UK News

UK TV: DOCUMENTARY ‘MY CRAZY NEW JAMAICAN LIFE’ SUFFERS BACKLASH

October 25, 2013

Last night in honour of ‘Black History Month’ Channel 4 and independent production company Acme brought us the documentary‘My Crazy New Jamaican Life’. Debbie, who’s 25, and Holly, who’s 19, are each immersed in or passionate about Jamaican culture, from X-rated bashment styles to food, patois or having a family with a Jamaican-born man. Debbie has three children with Jamaican-born Variel. But when she discovers that Variel is about to have a child with another woman, she questions the conventions of the family […]

SINGER ESTELLE TO BE THE VOICE OF NEW CARTOON CHARACTER IN ‘THE CRYSTAL GEMS’

October 24, 2013

Estelle packed up, moved to America and hasn’t looked back. The songwriter/rapper turned R&B singer has signed on to become the voice of a new cartoon character. The Crystal Gems, the self-appointed guardians of the universe, are as much a family as they are a team. Garnet (voiced by R&B singer-songwriter Estelle) is the mysterious and powerful leader, Pearl (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall) is the perfectionist who craves structure and logic and Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz) is the prankster and […]

UK MUSIC NEWS: MOBO WINNERS KREPT & KONAN SIGN TO VIRGIN EMI RECORDS

October 23, 2013

UK rap duo Krept & Konan (the duo won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the  MOBO Awards this past Saturday) announced today that they have signed to Virgin EMI Records. Its official, we just signed our 1st major record deal with @VirginEMI /Universal!! Big up our new ANR @GlynAikins pic.twitter.com/pmfv3YXM6g — KREPT #YoungKingz (@kreptplaydirty) October 23, 2013 Virgin EMI… hmmmmm…. This will be interesting. I always laugh when excited UK acts post photographs of themselves signing their contracts and then photographs of themselves flanked by […]

UK NEWS: MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON APPOINTS RAY LEWIS AS NEW ‘GANGS CZAR’

October 22, 2013

Via The London Evening Standard Boris Johnson has appointed a new Gangs’ Czar to “revitalise” City Hall’s response to the problem in the wake of the Evening Standard’s Frontline London campaign. Ray Lewis has been given the “special brief” by the Mayor, in addition to his role as mentoring adviser, and has convened a gangs round table at City Hall bringing together thinkers and community leaders this Friday as well as calling for a gangs summit in the spring. In an exclusive […]

UK EVENT: AN AUDIENCE WITH ANGIE LE MAR

October 22, 2013

  THE QUEEN OF UK COMEDY IS BACK WITH A SPECIAL ONE-OFF SHOW – AN AUDIENCE WITH ANGIE LE MAR  Taking place at the New Testament Assembly, 7 Beechcroft Road, London SW17 7BU on November 30 it will combine the healing power of laughter and the inspirational sound of gospel music. The event will feature the Queen of UK Comedy, performer, presenter, producer, actress, writer, director ANGIE LE MAR in her first stand up show for 10 years, and Award winning and […]

UK NEWS: BBC CANCELS ‘COMIC RELIEF’ EXPOSÉ

October 21, 2013

Via The Telegraph The planned broadcast of a Panorama investigation into Comic Relief has reportedly been cancelled after a string of BBC executives ruled themselves out of making decisions about it. The documentary is understood to examine how the charity allegedly invested £150 million of its funds for up to eight years, before handing the money to the causes for which it had been raised. Some of the money was allegedly invested in tobacco firms and an arms company. By the end […]

ARTICLE OF THE DAY: WHO STOLE ALL THE BLACK WOMEN FROM BRITAIN?

October 20, 2013

Check out this interesting and without a doubt some will say “controversial” article about black women and our place within British mainstream culture, via the The Diaspora Diva blog. “No other group in America has so had their identity socialized out of existence as have black women…. When black people are talked about the focus tends to be on black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women”. (hooks, bell:1981). Here in the UK, the  visibility of black […]

UK NEWS: MOBO AWARDS 2013 – THE WINNERS

October 20, 2013

The MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards 2013 took place last night in Glasgow, Scotland. Check out the full list of winners below. Best African Act – Fuse ODG Best Album – Home, Rudimental Best Female in association with Tresor Paris – Laura Mvula Best Gospel – Lurine Cato Best International Act – Kendrick Lamar Best Jazz – Sons of Kemet Best Male – Wiley Best Newcomer in association with HTC – Krept & Konan Best Reggae Act – Sean Paul Best RnB/Soul Act – Laura Mvula Best Song in association with […]