GOAPELE 'MILK AND HONEY'

When I first heard this track my soul jumped out through my nose slapped me across the face and screamed, "Thats what I ment when I said play some of that real real shite, BIATCH!"

You might recognise the name Goapele, well thats because she is the same lady who brought us the amazing 'Closer'. This time she has teamed up with Bedrock and 'Milk and Honey' is one of my favourite tracks right now.

And if you thought that wasn't enough, the track is also up for Free on her website.

The video will soon come. They finished filming two weeks ago and are just putting the finishing touches to it.

And me being the nice guy that I am, here's the 'Closer' video.

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FreeStyle

LIL JON PRODUCER REMIX COMPETITION

I know a lot of you producers out there are looking for ways to get your music heard not just by a wider audience but also the right people who can propel you to that next level. Well, one way to get yourself ahead of the pack is by doing a good remix of a popular song. The other way is to do a good remix of a popular song which is actually part of a competition, with a decent prize.

Here's one that I got sent to me just yesterday.

Enter, do your remix and see if you can beat the thousands of people that are going to put their stuff forward. Oh, and you best believe I'm going to be giving in my two cents as well!!

MUSIC PRODUCTION 101

Being a music producer myself sometimes you have to come up with clever and inventive ways of creating the sound your really want. I have sampled everything from the 'Transformers' movie sound effects to shower sprays on plastic curtains and used them to create music. Obviously you wouldn't know this from hearing the final results but trust me, we know exactly what we are doing.

Here is a video of Divinci doing just that.

*Not to be confused with UK producer DaVinche.

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FreeStyle aka DJ CHEF!

THE BEST TUNE YOU WILL HEAR THIS YEAR THUS FAR

I can't believe how sick this tune is. I lost the plot!

Diplo and Switch are the sick producer/ DJ's who got together for M.I.A's 'Paper Planes'.

With their new monica Major Lazer, they took the biscuit ( I have no idea if thats how biscuit is spelt. Do you even think that word has even featured in a book of any kind? Apart from the Nestle family cook book).

Some of you may remember their set on the BBC1 Annie Mac show. I still can't get over it to be honest.

If your local DJ is not playing 'Hold The Line' right now give me a buzz and I'll come sort him out for ya! BRAP...

P.s Ft Mr Lex and Santigold

* Note, this is the actual video and not some cheap 'here's one I made earlier' youflop.

* Remember where you heard this first. If not I will have to call you out on your FaceBook or blog post date's, watch yourself!

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Freestyle

RAUL MIDON

Last night at the Jazz Cafe (Camden) I lay witness to the amazing talent that is Raul Midon. The blind guitarist (who also plays various other instruments including the drums) has stolen the show over seas and last night we got to see what all the fuss is about.

Playing a mixture of Jazz and soul infused funk with latin vibes, Raul Midon (New-Mexico born, New York Based) has turned into a breath of fresh air for acoustic music lovers around the world.

"I like to celebrate the possible, the highest, the best of possibilities for human beings," says Midon

He also does this really impressive thing with his mouth by imitating trumpets and harmonises it with his guitar solo's. I know by the end of this you'll be kicking yourself and wishing you also came to see him, and so you should.

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Freestyle

J2'O'K

Some of you may remember Roll Deep. I know, its been a while, they been around still, but you might have had to either look under some very heavy rocks or travel to one of those gigs your mates wont go to because Damian's car is on the blink and they aint doing the coach ting again till Ayia Nappa.

I have to be honest J2K wasn't really given the space to shine in the past. Blame certain 'ahem' producers (no hate). But now he's back with a very very nice video and a track with bars to match. The thing I like about J2K now is the fact that he's grown nicely (artistically... plonker) and his flow has improved. I mean, people don't know how hard it is to come from a Garage and Grime background and sound unique. It's hard trusss. Many Mc's have tried and failed to cross over into the mainstream, well 'underground main' as I like to call it. The track still has bounce and gulliness and I think it might just do ok after Ras Kwame has given it the four times over.

Don't sleep on this brair. He's not my boy, I don't know him from Adam, so your guaranteed its all impartial over this fence.

