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Two more British online magazines are the latest to run the rule over the new album by West London rapper & producer Apex Zero’s debut solo album “Reality Provoking Liberation” which released on 28th October

Multi genre Musiceyz and urban music specialist AH 25 Eight Entertainment like many before them have endorsed the young emcee’s rhymes, powerful delivery and conscientious approach which addresses many of the political and social issues affecting large sections of society today

The influences of artists such as Wu Tang, Immortal Technique, Nas, dead prez, Public Enemy, Klashnekoff, Phi Life Cypher and Skinnyman are evident in terms of the traditional values of hip hop lyricism, but also has a unique production style drawn from a wide spectrum of musical genres which lends itself to an edgy and at times aggressive full on attack to the senses.

Direct and to the point, he’s drawn an appreciation from an impressive range of media titles, and the latest reviews can be read at:

MUSICEYZ HERE

AH 25 EIGHT ENT HERE

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Apex celebrates the success of this release at his re-scheduled album launch party on Saturday 7th December which takes place upstairs at The Vibe Bar, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 7QL. Performing with a live band, he will be joined by Caxton Press, Iron Braydz, Itch FM’s DJ A.Gee and host Peaches. Entry is £5.00 on the door, 8pm – 1am and the nearest tube station is Aldgate East. Further details about the venue can be found at www.vibe-bar.co.uk

You can buy the album direct in digital format and by mail order in CD format from http://firstandlast.bandcamp.com and keep up to date with him on twitter via @ApexZero00

Check out his recent video release for “Absolute Zero”

Any further media or press enquiries about the album release, requests for interview or features or information regarding the album launch event can be addressed to UrbanElite PR HERE

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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RPL-Guestlist

Apex Zero took some time out recently to speak with Andrew Kay for British magazine Guestlist recently to speak on his new album “Reality Provoking Liberation” which released on Monday 28th October.

It’s the debut solo album from the London rapper and producer, a brief departure from his work as part of the hip hop duo First and Last. It’s had an impressive media response in the past couple of months, with an appreciation not only for the conscientious lyricism addressing a range of political and social issues, but the ferocity of the delivery and quality in production.

In the interview, he also speaks on his background in starting out in hip hop, and how artists such as Immortal Technique, dead prez, Wu Tang, Nas, Chinese philosophy, historic figures Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Huey P Newton and writers Michel Foucault & Molefi Kete Asante have all influenced and contributed to his way of thinking. He also goes into detail about the extent of his musical influences, which are wide ranging,and his thoughts on the UK hip hop scene, past and present

Read the whole article HERE

Apex is busy rehearsing with his live band for his launch event on Saturday 7th December which takes place upstairs at The Vibe Bar, 91 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London E1 6QL. Also performing will be Caxton Press and Iron Braydz. DJ for the night is A.Gee from Itch FM, hosted by Peaches. £5 on the door, 8pm – 1am, all details about the venue at www.vibe-bar.co.uk

The album is available to buy now in digital and CD formats directly HERE

You can keep up to date with him on twitter @ApexZero00 and also connect with the magazine @Guestlistdotnet

Any further media inquiries in relation to the release or the event can be sent to UrbanElite PR HERE

Look out for a new video for his single Absolute Zero launching on 4th November, but meantime check out his previous one for Chaotic Revolt

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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SoulOnFire-HitTheFloor

Los Angeles based rapper, originally out of Greensboro NC (and a time Camden NJ), ethemadassassin has just released his 3rd solo album “Soul on Fire”

It is packed full of hard hittin rhymes, fierce lyricism & wordplay and real street tales as you’d expect from a veteran in the game who started out in the rap battle scene in the 90’s

Some quality production too courtesy of Edinburgh’s Sci Fi Stu, France’s Kyo Itachi and both North Carolina and Cali are repped’ with beats from Wonder Boy, Akthentik Works, Devaron Benjamin and Gav Beats – a mix of classic soul, hip hop & rock with a healthy inclusion of turntablism make this well worth a listen for all hip hop heads who appreciate the realism

UK multi genre online Hit The Floor Magazine have just conducted an interview with E where he speaks on his early days in the game and his thoughts on the scene now compared to back in the day, his new album, the meaning behind his name and also his new joint “H.T.G.” which was also premiered today by HTF.

Read the whole interview HERE

Speaking of which, the new joint featuring Sole-R is absolutely bangin’. Check it out, real dope cut.

