Akira The Don- Push It To The Limit

Akira leaked another banger from his forthcoming 'ATD16'. This time on Rick "Big East" Ross' 'Push It To The Limit' instrumental.

Akira The Don- Push It To The Limit [Right Click & Save As]

For accapellas and clean versions check Akira's site.

The Streets- The Escapist [New Single Free Download]

My boy Skinner debuted his new video on Channel 4 last night. It was cool, not something I'd watch again. Mainly because Youtube has it very well protected currently. But the song is great. Mike being the innovator that he always has been has decided to release the single for free.

DOWNLOAD: MyFreeDownload.co.uk/TheStreets

His new album 'Everything Is Borrowed' is out September 15th on CD, download and USB. I'm excited. I actually just got a text from somebody saying they just got sent it. I will listen to it this week.

MusicOMH reviews Devil In The Distance

****
Devil In The Distance has been quite some time coming; succeeding the 2006 releases of The Hoods And Badges EP and single I Hate My Job which introduced the genre-defying amalgamation of indie and grime - grindie. Arguably the groundwork put in by Marv the Marsh set the stage for the reinvigorated Dizzee Rascal's sound.

This digital only release isn't a million miles away in style from the Hoods And Badges EP that set some tongues wagging and probably one or two unintentional hits on the Looney Toons website. Although this album is infinitely more polished than previous releases there is still a bedroom studio quality to its contents. It gives Marv's observations the same air of authenticity that The Streets' Original Pirate Material benefited from, as well as that same retrospective, almost nostalgic, perspective.

Despite this, the content and issues are current and pertinent, for example Goodbye's line "MP should stand for mostly pricks". You can't argue with logic like that. The team of producers DJ Jack Nimble, Bob Locke and Andy Jenkins has resulted in a mash-up that takes grindie one step further by throwing a generous measure of Roots Manuva-style bashment into the equation.

The production team are clearly adept at innovating with Fight Or Flee being the prime example on Devil In The Distance. Less house than Wiley's Rolex search, and less ridiculous than Dizzee's Dance Wiv Me it's just one display of how this album finds boundaries and preconceptions before smashing through them.

The actual content of Marv's tracks are not unpredictable; violent crime, drugs, poverty, desire and anger. What is unpredictable is the calm eloquence of his delivery and the manifestation of that anger. It's an empathetic anger with no recourse and no outlet beyond itself, which is perhaps the strongest message Devil In The Distance can offer, but there's a real sense of apathy at times: "And maybe I'm just a paranoid dude/ but at four pound a ride I don't feel welcome on the tube... why bother? You can just get by."

There isn't something for everyone of Devil In The Distance, and its appeal will be limited but hopefully widespread enough to push Marv's music towards a critical mass of at least awareness. This is the antidote to unintentionally self-parodying hip-hop - but for fans of the genre it's harder to appreciate substance over style. If you can appreciate the substance then recognising and falling for the style becomes incredibly easy, and equally worthwhile.
- Azeem Ahmad

Marvin- Devil in The Distance [MusicOMH]

BUY DEVIL IN THE DISTANCE HERE

Nuts Magazine reviews Devil In The Distance

Nuts know what's going on. Don't try and say they don't because they do.

BUY DEVIL IN THE DISTANCE HERE

Previously: Nuts Magazine reviews That One Time

Teletext reviews That One Time

I don't care what it says, look at that OG Internet jump-off!

Just Blaze goes OFF on the MPC5000

AKAI just dropped their latest MPC; the MPC5000. We mess with MPCs a lot (less so at the moment actually). I was actually quite excited about the MPC5000, internal synth? That sounds genius! Jack was skeptical, very skeptical, we watched all of the Youtube preview videos and as I salivated further Jack became less and less interested. It would appear he was correct (it is his specialist subject after all). Just Blaze bought the new model off the shelf and let's just say it didn't go down very well.

My problem here is: THIS THING IS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE!

Some of the bugs in this thing are ATROCIOUS.

Just Blaze on the MPC5000 "Teh Suck"

X-Men Origins: Wolverine [Pirate Trailer]

Woop!

Devil In The Distance poster

Devil In The Distance Out TODAY!!

It's here. My debut album is here. It's only £7.90 this week on iTunes and it's great. You need it in your life.

BUY NOW!!

Tracklisting..

1. Goodbye
2. Trocadero
3. Firstborn
4. Get By (Be Good)
5. That One Time
6. Richard's Nan
7. Fight or Flee
8. Devil In The Distance
9. Superhero
10. Carry Me

Check some reviews... Here.

But you're going to need to BUY FROM RIGHT HERE!!!

TheBeatSurrender review That One TIme

TheBeatSurrender.co.uk reviewed 'That One Time'. Check it out...

Marvin - That One Time

Everyones favourite Martian is obviously going to be ET so Marvin wasn’t on to a winner when he went as Marvin The Martian previously. It seems though he’s realised the competition was too and has now dropped his name down to simply Marvin.

While the nasme may have changed the style and substance of his music hasn’t, he’s still mixing elements of hip-hop, grime, dance and pop with some brilliantly autobiographical lyrics, this time on That One Time it’s taking you back to his school days.

While I do like this track, the highlights for me are hearing the two mixes of the single, particularly Aidan Lavelle’s Mix which really strips away leaving only a small fraction of his vocals.

The album Devil In The Distance is out next week and a review will feature on this very website!

Kev

That One Time will make your weekend

It's on iTunes today. 'That One Time EP'

1. That One Time
2. Boyspot
3. Fight or Flee
4. Formerly...
5. That One Time [Lillica Libertine Remix]
6. That One Time [Aidan Lavelle from UNKLE Remix]

79p per track as usual. Get involved.

Devil In The Distance out next Monday.

TIME FOR BONUS COVERAGE:
If you're using the iTunes search don't expect to find 'That One Time' with the rest of my releases. That would be entirely too sensible. Expect to find it under that Latin artist who always releases my music. Oh yeah. Buying music is way too easy, we thought we'd make it a little more Crystal Maze.

