My last ever contribution to the dance section for Blues and Soul before the publishers went into liquidation.
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Saturday, 16 June 2007
Monday, 11 June 2007
Sunday, 13 May 2007
Rihanna_Single_Cover
We first heard from Rihanna back in summer 05’ when she released her first ever single ‘Pon De Replay’. After topping the charts with two killer dance-pop records, the Barbadian singer charged things up with the hit soul-searching ballad ‘Unfaithful.’ This was when Rihanna truly launched!
The Island beauty is now celebrating the release of her new single ‘Umbrella’ where we see Rihanna combine her seriously sexy side with dance floor sensibilities to make for her best track yet. The single is exceptional and is club rotation material with a hot rnb twist twist. Jay-Z’s appearance on the track also makes for pleasurable listening and overall assembles the track into an all round banger!
The single ‘Umbrella’ is due out 28th May.
The Album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ is out on June 4th 07
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N-Dubz consists of Tulisa, Dappy and Faze; three very talented artists who have fused together as one of the biggest bands since The Beetles. Ok, so that may be a bit of an overstatement however, the group has received much attention and airplay from the likes of Channel U and Kiss.
We first heard back from the three-piece when they released their first ever single ‘You better not waste my time’. The track has proven to be the driving force behind the group’s success, but they well and truly exploded when ‘I swear’ hit our screens. Both a fusion of UK hip hop, grime and pop, the track spread like wild fire and before anyone knew it, N-Dubz made UK underground history.
UKmusic.com catches up with the guys as they just get back from a gig in Newcastle. N-Dubz, N-Dubz!
UKM: So how did you guys come about?
Dappy: Well boy, Tulisa is my cousin [he sings] “N I to the frikkin ny,” Faze is my boy, we’re N-Dubz and we all started when we was babies. We’re not a manufactured band; we started from eleven and twelve years of age all the way up to right now. Therefore we are now called N-Dubz and we will be the biggest band in the world.
UKM: Who came up with the name N-Dubz?
Tulisa: Basically, the N in N-Dubz is for North-West because we are from that region of London and Dubz can mean anything you want it to mean. We chose to be called N-Dubz and Not NW-Dubz because we wanted to cover the whole of North London.
UKM: Tell us a little about the new album you guys are working on?
Faze: Yeah! Make sure you lot get this album, it’s going to be hot! You will not be let down; track one to sixteen is a sing-a-long, you can listen to that, your mum can listen to that, your uncle and aunty can listen to it and their nieces and nephews can listen to it!
Dappy: Don’t forget the thugs in the street and Santa Claus, they can listen to it as well!
UKM: What are you guys calling the album?
Dappy: We don’t have a name for it just as yet but we are debating over it. It should be out in September. I can’t wait till it drops, it’s going to be like a bang! N-Dubz, N-Dubz.
UKM: Tulisa, how does it feel being the only girl in the group?
Tulisa: I’ve had this one before. [She throws her hands in the air] I love it! Nergh it’s good because I enjoy it and there is no bitching. Plus I also get to be the drama queen. I’m the only diva around here and I love it.
UKM: Dappy, I heard you can be a bit bossy at times. Is this true?
Dappy: Nergh Nergh Nergh! If anything don’t go the way we want it to go, then I’m going to get pissed off! It’s got to be a hundred percent correct at all times. When it comes to work, we are really serious; I mean we get straight down to business. So if Tulisa isn’t hitting a note like we want her to hit it, we will just make her do it until that vocal is perfect.
UKM: Who plays the parent role in the group?
Faze and Dappy: The mother hen is the madam sitting over there [they point to Tulisa].
Tulisa: Yeah it’s true, I am the mother around here.
Faze: Yeah man, she beats up Dappy as well!
UKM: Serious? I hear you lot are karate champions or something? What colour belt did you leave at?
Faze: Yeah I was one away from black!
Dappy: Black all the way! I learnt how to defend myself and I loved learning new moves.
UKM: Would you ever use your karate in a real life situation?
Dappy: If it comes down to it then yeah, I have a couple of moves I can use. I have used them before you know; this is the street man [he laughs].
UKM: We wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of you Dapz! If you could put laxatives in anybodies tea, whose would it be and why?
Faze: Dappy’s! He never lets me sleep. This guy will not leave me alone and let me sleep for one hour, so it would be Dappy’s.
Tulisa: Well actually, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this but I’d probably put laxatives in the Queen’s tea.
UKM: No way! She is too old, she’ll die!
Tulisa: Ok, Tony Blair’s then! I just hate the whole government, I don’t trust them.
UKM: Is it true you guys slept round Coolio’s house?
Dappy: Yeah we slept round his house.
Tulisa: Basically, we know his step-son that’s about it. Plus he is also in the Viva Las Vegas video.
