Whilst sat in the lofty confines of the 89 HQ, preparing for one of our weekly strategic meetings, the smell of Soho life whiffs through an open window accompanied by the sound of those godforsaken rickshaw three wheelers pumping songs without any care for PRS, it dawned on myself and a colleague, what if the two leading female artists in pop/urban culture locked lips (artistically speaking you filthy so-and-so’s ) and did a female ‘Watch The Throne’, how epic would that be?

With ‘Watch The Throne’ garnering 000000 in sales and making 000000 in revenue between the album and the tour for Kanye and Jay Z, arguably the only two figures in Hip-Hop that could of done this, why haven’t we seen a female duo step up to the fore and compete with their male counterparts for the spotlight? I mean after all, woman have been campaigning for equal rights since the turn of a century ago, from pay to just general things like us changing nappies, so why not make a stand on one of the biggest social/cultural platforms that transcends the divides in race and gender, namely music, and show the world, ‘we can do anything you boys can do’?

But this is where our discussion got interesting. Which two could actually do that? Which two actually have the pop/commercial & urban cultures united equally in their admiration for them? Believe me we banded around combinations for a minute like we were auditioning for the successors of the Legion Of Doom (showing my age a bit) but kept coming back to the same two….Rihanna & Nicki Minaj! Go on, say something!

No matter how you look at it, only these two can bridge those aforementioned worlds equally and unanimously and generate the kind of success Jay and Ye did. To be honest, we sort of think they would eclipse it.

Have a think about that as you go through your day or next time you’re with friends and are struggling for a topic of conversation, and feel free to leave us a message on your findings, but do remember where you heard it from first. No doubt some jumped up gassed A&R at either Roc Nation or Cash Money will claim it’s their brainchild in an epiphany whilst driving to the office in a supped up vehicle whilst fretting on the fact that they haven’t delivered anything meaningful in the last few meetings with their superiors and cohorts and this will probably prevent their P45 (or American equivalent) being laminated and may even get them that senior VP position that our cousins across the pond so heavily covet. I digress. This collaboration is a license to print money and you guys know it. This was just a throw away, you can have this Jay and Bird Man/ Wayne. We do this for fun, 89 Arrogance Recordings, London Soho, come see us.

Now back to real work.

“Just one taste, will light up your soul”! The opening line from Kieran Skye’s debut single, and nothing could be more truer once you continue listening to this debut offering from Essex’s latest musical prodigy.

The song is an empowering one, evoking thoughts of a 21st century Eye Of The Tiger, with the lyrics tastefully goading the listener in to a belief, or more of a realisation that they posses what it takes to indeed ‘Rule The World’. As Kieran himself says, ”I felt this was perfect as my debut offering as it really represents what it is every recording artists hopes for their career and I’m no different. I want to be the best I can be at what I do.” He continues, ”Everyone has it inside them to be great at what they set out to be, just look at what we achieved as a nation over the summer in the Olympics, and imagine what our next generation has in store, not just sporting achievements, academic, business, whatever it is your skills lay in, just go out and rule the world at it.”

Kieran has produced what is to be a memorable debut effort, with his sultry delivery sitting on a tap-your-feet, groove-along production that sonically meanders through your spirit as you get caught in the plucky acoustics of the guitar strings and drum pattern.

Our very own Kieran Skye has been entered into the MTV Brand New 2012 competition! The annual search for the very best in music has begun with previous nominees including Adele and Lady Gaga. Now that voting now well underway, it really is time for all Kieran Skye fans to log on to Facebook and get voting now via the link below.

http://brandnewunsigned.mtv.co.uk/act/kieranskye

Our very own Kofi Stacks & The Mandem have been entered into the MTV Brand New 2012 competition! The annual search for the very best in music has begun with previous nominees including one-time collaborator Adele and Tinie Tempah. Now that voting now well underway, it really is time for all Kofi Stacks fans to log on to Facebook and get voting now via the link below.