FREE REMIXES:
That One Time (Akira The Don Remix) [Right Click and Save As] FREE
That One Time (Hunchbakk 2 Skool Remix) [zShare] FREE

VIDEO CO-DIRECTED BY ME:

Marvin- That One Time (New Video) from Marvin Thomas on Vimeo.

The Dark Knight- No Spoilers

I'm going to watch it again next week to make sure I just saw what I think I just saw. Good lord.

Notable non-spoiler moments include cameos from...






Matthew Leitch aka. Stewart Jackson from the Renford Rejects.
and...















Ariyon Bakare aka. That guy from Family Affairs who got raped in prison and that guy in Doctors but most notably from the Top Girl premiere the other day.

Talib Kweli Documentary Trailer

Talib Kweli has probably had more influence on me as a rapper than any other bar Big, Jay and maybe Method Man.

Murs & 9th Wonder- Sweet Lord (Free Album)

Man I've been waiting for this. You may be skeptical, don't be, download and thank me later. Murs and 9th Wonder really held us down on tour with Akala.

Murs and 9th Wonder- Sweed Lord (FREE ALBUM)

Russia to ban Emo

I feel sorry for this kid ^. This is the first image on Google when you type in "Emo". I'd have searched for a better one because he looks like Newt from Hollyoaks. Actually I'm going to find Newt for this post. One second.


Russia sees Emo as a threat of some kind. It's been described as a "dangerous teen trend" and it's future is under threat. Russia's doing a great PR job for Emo, making it illegal actually kinda makes me want to be an emo.

IPS servers to save industry with stern letters!

As Universal hand the keys over to Rupert Murdoch ISPs in the UK are finally ready to accept a little bit of responsibility for illegal downloading killing the music industry. Not much, there are no compensation packages and you can pretty much bet that all of their advertising will continue to revolve around upload and download time but at least they acknowledge the problem. And I assume those letters will explode?

RWD review Devil in The Distance

Beats go hard. Swear down.

Peaches Geldoff overdosed before 4:45PM

First thing's first. Why is Peaches Geldoff on television? She has no talent, she has less than no talent, she is the worst presenter in TV history. Second, how stupid do you have to be to take class-a drugs when your mother was Paula Yates? I mean you have to be some new kind of spoiled rich kid stupid to do that. Third, how do you overdose Before 4:45PM? Overdosing on toast is difficult by 4:45PM, overdosing on a class-a substance? Are you drinking it? You silly little girl. She's not Amy Winehouse, nobody in the real world gives two f*cks about her. Can we please remove her from public consciousness? Didn't she start her career on a pedestal of some kind? I shouldn't let such a stupid, silly, pointless, scenester, twurp annoy me but she really, really, really annoys me.

Bob, deal with the situation.

Nuts Magazine: Buy That One Time

Who are you to argue with Nuts Magazine? Buy Here.

Hyperfrank breaks it down

Shit's very messed up right now. Very, very, very.

PLUS: Goldielocks says some shit that needed saying. Lily Allen? Are you f*cking serious?

Floodgates = Open

Sky have announced the first music subscription service in a revolutionary partnership with Universal Music.

BBC.co.uk Reports.

That was a nice industry we had once.

Young Jeezy Feat. Kanye West- Put On VIDEO

This video is superb. With 50 Cent failing to consolidate, Lil Wayne being a very easy target, T.I being in such indifferent form and Kanye West being about something so much bigger, the lane is wide open for Jeezy to swoop in and become the king of this rap thing (Jay-Z is the father of them all of course).

Swiped from Blob Blog

The Voice review Devil In The Distance

Just in.

PREVIOUSLY: Interview In The Voice

Akira The Don- The Death Of Beef As A Viable Marketing Strategy

Akira goes in on 50 Cent's 'Ryder Part 2' beat and goes in on 50 Cent period.

Akira The Don- The Death of Beef as a Viable Marketing Strategy [Right Click and Save As]

That's that pure rap shit. Off ATD16.

Another Devil In The Distance review

I don't read my own reviews I promise. I get sent these and I put them on my blog. Okay I read this one. I like when people get the point of my music. Not to sound pretentious but I like to think it's a little deeper than your average. Subba-Cultcha know what time it is though.

Lyrically subversive, promising debut from Brixton Hip-Hopper

The commercial successes of British Hip Hop acts has been slim over recent years; more so for those who have avoided the cliché bombast of gangsta rap. Dizzee Rascal, of course, has been the leading pioneer of the genre, but for most it has been a case of re-inventing yourself to make dance floor music (compare Wiley’s ‘Wearing my Rolex’ to some of the tracks from his album ‘Treadin’ on Thin Ice’) or accept that a cult underground following is your most likely outcome (Lethal Bizzle, Taz, Prof. Green, the list goes on). ‘Devil in the Distance’ is the long awaited debut album from Marvin.

‘Devil in the Distance’ is an album that, for the most part, stands up well to comparison with any of his genre peers. The likes of ‘Goodbye’, a song about youth violence that feels particularly pertinent in the current climate, recalls the likes of ‘Can’t Contain Me’ by Taz, whilst ‘First Born’ shows a maturity in Marvin’s approach to lyrics; a frank honesty without the bravado some would inflect upon such a topic. Marvin also shows himself to be capable of great lyrical dexterity on the likes of ‘Fight or Flee’. There are a few blemishes upon ‘Devil In The Distance’, ‘Trocadero’ feels a little gimmicky whilst carry me seems like a compromise with the rest of the album; it’s piano accompaniment belying some frank lyrical content. However, the production on the album is first class (see the likes of ‘That One Time’) and ‘Devil In The Distance’ has enough strength to survive any critical savaging. Whether it has any crossover singles is debatable; unlike Dizzee Rascal’s debut it’s difficult to see which songs could bother the charts and it’s similarly difficult to pick out a song with the dance floor appeal of Wiley’s recent single, all of which suggests that Marvin is destined to be confined to his cult fan base alone. This would, of course, be a great shame as ‘Devil In The Distance’ is a mature, lyrically creative album that shows that British Hip-Hop can be creative and not rely upon well trodden rap conventions. He might not become a well known name with this album, but Marvin has created a debut that potentially sets the bar for all future British rappers. Innovative and surprising at every turn, this is a very strong first offering.

