This time last week I headed over to Conscious Radio to catch up with my homie Henrietta. We went to university together and ain’t caught up for a minute! It was dope to catch up on everything AKS and get a view of my musical career from her perspective.
Hop on the train and peep the FULL INTERVIEW below:
I woke up this morning wanted to share something with y’all.
A few years ago I decided to take some time away from releasing music. For many differing reasons but mostly financial I told myself that I had to choose between pursuing some of the personal things I wanted to undertake as a man (the most important of which was getting married) and a musical career which until that point had been a relative liability. (You get out what you put in and all that jazz)
Anyway, in the midst of all that I was faced with obstacle after obstacle (life threatening health issues, family politics, lost studio sessions, corrupted hard drives etc), and loads of ppl telling me that I’d left it too long to put out a new project. I never stopped creating and albeit that I internalised some of those fears and problems…I never stopped believing!
Fast forward about 4 years and before releasing my sophomore EP I remember having convos with my business partners (Jason & Nii) about my goals with the project; the biggest of which was to transcend the achievements of my previous body of work! I took a leap of faith with the songs I’d written without a clear idea of how I’d meet every need but having faith that I would by God’s Grace.
Following months of successes since the project’s release; on Thursday night I hopped on stage at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards, nominated for 2 awards including the biggest of the night and played to a full house audience of friends, fans, & movers and shakers in the industry.
Although I never walked away with the awards; I can’t deny how blessed I feel to have exceeded my goals.
And I say all that to say this:
The God of the mountain is the God of the valley. In each case He has a purpose.
Sometimes it’s better to take your time in the knowledge that the things God has set apart for you, will be yours!
Here’s something to get gassed about! Getting name dropped by @Metro_Ents as a fav at the Unsigned Music Awards last week!#NMNL pic.twitter.com/yZ1N9jsVGh
— AKS (@AKSonline) October 31, 2016
This is a bit of a belated post to be honest. I didn’t really know how to put into words how things had progressed during the start of this October season, but undoubtedly I’m pretty happy about things right about now!
If I keep it 100% with y’all, the thing is that all of these forward motions happened at a time when I was trying to explain to some of those closest to me why I’m hardly at hand or present as much as they’d like me to be. It’s difficult to justify the time you’ve spent dedicated to something when people can’t readily see the fruits of your labour. I found it was even harder to walk people through the sacrifices we make as creatives and why “time” is one of those things.
Anyway…fast forward a few days and I get the news the title track for my recent EP, “Train of Thought“, is playlisted over at BBC 1XTRA courtesy of the great people at BBC Introducing. (Tune in all this week to catch #TOT getting spun).
Beyond that though, I also get the news that beyond a performance slot at this year’s inaugural Unsigned Music Awards, I’ve also been nominated for 2 awards!
The industry panel have me up for:
It’s extremely humbling to be up in the mix alongside some insanely talented individuals.
I’m here continually giving thanks, ecstatic and hoping I get to take the award home.
Big ups to everyone who’s been supporting and rocking out with the EP and just generally been following my career up until this point. I appreciate every single one of you.
I hope these recent events show just how dedicated I am and act as a smoke signal to others. To the peeps close to me, I’m sorry…but this is where my time’s gone, and long may it continue to yield dividends! Love y’all.
#NothingMoreNothingLess
It’s funny how things go in music. A couple of weeks back I’m just getting word that the Jay Electronica gig I’m booked as support for is getting put on hold while the organisers sort out some issues, and in that moment I’m pretty deflated as you can imagine. I tell myself it matters not, since I’ve got a headline show around the corner. But fast forward 2 hours and some email exchanges and I’m booked to play this year’s Unsigned Music Awards.
I guess God got me, huh?
I’m pretty stoked to be in amongst the performers on the night, so make sure you tune in on October 27th to catch the train arrive on a bigger platform.
BREAKING: @AKSonline will be performing at the 2016 Unsigned Music Awards.https://t.co/NAiUSWOYCv pic.twitter.com/zqH4SdnO1X
— UnsignedMusicAwards (@The_UMAs) August 5, 2016
Today I’m remembering the kid who spent his evenings in a bedroom he shared with his younger brother & sister, tinkering away on Fruity Loops thinking one day he’d be able to grace the stage alongside some of Hip-Hop’s most formidable names.
I reckon Jay Electronica is one such name to write home about; so imagine my excitement at being asked to open for him over at The Coronet on July 23rd.
I mean, I only used to drive past it approaching Elephant & Castle in the early hours of the morning as I played passenger en-route to help out with my Dad’s night shift. Hometown glory and all that but I’ve never been inside! Kinda poetic…don’t you think?
Anyway…it’s a family affair as myself and LIMM label mate, J. the Exodus, join Mikel Ameen, and Paigey Cakey to play support to the Roc Nation heavyweight.
It’s sure to be a good show so make sure you’re topped up! #ATrainApproaches
Grab your tickets here: https://thecoronet.ticketabc.com/events/jay-electronica-2/
Oh btw…in case you thought it was no big deal; this is what happens when you tell your mates you’re opening for Jay Electronica.
PS. I still can’t believe that we premièred this video with the good people at Earmilk…now that’s something to write home about! LOVE!
#StayWithMeAKS #TrainOfThoughtEP
OK, so once again I seem like the only person that hasn’t thrown this up on their blog yet, but in case you hadn’t noticed…Midas Touch are *ahem* BACK!
Never being ones to rest on our laurels, we hopped on to the “Streets of London” Rooftops and Carparks of Catford to be exact, to bring you the latest video from the trio in the shape of “Special Vibe”.
As a unit, its humbling to have gained a truckload of support, with this video & track being picked up by Soulculture, Karen Civil, Earmilk etc; and it seems we’ve been getting comparisons with Detroit outfit Clear Soul Forces (that’s a complement).
Our main aim with this one was to take it back to “Hip Hop”, and give you that reminiscent feel of the 90’s when it wasn’t so much about the financially extroverted, to portrayal of living the high life but more about that street corner, that “make good of what you got” mentality, the rhymes & the cypher. There’s something special about the that “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop, an aura that you can feel in the air…a vibe! And with every single ounce of support we’ve got with this track, one thing is for sure….We’ve got it!
OK, so this has gone up on every other blog during the last week, so it only makes sense that it ends up on my own (better late than never). Having gained support from the likes of Soulculture & Respect Magazine among many others, it’s safe to say that we achieved and exceeded what we wanted with this video by introducing the world to who “We Are” collectively as well as who we are individually.
© 2017 AKS || Less is More Music LTD.
All Rights Reserved.