http://brandnewunsigned.mtv.co.uk/act/kofistacksandthemandem

Modern society has been exposed to so much that we have been desensitised to pretty much everything. We are no longer shocked or surprised by celebrity sex tapes, occult practicers or obscure outfits. No my pedigree chums, there has been such saturation of these publicity stunts, that we no longer blink an eyelid when such news is announced. This trend of shocking people into paying attention to “celebrities”, stemmed from people being bored of manufactured artists and bands. Nobody was interested in the girl/boy next door that dressed from head to toe in GAP and performed stiff dance routines. There was no passion, no appealing edge, nothing to make artists, especially new artists, stand out from the crowd. Cue a wave of people who took the view that being either obscure or controversial was the way to combat this problem and ensure that they infiltrated peoples minds and remained on people’s lips. Some people have even made a career of it. For example before Stefani Germanotta  became Lady Gaga, she performed live at a small club. When she realised the audience didn’t give a solid shit and continued their conversations, she stripped naked on stage to grab their attention. When she was satisfied that she had all eyes and ears on her, she proceeded to finish her set in her birthday suit. 50 Cent had been signed, dropped, signed and then shelved before the release of “In Da Club”, the opening single for his 2003 debut album “Get Rich Or Die Trying”.  Being the smart man that he is (No, no… I am actually being serious), ‘Fiddy” picked a war of words with Ja Rule, who at the time was one of the biggest selling acts around commercially, yet not very credible as a rapper. Sensing this weakness while being fully aware of the fickleness of Hip-Hop and the need to maintain a tough image to be accepted, 50 took aim. A string of highly publicised interviews badmouthing Ja Rule and the release of several “diss” songs via commercial albums and mix-tapes, subsequently propelled 50 Cent to Hip-Hop stardom and contributed majorly to the demise of Ja Rule. In both cases, these tactics were fairly new. Now however, they are common practice. 9/10 naked celebs are met with a roll of the eyes and a yawn. So many people are going out if their way to be “different”, that the so-called normal artists are now the cool crowd that are selling the most and attracting the crowds. Adele, Lana Del Rey, Florence And The Machine, Ed Sheeran – normal images with vocal talent being the sole catalyst that has propelled them to the top. No wild publicity stunts, no costumes made of meat or dressing like a giant frog. No bitter sniping at rivals. A&R’s take note; you want your artists to stand out from the crowd?  Stop trying so hard! In this circus, plain Jane stands out more than a clown…

RP

Kofi Stacks, lead man of Kofi Stacks & The Mandem has been nominated for the prestigious GUBA award in the category of Best Emerging Act. The critically acclaimed Kofi who boasts lyrical prowess alongside a diverse, yet distinctive sound and style has had a brilliant 2012 in which he has caught many an eye both commercially and within the music industry. The culmination of his 2012 journey being this recognition of his obvious talents. Voting has now begun, so cast your vote for Kofi Stacks via the link below and ensure that he picks up what we firmly believe will be the first of many awards.

RP

Vote link: http://www.gubaawards.co.uk/gubavoting/index.php/categories/gold-popular-culture/76-voting-booth-emerging-music-act

It been over half a century since Rock music hit the mainstream. this young, energetic, rebellious genre of music had parents in the 50s and 60s shocked and appalled. Outraged by the brazen glamorization of open drug abuse, promotion of sexual promiscuity and blatant disregard for authority, older generations labelled it “The Devils Music”. Now in the twilight years of their lives, they can rest assured that Lucifer’s Pied Piper tune does not have the same pull it once did. Gone are the days of promoting recreational drug use. Gone are the days of smashing up hotel rooms and throwing a TV out the window (Florence welch made a valiant attempt though. Bless her). Rock is now as hardcore as… as…. well as High School Musical. It really has lost its edge. And I am not talking about thrash metal. I mean real Rock music. Guns’N’Roses, Kiss, The Rolling stones, Aerosmith, Twisted Sister – there is nobody of that ilk or even close to that right now. The Darkness and Kings Of Leon have made brave attempts in recent years, but with both of their lead singers suffering breakdowns, their is nobody to carry the Rock baton forward. Instead we are left with whiny, depressing “Rock” ballads. Even Pop music is more daring and expresses more attitude and more of the Rock fundamentals than current Rock does.  This downturn has even led to legendary Rock producer Rick Rubin to jump ship to Hip-Hop in search of somebody brave enough to say “FUCK YOU” to the man, something Rock currently lacks. the culmination of Rubin’s deflection was his production of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”. It speaks volumes when one of the most powerful and influential Rock tracks of the 21st century belongs to a rapper. Rock has already lost its edge and its credibility but if this continues it will most definitely lose its identity, which as you can see above is that of smelly serial killer looking types. Enjoy!

RP

DISCLAIMER!!!!: I am in no way advocating Satanism or anarchy. I am simply saying it would be nice for a Rock act that doesn’t come across like a soppy wet pair of knickers.

