Thursday 22 October 2009

I won't read the BNP member list...


Thanks to whoever sent it to me, I appreciate the gesture, I understand and share your feelings on the BNP. But I still believe in privacy and I still believe in democracy. Nick Griffin is on Question Time tonight, it's going to explosive but I urge the emotionally charged anti-BNP movement to allow democracy to play itself out. I've seen every corner of this country personally and know the power of the British people. We are not a racist, fascist, intolerant people, we are a patient, understanding and respectable people. There are those who identify with certain aspects of a dangerous (but legitimate) political party and are expressing their support in the ballot box, that's democracy, we have no right to protest that. Any acts outside of that process are fair game, but the right for any person in this country to join any political party in this country without fear of prosecution must be protected. The BNP can be beaten legitimately, this will not be the way, their policies don't stand up to scrutiny in any respect, but we're not allowing them the time to prove that to us and until we do they're going to keep growing.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

VIDEO: Dave Chappelle is back

The Laugh Factory are giving us a couple of minutes of the Chappelle return? What the face? Give me some proper content motherfuckers! This video is okay, they're more jokes he'd tell after he's got you open so the rhythm is a bit funky but you get the idea. DAVE CHAPPELLE WOOP!

Monday 12 October 2009

Shout outs to Boyzone


On tour we'd use the breakdown on 'Boyspot' to sing a random Boyzone song; usually 'Don't Love Me For Fun' since we reference them on the chorus. Rest in peace Stephen Gately, I can't say how much input he had into said classic number [I don't care to research it either] but this is in memory of him.

Marvin/ Boyspot [Spotify link]

BONUS: A performance of 'Boyspot' in Hartlepool with Example. Bad example for the most part because Tego was filling in as DJ so wasn't acting as hype man, therefore the 'Don't Love Me For Fun' was never started. Probably the only time we didn't do it though.

The Jack Nimble Monday Mix Part 1 (Spotify)


The Jack Nimble Monday Mix Part 1 (Spotify)

1. You Don't Want It- Cormega
2. Threat- Jay Z
3. Devil's Pie- D'Angelo
4. The Champ- Ghostface Killah
5. Scenester- Cage
6. Riot Akt- Gang Starr
7. Day One- D.I.T.C
8. The Potion- Ludacris
9. Leflaur Leflah Eshkosnka- Heltah Skeltah
10. When The Gun Draws- Pharoahe Monch
11. Trocadero- Marvin (The Martian)
12. Eternalists- Talib Kweli, Hi- Tek (Reflection Eternal)
13. Hollow Bones- Wu-Tang Clan
14. Bury Me A G- Young Jeezy
15. My Uncle- Ill Bill
16. Get Busy- The Roots, Peedi Peedi, Dice Raw)

Download Spotify and go in.

Testing Tweet Feed

Yeah yeah. I'm late on Twitter. I just wanted an easier way to push my DITD blogs.

Twitter.com/MarvTheMarsh

Gotta Believe It


Drunk as a prick I was skipping through late night TV on Saturday when I came across 106 & Park on BET. I sometimes watch 106 & Park because it's hilarious, but low and behold Saigon and Just Blaze's 'Gotta Believe It' is being played. What? Saigon on 106 & Park? For 'Gotta Believe It' which is over a year old? I can dig it. Reminded me of my version which I didn't have to hand when I started typing this until I thought that I should probably check my sent items on Hotmail to see if it was there. It was. YEY.

Marvin/ Believe It [zSHARE]

Everything I say on this record is true. I really did have a cancer scare and it really did mess with me for a few days.

VIDEO: Tinie Tempah signs record deal


I didn't do any of this when I signed my deal. You all know how long the process was for me, wasted a lot, A LOT of time dealing with the actual contract. Should have put out a single and a mixtape in that time but I was stuck. Ho hum. By the time the contract was actually finished I got a call from my lawyer saying it was done. I asked him if we had the time to sign it there and then and get it back to Universal before the end of the day, he said we could, I jumped in the whip, drove to the lawyer's office and got it done. Kind of an anti-climax to be honest. I think if the process was at all smooth I'd have been happier but I just went home. Never actually popped a bottle on it at all. Took a MINUTE for the advance to finally clear and a HOT MINUTE for my studio budget to clear. Fucking labels. They both cleared eventually though, so Universal will always be cool to me. That was my second record deal. My first [which was a development deal- also through Universal] was even less sensational. Tego brought the contract to my house one night, we took a picture of me signing it but my phone was extra crappy at the time, I doubt that picture still exists.

Anyway, congratulations Tinie Tempah, I have little doubt that he'll be going the Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder route and more power to him, his single with Davinche 'Tears' was serious.

Creamie Cash


My little brother's clothing brand Creamie Cash is heating up at the moment. The T-Shirt I'm wearing in the above picture is one of his designs, I've had a lot of people come up and ask me where they can get Creamie Cash on tour over tour over the last couple of years, after a period of testing and selling to order my Bro's finally online and getting ready to launch. Check out CreamieCash.Blogspot.com although I'm not in his links for some reason? The fuck? Wretch 32 and Worldstarhiphop but no Marvin? Seriously? I'm gonna have to complain about that shit.

ALSO: Creamie Cash on Facebook.

Friday 9 October 2009

Wow. Australia. Wow.


How uncomfortable is that? What's going on in Australia that only Harry Connick Jr was offended by that?

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Has British rap music ever been worse?


