Tune Of The Day: Drake Headlines

Were we the only ones getting worried that the new album was sounding a little wet after 'Marvin's Room'? Well, here's the Canadian going from his recent sickly as syrup singing, to the way we first came across him - straight spitting!

The first single to drop from 'Take Care' has us a little more excited than we were, so thanks Aubrey; now give us more, we need bars upon bars upon - you guessed it - BARS!!!

G-Shock East Gets a Lil’ Birthday Makeover

Can you believe it’s been a year since G-Shock landed in London’s East End - Dray Walk to be precise?

Well it is, and to celebrate already there’s been the line-up to end all line up's in the G-Shock Sessions celebrations; now things are getting a little arty with a window takeover courtesy of illustrator/designer Ben ‘Ufo’ Walker.

Reknowned for his cool, colourful and instantly recognisable illustrations for everyone from Red Bull to Roundhouse and Vice Magazine, his design, which will be showcased in the store, reflects the true toughness of G-Shock with the strong but completely accurate statement, ‘Thou Wilt Not Smash’.

This isn’t the first time the wrist specialists have turned to their creative side; previous windows and shop fronts have been designed by the incredible arty folk at End Of The Line and graffiti artists from the worldwide Secret Wars League.

This time though G-Shock and Vice magazine have set up a competition to seek out the toughest designs from readers which best conveys the watches indestructible ethos, the winner grabbing themselves a grand! Yes a whole thousand English sterling pounds plus getting their design printed in the September issue of the mag.

You’ve only got a few days to get your illustrations over to the G-Shock/Vice teams, the deadline being 5 August so make sure you head over to Vice and download the pack now!!!

Frank Ocean: Thinking About You

Odd Future member and Def Jam newcomer, Frank Ocean isn't doing too badly; so far this year he's gained new fans in the shape of Beyonce, Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye and Pharrell; there's more but we don't want to give him a big head or anything. Mixed feelings about the new track that dropped online today though, maybe it's a grower...

What do you guys think...?


Frank Ocean - Thinking About You by tego@rwdmag.com

Spotted on Rwdmag

Rihanna to star in upcoming blockbuster Battlefield

Bajan beaut Ri Ri is set to take Hollywood by storm next year when she stars in sci-fi action flick, 'Battleship' alongside Liam Neeson. This will be the first major role the 'Loud' singer has taken on and already she's driving the blogospheres crazy with complaints about the lack of Rihanna featuring scenes in the films trailer.

Check out the trailer for yourself below and look out for the film which hits box offices next year.

The Bullitts x Jay Electronica: Run And Hide

Possibly one of the coolest hook ups ever is the tying up of British genre-defying musical storytellers, The Bullitts, and just about every eclectic musician and actor across the globe. In particular, innovative hip-hop producer and artist Jay Electronica who The British-based Bullitts are working with on an EP titled 'Mos Eisley' ( 'Star Wars' fans your time - everyone else will have to Google the connection like we did)!

Following on from a stream of short stories/films involving everyone from Lucy Lui and Idris Elba to Mos Def and Tori Amos, here The Bullitts come through once again with the French film (don't worry there's subtitles) 'Run and Hide'.

Check it out below and head to The Bullitts website for more info...

FASHION WATCH: Percival

Fashion brand Percival is the epitome of laid back cool right about now. Dreamt up only a couple of years ago by Chris Gove; the label which produces clothing made from lasting and honest fabrics all designed in London has unsurprisingly gained a few stylish celeb fans.

Daisy Lowe and Rick Edwards have both sported the Percival wears and with this seasons stand out pieces including waxed Mac's, summer blazers and low key bomber jackets, it's easy to see why.

Don't be fashionably late and make sure you check out the current collection over on the Percival website.

LOVEBOX: J2K

J2K talked tough with us down at the festival...

What is the toughest part about your job?

Not knowing what tomorrow holds.

What’s the toughest decision you’ve ever made?

D’ya know what, I don’t know man. I ain’t made one yet...it’s all been easy!

Keep up to date with J2K on Twitter and check out his sick vid for single 'WTF' out 7 August

ROSKA: Roskallion

Rinse FM's Funky Don Roska drops some visuals courtesy of Thomas Buttery for track 'Roskallion' taken from his new 'Jackpot EP'. Check out the crazy visuals below from Ros, Ros, Ka, Ka!!!

Head here to grab the full EP...

LOVEBOX: Yasmin

Yasmin let us into her secret new sound on the G-Shock bus...

What is the toughest thing about your job?

