DeJ Loaf | Viper Magazine: Autumn Winter 2014

AUTUMN/WINTER 2014

DEJ UK £9 US $18

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EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jimmie Armentrout III, Bafic, Savannah Baker, Bex Day, Luke Freeman, Sam Hiscox, JerryPHD, Andrew Kass, Joshua Lawrence, Jessica Lehrman, Mitzi Lorenz, Mark Peace, Nolis, Olivia Seally, Samuel Trotter,

LILY MERCER

Paul Vickery, Simon Weathley

DEPUTY EDITOR

ILLUSTRATION

LAURYN TOMLINSON

Oh Dear, Kacey Kal, Listen04, Ms Nina, Ed Ruxton

CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN

Rachel Abebrese, Rebekah Aladdin, Terri Ann, Ali Arrowsmith, Jasmine Ashley, Shiv Ashman, Charlie Brianna, Laura Brosnan, Ben Browne, Leah Connolly, Yasmina Diallo, Sam Diss, Nellie Eden, Luci Ellis, Rhona Ezuma, Jessica Glossin, Bryan Hahn, Jake Hunte, Terrell Johnson, Alya Mooro, Chris Mendez, Ben Niespodziany, Alice Razak, Jasmin Sehmbi, Malin Solheimslid, DJ Thoth, Desmond Trimble, Kwame Wilson, Lucinda Worth

BLACK ANUBIS, SUGAR CAT, KEMAR REID

PHOTO EDITOR VERENA STEFANIE GROTTO

MODELS

FASHION EDITOR

Boyd Alves, Jamie Baah-Mensah, Kharey Bartley, Jordan Brown, Calez, Lewis Conlon, Isaac Danquah, Jamie, Jay, Jerome, Kimberly Kamish, Jake Lockhart, Izzy Loso, Rudie McCree, Mulan Noir, Kojey Radical, Seven

VIOLETTA KASSAPI

THANKS TO

CULTURE EDITOR TIMOTHY SHOLA

5th House PR, The Boogaloo, Bookings Models, Diana Buraka, Domo Genesis, Joy Haley, Kacey Kal, Listen04, Michele Poorman, Rich London, Select Model Management, Charlotte Simone, Alessandro Simonetti, DJ Thoth

VIPERMAG.COM A MERCER PUBLICATION

EDITOR’S LETTER Autumn has always been my favourite season and having been born on the first day of December, I’ve always had a fondness for the colder months. I love the change of the seasons and the fresh start that comes with Autumn, as a child it was all about the fresh pencil case and new school notebooks. It’s been a time of change at Viper HQ as we’ve adapted our release schedule from quarterly to bi-annual and welcomed new members to the team.

Our photo editor Lauryn Tomlinson realised she loves words too much to deal with only images, and steps up to the post of Deputy Editor. Having shot Ian Connor for us in the past, photographer Verena Stefanie Grotto becomes our new Photo Editor. She wasted no time, taking Isaac Danquah to Barbican for a fashion editorial titled ‘Boredom’. Naturally we had to make our long-time friend Violetta Kasspi Viper’s Fashion Editor, and she celebrates by styling several shoots for us; The Forest, Champion and Charlotte Simone.

Responsible for many of our art features in previous issues, Timothy Shola made the perfect choice of Culture Editor. This issue he interviewed my new favourite artist, Listen04.

I’ve approached in the past to get a quote about Vic Mensa for Dazed Magazine. He saw a copy of the magazine in my bag and asked if I write for Viper now, I responded, “I own it.” It’s also surreal when musicians and photographers I admire have heard of the magazine I created with some dedicated (and incredibly talented) friends.

The goal was to create a magazine that could represent what The Source was to me when I was growing up, with a healthy dose of fashion and long-read articles. This is our throwback issue, so those articles cater to things from the past that we look back fondly on plus a whole load of artists with a modern sound that ares inspired by the old school hip hop scenes before them. Dej Loaf is an entirely unique choice for the cover, but she was the perfect choice. With a sound entirely her own, Dej is far nmore than a one hit wonder, it’s just that ’Try Me’ was the song that made people pay attention to her. I’m a fan of Detroit’s music scene and it’s refreshing to have a female artist from the city making so much noise.

See you in Spring!

This is my favourite issue of the magazine so far. I feel we’ve come a long way since our For more information on Viper, check the launch in October 2013 but this is still only website, www.vipermag.com and twitter/ the beginning of Viper. I never predicted instagram: @vipermagazine. that people would pick up on the publication this fast and have been shocked at how many people have heard of or come across Viper. In Lily Mercer the Summer, I saw Chance the Rapper who @lilymercer

18 22

28 THE GOODS 12

RAP PETS 34 ISAAC DANQUAH

20 SHOTS 20 RAP CHAIN

36 LITTLE SIMZ 38 KOJEY RADICAL 40 ACKEEJUICE ROCKERS

THE QUESTIONS: DOMO GENESIS 24 THINGS RAPPERS SHOULDN’T DO 26

VINSTAGRAM

42 SELVSSE 44

PHOTO PROFILE - MICHELE POORMAN 50 DETROIT: CITY OF STRAITS

GO SKATE 70

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REMY BANKS 66 PIRATE RADIO 62 DENIRO FARRAR 58 PEN AND PIXEL 56

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RATKING

ROME FORTUNE

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DEJ LOAF

BISHOP NEHRU 106 ALESSANDRO ‘ZUEK’ SIMONETTI 102 THE RISE & SEPARATION OF CLIPSE 94 TINO BY PAUL VICKERY

CENTREFOLD 120 OLD SPORT, NEW TRICKS 122

THE FOREST 130

FLEXIN’

142 BRICK 136

158 162 CHAMPION

CULT COLLECTIBLES BY MARK PEACE

BOREDOM 148 BARBERSHOP 154

166 DESIGNER PROFILE - PASCAL 168 DESIGNER PROFILE - ISMINI 170 FASHION ESSAY

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ALEX HUGHES 180 STOCKISTS 182

CHARLOTTE SIMONE

HAIR ESSAY LISTEN04

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CONTRIBUTORS KACEY KAL KLFRGLSTC.TUMBLR.COM @KACEYKAL ARTIST - FRONT COVER

WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP?

“I’VE NEVER REALLY HAD ONE GROWING UP BUT ALWAYS HAD A PENCIL AND A NOTEBOOK OR SKETCH WITH ME, I STILL KEEP THOSE WITH ME TODAY. I LIKE USING BLACK SHARPIES WHEN I DOODLE IN MY SKETCHBOOKS NOW.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES?

“‘A KID NAMED CUDI’, HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE MIXTAPE OF ALL OF THE ONE I’VE LISTENED TO. HIS LYRICS SPOKE VOLUMES TO ME. IT GOT ME THROUGH A LOT OF SHIT. ESPECIALLY, MAN ON THE MOON (THE ANTHEM), THAT IS MY THEME SONG.”

LUKE FREEMAN WWW.LUKE-FREEMAN.COM @LUKAS3MAN PHOTOGRAPHER - THE FOREST

WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP? MY FAVOURITE ACCESSORY WAS A CAP, I WORE A NIKE SNAPBACK EVERYDAY FROM ABOUT 12-17 TO HIDE MY SPOTTY FOREHEAD. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES? MY FAVOURITE MIXTAPE, WAS A SLIMZEE/ROLL DEEP SINDWINDER TAPE PACK MOST PROBABLY, OR STYLES P, ‘GHOST IN THE MACHINE’.

SAVANNAH BAKER SAVANNAHGBAKER.COM/ @SAVANNAHGEEBAKER PHOTOGRAPHER - BABY HAIR’S BACK

WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP? “BASKETBALL JERSEY/ FEATHER BOA/ HAIR CLIPS - MIX UP.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES? “I DONT HAVE A FAV MIXTAPE. BACK THEN I LOVED AND STILL DO - DESTINY’S CHILDFULFILLED // VYBZ// JAH CURE// BEENIE// SIZZLA.”

BLACK ANUBIS @PUREANUBIS

BLACK-ANUBIS.COM GRAPHIC DESIGNER, VIPER A/W14 WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP? MY FIRST PAIR OF FRESH NIKE AIR FORCE ONE LOW TOPS WHEN I WAS 11 WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES? ‘OWL PHARAOH’ BY TRAVI$ SCOTT

OLIVIA SEALLY WWW.OLIVIASEALLY.COM

@OLIVIASEVA PHOTOGRAPHER - REMY BANKS WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP? “JELLY SANDALS” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES? “DJ CLUE’S ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’”

JAKE HUNTE JAKEHUNTE.TUMBLR.COM @JAKEHUNTE

STYLIST - OLD SPORT, NEW TRICKS + BRICK WHAT WAS YOU FAVOURITE FASHION ACCESSORY OR TOY GROWING UP? “MY D&G BELT, WHICH WAS FLASHY WITH BIG D&G BUCKLE. THE FLASHIER THE BETTER I ALWAYS THOUGHT, I RECENTLY FOUND IT AND I’M WEARING IT AGAIN, HAHA.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MIXTAPE FROM THE NOUGHTIES? “HMMM, MY FAVOURITE ALBUM WAS MISSY ELLIOT - ‘UNDER CONSTRUCTION’”

THE GOODS

BOTANICA JEWELLERY Created by New York’s Nic de la Paz, Botanica has come a long way since its launch in 2013. Originally featuring a collection of rosary necklaces, in only a year the company has grown to include sunglasses, plus a ring and bracelet. It’s hard not to love these gold textured pieces, especially the tinted sunglasses with those lavish gold frames. Though they’ll undoubtedly give you the instant Dope Boy look you’ve always aspired to, there’s an Egyptian influence to these items and their luxurious finish.

botanicany.com

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THE GOODS

REEBOK INSTAPUMP FURY OG The Reebok Instapump fury was first unleashed on the world in 1994, but like all things nineties they’re currently enjoying a resurgence. Not only do these shoes look futuristic, they utilise impressive technology to stay on your feet; instead of laces, the lockdown cushioning of the

Instapump charger keeps them in one place. But clearly the best thing about these shoes is that they have a big enough heel to give short people out there the lift they need.

reebok.com

SPRAYGROUND MONEY STASH BAG Sprayground have definitely given Rick Ross something to reflect on because this Sprayground money stash bag is literally ‘looking like a bag of money’. From the outside this looks like your average black backpack however, this is certainly a product not to be judged by its

cover. With a hidden lining of dollar stacks in rubber bands and zip compartments this is a great carrier. Like most Sprayground bags, this is definitely something to make you look twice. And in the words of Gita, “Benji Fraklin, gotta love them dollars that you making…”

sprayground.com

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THE GOODS

Whether we want to accept it or not Summer is long gone. As sad as this news is, on the bright side (no pun intended) the Boneville Marina Parka is a great buy for protection from those rainy days. Viper’s personal favourite is the parka in the Lifeboat colour. Another validation that orange is the new black and a great contrary to the dull earthly tones of winter. As well as looking great the performance features of this product are quite special. Created with a blend of one of the world’s most ancient fiber crops and a water resistant coating this parka is a strong and sturdy investment for the autumn/winter season.

boneville1981.com

BONEVILLE MARINA PARKA

WAH LONDON Unlike those loom bands that you were (hopefully) forced to wear, nail art isn’t a disappearing fad that’s over by the time you realise that you’re not too cool to get involved. WAH Nails have grown to be one of the biggest names in the nail game, a great feat by founder Sharmadean Reid. WAH have recently released their own product line, which is exclusively available at boots and WAH salons. The line includes false nails in

an array of their best selling designs, already filed into their signature almond/stiletto shape. ‘The Pink Brush’ is the name of the set featured above, and is as abstract as it gets. Cute pinks and reds are contrasted with black and white accents, and are given further dimension by varying stripes of matte and gloss polish. Retailing from only £9, there is no excuse for you to not have your nails did.

wah-london.com

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RAP : CALEZ + SEVEN PETS

Photos by Nolis

When did you and Seven first meet?

A month after she was born, she’s my sister’s dog’s daughter.

When did you guys become friends?

Well, she would be in my room as a month old pup and I would play ‘Wonderful Place’ by N*E*R*D and she’d just chill out with me. I knew she was going to be a great friend. I feel if I was a King in another time, she would be like the King’s beast.

What’s your favourite thing to do together?

Play fight.

Describe Seven in three words.

Tough, determined, playful.

How would Seven describe you in three words?

Big, turnt, master.

@CalezCeito ceitorepublic.com

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20 SHOTS

ONE CULT FILM

20 ICONIC SCENES

FEAR & LOATHING, 1999 TERRY GILLIAM

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THE G G G G G G-UNIT CHAIN Illustration by Oh Dear

Words by Chris Mendez

It feels like just yesterday we were all listening to G-Unit. It feels like just last week we were able to pick up a rap zine with them plastered on the cover. And it feels like just a month has passed since they were making fun of your favourite rapper. That’s all probably because it actually did just happen - again. G-Unit are BACK - and I don’t mean like Ma$e back. After a six year hiatus, the unit has set aside their differences and reunited. As we prepare to hear them do justice to really good beats that were given to wack rappers, I have only one question - Will the glory and illustriousness of the iconic spinning G-Unit chain return?

In the early 2000’s rap music was in a slump. It had lost all of it’s street cred and to cut a long story short, half of the industry was rapping like pure shit. 50 Cent however was hanging on to the concept of real rap music like LeBron’s headband. He was still telling sidewalk tales that felt like you were in Jamaica, Queens - live on the scene. The classic ‘Get Rich or Die Trying’ sealed the game for Curtis and once he and his G-Unit soldiers

were fully assembled, they would rule these industry streets.

How Thor has his hammer and Zorro has his sword, G-Unit had their symbol of omnipotence hanging around their neck.

A platinum and diamond chain with a pendant hanging from it that is not only the syllabus for Stunt:101 but an engineering breakthrough. Like their rims and their hair, the G-Unit chain was always spinnin’. You could recite a 16-bar verse while filming a video on the Audobon and stop to talk to a dime, all while your jewellery’s still moving. It’s like Jacob the Jeweler meets Nicola Tesla.

There are a bunch of stories that claim to be the reason for G-Unit’s break up in 2008, but I think we all know what happened. The G-Unit chain was stolen and the spinningpower that came along with it was lost. Now with their most recent EP, ‘The Beauty of Independence,’ a success, it now leaves us to wonder - is the holy grail of rap back? *…50 cent coin drop*

WILL THE GLORY AND ILLUSTRIOUSNESS OF THE ICONIC SPINNING G-UNIT CHAIN RETURN?

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Illustration by Ed Ruxton

“NO COMMENT, THE FEDS WATCHING”

DOMO GENESIS 1. What do you smell like right now?

A hole in a wall strip club and a Black N Mild.

2. How would your last partner sum you up in three words?

10 Heavenly Minutes.

3. What’s the most troublesome thing you did as a child?

I lost my two front teeth playing musical chairs and I thought I would never grow them back, it took so long.

4. Who’s the weirdest celebrity you ever had a crush on?

Probably like Avril Lavigne or some shit. I wanted to hit when ‘Complicated’ came out.

5. Ever punched a stranger?

No comment, the Feds watching.

6. What’s your most embarrassing fear?

I'm scared of elevators I won't get in if it's over five people. I'll wait hella long if I have to.

7. What sound do you hate?

I hate the sound in my car that keeps nagging if you don't put your seatbelt on.

8. Which character trait of yours do you hope your child doesn’t inherit?

I hope my child isn't as anti-social as I am sometimes.

9. What’s your favourite sea creature?

Blastoise.

10. The worst thing about drugs is…

That you can't do them in public. @DamierGenesis oddfuture.com

Illustration by Ed Ruxton Words by Chris Mendez

Being a born and bred New Yorker is tough. Not because cops will shoot you point blank for jaywalking, although that does add a level of difficulty, but because we are wired to love hip hop.

Don’t get it twisted - I eat, sleep and breathe the culture - but there’s something about being a twenty-something year old hip hop head in NYC that irks me. It’s the constant respect that you’re forced to give to the “Old School.” It’s a casual conversation at a bar about rap music that turns into that inevitable, “Who’s in your top five?” debate that turns into a bar fight out of Boondock Saints. It’s the Dr. Seuss bullshit we have to listen to for an hour of rush hour on Hot 97 because Mr Cee can’t get out of 1989, or trannies cars.

Before you assume that I’m a snotty, ignorant “new head” that has no respect, let me break down the era of rap I was raised in.

It’s called the Golden Era, you may have heard of it. I was born in 1987, so by the time I was six or seven years old, it was 1993 and my ears were in full absorption mode. I remember hearing WuTang and being highly amused by the Kung-Fu skits, I remember requesting shit on The Box. The first rap album I ever spent my own hard earned money on was ‘Puff Daddy and Family: No Way Out’. I always idolized Puffy and Ma$e and looked at the rap game as a community where the OG’s looked out for the young talent and created opportunity. I thought it was awesome how Snoop found Bow Wow and launched his career by trading him to Jermaine Dupri for money and weed. I would hear pre-golden era hip hop during Hot 97’s Throwback at Noon and respect those guys. I thought the music absolutely sucked, but I dug the whole OG thing I spoke about earlier. I dug EVERYTHING about hip hop up until the day I didn’t dig any of it.

As we all know, after the shiny-suit era it all went downhill. We were forced to lean with it, rock with it, do the A-Town stomp and listen to Silkk The Shocker. During this time I experimented with older hip hop and learned A LOT…actually I learned two things

- everything before Rakim sucked and everything after that, but before Nelly, was amazing. With this realisation I noticed that hip hop went through a shift. The same shift that happened when modern rock & roll replaced Elvis and the only Elvis fans left were looked at… well, people thought they were fucking nuts. Artists like Mos Def, DOOM, Nas and Black Thought proved that the art of rap had evolved from a melodic and playful “game” to a gauntlet where wordsmiths could exhibit their newest weaponry.

With evolution, came extinction and rap stars of the past no longer had a stage to brag about making $100 cash in one day or fighting off “Sucka MCs.” Like rock & roll and R&B, the genre had finally reached an extreme level of monetary and licensing success. The music was intricate and complex enough to be taken serious and acts like Eminem and Jay Z put that on their back. Unfortunately with this advancement in the culture, came a zombie invasion. Here came a rope chain clad, props-seeking group of retired rappers demanding respect. Mad that they weren’t smart enough to elevate the genre, they spewed hatred at the current stars. This resulted in what I like to call “pity features.” Eminem was forced to do a song with KRS-One and lets be honest, Slick Rick RUINED ‘Auditorium’. This wack shit even inspired dope artists to dumb down their work in an attempt to “pay dues.” Please don’t ever remind me about Nas’ ‘I Know I Can’ or anything from the era where Missy Elliot wore that stupid Adidas tracksuit. As a matter of fact don’t remind me of ANYTHING. I’m fully content with where everything is right now.

