It's been a long while since I added a new post (*bows head in shame*) but what better way to come back than with DRAKE! My oh my, he's really hitting the right notes with me ... check out two of his tracks
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Sexy Slow Jams
Recently it's all I've been listening to, morning, noon and night ... yours truely, the sexy slow jam. Is there a justafiable reason behind this? Quite possibly. But either way in light of this I just thought I'd share a couple with you. I'm not one to have favourite songs because there are just waayyy waaaayy too many, but hope you enjoy ... ...
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Tah Mac
Having cut his teeth with the legendary hip hop outfit, The Def Squad featuring Erick Sermon, Keith Murray, Redman, Jamal, Malik and Da Rockwilder, Brooklyn based producer Tah Mac is one of the most understated producers of his time. Not one to be pigeon holed, over the past fifteen years, Tah has worked with a diverse array of well established talent including Onyx, Aretha Franklin, The Charlatans and Ciara.
Making the unique decision to take his production to London and lay his foundations, Tah has now perfected his concept of global sound by producing a debut album that introduces the world to his musical journey and has the ability to penetrate through various demographics.
Flavour met up with the down to earth producer who left a long-lasting impression (not only because his roots lie where mine do, in Guyana), to discuss homegrown talent, platforms and breaking barriers.
What’s the story behind the name Tah Mac?
Tah Mac: Tayshaun Macintosh is my full name so that’s about it.
You’ve worked with an array of well established artists, how did these opportunities come about?
Tah Mac: I guess it more or less happened in God’s time. I didn’t really force any of the situations, so I was first and foremost blessed to be in those arenas. I was introduced to various people and I just kept using the platforms I was presented with.
Why have you only now decided to compile your own album?
Tah Mac: You have to really be in the right space to be able to go out in front of fifteen thousand people or even ten people. I’ve worked with so many artists who in their frame of mind are not really built for this situation, but now I feel confident that I am. Globally I just wanted to be able to reach my peers the best way I can and that’s through sound.
Do you think producers receive the recognition they deserve?
Tah Mac: Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Not every producer who comes out with an album is successful, but I think I was ordained to be an entertainer as well as the musician that I am.
Why do you think producers such as Timbaland and Pharell are so widely known?
Tah Mac: Because they crafted their own niche and didn’t follow anybody else’s sound. Pharell’s situation was more or less a question of whether or not people got it. I mean we as musicians, we as artist, and we as just creative people go through these frustrations of people not understanding what we’re trying to do but the bottom line is, they won’t understand until its done.
With all of your achievements and diverse experience why do you think you are not an international household name as yet?
Tah Mac: I think it takes time. You can’t force-feed a situation. At the present moment I’m on a UK tour, and I’ll be hitting some of the smallest of the smallest towns that some of the biggest stars from around the globe won’t even go to, but I feel that it’s important so that people don’t feel left out and they can really connect with you on a higher level than just seeing you on Sky TV or Radio 1.
How long has your forthcoming album Welcome to Tahland been in the making?
Tah Mac: Three years
Why has it taken so long?
Tah Mac: Because I worked on it in different parts of the world and that’s between here, Germany, France, L.A and New York and I just was in the transition of amalgamating all of the sounds that I was coming across. I was introduced to the whole drum and base vibe, to the garage sound, to the grime sound, and I come from a place that’s just straight funk hip hop. People are going to question how I have a record called Back In Time that’s so commercial, how I have a record like Give Back that’s so funk-defied but Mutya Buena is on it singing her soul out, and how I got a record like Lavish Lifestyle that’s so rock n roll? That’s because I moved a wall that was in front of me coming from Brooklyn to knowing that sound is sound and you can go in front of any mass of people and they can embrace it as long as you’re doing it the right way!
So why did you go for the rock n roll sound on your single Lavish Lifestyle?
Tah Mac: It’s been wanting to be done. It’s been done from when Run DMC done it. I think it boils back to a confidence situation where certain gates are in front of you, and you have to conquer one arena before you can move on to the next. I paid attention to a situation with Lil Wayne when he introduced his latest record Prom Queen, and the way he had the masses of 30, 000 people rocking to a rock n roll record, it shows you that anything is possible!
What genre of music would you say you produce?
Tah Mac: Hip-hop, rock, alternative, soul, so I call it love, life and reality!
Making the unique decision to take his production to London and lay his foundations, Tah has now perfected his concept of global sound by producing a debut album that introduces the world to his musical journey and has the ability to penetrate through various demographics.
