..the last 2 episodes of Trexx and Flipside will be on air!
Thank you very much for all of the positive (and constructive) comments you've sent me about the series. I definitely had a great time filming it and I'm glad that a lot of people 'get it' now - it's meant to be silly fun Kenan and Kel/Fresh Prince/Laurel and Hardy type of comedy with larger than life performances from the actors. Even though the later time slot on Sunday could have led you to expect something else, it is what it is and what it is is what was intended.
Yes, there have been moments that could have been re-worked to be funnier but that's what first series' are for - if it does go to a second series, the lessons have been learned and it can only get better! Now, it's too early to say if there will be a second series however, I've been told that the ratings have been good and have continued to build through the series so we'll see.
To those people who didn't get it, didn't like it or decided to hate on it for some unknown or random (bordering on obsessive) reason - maybe the show wasn't for you. I know people who love some sitcoms that other people hate as much as they love them - Gavin & Stacy, The Office and Peep Show to name just 3. And as a performer, if you don't take risks you can never progress and you could end up being boring, tired and formulaic. Dizzee took a risk with 'Dance Wiv Me'...
Here's a taster of one of the last 2 episodes you can catch on 91Èȱ¬ Three on Sunday at 10.45, Monday at 8pm or anytime on 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer:
Another reason why I'm jealous I wasn't in Malia this weekend, for the first time ever, Skepta, Ghetto and Tinchy Stryder appeared on stage together. Shouts to Andy, Helena and the 1Xtra Loves Summer team for making this happen:
My favourite D&B album at the moment is Danny Byrd's "Supersized" and having just checked out his MySpace - he's got a nice little making of video up there. As I've never seen a making of for a D&B album and feel I don't rep D&B enough on the blog, thought it would be a nice excuse to post the video here!
from on .
Shouts to Tom, Tony and Chris & the whole Hospital Records crew.
The annual Nationwide bank sponsored Mercury Music Prize 2008 nominations have been announced and the list is surprisingly good start to finish. The award is given annually to what is deemed 'the album of the year' in Great Britain and Ireland. If you're not very familiar with it, (or just know previous winners include Ms Dynamite, Dizzee Rascal, Roni Size/Reprazent and Portishead) - otherwise, here are this year's nominations:
Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid Estelle - Shine
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep in the North Sea
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset - The Bairns Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
The ones in bold are the one's that I personally like and own and while I'd love to see either Estelle (go girl!), Adele (especially after her recent amazing gig at London's Somerset House), Laura Marling or Burial win, I think Robert Plant & Alison Krauss or Radiohead have got it.
You can leave comments and have your say either below (although fewer and fewer of you are doing that these days!) or by checking out the 1Xtra News Pages here.
Every week I pick one record that isn't just hot, it's Jam Hot and I play it every day on the show. This week, the honour goes to the new single from a UK HipHop legend who's been putting it down since 1994 - Roots Manuva's "Again & Again".
• For anyone who doesn't know who Roots Manuva is, he first hit the scene in 1994 first with a group called IQ Procedure and then featuring on a Blak Twang record ("Queens Head")
• After working with Skitz and releasing tracks on various labels, he settled with Big Dada and released his debut solo album "Brand New Second Hand" in 1998.
• Fast forward 10 years and "Again & Again" is the second single to be taken from Roots' forthcoming 6th album due at the end of August called "Slime & Reason"
• The record was co-produced by Roots and D&B legend Shy FX who adds his Digital Soundboy style swagger
• Check out
You can hear this record every day this week on my show
Back in 1990, Fatboy Slim was in his reggae influenced remixing anything that moves phase and one of the big remixes he did was for legendary HipHop group A Tribe Called Quest's "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo". During the intro of the remix, due to the reggae flavour of the track; Phife from the group gets his Jafaican on repeating 'A Milli Billi Billi Bong' inna dancehall stylee:
Seems like this resonated with producer Bangladesh who sampled it and turned it into the Lil Wayne monster, currently tearing down clubs across the world and having had artists such as Jay-Z, NeYo and Fabolous doing their own versions "A Milli". Here's how it was done:
Vid jacked from blog.
And that's how Fatboy Slim is responsible for A Milli. Next week, how Cliff Richard was repsonsible for Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones"
I've purposefully stayed away from blogging as I've been preparing for my clash with Zane Lowe. I've been running up steps, shadowboxing, sparring in abbotoirs and all the other Rocky references however all of the training will have to be put on hold as Mr Lowe is ill tonight.
Some say it's sickness brought on by fear. Some say it's man flu. Some say it's an illness brought on from the dust of the records Zane had to dig through to try and have a fighting chance of winning the clash. Either way, he's genuinely not well so the scheduled clash between us will be postponed until further notice.
BUT I need to make sure Zane is fighting fit, I want a fair fight so my heartfelt get well soon wishes go out to him. Really soon. As in next week soon!
Here's what happened last night when we met for the pre-match press conference.