I wrote about three pages of blog for this post, read it and thought it sounded bitter. It wasn't. In an attempt to avoid controversy I spent about 20 minutes justifying my thoughts. Fuck that. This song is fucking shit as is most rap music being released in Britain today. Take it how you want. I'm not going at Kano for it, he wants to breathe, let him breathe, but a spade's a spade and a piece of shit disgrace of a record is exactly that. This song offends me, genuinely.

I'll be running a series of blogs calling out bullshit crossover attempts and corny rap songs.

CHOON: Basement Jaxx Feat. Kelis, Meleka & Chipmunk/ Scars


This is a choon. I need this instrumental.

Tuesday 29 September 2009

Wobble wobble and drop it like it's hot

PEOPLE!?!??!!

It's your friendly neighbourhood Martian. Where have I been I hear you scream? I have been everywhere and nowhere whatsoever. I've mentioned these recession times in passing before now. I am surviving them. I am severely depressed and frustrated with life right now and I'm thinking about ending it all...I'm not. That would be awesome though wouldn't it? A non-white suicidal rapper could be what the world needs. My last actual blog was posted in July. Wow. July was a long time ago. I didn't have much time in the early part of August and I actually forgot about blogging until the other day when I logged into my Blog email address and saw loads of comments and emails asking where I was. I was nowhere special. I've been busy, busy for you, rest assured. I've seen a few of you out on the skreets over the last few months, you've had very personal blogs. Read from my own mouth. They were about my suicide and shit. Or they were about how I just got a television bigger than your mum's house. For serious, shit's so big, so HD and so expensive. Not expensive in a rapper way, more expensive in a; I'll be paying this off for a year kind of way. What was I supposed to do though? I wanted Hi-Def Xbox.

On the subject of music. Most specifically rap music, made by moi. I promised you an album/mixtape/ep thing in the summer didn't I? I'm flaky it has to be said. I have finished it. Me, Pixel and Jack, we have finished it, we have a project ready to go. We're going to master it THIS MONTH, no wait [checks date 29th? Damn] NEXT MONTH. When Pixel gets back from Germany where he's gone to see the wall in Berlin. He text to say he watched District 9 while he was out there, what a sucker, why did he wait so long? Best film of the millennium? Possibly. What a film. What I'm going to do with the new project is I'm going to master it, then I'm going to finalise the artwork, then I'm going to leak a heater to a few DJs and then I'm going to post it on this blog. When I leak it to DJs I'm going to want you to get in touch with them and let them know you want to hear it, that's important. Then I will do the same thing two more times [I could do it a few more, there is genuine heat on this thing]. After that I will be giving the whole thing to you guys for free. Revolutionary right? Not really. I plan revolution. Genuine revolution. I'm going to be locked in a studio next month for three days in which time I will completely reinvent my sound. I mean, completely. I have a few plans, it won't be called Marvin The Martian, or Marvin anything. It will be so sweaty you'll all shit yourselves because the sweat will act as a lubricant forcing the shit to fall through your cheeks no matter how hard you try to hold it in. How fucking disgusting was that? Can you tell I kinda need the toilet right now? Jesus. In Jack Nimble's removable harddrive right now I have at least 30 songs you've never heard. Pixel's got about the same, I need to get them out to you and promise I will.

For now I am done I think. That's all I have to say. If there's anything I'm missing here let me know. Until then, congrats to the big homie Example who got chart success last week. That bastard wanted it so much, he fucking deserves it. His next single is Calvin Harris produced ergo it will be a number 1. When it is I'm following him for a week to pick up a portion of the free shit he's gonna get.

Prize Fighter on Friday night. COME ON DANNY WILLIAMS!?!?!! Tyson Fury has to fight McDermott again, that's going to be a classic. Haye Vs Valuev November 7th. To PPV or not to PPV, Haye pulling out of the Klitchko fight was such a disappointment. This fight looks entertaining in a freakish way if nothing else though. That's enough boxing. That's enough everything.

HOLLA AT YOUR BOY!?!?!!! SCREAM AT ME WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

Monday 17 August 2009

Duck Season vol 3- Dj Babu



Is it a mixtape? An album? Dunno, but it's fucking dope. Thats right, it prompted me to type the phrase "dope". It's that kinda rap album/mixtape/whatever.

Took me stupid long to listen to this. I only knew (and loved) the M.O.P joint beforehand. Don't sleep like I did.

(Yeah, "dope" and "don't sleep". So what? I still talk like that.)

"Question, n****a, have you heard of Sean? Yeah, but I prefer Uncle Murder songs". Sean Price- The Unexpected

Wednesday 29 July 2009

Devil In The Distance came out 1 year and 2 days ago...










Yup. I never actually popped champagne on my album. How crazy is that? We said we were gonna do it when we got the deal first deal with Universal, then the second deal with Universal, then when the album was done, then we the album dropped and we never got around to it. So we're planning to pop a bottle next week in honour of my debut album. My favourite album of all time. The Universal released rap album by me. The Champers is already on chill waiting for next week when we can actually toast what we achieved. Fuck thinking about what we could have achieved, the album is perfect as I see it and as I wanted it. The next one will be as perfect.

To mark the anniversary of it, a small thing in a lot of people's eyes but a big one in mine; the link on to the album on the right of this page will no longer take you to iTunes but instead it will go straight to Spotify where you can listen to the album for free. When Apple sign off on the Spotify app for the iPhone the software will be available for pretty much all next gen smart phones and Spotify will be the way that the large majority of us consume our music for better or for worse. Who am I to stand in it's way? I was in the Westfield HMV a couple of weeks back and started playing with their download machine thing, I actually stumbled across my album for sale in their system, it kinda shocked me like, why would anybody pay for an album like this? I was in HMV buying CDs, don't get me wrong, but honestly I still don't get why anybody has ever paid for an MP3. Neil Young said "When this digital age is over, people will ask 'I wonder what the music really sounded like?'" I'm paraphrasing but the point remains.