By: Lewis Morton

Out July 28th as I may have mentioned.

That One Time Out Today

It's on iTunes today. 'That One Time EP'

1. That One Time
2. Boyspot
3. Fight or Flee
4. Formerly...
5. That One Time [Lillica Libertine Remix]
6. That One Time [Aidan Lavelle from UNKLE Remix]

79p per track as usual. Get involved.

Devil In The Distance out next Monday.

TIME FOR BONUS COVERAGE:
If you're using the iTunes search don't expect to find 'That One Time' with the rest of my releases. That would be entirely too sensible. Expect to find it under that Latin artist who always releases my music. Oh yeah. Buying music is way too easy, we thought we'd make it a little more Crystal Maze.

FREE REMIXES:
That One Time (Akira The Don Remix) [Right Click and Save As] FREE
That One Time (Hunchbakk 2 Skool Remix) [zShare] FREE

VIDEO CO-DIRECTED BY ME:

Marvin- That One Time (New Video) from Marvin Thomas on Vimeo.

Kele Okereke racially attacked by the Sex Pistols? UPDATE

Over the weekend at a festival in Spain John Lydon and his entourage have been accused of attacking Bloc Party's Kele Okereke with racial motives. I've never really liked Bloc Party or Kele in particular since he made up a bunch of shit about Art Brut and tried to get physical himself a couple of years back; but this is pretty shocking. His press statement below...

**************Press Statement*********************

Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke was the victim of an unprovoked racist attack by Sex Pistol’s singer John Lydon and members of his entourage this weekend, an attack which left Okereke with severe facial bruising, cuts to his face and body, and a split lip.

The incident took place on Saturday evening backstage at the Summercase festival in Barcelona; in which Lydon and his entourage were described by one witness “as acting like a gang of racist thugs”

The Sex Pistols were socializing backstage with an array of British bands many of whom witnessed the attack. Kele, a huge fan of Lydon’s approached the singer to ask if he would ever consider reforming one of his favourite bands, Public Image Ltd. The Sex Pistols singer became intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade including the statement, “your problem is your black attitude” Kele was then set upon by 3 members of Lydon’s crew who punched him in the face and head as well as attacking people who tried to protect Kele from the assault including Yannis Philippakis from The Foals and Kaiser chiefs Ricky Wilson. The incident was broken up by festival security and was later reported to Spanish police. Kele also reported the incident to police in the UK after returning from Spain.

Kele was in Barcelona for a short weekend break before he heads off on tour to Japan. The incident was witnessed by over 50 people, which included members of the Kaiser Chiefs Mystery Jets, Neon Neon, Har Mar Superstar and The Foals.

Talking about the incident Kele said "It's not an issue of the physical assault, even though it was an unprovoked attack, it is the fact that race was brought into the matter so readily. Someone as respected and as intelligent as Lydon should know better than to bring race into the equation, or socialise with and encourage those who hold such narrow-minded attitudes. I am disappointed that someone I held with such high regard turns out to be such a bigot."

That seems like half a story in many respects but Kele was able to draw on a few names there of people that aren't going to go against the legendary Sex Pistols unless they're 100% certain of what they saw. What's weird is that I'd have asked him the same question. Public Image Limited were the shit. I tell you what though, John Lydon would get parked. Brits abroad ey?

UPDATE: John Lydon has released a statement to the press this afternoon denying any racial motives and goes on to blame Kele's jealousy for the fracas...

NME.com writes

The Sex Pistols's John Lydon has hit back at claims he was involved in an "unprovoked racist attack" on Bloc Party's singer, Kele Okereke.

Kele Okereke claimed he was assaulted by Lydon and members of his entourage who had directed a "racist tirade" at him.

Members of Foals and Kaiser Chiefs were said to have stepped in to help the Bloc Party singer.

However, the Sex Pistols frontman has put the incident down to jealousy on Okereke's part.

"I feel very sorry for a man who needs to lie about what was a perfect evening," Lydon said in a statement. "After the show John Rotten and management remained behind to sign autographs, which we did for four solid hours without incident and had a great time talking to other Spanish bands. This seems to have sparked jealousy in certain bands.

"The trouble was brought to us, resulting in those causing the trouble being physically removed by festival security."

He added: "We are in the middle of a wonderful tour, after 30 years we are achieving a true unity in our audience. They are multi-varied, all ages, all races, creeds and colours.

"When you are at a festival with bands who are jealous fools, lies and confusion usually follow. If they need publicity so badly this is the allegation universe they run into."

Lydon concluded by telling Okereke to "grow up and learn to be a true man.

"When you have achieved as much as I have, come back and talk to me," he added. "It's a shame that the wonderful world of the media is riddled with nonsense like this."

Okereke indicated that he has contacted the police both in Spain and in the UK in following the incident, though Lydon did not mention this in his statement. It is currently unclear whether any further action will be taken.

Gordon feels awkward

Alistair Darling says he's not giving up any more money for schools, the NHS or Transport until the economy stabilises. If house prices have anything to do with it, that could be two years at least. Vince Cable (Liberal Democrats) says "Ministers must not simply lop off the easiest bits of their spending commitments. Instead, the government needs to be very clear in setting its priorities for spending. This should include taking an axe to public sector bureaucracy, in particular the highly paid managers who occupy lucrative positions in quango land." But that's the government's power base! They've spent 11 years creating public sector positions for middle class voters. If Brown and Darling turn around and tell them they're out, well then they've got no hope of winning the next election. What a conundrum.

A BBC study suggests that 18% of 16-17 year olds are "Doing nothing", that's not fair I mean, they're keeping busy.

Gza got drunk, high, sleepy, forgot how to rap then dissed 50 Cent

I mean...does he expect a reply? Gza used to kick the shit too..

Kano joins the Blogspot massive

Kano's on Blogspot. He's prepping his return to grime 140 Grime St..

