The Number One Spot

MOBO Nominations Launch 2011

2011-09-04T21:13:00.001+01:00

So, voting season for The MOBO Awards has officially been declared open. On Wednesday at London's St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, this year's nominees were announced to a packed house, full of members of the press, bloggers, artists and their labels. Oh yeah, and I did the voice-over for the VT everyone was shown which was pretty cool.

This year has seen MOBO introduce their first ever Award category exclusively voted for via Facebook. 'Best Newcomer' exists to recognise the hard work of newly established artists, with nominees for the category including Jessie J, who cleaned up at The BRITs earlier this year, Rizzle Kicks, Emeli Sande and Wretch 32.

I was lucky enough to be at the event, interviewing nominees for MOBO TV (something else I do) and even got to break the great news to some of the nominees before the announcement had been officially made! Check below for some of the best interviewing you will likely have EVER seen. Joke.

There are loads more interviews from the event at www.mobo.com where you can also vote for your favourite artist. Check it out!

Although we all probably have our suspicions as to who will win the main categories, legions of less established artists' die-hard fans using social networks, especially in the 'Best Newcomer' category, are set to keep the bigger names on their toes this year.

Check the video below for the full nominations list!

- MOBO Nominees 2011 on MUZU.

The Rebirth of UK Garage

2011-07-05T17:01:00.000+01:00

Rewind your minds back to the late 90's/early noughties and I don't know about you, but the main things that come to mind are seemingly pointless Adidas Popper trackies, Tony Blair as Prime Minister and last but not least, raving to UK Garage at the weekend.

When the reign of UK Garage as the UK's most popular dance genre ended, I felt like part of me had died. However, as the popularity of Dubstep gradually fizzles out, a growing number of producers are turning back to the UKG genre in the form of 'future garage' and the more familiar sound of 'two-step.'

Someone who is at the forefront of this rebirth is North London based producer Mike Delinquent, who has been a big player in the UK Garage scene since the early noughties. Testament to the growing popularity is the increased number of UKG remixes being commissioned by record labels at the moment, many of which are being netted by Mike Delinquent, who has stuck to a more traditional 2-step style in his productions.

Another big indicator for me is the recent decision of MoS to release a new compilation mixed by label plugger DJ Fiskin entitled 'The Sound of UK Garage.' Far from being a mix of old classics, the CD is well balanced between old and new, giving an overview of the entire history of UKG to date. Go buy it if you don't know about MJ Cole, The Wideboys, or Sunship.

Travel leftfield and go further underground and you discover a plethora of new styles, all influenced by the sound which dominated my adolescent years. From bass heavy to extremely chilled out, the UKG influence is everywhere. Even Jamie XX recently recorded an acoustic UK Garage influenced album which has proven extremely popular.

Another aspect of UK Garage which has seen a revival in the past few months is grime. Perhaps due to the success of peers such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder and the like, many up and coming MC's have taken to making 'proper' grime again. By 'proper,' I refer to any track which has a dark beat, and lacks a flowery, female vocal hook. Its refreshing to see the scene bounce back so well lately. I did begin to wonder who Logan Sama was getting his tracks from for a while. All the MCs who used to make grime music had tried to follow in the footsteps of their peers who had made it to the charts and were trying to mimick the commercial sound which had proven so successful for them. Kickstarted by the success of Tempa T with 'Next Hype,' I think grime may be the next genre to make a meaningful comeback on the underground circuit.

Is this new emergence of UK Garage something to shout about? I say yes. Dubstep, in my opinion, is done and dusted; as is the fate of any genre which manages to make it to chart success. People's ears are growing tired of the predictable wobbling basslines and seemingly generic beat patterns which are coming out of the dubstep scene right now. All I can say is welcome back UK Garage, I missed you.

Kry Wolf - Wonga

2011-04-26T18:29:00.001+01:00

I'm from Portsmouth, a fairly dull, uninteresting place not exactly renound for producing great music. I had to eat my words however, when a promo came through from a record label who used to run the only 'real' Hip-hop night in Portsmouth, Sounds of Sumo.

