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London’s DJ Elma has a “Kick This” series on Youtube where she’s interviewed artists such as The Pharcyde, Slum Village, Genesis Elijah, Dublin’s Workin Class Records and many more

In late August, she met up with west London hip hop artist Apex Zero in Brixton to speak on his music, new album Reality Provoking Liberation and his various political views which form much of the subject matter for the album

As a student of African history, African-American figures such as Malcolm X & Huey Newton and politics, not surprisingly in this interview he outlines his views on corruption, social cohesion, oppression, justice, war, peace, the political systems at home and overseas and much more. It was his introduction to legendary hip hop artists such as Immortal Technique, Nas, Dead Prez, Tupac & Wu Tang which motivated the young man to study more, and it has come full circle as he now portrays his views as an Emcee.

Whether you agree or disagree with his points of view, he articulates his thoughts well whether in the form of his rhymes or in the setting of an interview, something which has been commented upon by various members of the media to date

Check the full interview on Youtube

The album releases on 28th October. There have already been several video & single releases from it, including Chaotic Revolt and A Meeting of the Continents featuring Hasan Salaam & Iron Braydz

CHAOTIC REVOLT

A MEETING OF THE CONTINENTS

Look out for much more news & coverage of this release over the coming months, including plans for a launch night in London in November

You can follow him on twitter @ApexZero00

Any media, press or dj inquiries can be addressed to UrbanElite PR HERE

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T : @urbanelitepr

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London’s Apex Zero releases his debut solo album “Reality Provoking Liberation” on 28th October

In the main produced by Apex himself and fellow First and Last member OMeziah , the release is full of powerful lyricism and skilled wordplay, the trademarks of the best in UK hip hop over the decades.

The new single “A Meeting of the Continents” brings together the United States, UK and Africa in personnel and subject matter. Produced by DJ Fortune, Apex is joined by New Jersey’s Hasan Salaam and north London’s newest member of Triple Darkness, Iron Braydz. Fierce flows convey a strong sentiment from all three Emcees throughout, and compliment Fortune’s slick beat

The single was premiered on The Rap Up today. See the full feature on it HERE

You can hear the track directly on Soundcloud

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You can follow these artists on twitter @ApexZero00 @HasanSalaam & @Braydz

Any djs not already serviced with the clean radio edit can request it from UrbanElite PR HERE Similarly, any general press or media inquiries about the album release can be addressed to UrbanElite PR via the same point of contact

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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London’s Apex Zero, one half of First and Last who describes his style as “neo-hardcore tru skool hip hop” came up through the city’s live scene, notably the End of the Weak and Speaker’s Corner events.

It’s only in recent years he’s turned his focus on the recording side, initially as part of First and Last and then releasing his mixtape “The Pulse of the Awakening” in 2012 ahead of his debut solo album “Reality Provoking Liberation” which releases on 28th October 2013.

This young emcee and producer has taken his time to study renowned figures in music and public life. With eclectic listening tastes that range from John Coltrane to Rage Against the Machine to Motown, he has been influenced by the lyricism of Tupac, Wu Tang, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Nas and fellow British artists Skinnyman, Klashnekoff. With a personal interest in figures such as Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey & Huey Newton, and having studied socialist philosophy, politics and African history, his style is comparable to contemporaries such as Lowkey, Triple Darkness, Melanin 9 and Akala

American online magazine Soundparlor took time out recently to speak with Apex Zero about his early days & influences, his goals and challenges he faces and his new album

The feature acts as an excellent insight into the key inspirations for this young artist, the mindset and thought process behind his music with some surprising twists & turns added into the mix. Read the whole interview HERE

Apex Zero will be premiering his new single “A Meeting of the Continents” on US online The Rap Up on Tuesday 27th August, and the track features Hasan Salaam and the newest member of London’s Triple Darkness crew, Iron Braydz.

From the album, he has already released several videos, most recently “Chaotic Revolt”

Look out for much more news on this release over the next few months. Any media, press or dj inquiries can be addressed to UrbanElite PR HERE

Follow Apex Zero on twitter @ApexZero00 and the magazine @_soundparlor_

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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A legend from her days with the pioneering Flipmode Squad, Rah Digga has been busy in the studio recently working on various new projects

After a series of buzz track releases in the past 12 months, the first official release due out in the autumn is her new “Hood House” EP, mashing up original club samples and ripping them apart with her renowned lyrical flow.