So the Olympics are over and didn’t we do well? I don’t think I have ever felt as patriotic in my 27 years as I have in the last 2 weeks.  My usual tree hugging, “we are all one, lets hold hands and sing Kum By Yah” love for multiculturalism transformed into disdain for all things non British grew tenfold (this heightened when I saw my Mrs swoon at the sight of American sprinter Ryan bailey). The opening ceremony which I was dreading was actually breath-taking. After Beijing 2008, it was always going to be a hard act follow, but we held our own, especially as we don’t have a billion-strong communist workforce to “gently persuade” to make it happen for us. The closing ceremony wasn’t as entertaining and was more of a concert than anything. We were blessed with British acts old and new. Some rising stars like “Tinie Tempah” and others more quintessentially British like “The Who”. However according to sources at NME, a number of high profile British acts turned down the opportunity to play the event. Acts including: The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols and David Bowie. Though no explanation was offered, one can’t help but wonder if they thought they were too good for the ceremony, as if it were beneath them.  Was it beneath them? I think not. It is not every day the Olympics are held in your own backyard (the last time was in 1948 and before that 1908). It could have been the money wasn’t good enough, but with a budget of £12billion, it is highly unlikely that money was an issue to Olympic organisers. This leaves the other possibility…. They weren’t happy with the other acts performing and didn’t want to share a stage with them. It is fair to say that acts such as “One Direction” and “Jessie J” do not spring to mind when you think of potential British music legends and The Stones and co may have thought it might lower their stock if seen performing at the same concert/ceremony as them. It would be like watching Christian Bale on Emmerdale.  Perfectly understandable of course, but if the Queen chip in and can act, a one off concert for the pride of our nation shouldn’t be beyond anyone. I know its not exactly Rock’N’Roll,  but it all seems a little Hollywood…

RP

A passing glance at a newspaper headline this morning informed me that big festivals like Glastonbury and The Reading festival are on their way out and that smaller festivals such as the O2 Wireless Festival are now the new festival models. When you consider the success of these so called smaller and less known festivals, the names that they attract and the media coverage that they get, it is easy to see why Glasto and others of that heavyweight magnitude may feel threatened.  Over 100,000 people attended The Hackney Weekend, with BBC Coverage via TV and Radio to accompany the festival. Add to this the fact that the festival was free to enter apart from the £2.50 admin fee, this new generation of festival is really taking the country by storm. But could cheaper festivals in inner city areas with good transport links and top artists really be the way forward? Is this really the end of the golden oldies? I think not. No matter what anybody says, Glastonbury and co are still the main events on the festival calendar and always will be. They are brands. It’s about more than just the music. Pulling on a pair of Hunter willies and camping it out for a long weekend is an experience. The whole thing leaves festival goers with a sense of nostalgia and as years pass there will always be that sense of “ I was there when…”.  The new kids on the block are very much holding their own, but there is no school like the old school and Glastonbury is the headmaster….

The Phenomenon that is Dutty swung by HQ to brainstorm ideas for his festival wardrobe with pint-sized fashionista Bonita

Over the past few years a new sound has been quietly emerging from Africa, particularly the west of Africa. Being the cultured bad-ass that I am, I have been paying close attention to it’s development. Yes you guessed it, I am talking about AfroBeats. For a while now, this hybrid genre of music has been building momentum and gathering recognition from all corners of the music spectrum. AfroBeats in a nutshell is essentially traditional African music fused with an eclectic range of other genres including Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop. Boasting uplifting beats and lyrics (the ones in English that I understand anyway), Afrobeats has definitely reintroduced a feel-good factor back into a music scene reminiscent of a grey day in London. With a few artists catching the attention of notable acts in America (namely Kanye West Signed D’Banj and Don Jazzy, while P-Square collaborating with Rick Ross), it looks like AfroBeats might not just be a flash in the pan genre like the whole funky house scene of 2007-2008. If things continue to progress steadily as they are, the world may have to brace itself for an African Invasion. Watch this space….

So I’ve had a week to get over the excitement of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne concert At the O2 (I had to be thorough before I Wrote this, so I went to 4/5 shows). See the thing is after the initial excitement of the pre show build up and first 5 minutes of the performance, I was struck by the overwhelming feeling of an anticlimax. Jay-Z is without a doubt the best Rapper of all time and his protege Kanye is a very worthy heir to the throne but something was missing. A certain je ne sais quoi if you will. Visually it was stunning. high octane pyrotechnics, amazing strobe lights and adjustable illuminated stages meant that your eyes were constantly engaged. A veteran when it comes to seeing Jay-Z perform live, I have always thought that his stage shows were awe-inspiring works of art that ensnare his audience. Yet last week the spark was missing… Could it be his age? Could it be the fact that both he and Kanye were tired, after all, it was their fifth night in a row performing a three hour show. I’m not sure but I was not the only one who was left disappointed by the performance. Kanye West was quick to claim it was the best concert ever, a sentiment later echoed by Jay-Z. Yet to myself and other concert goers, it felt more like a greatest hits show. Both rappers performed a few of their most successful singles punctuated by half of the tracks on the watch the throne album but neglected a few of their lesser known tracks that gave them critical acclaim. Where was “Dead Presidents”? Where was “This Can’t Be Life”? Where was “Never Let Me Down”? instead we were treated to 6 (or was it 7?) repeat performances of “Niggas In Paris”. I am by no means saying the concert was terrible, but when you have had a career raising the bar to unprecedented levels, it shows when you palm die hard fans off with a distinctly average and commercial performance. A little shine has been taken off the Rocafella Diamond…