So although it took me a while to get to my point, here it is.

Rappers – one thing you should NEVER DO is try to bring back “the old school.” Push boundaries, dress different and think about tomorrow. Besides, rappers weren’t getting paid back in the day and as my man Dave Chappelle would say… “That ain’t BALLIN’ to me.”

“EVERYTHING BEFORE RAKIM SUCKED AND EVERYTHING AFTER THAT BUT BEFORE NELLY WAS AMAZING”

VINSTAGRAM

WITH

DJ THOTH

DJ THOTH TAKES A DISPOSABLE CAMERA ON WORLD’S FAIR’S FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR FOR A VINTAGE TAKE ON INSTAGRAM

Blessed by the grace and hospitality of Lille, France, as we settled in before our trip to Belgium for Dour Festival.

GLDCHN!

GLDCHN!

The Wolfpack marking their territory

No real reason for Reni to be sleeping on the stairs when he had a bed readily available to him but ok.

“Played” for hours with video game guitars, but I’ll give them kudos for somehow coercing folks to take their picture.”

Tourist opportunity for our moms.

Prince SAMO - WHO DAT VIDEO BTS BOMBOCLATTT I got a new camera at the market so yeah, I decided to do an overdue editorial for Converse with it in and around London. Š Reni Santelises

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In another country with my friends and seeing other friends from back home out here too makes for a profound moment.

UnderAchievers x Powers Pleasant x World’s Fair Š Reni Santelises

Some last laughs bidding farewell to the UK

Cambria Heights in the borough of Queens

Territorial

remybanks.com @remybanks

Photo by Verena Stefanie Grotto Words by Sam Diss

THE LONDONER REDEFINING CONSCIOUS RAP I first heard Isaac Danquah at the start of 2014 on a track called ‘Brooding’. I’d been scouring SoundCloud at 2am, came across it and it blew me away.

The Last Skeptik’s skittering dub-influenced production, Kojey Radical’s smooth chorus and Danquah’s crystal-clear flow sounded so fresh and at odds with what I was hearing from London’s hip hop resurgence. Where was the fuzzy sample under boom-bap drums? This sounded like pure 2014.

With the release of his new mixtape ‘The Boy Meets Man Experience’, Danquah demonstrates his skill as a proper, fully-fledged artist rather than “just” a rapper. The boy can rhyme, but here was the man poking out from beneath the enviable light and shade of his sweet-boy voice and razorsharp flow. “Sitting on the bench, does the coach even rate me?” he raps on ‘tape opener ‘Ying & Yang’ over Lupus Cain’s melancholic piano and pitched vocal-stabs. This isn’t quite Isaac on his grown man shit, this is Isaac learning how to be the guy he wants to grow into.

“I’m basically at a stage of adulthood where things have started becoming real and the challenge for me was growing up and encapsulating that feeling sonically,” Danquah tells me. “I guess all I could do was aim to put that in the simplest way possible and attempt to define what happens when a boy meets a man.”

Unlike many rappers who would fall under the “conscious” bracket, Danquah never feels false or comes off as saccharine.

Respected rap blog Pigeons & Planes used comparisons to Drake with good reason - the penchant for bass-heavy, atmospheric instrumentals and easygoing voice - but there’s much more than just that going on. While Drake’s a cartoon avatar for post-thug rap spouting Tumblr-ready soundbites with drawn-on hair and goofy grin, Danquah feels like a real person using rap as a tool to channel real feelings.

“I think I’m just crafting something I would like to say is unique,“ he tells me. “This is the most time I’ve ever put into a body of work and I just wanted to base it off where I’m at as a person.”

@IsaacDanquah_ soundcloud.com/Isaacdanquah

Photo by Verena Stefanie Grotto Words by Bryan Hahn

VIPER MEETS THE LONDON RAPPER MAKING NOISE OVERSEAS A blog once told me “when life gives you lemons, you go get some ‘Mandarin Oranges’ from Little Simz.” If you haven’t yet heard the zen, Sango-produced track taken from the North London emcee’s ‘E.D.G.E.’ EP (Every Day Gets Easier) captures a stream of conscious where she’s focused on the past, present and future. You may miss moments like this in the flurry of her rhymes but you’ll eventually grasp that Little Simz is naturally complex and destined to create music. She may take on side gigs then and again, like being founder/ A&R of a music group [AGE 101] and studying Music Technology part time, but her voice has been carefully crafted for 12 years. And here’s to 89 years more.

It’s Tuesday evening in August and the weather is lousy in New York. But I can’t complain as Little Simz explains on Skype that she sounds different because of a fading cold. Speaking to Simz, I’m not surprised that she’s as well mannered as she was in between songs at her first NYC show a few months prior. The 20 year old artist was trying to gauge the crowd’s level of enthusiasm beyond the front row, until the slow building piano of ‘Bars Simzson’ came out the speakers. Simz took it from there. But let’s go back almost a year ago…

Although she had been acting in TV shows and working on music for years, the “take me as I am because I give no fucks” attitude on her ‘Blank Canvas’ project in 2013 reintroduced

her as a contender for everyone’s rookie list.

And it’s worked, as she’s given the fans what they want - new music - with unconventional promotion techniques, aka none.

the science of flows most rappers pretend to have mastered, to the point that she sees its limitations and, where fit, addresses the listener in prose. “There’s always an art to rap.

Sometimes when you really want to put your point across, it’s not always necessary to do it in rap form. Sometimes I just like to have a conversation with the listener. Ask rhetorical questions, which they can think about and just give them a different listening experience, instead of just bopping their head.”

Simz shares her thoughts on self-expression and relationships with a level of comfort that you normally see with your best friend.

She’s moulded some of her tracks into throwback moments for herself, while you learn something without even knowing it.

She admits that, “But at the same time, I’m not trying to talk to people like I’m a know it all because I don’t know shit. I even say in some of my songs that I don’t know the answer to this question but let’s figure it out together.”

When asked to explain what her life as a painting looks like now versus later down the road, she let out a long, pensive sigh and slowly said, “Man… There’ll be so many different colours in the palette but for now, my painting would probably only have a dash of blue. Compared to what I’m planning to do with my career, I have not started. I’m not discrediting myself but I know where I’m planning to be.” She modestly sidesteps two MOBO Award nominations in 2014, shopping sprees courtesy of Diamond Supply Co. and international shows, all before her 21st birthday. She continues, “All of the things that have happened, I expected it. Yo, I’m reeeally about to kill shit.” As for the dash of blue - “Blue reminds me of a dream. When I think of dreams, I just think of blue. It feels like As for what Simz thinks her life painting will everything that’s happened is a dream.” finally look like: “In my head it looks very Her music is strongly entwined with her chaotic. but I feel like it’s going to be very, personal life on a universally relatable level; very simple. Only because what I’m trying to in fact you wouldn’t be wrong to pick Little achieve is greatness and that’s just one word.

Simz as your muse. She feels that she’s rapped And going around that word, it seems like the long enough to have connected with enough painting will be very simple, very sleek. But people, so she’s grown comfortable with obviously along the way to greatness is going sharing tucked away topics like her parents’ to be very, very chaotic.” divorce. At the same time, she’s aware of

@LittleSimz soundcloud.com/littlesimz

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KOJEY RADICAL MEET THE LONDONER PUTTING THE POETRY BACK IN HIP HOP It’s an average late summer night on a busy street in London’s East End, Dalston to be exact. Kingsland Road is littered with youngsters huddled in front of newsagents and kebab shops; hipsters with finely trimmed moustaches are strolling with tote bags. Neon lights are flashing above shops and restaurants while a steady flow of traffic trails down the high road.

Standing out from the crowd isn’t easy in today’s musical landscape, with a bunch of aspiring artists and struggle rappers bombarding Twitter users with links to their music. It’s harder than ever to separate the real from the fake, with comedic artists like IceJJFish being laughed at but none the less listened to, retweeted and shared. So it’s refreshing when a true talent like Kojey Radical appears. A burgeoning talent with a different take on selfexpression, his output and his message.

A favourite of club nights and live music, Dalston’s Birthdays is hosting the Kojey Radical EP launch. At only 21 years old, the former London College of Fashion student has been making noise in the urban music and arts circuit with his poetry performances.

The North Londoner delivers exceptional, off-beat, humorous pieces, tinged with realism and self-awareness.

It’s the first performance since the release of his debut EP, ‘Dear Daisy: Opium’ and the air is thick with expectation, sweat and weed smoke. The sold out show is proof of the fact this young man has an army of believers; their number impressively but organically rising. The crowd is treated to the sounds of Soulection’s LDN representer, Hannah Faith, as well as music from local talents such as SLK and Jay Prince. They clapped, they sang, they listened, they made noise, now the youthful crowd falls silent ahead of the main event.

The immersive, experimental ‘Dear Daisy: Opium’ was unleashed on the public in June and has racked up an impressive number of plays on SoundCloud. At times too much importance is stressed on those figures (to his credit, comfortably in the thousands) but the few hundred people packed into the basement of Birthdays are testament that the sounds of Kojey are not going unheard. The tape is a canvas of chilled beats paired with watertight delivery as he quips about life, lessons and love. The heartfelt title track features vocalist Zulu and has the young poet pouring his heart out about his lack of faith growing up in a religion he knew he didn’t belong to.

Some hours have passed since the show on this cool August night. Attendees of the show are spilling out onto the street, talking excitedly. Kojey Radical is one of the few talents at the forefront of this new generation, spearheading London’s music and poetry scene. With the power of the Internet, it’s assumed the revolution will not be televised, but with this radical fellow leading the charge for the nineties babies, it should make for brilliant viewing.

Photo by Mitzi Lorenz Words by Kwame Wilson

@KojeyRadical soundcloud.com/kojeyradical

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MEET THE PRODUCERS :

ACKEEJUICE ROCKERS Photo by Verena Stefanie Grotto

Who are you?

We are Alessandro a.k.a Ali Selecta and Claudio a.k.a King P; two Italian guys who live in the north of the country in a region called Veneto, very close to Venice. We just produce what makes us feel good and makes us dance.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

The best known is definitely ‘Blocka (Ackeejuice Rockers remix)’

by Pusha T, Popcaan & Travis Scott, released by Universal Music.

Another is ‘Guilt Trip’, the track we co-produced with Kanye West for his ‘Yeezus’ album. These two tracks are linked because ‘Guilt Trip’ contains samples and cuts that we worked on from ‘Blocka Remix’.

What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

We have more than one actually, but a track that got us excited was ‘Wade in the Water’, a gospel/moombahton track we produced a few years ago that Mad Decent supported straight away. It was the first time we worked on that tempo and we didn’t know that kind of music already had a name. It was there that we first met moombahton music.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music? Why is that?

Well, we think that the difference is made by how an artist is able to communicate to the people. Naturally, knowing how to use the software and the machines can speed up the producing process but it can’t make the soul of the tracks. You must find that thing within you long before you turn on a machine.

What influences you as a producer?

Diplo is the artist who most influenced us from the beginning, not for his productions but for his futuristic music idea and his ability to discover and push new producers. Thanks to him and Mad Decent, a lot of artists and friends of ours have risen from the ranks in the dance, tropical and bass music world. Not to mention in the hip hop and reggae/dancehall game. In the end, we haven’t got any specific references because we’re versatile and unable to stay in a single musical genre.

How did you begin making music? Was it a particular influence or circumstance?

We started to produce when we realised we needed something we couldn’t find on the web. That was when we decided to do something that represented us. Now we have more than 60% of our own music, productions, mash-ups and edits in our DJ set, but we always hold a place for the new artists we like.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

The perfect beat is when you feel the groove from the first second until the end, that’s perfect but it doesn’t happen often.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2014?

We’re very focused on our new EP right now, which will be released very soon. It’s going to have some collaborations with Kinck, a great Danish singer who we met by chance thanks to our label Overcooked Records. In addition to this we have schedueled many collaborations wih new singers, producers and artists but we don’t want to reveal their names now, it’s our good luck charm.

@ackeejuice soundcloud.com/ackeejuice

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MEET THE PRODUCERS :

SELVSSE Photo by Bafic

Who are you?

I’m Selasse (stylized as SELVSSE), originally from Croydon in South London but currently residing in Lewisham. I’d describe my production style as percussive, emotive and fun. In terms of sound, I’d say a lot of what I create is rooted in hip hop.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

It’s definitely a combination of reworks and songs I’ve produced for others artists, the most popular being ‘Call It’, (a rework of MNEK’S ‘Don’t Call It Love’), ‘Needs’ (a rework of Sasha Keable’s ‘Careless Over You’) and ‘Got You Right’ by ItsNate.

What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

I find it to hard name a song, mainly because every sound tends to carry a different mood or vibe for me. But for conversations sake, I’d say it’s probably the rework of MNEK’s ‘Don’t Call It Love’ I did recently. The original song definitely had me nostalgic when I heard it and from there it was just about complimenting the vocals with the right elements.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music?

I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing, I think its great that anyone can have the tools to create music when they feel inspired to do so. And if it eventually becomes something they want to be great at doing, that’s when the time and effort will be required and not everyone has that to give.

What influences you as a producer?

Creatively, I’d say experiences; conversations and people influence and inspire me. Sonically, textures, grooves and melodies also influence a part of the music, along with reinterpreting different sounds.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

I guess what draws me to create instrumentals is the ability to convey an idea without using words; it creates space for the listener to add their own meaning to the song. I like the thought of that.

How did you begin making music? Was it a particular influence or circumstance?

I started making music after I met a friend in secondary school, we would write rap verses to perform them over popular instrumentals. I’d say the moment I decided to start making my own beats was after asking Swindle (a producer and close friend of my older brother) for beats. He didn’t say ‘no’ but I kinda got the message; I wasn’t that great at rapping back then.

Were you ever involved in any other musical projects besides what you are doing right now?

Yes, the last was a conceptual album titled, ‘Beauty & The American Beast’ by New York rapper Emarr. I co-produced the project with two friends and putting that project together was fun; it felt like we were all writing a book.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

The perfect beat for me has to have the right balance of sounds, and the sounds have to relate to the mood I’m trying to capture.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2014?

I’m currently putting together an EP called ‘Hollow Earth’. It’ll feature both instrumentals & full-length songs with friends. In the meantime I’ll keep sharing reworks and contribute to other artists projects. I’ll never be quiet for long!

@SELVSSE soundcloud.com/Selvsse

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A Tribe Called Quest

MICHELE POORMAN The London-based photographer takes us through her most memorable shots, taken at various events in London from the mid-eighties to the early nineties.

Wrecks-N-Effects

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MC Hammer

Eazy E and MC Ren

Back in the eighties security wasn’t as tight as it is now and artists were more accessible. I would buy tickets to a show, always within the first three rows of a seated venue. When the day came, I snuck my camera into the venue by putting it into my handbag and filling my bag up with papers. Or I’d wear the camera body under my clothes, put the lens in my bag and give the flash to my sister or my friend. Security would look in your bag but they never touched anything.

Once the show had begun I would assemble my camera and the shoot would begin! I was often surrounded by a very rowdy crowd who would surge forward, so security was unable to approach me and confiscate my film.

On occasion I would call record companies in attempt to gain free passes into concert events. If I was unsuccessful, I would try to gain access through the artists’ promoter. Eventually I began working as a freelance photographer for a music magazine called Touch, but most of my photographs were taken before I began working for them.

In the case of my N.W.A photographs, I wrote to the group while they were in America with the same request and their manager wrote back with details of where they were staying in London and when I should make contact. On this occasion I was fortunate enough to travel to Birmingham with them and had full access to take photos of the group, on and off stage.

Getting exclusive access to the N.W.A show was definitely one of those special, once-in-a-lifetime moments. I spent a whole weekend on tour with them; my sister and I became part of their entourage for one weekend only.

Michel’le, KoKane and Above the Law were also on tour with them, as well as British rappers, Demon Boyz, London Posse and MC Mell’O.

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Run DMC

Jay Z and Jaz-O

The hip hop scene back then was fun. It wasn’t just about the music, it was also about the fashion: Goose jackets and Kangol caps, DMC glasses, four-fingered rings, big clock necklaces like Flavor Flav and dance moves like the wop.

When the Beastie Boys came to London, people began stealing Volkswagen emblems off cars and wearing them on chains to be like their idols. It was an amazing experience; B-boys and fly girls had great times together and they were definitely identifiable.

When I photographed Jay Z, I had no idea who he was or what impact he would have on the industry. He was the quiet one, Jaz-O was much more talkative.

I made friends with a producer called Hamish McDonald who worked at Battery Recording Studios in Willesden, North London. Hamish called me one evening and said there were two guys recording at the studio who were from America and that I should come down and take their photograph. He said, “you never know, one day they might be famous” - I don’t think even he realised how true those words would become!

I really enjoyed the Raising Hell Tour with Run DMC, Whodini, Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, but I think that the 1987 Def Jam Tour with Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim and LL Cool J - which took place at the Hammersmith Odeon - was the

most memorable overall. When would you ever see a line up like that again in the UK?!

I went to see it three times twice at Hammersmith and an extra added date at the Brixton Academy. The vibe was great, the music rocked the crowd, although LL Cool J did get booed when he started singing ‘I Need Love’.

I would say Chuck D and Professor Griff were the most memorable artists I met. I met them purely by chance; having been unsuccessful at gaining access to a gig I was hanging out in the West End, unfortunately without my camera. I couldn’t believe my luck when I came across these hip hop icons.

They were supposed to go to an

after party at Browns nightclub following the DMC competition but weren’t able to due to overcrowding. My friends and I were able to hang out with them for a few hours and I was totally starstruck. As luck would have it, the She Rockers were also there, so we were surrounded by artists without even trying.

Hip hop is more mainstream now. It’s more commercially accepted and not as politically and culturally controversial as it was 20 years ago. Groups like Public Enemy and KRSOne were seen back then as extremely controversial; hip hop pushed boundaries with songs like ‘Fight the Power’, ‘Self Destruction’ and, in particular, N.W.A’s ‘Fuck the Police’. Those

songs reflected and commented on society in a new way.

