Music Issue

M>>MAGAZINE

SEPT 2010

THE MUSIC ISSUE The "Anon" Column...sordid secrets laid bare

LIVE @ BBC INTRODUCING FESTIVAL

F-TIZZLE GIVES M>>MAGAZINE HIS MOST REVEALING INTERVIEW YET! AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF FESTIVAL TICKET FRAUD

BIG BROTHER IFE KUKU SPILLS ABOUT HER TIME IN THE MADHOUSE www.musiquebox.co.uk

M>>MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 ON THE COVER F-TIZZLE: Gives M>>Magazine his most revealing interview yet! P20 How to avoid becoming a victim of ticket fraud during next festival season P25 Big Brother's Ife Kuku spills about her time in the madhouse P23 Live @ BBC Introducing Festival P13 The Anon Column: Sordid secrets laid bare! P7

FEATURES The MAN Blog P6

Charlie Indestructible P18 The Lost Audio tell us about their big plans for their career P15 Mercury Prize: We give our verdict on the shortlist and winner...P10

CONTRIBUTORS David Stuchbury is a photojournalist with Maybe Magazine as a project manager. (www.maybefashion.com)

The WOMAN Blog P4 Local House DJ's chart their rise to success P8 Notable Locals: Noel Gallagher P12 Musiquebox Unsigned:

Paul is a talented musician and writer and currently Deputy Editor of Musiquebox. paul.guest@musiquebox. co.uk

Editor's letter soon be undergoing some major improvements following helpful feedback from our loyal readers.

Make sure your keeping up to date with our antics by following us via the various social networks mentioned below and as always keep us well and truly posted on anyone or anything that needs promoting or exposing!

FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, LETITIAH OBIRI Welcome to M>>Magazine the definitive lifestyle and culture publication written by and for residents of the Three Counties.

M>>Magazine features the very best in local news, features, entertainment, music, fashion and much more to keep you well and truly in the know. Our Music Issue takes a look at local musicians who have every ambition of leaving their mark on the music scene.

Check out our pictures from the highly anticipated BBC Introducing Festival in Luton and our revealing interview with this month's cover star F-Tizzle.

For all the latest in local culture and lifestyle check out our website Musiquebox which will

If you would like to contribute, advertise or feature in M>>Magazine please contact us on info@musiquebox.co.uk http://twitter.com/ musiquebox Search Musiquebox & M>>Magazine on Facebook

Contact me: editor@musiquebox.co.uk

The Stiletto Ranger goes wild at Leeds!

Armed with a bag of Festival essentials The Stiletto Ranger traded her Christian Louboutins for some sexy Scholl sandals and got ready to shimmy up to Leeds Music Festival. SR recommends The ultimate Festival Kit; a neat little draw string bag packed with handy size goodies to keep you fresh, clean and safe. Inside you’ll find Johnson’s baby wipes, Batiste Tropical Dry hair Shampoo so there’s no excuse for scuzzy scalps, MAC pink lip balm- high gloss without the sticky residue, a bottle of suntan lotion, travel tooth brush, hand torch , mini first aid kit, anti bacterial hand gel and of course the ultimate festival necessity a disposable travel john. SR would like to assure readers that she never actually made use of said item nor did she have to hover over the dodgy latrines precariously trying hard not to gag. This proved particularly nasty for one poor chickadee who became stuck in a toilet and had to have the Fire Brigade rescue her and her handbag. No SR aced a win with a luxury Winnebago keeping her sanity and her modesty still intact! SR would also like to thank the six man crew who helped her assemble a festival tent, showed her the joys of solar showering (not recommended in a crowded place) and the innovative uses of a shmangle. SR will always have fond memories of being spied upon by Curtis with his Highlander Pocket Monocular! Once SR had successfully negotiated all of the camping rituals and such like it was time to get serious with the music and some fashion spotting.

Watching Cypress Hill do “Hits from the Bong” had SR in bodacious giggles not

THE WOMAN BLOG

because she was laced with contraband but because front man B Real gave it large and gave it hard. A thumping set that took SR straight to LA via Branham Park. Attempts by the festival crowd to “black up” with gang signs and crazy hand gestures made SR believe she had briefly entered a parallel universe where everyone was trying out for a guest role in a Public Enemy video.

