E L L A E Y R E

GIRL ON FIRE

#14FOR14

Contributors

Ralph Hardy

In a word, I’m... culture You’ll normally find me... on the web or going cinema by myself This issue… I raved on the London Eye and talked #FactsOnly with Krept & KonanI’m all about... passion, music, curry goat and inappropriate humour I’m so over... reality TV Get at me... @RalphHardy 

Alexis Knox

In a word, I’m... majorYou’ll normally find me... either prepping for fashion shoots or behind the decks in a clubThis issue… has an ‘Absolutely Fabulously’ styled cover!I’m all about... modesty ;PI’m so over... zero lolzGet at me...@alexisknox or on facebook…. I love a poke

Andres ‘K-Nite’ Albert

In a word, I’m... bizarreYou’ll normally find me... at a concert or in a raveThis issue… I filmed Anthony Joshua at his local gymI’m all about... music, films and sportsI’m so over... too many things to care recallingGet at me... @knite13

@nardenescott@moorizzla@tegosigel@benrebuck@chantellefiddyAlex Johnson, Carly Wilford, Kieran Yates, Joseph “JP” Patterson, Ellis Earl, Charlamagne

Dacre @PXLpics Sam HardySophie RobinsonJanine Jauvel,Violetta Thalia, Neesha Sharma Funny Tummy, Rachel Goslin, Matt GlasbyJon Attenborough,Andres Reynega, JPH, Response London,Adrian Nettleship, Kevin Joseph, Sam Bond, Liam Ricketts

Greg Bond, Felix Kemp,Darren Rahaman,Andres Albert

Nigel Wells Paul LeFevreMatthew RichardsHattie CollinsMartin FergusonBob Austin

RWD4th Floor60-62 Commercial StreetGreater LondonE1 6LTTel: 020 3176 4299staff@RWDmag.com @RWDmag RWD Magazine is published monthly by Rewind Creative Media Ltd. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publishers.

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Here we are once again, kicking off yet another year of RWD and yet another list. We’ll be honest, putting together the #13for13 recap feature was pretty bloody painful at times, but there were a couple of gems in there for sure - without pointing it out, you know the ones we continue to support. But anyway, what exactly does 2014 have in store? Well, if last year was all about every corner of the club and wrecking a mic just right, then this year is about serenading you into soulful bliss as all types of R&B flows your way. Don’t bother trying to avoid it either, if it isn’t the sexy sonics of our cover star Ella Eyre inflitrating

your ears, the ridiculously gifted Sampha, experimental Kelela or smoked up songstress Jhene Aiko are all waiting in the wings. Saying that, we will be blessed with hard beats a la hip hop from LuckyMe’s S-Type and then the deep dark bass of Gorgon City and #ReadyForAnything stars My Nu Leng. Plus the homegrown realness of Krept & Konan.

Outside of music, Tego and Ben point out the ones to watch on the pitch whilst we head to the gym with Olympian and now professional boxer Anthony Joshua, and we get a glimpse into the big screen with some pretty big releases this month.

Last but by no means least you lot also get to see what a month of emails to Charlamagne Tha God’s PA results in. Basically a 10MB audio file full of expletives and below the belt blows we’re kindly sharing with you in a very special Speaker’s Corner as the antagonisitc radio don goes in on 2014, before it has even begun.Make sure you also head online to the brand new RWDmag.com to check out exclusive guest mixes and interviews with our #RWD14for14 stars.

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RWD Football

Brazuca BlastEds LetterRWD Football In NumbersRaheem SterlingHarry KaneNathan RedmondTwo Sides: FA Cup MagicAshley ColeSteven Caulker

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Regulars#WGAF@RWDmag InstagramCheck-In Check Out#ReadyForAnything: My Nu Leng, Cory Jreamz, Lukas Freeman Speaker’s Corner: Charlamagne Tha God

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Features

#14for14: Ella Eyre, Jhené Aiko, Kelela, Anthony Joshua, Becky Hill, Kwabs, Sam Smith, Joel Compass, Rosie Lowe, Gorgon City, All About She, S-Type, Krept & Konan, Sampha

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UnwindThe Wolf of Wall StreetWhat To Watch#13for13 Recap

#WGAFJoin us as we kick off the year with our usual rants about all the things that have annoyed us over the past few weeks, apart from than the time between pay checks of course that goes without saying…

Nigella Lawson If Nigella isn’t using words to make food sound like you want to make sweet love to it, then we don’t care. The fact that she can still look so god damn fine after years of ‘habitual criminalising’ is credit to her. Nigella claims Charles Saatchi wanted to destroy her; he’s not the only guy who feels that way…

I’m a Celebrity… It’s been that time when we throw a bunch of the biggest z-list celebrities (and Alfonso Ribiero) into the Australian outback and watch them eat bugs and balls and all kinds of crap. This is overkill to the max. Next series we suggest leaving them in the jungle to see who gets eaten first…

Black Friday We follow an American tradition here and there, but it seems that British people love any opportunity to show just how cheap we are. Seriously, there is absolutely no excuse for stampeding through Asda and getting jumped by security and staff members (in those ridiculous, highly flammable fleeces) just for trying to buy two 60” TVs. Just stick to Cyber Monday folks, less elbows to the jaw...

Award Season The month when all the awesome people come together to congratulate each other on just how awesome they are. No doubt the Oscars will go to the same old predictable faces, not to mention the Grammys where JT is pretty much fixed to walk away with the lot. Even more, we’ll get to see adverts for all of these 2013 releases with that extra little strapline.

Tweet To Win

To celebrate the launch of Nokia MixRadio, Nokia would like to offer RWD readers the chance to win a brand new Nokia Lumia 625 and headphones! Imagine a radio station where every track is chosen just for you. MixRadio brings you streamed mixes of music created to your personal taste - just click and play using the Play Me button. Choose from thousands of mixes from a catalogue of 26 million tracks. There’s no subscription and no advertising, just great music that you can even enjoy offline. Nokia MixRadio also offers MixSharing, the ability to share mixes through social media, e-mail or SMS. To win simply tweet, “I wanna win the #nokiamixradio comp @RWDmag” For more visit mixrad.io/ 

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Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid hero died peacefully last month at the age of 95. But his legacy lives on. His fight against minority rule - for which he sacrificed his personal free-dom, spending 27 years impris-oned - and the immense influ-ence he had on racial relations, cannot be overstated. Here, we sum up Nelson Mandela, in his own words.

On himself:“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.”

On courage:“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

On perseverance: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

On race: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

On change:“One of the most difficult things is not to change society - but to change yourself.”

On forgiveness:“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

Nelson Mandela: 1918 - 2013

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Rule The Realm

Double Breasted Swag

Check out… this season’s must have. An enduring and stylish classic, the pea coat has been revamped by the peeps at Realm And Empire, 100% wool-cavalry-twill-constructed tailored fit creating a sharp silhouette complete with wooden buttons and a wax under-collar.Treat yourself at togsandclogs.com

Demand The Best

Supply & Demand continue to support the scene in 2014, from streetwear to the screen

Check-in… at jdsports.co.uk to cop the new winter range from the streetwear providers. Although the brand is NYC inspired, they’re all about supporting UK underground talent, so look out for bespoke music videos from your favourite grime and rap artists. Available exclusively at jdsports.co.uk and BANKfashion.co.uk

Go Fetch Your Wallet

World-renowned boutiques come together as one

Check-in… at farfetch.com to see what guest curators reckon you should be investing in this month. Swizz Beatz gives up his style tips for the season picking out pieces from Issey Miyake, Saint Laurent, Kenzo and Rayban to help create his unique look.Dig deep people, farfetch.com

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Piece and Love

Keep it snug and stylish

Check out… the OnePiece Marius. Named after the traditional Norwegian pattern made famous by skier and war-hero Marius Eriksen. Part of their #forgettherules campaign, OnePiece want you to bring out your inner rebel this Christmas.Head to onepiece.com and catch a discount using the code URBANSLACKER

Rising Style Stars

Straight out of NYC, fashion brand Public School are a big deal

Check out… the design duo Vogue, Complex and Style.com can’t stop banging on about. Fusing quality cloths from around the world, Public School are all about producing wears for the long run whilst still considering up to the minute trends. Check the contrast sleeve shirts and variations of the bomber jacket.More on publicschoolnyc.com

Five Star Kicks

Gourmet Camouflage

Check out…the popular Gourmet 35 silhouette in new camouflage colourway. We’re all about comfort and warmth this month, but not at the expense of style. These kicks come lined with a leather interior to maximize both, all the while upping swag points through the roof. Treat your feet at togsandclogs.com

Red Bull Revolutions In SoundThe #C4HouseParty was a true vibe. Surrealism doesn’t quite do justice to seeing EZ pull up a tune, come from behind the decks, stand on the bench and embrace the BPM in his legendary adjustable Nike cap. See you next year #RevsInSound.

Lil Kim And Eve at MusicalizeBotched plastic surgery and strangu-lating outfit aside, Lil Kim graced the IndigO2 stage with support from Eve, Krept & Konan and G FrSH – what a massive, massive feat in itself. Bursting onto the stage, royal train in tow, Kim gave her all, performing hits, like How Many Licks as well as a refix of Rihanna’s Man Down – yes, really.

Kwabs Live Wilton Music HallNot only did our previous About To Blow star Elli Ingram tear things down acoustically beforehand, Kwabs held up his end of the bargain too; stepping on stage through the heavy layers of smoke to skank his way through some beautifully enchanting tunes, in a pretty haunting but cool venue, Wilton Music Hall.

RWD Check-Ins

What Do You Call It?

Introducing the new reason for your hangover from hell…

Check out… what Sightracked have gone and started with their new monthly night, This Is Not A Rave at Proud Camden. 27 December sees Newham Generals line up alongside XO Man and Disciples plus Rinse FM’s Julie ensures the lively vibe on hosting duties all the way to 2am. Kinda sounds like a rave to us!Check Sightracked.fatsoma.com

Style and Recreation

A fan of mixing the smart with the casual?

Check out… the current range from Cali brand Creative Recreation. Despite recently moving into apparel, their footwear collection is more than keeping up their end of the bargain with their new kicks fusing the casual aspect with sportswear seamlessly. Creative Recreation apparel and footwear is available at scottsmenswear.co.uk`

Power To The People

Phone gaming will never be the same again

Check out… the hybrid phone meets games console. The Logitech Powershell has gamers who can’t stand being away from their new Xbox or PS4 covered, by creating one of the first such gamepads tailor made for iOS 7; instantly transforming it into a gaming handheld. Get hands-on now for £89.99 from Logitech.com

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Cold World

Leaders in the fashion field, Penfileld give you a reason to layer up lavishly this winter

Check out… the latest pieces Penfield are offering to shield you from the eye watering winds. Lifting influence from the initial 70s and 80s ranges, fur line parkas and wax coated jackets get updates via polka dots, paisley prints and jungle camo.Invest over on penfield.com

Grillshack baby Grillshack

Grillshack is a little old place where we can get together

Check-in… to the latest mouthwatering offering to hit the Soho scene, Grillshack. Boasting an all day grill and a high-tech ordering system, the shack covers all your modern-day dietary needs. We’ve already side-eyed the buttermilk apple pancakes - make sure you add bacon. 61-63 Beak Street, London

Last Chance Saloon

Boxpark plays host to one of the UK’s finest streetwear brands

Check-in… at Shoreditch hotspot Boxpark for a taste of Dxpechef. Following their previous collections going up in flames, the brand has set up shop on Bethnal Green Road, which closes late January. Expect monochrome jerseys, hoodies, bandanas and even blazers from the brand. Head to dopechef.tv for info

They Call It Muuuurdah!