* Realease date for 'Wake Up' Ep is July 13th

Also check out Ben Peters, music video director. Very naughty stuff! If you're an artist looking to get that bizzle on your next video, pass him the pre tax funds and you'll get sorted...

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Freestyle

A FAT TREAT

By now you would know that Fat Talent and Make Me Music have a very special relationship, and one of the perks is getting the new ish direct to your door (you know what I mean).

We only just finished this last night so be one of the first to feast your ears. Not only is it a new single, we give you the remix.

Black Eyed Peas 'I Got A Feeling' - Eriki-Ma remix. The video is cut from the official Black Eyed Peas video.

And to top it off you can also download the HQ remix Mp3 for free here!

Mazel Tov!

* Please do not take music that isn't given for free. Support all music, signed or unsigned, and feel free to stay away from the stale ones.

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FreeStyle

Bish! Bash! Bosh!

UK music fans around the world, wake up! Channel U is dead, everyone is now taking a no prisoners approach to their music, and this can only mean one thing…we are finally getting a whole host of really amazing products coming out of our artists. I’m not talking Girls Aloud, c’mon, tut!

Bashy is on the prowl and he’s doing it more ways than one. He’s got a really great blog with video updates that are funny as hell CHECK IT OUT along with a clip of Mondays 'I luv live' performance; which btw was outstanding, if I do say so myself. He’s got a sick T’ line ‘Bish Bash Bosh’ which I’m hoping I’ll get my hands on a freebie if I pukka up, close my eyes and kiss hard enough (it’s a joke, foolishness!). And to top it all off he’s just dropped his debut album (independently I might add) with a video that will leave you wishing you had taken more time out on your own post production ideas.

Check out the video 'who wants to be a millionaire' taken from the newly released 'Catch me if you can'. The album features an array of artists including Wretch 32, Yolande Brown, Scorcher,The Truth Movement and Jamelia to name a few. Bwoy is it going to do some pre summer damage!! lGo get yourself a copy & lets get this independant artist into the Top 40 national charts...Good luck Mr black boys, black boys'!

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Freestyle

If Jesus made beats!

No, I’m not a religious nut about to bible bash you with some verses from the Leviticus. I’m talking about J Dilla, fool (B.A style). Truth is, if Jesus did make beats he would sound like Dilla, fo rilla (sorry, I had to lol).

If you didn’t already know, in London, the Doc (Doctors Orders aka Spin Doctor to the rest of you) has been championing the underground hip-hop scene for a while. He brought us Black Milk at Cargo not long ago (thanks Shay and Roy for getting mans in free and the Q jump btw).

And now for this coming Friday (your unofficial Fat Talent warm up) head down to Herbal (London) for the Official J Dilla album launch hosted by the Doc himself. I know it’s a bit steep £7 in advance and £10 at the door (and no, I cant get you in free, I pay just like everyone else) but make it happen and I guarantee you wont be disappointed.

Face Book Event page

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=86788838361

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Freestyle

Cubase – Music Production Tips

This one is for all you artists and producers out there. That’s right, I said artists first. Just because you're not familiar with the finer points of audio manipulation or gated synth sequencing, doesn’t mean there aren’t a few tricks you can learn to give you that edge on your competition.

Audio Clipping

In brief audio clipping is when you have recorded a segment of vocal and you want to get rid of the pre recording and end section noise. One tip for getting the best result is to…

1) Don’t cut too close to the recording, leave at least half a second of space.

2) Once you have cut the section you want to use it is time to do a little ‘clipping’ of the audio using the fade tools.  In Cubase you simply move the arrow to the top left and right of your audio piece.

3) Once the fade in out cursor is showing drag it just enough to ‘clip’ the beginning of your recording and end of your recording.

4) To fine-tune it, double click the faded section to reveal the curve options box (which is very easy to navigate). Remember that each curve has its own effect on even the slightest fade in or out and are particularly useful on various types of audio, so school up.

5) Obviously if you are using any delays or certain effects you have to adjust what you do to your end section, but this is obvious, isn’t it?

