A huge thanks to all who came down and celebrated with us at the Emerging Designers Fashion show at Chinawhite during London fashion Week. It was truly an awesome event and the whole teams are still buzzing from the fun.

WeAreHQ and B Fashion held our first fashion event at London’s hotspot with the aim to expose amazing new talent to press and fashion industry professionals. We were lucky enough to have the Vivienne Westwood team down to judge the show in its full glory. The show did not disappoint, the Westwood team were so impressed with the calibre of talented individuals that choosing a winner had proven to be quite tough!

The tension was running high amongst the crew, making sure timings were perfect and everyone was wearing a smile. Although the models looked immaculate and seemed composed with their poses, backstage was an entirely different matter! “Working back stage was a huge buzz! Clothes flying everywhere, dressers crawling across the floor and models running around with clothes hanging off… It was a great experience and all the hard work paid off! Bring on the next one!” - Jasmine May, Backstage Coordinator.

After many photos and wardrobe changes the ten beautiful collections had been shown and it was crunch time! Which designer would strike the Westwood judges fancy?

Back stage whilst our guests were keeping themselves topped up on drinks, the collections were analysed. Colours, textures, composition, techniques all came into consideration when under the scrutiny of the well trained eyes at Westwood. Finally they had come to their grand decision — congratulations to Ross Whittred, who won a cash prize and an exclusive internship at one of the most highly regarded British fashion houses that’s Vivienne Westwood! The judges loved how immaculate and well made his collection was. The equally talented runner up prize was awarded to Jennifer Durran who made a very unique and vibrant collection in complete contrast to Ross’. Jennifer was awarded a cash prize as well as her own website to professionally promote her fashion designs.

Ross Whittred

Jennifer Durrans

Here are the rest the rest of the contestant’s collections:

All in all, the night was a complete success. I for one felt like a proud mum when the winning designers were announced. We would like to take this opportunity to name drop some thank you!

Huge thank you to these guys for helping to make the night a special one:

• Chinawhite’s crew
• Vivienne Westwood’s team
• WeAreHQ family
• B Fashion’s girls
• Cossima and Holly from Benefit Carnaby Street for their beautiful makeup skills
• Modus PR
• FashionOne
• All the talented designers
• Every single gorgeous model
• All the backstage crew and runners
• Our host Antoine Allen
• DJ Bruce Wayne
• Our cameraman from Wrighty Media
• All the guests that came down and showed their support

Enjoy our photo album below taken from the night and stay tuned for the video exclusively here on WeAreHQ.

Photos taken by Magdi Fernandes and Ollie Adegboye.

I usually don’t work with a lot of people, but my man Josh is in another lane…” – Ghostface Killah

How did you first getting into singing?

I had been writing for a while and had picked up the guitar after a family friend threw his out, and it got to a point where everything clicked and the songs I was writing were straight from my heart so the prospect of giving them away didn’t make sense so I just decided to give singing ago!

I understand that you listened to a lot of John Legend and Ben Harper songs as a teenager. Who are your musical influences?

Tracy Chapman, Donnie Hathaway, Ben Harper, Damien Rice, John Mayer, Kate Rusby and Nick Drake.

How would you describe your style of music?

I’d call it ‘Me’ music . It’s difficult to encapsulate it into one sound as from track to track it’s a journey through every sound that’s ever influenced me!

I understand that you experienced some difficulties growing up. At what point did you realise you could put it behind you and make a success of music?

I think in the back of mind I always was conscious, more subtly at times that not only did I have a gift but as a person I could transcend my situation, I should transcend it, but once I was living out and away from all the influences it was easier to make sense of everything.

Part of your new music video is shot in Lambeth. How has growing up in South London shaped you as an artist — musically/lyrically?

I think it has just added that sense of diversity in how what I take because of the different influxes of music, across the board, through different cultures and classes. But I think that’s just London in general.

Your new debut single ‘Redemption Days’ features Ghostface Killah. What was it like working with him?

Crazy, obviously working with someone who I personally look to as a great artist and instrument for hip hop in general was big enough, but on meeting him he had a humility and a warmth that just made it even more surreal.

Wu Tang are executive producers on your forthcoming debut album, ‘L.I.F.E’ How did that come about?

Through meeting Ghostface and them working on the first record, they seemed to have seen something they felt was special, and have joint the journey, but I guess how special it is for others only time will tell. But it’s already that for me.