New Terminator Trailer

This was the film I always wanted to see. I just don't understand how John Connor's army could deal with Terminators on a large scale. John's crazy Mum + an OG Terminator could barely deal with a single T1000. How the hell are John and Common going to be able to kill a whole planet of Terminators? And then eventually T1000s? If it's possible, then I want to see how. Terminator 3 was arse.

LINK: Terminator Salvation Trailer

The little blonde hero goes pop

Why do they always come out reggae? What's up with that? This song is an atrocity. The major labels will save the music industry by signing every actor/actress with poor risk assessment capabilities. Ed Norton's album is gonna be classic! I heard he's waiting for Eric Banner to drop his album then he's gonna follow-up with the same thing but slightly more boring if you could imagine it.

The first 'Devil In The Distance' review is in

The first review of my debut album Devil In The Distance went live today. It's from GigWise . Check it out.

British Hip-Hop has come a long way since the 1980’s and standing at the forefront of what is now affectionately known as Grindie is a man called Marvin. Since crashing to earth two years ago, Marvin has dropped his Martian suffix for the release of his debut album, proving that he’s anything but from another planet. He is in fact from Brixton and ‘Devil In The Distance’, an album with more dysfunctionality than a curfew of ASBO’s, is an uncompromising and autobiographical stomp through the South London of his yoof, highlighting the gritty pressures of contemporary urban living.

Although its genre bending crossover appeal ensures musical accessibility, the emphasis is placed firmly on the use of observational lyrics and the window they open onto societal decay. Fuelled by an intense honesty, spat over unbending and hard-nosed instrumentation, the dark undertone of ‘Goodbye’ tackles the endemic spate of gun and knife culture head on and the socio-political theme continues further through ‘Get By (Be Good)’ and ‘Fight Or Flee’ by exploring the effects of isolation and fear combined with the frustrations of poverty and ultimately the harsh realities of life.

While instinctively pragmatic, Marvin does manage, in part, to conceal his heartfelt anger behind a thinly veiled guise. References to Masters of the Universe, Rainbow, Panda Pops, Chicago Bulls and Naf-Naf not only define Marvin’s era but also contain a matured innocence that allow him to openly discuss drug addiction, broken family dynamics, sexuality, racism, mental health and the vicious circle of stereotypical expectations examined in ‘First Born’, ‘Richards Nan’ and ‘Devil In The Distance’.

Marvin also understands the importance of optimism and the album is littered with hope through the interactive lust, patter and promise of ‘Trocadero’, self-confident belief of ‘That One Time’ and in ‘Superhero’, the acknowledgement that day-to-day survival is a worthy achievement in itself. Culminating with a soft step plea for help ‘Carry Me’ recognises that life is tough, made tougher going it alone and that to end the proverbial self fulfilling prophecy something has to give.

Jacqui Smith doesn’t have the answer and nor does Marvin. He’s not a politician or a gangster and doesn’t attempt to provide solutions to the widespread problems plaguing a desensitised zeitgeist. But his straightforward approach, authentic delivery and effortlessly sharp, subtle yet hard-hitting intelligence does expose an innovative trailblazer who, excusing the cliché, isn’t afraid to tell it how it is.

Huw Jones

Out July 28th.

Shoreditch Shuffle

Shoreditch Shuffle is on Wordpress. You can now buy tickets and stay up to date with the latest additions to the festival I will be performing at in September. Also Check the Shuffle out on Who's-Jack.

Roots Manuva- Again and Again [New Video]

When I clicked the link to this video it had 1 view. I am exclusive with it. God damn Sky Sports taking my summer Test Match cricket!

Keri Hilson- Energy [Video]

You may know Keri Hilson from every other video of the last 2 years but also from Nas' 'Hero' and Timbaland's 'Scream' she's pretty awesome. She's co-owned by Timbaland and Polow Da Don so you know her production is going to be insane. She finally has a first single, it's hot.

BONUS: New song from another Timbaland signee Izza Kizza 11ven 12welve (Demo Version) [zShare].

Pineapple Express Trailer

This looks funny. Superbad and 40 Year Old Virgin are classics already. I saw Hancock yesterday, I liked it, I don't know why Mike Epps wasn't in the whole thing though? Why isn't Mike Epps in the whole of everything though? Answer me all you bitches smelling like hot dog water!

Marvin interview w/ CMU

Marvin talked to CMUmusicnetwork about his new single and his plans for Devil In The Distance Check it out.

That One Time TV [EPISODE 8 BONUS] Live on Excalibah's show with Pixel

Why Lout?- It's Been Time!! [On Datpiff]

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

You can now grab the 2005 Why Lout? Mixtape 'It's Been Time!!' on DatPiff.com. The home of mixtapes.

Previously on DatPiff...

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

Sepp Blatter: "Footballers are like slaves"

Somebody get Nas on the phone!

That One Time video on Youtube

God damn it! Too many people asked me to put it on Youtube so in the end I had to do it. I hope you're happy. The video quality is poor.

Premo

I should have put this on the internet sooner. If ever you're going to a film premier make absolutely sure that you're going with a guy named Skanker. He'll definitely keep you grounded.

That One Time [Grange Hill Video]

This has been on Youtube for a couple of weeks but I never posted it. I quite like it, I think the first verse works well but from then on it's not as good. I like the black kid in the first verse, he's cool as fuck.

Nambucca last night

I had a good time. I've got a set coming together. I was a little rusty so the links weren't as tight as they should have been, but I liked the new little fun bits and we've got a few songs that we probably could have thrown in. 'Step 2 Skank' sounded goooood.

Nambucca tonight!

North of the river this time you smell me?

I keep that white girl...Lindsay Lohan...you can go and ask...Ali Lohan

Ooh yeah! WWTDD.com just hit me off with this exclusive heat! NEW SINGLE YALL! NON-STOP! THE WAIT IS OVER! GOSH! LINDSAY LOHAN....'S SISTER! ALI LOHAN! KING OF NEW YORK YALL! OH GOD! EXCLUSIVE PRESSURE!

