I can vividly recall the first time I decided to have a ‘boy’ cut. A family friend had adorned a short crop for as long as I could remember and I was eleven when I foolishly thought that I, too, could carry off the same look. Continue reading “A Long Time Coming”

One word – Outstanding.

Closer Than Veins, the much anticipated third album of this Danish trio, is a seamless collaboration of soulful enthused Hip Hop entangled with a Hispanic twist and the result is a storyboard, beautifully laid out before you, each track drawing its own distinct picture.

Unlike their previous two albums, this one was not solely penned by the band alone and welcomes contributions from the likes of Gihad Ali and Omar Shah.

‘Introspective’ sets the tone for the whole album – a soldiers march. This is clearly an album that sets out to represent those who do not have a voice. Outlandish aim to send a message and luckily for them their message is heard loud ‘n’ clear thanks to their cultural blend, blunting the hard edges of Hip Hop and continuing to carve out their own unique mix of multi-ethnical sounds and original lyrics.

‘Look Into My Eyes’, based on a poem by Gihad Ali, concerns the Palestine-Israeli divide and carries with it a painful reminder – America do you realise/that the taxes that you pay/feed the forces that traumatise/my every living day.

The high point of the album is undoubtedly ‘You’ve Seen’ feat. Sami Yusuf (a well-known and sought after British Muslim artist established on the home circuit) – his Bollywood and Arabic sounding vocals tells to us a mouth watering tale of longing and stands proud of both the English and Hispanic rap also included in the track.

Another gem comes in the form of ‘Beyond Words’, a collaboration with Burhan G encapsulated in a theatrical circus-like melodic tune.

This is a melting pot of pure talent which burns through the tasteless Hip Hop which we all too painfully have to swallow. It spins it stories of tragedy in with words of hope and is a thought provoking product which cracks open the concrete barriers of ignorance.

Verdict: 5/5

When I first began this article I genuinely thought that Kate Middleton deserved a right to privacy and that she wasn’t a voluntary celebrity who desired fame. But am I the only one? I mooted the idea of Kate’s privacy in a seminar (it was raining, so maybe that explains the mercenary behaviour) and a resounding ‘She doesn’t deserve privacy, she has lost her right to privacy’ answered… I won’t pretend that I wasn’t shocked, but don’t get me wrong I’m not some altruistic freedom fighter either. Continue reading “Kate Middleton: Right to privacy?”