Ghostface Killah is known for his flamboyance. How do you manage to keep looking fresh in such company?

I keep it simple, classic and I have to be comfortable. I won’t suffer too much for ‘fashion’; besides trends always change. I have certain staples then over time I add different stand out pieces. I like to mix a lot of 30-50’s stuff. I’m quite open minded in era and cut, but I don’t like bright colours.

What is your favourite item of clothing in your wardrobe at the moment?

Right now it is a brown fur trim, 1940’s aviators jacket and a Norse Project works jacket.

How would you describe your fashion/style? Are there any brands/designers you favour?

Understated. I love Grenson, I like a lot of vintage stuff. But specific brands — I don’t really care about brands. If it looks good, it looks good. I mix and match so much.

What are you bringing to the game that sets you apart from other artists?

I don’t know; that’s for my listeners to say, but I just know everything you hear I create and it’s created from the heart — that’s it. And I feel I successfully escaped getting caught up in a marketing fuelled record that can sometimes trap you from really expressing what you want musically. So I guess there is a record that anyone can listen to and relate with.

What can we expect from your new album ‘L.I.F.E’?

It’s just wholesome, hearty music; that’s it. No crazy concepts, no tricks, just expression!

‘The ‘Redemption Days’ EP is out now on Island records. It features Ghostface Killah, plus includes remixes from RZA, Distance, Roni Size and Mensah. Go check it out now!

Click here to view the embedded video.

London-based jewellery designer Toshi ‘T-Dog Junior’ Takahashi has been crafting some of the finest silver pieces for just over 13 years. Originally from Japan, he has independently built up the brand Dog State (est. 2004), through which he distributes his handiwork of unique silver rings, earrings and pendants. Be it a one-eyed grinning skull, a beautiful rose or British bulldog, Toshi does it all with a distinguished skill.

Whoareya + what do you do?

My name is Toshi Takahashi and I am a jewellery designer. I own the label Dog State.

Tell us more about Dog State.

I’ve been making rings since ’98, I’m self-taught, but I worked in a jewellery store on Carnaby Street for 5 or 6 years which was fun, I learnt a lot there and it made me want to do my own thing even more. I would come home and just improve my skills to make my designs better.

Dog State is just me making and selling jewellery that I like. I specialise in modern skull and animal designs. When I do custom work, it’s a relationship between me and the customer, we make the piece together.

How do you go about your design process?

When I wake up if I want to make rings I will, otherwise I won’t. I draw inspiration from a lot of sources; when I’m out on my bike or walking and I get ideas from nature and animals I see, I’ll then come home and work off that.

What’s playing in the headphones this week?

I listen to a lot of jazz. At the moment I’m working to Miles Davis.

Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?

I hardly read, but I do browse a lot of blogs, like my friends Bounty Hunter, Secret Base and Illustrator End.

What’s your worst form of procrastination?

I spend a lot of time on YouTube looking at dumb stuff.

Is there anything that you collect or hoard?
I don’t actually. I’d love to collect clown and joker related memorabilia, but if I started, I would never stop. I used to also collect jewellery, but that cost me way too much.

Your favourite spots around London town? Do you prefer to party or chill?

I rarely go out, but if I am out I’m usually going to this Japanese spot, Tsurukame (Crane & Tortoise), near Chancery Lane.

What do you love/hate seeing around London?

[Laughs] I could go on forever about what I hate so let’s start with love. I love seeing such a diverse mix of cultures in town. I hate the miserable weather. When it’s so cloudy outside, I don’t feel to make anything.

Three of your favourite brands and why?

Bounty Hunter – I love their overall style and collection.

Tenderloin – They made some amazing jewellery and jackets. Their stuff suits me a lot.

Dickies – I don’t wear denim too often, I’ve been wearing Dickies pretty much everyday for over 10 years. They’re just hard wearing and good for the conditions that I work in.

Wouldn’t be caught dead wearing…?

[Laughs] Can I say? I don’t like Ed Hardy because it looks like it disrespects tattoo culture.

Briefly describe your own style.

I like plain things. If I wear prints, I have to think about what I’m wearing. With my long hair, tattoos and jewellery, it’s just easier to just dress simple.

You never leave the house without…?

I never leave without my keys on the big skull chain and my bike. I don’t like London Transport.

What would you do with a big Lotto win?

I’m not a big spender. I’d open my own jewellery store in Los Angeles.

