Girl Power: Nolay on set with her
Hanging Out:
So Solid’s Mega
black queens
Man and SK V
ibemakers
T
he last 12 months have
of the best British talent.
been a whirlwind of
The chorus is sung by up- provoking lyrics yet. Bashy said
activity for Black Boys
and-coming singer Loick Essien it is too difficult to decide which
creator MC Bashy (real
sampling the Spinners ‘ooh child lyrics he likes best but stated:
name Ashley Thomas).
things are gonna get easier…’ and ‘To have all these artists feature on
Previously the 23
the song shouts out a number of the track and for them to come and
year-old North West Londoner
black UK role models from the show me love when I’m coming up
was known as a clash MC on the
world of music, entertainment, is shocking.’ Bashy sits quietly as
grime circuit but now he insists
sport and business. ‘My dad got he contemplates this. If you know
that he has ‘grown up’ – and with
mad emotional and got little tears the MC, you know that quietness
ony Attille the release of his uplifting single
in his eyes,’ when he heard the isn’t in his DNA, but the enormity
he has managed to widen his
original track says the charismatic of what he’s made happen has
appeal to the entire black/urban
star. ‘Even though we always finally hit home. ‘To have guys like
community, young and old. If you
haven’t gotten on he’s always Skinnyman on the track who I used
haven’t heard the lyrics: ‘Black
trying to keep me motivated and to look up to growing up and Mega
Boys, Black Boys, Yeah We’re
encouraging me to keep doing my and Blak Twang come down to the
Called Black Boys, And One Day
music so on Black Boys I had to shoot is amazing.’
We’re Gonna Be Black Men, And
shout him out.’
One Day We Might Have Black
‘The Youtube comments have Banned for being racist
Boys And We Gotta Teach Them To
been over a quarter of a million,’ As positive as the track is, there
Be Black Men’ – then where have
continues Bashy who has been was a complaint that the track is
you been?
overwhelmed by the response. racist and it has been rumoured
‘To sit back and watch Jay-Z and that it has been banned by Ofcom,
So much Airplay!
es by Daniel Palmer DAPS & T
Beyoncé on The Lick and for me which is not true. ‘It’s pro-black but
The song has been on heavy
to be in my house in my boxer it’s not anti-white or Asian. It’s just
rotation on Radio 1, 1xtra, Choice,
shorts and socks watching Trevor a positive song-so how can it be
Pyro, Kiss and Galaxy and was
Nelson say ‘that’s my tune of the racist?’ he asks.
so influential on the UK Hip Hop
year Bashy, Black Boys’. I was by Whether you agree if it’s racist
and Grime scene that it prompted
myself looking around asking did or not with over 20 of the hottest
Bashy to do a remix and allow
anybody hear that.’ artists from the UK’s Hip Hop
any British artist that wanted too,
and Grime scene featuring on the
to jump on the track. So Akala,
History in the Making remix and Bashy has made British
Ms Dynamite, Nolay, J2K, Mike
It’s not just The Lick presenter that music video history with a powerful
GLC, Ty, Sincere, Scorcher, Styla,
loves the song, all the artist that and inspiring track and for that he
Tinee Tempah, Swiss, Wretch 32,
jumped on it do and many of them should be proud.
ds by Annika Allen Pictur
Narstie, Bigz, Chipmunk, Jaja and
or
were out of their creative comfort
W
Skinnyman stepped to the mic
zone but managed to write their Black Boys DVD Box Set
enabling the remix to feature some
most inspirational and thought- released on Feb 11
th
2008
27
Akala: showcases his articulate and
conscious lyrics and thoughts on set
25
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