h o m e    



  f e a t u r e s

    select:
Rihanna
Future Thinkin
LTJ Bukem - Good Looking Organisation
The Unusual Suspects - Y2K FM / Itch FM
Street Politiks
DJ Excel - Ice FM
Apache Indian
Flex FM
Dice DJ - FlavaForce
MC J Swif - Abyss FM / InterFACE / UK Rumble
Fredi Kruga - Un4Given Entertainmentz
57th Dynasty - Fas Fwd Entertainments
Para and Perry - DEA / MSB
Twisted Individual - Grid / Formation
DJ Diesel D - Raw Mission FM
Bally Sagoo - Ishq Records
Mr Montana - Laff-A-Lot Records / The Big FM
DJ Miley - One Night Stand @ Gass Club / Klass FM


VirtualGirlHD


s o l i d P u l s e . n e t

Un4Given Entertainmentz
1 2 . 2 0 0 0

How did you get involved in Hip Hop?
I have always been into Hip Hop from way back in the days when I used to body pop and break dance. Then I got into body-guarding and security and found myself working alongside a lot of the artists that I actually admired. I guess from there, everything just came naturally.
Where/when was your first ever performance as Fredi Kruga?
WHOAH! I guess it's got to be at a club now known as Club EQ (it used to be called Shenola's back in the day) about........ say about 10 or 12 years ago.
Describe your style
I like to think of my style as a complete fusion of Ragga and Hip Hop thus forming Ragga Hip Hop..... at least that's what I call it anyway. I have three characters within myself, FREDI KRUGA is the Ragga element, HARVEY II FACE is the Hip Hop element and JOHN DOE is the element which allows them both to merge.
Where/who do you get your influences from?
My influences are forever changing but I guess the core ones come from everyday living here in urban London and I guess also from the great deal of time that I have spent in the U.S. Musically, I have been influenced by Rakim, DMX, NIRVANA, BOUNTY KILLER, SCARE DEM CREW and of course my brother FIDEL.
What made you want to do a track with Choice FM's Bruv Da Geeza?
Me and Bruv have always been good mates. That track wasn't really recorded as a song but more as a little joke or gimmick for Bruv to play on his show. We are going to be working on a track for my album though. I also used to do security for Choice FM so of course the hook up was easy anyway.
What was it like working with him, and is that track gonna be released?
A lot of people keep on asking that and it might be...... but it will have to be restructured along with some more underground orientated mixes. Working with him is a laugh. Bruv is a real character and has a lot of great projects in the making. He's also very down to earth and nothing like the character you hear on Choice but then don't tell him that I said that!
London's feeling the Hip Hop vibe, is other parts of the UK also feeling Hip Hop?
Most of the major cities in England have a Hip Hop culture of some sort. Birmingham, Manchester love the vibe and places like Dublin are Hip Hop mad!
Have you got your own label?
I have set up my own label which is called UN4GIVEN ENTERTAINMENTZ (KAI RECORDZ). It's all about 'doing 4 self' and creating your own empire. Any young budding artists can send a demo to me and I promise to check it out. Contact Mr FRANCIS on 020 8800 6321 for a postal address.
Have you performed abroad?
I have done numerous shows in the U.S. and performed alongside artists such as Jagged Edge, Cappadona, P.O.V, Capelton just to name a few. I have performed at FREANIK in Atlanta and also SPRING BREAK at Daytona beach.
How do the people react to your English accent rapping?
I have blown up a number of spots and I think they take to my style very well because it has a strong Ragga influence incorporated into it. The U.S. has a massive West Indian culture so I go down real well out there.
Most U.S. Hip Hop music videos show women in tiny bikinis, what do you look for in a lady?
Her brain. All women have similar body parts but her brain is unique. I like a woman that can have a decent intelligent conversation because that makes her all that much sexier............. the breasts! (HA HA!)

Thanx for all the support that you guys have given me. The new single CARZ is in the stores now..... go buy it..... please! Oh YEAH...... check out the web site at www.un4given.co.uk PEACE!
top


s o l i d P u l s e . n e t

Fas Fwd Entertainments
1 1 . 2 0 0 0

Let's take it back to day one, how did you start off 57th, how did you all meet up, and what made you do it?
The story began before 57th - really, you need to go back to the 80s to get a true understanding of how the whole thing could come together. England, at street level, was run by reggae. There was a decent reggae industry where man could record and put out tune and make a change. You had groups like Aswad, Steel Pulse, who put England on the map in terms of street/black music. You had a thriving sound system scene, lead by sounds like Sir Coxsone, Saxon Studio and regular visits by Jamaican (and later) American sounds. All 8 members of the (future) Dynasty grew through this time: some were involved in what was going on, some were too young but were still influenced by it.