Flavour met up with the down to earth producer who left a long-lasting impression (not only because his roots lie where mine do, in Guyana), to discuss homegrown talent, platforms and breaking barriers.
What’s the story behind the name Tah Mac?
Tah Mac: Tayshaun Macintosh is my full name so that’s about it.
You’ve worked with an array of well established artists, how did these opportunities come about?
Tah Mac: I guess it more or less happened in God’s time. I didn’t really force any of the situations, so I was first and foremost blessed to be in those arenas. I was introduced to various people and I just kept using the platforms I was presented with.
Why have you only now decided to compile your own album?
Tah Mac: You have to really be in the right space to be able to go out in front of fifteen thousand people or even ten people. I’ve worked with so many artists who in their frame of mind are not really built for this situation, but now I feel confident that I am. Globally I just wanted to be able to reach my peers the best way I can and that’s through sound.
Do you think producers receive the recognition they deserve?
Tah Mac: Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Not every producer who comes out with an album is successful, but I think I was ordained to be an entertainer as well as the musician that I am.
Why do you think producers such as Timbaland and Pharell are so widely known?
Tah Mac: Because they crafted their own niche and didn’t follow anybody else’s sound. Pharell’s situation was more or less a question of whether or not people got it. I mean we as musicians, we as artist, and we as just creative people go through these frustrations of people not understanding what we’re trying to do but the bottom line is, they won’t understand until its done.
With all of your achievements and diverse experience why do you think you are not an international household name as yet?
Tah Mac: I think it takes time. You can’t force-feed a situation. At the present moment I’m on a UK tour, and I’ll be hitting some of the smallest of the smallest towns that some of the biggest stars from around the globe won’t even go to, but I feel that it’s important so that people don’t feel left out and they can really connect with you on a higher level than just seeing you on Sky TV or Radio 1.
How long has your forthcoming album Welcome to Tahland been in the making?
Tah Mac: Three years
Why has it taken so long?
Tah Mac: Because I worked on it in different parts of the world and that’s between here, Germany, France, L.A and New York and I just was in the transition of amalgamating all of the sounds that I was coming across. I was introduced to the whole drum and base vibe, to the garage sound, to the grime sound, and I come from a place that’s just straight funk hip hop. People are going to question how I have a record called Back In Time that’s so commercial, how I have a record like Give Back that’s so funk-defied but Mutya Buena is on it singing her soul out, and how I got a record like Lavish Lifestyle that’s so rock n roll? That’s because I moved a wall that was in front of me coming from Brooklyn to knowing that sound is sound and you can go in front of any mass of people and they can embrace it as long as you’re doing it the right way!
So why did you go for the rock n roll sound on your single Lavish Lifestyle?
Tah Mac: It’s been wanting to be done. It’s been done from when Run DMC done it. I think it boils back to a confidence situation where certain gates are in front of you, and you have to conquer one arena before you can move on to the next. I paid attention to a situation with Lil Wayne when he introduced his latest record Prom Queen, and the way he had the masses of 30, 000 people rocking to a rock n roll record, it shows you that anything is possible!
What genre of music would you say you produce?
Tah Mac: Hip-hop, rock, alternative, soul, so I call it love, life and reality!
Do you think the music scene is ready for your ‘global sound’?
Tah Mac: I would say so because in the last couple days I’ve been into the smallest regions where when they see you’re of a black ethnicity they automatically classify you as urban, but now going in front of a mass of Caucasians, Asians, or whatever, when they hear that amalgamation of sound and you say put your hands up, you see complete unification because that barrier is gone. It’s a beautiful thing.
What is the concept behind Welcome to Tahland?
Tah Mac: Welcome to Tahland is a positively charged album. I’m proud to say that there’s not one curse word on that album. We as black people and we as young people in general do not have to talk in that derogatory manner. The people completely decide your fate, so as long as you can put a smile on ten people’s faces, those ten people will tell another ten people and so forth and so forth.
Is Welcome to Tahland a way of introducing people to your life?
Tah Mac: I would say more like welcome to the amalgamation of my sound!
Who from your album did you most enjoy working with?
Tah Mac: Mutya Buena because she was going through a situation at the time you know coming out of a group and all that and she was afraid about whether people would embrace her album when I working on some tracks with her, but when she got on that microphone it was whole different ball game.
What compelled you to work with so many UK artists on the album?