Kry Wolf, a duo hailing from Portsmouth have just released this new offering, entitled 'Wonga', which features Portsmouth-based MC, Mongrel (who I actually recall proverbially 'hanging up the mic' a few years back) providing a stonking vocal to the track. The track is available via digial download (links can be found here). Remixes are available from the likes of SDM, Mr Vega (my favourite mix) and loads others.

The track has been recieving heavy support from the likes of Dave Spoon (also from Portsmouth), Kissy Sell Out, Rob Da Bank, not to mention of course our very own Nick Bright on BBC 1Xtra, also (kinda) from Portsmouth!

I Luv Live 07/03/11 - Dot Rotten

2011-03-08T01:07:00.003Z

Same night, different artist. This is what happened when I caught up with grime artist Dot Rotten ahead of his headline performance at I Luv Live, check the cameo from the waitress...!

I Luv Live 07/03/11 - Lovelle

2011-03-08T00:52:00.003Z

Yo!! So last night we rolled into the east end but not to see Ian & Phil but to catch acts like Shorty, Dot Rotten, Lioness & a lady called Lovelle. Now after the later finished her sound check she took the time out to speak to me out in the freezing cold smoking area (oh the glam) and this is what went down!

Secret Ed Sheeran Gig.....at the Green Note

2011-03-03T18:38:00.004Z

So last night I headed down to a top secret gig in Camden at which singer, songwritter Ed Sheeran was headlining. The buzz around the show on Twitter was mad with Ed tweeting a load of clues and then straight after me tweeting that I was going even I was bombarded with pleads to reveal the location. Anyway I didn't tell and I rolled up to a tiny restaurant/bar called the Green Note in Camden Town, it was a really humbling feeling to know that Ed is still cool to play in small venues like that as the night before he was smashing the Islington o2 helping out his pal Devlin. He had support from Soul singer Louise Golbey, who was really good doing a cover of Katie Perry's 'Firework' & some other bloke who's songs all sounded exactly the same, I was relieved when he said 'this is the last one from me'. Anyway up stepped Ed who performed a barrel of new material some of which he had never even tried out in public before as well as some of the Sheeran classics we love such as 'A-Team' & 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You'. The tune of the night for me though was one he said he'd written about his girlfriend when he was drunk, sounds like it would be terrible, but it was actually really good, promise. The tune is called 'Wake Me Up' and in his words 'this track is about my girlfriend and all the stupid things about her', do you think that's why he's still sleeping on a sofa? Who knows but what I do know is when he broke it down into his own rendition of Gyptian's 'Hold Yuh' the crowd reaction was crazy. If you get the chance to see Ed Sheeran play live you have to do it before this kid is selling out the o2 Arena and you have to watch through binoculars....just sayin!

Devlin at the O2 Academy, Islington Gig Review

2011-03-02T16:35:00.001Z

So, last night we rocked up to the O2 Academy in Islington, North London tosee the second gig of Devlin's 2011 Bud, Sweat and Beers tour.
Among the line up of various support acts were cameos from artists such asGhetts, Griminal and new signing to Atlantic records, Ed Sheeran.

When we initially got there, it became apparent that we were pretty much theoldest people there (at our grand ages of 23 and 24)... bar a few parents whohad obviously tagged along with their young'uns to make sure they didn't getinto trouble.

That didn't bother us though; the warm up performances from Ghetts, Griminaland Ed Sheeran blew the roof off the place, although there were times when saidartists had to ask the sound engineer to turn up the mic volumes. The biggestperformance during the warm up had to be that of Ed Sheeran's, who managed toget the crowd chanting his name in a football match style... Pretty impressiveconsidering he was only one of the support acts!

Then Devlin came to the stage. Kids were screaming and throwing blown upcondoms off the mezzanine floor (don't think we used to do that in my day) anddeclaring their undying love for him. I don't think I've seen anything like itsince Take That. Seriously. He went on to perform several of his tracks,including 'Let It Go,' 'London City,' and 'Runaway.’ Throughout the show healso made use of his support acts, performing 'Lately' alongside EdSheeran and 'Finally' with Ghetts.

Overall, a really impressive show with live band and great supportingartists throughout which kept the show interesting all the way to the end.Still annoyed I could only see it on the screen or through people’s legs butstill well worth going!

The show has now been extended with extra dates in May, all of which areavailable on Devlin's websiteor on our blog from last month which featured the tour dates. Check the videobelow for Devlin's closing track of the night, 'Runaway' featuring Yasmin.

