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Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.

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GUESTLIST guestlist.net Issue 58 / 2013 5 7 IEW V ER T IN SO SOLID The group from West London who forced the urban music of garage into the mainstream, created a hit generations know all the words to and are generally recognised as having paved the way for the current generation of crossover UK hip hop stars have reformed in 2013 and stopped by for a hot minute. Natasha | guestlist.net LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR EMERGENCE INTO THE URBAN MUSIC SCENE. HOW DID YOU BECOME AN ESTABLISHED COLLECTIVE AND PUSH UNDERGROUND MUSIC FORWARD? Megaman- We became relevant to the mainstream in 2000/1 and at that time we were putting on our own raves, getting three thousand people turning up to see us. We were ramming out London Astoria , something signed artists weren't even doing at the time. So you got to understand that by the time we got to talking labels, they just couldn't refuse us - their work was easy. Harvey- It was funny when we did '21 Seconds'. They said it wasn't a club track and it wouldn't work. It wasn't a radio friendly track apparently. But when it went in at number one, they supported it. We were young at the time nineteen twenty, Oxide and Neutrino sixteen seventeen. The fact that we were jamming out raves and turning over twenty five thousand pounds as teenagers got the labels interested. Megaman- Those days were about if you were big in the clubs, your vinyls were in all the shops and all the pirate stations were playing your music then the labels wanted you. Simple as. I think it was the impact we made at the time at a young age that really attracted the labels. WERE YOU SURPRISED BY YOUR buzz going around. Megaman- We didn't even know what we were doing; it's almost like subliminal genius really. It was like everything we touched turned to gold. You have to look at the majority of black people from fairly recent times, starting with Soul II Soul. Somehow we were the ones that blew up and came through. By the time you realise it, you have platinum albums, top tens and different areas. So Solid was built as an organisation to bring through talent and get these talents noticed, get them a first album out there. It's written in their contracts, once you get your first album out of the way you are free to go. EXPLAIN THAT 'ORGANISATION' Harvey- So Solid is about legacy and if you don't want to support that then there is something wrong with " It will never be replicated . We changed the game period " SUCCESS? Harvey- Look, we were all kids from Clapham Junction. You're not going to think that you are going to be winning Brits and Mobos. It was mad because at the time when it was Mega, Mac and G hard on the road promoting things, I was playing semi professional football and I would come back at the weekends. It was crazy though, because when I came back (and you know I had known these guys for years) there was this courts cases (He laughs). I HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THE OBVIOUS BAD PUBLICITY SURROUNDING SUPPOSED CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES THAT SO SOLID WERE INVOLVED IN. Megaman- All our street activities and our supposed gang issues happened when we were between 12 and 17. What people did not understand was S o Solid was not a gang, we had artists signed from you. Right now we put on comedy shows, we run clothing lines, and Lisa's doing a line of headphones. We cover just about everything. THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESS ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THE LOVEBOX CLASH. GIVE ME THE SO SOLID VERSION. Harvey- It was taken out of context. We had been cleared up and down the UK for tour dates and the same company who are involved in our tour dates is the same company that does Lovebox. The real issue was between Lovebox and Hackney council, to put the right things in place to facilitate the fact that So Solid can bring a crowd. When I spoke to the heads it was nothing to do with an artist not wanting us there. LASTLY WHILE YOU GET READY TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE MUSIC SCENE AGAIN, WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE ALWAYS REMEMBER ABOUT SO SOLID? Harvey- I honestly say this with no arrogance, because any artist that you watch an interview with, from Chipmunk, to Wretch to Tinie [Temper] has been affected by us. Tinie had a tune out with J Cole, what's his first bar? "grew up listening to So Solid essentials". It says what it does on the tin and it will never be replicated. We changed the game period! Follow @OFFICIALSOSOLID

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