HTG

Follow E on twitter @EtheMadAssassin and also the magazine @HitTheFloorMag

And of course, you can buy the new album on iTunes HERE

Any djs looking for the full quality clean radio edit mp3, or any press with inquiries about the release, should contact UrbanElite PR HERE

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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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

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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RPL-SoundparlorInterview

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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SoulOnFire-ClashMag

The new Rapture & Verse hip hop column written by Matt Oliver is live today in the UK’s Clash Magazine

In what’s been a huge summer of record releases & tours, the column is a summary of the month’s hottest news, mixtapes, videos and albums from around the world. This month includes coverage of Nas, Drake, Riff Raff, Eminem, Earl Sweatshirt, Breaking the Illusion, Meek Mill, Dr Zygote, Cappo, G Frsh, Chaotik Stylz, Del the Funky Homosapien, Tony Touch and many more, including news on the new Soul on Fire album by Los Angeles (via North Carolina) emcee EtheMadAssassin.

Releasing on 17th September, the contemporary production combined with powerful lyricism – all still drawing from key elements of the Golden Era in which he started performing – is drawing plaudits for its style & approach

The piece is summarized:

“Carolina native Ethemadassassin spits unequivocally with gruffness reminiscent of a Rasco or Bun B. Definitely not a believer in dead air, ‘Soul On Fire’ is a belly-burning blaze needing no second invitation to be stoked. Two beats to have you picking up dumbbells, and soul samples resting easy so ETMA can sharpen his bluntness – ‘80s and ‘90s’ letting splash misty-eyed twinkles, ‘Crazy’ a cool Cadillac spin – the Veteran Assassin exudes an air that you’re gonna have to earn the right to get past him.”

Read the whole column HERE

This week he launched his new single “80’s & 90’s” produced by the UK’s SciFi Stu with whom he has recorded the future Veteran Assassins LP.

Check the video for Can’t Get Enough

Follow E on twitter @EtheMadAssassin and the magazine @Clash_Music

Any djs requiring clean / radio edit mp3s of these tracks, or any press & media with inquiries about the release, should contact UrbanElite PR HERE

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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MagnaCarta-TheVoice

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

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MagnaCarta-HitTheFloorMag

Latest in what has been a long line of UK and international media coverage secured by UrbanElite PR for London’s Melanin 9 and his debut album “Magna Carta” which released on 3rd December 2012.

This time Sean Cloherty gives it his full seal of approval on behalf of British multi genre online magazine Hit The Floor.

“Don’t mistake M9 for another rapper who ignorantly spits about drugs and guns either, the talent he has with words is extremely impressive. He paints a picture in the mind’s eye; there is a lot of wordplay revolving around meaningful subjects” again follows in the same vein of many previous journalists’ analysis of what has been a landmark release for the artist, his first official album since releasing mixtapes 144,000, High Fidelity and the Orion’s Stencil EP.

Similarly, comparisons in lyrical approach to Nas, Mobb Deep, Wu Tang & Biggie have been a common theme in many of the reviews and interviews, and this one is no different, summarizing :

“Magna Carta is embedded with hyper-visual lyricism, dark soundscapes, gritty narratives, and hard beats, and really gives the impression that Melanin 9 is out to spread knowledge.”

Read the whole review at HIT THE FLOOR

Hear the whole album in snippet form

Available now on iTunes, and also in CD format by mail order via http://m9ether.bandcamp.com We understand that due to the large number of orders placed via his Bandcamp, there had been a slight backlog in shipping, however this has now been resolved and turnaround is expected to be only a few days.

Melanin 9 is currently working on some new material, including some international collaborations. He is also available for festival and show bookings, so any other press, media or booking enquiries can be sent to UrbanElite PR via the CONTACT page

You can of course keep up to date with him on twitter @Melanin_9 and the magazine @HitTheFloorMag

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr

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MagnaCarta-LiveMagazine

Melanin 9’s launch night for his new album “Magna Carta” took place at The Vibe Bar in London’s Brick Lane in late November, and the venue was rammed full with the city’s hip hop fraternity there to see him joined by Choice FM’s DJ 279, Genesis Elijah, Rewd Adams, Iron Braydz, and his Triple Darkness sparring partners Cyrus Malachi and Phoenix da Icefire.

There was also a healthy media turnout, included in their numbers Snehal Shah from Live Magazine which publishes online and in physical print and covers a broad range of lifestyle subjects targeted at the youth market

The magazine has combined a review of the album with an interview and it can be read in full HERE

Released on 3rd December, “Magna Carta” is available on iTunes and also in physical CD format by mail order from http://m9ether.bandcamp.com

Its been a landmark release for the highly talented lyricist and the UK scene generally given the level of international media coverage and attention it has received over the past few months, all promotions handled by UrbanElite PR. Check out the following videos

Organized Democracy

White Russian ft Roc Marciano

Freestyle for SBTV’s “Skooled By” series

Melanin 9 is now accepting booking enquiries via his Bandcamp above, his twitter @Melanin_9 or they can be emailed to UrbanElite PR HERE

With thanks to Snehal and Alya for the feature, you can follow the magazine on twitter @LiveMagUK

UrbanElite PR
www.urbanelitepr.com
T : @urbanelitepr