New From Cee-Lo Green - Bright Lights Featuring Wiz Khalifa

2011-03-02T13:34:00.001Z

After Cee-Lo's recent run of big chart hits and picking up best International Male Solo Artist at the BRITs, here is his next instalment which is released on 11th April. It also features star of 'Black and Yellow,' Wiz Khalifa. Big tune!

Wretch 32 Ft. Example - Unorthodox - Brand New Video

2011-03-01T17:47:00.000Z

After trolling through Twitter all day for interesting things to talk about, it looks like I hit a gold mine with this one! Literally posted on youtube 10 minutes prior to writing this blog, here is the new video from Wretch 32 and Example for the new single, 'unorthodox' which is released 18th April on Levels/Ministry of Sound Recordings, enjoy!

Kings of The City Ft. Klashnekoff - Darkness

2011-03-01T17:23:00.000Z

Its been a hot minute since I heard much come from UK Hip-Hop MC Klashnekoff, so I thought it was only natural that I should check this video out when someone tweeted it through to @number1spotUK (plug, plug, plug!) The video itself is pretty strange, with white - eyed contact lenses and a part where there are some girls grinding up against a blood stained fishbowl, but don't let that put you off. This track probably won't be hitting the chart anytime soon, and going by the comments on Youtube its got very mixed reviews. However, it made me nod my head a bit and hopefully it will do your's too. Have a gander below!

UK Hip Hop Battler Tenchoo...AKA My Brother

2011-03-01T14:53:00.005Z

Now I haven't blogged about this yet because I've been waiting for the right time, I think that time is now. Don't Flop is a battle league in which MC's go up against each other in 3 rounds and then a winner is decided. My brother, Tenchoo is part of the league and he's actually one half of the doubles champions alongside Lego from Yorkshire. Now recently at Brixton Jam there was a promotional event in which some of the Don't Flop MC's took on their American counterparts. Tenchoo was drawn against a rapper from Chicago called Kannon whom in my humble opinion he absolutely destroyed. Don't just take my word for it though because I could be biased as he's my brother, check out what Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates had to say about it here. Peep the video below and keep an eye out for Tenchoo, doing a Fire in the Booth with Charlie Sloth real soon.

Brighty

BBC 1Xtra Press Event

2011-03-01T12:18:00.001Z

So, last night myself and Nick headed down to BBC Radio 1Xtra's press event in Notting Hill Gate. Ignoring the sea of people 'shmoozing' - that is, introducing yourself to people in a manner that would make onlookers cringe, as a 1Xtra producer called it - there were some amazing performances from 6 artists who have been on the lips of anyone in the music industry over the last year or so.

The stand out performance of the night in my opinion was that of super talented guitar playing, beat boxing, singer, Ed Sheeran. His style is somewhat of a cross between Jamie T and Plan B... with more singing and a better voice. His main quirk happens to be a track he performs with a audio looping device, recording in each part of the track and then playing them back to create a whole track live on stage. This guy has been on everyone's radar for a while now and has also been lucky enough to land himself a major record deal with Atlantic Records. Good on ya mate!

Another big performance of the night was that of Aggro Santos. Ignoring the sea of paps and press stood in front of him staring at their Blackberries and IPhones, he gave a truly great performance, with plenty of stage presence and energy.

The other performers who still all deserve a big mention were, in no particular order; Skepta, Yasmin, Maverick Sabre and, to my surprise, Lethal Bizzle who has recently announced the comeback of Fire Camp.

Unfortunately, neither myself or Nick thought to bring a camera with us on the night, so there are no pictures I'm afraid. However, check out the video below of our favourite of the night, Ed Sheeran, performing one of his singles, The A Team.

Win Yourself a Copy of Skepta's Debut Album 'Doin It Again' Plus a BBK Tee!!

2011-02-21T13:25:00.000Z

Skepta's debut album was released at the end of last with huge success! To celebrate, and to reward all our loyal followers, we're giving YOU the chance to grab yourself a copy of the album as well as a Boy Better Know T-Shirt. All you have to do to win is to either Retweet us on Twitter (@number1spotUK) or share this page through facebook. Pretty simple, no 'difficult' questions, just share with your friends and we will randomly select a winner on Monday. If you are lucky enough to be chosen, we will contact you directly through either Twitter or Facebook, so make sure you check your inboxes from Monday onwards!! Good Luck!!