Jheez the toughest part about my job is like having to give up control to other people when you’re a control freak. I’m an absolute control freak so learning to let go is the hardest part of the job.

What can we expect from you next?

I’m gunna be at Bestival, Global Gathering, out in Ibiza and I have a new track that’s coming out very soon. It’s a little bit different to what people might expect from me; it’s hard and I’m very excited for people to hear it, so stay tuned!

Make sure you go and grab the Yasmin, Ed Sheran, Devlin and Griminal featuring Lewi White single, Young Guns which is out now

SINEAD HARNETT: NOTICE ME

After smashing her set to pieces last night at the 100 Club supporting the magnificent Maverick Sabre it was only right we share a vid from the talented songstress, Sinead Harnett.

After a recent collab with Wiley on his Chill Out Zone EP (Walk Away), an A64 with SBTV and her video below for track Notice Me it's clear you're going to be hearing a lot more from this lovely Londoner with lungs for days!

REVIVE X AMBUSH DROP POW CHAINS

Japanese brand Ambush Design and US brand Revive have teamed up for a limited edition collection to provide us with some pretty special neckwear. They're colourful, animalistic even with the amount of prints going on and what's more they're emblazoned with the word POW!

Previously Ambush Design have hooked up with the likes of Cassette Playa, Topman and A Bathing Ape so you'll be stepping up in the style stakes, (of course you'll need a coulourful G-Shock to match but that goes without saying)!

What more can we say...oh yeah here's a really rad video to make you want them even more!!!

REVIVE x AMBUSH POW! CHAIN from The Work on Vimeo.

LOVEBOX: MAVERICK SABRE

Maverick was one of the many talented artists who dropped by the G-Shock bus for a quick chat...

How do you feel about making it onto the Radio 1 playlist?

It’s a weird experience, I’m not gonna lie! Sarah Jane was the first one to play me on BBC Radio, on 1Xtra and there’s always RWD love… it’s a fantastic experience as well because it just shows the progression. Last year I was on the Gaymers stage first, and this year I’m on the main stage.

What is the toughest thing about your job?

The toughest part is dealing with criticism because I’m very critical of myself. If you’re a real musician you become a vulnerable person; I put my life and soul out there. I don’t hide anything, I don’t tell any fake stories, I don’t try and portray myself as something I’m not; so I put everything out there from my own personal issues to everything else. So when someone criticises that, it’s a hard thing but that’s what I do as a musician, so I’ve got to take the good with the bad.

What’s the toughest decision you’ve made as an artist?

The toughest risk that I’ve ever had to go with is against myself; any song that I’ve done, I've felt like I’m not sure if it’s gonna be a big tune even when everyone else has been like 'No it’s gonna be a big tune'. There’s very few tunes that I’ve agreed that with myself, I’m very critical of my own work and to be honest I think if I had the decision on all my own work, I would never put anything out.

What is the toughest part of your body?

Oh Lord! It’s got to be my head, I’ve got a very big head, very hard head, my dad used to find it hard to get me cowboy hats when I was smaller because I’ve got such a big head! It’s a rock hard head, Wayne Rooney and Phil Mitchell head.

Make sure you go and grab the Let Me Go EP released today and check out the Luke Monaghan and James Barber visuals for the track below.

Maverick Sabre - Let Me Go from Luke Monaghan on Vimeo.

TUNE OF THE DAY: RD GOT ME BURNIN'

Polydor signed girl group RD tore it down with their performance last Friday at our G-Shock sessions anniversary and now with the help of producer Geenus (the clue is in the name people) they've come up with what can only be described as a banger. Check out the new single Got Me Burnin' below set to drop September 25th...

G-SHOCK SESSIONS CELEBRATES A YEAR OF SICK SHOWS

We’re not only known for the tougher than tough and stylish as ever watches we produce you know, we also know how to put on a decent night. Over the past year we’ve consistently showcased an array of up and coming homegrown talent from the world of grime, hip hop and dubstep down at our Shoreditch store, G-Shock East.

In celebration of the session’s first anniversary last Friday the line up was A LOT; Mistajam provided us with serious dubstep stonkers whilst Swerve mixed it up blending US and UK vibes keeping the crowd hype in between the artists taking to the live stage. RoxXxan fully repped for the Backpack Gang alongside fellow Brummie Malik MD7, who spat a whole lot of realness. Lets not also forget soon-to-be chart stalkers, singer/songwriter Josh Osho and girl group RD, whilst Sway and newcomer Mdot-E dropped some serious hip hop flavas.

Make sure you follow @gshocksessions for information on the next event and check the pics below of Swerve, RoxXxan, RD, Mdot-E and Mistajam swagged out in their new G-Shocks!

