#SoundsOfUtopia - Angel - #JustSaying

No one should be surprised anymore when talking about Angel. The singer embodies Brandy melodic harmonies with a thugish persona. Did you get that?

Taken from In Between Time, the vocalist drops the visuals for #JustSaying.

Quick sing along gas. Uh huuuuuuuuuuuuh, uh huuuuuuuuuuh (8)

NO WAY! MANS ON A BOAT! SWITCHING! TOO NANG (Should be a tad longer though but big up the reload button)

Wiley – Step 17

A man said "[I] wanna get 'bout quick so I put a grand on an Oyster" Wiley - Step 17 Freestyle (Prod. By Preditah) | DOWNLOAD

About Time 1.12.12 Mix

Latest mix. Something quick... But always Nang.

#NANG x #NANGCONT.

Underdog Psychosis; real.

DOWNLOAD #Blacklisted HERE: http://bit.ly/SkeptaBlacklisted "My teacher said I'm a sideman, I told her to remember me... Now they wanna email me asking if I can talk to the kids in assembly (mmmMMMmmMMMmmm)"

Review: Disclosure @ Plan B 6.12.12 w/ AlunaGeorge

 Depending on where you reside in our multicultural country, a white dude and fair skinned lady may not be a new sight to you but I'd like to put the last bit of my overdraft on there not being a duo more musically inclined and fun loving on stage than AlunaGeorge. Opening for another act is always a near-nervous task, as the masses have most likely trekked for the headliner, but the performances were 'attracting flies' (as they were the shit) with the sensual skanks and wavy zoned out head bops from George, screamed otherwise.

The angelic soft tone vocals, almost nostalgic to Pokemon's Jigglypuff, melted the gazers in Plan B. Little light riding hood continued the pace with saucy belly rolls, ironically fitting for You Know You Like It.

"First name George, last name is is a badman" went ham sandwich with the 'mother fucker I'm ill' sample on the detachable limb of an MPC, only for Aluna to accompany the freestyle blind out.
The penultimate 2013 (no typo) rendition of the Montell Jordan classic This Is How We Do It sent the people back before bringing everyone to the present 'Your Drums, Your Love' to get the sing along crew's diaphragms warmed up.

Journey - Anyway You Want It, Leon Ware - I Wanna Be Where You are and then some occupied the change over period. Might I add, best selection of time filler tunes I've heard in any show.

The brothers touch the stage, prepping their umpteen instruments for an anxious venue. No long ting. The vibe was initiated from the get go with a 'let the beat build' style of random bass injections. With no stop and start, they get into ['If you don't mind ditching the bar'/ proper don't know this one]. The trusted MPC gets another feature in full effect with the first guest Sinead Harnett singing out 'Boiling', and the gruesome two. Fuck, she's sexy, anyway, her mic was either sent from Thor or Loki because it was so crispy. I don't know why I thought of them, but you should get the gist.

Taste of the poison was so sweet. Not as sweet as how they brought in 'Tenderly' on a calm one. Crowd erupts. They did it a key up which was 'Gonnnne' (in your best Ralph Hardy impression). Second guest with the first time performance of the Artful Dodger Remix. Please Don't Turn Me On with the original singer Lifford was upped. Ready for the baseline...

*Review comes to an abrupt stop as I had to leave to a DJ booking but I heard its entirety was epic so... Take my/their word for it.*

MTV Video Music Awards 2012: All Access Live Stream

If the link pars you, click here

#SoundsOfUtopia: Nas - Bye Baby

Saying bye byeeeeeeee (8)

Why this songs is so high in the Richter scale of melodiousness, other than it delves into the personal relationship of Nasir and Kelis in a respectable but enticing manor, it echos 'true' Hip Hop with the raspy bass and the singer belting out.

Nas further cements his smoothness in the visuals for Bye Baby, taken off of his Life is Good album, which got him his first UK top 10 album.


I think music in the 90s/ early 00s was better because humanity had more integrity. This screams 90s to me.