Nowadays there are so many artists trying to break through that, it seems more shock factor is needed to get noticed. This has lead to profanity becoming the norm and more outrageous/ arrogant/explicit lyrics gaining popularity. Also artists are performing on a much larger scale, which means they are less accessible to their fans. Having said that, many people judged that the hip hop movement would never last; looking at today’s hip hop roster proves that the genre is still a powerful medium as well as a marketable one that touches people all over the world.

@Marschmelloww michelepoormanphotography.tumblr.com

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THIS IS HEIDELBERG Words and Photos by Samuel Trotter Over the last decade, the legendary auto-mobile capital of the world has seen its fair share of hardships; be it political corruption and rampant gang violence or mass vandalism and property destruction, Detroit; the most human city despite its troubles continues to grow, adapt and live. Testament to Detroit’s resilience is the inspiring local art program The Heidelberg Project.

The Heidelberg Project was created in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton, and has since stood as a living testament to the stubbornness of Detroit. Its creation was wrought by taking the abandoned buildings that littered a rough neighbourhood and decorating them with knick-knacks, junk and paint of vibrant colours.

Having changed the nature of the surrounding ghetto and its inhabitants for the better; Heidelberg, similar to its native city, has had its fair share of problems.

In the past year alone more than five of these transformed houses have been set aflame, with all sources pointing to arson. Jenenne Whitfield, executive director of the project, knows too well why this might be: “It tells you what times we are living in, you know Detroit is a city that is still burning in more than one way, and you got some very angry people that are hurting here.

DETROIT

THE CITY OF STRATS:

“This is an outdoor art environment, located in the heart of the oldest African-American community in the city of Detroit. The project changed my life and the real interesting concept is that Heidelberg is visual hip hop.

That’s what it really is, you take the conditions of the community, you flip the script and you turn it into something.

Everything hre has a meaning, every piece symbolizes something. The blue shoes are called ‘Soles of the the Most High.’ Tyree Guyton’s grandfather recalled the lynchings in the south, he asked him if he could see the people and hi grandfather said that he could see the soles...Today we try to change the concept, lifting up the souls of the community.”

heidelberg.org

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A FORTUNE PIMP: CONVERSING WITH

ROME FORTUNE

Photo by Jimmie Armentrout III Words by Ben Niespodziany

His rap name is Rome Fortune, but you can call him Captain Eclectic, Pope Prolific. Rome Fortune is a rare artist able to release multiple projects each year with every project sounding different. His sound is constantly breaking out of the ever-declining hip hop confines and forming a new mould of what music can be.

In early August, Fortune released a track with Four Tet on a Sunday. The next day was a deep house feature alongside Lorenzo Asher. That same week, he dropped a cloud rap sorrow spree, with help from producer Suicideyear.

Two of the three tracks were later featured on the ‘Small VVorld’ EP, which came out at the beginning of October, marking his third release of 2014.

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Rhyming over different genres and blending his ear for production, all of the music remains contained within Rome Fortune’s melting pot. Just like his style, which is diverse and free, Fortune roams between his hometown of Atlanta and studios within the Big Apple. Like New York and ATL, Fortune is a mixture of hard-working professional, hip hop visionary and a syrup-inspired southern creative.

During our phone call, we discuss the possibility of a ‘Beautiful Pimp’ follow-up, his favourite songs at the moment, and his views on the age limits within hip hop. Asked how his 2014 has been, he responds, “Man, I’ve been lovin’ it. I’ve been workin’ on some new stuff. 2014 has been really good, it’s been really progressive. I’m in NYC for a couple more weeks, then I’m down to ATL to record, kick it with fam’.”

Throughout September he toured with psychedelic pop outfit Glass Animals, a four piece band hailing from Oxford. Traveling all over the United States, the two acts took on 22 shows in less than a month.

Opening for Glass Animals is a prime example of Fortune’s depth, an artist willing to listen to bluegrass and opera, as long as it knocks him off his feet. Asked if his creative process is different between New York and Atlanta, he responds, “It’s the same. I pull inspiration from everywhere and I put it in my music. Different places gather different information, but it’s the same process.”

“What are you currently working on?” I ask. “The ‘Small VVorld’ album is finished. It’s forward thinking.” Asked if he works on music every day or if he takes breaks, Rome responds, “I’m always workin’ on music. I used to go over the top 24/7. But I learned to live a little bit and experience life in interesting ways. You can’t only be at the studio. Gotta be livin’ life and not be so overdramatic in the studio.”

We get onto the topic of collaborations and he reveals some artists he’d like to work with. “Partynextdoor, I really like what he’s doing. I always like smooth shit. I’m into a bunch of different stuff. If it’s good music, I’m meshing with it. Some people have good music but you can’t mesh. And, of course, there’s Elton John, who I’ve listened to since I was a kid. Me and him would sound next level.” While Elton John might be out of reach as a collaborator, we can’t deny the heat that the two would bring to the table.

And if you examine the growth of Fortune in the last few years, you know that he is capable of anything. From his full-length with producer Childish Major, ‘VOYEUR’, to his collaborative project with Two-9 member Ceej, ‘LOLO’, Fortune started off with a bang.

From there, he released two ‘Beautiful Pimp’ projects, both sounding ethereal, spacey, and damn near sacred, especially given the iconic album covers. For the fans who wanted a banger instead of a project up in the clouds, Fortune continued 2014 with an EP alongside Atlanta producer DunDeal, known for his work with Young Thug and Migos. The result was ‘Drive, Thighs, and Lies’, a six-track EP with help from Peewee Longway and Young Thug.

Asked if he sees himself rapping when he’s old and grey, Fortune states, “No. Not at all. If I have a presence in music, it’ll be further than me rapping. Singin’ ‘bout my days that’ve passed. It’ll be more as an influence.

As far as being in front of a mic, I can’t do it forever. It’s a young person sport just like the NBA. It’s all a big point of relevance. The whole culture revolves around being relevant.” His ‘Beautiful Pimp’, album series remains unfinished, “‘Beautiful Pimp III’ the album is coming,” he assures me. “It’s the last one. It’ll be the most amazing piece of work I do up until that point. I’m a big person of concept and I stay true to me. I incorporate all of my life experiences into my albums. [‘Beautiful Pimp’] started out as one thing, but it’s become an even realer thing. Man, ‘Beautiful Pimp’ is an autobiography, it’s real shit.”

FORTUNE IS A MIXTURE OF A HARD-WORKING PROFESSIONAL, HIP HOP VISIONARY AND A SYRUPINSPIRED SOUTHERN CREATIVE.

With the output we have seen from him, Fortune must constantly be listening to instrumentals. “Yeah, but a lot of the time I work with the producers from scratch. I don’t listen to too many songs with vocals. I like to get in the studio with the producers. Sometimes it doesn’t work.

Like Four Tet, that was via email. He hit me up after ‘Beautiful Pimp II’. I was blown away. We released the song the day he sent me the final mixed version. But for the majority, I like to be in the studio working with the producer. I like to be in that energy.”

Wrapping up the interview, I ask the Atlanta artist if he has any advice. “It’s cliché, but just do you. It’s so easy to copy, but the person you’re copying got there by being them. There are very few successful clones. They think it’s magic tricks to success. It’s not. You gotta hustle. Find what you gotta say and how you wanna say it and say it over and over. Be original.”

He closes with these words; “I just want people to know I’m coming,” Fortune says. “I’m here. You’re about to see my name poppin’ up in more places. I understand how to get it. Be ready.”

@romefortune soundcloud.com/romefortune

P E N + P I X E LPEN & PIXEL

It’s hard to name an era of album art like the one defined by Pen and Pixel from 1992 to 2003. Anyone that grew up within that era was left with an unhealthy of expectation of cover art; if it didn’t have diamond lettering and at least one Champagne bottle then what was the fucking point? Their use of animals was flawless, with appearances from eagles, dogs and bears - oh my they were good.

Words by Lily Mercer

Operating from Houston, Texas, Pen and Pixel was the brainchild of Shawn and Eric Brauch. The brothers created countless artwork for the biggest rappers in the south, including the many artists on Cash Money and No Limit Records. In a Noisey documentary, Shawn revealed that their first meeting with Master P led to 16 different album cover designs.

It wasn’t just hip hop artists the graphic designers were catering to, they were also responsible for the cover of Chris Rock’s Bigger & Blacker. PrePhotoshop, the covers were made by printing and cutting then scanning the layers. The price was dependent on the amount of layers involved, with the fees going into five figures. There’s no denying the look was distinctive, but will we ever see another era of album artwork like it again?

DENIRO FARRAR NORTH CAROLINA’S FINEST IS JUST GETTING STARTED Photos by Jessica Lehrman Words by Leah Connolly

“MONEY DON’T MAKE YOU REAL MY NIGGA,” spits the unequivocal Deniro Farrar on the opening track of his latest EP, ‘Rebirth’. “That lifestyle promoted on billboards [and] radio commercials, it’s just another trap to keep the poor, poor and the rich, rich” he explains, talking about those in the rap world whose subject matter holds a materialistic core, vanity being the only fulfilment. “It’s all a game, the music industry is full of broke-rich people promoting vanity and still struggling,” he states. Money doesn’t make you real, but it’s a requirement when there’s nothing on the table for your family. “With my signing advance check, I bought a car seat for my oldest son.”

Providing for his two boys is evidently his primary focus, our interview was brought to a halt when his son suddenly rose from a slumber during our conversation. “Kaidyn bit another girl at school today, I’m on my way to have a man-to-man talk with him!” Adapting into the role of a father doing his best by his sons, he admits, “It’s made me a lot more focused.

It’s hard because they’re such a big part of my life but I know it’s best, I’ll be able to take care of them,” he explains. As one of seven himself, he understands the importance of looking after his bloodline.

When Deniro was known as Dante Qushawan Farrar in his younger years, it was the emotive, angry flow of DMX and Tupac that caught his ears, teaching him the blueprints of the genre. A freestyle smoke-out session turned into one of the “dopest” tracks he ever penned, ‘In The Ghetto’.

Fast forward four years and a record deal with Vice/ Warner Brothers, it’s clear he’s come a long way from North Carolina. As Tupac was a notable presence then, Deniro’s lyrics hold a similar integrity, with both unafraid to shy away from struggle and pain within their music. Both have discussed their mothers’ addictions, Farrar on his ‘DESTINY.altered’ release, which became his own form of therapy - “confessional minus the church.” On ‘Notice’, he shares his admiration for matriarch, holding both determination and strength. Continuing on his bold delivery throughout ‘Rebirth’, his approach to recording this gritty, to-the-bone release was one of acceptance, “To air out all of [his] dirty laundry, no secrets, no more looking back, the past is the past now.” Unafraid to reveal uncensored trials and tribulations, he reveals; “My uncle a fucking alcoholic/ Can’t even eat unless he got a bottle.” He represents what is often a reality untouched by the limelight rappers who are detached from the youth with an image to uphold.

Though Charlotte, North Carolina is home to pop-friendly output, J.Cole, Farrar’s surroundings characterised another side of the city. “[Growing up in NC] affected my music drastically, my life wouldn’t be the same had I not grew up there. I might be a college student, who knows? But I can guarantee that I’d be rapping about different things,” he explains. Making ends meet before he even constructed his first mixtape, the worst job he ever enrolled in involved the institutional T.G.I. Friday’s, “because I

“PEOPLE WILL PULL AT YOU FROM SO MANY WAYS, YOU HAVE TO BE STRONG TO STAY AT THE TOP ”

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would have to seat all of [these] people I knew from my city,” he begins, “I remember asking Kendrick [Lamar] how he deals with people from his city acting like he owes them something, due to the fact he may know them. He told me it comes with the game and people will pull at you from so many ways, you have to be strong enough to stay at the top. That’s how I deal with buckets of crabs; becoming successful and managing to remain on top.”

Coining the term ‘cult rap’ for his sound, his sector of rap has its own essence. Naturally the lyrics are the driving force of the end product - specifically Farrar’s “lethal weapon” of “killing off all fake rap singlehandedly without a beat.” Feeling it necessary to let his “cult family” of listeners into his life on record, in order to relate and connect on more than a fan/artist level, Deniro builds a communal, accessible pride that embodies his ideologies, finding his avenue to vent. So how exactly did he grow from a sect of underground followers to slaying support slots for the likes of Public Enemy, Nas and Damien Marley? “I would have to say that performing live is my favourite part of the job,” he asserts.

But entertaining the notion that he’d even be secondary to an act on a bill, is ludicrous, “In the beginning stages of my career, I toured a lot but I was the guy in the back of the green room nobody paid any attention to. Now, they‘re all my shows, I’m always the headliner in my eyes. Sometimes the response isn’t always what you expect in that situation, I have to remember that it’s not because I’m no good, it’s that these people may not know me - but I always captivate.” Declaring that his music “will be mainstream one day” without hesitation. It’s not a question of if, but when it’s time to rein in the recognition and rewards, although he insists his integrity will never be tarnished once the dollar signs begin to flash. So no boasting about a hundred million dollars, but what about those bad bitches? “I’d liked to have gone to college if only for the parties and beautiful women!” he mischievously jokes, reminding us that despite the harsh situations he’s faced, a steely man in his twenties is still a red blooded male.

Farrar cites the internet as a key tool that assisted his journey, where “in this day and age the Internet is just as powerful as most labels. The whole world is at your fingertips in a matter of minutes and the fact tracks can spread all around the world is still so exciting.” Where we’ve recently seen electronic/hip hop crossover unions from Gesaffelstein with A$AP Rocky and Danny Brown guesting on Rustie’s ‘Attak’, Farrar’s

frequent collaborations with Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth, caught the attention of the World Wide Web. “I found [Hemsworth] on the net producing for [Oakland duo] Main Attrakionz. I thought he was dope and he sent a few beats, I fell in love with his sound and felt it complimented my lyrics so well.” The pair regularly applied their distinct strengths and unique flair to each other’s projects. Recognised for nurturing new urban talent, Hemsworth’s beats have formed the base for mesmerising vocals from Chicago jewels Tink and Sasha Go Hard. After the electronic maestro enlisted Deniro to make his mark on a remix of Grimes ‘Genesis’, Deniro’s presence skyrocketed in the aftermath. A chopped and screwed beat, heavy in melody and potent with Deniro’s trademark voracious delivery, confirmation that another EP with Hemsworth is in the works.

Farrar tells me he utilised electronics as a chance to experiment away from standard preconceptions. If he didn’t then he “wouldn’t be viewed any differently, just another rapper on a trap beat” reluctant to follow any crowd. From 2010’s raw ‘Feel This’, to the youthful ‘The Patriarch II’, and now, his weighty ‘Rebirth’, each release documents his constant thirst for knowledge. “The evolution of my music has been tremendous, from my writing and storytelling abilities to the maturity in my music and subject matter, my delivery is more powerful.” None of his tracks to date are as brazen as ‘Bow Down’, a booming partnership with Miami native Denzel Curry after the two met at a CMJ Boiler Room session. The link-up of mutual appreciations, translated to one of the hottest anthems of the year. With a national co-headline tour the first ever for Deniro - following shortly after. These guys are taking down their competitors before they’ve even set the wheels in motion.

Perpetually striving forward, four years in Farrar’s amazing achievements to date have been slayed before he’s reached his peak.

Setting his sights high, he relates further than any EP can transpire.

His research on his throwback ideals that drew him in, shares a sonic element of depth with his contemporary. As for the future? I should say it’s going to be life changing,” he beams. With his boundary pushing direction and drive for success, Deniro Farrar is going to be giving it his all, every step of the way.

@DeniroFarrar denirofarrar.com

“IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF MY CAREER, I TOURED A LOT BUT I WAS THE GUY NOBODY PAID ATTENTION TO. NOW THEY’RE ALL MY SHOWS, I’M ALWAYS THE HEADLINER IN MY EYES”

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PIRATE RADIO

“LETTING OFF SOME STEAM BUNNING DOWN THE GREEN, FROM THE T.O.P.” PIRATE RADIO WAS ONE OF THE LAST DEFINING ERAS OF BRITISH MUSIC, SHAPING GENRES AS WE KNOW THEM Whether it was Déjà Vu, Rinse, Kool FM or KISS and Choice in their premainstream years; pirate radio has played an integral part of our music experience in the UK, and created a hub for passionate music lovers and innovative creators. Cassette tapes, missed call requests and flaky reception was the vibe of a generation.

To celebrate its contributions to our music culture we chose to sit back in the listener’s seat and hear the bouncing flavours of those that experienced the variety of phases of London’s bubbling pirate radio scene. “Pirate Radio is something that is truly ours. It’s out of the reach of the law, of the music industry, of the playlists and bullshit trends. It’s strictly for the lovers, not the fronters,” producer and Hoxton FM’s Shy One states.

“For me, it’s the ultimate demonstration of love for DJing and sharing the music you’re passionate about. You pay to play, that’s dedication.”

Every single interviewee’s story began with their first visit to a smelly flat in the middle of nowhere. Hyperdub producer and Rinse FM regular Scratcha DVA recalls his first experience at an Essex station in Hornchurch. “We got to the station which was in a block of flats, inside the living room there was, I think, one technic 1210 and one Sound Lab belt drive deck and two beat up speakers which you had to keep really low because of the neighbours. The house was pretty trampy. I remember there was a studio guy sitting in the corner looking cracked out playing some computer game. It was probably his flat. Every pirate radio had a studio guy back then and they were always looking completely fucked.”

DVA gave us all a wake up call when he hosted Rinse FM’s grimey breakfast show. He supplied my first experience of the London pirates, regularly inviting me down for a bacon sandwich between 8 and 11am

“US LOT WERE LIKE NEO IN THE MATRIX AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY WERE THE AGENTS"

Words by Laura Brosnan Photos by Verna Stefanie Grotto and Simon Weathley

in a hidden basement near the Blackwall Tunnel. His show was a beautiful showcase of energy, debate and good vibes. While discussing his first day at radio he described an awkward moment; “My mum had given me a packed lunch, so I broke out my apple pie, sandwiches and orange mid set. I must have looked like such a dick.”

Pay As You Go veteran Maxwell D’s pirate radio journey began on Rinse FM in the mid nineties. In his own words he explains how it was far from the professional East London studio the station now calls its HQ. “I remember walking in and they had old school pioneer decks on a desk, bare man like Wiley and Pepsi (God’s Gift) were in the room, and the place was nasty and really cold.

