Following the release of DECOYS, Weirdoe returns with his second single of the year HEADSHOTS which is another cut from his upcoming debut mixtape. Fans of previous releases such as STUCK IN THE MUD and P4 will no doubt gravitate towards the ferociousness and grittiness of the track, produced once again by frequent collaborators Harlz and Grimmm. HEADSHOTS begins like the equivalent to a slap in the face, with an immediate and mighty start to the track “ok, let's cut to the chase” Weirdoe is letting his audience know that he means business. The wordsmith's relentless flow forces the li ..read more

  Grammy-winning R&B legend Akon electrified a jam-packed Hammersmith Apollo on his Superfan Tour. He dished out all the classics - from "Locked Up," "Lonely," "Smack That," and "Dangerous," plus the rest of his back catalog. It was a night for 'Superfans' to remember! Pictures + Words: Nick Haill ..read more

  “Wherever You Go feat Alfie Neale” is the new single from Amsterdam/London-based 23-year-old producer, artist, and multi-instrumentalist ISHA. The release follows “Current feat. Jack Howard” which saw support from Deb Grant (BBC 6Music), New Music Fix (BBC 6Music), Global Soul and Amazing Radio alongside playlisting on Nu Funk (Spotify) and Nieuw DezeWeek (Deezer NL). With influences from the 70s and 80s funk, hip-hop and jazz scenes, melding alongside modern-day acts like SG Lewis, Jungle and FKJ, ISHA strives to create her own blend of broken beat-adjacent jazz-funk. She’ll be headin ..read more

  Born in the Uk with roots from Mauritius Minou Nombreuse is a blend of both island spice and grit, with melody’s that take you to a whole new place and vibes that make your hips move. Moonlight is the first single that I’ve chosen to release as it is showcases my vocal range being a R&B singer and my love for all things afrobeat and Afro pop through the production. It’s my way of saying This is Minou Nombreuse and she is here to shift narratives. She chose the lead single to be titled “Moonlight” because of her connection and interest to planets and the solar system , “I’m not a sc ..read more

  2024 sees the release of Enemies of Success debut album ‘Opportunites Natural Assassins’ The album drops today (03.05.24) and boasts a whole host of incredible features from the likes of Ill Sykes, Con-Vers, Resovwaar Dogs, Roisin Quinn, Lomax, Habitat 617 and Sleeps Cousin. The duo which is made up of London based MC, RunDown and Derby based producer / beat maker, Pedantic aim to blend boom bap beats with more personal lyricism and tongue in cheek bars. The album marks their first full body of work and sign of things to come in the future, with plans for the next project already in mo ..read more

  Picture Credit: Megan Anderson Grammy and Ivor Novello-nominated producer and songwriter Gianluca Buccellati, better known as Bien Et Toi, returns with his highly anticipated EP, "London Safari II," via AMF Records/Temple Records. The EP showcases a dynamic fusion of genres and features organic collaborations with acclaimed artists, including Halima, Lily Rayne, Paris Texas, and Deyaz. "I've been working on a continuation of the themes from London Safari and have created this new EP of songs with artists I admire and enjoy working with. London Safari II takes the essence of Bien&n ..read more

  Why Kai is the moniker of Oslo based composer and producer Kai von der Lippe & drummer Elias Tafjord. Renown for their visually unique live shows (which utilise live-controlled interactive visuals with input from cameras on stage, and MIDI-triggered robots) the duo creates carefully composed and evolving pieces where sounds from the jazz and improvisation scenes are seamlessly blended with danceable rhythms, deep bass, as well as incorporating field recordings. Following their debut EP ‘Deep Fishing’, released via Jazzland Recordings in 2021, the pair now return with their first al ..read more

  ‘Open Case’ is the new single by Ghanaian-American R&B singer NanaBcool. The song addresses being in an open relationship and the questions you get from homies around and if you really about that life. Underlined by a butter smooth instrumental produced by Berlin based multi-instrumentalist and producer DHANYA, it’s a comment with a wink on a situationship most of us found ourselves in at one point in our lives. NanaBcool is a multi-talented singer and songwriter whose sound revolves around RnB, Hip hop and Soul. With his roots in Ghana and growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Nana found ..read more

  British-born wordsmith, AKS (pronounced “Ay-Kay-Ess”), is excited to announce the release of a captivating visualiser to accompany his latest single "Let Me Explain (Wordplay Freestyle)". Following the positive reception since the track’s release, the three-letter man is ready to share a visually captivating experience with his growing audience. Even before it’s official launch, "Let Me Explain" had been making some waves, earning the lyricist praise from industry tastemakers like DJ Semtex (#5SongsYouNeedToKnow – Capital Xtra) and Jess Iszatt at BBC Radio London. Going on to see supp ..read more

  First Word Records is proud to bring you new music from Essa & Pitch 92 accompanied by an all-star squad of 'HeavyweightS' including Klashnekoff, Kyza, Doc Brown & many more. Following on from the first track by the duo 'Heavyweight' which dropped late last year, this posse track version is taken from a new full-length album entitled 'Resonance', which is due to be released in late Summer. A lyricist, lawyer and a Londoner, Essa initially released music under the name Yungun in the early noughties, in the midst of UK hip hop's own "golden era". He earned praise from artists suc ..read more