Down 4 It

Check in… to what we never thought we’d live to see; Fat Joe, Twista and Ja Rule in concert again, let alone under the same roof! All credit to Musicalize who, fresh from reviving Lil Kim and Eve, are bringing the aforementioned to the Indig02 stage on 30 January. Excited is an understatement.Tickets via theticketseller.co.uk

Jacob Banks Headlines XOYO

Bank(s) some tickets

Check in… to Jacob Banks’ show at London’s XOYO. Having burst onto the scene last year within this very ones to watch issue, Banks has since partnered up with Wretch 32 and Chase & Status, killed multiple Jools Holland performances and toured alongside Emeli Sande, so tickets are sure to fly for the newly signed Atlantic artist.Jacob Banks performs at XOYO on 28 January, check xoyo.co.uk

Ahead of the release of Ministry of Sound’s trap compilation, DJ Rattus Rattus fills us in on trap’s inimitable sounds, where he sees the genre heading in the future and which budding trap luminary to keep our ears perked all the way up for…

What is it about the trap sound that manages to appeal to such a wide audience?Trap has bridged the gap between rap and dubstep. Unlike other new genres it hasn’t forced beat structure or bpm rules on itself, allowing it to keep an air of experimentation as well as per-mitting tracks – which aren’t just des-tined for club dancefloors - to bloom. Generally when a genre is lapped up by the masses it tends to mutate. Where do you see trap heading in the future?With the heavy use of samples and bootlegging, the genre runs a thin line of constantly being foul of legality – just like what happened with Baauer’s Harlem Shake. The emergence of more MCs on trap records - similar to what happened with Sublow as it mutated into grime – could prevent this and birth a new US style of rap. We previously featured Flosstradamus in our ones to watch list. Which rising acts on this compila-tion should people look out for?RL Grime is the obvious next trap superstar. Two extremely consistent and exciting producers are Keys and Krates with their sample filled, laid back 808 programming. Yellow Claw’s intelligent synth work, which tracks his sound away from the screech and wobbles of US style dubstep. Where is the perfect place/time/set-ting to listen to this compilation?Due to the nature of the genre, the mixes are extremely eclectic so wher-ever you are, just turn it up and let the bassline kick.The Sound Of Trap is released by Ministry of Sound

Trap Life

Hold Up

It’s time for a quick getaway

Check out… the best way to get around in style and drop the backpack this year. This Firetrap holdall is the perfect accessory for the traveller, whether it’s a weekender or gearing up to the festival season, there’s an opportunity to man up and stop blending into the background with this classic bag.£30, call 01628777320

Get It In The Pag

We’re going to Hideout Festival with or without you but a piece of advice is, book ahead!

Check-in… to Zrce Beach on the stunning Island of Pag in what we’ve renamed Craytia for one of the best festivals of the summer, Hideout. D&B, bass and pretty much all areas of house are covered from 30 June - 3 July via the all-night beach raves, raucous pool parties, and not forgetting the epic boat rides. So far Disclosure, Rudimental, Breach, Dusky, George FitzGerald, Justin Martin, Wilkinson, Ben Pearce, Huxley (we can’t wait for Creeper to go off), Gorgon City and Skream line up with even more to be announced! Can. Not. Wait. Don’t question the sketchy Ryanair routes, just embrace the adventure and get to booking over on hideoutfestival.com

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My Nu LengBristol based duo My Nu Leng have only been producing seriously for two years, but they’ve managed to explore just about every area of underground club music; you can’t trap this pair in any type of box. All we can say is look out for huge collaborations, radio rotations, upping the rider and no doubt the after party.Photography JPH

Since meeting back in High Wycombe a few years back when James was promoting nights, the duo soon started deejaying together, which led to them eventually producing beats. “We pissed around for the first year and a half, that’s why we called ourselves My Nu Leng. It’s a laugh and then it turned out we had to keep it,” Tommy states as James chips in; “I didn’t know what leng meant for ages, and then I figured it out, so I’m glad we stuck with it, it stands out.”

With remixes for Rudimental, Naughty Boy and Clean Bandit under their belts; it’s all about focusing on their own style in 2014. “It caters for a lot of different sounds, but mainly dark,” James tells us of the 130bpm EP. Set for release on Black Butter Records, it follows two successful drops from the imprint with a clear moody vibe. “We’re both quite D&B originally, so I think it’s that kind of influence. It’s got a good balance, so a lot of different types of DJs are playing our music, which is cool.”

Still bedroom producers, it’s been a case of stealing time in between deejaying across Europe, “the other day we came back from Liverpool and had something like 25 minutes in the house. Sometimes it’s that crazy but you can’t really complain,” James relays the juggle of producing and playing out. Especially since they’re fond of an after party or two, no matter how hard they try to shrug off the title. “We like mingling after the show, we’re renowned in the past for just loving after parties, everyone tweets us saying we’ve got an after party,” they say mischievously. “We’re trying to calm down a little bit now, that’s a reputation we’re trying to stop but it’s never gonna happen.”

Two big New Years Eve dates booked, there’s talk of the rider getting a little boost from the simple beers and a spirit, “I don’t think we feel as if we can get away with it yet. We’re aiming for the day when we don’t have to wash boxers,” laughs Tommy. It won’t be long now as they’ve signed with Stack House management [Rudimental, Gorgon City] who have plans to get the guys playing from here to Australia, not to mention having some huge and super secretive collaborations in the works.Look out for the new EP from @mynuleng on black-butter.co.uk

“We pi**ed around for the first year... that’s why we called ourselves My Nu Leng. It’s a laugh…I didn’t know what leng meant for ages.”

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Cory Jreamz

19-year-old rhymer Corey Jreamz cites inspiration from David Lynch, Richard Pryor, Ernest Hemingway and Lil Wayne, further lending credence to the argument that he, and his brand of conscious rap, are worlds away from the average. Having both created and directed the visuals to each of his music videos, Jreamz forever pushes to better himself, “have confidence in yourself… I went from being the shy kid with the birthmark on his face, to being the guy who calls himself ‘The Black Marlon Brando.’ I want people to listen to my jams, and walk away with their confidence on max.”Jreamz is set to perform in London, miles away from his small hometown in Texas, a goal he set himself in early 2012. @coryjreamz

Lukas Freeman

25-year-old London resident, Lukas Freeman, is a creative in every sense of the word, and lately, it seems the singer, producer, and photographer is flourishing with the multi-functional skillset he has at his disposal. His lyri-cal capacity tells stories that a million of us can relate to, while the trip-hop package in which it’s delivered is as fresh as ever. A former grime MC, Freeman’s penchant for photography is also evident in the body of his musi-cal works; creating the wildest imag-ery with his emotive songwriting. It’s a portrait that the world soon won’t be able to ignore, “my main aim right now is to make music and videos that are real to me. I just want to create what I’d want to see on the TV, and hear on the radio.” @Lukas3man [EE]

Tweet To Win!

Duck And Cover’s directional take on trend-led menswear always keeps us one step ahead. RWD and Duck And Cover partner up to champion the hottest emerging talent and this month, My Nu Leng, Cory Jreamz and Lukas Freeman are all #ReadyForAnything. We’re here to make sure your style is on point and are offering a pair of jeans tailored to your individual needs. Check out the denim guide on duckandcover.co.uk and get involved in the competition by heading to Twitter using #ReadyForAnything @RWDmag @duckand-cover_ and stating the style name, wash and size.

STYLE

Le Coq Sportif bobble hatlecoqsportif.comOne True Saxon quilted jacketscottsmenswear.comWeekend Offender jacketweekendoffender.comD.I.E stripe T-shirturbanoutfitters.comLevi’s jeanslevis.comBoxfresh red waffle knit socksboxfresh.comBoxfresh Forbz Worker bootsboxfresh.com

C O L DW A R

Photography Jon AttenboroughStylist Sophie Robinson

Styling Asst. Chris McGovernGrooming Buster Knight

Model Sam @Premier Models

Opposite: WeSC camo bomber jacketwesc.comEdwin distressed denim jacketedwin-europe.comDOPE stripe T-shirtdope.comConverse pommed beanie asos.com

Above: Ben Sherman Plectrum harrington jacketbensherman.comLe Coq Sportif orange shawl neck cardiganlecoqsportif.comLevi’s distressed denim shirtlevis.comElvine mid wash jeans elvine.seTimberland Splitrock 2 bootsscottsmenswear.com

Above/ opposite: PXL leather monogram strap backpxlclothing.comAnerkjendt leather jacketanerkjendt.dkSupply & Demand toxic T-shirt jdsports.co.ukDuck and Cover leather piping trousersduckandcover.co.ukNike Air Force 1’sjdsports.co.uk

Opposite: PXL varsity jacketpxlclothing.comDOPE paint splatter hoodydope.comQuicksilver burgundy chinossurfdome.com

Above: Original Penguin quilted grey jacketscottsmenswear.comHYPE orange striped knitted jumperhype.comElvine shirtElvine.seLevi’s 501 Original fit dark jeansLevis.com Cat Colorado bootscatfootwear.com

Opposite:adidas print panel waterproof anorakadidas.co.ukadidas cable knit shawl collar cardiganadidas.co.ukElvine print chambray shirtelvine.seLe Coq Sportif orange chino trouserslecoqsportif.comLacoste Upton bootsscottsmenswear.com

Above: Penfield tweed giletpenfield.comBen Sherman Plectrum orange parkabensherman.com

Opposite: Minimum leopard windbreakerminimum.dkDuck and Cover Boxsir Porto Raw jeansduckandcover.co.ukCrooks & Castles quilted jacketcrooksncastles.comNike Air Trainer SC IIjdsports.co.uk

Duck and Cover cable knit beanieduckandcover.co.ukDuck and Cover waxed quilted jacketduckandcover.co.ukNative Youth flannel aztec shirtnative-youth.comLevi’s 501 stonewash jeanslevis.comCat Colorado bootscatfootwear.com

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B r a z u c aB l a s t

It’s hard to set a realistic target for England in Brazil. As fans we want to be in the tournament for as long as possible, but most of us realise that there are at least five teams better placed than us. There’s no World Cup without England though, and as difficult as Group D looks on paper; Steven Gerrard will lead a team laden with as much talent as any of our first three opponents, while boasting a blend of youth and experience that great nations rely-on come tournament time. There is a lot of football to be played before the big kick-off in June, but the way things are shaping up, we’re expecting one of the great World Cups of a generation.The adidas Brazuka football is available at jdsports.co.uk

With England’s so-called ‘Group of Death’ confirmed, and with just six-months to go until Brazil host Croatia in the first game of the 2014 World Cup; it’s time to seriously assess where we stand ahead of the summer of samba.Photography Kevin Joseph

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36 German football fans call this time of the year the

“English weeks,” as our European cousins use the bitter cold as an excuse to take a breather from the game; English football manages to cram more games into the period than is reasonable. As much logic as there is to the winter break, we as fans thrive on the frankly absurd schedule. Whether hiding from the snow on sofas and armchairs, Christmas lights blinking. Sky remote in hand, or embracing bitterly cold stadiums, singing for warmth, with toes and fingers verging on frost-bite, this truly is the best time of the year. This is when the season really starts to take shape. Title contenders are revealed, Champions League chasers begin to feel the pressure, and the Football Leagues split themselves into Playoff chasers and relegation strugglers - as fine a line as exists in the game.

The football year doesn’t start in January, it starts in August, and as we all begin to look forward to gym memberships, diets and what’s new for 2014, the game carries on as normal. There are new beginnings, though, with the Transfer Window flung open; there are also sudden ends, with a slew of managerial sackings coming every year around this time.

