Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

By Andrew Hendry

Lupe Fiasco’s second album ‘The Cool’ sees the return of one of the most anticipated and exciting artists of today. After his debut album ‘Food and Liquor’ was nominated for three Grammy awards, fans and critics alike were left wondering if he would be able to build upon his success – and with this release, Fiasco does more than deliver.

Fiasco takes a bold step in shying away from the gangster mentality, which is central to much of modern hip-hop. Instead, he chooses to address many social issues, presenting a much more honest and personal representation of the genre. On tracks such as ‘Intruder Alert’, he bravely confronts sensitive matters such as drug abuse, immigration and rape, in an attempt to open the eyes of those who prefer to ignore the troubles of the ‘real’ world.

Fiasco uses the tracks on his new album as a means of exploring himself as a person. In ‘Superstar’, the first single from the new album, he criticises the life of a celebrity, labelling himself as ‘too much of a newcomer and too uncool’. The rapper takes a step further in ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’, in which he illustrates the hardships of the music industry and the struggle endured by artists trying to live the dream.

Fiasco is clearly not afraid to speak his mind, especially in regards to the direction in which the hip-hop genre is moving. In ‘Put You On Game’, he attacks the violence and misogyny expressed by his peers. ‘Dumb it Down’, also sees Fiasco criticising record labels and their financial motives. In response to many claims that artists are forced to dumb-down their material, Fiasco states, ‘I ain’t dumbing- down nothing!’

Fiasco is quickly emerging as a figurehead for a new form of hip-hop, which is characterised by mainstream pop and culture. In ‘Gold Watch’, he delves deeper into this new world, discussing the many labels and cultures, which make him who he is as an artist as well as an individual.

‘The Cool’ ultimately stands as strong evidence of Fiasco improving as an artist. On tracks such as ‘Hello Goodbye’ and ‘Go Go Gadget Flow’, he is able to rhyme complex lyrics over intricate beats with ease, sending a strong message to those who still regard him as an amateur. The album is also a clear indication of artists becoming more conscious of the industry in which they function and realising their worth as role models. For this reason, ‘The Cool’ marks a pivotal change in the hip-hop genre.

The Feeling - Join With Us

By Andrew Hendry

2 years after their debut release, The Feeling are back to swim the dangerous waters of pop music and delight fans with a further instalment of tales of love and heartache.

‘Join With Us’ starts on a high, and the latest single ‘I Thought It Was Over’, with its rocking guitar rifts and catchy lyrics, provides a great start to the album. ‘Without You’ is a clever little track expressing love for either an unobtainable woman, or the paved streets of London.

What appears to be a promising release quickly falls into an abyss of obscurity. The band’s attempt to establish a new sound leaves a number of songs sounding quite Disney-like and one of the lad’s children singing on the outro of ‘I Did It For Everyone’ is just plain scary. ‘Join With Us’ attempts to provide listeners with upbeat, stadium tracks, but sadly delivers a number of songs which sound patronising, and at times, rather boring.

This said, the band still performs well throughout and fans will surely fall in love with the lads’ second release. It’s a shame that with the exception of ‘I Thought It Was Over’ and ‘Won’t Go Away’, the album lacks any real pop anthems, which its predecessor provided by the barrel. In an era in which bands are experimenting with different sounds and throwing away the rulebook, perhaps The Feeling shouldn’t have played safe and stuck so closely to the pop genre.

Kanye West @ Bournemouth International Centre

25th November 2007
By Andrew Hendry

The past months have proved pivotal in both Kanye West’s career as well as his personal life. Not only did his 3rd album, ‘Graduation’, reach double platinum status after selling 957,000 copies in its first week alone, but his mother and manager, Donda West, sadly passed away this month, due to ‘complications from cosmetic surgery’. It is the latter which has been the focus of much media attention this week, after it was thought he would have to pull out of his ‘Glow In The Dark Tour’. It was only a week ago that he broke down on stage in Paris while trying to sing ‘Hey Mama’, in which he tells his mother, ‘I just want you to be proud of me’. However, never one to disappoint, West blessed 8,000 Bournemouth fans with his presence, only 5 days after his mother’s funeral – and what a show it was.

