16 artists are being nurtured by the Southbank Centre as Emerging Artists in Residence in what they're styling an "eclectic hub for music and performance". Keeping you ahead of the curve, we're getting closer to this multi-talented bunch of singer-songwriters, rappers, MCs and beatboxers, spoken word artists and DJs in a series of interviews. Who are you and what do you do? I'm IronBraydz the rapper, producer. Where do you live and what do you......

Disparate, dissatisfied and demoralised they may be today, but in the mid-Nineties, the Wu-Tang Clan were on top. Working together or as a group, Clan members released albums at dizzying speed, throwing dart after poisonous dart into the hip hop continuum over a two-year spell of insane creativity that ultimately burned them out before their time. One of the most acclaimed discs from that era was Liquid Swords, by The Genius, aka "Gza" (or......

16 artists are being nurtured by the Southbank Centre as Emerging Artists in Residence in what they're styling an "eclectic hub for music and performance". Keeping you ahead of the curve, we're getting closer to this multi-talented bunch of singer-songwriters, rappers, MCs and beatboxers, spoken word artists and DJs in a series of interviews. Who are you and what do you do? I'm Riz Ahmed aka Riz MC. I'm an actor (you're probably thinking he......

Jay Z may have moved the crowd at Glasto this year, but for true hip hop fans, Rock The Bells is the only festival worth steppin' to. Formed in 2004, when the promoters hit upon the seemingly impossible idea of reuniting the Wu-Tang Clan, the annual festival has grown in stature since then, and in an era of dwindling sales and lacklustre rap albums, it represents one of hip hop's most important events. So......

This is pretty much a musical must if you’re free tomorrow night: a debate about hip hop and Islam, and where the two interface. Whether they should interface. Whether they are compatible. This will be a lively one, for sure. The Islamic music scene in London (and America) is huge, but its musicians are involved in a constant debacle with hardliners as to whether the Koran expressly forbids such free expression, and whether the......

The last time Londonist caught up with Lupe Fiasco, in 2006, the Chicago rapper was sporting the quotidian hip hop uniform of suede Tims and baggy jeans. Last night was a different look altogether. Clearly setting out to match his surroundings, Lupe bounded onstage kitted in a tuxedo and fresh white shirt, his band similarly well attired. As he remarked later in the evening, Esquire have just anointed him one of their best-dressed men......

Mwhahaha. The Book Grocer rubs her hands together greedily as she contemplates the week ahead. Festival season kicks off this week, and its offerings may be summarised with one word: excellent. Tuesday: VS Naipaul fans will want to head to Daunt Books tonight to hear Patrick French and AN Wilson discuss French’s recent biography of the Nobel Prize-winning author, The World Is What It Is, heralded as a “magnificent achievement” (7pm, £5). Also on:......

A brief word of advice, should you ever wish to foray into the questionable profession of music journalism: it's probably not the best idea to begin your busiest week of gig attendance with a rave. That said, the best ideas are generally the most boring, so of course we stayed out last Saturday dancing until dawn at Warp Records' Brainfeeder party at the Hearn Street Car Park. A wise man once said, "Prudence never......

L-R: Panama Black and Jneiro Jarel of Shape Of Broad Minds; Dälek It is perhaps appropriate that, for a music so feverishly obsessed with being fresh, when forced to actually contemplate its own future hip-hop ends up delving back into the past for answers. On Thursday night we were treated to a glimpse, perhaps, of things to come. Atlanta's Shape Of Broad Minds stung the audience at Queen Elizabeth Hall into life after the fairly......

"Once upon a time in London, yo, I damn near had to steal the show" - Atmosphere, "God Loves Ugly" We know. We were there when it happened. But it wasn't last night. In 2006, Minneapolis producer-MC combo Atmosphere dragged a whole band along with them. The storming show, at Scala, was probably the finest live hip hop show London's witnessed that didn't involve The Roots. The fruit of that tour was new album......

From the moment we first heard the song, we were hooked, and we've been addicted to Adidas ever since. The song, of course, was Run-D.M.C.'s classic paean to their favourite footwear, "My Adidas", from their 1986 album Raising Hell. By 1989 the Beastie Boys had released Paul's Boutique and "The Sounds of Science" reaffirmed that we'd made the right decision when it proclaimed, "Rock my Adidas, never rock Fila!" Following this declaration, a Pato......

If you like your beats broken and blunted, Warp Records has your Saturday night sorted. No, we're not suggesting that you stay home and chill out to your old Artificial Intelligence records, quite the contrary in fact. The Sheffield label is hosting a party at the Hearn Street Car Park to celebrate the release of their recent signee Flying Lotus' new album, Los Angeles. Should your brainwaves respond favourably to high levels of sub-bass......

Every so often we take a more indepth look at clubnights round London that peak our interest. This week it's Beat Poetry, an ecletic funky night which moved from Brixton to Spitalfields earlier this year. If you like the sound of it, the next installment is taking place this Friday (13/6) from 10pm and entry is a mini £3, with a promise of lollies, jelly beans and free CDs. Cool! When and why did......

All Tomorrow's Parties' Don't Look Back shows, in which artists perform classic albums in their entirety, has tended thus far to stick mainly to indie and rock. This year, however, rap is getting a look-in: later in May, Public Enemy will perform It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, and last night at Koko, Wu-Tang Clansmen Raekwon and Ghostface Killah rolled up to lay down the science from their 1995 mafioso-ridden......

After five hours of sleep (thank you Mr. Postman for waking us up) and an Eggs Benedict at the Camden Kitchen, we had mostly recovered from the first day of Camden Crawl 2008 and were once again hungry for more gigs. With several artists playing both days of the festival, there were a few acts we missed on Friday that we wanted to catch on Saturday, as well as many Saturday-only artists that we......

