Month: October 2010

I’ve worked with practically every music act from the urban scene internationally and nationally over the past 15 years. The biggest most successful acts are always the best mannered and humble and work extremely hard to get where they are.
The most obnoxious and difficult are always new acts that assume they’re bigger than they are.
A few years ago an artist called Mario stayed at Number 1 in the charts for weeks and weeks with a hit song called ‘’Let me love you’’. The song was so catchy it was ridiculous (or as the Yanks said ‘’bananas’’) . The Def Jam team kept telling me about the song writer. A guy called Ne-Yo. A few weeks later the industry buzz was that this song writer Ne-Yo would be following in Kanye and Timbalands footsteps and making the move from behind the hit songs to in front of the hits. Ne-Yo arrived and he gave us hit after hit after hit. His music is always in the charts globally whether it’s him singing or one of his music superstar mates.
Recently ITV have commissioned a new music show and its really one that stands out in a league of its own and gives the music lover and fan the best of both worlds. Its called ONE NIGHT STAND and each one hour show focus’ on a different act and see’s them doing an hour long set of their music to an intimate audience. This footage is inter-cut with access- all- areas diary style backstage footage-the ultimate buzz for any fan.
The first series of ITV’s ONE NIGHT STAND shows special’s on Scissor Sisters, Pixie Lott and the incomparable Ne-Yo.
Ne-Yo flew into Heathrow on his jet one very early morning where we met him and dragged him straight to our studio where all day long he with his 7 dancers, choreographer, stage team, band and management worked, sound checked, camera checked and did pieces to camera all day long without complaining or looking tired once.
He greeted everyone with the most polite manners and was an absolute star from the moment his plane touched down until he flew back out again. His tour manager Ronnie Stephenson had promised me he was a robot at work and never stopped and he wasn’t wrong. As soon as Ne-Yo jumped into his car from the airport to the studio he announced ‘’I love coming over here, love the UK I love British People, I love England, there’s just a vibe here that you really can’t find anywhere else here on the planet. . I’m really big on things that make a place unique, that make a place genuine and I think that’s the vibe that London has. That’s the vibe that British people have. You can literally not find it anywhere else. Its the weather to the accent to style of dresses, its genuine and I love that’’.
Ne-Yo’s attitude is still on that ‘I cant believe this is my life’ high. It’s a joy to see someone so ampt about how blessed they are. He agreed ‘’I never really fathomed what my music would do nationally when I first started, my biggest concern when I first started was trying to get my music on the radio anywhere; you know in the neighbourhood that I lived in, that was how small my thinking was, who’d have ever known that 6 years later I would be on the other side of the Ocean. So it’s a truly beautiful thing’’.
The thing I love about Ne-Yo is that he never courts the press like so many other music acts we see daily flaunting themselves at Movida and other dubious desperate spots. He takes over the charts; his bank balance is phat and he quietly and surely does his thing with an easy grace. He admits that Europe and the UK have been an influence on his style too as he talks about his hit ‘’Closer’’. ‘‘My favorite song to play out here has got to be ‘Closer’ ,it was inspired by my time here and the people appreciate that song so much more because the people now they were the inspiration that brought that song to life. Closer’ came to be after spending allot of time over here in the UK and just seeing the energy of dance music and me just trying to my R&B interpretation of it really’’.
His creative director and choreographer Jamaica put him through his paces onstage during the day time and at the side of stage Ne-Yo confessed to me ‘’this is one of things people don’t really know about me…I’m really not that good of a dancer…i can’t believe I’m about to tell ya’ll this right now but really if you’re paying attention I have about 5 go to signature moves ,i just mix them up so that if youre not really paying attention you don’t really catch it’’.
Ne-Yo has written hits for many of his friends in music including Beyonce, Britney, Jennifer Hudson, Whitney and many many more. For his ITV spot he went left field and asked someone unexpected to join him onstage. He revealed ‘’My special guest today that I have invited to sing with me and help me out with the duet in Hate that I love you…(Rhianna was unavailable) is the lovely miss Kimberly Walsh from the group Girls Aloud. I met her not too long ago actually it was one of the last times I was here; and we just hit it off –she’s really cool, I asked her to do this and she said yeah without a doubt and she sounds very good for the part if I do say so myself. So all we needed was a couple seconds to get on stage and figure out moments we were gonna create and that’s what’s going to happen tonight’’.
Before Ne-Yo and his crew hit the stage they bowed their heads for a prayer and then like an SAS team that has walked the path many times they went into the slickest musical showcase. The set list included every big Ne-Yo hit-and there were a lot!
Ne-Yo even gave one of his fans a one in a million experience on the show- you’ll have to watch to see how.
Aside from praying before the entourage hit the stage they tucked into what I can only call a mountain of Nando’s chicken, mash and sweetcorn. Honestly no word of a lie, I went like Oliver from Oliver Twist and begged the record label head of TV for a piece of chicken. (I’m still ghetto like that!). And all this Nando’s even though there was also personal catering for Ne-Yo onsite! Ah the life of a star on Universal Records!
When we were just hanging out backstage Ne-Yo confessed he wished he hadn’t given away his first hit for Mario….’’’Let me love you’’ at the time that i wrote it i wasn’t trying to be an artist, I was completely content with just being a song writer but I think back on that song and I look back and think had I been trying to be an artist at the time that’s definitely one I would of held on to, another one that comes to mind is Beyonce ‘irreplaceable’ . Now, I initially wrote that song for me but that song taught me a really valuable lesson about lyrical content and the way its perceived in regards to gender. That exact same song with exact same lyrics that is sung by a man comes across a little different than it does being sung by a woman, so when Beyonce sings it its empowering and its uplifting to women and its like girl power and all of that and if a man sings it comes across kind of brash, mean and insensitive so I made that decision on my own and I decided to give that to a nice strong woman who pulled it off.
Ne-Yo then pulled off an amazing live show where his fans had the night of their lives and even all the rock music lovers on the tv crew that usually hate what they call ‘’urban music’’ were converted. Now that’s the sign of a true superstar! He ended the night by telling me ‘’this is everything I ever hoped for and more I really could not have fathomed this when you know sitting in my room singing into a broom handle. I feel blessed I wake up every morning and I thank god and my fans. God and my fans -every single one of you!’’.
ONE NIGHT STAND with NE-YO transmits on ITV on December 8th 2010.

