Month: February 2013

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JASMINE’S JUICE faeturing THE BRITS and actor/ fim maker FREDI KRUGER (AKA Fredi Nwaka)!


THE FREE FOR ALL DRINKS ON BRITS NIGHT!
Well its official! The January blues are over and London is truly back to its fully rounded glamorous glitzy hub that it is the rest of the year! The Brits are one of the 1st big shindigs of my industry on this side of the globe and always a nice turn out. I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t much controversy this year. Controversy is what awards need to spread the buzz. Remember Michael Jackson versus Jarvis cocker at the Brits? I also love that the night always re-establishes the need for the MOBOS as hardly any of the UK urban music scene are ever rewarded and acknowledged by the Brits. A decade ago it was Craig David, this year it was Rita Ora. Nothing changes. Its good to know where everyone stands. Also on the flipside, maybe the Brits folks think ‘’those urban acts have the MOBOs so we need to ensure that the rest get recognition!’’.
It was one of the busiest Brits I’ve seen with the daytime sound checks and preparation manic. The dinner tables looked lovely at the 02 and the starters were already placed on the table before 5pm. (that freaked the bacteria phobe in me a bit!). One of the Brits big wigs Suzi Aplin was running around in her usual stylish, sophisticated manner. I first knew Suzi when I was a mere runner at TV production company Planet24. She was a great producer but I also took in her daily glam look and aspired to be just like her. Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch wore a shirt with her image imprinted on the rear. The jury was out on whether that was a good look with people looking a little disturbed by it. I didn’t see the problem. He’s there representing his daughter and wants people to be reminded. Nothing wrong with that.

THE STUNING SKYLINE FROM HERON TOWER-BRITS NIGHT!
The same night as the Brits was my and my partners ‘’first date Anniversary’’ which we always spend together doing something lovely so I had to kick out of all things Brits and had an amazing night at the tallest rooftop restaurant in the city at Heron Tower where Bellini’s and amazing food awaited me. The skyline is stunning and I can’t recommend the venue enough if you’re looking to impress. My other half did good LOL

JASMINE WITH ACTOR/ FILM MAKER FRDI NWAKA
The very next morning I had a meeting bright and early with a music act, turned movie actor, turned moviemaker. Back in the day he was known around London as the MC Freddie Kruger, now he goes by his real name Fredi Nwaka. I’ve known Fredi for years from being around the scene. He was always a very well worked out muscly dude who my girls and I referred to as ‘’Hench man’’ when we saw him at parties or Sunday afternoons in Hyde Park.
More recently he’s been on BBC NEWS bulletins for having his recent film ‘’if only’’ screened at Bafta and inspiring young people. I was keen to catch up with him to find out about his journey so far.
Fredi Grew up in Brixton (with his dad) and Chelsea (with his mum). He went to school in Wandworth and was in the “untouchables” gang. Like most gang entry stories they found him via word of mouth. At same time Fredi was djing on sound systems. This progressed to him doing reggae/rap style shows in the states. I remember him supporting R&B group H town many years ago in Stratford at the infamous Rex. At that show he jumped out of a coffin!. Freddie Nwaka became Freddie Kruga after someone told him “you remind me of Fredi Kruger”. Then the infamous slashing films came to the UK-and I compared the character to me with the synergy of knives and stuff and that’s how my stage name came about’’.
Fredi has had a long, hard journey with his music. He was once even part of the extended Wu Tang family! ‘’I was signed to Wu International. I had been on ChoiceFM back then doing an interview with Wayne Rollins and a Wu rep was there. He was setting up a European subsidiary of Wu. He contacted me afterwards and asked me to come onboard so I joined them. Alas the rep-Mark Corden fell out with RZA so that deal for me folded’’.
Another chapter in his music book came when he was managed by one of the legendary group members of Kool and the gang! ‘‘When the urban music group POV came to London to do shows I bumped into 1 of them (Hakeem) in Oxford Street who asked me where he could find a black barbers. I told him not in the west end and took him to my ends in Brixton. He ended up coming to my house and having tea with my mum and me. We stayed in touch. We formed a duo in America called Tanaka. Hakeem is Robert bell’s (Kool and the gang) son and so for a minute his Dad managed me. But that came to an end too and eventually I came back to London at age 28 after 10 years of trying to do this music thing’’.
Thereafter Fredi did bits of independent stuff everywhere. He made a DVD called “Married to the streets”. It was nominated at the screen nation awards. He won awards at the underground hip-hop awards. He starred in the 50 Cent, Danny Dyer movie Dead Man Running. The director of that film-Picky-is also working with Fredi on future projects.
Simultaneously Fredi has a day job that he’s held down for 16 years! That in itself is very impressive to me! More recently he set up a company called C.R.I.ME, which stands for creating role models in media enterprise.He then applied for funding and won lottery money to run filmmaking workshops in Balham. After that he cast actors from his workshops in his latest film “If only” which is a short anti gang/ youth violence film