This mix of classic rap and house styles has not surprisingly been smashing the clubs & radio in New Jersey, Chicago and New York. The first leak “I Heard You Say”, which uses the sample from Dennis Ferrer’s “Hey Hey” featuring Shingai Shoniwa, was premiered by Complex Magazine on Monday

The full original version of “I Heard You Say” can be bought HERE and you can follow Rah Digga on twitter @therealrahdigga

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Check out the original version of “I Heard You Say” on Soundcloud

Any radio station or club djs looking for a full 320 kbps quality of the clean / radio edit, contact UrbanElite PR HERE

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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London based online magazine Blacksheep have been covering all things hip hop for several years now

They are the latest to cast an eye over the new album by ethemadassassin, an emcee now based in Los Angeles as part of the duo Veteran Assassins, but who came up through the NC scene in the 90’s before making the switch a few years ago.

The magazine’s Andrew Kay opens his review of “Soul on Fire” with :

“Coming to my attention on this, his third album, ethemadassassin, from North Carolina gives an assured showcase of his talent, with witty wordplay and crowded, but sophisticated and soulful production- if you will, drum foundations with the boom and the bap laced with instrumentation to keep the shoulders shuffling, the brain nourished and the heart beating.”

A track by track breakdown follows which also acts as a good insight to what makes this artist tick. The review, allocated a 4/5 rating, is summarized with :

“Soul on Fire’ is an apt title for a nicely crafted and lyrically rich thirteen cut platter of gangster rap. Quite a bit more intelligent, thoughtful and less ignorant and knuckleheaded than the genre has been used to from other rappers who talk about money, bitches, guns and cars.”

But to get the full story, read the whole article HERE

Look out for a lot more coverage on this release in the coming weeks. Meantime, check out the video premiered by The Rap Up last week for “Can’t Get Enough”

Any djs still not received the radio / clean edit of this track, or for any other press & media enquiries about this release, contact UrbanElite PR HERE

Follow E on twitter @ethemadassassin and the magazine @blacksheepmag

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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Ultramagnetic MCs are currently on the UK leg of their European tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of their legendary album release “Critical Beatdown”

Hip Hop fans up & down the country have been eagerly awaiting their arrival for some time, and the group kick started their visit to the UK with a performance at London’s Clapham Grand last night.

Blacksheep Magazine sent along Andrew Kay to check it out

Read what he has to say HERE

Safe to say it appears the wait will be worth it for those still to see them at the following venues :

Saturday 6th July Brighton Concorde 2
Monday 8th July Norwich Arts Centre
Tuesday 9th July Leeds Brudenell Centre
Wednesday 10th July Glasgow O2 ABC 2
Thursday 11th July Manchester Band on the Wall
Friday 12th July Dublin The Sugar Club
Saturday 13th July Liverpool Haus
Wednesday 17th July Koln Club Banhof
Saturday 20th July Dour Music Festival Belgium

You can hear their latest joint “Let The Bars Go” on Soundcloud

They are also being interviewed for a new series on BBC Radio, so look out for that being broadcast soon, as well as some other special features in the coming days. Follow them on twitter @MCsUltra @UltraMan7000 and the magazine @blacksheepmag

Any media enquiries for Ultramagnetic MCs can be addressed to UrbanElite PR HERE Please note that UrbanElite PR are not the tour booker, and any enquiries about the specific venues or events should be addressed to the local venue promoter

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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n the current July 2013 issue of the UK’s DJ Magazine, reviewer Neil Kulkarni picks his top releases for the month

He has made Melanin 9’s single Heartless Island which also features his old sparring partners Triple Darkness, the “Money Shot” Single of the Month

The single appears on M9’s album Magna Carta which was released in December to wide critical acclaim in the UK and also overseas – Jay Z take note! – and it can be purchased on iTunes or in physical format via http://m9ether.bandcamp.com by mail order

He has a number of live dates coming up, including on the main stage at the Boom Bap Festival in September, and also look out for some brand new recorded material being released in the months ahead. You can keep up to date with him via twitter @Melanin_9

Meanwhile, check out the video for the track

Any media or booking enquiries can be sent to UrbanElite PR HERE or live venue & club promoters can contact the man himself via his Bandcamp or through his social media platforms

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the classic album “Critical Beatdown”, Ultramagnetic MCs are touring the UK and Europe in July

Hailed as one of the early innovators of the sampling techniques employed by producer Ced Gee, the release influenced future generations for years to come. On tour will be Kool Keith, Ced Gee and T R Love, their first as a group in Europe since the release of the album, and will be an extremely rare opportunity for fans to see the legends perform the classics live.