G-Shock East Session: 22 July 2011

A stellar line-up I'm sure you'll agree - with DJ support from the almighty Mistajam and the incredible Swerve, you can also expect block-rocking, Dray Walk-busting performances from RoxXxann, the Marvell Boys, Sway, Josh Osho, Rascals, Rival, Jammin, Dubbledge, Antoine Stone, MD7, Shadez and M-Dot!

Starting at 7m the even is free - FREE - and as ever, it will be a road block affair. Get down there early to ensure a good view!

G-Shock East is on Dray Walk, just off Brick Lane. BOOM!

Jay-Z & Kanye: Otis

From their forthcoming joint album 'Watch The Throne' Jay and Ye provide some serious soul on a wet and grey Thursday morning. Sample by, of course, Otis 'Try A Little Tenderness' Redding. Artwork provided by Riccardo Tisci, creative director of Givenchy.

"I made Jesus Walk so never going to hell/ Couture level flow it's never going to sell/ Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses/ Sophisticated ignorance I write my curses in cursive/ I get it custom - you a customer/ You ain't accustomed to going through customs are-ya-eh!" YES KANYE!

Pre-order the album now

Lovebox: Katy B

She's always on a mission, and on Saturday. Katy's mission was to come and see us!

How did your performance go?
It was amazing, it was great. It was really sunny at the beginning and then it went to complete torrential rain at the end but no-one cared; they were dancing and was going for it in good spirits.

How was the US? You've been touring all over the place, right?
Yeah, I’ve done a couple of quick little things in New York, which was really fun because I love music from New York, so it was nice to go and see a few different places. Really I’ve just been here doing lots of festivals around Europe - Montreaux Jazz Festival and Rockness were amazing - it was the biggest tent I’d ever seen in my life. I just got back from…Where was I yesterday? Oslo! They were amazing. So yeah, I’ve been getting around!

What is the toughest decision you’ve ever had to make?
(Laughs) Erm (Pause) I don’t know. Let me come back to that one.

How about the toughest part of your body?
To be honest I’m quite a squidgy person I’m quite like soft around the edges! Maybe my head (laughs). I haven’t got rock hard abs or glutes of steel, so yeah!

So what’s next for you?
I’ve got my tour coming up in November, P Money is supporting me on that, so it’s gonna be really good.

Katy's Twitter


Great performance from Katy with Magnetic Man on Radio 1 Live last October.

Tune Of The Day Keenan Cahill & Tinie Tempah

If you don't know about Keenan yet, then you must go and check his back catalogue.

Tinie continues his world domination by teaming with the man who has done videos with 50 and Katy Perry to 'perform' Tinie and Wiz's 'Till I'm Gone'.

Lovebox: Debbie Harry, Robyn & Beth Ditto

Three of the most fabulous females in pop music stopped by the bus after their sets on Sunday. Legends, each and every one of them.

Lovebox: Ed Sheeran

RWD cover star, owner of a No.3 and all around rather brilliant singer/ songwriter and guitar player Ed Sheeran popped by the bus after a stellar performance on the Gaymer's stage on Friday.

How was your set?
Lovebox was wicked! Great crowd, great reception, I loved it. It was really cool. Every show is always different. The London crowd always need to be warmed up but by the end of it they tend to be more into than other crowds.

What's the toughest part of your body?
Probably my legs because I do a lot of walking and a lot of runnnig. My hands are quite tough too I suppose, with all the guitar playing.

Are they insured?
No, they're not. I should get them insured...!

Tell us about the video for your next single, 'I Need You'?
It's like Jay-Z's 'Onto The Next One'. I'm not in the new video, the main dude signs throughout it. It's really cool, I'm so happy with it.

How's fame and fortune, going to No.3, and all that good stuff?
It's still No.3. It's great because it means i get to play bigger gigs, which is exactly what i want to do.

Directed by Emil Nava and starring 17 year-old signing actor Matthew Morgan, this is the brand new single from Ed, 'You Need Me'.

His album '+' is out 12 September.

Lovebox: Snoop Dogg

The one and only Snoop took a shine to both the black and yellow (ish!) G-Shocks, rather like his friend Wiz Khalifa...!

Lovebox: Santigold

The woman behind 'Creator' stopped by the bus for a quick chat.

What's the toughest part of your job?
I think the toughest thing about being the type of artist that I am, right now is to keep your integrity. It's a really weird time for music and i feel like people aren't that interested in the integrity of a real artist and real integruity. So it's been really tough for me to keep doing what i know is right for me and just know that everything else is going to open up. There's so much temptation to compromise. But you can't compromise.