Pro Green Vs Stig tonight

The legendary Pro Green is back on his battle shit tonight. It's pretty much going to be the biggest British rap battle of all time. I'm no good at that shit, I've never been in a real battle and I never intend to be; but my boy Pro Green is on some serious king shit when it comes to battling.

I post this because I'm feeling the trailer and not because I'm going. I would, of course, but I'm going to check out Akira The Don at Bush Hall this evening to see Mary's last gig with The Women and to do some 'That One Time TV' interviews.

Guns of Brixton (update)

In February 2007 I posted an open letter on my MySpace blog titled 'Guns of Brixton'. The letter was a reaction to the rising gun and knife crime in London at the time. In the 16 months since I wrote that letter things have gone from bad to worse and I believe the government and the police are as clueless as they ever were. I wanted to read back my letter this afternoon and post it here for you to read, I'm going to live with it for a few days before writing a follow-up.

Guns Of Brixton- An Open Letter

I have taken the last few days to put my thoughts on London's current gun crisis into a blog. I have decided that this morning would be the best time to debut my new single, which was written two years ago and has been the first single from my album for about a year. The song is called 'Guns Of Brixton' and I think it has a lot to do with what is going on in London right now. Here are the lyrics…

Oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhh the guns of Brixton/

This is close to my chest my heart beats through the beat/
Through all seasons there'll be heat on the street/
When I've got the magic metal I don't skin no teeth/
Because it only comes out in the deepest of beefs/
We first crossed paths when I was 14/
So much power in my hand from this little black machine/
Eleven capsules of harm in my beretta magazine/
It was hard to stay calm if you saw me on the scene/
Trynna prove something as the youngest of the team/
Now I try behave because I've got to go places/
It aint quite working and Trident is racist/
There's no special division for white cases/
Regarding sticks/
It's all politics/
And MPs should stand for mostly pricks/
We should call them magicians because they only pull tricks/
And why'd you even bother voting because it's all a big fix?/

You can crush us/
You can bruise us/
But you'll have to answer too/
Ohhhhhh The Guns Of Brixton/

Here it goes again it's like a reload/
Why's it called heat when it feels so cold?/
It made me a hot head if truth be told/
If truth be told/ I watch too much telly/
Barked it/ Threw it on my waste burned my belly/
Dropped it off on my cousin/
It was worth every penny when I/
Gave him a ton to hold my gun/
It would make me see jail before I see the next sun so/

Me and my buddy/ we parted ways/
We had so much in common/
We both loved to blaze/
From the same neighbourhood/
Black and misunderstood/
If you saw either one of us it meant no good/
It's like we loved the palaver/
Hoods and balaclavas/
Little bad and bold and bowed to no master/
Should'a took something else to make me see faster/
If we rolled together/ It would end in disaster/

You can crush us/
You can bruise us/
But you'll have to answer too/
Ohhhhhh The Guns Of Brixton/

Bang bang death flies from a pistol/
Faces I know in every other issue/
When South London's press/
Were all in a mess/
Because arguments end once the triggers get pressed/
I'm trynna make hits and no time for hits/
And no time for rebores and masonry clips/
But if crims got fire arms/
And cops got fire arms/
I need a fire arm because if they fire arms/
I hate to say I don't wanna be a target/
Got myself a gun and then barked it/
Bought it on the old hand gun black market/
I don't wanna get into the rights and wrongs/
But because I have had my foes moved on/
For some reason we can't all get along/
That's life for me so when I put it in my raps/
I don't appreciate my art form being attacked/

You can crush us/
You can bruise us/
But you'll have to answer too/
Ohhhhh The Guns of Brixton/

For those of you that don't know. There have been 5 gun related fatalities in 3 weeks in London, the first 3 being victims under the age of 16 all of which took place in South London. I feel like I am in a privileged (or not so privileged) position to be able to talk about this phenomenon from a direct experience lead perspective on this tragic scenario.

It's a scary situation that we are facing; it's not that I didn't think we would get here, because I had a gun when I was 14 as well. I knew it wouldn't be long before other people my age got guns. Not everybody thinks as deeply as I chose to on the subject. I bought a gun when I was 14 years old, I was doing things at that time which meant I could afford to purchase a gun, I was finding myself in situations increasingly that made me feel like I needed a gun, I was 14 years old and smoking a lot of weed, the hyper activity, the hormones and the paranoia lead me down a dark path. Shortly after getting my hands on my first gun I fired. I fired at people. This is not a hyperbole I am absolutely stating facts, I don't want anybody to think I am using artistic licence to capitalise on this tragic situation. This is an issue very close to my heart and one that I want to do everything in my power to prevent from degenerating any further. I feel that I am in a position as a rapper signed to a major record label, releasing my music with wide distribution to talk about this issue and get the street level opinion out to as many people as possible. I feel I have a responsibility and a duty to do so.

Looking back on it. I was in need of something to do. I had very few options. I couldn't play football, I didn't have the mentality for boxing (I tried kick boxing but it didn't work out), I didn't feel like there was anywhere to go. A lot of people felt that way. We'd get together with that level of boredom and the stupidity goes through the roof. We were smoking a lot of weed, which never helped me and never helped any of my friends. It's difficult to know what the right choices are when there are so many negative factors around. I was in these kids positions; just having the gun was very intoxicating. I'm not going to sit here and be a hypocrite by saying guns aren't cool. Fuck it! Guns are cool! They look cool! I love watching films with guns! I loved playing with toy guns! They're cool! Pretending otherwise is pointless and counter-productive let's be realistic from now on. The consequences are not cool. Learning what the consequences are definitely is not cool. When you have that piece of metal you can be so easily drawn into silly situations. There was a time when I was in a "beef" and I pulled my trigger. I never thought that I might kill somebody, not until I got home did I think about that potential consequence. I was doing things at that time that meant I could afford to not have my gun, I paid somebody to take my gun and hide it, I didn't do that for positive reasons, I did that because if I ever needed it again I knew where I could go and get it without it being too much of a risk in my sock drawer. Some aren't as lucky as me (I totally believe it was luck, was it clever? Not really, was it fear? I never thought so at the time. All I can think is that I was lucky to have done what I did when I did it). Thank god I can't aim properly; I shudder whenever I think about what could have happened that day. I didn't kill anybody thank god! But I truly understand that type of power! Knowing you have that thing on you. You don't respect power. You don't respect authority. I know my estate better than the Police and I know full well that I can out-run them. I am invincible when I have this gun! I got rid of my gun because I could afford to! If I didn't I could have found myself getting mad at somebody else another day and have the target connect! These past few weeks there were 3 victims! I could easily have been one of the victims but I could even easier have been one of the perpetrators.