Rather than worry about all that bullshit though [I really can't be bothered any more. Take my music for free, then one day, when this thing makes sense again, I'll make money off it] I figured embrace the bullshit.

LISTEN TO DEVIL IN THE DISTANCE ON SPOTIFY BY CLICKING HERE

Things I've listened to over the last few weeks... Part 2.

I feel I should explain what I've been listening to recently. I don't know why, is it to encourage you to listen to the same thing? Is it to make myself look busy? I don't know. I don't really take much from other rappers these days, not consciously anyway, I used to.

YOUNG CHRIS & DON CANNON/ THE NETWORK MIXTAPE: If you've been a regular on this site for a while you'll know I fucks with Young Chris. To me he's one of the best out there, he really needs an album but this tape is the closest he's come to a complete project so far. A lot of Roots style production leanings and pretty incredible guest rappers including Beanie Sigel, Wale, Freeway, Black Thought, Twista and Rhymefest. The mixtape was online exclusive freeness so if you search it you'll find a link.

JAY-Z/ DEATH OF AUTOTUNE: I know it's just one song and most people are sick of it but it doesn't stop being incredible. I'm not really in that 'Run This Town' place yet, not sure what I was expecting but I'm kinda nonplussed about it.

FREEWAY & JAKE ONE/ BLOGGERS: This Freeway and Jake One album is going to be amazing.

MAVADO/ MR. BROOKS...A BETTER TOMORROW: This album is way more soulful than the first album. It kinda lacks the punch but it makes up for it in some pretty amazing arrangements and concepts.

I'M ABOUT TO PUT THE FOLLOWING ON MY MP3 PLAYER....

CAGE/ DEPART FROM ME: Cage is one of the most underrated of all time, his first album had a big impact on me as a rapper. This album doesn't seem to have done very well for some reason, I might find out when I listen to it. I hope not.

NEWHAM GENERALS/ GENERALLY SPEAKING: I like Newham Generals, they fuck with some unusual production. I'm excited about this album.

FABOLOUS/ LOSO'S WAY: I've never really been a Fab fan but his last album held me down when I was writing 'Devil In The Distance'. During the day we weren't allowed to smoke in the studio so I'd grab the MP3 player, stand around the skreets and invariably end up listening to him. This album sounds a bit forced from what I've heard but it sounds a little less scatter-gun than his preview records so we'll see.

WALE/ BACK TO THE FEATURE: I wasn't sure about Wale for a while, but the more I hear him in context the more I appreciate how much better he is than most of the new generation of rappers. This tape got a lot of love so I need to listen to it.

Rap-a-doooo

So I guess...ummm...yeah. I've been so frickin' busy. Surviving this crazy recession yuddig? I haven't done any blogging whatsoever. The fuck is wrong with me? I've probably had a little bit of time but if I did I can't remember when. Oh I might have had some time a couple of weekends ago but instead I filmed Akira's new video. I was up at crazy early hours, sitting in a make-up chair and almost as if magic...hold on...



That's what it's going to look like. I think it looks sick. It was a lot of fun.

The BNP thing seems to have settled a bit doesn't it? I don't think that's a good thing, they're probably more active than ever in their power-bases talking up their negative publicity as conspiracy. God knows the current government aren't going out of their way to clear anything up. Why are that headless monster allowed to continue? I mean, seriously?

Last time I checked into the blog I told you I was almost done with my new project. Well I am done. WHAT? Yes. It's not my project so much. It's a collaborative project between me, Jack and Pixel. Jack produced every beat front-to-back with me and Pixel handling the vocals throughout. It's a new concept for us, we're actually dropping it in two parts. The first part [which isn't actually named yet] is done, done and done. We're mastering it [yeah boy, mastering free music, you don't get that often], designing the artwork, hitting a few DJs with some exclusives and dropping it exclusively right here on you swines. The next part of the project is 70% complete and the last 30% of it will be based on your reactions to the first part. I'll have artwork, a drop date, a name and all the rest in the next 2-3 weeks swear downs.

What else is going on? Hmmm...I'm thinking about going Xbox Live on you rarses. Who's on Live? I need to know I've got enough people to fuck with before I commit to my Xbox going online, I still think it's going to kill it.

Friday 10 July 2009

VIDEO: Craig David's manager is sick of people saying "Craig David's all over your boink!"


That's good secret video footage. Craig David is a G for sitting in the corner.

Thursday 9 July 2009

Salvador Dali and Walt Disney- "Destino"

I hear Disney might complete and release it. I didn't know it existed untill this morning.

Things That Are Better Than The Transformers Movies (part 4&5)

Break




Heinrad





From Toplessrobot.com

"Heinrad is perhaps the greatest Transformers toy ever made, and let me tell you why. He's like the Doc Brown of the Maximals, containing a working alarm clock in his stomach that, in the fiction, allowed him to briefly stop time and phase between different points in time. He also rocks a badass pair of goggles. Heinrad (sometimes known as Heinlad, likely due to translation issues) transforms into a Tanuki, a Japanese Raccoon Dog. It is a real animal but is also a prominent trickster character in Japanese folklore. Like the Tanuki of folklore, Heinrad carries a purse full of notes payable and a jar of saki, from which he liberally swigs. Unlike the folklore, Heinrad can combine the purse and saki into a missile-firing blaster. The actual Tanuki is known for its comically large testicles, and the Japanese of yore blessed the fictional Tanuki with even larger balls, which it would sling over its shoulders like an *ahem* sack and beat madly like they were drums. And, yes, Heinrad is anatomically accurate. He's got a nice pair of robo-balls positioned beneath his alarm clock tummy. See, Devastator in Transformers 2 wasn't the first Transformer to have a scrotum!"

