NEWS: Waka Flocka Flame Announce First UK Tour

Having hit the Billboard Top 10 with his debut album ‘Flockaveli’ which sold 300,000 copies in the US alone and featured the Stateside hit single ‘No Hands’, Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame’s second album ‘Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family’ repeated the trick with another Top 10 placing.

Dubbed “King of the clubs” by Drake, Waka Flocka Flame is now set to embark upon his first UK tour:

December                                                       Box office

4^th – London, indigO2                                    0844 844 0002
6^th – Manchester, Academy                           0161 832 1111
7^th – Birmingham, HMV Institute                   0844 248 5037
8^th – Glasgow, The Arches                            0141 565 1000

Tickets are on sale now, priced at £26.50 for London, £25 for Manchester and Birmingham, and £20 for Glasgow. They’re available from  0844 811 0051, www.gigsandtours.com or the box office numbers listed above.

“I wanted to craft my hustle,” he told Spin by way of explaining the year-long gap between ‘Flockaveli’ and ‘Triple F Life’. “I wanted to drop a lot of mixtapes, with no promo, so I could see what kind of music my fans love. So I found out what people love me for – ad-libs, the crunk, the energy of my voice!”

While the last two years have been filled with career highs and personal lows, Waka Flocka Flame has worked on causes that speak to his Triple Fs. In the winter of 2011, he started collaborating with the Atlanta-based SEA brand to develop a brand of snapback caps, sales of which would benefit the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Waka Flocka Flame has also returned to his role with PETA in their‘Only Cowards Abuse Animals’ campaign which raises awareness about animal protection and the chaining, fighting and abuse of dogs.

Waka Flocka Flame’s ‘Flockaveli’ won critical approval when it was released in 2010. The Washington Post called it “the most anarchic rap album of 2010”, while The New York Times described it as “one of the most bracing and unforgiving hip-hop releases in recent memory. Almost single-handedly, and without context, it rediscovers hip-hop’s pugnacity in an era of extreme melodic sophistication, an idiosyncratic anomaly.” In the UK, the NME’s 9/10 review stated that the album was “a masterclass in reductionism.

NEWS: Misha B Reveals ‘Why Hello World” Mixtape

Misha B has released her mixtape ‘Why Hello World’ featuring a mix that consists of brand new songs and covers by her favourite artists.

To introduce in her own words, Misha says;

‘This is my mixtape 🙂 (http://soundcloud.com/iammishab )

It’s a mix of songs I’ve been working on in the studio and songs by artists that inspire me.

As I’m from Manchester there was only one choice when it came to mixing the tracks – one of the city’s finest DJ Stylus.

Thanks for all your love and support – enjoy!

Misha x’

FYI-the tracklist:

1. Why Hello World Misha B Intro
2. Misha B – Big Dreaming
3. Weeknd ft Drake – Crew Love (Can’t You See Refix)
4. TLC – Unpretty Original / Misha B Cover (Cut)
5. Beyonce – Run the World (Stylus Refix)
6. Misha B – Last Forever
7. Misha B – Home Run
8. Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Classic Hip Hop Blend)/Misha B Cover
9. Usher – Climax
10. Lil Wayne ft Bruno Mars – Mirror Original / Misha B Cover
11. Outro

www.facebook.com/iammishab
www.twitter.com/iammishab

LIVE REVIEW: Conor Maynard, o2 Academy 2 (Sheffield), 26.04.12

The excitement in the  o2 Academy 2 can barely been contained. With doors opening at 7pm, the nearly all female audience (with an average age of 15) are crammed against the railings screaming their hearts out at every utterance of ‘Britian’s Bieber’ Conor Maynard. With DJ Manny Norte on hand to whip up a frenzy, his excitable presence and Twitter interaction help control the growing hysteria.

Before the Brighton boy bounds on stage, four piece Rascals bounce on stage, effortlessly winning over the willing audience with their irrepressible energy and more than impressive tunes. Having first dabbled with fame back in 2007, the former trio (Big Shizz, Tempz and Merkz) have recruited a fourth member, Kay Willz, and upped their game. The time out has reaped the rewards, with the boys relaxed on stage and the girls eating their every word. If tonight’s show is anything to go by, Rascals could easily be the best new boyband on the block.

With almost three quarters of an hour between sets, the ecstatic girls barely move for fear of losing their space. Norte deals dutifully with requests, ensuring that the time flies by.

As soon as Maynard’s band takes their place, the camera phones are held high and screams are more than worthy of One Direction at the Motorpoint Arena. Maynard clearly relishes the attention and launches into his set without hesitation, bouncing off the audience’s energy and giving ten-fold back.

Maynard is no Bieber. He may be a teen star discovered on YouTube by a well-respected and established r’n’b star, but that is as far as the comparison goes. Far from a slick, over styled performer, Brighton’s finest offers an honest, humble, low key performance that oozes ability.

With a subtle cover of Drake’s “Marvin’s Room” kicking off a flurry of ballads mid set, Maynard is determined to prove there is more to him than boy next door good looks and well produced tracks. Emotional delivery and an impressive tone tug all the right strings, but the energy explodes as Maynard breaks back into Guetta-esque dance mode.

Closing with debut single, the slick, addictive “Can’t Say No”, Maynard leaves his audience wanting more, but fails to deliver an encore. Luckily his loyal fans are full of love and shrug off their disappointment as they head to the merch stand to spend their pennies on a T-Shirt or two to remember the night.

Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Jeremy Williams