For years the UK music industry has been flagging with no major artists able to cut the mustard on the world stage. To sugar coat it, with acts such as JLS and Jedward representing us, there is little surprise that the world has had difficulty in taking the UK seriously. Or to put it bluntly, since the 90s the UK music industry have cranked out endless steamy heaps, with very few genuine world beaters to counter-balance things out.
However it looks like the good times are on their way back according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). According to the latest figures, the UK industry has risen from the depths a-la-Lazarus to claim a very credible 13% of global sales in 2011. A large proportion being owed to Adele with her album “21” accounting for 1.6% of global album sales. The figures put the UK back at the top table alongside the USA and hopefully spelling the end of the yanks palming their crap on to us. I know I speak for many when I say we are tired of having to settle for whatever polished turd is hurled across the pond at us. Let’s face it, nobody with half a brain gives a solid shit about Rebecca Black and Jason DeRulo. And with UK artists now making their presence felt in America (12% of all albums sales in the USA and one in every eight albums sold was from a UK act), it is time to show what real music is. The weather may be gloomy but the future prospects of UK music are very bright….

We don’t take too kindly to being rudely disturbed from our morning coffees by a YouTube representative issuing cease and desist warnings. We were given notice that the “Thoughts With You” video by Kofi Stacks & The Mandem had to be removed within 2 hours of their warning or we would have our entire 89 Arrogance Recordings page and all the videos removed from the site, due to a number of complaints that the video glamorised drug abuse. We begrudgingly complied and were in turn forced to issue the following statement to fans:

“YouTube has pulled down the video for the latest release from Kofi Stacks and The Mandem called “Thoughts with you”, they said it glorifies the use of drugs, it was too hardcore and it was sending out the wrong message for their younger audiences. They claim to have a responsibility to put out tasteful content but really their are just very choosey about who they turn a blind eye to. Rihanna takes off her clothes and receives 300 million hits, Lady Gaga gets raped by demons while wearing a nun’s outfit and she also kills her partner in the paparazzi video and receives over 100 million hits and there is no complaint but Kofi Stacks and The Mandem released a very arty conscious music video that expresses a representation of the dangers of drug use in broken britain and they are instantly shut down”

So because we had a video in which drug use was one of the themes, we were ordered to remove our video. The Prodigy and Tyler the Creator can sniff lines of cocaine in their videos and that is fine, no red tape, not even saying add a warning or restricting the viewing age to over 18s. The suits are at it again, censoring anyone that is not kissing their asses. We have submitted a dispute to try and work our way around the problem so hopefully we will have some positive news soon. Once again we apologise to the fans, we assure you that we are just as aggrieved as you are. As for YouTube and the minority of douchebags that complained, enjoy this brief and hollow victory while it lasts and while you are at it… GO FUCK YOURSELVES!!!!

It’s finally here! The highly anticipated video for “Thoughts With You” by Kofi Stacks and The Mandem has been completed and boy was it worth the wait. The concept is that of a troubled soul fighting a losing battle with his drug addiction. Abstractly shot with epic cinematography, the video creatively interlinks with the story told in the song about the close relationships Kofi has. Shot by Veteran director Mike King, the originality of the entire ensemble compliments a touching yet thought provoking musical masterpiece. Behold…

Remember “Bitter-sweet Symphony” by The Verve? A Pretty timeless classic I think you will agree. The legend that is Alex Duty has remixed the track to create a beast of a song, stating Richard Ashcroft as a big influence on his love of music. 15 years on from the original was released, Alex said it was perfect timing to pay homage to the Verve by putting his own spin on such an inspirational track. So ladies and gents, boys and girls, young and old, music lovers everywhere… Have a butchers of this

What an eventful night! No real surprises in terms of awards. Maybe one direction, but the cougar chasing teenyboppers aside, there were no major shocks with Adele and Ed Sheeran each scooping a brace, including male and female British solo artist. Bruno Mars and Rihanna won international male and female respectively. There were also awards for the brilliant Lana Del Rey, Foo Fighters and Coldplay, while Emeli Sande won the Critic’s choice award and Blur won the gong for outstanding contribution to music. Is that everything? Phew…..

