Whether they are fusing ragga vocals with electro wobbles, reggae blessed grooves with syncopated beats or just having a laugh, trying to melt the globes bass cones… one thing is always obvious, they do it in style and with passion.

Releases to date

Remixes to date

]]> http://www.beatbazaar.co.uk/backdraft-3/feed/ 0 http://www.beatbazaar.co.uk/sporty-o/ http://www.beatbazaar.co.uk/sporty-o/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:33:29 +0000 ottilia http://www.beatbazaar.co.uk/?p=525

Some kids grow up with aspirations of becoming a businessman, others want to be on TV and some want to be rappers.

Southern MC, Sporty-O is living all his dreams. Neither too crunk nor too country, he represents the most well-rounded Atlanta image in rap. Taking his stage name from a highly-respected uncle, Sporty-O started off life in College Park.

Influenced by a wide range of musical genres and artists, Sporty-O’s music is a lethal combination of skill, wit, soul, and verve. An established businessman and avid investor, Sporty-O opened a successful record store in Atlanta when he was just 22, which afforded him the opportunity to record and press up his own CDs. “Owning a record store was a great move for me. I was able to surround myself around something that I loved and it also gave me a chance to develop relationships with different DJ’s.”

Racking up frequent flyer miles traveling from Atlanta to Los Angeles, the current bi-coastal rapper scored a TV gig on MTV as a character on the Jamie Kennedy show, ‘Blowin Up’. Since co-starring in the MTV show, Sporty-O has exploded on the movie scene with appearances in the newly filmed, “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder 3″, “Road Trip 2″ & “Preacher’s Kid” starring Clifton Powell, Tank, Trey Songz, & Letoya Luckett.

Known for his introspective and inventive rhymes, Sporty-O shines mainly due to his varied musical production, energetic lyric content and delivery. Effortlessly moving from frenzied beats to more laid-back 808 bass-lines and from high-energy, hard-knock flows to deep, thought-provoking messages, the SuperSport mixtape series has been standout classics for every hip-hop head. SuperSport Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 have collectively sold over 125,000 copies in the past three years and Sporty-O’s record label, HomeTeam Entertainment has successfully used extremely productive gorilla marketing tactics to attract attention and respect for Sporty-O’s widely popular SuperSport mixtape series. His new addition to that series is entitled, SuperSport Vol. Free which is available as a FREE digitial download on his myspace page, www.myspace.com/sportyo and his website www.sportyo.com as a thank you to all the fans that have continued to support the Sporty-O movement.

Michelle Udogu aka ”Ebere” started her career singing freestyle in Clubs and House parties in Manchester. She frequently immerses herself in Nigerian and Cuban Orisha influences and has collaborated with bands such as The Caulbearers, Speakeasy and River Niger Band at the festival de Senigallia.. and Recorded with Producers across many genres of music. One of her major gigs provided her with the awesome opportunity to support Public Enemy at The Manchester Academy in October 03 Recently and has appeared on the BBC with various collectives. Michelle has been a part of the Manchester Gospel Choir for Damon Albans – Gorilllaz Live at the Opera House for the Manchester International Festival. At the moment Michelle is lead vocalist for a dance funk band called the Effectuators and is writing a new album feat Myke Wilson drummer.

Hailing from Liverpool and drawn to Manchester, this alluring artist has performed with 3 bands namely Stalker with Andy Boothman, recording an EP called Unbalanced (Sankeys Doap Record); My Mate Mark w

ith Mark Atherton (Urbanite Records) and Tremble with Glenn releasing an album Ballroom Blues (Sharp Exceptional/ Different records) She has also written songs for Rae & Christian, Veba and Rico on Grand Central Records.She also wrote and sang Hazelwood with Andy Votel on his ‘All ten f

ingers’ album. High on artistic prowess, Tracey likes to explore the depths of the human psyche with theatre and film productions, such as Page 13 which is about growing up being watched on camera 24/7 AND The Tale of Tristy’s Love which is about a female serial killers search for love. ‘I like to write dark tales of sex and murder, usually with a sense of humour. I love creating lil stories in my head and visualising them. That’s where my lyrics come from.’Currently Tracey is collaborating with fellow songwriter and genius musician Sy Evans, conjuring up some beautiful songs as “Six & Sevans”

Veba is an established singer songwriter from Mancunia, whose songs appear in many record collectors favourite pile.

She has collaborated with the likes of Rae&Christian, Only Child and JWalk conjuring up many  global hits such as Addicted, Spellbound, All I ask, Dont Want to lose you and Swan Song (for a nation) (Grand Central Records)

Veba has also toured the world with Groove Armada and mesmerised audiences at sell-out festivals & concerts around the world.

This powerful vocal vixen has earnt the respect and love of music enthusiasts everywhere, not only for her natural, effortless skills and charisma, but also for her passion for life and warmhearted kind nature.

Versatile in style and delivery, Foxy’s musical works span across the genres, ranging from Dubstep, Jungle, Jazz to Reggae and Hip Hop. Mr Fox writes with passion and conviction and his thought rhymes are always full of intellect and irony. His high energy performances and stage presence must be witnessed.

