Guestlist

May 2012

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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36 HIP HOP / RNB www.guestlist.net Issue 39 / 2012 KLASHNEKOFF LOVE YOURSELF, TRY NOT TO FOLLOW FASHION, TRY AND GO AGAINST THE GRAIN SOMETIMES. Tab Taylor | tab@guestlist.net I hear you have a new album in the pipeline 'FTLT'? Yeah that's what I've been working on, publicised as a mix tape but it's got turned into an album. It was originally gonna be a mix tape, but it's hard for me to make a mix tape because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and mix tapes are known as throw away music, its called 'FTLT'. it's been What can we expect from that compared to the last record? Well the last one was 'Back To The Sagas' and that was cool, but this one is refreshing and has still got the essence for all the K Lash fans out there and it encapsulates what I'm on now and the energy of now. You're seen as a positive rapper, what messages do you want to put forward with your music? I hate that title the whole positive thing, I'm just human. I am a human rapper! I am somewhat of a conscious person, but what does conscious really mean? To be aware but first you have apply that consciousness and that is where the wisdom parts comes in, I'm still learning and I'm still living and my music is just a reflection of that. It is just what I'm going through, what I'm living, my experiences, knowledge- lack of it...whatever! I just speak from the heart and that is just me as a person. I would like to see more positive images of women and the way we portray women. This is a subject that's not talked about much and I just generally think that it's a big subject out there, how women are portrayed and view themselves. It hurts me a lot as I have seen it when I was growing up in the music and advertise- ments, film, computer games; the world has become a more provocative place...but the real message is know yourself, love yourself, try not to follow fashion and try and go against the grain sometimes. Do you think doing that pays off? Yeah definitely, anyone that set any sort of trend or any sort of legacy would not have been able to do that if they had followed anyone else and what they were doing at the time. It's all about expressing yourself, I wanna hear some more stories, I wanna hear some more substance, I wanna hear about peo- ple hurting, the pain, the love, happiness and more positive women role models. You are playing at Urban Nerds birthday on 26th at Scala, that's gonna be pretty big? Yeah its a good look man big up to Urban Nerds for getting me down there I really appreciate it because I think I am the only rapper down on the bill ha ha, but I guess my music just transcends genres..there you go there is a quote! Ha ha but defo big up the urban nerds for showing me love man I'm looking to smash that one ha ha. So where did it all start for you, where did your love for music evolve from? Just growing up with the UK black, reggae cul- ture. Everybody had sound systems back then like THE REAL MESSAGE IS KNOW YOURSELF, my dad, uncles...everybody was big into the whole sound system thing. I used to have a sound system with my cousin and we used to hold parties and ting and I use to be the mic man! We used to mess around in his bedroom and we used to play around like we were in a radio station with callers calling in! I mean just creativity in general and I appreciated it from young. You know what though? What people don't know is that I wanted to be a singer. Do you still sing now? Yeah, while I have been up here I just went in the studio and I just let it go! I ended up doing some alternative stuff that has crossover appeal to it and I haven't done it on purpose to be like I want to make an alternative track because hard core hip hop isn't working! But as I said I just vibe and I have eclectic taste in music which people don't really know, so I was just fucking around and I've just ended up mak- ing some different types of music with me singing some hooks and stuff and I'm loving it, I actually love it. I find it easier to make than hip hop, less stressful than hip hop, I'm still rapping on it but I'm just sing- ing and it ain't no corny shit! Is this something that we can be expecting from you in the future then? Yeah, even if I have to give it out for free just for peo- ple to hear it, I am just at that place right now where I feel open enough to express myself on this level, I have always been creative in different ways but I think the whole Klashnekoff thing, like you know Create a Monster and they see me as Klash 'Murda' oh no, Hackney! Klashnekoff he is just hard core. If you ever listen to my music it's just real, it's honest, it's still hard but I come from where I come from and I am who I am and I have got those things in me but that doesn't define me 100% from me singing, from me speaking on certain issues, losing my dad...I have done it in a way where I am not trying to be cool with it, I mean, I was wounded. A lot of people don't take that time to listen, they just listen to 'Murda' but big up to all the people that don't, that know about Black Rose and all types of tunes that I have done. We are in this day and age with no rules so you can expect the unexpected with me. FTLT- its more than a mix tape, I called it fuck the long talk cuz people say that I'm long ha ha that's the myth about me... that I don't turn up for shows, I'm long and I'm ar- rogant etc. Why do you not turn up for shows? Well that's the myth! Ha ha nah, earlier on in my ca- reer when I was more of an emotional person and I wasn't getting what I deserved (managers etc.) I would not turn up to certain shows based on emo- tion and not getting my money. Whatever it was it was mainly based on unprofessionalism. But that was at the earlier stages of my career and I didn't understand the game, like the boy who cried wolf it's just followed me! But If I don't turn up for shows I didn't get paid, so there's' the logic. People say that I hate record labels and I'm anti-labels, but I'm just anti being bumped! Ha ha so there you go FTLT watch out for it. Follow K Lash on Twitter @KLASHNEKOFF

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