The Beat Tape is a collection of instrumentals from a talented bunch of producers from South London. This collective consists of Shin, Ashkid, Romes and Rawz (known as Dumb Beats), Shae Shae of Tone Def and Ripperman.
Over the past year or so this particular group of producers have been supplying beats to the underground and independent artists in the UK’s urban scene.
Supplying the likes of Jessie J, Steelo 1, Janiece Myers and Jay Norton with R&B bangers and hooking up Manga (Roll Deep), Lady Leshurr, P Money, Little Dee, Lioness, M Dot E, Political Peak, Ratlin, A-Dot, Young Spray & Kano with raw street heat. This collective is one to look out for in 2012.
The free download is a collection of unheard instrumentals that through out countless session never got picked up by the many artists they have worked with.
Championed by 1Xtra DJ’s Tim Westwood, Charlie Sloth, Semtex and Ace & Vis be sure to look out for these producers who brought you the following underground bangers:
• Little Dee feat. Kano- I’m A Londoner
• A-Dot feat. Kano- Semantics
• Lioness- BOMB
• Steelo feat. Sneakbo, English Frank & DVS- City On Lock
In keeping with Standup Recordz list of solid artists, here’s another release that sets the bar high once again. Obviously.
“This is an introduction to an artist that has been making alot of noise in the North lately, and I promise you will not be let down. With all around progressive lyrics and that Boom Bap feeling Zayn is sure not to disappoint. The mixtape also features an array of talent on the MC and production circuit including: Teknique, Craft, Louie, Leisone, Aptitude, Vova, OldeBoy, David Ross, Rosario Sciuto, Ross Mclean, Amaar Azaan”. To name a few! Don’t sleep on this dude.
One word to describe Papo, flow. Dude’s got a solid technique and a good delivery. Have a cheeky look for yourselves. Joe Papo’s First Mixtape entitled: KNOWLEDGE IS PAPO : THE ARRIVAL will be out on the 15th of January so keep your eyes and ears out for that
“Supar Novar is back with his brand new mixtape ‘Here I Am’ mixed by Show N Prove. This future UK classic showcases some of Supar Novar’s best work to date and features collobarations with the likes of DAPPY, MCD, DANNY BONES, BIG BEN, RAGZ SWEET JONES, TERRA SLIM, YAEO, BARRY KNIGHT, MR 13, BIG FRIZZLE and more, as well as some quality production from DEAD MAN WALKN, FARMA G, SHOW N PROVE, SUPAR NOVAR and more.
Supar Novar is an award winning Hip-Hop artist from North London who has been an integral member of the UK scene for over ten years. He was first introduced to the scene by way of his crew F.L.I.P with the help of local Hip-Hop legend Skinnyman. In 1999 a support slot for Skinnyman’s group ‘The Mud Family’ lead to Novar becoming a member of the group and touring the UK with them at the age of sixteen. Never one to wait on others, he cracked on with his solo career along the way and released his first record on Kemet Ents. Records in 2001, ‘When Supar Novar Explodes’ b/w ‘All I Need’ was one of the biggest underground releases of that year.
Since his launch onto the scene Supar Novar has released seven singles and four mixtapes, all to critical acclaim which gave him the opportunity to share stages with American Rap superstars such as Ghostface (Wu-Tang), M.O.P, The Clipse and DJ Premiere. He has also featured on many other artists projects including The Mud Family, Foreign Beggars, Skrein and Wordsmith, as well as having his music featured on a huge list of mixtapes and compilation CD’s. In 2006 his debut album was released on Kemet Entertainment Records featuring production from himself, First Man Productions (Lemar, Talib Kweli, Skinnyman), Colin Emmanuel (KRS One, Estelle & Jamelia), Joe Buhdha (Rodney P, Klashnekoff), DJ Flip (Skinny Man – Council estate Of mind), Show N Prove (Baby Blue, Bigz, Tor), and DJ Snips (Poisonous Poets). This was an extremely good year for Novar, the album lead to him performing at Glastonbury festival and winning ‘Best Hip-Hop’ at The Indy Music Awards as voted by the people.
Supar Novar has always been an artist who put in a lot of work and along the way has trained himself to record, produce and mix his own music. As well as rapping he makes beats for himself and other artists, shoots, directs and edits video’s as well as running his websites SuparNovar.Com, Flip Life TV and ExplosiveMuzik.Com. He is currently working on a degree in ‘Creative Music Production & Business’ and this year he has already released ‘Man On Fire’ with UK Runnings and a digital album release called ‘No Favours’ which is produced entirely by himself. As Supar Novar works on his 2012 solo release he is also working on a joint album with the UK Hip-Hop legend MCD. Supar Novar is ready to take his career to the next level and take the UK scene by storm…’
Recordkingz.com sent us a video interview of American producer Just Blaze. This dude is no joke and has sold a good million records and worked with the likes of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. Whether you enjoy the music or not, it’s a pretty interesting interview about beat digging and the culture of music production.
Check out the Recordkingz website and see for yourselves for that rare vinyl and samples.
Let’s start this year as we mean to go on shall we? So what a better way than to get your little mitts on some free music. J Dunn is forever supplying us with new music, videos and artists; sometimes too much for just 3 dudes to keep track of. Dunn Deal is produced and mixed by New Orleanian producer/deejay Quickie Mart who recently released Space Monkey Radio, an EP of artist-approved QM dubstep remixes of songs by Freddie Gibbs, Slightly Stoopid. This a culmination of three year’s worth of the best tracks taken from previous projects, get yo ears checked!