All I can do is give my viewpoint on the issue, let you know what it was, that I think lead me down that path, what it was that could have put me in that position. I want to reply to a lot of the press coverage and I want to reply to a lot of the political agendas that are rising to the surface at the moment. I do not claim to have all the answers, I will say though that I see some very obvious problems these kids face. We need to give these kids more to do! It's a simple solution but honestly it is a simple problem! I found music, I had a child, there's a lot of kids on the Internet making music, you would be surprised the effect that has had on street violence. These kids have an outlet that challenges them, that motivates them and that keeps them competitive, but it's mental competition, there's nothing but positivity in that. Biggie Smalls said about New York in the late 80s/ early 90s "Either you slanging crack rock or you've got a wicked jump shot" the fact of the matter is that the education system does not support children (male or female) who can not get their parents to do their coursework. My experience was that when I was doing my GCSEs, I was told "This series of exams will define your life" it was absolutely too much pressure for a 14, 15, 16 year old. I was discovering girls, I was in gangs, I was committing crimes, I was doing drugs, I was drinking when I could, how was I supposed to fit all that in along with a life defining series of exams? I couldn't. When I made my decision there was no coming back, mainly because nobody was there to change it, but I'd found what I thought I should be doing, I should be the coolest boy in my school, I should make as much money as possible, I should be the most feared person in my gang. Those were tasks; those were challenges, practical ones that I applied myself too. I had friends who were talented footballers, my school produced a lot of very talented footballers, they were supported to an extent throughout the school, which to this day I see as a positive thing, but when it came down to it, the opportunities to further their gifts and their potential were not brought forward because the system had a better idea of what these kids needed to be and needed to become, so many talented sports men have fallen by the wayside because they were not motivated, they were not made to feel confident, they were not occupied. The same can be said for any one talent a child may possess. If a child is great at English he's told he's nothing without his 5 A to Cs, does that seem sensible to you? If a kid is an amazing mathematician but can not translate his gift to English, Science and Technology he is doomed. Without those qualifications he can't even get a job in a bank! The pressure, the unnecessary pressure, put on children of a certain age is cruel and outdated. That has a lot to do with teen violence, drug abuse and pregnancy (all of which are massive problems in Britain, growing ones at that). These children are not occupied, they are not inspired, they are not motivated and they are not made to believe they have anything to contribute to society. Makes me want to pick up a gun just thinking about it.

The stats came out the other day. Out of the 20 richest countries Britain is the worst place for a child to grow up! Those stats aren't a coincidence! I have to raise a daughter in this environment! Because I know these evils I feel like a hypocrite. I feel like I'm in the perfect environment to raise my child, I can steer her away from the evils that I faced. I know about bad things, I've seen it, I'm breathing, I'm healthy, I'm happy. I believe there is a lot in parenting, there should be a way to teach parenting to these teenagers, I was 19 when my daughter was born. I didn't know what I was doing. I was sensible, I gave up a life, I knew how to behave. We all know how to behave! I could pretend to be a child my whole life. But it wouldn't get me anywhere, just sitting around waiting for the lottery until it's too late. It's a cliche but it's the truth! I don't have the time to be a child. I am raising a child! That's not possible! I can't tell my daughter what she should and shouldn't be doing if I'm doing them. My philosophy is to lead by example. I had good people around me, family members and friends that made raising my child easier, I had examples to follow and I had a pretty clear idea in my mind of how I wanted to raise Paige. I want her to feel blessed because she has two parents who love her and that will guide her throughout her life. The fact that we are officially in the worst rich country to raise a child makes my task extremely difficult, there are parents less dedicated then I consider myself to be, parents with more than one child, potentially with different fathers to different mothers who will without doubt find it more difficult than I do with my one child. You create an environment such as the one you have and you continue to stack the odds heavily against that mother and/ or that father.

David Cameron said this week that "Society is broken" or something to that affect, he also said that fathers should be made to stay with their children. Honestly, as crudely as you want to read it, David Cameron should suck balls! You can't force somebody to stay somewhere. If he's there and he's making things unhappy in the home then we'll raise a future generation of psychopaths! At the end of the day I think you can live a perfectly fulfilling and happy childhood in a single parent household. I'm not saying it won't be difficult! There are times you will need a dad! But you can survive it! You don't need the 2 people you love the most in the world hating each other each day, you don't need the major male roll model in your life on the streets committing crimes, doing drugs, selling drugs etc. That is counter-productive, what does a child have to gain from that environment? I'd challenge David to stay with his kids if his wife hated him or if he hated his wife. The suggestion is absurd, a cheap quotable to maintain Dave's stagnant policy-less profile until Tony steps down, Gordon steps up and the nullified British Political system can get on with promising some shit they don't intend to deliver and more photos of MPs licking chocolate off of prostitute's foreheads can fill our front pages. I grew up without my dad. I had quite a bit of contact with him. I used to get sent to him a lot. The relationship was different though. He didn't do anything for me. My mum's kind of crazy and she loved to make me feel like it was my fault that my dad didn't do anything for me. I laugh about it now because I don't think everybody's mum is as crazy as mine! Our relationship improved as time's got on though. It's strange, me and my pops don't have a father son relationship. We're more like friends. He can't tell me things and he doesn't try. He might give me a piece of advice now and then but he's more like a friend. I can't say how he effected me, I don't know the other side, I had issues with authority, I didn't do well in school, whenever I've had a job I've always been "About to get fired", I don't even want to talk about the police. I feel like I've always had authority issues. Did my dad fit David's criteria for a dad staying with his child? If so, what good has it done me? What bad has it done me? I'd like to know what Dave makes of my up bringing.

