. I like a lot of good music in general, so I don’t really want to say that I’m about one particular thing because then it’ll feel like I have to stick to that and I wouldn’t be able to change my mind when I want to.

NOT BLENDING IN: I stick out because I know where I want to go and I know the things that I want to do. That’s why I don’t like to say that I make one particular kind of music. There are a lot of people who feel that I’m a dubstep artist because of ‘Bad Tonight’ and ‘You Changed Me’. I'm just not afraid to try new things and I don’t want to be in the same lane as anyone else, and that’s probably what makes me different. Without being rude to other people who just stick to whatever genre they’re in, do what you’re good at, but I want to try other things.

KANYE AND KELIS: Everyone says that they want to work with Kanye; I know they do, but I would love to do a song with him because he’s crazy! I’d like to meet him. Kelis as well, definitely. She puts me to shame with her madness (laughs).


ON BEING CALLED “A GHETTO VERSION LILY ALLEN”: Yeah, that was quite funny. When I read that, I said to my manager, ‘What the fuck?’ I just didn’t get it. But what he said was that I’m not afraid to say certain things, like Lily Allen, and I’ve got a bit of a mouth on me. I thought it was alright after a while (laughs). Lily Allen is a successful singer and she has come a long way. She’s a character, as well as a singer, whereas some singers don’t really get to see them being 100% real. You don’t want to be forced to get to know someone but, at the same time, it’s nice when a singer has a personality and that’s why I love watching people like Adele getting interviewed – I think she’s brilliant! She’s so real and that comes across, whereas some people just say the same thing over and over again and you can tell that they’re being controlled or told what to say and do. That’s boring.

PERSONAL STYLE: I wanted to look different, but Rihanna came and killed my game (laughs). I had my hair died a long time ago, as in way before Rihanna had red hair time ago. I've always died my hair; it has always been different colours. I like people who wear what they want to wear and not what’s in fashion. I might not necessarily like it, but it’s a confidence thing and how you feel about yourself. I stopped wearing trainers and tracksuits a long time ago. I remember I woke up one morning – this must have been a few years ago because I'm 25 now – and must have looked in the mirror and thought, ‘I don’t actually own any tracksuits any more’.  My life has slowly filtered out clothes like that; it’s actually a bit weird. Most of the time, my daily wear is Converse. I'm a Converse girl and I like my jeans and a T-shirt’s. But when I go out, I always wear heels. I hardly go out any more, though. So yeah, my style is just really casual, but I don’t wear trainers. I should say I own a pair of trainers to go to the gym, but I don’t go to the gym (laughs).

THE DEAL WITH POLYDOR: That happened because we had a few meetings and we explained to them what we wanted to and how we wanted to make the music come across etc. I have really strong opinions about what I will not do and what I will do, and that had to come across straight away. For me, it has to be a natural progression and that’s why I feel like the videos we do together, they have to represent me. I can’t just suddenly sign to a label and then I'm doing dance routines. That’s not me. I feel like I have to have quite a lot of control and Polydor were free to give us that control. They were just like, ‘We like what you're doing and we don’t really want to change it.’ With the ‘Bad Tonight’ and ‘You Changed Me’ videos that we did, we came up with our own ideas and concepts.


WHAT WILL THE DEBUT ALBUM BE LIKE? I wanted my album to have a sound. I wanted every song you hear to know that it was us again. You can have an album and, even though it’s banging, it might just end up sounding like a mixtape because it’s made up of loads of different producers. But this is going to be my first album and I want people to know what Russo is about. A bit like what Kelis did with The Neptunes, I know exactly who she is now. I remember when her album came out and I was like, ‘Who the fuck is this?’ Not as if to say I would compare myself to her, but I’d like to have the same impact like when she first burst out on the scene. I didn’t know if Kelis was an R&B artist or whether she was a pop artist, I just knew that I liked her and I liked her music. I want people to feel the same about Russo’s music.

FOR MORE ON RUSSO, VISIT HER WEBSITE


By Joseph 'JP' Patterson 


A version of this appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Yasmin

From DJing for chart-toppers such as Eve and Pharrell Williams, to topping the charts herself, Yasmin Zarine Shahmir has made the tough transition from DJ to singer a successful one. Getting snapped up by Ministry Of Sound/Levels Entertainment in 2010 meant that the hip-hop socialite now had the backing to go out and be not only seen, but also heard. Being immersed within the UK's underground/bass music scene has helped Yasmin to know exactly what people want to hear on a grassroots level, but she also knows how to keep the pop blogs happy with her mainstream edge—a balance demonstrated perfectly in her latest Ms. Dynamite-featuring, Shy FX-produced single, 'Light Up The World'.