So, making the most of these English Weeks, we looked as far ahead as possible, with Cardiff’s 21 year-old captain Steven Caulker telling us about a few of his first experiences in the game, we also met Tottenham Hotspur and England Under-21 youngster Harry Kane to talk Bieber and Becks. We were lucky enough to catch-up with RWD’s #13for13 cover-star Raheem Sterling, while we also focused on the growing reputation of Norwich’s exciting young winger Nathan Redmond. Add all of that to England’s greatest ever left-back, the 106 cap legend Ashley Cole and a healthy debate on the future of The FA Cup, and you’ve got more than enough in this issue of RWD Football to survive the winter.

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I N T H I S I S S U E :Nathan

Redmond is Next Up

Harry Kane On Bieber and Becks

Raheem Sterling

Talks Gerrard,

SAS & More

E n g l a n d ’ s W o r l d C u p

D r a w I n N u m b e r sSome are calling it he Group of Death and if Greg Dyke doesn’t think England can qualify then we definitely do. But the numbers that matter certainly make for uncomfortable reading

39He doesn’t only bully Premier League defenders with 39 goals, Luis Suarez is Uruguay’s all-time top goal scorer

3.4MWith the smallest population of any team in England’s World Cup group, Uruguay’s superstar per capita is among the highest in world football

4Europe’s most successful international team, Italy have pedigree in the World Cup having won it four times; the last of which came in 2006

7Italy boast a dominant record in games against England with four wins to one, and two draws including our eventual penalty defeat in Euro 2012

0Costa Rica have never beaten a team in Group D, having played Italy and Uruguay nine times in total. They have also never played England

There are two current Costa Rica internationals plying their trade in the Premier League with Everton’s Bryan Oviedo and Fulham’s Bryan Ruiz set to face England on 24 June 2In five World Cup games against their Group D opponents England have won exactly zero times. Losing three and drawing two - 5

Ashley Cole Talks Legacy and Legends

Two Sides Asks If The FA Cup Still Has The Same Magic

Steven Caulker

Breaks Down a Few of His

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“I think [that] even though [Steven Gerrard] is getting older, he’s better than he was

five-years ago.”

S t e r l i n g J o b

How did it feel to be part of the England team that qualified for the World Cup with a win against Poland?Everyone was looking forward to the game, everyone just wanted to get the game over and done with because we had a good chance to win. It was one of [those things] where everyone wanted to get on the pitch and do the business, and it worked because we got to the World Cup.

What do you remember about your England debut against Sweden?To make your debut for England, or Liverpool, at the age of 17, is a big thing, it’s one of the best things I’ve done so far in football. I’m looking forward to playing more for both.

What do you remember of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s performance that day?Everything he touched was world class and every shot he took, went in. His hold-up play was amazing! It was a different level. He’s established himself as one of the best players in the world and I was just happy to be on the pitch with him.

You’re around a team playing with a lot of confidence at the moment; how is it to be in that dressing room? Obviously it’s good to be in that dressing room when you’re winning. A lot of those games we weren’t winning last season, the motivation and the drive of the team is much better now. It’s one of [those things] where confidence within ourselves, and as a team, that we’re going to get the points we need to push up the table.

How much are you enjoying playing with Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez? They’re both great players, so training with them everyday you’re only going to learn from them and get better. They’re two players I look up to and hopefully I can play with them more throughout the season; [and] maybe get some goals and assists.

You’re part of an exciting generation, who else should we lookout for in 2014? There’s a few; Andros [Townsend], Nathaniel [Chalobah] and [Nathan] Redmond, they are the three that come to mind, but there’s people like Will [Hughes], Saido [Berahino], and a few others that we should be looking forward to seeing really.

There’s been a lot of talk about Steven Gerrard recently, how good of a player is the England captain? I think [that] even though he’s getting older, he’s still better than he was five-years ago. In the summer he’ll lead the country out [and] he can be that player who will win us games and bring us as far as we can. I can’t talk any higher of him really.

Steven Gerrard told us that you’re currently trying to take control of the dressing room iPod, is that true?I wouldn’t say trying to take control. We’re just trying to get the music in the changing room a bit more lively before and after training; we wouldn’t do it on a match day.

What music would you play to liven up the changing room?A bit of Drake and some UK artists as well.

You’ve got a good relationship with a lot of UK music artists, who are you tipping for next year?Krept & Konan, Yungen, people like that.

You’re a man who knows his trainers, what should we be keeping an eye on in terms of colours and styles this Christmas?The Nike SneakerBoots! They’re really good and they’ll go well with the new Tech Pack that has just come out.

People seem pretty obsessed with your style; they focus on your hair and what you wear. How does it feel having such regular things getting so much attention?I don’t do it on purpose. I’ve gone for a normal hairstyle at the moment. I’m just trying to go for a normal haircut, so people can focus on my football not my hair.Raheem Sterling was speaking at the launch of the Nike SneakerBoots available now from nike.com

“Everything [Zlatan] touched was world class and every shot he took went in. His hold-up play was amazing! It was a different level.”

The star of last year’s #13for13 issue, it’s been a year of milestones for Raheem Sterling, with the mercurial winger representing England (ensuring his place in Roy Hodgson’s thoughts ahead of a massive summer), he also cemented himself as a regular fixture in and around the Liverpool first team. We caught-up with the Jamaica-born prodigy, to talk SAS, music, Steven Gerrard, his tips for 2014 and a whole lot more.

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Born and raised a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Harry Kane is already a firm fan favourite at White Hart Lane and with big things expected of the England Under-21 international in the year to come, we thought now would be the perfect time to meet the young striker as we look ahead to those likely to make an impact in 2014. Speaking at the Spurs EA SPORTS FIFA 14 Pro Player Challenge, we talked Bieber, Becks and more.Photography Liam Ricketts

M e e tH a r r y K a n e

On Justin Bieber...I like a bit of Bieber! I’ll throw that out there! I think he’s a cool guy. I don’t mind the likes of Drake as well. I think a lot of people secretly rate Bieber, they’re just a bit afraid to admit it. I’m not afraid, I’m throw-ing it out there. I think a few of the lads would say that they like Bieber. Normally Lewis Holtby’s iPod gets thrown on [in the dressing room]. It’s a bit hit-and-miss for me personally, but I think the lads are hav-ing it. He’s normally the main man who sorts it out. It’s a bit of dance music and I like a little sing-along to get me pumped up for the game, that’s my sort of style. But I guess the dance music aint too bad either.

On David Beckham...I would say David Beckham was my idol. He was from the same area as me, we went to the same Secondary School. He’s obviously still a legend and he was back then. He was a great player and a great ambassador. [My favourite Beckham memory] was 2001 against Greece, when he scored the free-kick in the last minute, that was a great moment for me growing up.

On Andros Townsend...Andros is football mad. Even when he was young he was always doing extra, so I think he would always have a ball at his feet no matter what. Andros is showing that if you’re doing the right things, no matter how old or young you are, you’ll get your chance, and as a young player coming through the Academy, that’s what you want to see. Obviously Andros has gone on to seniors at England, which is great, and he obviously got his goal, which was a special moment for him. It’s great

to see your teammate, and your mate, doing that.

On learning at Spurs...[Steffen Freund] is intense. He’s a top man to have around; he keeps everyone’s spirits high! And obviously when you’re coming off the bench he gets you pumped up for the game. I still think he’d like to be involved himself to be honest with you. He’s a top man and I think everyone gets on well with him. Les [Ferdinand] was a top striker and played so many Premier League games and scored so many goals, you can only learn.

His tips for 2014...At Spurs I’d say Nabil Bentalab. He’s a good young player coming through. He’s been training with us in the first team and he’s been doing very well, so he’s got a great future ahead of him. From the England Under-21s I think Ravel Morrison’s a good player; he’s been showing it in the Premier League this year. I think Nathan Redmond is a great player. He’s gone to Norwich and he’s done well so far. I think he’s got a good future ahead of him. Harry Kane was taking part in the Spurs EA SPORTS FIFA 14 Pro Player Tournament on Xbox One. FIFA 14 comes alive on Xbox One and Playstation 4, on sale NOW at Game.co.uk

“I think a lot of people secretly rateBieber, they’re just a bit afraid to admit it. I’m not afraid, I’m throwing it out there.”

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Since joining the Canaries, this vibrant winger has grabbed national attention with his pace, power and razor-sharp reflexes. Turning in man of the match performances for the England Under 21s and causing Premier League full-backs no end of grief, and it’s really no surprise considering who his idols were growing up. “I would say the people who most inspired me were Cristiano Ronaldo and before that Thierry Henry. Just the way they took control and the way the fans reacted to them whenever they got on the ball,” Nathan continues. “Whenever they did a bit of magic, it was just something to see. I would say Thierry Henry, as a player, he was just one of the best ever [players] in the Premier League.”

Adjusting to life in the Norwich City dressing room seems to have come easy for Redmond, who has already seen his influence on the dressing room iPod clawed away from him; “the kit man does it now because there were too many disputes over whose iPod went in,” the Drake fan recounts. “There was me, there’s a Dutch lad who put Dutch rap on and everyone would sit there, and then a couple of lads would be putting Abba on and stuff like that and the kit man just seems to have a fair mix of everything, so we let him do it now.”

Box-set appreciator Nathan seems to be growing in confidence with every game. Something that hasn’t gone unnoticed among his peers at Carrow Road or those in Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21 set-up, who consistently point to him as being

one very likely to succeed. Talking about his life off the pitch, Redmond laughs as he tells us The Incredibles is his favourite film and he chuckles while admitting that he can’t keep his sporting obsession in-check between games. “I play FIFA, NBA 2K14, just anything sports related really!” Rating his own style as “nine out of ten, I’m that high!” The Colin Francis and Max Denham enthusiast doesn’t want to throw any of his team-mates under the bus for a lack of swag, “everyone’s safe. Everybody wears tracksuits.”

With a simple effective ethos that he shares with any young hopefuls trying to make their way in the game “Just enjoy playing football.” Nathan Redmond will be looking to add to his growing number of appearances in England’s top division this season and will continue to push for a breakthrough into Roy Hodgson’s national team, having represented England at every youth level since the age of 16. Destined to play at the very top of the game, Nathan Redmond is Next Up.Nathan Redmond’s adidas F50 boots are available at jdsports.co.uk.

“I would say the people who most inspired me were Cristiano Ronaldo and before that Thierry Henry. Just the way they took control and the way the fans reacted to them whenever they got on the ball”

Breaking into the Birmingham City first-team at the age of 16, Nathan Redmond fast became one of English football’s most talked about young players. A string of eye-catching performances in the Championship and the Europa League - the competition in which the 19-year old scored his first career goal. “That was a special moment. I just couldn’t believe I’d done it!” His growing reputation and buzz-worthy performances proved enough to convince Norwich City to fight-off a slew of Premier League suitors over the summer to secure the confident young attacker’s signature.Photography Jon Attenborough

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The FA Cup still produces magic. It’s as simple as that. It deserves to be treated with respect and adulation as the world’s oldest and most prestigious cup competition, and not one to be brushed aside by teams playing on multiple fronts. Wigan’s victory last season shows that for some, it’s still a vitally important part of the infrastructure of English football. The fact that two of the last four winners are no longer Premier League clubs demonstrates the competition’s glory. TV has had its part to play in what some call the demise of the cup. It’s true; we’re spoilt for choice. But there are ways that we can bring the magic back.  Scrap fourth place in the league. Get rid of it like last night’s curry. Open up a Champions League spot to the team who wins the FA Cup. What would the Tottenhams and Liverpools put into a cup run, knowing that it could secure a passage

into Europe’s elite club competition? If the team who wins the cup has already qualified for the Champions League, fourth place opens up. If a relegated team like Wigan, or even a Championship club win it; give them a Europa League spot. It keeps the Premier League competitive and it gives the cup the Holy Grail all teams in Europe mortgage their futures for. No more trying out youngsters. Keep that for the League Cup.  Scrap Wembley semi-finals. The whole fun of getting to the final is that it’s a day out in the capital and an afternoon in the incredible national stadium; a true once in a lifetime moment for any fan. Staging the semi-finals there kills it completely and it becomes a nuisance. Last season, you had Wigan Athletic and Manchester City fans both having to make two trips down south, at a time when, for different reasons, neither could afford whatever energy was spent. A neutral, equidistant ground should host the semi-finals, saving the magic of Wembley Stadium for the final. Are either of my suggestions likely to happen? No. But either way The FA have a responsibility, to the fans, to focus its efforts on raising the quality of the cup, which has meant so much to so many, for generations. @benrebuck

Debating the future of ‘The Greatest Cup Competition In The World,’ RWD Football’s Ben Rebuck and Tego Sigel take Two Sides on the the magic of the FA Cup.