Devlin 2011 Bud, Sweat and Beers Tour!

2011-02-19T20:37:00.001Z

Someone who caused tidal waves in the Uk Urban music scene last year was definitely Devlin. Yet this year he is set to take it one step further with his Bud, Sweat and Beers Tour starting next week in Manchester. For those of you who haven't already got a ticket for the first gig, I'm very sorry but they have all sold out. Don't let that put you off though, as due to huge public demand, it was recently announced that extra dates had been added to the tour in May, where they will revisit Manchester and a few other key cities. Keep checking back though, as we at Number One Spot will be covering Devlin at his London gig at the Islington O2 Academy, hopefully to get some behind-the-scenes footage and hopefully an interview with the big man himself! For a complete list of dates for Devlin's tour, click here to go through to his official website.

Lupe Fiasco: Lasers Album Playback

2011-02-17T21:58:00.003Z

So tonight I took a trip down to the playback party for Lupe Fiasco's new album called 'Lasers'. I'm not a big fan of these industry night things anyway, always a bit cliquey and this one was kinda the same. It was in a trendy bar just off Regent Street, normal for these type of things however the way the night went down was a little bit, erm, different. Lupe was stood in the DJ booth for the whole playback only choosing to speak every now and then and not really breaking down any of his tracks! That said the album itself sounded very good, very different to his previous work and we at the Number One Spot are keen to hear it in its entirety.

K.I.G Family are back.....

2011-02-10T18:29:00.004Z

Wow feels like an age since 'Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes' was ringing off in the clubs but the guys behind the UK funky smash are back! K.I.G Family are back with their latest single 'Gimmi More', decent enough track but no dance to go along with it this time. We're not sure if it will break down barriers commercially but expect to hear DJ's up and down the country dropping this for a hot minute!

Loick Essien - Stuttering Ft. N-Dubz

2011-02-07T12:45:00.000Z

Definitely one to look out for in 2011, Loick Essien is tipped for big things this year. Check out the video to his new single 'Stuttering' featuring N-Dubz which was released on Sunday! Click here to download from ITunes! Interview to come...

Tinie Tempah to 'Break America'?

2011-02-04T16:46:00.001Z

One of the biggest success stories in UK music of the last couple of years, Tinie Tempah has created a storm in the music world, paving the way for other UK Urban artists to enter the charts like never before.

Although a massive success in itself, Tinie has recently taken to the States in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of other pioneering UK artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Taio Cruz.

Tinie made his first appearance on US television on wednesday night, where he performed on prime-time TV show, Jimmy Kimmel live. Check below for the video!

Jessie J Album Release Brought Forward

2011-02-03T12:07:00.001Z

It was announced this morning that the release of the long-awaited debut from Jessie J, 'Who You Are' has been brought forward by a whole month to the 28th of this month due to unexpected demand.

Jessie's latest single, 'Price Tag' is currently #1 in the download charts, just 48 hours after its release.

You can pre-order the album but you're gonna have to wait until the 28th February to get it (that's years away!). If you don't mind the wait, Click here to pre-order your copy.

Loick Essien - 'Stuttering' Available for Pre-Order NOW

2011-02-03T11:57:00.000Z

Rising UK R'n'B star, Loick Essien, best known for his 2010 debut single, 'Love Drunk,' is releasing his new single 'Stuttering' featuring N-Dubz on Monday 7th February. His debut album is also due for release later this year. I have a feeling 2011 will be Loick's year, look out for this guy!
Click here to pre-order on ITunes.

Fearless Ft. Lois - Not Too Late

2011-02-02T14:21:00.000Z

After recieving a huge remix of this track from Teddy, a producer who has most recently remixed tracks for N-Dubz, Aggro Santos and also responsible for Lethal Bizzle's POW 2011, we decided to post the video of the original track for your viewing pleasure. Rumour has it that Fearless will be supporting N-Dubz in their upcoming April tour this year. The track is scheduled for release in the next few weeks so keep a look out. Try to spot Tulisa toward the end of the video, its only a quick flash, but we're pretty sure its her...