AGE: 22

HOMETOWN: Manchester, United Kingdom

FIRST FALLING IN LOVE WITH MUSIC: Probably when I was 17 and I had a friend who was a DJ and was just chilling in the booth, and I wanted to pick songs and have a shot. I just wanted to have a go at spinning so I asked, "When are you gonna let me have a go at spinning this thing?" After that, I realized just how much I loved music.

MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS: Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, and artists who are really lyrical. I'm very into my lyrics. I'm into great melodies and I like a good message in a song, great writing, and having things to say. There's a songwriter, Andreya Martin—she's an incredible writer.

MUSICAL STYLE: I like to call it "trip-hop soul," because there's a lot of hip-hop soul, like back when Mary J. Blige started singing over hip-hop beats, and I like to think that I sing over different kinds of beats to other people at the moment. It's got that real '90s edge and I'm really inspired by that kind of '90s style, so I try and take inspiration from that and gave it something fresh. There are a lot of hip-hop tones, a lot of reggae and jungle tones, too. I'm really into my soul and R&B as well, so that's what I try and get across in my music.

ON WHAT MAKES HER DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE: I try and think I'm dissimilar because I've been DJing for 5 years and that obviously helps me in so many ways. When I'm in the studio with producers, I'm able to control certain things. I've got about 20,000 tracks on my laptop from where I've been DJing, so it's just great to have that memory bank of stuff.

THE TRANSITION FROM DJ TO SINGER: I get asked that question quite a lot, and they make it sound like it was a big turn, like I'm a DJ and then the next minute I'm a singer. It was never like that. A-Trak and Armand Van Helden are both DJs, but they're also huge producers in their own right. Every DJ will get that urge to create when you're being around all this music all the time. I guess that same thing happened to me, but I love a great beat. I don't play house and I don't play minimal, I've always loved hip-hop, R&B, and more of the old school funk and soul stuff. For me, it just felt natural to write songs, and I enjoyed singing, it was something that I like to do. I played around with the ideas of writing songs, it just felt like the most natural fit to start doing it at a time that was right for me and a time that I wanted to experiment with putting stuff together.

ON GETTING SIGNED BY MINISTRY OF SOUND/LEVELS ENTERTAINMENT: Well, it was about November in 2009 when I started looking for a manager and started going to the studio. Before, I had never actually walked into a recording studio. I looked at some stuff with some producers, and I think I was a bit naïve, and I didn't really know what I liked. Well, I knew what I liked, but I didn't really know what my sound would be and what I was trying to say. In January/February 2010, I went into the studio and we made "Finish Line." When I made it, I just felt like it was me—it was fresh. Shortly after making that song, it ended up at BBC 1Xtra via Twin B. A couple of labels got in contact, but it was Twin B's label that I went for in the end, because I knew him so well, and it was just a really natural process. I wanted to have a team of people around me who I care about more than just business.

THE FEELING WHEN FIRST ENTERING THE CHARTS: It was very hard, because it felt like I was just a number. It was hard to grasp, in a way. It was like, 'OK, I'm this number', there's nothing on paper to say it. The initial happiness was a great thing, to be in the top 40. It's a bit mad when you grow up listening to the charts as a kid and then one day you're in it. But I remember people being like, 'That's great news', and I was like, 'I want to do the next thing.' I find it so easy to look around at other artists and see them with number-one albums and stuff. You feel a bit fickle, I suppose. But then I look back and think about how a year ago I hadn't ever performed live, and I hadn't done any collaborations with anyone, so I have come far. This is all about growth for me, and it's been a tough, but great, year.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

This also appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

Interview Magazine: Discovery - Labrinth

Introducing the man behind Tinie Tempah's worldwide smash, "Pass Out": Labrinth. The London-based musician is quickly becoming one of the UK's most sought-after producers and, now that he is signed to Simon Cowell's SYCO record label, he can add singer to his already impressive musical CV. With a love for everything from gospel to grime, Labrinth's authentic sound is like no other.

AGE: 22

HOMETOWN: London, United Kingdom

HOW HE GOT INTO MUSIC: I got into music through just being inspired by my brother and sisters. They all sing, play instruments and write—and they're very good at it. Being so young and being around them played a very important part in my love for music. Then, of course, church. There were loads of things going on. My dad was a musician and my mum was a singer, so it just goes back generations. I had my start before I was even born, really. When I really got into music, and when I started to produce, I was about 13. I started producing after seeing my brother do it. I would use his MPC, work on Logic Pro and I used to work on Cubase, Reason and other programs, too. Any program that I could find to make music on, I was on it.

