Latest news with #Stormzy
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I Know Exactly What My Truth Is': How J Balvin Reconnected With Himself on ‘Mixteip'
At 40, J Balvin has nothing left to prove — he already has iconic albums like 2018's Vibras and 2010's Colores under his belt. Still, earlier this month, a few days after performing at the halftime show of the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey, the Colombian star dropped Mixteip, a breezy, playful collection that appears specifically designed to soundtrack the last weeks of summer. Unlike last year's Rayo, which overflowed with high-profile features, the more concise Mixteip moves at a casual pace. Balvin casts a nostalgic glance at the classic reggaeton beat that fuels most of these tracks. He collaborates with British rapper Stormzy, then detours lovingly into traditional merengue and salsa with Omega and Gilberto Santa Rosa as sympathetic allies. Put together, the 10 songs suggest a return to the roots, as if the singer was craving to reconnect with the primal sounds that inspired him when he was first emerging as a global star — or dreaming of becoming one. More from Rolling Stone Watch Coldplay Surprise Perform 'A Sky Full of Stars' at FIFA World Cup Halftime Show See a First Look at the FIFA Club World Cup Halftime Show Stage Doja Cat, Tems, and J Balvin Will Perform at FIFA Club World Cup Final Balvín spoke with Rolling Stone about his love affair with New York, his multi-disciplinary approach, and the post-traumatic feelings of a certain Bizarrap session that placed him in the eye of the storm a couple of years ago. Before we talk about , I want to touch on your 2020 single 'Rojo.' In retrospect, it was one of the key tracks that heralded the new, progressive sound of Latin music in the 2020s. I thought of Paris in the late 19th century, when the old school 'Rojo' is a moment in color – a feeling, a fleeting impression. Do you agree? 100 percent. I wanted to bring something entirely different to the game, add a new element that would make me stand out. But you're never going to be different just by trying to be different. In the end, the key to making my mark was staying true to myself. 'Rojo' is one of my favorite songs to perform in concert, because it signified a before-and-after. If you think about it, it's like a modern balada. I know many American rappers who are rough on the outside, and yet they tell me that 'Rojo' is their favorite song. When we recorded it, the emotion behind it was stronger than anything else. The vibration of that particular moment was in sync with the song's message and the pitch of my voice. The opening track of , 'Bruz Wein' has the trademark J Balvin feel: a gauzy, sweet cloud, a mood of instant intimacy. How do you generate that?From 'Rojo' to 'Bruz Wein' [Smiles]. It was nighttime in New York, and the Empire State Building looked cloudy in the distance. I asked for the lights at the recording studio to be dimmed, so that we could see the reflection of the city through the windows. I felt in a cloud myself, thinking about Bruce Wayne embarking on a journey. It was the feeling of New York, of going for nightly walks, which is something I do. I love the moments of solitude, wearing my hoodie, listening to music or calling my friends on the phone. When you are performing live, you're Batman. After the show, your wife is at home waiting for Bruce Wayne. There is a personal mission behind my music: for us Latinos to finally be allowed to step outside of the box. 'You speak Spanish, this is the kind of art you are supposed to make, this is what you are allowed to give.' I never understood why nobody had done anything about it. We deserve our rightful place as citizens of the world. It was a long road, from gaining respect in the business, to telling my stories with visuals, and expressing myself through every possible avenue. Fashion, for instance, is a way of singing without using melodies. Collaborating with [Japanese artist] Takashi Murakami allowed me to educate the younger generations on the kind of art that I love but not too many people know about. I don't need a marketing team to teach me how to express my ideas. Listening to, I started thinking, 'What makes a mixtape a mixtape?'A mixtape is a herd of ideas. A collection of songs that I kept locked in my wardrobe until I felt that I would go mad if I didn't release them to the world. Mixteip is about freeing all those sequestered songs. They deserved to be out there. None of this was planned. Otherwise, it would be another album where I'm telling you a story. There is a random factor to these 10 songs. You could play them in any order you wanted, and the story would remain unchanged. Many of the tracks have the old-school reggaeton beat, as if you were feeling nostalgic for the reggaeton that the entire project was unplanned, I ended up connecting deeply with the old J Balvin that people loved — my more melodic, romantic side. Yes, there was some nostalgia for those early reggaeton songs, and I felt comfortable in that world. At the end of the day, music is all about the vibes. 