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Interviews,
Music
"I’m very much embedded in Hip Hop... everything I do has got that Hip Hop undercurrent to it. If I’m doing a Jazz tune it still has a Hip Hop aftertaste," says Andy Brooks aka
Testament,
Homecut’s infectiously charismatic frontman.
Despite it being a windy day on London’s Southbank,
Testament is enthused as he talks to SoulCulture's Tola Ositelu about his musical heroes, using rappers as points of reference where others would use more pedestrian examples. But to limit
Homecut’s sound to just Hip Hop doesn’t take into account the group’s varied style and myriad musical inspirations. Testament cites an impressive array of artists as influences from Hip Hop staples
Nas, J Dilla, Madlib and
Mos Def to Jazz and soul legends
Bob James, Grosvenor Washington Jnr, Gil Scott Heron, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Erykah Badu and more obscure acts such as
Moondog. He’s partial to a bit of Bossa Nova too. With such a dazzling list of musical icons, Homecut must be a collective of some very informed individuals...
Friday 3 July saw the launch of ‘Onwords & Upwords’ bi-monthly showcase, the brainchild of accomplished Spoken Word artist, Richard Smartt Jnr better known as [Verb]swish.
Verbs explained that he wanted to put on a night that gave spoken word as much of an equal billing as good music. He didn’t want poets rushed off stage to make room for ‘loud music that would only deafen us’. Verbs kept the line up simple; four quality artists spread over the evening. The show wasn’t bursting at the seems with acts therefore the audience could really appreciate each one to the full. The performances were stripped down to bare essentials, proving that none of the artists on the night were your flash-in-the-pan types, with an over-reliance on clever production to hide mediocrity. These are the real deal.