The main talking point at Blighty’s most prestigious music award ceremony was Adele’s middle finger salute. For those of you that don’t know what happened, Adeles’s speech for winning best album was cut short by the powers that be at the Brits due to time constraints and their desire to watch a ten minute Blur set. Take nothing away from Blur, Damon Albarn is the mustard (I sound like a geezer innit), but the douchebag organisers should have done their jobs and implemented better time management. At 89 Arrogance we love a bit of the old anti-establishment malarkey, so Adele giving a great big “FUCK YOU!” to the suits was like Christmas come early for us and quite a few people on surrounding tables. Were it not for the endless supply of free booze, I’m pretty sure we would have broken out the v for Vendetta masks and proceeded to exacerbate the anarchy by “fucking shit up” so to speak. But we didn’t. We got pissed. And now as I look around, I see a lot of individuals nursing epic hangovers. While we argue who is going to foot the bill for hair of the dog, you can watch Adele do a swear. Enjoy…

Kieran Skye. Handsome chap agreed? Yes? Well then we have something for the young ladies of the world…

As we inch closer to the official release of Kieran’s debut single “Head Of The Beast”, young Mr. Skye will be releasing a series of videos to appease the demand from his rapidly growing fan base, as the anticipation for his forthcoming album continues to grow. So ladies feast your eyes upon this: Kieran Skye performing “Paradise” by Coldplay. Please refrain from throwing knickers at the screen…

At 89 Arrogance we love Alex Dutty (not at all biased that). Known to some as Lexus Duttymouth and others as Dutty Lex, Alex has just made our February a little less glum with the release of his latest video.

Partly inspired by The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”, the video is Alex’s edgy take on life in London and is a clearer indicator as any that he will never conform or play by anybody’s rules but his own.  Alex took time out to give a “Behind The video “ interview,  in which he gives an insight in to the idea and meaning behind the visuals.  If the cold snap has got you all miserable and Karl Pilkington like, then this is for your eyes and ears boys and girls:

With the temperature pretty much lodged below freezing and our recent flurry of snow, it felt appropriate that an 89 Arrogance cool list be made to give you our view on who is currently leading the way via music or style etc… Anyway, enjoy…

10. Tricky – The multi-talented Bristol born singer, producer, musician and actor is formerly of Massive Attack fame. His dark, whispering singing style coupled with laid back anti-establishment view on life has seen him creep on to our cool list. For those of you that aren’t in the know, his cover of Isaac Hayes’ “Ike’s Rap 2” is brilliantly disturbing.

9. Kings Of Leon – The rockers from the deep south of the US have evolved from their early distinctly gritty Southern Rock into a more commercially accepted Alternative Rock sound to the dismay of many of their early fans. The ITV documentary on them surrounding the release of their album “Come Around Sundown” showed that while their musical style may have changed, nobody can argue that they are one of the coolest bands on the planet.

8. Lana Del Rey – In a previous blog I described her as a modern Nancy Sinatra and I have seen this in a few places since. Coincidence? Plagiarism me thinks… Anyway, every so often America gives us a gem amongst the crap they bombard us with (Jason DeRulo in particular) and that has been Miss Del Rey.  Her quiet confidence coupled with vocals that do not scream “look at me look at me” like say a Mariah Carey, yet are equally as powerful in their own way ensure that the New Yorker rightfully takes her place in our cool list.

7. Rizzle Kicks – The Brighton boys have done their bit in changing the perception of rappers as immoral gangsters rapping about cash cars drugs and hoes. They literally are a breath of fresh air with their alternative hip-hop sound. Their bravery in breaking away from the vast majority of the pack with an original sound and comical videos grabs the attention. The fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously by trying to act cool actually makes them cool (I know, a bit of an oxymoron right?). Our verdict? Coolest duo around

6. Mark Ronson – Make no mistake, Mark Ronson is a musical genius but he doesn’t possess the arrogance of one. He is very much an “It’s all about the music” kinda guy, which when as in this case is genuine, is righteous as some of you hippies may say. Very much an underrated talent

5. Kofi Stacks – biased? Probably, Objective? Probably not. Rat’s arse given? NO! We are big fans of Mr Stacks round here and not just because he is signed to the label. His refreshing brand of Hip-Hop fused with Ska and Blues has the makings of a timeless artist that I am in no doubt will breathe new life into the UK music scene by offering up a sound that is so far removed from the clichés. His cool yet no-nonsense demeanour and his edgy dress sense means he is without a doubt a cool customer. Remember where you heard it first…

4. Coldplay – The Marmite of bands. You either love them or you hate them. The Alternative Rock boys have come in for some harsh criticism for being “too depressing and whiny”. We think it’s unfounded and much of their music is brilliant, it’s just that it’s not music for every mood. That said you don’t sell over 50 million records by being lame. And being the band that sparked my love for Alternative rock, they have to make the list. If that isn’t a good enough reason, the lead singer Chris Martin is bezzy mates with Jay-Z and thereby cool by association.