Japanese awesomeness!

More at ToplessRobot.com (The 12 Strangest Transformers Beast Wars Figures).

Monday 6 July 2009

If Chris Brown was white he wouldn't be gettng such an easy ride.

I said it. I meant it. The way the "Urban" world is giving this guy a pass makes me sick. If I see him I'm gonna fuck him up. If Rihanna was white? Oh shit. That's another story completely.

VIDEO: XXL's I Know Rap People: DJ Edition


That Whoo Kid is a funny fucker.

Things I've listened to over the last few weeks...

I'm just going to list some things I've been listening to...

MY NEW PROJECT: I've been recording it and therefore listening to it. I say it's my new project. It's not. It's mine, Pixel's and Jack's. We don't have a name for it but it's almost finished and is almost ready for you good people. We'll shoot the cover next week.

50 CENT/ WAR ANGEL LP: 50 Cent is one of the best doing it right now period. If you don't think so then you are clearly confused as to what it is this thing of ours is. 'War Angel LP' goes very hard (excluding those two every-so-slightly-fruity numbers in the middle). If you haven't grabbed this yet, do it now, it's free on ThisIs50.com.

J.COLE/ THE WARM-UP: I was given this CD totally blind. I'm down the middle with it. I think the guy's got skills but I think he over-reached with some of his beat selection and his flow can get pretty monotonous when he doesn't have a specific subject. I'm with him for the time being though.

More later. Three posts in one day. Who'da thunk it ey?

So...uhh...Michael Jackson died.

Due to my slack blogging I've failed to mention the passing of one; Michael Jackson and my thoughts on it/him.

Well, suffice to say I'm sad. Of course. It's hard to truly quantify my feelings on Mike's passing as he'd spent the last 15-20 years going out of his way to annoy me and ruin his legacy...I guess. Did he? I don't know. I have to say I'm confused, not sit down and really think about it confused but more I'm writing right now and have to commit something in written form confused. The radio stations and music television channels have played Michael Jackson non-stop since, which probably helped me formulate my grief. Some of the greatest songs of all time were recorded by Michael Jackson, the greatest dancer of my lifetime (and that's the only time I'll ever not feel fruity talking about a man's dancing skills) and one of the only absolute ever-presents of my life (wargwarn Pat Butcher?). Is grief the right word though? I didn't expect him to ever achieve 'Billy Jean' again, I never expected to meet him, I never expected to see him live. I was absolutely convinced he'd pull-out of his scheduled O2 residency at some point (sad to think but I'm sure most of us had that feeling). I'd say I'm sad for his family (because of course it's sad for any family to lose a member, especially one so young) but for 20 years the public at large have had such a strange relationship with The Jackson family. Jermaine seems sad and he seems genuine. I'm definitely sad for him. Mike leaves behind an extraordinary body of music and a whole lot of questions. He definitely leaves the planet worse off, as his talent and showmanship doesn't seem to exist in any performer in the world today. I feel like there's a part of my soul missing without Jackson, not necessarily an important part, but those songs, that image, that voice, those moves, they've been with me my whole life in some form or other. I don't feel like I've lost anybody close to me, but I feel I've lost a little bit of the innocence I've carried with me from childhood, somehow knowing Michael Jackson was alive, thrilling, exciting and changing the lives of generation after generation obviously meant something to me. I can imagine this being the same way the majority of fans felt when Elvis died. Although Elvis wasn't fortunate enough to spend 45 years at the top man-and-boy influencing the world and surviving the cultural and technological advances Michael did.

There will never be another Michael Jackson.

I kind of got into it through my friend Danny. He’s really racist. Everyone calls him “Nazi Danny”


Sure thing. What ethnicity would you most like to make love to?
Oh, God, British.

Outside of that?
Say… black.
Hilarious interviews with "Babes of the BNP".

Tuesday 23 June 2009

Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience ft. Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli



The best bit is when Kweli explains where the "Black Star" name came from.

15 posts this month is not good enough

I'm sorry. I've been busy as fuck. I'm finishing the new mixtape this month though so it will all be worth it. I swear.

Thursday 11 June 2009

VIDEO: Jadakiss Feat. Swizz Beats & OJ Da Juiceman/ Who's Real?

I fuck with this song I don't care what anybody says. The video's on some proper Ruff Ryders shit too. Good times. Good feelings.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

VIDEO: Zack Morris on Jimmy Fallon

I belly laughed on several occasions watching this. He even brought back Zack Attack and the BANGER 'Friends Forever'. Oh shit that's genius.

God damn you Bob Crow!