A fortnight ago an e-mail pinged into my blackberry that had me all excitable. One third of Destiny’s Child and solo star in her own right the lovely  Michelle Williams  had invited me as her special guest to watch her do her thing on strictly come dancing!. I thought about it for all of 5 seconds before hitting her straight back with my RSVP. I felt like I’d won the golden ticket in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! During the week at work in the ITV building when people were discussing their weekend plans they were open mouthed with shocked impressiveness when I announced I was going to watch SCD. Apparently the tickets are like gold dust!. So we rocked up to the BBC in white city-love that place- a British institution! Nadine Scott from Michelle’s team met us and escorted us to the bar where we met other production guests before being led into the studio. Well that was a shock. I should know better working in TV that all studios look much bigger on telly than in reality. The vast ballroom space that looks humungous on screen was actually much smaller than imagined. We took our seats in the ‘’yellow production guest’’ area. I should have known that our very specific seat numbers would mean something more down the line.
Firstly came the warm up man who was as expected very entertaining, gave us bits of information about the night, the presenters and the usual told before a few times jokes. Then all the talent were introduced one by one. The judges came on. My mate said ‘’do you think Alesha will spot us in the middle of all these guests?’’. No way I responded, she’ll be too focused on her job. Well, didn’t lovely Alesha spot us minutes later and waved hello-bless her.
Next came my mum’s long time crush-Mr Bruce Forsyth. He is such a sweetie and what a pro. After all these years he’s as slick as if he were still a 30-year old- and his face still looks suspiciously youthful too. I know his jokes are meant to be awful, and they were but like your old granddad at the family function you find him so endearing.
Thereafter Tess Daly tottered on in her never-seen-without-vertiginous heels. As my mate drooled over her outfit and shoes (that’s what he said anyway), I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
Once the dance couples began I was mesmerised. I mean honestly- they were all so impressive. Old Anne Widdecombe was clearly cussing her partner all the way through the show much to all of our amusement, Eastenders Jack/ Scott Maslen was astonishingly good and as cute in real life as on screen and was really giving it some, comedienne Pamela Stephenson was very saucy and had all the mens attention with her ever so raunchy wiggling , former Eastenders actress Kara Tointon looked amazing in a white Grecian dress and danced with grace. My mate got all excited as former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton came on but alas peter wasn’t as good with his feet as he was with his hands and was more comedy than hotshot. My mate Goldie did his thing wearing a gold waistcoat and matching hat. Felicity Kendall still looked so pretty and sophisticated years down the line after seeing her in the good years but my male mate was more captivated by Paul Daniels missus Debbie McGee. Apparently loads of guys used to have a thing for her cos ‘’she used to be a sort’’?
For some reason rugby player and Charlotte Church’s ex Gavin Hensen seemed to evoke much hatred from the males in the audience. Admittedly he and his partner did look like the chav king and queen like they’d just stepped out of Movida nightclub but I’m guessing that’s the look they were going for. Actor Jimi Mistry’s mum was sitting next to us and was so proud her hands were clapping harder than ever. Even though she’s getting on a bit now actress and notorious rock star wifey Patsy Kensit looked hot and showed she still has that certain je ne se qua, whilst coronation street actress Tina O Brien was as northern off screen as she is on.  When Michelle did her turn we were so nervous for her but she danced so daintily like a ballerina and did us proud! As they went to the judges score for her the crowd camera suddenly turned on me and whereas I had been grimacing at the judges and giving them my ‘’bad- gal- you- don’t- wanna- mess- with- my- girl- Michelle’’ look, I rapidly switched it to what I hoped looked like a pleasant smile.
In the interval we went to meet Michelle off set and hug her tight and congratulate her for working so hard- its no easy feat to learn a different dance weekly and perform it to a nation!. We then went and grabbed dinner and drinks at the BBC bar before returning to the studio to pre-record the results show that was transmitting the following night. Do you know how much will power it took me not to reveal all the results on twitter there and then? It took a huge effort on my part not to spill my guts!. Meanwhile I had placed my bets on going to see the show record again via Goldie who only went and got booted off that night- so its all bets on Michelle now- although I mustn’t be a Bug-a -boo hitting her up for tickets 24-7!.Michelle- Independent Women everywhere are relying on you to Survive so get to Jumpin Jumpin and don’t let the judges tell you to Get on the bus! Be a Soldier but not a Nasty Girl and it will surely be Destiny Fulfilled. Ok. I will stop now. Peace out.