It was like a squat. Everyone was talking into the microphone basically in someone’s bedroom.” It was only after stepping outside and listening back to the buzzing jungle set he had just played a part in that he realised that this was a real life radio station with listeners. Sitting down with Maxwell was like unlocking a safe full of stories and experiences that I could only come close to by listening to his sets, alongside Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, which were passed down to me months after they had aired.

“The best sets were always at Christmas,” he answers after I quiz him on his top three moments. “We were all in different crews and as collectives each of us had our own slot times, but at Christmas everyone would link up at radio, have a drink

up and like 20 man would jump on set. It really was a community.”

“We lived a crazy lifestyle” Maxwell explains. “You see the Matrix, that’s how it was. Us lot were like Neo in the Matrix and the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] were the agents. They were always trying to lock us off. So we would move from block to block and from roof to roof trying to stay one step ahead so we wouldn’t get locked off the air by the agents.” While I generated sarcastic scenarios of Wiley falling back in slow motion, barely missing a flying Eskimo dubplate and Slimzee jumping between buildings with a Technic 1210 in hand. Max stops me dead in my tracks and drills me on just how serious it all was. “They (the police) would confiscate records, take their whole set up, people’s whole careers would evaporate into thin air. Slimzee got banned from the roof tops. Geeneus and Slimzee put their lives in danger, they were on the edge of a 20-storey block of flats in the wind and rain. They would get through some serious tiny gaps just to put the radio on, that’s how much passion they had for this.

The stations truly believed in the music they were helping to spread and the platform they were building.

While they were struggling to keep their voices on the FM dials, fighting rival stations that attempted to steal their set up and aerials; the listeners at home were just as dedicated tuning in like clockwork. They were recording sets through the day and night in anticipation of a moment

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“EVERY PIRATE RADIO STATION HAD A STUDIO GUY BACK THEN AND THEY WERE ALWAYS LOOKING COMPLETELY FUCKED” that would be the talk of all their friends. “Bashy’s 2004 birthday set on Freeze FM,” Shy One knows the answer before I even finish my question.

“It had an epic all-star line-up, all corners of London came out. I think I rinsed it so much the tape broke and my cousin did surgery on it which resulted in it playing backwards. I’ve never got over losing that tape.”

The excitement of being able to freeze and replay a song or a fire set for free - in an era where video cameras and computers weren’t accessible to everyone and music was expensive to buy and press yourself – was a very welcoming invitation to all.

“I used to ride miles to Kool FM on my mountain bike to do our 9-11am slot.” Maxwell D states, “the feeling of being on air and having the phone line - which was usually a Nokia 3210 - completely pop off was a crazy feeling. We’d shout down on the mic, ‘I want 20 missed calls to drop this tune!!’ and within seconds the phone would just be blingin’ off. On Sundays we’d have debates and let listeners call in live. We’d openly talk

about the raves, life and music.”

“Pirate radio for me was always just a place I could go and share good music with anyone who would listen,” reminisces DVA. “I would just buy records and then I couldn’t wait to go to radio and play them”

Many pirates have now moved online, gone legal or used technology to evolve the platform with visual equivalents. Tim & Barry’s Just Jam and Independent radio project NTS are living proof that while the days of the pirate FM dial takeover are long gone, the spirit of the pirates continues to be carried through in digital form. The development and support pirate radio has given to passionate DJs, aspiring entertainers, musicians and presenters, cannot be replaced or over-shadowed by any other grassroots platform. While it’s sad to reflect on it only in its past form, we should be excited by discovering new ways to maintain control of our subcultures and supporting the music that we love and believe in.

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REMY BANKS CHILDREN OF THE WORLD’S FAIR: SPEAKING WITH REMY BANKS Photos by Olivia Seally Words by Ben Niespodziany

Known not only for his solo work with 2010’s ‘World Famous’, but also for his two groups, World’s Fair and Children of the Night, the Queen’s MC is on the brink of major success.

It’s Thursday, July 31, Remy Banks’ birthday. He just turned 26. When I call to wish him a happy birthday, he tells me he’s “coolin’ with family. There’s a little party with World’s Fair in Brooklyn tonight.” We talk about one hit wonders, his upcoming solo project and if we will ever see a Children of the Night sequel.

Remy’s year has been good; “2014 has been well so far.

Traveling. We just had an East Coast run with Two-9, then a Europe tour. Now I’m back in the city working on my album,” he states before revealing that the album is “damn near done.”

While Remy hasn’t released a solo project in almost four years, he was all over the World’s Fair debut, ‘Bastards of the Party’, providing his signature New York flow with a rasp comparable to a happier Raekwon. In 2012, Children of the Night released ‘Queens...Revisited’, a full-length project boasting appearances from Roc Marciano and Flatbush ZOMBiES Meech, plus production from Odd Future’s Left Brain and Matt Martians.

To explain the set-up, Children of the Night is a trio within World’s Fair’s group of six. With Remy surrounded by his collaborators and brothers, he often finds himself on a song with four other rappers, but that doesn’t mean his album is packed full of guest features. “I have features, but it’s more of a solo thing. I’m trying to keep it real tight knit. Black Noi$e is my in-house producer. There are some treats by people that are not the crew; Left Brain is on it.”

As its own clique and sub-culture, World’s Fair are Queens’ representatives of the “New New York” movement. Google Remy’s name and you can find tracks alongside members of the New New York. The video for 3FLIPS6 with Jewice of Flatbush ZOMBiES and Ant of A$AP Mob has over a million views on YouTube). You can find him on tracks with drug enthusiasts and abstract creatives like Da$h, who he’s known

for many years. You can find a hilarious music video by Remy Banks and Bodega BAMZ. Hes known outside of New York too, having collaborated with members of Odd Future since 2011. The most notable appearances came recently as he joined Domo Genesis on an Alchemist-produced track titled ‘Drugs Got Me Spiritual,’ not to mention MellowHigh’s ‘Cold World’ alongside Earl Sweatshirt.

Most recently, World’s Fair teamed up with the equally large Atlanta collective, Two-9, for a rampage up and down the East Coast. Together for fourteen shows in nineteen days, Remy tells me how World’s Fair and Two-9 met back in 2012 for a CMJ show. They hit it off almost instantly, eventually creating a quick tour that had every hip hop head in the Midwest and West Coast jealous. “It was great,” Remy laughs. “I went to cities I’ve never been to; Miami, Atlanta, it was fun with the homies.

We’re both big groups and we stayed at the same hotels so we’d be buggin’ out, breakin’ into pools at night and shit.”

Based on the tour recaps and Vine videos, it’s clear that both groups seemed to generate mosh pits and bouncing, loyal fans in every city along the Atlantic. Following the interview, Remy appears on Instagram, standing on top of a table at a Complexsponsored art gallery event, shouting his unreleased witty lines to the impressed crowd. Right after their East Coast run, World’s Fair took to Europe, performing for festivals including Wireless, Dour and Roskilde.

Remy has a good following in Europe and he explains how his British lady came to New York and interviewed World’s Fair.

“Once the interview dropped,” Remy explains, “People [in the UK] really fucked with it. I went to London to kick it and people were really spreading our music, just by word of mouth.”

Following two months of touring, all members of World’s Fair are back in New York, bunking down in Queens and yes, working on new music. While still a team, a group, a family and a clique, everyone in World’s Fair is on the solo tip at the moment. Remy is almost done with his project, ‘Higher’.

REMY WAS ALL OVER WORLD’S FAIR’S DEBUT, ‘BASTARDS OF THE PARTY’, PROVIDING HIS SIGNATURE NEW YORK FLOW WITH A RASP COMPARABLE TO A HAPPIER RAEKWON

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DEFINITELY ANOTHER [CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT ALBUM] AND IT’LL BE A GOOD ONE. SINCE THE LAST ONE, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF AS AN ARTIST. WE ALL HAVE. WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO SOUND LIKE. Following the interview, he released a brief video for ‘7th Heaven (Interlude)’, a track produced by King Krule and Black Mack that feels both old school and, at the same time, fresh and original.

Which doubles as a great definition to describe the movement that these Queens creatives are masterminding.

Briefly discussing the possibility of a Children of the Night followup, Remy states, “Definitely another one and it’ll be a good one.

Since the last one, I have found myself as an artist. We all have. We know exactly what we want to sound like.”

We discuss his inspirations and he lists - “My family, first and foremost. My borough second, my girlfriend, traveling, being around good people. So many things inspire me. I can see a new Bape piece that’ll inspire me. When I travel the world, I’m constantly inspired.” Asked what he grew up listening to, Remy replies, “My mom is fairly young, so it was a lot of Hot 97. Mary J. Wu-Tang, early nineties hip hop and R&B. When I got older, watching MTV videos, I started to listen to alternative music; Alanis Morissette. Green Day. Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then I went deeper and deeper after seeing videos by punk and hard rock artists. I love all music, no boundaries. People are surprised when I know Slipknot’s whole first album by heart. I bought it in sixth grade. Reggae is nice too.”

Having seen an interview that Remy did in Paris in 2012 where he mentioned how he really likes one hit wonders, I ask if he has any songs in particular. “Yes! New Radicals. ‘You Get What You Give’.

That’s my jam. Lit’s ‘My Own Worst Enemy’. Those songs are just embedded in my head forever.”

When asked about his views of hip hop outside of New York, he responds, “With the new West Coast, I watched it happening. I saw it coming, so that was cool. LA is doing it. Then the South with Two-9, Denzel [Curry] doin’ it right, Young Thug [too].

Chicago’s doing a thing. Mick Jenkins is my favourite. He actually reached out to me a long time ago, I wasn’t doing features at the time but I still listen to that track he sent over.”

From Slipknot to one hit wonders to Odd Future, Remy is open and unbiased. He’s an artist who refuses to be kept inside a box, who finds inspiration when traveling, has seen the world and is still smiling. As we close out the interview, I wish him success with his upcoming release as well as a good night in celebration of his born day. When asked for any advice for struggling artists., he reveals, “Stay focused. Be yourself. Figure out your lane and be yourself in that lane. Market and capitalise.”

“Any shout-outs, final words?” I ask. “Shout-out World’s Fair.

Shout-out my crew. Shout-out Queens. Shout-out my beautiful girl Lily. And shout-out you for the interview.” @RemyBanks remybanks.com

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Nike’s prestigious SB department has been ever-present in the world of skateboarding for almost two decades.

So it was only natural that the Nike SB team put on their own international Go Skateboarding Day on the 21st of June 2014, taking place in countless cities from London to Paris to Darwin.

Photographer Andrew Kass went down to the Coleman LES Park in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to capture the day’s activities, including the Nike SB Best Trick contest. Later in the day, the crew headed off in to the NYC streets for an all-star demo.

Skateboarders are often treated as outcasts in society, persecuted due to the age-old stereotype that it’s skate kids who vandalise cities, which most people know isn’t entirely true. Skating is banned in many areas of NYC, so Go Skateboarding Day acts as the perfect platform to honour the sport within the community, attracting people from all walks of skateboarding life. Needless to say, New Yorker Andrew Kass captured this essence perfectly.

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Kass says, “What brings individuals together? I’ve noticed that it is about a shared perspective - an interest in the same escape.

Skateboarding is one of those escapes. Kids, teenagers and adults all unified, disregarding life’s extraneous issues for unconstrained ones.

It’s easy to get lost within a group, both mentally and visually.

Something about that both connects and isolates me from others.

As a photographer, I look to confront the fleeting moments when individuals find their escape. I am most interested in vulnerability- when individuals are reduced to their most

genuine form, even if only for a moment. I want my photographs to exhibit those moments. Skateboarding is solidarity. But individually, through all the frenetic energy and underneath the rugged exterior, vulnerability can be found.

For the past three years, I’ve documented Go Skateboarding Day at the Coleman skate park in Lower Manhattan. These images come from a larger body of work that focuses on documenting the largest skateboarding day in the world.” andrew-kass.com

Photos by Andrew Kass Words by Ali Arrowsmith

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RATKING

BY ANDREW KASS

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It goes without saying that we live in an era in which rap music is heavily glamorised. It’s also nothing new to see it associated with the new wave of fashion. It can often seem like a lot of rappers choose their craft because of the celebrity status and designer clothes involved rather than a love of the music. Hailing from uptown Manhattan, NYC, RatKing defy the modern day rap stereotypes. Hak, Wiki and Sporting Life are a trio at the forefront of a new and refreshing wave of rappers currently taking over with their gritty, lyrical rhymes and abrasive beats.

In the same way that UK rappers often struggle to gain reparability across the pond, you don’t often hear of American rappers jumping on tracks with UK artists.

However RatKing quickly caught the attention of South London’s King Krule, meeting in 2012 before working on a number of tracks including a Wiki verse on a remix of ‘Neptune Estate’ with Lucki Eck$. Wiki also linked up with the self-proclaimed King of London, Skepta, for the remix of ‘That’s Not Me’, causing a serious stir on the internet.

@RatKing letterracer.com Photos by Andrew Kass Words by Ali Arrowsmith

Being from Manhattan, these city kids naturally look for an escape from the intense life in the centre of New York.

Close friend Andrew spent some time on the west side of the Hudson River with the boys to take some shots of them hanging out.

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I BE FLEXIN’ IMPOSSIBLE DANCE MOVES SEEN ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK PHOTOS BY PAUL VICKERY

Pitched halfway between excruciating Soviet contortionists and Golden Age break-dancers, with handfuls of influence from ballroom Voguing and Jamaican dancehall, flexing is big in New York.

Dance has always been an important escape, and poor black neighbourhoods in the city have spawned some of the best dance trends look at the Schmoney Dance. Street dance is showing off and having fun in a way that’s as cheap and easy as simply breaking up a few cardboard boxes and switching on the radio. Flexing has taken dancehall craze, bruk up (named for its legendary Jamaican inventor), and filtered it through the East Coast’s B-boy revival.

While some dancers like Storyboard P have become visible enough to feature in popular culture touchstones like the Flying Lotus’ short film Until The Quiet Comes and the very pages you hold in your hand; it’s still too niche a skill to have kids citywide lining up on street corners like they’re at the Rooftop bringing 1988 back.

Bone Breaking, as some know it, is not a simple thing you can just learn: they’re out here damn near snapping off their arms at the joint - popping balls outta sockets with reckless aplomb - to the beat and to the cheers of their less flexible peers.

British photographer Paul Vickery saw flexing for the first time in New York’s Union Square, Manhattan’s historic cultural intersection. It couldn’t have been a more perfect location to meet Victor Yellow, the dancer gracing this very feature. “I always scout on the street to see what’s going on,” Paul tells us. “And I spotted him on the first evening I was there. He was just stood doing his own thing, in his own world. I was captivated. I just thought ‘What on earth is he doing?’ It didn’t look human.”

There’s a definite edge to the moves that is rarely seen in dance: there’s a tension, an otherworldliness, an “Oh fucking hell, that makes me feel really uncomfortable” aspect even while you’re drawn into the mesmeric fluidity of such inhuman movement.

Ultimately, the shapes created by the dancer aim to tell their own story.

Paul adds, “He kept calling them ‘creepy’ but I guess I preferred to think of them as just ‘atmospheric’.”

Victor says, “I’m 22 and I created my own style called yoga flex. My family and friends and my destiny drive me to succeed. I practice at Union Qquare and Broadway Dance Center, I’m a part of Urban Dance League a league that was created at Broadway Dance Center for the elite dancers.

I’ve been on TV four times; three times on BET and one time on abc.”

“I ALWAYS SCOUT ON THE STREET TO SEE WHAT’S GOING ON AND I SPOTTED HIM THE FIRST EVENING I WAS THERE. HE WAS JUST STOOD DOING HIS OWN THING, IN HIS OWN WORLD. I WAS CAPTIVATED. I JUST THOUGHT ‘WHAT ON EARTH IS HE DOING?’ IT DIDN’T LOOK HUMAN.” Words by Sam Diss

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BISHOP NEHRU THE TEENAGER TAKING THE RAP GAME BY STORM

Illustrations by Ed Ruxton Words by Bryan Hahn

If you walked into Sutra in NYC late on a Wednesday night while DJ Tony Touch and Tedsmooth were doing it well (shout out Cool James), you’d get to hear them spinning Kool G Rap’s ‘Fast Life’ or DJ Kool Herc’s ‘Let Me Clear My Throat’. In other words, you’d hear enough classics to make that early Thursday morning a proper #TBT. A great DJ or artist will take the most infectious part of a song and make you fall in love with it all over again by redressing it in a new style; like you always do for you and your boo on your anniversary, right? Well, that’s what 18 year old Markel Scott has been doing since he was tall enough to ride a rollercoaster. You may know Markel as Kelz Scott, Kile Kanvas, Bishy, Emperor Nehru, Roland or by his most famous moniker; Bishop Nehru. Regardless of how you refer to him, he’s been earning the respect of internet critics and working on an album with one of hip hop’s luminaries, MF DOOM. Bishop Nehru has been straight up stealing and reformatting from those before him, like those before him, in order to guarantee a doper tomorrow.

For the better part of this decade, Markel Scott has kept busy in his suburban New York neighbourhood, creating music videos, beats, philosophies and flows. And I’m not talking your flows, Corner Boy #812.

I’m talking flows that are getting mad props and hand daps from Kendrick Lamar. It all made sense after he received nods in fickle online forums like Odd Future Talk and Hypebeast. Mid 2013, Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg and Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Semtex extended their clout and hosted ‘strictlyFLOWZ’, Bishop’s second mixtape as an emcee, or what he has labeled as his “parody demo tape.” In between all that, he squeezed in turning 16 and opened up for Wu-Tang ClaN in Europe for their 20th Anniversary Tour.

At this point, Mass Appeal’s godfather Nas brought Bishop out at SXSW ‘14 as the “future of music” to perform new music from his upcoming album with DOOM, ‘NehruvianDOOM’. If you Shmoney Danced for too long, you might have missed his collaboration with Disclosure and three track EP with Dizzy Wright, all made while he fielded advances from music labels.

With all of his accomplishments and attention aside, up to this point I had seen a lot of a pre-Roc-A-Fella Jay Z in Bishop Nehru. He was calmly cocky and finessing rhyme schemes that most emcees would stumble over. Similar to an early Hov, Bishop may not have had enough time to mature and unlock his ‘Reasonable Doubt’ self, or to tap into his life experiences deep enough to connect with the listener without sacrificing

any entertainment value. In person, he is still very much the same person as when I first interviewed him almost exactly a year earlier in 2013. He finishes a popsicle before telling me about the hilarious, “green” friendly cartoon Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and the real life Shire in New Zealand.