More was yet to come with Rivers Cuomo from Weezer who performed like a rocket version of Lady GaGa on acid. Once he donned that blonde wig, he made The Libertines look like a church choir and Pete Doherty in particular seem like an over anxious organ scholar.

Now SR believes in all the festival good will and peace and lurve (deliberately spelt that way to annoy and infuriate) but what SR absolutely detests is the festival ligger. Such a creature can

usually be spotted hanging around festival tents and open spaces typically wearing a distressed lumber jack shirt unbuttoned of course, black jeans and Robert Pattison hair.

Festival Ligger is always looking for opportunities to nab mobile phones, cash even food (of which there was short supply SR noticed several hardy souls being frisked at the festival only to have their cans of cola and sandwiches confiscated.) Luckily SR is on a strict no wheat, no dairy, no carb regime which meant she had no problem at all surviving on Wrigley’s Extra and bottles of Evian, especially good for dousing when temperatures soared to over 80 degrees. Liggers beware you were spotted trying to pilfer a unisex knitted Peruvian hat and a sound sensitive light up tee shirt. Not the most attractive items SR will agree but still it’s the principal and SR felt this conduct highly unsporting and not at all in the spirit of true lurve.

the exalted words of a true superstar.

“Have a safe journey home except the promoters and the Police- FXXX you!”

A curtain call that only Axl Rose could deliver with such glorious arrogance.

Tequila giggles, The Stiletto Ranger STILETTO RANGER HEADS TO LEEDS FESTIVAL

Festival Fashion included lots of tassels and short spells of nudity had SR thinking she was part of a New Orleans burlesque troupe without the high hair and Goth sauced nails.

Still SR thought Leeds festival goers were exceptionally stylish with Harem pants, denim minis and side- cut out dresses doing the rounds. SR also spotted animal print culottes, playsuits and ditsy skirts that went great with ray bans and battered converse high- tops.

Leeds Festival was a weekend of madness and mayhem from Dizzee Rascal and Blink 182 to Beardy Man some of music’s brightest talent showcased for the world to see but the real high point was when 70,000 music fans heard Axl and friends introduce Paradise City with a stirring call of rebellion when he closed with

The Stiletto Ranger AKA Saira Viola is an emerging fiction writer and poet. More of her writing is available on www.sairaviola.com

THE MAN BLOG: BY MIKE HIGGINS

As it’s the music edition of Musiquebox I thought I would turn my attention to dancing. On the face of it, dancing is an activity that effects both sexes equally, but as we’ll see that’s not quite the case.

Even from childhood there were obvious differences. While the girls gathered in a small circle on an otherwise empty dance floor we boys chased each with the purpose of inflicting the dreaded, dead arm. Only daring to venture on to the dance floor to copy the actions the girls were doing to the ‘Macarena’.

Unless I decide to live the life of a hermit, then it is impossible to not find myself at some point on a dance floor.

For the likes of me that are born without the dancing gene, we are unable to lose ourselves in the beat without looking out of our depth. We are forced to move vaguely in time with the music and blend in to the background or get blind drunk so that you no longer care what you look like. The latter option can of course come back to bite you on the arse the next day when facebook notifies you that you’ve been tagged in several humiliating photo’s, none of which you

remember being taken. If you fit this description then please don’t fool yourself that age might be the cure.

After all we’ve all seen the balding 40 year old playing air guitar to ‘Sweet Child O’Mine’ and it isn’t pretty.

Playwright George Bernard Shaw described dancing as the “vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalised by music.” It’s this undeniable sexual component to dancing that makes matters a whole lot worse. Women to us are dazzling when perfectly stationary, in a way that men just aren’t to women, let alone when they’re gyrating in a mini skirt. This only leads to the inevitable ugly sight of single sexually charged men peacocking around the dance floor, each trying to prove that they’ve got the bigger...plumage.

