Born into the inner-city streets of Chicago in 1982, Wasalu Muhammad Jaco better known today by his stage name Lupe Fiasco has continued to showcase a new higher level of excellence in hip hop. Originally not a fan of the genre he would eventually be renowned for because of its culture of misogyny, young Lupe … Read moreLupe Fiasco – Human Hip Hop – Part 1

Pop music, or more specifically bubblegum pop is renowned for its surface level lyrical content. Aggressively delightful, air-headed whimsy that fits better to the melody than it does to the real life of anyone listening. But this of course is not shared by all genres. Country music is renowned for being one of the most … Read moreWhat Is More Important, Metaphors or Memories?

Formed in 2010, the combination of Corin Roddick and Megan James are better known as the Band Purity Ring. Together they create a very distinct form of dream pop that sets their music far left of many other styles in its genre. Their 2012 album Shrines is a strange record that collects many fascinating features … Read moreThe Strange Sound of Shrines

As spoken word poetry evolved into what we know today as hip-hop through fans and innovators of the time, Gil Scott-Heron’s original style did not come obsolete. Now appealing not only to his original crowd of blues and jazz listeners but also being ingested by R&B fans, his single Angel Dust reached number 15 in … Read moreThe Poet Who Formed Hip-Hop – Part 2

Pop music or chart music began in the early 50s but by the latter half of the decade the genre and meaning had shifted. Thanks to bands with an increasingly excitable fan base like Liverpool outfit The Beatles, the type of music recognised as pop opened up to a much broader spectrum. Now undefined by … Read moreIs There Any Poetry Left in Pop?

By the early 2000’s MF Doom had accrued much acclaim from the community, with flow being one of the main things that separate him from competitors. The way he delivers his lines if far more like talking than many other rappers in the scene. As people began to elaborate on the style and speed their … Read moreThe Poetry of MF Doom – Part 2

Taking on the masked appearance and namesake of Fantastic Four villain Dr Doom, this exceptional lyricist who has been providing content for the hip hop scene for decades is one who consistently stands out from the crowd. MF Doom (the MF widely known as standing for metal face) was born in London, which may surprise … Read moreThe Poetry of MF Doom – Part 1

In the city of Chicago in 1949, footballer Gil Heron and Bobbie-Scott Heron had a baby boy – Gilbert Scott Heron. An unsuspecting black boy in the centre of an overcrowded city, born at a time when race relations were tentative at best, obviously there were no expectations of anything grand. For African Americans in … Read moreThe Poet Who Formed Hip-Hop – Part 1

Born in Birmingham England as his unlikely cameo in TV series Peaky Blinders may indicate, Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah remains deeply attached to his Jamaican roots. Known to different people for his many abilities that involve poetry, performance, music and activism, this British born Rastafarian continues to be a vehicle for the issues facing people … Read moreBenjamin Zephaniah – The Poet Polymath