I hope you have found the info useful, if you want anymore personalized advice just write you're question at the bottom of this blog and I will get back to you…

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Freestyle

Home Grown

Now then, I hate blowing my own trumpet, so I won't…surfice to say its you're boy on the remix and I hope you like…

Facebook Group

http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Make-Me-Music/90903155744?v=wall&viewas=724215721

Myspace (and FREE DOWNLOAD)

http://www.myspace.com/chef82

I’ll leave it up to you to judge init…

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Freestyle

p.s I know about that spelling thing lol it was a 3am video before I went to work, blah! And for those of you wondering what Eriki-Ma stands for, its Japanese for Dirty Electro boy, big love Liz (Japan) for that.

Lets Make Music

So everyone that I know has been hard at work this year with their respective business ideas and money schemes. Well here’s a quickie update on mine.... 'Make Me Music' . Check out the Myspace for new demo’s and join the Facebook group and Twitter for regular updates.

Make Me Music has been using its collective experience providing a host of services to artists (such as studio sessions and mixing and mastering services), music productions to labels and also working within the Film and TV industry. Their tuition courses have also been going well and they have started taking classes with youths in London who want to learn how to produce and DJ.

Check out our links:

http://www.myspace.com/chef82

http://twitter.com/MakeMeMusic

http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Make-Me-Music/90903155744?v=wall&viewas=724215721

For all enquiries contact: DJ CHEF - makememusicuk@hotmail.com

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Freestyle

Make Me Music PART 1......

So I thought I’d go out on a limb seeing how everyone is banging on about how its 2000 and mine! (tut!), and I’ve started my own business, and guess what?... it’s proper original and all that [its ok to laugh].

Its called Make Me Music (go figure) and I’ve already got most of the checklist sorted out.

1. Find a catchy yet relevant name (which took all of one 2 min toilet trip), check

2 .Draw up a business plan and get momsy (3 degrees and 3 masters to boot) to proof read it, check

3. Register the business as a limited company, check

4. Get someone whose good with websites and graphic design to do the stuff I haven’t got a clue about such as html (what is that anyway??), check

5 .Apply for funding (because who even has enough money in the bank, and the last time I worked a nine to five I spent all my money paying back the credit cards, awww), check

6 .Get funding, premises, studio equipment (the fun part) and business account, check

7 . Start looking for people to use my services, ummm, almost check

The whole process that I’ve kind of summed up in seven sections took the best part of two years in total, because you cant leave anything to chance now can you. I guess the best piece of advice I can give to anyone looking to start their own business whether it’s in the creative industries or other sectors is, do your research and then some. Seriously, there were a few moments I came across a bit waste, but I put that right sharpish. So, that’s where I’m at, at the minute. If your unsure exactly what services are actually going to be on offer and what we’re doing, there’ll be a lot more info up on the website we are having built as we speak. Fingers crossed and all that!

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DJ CHEF (Founder of Make Me Music)

Erykah Badu - How to make it in the Industry

I found this and thought some of you may find it very useful!!!




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Freestyle

Tawiah - Get to know

So, Tuesday just gone I’m up central with a mate and its pouring down like too many beers and a bad curry. Just as we got out of the Oxford Street tube this upper class old lady behind us goes, “Excuse me do you know where I might find a shop that sells umbrella’s near here?” True story, I tell her to wait right there with my mate and I rush round the corner to that off licence, you know, the one which looks like it’s been there for 300 years and the city was just built around it. I check and he does have a few going, so I pick one up… [£3 if you ever get caught out there, don’t say I never hook you up with the essentials]… walk back round to the lady open it up and hand it to her with a soft, ‘there you go, don’t want to get too wet now do we’. Kindly she asks how much she owes me and obviously I’m not gonna take no p’s from her so I just tell her it was my pleasure, which it was. The look on her face, it was mixed with surprise and deep warmth. I mean, I know what she was thinking, ‘I cannot believe this young black man off road in an Era cap who didn’t know me from Adam went out of his way for me’. And you know what? I guarantee she’ll be telling that story for a while at her members club. That feeling, when you feel so good because you know you’ve been able to contribute to someone else fortune? Well I feel like that every time I go to HMV or Itunes and know that my hard earned cash is going into the hands of an artist or producer who actually deserves it. Tawiah being one of those. She’s probably one of the few singers I wouldn’t go on screw face about for parting with a few nuggets to see live, because lets face it, most times you have to weigh up the pro’s and cons before any night out which starts with £30 at the door. But the thing about this young starlet is she is to the music industry what 3 extra stone would be to Amy Winehouse, a very good, beautiful and healthy thing. She is also what Erykah Badu would’ve been like if she was born in the 80’s, came from London and knew Mark Ronson.