It’s just a few days until this years MOBO Awards and hair salons are over whelmed with demand for appointments, beauty clinics have run out of wax, nail parlours are heaving with last minute requests and designers are being wooed for fabulous garms just hours before the big night. And this is just for myself and MOBO Awards CEO Kanya King!. Only kidding folks but honestly its all go-go-go up at MOBO towers!.
When I’m not at ITV towers editing my new music special ONE NIGHT STAND, I’m legging it up to the MOBO office to work on last minute plans for this years show.
So far-it’s looking to be a stone groove, sure-fire winner.
Alesha Dixon and Reggie Yates are hosting together, N Dubz, JLS, Professor Green and many other names you’d expect will be performing. I on the other hand have been just as entertained by the pre-show behind the scenes antics as I will be by the show. In fact-maybe perhaps even more so!. I have all the UK and international acts riders. Oh if only I could reveal the details and hadn’t signed that confidentiality agreement!
Certain acts have demanded the biggest dressing rooms, one act has demanded nearly 40 international flights for their entourage, one urban celeb couple cant bear to be apart for the evening so one half of the couple is performing whilst the other is presenting an award! It’s all very amusing. Showbiz. You gotta love it!.
On the night there are going to be cocktails named after the artists. I’m thinking perhaps a Tinie Tempini, a JLS Julep, a long slow Stryder, a Dubmopolitan, a black urban, a white lady, a Cruz colada, or maybe even a Diva Dotiwala!
2 acts are flying into Liverpool in the last 24 hours, which is worrying-I wonder if they’ll make it? It only takes one international connection to be late and that’s a whole performance up the creek!
Last year at the MOBO Awards in Glasgow all the traffic lights in town were switched to green for speedy arrival of guests and no traffic. Not sure if the city of Liverpool are doing the same this year. To ensure punctual arrival I might jet up the Mersey River myself by speedboat-that might be a sure-fire way of avoiding the crazy road block traffic that will be present. Especially if JLS pull a stunt like last year and all arrive in one formula 1 style car each up to the red carpet causing mayhem.
I love that the show starts at 10 past 8 on October 20th 2010. So that’s 20.10, 20.10. 20.10. A date not to be forgotten on its 15th year anniversary!
I can’t wait to see the cream of our scene on the night. The excitement backstage will be pandemonium and I need to sort out a frock ASAP!.