Your New Year’s Eve any good? Go clubbing and get charged 20 quid to get in, then another 15 for a drink? Or d’you take the easy option and find yourself a nice house party to situate your drunk ass? Or perhaps you thought the world was going to end, so you hurried on down to your local Scientologist temple and prayed to the mighty Bing Bong or whoever Tom Cruise gives all this money to?
Either way let’s start the year off with some legit hip-hop in the form of the truly awesome Leddie & Smoggy. A North England hip-hop duo that makes music you wish you could. We caught up with half of the group, Leddie and asked her slightly silly questions to which she happily answered.
Basics out the way first! Who are you and what are your roles and how did you first get in hip-hop?
We’re “Leddie & Smoggy” (L&S). Leddie is a female Hip Hop artist and beat maker, and Smoggy is a male Hip Hop artist.
How did you two first come together to become the mighty Leddie and Smoggy?
We met in college in 2005, and we were both in a 5/6 piece Hip Hop group for about 2 years before we became L&S. The group started breaking apart due to other members situations, or attitudes, and eventually there was only 4 of us left. I was invited to join The Peoples’ Army, and was put down to support Chester P, Logic and Lowkey at the launch party 3 months later, so I asked Smog if he’d join me. After we came back me and Smoggy decided to go our own way, as we shared the same views, ideas and ambitions. It was hard after doing so much within the group, but it was definitely worth it and I’m grateful for the opportunities I had previous to L&S.
Can you tell us a little something, something about The People’s Army? Jimmy Jitsu’s in it? Tell that dude I’m a fangirl.
Yeah Jimmy is in it. He’s developed so much in the past year, it’s incredible. The Peoples’ Army is a collective of people (Artists, producers, Djs, bloggers, radio hosts, camera men/women etc) who want the same thing. Our overall aim is to show and ‘educate’ with our music, raising social awareness and speaking on subjects which are usually left untouched. We hope to free trapped and unconscious minds and remind people Hip Hop is bigger than the ‘swag’ era of material objects and money you’re fed on TV, radios etc.
As always the underground and original roots of any genre is always better and more self-aware when compared to the watered down radio friendly stuff that gets pumped by majors. In keeping with that fact, you guys are pretty socially and politically astute. Was it intentional or did it just come naturally for you guys to write this way?
It wasn’t intentional at all. In the group we used to write a lot of punch line bars but when it became just me and smoggy we developed ideas and concepts we’re both interested in and we’d like to speak about. As opposed to what other people would necessarily want to hear. We used to label our music ‘political’ and ‘conscious’ because that’s how other people used to describe it …Technically, everything is politics (From the clothes we wear, food we eat etc) so it seemed derogatory. We just make Hip-Hop music.
What’s been going with your game this year, and what are you plans for 2012 providing the world doesn’t explode?
This year we’ve done a few gigs, not many though as we’ve been more focused on writing and getting our material ready for next year …For 2012, our plans are to finish writing and recording and to release our EP and our debut album. We hope to get a few decent collabs and gigs in the pipeline as well as video releases and our website up and running. Then I guess we’ll go from there…
Biggest influences and dudes that you’re currently getting excited about?
Logic’s new album (True Talk) as always. Genesis Elijah too, his old material was sick (Deh Pon Road, Industrial revolution) and his newer material is getting even better. He puts so much truth and heart into his music, and he inspires me so much …I’m definitely looking forward to his next project. I’m excited about Illmaculate’s new project (Skrill talk) because he also writes sick songs aswell as being one of the greatest battle emcees to exist, ever. To be honest, we draw influences from everywhere or atleast try to. If you aren’t inspired somewhere in the life that you’re living, then ther’es something wrong. I love comedy, myself. Comedians like George Carlin, Ricky Gervais, Russell Brand etc because they touch upon subjects we can relate to, whether it’s the ‘political’ aspects of life or simple things. I like to remain balanced. I love to laugh and joke etc and use my music to speak on things I don’t necessarily speak about usually, so inspiration is always high.
Tell us something that isn’t a commonly known fact about Leddie and Smoggy?
Ermmmm …If neither of us had bad luck then we really wouldn’t have any kind of luck at all …Seriously. Luckily, we can shrug it off and keep going.
Who would be your ideal collab?
To be honest, I’ve never really thought about one ideal collab. We’re hoping after the EP and Album there’ll be plenty of collabs with other likeminded artists.
How’s you hometown scene going? Recently there seems to be a massive surge from Northen heads up there.
The hometown scene? …There really isn’t one. There’s people who like UK Hip-Hop etc but they don’t make the effort to go to nights with the acts they like performing. We’re hoping to set up a local night with a few more Middlesbrough artists early next year. There are a lot of sick rappers from Newcastle (I’m assuming the surge is from there!) Suus, Rick Fury, Skrufz, Text Offenders …In fact there’s a North East Hip-Hop documentary “Hip Hop is Dead” (Filmed by Nick Light) that you can watch here; http://vimeo.com/15896666 (British rappers rapping yankee get no love.)
So what’s the reason for your lack in south England touring eh?
Haha, EP and album prep. There’s nothing worse than going to see an artist that doesn’t really like their own material anymore, because to them it’s outdated. We’ll be down there 2012 …That’s a promise!! (If anyone wants to book us for shows, get in touch with us at LeddieAndSmoggy@Hotmail.co.uk)
Shout-outs?
Ahhhh, The section where everyone unintentionally misses people out …Smoggy (My Partner in Rhyme) Jister, Ts17Projekt, Reece, Yosh (#AntiSwagAssembly) …Everyone involved with The Peoples’ Army, and last but not least, the people who support by spreading the word, liking, sharing, downloading, buying and showing up to gigs.
Who would be your ideal collab?
hiphoplifeandtimes 