'Misterio' may be the record's most epic track. It begins in mode, but morphs into salsa, with Gilberto Santa Rosa on vocals. It's organic salsa, heavy on the trombones. Was that planned?Nothing was planned [Laughs.] Originally, the entire song was reggaeton, but then we started talking about the melody, and it had a hint of salsa in it. I was talking with Daddy Yankee's son, Jeremy Ayala, who's a great producer, and with J Castle, another fantastic producer. There was silence in the room, and then the name of Gilberto came up. We all agreed that he's our favorite living salsa singer. He is such an icon. And salsa is such a vital component of Colombia's musical me, this duet is as important as recording with Beyoncé. I grew up listening to Héctor Lavoe, the Fania records, Tito Rojas, Tito Nieves — there are so many great salseros. I was 14 when I learned how to sing Gilberto's 'Perdón' — the live version, from the Carnegie Hall album. If Gilberto had turned us down, 'Misterio' would have stayed as a straight-ahead reggaeton. Colombian groups like Fruko y sus Tesos and Grupo Niche brought a touch of honey to tropical music, with all those sweet choruses and minor key melodies. The same could be said about the contribution of artists like you and Karol Go reggaeton. I think we brought a lot of light at a time when reggaeton was in a dark place, not only sonically, but in terms of the industry. Emerging from a place like Medellín, that at one point was considered to be the most dangerous city in the world, the least we could bring to the table was some joy and positivity. So we brought light, and hope, good vibes and sweetness. At the precise time when there was a need for a different color, we arrived. For many, Residente's 2022 session with Bizarrap was unacceptable. What was it like having that directed at you publicly? Iis there an antidote for that?I remember talking with my mother at the time, and she told me, 'Now you know what human misery is all about.' I believe the most important task was to forgive myself for all the feelings of anger, hate, and betrayal that I experienced. Hate is a poison consumed only by the person who's feeling it. Forgiveness is the antidote. In time, I think people began to realize what was and was not true about all that narrative. And if they don't, I won't lose sleep over it, because I happen to know exactly what my truth is. 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Spectator
4 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Is a keffiyeh really an appropriate outfit for a Cambridge University ceremony?
Cambridge University's decision to honour the rap artist Stormzy with an honorary doctorate seemed odd. New universities, rather than our ancient ones, like to parade icons of popular culture. When the decision was announced a few months ago, I was asked by a national newspaper to write a piece questioning his nomination. I demurred, because Stormzy was being rewarded for generous benefactions that aimed to bring disadvantaged black schoolchildren to Cambridge University – despite my doubts about reserving scholarships for particular ethnic groups. Stormzy's honorary doctorate dominated the headlines – and so, none of us really noticed who else was on the list. Looking back, it is almost as if a smokescreen was being created to let through someone far more controversial than the two-times winner of the Best Grime Act. An official photo of the awardees, enrobed in doctoral scarlet, has just been released. Vice-Chancellor Deborah 'call me Debbie' Prentice is seated next to Stormzy. Behind her, adorned with a keffiyeh, stands the American radical Angela Davis. One can pass over Ms, or should one say Dr, Davis's predictable loyalties in the Middle East, while still asking whether it is appropriate for her or anyone else to wear a political badge in an official photo of this sort, and, more importantly, whether Cambridge acted responsibly in releasing it across the globe. More to the point is the simple question why Angela Davis is thought to be a suitable recipient of such an honour in the first place. It cannot be because she is descended from the Cambridge graduate William Brewster, who centuries ago sailed to North America on the Mayflower. If there is an answer, it may lie in the encomium written by the University Orator. It is a toe-curling document, particularly in the translation from Latin, which is all most people will be able to read. Understandably it lays stress on the appalling treatment of black people that she witnessed as a child in America; but it then turns to the occasions when she has suffered persecution because of her staunch adherence to communist beliefs. If we believe in freedom of speech we do have to tolerate those who express such beliefs. But to hold her up as a model of free speech taunts the rest of us: she was long a stalwart of a party that failed to speak out against the often violent repression of political opponents in the Soviet Union (from which she obtained the so-called Lenin Peace Prize); and she received a degree in the (so-called) German Democratic Republic. Davis studied there during the years when its government was second within eastern Europe only to Albania in the strictness of its repression. Indeed, the