Some of you reading this will doubtlessly be thinking that my disdain for dancing is purely down to my lack of ability. I can’t sing either yet I would gladly chop off my (two left) feet in an instant to be able to take to the microphone and wow an audience.

Some of you might also want to point out that women can also feel self conscious on the dance floor. Whilst this is obviously true, I think it cannot be denied that men appreciate a woman’s aesthetic more than women do men.

Meaning that we men have to try harder to capture female attention and I just don’t want to have to put that effort in on what’s meant to be an enjoyable night out.

Want to have sex on beach?

I’ve already done it. Yes, I feel ever so flaming proud of myself, because I had sex on a beach, at 1am in darkness in Brighton, goodness, I make it sound ever so romantic, however despite the copious amounts of gin and vodka I may have had before I committed this so called ‘sinful’ act, it really was romantic.

Firstly, I want to say that I was safe! Secondly, I want to say that he was my boyfriend. Thirdly, I was, actually we were both incredibly drunk, goodness, what alcohol does to you. I was visiting my Grandmother and her friends for the weekend, and it ended up that my boyfriend was also visiting his family in Brighton that weekend, so why shouldn’t we hook up?

So of course we did, his mother doesn’t like me, and so thank god I wasn’t ‘blessed’ with her presence, but my Grandmother informed me that her friend owned a pub on Camelford Street and he desperately wanted to meet me, so I suggested we went there, and the boyfriend of course agreed.

I met the owner of the pub, and we sat down and we entered into some deep cultural conversation, while very subtly glasses of gin and vodka kept appearing in front of me, and naturally I drank them, so I started to babble and talk too much, and my boyfriend suggested we went for a walk, and I of course followed.

We walked down by the sea front, everyone was drunk and running around, having a good time, and we are walking hand in hand down onto the beach, where everyone was sitting down to the left side of the pier, we started making out, rolling out on top of each other, having a bit of a laugh, but I was getting turned on by all this frolicking, and suggested we went somewhere else, so we ran to the other side of the pier where the beach was quieter and as if the entire beach was a bedroom, we got naked and got down to it, it was magical, a beautiful evening, with a beautiful person, but we

The Anon ColumnWords by: Secret Writer

weren’t really that bothered about who was watching, if anybody was, and was just enjoying my time with him and we did very much enjoy our time, I do keep bringing it up and we just giggle at how outrageously naughty we were.

I got back to my Grandmother’s unfortunately without my boyfriend, but I walked in and she says “You look a bit rosy, you’re glowing, did you meet [boyfriend]” Ah, if only she knew.

LOCAL HOUSE DJ'S CHART THEIR RISE TO SUCCESS The newest up and coming underground house DJs from Milton Keynes, are making a name for themselves, for all the right reasons.

Greg Coppock and Matt Cann are launching their dream careers as big name DJs right here in MK. They first started playing only a few years ago, starting out with their own decks and mixers in their bedrooms then playing to small clubs with around ten people, never thinking they would ever have the chance to be residents at a famous club in the Midlands. Today, the two DJs play back to back at least once a month to a roaring crowd.

Their love for deep underground house music started back in 2005, after visiting the white isle of Ibiza, where all of the most famous DJs can be seen playing to thousands of party loving

holidaymakers. After visiting Ibiza over four times since then, their love for the music has grown. They then began to travel the country to see some of their favourite DJs play at some of the best clubs in the UK, including their favourites, Fabric in London, Warehouse Project in Manchester, and Mint Club in Leeds. Greg mentions, “all the events we go to are always quality, with talented DJs, mindblowing music and a wild crowd.

Perfect!”

A small selection of their favourite DJs are Jamie Jones, Dyed Soundroom and Seth Troxler, who they aspire to be as famous as. Greg and Matt are always downloading their latest tracks and mixes of the month. “We are always on ‘Beatport’, searching for the latest tracks that we think a crowd would love.”

So if you love your deep underground house music, with a fun twist, you will not be disappointed.

To listen to one of their latest mixes, follow this link… http://soundcloud.com/greggcoppockmattcann/july-2010-mix

THE LADS HARD AT WORK

Words by Lisa Wilks.