His film school aspirations are still alive but have temporarily moved to the trunk from the back seat, as the rollout for ‘NehruvianDOOM’ looms and his to-do list (beat tape, solo project, music videos) grows everyday. With stock rising in anything stamped with Bishop’s name, fans haven’t had much new material recently to upload to their phones.

And it’s bringing out his inner Captain Murphy: “I’ve just been feeling like I need to put out more music. I’ve been having fucking days in my room where I’ll sit and make random synth stuff and name it under a different name and think of uploading it on a different channel and shit.”

The excitement for his eventual debut solo album, ‘Ununderstandable’, and work as a producer under the moniker Kile Kanvas is apparent as we momentarily avoid label rumours and what working with DOOM is like.

After several listens of ‘NehruvianDOOM’, it’s evident that Bishop is starting to realise his potential as an artist. Although it started out as a solo project for Bishop with production from DOOM, it transformed into a collaborative project with most of the rhyming handled by Bishop and production by Metal Fingers, with both dabbling in the other. The age gap didn’t deter the preservation of a strong mutual respect between the two while working in the studio. It began from their first meeting when they noticed that both had a labradorite stone in their pockets, an occurrence neither took as a coincidence. Bishop tweaked little to nothing on DOOM’s instrumentals, but revisited his own verses on more than one occasion. He admits that his lyrics resonate on a more personal level than on his previous projects. ‘Mean The Most’ shows that he’s in his “Kingly” stage of viewing women. By this, I mean that he praises the independence and beauty of his Queen, and in turn is willing and ready to go out and fight for a Kingdom fit for such a sovereign. On ‘So Alone’, Bishop gives us what sounds like a page from his journal by reaffirming his confidence to himself, to fill in the void left by his defunct crew, Suburban Shoguns. It is in this moment of vulnerability that his maturity shows most poignantly.

Overall, Bishop’s song composition has advanced. The shift in his writing has gone from punchlines to flow progression, as seen in ‘Great Things’.

With a beat that sounds like Chicago’s ‘Saturday In The Park’ went through

IT BEGAN FROM THEIR FIRST MEETING WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT BOTH HAD A LABRADORITE STONE IN THEIR POCKET, AN OCCURRENCE NEITHER TOOK AS A COINCIDENCE

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an organ grinder and laced with some LSD, Bishop’s second verse gains levels. It starts with the andante speed of De La Soul, beefs up with syllables to One Be Lo of Binary Star, breaks down to Tupac’s cadence on ‘Hit ‘Em Up’, then plays with steady two syllable rhymes before the hook kicks back in. The precise flows contrast with DOOM’s drunken master style of what seems like off-beat rhymes that perfectly line up with the beginning and ending of a bar. They’re slurred at times but delivered with a veteran’s timing.

But some things haven’t changed. Bishop is still the non-materialistic person he always was, although when the first single, ‘Om’, came out, his fans thought he’d sold out to the glamorous lifestyle of an

“THE PURPOSE OF A DIGITAL CAMERA WASN’T TO TAKE 300 PICTURES. YOU CAN. BUT IT WAS TO TAKE ONE QUALITY PICTURE AND YOU HAVE THE RESOURCE TO TAKE MORE”

A-list rapper. In his second verse, he raps, “Material reigns imperial,” commenting on other people’s priorities that have gone astray.

The disappointment was evident on his face when he explains his fans’ misinterpretation but changes just as quickly to pensiveness when I start explaining the Throwback theme of this issue of Viper.

Nehru’s first thought that comes to mind is the “sour distaste in [his] mouth” when his friends couldn’t name any songs off of Outkast’s ‘Aquemini’.

Not even ‘Chonkyfire’. But we move on to the idea of necessity breeding innovation. He calmly explains like a college professor that older artists of all mediums had less intricate equipment on hand and were forced to

make each shot, each recording, and each painting that much more special.

It was quality over quantity in its purest sense. He went on to draw the comparison of digital to analog cameras. “The purpose of a digital camera wasn’t to take 300 pictures. You can. But it was to take one quality picture and you have the resource to take more.” It’s been his passion to learn from the greats that allow him to cut to the core of new trends. It’s a formula for timeless music. He tells me that he listens to older jazz like bebop and fusion instead of acid. With film, he’ll watch a Hitchcock film and then immediately dive into a Tarantino film, comparing them both when he’s done. When’s the last time you did your homework that thoroughly?

Bishop Nehru has set up shop in this hip hop game. His flow has already shot out its hand and grabbed your attention, gently and deadly like the Wu-Tang sword style. Soon, his introspection and production will convince you to share his music with future generations. The synesthesia inducer, visual creative, and super-deluxe rhyme crusher may reside in the hamlet of Nanuet, NY for now, but he’s plotting and scheming before he goes back out to rock a stadium of Nehruvians who are shouting every one of his words back at him on stage.

@BishopNehru nehruvia.com

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TINO KEMAL

BY PAUL VICKERY

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paulvickeryphotography.com

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THE RISE AND SEPARATION OF THE CLIPSE HOW HIP HOP’S BEST SIBLING GROUP LOST AND FOUND THEIR WAY Illustrations by Listen04 Words by Ali Arrowsmith

With the turn of the millennium looming, it was widely thought by many Christians and secular individuals that some sort of horrendous natural disaster was going to occur, leading to the end of the world, (this was one of many theories that never actually happened). One that stands out in particular relevance to this story was that the turn of the millennium would mark the second coming of Jesus Christ, returning to Earth after almost 2000 years.

Now, to go as far as pigeon holing Gene & Terrance Thornton as the modern day Jesus Christ would be a little bit extreme, however the pair played a huge part in the coming of a new and refreshing wave in rap music as they formed the duo Clipse, becoming the first big sibling act in hip hop and taking over the world with their incredibly unique style.

Gene and Terrance Thornton, better known as Malice and Pusha T respectively, were born in The Bronx, NYC in 1972 and 1977 and relocated to Virginia Beach with their family shortly after. Growing up as a young black man in the 1980’s and early 1990’s unfortunately provided a very limited career path. Though the pair were raised by both their mother and father in a middle class neighbourhood with a pool in the back yard, something not seen often in rappers of this era, from a very young age they saw their friends at school turning up in impressive cars sprayed in candy colours. Ultimately the brothers realised that there was only one way to obtain the luxuries in life and they turned to the common trap of becoming crack cocaine dealers on their block. Pusha embodies this stereotype spitting, “I’m From Virginia, where ain’t shit to do but cook” on the ‘Lord Willin’’ cut ‘Virginia’.

Older brother Gene once described a time when he was coming home with $700 a day at the age of just 15. Now 41, he sighted greed as the pivotal factor that kept him driven to make such large amounts of money. One day Gene educated Terrance on how to turn their skills as shotters into an art form through rap music. Gene chose to be called Malice, a word that’s definition is to inflict injury, harm and suffering on another being.

Whilst Terrance went by the name Pusha T, Pusha being an abbreviation of the name typically used by drug dealers in the ghettos. These names represented who they were on the streets of Virginia at this point in their lives.

Shortly after taking up rapping, the duo caught the attention of a certain Mr. Pharrell Williams, who at that time was one half of the hottest production teams on the circuit, The Neptunes. Soon after, the fellow Virginia Beach resident suggested that Malice and Pusha should form a group, the brothers didn’t like having to write more than one or two verses for each track, so Clipse was formed. It is widely believed that The Neptunes producer has an ability to see something in artists that no one else in the world can see, in his eyes Malice and Pusha clearly possessed some very unique attributes. In 1997 Pharrell managed to secure Clipse a recording contract with Elektra Records, under this label the pair set about recording their debut album Exclusive Audio Footage with The Neptunes handling all the production duties. The release of their first single, ‘The Funeral’, did little but capture the attention of a small fan base, and eventually led to the album being shelved and forgotten about. Clipse were released from their recording contract.

Fast-forward to 2001 and Malice and Pusha are back moving drugs on the streets of Virginia. It’s at this point that Pharrell signs them to Arista Records through his recently established Star Trak Entertainment imprint.

On the 20th of August 2002, Clipse released ‘Lord Willin’’, their debut album produced in its entirety by The Neptunes. The album charted at #1 on the Billboard Top R&B / hip hop album chart after it sold 122 thousand copies in its first week. Stand out singles such as ‘When The Last Time’, ‘Grindin’’ and ‘Gangsta Lean’ caught the attention of many.

One person that was particular impressed by Clipse and their debut album was the world renowned pop star Justin Timberlake, who teamed up with the duo on another Neptunes produced beat for ‘Like I Love You’, one of the biggest crossover radio hits of the decade. Later in 2002 came the opportunity for Clipse to perform at the MTV awards with Justin Timberlake as he performed ‘Like I Love You’. For many this was the defining moment in their career, with the world watching the pair held their own on stage taking a particular swagger in their stride and an air of confidence that could be challenged by no other. This was it, Gene and Terrance Thornton, born in The Bronx, NYC had made it.

It could be said that hip hop often eats its own babies. With each incredible high in the rap music industry comes the desire to source the next high

ON THE 20TH OF AUGUST 2002, CLIPSE RELEASED LORD WILLIN’ - THE ALBUM SOLD 122 THOUSAND COPIES IN ITS FIRST WEEK.

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from wherever it may be, this mentality is exactly that of a drug addict - the same mentality that the brothers were effectively providing their customers with back when they were selling crack. With such an incredible first year on the circuit, Clipse were launched into hip hop stardom as they started opening up shows for the likes of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Nelly and the Black Eyed Peas. This represented how far they had come in and showed how diverse the brothers were with their unique ability to captivate such a large and mixed audience.

Following a heavy touring schedule, Clipse started work on their second studio album, ‘Hell Hath No Fury’, in late 2003. However, work on the album ground to a halt due to problems with expansion of labels and Jive Records deemed Clipse surplice to requirements. Subsequently they entered a lengthy legal battle with Jive, which ended in 2006 with them finally reaching an agreement to release the album on Jive’s sister label ReUp Records. When the album eventually dropped, Clipse’s musical god father Pharrell Williams appeared on lead single ‘Mr. Me Too’. ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ proved to be worth the wait as it became the fifth album ever to be given a five star rating by leading hip hop magazine XXL. The album received its most recent accolade in 2010, when it was named one of the top coke rap albums of all time by the online music store Rhapsody.

In May 2007 Clipse were released from their contract with Jive, signing later in the year to the major label, Columbia Records. This marked an evolution in the careers of Malice and Pusha T, as the brothers expanded their horizons further than music by launching their own clothing line Play Cloths. The duo rather intelligently used their music to support the launch of their clothing line by dropping the ‘Road To Till The Casket Drops’ mixtape. This was the first visible sign of the brothers business brains since they spent their days on the block in Virginia living the American dream, making crazy money shottin’ crack cocaine.

Suddenly in April 2010 the hip-hop world was turned upside down by the news that Clipse would be taking a break in order to release solo material.

Now this is not something that the scene was unfamiliar with, take WuTang Clan going their separate ways to launch their individual careers as an example. However, the separation of Clipse came down to one major reason, whilst Pusha T claims he had all these amazing ideas to work on, Malice had been left feeling empty by all the fame and touring that had come with their rise to hip hop stardom. It’s no secret what goes on in a rappers life on the road; we’ve all heard the stories of the chicks on the tour bus and the lavish lifestyles that these individuals naturally lead. Usually this stereotype would fulfil a rappers ego but this was not the case with Malice who he has been quoted that he was left feeling miserable. The whole way through his career, Malice had been married to his high school sweetheart and he has said he was left feeling dirty from the rise of Clipse.

It was at this point that he truly recognised that something had to change.

With his marriage on the ropes, Malice hit rock bottom and subsequently turned to God in order to try and save his life. With the renewal of the older brother’s relationship with God came his decision that he couldn’t rap and preach about the violent and outlandish lifestyle that he had fallen into anymore. With his decision to turn to God and the Bible, Malice was forgiven by his wife which cemented in his mind that he had made the right decision. Malice’s withdrawal came just before the 10th anniversary of the release of ‘Lord Willin’’, naturally many promoters were eager to get Clipse to perform the album in it’s entirety to mark the anniversary of the album. It is believed that about 25 to 30 shows had to be cancelled due to Malice’s sudden change in direction.

With the dividing of Clipse, Pusha T was first off the block in launching his solo career as in September 2010 he was signed to G.O.O.D. Music by Kanye West, a kid Pusha had previously encountered back in the hood when Kanye came up to him and his brother Malice on a bike saying how much he loved their music. How ironic that someone that was once a fan of Clipse ultimately ended up launching the solo career of Pusha T? His first solo musical offering came on Kanye’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ track ‘Runaway’, which saw Pusha return to the MTV Awards after his first performance eight years before.

After a few appearances here and there on various G.O.O.D. Music artists’ projects, Pusha T dropped his debut solo project ‘Fear Of God’, which

featured the widely acclaimed Hit-Boy produced lead single ‘My God’.

Once Pusha put himself on the solo map, he followed up with a couple of solo projects before being signed to the godfather label of hip hop, Def Jam Recordings in 2011. His first release on Def Jam was the ‘Fear Of God II’ project, which caught a lot of attention through it’s lead single ‘Trouble On My Mind’ which featured the 2011 man of the moment Tyler, the Creator.

Pusha’s most acclaimed work came when he started work on his debut solo album ‘My Name Is My Name’. Unlike when he first started as Clipse with a lack of desire or ability to write more than two or three verses, Pusha seemed to switch it up as his musical output generated enough album quality material to drop a mixtape before the album. The mixtape titled ‘Wrath Of Caine’ had one track that particularly stood out in reference to the going of separate of ways of Clipse. ‘I Am Forgiven’ could be seen as the first musical reference to his brother Malice asking for forgiveness from his wife and God. The track also appeared to show that Pusha himself was looking or had been looking for his own form of forgiveness for the sins he committed earlier in his life, although many of his lyrics still contained references to his illicit past, this indicated that Pusha may actually be on the same wave length as his brother although he wasn’t openly ready to admit it. Opening lyrics such as, “So have mercy on this soul that I’ve thrown away” and “This greedy motherfucker couldn’t put the blow away,” fully embodied the thoughts and messages that he was looking to push out with the track.

Pusha T’s most recent offering came at the end of last year as he finally dropped his debut solo album ‘My Name Is My Name’ which rapidly became one of the most talked about albums of 2013. With the changes that occurred with the launch of Pusha T’s solo career, he also became much more business orientated as he chose to invest in Nas’s Mass Appeal, working on various projects including a forthcoming in depth sneaker documentary. He was recently quoted on CNN saying, “Being a bright business man is way cooler than any chain, way cooler than any watch and way cooler than any car”.

Now for Malice, or should we say No Malice, upon his change of direction in the rap game, he appropriately changed his name to No Malice, this fortified the changes he made in his life and this was the way he chose to first express those changes. Musically, Malice was a lot slower off the block than Pusha, as he chose to first write a book titled Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind & Naked which served as a memoir to his life, touching heavily on his conversion to Christianity and his fear of contracting AIDs. Choosing to now rap about redemption, critics have come up with a wide range of names for his music including Christian Rap and Gospel Rap. This leads us to think that the rap music industry has become so twisted that any music that doesn’t contain lyrics about cursing, drugs or violence is no longer actually considered rap music.

To listeners it seemed that No Malice had a message that he undeniably felt he had to put out on record, although he has been quoted saying that it doesn’t bother him what his listeners do with that message, as long as he gets the message out he feels complete. No Malice went on to project his message through the release of his ‘Church Clothes’ mixtape and his debut solo album ‘Hear Ye Him’, both projects contained heavy references to Christianity and forgiveness from God. At the end of the day you could liken these two brothers views on music to the way that many people view the hip hop industry. In the eyes of some hip hop glamorises the worst elements of urban society, whilst there are also many defenders that feel that rap is an art form that recognises real life out in the street. While these two very close brothers have opinions on the rap music industry that lie worlds apart from each other, which is something very rarely seen in music, neither of them have ever tried to convert the other from their individual points of view. However when asked separately whether they can see or would like to ever reform in some way, shape or form, Gene chooses to express that there is not an amount on earth that would make him want to go back despite the crowds and money in his new venture being much more minimal, where as Terrance hopes and prays that the pair can find some sort of cohesive bond on record one day.

OLDER BROTHER GENE ONCE DESCRIBED A TIME WHEN HE WAS COMING HOME WITH $700 A DAY AT THE AGE OF JUST 15.

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ALESSANDRO SIMONETTI THE ITALIAN VETERAN PHOTOGRAPHER TALKS VIPER THROUGH HIS WU-TANG PHOTOS

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When were these pictures taken?

I shot these images during the summer of 2010 but I compiled the project, a hundred page newspaper zine called “Il Clan Del Wu,” in 2012. I like to let projects sIt and look at them after years. It makes them even more special. A few of the many rolls I shot got fucked up during the development, which is why many frames are covered with acid stains and drops. But there’s nothing that

photoshop could do. At first I got pissed but then I embraced the fact that shooting with film gives you that margin of error that digital almost eliminated. Now I love all of those images and I wish that all the rolls got damaged!

What was the best received song at the show?

‘C.R.E.A.M.’ for sure.

How many times have you worked with Wu-Tang Clan?

I shot few a of them before, but never together like I did in Rome.

Through friends in common from New York I got access to backstage and I had the chance to shoot from the stage for the whole show.

Who’s the most fun member?

I didn’t really have a chance to get that close, rather than with my camera. Literally this project was like a “one night stand,” even though some images are pretty intimate.

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What was the wildest thing you saw backstage?

A big joint? Not that wild though! [Laughs] Have you worked with any other hip hop artists?

I’ve been shooting hip hop crews and MCs since I was 16. I got close to the scene through Italian artists in the squats where I

got into HC straight edge and Punk music too. At that point it was also an excuse to get into the clubs for free, but I was shooting for the entire show. I’ve shot characters such as Slick Rick, Guru, Premier, Sugar Hill Gang, Melle Mel, Busta Rhymes, Tony Touch, Q-Bert. Most of them were in Italy before my NYC time. allessandrosimonetti.com

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Photos by JerryPHD Words by Lily Mercer Hair by Desmond Trimble

There are few people out there that can claim they’ve been name checked by Drake, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Kylie Jenner in the last month, but Dej Loaf isn’t most people. While the saying, “My life has changed over the last couple months,” may be commonly used, for Dej Loaf, it’s an understatement. Within the space of four months, she’s gone from an rising Michigan MC to the biggest thing since sliced bread. And the name has nothing to do with bread, in case you were wondering. It’s a leftover from her days wearing trademark loafer shoes.