Lenin Peace Prize is even mentioned in her Cambridge citation – a slap in the face to all my colleagues who have experienced the regime in the Soviet Union and its satellites. Some years ago, King's College, Cambridge showed great insensitivity by hanging a painting of the Soviet flag in its bar. Davis's citation puts that painting in the shade. So here are some excerpts from a document that quite simply brings shame on Cambridge University: 'IT IS WITH joy and reverence that your Orator presents to you this woman of erudition and eloquence, whose very name is synonymous with the long and bitter struggle for all people to enjoy without fear equality of rights and freedoms, regardless of class, of colour and of gender… How worthy they are, who defend freedom of speech only as long as they agree with what is said!… Taught, then, by her own experience, on behalf of those the world over who lack their own voice and defence, she resolutely defends justice, she tirelessly opposes slavery, with almost divine strength she fights on behalf of liberty… In this present age, when we see civic virtues and the very foundations of civil society faltering under the attacks of billionaires, when the foul stench of fascism rises again across the globe, who could blame even the staunchest lover of liberty for feeling despondent?… She shows us that it is possible to be an academic, an activist, a scholar and a revolutionary.' Davis may, nonetheless, be offended. She is described as 'eloquent'. I have been warned by the equally radical Professor Priyamvada Gopal (the one with views about Winston Churchill) that I was wrong to praise David Olusoga on one occasion as 'eloquent', as the word is apparently seen by ethnic minorities as condescending. That apart, we have to ask whether she has ever criticised the appalling abuse of human rights and the suppression of free speech in the Soviet Union. One of her critics who attended school in the Soviet Union has described her as a 'Soviet propaganda icon' in those days. And although she studied Kant under the philosophers Herbert Marcuse and Theodor Adorno she is clearly not being awarded her honorary degree on the grounds of scholarly attainment comparable to those figures. I have served on the Honorary Degree Committee in the past and have been impressed by the care and thoughtfulness given to each nomination, and by the sheer amount of detail about the nominees. Alas, the online page listing current members of this committee has been taken down for 'maintenance', but it is hard to escape the conclusion that places on the committee have been hi-jacked by those who prefer activists to real academics. As for the Orator, he really should know that his task is to address the whole University and the world beyond, and not just like-minded folk. Perhaps, though, he was acting under orders and does not believe anything that he said. He is the author of a learned article entitled 'Bulls' testicles and Mycenaean onomastics', and conceivably his encomium is, if not bull's testicles, deliberate bullsh*t.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Could Maya Jama quit Love Island? Star's career reaches new heights with Netflix drama and booming beauty business - sparking fears she may bid farewell to ITV show
Maya Jama got the biggest gig of her career to date when she was announced as the new presenter of Love Island in October 2022. The TV host, 30, took over from Laura Whitmore, who presented for three seasons, and has been fronting the ITV2 show ever since. But Maya's career has only been going from strength to strength in the years since with a booming beauty business and a rumoured role in a Netflix show. The Bristol native has also moved on from her ex-boyfriend Stormzy and is now being romanced by Manchester City player Ruben Dias. As her star continues to rise, it must be a concern for ITV bosses that Maya may decide to pack in the day job and quit Love Island. The current series of the show saw its lowest launch viewing figures since 2016 with just 1.4million tuning in. Meanwhile, Maya has no shortage of offers for other projects to keep herself busy. Although she is known as a TV presenter, Maya's first career goal was to become an actress. She auditioned for roles in her teens and even made it to the final round for a part in E4 teen drama Skins. When she didn't get the part, she focused on presenting instead but it appears her acting ambitions have recently been reignited. The star has reportedly 'landed a sizzling new role' in the second series of Guy Ritchie's gangster drama The Gentlemen. She will reportedly play the glamorous wife of a shady associate linked to Theo James' lead character Eddie Horniman. Filming is already underway at the stunning Badminton House in Gloucestershire - a grand estate that doubles as the fictional Halstead Manor in the series. A source told The Sun: 'Maya is over the moon to land a role in such a massive show with Guy Ritchie at the helm. 