Out of this environment, around the late 80s, Charlie Parker started running an informal studio and developed his production technique (at that time making reggae and hiphop beats) and thru the word of mouth artistes local to the area (Brixton, Stockwell etc) started coming thru. Charlie started the label - Fas Fwd Entertainments - to put out tunes on as there didn't seem to be any interest coming from the UK industry to help with this - they were focused on house, drum n bass and pop. So, the DIY Ethic was born (actually, it was just a continuation of what man did back in the days - all the reggae mans were used to doing things this way which is why it is important to understand where the roots of Fas Fwd/57th are - being "self sufficient" isn't "amazing" or "admirable" like people say, its just obvious).

So into this stepped Paradise - just come in from the US, he showed an energy and commitment that was so far lacking and it became clear that sh*t could really kick off now. Charlie and Dise recorded a track - M.O.N.E.Y. - and released it as a 12". It reached critical acclaim immediately.

Meanwhile, mans had been politicking and already spreading the word... Dise was getting a shape up in a barbers and talking to the brothers in there he discovered a family of rappers and deejays. The family turned out to be 4 brothers and two friends who had skills and came through the studio to demonstrate and develop.

To cut a long story short it turned out that these next 7 youths to come through the Fas Fwd studio, all of whom were either family or friends, produced 4 more core members, who were/are - The Juvanile Ruckasz (comprising of Dark Troopa aka The Jedi Knight, 50/50 the lyrical assassin aka Middleman and the youngest Dynasty member Lil Monsta aka Lil Big Man) and one of their elder brothers, the ragga chatting Ashanti man - Thundastorm.

So the Dynasty was growing: the Fas Fwd family already comprised of more than 12 members and was growing throughout the area (Brixton) by association, but The Dynasty still had one more core member to get and still didn't have its name.

Mr Green, one of the early Fas Fwd artistes, one day brought thru a brother he knew from Bristol, name Oshin; Oshin mentioned that he was looking to hook up with a hiphop crew and he had the credentials, bringing an essential resource to the Dynasty aside from lyrical skills. Oshin was/is the original Nomad/country man. Through his regular travels he has managed to transport Fas Fwd/Dynasty product far and wide across the UK as well as foreign. So Oshin the Nomad became the final member and the crew (called Dynasty because of the vision of being an extended family) took its name after the number on the studio door - 57.