The film focuses on 3 parallel stories about the consequences of being associated with being in a gang. He sent BAFTA the trailer. They said yes to screening it. Next the BBC heard about it and attended and news anchor Ayesha Buksh made a story on it, which saw Fredi appearing on BBC News bulletins all day one day last month.
Since then his film is being developed into a workshop, which is being taken into schools, colleges and prisons. It Forces young people them to ask questions that start “if only..” about their own decisions.
Making more films is the future for Fredi. He writes, produces and directs his own work and has just finished writing more feature scripts. A Comedy, a gangsta and a thriller. One will be shot in London, the others in the Caribbean and America.
He’s connected to other British filmmakers like the legend that is noel Clarke and they may have some work coming up together too.
Fredi’s final BAFTA screening for his latest film ‘’if only’’ is this Sunday March 3rd at BAFTA , 195 PICCADILLY. It’s open to anyone in the public so come and see the screening at 7pm. Many Vips and movers and shakers will be attending.
Link for tickets priced £8.00 available from www.shoobs.com (type If only in search). You can follow Fredi’s journey by following him on twitter here, @fredikruga.
This is the story of tenacity and graft. A typical example of someone having that go-getter streak that wont let closed doors stop him from achieving what he knows in his DNA he was born to do..
So now he has a future in film! So if one path doesn’t come through you go down another. I salute you Fredi!

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JASMINE’S JUICE featuring Laura Mvula!


JASMINE WITH LAURA MVULA AT SARM STUDIOS-A STAR IS BORN!
I started the week at The MIND benefit hosted by Harvey Weinstein on Friday night, a swanky charity do with a lot of extremely wealthy folks turned out for a great cause!
The opulence didn’t stop there. we continued with a wonderful weekend of glitz on both sides of the Atlantic! A great way to excite a cold, snowy, soggy February.
Over in los scandalous it was the music industries biggest accolade –the Grammys. Beyonce and Jay cemented the fact that their extended clique is always the hottest. Jay’s boy Kanye has the world twittering about Kimye and their impending baby. Kanye’s ex Amber Rose was so pregnantly huge she could’ve been carrying triplets at the Grammys, Chris Brown –love his staying power but the full top to toe white suit just looks tacky and cheap now unless it’s a la Puffy on a boat and made of linen. Riri in her long red gown for once looked classy and pretty as a princess. Justin and Jay really did their James Dean and Sinatra thing performing suit and tie in their black tuxedos. Of course (Jays company) Roc Nation brunches are now legendary with Jay Brown (Jays right hand) and his team hosting them regularly in various cities around the world. The London ones have been slick and memorable and I hear from my sources that the pre-Grammy one in LA was uber stylish too.
This side of the water Roc Nations Rita Ora has been selling out and performing the hell out of her solo shows across the UK. I love Rita for her tenacity. She’s not a mega perfect vocalist like Adele but she doesn’t need to be. She’s a great performer, with a very fresh unique style and star quality. She has been on the scene years and paid her dues. The main thing I get from her is strength. You have to be damn strong to go through this industry with grit and panache and she’s succeeding so far and making Roc UK look great! This team seems to be killing every department so far this past few months. All jigga ever prophesised in The Blueprint and more has come to be!