Devlin in the 1Xtra Live Lounge

2011-02-01T16:14:00.005Z

So earlier on today that Essex geezer Devlin was in the 1Xtra Live Lounge for Trevor Nelson. It was a wicked session with Dev performing two of his own tracks plus a cover, usual Live Lounge protocol. He kicked the session off with 'Dreamer' before a live rendition of his single with Labrinth; 'Let It Go'. He rounded the whole thing off with his own version of Chase & Status' Blind Faith, wicked session from a wicked artist. We here at The Number One Spot cannot wait to catch him on the London leg of his Bud, Sweat & Beers tour later this year. Click here to hear the session but you gotta be quick as you've only got 7 days from now, you'd be mental to miss it.

Offical Mixtape Awards 2011 - Get Voting!

2011-02-01T13:36:00.000Z

It's voting time for this year's Mixtape Awards, so get your voting hats on! Among this year's categories are Mixtape of the Year, Best Grime Mixtape, Best Female Mixtape, even down to Best Online Media Representation of Mixtape Culture! Nominees for this year's awards include Chipmunk, Ghetts, Wiley, Kano and many more. To vote, all you need to do is visit the Official Mixtape Awards website and click through to the voting section!

Jessie J Ft. B.O.B. - Price Tag Hits #2 in the Midweek Charts!

2011-02-01T13:20:00.000Z

Just a quick update guys. According to Jessie J's Twitter page, @jessiejofficial, her new single with B.O.B. has already reached #2 in the midweek charts. Well congrats Miss J, you deserve it! For all those that haven't copped it yet, click here to download it from ITunes.

Lethal Bizzle Ft. JME, Wiley, 2Face, Ghetto, P Money, Chipmunk & Kano

2011-02-01T13:09:00.002Z

It makes me feel pretty old when a track which I was raving to 'back in the day' is re-hashed in an attempt to bring about a sense of nostalgia. Although its only been 7 years, it would be stupid not to capitalise on the domination of UK urban music in the charts right now.

This time round Lethal B teams up with Teddy on the beat and a brand new batch of MCs, with Chipmunk, P Money, 2Face, Ghetts, JME and Wiley gracing an 8 bar verse each & Kano getting a whole 16 bars to himself.

'I got big bars for your whole fam, make your Mum skank out with your Fatherrrr.' Ironically, the people who used to go out raving to the 2004 original of this track probably ARE Mums and Dads by now, par.

I don't know whether or not I prefer the 2004 original, but this track still makes me want to do the gun finger dance. However, I'll leave you to decide for yourselves. POW! Regardelss, we here at The Number One Spot reckon this is an absolute stonker and should be purchased in bulk quantities.

The track is out on 6th February and can be pre-ordered through HMV Digital here.

FREE Download -The Streets - 'Cyberspace and Red Soup'

2011-01-31T13:56:00.003Z

Yes, I know. All we've been posting lately are links to download music for free! It seems nowadays artists don't want to take our money! Anyway, as a goodbye gesture, Mike Skinner is giving away his new mixtape, entitled 'Cyberspace and red soup'. The only hitch is that you need an IPhone to be able to get the link... Sorry to all the guys out there like myself who have Blackberrys... Anyway, if you're lucky enough to be part of Steve Jobs' family, click here to go to The Streets' website where it tells you how to get hold of the mixtape. Looks quite confusing but I'm sure you'll work it out!

FREE Mixtape from J2K - 'Now Playing'

2011-01-31T13:47:00.001Z

Yet another artist has decided to give his stuff away for free this month. This time round, J2K has made his latest mixtape 'Now Playing' available for free, yes, free download! To get your copy, click here.... Enjoy!

Jessie J Ft. B.o.B - Price Tag [Official Video]

2011-01-31T13:33:00.000Z

Yagga Yo!!

Don't know if you've peeped this yet but this is the latest video from the UK's hottest new vocalist; Jessie J. This is the Essex girls second single after Do It Like A Dude and this time round she's teamed up with one of 2010's biggest emerging stars in the form of US rapper B.o.B. Another UK meets US collaboration and another big track, a sign of things to come you think? Take it away Jessie....

Jessie J Ft. B.o.B. – Price Tag [Official Video] from Hip Hop on Vimeo.