Toshi is currently in the process of revamping his website, but you can still check it out and if you’re after some crazy custom work, don’t hesitate to get in touch with him for an appointment!

Dog State is also available in store and online at Goodhood, London.

For more info, head over to:

• Dog State Jeweller
• @T_dog_jr
• Facebook

Following on our recap of the official summer closing party held by Crooked Tongues with Nike Sportswear, an official video has been put together of the event’s highlights. The folks at Crooked Tongues never fail to deliver with their annual bash and you can see that, as the guys from wireWAX have delivered this click-ability video for everyone to share and see.

Big up to everybody who braved the rain to attend the event, as everyone were in merry moods and passing around plenty of positive vibes in the building (and on the roof), plus there were a ton of serious trainers rocked well. London and the UK for that matter, represented hard.

Watch below how this year’s Crooked Tongues BBQ unfolded. Enjoy!

Yesterday saw the end of the (almost non-existant) British summer come to a close with the annual Crooked Tongues BBQ. This year, it was partnered with Nike Sportswear and was held at the Queen of Hoxton. With the dress code simply being ‘your best sneakers’, the guests didn’t disappoint with people dusting off their rare and valuable pairs that must have been saved solely for this event.

Even though it rained all through the morning and into the early afternoon, people still showed faith by turning up in their t-shirts and shorts, and their optimism was repaid as the skies eventually cleared allowing the roof garden to be opened. With queues for the food winding all around the place, I was surprised it lasted as long as it did and the food disappeared within ten seconds of it being laid on a tray (as the pictures show).

Music on the night had the crowds ecstatic and guys clamouring on each other (pause) as James Harrison, Ben Morris, Magdi, Mr Thing, Radi Dadi, Martelo, Josey Rebelle and Acyde provided the soundtrack for the evening. Magdi and (the extremely humble) Mr Thing had by far the best sets of the evening and I didn’t see a crowd as lively as when they were on, with the former even getting away with playing a Warda song to those in attendance.

Mystro then announced to the guests one of the most unexpected prizes for coming down to the barbecue in their Sunday best — as the sneakerheads say, “Let the shoes do the talking”. The prize: a pair of promo only samples of the Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse CT BBQ 2011, in the classic infrared colourway, with only 90 pairs in existence and never going to be available to buy (potentially eBay) it left people questioning people how they didn’t win – “Look at my shoes and tell me I didn’t deserve to win!” was just one of the comments we overheard. This has only left those who missed out even more determined to come back stronger next year and step up their sneaker game to another level.

Enjoy the rest of the pics from the night. See if you can spot yourself!

All images by Coach and Murab.

I’ve actually watched this brand grow from when I first stumbled onto Rav’s blog about 3 years ago and loved everything they’ve done since inception. In a realm of quick tees, caps and your thrown in cut-and-sewn pieces, it’s good to see a UK brand display their appreciation for quality with strong product. With every brand dropping their own varsity variation at the moment, these guys show how to do a classic cut proper justice.

HQ caught up with the two-man crew that is House of Billiam at their East London studio to talk Melton wools, Superman-themed jackets (yikes) and Japanese distribution…

Whoareya + what do you do?

Tom: My name’s Tom, everyone calls me Bendy. I’m one half of Billiam alongside…

Rav: I’m Rav – my title is Head Designer.

Tom: It’s just two of us in a studio. We do pretty much everything ourselves; from the pattern cutting to sourcing our materials to the making.

Tell us a bit about HoB.

Tom: I started making bespoke pieces because I had no money and starting a label definitely wasn’t cheap. I got my hands on £1000 and a sewing machine, bought more things, like fabrics to make more pieces and get more money. We started as a proper business in 2009.

Rav: We’ve continued the concept, taken traditional British fabrics and applied them to Americana cuts and staple streetwear pieces. We like to juxtapose the garment with the fabric, so we hope that someone can relate to a piece because of the fabric even if they’re not familiar with the garment and vice versa.

Tom: Essentially trying to draw a number of different audiences together through the same piece of clothing.

We also have Billiam stockists in Japan…which is the bane of my existence [laughs]. We’re six seasons deep and having product in Japan, it’s the best and worst thing.

Care to elaborate on that?

Tom: Lots of kudos, great stores there and so on, but possibly the most demanding people you could do work for ever. In comparison to pieces we send around Europe, everyone loves it, Japan; there’s a mark on one of the pockets so we’re going to have to re-line the jacket.