The sexy soirees weren’t just stateside though. Here in Londonium it was the biggest thing for the acting accolades as BAFTAs were handed out to deserving folk. Unlike the Grammys which seem to be given out to anyone these days, the BAFTA is a much more hard to come by award and much of Hollywood were here on our shores for the occasion!
I popped on my tried and trusted D&G gown-this time a deep midnight blue one- and gathered up the length in my arms to splish splosh along the red carpet outside the Royal Opera House in my ballet pump flats before popping on my heels in a very undignified manner at the entrance of the venue. I mean I’m not going to be the random nobody on candid camera the day after having slipped in the slushy snowy soggy carpet!.
The turn out was stunning, as you’d expect. All the great and the good from very adept host Stephen Fry, actors Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper, (these 2 were hanging out together a lot and had every female and male gushing with lust I kid you not!), director Sam Mendes, the ever ravishing George Clooney (us ladies were spoilt!), director Quentin Tarantino who I just wanted to talk to but like the music industry bigwig Lyor Cohen has that really big, intimidating presence. I now do talk to Lyor, I didn’t pluck up the courage for Quentin. Some you win-some you lose. I did however manage to get introduced to the adorable Ben Affleck (J Lo really lost out here!), he was charming and by the time he’d been onstage collecting a couple awards for his film Argo I was in love from afar. Especially when he made his ‘’thank you for allowing me my second act’’ speech. We all melted. Billy Connelly had we and my mate wetting ourselves as he described the award as a ‘’death mask on a stick’’. Samuel L Jackson and Kevin Spacey were on good form and I didn’t even kick Samuel as he walked past after hating his character so much in DJango.

JASMINE AT THE STYLE AWARDS
Then it was the ELLE Style Awards at The Savoy, I always dread fashion events as I feel paranoid with all the dark gothic looking black clothed people everywhere. They always give me that little side eye sneer when I turn up wearing a bright colour-this time red. But this time I was in good company as a few guests decided to ‘’shine bright like a diamond’’. It was a lovely very cool evening with radio 1’s Nick Grimshaw hosting. I hardly know anyone from the fashion scene so I was excited to recognise actor Chris Tucker, rocker Ronnie Wood, singer Katy B, designer Stella McCartney looked tired, rockers daughter Peaches Geldof looked gorgeous, pregnant and chic, MTV presenter Laura Whitmore in a bright yellow mini dress, actress Naomi Harris in a burnt orange long dress, Sophie Ellis Bexter in her usual pretty floral frock look, Daisy Lowe, Claudia Winkleman –always a very chic dresser, worst fashion look of the night went to Gemma Cairney in a frumpy quite unflattering knee length dress.
No one was surprised that a female focused magazine awarded Best Actor Award to Bradley Cooper (presented by Harvey Weinstein) and as much as I like to drone on about Emeli Sandé being everywhere all the time I was secretly pleased she won Best Music Act. Best International Designer went to Stella McCartney, which was well deserved. I think her hard work keeping her mothers legacy for sustainable clothes and veganism is commendable and she truly works her ass off unlike so many other children of superstars that turn up to all these events but yet are known for nothing but their famous parent. I’m afraid the rest of the company I knew little about as they were mostly designers and models whom I’d never heard of. I did spot singers Laura Mvula and Delilah sitting together though-both striking ladies with great music.