“What would the Tottenhams and Liverpools put into a cup run, knowing that it could secure a passage intoEurope’s elite club competition?”

League Cup

A cup competition with full understanding of its own identity, the League Cup makes stars and provides entertainment year-on-year. The Capital One Cup, as it’s now known, is aware that it sits low on the priority list, but it has embraced its status and is loved because of it.

Champions League

The Champions League’s importance is about much more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Norwegian minnows coming up against Spanish giants, and world superstars playing on artificial pitches in minus seven temperatures all add to our love of the ultimate club competition.

Maybe it was Portsmouth mortgaging their future for a shot at the famous trophy, or perhaps it’s been Chelsea and Manchester City’s recent domination of the competition that has soured my taste for the cup, but, in my opinion, more than any other stage in football, money has ruined The FA Cup.

Of course there are the plucky underdog stories that make heroes and villains of superstars and builders alike and as much fun as it is to pretend that Sutton United Vs Norwich City is worth 90 minutes of your life, the reality is very different. The country’s top five or six teams have been allowed to play weakened sides in the early rounds of the Cup for a few years now, but when mid-table and relegation threatened Premier League sides began to see it as an opportunity to rest players, the competition was dealt a blow from which I’m not sure it will ever recover.

Premier League survival will always be a greater incentive for middling clubs with no real chance of European qualification than a luck of the draw cup-run. I have little doubt that Wigan and Middlesbrough fans would trade their days in the sun for survival in the top division following their infamous cup final/relegation seasons. But it shouldn’t be as cut and dry as that. There is no great incentive to winning the Champions League, beyond competing with the

best in the world and proving your own greatness. On paper, The FA Cup should hold the same allure.

This is not a new conversation, and it’s remarkably similar to the one had around the League Cup a few years back. But unlike the League Cup, The FA Cup hasn’t worked out its new identity. It does no good pretending it belongs alongside the Premier League and Champions League as an elite competition. Laden with underdog clichés, frozen pitches and long-balls; the FA Cup arrives six months into a season in which fans have had unprecedented access to elite football from all over Europe. We, as fans, have grown accustomed to a certain level of quality, and a certain level of competition. I’m afraid the FA Cup just can’t compete. Until The FA Cup shakes off its David and Goliath narrative and finds an identity that suits the average football fan in 2014, then its infamous magic will remain a thing of the past.@tegosigel

“[Fans] have grown accustomed to a certain level of quality, and a certain level of competition. I’m afraid the FA Cup just can’t compete”

Europa League

It’s such a burden, isn’t it? Just ask Newcastle fans who saw their side drop to 16th in the league whilst trying to progress in the competition. Winning the Europa League isn’t even exciting; it just means qualifying for the deadout tournament for yet another year.

Confed. Cup

What is the point of the Confederations Cup? The fact that England have never played in it (and probably never will) makes it a totally unnecessary competition on these shores. Brazil won it last time. Good for them. We don’t care. Will we ever? Highly unlikely.

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You started your career up-front, how did find yourself playing left-back?I enjoyed being up front, but at the age of 14 I got a chance to play for the Arsenal youth team with guys who were two years my senior. A left-back got injured and I jumped at the chance to play in an older and better team. I played there and they invited me back as the guy’s injury was serious and it seemed the manager liked me. It was from the age of about 15 or 16 I started to take the position seriously. I had been used to scoring goals and I guess being at left-back was a bit boring, at first I did find it daunting but after that my confidence grew as did the manager’s and it went from there.

Your impact on the first team was explosive, with Patrick Vieira comparing you to Paolo Maldini. Were accolades like that easy to take in your stride?I was a shy boy so it was weird for me. I used to sit in the dressing-room and I think the first team guys wondered if I would ever talk. As a kid you are in awe of these players and then, there you are with the likes of David Seaman and Tony Adams; legends. I took so much from them though and they offered so much advice on how to play the position. As a youngster I could think – before the ball had even come to me – what I was going to do next and that was a great instinct to have, especially from a young age.

Tell us about facing Cristiano Ronaldo at the European Championship in 2004. Did you go into that match feeling especially confident? Not really. Whenever you are playing for your country in a major tournament you

have such an adrenaline rush and that night there was a place in the semi-finals at stake. At the time we had such great confidence as a team and felt if everyone did their jobs we had a chance of winning it.

Did you take extra motivation from the game happening on that massive stage?Yeah I think so. Prior to that night against Portugal I had faced Ronaldo at Old Trafford. He did a step over and made me fall over and literally do the splits. After that I said to myself, I will never ever let this guy do that to me again. You don’t want to be embarrassed by the best players or made to look silly, so going into the game I knew what I had to do to try and stop him and things went well.

It feels like a new era for both England and Chelsea. Does that give your football a freshness?Yeah, both teams have competition for places and players to keep you on your toes and that makes you want to get better. I know what it is like to win but I also know what it feels like to lose and I don’t like that.Ashley Cole wears the Nike Tiempo available now from nike.com

“As a kid you are in awe of these players and then there you are with the likes of David Seaman and Tony Adams; legends”

The greatest full-back in the history of the English game, Ashley Cole will in all likeliness become the nation’s third most capped player by the end of the summer, (overtaking Bobby Moore no less) and the Chelsea legend shows no signs of slowing down. Boasting a trophy cabinet bulging with just about every trophy there is to be won, England’s number three talks competition for places, making his name in the game and gunning for that international appearance record with RWD Football.

“I’m not afraid to stand on my own two feet and prove people wrong. It’s important to have that inner

confidence in your own ability and to not let other people handpick your career for you.”

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S t e v e n C a u l k e r

The first game I ever watched... will go back a long time. It would definitely have been a Brentford game. I was a season ticket holder there for a few years, so I used to go and watch many games there and support the local team.

The first game I ever played in... was for Brentford in the Community. It was a little 5-a-side game and I’d just come out with the man of the match award, so I was delighted to do that. It was great to get that award, and it boosted my confidence from there on in. I was playing in midfield. I used to enjoy getting forward and scoring goals.

My first goal... that I remember, again it would be for Brentford. I can’t remember exactly how I scored, but back then I used to be shooting from all kinds of distances and angles and I used to be quite successful, so I’m not too sure what’s happened now [laughs] but I need to get it back down and get on the training pitch and work on my feet. [All of my goals] are coming on my head at the moment, so if I get an opportunity then it would be great to get a shot-off and you never know what might happen.

The first time I felt like I was going to make it in football... came when I was around 12 or 13, when I started to play 11-a-side. I got picked up by Reading for a trial down there and that’s obviously when your hopes and ambitions start to kick in and you hope to put them into reality. It had the highs and lows. It had the buzz of being selected for the trial and the disappointment when you didn’t quite make the grade. I had several rejections throughout my teens, when I went on trial with four or five clubs and was turned away, so it’s always hard to take. But I had good people around me at the time and I kept that belief that eventually a club would take me on and when I was 15, Spurs came calling. That was such a relief to put pen to paper and be part of an academy.

In my first game at international level... I came on as a sub for the England Under-19s and it was such a proud moment. It was out in Slovenia and my dad had actually flown out there. It was such a proud moment for my family and myself and I was delighted to keep the shirt after the game. It was a great experience. By then I had been playing every>

A full England international with a goal on his debut, Steven Caulker played first team football for four different sides before making the ultimate career decision to leave the club that nurtured him, Tottenham Hotspur, in favour of newly promoted Cardiff City this summer. West London born Steven is a man with his future well and truly in his own hands, and following a derby-day winner against former club Swansea last month, (on top of a quick acceptance of the captain’s armband), Caulker’s start to life in the Welsh capital couldn’t have gone much better. Sitting down with the England international at a photo shoot for his new PUMA Kings, we discussed a few of the key moments that have helped to shape the 21 year-old defender.

“I used to be shooting from all kinds of distances and angles and I used to be quite successful, so I’m not too sure what’s happened now [laughs]”

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“It was more my second goal that was obviously the big buzz. That was against Swansea in the derby and it was a massive occasion.”

< game and I really felt part of the team, and we got to the semi-finals on the trip. So again it was the highs of getting there and the disappointment of gettinga battering by Spain. We learned from that. Testing yourself against great players is how you learn and improve your game.

My first goal for Cardiff... was against Fulham and it was just great to hit the back of the net. It was more my second goal that was obviously the big buzz. That was against Swansea in the derby and it was a massive occasion. It was an important three-points at the time as well, we wanted to keep with the pack and not slip down towards the bottom three. Steven Caulker wears the super soft PUMA King football boot, available now from PUMA.com. Head to PUMAFootballClub.com to conquer unique challenges and get closer than ever to PUMA players

Steven Caulker has given us a signed pair of his new PUMA King boots to give away. To be in with a chance of winning the one-off prize, we want you to Tweet @RWDFootball and @AfricasChild14, Steven’s charity aiming to raise money to build a school in Kambia, Sierra Leone, telling us about your first memory as a football fan.

Make sure you’re following @RWDFootball and @AfricasChild14 on Twitter and include #MyFirstRWD in your Tweet to win.

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It’s been a crazy year for you! How do you feel about the comparisons you’ve been getting already, including you being a mini Beyoncé?I’m flattered really. It’s always been like an image of mine, I’ve always thought of the lion as an alter ego, so in terms of the hair, my reference is not people, it’s a lion. You know when you think of lions, you think of loyalty and pride and passion and all that and I love The Lion King as well, it’s my favourite movie. So, anything to do with lions!

I see where the influence behind the logo came from now, and there are tattoos of it floating around too, are they real?It is true! There are two so far, that I know of; someone put it on their wrist and someone else put it on their bum. It’s great because I drew the logo with my mum, basing it on various references that we had. So to have people liking it enough to want to put it on their body permanently, is fantastic.

That’s pretty mental. Having witnessed you on stage live, it’s safe to say you’ve found fans via your performances, your energy is crazy!I do just love being on stage. When I first started performing, I loved it and that’s how I decided to go down the route of performing arts. It’s definitely the best bit. I love being able to be creative on stage as well as off stage, and I learnt a lot from the Rudimental boys, touring with them, in terms of how I want my live show to go off and how I want my fans to react. The person that I take from live is Beyoncé. Even though it’s such a pop thing to say but she’s incredible; the energy, the fierceness, she’s so sure of herself. So I like to think that I’m building myself up to a standard where it’s like that.

Now Deeper has dropped too, it has topped off a pretty perfect year for you. Yeah, it’s basically like a taster EP produced with

With a stage school upbringing, some may say it was inevitable that 19 year-old Ella Eyre was eventually going to break through but it was the powerful vocals added to Rudimental’s hit Waiting All Night that catapulted her into the limelight. As she fills us in on the past year, not mixing work and play, getting lost in the ghettos of Brooklyn and picking up tips from Rudimental, we learn that the next 12 months are most definitely going to be all about Ella. Photography Andres ReynagaStyling Alexis Knox Styling Asst. Emily MeolaWords Nardene Scott

“I’ve alwaysthought of thelion as an alterego so in termsof the hair, myreference is not[Beyonce], it’s alion… You knowwhen you thinkof lions youthink of loyaltyand pride andpassion”

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Two Inch Punch, it’s just me and him messing around in the studio and just getting a vibe going. We had no expecta-tions for it and then we finished it and played it to everyone and they were like, ‘It’s a vibe!’ I just thought I wanted to release something by the end of the year for people who have been waiting and had heard me on Waiting All Night and every-thing else. It’s still a very powerful sound, influenced by soul and Motown, there’s pop influences and it’s very brass.