Big Man Zest - 'Who I Am'

2011-01-31T13:24:00.000Z

Today sees the release of the brand new single from one of the UK Funky scene's pioneers and the man behind 2010 banger 'Jump in The Middle and Skank,' Big Man Zest. The single is produced by Beatnik and can only be described as a cross-genre cocktail of UK Funky meets electro.

Being the charitable guy he is, Big Man Zest is giving the first month's proceeds from the track to ACLT (The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust).

The charity has recently been threatened with closure unless they can raise £80,000 before the end of March 2011.

To download the track and do your part to help save this much needed charity, click the link below:

Click here to download from ITunes

Album Review: Skepta - Doin It Again

2011-01-29T18:34:00.001Z

Author:

Mike Wooller

After checking the post this morning, I was pretty excited to see a universal promo CD with the word ‘Skepta’ written on the front. That’s right, we’ve finally got a copy of Skepta’s forthcoming album ‘Doin It Again’ in our hands and can therefore give you guys the low down on what to expect!
The first track on the CD is entitled ‘Nobody Made Me,’ a fairly mellow grime track which could be likened to Kanye West’s earlier work. It certainly is catchy and although the riff is going round my head and everyone else’s here in the office, I feel it could have been used to greater effect if it had been put further down the tracklisting. Certainly a fine piece of music from Skepta though.
Track two, entitled ‘Rescue Me,’ is a dubstep influenced track with a powerful hook which works incredibly well with its deep bassline. When first released, this track did get some bad rap from a few people in the scene, especially those in the dubstep genre who felt that this track was Skepta’s way of jumping on the increasingly popular dubstep bandwagon. However, taking this track for what it is, it fits the bill for Skepta’s modern fanbase and when you ignore the snobbery the music scene can produce, this track does the job it sets out to do.
Another stand out track on the album is ‘Do It Like Me,’ which is, basically, four minutes and thirty-nine seconds of Skepta hitting out at the MCs in the game who think they can, as the title suggests, do it like him. The backing track conjures up images of grime back in the days before everyone had a Mac and top-end production software… that is until the chorus drops and a massive guitar-riff kicks in!
One of my favourite tracks on ‘Doin It Again,’ second only to the title track is ‘Cross My Heart,’ which features former Eastenders star Preeya Kalidas. I’ll be honest, I had this track sent to me a few months ago and it has been on my ‘driving CD’ since then. In my opinion, one of the best tracks to come out of the new wave of urban music in a while, ‘Cross My Heart’ takes Skepta right back to his roots, although to add to its commercial viability has a nice vocal hook coming from Preeya Kalidas. This may not be enough for the grime purists out there but, in my opinion, grime in its original form will never be able to reach the top of the charts again like 2004 track ‘Pow!’ did. For a compromise, I think ‘Cross My Heart’ is a banger!
And finally, my favourite and title track, ‘Doin It Again,’ finishes off the album in style, utilizing Skepta’s verse from the 2006 grime anthem ‘Duppy,’ as the chorus. As far as club bangers go, this certainly is not one. However, as an album track intended to be listened to at home or in the car, the track is a powerful, bass-heavy piece of music with a nostalgic chorus – something that a long-time grime fan like myself wants to hear. Throughout the track, Skepta talks about his loyalty to grime, the state of the modern grime scene and the fact that whether you like it or not, he ‘aint changing for anyone.
Among the tracks we didn’t mention were ‘So Alive,’ which features chart topping trio, N Dubz, which is scheduled for release alongside the album and ‘So Big,’ which features another of the UK’s finest talents, Chipmunk. Another track which has had Twitter pinging with #tags is ‘Mike Lowery,’ Skepta’s ode to Will Smith’s character in the film ‘Bad Boys.’ The instrumental has been flying around for a while now, resulting in a swathe of remixes from MCs such as Jammer, D Power, Fumin’ and even UK Hip Hop MC, Genesis Elijah.
Overall, ‘Doin It Again’ does not disappoint. Although most of the tracks on the CD are around 140bpm, Skepta has managed to create a wealth of diverse music with tracks for every occasion and mood. Having featured on the first ever MOBO tour last year alongside Scorcher, Donaeo, Maverick Sabre and others, Skepta is an artist whom we at MOBO are tipping for big things this year!
‘Doin’ It Again’ is scheduled for release on the 31st of January, along with the single ‘So Alive’ Featuring N Dubz. To pre-order now on iTunes Click Here!