Tah Mac: Because I wanted to at least help and provide myself as a platform. There was only so much of an opportunity that I was given so I had to just pick the ball up and run on my own. I encountered Leona Lewis from before the whole X-Factor situation and when I heard her sing I started telling different media outlets that she was going to be one of the biggest selling pop artists coming out of the UK, but people just looked at me like you’re just another American producer talking crap! Fast forward to 2007/ 2008, my door bell started ringing and people were like oh you that cat that did that record, what’s up? That was a beautiful thing.
Are there any other UK artists you would like to work with?
Tah Mac: I like Calvin Harris he’s dope. I’m also a real big fan of Kano because he deserves a shot. I like what Tinchy Stryder and N Dubz are doing. Shout out to all of the artists that haven’t been nationally recognised as yet and are in the struggle.
What do you think of the UK music scene?
Tah Mac: It’s amazing! It’s on its way up. It’s frustrating but at the same time you have to understand that that happens when people don’t understand what you’re trying to do, but once they do you’ll start to see the fruits of your labour so its just a matter of time.
Why do you place such a great emphasis on laying a foundation here in the UK where others concentrate on America?
Tah Mac: You could sell a million records between the UK and the rest of Europe and you wouldn’t have to concentrate on America because America would try to catch up to you! America’s such a big outlet and there’s so much going on, I feel like we don’t really appreciate sound anymore, we’re just doing what gets that fast dollar ring tone. It’s different here in the UK.
You have worked alongside some of the greats, who has been the most memorable and why?
Tah Mac: I would say Redman, because he taught me the art of entertainment, how to capture an audience, how to sustain that audience and how to take that audience into your own world!
Welcome 2 Tahland was released in the UK on 30th March 2009. For more information on Tah Mac check http://www.myspace.com/tahmac
Words by Susanne Singh
Tah Mac: I would say so because in the last couple days I’ve been into the smallest regions where when they see you’re of a black ethnicity they automatically classify you as urban, but now going in front of a mass of Caucasians, Asians, or whatever, when they hear that amalgamation of sound and you say put your hands up, you see complete unification because that barrier is gone. It’s a beautiful thing.
What is the concept behind Welcome to Tahland?
Tah Mac: Welcome to Tahland is a positively charged album. I’m proud to say that there’s not one curse word on that album. We as black people and we as young people in general do not have to talk in that derogatory manner. The people completely decide your fate, so as long as you can put a smile on ten people’s faces, those ten people will tell another ten people and so forth and so forth.
Is Welcome to Tahland a way of introducing people to your life?
Tah Mac: I would say more like welcome to the amalgamation of my sound!
Who from your album did you most enjoy working with?
Tah Mac: Mutya Buena because she was going through a situation at the time you know coming out of a group and all that and she was afraid about whether people would embrace her album when I working on some tracks with her, but when she got on that microphone it was whole different ball game.
What compelled you to work with so many UK artists on the album?
Tah Mac: Because I wanted to at least help and provide myself as a platform. There was only so much of an opportunity that I was given so I had to just pick the ball up and run on my own. I encountered Leona Lewis from before the whole X-Factor situation and when I heard her sing I started telling different media outlets that she was going to be one of the biggest selling pop artists coming out of the UK, but people just looked at me like you’re just another American producer talking crap! Fast forward to 2007/ 2008, my door bell started ringing and people were like oh you that cat that did that record, what’s up? That was a beautiful thing.
Are there any other UK artists you would like to work with?
Tah Mac: I like Calvin Harris he’s dope. I’m also a real big fan of Kano because he deserves a shot. I like what Tinchy Stryder and N Dubz are doing. Shout out to all of the artists that haven’t been nationally recognised as yet and are in the struggle.
What do you think of the UK music scene?
Tah Mac: It’s amazing! It’s on its way up. It’s frustrating but at the same time you have to understand that that happens when people don’t understand what you’re trying to do, but once they do you’ll start to see the fruits of your labour so its just a matter of time.
Why do you place such a great emphasis on laying a foundation here in the UK where others concentrate on America?
Tah Mac: You could sell a million records between the UK and the rest of Europe and you wouldn’t have to concentrate on America because America would try to catch up to you! America’s such a big outlet and there’s so much going on, I feel like we don’t really appreciate sound anymore, we’re just doing what gets that fast dollar ring tone. It’s different here in the UK.
You have worked alongside some of the greats, who has been the most memorable and why?
Tah Mac: I would say Redman, because he taught me the art of entertainment, how to capture an audience, how to sustain that audience and how to take that audience into your own world!
Welcome 2 Tahland was released in the UK on 30th March 2009. For more information on Tah Mac check http://www.myspace.com/tahmac
Words by Susanne Singh
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
GT Anthem!