That’s kind of what this wave of singers including yourself are all about, fusing all of your influences...It’s really cool because I feel like real music is coming back and you know we had a bit of a blank spot and it was all very pop and very formulated for a while, very generic. It’s really fantastic to have people like Rudimental, Shakka, Lorde, breaking the waves. Sam Smith, he’s got an incred-ible voice and from what I’ve heard so far [his album is] gonna be amazing. Joel Compass, he’s got a really beautiful voice… not a bad looking guy either.

What are you most looking forward to in 2014?I’m really looking forward to releasing my music. I’ve had an entire year of other people’s music and supporting them. I feel like 2014 is gonna be about me; whether it goes amazingly or not, focusing on me and what I’m doing. The pressure will change because it will be my work, with Waiting All Night, it was their problem but the pressure will definitely be the change because I will work so much harder on this project because it comes from me, but also the reward will be a million times better. Even having Deeper played on Radio 1; like Deeper wasn’t even meant to be played on Radio 1, it was only meant to go to 1Xtra. The fact that people have picked it up has bypassed my expectations. So I’m looking forward to more videos, more tunes and having control and being able to put the love and the passion into the project and hoping that people latch on.

You’ve been touring all over the world with Rudimental. Where’s the most inspi-rational place you’ve visited so far? I’ve been to quite a few places this year. I really liked Australia. I got a chance to go out there and I’m going again at Christmas as a holiday. I went to New York a couple of weeks ago and got a chance to go on the subway. We were really downtown Brooklyn and that was really inspiring because I got lost, completely lost, but I loved it. I couldn’t figure out the trainline system but it was great because I was going to need to work this out. But actually before I get a map, I’m gonna go upstairs and see what’s up there and I got to go

through a few alleyways with amazing artwork. I think the graffiti in New York is far more interesting than the UK. I was like downtown ghetto Brookyln to the point where I wasn’t even sure if there was a metro station around. It was amazing, we were eating a lot of soul food and I had good Japanese as well.

So, tell us what’s an day is like in the life of Ella Eyre?Recently, I woke up with raging tonsillitis the first night of the Naughty Boy tour that I was supporting. I couldn’t swallow anything, then I downed a load of phar-maceutical drugs, the works, to numb it out. Went to soundcheck, slept, woke up for the gig, did the gig, slept, went on with Naughty Boy and went back home. It was the most excruciating thing I’ve ever done. I was convinced that I didn’t want to waste that opportunity, I knew that some doctor might correct me on that but Tonsillitis is about the tonsils, it’s not connected with your vocal chords so I was convinced that if I could numb the pain, I could sing. Once I was up there, I didn’t feel a thing and when I came off, I was passing out all over the place.

When you get to kick back, what’s on the agenda? Is there a man in your life or are you just hanging with your friends?Definitely friends. I feel like I spend the week surrounding myself with work, so on the weekends, I feel like I need to spend time with the people that inspire me the most and support and encourage me so that I can go back into another week of work. Making time for other people is a big thing for me, definitely.

So do you try to keep the worlds of work and play separate?I did the Brighton gig and I said to my friend, ‘Do you want to come on the tour bus?’ The band are really great, I love to introduce them to my friends but I defi-nitely like to keep it separate in terms of relationships. That’s the biggest bit of advice I could have received, to keep relationships and music very separate but friends, they love it and if they support me, why can’t they have a little bit of it? Deeper is out now @thisisella

“I’ve had an entire year of other people’s music and supporting them. I feel like 2014 is gonna be about me; whether it goes amazingly or not, focusing on me and what I’m doing.”

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I’ve always had self-belief… growing up in Watford in my school, me and my cousin were the only coloured kids, so you have to be confident in yourself. Then I moved to London, had no friends, I even went to Nigeria at 12 and went to school out there. So just having confidence in yourself from day one, being able to adapt in any circumstance; especially coming into the boxing gym, there are like 100 kids of so many different cultures, you’ve got to come in here and just get on with it.

I’ll always remember… being here at the Finchley Amateur Boxing Club. (Laughs) I moved to London and my cousin said, ‘Come boxing gym.’ I used to watch him train and I was just bored of watching him. He lent me some money, got me some boots and a pair of shorts, I got involved. Before boxing I used to smoke and drink, eat kebabs, I was just living my life. Sean Murphy (ABC owner) didn’t train me like I just started, he trained me like I was a champion on the first day, and hon-estly if it wasn’t for my cousin, I wouldn’t have been able to get home. I left here with a headache, being sick, dizzy, like, ‘Argh! I’m dying’ (laughs). I’ll never forget them days, what I put my body through man. It was tough! I kept on getting in trouble, I wasn’t even allowed to go back to where I grew up, so I had a lot of time. I thought, ‘If I’m not gonna train what am I gonna do?’ Then I realised that I had to choose one or the other.

My life goals have changed… the goal back then, really was to not have a job and become a millionaire. I thought that life was a lot easier, but life is hard, and I realise now the amount of effort,

discipline and focus it takes and I didn’t have that. So now I feel like through box-ing, I can achieve anything I want. You’ve got two boxers running for president of their country, Manny Pacquiao and Vitali Klitschko. They come from nothing and now they have a chance to run for presi-dent; so it’s like boxing is one thing, but if you get it right and you stay disciplined and get your craft right and keep on win-ning, it just opens up massive doors. I don’t look for the tweets and likes; I’m more interested in what I can give back.

When it comes to pre-fight banter… (laughs) if someone sends for me, I will send straight back because that’s just the nature of the beast, that predator mental-ity, but I haven’t got energy to waste on people’s comments. I’ve got to be disci-plined and professional enough to ignore it.

On the playlist right now… there’s the G Funk, like Snoop Dogg’s era, he’s got that pimp about him. Then you’ve got jazz 100%, but in the gym you’ve got to go more hardcore. Meek Mill is doing a lot for me, Nas, 2 Pac, I’m swaying towards Biggie, Jay Z as well, Jay Z is the man.

When it comes to entrance music… they text you like three days before and I’m calling all my cousins like, ‘Bring me entrance music!’ (laughs) I’ve come out to Who Gon Stop Me, Holy Grail and that Chip one Londoner, so I think the next one is gonna be Original Nuttah, because that gets everyone hype. If I could get a rapper out with me, I’ll probably go with Tinie Tempah, because he’s UK and I like the way he carries himself. He’s a conscious man and he’s doing his thing.

When I get compared to the greats… that’s a lot of weight on your shoulders and fighting is a lot of pressure anyway. It’s an honour but I’ve just got to do me, because boxing, trust me, they love you one minute and hate you another. So I just honestly stay on a balanced wave, I don’t get too carried away. Buy tickets to see @anthonyjoshua in action on 1 February via ajboxing.com

“Before boxing I used to smoke and drink, eat kebabs, I was just living my life. I kept on getting in trouble; I wasn’t even allowed to go back to where I grew up. I realised that I had to choose one or the other.”

Last time we caught up with heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua he’d just casually copped an Olympic gold (as a super heavyweight). Now a year later he’s stepped into the professional arena, and with 3 KOs under his belt, the 23 year-old is more focused than ever. Nardene Scott headed down to the place where it all started, the Amateur Boxing Club in Finchley to hear about his new life goals.Photography Adrian Nettleship

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Not familiar with the name Jhené Aiko yet? Where HAVE you been? We’ve been banging on about her since 2011!? The LA based crooner has been steadily rising through the ranks, releasing several supremely well-received mixtapes before last year collaborating with a host of name-brands like Childish Gambino and Drake. And with her debut album set for release early this year, it’s only right we tell you to jump aboard the bandwagon while there’s still (some) room. Alya Mooro investigates…

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A I K O

With a voice you thought could only come from otherworldly beings, and lyrics that can soothe even the most deeply rooted of emotions, Jhené Aiko is a force to be reckoned with.

Despite only last year graduating to more of a mainstream awareness, the mother of one has been releasing music for years now (she was signed to Epic Records at 12). “It’s part of the growth and the journey, I guess, so it was only ever a mat-ter of time,” she says. “Every little bit counts and so obviously all the features that I’ve done this year have brought more attention to me and my own music.” And one thing’s for sure, the profoundly spiritual Jhené is not in any rush: “The journey is the reward,” she says.

As for her inspiration? “For me, there’s nothing that’s off lim-its.” This comes following a scramble to get out of contracts she had signed when she was still too young to understand them. “Now I’m 25, I have my own life, write my own music, pick my own tracks and my own beats… it’s me, they’re my stories, they’re my lyrics, it’s how I want to sing.”

To this regard, her lyrics are profoundly honest, borne from a need for expression. The titles of her bodies of work strongly allude to her need for freedom, her debut EP Sailing Soul(s) recently followed up with Sail Out – a “middle ground” before her debut album, due for release early this year. “Sailing is being free, not having a price and not changing for money, but just naturally evolving and naturally progressing.”

What to expect? Hopefully more of the same, as well as sev-eral alter egos, like her rapping side she calls J. Henessy. Sail Out is out now. @jheneaiko

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Meet the lady from Washington DC who has her own ideas about how modern day R&B should sound and with the help of everyone from the Night Slugs crew to HudMo and Evian Christ is reshaping the genre as we know it. Obsessed with the irregular, we hung out with Kelela in Hoxton and decided to breakdown five things you need to know about the LA residing singer.

1. She likes bullet fingers.Yeah you saw bullet fingers [at the gig] (clicks and stamps feet). That’s the first time people had paid their money and come to see me.

2. She’s also into grime.I like that the sound is rooted in Timberland’s production but it’s f**ked, I’ve been a fan of those people before meeting them, I did a tiny mix-tape of songs that I ripped off the internet and started writing tunes over these tracks. That mixtape was like FlyLo, HudMo, Bonobo… I was also mad that my sh*t didn’t sound as edgy or crazy or deeper.

3. She should start to get used to people being starstruck.[This fan] saw me when I was doing my make up at Boiler Room in Madrid and she’s like ‘OMG! Can I take a picture with you?’ I was just thinking, this is crazy. I imagine I would feel that way if I saw Mariah. I was like that with Lauryn Hill, I was actually trying out for her band.

4. Her idea of R&B is natural, stripped back and f**ked up.There’s not a load of adlibs all over the place. I come from the world of Aaliyah, which everyone kind of understands and sort of reveres; that graceful and sincere style, like nobody f**ks with that. I like to pick the most f**ked up beats because I like to do what’s not expect-ed. Aaliyah would always choose the weirdest tracks instinctively and I think that has everything to do with that comparison.

5. She’s only been doing this for four years.Before 2009 I would just sing along with pop music and jazz and try to imitate voices. Cut For Me is like a Mariah song, that was my attempt. [In the next four years ideally]… I’ll be able to pay for my children to go to college and when I go in a store, I don’t have to worry about buy-ing juice. I’ll be like, ‘Imma buy this coconut water right now‘ (laughs).Download @kelelam mixtape Cut 4 Me at fadetomind.com

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Tell us about your summer with Rudimental…It’s been the most exciting, hard working summer I’ve ever had. I had never been on a plane before, and now I’ve been all over Europe and all over America. So it’s been incredible.

What was a stand out moment? Probably V Festival where we played to 50,000 people and also MTV Malta. I was about four gigs in and performed in front of thousands of people!