3. M.I.A.- The south London rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, painter and director is easily one of the cool kids of the scene. Her lyrical content is enough for her to be considered, but her delivery and quirky style makes her without a doubt one of the most influential people in the music industry. The buzz around her recent release shows that we might be in for another masterpiece this year

2. Florence Welch – the lead singer of Florence and The Machine is the coolest woman around. Very similar to Lana Del Rey, she has a cool demeanour that attracts attention rather than begs for it. “Breaking Down” on her bands “Ceremonials” album is a terrific ensemble of an enchanting melody infused with stunning vocals that are subtle in places while powerful in others has to be one of the best tracks by a female artist from the UK for a long time.  Add to that her unorthodox fashion style that combines the classic with the flamboyant and you have the leading lady in music industry right now.

1. Jay-Z – Do I really have to explain why? If ever cool personified it would be Jay-Z. A man that requires no introduction. New York’s finest and indeed the best rapper of all time heads the list because let’s face it, the man has changed music. Constantly evolving, an innovator of music and current trends, his ability to diversify his music, the way he paints a picture from both sides of the rich/poor fence with such ease is ground-breaking for all forms of music. When you have been the top artist of a particular genre and even dared to venture into others and steal the headlines, then I guess you have to be a phenomenon and Jay-Z is nothing short of that (over 50 million albums sold). He knows this of course and is no stranger to a moment or two of arrogance, but there is nobody alive that could begrudge him, that. When it comes to being cool, the man is sub-zero. If Carlsberg made recording artists….

Piracy…. The adversary that the music industry has been taunted by for years (and by that I mean obtaining music by illegal means, not Johnny Depp sporting dreadlocks and gold teeth and flipping the bird outside Sony Music HQ). As technology has advanced, music piracy has flourished due to the increase in access to illegally obtain music. First came cd copiers, which enabled consumers to rip CDs and then return them before retailers finally cottoned on. Those archaic methods are long gone but they were replaced with the more sophisticated enemy of mp3 downloads. A far more formidable threat to industry careers as it’s easier to do and harder to stop.

Last week MegaUpload, a major player in the file sharing world, was shut down by the United States government after being accused of “massive global online piracy”. The site which is similar to Napster, allows patrons to upload and download media files and such free of charge. The claims against the site are that it enabled more than $500 million worth of copyright infringement while making $175 million in advertising due to its large volume of hits.  I think it’s fair to say, a landmark case is on the horizon. However, in response to this clamp down, online terrorists “Anonymous”, the baddest nerds on the net, launched an attack on the websites of Universal, Warner, BMI, the F.B.I. (yes that F.B.I.) and a few other big names in and around the industry. “Serves them right” said a self-confessed illegal downloader or “pirate” friend of mine (and I use the term loosely these days). What followed was a transformation by yours truly reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk as the anti-piracy beast within me awoke and a heated debate awash with colourful sailor talk, which I have had to cut down to a nice clean version for the PC brigade out there.

There are no excuses for downloading illegally. It is out and out theft that robs billions from the industry, can devastate careers through loss of earnings and means that chart positions can sometimes be an inaccurate reflection of a song’s popularity. I mean if the week your single is released 20,000 people download it illegally, that could mean the difference between number one and not even making the top 40. That could lead to your album being shelved or even you being dropped. One person saving 79p could mean a recording artist losing millions. A point that I pointed out to my pal (we will just call him Sparrow for argument’s sake). Sparrow then replied something along the lines of “free downloads can endear listeners to an artist’s music and is more likely to persuade people to buy their music more than any fancy marketing campaign”. A point that would have been stronger had it not come from someone who hasn’t paid for music since he discovered he could get that and adult films for free at the click of a button. Enter the Kraken. “Radio and MTV are there for people to persuade people to buy music. Furthermore, you make no sense because you wouldn’t download a song that you don’t like and so you had to have heard it before you downloaded it!”. When the dust settled and all was calm I was met with a blank expression that said “I don’t get it”. Having battled downloading associates about how they are giant douchebags, I have come to 2 conclusions. Firstly, unless you are in the entertainment business, therefore on the receiving end of piracy or you have a good moral foundation, you just won’t understand the impact it has. Secondly, if all fails, I would make a bloody good paralegal for any label because I can argue this case until the cows come home. And with that I’m off to find a way of sneaking all the swear words I had to leave out of this blog into our next blog (89arrogance.tumblr.com) or our twitter (@89arrogance) or our Arrogance Music Facebook page…