The full tour announced is as follows :

July 2nd Paris Le Trabendo
July 4th Amsterdam Melkweg The Max
July 5th London The Clapham Grand
July 6th Brighton Concorde 2
July 8th Norwich Arts Centre
July 9th Leeds Brudenell Social Club
July 10th Glasgow O2 ABC 2
July 11th Manchester Band on the Wall
July 12th Dublin The Sugar Club
July 13th Liverpool Haus
July 17th Cologne Club Banhof Ehrenfeld
July 20th Belgium Dour Music Festival

They have also been working on some new material, and produced the track “Let The Bars Go” ahead of their tour. This new version is aired for the first time today

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You can follow Kool Keith on twitter @UltraMan7000 and the group a/c @McsUltra Any djs who have not already been serviced with the track, or members of the media and press looking to set up interviews can send their requests to UrbanElite PR HERE

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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The Voice Newspaper is a well known publication in London which has run from 1982, and has been regularly voted “Britain’s Best Black Newspaper” for their coverage on a range of issues specific to the community including sport, current affairs, education, lifestyle, faith, career opportunites and entertainment.

The papers’s Hazel Ann Williams took a trip up to Islington recently to interview one of the hottest emerging figures in the UK hip hop scene, melanin 9, to discuss his new album Magna Carta, his early days of starting out as an artist and his views on hip hop generally today.

You can read the whole interview HERE

There has been a tremendous amount of media coverage on Magna Carta in the UK primarily, and also in Europe and the United States since the promotional campaign began in the autumn of 2012. Hip Hop specialists, general urban music online and physical magazines, and national physical publications such as Clash, MOJO and Q Magazine have all featured reviews and interviews.

We predicted this, his debut album, would be a landmark release for this highly talented lyricist, and the international online coverage of his freestyle for SBTV and official videos, including “White Russian” ft Roc Marciano, premiered by Nah Right – a first for such a UK artist – has proven this to be the case.

Included in Wordplay Magazine and Bonafide Magazine top hip hop albums of 2012, there’s little doubt this has been one of the biggest UK releases of last year within the genre

It is available to buy now from iTunes, and a physical CD format version is also available to buy direct from http://m9ether.bandcamp.com

You can check it out for yourself via this snippet version on his Soundcloud

Expect to see a video for the track “Heartless Island” featuring Triple Darkness in the near future, as well as him performing some shows, including on the main stage at the Boom Bap Festival in September.

Any booking enquiries for Melanin 9 can be sent to UrbanElite PR HERE or you can connect directly with him via the contact details provided on his twitter profile @Melanin_9

All further media enquiries can be sent to Urbanelite PR via the link provided above

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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MagnaCarta-Stereoboard

Another review of UK hip hop MC Melanin 9’s album “Magna Carta” which released on 3rd December 2012.

This one had slipped under the radar until today, but first published in January 2013, online magazine Stereoboard reviewer Jonny Rimmer has given this a massive vote of approval

Opening up with an overview of the shifts taking place right now in the UK scene, with more people switching attention to the “hip hop” community, he opens :

“There are significant changes afoot in the world of UK hip hop. With grime is on the way out, and its established heads like Wiley and Dizzee Rascal moving towards poppy pastures new, hip hop is again gaining popularity in cities all over the UK. The battle scene is also making waves with Don’t Flop boasting now one of the biggest battle-league fanbases on the planet. Most tangibly though, there is a real sense that hip hop is now a real voice for young people seeking change – see the recently retired Lowkey and Logic’s ‘People’s Army’; M9 also fits this mould.”

This is then followed by the opening salvo in relation to the album itself :

“However, one cannot stress enough just how much of an accomplishment Magna Carta is. For starters, it sounds very little like a British album at all, snubbing garage for the sort of slow, meditative beats that you’d find on 90s noir records like Mobb Deep’s The Infamous. And the mood it establishes is gorgeous, with jazzy trumpets, saxophone and piano samples forming the backdrop to M9’s bleak urban narratives. Even though there are several different producers here, all of them match M9’s vision, tailoring their ideas to the MC’s aesthetic vision.”

Offering a 4.5 / 5 rating, read the whole review HERE

Magna Carta is available digitally from iTunes and can also be ordered in CD physical format from http://m9ether.bandcamp.com

Here is a snippet version of the album on his own Soundcloud page

Melanin 9 is busy recording new material as well as setting up some dates, which will also include performing on the main stage at the Boom Bap Festival in the UK in September. Anyone wishing to book melanin 9 for dates can contact UrbanElite Promotions HERE or check the contact information on his twitter profile @Melanin_9

You can also connect with the magazine on twitter @Stereoboard

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr