2012 seems to have been a tipping point for hip hop and rap music. For years, some of the biggest names in the genre like Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and Jay-Z have used homophobic lyrics, but a lot has changed since 2000 when Eminem rapped “Hate fags? The answer’s yes” in ‘Criminal’. A noticeable change…

A dynamic, tender four piece from London which have the potential to shake up the pop scene.

Formed in 2008, Dog Is Dead haven’t had an easy time trying to break into the music industry. However, they have achieved a lot in the last 5 years as they have self-released their Your Childhood EP, performed at numerous festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival, Latitiude, Isle of Wight and Reading and Leeds, and supported OK Go,…

Hype around 3-piece girl band Haim (Pronounced hi-em) has been bubbling away for the last few months since they became one of the most hotly tipped acts at the world renowned Texan new music festival, South By South West. Subsequently, the band have released their Forever EP, been praised by Fearne Cotton and NME, and…

At a time when black grime and hip-hop is flourishing with artists such as Tinie Tempah, Nicki Minaj, Labrinth, and Azealia Banks gaining chart success, Birmingham’s answer to the industry is one of the most hotly tipped grime MCs of 2012; 23 year old, Lady Leshurr. Brought to fame by several SBTV sessions, festival appearances,…

To many, five-piece Fixers need no introduction; the time for introducing Fixers was 2011. This was the year in which they headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds. Along with performances on Radio 1’s Live Lounge, there has been a steady stream of downloadable songs, singles and EPs. This busy year culminated in…

Why you should love the BBC Sound of 2012 losers who were shunned by Noel Gallagher

The year is 2007 and in Eskede, a suburb just outside of Stockholm, two sisters — Johanna and Klara Söderberg — have just sent a home-recorded demo to a Swedish radio station. The sisters, aged 17 and 14 respectively, have been singing as long as they can remember, and a few weeks later they are…

20-year-old rapper Azealia Banks from Harlem in New York has attracted worldwide attention since 12th September 2011, when she uploaded a song to YouTube called ‘212’ featuring Lazy Jay. Since it was posted on the internet, it has amassed over 1.4 million views and captured the attention of music lovers everywhere. In fact, this single…

Niki & the Dove are a Swedish pop duo who have burst onto the European music scene in the last six months. Made up of singer Malin Dahlström and keyboardist Gustaf Karlöf, the duo appeared at many festivals this summer following the release of their singles ‘The Fox’ in May and ‘DJ Ease My Mind’…