Music and fashion have gone hand in hand for many many years now, but for a few years now I have wondered: “Is styling equally important to an artist’s success as the quality of music they make?” As you look through the musical ages from Johnny Cash, through the “Glam Rock” years up until the hip-hop years, fashion has complimented music and played its supporting role well. However since Lady Gaga’s arrival, it seems the importance of fashion has become paramount to an artist’s success. With fashion trends within music becoming more and more outrageous, nobody can argue that fashion is now being used to shock audiences and grab attention as part of a PR campaign, instead of representing what the artist is all about. Some quarters may say that Lady Gaga is the Madonna of the new millennium and that what she does is nothing new. The fact is, Madonna’s style and stage persona were born out of rebellion and breaking the taboo of female sexuality, breaking down barriers for oppressed women and trying to make inroads for female equality (FYI I’m not a feminist or a fan of the Spice Girls or Destiny’s Child or anything girl power related). Lady Gaga’s frog suit said she is a fan of Sesame Street and the meat suit was essentially flipping the bird at vegetarians. Its sole purpose was to shock and grab attention. Fantastic PR of course but ask yourself, “would she have sold as many records if she didn’t dress like someone out of Narnia?” the answer is of course not. Much like the male and female progression towards androgyny, music and fashion are almost one and the same. We are now in a day and age where fashion can sell as much as good vocals. A bad suit no longer has you branded an outcast, you will be referred to as “an innovator of new trends”. A good suit will have you branded as “Boring” or “plain Jane”. Fashion is needed because the visual element of the record industry has progressed so far that smart/android phones allow consumers to view their favourite artists at the touch of a button, anytime, anyplace. Hence why people easily tire of the norm and ordinary fashion and why artists are pushing the boundaries. Gaga shocks to get attention, Kanye West Infuses high fashion and Urban to inspire, while Ed Sheeran relates by screaming Shoreditch underground. All effective in their own rights, but the point is an effort has been made and to not do so would be criminal. And on that note I’m off to burn a bra…

Freshly brewed green tea on the desk, Kofi Stacks on the iPod and Adele on the brain. The south London songstress has been breaking all kinds of records in the last week by beating The Beatles’ record of most time spent at the Billboard album summit by a Brit. She has also regained the top spot in the UK album chart with her album “21”, which is by far the most successful album of all time when it comes to digital sales. It has even outsold both of the next two highest downloaded albums (Kings Of Leon’s “Only By The Night” and Lady Gaga’s “The Fame”) COMBINED.

16 weeks at the top of any national album chart is nothing to be sneezed at and let’s face it, the Billboard chart is where everyone wants to top. This got me thinking….What is the secret to gaining success and acceptance in a country that has pretty much every base covered in music? I swiftly came to the conclusion that there is no quick fix or magic wand. If there was, then everybody would be doing it and the term “Breaking America” would be redundant. The sad reality is that it’s anything but redundant, unless you follow the model of our most recent success stories such as La Roux, Florence + the Machine and Adele by using a Red head as your lead vocalist. Imagine if the key to success across the pond is being ginger? Is Ed Sheeran next? Gingers and jokes aside, when a Brit does well in the states, we applaud and make such a big deal of it, while when the roles are reversed, the yanks don’t even blink, an imbalance that has lasted way too long. Even acts such as the Libertines and Paul Weller AKA “The ModFather” have made less of an impact in America than James Corden at a Mr. Universe contest (we love Jimmy really). The issue with America is its size (cue brief geography lesson). With a population 5 times that of the UK, spread across an area 40 times as big, its harder to generate a buzz because people are spread out. Adele claimed number 1 spot in the album charts last week with a mere 20,000 sales. Take that stateside and you probably wouldn’t even get within touching distance of the top ten. Our hit rate is so few and far between that I could count on one hand the success stories from our shores. The bad news is….its only going to get harder in this digital age. The industry was once governed by politics. A few suits decided to put you on or not. They would pull a few strings if you were the business and you would be in all the right places to plug your music and all the right people would claim to be blown away by your EP, encouraging the public to grab a copy. Now with so much information on the internet, illegal downloads and access to music through YouTube, the world and its aunty is now a “star”.  The exclusivity has been replaced by mediocrity. The politics are still there, but these days they are shrouded in chaos. Breaking America is not impossible, but it not longer depends solely on sheer talent…. You might also need to be ginger…..

Now that all the mince pies are finished and we can look forward to 11 Noddie Holder free months ahead, I realised in the midst of an epic hangover that has lasted nearly 3 weeks, that we are now in 2012. This is the year the world comes to an end according to the Mayan calendar (December 21^st for you superstitious bunch) and it got me thinking…. Will this year bring any decent music to our ears for the planet’s swansong? Or will we have to bow out in the current dance train wreck?

