Doctor P: Galaxies And Stars

Not only a BRILLIANT tune but a GREAT song too.

Ohh, I would have LOVED to hear this at Carnival last week.

This mammoth track features the one like Ce'Cile.

Alicia Keys For Reebok

Hooked up by her hubby Swizz Beats, Alicia Keys is releasing these Freestyle Hi's for newly invigorated Reebok.

The $80 sneaks feature piano keys (shewhatshedidthere?) and some interesting tribal patterned detail.

Unfortunately they're only available Stateside at the moment, so you better get yourself a flight or ask a kind American person to go get em for you.

In other news, AK recently teamed up with La Minaj for this track, Girl On Fire, taken from Keys' forthcoming album of the same name.

Lil Wayne: The Dedication 4

Do you remember how blown away you were by The Dedication 1? And, to a slightly lesser extent, 2? 3, well, lets not worry about that one.

So, now, finally to D4. The thing that gives me hope is that this is a mixtape, and not some rubbish Cash Money sanctioned album.

Come on Weezy, be brilliant again. Drake is notcieably absent, but Nicki Minaj, J. Cole and Birdman are all onboard.

Review to follow. First though, quality time will be spent with D4 and I...

Download here.

Face of JD

Fancy being a model but unsure if you have the traditional model looks?

Lucky for you then that JD are looking for people with style and swagger rather than the more obvious requirements of height/ look/ race.

Now in its second year, the competition has been a great success. One of last year's winners has gone on to model for Vogue and another two are signed to model agencies. All winners were paid to feature in a JD advertising campaign throughout the year.

This year, JD are once again looking for new, young faces, with the winners receiving a paid modelling opportunity - not to mention gaining life skills and confidence in the mix.

The comp is open now and it's simple to apply. Upload a picture of yourself right here and encourage your family and friends to vote.

The team are also out scouring the streets. This weekend it was Bluewater, check JD's Facebook and Twitter to see where they will be this week and next weekend.

The 20 most-voted for applicants will attend a casting in September. There's one in London on Sept 22 and Manchester on 29 Sept. Judges will then select the winners and the following day, the winners will be whisked off to a professional JD photoshoot, which will appear in JD's next advertising campaign.

Watch Out For... Child Of Lov

I honestly know nothing about this person/ people other than that I am LOVING this track.

People working with the mysterious and purported lover of chicken are DOOM (woo), Damon Albarn (woo hoo) and Thundercat of Erykah Badu fame (light me a josstick).

Channeling some Prince, some Outkast and a whole lot of understated psychedelic oddity (in a great way), it's no surprise that THe Child of Lov was discovered by Trey Reames who introduced Cee-Lo to Dangermouse. Reames. That guy knows what it is.

Download from here.

Here's what TCOL has to say by way of introduction:

"This is a really long trip we’re on here, sugars and sugarettes. But it’s not about the destination. No need to get an ironic tattoo, wear lavender oil or a Stepford smile if that ain’t you. Just be your bad self. Don’t worry ’bout your birthday. You only have one anyway. And as a wise man once said, time is no linear thing. You, me, us, we love our bodies, and that’s a good thing, but let’s not forget that Father Time’s hourglass figure makes him a sexy mug too. Let’s give him some lov. And while we’re at it, let’s feed that fine ass Mother Nature some honey as well. Remember, we’re all Children of Lov. So let’s make our parents proud. Let’s sing ourselves back to the Mother’s hip. Let’s turn back to the cosmic cantaloupes and draw deep. Let’s travel through the deep south, pass through the lov canal, and immerse ourselves in the voluptuous body of water ahead. As the Scripture hath said, the ocean is our catwalk. The time is ripe for music made of lov n’ haight. Let’s jump off this money tree. Together."

Time For: James Pearson Howes

"I did some research and found there were a lot of extreme, obscure traditions outside of the Morris Dancers, the Maypole and cheese rolling and all of that..."

One of the greats working in UK photography, JPH has shot for Vice, RWD, i-D, Dazed, The NME and many, many more.

I've worked with James on a few shoots and I love how understated he is; both in person and through his photography. He's super-cool. He turns up with his beard, takes some pictures, makes people laugh and then gets on his way.

This week, James is launching a new book; British Folk is the second part of a trilogy looking at the weird and very weird strange traditions carried on in this county. We had a chat just hours after he'd taken a tumble from his bike. Poor JPH.


Tell us about the book and your interest in folk? 
It's about folk traditions carried out within the UK, and it's the second book of a trilogy that I'm doing.
I wanted to cover obscure traditions within the UK. Initially, I found a group of Morris Dancers called Hunters Moon. There are a pagan group who were 'tatter' costumes and paint their faces black. They were a bit obscure and extreme, to say the least! It wasn't my pre-conditioned ideas of what I though folk was. I did some research and found there were a lot of extreme, obscure traditions outside of the maypole, cheese rolling and all that.

How long has the project been going for?
I've been shooting it over the past five years now. The problem is, if you miss one, you have to wait a whole year for another to come round. The events are generally in May, because they're pagan related and therefore all to do with seasons.

What has the reaction been from the folk community?
There hasn't been a reaction really. I haven't put the books out to the folk community. I wanted to shoot it the way I shoot and put it out to people of my age and who I hang round with. It's vibrant, not stuffy, old or twee. Despite the fact that up to 10,000 people can attend these events, not many people have ever seen many of these events. Lots of people in London will never have seen or heard about them.

What was the toughest thing about shooting the folk people?
Some of them are very guarded about their traditions. The 'Obby 'Oss in Cornwall is a tradion that is very much for the townspeople, and really not the tourists. I wanted to photograph them in the room where they get ready, but you're only allowed in if you're a local. I got in eventually after a lot of sweet-talking and smiling and I stood out a mile. I was dressed in jeans but as part of that tradition you're supposed to dress in white with a blue neckerchief. It's very 'us and who cares about the rest of them'. I like that.
Most people though were more than happy to help out though. I usually send them prints or photo's and they seem happy enough. I went to photograph The Burry Man in Scotland, who gets covered in hops and paraded around the town. I sent him the images, he loved them. It's nice to get that feedback and feel like you're archiving things that go unnoticed by the majority of people.

What's the most shocking shoot you've done?
I guess when I did the Flaming Tar Barrels in Devon. It's pretty dangerous. If you want to get your hair burnt off or singed, that'll do it. That was pretty audacious and shocking to shoot. You could smell burnt hair everywhere.

James launches the book on Thursday 6th September at the International Picture House, 29 Wadeson St, E2 9DR from 7pm

Find out more right here

Watch Out Cover Drive

We knew we loved those Bajan's funsters, we just didn't realise how much!

Cover Drive's T-Ray only just tweeted us to show how many G-Shocks he owns - bought all by his very self!

Such a stylish man.

We count 11. Which I think means he probably deserves to get one free, no?