Streetlife Radio | The sound of waltham forest

There seems to be no slowing down for the Queen of Hip – Hop/R&B songstress Mary J Blige, having been on the scene since 1992 you would think she would take some time off. This year has seen her collaborating with almost everyone from her long time friend Sean “P. Diddy/Daddy/Puff” Combs, DJ Kahlid to Lil Wayne. Now she is back with her tenth album, “My Life 2 (The journey continues) – the sequel to the 1994 release “My Life”. Although this automatically invites instant comparisons and criticism (I must admit I did have my reservations) but don’t be mistaken as the two are not to be compared as she explains "It's not a competitor. It's a sequel. In an extension of how far we've come," Mary J. Blige tells Diddy of her tenth studio album on the album's own introduction. "Not saying that pain doesn't exist no more in our life, but now we understand how to navigate." She is in a much healthier place right now and that is reflected throughout her album, singing about the new highs and lows of love.

It’s been less than a year and Cher Lloyd is already back and armed with weapons of mass destruction...her new album, “Sticks and Stones” which was released this week much to my dismay (you can hear the joy as I write these few words you can tell) I tried to come with an open mind and reserve all judgements until the end. The album features production from Red One, Max Martin, The Runners and more. There are also collaborations from, Busta Rhymes, Dot Rotten, Ghetts, Mike Posner to name a few.

Whether you may think shows such as the X Factor are a blessing in disguise, I believe it to be a curse on the music industry as it has led to this new wave of what I like to call “fast food music”, disposable music. Because in my opinion that’s what Cher Lloyd’s album is, there is no longevity to her career or the music.

The music industry lost another pioneer and legend on November 8^th 2011. The untimely passing of Hip Hop star Heavy D came as a devastating shock to the Hip Hop community, fans and popular culture. Tributes came pouring in fast via Twitter from numerous current and past entertainers not only expressing their sorrows but also their love and admiration for the star.

His groundbreaking career started in the late 1980s and spanned over more than a decade. He was to enrich the genres of both Hip Hop and New Jack Swing by creating a string of infectious party hits which made use of his proficient word play and dance moves. He became that loveable guy the audience gravitated towards with the ability to speak to the hardcore Hip Hop fans as well as the R&B crowd. Not only did his talents lie in music but he was also an actor and accomplished businessman.

The latest offering to come out of the Roc Nation camp comes from 24 year old New York native Bridget Kelly. Once a back up singer for Flo Rida this songstress was quickly scouted to join Jay Z and sing 'Empire State of Mind' on his international Blueprint 3 tour. She met her management team in 2008 - who later that year had a once in lifetime meeting with Roc Nation landing her a publishing deal and now with an album in the works she has wet our appetites with her latest 8 track EP 'Every Girl'. The EP boasts contributions from some of the hottest producers and writers by the likes of The Dream, Ne-Yo, Frank Ocean, Ester Dean, James Fauntleroy II and Shea Taylor to name a few.

Rumfest, Rum and Cane Spirit Festival 2011 had to be the highlight of the weekend. Never before had I heard of an event that was solely dedicated to all things rum! It was definitely something that I thought was worth investigating. It was a two day event that took place over the weekend, in Kensington Olympia. Rumfest UK festival is one of the worlds biggest festivals celebrating the diversity of all things Rum.