Then you go Top 10 writing and singing Afterglow alongside Wilkinson! How does that feel?I was in a session and Wilkinson had rang the guy that I was in with and we wrote Afterglow. Then all of a sudden, I’m doing a Ram Records night in Brixton, and I’m like OMG! If you had told me this when I was 16, I would have told you to f**k off.

So where did music all start for you? I’d always sang, but when I was 11, I went to the local youth club and my parents had just come along for a little showcase. Then I learnt guitar, started writing music and to cut a long story short was put into an acoustic band! I was 16, the drum-mer was 48, the piano player was 30 and the bass player was 26. It’s not dodgy in the slightest! I know what everybody is thinking!

Would you recommend others to go on The Voice? I would definitely advise it if you know where you want to get to. It’s a dog eat dog industry. I was 17 and going through quite a bad phase in my life and suddenly The Voice came and it all kind of kicked off from there. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise really, something that I really needed.@BeckyHill Afterglow is out now.

“All of a sudden, I’m doing a Ram Records night in Brixton, and I’m like OMG! If you had told me this when I was 16, I would have told you to f**k off.”

Reality TV shows for musicians can mean either sink or swim; if you go in with the right attitude and hustle your way through, then the people you meet can throw open doors. Becky Hill did just that. After stepping off The Voice, she secured management and jumped two feet first into the music industry. Touring the world with Rudimental, she has now landed a record deal and been busy in the studio. Words Carly Wilford

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Despite only releasing three tracks last year, Kwabs sold out his first headline show almost instantly. We talked to the 23 year-old about what would inevitably be a breakthrough year for the British/Ghanian artist…

“[2014] is about real singers,” says Kwabs. “I’m part of a group of people that are about to create some-thing really exciting and that’s so motivating.” Kwabs is steadily garnering a solid fan base, his soulful voice mixed with an amalgamation of influences wholly refreshing and mesmerizing in its beauty.

Bursting onto the scene with his stunning cover of James Blake’s Wilhelm Scream, which, occurred almost on a whim -“I was studying Jazz and doing Jazz gigs on the side to earn some money, but there was quite a big turning point in the middle of my degree where I thought, well maybe I can do some-thing else… ” he explains. “One day I just thought to myself, what if I just put up a cover?”

One of Kwabs’ underlying strengths is his ability to effortlessly mesh genres, “I suppose the challenge is in making it feel like you at the end of the day,” he adds. “I’m enjoying the variety; it hasn’t felt at any point like it’s compromising what I am.”@kwabsmusic

He has been plastered all over the airwaves this year; courtesy of Rudimental, Disclosure and Naughty Boy but it’s time for Sam Smith to step centre stage.

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Don’t expect me to stay in the same lane… I always strive to take risks. Latch, LaLaLa, Lay Me Down and Nirvana couldn’t be anymore different in terms of production.

My most memorable day… was probably waking up on my 21st Birthday and finding out I had a No. 1 with LaLaLa, the rest of the day consisted of me drinking two bottles of wine. It was glorious!  My first paid gig was… a christen-ing. I was background music and I was fat so probably spent the money on sausage rolls.

The most random thing a fan has done… is get ‘In the lonely hour I need you’ tattooed across her chest - that is some serious sh*t.

The weirdest thing that I’ve read about myself is… that I’m a woman. The first comment on Latch on YouTube was ‘I love her voice!’ Made me laugh.@samsmithworld releases Money On My Mind 16 February

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This Black Butter/Polydor producer, songwriter and singer with the crazy falsetto has produced for John Legend, written for Rita Ora and been in the studio with Pharrell. Nardene Scott caught up with a focused Joel Compass for some real talk about why he’s intent on taking over in 2014.

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So what’s happening at the moment?I’m going out to LA to write with a load of people like Pharrell. The thing is, I’ve always produced my own stuff, so every time [the label] try and put me in a studio with someone else, I always get frustrat-ed. But if I’m working with someone like Pharrell, I’ll back down because he’s gonna be sick.

This comes after Pusha T decided to jump on your latest track too, Run.It’s kind of crazy! I just wanted a rapper on the track, the next thing I know, I got an email saying, ‘We’ve got Pusha T!’ I thought it was a joke because they like to do that… you’ve got to wait until you actually hear that on the radio but he liked the track and wanted to do it so that was even better than pushing the track on him.

There’s a lot of hype about R&B in the UK with the likes of yourself, MNEK, Sampha, etc.I’m actually working with MNEK tonight! I think the whole new wave is like the coming together of a load of sounds from different eras. The way I describe it is like the atmosphere of Pink Floyd - which is what I used to listen to growing up - meets electronica and R&B/soul.

It’s been a pretty rapid rise for you this year. Did you expect that instant reaction?When I first started, I was just not sure what they were signing me for because I was just producing and they wanted to sign me as a singer. Then they gave me a studio space and I was producing and I just started to realise that I was taking myself for granted. The melodies I was coming up with, I started keeping for myself. I just treat melody as like another instrument. It’s not a voice, it’s like the same as putting a guitar lead on a track and then I just put lyrics to it afterwards. I think I’ve definitely grown into being an artist.

Where ideally would you like to be next year?Basically I went back home the other night; my mum went into hospital so I went to go pick up some stuff for her. I came across some people beforehand and I ended up getting stabbed, that was kind of crazy but I’m good. After that, there’s no way I’m going backwards, I’m not gonna go back to living down there. I want to do what all the art-ists that I love have done. I wanna sell millions of albums. I wanna be successful, as quickly as pos-sible, but I want to have fun while I’m getting there. This album is to literally show them what I can do. It’s going to be everything, this is me trying my hardest, so I’m hoping people just love it. Run Ft. Pusha T is out now @joelcompass

“There’s no way I’m going backwards, I’m not gonna go back to living down there. I want to do what all the artists that I love have done. I wanna sell millions of albums. I wanna be successful…”

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Born into a musical family of six, it was always pretty obvious for singer/songwriter Rosie Lowe which direction her life would take. With an A-Level in Music by the age of 13, the Devon hailing artist meets Alya Mooro to fill her in on what’s next…

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“I think if you know that you’ve got to do something, then you’ve got to do it” says Rosie Lowe when asked why she thinks all eyes are on her. But what else would you expect from someone who’s been singing and playing SEVEN instruments pretty much since she could sit up?

Having grown up listening to an amalgamation of hip hop, Bach and Erykah Badu, the musical process is a supremely personal one for Rosie. “I always get this feeling when I know I have to write a song; I get very impatient.” The title track of her debut EP The Right Thing came about as a result of a break up: “I actually said I’m sorry but you have to leave now, because I need to write a song,” she laughs.

In an age where looks so often trump talent, Rosie is adamant that people should judge her with their ears, not eyes. Now producing and writing all her own content, before passing it on to oft collaborators and esteemed producers Dave Okumu [Amy Winehouse, Jessie Ware] and Kwes [Pusha T, Eliza Doolittle]; the trio are set to collaborate on her debut album, out later this year.The Right Thing EP is out now. @rosielowemusic

With the recent rise of the underground dance scene, Gorgon City are a product of its’ recognition. Following our tip at the top of the year, they’re now sitting pretty on a record deal with Virgin EMI and grown from the same Black Butter Records imprint as chart maestros Rudimental, Kai Gibbon (Foamo) & Matt Scott (RackNRuin) have a big year ahead of them. Words Carly WilfordPhotography JPH

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In the middle of playing a packed out DJ sched-ule, they are currently juggling time in the studio working on their debut album alongside care-fully crafting a new live show. After touring with Rudimental across Australia recently, the pair watched their sets from afar. “I had a heart to heart with Piers at one of the after parties in Sydney” explains Matt. “He told us that it’s one thing deejaying and watching the crowd go off to your tracks but imagine actually playing that bass line and making the room shake.”

Rooted firmly in the deeper side of the house scene, they have found their way into the main-stream by making uplifting feel good tracks. Their next single Ready For Your Love featuring label mate and musical wonderkid MNEK has already won over the critics and is set to be their next single. Happy with their commercial success so far, they are still keen to keep their feet in the underground scene they came from. “Sometimes when you are making all these nice vocal house tracks with really beautiful vocalists, it’s also nice just to flip it and go in the studio and make something stupidly grimey,” reveals Kai. “If you see us play out; we go hard, deep and dark,” Matt chips in. Stories of late night gigs that lead into early mornings and festival highlights that most of us could only imagine of, Gorgon City are already living the dream. With their album just around the corner and an upcoming American tour landing them in the studio with artists stateside, 2014 is set to put the duo on the map worldwide. Ready For Your Love Ft. MNEK is out 19 January. @GorgonCity

“[Piers from Rudimental] told us that it’s one thing deejaying and watching the crowd go off to your tracks but imagine actually playing that bass line and making the room shake.”

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Musical trio All About She, compromising the production skills of Jon Clare and James Tadgell with the melodious offerings of Vanya Taylor, have been setting the scene alight, working with the likes of Tinie Tempah and Wretch 32; 2014 is the year they come into their own.

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All About them - [James] Jon was DJing at an Under-18’s gig and I was helping promote it, so he sent me a DJ tape and then we got hold of some musical equip-ment and started learning together. We met Vanya who was a solo artist, and we started doing sessions together. After about three sessions, we kinda figured out she was pretty dope so we brought her in. [Vanya] They were called All About She before I joined; all their songs were about girls so it made sense. I actually wanted to steal their name for my solo career, so it seemed natural to bring me in… [Jon] rather than have her be a thief (laughs).

All About producing - [James] We’ve been working in the background with other people but we’ve worked a lot on our sound. We’ve always wanted to be a live act; Vanya’s had dreams of wanting to be on stage and being an artist. It’s all about working hard and honing in on your craft. Right now we feel happy with the combination of sound and vocals, bringing soulful elements to the tracks as well.

All About the future - [James] We’re working on the next single right now, which is going to be following Higher (Free) right now. We’re aiming to put an album out next year and work with some more great artists. [Vanya] The people we’ve worked with so far have been amaz-ing, Tinie, Dizzee, Tinchy, Sasha [Keable], Wretch 32, Rusko… so many people, it’s been so great already and we’re just look-ing forward to working with more people.

All About their sound - [Jon] It depends on the way we approach it and who we work with; the relationship we have with those people makes a difference too. [Vanya] We always try and do something that repre-sents them, but with our little spin on it.

All About their tips for 2014 - [James] Gorgon City are ones to watch; Kai from Gorgon City is someone who we grew up with and they’re killing it… [Jon] MNEK is gonna be huge, it’s always fun getting in the studio with him, his voice is standout. Higher (Free) is out now @allaboutshe

Scottish lad Bobby Perman aka S-Type is the latest LuckyMe affiliate to cause raucous ripples across the blogosphere and threaten speakers from London to LA with his hip hop club infused productions. Fresh off touring with Baauer and AraabMusik, the laid back, humble musician fills us in on what’s next, where he came from and why you should probably avoid Reno.

My musical background is… hugely important. But I’m not too conscious of it most of the time. There are chord progressions and drum sounds that I think people are starting to recognise as ‘S-Type,’ that surely all comes from my background. Raw, dry drums, and I natu-rally tend to make accurate natural drums even within the Macshine – like changing velocity of hats and not feeling the need to over process those sounds. I think it’s all from countless hours of drumming when I was young.

The incredible reaction to 2012 banger, Billboard… I mean, I knew there were a lot of people anticipating the title track after Rustie put it in his Essential Mix, and when folks played it in Glasgow, it was a riot! But I didn’t expect it to be so well received. It’s a great feeling hearing peo-ple cheer when I drop it in my sets. I’m always surprised when people who don’t know me personally, know my music. Amazing feeling.