For a few years now dance music has controlled the music market sales with the world and its aunty jumping on the bandwagon to “keep things current”. The problem with this saturation of dance music, is that people are churning this soul-less music which is easily forgettable. It’s not as if they are classic dance tracks in the ilk of “Show me love” and “I’m a dreamer”. It begs the question, “when was the last time you heard a timeless piece of music?”.  I asked myself this question and it had to be said, it has not been in recent times. We had had great attempts in the form of the late, great Amy Winehouse, Plan b, Adele and Kofi stacks to name a few, but music across the board has really suffered lately.  Rock is probably the longest serving music form that has been consistently popular. Yet not since The Kings of Leon “Only by the night” album has the Rock legacy been disturbed. Quality RNB died after Usher released “Confessions”.  Jay Z and Kanye West have been carrying Hip-hop alone for too long and POP will never be credible as long as we have X-factor mass producing  the likes of Jedward ( like seriously?). It is difficult to find good music these days, though it has to be said, the yardstick for a quality track is magic FM (said like a man that is 56 not 26). Yes it sounds old before my time, but the fact of the matter is, Magic FM has criteria which prevent 99.9% of the horse shit music flying around these days from getting air time.  If there is no decent new music, then they are more than happy to play some golden oldies. I am a fan of both Tinie Tempah and Plan B, but in 10 years’ time, I will most probably still listen to “The Defamation of Strickland Banks”, yet I can’t say the same for “Discovery”.  This the reason why when so many were outraged with Plan B winning the Brit award instead of Tinie, I felt the opposite. Both are rappers that have diversified their music. The difference is, one has had faith in making real good music and the other has decided to make good music that was good at the time but only really a boost so as to get his foot in the industry. “Discovery” was good but in a few years will it be any more relevant than So Solid Crew’s “They Don’t Know?”.  “Written in the stars” is the only track that has any hope of longevity. And this is the UK’s current leading male. It’s not all doom and gloom though. There were signs at the back end of 2011 that music lovers have a faint glimmer of hope. It comes in the form of Lana Del Rey. Her abstract sound is reminiscent of Nancy Sinatra and while I don’t think she has produced a timeless masterpiece, she very much possesses the potential to create legendary music. She is very much one to watch this year. Also, while shopping for Christmas presents, I heard a song that really caught my attention, so I Shazam’d it and to my surprise it was only flamed haired Florence! The track “Breaking Down” is not being released as a single but is definitely worth a download. So will 2012 bring about the end of the world? I highly doubt it, but let’s pray it’s the end of generic dance…

He sounds just as good, and he plays just as well, have been a few of the responses when performed live. Yes Kieran’s rendition of ‘The A Team’ definitely leaves him top of the class, with an A* cover of Ed Sheeran’s gripping musical tale of a homeless drug addict. Being one of Kieran’s favourite songs at present he wanted to really do it justice not just musically, but visually also, so 89 enlisted the expertise of Future Productions to encapsulate Kieran’s take on the song for his fans. He enjoyed recording and filming it for you guys, not to mention a certain Mr Ed Sheeran. Check it out.

Spending 4 weeks consecutively at No 1 and still currently in the charts, Grammy and Brit Award winner Adele’s song, ‘Someone Like You’, was crying for an urban twist. Forget a twist, Kofi’s completely grabbed this track with clenched fists and crushed it with his heart wrenching take on this chart topping masterpiece. This has got to be one of the best remixes of the year. Take a look at the video and tell us what you think via our twitter.

The performing arts students at Kings Lynn and Cambridge’s TheatreTrain may never be the same again. Well, we certainly hope not here at 89. We hope they were as inspired at Kieran Skye being invited down as a special guest to their end of year performance and awards, as he was by the talent on display. On a rainy sodden day in these two rural towns, Kieran gave the admiring students his own renditions of a few chart numbers which everyone sang along with and thoroughly enjoyed. Lynn News, the local press, was also on hand to cover Kieran Skye’s performance having heard the buzz coming from the UK’s next star. Kieran not only performed and partook in a Q&A with the students but also stayed to take pictures and sign an autograph for every one of the students, leaving a few star struck and all beaming from ear to ear. Take a look at the pictures and look out for the video coming soon.

When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, you get the combination of Kofi Stacks and Lex Dutty Mouth. The booth couldn’t of been more ignited as 89′s artists combined to kill their verses on the fourth coming underground release ‘Dream Killas’ which also features a scorching sixteen from PDC’s front man Jaja Soze. London’s burning, London’s burning, fire fire, fire fire…

Alex Dutty has just returned from sunny Spain where he was filming the video for his collaboration with Kay Zed and City Kid on the track titled “Teezer”. The video was shot over 3 days in the champagne party town of Marbella and was directed by renowned urban director Jak FrSH.“It’s the most expensive hood video ever” - Lexus

Look out for the full video and take a look at some of the snaps on set from 89′s most recent addition.

Kofi Stacks is set to shine in his silver screen debut with an appearance in a big screen adaptation from the memoirs of one of the UK’s biggest crime families. The feature film, set with an 80′s backdrop, chronicles the early years of one of the family’s members and subsequent rise through London’s mirky underworld. When asked about it Kofi said, ‘Its something you always think about.

Shooting your video promo wets your appetite so when this opportunity presented itself, I was excited to get involved’. Watch this space for more information.