The duo already have quite a following and have played for a night called ‘Cosmic Underground’, in Revolutions, Milton Keynes, of which they are residents for the night.

A major highlight of their career was playing at the famous Latitude Festival only months ago. The high profile festival featured a roster of top acts including Florence and the Machine, Mercury Prize winners The XX and Corrine Bailey Rae. I was lucky to witness the night they played at Latitude alongside two other DJs to a crazy crowd that loved every minute of their amazing set.

Matt goes onto say “Latitude was brilliant! The crowd were crazy and they loved the music. We have never played to a crowd like that before, and I hope I get the chance to do it again next year!”

PLAYING AT THE FAMOUS LATTITUDE FESTIVAL EARLIER THIS SUMMER

With indie trio The XX being named as this year’s Mercury Prize winners on Sept 7th, Amy Davidson takes a look at some of her favourites from the hotly tipped shortlist.

The Mercury Prize certainly lives up to its name; a beauteous silver award for some (à la Arctic Monkey’s)…deadly to others (2009 winner ‘Speech Debelle’ anyone?) The 2010 shortlist promised both familiar nominees and artists that are relatively new to the scene or unknown. A surprising contender was Paul Weller’s ‘Wake up the Nation’, which failed to live up to its name with predictable watered down ‘The Jam-esque’ riffs seldom offering something new, leaving the listener untouched.

Biffy Clyro’s ‘Only Revolutions’ bizarrely boasts elements of dramatic guitar rock combined with the soft almost folk lyrics of Simon Neil (‘I only once upset my kin/Accused him of a moral slip’).

Fellow competitor Dizzee Rascal’s album ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’ is the most well-known album, featuring four number one singles, earned through music you can sing and dance to whilst maintaining an element of coolness – an important contribution to British mainstream music…even if sometimes ‘Tongue N’ Cheek’s’lyrics have the ability to provoke a cringe greater than nails down a blackboard.

‘Sky at Night’ by I Am Kloot washes over and oozes soft melodies, effortless Mancunian vocals and an assortment of atmospheric instruments.

Corinne Bailey Rae’s ‘The Sea’ is a testament to soul-pop providing catchy, heart filled choruses which build to the crescendo of the title track. XX, the eventual prize winners unapologetically creep out eleven haunting tracks that somehow despite sombre appearances make great, harmonious chilled out pop music. ‘Sigh No More’ offers weakened down folk – despite a couple of powerful tracks ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘The Cave’ - it seems to lag along without conviction and retires itself to filler as opposed to killer. Conversely Laura Marling

WORDS BY AMY DAVIDSON

beautifully delivers music that vows its maker has arrived, with her guitar aptly projecting the words she sings which incidentally are almost stories in themselves. ‘Becoming a Jackal’ is an exceptional album, with O'Brien’s penetrative lyrics giving the impression of intimate confession, and mesmerising guitar and strings adding to the beautiful vulnerability of the record. ‘Total Life Forever’ is a modern masterpiece, with a seemingly conflicting array of noises and harmonies being diced and thrown across the pained vocals of Foals front man Philippakkis, which paradoxically works marvellously well. Despite the XX going on to win, my winners were The Wild Beasts’ with their offering ‘Two Dancers.’ Thorpe’s falsetto voice is utterly tantalizing and moves through the eleven tracks with ease, shaped still by the carefully executed range of instruments the band uses to expertly navigate a touching and enticing album which is sure to send shockwaves through the music industry over the coming months.

When you think of notable locals in the Three Counties area, Noel Gallagher wouldn’t necessarily be the first name to spring to your mind. However with a home in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, Gallagher is both local and most certainly notable. As the songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist for Oasis, Noel Gallagher defined the sound of the 90s.

Of course it all started for Noel in Manchester, having gone on tour as a roadie with the Oldham band Inspiral Carpets. Noel came back to discover that his brother Liam had formed a band.

Noel went to go and see his younger brother’s band perform and although unimpressed by what he saw, he asked to join the band on the condition that he was responsible for the song writing. As Noel had a number of songs already written, compared to their four, they accepted him in to the band.