Tawiah singing ‘Gone’

P.S Check out her myspace, one of my fav. songs 'Everystep' is up there. And if for some strange reason you're not feeling it, go drown yourself in an old people's home toilet.

www.myspace.com/tawiah

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Freestyle

From Russia with Junk

I’m pretty impervious to the strangle holds and sway of advertising, whether it’s on the TV on internet. But about a month ago now I kinda flopped myself. I saw this little advert on the right-hand side of my face book home page telling me how I could earn a little extra cash just by answering a few marketing questions every now and again. You know, every little helps and all that. Well, I did just that, I answered a fcuk load of questions and you know what I got for it? 200 emails telling me about the latest Russian brides who want to get their names onto my citizenship file. I got another ten today, and the first thing that I thought was…would it help if I went through with it, treated her worse than a Gary Glitter night in, and in doing so, got myself band from their mailing list forever??

The one thing that did take my mind of all tho' was taking a few minutes out and checking out some of the acts we have booked for the next Fat Talent LIVE this Sunday (8th March for any of you late loggers). Check out Grhymey’s website, that has to be the one of the plushest looking one’s I’ve seen from an unsigned artist in a long while. Lots of audio and video’s for you to sink your teeth into. Another favourite has to be Tobacco brown who has a song which has the opening line ‘There was a rude boy on the bus.’ Eat your heart out Kate Nash lol. I’d obviously love to chat forever about each artist and their music but I fear if I write another word today I’m going to resort to reading a dictionary just to find new ways of saying it all again on Sunday night when I introduce them. What I will do tho', and this is just for you, awww, is write a likkle review about my favourite ones from the live show @ Inn on the Green, Ladbroke Grove, not right now obviously.....next week star, next week!

For more info, and to help you get your fat asses down (sorry mum if your reading, but it was necessary) go to the face book group for the event on the following link.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=59091546282&ref=ts

www.myspace.com/albioncomedy

www.myspace.com/calatrilloZ
www.grhymey.com
www.myspace.com/itzcharliebrown
www.myspace.com/oneponi
www.myspace.com/rayblaks
www.myspace.com/themedscollective
www.myspace.com/sylvimaree
www.myspace.com/tobaccobrown


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Freestyle

Blame it on the Stella

Here on the Fat Blog we are all about promoting unsigned talent, you know, giving the unsung voices of the fashion and music industry a venue to have their art brought to the masses. But every now and again (and I begged boss lady to let me) we just have to give you a shout out if we hear anything special, even if it is from the much hated, media obsessed Celebs that unfortunately exist.

I heard rumours about this video and how many ‘faces’ were going to be in it and thought, ‘god no, not you too Jamie’. But you know what, the tune was so goood I had to add an extra O in it, and the video was so slick and entertaining I think Michael Jackson is going to have to mould his new O2 tour around it if he’s going to have any chance of evading questions about his ‘past’ from journalists come June!

And just in case you gave a damn about the particulars, which I do, but I know some of you don’t. Ok ok, I’m adding it in just to make myself look good, I mean, I do know my shite lol…It’s a Hype Williams video (check every major hip hop and RnB video since the genre’s existed) also co-directed by, and get this, Cedric the Entertainer (who for some reason I haven’t spotted in the video thus far, and he would be a hard man to miss), Quincy Jones (who doesn’t get a name check, cheeky buggers) and Ron Howard (who actually looks so cool you forget he was the numbnuts from Happy Days…and he does get a name check). Other ‘faces’ who get a name check include Jake Gyllenhaal (If your like me your gonna have to google it and then you will say, ‘Oh damn, I didn’t know that was his name’, well, now you do), Forest Whitaker (and I still cant shake that Idi Amin image) and also Samuel L. ‘bad muthashutyomouth’ Jackson.

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Freestyle

Dizze Westwood

So usually I have something funny, retrospective or poignant to say before I introduce an artist track or video, well, today is no exception….

BRRRRAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!






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Freestyle

Boy Better Skank

I got my ass kicked recently, by a woman at that. I’m not ashamed though, its good to know that the strong ones that can give as good as they get still exist. The problem is you see, I’m a bit wayward, oi no laughing, just a bit lol. I’m one of those, always late brea’s, too busy to check if my heads on straight and on the worst days, I’m so lazy I make Lil Wayne interviews look like Mr Motivator sessions. Skepta on the other hand is the one doing the ass kicking these days. Boy Better Know’s man of the moment has finally gone and taken Grime by the horns and given it an electro seeing to. I was saying time ago that grime should take a leaf out of funky house videos and do something more interesting than just mans standing around bredding each other, when we all know most of them never have enough credit to bell each other on a reggs for a chin wag. And before you say it, I know what I said before about wearing sunglasses at night lol, but you know what, I’ll let it go this one time, simple cause, well, if I didn’t I’d be making the same mistake Heather Mills did.

Btw, if you didn’t understand a word of the above, the song you're about to hear should be enough to make you feel as good as the first guy who saw the first woman in a bikini, more than a lot! And for those of you who want to know the particulars, this video was produced by the ‘industry standard’ Mr Mo (check his myspace, the guy is genius - www.myspace.com/mighty_mo_vidz). I’m also going to spoil you s.o.b’s and stick the Agent X remix video there too, well, it’s the same video but just a different flavour. Oh and if you haven’t already guessed (or if you were born after 1990 and too young to know there actually was an original song before the Skepta video) the original was by Corey Hart in 1983 from the 3x platinum First Offence album. Who?...Don’t worry your pretty little head.

Skepta – Sunglasses At Night



Agent X remix

Feel free to comment and say what you think...

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Freestyle

p.s Wiley, your turn to knock my socks off mate!

Learn in suffering, Teach in song

“I love music, it means everything to me, I live it, breath it, eat it. I want to be an artist when I grow up and have everyone listen to my music”. I hear that a lot. After the first few times the reaction is more ‘yeh? Ok! Let’s see where you are this time next year’. Then after the hundredth time I just can’t be bothered!

You see, amongst other things I do, I also work as a AnR, well, I don’t call myself one, it’s more like sourcing artists for labels, and session musicians for studios, that kind of thing. All different genre’s and styles, why limit yourself right? The point is, some, no, a lot, of people who want to be artists, whether its music, drama or contemporary art, don’t really realise the amount of work, pain and blood that they would have to go through to even get to the point of being labelled an unsigned artist, or up and coming for that fact.

I’ve seen the pain with my own eyes, seriously. I wouldn’t want to be an artist even if they paid me and told to go stand next to Chris Brown. Maybe not Chris, I’d end up looking like Shrek standing next to him. This is though, why I do admire all the artists I come across who have gone through ‘the wall’ so to speak and are still trodding on hard as the day they first realised their dreams and ambitions. Make no mistake, for every live music night you go to, every time you go to a gig, lose the mind set that these are the lucky few, or glory hunters. I’ve yet to meet an artist who has been in the game for more than a few years who’s in it for the glory. The ones who are, usually quit after their first bad gig.

I mean, I used to play rugby in secondary school. I trained for five months and got onto the first team. First ever game, it was snowing, ankle high. I get the ball in the second half, run down the centre of the field, and just as I’m about to make my pass, a huge 14 stone kid lands me with the heaviest blow to the ground. I played just that one game, had stud marks on my chest that were still visible after two days, but I don’t call myself a rugby player, and I certainly don’t tell that story on dates. But those who get past the pain do deserve a lot of love and appreciation. So for 2009 I want you to take the time out and have a butchers at a few select links that I’ve picked. These guys shine through and they’re still doing their thing. Long live UK music.


G Range
www.myspace.com/gr07


Valentina
www.myspace.com/valentinamusic


Azadeh
www.myspace.com/azadehmusic


Iman
www.myspace.com/imanmusic


Deke Walker
www.myspace.com/dwalkermusic


GoldieLocks
www.myspace.com/goldielocksmusic


Perfect People
www.myspace.com/perfectpeople


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Words: Freestyle