Outside of the effect society is having on the children of Britain I feel it appropriate to draw light on something I find to be equally disturbing. Politicians such as Lee Jasper who are getting on a bit, you can hear it in his views, his opinions, he sounds like an outsider trying to merge with us, he's saying things he thinks we want to hear, he's out of touch and he's missing the mark every time. He does not speak for me and does not speak for anybody I know. The people are here, they don't agree with him! The majority of us anyway. There's an issue in that Lee Jasper claims to speak for "The Black Community" and I'm telling you that the majority of the people he thinks he represents have never heard of him. That's a dodgy situation; I can't speak for anybody but myself, because that's what I do. I would never claim to speak for somebody else, politicians who are elected into power have that right to an extent, but there was no black vote for Lee Jasper I can assure you. There is no "Black community" we don't have regular meetings and discuss Jerk Chicken recipes; there are poor areas in which black people predominately live. The way Lee Jasper pops up every time something negative happens to a black person in Britain is vomit inducing! The way that him and his best friend Ken have priced poor people out of our own city, making us feel like we're not wanted and that we can't be trusted is one of the great political disgraces in our city's history!

Operation Trident is an issue I touched on in my song and one that has frustrated me for years, what is the difference between a black on black crime and a crime? Do the officers speak patois? Yes, yes they do! There is no respect for the Police in my community, they have become a non-factor! I know EXACTLY what I can get away with and what I run the risk of getting caught doing but when it comes down to it we all know that in Brixton you arrest yourself, if you get caught you went too far that one time or you just weren't smart enough that one time. When the first child was killed 3 weeks back there was a splash in the South London Press, The Voice and The Nation, but the ripples really didn't travel too far. By the time the second murder took place the issue had spread a little further, maybe BBC LDN cared, maybe it got a headline on the main news and an inside column in the dailies, but why is it that only by the third murder was it that there was an epidemic? It's been an epidemic since I was 14! We had police men standing on Brixton high-street searching cars for guns on Friday, a nice PR exercise, they can make Brixton look like a war zone, make it look like an isolated problem and pray there's no shootings over the weekend so we can all get back to thinking about the F.A Cup 3rd round and how Jade said that Shilpa was a "Doo doo head". Poor policemen, poor politicians, 2 shootings over the weekend, the same amount of shootings there were last weekend, the weekend before that and the weekend before that. Only they seem to be a little bit interested in us this week, aren't we the lucky ones? The same problems we face are igniting in North, East and West London, Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, Luton, Liverpool and a whole lot more places in Britain. Either they don't know this, or they're doing a hell of a job keeping it out of the public eye. Unfortunately criminals care as much about News Night as they do about Big Brother and will not stop in their paths for a couple of dead kids in South London.

It's scary to say; but honestly I can't see it getting better for a little while. I'm still waiting to hear about the first school shooting. I'm absolutely terrified about that! I've got a lot of little cousins between the ages of 12 and 18 who are these kids, my little brother is that age! They're in college and school! I don't like funerals! I can't deal with funerals! I don't want to be put through that! I feel like it gets closer and closer every time one of these incidents happens. You just have to read The South London Press, it's like watching Channel U you know every other person you see in there "Wow I know you" "Wow I know your family" "Wow I went to school with you!", Streatham Ice Rink that's 5 minutes from my house, it's a bus stop away! It's hard to comprehend.

This is close to my chest my heart beats through the beat.

I'm not going to let this die like those kids. We have a problem and it needs sorting.

Marvin Thomas aka. Marvin The Martian

Since I wrote that letter Paul Simonon rejected sample clearance on the song 'Guns of Brixton' (a defining moment in my career thus far to be frank) and my blog has been quoted in a Guardian article on the subject. I have since taken the words and the concept of the song 'Guns of Brixton' and turned it into the lead song from my forthcoming album 'Devil In The Distance' a song called 'Goodbye'.

This month I shall mostly be watching Rabbit Chat & Date on Freeview channel 102

Do you remember when you first saw QVC? How hypnotized you were? Same with Bid.up.tv. Do you remember when you first saw that ITV late night quiz thing? How gripped you were? Well I introduce to you, brand new for 2008, the latest cult television craze Rabbit TV Chat & Date on Freeview Channel 102. Jack discovered it by accident yesterday and we ended up watching it on and off all night (between BBC Three's Family Guy episodes). It's nothing special, just a dating website on the television, but it's got a special feature! Oh yes! you can see the faces and descriptions of the people talking! On a constant loop!. No longer do you have to theorise the appearance of PUPPET! (who it turns out has "Rasta vybz") or PLUSSIZEPRINCESS (she's plus size and she's ready to mingle). Not being a regular on the chat-date circuit I'm unfamiliar with a lot of the lingo but I'm picking it up. I haven't quite got my head around "No time wasters" yet though. I don't think I want to.

I'm generally on the forefront of time wasting TV phenomenons so if you know what's good for you you'll hop on board with the quickness. I'm thinking of setting up an account to chat up some sexy birds ending every sentence with "THAT ONE TIME OUT JULY 21ST". That would be genius.

Excalibah on PyroRadio.com tonight

My much delayed appearance on Excalibah's PyroRadio show is on tonight. I'm going up to tear down. Make sure you check out PyroRadio.com from 8PM tonight.

Lil Flip- Holla Back [Mixtape]

This new Lil Flip mixtape is as good as I've ever from heard him. I know a lot of people don't like him but fuck you because I do. Marvin doesn't like him and this is his blog but to be fair he's never heard the mixtape. So he can shut his stupid face.

Lil Flip- Holla Back [Mixtape]

Listen to that and tell me Flip's not on fire right now.

Nas- Hero [Video]

Since I was a kid Nas videos have looked exactly the same.

Superhero > Hero

Best song on the album though.