Every week I pick one record that isn't just hot, it's Jam Hot and I play it every day on the show. 29 weeks into the year and this week the Jam Hot gets bigger than ever as rather than it being one song in particular, it's an entire EP from The Cool Kids. "The Bake Sale EP" is Jam Hot this week!
Who are The Cool Kids?
• The Cool Kids are Antoine "Mikey Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll
• They met in 2005 when Mikey found a beat on the internet that Chuck had produced. The two met to discuss terms of the beat's sale, and eventually ended up recording for two hours.
• Until this time last year, their music was released via their myspace but after performances at 2 big music festivals in the states, they were signed to Chocolate Industries via their own label C.A.K.E Recordings; and in the UK, the label that signed Dizzee Rascal and The Prodigy - XL Recordings - have jumped on board.
• The 10 track EP "The Bake Sale" features some of the biggest songs from their career so far, neatly packaged into 1 CD and will be their first release in the UK.
• Their album "When Fish Ride Bicycles" is due to follow later in the year and their mixtape "That's Stupid" is currently available to download for free via The Cool Kids' myspace.
From the EP, check the video for the duo's ode to the BMX bike "Black Mags"
Expect to hear 2 tracks per day from the EP every day this week. The Jam Hot goes back to normal next week with a reggae tinged summer sizzler.
Every week I pick one record that isn't just hot, it's Jam Hot and I play it every day on the show. This week the honour goes to a record that isn't easily pigenonholed but I think it's gonna be a big dancefloor damager: Alan Braxe ft Killa Kela & Fallon - "Nightwatcher (Show Me)"
You may know the French producer Alan Braxe better for his work with Fred Falke ("Intro") and as one third of Stardust ("Music Sounds Better With You") but "Nightwatcher" sees him playing with the beats and the bass to come up with something new. The record originally started out life as an instrumental Alan Braxe called "Addicted" which was featured the uber cool French Kitsune Maison compilation but once he sent the beat to up and coming British singer Fallon (tipped by tastemakers as one to watch) and she called her long time friend and beatbox extraodinaire Killa Kela to work on the track; the instrumental became "Nightwatcher".
British label Eye Industries signed it and as the record began to pick up momentum, 4th & Broadway (a division of Island records in the UK) also put their weight behind the track and it is due to be released on 25th August.
Killa Kela and Fallon joined me in the 1Xtra studio last night (10th July for archivists) and spoke about the song, how it came about, their forthcoming projects and capped it off with a live performance of the smasher.
Audio to come soon but in the meanwhile, check the video above and let me know what you think. In the words of (that I will blatantly bite from now on) Sink or swim?
Next week, the Jam Hot gets even bigger! Stay locked to the blog to find out first.
Last night I was getting my Jonathan Ross on (and before your mind races, no that doesn't involve being quite rude to legendary rappers on my own chat show) I was at a film festival in Amsterdam. I was representing 91Èȱ¬ Blast at The during the day - and come the evening I was hosting the Festival's award & closing ceremony.
Now, if you've never heard of the Stranger Festival, it's billed as "...Europe's biggest event for young video makers and fans sharing stories" however rather than Tarantino and Scorsese, the videos on show and winning awards were made by young people from around the world. The event ran super smoothly (shouts to Susanne and the Coolpolitics crew) and looked amazing. Speaking of amazing, I was amazed by the quality of the videos and really wanted to make sure I shared them with you - they're all available on the Stranger Festival website. Take a moment to watch a couple - I was especially taken with and and .
Donaeo passed through my show tonight and buss it up with a live version of his future hit 'African Warrior' (audio coming soon!) but also revealed that he is due to film a video for his summer hit 'Devil In A Blue Dress' due to be directed by Van Boom of Dcypha films (the guy behind Sway's F UR X, My Life by Klashnekoff, etc.,etc.). Here's the thing, he's looking for the lady to be that devil!
He's posted the listing for ladies to audition on the website but regardless of what that says, Donaeo is still looking. Keep reading if you want to audition:
"Dcypha Films, the production company behind the recent Sway hit 'F ur X' are now casting for a lead female role in the club banger 'Devil in a Blue Dress' by Donaeo. The funky house track, already a smash in the clubs is about to become the essential soundtrack to the summer"
I have great news....Trexx and Flipside (that 91Èȱ¬ Three comedy I told you about that I'm in) starts this sunday on 91Èȱ¬ Three. Here's the trailer:
I've been told that early reviews have called it "HipHop's answer to Laurel and Hardy" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air meets Only Fools And Horses" - big talk right? Well, with those words as early reviews, you should know not to expect some real, gritty street drama right? It's about time we had some silly fun and that's what Trexx and Flipside is about.
So set your Sky Plus, Virgin Media box, TiVo or if you're old skool, your video player. Episode 1 is on 91Èȱ¬ Three first on Sunday 6th July at 10.50pm, our main showing on Monday 7th July at 8pm and a post-pub friendly repeat on Friday 11th July at 00.45.
Watch it live or at any time after Sunday night using the new 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer (which is very sick - you can also now use the iPlayer to listen back to radio shows and fast forward and rewind) and let me know what you think!
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