The support acts from Common and Consequence, both signed to West’s G.O.O.D Music label, gave a different sight into the hip-hop genre, with Common performing an inspiring set in which he called for fans to hold their fist in the air whilst he rapped about unity and justice.

By the time the lights finally went out, the atmosphere was electric, with the whole venue chanting Kanye’s name. The superstar stepped onto the Windsor Hall stage, which had been transformed into a futuristic landscape, launching straight into ‘Good Morning’, the first song from his latest album. West proudly strolled amongst his vocalists, band and 5 piece violinists that have now become a feature of his live performances. West told his crowd ‘I don’t want to be compared to no hip-hop show. That’s like an insult to me!’

West’s personality on stage was a lot more personal than his previous tours. During ‘Everything I Am’ and ‘I Wonder’, he reflected on his successes and those who weren’t so quick to support him and even disassociated himself from the violence and gun-crime, which has now become such a large part of hip-hop.

West’s stage accompaniments really helped bring his music to life, making hits such as ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Touch The Sky’ sound truly epic. Courteous as ever, West made sure to introduce every single member of his band, allowing them to perform brief solos for the crowd.

The rapper managed to hold himself together to perform ‘Hey Mama’, bearing his soul under a single spotlight, while images of angels danced slowly behind him. Throughout the song, the crowd was there for their hero, clapping along to the beat and giving him a long cheer of appreciation when that single light finally died. Afterwards, his band played a cover version of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, which Kanye dedicated to the memory of his mother.

After a brief interlude, West came bounding back on stage to give an electric performance of his number one single, ‘Stronger’. At the end, he stood centre stage, hand outstretched, yelling, ‘I need you right now!’ – clearly acknowledging his troubles.

From the start, Kanye looked a different man – talented as ever, but something underneath all the superstardom looked uneasy. Perhaps the grabbing hands of his adoring fans are the only thing which can truly heal his pain right now.

Jamie T - Live At The Oxford Brookes Student Union

Jamie T
Oxford Brookes Student Union
Tuesday 6th February 2007
By Andrew Hendry


There seems to be no end to Jamie T’s (real name Jamie Trias) increasing popularity, a statement proved by the fact that he managed to sell out his ‘Panic Prevention Tour’, with added dates throughout Europe recently revealed. It seems that the twenty year old can not put a foot wrong, and even his support act ‘Them Nudes’, a three-piece rock band resembling an earlier ‘The Who’, managed to get the crowd jumping. It is no wonder that his ability to ride unique and catchy beats with honestly-raw lyrics about such subjects as alcohol abuse and teenage angst, has left many labelling him ‘a one man Arctic Monkey’.

By the time Jamie T made his appearance, the Student Union was packed to the rafters with lively teenagers, all making their appreciation well heard. Renowned for his individuality, he came bounding onstage in a chequered shirt, tight jeans and a rather shabby hat to perform his opening song, ‘Dry Off Your Cheeks’. Although admittedly not the most upbeat song on his debut album ‘Panic Prevention’, with the help of his live band ‘The Pacemakers’, he managed to really get the crowd going. The atmosphere on the night never once lagged, with the crowd more than ready to assist the choruses of such hits as ‘Sheila’, ‘So Lonely Was The Ballad’ and his latest single, ‘Calm Down Dearest’.

As well as performing all songs from his album, the East Londoner also treated the crowd to renditions of less well-known tracks from his earlier demos, such as ‘Northern Line’ and ‘Not Without Apology’. These earlier tracks were full of interesting samples, many of which, he later revealed, were lifted from a self-help CD which his mother brought him to battle panic attacks.

Throughout his set, Jamie oozed with confidence and skipped around the stage, truly making it his own, and his audience certainly left feeling that they had seen more than they had expected. Great music and entertainment alongside student-priced beer made this a thoroughly enjoyable night for all.