I left work early yesterday so that I could visit the gym and still have time to beat the tube strike. I left the gym with an hour to spare and was greeted by this site. Tube staff turning people away from the barriers because of "Overcrowding" which I have to say did not seem too evident. When asked "Is it worth us standing here?" We were told "Probably not. Strike starts in 45 minutes dunnit?" Fucked off as I was, I walked a mile towards London Bridge carrying a heavy gym bag and a backpack with my laptop in it [I had to take my laptop home because I wouldn't be in work for two days, due to the strike]. I then got on two busses and found my way home, an hour and 20 minutes later than I would have normally. I'm not really complaining about the journey, the strike or Bob Crow's reasoning. The Tube goes on strike all the time and let's face it, Bob Crow needed the publicity with his No2EU: Yes To Democracy Party running for a European seat last week. I'm just pissed off by the fact that I wake up this morning to radio reporting that "Most Tube lines are running as normal?" The fuck is that? This isn't a strike! This is some bullshit. Fuck going into the office today though. Tomorrow too. That's £7.60 of Oyster Card travel Bob Crow won't be getting out of me.


On the plus-side though, I had the world's greatest lunch yesterday, that right there is a Jacket Potato with Vegetarian Chilli, Sour Cream and Cheese with a delicious Lemon Ice Tea. God damn that's some good shit. I got it from B.L.T on Great Eastern Street and it was fucking expensive [£4.60 without the drink. Rich people are probably laughing at my "Expensive" claim right now]. Also I got a serious amount of Cardio work done in the gym. 70 minutes uninterrupted. I'm getting stronger. Be scared.

Monday 8 June 2009

The BNP

So, the British National Party won two seats in the European Parliament yesterday. Interesting. By the same token, UKIP picked up 13 seats and 16.6% of the national vote. Something to consider. Democracy is democracy though and the fact of the matter is that 6.2% of roughly 40% of British people voted for the British National Party on Thursday and by that token, Nick Griffin is now an elected official representing the North West Region of England. Interesting. This fascinating article on the Channel 4 website using YouGov polling statistics to build up a rough idea of why people chose to vote BNP furthers my interest still. While I've been accused of choosing to believe that we don't live in as intolerant a society as some may have you believe, there can be little doubt that every one of those 6.2% knew when they ticked that box marked BNP, who they were voting for and why. Nick Robinson said last night that the BNP and UKIP votes would naturally be inflated due to the perceived [and justified] underdog status of the two, especially considering the [expected] backlash against mainstream politics [which we probably saw more in the poor turnout than anything else] due to the expenses scandal.

There has been much debate as to where the 943,598 BNP voters came from and what their agenda may be. "Mainstream politics" has been blamed. But the Conservatives reserved an almost identical vote share as they did in 2005, as did the Liberal Democrats. The issue of Europe immigration has been cited as a reason for the sudden switch, but the party standing on the ticket of European immigration is UKIP who received almost three times as many votes. There's a very clear indication this morning that where the BNP succeeded, votes were transferred from the Labour Party, our current party of government. Which moves somewhat beyond being "Interesting". YouGov say...
"...perhaps the most startling finding came when we tested anecdotal reports that many BNP voters were old Labour sympathisers who felt that the party no longer speaks up for them. The BNP is constantly cited as a "Far right party" which is a convenient way of saying "Racist" but strangely their actual political beliefs [they have a manifesto, who knew?] is a quite Leftist one, calling for Nationalisation of just about every industry within Britain. As many as 59 per cent of BNP voters think that Labour "used to care about the concerns of people like me but doesn’t nowadays".
While I could go on about why somebody in Leeds would choose to act out against the government in this fashion, I don't think it would be right to pick-on the insecurities and frustrations of the "Real" people in this country who have very much, gone unnoticed under this "Big business" government that somehow has the cheek to call itself "Labour". No doubt there will be a shift in local constituencies to drum home the old Labour beliefs and a shallow attempt at painting The Conservatives as the capitalist, uncaring, Thatcherites of the 70s and 80s will more than likely, go ignored by a country who has not only had enough of this government, but let's be honest had enough of it the day after Tony Blair won the last election.

As for the BNP, I'm hopeful that the press they're currently receiving will react negatively for them, with the stay-at-home voters of this election taking to the ballot box next time around. I also hope that anybody who chose to vote BNP this time [without patronising them and belittling their right to an opinion, same as me] arrive at the next general election with a clearer idea of what's affecting them and people like them in this country. While it would be foolish to deny that Britain has an immigration problem [I live in London and have eyes], the problem is probably not that "they're taking all our jobs" or "they're all on crank and they eat babies" but that we currently do not have the resources in place to facilitate such a large influx of people who want to work, want to pay taxes and want to be a part of British society. Beyond that, post-2001 it can not be denied that the anti-Islamic sentiment among the nation at large has grown at a very rapid rate, a lack of understanding, a lack of communication and a lack of humanity is causing fear, suspicion and hatred to grow, perhaps manifesting itself in some pretty heinous acts. I don't know how to bridge the gap between Islam and Britain, there are Islamic MPs, there are Islamic MEPs, there is now a Muslim in the Cabinet for the first time. While commentators and hate mongers constantly site the "Muslim Council of Great Britain" and their failure to condemn acts of violence and hatred carried out in the name if Islam across the world, it shouldn't be that an unelected group can be viewed as the voice of such a large portion of British people [hint, hint, Gordon?] when what we're talking about is a religious group embodying people from so many countries, regions and continents who often share a god and not much more.

Yesterday's European Election results shouldn't surprise many. The BNP have been making inroads for the last few years and unless the political media start challenging the major parties on issues that British people clearly feel strongly about then they will continue to grow. All that being said, it's quite possible that the 900,000+ BNP voters saw this election for what it was, a complete joke [Gordon Brown scoffed on The Andrew Marr Show this Sunday about Britain's foolishness when he himself will do as he pleases in Europe to "Protect British Jobs" regardless of how we voted in the European Elections] and decided to cast the ultimate protest vote against a government that is well past its sell-by-date. It's not a coincidence that The BNP Picked up seats in traditional Labour heartlands.

