36 HIPHOP//RNB M.O.P
On the 2nd March Brooklyn natives M.O.P are back and will
be playing at one of our favourite venues, Jazz Cafe. Maintaining
a strong underground following, they are most known for their
2002 song “Ante Up.” Last year they played two dates at the
Jazz Cafe in August and caused some crazy vibes so as you can imagine we can’t wait for the return of the Hip Hip duo. For tickets go to
www.allgigs.co.uk.
PHAROAHE MONCH
Pharoahe Monch is back with only his third record in the space of 12 years, W.A.R. The record brings us political views from one of Hip Hop’s most gifted rappers. Using his inspiration of Jazz music and his ability to use all the words under the sun to construe a well structured expression of the topic nobody really wants to discuss...War. Pharoahe Monch is on top form asks his friends from the four corners of the world to help him out. Styles P, Phonte, Jean Grae, Royce Da 5’9, Citizen Cope, Jill Scott, Idris Elda, DJ Boogie Blind, Showtyme, Vernon Reid and Immortal Technique add a little of variation to each track. The stand out track has to be Let My People Go, however, this is closely followed by W.A.R., Evolve, Assasins and The Hitman, which shows how deep and philosophical the whole record is. Mixing a few guitar solos in a few tracks (The Grand Illusion and W.A.R.) to bring a sort of vacation from the meaningful lyrics before heading back and appreciating the rest of the LP. The albums drops this April so make sure pick up a copy.
THE GUESTLIST NETWORK | FEBRUARY 2011
BIANCA ENCORE 188
If, like us here at The Guestlist Network, you are tired of being force fed manufactured boy bands singing sugar coated lyrics to forgettable songs, then your wait is over. Encore are here to set a precedent is the UK music scene because this trio not only sing but they also write, produce and rap on their songs. They effortlessly blend RnB, Hip Hop, Dubstep, Garage, Pop and a hint of some 90s Jodeci/Bell Biv Devoe to produce a musical flavour never before
savoured. Pierre Joseph, 23, Cairo Woodwood, 22, and 21 year-old Mark Asari, collectively known as Encore, will be releasing an album on Island Records later this year. The album boast collaborations with producers that have worked with the likes of Tinchy Stryder, Jessie J, Chipmunk, N-Dubz, Rihanna and The Saturdays. The single “Wind Up” is out on 14 February. With Encore, you will get more than you bargained for !!
You’ve got your single, Pressure featuring Baby Blue which is out now. What’s the most exciting thing about being Bianca Simmone right now? The most exciting thing about being Bianca Simmone is that I am in a position to influence and be an inspiration to others. When I was doing modelling, I would get some many girls messaging me on Facebook and emailing me asking ‘How did you do it’? ‘I want to aspire to be like you’.
feedback from fans and support.
You sang in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium. Can you tell me more about that experience? It was really good. I can’t remember too much about it because I’m getting older now (laughs). It was definitely overwhelming and was a great experience for someone at the age of 9 or 10. To be put in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium and sing at that age was really good.
I saw that you were in a video with So Solid Crew. How did you secure all of that then? Well, So Solid was actual one of the last ones I did. Before that, I was doing music videos for UK artists across the board. Then I went for an audition for Jay Sean feat Lil Wayne for the song Down. I got through to that one and I met Birdman who was doing a cameo in that particular video. I spoke to him and he had another video shoot in the same weekend. So I got one of the
SIMMONE First a model, then a TV presenter and actor, now the stunning young British lady is becoming a rising R&B star. We caught up with her to talk about her journey to stardom and her way with the boys...
Mr Wondah
main roles in that video. and I stayed in contact will Birdman.He hitched me up in a week saying he needed me in Miami for Lil Wayne, Birdman and Macmin in Always Straped. Then I came back and did a few more videos like So Solid Crew and stuff.
It’s great to get positive
How far are you in the songwriting and production in your music? Oh I’m heavily involved in my project, across the board. From what my CD cover looks like, who I work with and what my video looks like. Regards to the actual tracks itself, I actually write, sometimes I co-write depending on the feel of the track I want, I might actually get someone else to write for me. For example, Pressure was written by me and H Money. But on my EP, which is coming out in June, I’ll have 6 fresh tracks on there. Some of them are going to have mainly me, some of them are going to be other people like Fundimental, it’s always good to work with other people. With production, I don’t actually produce but I do like to be involved with the tracks and mixing. With certain bits that need to be chopped and the sounds that I am looking for.
What’s your creative history behind pressure? Pressure stems from me and H Money. We are really good friends, sort of like family. So when we found out we both did music, we were like ‘we have to create something’. He’s been signed to Rodney Jerk in L.A. So
we have been back and forth trying to set up his base out there. It was hard to get into the studio but when got in, we were with Talib, we sat there and were like, ‘what song would work for Bianca’. Then they started making jokes about how guys approaching me probably couldn’t handle it, she’ll give them grief and blah blah!. We wrote and recorded the song that night and then we thinking about who could represent the track. We had two UK female artists, one that rapped and one that singed. It just sounded perfect and Blue came in to put the verse down and that was it.
How was the process of making the video? The video was really fun to make. It was very stressful on the day and I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked to because as I said, I’m very hands on with my project and I’m not signed at the moment so I have to do everything myself. So the prepping for the video was rehearsed every week for the dance routine with the guys, I auditioned for dancers and models and my stylist, Ebony, was on board looking through all the costumes. So it was a lot but it was worth it in the end. I’m very happy with it.
THE SINGLE PRESSURE FEATURING BABY BLUE IS OUT NOW.
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