fter the success of Eye of the Tiger, Volume 1 (which featured the likes of Wiley, Skepta, Plan B and more), True Tiger, are gearing up to Eye of the Tiger Volume 2. Set to be released on June 17th 2012, the mixtape will feature the likes of Newham Generals, Dot Rotten, Scrufizzer, Maxsta, Mic...

This tune isn’t so lucky

Skepta, Feeder, The Heartbreaks

Bestival (6th to 9th September 2012) has announced that the following acts will complete their line-up this year: Jessie Ware / Skepta / Willis Earl Beal / Murkage / Jake Bugg / The Staves / Sunless 97 / The Other Tribe / Parma Violets / Gorgeous George / Crowns / Subgiant / Daytona Lights / Charley Macaulay / Alonestar / A Way Of Life / This Way Up. The join the likes of Gary Newman, Hot Chip, Alabama Shakes, Two Door Cinema Club, The xx, New Order, Friendly Fires and R&B; legend Stevie Wonder. Rob Da Bank’s festival baby seems to be a certain hot event this festival season. Oh. Also Mr motivator will be ...

Hot Chip are amongst the latest additions to the line up of this summer's Bestival. With Glastonbury taking a year off, the British festival season is left without its usual pivot point. The biggest event on the calendar, the absence of live music at Worthy farm this summer has opened up room for expansion elsewhere. With a similar idiosyncratic streak, many are tipping Bestival to occupy that position this summer. The Isle of Wight event is continuing to expand, with Hot Chip heading the latest list of additions from Rob da Bank & Co. The electro-pop outfit recently outlined plans ...

Jay-Z and Rihanna are set to perform at this summer's Hackney Weekend. The Olympics are set to dominate British life this summer. The capital is already bracing itself for a massive influx, while events are due to be extended to all corners of the country. At the centre of it all sits Hackney Weekend. Taking place alongside the Olympics, the BBC event has already gathered an impressive array of talent with Jay-Z and Rihanna amongst the recent additions. The good people at FACT have highlights a Business Week report, which seems to spill the beans. The pair will join ...

Extra large happenings in this month’s Rapture & Verse. Have a guess as to whether it’s the prospect of a touring Tupac hologram (we always preferred Arnold J Rimmer ourselves), or hip-hop repeating its Weakest Link potential with a possible Celebrity Squares special (Mac Miller and Ghostface Killah believed to be amongst those jostling for the centre square). Or could it be that there’s something of a Company Flow reunion slash showdown crashing through, with both El-P and Bigg Jus releasing new albums of sonic downfall. El-Producto’s ‘Cancer for Cure’ is a naturally abrasive, scuzz-wrestling, rock and roll B-boy Judgement Day (check the trailer here ), pulling a single brick out of the scenery and chronicling the collapse minute by ever loudening minute while still finding room to fire off ‘Airplane!’ quotes. The one-upmanship in alt-rap has Bigg Jus on an even denser grind. Named ‘Machines That Make Civilization Fun’ and pairing the sort of mind-boggling titles that dissonant, feedback-scarred slug-outs deserve, Juss plants bombs in leftfield and comes up with funk-rotting blooms snapping heads back. He still knows how to drop a nifty one-liner out of the madness, and happily, El-P provides a remix for lead single ‘Black Roses’. Par for the course really from two certified ear-boxers. Naturally that leads us to Co Flow’s third member, Mr Len, and if you’re wondering what he’s up to, follow him on twitter @therealmrlen. With your listening gear still glowing red, may we suggest I Self Devine’s ‘The Sound of Low Class Amerika’ to prolong the ringing. Issuing a cage-rattling political/street corner address, the Rhymesayers and Micranots crewmember makes strong stands supported by eyewitness reportage, to a backdrop of heavy funk that when not sounding like it’s had enough, is able to take a moment and admire how fly it can be. From industrial crushes of NYC chaos and fighting the power in LA, to the Kool Keith strand of anarchy; here’s the Spankmaster getting long-winded on ‘New York’ , including some sights the tourist board don’t put in their brochure, ahead of umpteenth new album ‘Love and Danger’. No ‘Down Under’ jokes please kids, but Men at Work 2020 are rocking your favourite ultra plump funk-for-hip-hop breaks like mad dogs. Sewn together by Domingo, it’s a formidable posse cut involving Kool G Rap, Necro, Action Bronson, Rugged Intellect, Ras Kass and more. Emcees claiming tunnel vision when inhaling the mic have got nothing on Philly’s Lushlife, whose ‘Plateau Vision ...

1. Santigold – Disparate Youth Listen/More 2. fun. – We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monáe) 3. Rita Ora feat. Tinie Tempah – R.I.P. 4. Gossip – Perfect World 5. Marina & the Diamonds – Primadonna 6. Ayah Marar – Mind Controller 7. Traits/" class="link_entity" title="Music news mentioning B.Traits">B.Traits ft Elisabeth Troy – Fever 8. Skepta – Make Peace Not War [...]

The infamous Global Gathering festival has announced the line-up for 2012. A range of superstars will be involved including the likes of Sabre">Maverick Sabre, P Money, Skepta and Dot Rotten. The festival will be held at Stratford Upon Avon, on the 27th and 28th July, and fans are able to get a wide variety of tickets and packages to make the weekend truly memorable.

Hip hop icon Jay-Z is set to play a headline slot at this summer's Hackney Weekend. Held by the BBC, the Hackney Weekend promised big names. This morning (March 9th) the event unveiled arguably one of the most recognisable performers on the planet, in the form of Jay-Z. An iconic figure in hip hop, the rapper has managed to escape the confines of the genre. An internationally recognised performer, Jay-Z's stint as a Glastonbury headliner is one of the more memorable festival slots of the past decade. Now Jay-Z will turn on the style at the Hackney Weekend ...

BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Twin B announced that Sean Paul, Tinchy Stryder, Flo Rida, Mindless Behaviour, Chip, Devlin, Boy Better Know Feat Skepta & JME and Azealia Banks are to join the already impressive line-up of acts set to perform at Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend 2012 - Radio 1’s biggest ever free*...

Hailing from North London which has already brought you artists such as Chipmunk, Wretch 32, Skepta, and Scorcher to name but a few. EN3 brings you the Rapper Kenn Chyna’s first solo release, having previously been a member of grime collective ‘Twisted Souls’, who had some underground success with...

Hailing from North London which has already brought you artists such as Chipmunk, Wretch 32, Skepta, and Scorcher to name but a few. EN3 brings you the Rapper Kenn Chyna’s first solo release, having previously been a member of grime collective ‘Twisted Souls’, who had some underground success...

Artist: Teddy Music Title: Grime: The Compilation Label: Teddy Music Release Date: 30.01.12 Format: CD & Digital Catalogue Number: TMCD001 Tracklisting: 1. Teddy Music – Grime Feat. Dot Rotten, Ghetts, Lil Nasty & Griminal 2. B-Live – Modern Warfare 2 Feat. Newham Generals, Skepta & Spyda 3. P Money – Hot Ones (O.G’z Madness) 4. JME – JME 5. Stutta – [...]

Multi-talented vocalist/mc/DJ Suki Bedeaux's mixtape careens from drrrty electro to grime via dancehall, and it's a damn fine listen. Grab it from here and pop it on whilst you read on below. What have been your proudest/coolest moments of 2011? This year has been really cool through out. My highlights would have to be starting my radio show on Nasty Fm at the beginning of the year, and winning the DJ Battle at Rock The Belles. When Jammer and C Gritz from Boy Better Know came to Playtime and MC'ed on my DJ set ...