With Noel on board and calling all the shots (earning him the nickname “the chief”) Oasis extensively toured the UK, playing many gigs along the way. They toured with a real determination about them,

Notable Locals: Noel Gallagher Words by Mike Higgins exemplified by the gig that finally got them signed. The band had been invited to play a gig in Glasgow, however once they arrived they were refused entry as they were not on the list. Eventually they managed to persuade the club to let them play four songs. Luckily for them in the audience that day was Alan McGee, the co-owner of Creation Records, who was so impressed with them that he signed them up straight away.

From that moment on Noel and the band were destined for stardom. The swaggering Mancunians introduced themselves to us with the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK. For that reason alone confidence in their abilities should have been expected.

However this supreme confidence drew criticism from some who accused them of being arrogant. This is an

accusation that Noel countered with typical self assurance, famously stating that "If you'd written 'Live Forever', you'd be walking to a different tune the next day too." The release of their second album ‘(What's the Story) Morning Glory?’ cemented them as the kings of the Brit Pop era.

The following years never managed to live up to the glory days of Oasis, but despite this they still embarked on mammoth world tours, selling out massive venues around the world. Along with the music Oasis were also famous for the tensions that were ever present between Noel and Liam.

In the end Noel left the group citing that he could no longer work with Liam. Now on his own Noel has confirmed that he intends to bring out new music. These next few years may be uncertain new ground for Noel Gallagher, but it’s certainly going to be an exciting time for the Buckinghamshire resident.

REVIEWING ALL THE ACTION LIVE FROM LUTON Words By: Milda Narmontaite

Though the weather was that of typical UK forecasts, with all four seasons occurring in one day, the variety of music acts that appeared at the BBC Introducing Festival in Luton was much more appealing.

One of the first bands to perform was the charming Hemel Hempstead bases Dufflefolks, giving us a chilled out performance. The four charismatic members caught our attention with their unique sound, and their instrumentals seem to have merged somewhere between Florence and the Machine, Kate Nash and La Roux, while their soothing vocals were strangely relaxing amidst the busy town centre. As we were talked to the guys backstage, they told us that they initially bonded over cups of hot chocolate, and now, a year and a half later they're still going strong, bringing lustre and shine to the UK's hopeless summer.

As the day went on, we were faced with a band whose music genre was far off stream, but the whirlwind of bluegrass, rock n roll and country was successful in

capturing the audience when accompanied by the soulful voice of the lead singer. Later the Shefford/Bedford based band, who formed through a MySpace message, admitted that they're slight attention seekers, in that they love to get the crowd going when they're performing, which surely explained their great onstage vibe!

Beta Boy describe themselves as coming from a self-named genre - 'dirty pop', and their set was clearly filled with influences of the sounds from the 80's from artists such as Gary Numan, once again bringing a different kind of feel to the festival.

Once St George's Square finally received some sunshine, the indie London based group - Exit Avenue performed some hot pieces, ranging from their own take on popular Hip-Hop, and Rihanna's infectious 'Rude Boy' to some more classical indie songs.

Exit Avenue

Beta Boy

LIVE @ BBC INTRODUCING FESTIVAL The Stow

The Stow's vocalists

FINDING THE LOST AUDIO....

Deputy Editor Paul Guest meets one of the best bands from this year’s MK4U festival.

How did you all meet? We'd all played in bands before but never really found a great musical connection. That all changed in 2006 when Alex (Guitar) met Kieran (Bass) and Dave(Drums) at college through a love of music and ambition to take a different attack on today’s mass produced middle of the road bulls***.

However we were missing one key element; Alex introduced his brother Ben on vocals and from the very first time we got together, we all realised we had "found what we were looking for" with a strong musical connection and the feeling of something a bit special we haven’t looked back since!

Where does the name come from?