After that, I met my manager through my mum—she had so many talented children that she wanted to know a little bit about the business. We went through a few moments where we got scammed—with certain people claiming to be very high in the business, but they weren't at all. A lot of people were just trying to squeeze money out of our family. My mum was just like, 'I need to learn this business; I need to understand how it works.' She met my manager, she introduced me to my manager and said, 'You're gonna work with him!'

ON "PASS OUT": I never knew that the music was going to kick off as much as that because, of course, I made Master Shortie's album previously and it didn't do as well as I expected. But, at that time, I didn't know anything about the music business, I was quite naïve, and I was just making what I enjoyed. By the time I got to 'Pass Out', I learned a lot about writing and producing. I studied a lot, and I would ask people what they know and how I can develop myself, but not lose my individual sound, because it's very easy to get sucked into what's out there and make what's out there to be successful.

After doing my research, I basically made 'Pass Out' loads of sounds on it, had some fun in the studio, and it was like, 'Boom! I can't believe this.' The label didn't even put it out as an actual track that was going to be on his album, they said it was going to be a warm up track for the clubs to see how it goes. That's how much faith a lot of people had in the record. It wasn't supposed to be a hit in the eyes of the label, because the industry was like, 'OK, it's a really cool track, but we don't know how far it will go.' Then it just kept spiraling from there.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Of course, success takes you where your character can't sustain you. I'm in a different environment. I'm in a different place. I feel like I've matured a lot, so the stuff that I would make when I was younger was either very gritty hip-hop or soulful R&B—jazz chords, etc. There were always some crazy jazz chords, I still know them now and I still use them but I think I use them a little more sparingly now. I'm a bit more careful about how many jazz chords I throw in my beats, unless I want it to be directed somewhere else. I listened to quite a mix of music: Kim Burrell, Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Wu-Tang, and a lot of old school tunes from people like James Brown.

HIS SOUND TODAY: I don't think I've reached the entirety of my vocals. As a producer, I feel that there's a lot more for me to give. But, if I were to explain it, I would just say, "It's music." I don't know, it's just free. That's the only way I can explain it. I wouldn't put myself in a box, because I definitely wouldn't allow it to be that way. I'm not gonna just make house, I'm not just gonna make dubstep. It's a gift and curse sometimes, though, because people like going to people for something. When I listen to a Coldplay record, you're gonna hear an indie band and you know that's what you're gonna get from Coldplay. With myself, I'm not sure it's the same.

SINGING OR PRODUCING?: I have to be honest; I think production is mad exciting because, of course, you're creating the record. When you're a singer, you're just singing. Creating the music, directing and seeing where it's gonna go in production is very, very exciting.

ON BEING SIGNED TO SIMON COWELL'S SYCO RECORD LABEL: There were a lot of labels after me after 'Pass Out' and 'Frisky'—they really loved the records. They heard me previously through my publishing label, because after I signed with them, they sent me around to meet all these labels and introduce my music to them as a producer. They remembered, but hadn't heard much from me. As soon as 'Pass Out' came out, they all went insane and were like, 'Wow! We need to sign this guy.' A lot of people tried to sign me, then at the last minute—I was just about to sign to a label—Simon Cowell came in and basically wanted me as a producer for some of the artists coming off of The X Factor, like, Leona Lewis wanted to work with me. Then they heard my stuff and were like, 'We want you to be an artist', so they put in an offer. I know a lot of people didn't think I was in control when I put out 'Let The Sun Shine', but that was actually made when I was like 17. As I said before, I just want to make music, whether it be commercial or underground. So, I do have the freedom to do what I want, of course, but sometimes fans will not agree with some of the choices I make, or some of the places I decide to go. I just want to have fun.

ON HIS LABEL, ODD CHILD, AND HIS FIRST ACT, ETTA BOND: My plan for the label is to be able to educate artists, as well as helping them to develop themselves—but in an honest way. What happens in the industry, and I even find it myself, is that a lot of us go in quite naïve. We're very good at what we do, but we're not very good as business-minded people. We don't understand the industry that we're selling music to, because it is a business, after all. For me, Odd Child was a way to offer very creative people a better experience of the industry, instead of people not really understanding their music and it totally turning them away from what they really are.

A lot of pop artists usually come out with music that they would have never sung if they were unsigned, and I felt like I wanted to find a way that they could express themselves but not lose that business sense as well. Even my career is like a guinea pig to what I want to do with artists. I want it to be as free as possible. Etta Bond is the first step towards that and I feel like she's already making a great move. People love her face! She has a bad boy voice, man. She was the first artist I worked with, actually, I met her on MySpace ages ago when I was about 17 and we just started working instantly. We had great chemistry in the studio. I've known her for years, but I just think this is the time for her to kick off and get out there.

