7 Urban Acts To See At Wireless
No doubt if you’re off to wireless festival in Finsbury park this summer you’ll have artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar and David Guetta high on your list of people to see. We here at Licklist are looking a little further down the bill and handpicking some talent we think should be on your list as well!
1. Childish Gambino (Sat 4th July): Donald Glover, also known by the stage name he got from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator- ‘Childish Gambino’ is an interesting guy. A writer for 30 Rock, and a role as Troy Barnes in Community would probably enough for a lot of people. Not Glover though, who also absolutely kills it on stage. Songs such as ‘3005’, ‘Sober’ and ‘Heartbeat’ are eloquent examples of how talented this guy is, an actor/writer/comedian that also writes catchy hip-hop? Sold.
2. Public Enemy (Sun 28th June): Absolute legends in every respect, this is the group that fought against racial discrimination in the States whilst producing absolutely fantastic tunes. The combination of politically charged lyrics and insanely contagious instrumentals that range from jazz to rock plus the chance to look in awe at Flava Flav’s MASSIVE clock necklace make Public Enemy a must-see. (https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=pWTrAVLhbS8)
3. De La Soul (Sun 28th June): Another bunch of hip-hop legends (this isn’t a history lesson, we promise) from across the pond, De La Soul burst onto the scene in 1989 with one of the best hip-hop albums ever recorded, Three Feet High and Rising. Innovative sampling, sharp lyrics and a style that is constantly evolving mean De La Soul go straight onto our list and we think you should follow suite. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=0irL1M15DH8
4. George The Poet (Sun 5th July): This 21 year old is blending poetry and hip-hop with an articulate mastery far beyond his years. Themes ranging from socio-political commentary to satirical humour that is rife with intelligent wit appear throughout his music and George The Poet is already taking the UK by storm. Watch this space…
5. Bad Rabbits (Sat 4th July): Bad Rabbits have carved out a niche thanks to their unique musical fusion: a contemporary latticework of sound ranging from tireless rock ballads to funk sodden tracks reminiscent of the likes of Prince. Soulful and absorbing, Bad Rabbits really are a hidden gem on the line-up.
6. Melissa Steel (Fri 3rd July): This 21 year old lass from Bradford is currently writing her first album and if her recent releases and features on other songs are anything to go by it’s going to be something special. This is your chance to ‘see her before she was big’.
7. Jaden and Willow Smith: Because why the hell not?!
TICKETS: http://www.wirelessfestival.co .uk/tickets
INFO: http://licklist.co.uk/wireless -festival
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