Rav: Super anal, but as a result we raised our standards, applying the way they work to our product. We recently collaborated with Soulland this season (AW11) and produced a subtle exquisitely detailed piece.

Firstly, WeWould like to congratulate you on releasing such a great album! The question that many of your newer fans have is how did your record actually come about and how did you manage to team up and co-write with legends who have arguably written some of the greatest songs in pop music history?

That question is difficult to answer, because when I look at the list of my co-writers it seems surreal and very unlikely. I’ve always been a lover of good songs; beautiful, passionate, well crafted songs. When I met my incredibly talented producer, Mr. Sam Hollander, he asked what kind of record I wanted to make, and I told him I’d like to make the next ‘Tapestry’ [the iconic Carole King LP]. This surprised him a bit, and after we started talking songs, this idea emerged for me to write with the best. Sam believed, before I did, that these writers would actually work with me, and he went about enlisting other believers, namely very capable management and a visionary publisher, named Jody Gerson. That is the long answer. The short answer is, we asked everyone we knew to help, and sometimes even looked for people in the phone book, and it worked!

The album has taken 3 years to be released. Was this because you wanted to release the best debut album you could or were there some unexpected hiccups on the way?

All of the above. Sam and I wanted the best possible album. It was also necessary to coordinate with writers who were very successful and busy. Additionally when the album was done my former label Columbia, didn’t know what to do with it. Very happily I wound up with a boutique label who is very passionate about the project and we’ve finally begun getting the record out there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

WeAre really loving the title track, ‘Pennies In a Jar’. It was clearly screaming Burt Bacharach to us with its fantastic melodies and chord progressions even before we checked the credits. Could you tell us the story behind this song and how it was crafted into the version we love so much?

‘Pennies In A Jar’ began very early in the writing process of this record. It was the first time I was really forced to write by myself. Writing other songs with Jeff Barry, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; the melody and the lyrics were collaborative. Writing with Mr. Bacharach, I knew going in, he would be writing the melody, and I would be writing the lyrics (alone). Excited, and scared I made my way to his lovely home to meet with him. He had just finished working out, and despite being unceasingly charming and gentlemanly I could not help but be intimidated. He asked if I wanted to play a song for him, and like a foal learning how to walk I did so. He said a few kind words and offered up the haunting melody that became ‘Pennies In A Jar’.

I paced back and forth in my apartment for months to write the verses… Once they were approved he gave me the bridge. That took me another SIX MONTHS to write… And Mr. Bacharach started calling asking what was going on with our song. I was paralysed by my desire to create something beautiful and my fear of falling short. Finally I told him the truth. “I work on it every day… I’m just not sure it’s any good.” He really mentored me, was kind and helpful and I was able to finish it quickly after that. I got to record the song with Mr. Bacharach out in Los Angeles at Capitol Recording Tower. Very dreamy, and I was teary half the day with happiness. The string section was a sight to see, but the part of the day that floored me was watching Mr. Bacharach play our song, and sing the lyrics I had written… I wish I could have bottled the moment.

Is there anyone else you wished you could have worked with for this album?

There are of course many songwriters who are not on the record. The people I worked with are people who wanted to work with me.. In that way, I’m really grateful to have the group I’ve got. It’s very humbling. Wishing to have worked with others is like having a really awesome boyfriend and wishing you could be with the guy who didn’t return your calls.

Do you have any B-sides or unused tracks that never made the final cut? If so would these see the light of day? Maybe an iTunes only release?

There are a couple tracks that I imagine will see the light of day. There’s a Jeff Barry track in particular that
must be on my next album, I’m passionate about it. There are some bonus songs being discussed for a deluxe edition, but since it’s still in the works, I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Going back to the track that really put you out there to the millions of people that heard you on Lupe’s “Hip-Hop Saved My Life”. How did that placement come about?

Lupe found me through producers Chris & Drop. We made a song ‘Sunshine’ that Lupe liked. Soon after we struck up a friendship and conversation about working together in the future. He was working on ‘The Cool’ at that time. I don’t think either of us was expecting the warm reception ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’ received, a very welcome surprise.

Do you think the song temporarily typecast you to more urban music and distanced you from where you were trying to go musically?