Kiss 100 Search for New Presenter Talent...

2011-01-24T16:32:00.000Z

And it could be you! Auditions are already underway, but don't fret, as there are still two dates left to audition. I'm gonna be there for sure! If you want a chance to show off your skills with the chance of winning a contract at Kiss, visit the website and register your details online! Good luck!

http://thechosenone.totalkiss.com/

Skepta March 2011 Tour Dates!

2011-01-24T15:54:00.000Z

Righty, we've just had confirmation of the dates for skepta's 2011 tour, which will see him performing at some wicked venues this spring. following the release of his new album 'doin it again', due to be released next monday, this tour looks set to be a sellout! Get involved!

Confirmed dates are as follows:

Tuesday 15th March – Leeds @ University Union
Wednesday 16th March – Birmingham @ HMV Institute
Thursday 17th March – Sheffield @ Academy 2
Friday 18th March – Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
Saturday 19th March – Manchester @ Sound Control
Monday 21st March – Cardiff @ Millenium Music Hall
Tuesday 22nd March – London @ XOYO

FREE Download from Smiler – ‘Wait and See’

2011-01-24T11:17:00.000Z

‘Enza’ star, Smiler, is due to release his new single this March with an album to follow in the summer. In the meantime, he has released a track available for free download from today. Just read on to get the link…

South London MC Smiler made his first appearance back in 2006 with the street track ‘Neighbourhood’ which gained a spot on the playlist at BBC Radio 1Xtra. His most recent mixtape, ‘Clarity,’ featured acts such as Tinie Tempah, Ghetts and Roll Deep. Smiler is probably best known for his track ‘Enza’ which, as well as receiving support from the country’s top DJs, was also playlisted by Radio 1.

Currently working on his next single due in March and the debut album this summer, Smiler has made a new track available for free download just as a teaser of great things to come. We don’t know if the track will be included on the album or not but if it’s anything to go by, Smiler’s debut album is going to be an absolute stonker! See below for the link.

http://smiler.bandcamp.com/track/wait-and-see

Princess Nyah - 'Take Control'

2011-01-18T12:11:00.000Z

Another track to come out over the weekend was Princess Nyah's 'Take Control.' Princess Nyah first found her way onto the circuit through UK Funky producers Ill Blu where she vocalled tracks such as 'Frontline'and 'Hooligans' which were both a massive success on the UK Funky scene. 'Take Control' is also produced by Ill Blu but not neccessarily the type of track you would expect from the UK Funky scene's dominant producers. Check it out!

Wretch 32 - Traktor

2011-01-18T11:57:00.000Z

Wretch's latest single 'traktor' was released on sunday and is now available to download from itunes here:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/traktor/id403697456

We here at The Number One Spot reckon this tune is going to be a big hit over the next couple of months so help get it to a top position by downloading it now!

Skepta - 'Doin' It Again'

2011-01-12T13:20:00.000Z

Author:

Mike Wooller

Right. It’s 2011, a new year and hopefully one which will see some colossal new releases from the UK’s current swathe of super-talented urban acts. One such release is the newest instalment from Boy Better Know’s Skepta, entitled ‘Doin’ It Again,’ due for release on the 31st of January. The album features a collection of the North London MC’s finest audio offerings from the last year or so, with a dusting of new tracks you won’t have heard before. With a track listing like this, ‘Doin It Again’ looks set to be one of the stand out releases of 2011. Oh, and if you want to cop it the second it drops, it’s available on pre-order through ITunes now!

1. Nobody Made Me
2. Rescue Me
3. Amnesia
4. Bad Boy
5. Skit
6. Do it Like Me
7. Thrown in the Bin Ft. Boy Better Know
8. Cross My Heart Ft. Preeya Kalidas
9. Big Ft. Chipmunk
10. Taking too Long Ft. Charlie Drew
11. All Over the House Ft. Shorty
12. So Alive Ft. N-Dubz
13. Hello Good Morning (Grime Remix)
14. Doin’ It Again 2010
15. Mike Lowery