Up until recently we were called Stone Soul... unfortunately turns out we weren’t the only one... back to the drawing board (pub) after lengthy discussions and much beer we came to the conclusion that without a name we were just lost audio.... and the more we thought about it, the more relevant the name seemed to be, not only with our situation but also with our sound, to

capture those lost elements of the greats and legends of the 60s and 70s and bring it all back with a modern twist in our own special way. And so it was... The Lost Audio How did you come up with your unique style? Our style comes from the range of influences we have... Kierans influences are mainly funk and groove based stuff; Daves' influences are more ska and drum and bass; Alexs' influences are mostly classic rock and blues and Bens influences are rock and soul ; So really when we first got together to jam ANYTHING could have happened. We never really aimed to create a certain style If we came to one of your gigs, what can we expect? We love to give an energetic performance and playing to enthusiastic crowds. We love a bit of crowd participation and to get people moving. Wherever you do see us, you’re sure to see a tight set from a hard working band doing what they do best. (Paul: I went to one of their shows in Camden, and they are awesome!)

You’re in the studio at the moment putting down new material, is recording an enjoyable experience for you guys?

For us nothing beats playing live. Recording has been interesting, trying to capture our

new tracks soon so keep an ear out for it.

Most obvious question in the world, but what’s next for ‘The Lost Audio’? Aside from finishing the recording we continue the assault on London with many shows booked, recently also working with Jack Steven, Sniper and 3fifty7 records, we’re looking at audiences further afield, with possible festivals in Cyprus. We're also making a video for the track ‘Shine’ and should be ready to view on our MySpace soon.

THE LOST AUDIO IMPRESSED MUSIC FANS AT THIS YEAR'S MK4U FESTIVAL IN MILTON KEYNES

www.myspace.com/thelostaudio / www.twitter.com/thelostaudio Images by Penkat Studios ©

THE TALENTED FOURSOME HAVE SEVERAL GIGS COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

sound as we want it has proved difficult.

Our current demo was recorded by us like a home recording. We're now in the studio with a professional set up and are laying down our new material so hoping to capture the "full force" and energy of what we are trying to put across. We should be ready with the new CD and 3

MUSIQUEBOX UNSIGNED PRESENTS: Charlie Indestructible This is Musiquebox Unsigned, the part of the magazine where we feature a local unsigned act who is destined to make it to the big time. Music Editor Cassandra Gurling was privileged enough to meet Charlie Indestructible and watch them perform in Luton.

Let your hair down, skank out, get ready to mosh and appreciate one of the best up and coming rock acts, Charlie Indestructible.

‘You will get every ounce of blood, sweat and tears possible at every live show”, says their Myspace page and this is certainly true, as I found out after watching the energetic alternative rock five-some perform at Luton Aid on 21st August.

The band gave it everything they had, and tried their hardest to get the crowd head banging to their groin pulsating beats.

Ladies’ man, lead singer Mark Snowden has

a scream that will shake you to your core and cause your innards to vibrate like you’re the fly on Steve Harris’ bass amp.

Their influences of Iron Maiden and Finch provide the template for a sound that is ‘f***k*ng rockin’ it ’, as described by guitarist, John Morris. The fusion of alternative rock, metal, screamo and gothpop will take you back to a time where frolicking in anarchy and teenage angst were your top priorities in life. This combination of sounds and emotions is an utter festival for the highly trained rockvirtuoso ears amongst you.

Charlie Indestructible have high aspirations of signing an ultimate record deal. With their level of talent and growing fan base, they are well on their way to gaining recognition. However, they are sure that they will never sell out and will be happy with a label that lets them express themselves in a way that is comfortable and

performance.

Watch this space for the musiquebox.co.uk unsigned act of the month, Charlie Indestructible. http://www.charlieindestructible.co.uk/ http://www.myspace.com/charlieindestr uctible

THE BAND PEFORMING LIVE AT ONE OF THEIR PACKED OUT GIGS true to their original sound. This stems from a collective writing process coupled with their mixture of influences and personalities.

With songs such as ‘the old in out in out’ and ‘im the f**ckin guvna!, these guys are trusty members of the old school of rock ‘n’ roll, indulging in moments of downing snake bites in the back of the band bus, followed by communal fornicating and vomiting. However, don’t let their ‘jaggeresque’ personas confuse you, as their professionalism and dedication to their music is evident through their level of commitment to performance during live shows. As a hard working band Charlie Indestructible are currently working on their upcoming album which promises to be as captivating as their onstage

A BAND MEMBER WORKS UP A SWEAT ON STAGE TO THE DELIGHT OF FANS

F-TIZZLE REVEALS ALL!

