Episode #002 - Shakk (Rapper, Teesside)

A rapper, producer and songwriter from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Max Gavins first became known as a 15 year-old battle rapper under the moniker Suus. He went on to acquire over half a million views on the UK's largest rap battle league, Don't Flop, travelling around the country and as far as Colorado to display his abilities.  He also released a slew of mixtapes between 2009-2014. After changing his pseudonym in early 2015, Max has released multiple singles and freestyles, appearing on 1Xtra’s Street Studio and SparkFM. In 2017, he released his debut album "1994". Entirely self-produced, the album features guest appearances from Blizzard and Rex Regis, and is available on all streaming services.

KV$HNOODLE (aka Ben Taylor), born in London, raised in Newton Aycliffe, a small industrial town on the dilapidated outskirts of the North East of England, provides the exact sense of frustration and disillusionment with his surroundings as you'd expect through lyrics and vocal performances alike.    Through smashing influences together from every and any genre that appeals, KV$HNOODLE creates atmospheric soundscapes captivating the feelings of self-doubt, hate and drug-induced happiness which are felt amongst the wider creative community but have never been discussed quite like this.    From the live experience, expect the same level of emotion and rawness expressed in the recordings with the ability to not only hear but see and feel the frustration, aggression and passion at the same time.  ---  Follow KVSHNOODLE: https://www.facebook.com/kushnoodleNE/

Making music since the age of 15, Reali-T moved from London to the North East for university and quickly made a name for himself as one of the best rappers in the region.  Famed for his quick witted, tongue-in-cheek lyricism that delivers poignant messages with a side of humorous punchlines, Reali-T’s style draws inspiration from the golden era of hip-hop – reminiscent of heralded MCs like Biggie Smalls, Tupac, NAS and Eminem.   After bubbling under the surface, building hype with two mixtapes and a group album, Reali-T finally cemented his place as one of the North East’s most respected rappers in the summer of 2017 with his debut studio album ‘Stay Tuned’. The album turned heads locally and nationally, earning Reali-T numerous gigs up and down the country, regular radio play on BBC Introducing, Spark FM, NE1 FM and others, as well as an invitation to freestyle for the UK’s biggest unregulated radio network Fubar Radio.   Carrying on his 2017 momentum, Reali-T followed up his debut album by dropping ‘Still Tuned?’ in the summer of 2018 –Following the buzz created by the acclaimed EP, Reali-T earned himself many festival spots over the summer, marking him as one of the best upcoming musicians in the region across any genre. Reali-T then went on to gain praise from UK hip-hop royalty, after winning an online freestyle competition run by Leaf Dog; who has produced for the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and KRS One.

Shoshin Noel has thrown out more energy on stage than anyone I've ever seen. I discovered Roninclan in 2018 when they supported GroundCulture in Newcastle and I've been a mega-fan since.  Shoshin's new project 'Hollowvoid' is going to send ripples across the UK Scene and is unlike anything you've ever heard, trust me.  Unfortunately Noel can no longer perform live due to him being unexpectedly diagnosed with three artery compressions - May Thurner Syndrome, Nutcracker Syndrome and MALS. Please take a look at the crowdfunding page which was set up by Noel's best friend Leyum in order to raise funds for an overseas operation he desperately needs to begin to live a pain-free life. More information about his condition is on there.

Shakk is an emerging rapper from Teesside.  Growing up in Middlesbrough before moving to London to pursue his dream to become a successful artist, Shakk quickly started making the right connections to evolve as a musician working in the studio with the likes of Wax, AJ Tracey & more.  Now back on Teesside, Shakk is quickly making a name for himself through thought provoking, powerful and emotive lyrics, as well as his captivating live performances, diverse flows and genuinely raw music. His profusion of styles and complete song writing ability led him to becoming voted “Artist of the year” by the readers of Ride Music in just his first year of releasing music in January 2019.

Just B is a multi genre MC and is without a doubt, the pioneer of North East Grime. He refuses to accept that Grime must stay where it originated - in London, or that the North East is any less capable of contributing to the culture. B gives a voice to the vulnerable and the forsaken members of forgotten communities across the UK. His forward thinking lyrics have actively inspired the younger generations to think bigger and understand that they don’t have to be a victim of their upbringing or environment. Makina played a big part in B’s early life, he started recording Makina sets at the age of 15. B states that Makina was “all we had” around his home town growing up. It was during this time that B managed to master the craft of fast paced spitting and punchy delivery.   So far in his career, Just B has self released six solo projects and has dropped multiple music videos via the global media channel Sektion Red. Alongside these solo endeavours, B joined forces with Newcastle Grime MC H-Man. The pair have released two full length studio albums via Stay Freezin records since the conception of “HB” in 2015. Watch the video version of this podcast on our Youtube channel