So there's no David Guetta/ Far East Movement or Black Eyed Peas on your album?
I don't even know what that stuff is. Like 'What?' No, there's nothing like that on my album (laughs).


Santi will be dropping her new album later this year. In related news, the quite brilliant video for her collaboration with the Beastie Boys just dropped. Check out 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win'.

Lovebox In Twitpix

Full report of the weekend's fun to follow, but for now, here's the weekend in Twitpix from the almighty Lovebox.



The G-Shock Bus!


1, 2, 3 and to the 4, Snoop Doggy Dogg (and Dr. Dre) is at the door. Headliner Snoop shows some G-Shock love.


Backstage snogging with Example, Yasmin, Ed Sheeran and Skream


The one, the only, the legend that is Blondie.


Mr. Ziggy Marley



Lady In Red AKA Santigold.


Wolf Gang



Roll Deep's J2K.

Master Shortie: Social Groups

It's the return of Theo Kerlin, AKA Master Shortie. The south London MC has been through many stages in his career - including being the first artist to work with producer Labrinth (the pair did Shortie's debut 'A.D.H.D', a long time before Tinie and Pro Green got near him.

Shortie returns this summer with a mixtape, 'Studying Abroad', that features, among others, Bruno Mars, Bluey Robinson and Ed Sheeran. We have a quick catch up with the MC Master to see where he's been and where he's going.

So what's happening? Where have you been? Didn't you retire? Are you still signed? Fill us in...
Yep I retired for seven days. I had actually just reached breaking point - the truth is the label I signed to in the USA (hitzcommittee) dissolved and on top of that for a minute I was homeless living out the boot of a car. I had a bad night and I reacted- I went underground and had to be talked back into the game by my manager and supporters. Now I look at that time as a very dark time indeed. Not somewhere I would wish upon anybody at all. Keep well away.

Are you signed now?
I am not signed. Let me just repeat that - I am not signed - I would like to be signed but for now it's about putting my music out for as many as want to hear it.

'Social Groups' is pretty sick! Is there a sample on there?
Lenny Williams's 'Cause I Love You' is the sample in the background. Thanks for the love shown toward the track.

Tell us how it sets you up for the mixtape, and presumably forthcoming album?
The Mixtape will still have that Shortie cross-genre style but hopefully lyrically it will have progressed - that's all I can hope for. Anything else is a bonus-so far so good!

You seemed to have upped the lyrical levels - is that fair to say?
I had to up the stakes on everything. All you can do is try to get better at what you do. People have picked up on the lyrics this time which makes me happy and means I'm growing. As long as I'm growing up, that's OK for now.

The mixtape looks like it's got some serious guests. How did you hook up with Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran?
The mixtape has some great guests - some "borrowed" (laughs) some legal. Ed is an old mate and I love his music.

Since you worked with Lab, he's become quite a big deal. Will you be working with him again?
Would you believe I still have tunes that we never put out from the first time! Labz is a genius and I was fortunate enough to be first in line so I am still the only artist that he has ever produced a whole album for. I will be putting that album on iTunes again soon. I'm very proud of what he has achieved- very proud - we are all his children really. I will be doing stuff with him in the future, but for now he has his album to finish and I must respect that. He has already given me soooooo much.

What's been the toughest decision you've made within your career?
To admit that I was an a**hole in the past and dust myself down and start again.

What's the toughest part of your job?
Realising that not everybody is going to like what you do and that you have to just speak to those that understand what you are about and hope it spreads.

Where can people catch Shortie next? (Live, releases, websites etc)
Check my site. It's early days but I'm happy. I just want to get better that's all.

Check the video for 'Social Groups', featuring Jade Dragon and Bluey.

Trailers: The Thing & Pirates!

Two trailers from forthcoming films. 'The Thing' looks TERRIFYING. But we do love a scare. John Carpenter did Halloween too of course, and I STILL have nightmares over that.



Less scary is Aardman's new masterpiece 'Pirates! Bands Of Misfits'. In true 'Wallace & Grommit' style greatness, this looks like more animated excellence from the Aardman team. It also looks like a huge lollathan too. Looking forward to seeing this.

Calvin Harris: Feel So Close

Hot on the heels of the Kelis collabo, the Scottish producer delivers a video for his latest single, set in both cowboy land and the 'hood'...

X:Factor US: The Return

Well, this is a bit amazing.

Shunji Minami, G-Shock's R&D On GQ.com

G-Shock's R&D head is featured on GQ today.