JASMINE WITH LAURA MVULA STRAIGHT AFTER HER ALBUM LITENING AND PERFORMANCE!
The very next day I was honoured to witness the birth launch of another future superstar at West London’s SARM STUDIOS where singer Laura Mvula had invited her nearest dearest (her mum was looking proud in the house) and a few specially chosen industry folks to hear her new album ‘’sing to the moon’’. This young lady has been on all the national chat shows recently and in newspapers as their one to watch this year so I was intrigued to meet her. Laura hails from just outside of Birmingham and was originally born Laura Douglas. Mvula (pronounced mmm-vula) is her married name- from Zimbabwe. It was apparent on arrival that something very special was about to go down. The studios security was extra tight as the phone and gadget police insisted on taking our phones before we even stepped through the door! (No one can be trusted these days-the popes own right hand man was leaking documents not too long ago!). Anyhoo-I digress. Once inside the big heavy secret studio door barmen were offering out wine, spirits and huge delicious cupcakes adorned with Laura’s name. There were even macaroons scattered around. We grabbed a huge sofa before all the seats got taken and settled in.

JAY DAVIDSON (DEF JAM/BBC) , ANNELIESE HARMON(V2/MTV/MWAH), JASMINE, JODIE DALMEDA (SBMG/VIRGIN UNITE), COOKIE PRYCE (COOKIE CREW/MUSIC MARKETING)….GRAB A SOFA AT SARM STUDIOS!
Manager Kwame Kwaten (who has a huge history with British music acts Shola Ama, D’Influence, Radiohead, Master Shortie, Rumer etc), welcomed us and asked us to help ourselves to food in the adjoining room. The abundance of Caribbean food was mouth watering. From local Caribbean fooderie Jay Dee’s we gorged on chicken, rice and peas, dumplings and more. Next Kwame thanked everyone in the room for their support of Laura and then introduced the main man Colin Barlow from RCA records who upon hearing one single song by Laura brought the lawyers in to sign her up. He spoke in a very real manner explaining why he found aura unique and admired her courage and brave new sound.
By the time Laura took to the keyboards to perform her song ‘’She’’ we were ready for a full hour of amazing audio luxury.
Laura is petite, pretty and very strong vocally. She was wearing fierce vertiginous high ankle boots, a dress and a fabulous big fur coat. She has a symmetrical clean sculpted look that made her look like she’s just stepped off the catwalk. She lightening the atmosphere by quipping ‘’as my grandma says you better sound good!’’ She has a calm self-assurance about her that’s mesmerising. The track was slow but she carried it in a room of very close listeners. Her vocals are strong and mesmerising. After the first live performance she played us the rest of her album. The experience was akin to a dream. The tracks are all very mesmerising with an old skool Hollywood movie vibe. The tracks have huge layered musical production with drums, strings and more feeling like a film soundtrack. The lyrics suggest a young girl hatching into the world independently and having to deal with life. The album feels like a whole story. It’s very personal. Made me think of Nina Simone, Jill Scott and Janelle Monae. My favourites were ‘’green garden’’ and ‘’I don’t know what the weather will be’’. There was a sense that we were extremely lucky to have witnessed such an intimate evening with such a soon to be huge star. As we chatted afterwards she confided to me that the personal inspirations behind her lyrics were her brother and sister-who had accompanied her by playing in her band on the night. Her manager told me he’s not encouraging her to move down to London laughing ‘’if that’s the kind of music Birmingham encourages her to make she needs to stay there!’’ This young Birmingham woman has Grammy written all over her music.

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JASMINES JUICE featuring PJ MORTON


JASMINE WITH PJ MORTON!
Happy Valentines Day readers! I love you! Do you still get excited about Valentines Day or are you an older cynical reader that is more turned on by other things in life?
You know you’re getting old when you get excited about renovating your bathroom! Yes I was all-excitable when the lady from the bathroom company came over to measure up my lav for a new suite. I primed the house as if my mother-in-law were popping round LOL!

