Song of the Day: How The Hell You Make A Man? – Scooby Jones

SCOOBY JONES‘ debut single, ‘How The Hell You Make A Man’ stops you in your tracks. It’s like hearing Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ or Ben Pearce’s ‘What I Might Do’, Drake’s ‘Passion Fruit’ or some other blissful earworm you just knew was an instant classic able to stand the test of time which you would be playing on repeat for years to come, with no fear of growing tired of it.

Described on the YouTube video in hashtag speak as #Ibiza #Poolside #House you quickly get the vibe we’re heading for, but this does also bare the hallmarks of a deeper, hugely intelligent artist at work. The lyricism and wit of Sleaford Mods comes to mind, and there is that dash of British punk about Scooby’s swagger, but essentially this purest of soul voices able to see with his voice what you’d only imagine Stevie Wonder sees with his inner vision is just a thing to behold, whilst his co-conspirator, producer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Jones (Kelly Rowland, Tinie Tempah, Lalah Hathaway) locks us into a heavy groove.

What’s very exciting is Scooby Jones is just a man. A very talented one, nonetheless who is currently working on a solo album which promises even more. Based in South London and perhaps a tad familiar to some having been around the music ether for the past decade popping up on funk tracks featured on 6 Music and Radio 2 due to his insane vocal abilities and lovable nice guy personality, working behind the scenes as a songwriter with artists such as Swedish House Mafia, Artful Dodger and Chaz Jankel (Ian Dury and The Blockheads) and also touring alongside the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Ice-T, Ed Sheeran and Alexander O’Neal.

A stalwart of the London live music scene since 2008 as curator/host of one of London’s most beloved ‘open mic/jam nights’, where only the best of the best would generally make their way to the stage. Scooby now divides his time between making music and directing music videos, including the video for this momentous debut single ‘How The Hell You Make A Man?’ which is out now with various remixes due for release throughout spring/summer 2021.

SVMI Returns With Track, ‘Milan’ From ‘Ma Mood’ EP

With his previous single ‘P.O.P (Hold It Down)’ garnering strong support and rave reviews in the few weeks since its release from tastemakers such as BBC 1Xtra, KISS Fresh, Capital Xtra, Notion, Noctis Magazine, GRM Daily, Mixtape Madness and Link Up TV, Manchester rising star SVMI is not resting on his laurels and is circling right back with a new offering titled ‘MILAN’, which is produced by long-time collaborator LiTek (Rag’n’Bone Man, Bugzy Malone, Central Cee) and will lead up to the release of his debut EP with NQ Records titled Ma Mood on June 25.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Milan’, SVMI says, “the track is me wanting to get out of town to escape the drama and negativity. I was tired of people getting onto me for doing music, and you can hear me responding on the verses. There was a lot going on when I made this song, from girl trouble to dealing with jealousy and spite, and the track perfectly captured my frame of mind. I wrote the song just when I was making that transition into being an artist and that’s not as easy as people think. Sometimes you just want to drop everything and fly away”.

Having broken into the scene in Manchester as a teenager creating captivating music videos for the likes of Aitch and Izzie Gibbs, SVMI began making music himself a couple of years ago and has already amassed nearly five million plays, bolstered by his breakthrough single ‘Bait Lies’, which blew up last summer, as well as fan-favourites ‘Old Friends’ and ‘Timeout’. Championed by tastemakers, critics and fans alike, SVMI is not only one of Manchester’s new rising stars pushing the Northern music scene forward, but he is also proving to be one to watch in UK music for 2021.

Check out the video for ‘Milan’ below…

Song of the Day: Leïti Sene – T-Rex

Spain’s leading emerging artists in the rap scene LEÏTI SÈNE‘s sleek and poignant single ‘T-Rex’ explores his music journey so far.

Supported by Vogue, i-D, VICE, El Pais and more, Leïti has been bubbling up since 2017 – first garnering attention in his hometown Barcelona with his early music as trap duo SamxSen (with his cousin Sam Davies). Over the last five years, Leïti has truly ascended as an artist in his own right. Garnering global attention, he stands out from the crowd with his heady fusion of rap and hip-hop – performed in Catalan, Spanish and English and informed by his Senegalese roots – a sound that’s seen him shut down stages at esteemed festivals and venues including Primavera Sound, Loom Festival, Chacha Club, Razzmatazz and more. A multifaceted rising talent, Leïti is also an established actor, best known for his role in the hugely popular international Netflix series Elite, and a sought after style tastemaker (Napapjiri x NTS, Nike and more).

Passionate about creative collaborations, Leïti is also a key player in BCN’s burgeoning underground scene. With a discerning eye and ear for detail and his heart in his community, he founded CuteMobb – a leading collective of Spain’s brightest new-gen artists and creatives – and released the collective’s first album CuteTapes last year.

Check out the official music video for ‘T-Rex’, directed by Miguel Morillo.

Song of the Day: Cruel – Jessica Wilde

The third single taken from Wilde’s debut album, out later this year, ‘Cruel’ signals her delving back into her first love, a toxic relationship that inspired a harnessing of her bisexual identity but also led her to addiction – a subject she’s tackling on her debut album.

Co-produced with producer Jay Nebular and Grammy award winning producer Kiris Houston who have worked heavily with the likes of The Disciples and Little Mix, ‘Cruel’ has a nice lazy summer haze 90’s classic hip-hop and R&B vibe where Jessica is at her most cutesy, sultry but equally dangerous as her lyrics offer a little sting in the tail. The official visual tracks Jess wandering South London, paying homage to a nostalgic look & flava, shot on disposable cameras and VHS, it gives an authentic feel, themed throughout the album. Check it out below

Song of the Day: Questions – Abnormal Sleepz (ft. Blackhaine)

Emerging from the ranks of Manchester’s finest, multi-talented rapper and producer ABORMAL SLEEPZ‘s single ‘Questions’, featuring Lancashire artist/choreographer Blackhaine, captures a real raw, dark energy; a sound not heard from Sleepz before. The single is taken from his upcoming mixtape ‘The Meditape III’ which features the likes of HMD and SLEAZY F.

Rapidly solidifying his name amongst the echelons of Manchester excellence, Abnormal Sleepz has consistently combined his distinct musical palette with introspective lyrics in each one of his releases.

Spending years crafting his signature sound, the blend of his love for Hip Hop, Soul and Grime resulted in the release of his first solo mixtape, ‘The Meditape’ in 2015, followed by ‘The Meditape II’. Taking his own artistic inspiration from Ab – Soul, Erykah Badu, Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa and Kendrick Lamar, Sleepz went on to release his debut LP ‘Kaleidoscope’ with The North Quarter in 2019.

On top of this, his extensive production skills has led him to produce for Misha B, Ayo Britain and Pip Millet; his recent campaigns with Wray & Nephew, Flannels, JD Sports and Timberland further demonstrating his versatility as an artist.

Bold in his outlook, effortless in his delivery, Abnormal Sleepz is the Mancunion creating a voice for the next generation and with his unique collaboration with Blackhaine, ‘Questions’ is an experimental force to be reckoned with. Check out the video for the epic track below…