When and where was your first ever performance and what was the experience like?
Monsta: It was at Dingwalls (Camden). It was a good experience but we were kinda tatty and wasn't really sure what eachother was doing on stage. But the crowd reaction to us has always been good so that helped a lot at the start to keep us confident.
Is UK Hip Hop finally getting through? getting the recognition it deserves?
Charlie: Don't know if it "deserves" recognition or not and I'm not sure what can be classed as "getting thru". One thing about this country (especially this country) - deserts aint got nothing to do with nothing - you don't get what you deserve, it takes more than that. Shits getting better tho (especially production), but for the UK its got to excel rather than just be good because the market is already flooded with English speaking hip hop that people consider to be the standard. An infrastructure is getting in place as far as a UK hip hop industry goes, and its reassuring to see events like UK Hiphop Awards going on and being quite successful. So I guess it is getting somewhere, and it is getting recognition. But it's always had recognition - through the years you had - Derek B, Mello, MC Duke, Cookie Crew, Definition Of Sound, Double Trouble, MC D, London Posse... It's not like these guys didn't get recognition. What they didn't get, mostly, was hit records and a record company behind them that understood that hip hop (of whatever style) is not pop music and needs to be handled with a different strategy. That's one of the reasons why none of those guys really prospered. Another reason is that people in England are damn mean. There's no culture of money making money at street level. Man spends his time getting money and then keeps it or spends it. The way to build up anything is to invest money, you know, put it down and don't trouble it and then you will see something start to grow - there is man out there with money but nobody don't seem to want to put it down in the music biz. Why? That starts off another argument that's too long for now...
There's not really a platform for UK Hip Hop, has the internet helped promote it in any way?
Paradise: There wasn't a platform for UK Garage either, until tunes started selling and getting play in clubs, all of a sudden a million pirate stations started and things went upwards from there, and garage found its platform. The internet definitely helps; we have a good relationship with PeopleSound that helps us with promotion - that's mainly where the net can help - promotion. It enables heads around the globe to find you (even by accident) when before they couldn't. That's cool...
In order for UK Hip Hop to get mainstream airplay on the major radio stations, do you think it has to be 'watered down' or is it possible to keep pushing the raw underground UK Hip Hop and get it played on daytime radio?
Mainstream airplay is to do with money. If something has the right money behind it and there's demand (even sometimes without demand) it will get mainstream airplay.
Also, there's a lot of pirate radio stations in London that play non-stop Garage, but only a few stations have a couple of hours a week for hip hop. There should be a pirate that plays non-stop Hip Hop all day, why do you think there isn't one yet?
I don't think there will be a pirate dedicated exclusively to hip hop ever. Even Hot 97 in NY has a few ragga/reggae shows on it. If there will be a hip hop/ragga station? When UK hip hop is strong enough to stand on its own (which by the way I don't think it is yet)
What are your future plans?
Juvanile Ruckasz: Continue education and use all the knowledge we are learning and have learned over the past four years to help guide our bredrens, pass on knowledge to the youths and stop them from going down the wrong paths and improve our own talents and techniques.
Paradise: To continue work in the community and further my involvement in the music industry, possibly working with and guiding upcoming talent.
Thunda: To record in Jamaica and release tunes aimed specifically at the Dancehall market, and help rebuild the British ragga scene.
Shineye: To produce tunes in Jamaica - already started that! - And be a cornerstone in the rebuilding of the British ragga scene.
Oshin: To continue to travel and learn more about the music business.
Charlie Parker: To continue to build Fas Fwd Entertainments and achieve status as a leading UK Urban recording label - continue to travel and spread the love that has helped build the Dynasty and Fas Fwd through the needing parts of the world.
All: To take 57th to the top...
What's playing in your car at the moment?
Charlie: Mostly Dynasty shit and my own beats. But other than that - Adenail (soundclash tape), hip hop mixtapes & old Wu & Mobb Deep.
Paradise: Still listening to Sizzla & old shit like the MOBB and some country/down south shit
Thunda: Ragga tapes & slow jams
Juvanile: Whatevers going on - mix tapes, ragga tapes etc... Actually looking a new set for the car...
Anything else you wanna say to the solidPulse visitors?
Yeh - if you're looking at solidPulse the next move you need to make, when you're finished, is to haul your a**e over to fasfwd.com and check us out in further detail! Look out for the single GHETTO GOLD/HOLD STRONG dropping on promo NOW (DJs call us for promos) and officially hitting stores in March 2001. And following that, the album, the long awaited follow up to SPOKEN WORD - the Dynasty's "sophomore" work - D.I.Y. Ethic, releasing around May 2001.
Love to each and everyone... 57th.
top


s o l i d P u l s e . n e t
Para and Perry
D.E.A. / M.S.B.
0 9 . 2 0 0 0
Lady Z asks twenty questions