THE FUTURE: I've got an album coming out early next year, and I've been running around doing a mad amount of shows. I recently did a tour with Chase & Status and I'm going to be doing a tour with Tinie Tempah at the O2 Arena; Nero as well. Then there's going to be a lot of shows and tours following up after. That's basically the plan, to be anywhere and everywhere. I just want to have some fun and keep on pushing this thing as high as it can go.

By Joseph 'JP' Patterson

This is also appeared over at Interview Magazine: H E R E

The Metro Newspaper: Nigo Interview (Unedited Version)

Fashion designer Nigo, born Tomoaki Nagao, is founder of urban clothing label A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and co-creator with US rap star Pharrell Williams of Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club. Joseph 'JP' Patterson asks him about Japanese fashion, his love for music and expanding the brands...

Hi Nigo! How are you keeping?

Hi. Not bad, thanks.

OK, first question. Can you give us a little history of how you got into designing clothes?

It kind of happened without my realising. I was very interested in fashion from a young age - from the first time I saw Run DMC on Japanese TV, as a schoolboy. I went to a famous fashion college, but I studied fashion editorial, not design. I was a year behind Jun Takahashi (UNDERCOVER) in college and we became friends. While I was still studying, I became a stylist and DJ and started to get some recognition. Jun and I were given a regular page to curate in a youth fashion magazine called Takarajima (which folded since then) and that was kind of the genesis of the shop we opened together called, NOWHERE. Jun was always a fashion designer from the start; I used to operate very much as a stylist: buying dead stock sneakers and vintage American college wear to sell in the shop. Jun encouraged me to start my own brand because it was getting exhausting going to America on buying trips. Those are the roots of A Bathing Ape and I have been fortunate that it hasn't let up since then. The success just built and whilst I still don't think of myself as a designer, it is the easiest way to describe what I do, I suppose.

You’re also a lover of music, aren’t you? You DJ and produce music as well, so how did all of that start?

As I mentioned before, at that time DJ/stylist was not a completely unheard of occupation. The clothing side became more successful, but I find the idea of one without the other quite strange. I have released a few records - the first ones were released in the UK on the Mo'Wax label and I have continued to make music.

Do you still have time to spin some records and make the odd instrumental every now and again, seeing as you’re so busy with fashion?

Honestly, it is difficult these days. The growth of the clothing side of what I do has brought quite a few responsibilities, so even if I personally feel a need to focus on music at any particular moment, that isn't always possible.

I’d like to know your thoughts on how fashion has changed since you started BAPE in 1993...

What we were doing has become much more accepted and normal. To the point that people sometimes take it for granted, as if it was inevitable that culture would evolve this way. There are good and bad sides to that: I have enjoyed the fact that we can affect the mainstream; but there used to be something special about belonging to an exclusive little club. Fashion, in the sense of magazines and shows, obviously changes very quickly and never stands still, but at the level of what people really wear in their daily lives, things are much more stable. The street of 2010 looks closer to what I wear than it did in 1993.

Japanese kids seem to have a real eye for fashion. Where do you think this come from?

People care about it. It isn't unusual to be very informed about trends and what brands and products are available. I think a lot of people here don't feel much pressure to look normal or to fit in, which maybe exists in many other countries. It's hard for me to assess really, because the way it is here is what I am used to. What people are wearing when I go overseas is more exotic for me, so I tend to notice that more.

You've teamed up with lots of characters from popular media, including Marvel, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob etc. What do you most enjoy or value about these link-ups?

I like characters. It is amazing for me to be able add my touch to a famous character. If I couldn't change them in some way, there would be no point for me.

What other fashion designers are you rating at the moment? I recently interviewed Carri ‘Cassette Playa’ Mundane, who had some very kind words to say about you…
I think it would be unfair to pick. I actually still see myself as a consumer and not some kind of judge who's above it all, so I like to be able to recognise one good piece in a collection I didn't really like, for example. There are a lot of good designers now. I like Carri, that's nice of her.

You’re the owner of Bathing Ape and you also work with Pharrell Williams on Billionaires Boys Club and Ice Cream too. But, which one do you prefer? A hard question to answer, I know…

Well, BAPE is older and it's all mine, but working with Pharrell is one of the most important things that has happened to me.

How is it working with Pharrell on BBC? Do you always see eye to eye on things?

Mostly we see eye-to-eye. I don't speak enough English for our relationship to work if we didn't ‘get’ each other already. The difficulties of communication in language sometimes help you to realise that differences of opinion aren't that important.

OK, talk to us about the recent closure of your store in Los Angeles. What was the reason for closing it down and do you think online will continue to be the best way to sell clothing?