The music industry is changing rapidly, post 2010 more than ever before. And 2014 is about to be the first year without a single album achieving Platinum sales. Interestingly, the most sensational artists in rap music this year have all been independent - from Bobby Shmurda to Makonnen, none of 2014’s hit hip hop songs have been released by artists already signed. [I dare you to put forward ‘Fancy’] They have, however, all signed to major labels following the triumph of their first big hit, which has lead to major success; Shmurda to Epic, Makonnen to OVO and now Dej, to Colombia. But more on that deal later.

DEJ LOAF

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‘TRY ME’ SPREAD SO FAR THAT ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD TWEETED “IT’S DEJ LOAF SEASON”

In the case of 23 year old Detroit native Dej Loaf, her big moment came several years into her music career. Search YouTube and you can find videos going back a few years, but with it’s catchy hook and simple refrain, it’s easy to see why ‘Try Me’ was the game-changer.

Constructed by local producer DDS, the sugary beat was sent to her at home where she wrote a few verses quickly, her older brother, a hairstylist, in the next room working on a client. Unbeknownst to her at the time, she was sitting on one of the biggest tracks of the year. The openly aggressive, even violent, hook is being repeated by people that don’t even know what “catch a body” means. ‘Try Me’ spread so far that Ali Shaheed Muhammad tweeted “It’s Dej Loaf season” in response to a fan’s request for new music from A Tribe Called Quest. The video, directed by JerryPHD, sees Dej in a white muslin tunic and MCM bucket hat brandishing two guns at the camera. And it wouldn’t be Detroit without a pair of Cartier glasses to complete the look.

September saw Dej’s latest release become such a sensation that Bobby Shmurda’s ascendance looked like child’s play in comparison.

Originally recorded in July, ‘Try Me’ began to pick up fans on her local circuit in Detroit. But it was Oakland, California that recognised the strength of the anthem. Dej notes, “It was catching on in Detroit, but it wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do, for me anyway. The way it caught [on] was in Oakland, California; they actually picked up on it before Detroit did.” She recognises the Internet helped spread the viral success of the song, with fans reaching out directly to her via Instagram. “They started posting videos dancing to it and I started reposting them, showing the love back and that’s how it really turned up from there.”

Somewhere down the line, the track got to Pittsburg rapper Wiz Khalifa, who recognized the potential of ’Try Me’ and recorded his own verse for the song. His remix is what caught a lot of people’s attention, mine included. But the magic was entirely Dej’s and when the song was still in my head six days after the first spin, it was evident that this was only the beginning. Remixes followed, by The Lox, King Louie, Teyana Taylor, Tink, but most notable - for Dej at least - was E40. At home growing up, the Oakland rapper was regularly played by Dej’s father. His sister Sugar T, was one of the first females she heard rapping, adding to the surreal nature of his decision to remix the song. “That’s why I say Oakland and the Bay Area were the first to pick up on it. He followed me on Twitter and I was like “Wow, E40 followed me!” I grew up listening to him so it was just like “Wow!” This is the legend following me and saluting me. It was like a real recognise real thing. So we went out to his

house and he invited us out and we made music.

Recent developments would leave anyone in a state of shock and Dej is no exception, saying, “It was cool, I couldn’t believe it, it’s like a numb feeling. I don’t really feel anything that’s going on right now, it’s just wow.” Since then things have continued to surprise and she admits the speed of the success does feel a little hard to adjust to.

“Overwhelming, everything literally turned my life around within the last couple of months. I’ve been travelling and no sleep, I always wanted it and heard stories of it but this is really happening. I’m on a plane every other day, in the clubs every night. I’m just out here working, but everything is different now. So I’m just preparing myself and getting adjusted to everything.”

There’s a lot to get adjusted to considering the ’Try Me’ video racked up over 1.5 million views in the month of its release. Dej also reveals the latest official remix to ‘Try Me’, which happens to be her favourite.

“I have one coming out with Ty Dolla $ign and Remy Ma, that’s the one that I like the most because we all went kinda crazy on there and we shot a video. Remy Ma and Ty Dolla $ign, that’s my favourite one so far.” The remix came about after Dej was asked who she’d she’d like to hear rap over the instrumental, unaware that things were already in motion. “I was out in New York and everyone’s asking me about the remix, like ‘Who would you wanna hear on the remix?’ and I was like ‘Remy Ma! That’d be dope’. I grew up listening to her, ever since she stepped in the game so I was like, ‘She’s one of the best. She can actually rap and make good music’. So we reached out to her manager, I wanted to holla at her and say ‘Wassup’ but she already did the ‘Try Me’ Remix for herself. She didn’t put it out but she was working on it. So I thought that was pretty cool, she already was on it. I was like, ‘We definitely need to meet up and put this together’.

She showed love, she’s a sweetheart man!”

The video is set for release any day now, “Shout out to Jerry PHD, he shot the ‘Try Me’ video and the remix. He’s one of the best in the city and he’s only 17.” Also responsible for the photographs on these pages, JerryPHD is responsible for all of Dej’s recent visuals, including ‘We Good Over Here’, the second track on the ‘Try Me’ video. The track displays a far more mellow side to Dej, as she displays more of her rap skills than shown on the sing-songy ‘Try Me’. She reveals plans to reshoot the video for ‘We Good Over Here’, revealing, “We was just trying to keep the people on their toes about it, because everyone’s kinda on ‘Try Me’, so I wanted to throw them off with that record.”

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“THEY’RE DEFINITELY SHOCKED. WHY DO PEOPLE THINK I’M LIKE A LITTLE BOY OR SOMETHING?”

Though shot in a similar setting to the ’Try Me’ video, ‘We Good Over Here’ displays a more ostentatious side, with a black Lamborghini casually placed in shot. At one point, someone’s laid across it. Dej doesn’t reveal the owner but says, “We had people from the city bring their cars out and it was crazy.” She explains the different thought process behind the double video, “In the ‘Try Me’ video, I tried to keep it not too flashy. I wanted to keep it in my old neighbourhood, the projects I stayed at. I dressed myself - I just put on all-white. Everything came out right, I wanted to keep it natural and simple but still a little interesting. So with ‘We Good Over Here’, the lyrics matched the tone of the video. I was telling everybody we’re good, you know me and my team are good.”

There are YouTube videos out there by Dej Loaf from 2012 and 2013 that have racked up almost 100,000 views but there’s a clear line between those videos and her latest ones. Though the music was good, she admits, “I never really liked shooting videos in the beginning because they were low quality.” We can expect to see many more visuals coming later down the line as she reveals, “I have so much more music, I’m trying to release a video for every song.” Having just released her mixtape, ‘Sell Sole’, she’ll definitely have ample opportunity to release all those videos. ‘Sell Sole’ feels like the climax of Dej’s 2014 but considering its October release, you can expect many more developments to follow before the year is over. The mixtape features Birdman and Young Thug, and Dej’s comments that Thugger has suggested they work on an EP together made the hip hop world rejoice.

Considering her tough-talking lyrics on ’Try Me’, many were shocked to see what an attractive and stylish young woman Dej Loaf is. I ask if anyone’s surprised when they meet her after hearing about her willingness to ‘catch a body,’ she laughs, “Definitely because I’m so small and little, people are like, ‘Are you really out here doing this stuff you talk about?’ and I’m like ‘No but I’m around it and I know about these things so…’ They’re definitely shocked. Why do people think I’m like a little boy or something? It’s so crazy. But when they see me they’re definitely

shocked.” Anyone familiar with the city of Detroit will know that it’s a tough place, yet it’s also known for some of the most soulful hip hop in the United States. Observing that it’s the home of J Dilla, but also Trick Trick, it’s clear that she’s merging the soulful and tough-talking sides of the city once more. Speaking on Detroit’s influence on her music, she reveals, “It’s real life. I try not to lie in my raps, in my music period. A lot of people from the city, they see what I did when I had an East Side scene and a West Side scene, cus I wanted to really share that.” She refers to the inclusion of groups from two rival sides of the city, that normally wouldn’t be seen in the same video. Her decision united the warring sides and showed harmony in the city. “This is a good place. I knew the video was gonna do what it was gonna do because the song had already reached levels that I didn’t think it would reach. So I thought this will be a good look for the city, let me bring the East and the West together somehow. We definitely shot them on different sides, at different times but I just wanted to do that for the city. Everybody did rock with me, they can’t really deny what I’m doing now on either side of the city. I’m good everywhere.”

She admits to feeling more inspired by Detroit itself than by the city’s music scene, as the experiences have undoubtedly shaped her life a lot more. “The tone of my voice is just that, but my surroundings, being around my city definitely helps me out with my music a lot. I haven’t been many places so I write music in my box room. Different experiences cause me to write just like that, being in my city it’s just crazy. Detroit you hear about it all the time, these things are happening, not just in my city but in a lot of cities. I just spoke on it with a song like ‘Try Me’, It’s just about protecting yourself and being aware.”

Before talking with Dej Loaf, “caring” never would have crossed my mind as a term to describe her; but it’s hard to ignore. Her soothing voice and calm character make her loveable personality even more evident. And that’s before you find out she once trained to become a nurse. She dropped out after a few semesters, but it confirmed her passion for music, as she recorded her video

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‘College’ on campus back in 2012. “I was in school for nursing, I just kinda liked the idea. I don’t think I was passionate about it, I just thought I would be a cool nurse. It was something as dumb as that, I think I’d be cute in a nurse outfit. I’m big on doing what you love to do, don’t just do something cus it sounds cool or looks cool. But I was going to school for nursing, I said I was gonna go back for music but I never did. I’m not sure what I’d be doing if it wasn’t for music cus I don’t see it any other way, it’s the only thing I ever saw. I had a couple of jobs that didn’t work out, I hate working so I’d probably be somewhere in a hole if I wasn’t doing music honestly.”

Dej Loaf is a refreshing artist, especially being a female in the world of rap. Historically we’ve always had females that were feminine and able to rock a mic but in the last decade, they’ve fallen by the wayside in favour of females whose twerk skills are far better than their lyrics. Even more depressingly, the biggest stars have often resorted to surgery to attract a male fan base. So when a female appears that’s able to be herself and make good music, she deserves to stay. It’s a bonus that she also has a face as angelic as Dej, plus cute style that can be recognised by both females and males. There hasn’t really been a female in that realm this popular since Remy Ma. She’s as much a sex symbol as a master of ceremonies, and undefinable by the terms female MCs have been categorised in the past.

“Thats what I tell people all the time, you really can’t put me in a box like, I’m undefined and I wanna keep it that way. I don’t wanna walk around like, “Yeah I’m a female rapper and we have to stick together.” I’m just gonna make good music and hopefully the people like it. And they will like it, I’m not begging people to like it. I feel like a lot of females do that.

They look for things and I’m not looking for anything, I’m just making, I’m creating, thats all. I’m doing it.”

On ‘We Good Over Here’, Dej raps, “I been the shit and that’s word to my fucking mom,” as footage rolls of her standing alongside her mother.

Their close relationship is evident, and with her only daughter doing what she loves, she radiates pride. Dej admits, “She’s happy, she know’s this is something I been wanting since I was little. I don’t do no wrong in her eyes so she’s definitely happy, she’s ready to just travel with me, like “where we at next?” I’m happy that she’s happy.” Dej’s mother is obviously a huge inspiration on her, having raised Dej and her brothers single-handedly after the murder of their father when she was only four years old. I tell Dej about Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that those who lose a parent in childhood are forced to overcome hardship at a young age and eventually achieve greater things. Dej reveals, “That always stayed on my mind, I wish I had my dad with me to this day. But like I say, I’m moulding myself into who I am today. Even with losing my father, my mom raised me and my two brothers. I was always like a self-centred person, I didn’t always do what people wanted me to, I did what I wanted to. I made smart decisions, I wasn’t perfect but I avoided a lot of the trouble that I could have got into. Things as simple as just having kids at an early age, I avoided all of that by just writing music. So to this day, that’s something that’s always been with me so I knew what I wanted at an early age. I knew I wanted to be successful. A lot of people say they want to be successful but it’s like you have to really live it and breathe it, you have to know, speak it into existence and do the things to get there. I talked to so many of my peers back in the day, everybody like “I wanna be rich, I wanna be famous.”

They didn’t make the right decisions and looking back at it, you see where everybody is now, where they were. It’s definitely a blessing to be in this position, to be legendary.”

Now she’s on the brink of becoming a certified recording artist, things are happening fast for Dej. A few months back, she was a cleaner at the Chrysler car factory, scrubbing the floor with a wire toothbrush. The experience was her breaking point, as she reveals, “I’m the type that I didn’t care about money, as long as I had enough to get me through the month. [But] I was like I can’t do this, I didn’t feel right getting up early in the morning to get there and clean up for people. It just didn’t feel right and the stuff they had us doing didn’t feel right. I was over it.” Fast forward a few months and the legends that she admired once are jumping on her track. With the immense success finally sinking in, Dej is still in shock, “I think a lot of people are more happy than I am because I’m numb to a lot that’s going on right now, because it’s really crazy. It’s like, really that just happened? Cool. My family members are like beyond happy.” When asked to name a highlight of the last six months, she doesn’t select the time

Drake commented on her Instagram with her lyrics, but the moment she was in a room with superstars. “When we first started with the ‘Try Me’ run, we went to LA. We were with Big Sean actually, you know he with Roc Nation and we got invited up to the Roc Nation suite and we saw Jay Z and Beyonce. And I was like, ‘That’s crazy’, because they were within touching distance, I was like ‘Wow’. So just being in that area, I didn’t even get to meet them and say ‘Hi’, but just being in that area it’s not even just Jay Z, it’s Timbaland, everybody. Just being in that place you know you’re on to something. I’d rather be around this than back home around this. It’s told me that I’m onto something, take advantage, let’s get rolling.”

The morning after our interview, rumours swirl that Dej Loaf has signed to Columbia Records. I reflect back on her response to my question about whether she’ll stay independent; “I wanna make sure my team is good at the end of the day, we’re trying to take it to the highest heights of them all.

So whichever situation is good, whoever believes in me cus you know the people around me believe in me and I believe in myself.” And with that said, you know that whatever decision she made was the right one for her.

A FEW MONTHS BACK, SHE WAS A CLEANER AT THE CHRYSLER CAR FACTORY, SCRUBBING THE FLOOR WITH A WIRE TOOTHBRUSH

@DeJLoaf soundcloud.com/moaninmonkeys

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LISTEN04

CENTREFOLD

OLD SPORT

Photos by Bex Day Styling by Jake Hunte Jerome wears; Cap - Franklin and Marshall Jumper - Nasir Mazhar

NEW TRICKS

Lewis wears; Jacket - Our Legacy, Jeans - Christopher Shannon Kidda, Trainers - Nike Jerome wears; Hoodie - Les Benjamin's, Shorts - ADYN, Trainers - Nike Jay wears; Top - Maarten Van Der Horst, Trousers - Topman Design, Trainers - Nike

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Jay wears; Sweatshirt - Les Benjamin’s

Jerome wears; Cap - Cos, Jacket - Libertine Libertine, Jeans - Neuw Lewis Wears; Jacket and Trousers - Berthold, T-shirt - ADYN

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Jay wears; Cap and Bottoms - Nasir Mazhar, T-shirt - Models own

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Models - Lewis, Jay and Jerome Select Model Management Stylist Assistant Yasmina Diallo Make up - Terri Ann

Jerome wears; Jacket - Topman Design, T-shirt - Tourne de Transmission

Lewis wears; Jacket - Our Legacy, Jeans - Carhartt x APC, Trainers - Nike

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SUDANESE MERMAIDS

THE FOREST PHOTOS BY LUKE FREEMAN STYLING BY VIOLETTA KASSAPI

(KOMOREBI) (N.) JAPANESE. SUNLIGHT THAT FILTERS THROUGH THE LEAVES OF TREES.

Fur - Charlotte Simone Mac - Chic Freak Body - Agent Provocateur Bracelet - Ambush

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Mac - Chic Freak Necklace - Ambush

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Top - B-side Necklace - Stylist’s own Make-Up and Hair by Lucinda Worth using MAC Nails by Jessica Glossin

T-Shirt - Stylist’s own Necklace - Ambush Socks - Champion Shoes - YRU

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COATS PHOTOS BY JOSHUA LAWRENCE STYLING BY JAKE HUNTE

BRICK

Photos by Bex Day Styling by Jake Hunte

Lewis wears; Jacket - Wood Wood, Shirt - Samsoe and Samsoe, T-shirt - CMMN, Jeans - Ben Sherman.

Jamie wears; Cap - Cos, Jumper - Matthew Miller, Hoodie - Billionaire Boys Club, Jeans - Evisu

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Jamie wears; Jacket - Billionaire Boys Club, T-shirt - CMMN, Polo neck - Uni Qlo, Bottoms - Adidas

Lewis wears; Jacket - Patagonia, T-shirt - Hall of Fame

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Models: Lewis Conlon at Select Model Management and Jamie Baah-Mensah at Models1 Stylist Assistant: Malin Solheimslid Groomer: Shiv Ashman

Lewis Wears; Jacket - Baartmens and Siegel

Jamie wears; Jacket - Baartmens and Siegel, Jumper - Samsoe and Samsoe, Watch - G-Shock, Hat - Gap

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Photos by Mark Peace Styling by Charlie Brianna Words by Tyrell Johnson

CULT COLLECTIBLES A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MOST ICONIC FASHION BRANDS IN HIP HOP The kind of brands that can relay a cult following within hip hop are few and far between. If we don’t have majorly regarded stars in music co-signing or starting brands like Sean John, Rocawear, Apple Bottoms or FUBU - “urban wear” is harder to sell unless your taste favours highfashion and well-established brands like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Marc Jacobs. Style changes exponentially in hip hop over time but a lot of things remain the same including brand names.