Boris Johnson held a black history month soiree at City Hall where around 120 of us were invited and the evening was to highlight the amazing achievements of Africa and Africans globally were highlighted. Except it was a bit flat. There was no smell of African food, no sign of African décor or art, no sound of African music or drumming, nothing that portrayed love of all things African had gone into consideration when planning the evening. The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session but ultimately although the event planners meant well in putting this night on it lacked spirit and was a little flat.

Next Roc Nation royalty Rihanna and Kanye West flew into town to play their new albums to us. RiRi held her function at uber trendy bar Sketch in Conduit Street whilst Kanye of course upped the ante by throwing a viewing of his new film ‘’Runaway’’ at-BAFTA- of course!.
Rihanna’s soiree was full by 7pm –doors opened at 6.30pm, she was expectedly late and arrived around 8.30pm. Waiting staff were passing around trays of mini burgers and hot dogs as well as drinks galore. There may be a recession but Universal Music isn’t feeling it!  Looking uber tall like the Amazonian warrior she is in heels, short dress and bright red most recent beehive hair style she looked striking. The evening was attended by a very un-urban crowd, probably cos Rihanna now transcends genres and is a straight pop star. The session was hosted by CapitalFM radio DJ and showbiz reporter Kevin Hughes AKA the pop prince who made her feel at ease and smoothly went from track to track whilst interviewing her onstage. The new music sounds like typical Rihanna hits, a few up tempos, a couple of ballads, a few collaborations with Drake and others. The blueprint for her hits hasn’t changed and why should it. You know what they say ‘’if it ain’t broke….’’. The songs were played with a casual format interview in between Kevin and  Rihanna and once the 5 tracks were played for us the Q&A session was opened up to the floor. Some journo’s questions are so cringe-some and inappropriate I wonder whether they really just want a 2-minute attention session as opposed to asking an interesting question. Luckily for them Rihanna is most dignified and answers her questions with grace unlike her label mate Kanye West who would usually shoot down a wack question just with a withering look.

The following evening Kanye’s night was a late one at BAFTA in Piccadilly where a very cool guest list of industry movers and shakers were in attendance. Everyone attended to view Kanye’s 45 minute long film titled ‘’Runaway’’. Not many artists could get a packed room out this late on a school night and it showed how much the industry respects and values Kanye. We were ushered up to a champagne reception where I mingled with Universal Music big wigs Matt Voss and Helena McGeough as well as Kanye’s right hand man Mr Don C, boxer David Haye (in his trademark woolly beenie hat) and reality show star Alexandra Burke (in very pip Chrissy Lou spiked boots!). The night began late – 10.45pm. Kanye bounded onstage with no introduction and introduced the movie with a long monologue about his inspiration for the work being his dreams, his early days at art and fashion school, and his desire to clash all 3 art genres. I loved the fact that he’s so relaxed, confident and real and after chatting casually to the audience he requested the technician press play on the movie. As the film started he sat just behind me with his mates who included Mr Hudson and announced to all ‘’ its still rough!’’. We all laughed. The film started and the first couple of seconds didn’t play the music so he demanded ‘’sound!’’. Immediately there was sound. We all laughed.
I wanted to discuss parts during the film with my mate but with Mr West sat right behind me I was paranoid he would shout and point me out so I sat like an obedient school kid. The movie was half narrative, half abstract and seemed to hold a deep message about different kinds of people, worlds and judgements. It see’s Kanye partnered up romantically with a ‘’bird lady’’ and how the outside publics remarks affect him and his happiness. If I’m honest, I felt a little nervous that I’d misinterpret it or not see the message. I am in fact known to be a movie imbecile. Post film it was nearly midnight and even though there was a mad scramble for the exit as guests attempted to catch the last train home, Kanye promised he would stay and answer all questions for the remaining guests -and he did. For nearly 2 hours! I didn’t want to be rude and leave, also I value his opinions and find him entertaining so I stayed, missed all transport home and forked out £40 for a cab home. It was a once in a lifetime moment to be able to spend so much quality time with an act as eloquent as Kanye-I hope all in the room appreciated it-it doesn’t happen often. In retrospect I think Kanye’s biggest flaw is that he wants people to understand him and always feels he needs to explain himself. He feels misunderstood. He doesn’t need to feel this way. He has more than proved himself musically as well as opening up much of the hip hop community around the world to new sounds, fashion, art and encouraging debate and thought. Kanye- you are a first class G!.

