New Orleans, Spring 2006

Above is some footage from a club I went to in New Orleans earlier this year. The venue is well known as a bounce club but you can hear mostly snap music (and maybe a bit of crunk too) in the video. If you pause it after 21 seconds you can see my left ear in the reflection in someone's sunglasses.



This was my tour guide for the week, DJ Chicken.

I took loads of pics that will be wasted otherwise, so you might as well have a look. I used a disposable camera and a cheap compact camera so most of the pics aren't so hot. Some of the better ones are by a photographer called Chris Keenan, who was also out there with me.








Photo by Chris Keenan.


Fats Domino's house. Photo by Chris Keenan.


DJ Chicken.


Slab1, a DJ on the biggest hip-hop station in New Orleans. Photo by Chris Keenan.


DJ Jubilee, the king of bounce. Photo by Chris Keenan.


Street band.


Photo by Chris Keenan.

I'll just leng a man down / Hop out of the whip and leng a man down

OH MY DIDDY! Baby Cham D.E.S.T.R.O.Y.E.D. the place on Thursday night. Half of Slew Dem turned up to see him; I saw Chronik at the front flashing his lighter for most of the night. Jammer was supposed to be bringing his dad, but he didn't in the end. Kano turned up too, but stood towards the back while Cham was playing.

As you can see, lots of people were filming. I dropped a couple of verses outside in someone's car, so look out for me on Risky Roadz 3 (possibly) - available from Risky's house when it's out (if you know where that is - I don't).


Baby Cham and Jammer

Just before my set, Jammer came over to me and handed me a copy of 'Murkle Man' and gave me detailed instructions about what I had to do for our set. He told me I had to play 'Murkle Man' once (only when he said) and then reload it and then play it again so he could reload it and then play it again and mix it into another record he handed me (the 8 bar remix of 'Destruction'). Who would have thought so much planning went into these things!?!


Jammer giving me the gunfingers to the back of the head and grabbing my shoulder - he did this a lot during my set. I guess he gets excited.

Jam, Chronik and Tempa T all jumped on my set. I was hoping Kano would get involved too, but I think he just stood around outside after Baby Cham finished. There was a rumour of D Double turning up later, so I was hoping for an old school Nasty crew reunion, but alas it didn't happen. My friends said Tempa T was the best - I was too busy trying to mix without a monitor while Jammer was shoving me to hear what was going on. No, I'm only kidding - me and Jam are best friends for life - he even gave me a free copy of the 'Strangle Man' 12". Well, he forgot to take it with him when he left, but that obviously meant he wanted me to keep it, right?



I was supposed to be DJing at this, but I've got exams coming up, but go to it anyway.

You might see war like Iraq / Come to your house at dark

Great little Statik interview here.

Also, check out some clips from an MTV2 grime documentary here.



BREAKING NEWS

I bumped into Faction G earlier today - he told me he was going to eat a Galaxy Easter egg tonight. Also, his mixtape is out in 6 weeks or so.

Don't say I don't keep you up to date with all the news and gossip.



I've been listening to a recent Slew Dem set non stop for the last week. Download it at Barefiles. Direct link here.

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Don't forget Baby cham at The Old Blue Last this Thursday. He's on at 11pm I think.

Like I don't know Vinyl Star and all the old time Brixton gangsters

My set with Ears last night was pretty good. It was certainly the weirdest clubnight I've ever played at and having a booth with no monitors and no nearby speakers is never ideal. I think I'm gonna have to start practicing DJing at home with my speakers in a different room to get used to that. It was worth it though because I had fun and also got a copy of DJ Exit's new record and made some Ps.



Wiley's album should be out within two weeks. Not feeling the design - looks like a mixtape. I still think it will be the best grime album ever, though.



Lots of people have been asking about Statik's Grindie mixtape. Download it here. Also, listen back to Statik on Ras Kwame's show here.



Quite a few people have also been asking about my Scorcher interview, so to check it out, click here.


Jammer at The Old Blue Last earlier this year or maybe last year.

Catch me DJing next Thursday, where I'll be playing loads of old dusty (but great) dancehall 7"s I bought when I was about 15 and also lots of grime and some U.S. Hip Hop too.

VICE Magazine, Modus Ent. & Family Tree present:

'Crack-Rock Steady'

Thursday 20th April

An exclusive performance from Dancehall superstar BABY CHAM (performing 'Ghetto Story')

Support from Jammer A.K.A. The Murkle Man and Shizzle
w/ DJs Vinyl Star & Prancehall

Venue: The Old Blue Last, 38 Great Eastern Street, London

Draw for the ting in the Morrison's bag / Make your green and black stripey T shirt with white bits (almost) look like a Kenyan flag

I just made those bars up straight off the top of my dome. No joke. With a bit more practice, I think I can be the Andy Milonakis of grime.

I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Get your 'FREE SCORCHER' Tees ready cos I just heard that Scorcher's up north on 23/24 doing 4 months in Feltham, although he'll hopefully be out in 1. I was speaking to him just a few days back about providing some tracks for my little project, so I'm praying he's out soon.

I was almost liking the new single by The Streets and the Professor Green remix video is kinda funny. I've heard the album now though and it's another big stinking turd. Decide for yourself here.


DJ Chicken in New Orleans' 9th Ward

I was in New Orleans a few months back and met up with some local Bounce DJs and Rappers. Watch a little video here.

Anyway, they're coming over in a few weeks to perform and free tickets are available here, so make sure to check that out.

I'm very pleased to hear that DJ Lioness has been given back her Rinse FM show. Catch her every Saturday at 5pm.

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One more thing:

I'm DJing this Thursday (13th April) with Ears at All You Can Eat at The O Bar, 83-88 Wardour Street, W1V

Come through like Clint Eastwood at the end of the movie / Nobody can't move me

Slew Dem have got their own DVD coming out. Trailer here.

What's that Wiley (?) beat Tempa T is MCing over? He should definitely vocal that.

I'm getting taken for a waste cadet on myspace. Skepta's taken me out of his Top 8, I tried to add Shizzle and Ironik and got ignored and my private messages get air more time. It's just not a big look for me right now.

Luckily, things aren't so bad in the real world. Right now, even when I'm standing still, I'm making moves. Even when I've got my eyes closed, I'm making a big look. You can catch me at Barden's in Stoke Newington this Saturday with Jitset and some other kids and possibly Statik too. I'm also playing the O Bar with Ears on April 13th.

Has anyone heard that 'We're from North London' track with Scorcher, Cell 22, Wretch 32 etc? I think that's gonna be my theme tune when I DJ. I'm telling you North London is the new South London which was previously the new East London.

I know some people have been looking for Statik's Grindie Volume 1 mixtape, so I've uploaded it here and here. Tracklist here.

Grime - yeah the genre's new / Some musicians just ain't got a clue

Ok, quick post, gotta go in a sec, but I've got some breaking news. I was at some secret Kano gig last night for MTV (yeah, I know...now that I'm the third most famous blogger on the RWD forum, I get to go to all these things...).

Anyway, Kane was pretty average, performing the usual not too grimey stuff until JAMES FUCKING BLUNT gets on stage and starts to do a duet with Kano of a song that they are going to release as a single. The whole thing is some kind of ballad/love song thing and if you thought Dizzee's 'Dream' was cheesy, you're gonna shit your pants when you hear this.

Anyway, I had my dictaphone with me and managed to record the whole thing, so have a listen to the steaming pile of shit and tell me what you think:

MP3: Kano and James Blunt - Head to Toe