Just came across this song and had to put it up on the blogspot for you all to hear ... ... ...
Despite the obvious link, being a Guyanese girl myself, this song also links to my next post ...
Monday, 16 March 2009
Lady Sovereign - So Human
Lady Sov's first release So Human, from her follow up album Jigsaw which will be released on her indepedent label Midget Records. This track could so easily have come from the Skins soundtrack ...
Lady Sovereign Interview
Victim to an era unsure of how to market a white female rapper from North London, Lady Sovereign was not so hotly received in the UK when she first released her debut album Public Warning back in 2006. It was not long however before she became part of a very small pantheon of UK artists to make a bigger impression in the U.S than here in the UK.
Being discovered by Jay Z, Lady Sov soon signed to Def Jam and went on to become the first ever UK artist to reach the #1 spot on MTV America’s video countdown with ‘Love Me Or Hate Me’. Across the next couple of months her career continued to escalate, performing on David Letterman, touring with Gwen Stefani, recording sessions with Pharrell and the The Beastie Boys and headlining Times Square on New Years Eve 2007. However as quickly as she shot to fame and stardom, her career began its downward spiral. Leaving Def Jam and drifting off the music scene, Lady Sov had reached breaking point.
Two years later and she’s back and ready to do things her way, releasing follow up album ‘Jigsaw’ on her very own label Midget Records. Flavour caught up with the 23 year old who detests interviews and managed to have a good conversation about where she’s been, where’s she’s going and what she loves and hates.
1. So why the alias Lady Sovereign?
Lady Sovereign: You say it like it’s a really bad name. Only kidding! Well there’s two reasons, one’s a bit stupid and the other one’s just a bit whatever. Basically I was smoking sovereign cigarettes at the time and then I had loads of sovereign rings. Seriously that’s the reason why. I’m not going to say I looked in the dictionary and sovereign means power and that shit, because that would be a lie. It was all down to lifestyle I guess and it was just iconic at the time.
2. What’s so love or hate about you?
Lady Sovereign: I don’t know really. A lot of people have this assumption that I’m just any girl and I’m just trying it, but I’m better than a lot of people think. You can’t really categorise me and I guess that confuses people.
3. What’s the story behind Jay Z discovering you and your being signed to Def Jam?
Lady Sovereign: I’ve banned that question because I’m fed up of answering it. Seriously, the best thing to do would be to go on google.com and look up and old interview and just copy and paste the answer.
4. Fair enough. So why do you think you managed to break America where other British artists have failed?
Lady Sovereign: I’m likeable and I’m genuine. I’m not saying anyone else isn’t, but I went out there quite early, even before Def Jam picked up on me and people just took to me quite quickly. I guess when you look at me, you expect something and then I do something else, so it was all brand new and fresh for the Americans and they’d never seen or heard anything like it before. I love it over there, it crazy, I’m so much bigger out there than I am over here and it’s weird because I want things to work out more over here and it’s a shame that it hasn’t but things are looking good at the moment, so we’ll see.
5. Why did you leave Def Jam?
Lady Sovereign: I was tired and fed up. I just felt like I was doing the same old thing over and over again, you know, interviews, interviews, interviews, promo, promo, promo, all for the same song! I was rising so high at that moment that I think they could have at least released more songs off my album then I would have been a bit more excited about things. I just felt like I was repeating myself all the time, I didn’t have any time to make any new music, I felt like I was letting down ,y fans and myself and I just got depressed and walked away from it really.
6. Is this why you disappeared for so long?
Lady Sovereign: Yep
7. How did you pick yourself up after such a low time in your life?
Lady Sovereign: I just locked myself off from everything really. I wasn’t going on big holidays and trying to get all up in the media or whatever because I kind of stay away from that but I was just living a normal life. I had to get back into a social circle again and I needed to see my family and my friends and just sort my life out really
1. How did you come to start your own label, Midget Records?
Lady Sovereign: It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. The whole Def Jam thing was great, it got me out there and did good things for me until it went pear shaped. Me and my manager set Midget Records up and EMI approached us about distributing for us. We only set it up at the end of last year and it’s going well already. We don’t have much of a budget but industry people are amazed.
2. What has been the most rewarding thing about beginning your own independent route?
Lady Sovereign: Having more control, and everything just seems more relaxed and I’m more enthusiastic about things now than I used to be.
3. What have you learnt from your past experiences that will benefit your future career?
Lady Sovereign: To know when to draw the line. I’m not going to push myself as far as I can just because it’s going to make me a huge star you know. I’ve got to think about myself and my well-being. I broke down last time and I don’t want to do that again.