As you get older many of us hard beaten entertainment industry types also tend to reach out to pro-social causes to balance out our previously over the top, opulent, rock & roll lives. Honestly, when I say OTT I’m not exaggerating. My career has seen me swanning off to NYC to conduct a 5 minute interview with Madonna, spending a week instead of 2 days at Disneyland Florida cos Justin Timberlake was too upset to do press during his break up with Britney which happened on the 1st day I arrived so I was asked if I minded staying a few more days until he was up for it with his band N-Sync, taking a private jet from Sweden to Paris with Snoop and Puffy just so they could have some jet TV action in their tour diary, flying to Cuba for a week with Jamelia to film her Making of the Video-2 days filming, 4 days ‘’preparing’’, spending a long weekend in St Tropez on what Puffy called his boat (but was a 100 foot yacht) to talk about his latest fragrance, going to Jamaica to watch Beyonce perform at a festival, 15 minutes filming 3 days preparing, and so on. When you call that work and acknowledge the cost, air miles and reason for it all it eventually makes you feel guilty. Guilty of killing the environment with air pollution, guilty that you’re being paid to speak to superstars whilst others wake daily dreading their jobs. It all adds up to a lot of guilt. So when you get a chance to give back post party lifestyle you grab it with both hands and feet.
Much of the work I do now therefore combines broadcasting with a (CSR) cooperate social responsibility angle. This week that included attending AN RBS FINANCE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT EVENT called “CREATING A LIFE OF LOVE & COMPASSION FOR CHILDREN” in support of Nelson Mandela children’s fund. Also encouraging more young people who want to get into the TV industry to join up with the RTS Futures organization who can help them meet the right TV experts that can help guide their career paths. theres so much out there to help people, much of it is wasted as people don’t know about it. Search and ye shall find!
Next there was much buzz in the music industry’s inner circle about an act that’s about to blow called PJ Morton. Morton is an American writer and producer as well as a solo musician who is the keyboardist in pop rock band Maroon 5. In the past he’s won a Grammy for his song writing and production of India.Arie’s “Interested”. He’s also won numerous awards and accolades in the business and been noticed by AR Rahman (composer for Slumdog Millionaire), who asked him to contribute “Sajna” to the soundtrack and movie for the Vince Vaughn comedy Couples Retreat. As if that’s not enough he’s produced and written for musicians such as Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Jagged Edge, Monica, India.Arie and more. This is a very well noted route –from song writer to star- that stars have taken in recent years to make it to the top themselves. Jessie J and Kanye West are great examples.
Last year he released his first solo recording, “Following My First Mind”, on Lil Wayne’s Young Money label. Adam Levine was on the lead single, “Heavy”. Now he’s about to release his first YMCMB full-length album titled New Orleans on May 14th .So when record industry maverick lady Vivian Scott Chew reached out from the States to invite me to his London showcase I was most intrigued to hear more and meet the talented man myself.
PJ’s showcase was held at a London nightclub that’s been around for years-Borderline- one of the few with a great stage, acoustics and has still kept its name from 2 decades ago!. Most clubs around now have been around for decades and I’ve seen them go through up to 4 name changes! In the house on the night were former Cookie Crew member-Cookie, BBC marketing’s Jay Davidson, Warner Music’s Taponeswa Mavunga, TV editors, A&R reps, record label folk and more. The great and the good in the scene were not disappointed with PJ’s live set-he is a very unique, impressive young man. He played keyboards, sang, rapped, spoke, smiled. His live set was polished and took us on a journey of calm relaxed tracks; sing along fun melodies and straight up jump around club bangers.
Its always natural to compare new acts to others when describing them to people but honestly this act went from reminding me of a little of many of the greats like Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Kanye West. Importantly he was unique in his style. He spoke to the audience; saw us all, had that gift that makes you feel he’s speaking directly to you and by the end of the set had the crowd high and sweaty. When I went backstage to meet him his crew it was the most relaxed pre-show dressing room I’d ever been in. they were chilling, happy, chatting, warming up. The energy was quietly confident and PJ was welcoming, friendly and chatty. Just a really nice guy. no wonder he’s worked with the best. They want him on their team. Lil Wayne and Baby don’t sign up anyone. They recognise talent, nurture it and set it free when it’s ready. PJ Morton is ready. He’s been real! He’ll be on the road again with Maroon 5 for their US and Euro tours. He has his own opening slot in each city and will be playing the O2 Arena June 23 and 24th. like a breath of fresh air in a world where many claim to be real musicians but aren’t this young man is going to do some lethal damage to the charts! watch him blow!