For the past couple of years Jay Z’s latest record label RocNation has generated much excitement by signing up new acts including London’s very own Rita Ora who shot her video just this past fortnight and no doubt will be a name to be reckoned with very soon.
But before that a 17 year old young lady named Alexis Jordan has had the music scene excited in recent months with her very cute, extremely young looks and undeniable vocal talent. Like a RocNation version of Britney Spears but with class, Alexis is bubbly, petite and confident beyond her years.
Her showcase in London on the same night as a Mobo Awards launch party had the industry torn as which to attend and many ensured they made both.
Her label head Jay Z swears by her superstar qualities, and his wifey miss Beyonce complimented her on her cover of ‘Halo’. How much more star co-signing is needed. Clearly this isn’t the rule and there are exceptions. After all who recalls the massive who-ha when the Princess of the Roc Tierra Marie was catapulted onto the scene? Except she never really was. Simultaneously a newcomer called Rihanna also put out a couple of singles on the same label but without the fanfare that was afforded Tierra Marie. A few years on Rihanna is a bonifide a list celeb snapped around the globe and who knows what happened to Tierra?
Anyhoo-I digress- Alexis Jordan looks like she has all the ingredients for a successful music career in place. Her showcase was packed and had smooth touches like ROCNATION drinks menus and branding.. She looked amazing, she sounded even better sining her single ”happiness’ and she has youth clearly on her side. seemingly like a true lady she also refuses to cuss which i find endearing in the current overpopulated ocean of female celebs that like to outrage with filthy mouths. At the showcase location Studio Valbonne, Alexis told me (whilst she was being fitted into a sexy black basque) that she loves TopShop , has never heard of Primark, is not allowed any boyfriends but saw a picture of Chipmunk and thinks he’s cute and apparently wanted to call him up! (Hope Jigga doesn’t read this!- Chipmunk might become Chipmunk meat!)

In other news, its 2 weeks until the Mobo Awards, have you voted and bought your tickets yet? I voted this week. It was very difficult as there are so many acts I like to champion and support- so I sneakily had my mates vote for my other choices so as not to sleep at night with the music equivalent of ‘’favourite child- parent guilt’’. Mobo Awards founder Kanya King has been working 24-7 this month in preparation and so when she needed a breather and invited me to MP Oona Kings soiree to celebrate her running for labour candidate for London mayor I went along. The night was at a posh pizzeria in the city where a sound system was playing wicked old skool tracks, ladies in white outfits were walking around in Oona-ettes looks and other tastemakers like actor Kwame Kwei-Armah were in the house showing their support. As usual Kwame made a very articulate, touching speech about Oona’s achievements.  Oona looked very elegant in a black frock and higher than high vertiginous heels and the evening was a quiet celebration of someone in our community doing extremely well. Oona took the mic and thanked her guests for their support and we all wished her well. Even though she didn’t win her nomination in the end the fact that she stood up to be counted and continues to be a positive role model in media and politics and spans many industries is a testament to her work ethic and reputation.

Finally lets play guess who?. Guess which international celebrity this week in London ordered over £500 of Nando’s for their team and when the order turned up all wrong had the most disappointed look on their face ever. Nandos really is the food for the modern hip hop generation!.
Guess which male and which female from the UK urban scene has just been dropped by their respective record labels? Can the dream be over?
Guess who the feisty act is that is hosting backstage at the MOBO AWARDS this month? Will they behave? Guess which mangers of 2 superstar uk acts are fighting behind the scenes as their young groups also have a public beef? Finally, guess who had to do a live audition onstage in front of a whole TV crew to see if they were good enough to sing on a national music TV show this week? Luckily they passed with flying colours!