4. What genre of music would you say you make?
Lady Sovereign: I don’t know you know. I like so much that it’s hard for me to stick to doing one thing. I’ve never known how to categorise myself really. People try and throw me in the grime box but that’s just stupid because I’m not a grime artist and that would just be unfair for me to claim that.
5. What is the concept behind the forthcoming album Jigsaw?
Lady Sovereign: There is no concept. Seriously! I just write songs and I put them on an album, but I guess I do get a little more personal on this one. Just a little bit.
6. What can we expect musically from your album?
Lady Sovereign: Well I sing on this album, or at least I tried. There’s one song called Pennies which is a bit of a banger langer, but I like them all. I like So Human, the one that’s out now and then I like Jigsaw which is one I sing on. There’s something for everyone on there really, there’s electronic, there’s guitar based music, there’s hip hop and there’s stuff that I don’t even know what the hell it is, but its on there.
7. Why did you entitle the album Jigsaw?
Lady Sovereign: I don’t know. I really don’t know, it just made sense at the time to call it Jigsaw
8. Your album includes flavours of Britrock, electro, dance-floor, would you say you were pigeon holed into the hip hop genre with your last album?
Lady Sovereign: A little bit. That’s why I was getting a bit annoyed that in America they were just promoting Love Me Or Hate me because there was other stuff on my first album that could have defined me a bit more. Now I think people will realise that I’m a little bit more than what people thought I was
9. Do you think it will be easier to market your music with other British acts such as Lilly Allen and M.I.A around now?
Lady Sovereign: Yeah definitely. In the past year and a half since I’ve been missing, people like M.I.A have totally blown up and you can’t really define her either because it’s just a genre that doesn’t really have a name. I don’t think I really got the full appreciation I deserved when I first came out but we’ll see what happens now.
10. Do you think having acts like these around makes you less unique?
Lady Sovereign: No because at the end of the day I’m the originator whether people like it or not.
11. You received recognition from a number of international artists whilst signed have you maintained a good relationship with these people and are there any plans to work with them again in the future?
Lady Sovereign: Yeah I would work with Gwen Stefani. I’m actually trying to get her on a remix of something right now. I spent like two months with her when I was on tour with her and we get on, and it’s not pretence, we honestly get on. At the end of the day, I’m only going to collaborate with people I get on with and people I like really
12. Are the signature ‘chav’ side ways ponytail, gold rings and baggy tracksuits making a comeback with you or have you had a whole image revamp?
Lady Sovereign: No that’s all gone I don’t even wear side ponytails anymore, that’s gone. I like to crimp my hair these days and use a bit of colour. I wear a hat a lot but that’s just a comfort thing I suppose, so no side ponytails just a hat to the side.
1. Are you happy to retain the ‘chav’ label?
Lady Sovereign: No! I’ve never liked that label. I’m not a chav no way! A chav is just not me. Let’s not even go there.
2. What do you want people to take from you and your music?
Lady Sovereign: Maybe they can relate to it and enjoy it. I like to put a smile on people’s faces so hopefully my music will be able to do that.
3. What do you hope to achieve in the near future?
Lady Sovereign: I want Midget Records to be an established well recognised label, with great artists that come out on it. I also want to keep doing what I’m doing, and there are things that I’m not going to say right now because I don’t want to speak too soon, but I’ve made certain things happen so we’ll have to wait and see.
4. How do you think you’ll be received by the UK after such a long break?
Lady Sovereign: You know what I’m going to say don’t you. I don’t know. At the moment I’m just hearing reviews from the media and all that, but I just want my album to come out already so I can hear the true opinion from the people that buy it.
5. I read that you like to hear a new song every day, what new song did you listen to today?
Lady Sovereign: Yeah I do, but I haven’t been able to listen to one today because I’ve been doing interviews all day! But when I get home I will get on the iTunes Genius and see what it recommends for me.
6. Are you a rebel or a diva?
Lady Sovereign: I’m a rebel although I can be a bit diva-ish at times, it just depends on how I’m feeling.
7. And to end, a brief quick-fire love or hate session …
Dresses - Hate
Gold rings - Love
Def Jam - Love
Girl Bands – Hate
Jigsaw will be released on April 13th on Midget Records (via EMI). So Human will be released on March 30th. Visit http://www.ladysovereign.com/ for further information on the featured artist.
Words by Susanne Singh
This interview can be seen by visiting the Flavour website - http://www.flavourmag.co.uk/?p=1617
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