While I attempt to consider the potential ramifications of a post-devolution Scotland being run from London by a government with little-to-no presence in the country, I'll leave you with this, Britain is; like the rest of Europe, standing at a crossroad, where we turn at the next general election will shape the next 50 years. I don't know what we need to do, but it's about time people started working out what politics can do for them, for their families, for their futures, because if we continue to leave it to the rest to make the decisions, we could well see extremist parties, religious parties and destructive parties gain more and more seats in local councils, Parliament and European Parliament. For now, this article on The Guardian website talks about Nick Griffin's relative treatment from the BBC this morning.

VIDEO: Bobb'e J. Thompson/ Bro Mitzvah


This is the kid from Role Models and that one episode of Joey. I like it.

Death of Autotune- The hard shit's back

By now you've all heard 'Death of Autotune' and whether or not you believe Jay-Z can kill the craze by his lonesome, you can't deny the record's bang-bang-bang-ness. Me, Jack, Pixel, Tego and Ben sat in Farside on Stockwell Road in January and talked about what we wanted to do this year. We kept coming back to the same point "We want to do hard shit" [pause]. I've mentioned on this site that I fucks with Tinchy Stryder, no doubt, I like him and I like his pop songs, I'm less into N-Dubz and DJ Ironik but you have to respect the way they communicate with their fans and produce hit-after-hit. The knock-on affect of those guys being as successful as they are has been that all the wannabes in the UK [NAMES GO HERE] sweetened themselves up for a Cadbury's Product launch. When "Grime" first reached the ears of the mainstream, it was in a [largely] negative context [beautiful], people were scared of these black boys scattered around London painting the City in a post millennium way nobody could ever have articulated. 'Boy In Da Corner' is and was, the best representation of teenage life in the capital, a triumph yet to be repeated. With that album came Dizzee clones [NAMES GO HERE], they came, they thinned the genre's credibility and made it hard for Dizzee's following albums to have the affect they probably deserved [I fucks with all of his albums no question]. Dizzee fights on and continues to achieve hit-after-hit with a backdrop of credibility and a body of work that nobody in the UK can ever touch [maybe The Streets' first album but that last one could have undone all that hardwork, we'll see what the next album offers].

When Kanye West dropped in '04 he changed hip-hop across the world, "The Kanye factor" probably wasn't totally evident until his '07 album 'Graduation' dropped and everybody started sampling from the same pool, wearing the same clothes and copying just about everything unique in his flow [the reason '808s and Heartbreak' was such a departure? I'd hazard a guess that maybe so]. With Kanye's success [inevitably] came a slight move to the centre in terms of aggression. Rappers started wearing Polos and Sweater Vests, they started singing on hooks and all of a sudden College was the Projects. At this point I should make it clear that I love Kanye West, 'Heartless' is my ringtone and I think he's one of the most important performers in the world today. The "Softening" of rap was not Kanye's fault, hip-hop needed him when it got him, originality is hard to come by in rap, being liberal and educated though; is not a trend. How did it become one? Because everybody wanted a bite of Kanye's apple. Three, four and five million sold is nothing to scoff at, after-all, hip-hop is run by "Entrepreneurs" and "CEOs" whose creative thought process generally works thusly "Which producer is doing the best impression of a Timbaland beat right now? How much does he charge? How much does his Mexican, non-union equivalent charge? Let's move!". The move away from confrontational rap music [three years before Kanye was the biggest rapper in the world he was producing the best beef record of all time for Jay-Z] and towards a more liberal, sensitive form of rap was not necessarily a bad one. Easier for the mainstream to consume and TV shows to licence, who knows how rap would have survived the industry recession without it? But inevitably the people grow wary. Believe it or not, 50 Cent was the only rapper in the mainstream even making an attempt to be aggressive and was wholly vilified for it during the Kanye West Soundscan war.

When Jay calls for "The mixtape Weezy" on 'DoA' he's calling for that rapper we were all amazed by once upon a time. Not the 'Let It Rock', 'Lollipop' rapper that tops the charts. Maybe I'm one of the few who actually wants to hear some well-produced, well-conceived, traditionalist, aggressive hip-hop again, but I somehow doubt it. In 2009, when Eminem's your mother's ringtone and N-Dubz are performing your Gran's birthday party, how are we letting Emo get away with being the most feared musical genre? Maybe I'm shallow, maybe I'm ignorant, but I want to get banned from the motherfucking radio like Giggs, I want to get banned from the clubs like Three 6 Mafia, I want to get banned from TV like Shabba. I don't want to force it, but for fuck sake, we're in a recession, the industry's dead and all we've got is a few autotune anthems about how "Shawty got weave" and such nonsense. I'm glad Jay's killing autotune and I'm glad he's doing it hardcore. Not for New York's sake, not for London's sake, but for disillusioned, frustrated people everywhere. We are the hip-hop generation and we're acting like we live in a Bratz DVD box-set. Fuck that.

Death of pussy rap. Moment of silence.

Thursday 4 June 2009

Is it true, that if I don't use it, I lose it?


Democracy people. It's a sexy behemoth. A horny puddle. A warm massage. You may or may not remember 13 months ago, I exercised my right to vote in the pouring rain. Well today it was blazing sunshine, sunglasses and shorts as I placed a large cross in a column that didn't read Labour or BNP [new acronym; Blacks Never Parlay?]. How humiliated will Gordon Brown-Face be in the morning? I await with baited breath. Genuinely I do, the idea of another term in government for that party actually suffocates me. I can't take it. Democracy is a pregnant dwarf and sometimes you just want to kick it in the stomach. You've been pregnant for 12 years and you gave birth to this? You stupid dwarf prick! Hopefully a third or fourth place finish in today's European election will bring forward a general election. Then Vince Cable can tell me how to vote. You can do it Vince!