People describe your music as ‘aqua-crunk’… that sh*t is dumb! I don’t even think about what genre my music is! I clearly don’t make EDM. I just make what feels right. It’s all just rap or R&B to me.

Talk us through the process of mak-ing your latest track Rosario… it started as a 30 second idea that I’d made one night when I was bored. Very direct, just melody, drums and bassline. I didn’t think it was anything special, but included it in a folder of beats and sent it over to Dom at LuckyMe. I’m not gonna lie, there was a pressure after Billboard to make some-thing huge and I nervously sent over the zip. Well out of all of ‘em, this was the one they went crazy for. Eclair Fifi caught the rough version and played it at Fabric and Dom sent me a video of people in the crowd and in the booth going crazy. Then she played it on her BBC Radio 1 show – all rough 192 demos. The main hook hasn’t changed, but I’ve added 100 switch ups and mix downs before I got it to sound the way I wanted, and a sax solo. 

What are your early memories of work-ing with Hudson Mohawke? I’ve known HudMo since we were like 15, before he made beats. I got him to do some cuts on

the first rap songs I ever produced. He started making beats on the PlayStation and we’d send each other snippets over MSN. Evian Christ recently told me the first record he ever bought was my first release and I can’t believe it. It just feels like a whole generation of artists taking over. It’s exciting to be a part of that. 

What can we expect from your upcom-ing music? My follow up EP, Rosario is out on LuckyMe very soon. It features Roc, YC The Cynic and something from Rustie that people won’t be expecting. I’m super excited to put this record out. The tour was excellent but I have the next few releases lined up in my head.

Tell us one tour story… We visited a lot of small cities in the US, but Reno was a freak show. We instantly got a weird vibe from the place. Endless rows of casinos and cheap hotels; imagine an abandoned, run-down Vegas. There weren’t many people about, but everyone we encoun-tered seemed like a character from a video game. People were just walking about, shouting at each other. We turned into an alley way leading to the back of the club and were faced with a guy sh*tting in the middle of the road, with his hand out asking us for money. My music is heavily influenced by American culture, but now the tour is over, I realise I didn’t know much about it at all. 

The most famous person in my phone-book is… RZA. But don’t ask who gave [the number] to me.

My tips for 2014 are… Cashmere Cat and Djemba Djemba will both do well and Inkke is about to kill it too. @S_Type and look out for Rosario EP

“Evian Christ recently told me the first record he ever bought was my first release and I really can’t believe it. It just feels like a whole generation of artists taking over right now. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

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South London rappers Krept & Konan have elevated themselves to a completely different level this year. Against all odds and in an industry where UK rap isn’t really taken too seriously, they’ve charted independently, sold out headline shows and ended up signing to the biggest major out there. But do not get it twisted, as Ralph Hardy discovers, they’re most definitely not about to go Gangnam Style on us.Photography JPH

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On plans for the album…[Konan] We’re just working and focused on the album, even though we just dropped the mixtape. We don’t really wanna go to a big name and then they’re giving us a sh*t beat. I just want it to be organic, so if we do work with someone that is massive, I would want him or her to want to work with us as well, instead of this forced thing. [Krept] The fact that we put out something organic, we didn’t care about radio or TV; that’s what got us to this platform, the biggest platform we’ve been at in our whole career, just knowing that we’ve done something that was actually us, no compromising.

On highlights of 2013…[Konan] The MOBO awards. It was surreal going on stage, our phones just exploded, my battery died so quick. We’re not trying to get gassed off that, we’re still newcomers; we’ve got a lot of awards to collect. If we could get the BET International, that would be the icing on the cake because when we hoped to get Top 40, with the planning and prepa-ration, we ended up getting a Top 20. We got nomi-nated for the MOBOs and then we won, we sold out the show and the next one. We’ve covered all the foundations of coming up and that’s what I feel like we should all do. I don’t want to skip a level because we’ve come so far not skipping anything. We didn’t get no back doors, we had to go through the trenches.

On sold out gigs…[Krept] Our Young Kingz show was the wildest; we were performing for an hour and a half straight. We’ve done so many shows to the point that no one has been there and we’ve just performed for the bar staff and a promoter. To they know every song, word for word. It was mental, like every single song was turn up!

On co-signs…[Konan] As long as it’s natural, like a real co-sign should always go further than a name. We were talking about producers earlier, I’d rather get a co-sign from Timbaland than pay for a beat from his bottom draw. But co-signs are important, look what we did with Yungen. He went from like 3,000 to 30,000 followers. Look at Drake and Lil Wayne… [Krept] We want that Queen co-sign, Prince William and them man. As long as it’s natural. A lot of the music scene is just smoke and mirrors. It seems like people are doing things, but we never wanna seem, we just wanna do. We’re not in it for trying to impress nobody; we’re here to actually do things.

I feel like I would be lying to myself if it weren’t natural. I never ever wanna fool the fans because they’re following a journey.

On the UK rap scene…[Konan] Before Young Kingz came out, the scene was kind of falling, like they didn’t really take it seriously because there was no proof of what our scene was capable of. This year [we were speak-ing to someone at Radio 1] and they said they’re stopping playlisting [UK rap] because no one really went through the roof. We done what we done inde-pendently so that they know that there’s a fanbase, because remember the only thing they care about is chart positions and sales. [Krept] You think we got this far to start moving like Gangnam Style? Come on man! We’ve been doing it for a minute and obviously we’ve come to hurdles and we’ve come to put out songs that have done f**k all, lost money and we’ve just carried on with persistence. We’ve seen people with the buzz and then they don’t get signed and go f**k the industry, I’m going back to the roads.

On hypothetical arm candy…[Konan] I’m going for someone like Ellie Goulding, out of the box. Adele holler at me or one of Little Mix, I think her name is Jade. [Krept] I think I’d go for American so I can branch out… [Konan] I didn’t know we could cross seas, Rihanna then, she’s bad but I don’t mind. I’d make her break my heart and put it in a song on a Drake vibe. Maybe Miley Cyrus for a minute or Taylor Swift, I would do it for the profile. [Krept] I’d try get in there with Beyonce so it would be all over the papers. That will never happen, Beyonce will shut me down with them strong legs, All the girls are married now so Nicki I reckon. Cop Young Kingz @kreptplaydirty @konanplaydirty

“A lot of the music scene is just smoke and mirrors. It seems like people are doing things, but we never wanna seem, we just wanna do. We’re not in it for trying to impress nobody; we’re here to actually do things.” [Krept]

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His voice is instantly recognisable and his productions speak a thousand words. Sampha is by no means new to RWD and it would be hard to believe that the year which saw him contribute towards the biggest selling rap album in Drake’s Nothing Was The Same, keep the clubs bubbling with a banger alongside Lil Silva and deliver his own astounding Dual EP can be topped, but 2014 is just about to do that. We spoke to the south Londoner down at Young Turks HQ about his favourite place to write, sympathising with Kanye, using music as therapy and continuing to grow in confidence. Words Nardene Scott

From your Dual EP to the recent double A-side Too Much/Happens, everything seems to have been stripped back, why was that?The Dual EP in itself was quite a fragmented pro-cess. I wrote a lot of that in between touring with SBTRKT and I guess there were little pockets of me on piano and more of a mixture of sounds. But Too Much/Happens came about because I had these songs that I produced that I had these melodies and vocals for, and I was finding it really hard to attach a vocal narrative to them because I already said quite a lot through the production. Someone at Young Turks got the idea of just sitting down with the piano and just trying to hone in on the lyrics. That’s what I did and I ended up finishing a bunch of songs, we recorded a bunch of my piano tracks and just decided to put it out.

Is there still a favourite place for you to write?It would have to be at home on my dining room table, with my mum sitting in the corner watching TV. Sometimes you need to just go back to where and what you know. I know my headphones, I know my laptop; I know that space, so going back there I can hark back to where I composed a lot of songs. That dining room table means a lot to me, as simple as it is, or my bedroom. At the same time, I am inspired by environmental change, just new surroundings; I guess my brain is making new connections.

Would it be fair to say that your music can be con-sidered a way of therapy without confronting the real issues?Sometimes it actually can be like that, I might have written a song and then people like it but it’s not even nice for me. When you’re being really honest and you’re sharing a problem through music - they say sharing a problem, is a problem halved – well, sometimes it can feel like a prob-lem quadrupled. But to get to the end point, it’s good to be honest and truthful, that’s how you should live life. One of my songs Indecision, which I wrote around the time of Amy Winehouse’s death, I had my own problems that I was going through and I guess I wrote it from the perspec-tive of someone who has problems. Just saying,

‘Okay, things are just gonna work out fine’ without actively changing the cause of the problem. Music is like a balance, sometimes it’s my getaway, for some reason whenever I have things to do, I make my best tunes. Sometimes I’m imagining stuff, like I was listening to one of Kanye’s interviews recently where he’s shouting, ‘You Don’t Have The Answers’ [laughs]. It was inspirational because I kind of understand where he’s coming from, I understand the level of frustration. Just him saying he feels like a big kid trying to get out his ideas; that’s a beautiful place. That’s where his music took me to when I listened to College Dropout – obviously there was a serious undertone but just his imagination, that’s something I really aspire to. That whole era was such an inspiration and a fuel for me to make my own music.

So, what is the plan for 2014?It’s to take in a deep breath and go forward and be more comfortable with myself and not try and attach my whole level of self worth to my output. At the same time as, obviously caring about what I’m doing. But it’s just about me being more confident about writing and just trying to find my creative stride. Actually be by myself in terms of not crav-ing or wanting acceptance, having that strength to know that when I like something to go with it.Too Much/Happens by @Sampha_ is out now

“I was listening to one of Kanye’s interviews recently where he’s shouting ‘You Don’t Have The Answers’ [laughs]. It was inspirational because I kind of understand the level of frustration. Just him saying he feels like a big kid trying to get out his ideas; that’s a beautiful place.”

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Film icon Martin Scorsese teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio again, you know what that means…

Already tipped for awards galore, true story The Wolf Of Wall Street unravels the luxurious life and damning demise of stock swindler Jordan Belfort. Played by DiCaprio, of course, who better to play a cocky thug in a suit with a love for excess everything? Add to that the on-going successful screen relationship with Jonah Hill, plus the introducing of sexy Australian actress Margot Robbie and there are a few reasons why this has been one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of recent times. Described as ‘Goodfellas on Wall Street,’ there’s plenty of drug fuelled partying, strapping milli’s onto smugglers and of course bribery and corruption that will make the 165 minutes an enthralling watch.The Wolf Of Wall Street is in cinemas nationwide 17 January

W O R K H A R D P L A Y H A R D E R

Mandela

Is there any role Idris Elba can’t nail!? Not to mention the stunning performance by Naomie Harris as wife Winnie. A phenomenally cast pro-duction that gives a heart wrenching portrayal of the late Mandela’s life and of his strength, bravery and persistence in the face of what seemed insurmountable challenges. An epic life reduced more than adequately into 146 minutes; who ever would have thought it possible?

Preview: Inside Llewyn Davis

And the Coen brothers do it again! Winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, racking up the director’s highest ever box office figures and with a shining cast (which includes Mr. Justin Timberlake!) Inside Llewyn Davis follows a week in the life of a struggling musician, who, as Drake would say, is somewhere between “I want it and I got it.” Albeit much, much closer to wanting it. We’re sold.

If you’re still wondering what to do on these cold winter nights with that December pay packet getting worryingly thin; there are a few reasons why you should dig into your shallow pockets and head to the cinema for a little entertainment rather than your local watering hole. If you plan this out seriously, you could save yourself some pennies by getting down to Tesco beforehand for a bag of popcorn and a couple of cans, just try to hold it down in the foyer if you can.