I was typecast anyway, by being a black woman making music in the US. I don’t sound like a typical R&B singer, or soul singer. I’m continually categorized that way for no reason other than being black. It’s not something that bothers me… that would be akin to being bothered by the fact the sky is blue. Lupe never pigeon holed me, and I’m grateful he asked me to be on his album and introduce me to the world. It opened a lot of doors that were too heavy for me at the time.

Which artist would you say has had the biggest impact on you musically?

Irving Berlin. He will always be the definition of American Popular song, in my eyes. He came to the states as a Jewish immigrant, learned English as a second language, was very poor yet his catalogue is filled with hope, joy, pride, love… every good and kind emotion wrapped in irrepressible melodies and honest heartfelt lyrics. To have even one song become part of the public consciousness is a feat, but he’s written dozens… It’s inspiring.

Have you started thinking about your follow up album yet? If so do you think you would be going in a direction of pop sounding records or perhaps something more urban or experimental?

I don’t think my next album will be more urban or experimental, that’s just not who I am. There’s nothing in me that aches to be new or cool, what I desire most is to create something that is very good. To me it’s frequently the difference between something disposable and something worth keeping. Of course it’s subjective, but you can’t please everyone, so my hope is that I, at the very least, will be pleased. More good songs… They’ll sound different because there won’t be as many co-writers. I’ll be taking the lessons I’ve learned from them and applying them in my own fashion.

Making a rather swift change to one of our favourite topics… Food! It’s no secret that you’re an avid fan of baking and the cookies you sell through your online cookie store have arguably reached legendary status. How did all of this come about?

I started selling cookies on line to support myself when Columbia dropped me. As it became clear that the record would come out, I started winding down the cookie company. The “problem” is… cookies are cute. It became very problematic for me to go places to play my music and people were so disappointed I didn’t have cookies. I admit, I kind of baked myself into a corner. However, I’m very grateful that my cookie sales helped keep the lights on.

For the budding bakers out there, what tips could you give to make a great tasting batch of cookies?

Measure twice, mix once. Start using a kitchen scale… You’ll never go back.

Will you be expanding your baking skills to include vegan friendly, wheat free, gluten free options which replace sugar with a low GI alternative such as agave syrup?

For my recreational baking I sometimes venture into healthier turf, when someone I really care about has a special request. Most of the time though, I figure cookie time is a break from my usual dietary restrictions… So I use real butter, eggs, sugar and all the stuff the is only good in moderation.

When it comes to cakes or cookies, what would you say has been one of your more unusual creations? We have managed matcha green tea with chocolate chip as well as the slightly strange coffee and tamarind. Is that a tough selection to beat?

I make a cookie called the Elevator Fight Cookies after the band (my friends) Elevator Fight. It’s a peanut butter base with pretzels, chocolate, and Jameson Whiskey.

What are your favourite things about our city of London?

The phone booths… Bright red, the taxi cabs, the well dressed people, the Indian food… The rain.

Apart from our love of food, we also love our fashion. What is your favourite clothes spot when you’re in London?

I have never properly gone shopping in London, so I don’t have any great spots. Last time I was there we stopped in at Harvey Nicks. I love Camden of course, and got this crazy vintage jacket there that I wore completely to shreds… One of my favourite.

Finally, what does the future hold for Nikki Jean apart from baking great cookies?

Just more good music.

Thank you Nikki Jean, it’s been a pleasure.

The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for chatting with me.

Nikki Jean’s debut album Pennies In A Jar is available now from retailers as well as iTunes.

To keep up with the latest news, be sure to follow Nikki Jean on Twitter, YouTube, her official website and Facebook to find out the latest news and if she will be performing at a town near you!

To kick off the new HQ feature, A Conversation With…, I thought it would only make sense to introduce the man behind it all. Best known to his associates as a decent DJ, footwear know-it-all and major Preemo fan. For those who don’t really know much about the guy, here is a bit about Magdi…

Whoareya + what do you do?

Magdi Fernandes. The Coach. I’m the creator of WeAreHQ, co-owner of Lunetier Vintage, a photographer, DJ and a former basketball player.

What’s a typical day like for you, if ever?

Wake up, check my emails, have some breakfast. Actually I don’t have a typical day. There’s always a plan that’s usually dependent on the previous day and any looming deadlines.

What’s playing in the headphones this week?

I’ve been listening to some Drake, a lot of Hudson Mohawke, underground hip-hop stuff and of course I’m always listening to anything from Preemo.

Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?

I’m reading tutorials. Like, I’m learning how to use Final Cut Pro at the moment.

What’s your worst/best form of procrastination?

World Star Hip Hop. I will waste a lot of time looking at crazy videos on there.

Is there anything that you collect or hoard?

Camera lenses. I will try and find lenses at markets, car boot sales, charity shops, in auctions all around the country that I don’t really need. But it’s all an education for me that you can’t get from just reading specs on the net, about their build, glass quality etc.

If I’m not mistaken you have quite a large sneaker collection. Do you no longer collect?

No, not really. It’s very space consuming – I released it when I hit 1000 pairs. I stopped keeping the boxes and even hired a storage unit. I gave something like 600 pairs to the Nike Grind programme for them to recycle. Now if I see something I like, I’ll get it, but I’m not really hunting anything down; no names mentioned.

Favourite spots around London town? Do you prefer to party or chill?

I definitely prefer to chill these days. Go to the cinema with my peoples or out for a meal. I’m a big Mexican fan at the moment, so I’d definitely recommend Chilango in Angel. My friend Phoebe put me on that spot and it has become a favourite.

If I’m out, it’s most likely for photography work or to DJ, but I’ll usually hit up Livin’ Proof.

What do you love/hate seeing around London?

I love seeing creativity, seeing things happen, moves being made, careers being developed. And with that what I HATE is the lack of unity you see, people stepping on others’ fingers on the ladder; I’ve seen it. There’s plenty of money or whatever out there for all of us!

Three of your favourite brands and why?

Sony – Their Alpha range, for me, is where it’s at for the future of digital photography.

Apple – Everyone wants to be like them.

Vuarnet – Super clean vintage eyewear. One of the best.

Wouldn’t be caught dead wearing…?

True Religion jeans… No wait, Ed Hardy.

Briefly describe your own style.

Minimal branding, subtle, classic sometimes with some crazy kicks thrown into the mix.

You never leave the house without…?

Phone and keys. They make the world go.

What would you do with a big Lotto win?

I’d spend a small fortune on camera lenses [laughs]. No, to be honest, I’d put half to charity, pay off debts, sort out my close family and continue to develop WeAreHQ.

Links

WeAreHQ.com

@WeAreHQ @TheMagdi

How did you get into rapping?

When I was about thirteen years old I started MC’ing with my cousins in the bedroom because they were DJ’s in the underground garage scene. It blossomed from there to pirate radio stations around London. I used to freestyle with a mate of mine called Aristotle to practice our skills. Then one time I decided to put together a CD, a solo EP called ‘Opportunites Knocking’, but I didn’t really push it or anything.

Following this I joined a rap group called Real Life, we started doing gigs across South London around 2004-2005, but that didn’t materialise into anything. I carried on as a solo artist, producing beats and rapping in my bedroom.

Some years later around 2010 I put some of my music on MySpace, this garnered the interest of a publishing label, Triumph Recordings. We had a few meetings and what not and then I landed myself a publishing deal on the back of that. So I guess that’s my story.

Obviously the fundamentals come from freestyling in the class room, messing around with my friends that’s how I got my passion for MC’ing.

How would you describe your style of music?

My style of music is out of the box. I don’t know how to categorise it as such because I produce all my own material that I put out. I am inspired by loads of genres of music so one day I’ll be on Spotify listening to The Tempa Trap and then I’ll be listening to The Fugees, then I’ll be listening to jazz artists and then I’ll go back to indie. I might listen to Mark Ronson, Adele, Bonobo.

Recently I was in Morocco and I was listening to Moroccan music. I didn’t understand what they were saying, I think it was Arabic but I could appreciate the production of their music I appreciate the art, you know what goes behind it as every artist and every producer is passionate about what they do.

I would describe my music as electric and random and out of the box. I don’t think there is anything out there that sounds like what I’m producing. It’s hard to put in a box; it’s generic, it’s for everyone, it’s easy listening.

Who are your music influences?

Like I said before I listen to everything because I feel a lot of the music nowadays sounds very similar. A lot of the singers sound the same, it’s hard to differentiate who’s singing what, when, why and how. I tend to listen to a lot of instrumentals and a lot of my own production so I don’t become infiltrated by others artists cos I’ve noticed that a lot of rappers, grime artists etc. all sound similar.