VIDEO: Boris falls into a river

Hahaha. That's funny.

Well, fuck you whitey!


This sort of thing plays right into the BNP's hands.

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Friday night in photos: By Ian Byford








The homie Ian Byford just dropped these in the comments section. Check them all out, including Akira's set HERE.

Monday 1 June 2009

Leaked shots of the new PSP


I still play my PSP [kinda] but there's no doubting it needed an upgrade. I hope this is backward compatible and I hope it costs a reasonable price [unlike the £200 the original retailed at]. Details...
- 16GB of internal memory, expandable memory slot.

- 43 percent lighter than the PSP-3000, making it roughly 108 grams. Nintendo's DSi weighs a comparatively chubby 214g.

- A smaller 3.8" screen (the PSP-3000's is 4.3"). The DSi's is 3.25".

- Bluetooth-capable.

- New games on deck, including Metal Gear Solid, Jak & Daxter, Gran Turismo, and LittleBigPlanet.

- No second analogue nub. Doh.

- Available this fall.
Little Big Planet on the PSP should be amazing.

Sunday afternoon...

So the sun was out, I was restless after the F.A Cup Final [which was 50% darkness due to somebody forgetting how to design a proper football stadium] and I wanted to get some exercise. What better to do than drive 3 hours out of London to the greatest beach on these here British shores? Nothing. I went out to a secret location in Norfolk I discovered with my family some 5 or 6 years back and it was exactly as amazing as I remembered it.

The sun wasn't fucking around and the water was crisssssssp.
Ben was feeling it.

After stopping for a while, enjoying a cloudy lemonade and a tasty sammich I hit the sea for a spot of swimming. God damn. Shit was cold but oh so refreshing. While in the sea, I noticed a huge black dog wash past me on a wave. It made a noise something between moaning and gasping for air. I waited for the wave to subside before reaching around to find the dog. I couldn't. Slightly concerned I decided that what I'd actually seen was a man, his shoulder, his shorts, something, stride past me. But how could I? There was practically nobody on the beach with us. The swimmer's head never emerged. I'd all but forgotten about it by the time I exited the sea, found a seat on the beach and watched the waves. At which point I noticed another dog swimming, it disappeared "Wow that dog's dead!" I declared. Moments later it's head popped up 20 foot deeper facing the other direction "That's a motherfucking Seal!" I shouted. Desperate for photographic evidence to show you swine, I raced to the front of the tide to take a picture, the Seal reappeared twice and the second time popped up with a friend. Which was fairly awesome. My stupid camera phone didn't do a very good job of picking them out and I can't even find the shot that was taken at the time of the Seal affair. Who says you can't holiday in-land? Idiots that's who!

This was a fairly awesome sand car somebody made on the beach next to ours. No story, just thought it looked great.

Now it is hot and musty in London Town and I need lunch. I'm going back to my secret beach this month for a few days. I have to.

Friday night...


So before I start I should say this, we had Pixel's super-flashy, expensive camera on Friday night, I took some shots, then Ben took some shots, then Tiago took some shots. Then of course Pixel left the last of the true ravers and while he has the camera I now realise that I have his camera charger. If he wants it back he knows what he has to do. These two [yeah I only have two] photos are taken on my phone and thus don't do much justice to my awesome photography skills.

So Friday was Marvin's first gig of 2009. It was Pixel's first gig in over 18 months. Which is crazy. Rather than ease themselves into it though, they decided to do a whole set of previously unheard numbers, not-a-one song in the set had ever been performed before. One of which [the finale and most awesome song by most accounts] has never been heard outside of the studio barring a couple of car journeys with man-dem. Shaking off a touch of rust Marvin and Pixel performed these songs in order...
1) Come On [Pixel]
2) Red Rum [Marvin]
3) The Forecast [Pixel]
4) Blaow Blaow [Marvin]
5) Bug Out [Pixel]
6) Sterling Crumble [Marvin]
7) Tin Can [Marvin]
8) Falling Down [Marvin & Pixel]
All of which [apart from 'Falling Down'] will feature on Marvin and Pixel's new mixtape coming early July to Devil In The Distance. What's 'Falling Down' for I hear you ask? *Taps nose*
After Marvin and Pixel's set, me and Ben Official hit the decks to pump out some classic hits, you may have heard the likes of 'Gamble On Me' by Cory Gunz and T-Pain, 'On The Rock' by Mavado and Jay-Z, 'Ghost Ride It' by Mister Fab, 'Tell Me When To Go' by E40 and Keak Da Sneak and a whole lot more. We then transitioned into Akira's set, which was the best I've seen him perform, without a doubt. His band was on some shit, brass section? Are you crazy! Genius. Morty was on point, so was Joey, shit was crazy. As the performance went on, the gangingest crew you ever did meet started to down ciders and unknown spirits [pictured above] and the night got fairly crunk. Video footage of what followed will be available soon. Suffice to say that Crusty Sleeve invented the Willy and used it to give Luke all the AIDS. At which point Luke proclaims to have borrowed the Willy and used it to transfer the AIDS on to Tiago, a motion that was then rejected. The video will of course decide.