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JASMINE’S JUICE- RE-EE-WINDING WITH CRAIG DAVID! THE UK’S BIGGEST MALE THAT WENT GLOBAL RETURNS!


JASMINE WITH CRAIG DAVID- JANUARY 2013.
A busy week with everyone preparing for the impending Brit Awards. Labrinth threw a personal pre-Brit dinner at his restaurant in North London. Choreographer to the stars/ musician Royston had his ‘’all black everything’’ birthday party. Up and coming blonde dj twins, the Mac Twin’s began their djing residency at the W Hotel and I finally managed to watch Quentin Tarantino’s much debated film Django

So I get a request to meet with one of the biggest male acts the UK scene has ever produced-Mr Craig David. He’s holed up at the Bagioni Hotel in Kensington meeting and greeting press and talking about his upcoming music. As I wonder how much he will have changed since I last worked alongside him, I am led into a grand room where Craig is sat at the end finishing off a press phoner and immediately all his fabulous Miami tweets about sun, gyms and eating healthy have appeared like an apparition in front of my eyes. Craig is bronze, fit looking and his face is sculpted and chiselled in a way that seems very mature and manly in comparison to the early days when he was simply slicker than your average. In a nutshell, he looks happy and relaxed and in control. We greet, chit chat for a minute and catch up before getting to it…
I had to applaud him on the focused training he constantly champions on twitter. Its called eatcleantraindirty and when I’m jumping around at my virgin active class and eating as interesting a meal that’s healthy that I can and hating on Craig’s always half naked, uber fit, sun streamed pics from Miami I try not to hate. Really. I do. But I hate. . He laughs ‘’Environment helps. When its cutting cold outside its hard in the UK to maintain a focus on training. But the place I am in my life I wanted a different result and I was doing the same thing. So I changed what I was working with. It’s the same with music. You have to get up early in the morning for interviews, promotion and the rest. If my mind and body can be stronger I have to win’’.
My career journey has mirrored Craig’s over the past couple of decades. I first met him when he won a competition to write a b-side to boy band Damages song. Then he became a fast garage star with chart hit after hit and sell out tours all across the world. I saw him at the Royal Albert Hall once-it was a fascinating show. Then numerous MTV News interviews later I made a Making of the video with Craig and Kano for their track ‘’this is the girl’’ in L.A. next I had a ‘’stay in your lane’’ moment with my MTV USA colleagues as we fought over filming his MTV CRIBS show here in North London- a shoot I had set up and nearly had taken away. We certainly have history!

JASMINE WITH CRAIG DURING MTV CRIBS FILMING.
It’s been a while since we saw him here in the UK so what’s brought him back? Well a world tour and a new album no less! Craig revealed ‘’Aside from making my mum and dad really proud and happy, it’s the accolades like the MTV 2nd greatest album ever after Michael Jackson and landmark moments like that that have stood out for me. I’ve learnt to not live in the past. I’m not the kid that made born to do it’’. The essence of writing songs excites me but I don’t like to reference my old material anymore. If you want that itunes 99p is you. Music stars get into a routine, they make the album, do the press, do the tours and start the cycle everywhere and there’s no free time. But I wanted to break the routine and live life and now come back into it’’.