It was a beautiful store and it we had a lot of hurdles in the way of bad luck to overcome before we opened it; so it was a difficult decision to close. The whole environment in LA really changed after the economy there crashed. The streets got a bit deserted and we found ourselves surrounded by empty stores. We thought it was better to close. As for online sales, you know, I was really reluctant to do it at first. I had a shop before I had a brand and I have always believed that I wanted people to see my products in a certain way, which is why I put so much energy into building amazing stores. I have been converted, though. I do think that one doesn't replace the other, though. I think each way of buying appeals to different customers and some things are easier to buy in a store than online. They both have a role.

Lastly, what can we expect from Nigo and his world of fashion and music in the near future?

I have just opened my first shops in China (Beijing and Shanghai) which is something I was working on for a while and has kept me pretty busy. Other than that, I am preparing new collections for BAPE, Mr Bathing Ape and Human Made.

This also appeared in The Metro Newspaper: HERE (Pages 18 & 19)

The Metro Newspaper: Cassette Playa Interview (Unedited Version)

Carri Mundane is Queen of the avant-garde with her bright and brash designs, under Cassette Playa, worn by the likes of Lil’ Wayne and M.I.A. (to name but a few). Joseph 'JP' Patterson caught up with the grime and metal lover to talk all things streetwear, high fashion, and just about everything in between.

When did you realise that you had, without sounding cheesy, a passion for fashion?

I don’t think I ever did decide. I don’t think I decided at all, actually (laughs). I always had an interest, less in fashion and more in style; I liked the way people dressed and, from a really early age, I used to play dress-up all the time. I’ve always been interested in sub-cultures and the meaning of style. I decided to make a brand because it’s like art on a mass level: it reaches more people. Everything moves so fast in fashion and I like the way everything is so accelerated. I see style as symbolism.

Which designers did you look up to as you were just getting started in fashion?

Bernhard Wilhelm, Jeremy Scott, JCDC, and also people like Raf Simons, Vivienne Westwood, and Kim Jones. Designers who have a big link with street culture have always been an inspiration. Nigo from Bathing Ape is also another name that I have to mention. He’s the ultimate at building a brand, an iconic brand, and he’s changed the way streetwear brands are seen.

What would you say has been your favourite Cassette Playa season so far? I know that’s a difficult one to answer…

I’d say maybe the first show I ever did, which was Spring/Summer 07. It was called L.S.I and was all about circuit-bending. It was the first time that I really experimented with digital print, which is something that's become a really big part of Cassette Playa now. That’s where it all started, so that was, and still is, a very important time for me. I like this season, but I’m really excited about next season!

Can we get an exclusive on what to expect for next season?

Next season? Not yet! But this season I can (laughs). Well, next season I’m doing a catwalk show. For the last two seasons, I’ve been experimenting with digital presentations (Augmented Reality being last season) and this season we did a video booth installation, so that’s all been great but I really want to go back to doing catwalk shows. This season is called Ancestors and it’s inspired by Native Americans, their mythology and symbolism etc., but then it’s also got elements of 80s rockabilly/psychobilly and The Cramps. It’s a bit trashy and a bit seedy. This season we did a lot more CGI and 3D graphics than usual, for the last couple of seasons we did a little, but this season we had a lot more. I’m obsessed with amateur CGI, like Poser and Daz 3D.

I came across your name through your work within the grime scene about three years ago. Are you still a fan of grime music? It's definitely changed a lot over the years...

I mean, I’m into a lot of different things. If people understand me, then they’d see a thread between all of the things that I’m into. But yeah, I still like grime music, but there’s only a few artists out there who I think is still innovative. Wiley is still producing really incredibly, Dizzee Rascal is still amazing in my eyes, even though he’s making mainstream music. I feel Dizzee's made some great music in the past and still makes fun party music. I got into grime mainly because of its productions, though. Ruff Sqwad has some amazing producers. I was really into early techno, and their beats kind of reminded me of that: really clean and future, and it didn’t sound like anything else - it was really UK. Also, when I used to go to live grime shows, I really connected to it, simply because of the energy. I’m into metal music, and grime nights had a lot of the same energy that I loved: moshing, etc (laughs). I really like industrial and EBM as well, because it’s really dark but tribal, kind of like Goth-dance music. Salem are amazing! The way they remixed one of Gucci Mane’s tracks was amazing. Crystal Castles are sick! Egyptian Hip Hop, too. I love The xx. I think their productions are amazing. Milo from The xx did the soundtrack to our AR show, but These New Puritans are probably my favourite UK band right now - both their music and concepts are so challenging, future, and, above all, British! I also work with a band called Telepathy from New York, who are really into dubstep and you can hear it through their music - they did the soundtrack to my SS10 show. I can talk about music way longer than fashion (laughs).