Kanye West - Mercy (Funkystepz UK Bass Mix)

If you know me, you'll know how spectacle I can be about a Kanye West remix but this one is a certified bubble. Funkystepz brings out a new nu vibe with this Mercy remix, keeping the Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz verses in.


Download

Alizé: Stage Taken

Beauty. Innocence. Taste. Alizé Demange. @LaLaStalker

#Nang: A$AP Rocky x Schoolboy Q - Back & Forth

These are the conversations I have with my peoples and they are just as funny, but hearing it come from these Brand New Guys just gives it that extra bit of nang that only the world can supply you with.

Noisey are too crispy with the videos. I have all these similar ideas but not the man power to implement them.

Noisey/ Vice better find me some way on one of those miraculous Twitter story tips or... It's peak cus once I get up on my feet.

"Man, I got so much shit up on my plate dawg. I was hangin' ... I know the world got more problems and it's much bigger. But I figured, I'd get some shit up off my chest." - 'Puffy'

#SoundsOfUtopia: Angel Haze - New York

Smoothness.
Angel Haze sounds so smooth it made me feel like a new lover of the art form. Simplistic nangness as she rides the riddim oh so sexy with beautiful 'cooovert' flows and lines.

Enticing home made visuals too featuring masks and the thought provoking. I'm going to enjoy this new audio journey.

#WheelCameAt 46 seconds.

Download her Reservation EP

A man speaks to himself, 20 years from now, then.

"A Conversation With My 12 Year Old Self: 20th Anniversary Edition"

Fuck.
Why didn't I think of this when I was 12. If I do it now, it may be too late. I may lose the footage on an external hard drive or one of many possible reasons it may fail but I'm going to do it anyway.

20 years from now I will hopefully rack up over 7 million views and get money from AdSense too. Champion.

Jeremiah is a comedic genius for this.

Rick Ross Ft. Dr. Dre & Jay - Z - 3 Kings, Visual Piece

A lot try and do it but the way DRE Films and Jon J. of Maybach Films brought the past visuals tohether to put light on these 3 Kings... Nice. I'm especially taking a liking to the Dr. Dre montage. It's just different.

#SoundsOfUtopia: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange, Review.

After snatching our attention with such tracks as “Novacane” and “Swim Good” stemming from the critically acclaimed Nostalgia, Ultra mixtape, Christopher Breaux has returned with easily one of the most anticipated albums of 2012. Frank Ocean of the Def Jam roster and Odd Future member who has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Jay Z, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and John Mayer to name a few, serves up a breath of fresh air this quarter with ‘Channel ORANGE’.


Originally a leaked track penned for Bridget Kelly, the album opens with Fan favourite “Thinkin Bout You” that has been reworked to incorporate a solid string section. Frank's ability to paint an image with words comes through on the subtle production and fits perfectly without the song coming across as too cluttered despite preferring the original version. "Fertilizer" which can be seen as one of a couple album fillers, seems to be the perfect transition track that leads us to "Sierra Leone", another track with subtle production and perfectly fitted lyrics about a young lady who reminds him of the West African nation known for its Diamonds... Or just having sex with said lady? Only Frank really knows. 


Produced by Pharrell Williams, "Sweet Life" serves up a jazz tinged bassline heavy summer anthem, painting the perfect beach life image stemming from the sounds of the classic Clav, bass guitar and drum combination that seems to be missing in general, manufactured, regurgitated music today; no soul. The simplicity and the use of live instrumentation continues steadily throughout the album with tracks such as “Super Rich Kids”, “Crack Rock”, “Lost” and “Monks” all providing an amazing instrumental back drop for Frank to illustrate his story to us, the listener, without us getting lost in a bunch of synthesised sounds - "Why see the world..." Yeah, that. 