'The Gentlemen was one of 2024's biggest series and it's such a glossy, sexy show. It's a perfect fit.' Maya teased fans earlier this year when she posted a Netflix script on social media , followed by a cryptic photo alongside The Gentlemen star Kaya Scodelario, who plays mob boss Susie Glass in the series. Back in January, the BBC Three Glow Up presenter revealed she had been auditioning behind the scenes for a 'dream role' and hinted she wanted to play something completely different from her bubbly TV persona. She said: 'My dream role, I would want to be like a villain or something that's completely not like me, so then it shows that I can actually act. 'And then people would be like, wow, two different people.' Meanwhile, Maya's beauty business MIJ Mask has been going from strength to strength. Companies House documents show that MIJ Masks now has net assets of £313,381, up by £75,000 from 2023. With sales rising, the eye-watering fortune adds up to her assets of £1.83million from her TV work and advertising work through MIJ & Co Entertainment. Maya launched the bio-cellulose face mask and eye patches brand in 2021, delivering high-performance, skin-loving treatments that combine luxury ingredients with bold self-care for a radiant, confident glow. The brand's masks range from £9.99 to £17.99, while the eye patches cost £7.99. Maya is thought to earn £750,000 per series of Love Island while she also reportedly banked upward of £50,000 for co-hosting this year's BRIT Awards. However it is her brand deals where Maya will be earning much of her money after she replaced Kate Moss as the face of Rimmel London last year. According to The Sun, Maya is said to have earned a six-figure sum as the face of hair extension brand Beauty Works while she has also took part in campaigns for the likes of Maybelline, Adidas and Gordon's Gin and Self Portrait. Earlier in November of last year, Maya announced a new business venture as she has become an investor and co-owner in the Swedish plant milk company Sproud. Maya will be the face of Sproud and a strategic advisor to the brand, which creates milk from yellow split-peas. The star is also now one half of a celebrity power couple thanks to her relationship with footballer Ruben. The couple were spotted sharing a steamy kiss as they relaxed at a beach club during their romantic getaway to Ibiza earlier this month. The pair are believed to have met after the stunner caught the Portuguese player's eye when they met at the European Music Awards (EMAs) in November. Their romance was finally confirmed after they were seen packing on the PDA at KSI's Baller League event in April. Maya went Instagram official with her boyfriend Ruben earlier this year, when she shared a video for the first time. The TV star was all smiles in the clip as she sat alongside the footballer in a car heading back to her house. The presenter has been seen at multiple football games over the last few months to watch Dias live in action for Man City.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tyla flaunts her jaw-dropping figure in a neon green lace bra and denim hot pants as she arrives at Phonox nightclub in Brixton alongside Stormzy
Tyla flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a racy outfit as she arrived at Phonox nightclub in Brixton on Wednesday. The singer, 23, showed off her bold sense of style in a neon green lace bra, a black mesh embroidered gown, and denim hot pants. She completed the look with quirky heeled shoes as she made her way into the club, where she was set to perform for an intimate crowd of fans. In a more discreet entrance, Stormzy, 31, made his way inside the venue to show his support for the rising star. The Croydon-born rapper opted for a casual look in a grey tracksuit and dark sunglasses, keeping a low profile as he slipped into the venue without fanfare It comes after Stormzy declared he's off the market and ready to marry after sharing the surprise news he's dating a new mystery partner. The grime superstar made the admission in his brand new track Sorry Rach! which he released in May. In the song, the lyrics share that Stormzy is ready to start a family with his new partner, before noting she is eerily similar to his exes Maya Jama and Victoria Monet. Stormzy raps: 'I told the boys I think I met my wife. Baby if you have my baby then you're set for life.' He went onto added: 'I think I've got a type, she's like the two before.' Stormzy and Maya split in July after rekindling their relationship the previous year, and the couple had dated for five years before splitting in 2019, and in October he was pictured kissing US singer Victoria. In January Maya was asked whether she and Stormzy could ever rekindle their romance, but the presenter - who is secretly dating Man City player Ruben Dias - insisted that this truly is the end for her and Stormzy. She told The Guardian : 'No, I think we're happy in this friendship zone.' Commenting on the attention their romance attracted, Maya explained: 'I think it's nice that people love him for being cute and love me for being cute, and when two people you like come together then people get excited by it. That's just what happens in the celebrity world, don't you think?' She went on to add of the public and media fascination that 'anybody' she dates is going to 'be a thing the moment'. While it was thought the couple split after disagreements