Good to be back

I appreciate all the comments, messages and emails you've been sending me. I also appreciate those who have posted the song, especially Akira who has a mixtape/T-Shirt coming out in 2 days. I now have to decide what song to give away next...I've got some "Songs" but I also have a thing I produced pretty much. That will be on the mixtape definitely. I wouldn't say I produced it but Jack says I did and I guess I did. It's my first original production. I did all the production and arrangements on 'Beware of the Voices' on my last tape which is where I got the bug for controlling the record front-to-back but that was Ice Cube's beat originally, he got jacked. How do you like that Cube? You got Cube'd!

Anyway, I doubt that's the song I'm going to be giving you next week. I've got a load of options. I should probably ask you guys but I don't want to spoil anything. It's going to be a banger though. Something with a more traditional arrangement than 'Loose Change' which was just...an amount of bars formed into one huge long verse while Jack brought in crazy synths, guitars, drums and what-not, building into a crescendo, an explosion, a cliff...which of course manifested itself in the word "Bitch". That's my style. Writers love to take their words and throw them off a cliff like that. Into the lake, after hitting a few rocks on the way down. "Bitch".

So it's my birthday tomorrow. I'm, years old. I'll tell you next year. To celebrate I am going to take Thursday off and spend time with my family. Woo. Then on Friday I'm going to see Avatar with Jack. I hear it's great. I'm not so into lanky blue guys talking for 3 hours but I can't ignore everybody who comes up to me and slaps me for not having seen it any longer. If I hate it I'm never trusting people ever again. I'm going to make an album about how Avatar made me stop trusting. Then I'm going to kick James Cameron in the nuts for stealing another 3 hours of my life. I'm, years old now. I can't waste that shit. Then on Saturday I'm going to get drunk with my niggas. I don't know where yet. But drunk is the important thing. Then on Sunday I'm doing straight, non-stop, unadulterated recording. Oh yeah. I've got many songs ready to go, Jack had to pick up some new studio elements this week and we're going to bang out some hits.

That's about it. I was given Hadouken's new album on Sunday, I haven't given it a proper listen but James is my boy from Leeds '06. God damn '06. That's 4 years ago now. Crazy.

Example is number 6 in the charts everybody. Number flipping 6. He'll be number 1 in the summer. He works so hard. We're all so proud of him. It's only when you look at the chart and see who he's ahead of that you realise just what an incredible job he's done. Keep going Ell.

Okay. That's me for now. I've run out of things to say. BE GONE!

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 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.

Dawn of the Don tonight

LIVE NEWS: Me and Pixel added to 'Dawn Of The Don' line-up

Me and Pixel are going to be performing exclusive new material [none of the songs we're performing have ever been performed or heard outside of the studio, if you want classics you'll be at the wrong show. Strictly future classics] at Akira The Don's 'Dawn of the Don' gig on Friday May 29th. Most of the songs performed will make up the new mixtape which Jack is in the process of mixing as I type [real mixing rather than DJ Mixing, that process is a few weeks off at least].

We'll be joining Akira on the bill with Stephen Hague, Joey2Tits, Blonde Jeremy Deacon, Zombiehamster and Kill Witnesses who are all DJ'ing. You should buy advance tickets and look at the awesome flyer HERE.

@ The Gaff
382 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PN
020 7609 3063

Friday, May 29th 2009
7pm till late
£6 on the door, or £5 with a flyer (you can print the flyer from Akira's site)

I'll bring you more details as and when.

VIDEO: Example & Don Diablo/ Hooligans

Don Diablo & Example - Hooligans
Yeah boy that video came out nice. Some serious cameos from some real, real players in there. That's right; players.

VIDEO: Akira The Don- Theme From Star Trek 2009

Akira dropped this in the club the other night. This should be a boxer's intro music. Star Trek will get you HYPED!

Passing through Dogstar on Friday where Akira's DJ'ing

An ickle wickle flyer.

Friday 10th April
b.o.r.e.d
Akira the Don [www.akirathedon.com] joins DJ/producer/Remixer Jeffrey Disaster, delivers a full on hiphop dancefloor assault - and to launch Akira’s new Mixtape with the cream of UK hiphop Mcs Live throughout the night and a bank holiday dose of r&b, mashups, bashment, reggae and dubstep for good measure
7pm-4am.
The Dogstar,
Coldharbour Lane,
SW9 (020-7733 7515)
free before 10pm, £5 after.

We gon' get our party on you deeyug? Maybe spit some hot, hot bars. Jack, Pixel and me already confirmed for appearances.

I bought a Wacom Bamboo

Never let it be said that Akira The Don is not an inspiration. After watching his Omega Sanction artwork videos [one of which I've encoded below] I parted with hard earned fundage for a little Wacom Bamboo Tablet. It arrived in Tuesday from Amazon in a box about 50 times its actual size and I started fucking around with it yesterday. I sucked at first but on my third try I'm starting to get the hang. I actually got an Art GCSE and was something of a prodigy with the pen/clay [yeah boy] and I haven't really done any drawing since I left school in '02. A couple of months back I drew the guy to the right of me in the office [you don't need to know his name. I might scan it and run it through Photoshop actually] as if he'd been addicted to meth and I had a lot of fun doing it, the picture turned out okay [good enough to bluetak onto the wall thank you very much] but it gave me a drawing bug. Akira came along with his badderman drawing skills and I was pushed over the edge. I've attached a little Pixel trace and colour thing I did yesterday afternoon [click to enlarge]. I will post my designs over the coming months so you can measure my improvement.

The Omega Sanction

Akira's new Mixtape-Album is almost ready to drop. You can pre-order it for £4.99 which is a pretty sweet deal. He's also got T-Shirt's for sale that look fucking decent. Everything I've heard from 'The Omega Sanction' so far has been hot, hot like my feet this morning while I was breaking in a new pair of All Stars. Fucking All Stars. A C.D and a T-Shirt for £14.99 is a hell of a deal it has to be said. That cover is so gangster.

AkiraTheDon.com for details.

Example Video Shoot Photos

MORE HERE

On The Roads w/ Akira The Don & Littles

I wanted to drop this last week but I'm pretty much following Akira's lead with it. This is 'On The Roads' an Akira The Don song featuring Littles and myself produced by the talented Joey2Tits. You can download it below by right-clicking and saving as. You can then play it at your Christmas parties and such as the like, you can also email all of your favourite radio shows and say "Have you got 'On The Roads' by Akira, Littles and Marvin? Because that's what I want to hear!". You should do that.

On The Roads w/ Akira The Don & Littles Produced by Joey2Tits [Right Click and Save as]

MIXTAPE: A Hard Toke In- The Remix Tape Featuring Me

Check it here. The Rowdy Road Running Remix of Bladed is crazy. You'll notice I'm on there a couple of times.

Littles- Out On Bail