Pon a knife edge – Backdraft feat Fox

Mr Fox was one of the founding members of Subliminal Darkness, a Manchester hip hop collective who performed with the likes of Jurassic 5, Company Flo, King Rib and Fun Lovin Criminalz to name a few,. He has also created the Spitfya Camp’s a means to focus on the music as opposed to the ego . Indeed Fox is committed to develop music selflessly and he supports and nurtures fresh music talent around Manchester.

Currently Fox is busy collaborating with Chimpo, Zed Bias and other skilled MancTunians.  Check him out grooving in the video below with Uk soul sensation Omar.

After a couple of small label releases and many months touring the corners of UK and Europe by pure chance Anthony hooked up with a Mo Wax producer and personal luminary Ils.

By the end of a long night of conversation inspired by music, Anthony had agreed to play guitar on whatever Ils was going to come up with next.

What Ils did come up with next was Paranoid Prophets featuring 2 tracks co-written by Anthony, alongside his signature sweeping delayed guitars.

The album went on to win Breaks Album of the Year 2008.

Ils and Anthony were then asked to join their combined forces to release an updated and reworked version of Joy Division’s Love Will tear Us Apart to celebrate the anniversary of Ian Curtis.

Anthony suddenly found himself being approached to collaboarate in several guises on many projects influenced by the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Mogwai and many more.

He is currently working on his own album.

Julie began her singing career at a very early age! With a natural ear for music she begun singing and songwriting from the age of nine taking influence from her cultural background, school and church. Self taught in piano during her early years. Originally from Dudley West Midlands she moved to Manchester at the age of 19 to complete a Bachelors Degree in Media & Performing Arts.

Finding herself without the comfort of familiar surroundings, her interest in music became more intense at 22 she started doing an open mic night at the local music venue where the owner introduced her to a collective of musicians. It was with this collective of talented and older musicians, called Speakeasy, Mark Rae & Christian (Grand Central) that was to form the bench mark for her ‘musical education’ introducing her to the technique of jamming while opening up a world of new music and ideas.

Grand Central slowly desponded with members moving away marking an end of an era for the singer’s early singing career. It was while studying for her degree Julie decided to use her skills as a lead and backing vocalist to a local band largely influenced by Rock, Funk, Soul and Jazz. This in hand allowed for industries to notice, to then offer her recordings as well as features with the likes of

Grand Central, RSL (BBC Worldwide Music Nominees), Bigg Finn, and currently, the Noted Happy Mondays. It was with this new line up Julie begun to refine her skills as a singer, songwriter and performer working with a vast array of musicians and producers in the process. Julie has performed and recorded extensively over the course of 8 years touring Japan, Europe and the UK. Since touring Julie has embarked on a solo career. A host of collaborations are in the pipeline, and also her interest in developing her solo experimental, vocal set ensued in which she calls ”The Yellow Brick Road”

In recent years Julie has toured the world alongside the Happy Mondays as a Co-Vocalist. Her own work has received air play on Jazz Fm/BBC Manchester/All FM/XFM/UNITY RADIO and was voted the most promising vocalist 04, by Giles Peterson. Julie has since recorded tracks with labels, Grand Central and RSL, Shaun Ryder,Happy Mondays

She has worked with producers Sunny Levine, on the Album ‘Uncle Dysfunctional an album that has allowed to show off her skills as a passionate and powerful vocalist .

She has supported artists, Amp Fiddler, Courtney Pine, Sean Escoffery, Liz Fields, The Charlatans, The Psychadelic Furs, Mickey Avalon, under the banner of RSL, Hap

py Mondays. Has collaborated with Jean Carne, and the late Nathan Heathman.

Her incredible vocal range, woven through warm melodies and dark under currents convey a journey a beginning a vibrant innovative approach that rediscovers a missing era of Black British Soul Music, organic in its nature.
Spacek, Liz Fields, Kindred, Hill St Soul, Amp Fiddler and others are creating a vibe a vision in music, which offers the listener another approach a different way to arrange and construct a melody a beguiling collection of artist’s and songs. Julie has crossed into mainstream and kept a noted respect for the underground industry. Julie’s infectious and powerful stage presence has sparked much debate for Manchester’s ‘finest’ Powerhouse. Julie has released her first EP with producer Zamali under ‘Timewarp Music’.

This talented MCs gained recognition as part of a a teenage  grime crew called Raw-T in 2004.  He was only 15 when his crew got signed to Anthony Wilson’s Factory Records fourth imprint,  F4 Records. RAW-Ts debut album ‘Realise and Witness’ was ahead of it’s time and inspired the teenage population of Manchester to strive forward and get their music out there.

Since the RAW T days Solja has independently released countless underground grime mixtapes in Manchester and beyond.  He tunes have been hammered on BBC Radio 1xtra and he also presented his own show on 1 xtra with Westwood. He has directed his own music videos which can be seen on his YouTube Channel :

www.youtube.com/user/SoljaTV