Me too! (Laughs) So, nu rave. People associated you, along with a few other well-known people in London, with the whole nu rave movement a couple of years back. What are your thoughts on it now that it has kind of died out?

With the whole nu rave thing, I just got really frustrated because people misunderstood what I was doing. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up with rave culture and I do like rave music, but what I was taking from it was the psychedelia and the utopianism of it. I never wanted to re-create smiley culture. I believe in futurism, not being retro. At the time when it was really big in the press, it kind of scared me and I used to find it really hard because people just didn’t get me. Now I just like to keep my private life separate, I never wanted to be famous. I didn’t build Cassette Playa so I can be the face of it, so I’m kind of glad that the whole thing went away. Now I feel that people get be a little better.

You’re not only a fashion designer though, are you? You do styling and you’re also an art/style director for a number of publications. What can you see yourself doing in the long-run? 

I still do styling, but only stuff that I really want to do or that pays good money (laughs). I just don’t have the time to do everything. I’ve worked with Vice recently, Dazed & Confused (Japan) and I’ve just gone back to working with SUPERSUPER Magazine after two years. I like what SUPERSUPER are doing more now though, because they really represent youth culture and they’re usually the ones that pick up on things from really early on. But what I really want to do is make more films; I’ve already made about four films.

You’ve collaborated with a lot of different brands, including Nike, Swatch and, more recently, Disney. Who has been the best to work with so far and are there any other brands that you’d like to collaborate with? 

 I don’t really know who my favourite has been, but I really enjoyed working with Stussy because it was women’s and I got to really show what I can do on that side. I’ve worked with Nike on a few projects, like I made a computer game with them, a capsule collection, and also a limited edition blazer, so I always love to work with them. Nike is such an iconic global brand, and that allows us to access a different audience. But Nike are also about innovation and technology, so not so different to what I'm about. I only want to work with brands when there’s a connection.

And lastly, can we see a Cassette Playa store opening anytime soon? A lot of designers - namely your good friend, JCDC - have closed some of their stores and built an impressive online store instead. Do you see things going down the online route more when it comes to fashion brands?

I would like to have a shop, that’s like a physical space, but I also think online is really important for any brand. I really love cyberspace and that fact that everyone around the world can access the 'net; you don’t have to live in London, Tokyo, New York or wherever. But if you’re going to have an online store, then you’ve got to re-create an in-store experience. It should be like entering a different world!

Photography: Verena Steffanie Grotto

www.cassetteplaya.com / www.hypebeast.com/blog/carrimunden / www.twitter.com/CassettePlaya


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A version of this also appeared in The Metro Newspaper: H E R E (Pages 18, 19, 20, 21)

The Metro Newspaper: Kim Jones Interview!

Style Counsel: Keeping up with the (Kim) Jones

Alongside his own collection, Kim Jones has worked with a variety of companies, including Topman, Umbro to produce Umbro by Kim Jones, Mulberry, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Hugo Boss, and Iceberg.

Jones has also contributed as both a stylist and art director to magazines including Dazed & Confused, Arena Homme Plus, T Style Magazine, and i-D. The Face even had him at No.20 in the top 100 influential people in fashion.

In 2008, Kim Jones was hired as creative director of British men’s luxury goods brand, Alfred Dunhill. His injection of modernity into a heritage brand proved an exciting formula. Now he’s moving on after presenting his last collection for them.

Kim Jones, how are things?

All good, thanks. Just got back from Indonesia, which was really relaxing. I'm back in work mode now, though.

How did you become creative director of Dunhill?

I was approached by a head-hunter from Paris called Floriane de Saint Pierre, who works with all the large luxury groups to find creatives. I really liked the idea of the brand, so I did some projects and went for a few interviews. Around 40 or so people were approached, so I guess I did something right.

You sure did! Were you brought in to make the brand more appealing to a younger market, perhaps?

Dunhill has its roots in tradition, but Alfred Dunhill himself was a very modern man, so I took his approach and looked at what tradition meant to the modern man. I visited the store and found things my friends and I would wear. I haven’t been trying to change the whole look, I’ve just taken the best that was there and refined it.

Okay, so what made you decide to leave Dunhill?

I’ve been offered something I want to take up and, after nearly three years, it’s the right thing for me to do.

You certainly made legendary sports label Umbro much cooler to wear...

Yes, I did Umbro By Kim Jones for five years. It was great, because it was an open brief. I kept the theme very English. I love British menswear and London is a menswear capital, so I like to celebrate that fact with everything I do.