How long have you both known each other?
Para: About 10 years now! Since school.
Perry: We grew up in the same area.
Para: Since Perry was little Perry!
Why the name PARA? Are you a paranoid person?
YEAH! Paranoid and Paralytic!
Perry? What does M.S.B. stand for?
Music. Sounding. Better. And it sure does!
Para? How many 'Dub Enforcement Agents' are there? What qualities do you need to become an agent?
There are three main 'Dub Enforcement Agents', Myself, R. Lally and Lloyd-E. There are other subsidiary agents that support the cause, play the tunes, wear the T-shirts, and socialise with us, basically promoting D.E.A. to the full.
What is the D.E.A. project?
The project is Future Music. Creating different sounds, something unique, not the same old general bulls**t.
Perry? House and G or D 'n' B?
D 'n' B for love. House and G for cash!
Para? Classic Tracks?
That 'Abstract' tune (Para begins to sing) "We had a thing going on, and sometimes **** just for fun, and its real good, and its real good"! And a track called 'Over You' (starts singing again) "Over you I'm over you dar da da de" That's a classic track too! And that's it!
When were your first DJ bookings and do you still have the flyers?
Para: '97 man! I've got ALL my flyers.
Perry: August '98 yeah I've still got the flyer 'The Younger Clarkie'!
Perry? What has happened to 'THE 2 DARK CLARK'? Why choose against playing out?
'2 Dark Clark' is now M.S.B. Productions! I have always been inspired by my DJ brother (DJ Clarkie - Blackmarket Records), I guess that's how it all begun? I used to play out at various Drum 'n' Bass doos, although I never really wanted to make it as a DJ, I've always loved mixing. Still, I had plans to produce, and about two years ago I decided that I wanted my own label. I am now spending my time with the day-to-day running of M.S.B. and of course working with people like Para, producing phat tracks!
Para? I want to know what persuaded you to go back to Upfront FM?
I had a few disagreements with The Management at Upfront FM, but it's all water under the bridge now. I knew the Upfront boss before Upfront FM begun, so holding a grudge was more than pointless, we're friends. The scene is far too small for grudges. PLUS I was in 'Napa, the Upfront boys were out there, and I decided from then it was time to Grace London Town!
The track 'DJ Para - Shadow Boxing' on MSB? Does 'Doc Scott' know about your 'Nasty Habits'?
Nasty habits? No, Doc Scott doesn't know as far as WE know? Although, Drum 'n' Bass, and Garage are two totally different genres of music. 'Shadow Boxing', is a tune with a popular sample from a Japanese film, anyone can have it! You can have it Z!
'Para-Normal Phenomena' is on a REACT compilation; Matt 'Jam' Lamont presents The Jam Experience. How do you feel about DJ's such as Mr. Lamont using your tune for such a big project?
Para: It's great man! I used to idolise Matt Lamont and now he's playing one of my tunes. Its blinding, plus Matt is a wicked geezer, have you heard his new tune? Boy it's bad.
Perry: Yeah it feels good. It's the second track to be released on MSB and it's on a big project so early on in the life of MSB. Yeah it most definitely feels good.
Para? 'Music Is My Life'? And 'Circles of my Life'? Whose life is this?
Not mine mate! It's Destruction and Madd-B's life, in Bromley pubs. Ha ha! Destruction and Madd-B put the lyrics together and I made the tune. As for 'Circles Of My Life' that will be the circles of Lallys' life! Again, I made the tune and Lally vocalized 'Circles'.
Is it right that these two tunes got airtime on MTV and cables' Trouble?
Yeah that's right. We (DEA) made the videos ourselves. I mean we got the cameras, filmed, edited, everything we did ourselves. WE basically produced and directed. So MTV and Trouble took these videos and aired them to say 'look these guys are out there and trying'.
The Jerry Springer tune absolutely smacked it out there. Plus TV's Jerry Springer was large at the time. Any plans to pirate the 'Big Brother' theme off 'Oakie' for a white label? Or any other plans?
GREAT IDEA! It is a possibility, but I dunno? As for Jerry Springer, wicked tune. Thanks to 'Jerry' I wasn't 'Harry Lint' for Christmas!
OK, enough of the bog standard questions. What did you do last night?
Perry: Decorated my hallway!
Z: Any colour?
Perry: It's not a colour yet. It's kinda brass right now!
Para: Radio, Pub, errrmm? Went to a friends birthday drink and indulged a little!
What 3 words would you use to describe each other?
Para: BIG FAT PERVERT! Ha ha!
Z: Perry's big 'n' fat?!
Perry: Short Bald and Para. Yeah that's Para init?
Para: Pimp!
Z: What? Perry the Pimp, Pimp, Pimp?
Para: Ha! No! I mean, Music Sounding Better basically sums up our Pel.
Z: Great recovery!
Perry: M.S.B. Mad Sarcastic B**tard!
Para: Thanks Pel.
First Rave? And how old?
Perry: 15 @ Cloud 9 Vauxhall.
Para: I was 14 @ Laser Drome (Para then attempts a Drum 'n' Bass B-line hum)!
OK, what with all the commercialism of UK Garage today I have two straight to the point questions for you...
1) Poshs' Flex? -OR- Not on my Decks?
Para: Not on my ****ing decks man! Oops! I mean - Not on my decks.
Perry: Sorry but not on my decks! Nope. No way.
And finally the other...
2) Joyrider -OR- Bad Accident?
Para: JOYRIDER! Yeah that tune was initially underground so definitely. I say Joyrider.
Perry: Yeah likewise. Colour Girls 'Joyrider' is definitely on another level compared to a Spice Girl.
Z: Okay now it's my time. Big massive thanks to Perry and Para for answering my '20 Questions'. I should shout to all involved:
www.djpara.com - This site is nearly up and running. All about Para.
www.deaproject.com - Check this site out all you need to know about DEA.
www.msbproductions.com - A new site for a BAD new label. Music Sounding Better.
www.react-music.co.uk - Featuring a catalogue of all React Music. Including D'n'B, H'n'G. You can purchase music on line.
www.blackmarket.co.uk - An obvious site to check. The new site should be up and running shortly, with interviews from DJs such as Micky Finn and other well know professionals. Big Up The Spoon Man @ Azuli!
You can catch DJ Para Live on Upfront 99.3 FM early Tuesday evenings. Once again thanks to Para and Perry, out to you two.
Underground Forever XxX.
top
© solidPulse