I guess my early influences would be Heavy D, De La Soul, all the stuff I would watch on The Box when I was about twelve, thirteen. All the early rap artists Queen Latifa, Soul II Soul all those sort of rappers, you know groups like that basically. I didn’t have an older brother that listened to other well established rap artists at that time so whatever I could grab onto I would listen to and just take it in. As I got older, I met more friends who introduced me to different rappers like Jay-Z, Nas and Biggie Smalls.

I don’t want to sound similar when my stuffs out there, so I sort of put myself in a bubble, so much so that I’m not always clued up on who’s making moves currently.

How would you describe your new EP, ‘Emotional Blackmail’?

Emotional Blackmail, so right, I put out an EP before ‘Emotional Blackmail’ and that was called ‘Odd One Out’ and that was more of a happier, feel good sort of EP.

Emotional Blackmail is quite deep, its quite dark, some people don’t get it straight away. I think the reason for that is because when I was building and recording it I thought I owed it to myself to put all my feelings into it as I was actually going to quit music. I got to a stage where, before the publishing deals and my band the Vibe-a-Deliks kicked off, I was getting tired of producing stuff and not exposing it to anyone and one day I just hit a downer and I was ready to quit outright. During the time I was on the downer I lost quite a few family members and literally hit rock bottom. I didn’t really give a shit about anything. I spoke to a friend of mine, another artist Lush, and she was like I can’t quit because there’s a lot of people that haven’t heard me that need to hear me, she believed in my art and also my girlfriend said not to quit.

So that was a bit of background of the emotions that went into the EP. When you listen to the EP there’s a song called ‘Heartbeat’ and I put lyrics like “I feel you in my heartbeat, my mind and my body and I can’t sleep” and my girlfriend thought it was a reference to her but it was actually a reference to music, which was quite deep cos I can’t lie, I can’t quit the game, music is in me. I think that everyone can relate to Heartbeat because everyone’s got a relationship with someone or something that they want to walk away from but they actually can’t. I’ve got another track called ‘Feel This Way’, which sort of explains when I was at rock bottom with lyrics like “Why do I feel this way, I hurt so many people with the words that I say” and that’s just due to the emotional torment that I was going through, I was literally just venting on the page and putting it out there. Some people can really relate to these elements within ‘Emotional Blackmail’.

On the other hand I’ve got songs like Nasty Flow where I’m literally just rapping going hard. Another song ‘Can’t Leave You Alone’ is about me living in the inner city, commuting and the daily struggles that people endure. There’s many elements with ‘Emotion Blackmail’, I hope people listen to it and understand it, I’m trying to put out music that has substance and is heart felt. I’ve got Tweets with people listening to Emotional Blackmail in the gym and they’re feeling it. If you get it, hats off to ya cos that was me, that was what I was going through.

If people could take one message from your music, what would you want it to be?

Live for the moment and just enjoy every moment and don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow is not promised. I’m writing new music on my EP and its more of a happy feeling. Me as a person, out of the music in real life, in reality I tend to be a happy go lucky kind of person, live for the moment. If I only have a tenner and I’m out on the town I’ll spend it. I hope people can take that from my music, its probably quite deeply encoded in the Emotional Blackmail but it is in there. I’ve got a tune called Monopoly where I’m describing me on my travels because I like to travel. Every time you travel you get more enlightened, you get exposed to different cultures, you come back to London and you’ve got a different angle on every situation that presents itself to you. So that’s the message I’d want people to take, live for the moment.

What are you working on at the moment?

So I’m working on a self produced EP / Mixtape called ‘Augmented Reality’. My feeling behind this is my Augmented Reality isn’t real so I’m pretty much free to say whatever I like. But at the same time I’m not going to say stuff that I cannot relate to, I might embellish my experiences. Everything I spit about and rap about has a basis, I have been there. I rapped about ‘Karmaloop I’ve got to grab em’ because I was in Boston in Karmaloop buying a pair of skating trainers (I can show you the Vans). I talk about ’smoking cigars’ that was me in Cuba with my girlfriend.

‘Augmented Reality’ is more of a happier EP in general and I’m free to talk about whatever I want to talk about in a nutshell.

What can we expect for the future?

I’m going to continue to be unpredictable, just do good things and basically work on my craft. I’m building my new EP and I intend to do more videos. I’m trying to get my track ‘Nasty Flow’ on the radio so hopefully this summer people will be exposed to ‘Nasty Flow’, its one of the tracks on Emotional Blackmail.