With the Camden Crawl spanning two days and as loaded as ever with amazing acts, it's impossible to do it any justice in only one post. Whilst we easily could write at length about everything we saw, you just want the highlights: who rocked us, who we're dying to see again and how we came to love doing the Rolex Sweep. Without further ado, let's try to remember how we spent Friday 18 April......

This Sunday, rap fans will pay their respect to late hip-hop producer J-Dilla at Cargo in Shoreditch. DJs including Shortee Blitz, Marc Mac and DJ Spin Doctor will be bumping favourites from Dilla's back catalogue in an event held to honour his life and legacy. Born James Yancey, and also known as Jay Dee, Dilla was the "producer's producer": feted by the likes of Kanye and Pharrell, he was one of the most influential......

Is it just us or was January rubbish? Nice then that February, with its special extra day this year, commences with Brazilian Carnival, yummy pancakes and Chinese New Year... it's like a whole new start for 2008 and lots of it totally FREE! Monday: Get some Monday Love at the Inspiral Lounge, Camden Lock as UK Indymedia host their radical film, talk, and music night. Free entry for all those who still believe in......

"Y'all are making Brighton seem like where the party's at", yells DJ Big Whiz from behind the decks. The roar of protest from the crowd, packed tightly underneath Cargo's Victorian arches so movement is reduced to peristalsis-like shuffles, is the desired response: Londoners don't take well to comparisons with our southern cousin. As his DJ riles the crowd, Definitive Jux rapper Aesop Rock lounges across the stage with a Cheshire-cat grin. On the second......

Words: useful little critters, no? Without them we’d be, well, a lot of things, but most certainly out of a job. From puns to poetry, improv to irony, books to blogs, we pretty much revel in all that language has to offer. But no, we will neither confirm nor deny reports that we’ve stayed home on a Friday night for a heated game of Scrabble. What we will confirm, however, is that we greet......

We've not done very well on the virtuous January front and seem to have spent all our money and most of our nights out on the lash with a flagrant disregard for propriety and our bank account. We don't mind though because, as usual, there are some excellent free things to do in town this week. Monday: British Asian gangsta folk ska punk is where it's at with the intriguing sounding Barbar Luck at......

Be there first: After all the brouhaha over the From Russia paintings, this is surely the show to see in its opening week. Stunning, inspirational works by the likes of Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Kandinsky, Tatlin and Malevich come to the Royal Academy from Saturday. This is jaw-dropping art you'd normally only get to see with a deep, heavy, carbon-footprint inducing flight to Russia, we're lucky enough to have it on our doorsteps until......

Sadlers Wells Sampled is a brilliant format that brings you a 'tapas' of top notch professional dance for just £10 (or a fiver if you're prepared to 'prom' it.) It's the perfect introduction to dance and an great opportunity to sample new styles in one night. We tried to tempt you with brand new dance at The Place last week. Well, this week we're being a bit more forthright, tooting a big red horn......

Bored tonight? Well if you're hanging round East London without much to do then we recommend a visit to Stoke Newington's Bardens Boudoir. Constantly a source of exciting small bands and DIY events, tonight Upset The Rhythm are your hosts. Girl Talk is their headlining act and one we're particularly excited about. A big star in the music circles, Gregg Gillis has been mixing up all types of songs in his DJ sets as......

It's definitely time to start scrimping on things so you've plenty of dosh for those Christmas outings and present buying blitzes. London on the Cheap returns after a hiatus (we were temporarily flush, we made the most of it...) to help you get the most of the city on the scrag ends in your pocket. Monday: Get in the right frame of mind for Christmas shopping. Fortnum and Mason has just emerged from its......

Maxwell's Fullmooners has been running for some time at London's Comedy Store - audiences can expect Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell dressed in a cloak, hip hop dancers, a creepy singer with a ukulele called Lady Carol of the Moon, the 'concierge' Tim Fitzhigham (who we interviewed earlier this year) and a lot of werewolf style howling. The shows start at midnight and have been something of a cult hit. On November 24th an extra......

If you've been past the Bow Street entrance to the Royal Opera House lately you'll have seen Royal Ballet principal dancer Edward Watson smouldering gingerly in a full face poster shot, stating: Meet Ed. Fact: When he's dancing, pound for pound, he's stronger than a rhino. Superheroes really do wear tights. You see what the Opera House is doing? It's sexing up. In your face! To underpin its efforts at drawing in new audiences......

Mark E Smith summed it up best himself in 1998: “If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s the Fall”. But now it’s 2007 and Granny has a laptop and drum machine….. Thursday night at Heaven witnessed the latest chapter of Smith’s freewheeling output: Von Sudenfed, a collaboration with German electronic act Mouse on Mars. Unlike his relationship with his Fall ‘employees’, they are on a much more equal footing and it is......

As we come to the end of the Jewish High Holy day season, London will be celebrating all things Jewish this Sunday (14 Oct) with the 2nd Simcha on the Square. Designed as a showcase for the UK's Jewish culture and supported by the Mayor of London, Trafalagar Square will be transformed with performances, stalls and lots of really good food from 12 till 6pm. The Jewish Museum will also be on hand with......

Following last year's inaugural success, the BBC Electric Proms return for a 2nd year from 24 - 28 October. Tickets go on sale today at 12pm and, given the calibre of the lineup, are expected to be snapped up in no time. The posher version of the Camden Crawl, the musical Leccy lineup is spread across Koko, Roundhouse, Barfly, Dingwalls, the Jazz Cafe and the Electric Ballroom, with relevant musical films taking place in......