Plan B - Live At The Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Plan B
Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Friday 9th February 2007
By Andrew Hendry

To say that Plan B (AKA Ben Drew) is a one-hit wonder is one hell of an understatement, and his ‘Who Needs Actions When You Got Words’ show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire was certainly evidence of this. With a fan base which grows by the hundreds daily, Plan B’s support acts had a great task set ahead of them. Nevertheless, Example and Professor Green (also signed to the 679 label) proved to be very popular with the crowd, which was already jumping at the mere mention of the UK rapper.

When the 19 year old Londoner stepped out onto the stage, looking rather menacing with his hooded jumper, the noise of the crowd managed to drown out his live band, with the whole venue standing in appreciation. The protégé of Mike Skinner (of The Streets) went on to disprove recent controversy that the hip-hop genre is dying, with an electric two hour set, performing tracks from his debut album, ‘Who Needs Actions When You Got Words’ and his new mixtape, ‘Paint It Blacker’.

Plan B certainly knew how to put on a good show, treating his crowd to a number of freestyle raps, over such beats as Blur’s ‘Song 2’, leaving them to happily chant the chorus. The rapper’s raw individuality shone through when he performed his newly re-released single, ‘No Good’ when returning on-stage for his encore, rewarding his fans with a one-off drum and bass version, courtesy of his live band.

What Makes A Good Journalist?

An Interview with Rosie Swash
By Andrew Hendry


Rosie Swash believes passion is vital to be a good reporter, after starting out as a Good For Nothing Magazine journalist.

Swash, an established music writer for the Guardian Unlimited, said that a good reporter is ‘rigorous, passionate, opinionated and open-minded’. The 25-year-old got into reporting because of her love for writing and music.

Choosing to learn from experience rather than education, she opted not to train as a journalist, managing to get a job with Good For Nothing in 2005. When the company folded in the same year, Swash pursued her passion for writing and worked on a casual basis for the Observer Music Monthly until 2006.

Swash does not agree with the view of reporting as a ‘glamorous profession’, after having to work a number of ‘terrible jobs’ and spending ‘two years of writing things for free’. Despite this, Swash has not lost her passion, saying ‘I still get excited by new music so it's not hard to be enthusiastic’.

Swash believes that it is her attention to detail and authentication of facts, which makes her a good reporter, but admitted that she had to mature as a writer before obtaining these skills.

In light of recent criticism aimed at reporters, Swash believes that it is actually online reporters who have lost respect in the eyes of the public, who see online reporting ‘as throw-away, because the emphasis is on speed’.

In such a competitive industry, Swash advises aspiring reporters to ‘be prepared that you have to make things happen for yourself.’

Earliest Memory

An Interview with Margaret Smith
By Andrew Hendry

A 67-year-old pensioner revealed her earliest memory yesterday, recalling the time her teacher’s underwear was unknowingly on view to her whole class.

Margaret Dorethea Smith told how her earliest childhood memory was her first day at Househillwood Primary School, 8 miles from the centre of Glasgow. The pensioner stated that going to school was ‘very exciting’ and remembered feeling a strong sense of independence. With a youthful grin, Margaret told how she and her friends were in ‘fits of laughter’, after her poor teacher’s skirt rode up, revealing her underwear to thirty shocked school children.

Margaret lived in the Househillwood district with her mother, father, three older brothers and her younger sister. She lived a ‘happy childhood’, despite the ‘occasional squabble’ with her sister. Margaret regularly attended church with her family, sang in its choir and was a Patrol Leader of her local Girl Guides. When she reached 15, Margaret left school and started work as a junior in an accounts office, working hard to eventually reach the position of Shorthand Typist.

Margaret married her childhood sweetheart William Smith in 1957, leaving work a year later after giving birth to her first-born, Moira. She went on to give birth to another three children in the years that followed, leaving work to raise her new family. Margaret said that this was very much ‘expected at the time’, highlighting an interesting shift in gender roles when compared to modern-day society.

Margaret now lives in Oxfordshire with William and enjoys reading, holidaying and seeing her four ‘wonderful’ grandchildren.