Tag: Bristol

Acclaimed Rapper Blacksmith Taps UK Hip-Hop Legend Skinnyman To Question ‘The Price Of Love’ In Latest Video

Embodying all that is Hip Hop, Bristolian based artist, producer, radio host and hip hop event director BLACKSMITH, releases long awaited new music in the shape of ‘Price of Love’ featuring UK legend Skinnyman (pictured left) and production by New York’s Statik Selektah.

Already a constant within the depths of UK Hip Hop, Blacksmith’s CV reads as a rundown of some of the biggest accolades an artist can boast of. From performances at Glastonbury to Fusion Festival in Germany, he has also supported the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Common, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Evidence, Brother Ali and many more. As an MC and producer, he can also include Jeff Wooton (The Gorillaz), Hodgy (Odd Future), Dilated Peoples, Carasel, Stamina MC and Dynamite MC, as fellow artists he has worked with and produced music for, and his love for hip hop doesn’t stop there. A self-made events promoter and radio host, Blacksmith is a key component to UK hip hop, giving both established and upcoming artists a platform through his regular hip-hop events and radio shows.

Check out the video below…

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The Scribes Return With New EP, ‘The Totem Trilogy Pt.2’

Bristol based outfit THE SCRIBES (Ill Literate & Jonny Steele) drops the long awaited ‘The Totem Trilogy 2’, the second EP of the three part Totem series. The 8 track EP was made in collaboration with renowned producer Vince Beats.

The project features a wide range of talent from across the UK and US. Dizzy Dustin (Ugly Duckling) joins the group on horn-laden anthem ‘Hype’ for some braggadocious transatlantic wordplay, while Akil The MC (Jurassic 5) returns with a soulful rework of ‘Get Down’.

London based lyricist Donnie Numeric, also brings his trademark thoughtful flow to ‘Focus’, a bouncy and energetic track that also features the breathtaking sound of the 98 piece Birmingham Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The Scribes and their unique blend of Hip Hop combined with Rock, Funk and more have been a stalwart of the UK and international hip hop scene for well over a decade. Firm festival favourites across Europe with frequent appearances at Glastonbury, Electric Picnic, Isle Of Wight, Latitude, Boomtown and many more, The Scribes have shared mics with the likes of Wu Tang Clan, MF DOOM, Macklemore, Rudimental, KRS One and De La Soul. Ill Literate and Jonny Steele compliment each other’s vocals perfectly, with the duo always finding innovative instrumentals to merge their styles, leading to regular airplay on BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC 6 Music.

Vice beats has been steadily amassing a bank of releases that have supported the Bristol based producer to create the only official UK based J Dilla tribute to date. With support from the likes of DJ Premier, Chuck D and BBC introducing to name but a few, his production is gaining traction worldwide. He has worked with the likes of Blu, ASM, A-Plus (Souls Of Mischief / Hieroglyphics), Pseudo Slang, Nutty P, Brotherman and many more with a slew of upcoming projects. 

The Scribes x Vice beats – The Totem Trilogy 2, is now out across major digital music platforms. Check it out below…

NLM Recommendations: Sixties, All I Can Say, Get Down

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Song of the Day: Overnight – Alamay & Omar Cassius

      Bristol-based emerging stars vocalist ALAMAY and OMAR CASSIUS (fka skiimsk) announce their second self-produced EP How tTo Swim, dropping 13th July 2022, and share the heady and soulful single ‘Overnight’. The follow up to their debut release, Aurora, and their lauded Boiler Room debut, ‘Overnight’ is a heart-rending track, with Alamay reflecting candidly on past relationships. A gorgeous, melancholic slice of R&B produced by Omar Cassius, his minimalist percussion, sparse sparkling guitar and brooding bass provide the perfect backdrop for Alamay’s heartfelt vocals.