You also have your own award-winning label, Kim Jones. Any future plans?

At the moment, I have no plans with Kim Jones – but never say never. Looking at what younger designers are doing now, I guess I’d have to come back with a different approach. I always see what I did with the Kim Jones line as cultural rather than fashion. If I was to do something again it would be with someone like George from These New Puritans, as I’m finding new music more exciting than new fashion at the moment and people like The xx and These New Puritans are doing really great things which influence people. Plus they’re all super-nice, too.

What about your new line with Kanye West, Pastelle?

I did some work with Kanye, but Pastelle is on hold. We’re still good friends and we email each other quite a lot. I always see him when we’re in the same city. He’s a really nice guy and has so many ideas, which I admire.

You’ve achieved so much so young. Does it shock you?

No, I never see it like that. I’ve worked very hard, taken calculated risks – and there are elements of luck too. I just do what I need to do for my job, really, and the timing of things has been good for me as well.

Quick ones: grime or dubstep?

I prefer grime.

London or Paris?

London. It’s where it all starts and the energy is fantastic here.

Caviar or chips?

Caviar, even though you shouldn’t eat it as sturgeon are so endangered. I don’t really eat chips.

Twitter or Facebook ?

Facebook, as it’s more social. You can see what your friends are all doing when you’re travelling, which I am most of the time.

Words: Joseph 'JP' Patterson

This also appeared in The Metro Newspaper

SUPERSUPER Issue 22 Out Now!

Check out the latest issue of SUPERSUPER Magazine featuring my interview with G Money and also look out for Hyperfrank's features on Kozzie, Dot Rotten and more.

#TEAMSUPERSUPER

P.S. I know, the cover is a madness init? Future>>>>>

Artrocker Magazine: JP Meets Riko!

Joseph 'JP' Patterson recently caught up with legendary grime MC, Riko. In this in-depth interview the east Londoner talks about everything from getting a new record deal and his plans to dominate the music industry, to what he thinks about Roll Deep and fellow grime MCs making commercial music. Artrocker has the exclusive.

So Riko, how have you been? The last time I saw you were at my first ever ChockABlock club night over 3 years ago…

Yeah, that was a big rave, I remember that. Since then, I will be honest, up until about three or four months ago I wasn’t really doing a lot, music wise you get me? I was doing the wrong stuff, but then I got a little deal. It isn’t a major deal, it’s an independent deal, but I decided to knuckle down and started making tunes.

How did this deal come about for you?

It came about from just doing work. My manager, he met them before and showed them what I did before with Wiley and other people. They wanted to work with some grime artists, they’ve never worked with any before and they have been in the music game for 20 years, but more on the dance music tip and now they wanted to venture out and work with some grime cats. My manager is also my close friend, so he knew what I wanted to do and he put it to the label and they liked what we were coming with. With this deal it isn’t like you go to the studio and you don’t know what’s going to happen to your tunes, you get me? With them, the tunes will get pushed out, it may not be tomorrow, but they’re on it. That’s all I’ve ever needed, a good team, because you can be talented and if you haven’t got the right team behind you then you’re not going anywhere.

OK, so you’ve got your deal, but people want to know what the situation is between you and Roll Deep. A lot of people still aren’t sure if you’re in the crew or not…

I’m still in Roll Deep, but how can I say it? It’s not like a backseat thing, but I’m more behind the scenes. I haven’t left and we haven’t fallen out, we’re just going different ways. Obviously they’ve got their number one, so they need to push that. Everything happens for a reason, you get me?

Speaking of their No.1, what do you think about the type of music they’re making now?

They might have made a few commercial tunes here and there, but they make overall grime bangers. You can’t really blame them if they want to make a commercial tune; if it can go to number one then it can’t be that wrong…

While you were away, did you ever watch or follow the grime scene?

Nah, to be honest I didn’t. It used to make me realise how much I wasn’t doing, you know them ones? So I used to try and run from it. Right now I’m running into it, my head is in the right place now.

There’s a new batch of up-and-comers in the scene right now. What are your thoughts on them?

Maxsta is hard. I’m also rating Realist, he’s hard. Couple little youngers that I’ve seen on the internet, I don’t really know they’re names, but they’re spitting hard to grime and it’s a good look.

There’s also a lot more MCs spitting over dubstep these days, what do you think of it? I remember back in the day you used to MC on a lot of dubstep sets and it went down well…

Yeah I like it, because a lot of it is on a reggae tip. Dubstep is like a second nature to me, it’s easy to work on. I’m doing a thing with Rusko soon, I saw the article that you did on him for The Guardian and he mentioned that he wanted to work with me, so my manager hooked that up for me. I’m looking to do a few things with Kode 9 too, so we’re just going to try and work on a few little things. If there is anything worthwhile then I’m going to jump on it.

