HENNY KNIGNTZ latest drop, ‘Hackney’ narrates the day in the life of the east london bmxer over a rugged, industrial beat.
Henny Knightz is one half of duo The Knighthood Society featuring fellow rapper Nicki Knightz. Henny has executively produced all of Nicki Knightz’ music and Ivohé’s 2022 album ‘goldita y despeinada’ to critical acclaim, and has been covered by Trench Magazine, Earmilk, RWD Magazine, GUAP Mag GRM Daily, KALTBLUT and BBC1xtra
It’s time to check out ‘Hackney, the anthem for the downtrodden and forgotten…
A true representation of the alternative in London, Hackney rapper and model NICKI KNIGHTZ returns with an introductory video in anticipation of her third solo project ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ produced by her genre-bending duo member – artist and producer Henny Knightz.
‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ tells of how Nicki came to refer to herself as a ‘lonely girl’ relaying her experiences of council estate living and being painfully different from the accepted norms. It also celebrates the solace she found once discovering equally talented and artistic outcasts. The video exhibits Nicki and three fellow ‘lonely girls’ that the world has turned its back on. Though they experience extreme highs when together, once alone they are left grappling with sombre thoughts and intense emotions. Inspired by the hit movie ‘Set It Off’ in order to fight back they take their destinies into their own hands.
‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ comes in the wake of Nicki’s prior EP ‘For The Uninformed’ a sonically and lyrically dark exploration that splices live instrumentation with avant garde alternative hip hop and explores the heartache of being mixed race in and out of the ends. The project’s single ‘India Arie’ was championed by Radio 1’s Toddla T making it his ‘coldest record of the week’ and BBC1XTRA’s Jamz Supanova. The project’s third track ‘1964 (Howlett Drive)’ was played on Radio 1’s chillest show with presenter Sian Eleri claiming it to be “…the coolest bassline in East London”
Check out the video for ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ below…
North London rapper ASHER KOSHER – founding member and cornerstone of the Hackney-based Root 73 studio and artist community – is back with the second single to be lifted from his forthcoming, as-yet-unannounced new project. ‘Focus’, featuring long-time collaborator Eerf Evil, is out now on Root 73.
Launching fresh off the back of first single ‘On Our Street’ ft. Bel Cobain back in March, ‘Focus’ turns the next page in Kosher’s dexterous lyric book, as he trades verses with Eerf Evil; another artist with strong ties to Root 73 and The Silhouettes Project – an off-shot platform (and acclaimed multi-artist album of the same name) launched in 2019, dedicated to showcasing the next generation of UK hip-hop, jazz and soul.
Raised on a diet of A Tribe Called Quest, Tu-Pac, Eminem and later, UK rappers like Dizzee Rascal, Sway and Choong Family – as well as Benjamin Zephaniah’s 2004 book, ‘Gangsta Rap’ – Kosher’s love of lyricism runs deep.
After spending years honing his craft – including supporting hip-hop royalty in The Pharcyde and KRS1, as well as legendary UK rapper, K Koke during his early twenties – ‘Focus’ lands as another entry point to the reincarnation of Asher Kosher; rapper, thinker and pillar of his community….Check him out below…
Hackney-born singer, songwriter and guitarist MYCHELLE has unveiled her new track ‘Forbidden Fruit’ featuring ENNY. The latest single from her upcoming EP ‘Someone Who Knows’ which is set for release on 20th May.
Markedly more buoyant and rhythmic than Mychelle’s previous releases, ‘Forbidden Fruit’ is a rootsy yet bass-driven track. Sonically recalling the work of neo-soul songstresses India Arie, Tweet and Vivian Green, the track emits the ambience and mood of a peaceful summer afternoon.
Lyrically, the song details the moral dilemmas that arise when one falls for someone they know isn’t good for them and the complicated feelings that consequently rise to the surface.
Lending guest vocals to the track is fellow FAMM label-mate ENNY who adorns the song with a majestic rap verse. The newest addition in ENNY’s recent string of features, following her freshly-released collaborations with Shae Universe, Odeal and Boj. The resulting collaboration is a perfect marriage of Mychelle’s acoustic soul sensibilities and ENNY’s supreme rap stylings.
Directed by Portia Barnett-Herrin, the video follows Mychelle as she’s strolling through a park late at night where she is curiously enticed by a strange light that leads her to an alternative universe.
Soon she’s face to face with a version of herself she doesn’t recognise, engaging in a high-stake game of chess before completely disappearing. The video’s narrative is further complemented by visually rich collage sequences placing an emphasis on the sensory draw of fruits and flowers.
The new single comes after the release of her previous single, ‘Younger Self’ – the lead single of her forthcoming sophomore EP ‘Someone Who Knows’, which will coincide with her first ever headline show at The Lexington on 31st May.
Check out the video for Mychelle’s ‘Forbidden Fruit’ below…
Lifted from her most recent EP ‘For The Uninformed’, rapper NICKI KNIGHTZ‘s visuals for 1964 (Howlett Drive) tells the tale of Nicki’s mother, a woman from Norwich who, after falling pregnant, found herself living in deepest Hackney.
The Saul Ali-directed video juxtaposes scenes of Nicki recording the track, and having to recall them visiting Norwich, with its canals and parks, a simpler life where survival is not so hard to maintain. She then smacks back to the grim reality of how her mother lost her financial independence and became despondent on the block.
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