IT AIN’T RALPH THO

Brands like Ralph Lauren have been able to stand the test of time within the culture of style in hip hop. RL, Ralph Lauren or simply ‘Polo’ are all synonymous with the brand’s identity. Many fashion houses try to replicate the American designer’s aesthetic and some go straight to the horse’s mouth - all puns intended. High-end streetwear brands like Virgil Abloh’s Pyrex Vision ‘re-appropriated’ Rugby Ralph Lauren flannels for pieces to be sold at $550 under the Pyrex Vision brand sold in high-end street wear boutiques. Vintage Ralph Lauren remains a million dollar find at thrift shops and retailers alike. Ralph Lauren’s label in hip hop symbolises a level of stature and taste that is seemly acquired with success. One of hip hop’s finest producers, Just Blaze, talked about what the brand means to him, “It’s more than just a brand… It’s the way you carry yourself, the way you walk, the way you talk, the kind of places you frequent.” Ralph Lauren is an identifier in hip hop that musicians were proud to wear because they felt like it showcased who they were without words. Ralph Lauren is known as one of the heavyweights of nineties vintage apparel that musicians will wear without fear of trolling.

It’s the most worn brand in hip hop that continues to sell, even if it’s masked as another brand. In an XXL interview, Raekwon from Wu-Tang expressed his views on wearing ‘Lo: “It expressed you had money. It’s like when you think of that horse on your shirt, that horse symbolises them cats out there playing polo. You know majority of them is well-off— is comfortable. So it kinda made us feel like, if you got anything Polo on, you got money. You got a certain amount of status in the neighbourhood. Don’t get us wrong, we love camouflage jackets and all that good shit. But at the same time, when it was time to get fresh, if you ain’t have a good Polo shirt on, or some Polo sneakers, or anything like that, we didn’t consider you really that fly when you came out that day.” Today, brands like Play Cloths, BAPE, Billionaire Boys Club and more draw inspiration from the American designer.

SO YOU FANCY, HUH?

Hip hop stars’ taste for luxury is most obvious when it comes to the Parisian fashion house, Chanel. Whether it’s around the neck of Pharrell Williams, on the body of Rihanna or being flipped by some local streetwear brand - the amount of relevance Chanel has on hip hop culture is unmatched. The abundance of products that have replicated Chanel is evident to anyone that pays attention to trends in hip hop.

The line between mockery and flattery in fashion is pretty thin; the amount of fake or replica pieces created in the style of Chanel in hip hop started as early as the nineties. Remember Lil’ Kim’s freestyle moment when she was 18 years old rocking a fake Chanel jumpsuit?

We do. The influence of Chanel is so strong that you can find a piece in almost every streetwear store from Kitson to ASOS. Chanel has been inspired by hip hop as well. The abundance of gold chains in the arsenal of Chanel show they’ve evidently taken inspiration from hip hop. They have been since the early nineties, when Chanel used rap inspired themes within their fashion campaigns and runway shows. Models were clad in black leather jackets and piles of gold linked chains with padlock accessories. Naughty by Nature’s Treach was known for his padlock chain, which symbolised the struggle of living in an underprivileged community and being “locked down.”

During a 1991 A/W Chanel show, models wore backwards baseball caps adorned with heavy medallion jewellery to compliment the ensemble looks during the hip hop themed fashion show.

A most recent moment in hip hop for Chanel was Iggy Azalea’s pink suede Chanel polo ensemble in the music video for her summer song, ‘Fancy’, featuring Charlie XCX. The Clueless-inspired music video was one of the most watched videos this year, not necessarily for the music but for the style influences. The more notable Chanel moment would have to be Pharrell Williams’ Chanel jade-infused rosary necklace worn with his infamous Vivenne Westwood cowboy hat. He also famously customised his own pair of timberlands with Chanel’s interlocking C’s - making the world crave a collaboration between the two.

Though Chanel and Ralph Lauren are hardly close on the spectrum of fashion brands, they both share an avid fascination with hip hop culture and streetwear. And in return, the streets love them back.

“WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GET FRESH, IF YOU AIN’T HAVE A POLO SHIRT ON, WE DIDN’T CONSIDER YOU REALLY THAT FLY WHEN YOU CAME OUT THAT DAY”

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All clothing by Tried&True, LA Make Up by Rebekah Aladdin Hair by Jasmine Ashley Model: Kimberly Kamish

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Photographer and Art Director: Verena Stefanie Grotto Stylist: Rhona Ezuma Model: Isaac Danquah

BOREDOM

Long sleeve top - Volcom Scarf - Stussy Trousers - Carhartt Trainers - Bape

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Shirt and trousers - Kidda By Christopher Shannon Jacket - Spiewak Trainers - Palladium

Clothing by Evisu, Bape, Hall Of Fame, Baartsman and Siegel.

Lazy Oaf, Scotch & Soda, Vans, Gourmet, Ebbets, Kr3w, Villian

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Clothing by Evisu, Bape, Hall Of Fame, Baartsman and Siegel.

Lazy Oaf, Scotch & Soda, Vans, Gourmet, Ebbets, Kr3w, Villian

T-shirt - American Apparel Jacket - Liam Hodges Sweatpants - Billionaire Boys Club Bucket hat - Stussy Trainers - Gourmet

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BARBERSHOP

PHOTOS BY SAM HISCOX STYLING BY LUCI ELLIS

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Models: Jake Lockhart @ Nevs, Boyd Alves @ Premier, Kharey Bartley @ Nevs and Jordan Brown Grooming by Theresa Davies at Carol Hayes Hair by Meggie Cousland at Carol Hayes Creative: Ms Nina

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CHARLOTTE SIMONE VIPER MEETS THE NEW QUEEN OF FUR Photos by Mitzi Lorenz Styling by Violetta Kassapi Words by Nellie Eden

Women, hip-hop and (faux) fur go together like peanut butter and jelly - fact. Meet Charlotte Beecham, the London based designer who’s got us completely re-thinking the fluffy stuff. Charlotte singlehandedly upgraded the scarf ’s status as a function-only accessory when she established Charlotte Simone in 2011. The label solely specialises in the craft of the most sumptuous real and faux-fur Popsicle-scarves you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Charlotte’s focus on high quality fabrics means it’s often hard to identify which of the pink and blue dipped tails, or monochrome striped stoles, are in fact faux and which are the real deal. What’s immediately apparent is that all of Charlotte’s statement scarves are conversation starters. Rita’s been draping herself in them and Alexa and Olivia have been casually slinging them over one shoulder. We caught up with the woman herself to chat candy-floss-furs, Lena Dunham and The Big Apple.

How did the idea of designing colourful fur scarves come about?

Charlotte Simone was born from sitting in a cafe in Paris, wiping croissant crumbs off my T-shirt, whilst wistfully staring at the impossibly elegant and beautiful ladies walking by. I felt there was a gap in the market for a statement scarf. Not just any scarf, but a scarf that could be more than a practical item; something that could be a statement of style. Just as women chose to invest in shoes and handbags, the aim with Charlotte Simone was to create fantasy fluffy numbers that people would want to invest in.

How did you get into designing your Popsicles?

I was studying at NYU in New York at the time. As a city, NYC pushes you to get a groove on. The garment district was where I first found the fur fabrics. I then discovered a seamstress who helped me build my vision.

The Popsicle is your signature piece. What colours have been introduced to the collection for autumn?

I can’t specify exactly what colours have gone into production, but I can promise that the palette is highly varied. You’ll have to wait and see!

What’s your favourite Popsicle colour-way?

My favourite to date is a candy-floss pink Popsicle that is set to launch this winter. It will burn your eyes with cuteness.

You offer faux furs as well as real furs. Was it a fun process looking for a faux fur that feels as soft as real fur?

I wish I could say it was fun, but the process was laborious! I am pleased to say that the textured quality of my faux-fur parallels the feel of the real fur beautifully. It was a hard task, but now I’ve found fabrics that I adore, I’m really looking forward to developing this field further.

Which other designers are you inspired by?

I seek inspiration from a muddle of different mediums. I always look to Fendi, Mary Katrantzou, Céline, Charlotte Olympia, and Sophia Webster, amongst others.

Which famous women have inspired your collections?

I don’t really design with famous women in mind. For me it’s so much more about the women I see day to day on street corners.

Who would be your ideal celebrity customer?

Lena Dunham, my ultimate, massive, girl-crush.

@csimone_ charlottesimone.com

DO YOU APPRECIATE LIL KIM AND GHOSTFACE KILLAH’S TASTE IN FUR?

“WHO DOESN’T?”

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Model: Mulan Noir @ Bookings Make Up: Lucinda Worth Stylist’s Assistant: Rachel Abebrese

All furs - Charlotte Simone Body - Agent Provocateur Jewellery - Stylist’s Own

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CHAMPION American heritage sports brand Champion are approaching their 100th anniversary, and how better to celebrate with than a new capsule collection of tracksuit bottoms, pull-overs and hoodies? These are without a doubt the comfiest casual pieces around right now, and it all comes down to Champion bossing the reverse weave.

Reverse weave is the result of having the grain of the fabric, including the side panels, run sideways rather than vertically, resulting in a shape that holds not to mention extra comfort and durability. Champion were the pioneers of reverse weave and have a real commitment to comfort, also brushing the inside of all their clothing to keep them incredibly soft. Kojey Radical models items from their Autumn/Winter collection.

Photos by Mitzi Lorenz Styling by Violetta Kassapi Words by Ben Browne

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Model: Kojey Radical Stylist’s Assistant: Rachel Abebrese

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PASQUALE DANIEL

TALKING SPORTS CASUAL AND FOOTBALL WITH AN UP-AND-COMING LONDON DESIGNER...

Photos by Mitzi Lorenz Words by Nellie Eden Photo by Adam Slama, Assisted by Peter Roden Co-founder of Gravy Train, London’s first hip hop meets fried chicken night, North London’s Pasquale Daniel has enthusiasm for the Sports Casual movement that is matched only by his reverence for fried chicken. His final year project at university was a unique menswear collection marked by its homage to the Islington-based Arsenal Football Club. Inspired by the Arsenal’s kit archive, Pasquale subtly reworked their 1991-93 away strip into an original print design, which he then transferred onto cagoules - the garment that came to epitomise the swagger of the Sports Casual movement. We sat down with the London College of Fashion Graduate and chatted gravy, Trapstar and London Town.

You’re Islington born and bred. How does being a London influence you creatively?

I grew up on a council estate in Islington but had a wide mix of friends from all over the place that widely transcended class, race and interests. I think this mixed exposure growing up gave me a good understanding of street culture and fashion while providing me with enough external insight to create ideas to mess with it.

Tell me about your graduate collection, which was inspired by throwback Arsenal kits.

I’m a North London boy and a massive Gooner. My heart beats Arsenal red. Mainstream sportswear has been on a pause, designwise. Football is by far the biggest sport in the country, but British kids would rather wear basketball jersey or baseball shirt. I wanted to know if I was the only one who thought that the old Adidas and Umbro prints of the early nineties were beautiful.

Why did you look to the Casuals movement for inspiration?

At the root of all our major underground fashion cultures there’s a distinctive attitude. Like the Hip Hop movement, the young working class made people re-evaluate trainers and sportswear and made them highly desirable. I suspect that the Casuals’ association with football hooliganism in the nineties is why it’s not as celebrated as other UK fashion movements. I chose to focus on the cagoule; the signature garment of the Casuals movement. The shape is timeless, but it needed a makeover.

The print is really intricate, how did it come about?

I created this print from scratch using Adobe Illustrator. Polyester is an ideal fabric for sublimation printing which is the method I used to print the Arsenal 1991-93 away kit. I read an article as part of my research which named that specific kit as one of the most ugly football kits of all time! Absolute madness!

Are there any individuals or designers who impact your work?

Massimo Osti is a major influence. Osti was the brain behind Stone Island, among others, and is the father of modern technical menswear.

That’s the kind of designer I'd like to be. Not just a fabric-shopper but a fabric-creator. Closer to home I'd mark the boys at Trapstar as an inspiration. They're London bred and now they're producing the merch for the Rihanna and Eminem tour - that's something else.

Is it impossible to evade the influence that the 1990s are having right now, or should it be embraced?

20-somethings decide what’s revisited and they revive their childhood.

I don't by any means let those inspirations dominate. I try to look forward. I'm not really into the culture of 'throw away' fashion or of charging a fortune for a plain tee because of its label. Making people into billboards isn't nice. As I've gotten older I’m less inclined to buy heavily branded garments. Saying that, I'm still a huge sucker for brands from my youth like Moschino and Fila. The brashness of those brands is heavy with the attitude of that time.

How did Gravy Train come to be?

Growing up, we’d hit fried chicken shops with any spare change we had, day or night and I worked as a chef after I left school. Gravy Train came from myself and co-founder, Sam Conran, holding private 'chicken nights' and experimenting with recipes, it just grew from there really. Food and technical fashion have their similarities. At the end of the day it’s taking raw materials and ingredients and creating something with a purpose that makes people feel good.

Do you listen to music while you’re working?

I listen to hip hop; specifically rappers’ mix tapes. I find the sound a lot more high energy and hungry.

What was the last track you listened to?

Sizzla: ‘Solid as a Rock’ What are you doing this Friday night?

Chilling. Eating some sort of deep fried chicken.

What was the last text you sent and who was it to?

Weirdly enough it was to a guy I’ve never met before. He went home with my backpack full of clothes from a party on the weekend. He can't remember why he has it, or even being at the party. He's bringing it to me tomorrow. Everything's OK. What are your plans for the future?

I've consciously taken time after graduation to have a small break and to build my website. I’m eager to get designing again. I am starting to get withdrawal symptoms.

@PasqualeLDN showtime.arts.ac.uk/PasqualeDaniel

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FROM ADIDAS TO MOSCHINO, WE MEET A NEW YOUNG DESIGNER TO WATCH...

Photo by Verena Stefanie Grotto Words by Nellie Eden

Ismini Krassismenou is a 25-year-old designer from North London who initially considered a career as an athlete before aptly turning her hand to sportswear design. Having previously worked for the likes of Adidas and Fresh Ego Kid, just over a month ago Izzy sat down with her friend Skepta and made a bucket hat from a pair of off key Moschino jeans that no longer fit the grime artist. The hat is now in demand from artists such as Chase and Status and Mosch gave the bucket their blessing. We talked to Izzy about re-working second-hand clothing and dancing around sewing machines to old-school garage.

How did your Moschino bucket hat for Skepta come about?

Skepta’s my homie. It was just really spontaneous- he had these old Moschino jeans that didn’t fit anymore and we decided to make a hat.

Skepta chose exactly which panels he wanted where; the placement of the babies face and the Moschino lettering, I left it down to him. Then blam, we made a sensational hat. I remember when Moschino tweeted me and I was just screaming. I texted Skep like, ‘OMGOD! They’ve seen the hat’ and Skep replied with, “THEY APPROVE”. To be honest I thought I was going to get sued.

You grew up in London. What do you think makes London style distinctive?

Living abroad has made me appreciate London. Londoners don’t care: wear what you want and do what you want is the attitude.

Why do you think Grime is enjoying resurgence? It seems to be impacting the London fashion scene more and more…

I have a lot of friends in the grime scene. Back in the day, I used to photograph for Staple House with Scorcher and Matt Walker and managed to shoot a lot of people; Wretch 32, Chip and Wiley, all those guys. It’s the Kanye effect though, and on the UK scene, I think artists like Skepta are bringing music and fashion together. From what I can see, people who love grime, love Grime. It’s a community where everyone shares.

How would you describe your style?

One day I could wear some old-school Armani jeans that I robbed from my dad’s cupboard, the next day I’ll wear a black dress. I used a lot of 90’s imagery whilst designing for my latest projects. I love finding something in a charity shop. Fashion is just one big wheel of fortune; someone spins it, lands on a trend and forecasts it to the world.

You began your design career at Adidas. What were you doing there?

I worked at Adidas’ “world of sport” HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

I worked in the Adidas football department before moving into womenswear design where I began by designing the women’s kits for The World Cup. My FW14 stuff is in stores now.

Your training lies in sportswear design. Does that still impact your working process?

I left school the “tomboy” who wanted to be a PE teacher and I went to a football academy before I decided I wanted to do design. The processes of sportswear design are unique, we care more about the finer technical details. Every seam is placed exactly. I got to work with three top GB sprinters and you realise the slightest bag or tightness can affect their performance.

Do you have any clothes that you’ve inherited that are special to you?

I have a really old school Armani belt. It’s a men’s leather belt with a really fat gold chunky buckle.

Do you listen to anything in particular while you work?

I dance around my sewing machines to house or old-school garage and while I’m pattern cutting. I get some Snoop, 2pac, and maybe a little bit of bashment on when I’m doing trend research.

What do you do when you’re not designing?

I throw javelin. I train two to three a week.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m currently freelancing for Adidas, but I’m slowly working on my next big sportswear collection. I would like my own London based sportswear brand that athletes can wear and win medals in! Skep and I still have another pair of jeans that we’re going to use to make the next hat out of too.

@ismini showtime.arts.ac.uk/ismini

ISMINI KRASSISMENOU

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Words by Alya Mooro Images by Ed Ruxton

TO ALL MY MOTHERFUCKING GET MONEY HOES,

BOOSTERS SELLING CLOTHES...

HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Look at any high street store or high fashion catwalk this season and you’ll the influence of hip hop culture screams loud and clear. Alexander Wang’s most recent collection bore a parental advisory sticker on his jumpers to mass appeal and instant sell-outs. I even bought a beach bag this week that says, “I got 99 problems but a beach ain’t one” – thanks for that one Jay. It’s everywhere. But hip hop culture hasn’t just been amalgamated into the fashion industry, its changed it…

Emerging from beginnings rooted in loose-fitting pants, comfortable trainers and colourful T-shirts – chosen for practicality in a newly breakdancing world – hip hop fashion has picked up a number of defining characteristics throughout the years. Aaliyah and her Tommy Hilfiger waist bands and Run DMC’s bucket hats, chunky chains and, of course, adidas, just a couple of easy to recall examples.

It’s no secret that society as a whole looks to magazines, films, music and popular culture for examples of how to act, think and dress. You have only to look at Rihanna, who was this year named Fashion Icon of the year by the CFDA and the fact that anything and everything she wears sells out within minutes, to understand the extent to which our society looks to others for inspiration.

Magazines fill their pages with pictures of what celebrities wear, encouraging readers to go and buy the same with lookalikes and brand names littering the pages. So the fact that hip hop artists are now top of the charts means that now more than ever before, its’ them that society aspires to look, think and dress like. And even on a subliminal level, fashion designers are poaching hip hop trends. Rick Owens SS15 show featured his own interpretation of a durag, leaving many rappers asking, “Does that come in cashmere?”

The VH1 documentary ‘The Tanning Of America’, unveiled this February and based on Steve Stoute’s book of the same name, looks into how hip hop has morphed into mainstream culture over the years. In a sense, it’s become the embodiment of cool. So much so that Ebony Magazine recently reported that two out of every ten records sold in America are hip hop tracks.

