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in many London boroughs, to be reviewed, an "Official review" has been announced and it's hoped will see the form repealed.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!

Dizzee Rascal- Rotate Freestyle [with DJ MK & Shortee Blitz]

Dizzee absolutely murks this. I don't know what it is about 'Rotate' but I like that beat. It sounds like a late 90s Def Jam single which I wouldn't have liked at the time but somehow I feel it.

MP3: Dizzee Rascal- Rotate Freestyle [with DJ MK & Shortee Blitz]

"What? F*ck off back to Iran if you don't like Tim Westwood"

Me and Jack were watching Pimp My Ride UK yesterday, which we tend to do as it's way better than Pimp My Ride US due to Westwood's hilarity; but yesterday the young Iranian lady who was getting her car pimped (a VW Beetle) spent the entire show constantly trying to cock block Westwood's jokes. It started irritating us as Westwood is hilarious on PMRUK, he once had us in hysterics when he ordered a hot dog from that weird Pink Haired chick with the lines "Extra Mustard, hold the onions AND MAKE SURE YOUR BUNS ARE FRESH!!!" I still laugh at that line. He's a genius. I know some are offended by Westwood, they don't get it, that's fine, but for Westwood to be pimping your gaffer-taped rust bucket at no cost and then for you to disrespect him like that; it's simply not on. "What? F*ck off back to Iran if you don't like Tim Westwood" Jack announced in a totally non-racist kind of way. Westwood is an institution, he really is, you hear how the best DJs in the world talk about Westwood and it's with nothing but respect.

But why blog such randomness I hear you ask? Well because the incident popped back into my head this morning when I stumbled upon DJ MK's blog where he has just thrown up classic 1989 Westwood and DJ Marley Marl on air MP3 goodness. Listen to it, download it and remember why Westwood is often considered the greatest hip-hop DJ of all time.

On a related note, I once met DJ MK, I was DJ'ing for Marvin at Cargo in 2006, the sound was shocking and Marvin just had a full page in the Metro that day so the venue was rammed; I was stood next to MK, me knowing who he was but him obviously not knowing who I was and noticing that I had no idea what I was doing helped me get some more boom out of the system, it made an impact but it still wasn't a great show. MK's C.V currently reads "Regular DJ for Roots Manuva, sometimes DJ for Dizzee Rascal and have my own show on Kiss FM" that's pretty impressive. He rocked the party that night too.

I once met Tim Westwood too. We were on a billing together at Islington Academy with Lethal Bizzle, Ghetto, Skinnyman and N-Dubz. It was only last year November but it feels like longer, Westwood was so safe, he was DJ'ing from the same station as me, he was using Serato like a real pimp, I was using CDs. He said he "Loved [our] hit single" I'm not sure which single that was but it was great to hear. I bowed to him like he was the king, I'd do it again! Story time is fun.