      Gaining an education in Soul and Jazz from an early age, Alamay’s style draws on inspiration from these rich, timeless sounds as well as her Ethiopian heritage. One of Bristol’s most promising new talents, Alamay is bringing a refreshing take on modern R&B/Soul. She first entered the scene in 2019 with her collaborative project with Omar Cassius, Aurora, followed by a track entitled ‘Miirror’ featuring KNWGD in 2020, and made serious waves with her impressive live Boiler Room set, performing alongside deconstructed club titans, Giant Swan and Jabu. Already gaining tastemaker support and a dedicated fan-base, Alamay has laid the foundations for many more impressive projects to come.

      Bristol-born artist Omar Cassius (fka skiimsk) entered the scene in 2019 with his collaborative debut EP alongside Alamay titled Aurora. As co-founder of the 1999 platform (a Bristol-based creative collective) he can be found working on multiple other projects – often behind the scenes – with other budding creatives in the city’s buzzing, tight-knit community. To date, most of his creative output and contributions have been his carefully honed, intricate productions. However, How to Swim EP sees the rising artist making his first foray into contributing vocals and bars on releases, with his sights set on further collaborative and solo projects.

      Have a listen to the pair’s stunning single below…

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      Jamie Beale Shares Tantalising Debut Single ‘Borderline’, Taken From Upcoming Album

      Taken from his upcoming debut album, expected for release later this year, Bristol-based songwriter JAMIE BEALE‘s debut single ‘Borderline’, sure hits like a sugar rush. The track – an enchanting blend of indie-rock, dream-pop and acid-funk- boasts dewy guitar textures, soaring harmonies and synth-laden soundscapes backed by the shuffling drums and tantalising grooves.

      ‘Borderline’ was written during the winter lockdown in the middle of an increasingly isolated period of his life. His relationship was coming to an end, he was alone in lockdown and his music and touring career within Novatines was looking uncertain, along with his idea of a future within music at all.

      Speaking about the time, Beale states: “I was spending the majority of my time living in a hazy dreamworld, searching for something positive to hold onto, I felt that no matter what, I still had me and my own personal freedom of mind, and there was something comforting about that. Somewhere between my partially self-induced cabin fever madness and a sense of unshakable positivity in an unusual time, I wrote Borderline. I guess it’s a song for people with nowhere to go, and how not knowing where you belong isn’t always a bad thing.”

      As vocalist and songwriter of rock band Novatines, Jamie has an array of musical achievements already under his belt, having toured the UK and Europe extensively as well as receiving national airplay on stations such as BBC Radio 2, 6 and Radio X. Have a listen to the tantalising ‘Borderline’ below…

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      Song of the Day: Not Very Well – Tuff Bear

      UK-based artist TUFF BEAR‘s single, ‘Not Very Well’ which combines ambient synthesised melodies and melancholic vocals that play out over a pulsing, funk-inspired groove, all with the intention of creating a feeling of optimism and joy in the face of a familiar sadness.

      The upbeat, disco-charged buoyancy that dominates the song is designed to contradict the more introspective notions of anxiety and worry that are explored in the lyrics, thereby presenting a sort of defiance in the embrace of one’s shyness.

      With a sound that draws on 70s disco, 90s dance and contemporary indie-pop, Tuff Bear – an alias for Theo Vernon – developed his sound and aesthetic over the course of the pandemic taking what had been a lifelong hobby. He started playing music from the age of five, learning the tuba, piano and cello before joining a choir – into something of a creative endeavor, writing and recording songs in his student bedroom. Work started on this first instalment of the Tuff Bear project back in April of 2020 before Vernon signed to Acrophase Records and began piecing together the collection with label mate, PWNT.

      ‘Not Very Well’ follows his bb sway-featuring debut single, “Talk To You” which found fans Stereofox, Dope Cause We Said, Also Cool Mag and more. Tuff Bear’s debut EP, Tuff Bear’s Picnic is set for release via Nashville-based label, Acrophase Records (V.V. Lightbody, PWNT, Ginger Root) on June 3, 2022.

      Have a listen to ‘Not Very Well’ below…

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