However, in saying that, one of the stand out tracks on the album has to be 10 minute lead single “Pyramids” which offers a blue print on how to successfully use a synth without over powering the vocals on the track. The correlation from electro to a chopped & screwedesque R&B sound works amazingly well along with Franks controlled vocals which assists in drawing up a mental mirage of Cleopatra working at the Pyramid. Timberlake would be proud. Extra production points are given for “Pilot Jones” and the instrumental “White” featuring John Mayer on the electric guitar however that is not the only feature on the album. Mr Andre 3000 makes an appearance on “Pink Matter” and his choice of words and execution works perfectly well and gives the track exactly what it needs as it is quite difficult to make out what exactly Frank is singing about.


Towards the end of the album, we get a glimpse into Mr Ocean's personal life with “Bad Religion” where he sings about escaping from the heartbreak demons in the back seat of a cab. Word. After revealing to us in a personal letter that his first love was a man who could not reciprocate the feeling. The string filled ballad offers an excellent platform for us as the listener to get a small glimpse into the quite mysterious Mr Ocean. Delving deeper into his life with “Forrest Gump”, Ocean admits to how he still thinks about his past love. The first listen can be quite 'awkward' with the quite obvious male references, however the word play is quite intriguing depending on which perspective you choose to listen to it from. Referring to the Tom Hanks played character as a synonymy to describe his feelings really highlights how gifted and creative Frank Ocean is as a writer. Single handily breaking the glass ceiling within the black music industry, Frank has spoken his truth “I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore” something of great rarity in the music industry today and with his honesty one can only respect him even more as a creative as he has paved a way for many in similar situations to take heed from.


It is very easy to understand why he doesn't want to be bracketed as your average R&B singer, because he is not. The album touches on several different topics and has a consistency which keeps the listener intrigued throughout. It’s going to be difficult to see what songs are selected as actual singles in which I hope Frank and Def Jam come to a good agreement on. As an artist Frank is one of a small minority within the music industry that embodies talent of the highest degree, being able to paint crystal clear images through his writing ability, produce and take full credibility of his work whilst being truthful to the world in his simplistic style, something rarely seen today; solidified position within the music industry? A solid first album and follow up to Nostalgia, Ultra has left me feeling as if Frank Ocean is just getting started.  

Words: Nana Coker.

Edit: Ralph.

About Time 29.6.12

Thank you to everyone that came to the first About Time. Whilst everyone awaits the next one, read up on the review in The Observer/ Guardian as one of it's recommendations for class night life in east London. Swerve.
(Click image)

There are visuals for the epic night too at the Bells of Shoreditch; Hip Hop to Bass and everything in-between, Yeah, about time!

Ralph Hardy - Stevie Boi Interview x Promo

Ralph Hardy interviews Stevie Boi (@StevieB0i) Fashion Designer to the Stars such as Beyonce and Lady Gaga. www.StevieBoi.com Check out the promo video by @Sinikle shot on the same day.

#RandomRalph: Bangladesh on Michael Jackson, the media, Dizzee Rascal & 'The Ludacris Era'

Ralph Hardy chats with Producer Bangladesh on what he thought of Michael Jackson, what the media and people say about him and the women he encountered during the Ludacris era, as well as features on the album and what he thinks of the UK's Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah.

Kendrick Lamar Live @ The Electric Ballrooms - 3SEVEN

Check out Robin Bharaj's 3SEVEN video from Kendrick Lamar's 2nd date at The Electric Ballroom, presented by myself. #KNDRCKLMR

#RandomRalph: Wale 'Banterview'

Ralph Hardy speaks to Wale about his favourite artist at the moment, his footwear collection, Bret Hart, the importance of the new sound of Go Go music, how he receives Football and the players (not he pig skin sport), what happened to light skin Dominique from Shades, amongst other things, you know... The random things. Apologies for the audio.


Check out the interview on PMB.

#SoundsOfUtopia: A Yellow Man - 3000 Miles Of Youth

 We can thank Twitter for me getting in tune with this smooth trio, A Yellow Man. A young Nana Kwesi tweeted me their link saying '[YouTube link] This is so @RalphHardy' and I clicked initially thinking I was on some random's channel. I was surprised.

