The Creation of Radicals

You have to give it to him, Tyler The Creator has managed to tick off most of the goals he set himself while still relishing the comforts of his Grandmothers couch; 'VMA's. Grammy's. Make a lot of money. Own my own label. Start a magazine. Meet Pharrell. I did five of them', and all at the tender age of 21, my jealous eyes are faded by the sheer bravery of the Los Angeles rapper, mortal name of Tyler Okonma. With slow piano keys driving the rebellious statements Tyler channels with his heavy repetition of profanities, and offensive descriptions relating to women, homosexuals,and polititics to name but a few.

When I first learnt about Tyler The Creator, I was warned that I would be covering my ears in disgust, angry at the statements he conjures in his rhyming, however, when I finally braced myself, and pressed play with teeth clenched, I did not see an arrogant young man with a drive to earn a death certificate. What I heard did indeed carry an overdose of swearwords and sexual descriptions, but the beauty underlying in his words is unrecognised, unloved, and ignored. I heard a guy who just wants to promote sincerity, who, like many other people his age, wants to challenge the system, and reclaim his individuality. In a world where bands are commercialized and rebranded into musical zombies by their music labels, I find Tyler The Creator a breath of fresh air, an idol for all those kids out there with no goals, no tools to release their creativity, and no sign of redemption. Yes Tyler sprinkles his spits with words that most people find offensive, but he does not smoke, or drink, and invest his energy into the whole image in which his music conveys, from the artwork of his releases, to the direction of the videos he records.



Unlike most rappers, Tyler has remained stationed in the streets he used to hang around when he was but a twinkle in Hip Hop's eyes, and has even set up shop in said area to anchor him back to the ground after the ego inflaming attention of growing fans everywhere. Not to mention the ever expanding pack of 'wolves' The Creator has earnt after dreaming up Alternative Hip Hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, otherwise known as OFWGKTA, containing rappers such as Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, and Mike G, and singer Frank Ocean. This collective has produced multiple releases recorded in their own homes, with all tracks available on their website for free, this group is fast becoming famous for both the content on their tracks, and the amount of talented acts that are involved, not forgetting the explosion of energetic beats and unforgettable lyrics that you can't help but get excited about.





Tyler is not afraid to express his weaknesses in his songs, it is what makes him unique, and reminds you that he is still but a human after his claims to be the reincarnation of the Devil in his songs. In his acclaimed single 'Yonkers' he tells his fans;

'F*ck the fame and all the hype, G
I just want to know if my father would ever like me
But I don't give a f*ck, so he's probably just like me'

Not only expressing his wish to get to know his father, who walked out on his family when he was younger, and the constant drive to impress him in his work, but his hatred and bitterness towards him.

So my advise to any offended listeners of this guy, is to forget about the profanities, forget the pornographic images he delights in describing, and remember that he is just another vulnerable human being, who has turned his hurt and insecurity into passion and drive towards his effortless skills of creating some beautifully evoking music that challenges your ideas of society. After all, he says it himself in 'Radicals'...

'Hey, don't do anything that I say in this song, okay? It's f*ckin' fiction'

In his work Tyler expresses his wish for kids everywhere to ignore the ideals of society, they feel they have to conform to. He is telling his fans not to live up to their parents dreams if it is not what they want, he is the voice of freedom for kids everywhere. As someone who is the same age as The Creator, I can taste his passion for freedom of expression, I can smell his peppery distaste for oppressive rules, and I can feel his fear for society. Most critics will view The Creators songs as a list of as many stomach wrenching descriptions as possible, but I see it as a constitutional rebellion, an inspiration for young people to stand up for what they believe in.

Don't judge this guy, he is an Alternative Hip Hop genius, and you will be hearing a lot more of him. He is more than Radical.

I saw a Ghostpoet

After a hard days scratching the back of your head in frustration, hours of watching the general public in confusion, plastic smile tattooed on your tired face, one needs to find the perfect solution to winding down into a sleepy state. A state where you can cast away all your displaced fears and worries for a while, relax, sit back and let life annoy someone else for a change. If it is a real outlet for your financial struggles, geographical itches, and other such niggles floating around your head, let Ghostpoet extract them and send them packing with his sleepy wisdom.

This isn't any ordinary rapper from the bustling streets of London, he self produced his first album, and stresses that his music is 'not about the technical side of it, making sure everything’s perfect in that respect; it’s about the feeling of it, the emotion.'(2011). This is evident in Ghostpoet's music, otherwise known as Obaro Ejimiwe, he provides an anthem for those with stinging eyes to shut their heavy eyelids, lower those clenching shoulders and ease themselves into his hauntingly familiar expressions of modern day troubles for the typical human being.