UKM: What do you guys think of the UK music industry and awards ceremonies such as the Urban Music Awards?
Tulisa: Well it’s good I mean, it gives urban artists something to look forward to rather just doing something for nothing.
Dappy: It was unfortunate that we had to crash the UMAs last year as well. We should have got an invite I mean, we were the biggest thing going and we didn’t even get nominated for any awards.
UKM: People have seen you being rinsed on Channel U, what are the haters saying?
Dappy: Oh we love the haters.
Tulisa: Yeah we love them! I almost had a fight with some kids last week. They were a bit small so I kind of allowed it.
Dappy: This is something to write down. Say we are performing in a big performance and someone is saying boo or whatever and get off the stage, then that is the person I’m going to be performing to.
UKM: Do you think it’s only around London that people do that?
Tulisa: Nergh. You get that stuff everywhere I mean, there is always that one person in the crowd who is going to try and ruin it for everyone else.
Dappy: I’ll tell you why that person does it as well. Because he wants to get that female but that female comes to us. Oh by the way, Faze had his trainers stolen off him today at Newcastle, look [he points at Faze’s bare feet].
Tulisa: Yeah we all brought some groupies back with us and they stole his trainers. I bet you any money that they have them hanging on their mantel piece or something.
Faze: I know! They probably smelt them when they stole them off me and threw them out because they reeked so badly!
UKM: Do you like their accents over in Newcastle?
Tulisa: Bloody loved it! [Geordie accent] I’m the only gay in the village!
UKM: Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
Faze: It’s a band that not a lot of people might know of right now, but they are up coming. It’s a group called Outlandish. Both Dappy and I love them because they are just like us.
Dappy: Music wise yeah, like they don’t care about anything. If they have something on their minds they’ll say it. [He sings] uh uh, na na ny!
Tulisa: Miss Jade! Because she tells it how it is.
UKM: Do you as a group, find the attention overwhelming?
Tulisa: Daps and Faze love it.
Faze: Nergh I’m the low key one bro. I’m the one who’s always had his hat down to his eyes and my sun glasses and my hood up. Whoever thinks I’m quiet yeah, you’ve got the complete wrong picture!
UKM: Tulisa, I hear you’re a bit of an I-pod addict. What is on your I-pod right now?
Dappy: I don’t listen to anything but N-Dubz
Tulisa: Whatever is in style right now. There are too many things to say, should I have a look? [She takes out her I-pod from her bag and scrolls down]. Yeah too many things to say.
UKM: What is your most memorable experience to date?
Faze: Getting my trainers stolen. I paid a hundred pounds for them you know!
UKM: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Tulisa: Taking over the world!
Dappy: On top of a mountain with a big fat beer belly.
Words by Bertan Budak
www.myspace.com/ndubz
album artwork
After much controversy surrounding the launch of the stunningly re-vamped B’day album, the guys in the US can only wait in the dark whilst we Brits get our hands dirty. The deluxe edition of B’day, offers a DVD feature which includes twelve of Beyonce’s sexiest videos, seven of which are new. The album concentrates on the use of heavy bass, light tempos and vigorously impacted beats. Album opener ‘Beautiful Liar’ has a splendid mix of Middle Eastern sounds and heavy lyric content which focuses primarily on the dark side of love and relationships.
For its price, the album offers a lot including masterful club bangers such as DéJá Vu, Ring the Alarm and Irreplaceable (yeah, this track is rotating in the clubs like crazy). B’day Deluxe Edition has seven brand spanking new tracks including sugar momma, Upgrade U, Freakum Dress and Kitty Kat, all of which have videos. Beyonce has truly outdone herself on this one. Usually with re-vamped albums, there are a couple of bangers and the rest, rubbish however with the deluxe edition, each track is worthy of being ripped onto ones I-pod. Apart from Micheal Jackson’s Thriller, no other album is worthy of that title.
5/5
B’day Deluxe Edition is out NOW!
Words by Bertan Budak
Entourage Pack Shot
We first heard from Omarion back in 02’, when he was part of boy group B2K. After a much publicised split with the group, he launched his solo career via two albums, the latest of which is named after his age ’21.’ Now at 22, the second single release of his latest album is a rocker and please don’t get me started on the video. Omarion’s flavour is super hot and ok, it may sound a lot like his other songs but let’s be honest, those were some pretty awesome tracks!
At the beginning of Entourage, an early comparison to Michael Jackson is noticeable, although this is easily looked passed as most artists in the game have been directly or indirectly influenced by the pop legend. The tempos are mild, with a terrific beat to play alongside it and overall, makes ‘Entourage’ a pleasurable listening experience. O!
4/5
Words by Bertan Budak
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