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Preview: American Hustle

American Hustle sees an all star cast, of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and everyone’s current fave Jennifer Lawrence tell the comic tale of cor-ruption, duplicity, loyalty and love. Subverting the idea of the American Dream, the David O. Russell directed film is loosely based on the 1970s Abscam affair, where the F.B.I enlisted the help of swindler Mel Weinberg to help ensnare public officials who had been accepting bribes.

12 Years A Slave

The true story of Solomon Northup, who was abducted and sold into slavery; is depicted by Brit director Steve McQueen [Shame, Hunger] who has lined up a UK heavy cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender. Usually it’s the Americans who attempt to tell the tale, but McQueen, known for his raw and pretty harrowing storytelling, takes on a part of history in a way only he can.

Outside of music and sport, we take a look at the big screen to see who’s up next...

Will Poulter

Will has graduated from the silver screen and that Channel 4 “comedy” show we just won’t mention. Okay, We’re The Millers wasn’t exactly per-fect either but that was mostly down to Jennifer Aniston’s failed attempt to produce a decent lap dance (with all of those props as well). Alas, he’s back this year on a UK tip in 2014 in a range of roles, from starring along-side Cara ‘The Face’ Delevingne in Kids In Love, the true tale Shoplifters of the World, Plastic in which he tries to pull of a diamond heist and probably his most talked about upcoming film 20th Century Fox sci-fi thriller The Maze Runner.

Dave Franco

You’ll notice the surname, you might even notice the whole name after his performance in 21 Jump Street. But already lined up 2014 releases alongside Seth Rogen and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Neighbors), Vince Vaughn (Business Trip) and rumoured to play sibling to real life older bro James Franco in The Sound and the Fury, he’s more than your average Dave. Yes the twenty-something Californian actor is often forced to play a teen but this year young Franco is stepping out of his brother’s shadow and hopefully into some grown up roles.

Ones To Watch

Jan - Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sept-Oct

Raheem Sterling

George the Poet

Rainy Milo

Jack O’Connell

Mandem On The Wall

Show N Prove

Nov-Dec

#RWD13FOR13 RECAP It’s only right we reflect on last year’s list, especially now we’ve got a whole new bag of names to keep an eye on. From the ballers to the budding screen stars, rappers and more, we thought we’d see just how well our tips did in 2013...

JanuaryScored second league goal for Liverpool vs Sunderland with clever chip over the keeper

AugustScored first goal for England U21 in August vs Scotland finishing off an exquisite team move

JanuaryFilming for 300 sequel 300 Rise Of An Empire

JanuaryHas his first headline show at the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall. The Guardian hail him the “hottest name” in spoken word

AugustDazed Digital premiere her homemade GIF video for Deal Me Briefly

MayPerforms the first ever spo-ken word Live Lounge on BBC Radio 1Xtra

JulyMakes a comeback as Cook in Skins on the silver screen, before landing a lead role in Angelina Jolie directed Unbroken

DecemberSupports J.Cole on his final London tour date in Hammersmith

AugustMandem On The Wall pro-duce exclusive sketches for 4Music

SeptemberCollaborates with Wretch 32 in an effort to prevent rail deaths for National Rail

SeptemberLaunch their own official phone app

OctoberMy People blogged from Hypetrak to Huffington Post

NovemberNominated for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards

DecemberReach a solid 39,000 YouTube subscribers

JulyReleases Zimma Frame – sup-ported by Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and BBC 1Xtra

Jan - Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sept-Oct

Woz

M.O

Davy Evans

Tim Shieff

Joey Bada$$

Rejjie Snow

Jacob Banks

Nov-Dec

JanuaryGot in trouble for free running the streets of Derby which made the BBC News

January First unsigned artist to appear on BBC Live Lounge

AprilStarred in Disclosure’s You and Me video

AprilPlayed his first sold out head-line show at St Pancras Old Church

AugustCreated promo video for Mikky Ekko’s Pull Me Down

AugustCompeted in American Ninja Warriors Final... google that ish!

AugustSigns to Atlantic Records

JuneCreated logo for The XX curated festival Night and Day

SeptemberWorthy synced on US drama Suits

NovemberWorking on album artwork for 679 signed artist Fryars

NovemberSupports Chase and Status on Brand New Machine tour

JanuaryReleases debut single Unorthodox produced by DJ Premier

JanuaryWait Your Turn was used by YouTuber ‘Swoozie’

MarchNamed Creative Director of ecko, begins Beast Coast tour with Pro Era, The Underachievers and Flathbush Zombies and is also announced as part of XXL Magazine’s 2013 Freshman Class

June Rejovich EP topples Kanye and J.Cole off the top of the iTunes chart

JuneSupported Ciara, Disclosure and Jennifer Lopez on tour, a pretty busy summer

JulyReleases the criti-cally acclaimed Summer Knights EP

SeptemberPerforms at music festivals across Holland, Germany and France

JulyTeams up with Childish Gambino to remix Rudimental smash Feel The Love – currently standing at over 218,000 plays

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Cultural critic Charlamagne Tha God keeps it realer than real, so we just had to get in touch to find out more about The Breakfast Club host, that Kanye interview, being blatant and keeping side chicks in their place. As well as grabbing his thoughts on what the music world, in particularl hip hop, has in store for 2014 with his predictions for the scene.Words Nardene Scott

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Does a part of you feel sad that Kanye West, an artist you once liked has lost your respect and musically what could he do to win you over after Yeezus?I’m not gonna say that he lost my respect. I respect him enough to critique him. If I didn’t have respect for him I would just say eff him and I am getting to that point where I do be telling him, shut the eff up forever. But musically he just has to put out great music. Yeezus just wasn’t great to me. I think a lot of people misinterpreted what I was saying to him. I was telling him, don’t lose the foundations from which everybody loves you because your music is really your voice. Kanye West put a lot of socially redeemable value in his music. We’re at the point right now, where the most he’s getting recognition for, is his rants, which isn’t a good thing. Shut up with all that fashion sh*t, nobody wants to hear that. Were you upset that Kanye ended up going at Sway? Nah, why would I be upset that he went at Sway? Even he said it in the interview, this is what Charlamagne wanted. No, that’s not what I wanted. If [Kanye] would have yelled at me, I would have politely told Kanye West, ‘Relax, before I punch you

in the face.’ I don’t think the anger was meant for me. I just think he’s a very disgruntled, frustrated person and when you move off emotion then you have those types of outbursts. He needs to figure out a strategy and stop moving off emotion, that just makes you look like a scorned little girl.

Who have been your favourite and worst interviewees of all time and why? I always like interviewing the OGs, people that I grew up on. Whether it’s Jay Z, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, 50 Cent, Goodie Mob, Master P… the people that really provided the soundtrack to my life. They always tell you, you shouldn’t meet your heroes, so worst interviews are people that I held in high regard. I love Paul Mooney, and then to actually interview him he was full of hate and bigotry... we never aired that interview. Do you think people need to keep it real like yourself and in not doing so are actually turning these artists into the egos we then have to deal with?Don’t keep it real like me, keep it real like you and yes, you should give artists honest opinions. It’s funny

because even when one of the record reps was like, ‘you can’t go hard on Kanye, I know that, you know Bound 2 is a wack video and this album wasn’t that good…’ and I said, ‘well why don’t you tell him then?’ That’s your dumb ass, that’s why he runs around here feeling like everything he puts out is great.

You speak a lot about side chick, how can side chicks elevate to that next level?They’re supposed to be exactly what they are. When you have Thanksgiving dinner, the stuffing never elevates to the level of the turkey. So, it’s like, side chicks just need to shut the f**k up.

How do you feel when other interviewers attack your style like Peter Rosenberg, for example and what do you think about their style?To be honest with you, I don’t think about them at all. When I think about the competition, I’m chasing ghosts, people that you could never emulate what they do. I call them ghosts because if you try to fight a ghost, you’re not gonna win. I’m just trying to be at that level. The dudes you mentioned in your question, I’m not even looking at them; I’m looking past them.

“[On Sway vs Kanye rant] I would have politely told Kanye West, ‘Relax before I punch you in the face.’ He’s a very disgruntled, frustrated person he needs to figure out a strategy and stop moving off emotion that just makes you look like a scorned little girl.”

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2 Who’s going to be the first artist in 2014 to…?

Enter rehab...Rappers don’t go to rehab. Ain’t no rappers out here smoking cr**k or doing c**e no more, they just smoking w**d; they probably are still doing c**e, I don’t know, that’s a good question. Go to jail…Chief Keef is gonna go to jail and it’s gonna be for a long time, mark my words. I just saw a statement he put out where he said that his new album was gonna increase the murder rate. He’s going to jail soon. Have a rude awakening…Kanye West when he realises that everything that he has been doing is for nothing. All that ranting and they still not gonna accept you into that fashion world. You’ve got to show and prove by actions and deeds, not words and lip service. Yeezy’s weren’t the highest selling Nike’s; they didn’t break any astronomical sales records. What piece of clothing have you designed that’s gonna make Louis Vuitton or Gucci want to be in business? This is the thing about talented people, they have a sense of entitlement like they don’t have to go through the regular work process to get to certain levels.

Get dropped by their label…Trinidad James is absolutely going to get dropped by Def Jam if he doesn’t come out with a record that’s even half on the level of All Gold Everything.

Sign to Cash Money Records…Man Cash Money need to worry about all the artists they got signed now, that they’re not doing anything with, from Busta Rhymes to Bow Wow to the K-Pop group they signed. Cash Money’s roster is full! If I was an artist, I wouldn’t want to sign to Cash Money, they’re not even putting out the artists that they have.

Rapper to try and get you sacked in 2014? [Americans think sacked means getting beat up]Probably the same people trying to do it in 2013. Drake…? Who knows man? I’d be more concerned about them trying to do that to me because I don’t think it would end well for them.

Make Drake cry…OMG! I mean, I don’t know what doesn’t make Drake cry? He’s a sensitive guy. He needs a hug. Drake’s the type of guy that hugging him to tell him that you love him and that everything was gonna be alright, he’d sniffle, he’d cry tears of joy that anybody would show him love in that way.

Who will be the MVP of 2014?I mean I gave Kendrick the MVP for [2013] but I think it’s gonna be Kendrick again. He’s got a sophomore album coming up, he’s put himself in a position to be like the real leader of the new school. People will argue and say Drake, but I just feel like Kendrick has something that connects with people. There’s something about him that’s very relatable and he is the best wordsmith doing it, personally.

Who will surprise us in 2014?I was thinking about this today. I think Nicki Minaj and the reason why I say Nicki Minaj is because she’s back to her rap sh*t, she was on a lot of features last year and she’s back rapping. I know she’s working on her album right now and I just think that she’s got such a cult following and people aren’t expecting anything right now, that’s the beauty when there are no expectations. That’s when you can really come out. She’s not in no lane. Nobody is expecting her to come out with a pop record, a rap record, no one is expecting her to come with it, so I think that she’s just gonna surprise a lot of people and it’s gonna be a pleasant surprise. There’s a lot of people the game needs but we don’t even realise we need them until they’re not around any more. Lil Wayne is one of those people. I haven’t really been a huge Lil Wayne fan since Carter III but I think he’s one of those people.

Who’s going to be ‘Donkey of 2014’?I don’t know, these rappers are always doing dumb sh*t.

Justin Beiber…?Nah, I think Justin Bieber is making some incredible music. I think he’s actually about to take himself to another level musically and Justin [Timberlake] is about to show people that he’s a king out here. Bants galore @cthagod

Charlamagne Predicts...As well as all the firsts of 2014 there are some other stars to look out for all year long.

“What doesn’t make Drake cry? He’s a sensitive guy. He needs a hug. Drake’s the type of guy that hugging him to tell him that everything was gonna be alright, he’d sniffle, he’d cry tears of joy that anybody would show him love in that way.

@PXLpics | PXLclothing.com

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