Cover star Tim “F-Tizzle� Lawson gives his most revealing interview yet and tells Musiquebox about his debut video premiering on MTV Base, his ambitions of being a celebrity chef and Jennifer Hudson being his dream woman!

Words by: Letitiah Obiri

If you had to choose three songs be on the soundtrack of your life, what would they be and why?

Bob Marley, “One Love” which represents my Jamaican roots and reggae music which influenced all the genres I make today is an obvious –he’s an iconic artist to so many people.Tupac, “Until The End Of Time” was one of the first Tupac tracks I heard as a child and this song completely had me hooked, it crossed genres, had emotion, the video was on the single so I often watched it on my computer and this song inspired me a lot.

Kirk Franklin, “Imagine”, gospel music is something a lot of people of an ethnic background grew up on and I’m sure hearing so many gospels in my house is what originally made me love and appreciate music so much.

The most iconic gospel act has to be Kirk Franklin, he’s an entertainer, an amazing writer and he has collaborated with many contemporary artists. This track still gives me goose bumps so it definitely belongs in this

A STILL FROM THE VIDEO

THE MC ON THE SET OF HIS VIDEO FOR SINGLE "FOR YOU" list!

2. What are the top three songs on your iPod right now and why?

Andre 3000, “I Do” Andre 3000 is hip hop royalty, I love the oldskool vibe and the way he hasn’t diluted his style…ever.

Rocky Nti, “Dancing Shoes”- Rocky is from the same area as me and this song represents his vibe perfectly and I believe could be a big hit for him if he pushed it!

Labrinth, “Let The Sunshine” I heard this song before “Passout” had blown up and knew it was a hit. Honestly one of the best songs I’ve heard in the last couple of years, it always makes me smile no matter what type of day I’ve had.

3. What has been the biggest highlight of your career to date?

Each time I have been number one in the official BBC UK garage chart has been cool as I was above a lot of big names I grew up listening too.

Also going for a meeting with the person that signed Dizzee Rascal was pretty

major as I got to sit in the office and show him my music; I didn’t understand how much of a big deal it was at the time so it’s funny looking back now! Also my first video premiering on MTV base as that was a big surprise.

4. What has been the lowest point of your career so far?

The lowest point I’d say is when I’ve worked hard only to get a major setback for example Channel AKA who refused to play my videos despite other TV channels play listing me. You can only use low’s to your advantage though and work harder to achieve your goals!

5. What are you words of advice for those looking to break into the music industry?

For anyone looking to break into the industry there are a couple of things I’d say, many of them I’ve learned over time, some I wish I learned earlier!

Firstly you have to be different so work out what your good at and exploit it.

Self belief and preparation are key to achieving your goals, this goes for anything.

When you get knocked back keep going harder, persistence is everything. Lastly go with your heart, friends aren’t the right people for musical advice most of the time because they are biased either in a positive or negative way!

6. If you were single who would be your dream woman and why?

If I was single I’d stay that way, but there’s lots of attractive women out there. Looks are only one piece of the puzzle and I look for a lot more than physical appearance. If I were being general I like a few though, ranging from Beyonce, Lucy Pinder, Keri Hilson, and

Jennifer Hudson… lots!

7. If you weren’t a musician what other career path would you have chosen?

If I wasn’t a musician I think I would be a chef eventually leading up to being a celebrity chef as I have a passion for cooking! I left home at 18 years old and I had to teach myself to cook and its safe to say I’ve been eating well ever since then teaching myself recipes, learning from other people and adapting them to make my own! When I achieve everything music wise that I want to I will see where I can go with my cooking for definite! You can quote me on that!

For more details visit: www.ftuniverse.com www.twitter.com/ftmusic www.myspace.com/impossiblemadepossible Images by Tom Loake ©

MK NATIVE IFE KUKU SPILLES ABOUT HER TIME IN THE LAST EVER SERIES OF BIG BROTHER....