But the borrowing from hip hop culture isn’t, by any means, a new phenomenon. Like all trends, fashion starts in the streets, and the streets have always loved hip hop. Designers, like everyone, must get their inspiration from somewhere, so it was to the streets they looked. As far back as the 1991 Chanel collection, Karl Lagerfeld showed piles of gold jewellery on models. Tommy Hilfiger was also massively influenced by hip hop culture, and gave an interview in The Tanning Of America where he reveals that he would commute home to Connecticut through Harlem, just to see what people were wearing. This, he would then swiftly incorporate. And so it began.

Where fashion was once ruled by an untouchable elite, a desire to sell and a changing market meant that high street designers and high end brands alike had to look outside their primary demographic and past the tips of their upturned noses and at what actually sells.It was the rise of FUBU that first proved this point, a $350 million peak sales success story that proved to department stores and the world that this consumer had spending power. Once stocked by mainstream retailers and paired with the rise of aspirational hip hop characters, it was only a matter of time before cultures became immersed and inspirations further borrowed.

Endorsement deals only served to speed up the process. In the eighties, the adidas shell shoe became synonymous with hip hop and Run DMC

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RICK OWENS SS15 SHOW FEATURED HIS OWN INTERPRETATION OF A DURAG, LEAVING MANY RAPPERS ASKING ‘DOES THAT COME IN CASHMERE?’

and were the first rappers to ever receive endorsement from a major corporation, at the cost of $1 million. The Air Jordan came swiftly afterwards when Michael Jordan and Nike collaborated to create what was the most sought-after accessory since the Birkin.

The adidas Run DMC endorsement deal, the first of its kind, seemed to birth a new kind of business model: artists could benefit from endorsement deals and brands could massively benefit from endorsing artists; so why the hell not? Now, pretty much every artist has an endorsement from alcoholic beverages, headphones, shoes, cars - the list goes on. Marketing is just one of the many areas in the fashion industry that borrowed from hip hop’s success stories.

Kanye West quickly cottoned on to this, stating boldly (as is customary ‘Ye), “Ralph Lauren was boring before I wore ‘em.” Both brands and artists began to understand the value of artists wearing a particular item, and began to really use it. Yes, brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more were always prominent, but they became ultra desirable once given the seal of approval from the purveyors of the hip hop world. Versace, Versace, Versace.

Fast forward several years, and artists like the ever-aspirational Rihanna are collaborating with high street retailers likes River Island to create capsule collections based on what she herself would wear. Not only do such collaborations demonstrate that demand exists, they also ensure that there will continue to be one. Partly due to the fact that the easy access and low price point of high street stores make it easier to satisfy that pre-existing demand, but also as the more you see something, the more in trend it becomes, the more you want it. And the cycle continues.

These days you can’t walk into a high street store without spotting heavy gold chains, trainers – last year even marked the emergence

of a chunky heeled trainer courtesy of Isabel Marant (!), slogan t-shirts and more hip hop inspired trends. Tracksuits are probably one of the most obvious style staples that have been taken from hip hop culture. These days high fashion magazines, catwalks and high street stores alike boast tracksuits of all variations, the latest twist on a classic – ones you can pair with high heels. Oh and let’s not forget Juicy Couture and its glory days. But before Paris Hilton, it was Nas that birthed the trend, wearing a bright orange velour tracksuit on the cover of ‘Stillmatic’ in 2001.

The rebirth of the 90’s Snapback Caps is another, with model of the moment Cara Delevingne an avid wearer of all things logo’d and snapbacked. Other trends that lend their roots to hip hop include everything from camouflage, varsity jackets, bucket hats and tall t-shirts. The trend for the ultra long tee, now mirrored in high fashion with its new aesthetic for layering shirts of multiple lengths, developed from rap culture, even inspiring Dem Franchize Boyz to release a song titled ‘White Tee’ in 2004, which saw them wearing extra-long white T-shirts. Crop tops (genuine thanks for that one Aaliyah, they’re great) heavy chains, patchwork denim, hoodies, leather jackets, baggy trousers and boyfriend cut jeans, and actually… the list is endless. Almost everything in trend today stems from hip hop culture. Ask Paul Mooney.

These days, you can hardly draw the line between hip hop and fashion. Vogue editor Anna Wintour paired Diddy with Kate Moss and Annie Leibovitz for a couture Vogue spread, Kanye fronted Vogue magazine alongside Kim Kardashian, Kanye West presented two runway collections at Paris Fashion Week, A$AP Rocky starred in a DKNY campaign, Drake sold his OVO line at Colette and Pharrell, is Pharrell. Evidently we are a world of monkey see monkey do. Or, in this case, monkey buy, buy, buy. Much to the gratification of both hip hop culture, and the fashion industry.

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BABY HAIR’S BACK FROM CHINA BUMPS TO BABY HAIR, THE NINETIES HAVE NEVER BEEN SO RELEVANT Photos by Savannah Baker Words by Alice Razak Hair & Style by model: Izzy Loso Steven

If you were alive and kicking in the nineties or noughties, there’s a good chance you were witness [or victim] to a garish, over-gelled hair style.

For those that view the look as more than an embarrassing fad, the good news is throwback hair styles have never been more popular. In fact, over-sized scrunchies and questionable fades are now acceptable again.

With nineties influenced music making a huge comeback into the charts, naturally the nostalgic fashion trends from that time have returned; and just as we were starting to turn into adults as well. Whether channelling Nick Carter with curtains, rocking tribal fades in the hair or just-style Bjork bobbles, you can bet your bottom dollar you’re probably reliving your youth and channelling it through your bonnet. Chances are, you’ve never been happier.

Going back to the our school days, boys had the Tweety Pie fades to match the Iceberg tracksuit with a slash through the eyebrow to certify that they were about that Rubicon life. Girls wore over-sized hair clips and bobbles with an unnecessary amount of that blue Superdrug gel to flatten down any baby hairs. There was always that girl with the constant fringe, because underneath it was a whole load of adolescent skin problems. These time consuming hair styles are now being relived in fashion and music, except this time they’re being done by experts, not by Keisha in the lunchroom.

Flying the flag for nineties inspired hairstyles is the heiress FKA Twigs who’s never seen without some kind of beautiful tailoring atop her cranium. The china bumps, kiss curls and infinite plaits combine to form a beautiful piece of art, which complements the beautiful sounds she makes on her album, ‘LP1’.

UK brands such as MEAT clothing are also going full throttle in the throwback department with all things sexy-cyber-slut, regenerating the noughties theme and taking it to another other galaxy. Nasir Mazhar is also flying the flag high with his latest A/W 14 women’s collection, looking like The Fifth Element meets every J’Lo music video circa 2002.

There are also now a range of salons riding the throw back wave which will have you looking like an ’02 Mutya Buena in no time. Salons such

as Bleach London can equip you with that nineties grunge look you’ve always been wanting, while nail salons such as Needles and Nails in Brighton can give you both Burberry-esque tips and a new knuckle tattoo in one stop.

With artists and stylists from the US and UK showing true love towards this hair revival, classic nineties imagery is turning into something contemporary and experimental. Stylists such as London’s Rhiannon Barry who created Ninety FLY, drips her models in pure nineties Moschino, Chanel and Versace and has worked on artists such as M.I.A and Elli Ingram. US artist Kristofferson San Pablo is also a MUST. His watercolours and illustrations revive well known old school icons like Cam’ron and The Simpsons making great contemporary art with a nostalgic twist.

Whether or not this throwback moment is just a phase, it’s safe to say that it’s all a bit of harmless fun. Don’t take it too seriously, or it’s only a matter of time before your Nike sandals and bobbles start to become your staple look and twenty years go by without you realising all your friends have moved out of Dalston and you’re that weird old person who goes to Birthdays alone every Friday.

Personally I think it’s great that the old school vibes has re-opened the gates for the menacing sounds of old East Coast rap and given us back our summertime West Coast vibes. It’s brought forward a new wave of young free thinkers and has allowed rap to evolve and extend into new futuristic sub-genres such as trap and cloud rap. If it wasn’t for the throwback theme, we might not of been able to witness artists such as Joey Bada$$ come through plus new and enchanting vocals from the likes of Spooky Black, Denzel Curry and the angelic sounds of Phlo Finister and Grimes.

The throwback theme in music has undoubtedly influenced the recent hair trends, showing once again how the fashion and music industries feed off one another. But things must always evolve. A revival from our past allows us to build upon something we might not of recognised as brilliant before and create it into something new and something to call our own.

BOYS HAD THE TWEETY PIE FACES TO MATCH THE ICEBERG TRACKSUIT WITH A SLASH GOING THROUGH THE EYEBROW TO CERTIFY THEY WERE ABOUT THAT RUBICON LIFE

Top - Vintage Trousers- Vintage Versace

Top - Model’s Own Trousers - American Apparel Belt- Vintage Versace

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LISTEN04 STOP, LOOK : A CONVERSATION WITH LISTEN04 Words by Timothy Shola

Rich Hall, a.k.a Listen04, is a painter who turned off the content lock and threw away the remote. Born and raised in the “middle of nowhere,” his art is a manifesto of awkward ideas, told through familiar faces. No one is safe. He takes aim with zero tolerance and childlike ebullience - if an idea is outdated, he will destruct it. This interview is a celebration of the disconnected artist with a connected message.

It’s almost offensive to analyse such honest paintings, but what of the people who see your work? You speak in a highly recognisable language, flavoured with fleshy pieces of niche erotica and hip hop.

Still, your work feels like a progression, with new words [or words reimagined] and androgynous envelope pushing. Do you feel the same way? Is humour your cough syrup for the kids?

Yes. It’s not so much that it’s offensive, it just seems pointless. I’ve tried in the past to think of an analogy to better explain it. It would be like listening to the most amazing piece of music and then trying to explain to someone how it sounded. It would be a second rate interpretation in another medium. Why not let them just listen to the music? You’re right on the money with your analysis. The need for language to be recognisable, the presentation to be somewhat aesthetically appealing and I think; certainly in my own work, needs to be an element of subversion. If you can achieve all three, the picture then seems to take on a life which is greater than the sum of it’s parts and the result is the progression, if that makes sense. For you to describe my work as androgynous envelope pushing is a real compliment. Without wanting to over analyse it too much I certainly think my work puts everything on one level. I’m not trying to challenge boundaries per se but instead remove them and see what happens. Nothing is unspoken. All veils are removed. Sponge Bob has a massive sponge penis and Mike Tyson sucks himself off with a vacuum cleaner. The cough syrup analogy is perfect, it doesn’t go down without laughter.

The music analogy is natural. This summer has brought us deconstructed trap music, where pronunciation is merely an afterthought and still, the message is understood by all. People can excrete as many think pieces they want for the benefit of the community that envelops hip hop, but Hall’s art is truly non negotiable - the idea has shot and killed you before you even realise it’s an idea.

You don’t seem to care much for reality in your art, but how about in real life...what makes you prefer a disconnected life?

Most of my work is rooted in anger. I don’t think I was aware of it though until you mentioned it. I have an audience in my mind a lot of the time and it is them, their view of themselves, their laws, belief systems, prejudices etc. that I want to undermine. It is hard to explain but if I felt that they ever “got it,” I would immediately stop working, certainly in that manner. I would change direction. A prime example, which I wasn’t going to bring up for various reasons but it helps in

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this instance, is when I changed the car billboard so it read “Go fuck yourself.” I won’t go into why I did that but when it was in that area’s local newspaper, and more specifically on the local news website, over 20 people wrote in to complain that what I had done was obscene. No one wrote in about a local child who had been held captive by two men and a women and then murdered. That may be an over simplification of the situation I understand, but it highlights the mentality of a big chunk of society and possibly explains a little better who I’m aiming my creative rifle at, so to speak, but also why I maybe try to disconnect myself from life as you mention. Possibly the most frustrating aspect, as I learnt after that, is that the people who get what you are highlighting fully get it. They already knew those contradictions existed and saw them as absurd but it goes straight over the heads of the people you are aiming at, for want of a better phrase. Nothing changes. They fail to see the irony or that what you believe is a glaringly obvious contradiction and this can be disheartening.

I’d love to be able to give the readers a tangible access point to your work, like an exhibition. You started exhibiting some years back, but we also have all the pleasures of your work online. Do you prefer it this way?

Yeah, I do prefer it that way. The immediacy is what is great, especially with Instagram. It’s really nice for me to see how people react to stuff. You don’t really get that with exhibitions so much, although I tend not to go to exhibitions I am in. The problem with exhibitions, besides organising the practicalities of it and that kind of stuff, is that the work can often feel quite old by the time it gets shown. I don’t like looking back on work too much. It feels a bit like watching back a video of yourself dancing drunk at a wedding or something. I do have quite a big show coming up next year in America but unfortunately I can’t really say much about it other than it will include a very large body of paintings and drawings.

@Listen04 listen04.co.uk

“I DON’T LIKE LOOKING BACK ON WORK TOO MUCH. IT FEELS A BIT LIKE WATCHING BACK A VIDEO OF YOURSELF DANCING DRUNK AT A WEDDING” You’re castaway with Yeezy indefinitely. What are the three objects you absolutely need?

OK, My phone, you’d have to Instagram a photo. No one would ever believe I had been castaway with Kanye otherwise. Secondly, his back catalogue in CD format (and maybe some additional promo items). Get him to sign them (Yeezy would provide the pen) and then naturally eBay those sckers when you get home. He wouldn’t mind, I don’t think... And then some paddles.

I would then feed him compliments until his ego was so inflated I could climb aboard and row home using the GPS on the aforementioned phone.

A perfect murder/holiday. Love the GPS detail. Tell me, Late or Never?

Late.

Slice of cake or the gooey flour mix?

That Slice.

Jerk chicken platter or Roast Dinner?

Jerk Chicken.

Afro or Weave?

Probably weave... I feel like I should say afro. But weave.

The shape of eyes or the colours in them?

Shape. Ha. She might have the nicest brown eyes but if they were massive triangles or perfect rectangles that would look a bit odd.

How many sugars?

One. Used to be two but I’m trying to live more frugally.

First book you ever read?

Probably Thomas The Tank Engine.

Last book?

The Mammoth Book Of Native Americans.

Pink.

Nipples. I feel I should explain this. Did you see when Pink was on Punk’d? Oh my word.

Internet.

Encarta ‘95.

1999.

Slim Shady.

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ALEX MAY HUGHES THE LONDON BASED ARTIST BRINGING BACK THE LOST ART OF SIGN-WRITING Words by Timothy Shola

HIS IS THE HAND THAT MAKES, HIS IS THE HAND THAT WOUNDS, HIS IS THE HAND THAT HEALS, HIS IS THE HOUSE OF PAIN. In 2012, in a rush to submit her final degree piece, Alex Hughes etches the heart of an H.G Wells tale on a generous cut of mirrored glass.

Unapologetic with iridescence and Victorian sensibility, the message creates a sensational culture clash. It also speaks to another aspect of the mirror - is she talking about us?

Sign-making is an endeavour of niche quirkiness, where patience is as golden as the flakes pressed on to its glass medium. David Smith, a thirtysomething forefather of the game, charges five to six grand just to hang out with him for a few days. People meet up from around the world in small municipalities like Rochester to pioneer ideas, unbeknown to the general public.

I meet with Hughes on one of the last summer nights in her beloved Ealing. Ho Chi Minh was once a bartender here, which reminds me that all greats are quixotic. Hughes’ trajectory can be equally unlikely; after all, I am meeting an experimental sign-maker, an artist who truly feels in order to think.

Evening Alex. Ice breaker question; you’re castaway with Tunechi, it’s hot. What three things do you keep on your raft?

Haha. My guy! You know, two years ago I was listening to Wayne’s ‘6 Foot 7’ on holiday. You know the line, “real g’s move in silence; lasagne?” Well only the other day I sat in front of my plate of lasagne in complete silence and awe - I had just worked it out. What a creature. So I’d bring some lasagne, but let’s not mess about… I’d also pack a mosquito net for us both to share. Last ones tough, but it’ll have to be this guy. [Hughes picks up bright pink record sleeve, with a suggestively-dressed Rod Stewart on the cover], but just his autobiography, which is amazing. He’s cut from the same cloth as my Weezy, I’m sure he’d read it too.

Rod Stewart and lasagne, sounds like a cosy winter evening. Apart from your own imagination, where do you go for inspiration?

My [method of seeking] inspiration is actually the perfect excuse for a drink. Most sign-writing belongs in pubs and I will go out of my way to drink near my favourite designs. The Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak and the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch have beautiful works in them. Sam Smith pubs that don’t play Sam Smith are also perfect thinking holes. I’m lucky to have creatively persuasive friends; sometimes just a chat with Sam Roberts [expert and workshop facilitator] or Pete Hardwicke [first mentor] will provide a spark for new work.

Talk to me about Hardwicke, and the influence of your family a bit more. Have you ever been a muse?

Ha. Not for Pete, bless him. He’s a hard man to track down, but he gave me my first chance - a cash in hand job as his assistant. This came at an uncertain time in my life, but Pete is the go-to guy for sign art in the East End, and he made sure I got a busy and wonderful education. He has collaborated with many artists including Tracey Emin, but his humility is unshakeable. I live at home with my parents now, which obviously at times can drive one nuts, but they are really supportive. Sometimes helping is not worrying, and I feel a lot of parents worry too much. I understand it; London is vicious for an artist. My father will sometimes come home with obscure paraphernalia with interesting typography; it’s always the small things. Also, I have to mention my older brother Joe Hughes, a designer in Rotterdam. Probably subconsciously, his success has helped me to relax about my own ambitions.

Seeing these works up close is a totally different experience, not least because I can see a variety of reflections in them. Have you got work out there for people to discover?

29th November is my first exhibition. It’s being held at Gallery 223, a dark spot that feels very energetic. It’s all exposed brickwork, largely untouched. I waited for the opportunity to choose a central location, and I’ll be exhibiting my entire collection of glass!

What came to mind when we threw her these words - Pink - Panther Bullet - Speeding Eyes - Puppies Nokia - Blower Sugars - None Design or Build - Build Slice of cake or the gooey mix - The mix!

Jerk Chicken or Roast Dinner - Close, but Roast Afro or Weave? Afro!

Bowie or Prince? So close. Prince Rosario or Thandie - Kerry Washington!

@AlexMayHughes alexmayhughes.co.uk

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FINAL IMAGE

By Michele Poorman