Craig owes his healthy sunkissed toned look to his new life out in Miami. By speaking with him I got the impression that he felt the UK was distracting and negative and he needed a break at a certain period in his life. ‘’Every time I went between Miami and London, flying back into Heathrow was gloomy and flat. I decided to swap it around. I moved to Miami and sold my place here and now that I have no attachment to London I love exploring it as a tourist. I can now see why Americans want to visit London’’.
I know Craig is generous and giving- he once bought his manager Colin Lester-an Aston Martin. He likes the good life! I teased Craig about his instagram photos of his sports car outside his crib that just looked like a fantasy life. He smiled ‘’ do you know what Jas; I bought my dream car recently -the Ferrari. When I was in Miami at this steakhouse I after dinner I left and jumped into the car and it wouldn’t start and I started to get stressed about people seeing me unable to start the car and then I sat back and realised. It was a moment. I thought I am here in Miami, in my dream car, what’s the worst-case scenario here? Its one night of partying you’re missing compared to hundreds more nights in your life, so I embraced the sitting back and enjoying the moment’’.

JASMINE WITH CRAIG DURING MAKING OF THE VIDEO.
Craig’s new album is imminent. He’s been in the studio a while and the new material is tentatively titled Following My Intuition. The really intriguing thing about his new music is that Craig has reconnected with his old music Midas touch making partner- Anthony Marshall (who used to be a part of the UK music producers Ignorants) at Snap Studios. Craig explained the link up ‘’My manager Colin saw Marshall in a club and Marshall played him some new stuff and Colin suggested we connect again’’
Craig and Marshall have all the equipment and necessities you’d expect in a music studio; keyboards, tracks, mics, a grand piano where they try out all their songs and… immense amounts of chicken from Mr Cee’s Caribbean food shop in North London! There is one thing that Craig doesn’t like in the studio though ‘’We have Fifa competitions and the loser has to eat chocolate as punishment….Marshall knows with my training and attention to healthy eating that eating vast amounts of chocolates like BOUNTY would kill me mentally , so I’d be sitting there sweating during Fifa dreading the calories I was amount to have to take in!’’.
Fun and games aside, I for one am ecstatic that he and Marshall are making music together again cos I hated when Craig went all American with his production teams a couple of albums in. after all, why change an already great, award winning, no1 hitting formula?

JASMINE WITH CRAIG DURING THE EARLY YEARS AT MTV NEWS.
Like me, Craig hates the idea of an artist’s album being full of collaborations as it simply ends up sounding like a compilation album so you wont find loads of duets on the new material. However do remember it was Craig that gave Rita Ora one of her first breaks by duetting with her on his track ‘’where’s your love’’ so its not Jay Z who spotted her first!
Craig states ‘’ I follow her success and am so happy to watch her grow in to the performer that I always could see she would be. When she sang on Awkward on my Trust me Album there was the voice of a Mariah in a young girl that as she grows is maturing vocally and mentally. I remember telling her that it’s just about believing in your talent and being diligent in working hard to showcase…she’s done all those things and is reaping the rewards. I’m beyond happy for her’’.
Really Young music lovers might not remember this but at one point Craig was one of the UK’s most successful male solo stars of all time and most certainly not recognised as much as he should have been. He has sold over 13 million albums, achieved multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries, amassed numerous awards from around the world but many of us still feel he were snubbed out of a lot of British awards that you more than deserved. Looking back on that time I can see that he was definitely having the last laugh living a very fun, fancy life. The MTV CRIBS show I made with him and my MTV USA crew was a highlight as was Craig on the front cover of Vibe magazine!
The irony about the way the music industry has changed for youth in the UK now is that urban music is the modern day pop music and always in the charts, but hardly any of the current TeamUK acts will be truly international the way Craig is. Craig has no.1 singles and albums globally, so it’s not a huge surprise that his tour kicks off in Australia this March. When pushed Craig admits that from the UK scene he really likes Angel and thinks he would go far internationally with his real voice, accent and song hooks!
Speaking of international issues I reminded Craig about Drakes first show here in the UK a few years back when Drake had gushed on and on about how much he loved Craig’s music and had been influenced by him. I also noted that contrary to belief, Drake was not the first Jewish urban act to make it big-Craig also takes that crown. When drake bumped into Craig in Miami not too long ago, Drake had the same respect and admiration for Craig that he once had. Its official readers…Craig is back. Get on board or get out of the way cos his second coming is going to be bigger than his debut journey!