Before hip-hop tapped into the mainstream it lived in the dingy, naughty underground of western culture, where EDM, funk, jazz, and other predecessors had gone before it – a curious rite of passage which has little to do with musicality, explicit lyrics, or the perils of nightlife, and a lot to do with the negative […]
Tag: music
Being Black and Alternative: Discomfort in White Alt Spaces
It’s a tale as old as time; being black and being made to feel like an intruder. Not so long ago, it was water fountains, benches, toilets, and buses. Today it’s meetings at work, visits abroad, and the omnipresent and all-seeing security guards in supermarkets. Even more recently, as many young black people choose to […]
Meet Atlantis Gandhi: The Queer Singer Defining Love On Her Own Terms
Sitting across the table from me in the heart of central London is singer-songwriter-producer Atlantis Gandhi (yes, that’s her real name). The 19-year-old blue-haired up-and-coming artist from South East London, who is currently studying Popular Music at Goldsmiths University is ready to show the world that queer black singers have a voice. Her background is as unique as her name, […]
Nicki Knightz Drops Vibrant Visuals for ‘Mindwalk’
‘Mindwalk’ is the latest visual to emerge from one of Hackney’s finest Nicki Knightz. The track, which is featured on her latest EP ‘Hate’, is as old skool as it gets, with a real gritty yet authentic sound and flow. Produced by fellow Knighthood Society member Henny Knightz, the track is matched perfectly with colourful, […]
Music, Mental Health & Spirituality: An Interview with Tangina Stone
Tangina Stone is the breath of fresh air that alternative R&B needed. The ‘Ohio-born-Brooklyn-raised’ singer-songwriter has a sound that speaks for itself, balancing the perfect combination of R&B, soul, alternative, electronic and rock. After dropping her debut album Elevate last year featuring Nelly Furtado, Eddie Vanz and Liana Banks, Tangina Stone is ready to dominate 2019, breaking down the doors of […]
An Interview with BeMyFiasco
The magic of music platforms like Soundcloud is that it introduces you to new underground and upcoming artists. A new addition to my playlist has been BeMyfiasco. Dallas born BeMyfiasco also known as Bianca Rodriguez is a humble and beautiful soul and her character flows through her music making her sound authentic and raw. Her […]
Album Review: Zilo – The Nature of the Beast
What a way to bring back UK R&B! London’s very own Zilo dropped her debut full length project at the beginning of this month named The Nature of The Beast which features singles ‘Keep Up Wimmi‘ and ‘Don’t Waste My Time‘. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter has delivered one of the most soulful albums this year and it’s pretty fucking […]
MNEK’s Debut Album ‘Language’ Flopped & Here’s My Theory Why
“Even if this album goes triple plexiglass, i’m trying to stay positive!” – Those were the words tweeted by MNEK himself days before the release of his debut album Language which sadly flopped only pulling in 144 pure album sales in it’s first week which is very disappointing to say the least. The turnout for his […]
#AZMagArtistToWatch – serpentwithfeet
Every week, we here at AZ Magazine want to share some of our favourite artists from our community who deserve to shine bright like a diamond! This week’s #AZMagArtistToWatch is serpentwithfeet, a 30-year-old black openly gay musician born in Baltimore, Maryland but based in Brooklyn, NY. His neo-soul, electronic, gospel, experimental sound and captivatingly beautiful […]
Infamous Afropunk Takes Over Brixton
AFROPUNK, the festival that celebrates blackness and everything alternative has returned to London and where else would be better than Brixton to host this culture filled extravaganza. The Afropunk takeover will span over a week from 1st to 8th September with a week of panels, workshops, talks, club nights and live shows! The prodigious lineup […]