The Streets- New Album Snippets

Old Skinner just put a few album snippets on his MySpace. Sounding good, I personally thought his last album was amazing, I know a lot of people disagree but a lot of people are dicks. This album sounds very "Live", there's a lot of stadium sing-chant-calling going on there. I am excited.

I am a bit of a Stan for The Streets. It's okay though, I told him one time.

Killer Mike- A Dope Story [Mixtape classic]

I just came across this mixtape classic again this afternoon and since we're talking underrated rappers I figured I'd share it. I think it's on a 112 beat. One of my favourite story rhymes of all time. I must have seen that fan video about a hundred times

Killer Mike- A Dope Story (zShare)

Spider Loc on Kyte TV

Spider Loc is pretty much the most underrated rapper in the world; after me of course. His beef with The Game (who is probably the most overrated rapper in the word) has lead Snoop to hate, but Snoop hates on 90% of good rappers in the West Coast. Loc's flow is bizzonkers and he actually has some pretty huge records. He'll never be as big as he should be because Snoop's a hater and S-P-I's way too much of a soldier but I keep an eye out for him because he's one of the few rappers out of the mixtapes who can structure a song in an interesting way.

Dizzee at the top

He did it! Dizzee is number 1 with a single he released himself that will not be on an album. God damn. I'm so proud of the kid right now. Props to Semtex for showing me.

Akira The Don Feat. Marvin- Thieving (Jack Nimble Remix)

This was meant to be on 'The Blogspot Mixtape' but we actually couldn't find it in time. I remember it debuted on one of Akira's Doncasts a few months back. Literally we were in the studio recording for one reason or another the day we heard this song, Tego brought his laptop in, he doesn't usually do that, and said "Listen to this" in Why Lout? we're all big fans of Akira when he goes all the way in on that rap shit, when he locks into the concept and rides with it. 'Thieving' is one of my favourite Akira songs, Jack had worked out the beat a few weeks before I went in and did my verse but I had the original on my phone so I pretty much knew what I wanted to say. I really, really like this remix.

Akira The Don Feat. Marvin (Jack Nimble Remix) [zShare]

BUY: Akira The Don's mixtape-album 'Thieving'

Marvin- Great Day

We've had a lot of requests for Marvin's cover of Ice Cube's classic 'It Was a Good Day' from 'The Blogspot Mixtape' as a separate MP3 so we made it available to download on his MySpace. But apparently people don't like downloading through MySpace, I'm kind of like that myself and since we threw up that Ice Cube and Killer Mike video this afternoon we figured we'd put the song on zShare for all the haters. You're all haters. Gosh darn haters. Something for the weekend.

Marvin- Great Day [zShare]

Another teenager dies

Another teenager was killed in London yesterday. This one's sister wasn't a peripheral Eastenders character so who knows how this one's going to play out? If his name and the side of the river he died on have anything to do with it, I wouldn't expect to hear too much more on this one.

R.I.P Shakilus Townsend

Fallout on Channel 4 Last night- Review

Let me clear this up before I start. Lennie James is one of those actors that in my eyes can do no wrong, he is brilliant. He actually wrote the only film I was ever in. Lennie James in 'Burried' is as good as British television acting gets. Period.

Which is why I am so sad to report that 'Fallout' was absolutely terrible. I had such high hopes for it when I discovered that Channel 4 would be running a series on Gun and Knife crime (which has been pretty excellent overall). The screenplay was written in 2003 after Damilola Taylor was killed in North Peckham. Which could be an excuse for the dated slang and forced delivery but for the amount of times I heard the phrase "Grind me up" come from the vile female lead who it would appear was written by the biggest woman hater on the planet (oh I see) the words which had little meaning to begin with became something of a catchphrase. Add that to the male lead's "Stab him up", the supporting male's "Shoot him up" and the female supports' "Sex me up" and the only way was down.

Lennie James plays a detective forced to return to the estate he was raised on to investigate the murder of a Damilola figure. Upon his return he's tortured by the ignorance and hopelessness of his birthplace. The internal struggle James faces is pulled of brilliantly as you'd expect, his frustrations, his helplessness, his disgust. But the film was designed primarily to capture the frustrations and helplessness of the youth involved. Something it spectacularly failed to do. It tried, it really did, I counted every young character shout "Do you think you know me? You don't know me!" at least twice each.

Aml Ameen is an actor of ability and when it was left for him to carry the scene he did so with accomplishment; his character's late confrontation with a crack addicted father was probably the best and most realistic scene in the film. The very non-specific ages of our stars made for a confusing jaunt in all, the supposed criminal element consisted of a single bag snatching and a KING Magazine shoplift scene which I can tell you, does not represent any North Peckham estate as I know them (and believe me I know them. The one 'Fallout' was shot on in particular).

It would be hard for me to say where 'Fallout' failed the most because frankly I would be doing a mis justice to every other botched attempt at moral introspection thrust down our throats in those neat 15 minute intervals. Having recently seen Kidulthood for the first time and having seen the premiere of 'Top Girl' (a short film that did more to understand the subject in its 20 minutes than 'Fallout' managed in its 90) I have to say that in my opinion 'Fallout' was more than a bad film, it was an abomination.

Killer Mike Feat. Ice Cube- Pressure [Video]

Ice Cube and the "New School Ice Cube" posted by the "UK Ice Cube". That is a hell of a record. Grind Time Bang Bang.

Live @ Nambucca next Thursday [10/7/08]

Oh yes! Free gig. Party atmosphere. Great times.

I must soundcheck at Plan-B. Where I am performing tonight of course. Tonight is going to be great.

That One Time Video/ That One Time TV [Episode 7] BONUS

I didn't want to post this today. We've been recording all day and rehearsing since the sun put its hat on and the best time to upload anything is around midnight so I left it uploading while I worked. I came back and the video had comments because people are way more on point than a simpleton like me. So I have posted it.

Directed by Tego. Co-Directed by ME SUCKERS!!!

THAT ONE TIME EP
OUT JULY 21ST
1. That One Time
2. Boyspot
3. Fight or Flee
4. Formerly...
5. That One Time (Lillica Libertine Remix)
6. That One Time (Aidan Lavelle Remix)