As I'm not ignorant, I listened and my gosh. I loved it amongst first play. BLAH Captivating moods from the elctro-soul/ Hip Hop group and what is even more gob smacking than the excellently executed video idea (5 nangs to Paul Akinrinlola) is that they are a gospel collective, or just more so religious and conscious.

Went to the other video My Lyrics Are Alive dropped the same day and yep... Still pleased to listen. It's been a minute since UK rappers appreciated every word in every line to the point they didn't waste one. Chioma's singing is cold too - I need to learn the hook and all of it really.


I feel so wrong for even to think to swear but fehk the video is so cold.
A Yellow Man - word to Sam's beard.

#SoundsOfUtopia: Purple Ferdinand

Far as I'm aware, I'm the first dude to get Purple, better known as Vanessa to her friends and family, Ferdinand in to a print, featuring her in RWD Mag's January issue as one of the 12 for 1012. Pretty cool.

I can't even recall how I stumbled on the fact the Newham native was a 'bad gyal' with the vocals and the Ukelele but my guess is one random Facebook feed. Big up Zuckerberg (despite this new timeline bullshit you've implemented is... Bullshit).

Recently the 23 year old musician slash tattooist dropped an acoustic video shot by the good people at House of ALT for her song, Beautiful Anomaly.


She's pretty cool, nice personality, always smiling, attractive and most importantly, herself. There's also a cover she did with @NadiahGee of Adina Howard's Freak Like Me which is also pretty cool.


Her songwriting skills are #nang to say the least. Check her out:

@PurpleFerdinand
www.purpleferdinand.tumblr.com
www.youtube.com/user/vanoob

Audio: A$AP Rocky - Goldie

New A$AP. I can put my hands up and say I never saw the hype about Harlem du'e when he first popped up but I appreciate the feel of him just... Rapping. None of this forced metaphors or feel to say something profound - Sometimes you just need to flow and say some 'ignant trill shit'.

Upon hearing Goldie, I instantly thought Kanye West would absolutely decimate the Hit-Boy produced track, or even produce it himself if 'old' Kanye came to the present (if you get it).

#SoundsOfUtopia: Friendly Fires - Hurting (Tensnake Remix)

Regardless of when this song came out (Reference: Gotye - Somebody I Use To Know), I've been bumping this tune HARD and near enough clocking the musical formula as to why I'm in like with it so much.

Music test: Play it in front of your (African) mother and see if she does one of those I'm-The-Coolest-Over-30-In-This-Room-Cool-Mode-Slow-Mo-Closed-Eye shuffle.

I hear the Dance/ Disco element in it and instantly fall for it as Tensnake properly took into consideration the lyrics for his remix - I heard this being in played in a retail store, told my friend to whip out Shazam... The rest is history.

That's some killer banter

I didn't know what to expect when I saw the video tweeted with no description. but rest assure.... Curiosity was like 'Yo! Stop taking so long!'

It's just funny, like 'Rah boy, this has probably happened at least once in the existence of the world' but to see it was figgin jokes.



I can imagine myself replaying this at random times now. Class.

Ralphy In Switz'land

Check out a couple snaps from my trip to Laax, Switzerland enjoying the snow and night life courtesy of The Brits Snow Tour here.

Read up a little as well on what I experienced over at RWDmag.com - Part 1 | Part 2

You might as well like the Facebook page too.

#SoundsOfUtopia: SBTRKT Ft. Sampha - Hold On

Lord knows my albums of 2011 were 'Black & White', 'Section.80' and 'James Blake' but the record that took me to a place I use to chill at regularly was the foresight induced sonically accurate self entitled album by SBTRKT.

The likes of Drake Drizzy has clocked on to the .wav, so I can't really complain, but more need to be aware that he is a time traveler with the Korg synths (I can imagine Diplo and Switch perspiring ever so slightly with the thought of him in the studio, just slightly though).

SBTRKT drops his brand new video for Hold on featuring the unmistakeable vocals of Sampha.

SBTRKT

The visuals may just help edge this over Something Goes Right as my favourite song off of the album

#SoundsOfUtopia
#UtopiaSounds