I’m also in a band called the Vibe-a-Deliks and we did a festival in Leeds called the Rough Beats Festival and are currently gigging around London. I still like to produce my own stuff at the same time which complements rather than conflicts with Vibe-a-Deliks. There are a lot of things that can happen and I’m not worried about things that aren’t happening, there’s just things that are happening. So hopefully you’ll see me in the near future, fingers crossed.

Check out the EP Emotional Blackmail now!

Casper is set to be gigging around the UK mid September so watch this space: MySpace, Twitter. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with the long awaited first video from the Emotional Blackmail EP, In My Head. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

WeAreHQ attended hotly tipped Rizzle Kicks’ last show in London for a while, down at Camden Barfly. It was a sold out gig held at the intimate venue, as a legion of fans travelled from across the country to attend and toy trumpets were distributed around to keep everyone hyped.

Live performances always carry another dynamic to an artists’ material and it was great to see Rizzle Kicks come out on stage with a live band that included a trumpeter who smashed it! The young starlets performed their singles and new tracks off their forthcoming album, caught jokes and held plenty of interaction with the crowd. It was a stomping show to say the least as the boys done good, being their charismatic, funny and energetic skanking selves. WeAreHQ caught a quick word with the duo, Rizzle and Sylvester after the show.

Listening to your songs, you guys come across as really humorous storytellers. Is that what you two were striving for when starting out?

No, not really. We’re more observationalists – we like looking at situations. We’re not storytellers per se like Plan B. We like to think out little everyday things and write about our everyday lives, but in more fun way.

‘Minor Breaches Of Discipline‘ was your first mix tape, using a range of great samples. Are there any samples that you’d like to use in the future?

R: Yeah, we’re working on the second mix tape now. Harley [better known as Sylvester] wasn’t in the image of Rizzle Kicks then, so now we’ve got a nice double act on this next one and it’s a lot taken heed from 90’s trip-hop actually. The first mix tape’s actually quite hyperactive and this one will be more chilled out; more mature.

Football seems to be a recurring topic. You guys re-met when playing against each other at a match; have banter over the track ‘Football Boots’ on ‘Minor Breaches of Discpline’ and one gets seen in the Trumpets video (and also in Olly Murs’ video – Sylvester) . Do you support a team and why?

Yeah! Arsenal cos we’re both born in North London. [we all go off on a tangent about being fellow North Londoners and Gooners]

Let’s talk about style. Where do you usually go to shop?

R: The site, Urban Industry; I rinse that well. It’s amazing if you buy stuff on the Internet – it gets delivered to your house and you’ve got to go nowhere!

You guys have collaborated with Olly Murs on his rather damn catchy new single, ‘Heart Skips A Beat’. How did that partnership come about?

R: Cos we think he’s a lad. And hopefully we’re going to get chicks from it cos he seems to get loads of girls. We’re on the track for like twelve seconds and we if can get fifty girls, then we’ve done a good job!

S: We always thought he was a geezer from the start of his X-Factor days. We were a bit weary, but heard the track and it was sick, so thought, “Why not…”

R: “… let’s do a quick feature and get some girls!”

Who were you listening to when growing up?

R: A lot of sick stuff. He was more indie. My mum influenced me; she had albums by Xzibit, Gangstarr, Beck, Kelis’ debut and Nelly Furtado. She introduced me to The Kinks’ ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and told me who Dizzee Rascal was. Also, she went to see Ice Cube last night and I was at home with a hot cuppa of lemon and honey…

S: Basically his mum is lot more gangster than he is. But I’m actually more gangster than Riz, so don’t get it twisted.

If you could work with anyone at the moment, who would it be?

R: Kanye West.

S: Damon Albarn.

R: Actually, Damon Albarn!

Finally, being a dynamic duo, do you ever get sick of each other?

S: Yeah, he gets sick of me; I don’t get sick of him.

R: He does sometimes cos he doesn’t like chips!

S: Let’s not get into that now…!

Check out their performance of the current single ‘Down With The Trumpets’ from that evening and to end their set. It’s available to purchase on iTunes now.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Massive thanks to Leo of Darling and of course, Rizzle Kicks for putting on a sick show. Olly Murs’ single with their feature is out soon and if you fancy catching the lads’ next London show, it’s at XOYO, 21st September 2011.

Photography: WeAreHQ