over when to settle down, with Stormzy more of a homeboy and Maya more career driven, last month she confirmed this wasn't the case. After photos emerged of the rapper and his new girlfriend Victoria Monet, Maya took to Instagram to take the opportunity to say that the narrative 'that I don't want to settle down and have kids is a lieeeee.' Indeed, the star - who was recently announced as a new judge on The Masked Singer - confirmed during her interview that she does want to retire and have children one day, but it has to be with the 'right person'. She shared: 'I also more want a family than just want children. Because of the way I was raised and it being all over the place, I'm very conscious that if I'm going to start a family I want it to be with the right person. I want it to be one that lasts for ever. But yeah, I do imagine myself with kids one day.' Stormzy has run into some stumbling blocks after his A-list relationship ended - with a rebrand attempt that has been dubbed an 'expensive error' and an endorsement deal that has turned thousands of his own fans against him. Once one of the most revered artists currently making music in the UK, Stormzy now finds his face plastered on sneering posters being plastered around London as he's accused of 'selling out' - and has reportedly gained an embarrassing new nickname along the way. Stormzy had a meteoric rise to fame in 2014, starting out as an independent artist and releasing his debut album through his #Merky Records, before signing to Warner and later being poached by Universal Records in 2020 for £10 million. Gang Signs and Prayer, released in 2017 sold 310,000 copies, followed by his most popular album to date, Heavy is the Head, which sold 320,000 albums worldwide in 2019. His first EP, Dreamers Disease, earned him a MOBO Award for Best Grime Act. Universal signed Stormzy so he could help the relaunch of its Def Jam label, which was once home to Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys - with his name considered a dead-cert success at a time when everything he touched turned to gold. However, it was reported that the rapper's switch to the gospel sound has fallen somewhat flat, leaving bosses at Universal reeling. A source told MailOnline: 'What Universal hadn't expected was that in his first album for them, Stormzy would insist on dropping his trademark hard rapping style and instead attempt to sing his way through an album of Christian-influenced songs. 'People are now calling him the Cliff Richard of hip hop. 'His new album was expected to provide the perfect launch pad for Universal's new Def Jam label, but its poor performance is now being blamed for the decision in recent weeks to make big job cuts at the label.'
Time Out
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Kingston's iconic Pryzm nightclub is being split into two venues
Last weekend London said goodbye to an icon: Pryzm Kingston. After more than 20 glorious years of messy nights out and absurdly small gigs from stars like Stormzy, Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart and Billie Eilish, the Clarence Street club had its final party last Sunday (July 13). The shuttering of Pryzm Kingston marks the end of an era, no doubt – but it could also be the start of an entirely new one. Today (July 17) it's been confirmed that the site will be converted into two new venues as part of a £3 million makeover. Plans for the building were unveiled by Pryzm Kingston's then-new owners Neos Hospitality back in February, but we've since had further details. The two new venues will be named Circuit and Bonnie Rogues, and Circuit could open as soon as this summer. Two-room club Circuit will be on the first and second floors, and apparently be an 'electrifying late-night experience' that is 'built for pure celebrations', featuring 'cutting edge sound' and 'immersive lighting'. This is the venue pencilled in for a summer 2025 opening. Bonnie Rogues, meanwhile, will be on the old Pryzm's ground floor and sounds like more of a live music venue and pub than a club. In fact, Neos describes Bonnies as a modern British pub 'with a rebellious twist'. It's set for an autumn opening. Kingston's Pryzm occupied the Grade II-listed former Granada Cinema on Clarence Road. The cinema opened in 1939 and shut in 1987, before opening as an Oceana nightclub in 2003. We will, of course, have to wait and see whether these two venues can hold a candle to the legendary club they're taking over. Pryzm Kingston was particularly notable for its programming, as well as its events with nearby Banquet Records – though it sounds like the latter will continue. Russell Quelch, CEO at Neos Hospitality, said: 'This is a major opportunity to bring something fresh to Kingston. We've put a lot into creating venues that reflect what people are looking for now, something exciting, something fun and something you want to keep coming back to. 'We can't wait for the launch to showcase the new vibe and bring a brand-new, elevated experience to the town. We look forward to launching two great venues whilst continuing our partnership with Banquet records.' Exact opening dates for the two venues are yet to be revealed.