So what can people expect for your first single release?

Me and the team don’t even know yet, you have to wait and see. There’s going to be three singles, three videos and an album, we don’t know what single is going to be first just yet or what we’re going to push first. We’ve got bangers ready, but we don’t know if we’re going to make a few new ones or go with what we have already. I reckon we’re going to make some new stuff before anything gets released.



With all of this new music, are you going to plan on taking it to the mainstream?

I’m going to try and keep me, but you know what it is? You’ve just got to use your brain. If you’ve got talent and you can spit, you’ve just got to use your brain man. You don’t have to sell yourself out, but what is selling yourself out? I know people say that when certain man start making pop music, but…

So what do you think about Tinchy Stryder and all the other grime MCs that have made pop music?

I don’t see what the problem is. You might hear a poppy tune on Radio 1 or something, but if you get their album or mixtape you’ll find bangers on them. Nasty, gritty grime, you know what I’m saying? They’re just supplying demand. Why shouldn’t I make a tune that most of the country would want to hear?

Do you think that your style and flow will appeal to the mainstream audience though?

You know what it is? Right now I’m grateful that I have the right team behind me, because I’ve never had that before. If you keep on putting in the work then something will pop, trust me. Whether it’s borderline cheesy or some hard dubstep, it could even be reggae or even jungle, you never know, as long as you’re not rubbish and you have people pushing you in the right direction, then something will go right for you.

Lastly, is there anything that you’d like to tell your fans out there?

Just wait, just wait. I’ve done talking before and I’m done with talking, so for everyone that has been supporting me over the years, just wait!

Stay up to date with Riko on Twitter

Words: Joseph 'JP' Patterson

This also appeared over at Artrocker Magazine: HERE

iDJ BIZNIZZ!

Catch my in-depth interview I did with Donaeo in the latest issue of iDJ Magazine, out now.

Dailyvitamins Interviews JP...

21 year old joseph ‘jp’ patterson is a lad of many skills. aside from promoting his night chockablock he is contributing music editor and clubs editor for supersuper magazine and he writes for the independent, rwd, mixmag, artrocker, idj, wired and fader. I’m surprised we managed to get a minute of this busy bee’s time, but we did…and here’s what he had to say…

Read the rest of the interview: HERE

SUPERSUPER Magazine: Dotstar Interview

Name: DOTSTAR

Genre: Funky/grime

Location: London

Known for: ‘Stick Up’

Dotstar is an 18-year-old artist from north west London and he isn’t new to the music game he will have you know. Starting off working with grime/hip-hop camp Skata Records, he learnt many tricks and trades of the music biz. “I started admiring music as a small boy and I constantly watched Michael Jackson dance. I began to take dancing seriously by entering talent shows etc., but as I got older and experienced life a bit more I started expressing myself through music, writing lyrics and recording songs. I built on my talent and one day I was noticed by Skata Records, I joined the record label and started making music on a highly successful underground level," Dotstar explains. "After years of grinding, I had eventually found my own style and sound and put together some strong material which landed me an album deal with SRE."

SRE, also known under the name Sidewinder, is renowned for breaking talent within the UK grime scene and Dotstar is no exception. But his love for grime music then changed as he got older over the year, “I remember when I would write a fresh 16 everyday of the week and wait until Friday to show it off at my local youth club. As I got older I my eyes opened to all different genres of music and now instead of trying to please one audience, I try to capture all audiences by making good music, feel-good music, the type of music that will put a smile on your little brother or even grandma's face. In my opinion, grime isn’t dead, grime can’t die! No musical genre can die, well at least for now.”

From grime to funky house, Dotstar has now made the transition and his new sound has taken him from the average MySpace MC, to one of the funky house scenes biggest artist with his track ‘Stick Up’. “I’ve been grinding for years, but I really think the hard work paid off on ‘Stick Up’ over the last couple of months. I put in loads of ground work, networking with DJs especially trying to build the buzz, I think so far I’ve sent out at least 250 specials off my back. At the end of the day if you put in the work and stay humble, it will defiantly pay off. Also I have been working very hard in the studio working on my debut album, ‘Flight BA231190: Destination Pluto,’ got some strong hits lined up and my aim is to keep my name in the mouth of the people and put myself out there as a brand and try to stay humble. By the end of 2009 I want everyone in the industry saying, "Who’s this Dotstar Kid?”

Dotstar: ‘Stick Up’ - out now!

www.lagosboi.com

Words: Joseph 'JP' Patterson

A version of this appears in SUPERSUPER Magazine issue 18