WORDS BY: LETITIAH OBIRI

Why did you decide to apply for Big Brother?

A friend of mine forwarded me an email, and said that I should give it ago and that it would be a good laugh.

How did your loved ones react to your decision?

They were very pleased and supportive.

Was your relationship with your fiancé affected during your time in the house? Yes I didn't realise how much pressure it put on him, especially when he was watching me upset and couldn’t do anything to help, he said he was frustrated.

How would you describe your time in the house?

I didn't really prepare myself for how I would cope if I got in the house.

I feel that I am much more confident within myself, and I am no longer scared of what people think of me.

Who was your favourite housemate and why?

Mario, he and I had so much to talk about. He had very different views to me in many ways though, he believes in UFO and extra terrestrial life for example so we were always having

debates. Until I just started writing this answer I didn't realise how much I really miss Mario. We talked about everything. We acted like children playing Gladiators on the sofas at 3am. He would wind me up in a brotherly way. He taught me a lot. He is a very special guy, we will be friends forever.

Who was your least favourite

housemate and why? While I was in the house I would say Kiva, but since watching I would say John James.

Do you have any secrets or scandal on the other housemates? Apparently Andrew said that he has never had sex before that's a lie! Bless him. Also Rachel and Nathan are an item they adore each other.

Were you pleased that Josie won Big Brother? I knew it would be Josie but I would’ve been happy with Mario Corin or Steve.

How does it feel being a celebrity in a small city like MK? It’s great that my opinion is valid and people care what I have to say, and it’s such a wonderful feeling to be able

to give advice and confidence to all types of people just by sending a message on Facebook.

What are some of the perks of your new found fame? I get to meet lots of new people, and I love chatting so I am in my element, only last week some girls from Canada starting talking to me because they recognised me, we started talking about travel and music and it was great because the conversation wouldn't have started if they didn’t recognise me.

How has your life changed since doing the show? Well it’s changed for the better especially since I have been working toward a music career for sometime now. Now that I have been on Big Brother record companies are approaching me and I feel so grateful that I can pick and choose, it’s a complete 360 turn around.

Find out more about Ife by clicking the links below: Www.ifekuku.com www.facebook.com/ifeku ku www.twitter.com/ifekuku

Every year the music festival is at the height of cutting edge music and fashion and is considered the chic way to spend the summer.

From V Festival to Glastonbury, Reading to The Wireless Festival, there is plenty to choose from and if you can afford it, you are guaranteed to have a bloody brilliant time.

People pay hundreds for a weekend of the best music the world can offer, along with the experience of dirty camping and drunken times the full festival experience brings.

The price music fans are willing to pay for festival tickets therefore makes it the prime market for savvy fraudsters to take advantage of customers good if not naïve nature.

Over half of festival tickets are bought

online, making it that much more convenient for a fraudster to steal your hard earned cash. Whilst on holiday I spoke to some people who had been the victims of festival ticket fraud, they had bought eight festival tickets for V festival eight full weekend camping tickets, costing £299 each.

The website they used informed them, after making the transaction of over a staggering £2000 that they would receive the tickets via a courier, which they paid an extra £50 for. When no such courier arrived, they tried to phone the website… and low and behold the phone number was not recognised. As a last resort they sent an e-mail and that too was (surprise surprise) non-existent.

These die hard music fans admit to their naivety but you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim. To make sure you avoid falling prey to a ticketing scam next festival season, here is some good old Musiquebox advice to booking tickets safely and securely online: Use the official festival ticket provider or a trusted ticket site (Ticketmaster, Last Minute) Contact the festival

FESTIVAL FRAUD FEATURE:

BY PAUL GUEST

organisers directly if you are unsure.

Do NOT use internet auction websites.

If you are booking via a fairly unknown website, check their policies and make sure that their contact details work (For example ring them up and make sure you get through to someone) before booking or handing over any money.

Order one ticket at a time.

Use your common sense, and be vigilant.

For more information on how to keep safe and avoid these scams visit the BBC Watchdog website, which also provides a list of websites to avoid when buying festival tickets: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blo gs/watchdog/2009/03/avo id_scam_festival_tickets. html

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