Here's an extract from the interview.

How many broken watches do you have at G-Shock HQ?
When we first launched the G-Shock Mr Ibe, who developed the first G-Shock and broke 100 watches every day. But now we have a basic structure, so to make one new model we break ten. Of course we have a level, how far we can go, but we like to test to the maximum. The model can go even higher than the level we advertise, so we go even higher so we can know exactly how far.

What's the most extreme thing you've done to a watch?
Sometime we drop the G-Shocks from the sixth floor. We just do it as an experiment!

Where do you get your inspiration?
The concept is G-Shock for the ultimate environment. We had conversations with people who work in extreme jobs such as firemen. For the aviation model we exchanged opinions with pilots. By having a conversation, we develop.


Read more...

Sherlock Holmes: The Return

The dapper Downey Jr re-teams with Jude Law and director Guy Ritchie in the second instalment of the Sherlock Holmes films. As with the first flick, this one looks as action-packed and explosive as before. Not quite how we remember dusty old Sherlock back in the '80s! Not that we remember the '80s at all, of course...!

'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows' is out this December.

Bluey Robinson: I Need A Dollar

The brilliant Bluey takes on Aloe Blacc's recent smash, 'I Need A Dollar'.

Euro, pounds and pence all get a nice remixing as the former 'Eastenders' actor (he played Billie in one episode!) gets his thespian on.

Rather than imitating the likes of Chris Brown or Trey Songz, Bluey, who recently toured with Justin Beiber, is aiming for the greats.“This might sound cliché, but I’m trying to follow Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Prince and Stevie,” he says. “That’s who I want to be in years to come; I want to be someone who’s remembered for changing the game and who leaves an imprint on music, worldwide.”

Master Shortie: Social Groups

It's the return of Theo Kerlin, AKA Master Shortie. The south London MC has been through many stages in his career - including being the first artist to work with producer Labrinth (the pair did Shortie's debut 'A.D.H.D', a long time before Tinie and Pro Green got near him.

Shortie returns this summer with a mixtape, 'Studying Abroad', that features, among others, Bruno Mars, Bluey Robinson and Ed Sheeran. We have a quick catch up with the MC Master to see where he's been and where he's going.

You were signed to Jive but they dissolved. Are you signed now? What's going on with Shortie in 2011?
I am not signed. Let me just repeat that - I am not signed - I would like to be signed but for now it's about putting my music out for as many as want to hear it.

'Social Groups' is pretty sick! Is there a sample on there?
Lenny Williams's 'Cause I Love You' is the sample in the background. Thanks for the love shown toward the track.

Tell us how it sets you up for the mixtape, and presumably forthcoming album?
The Mixtape will still have that Shortie cross-genre style but hopefully lyrically it will have progressed - that's all I can hope for. Anything else is a bonus-so far so good!

You seemed to have upped the lyrical levels - is that fair to say?
I had to up the stakes on everything. All you can do is try to get better at what you do. People have picked up on the lyrics this time which makes me happy and means I'm growing. As long as I'm growing up, that's OK for now.

The mixtape looks like it's got some serious guests. How did you hook up with Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran?
The mixtape has some great guests - some "borrowed" (laughs) some legal. Ed is an old mate and I love his music.

Since you worked with Lab, he's become quite a big deal. Will you be working with him again?
Would you believe I still have tunes that we never put out from the first time! Labz is a genius and I was fortunate enough to be first in line so I am still the only artist that he has ever produced a whole album for. I will be putting that album on iTunes again soon. I'm very proud of what he has achieved- very proud - we are all his children really. I will be doing stuff with him in the future, but for now he has his album to finish and I must respect that. He has already given me soooooo much.

What's been the toughest decision you've made within your career?
To admit that I was an a**hole in the past and dust myself down and start again.

What's the toughest part of your job?
Realising that not everybody is going to like what you do and that you have to just speak to those that understand what you are about and hope it spreads.

Where can people catch Shortie next? (Live, releases, websites etc)
Check my site. It's early days but I'm happy. I just want to get better that's all.

Check the video for 'Social Groups', featuring Jade Dragon and Bluey.

Crazy Cousinz Ft. Omarion: Arch Your Back

When it comes to exclusives, few can beat 1Xtra's finest Mistajam.

Jammy debuted what is SURE to be a smash this year at Carnival - and beyond. Featuring Omarion, the track is produced by Crazy Cousinz of 'Bongo Jam' fame, and will be released by Disturbing London, the label run by Tinie Tempah and his manager, Dumi.

Be prepared to hear this everywhere over the next few weeks.