Keep sending beats...

You guys are good. There's been some seriously inspirational stuff so far, I'm surprised we haven't done this before.

Keep sending whylout[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Marvin has started work on new music

So you guys did what needed to be done and I caught up with Marvin on Monday night when he revealed to me that he had just been in a meeting with Jack where they played through some beats and started putting some plans together. The thinking at the moment is that Marvin actually has half a mixtape in the bag and maybe a 3rd of an album or half of an EP. The sounds of the mixtape and the album are very different but we will be releasing them both in 2010. The album currently sounds very dark, very haunted. An intriguing development I'm sure you'll agree.

He is accepting beat submissions for his mixtape via email whylout[at]hotmail[dot]com and would love to have you guys be involved.

I have told Marvin he needs to tell you what's going on directly and he says he will do.

September

It's the 9th month of the year. The summer is over, the Autumn is here. I've got a crazy lot of shit going on in my life right now that I'm not going to get into but I will talk you through my rapper plans for the month.

The First!!!

A new Video! We are shooting a new video this month for one of my favourite songs on the album. I'll let you know more details in the coming weeks. It's an ambitious treatment, an arty treatment, something that will probably be too controversial for TV. Something that we really want to do.

The Second!!!

A new Mixtape! I've been recording for the last two weeks. I did some stuff at the start of the month and I've set myself a 10 day deadline for completing it. Then I hand it over to Jack who will mix it, we'll record drops and we'll give it to the people i.e. you. The mixtape is called 'Somebody's Watching Me' and so far it's sounding hot. I guarantee hotness.

The Third!!!

Gigs! In these credit crunchy times it's hard to book one off gigs hardly anywhere, but I have a couple and I will be bringing a new set for these dates. September 6th in Bridgwater and September 14th at Shoreditch Shuffle.

The Fourth!!

I technically don't have a fourth! Not that I'm ready to tell you about anyway. The second half of the month will be spent mostly getting ready for November. Which is going to be a good month. But also January/ February, which is the scheduled release time for my second album! Woah!

And so on...

GIG NEWS: Live @ Madame JoJo's- October 15th

This is going to be a party of epic proportions. A load of celebrity DJs and such. It was originally scheduled for September 18th at The End but you know how that goes. It's an exclusive invite only function/affair but I'm definitely going to have some invites for Devil In The Distance scum bag regulars such as yourselves a little closer to the date.

Word. Back to the mixtape. Oh no wait. I have some articles I've been brewing up over the weekend. Then mixtape.

Doncast 13. Interview with Me!

Me and the dude Akira sat down this week to talk about my album which is out now. As you know. You can download the conversation in Podcast form by right clicking as saving as the link below...

Akira The Don Feat. Marvin: Doncast16 (right click and save as).

To stream live go Here.

Buy the album on iTunes HERE

The Voice review Devil In The Distance

Just in.

PREVIOUSLY: Interview In The Voice

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.

Marvin interview w/ CMU

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

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]

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)

Dads Space

I talked about my contributions to Dads-Space a couple of weeks back. I have no put together all the links to my Dads-Space videos below.

Bonding with your baby
Changing relationships
Challenges of being a dad
Playing with your kids

I wish I'd had this site a few years ago. Seriously. Word to the Dads.

Plan-B on Thursday

I'm going to tear the fucking place down on Thursday. Seriously, you don't know how ready I am for this gig. It's going to be legendary. I swear to you. I've been planning this in my head for like a month.

Next Thursday I'm at Nambucca at a free event. Email me for the list. That's a gig I'm doing for Poison Pen who directed and produced my first two videos.

Marvin- Superhero [Directed by David Aspinall] (on iTunes now)


Marvin- Get By (Be Good) [Directed by Paul Morricone] (on iTunes now)

The Blogspot Mixtape live on Datpiff

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

Super official.

Catching the wave

That One Time.

That One Time [HunchBakk 2 Skool Bootleg Mix]

I've been holding this back for a couple of weeks now. I've mentioned HunchBakk on Devil In The Distance before. He's done a remix of 'That One Time', it's hot. Download it! Yey!

That One Time [HunchBakk 2 Skool Bootleg Mix] [zShare]

Me aka NYoil on 2DobeBoyz.com

Frig knows how this happened by Akira just sent through a link. 2DopeBoyz.com have got my picture on an article about NYOil who wrote that song about getting lynched and who called Nas out something serious for his 'Be a Nigger Too' song. Man if 2DopeBoyz linked me that would make my day. Those of you who have listened to the mixtape already this morning will have heard me shout them out at the end. Their website is very serious.