The haunting beats whistling and swimming beneath his soothing voice, taste like fresh hope. Ejimiwe's abiity to evaporate all cares with his slow rhyming is repeated throughout his music, his voice becomes the emblem of relaxation, an addiction striving for a constant fix of the haunting keys, and his refreshing accent, especially for a Northerner like myself.

Ghostpoet flies the flag for many UK artists fighting to gain recognition within an industry still dominated by gargling Americans drooling for stardom. This guy reminds us that we have exciting talent on our shores that should not be overlooked in favour of a miming dancer. Ghostpoet represents the raw talent expressing topics that enter our own heads on a daily basis, for example, paying those bills, wishing a bad day away, and dwelling on our personal failures. Far from a ghost, Ghostpoet proves that his lyrically tasty focus on every day qualities provide a recognition that is gaining him fans everywhere, and all with a mesmerising soundtrack.




If you haven't heard from Ghostpoet yet, you really need to grab a listen. Just take a seat, get comfy, and let Ghostpoet handle the rest. His debut album 'Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam.' will be your new auditory bible for the perfect anecdote after a days work. And this is not all, his highly anticipated second album is due any time this year.

Fit for a Prince

Have you ever had the overpowering urge for chocolate? I mean that unavoidable tingle screaming for the milky cocoa melting in your mouth? That feeling of intense satisfaction filling you up and enticing a warm smile stretching over your face, the velvety liquid dancing around your mouth voluptuously releasing endorphin's into your body. An immediate rush of delight drifting through your mood. Your legs shake at the unforgettable taste bathing in your mouth, and your attention focused on every inch of the party of tastes pirouetting around your tongue. This sound familiar? Well it should, if you have ever had the pleasure of listening to Prince, he has middle aged women everywhere quivering like a chocoholic getting their fix of the desired truffle.

Introducing a man who has single-handedly seduced thousands of women at just the riff of his patent purple guitar. Who would have thought that a man wearing heels, and eyeliner would produce such a flutter rippling through armies of females at his mercy?



Born Prince Rogers Nelson on 7th June 1958, to a pianist father and a Jazz singing mother. His mother of whom chose the name because she wanted him to do everything she asked of him. Little did she know it would be the name echoing from the reddened lips of adoring female fans everywhere in a matter of years. Prince wrote his first song aged 7 on his fathers piano, just highlighting his budding flare for music at such a young age.

To date, Prince has sold over 80 million copies of his releases worldwide, has won seven Grammy awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. Prince has even introduced a new breed of sound into the music industry in his musical reign, thus being that of the 'Minneapolis sound', a delicious desert containing ingredients such as funk, rock, pop, R & B and New Wave, that has opened the door for many artists to experiment and succeed with.



Prince is known for his androgynous behaviour, showing traits both masculine and effeminate to create the perfect blend of beauty and sexual freedom, highlighted in the sensual growls of his guitar purring along to his high screams, or his deep soulful murmurings. This guy had virginal roses blushing and humping posters of him sprawled over their bedroom walls, clad in hardly anything but makeup. He is the definition of lust for many men and women everywhere.

As a child I used to watch Prince strut around the stage in his stiletto's, and lavender suits in amazed intrigue, listening to my mother whisper her unconditional love for him. Now I have inherited that love, for the powerful message of passion, rage, and frustration his music resonates. The perfume of sexuality pulses around his albums still, and will linger for years to come. From the seductively heartbreaking vocal dips of 'The Beautiful Ones' to the skin tickling teasing's of 'kiss', you can almost feel the moisture of his lips on your skin, Prince's voice crawls into your bones and tickles the back of your neck. Prince provides fans of all ages with an endless list of sweat inducing guitar solo's, romantic cries of affection and frustration, and air punching drum kicks that remain timeless.

Following controversy surrounding copyright issues, Prince changed his stage name to a symbol that fans could not pronounce, combining the symbols of both a male and female, dubbed The Love Symbol. Not only showing Prince's focus on love, passion and lust, but his wish to ensure no pronunciation categorized him as an artist, and his work.e only wishes to be known as a symbol of love, that is pretty amazing, no?

As someone who delights in mysteriousness and intrigue, this only stimulates my interest in Prince, or any other names he may call himself, it is what any artist should aspire to be, undefinable, individual, and evermore beautiful.