Wednesday 27 May 2009

VIDEO: Me on The Politics Show


The Hackney Wick DJ Vlad hooked it up! You might have spotted him on just about every hip-hop blog that matters yesterday. Hey Pix, fuck Joe Budden.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Me on The Politics Show


As Jack mentioned on Saturday, I was invited to speak on The Politics Show this Sunday about the controversial Form 696. The form relates to live music and the Metropolitan Police's ability to request sensitive and discriminatory information from promoters, performers and patrons so as to assess the "Potential risk" of that event. Feargal Sharkey wrote a fairly explicit letter to the Met asking for the form, which while officially voluntary has become mandatory in many London boroughs, to be reviewed, an "Official review" has been announced and it's hoped will see the form repealed. While the main focus of the outrage has been a racial one, there are far reaching implications for the creative community as a whole. By filling in Form 696 we are effectively allowing The Police to decide that if they don't agree with my message and who I'm delivering it to, then they can shut me down. Throughout history music has been a great communicative tool in times of struggle and hardship, the idea that I can no longer use the gift I feel I've been given to communicate a message to my people, because The Police don't want me to, scares me to my soul. The Police State doesn't get much realer than that. In Chile, in South Africa, in Afghanistan, songs were used to inspire, to teach, to relay messages of hope and determination against fascist regimes. In London, 2009 we have to ask for permission. You can watch the show on the BBC iPlayer HERE. The Form 696 section kicks in at about 31 minutes. If anybody could rip the 696 section so I can put it on Youtube I'd appreciate it. I downloaded the whole thing through the iPlayer software but the BBC appear to have it coded like clever internet people.


While in the Green Room waiting to go on I managed to grab a quick chat with Peter Tatchell about Form 696 which was pretty great. Peter Tatchell's one of the bravest men in the country, he doesn't give a fuck, a real fighter for the downtrodden. I don't always agree with him but it takes a lot of balls to be that guy.

There's been a lot of people very outspoken on the Form 696 issue including DJ Semtex, DJ MK, Bashy and Tinchy Stryder whose blogging helped me when doing last minute research on Saturday night so I thank you all. Also thanks to Akira for sending the BBC in my direction. I'm gonna tear down Dawn of the Don on Friday. Yiggity!

This week I shall be mostly listening to... Method Man & Redman/ Blackout 2


I'm satisfied. Red and Meth actually went out of their way to select nice beats, rather than stupid beats with obvious samples, they kept the skits to a minimum (when they're minimalist like that you actually enjoy them), they rapped better than either of them have on solo projects for a few years and they maintained their straight-man/ funny-man dynamic without making Method Man seem boring. Granted I've only listened once but got damn it I'm a fan. I will listen some more.

So Liverpool lost the Youth Cup Final First Leg


My first football match ended in a humiliating defeat on Friday. Arsenal's kids were something else it has to be said, as a laymen I can tell you I saw some extraordinary talent on show. We lost 4-1 in the end but it could have been more, I spent the first half actually willing the ball to a kid named Jay Emanuel-Thomas' feet, he was incredible. Despite being with only one other Liverpool fan, one Chelsea fan and two Arsenal fans, we decided to sit stand in the Liverpool section, which at least gave the game a little bit of spice. It also taught me a whole new repertoire of songs I never knew existed. I now also know the Arsenal responses to them. To be fair the fan banter got a bit heated at times when a couple of cocky Arsenal fans started singing "Sign on" lyrics to the words of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Something I didn't personally agree with. The other half of the football crew were with child so couldn't really sit in the slightly hostile setting of the Liverpool away section, by all accounts they went to a different game. We ran into Paul Ince before kick-off (I think his son was playing?) and Spoony joined our stand in the second half to a chorus of "SPOONY! SPOONY!" I think the second leg of the final is tonight in Liverpool and barring some kind of Arsenal collapse I can't see my boys winning it. I will definitely go to another football match though, the stadium alone was worth the visit. Word to the Transport Police who wanted beef in Stockwell on the way home. Cock.

UPDATE: Just found out the second leg is on Setanta Sports. Gonna have to hit Jack's to watch that.

Monday 25 May 2009

Saturday 23 May 2009

Marv has been invited to discuss the controversial Form 696 on The Politics Show tomorrow. Tune in to BBC1 at 12 mid-day Sunday for some opinions.

More from Marv later on. He's revising.

Untill then, here is Form 696. Have a read. See what all the fuss is about.

Thursday 21 May 2009

VIDEO: Kanye West Feat. Mr Hundson/ Paranoid

Why are you so Paranoid? Noid? Noid?

I'm going to my first football match tomorrow...


I'm going to see my boys Liverpool play Arsenal in the Youth-Cup Final First Leg at The Emirates Stadium tomorrow night. Exciting I know. Pixel, Jack, Ben, Tego & Bosh went to the Semi-Final between Arsenal and Manchester City which ended 3-1, this time I think 12 of us are going so it should be a party. I've never been to an actual football match before as I don't generally give a shit about the game but over the last couple of years I've developed a certain understanding and appreciation for it and am hoping tomorrow's game will make me a proper fan in the eyes of the lord or whatever. I might even start a team. I got those teckers!

This week I shall be mostly listening to... Gangstarr/ The Ownerz


I'm worried that this section has been too underground so far. I guess it's about that time of year when you want some of that underground shit.

I fucking love this album. Guru says he hated Premier when they made it, which I guess you can kinda hear. Beat for beat it's one of the best produced rap albums of all time. Not quite 'Moment Of Truth' lyrically it does feature some great guest features from Jadakiss, M.O.P, Bumpy Knuckles and even Fat Joe!?!?!