From the formative Jazz-Rap era to Blue Notes, Beats & Rhymes – independence, musicality and longevity. Most people don’t realise how interconnected UK hip-hop history really is. Certain names became landmarks, certain records became reference points – and others quietly shaped the culture without ever being foregrounded. This story isn’t about reclaiming credit or rewriting […]
Before Us3, There Was NW1 When music fans think of Us3, they often picture the platinum-selling Hand on the Torch album and the global hit Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia).But before Us3 became a household name, producers Geoff Wilkinson and Mel Simpson were working under a different name – NW1. In 1991, that name was stamped on […]
I had just returned from Los Angeles with Soul / Funk band Heatwave after a performance at the Greek Theater in Hollywood. Lead singer, the late Keith Wilder, even assisted on the photo shoot for the cover design of my first US single release and I had a crazy time hanging out with drummer Bilbo. […]
I remember the day well when I really caught the Hip-Hop bug. It was summer 1982 and I had not long started Woolwich Polytechnic Secondary School. These were the times when we would walk around our council estate with kitchen lino rolled up under our arms and a giant ghetto blaster looking for other breakdance […]
