Lila Mcelroy
Copy Editor
Who wouldn’t want a little more British in their lives? Add some brilliant rapping and the upbeat sounds of the trumpet to a British singing duo, and you’ve got Rizzle Kicks. These two 21-year-old rappers/singers from Brighton, England put their extremely creative and talented minds together to form incredible music. In the beginning of 2013, the duo went on a US tour, opening up for fellow singing Brit Ed Sheeran. Anyone in the crowd, whether they had heard of the duo or not, was in love by the end of their set.
This tour exposed Rizzle Kicks to the American public. Jordan “Rizzle”Stephens and Harley “Sylvester” Alexander-Sule both started participating in workshops at a charity called AudioActive based in Brighton. They both ended up attending school together where Jordan studied Media and Harley studied Theater. Jordan began to create his own mix tape, which consisted of him rapping over his favorite artists, and asked Harley to collaborate with him.
The two noticed how well they sounded together and, in 2008, Rizzle Kicks came to be. Rizzle Kicks became a hit on Youtube and were signed to Island Records in 2010.
The creative lads released their first official single in June of 2011. The song called “Down with the Trumpets” eventually hit #4 on the UK Singles Chart, and remained on the top 40 for 13 weeks. Harley and Jordan went on to release two more singles called “When I Was a Youngster” and “Mama Do the Hump.” A week after their second single, they released their debut album Stereo Typical. “Mama Do the Hump” went on to create a dance called “The Hump”, contrary to its scandalous connotation, which is actually just an innocent dance move, which quickly spread across the UK.
Stephens and Alexander-Sule give classic hip hop a modern twist. Stereo Typical has beats that get any listener up on their feet. Each song has a fun sound without being anything close to a boy band. Rizzle Kicks is the farthest thing from “bubblegum pop.” Their music has its own unique sound that is rarely heard.
Throughout the album, it’s a refreshing twist to hear their thick British accents as they rap. Lyrics on the album are original and have depth, unlike the typical American rapper who incorporates drugs into their lyrics. It may be exhausting the same lyrics about love interests, but the boys give a fresh take on the subject.
But girls aren’t the only topics they choose to discuss through their music, there is much more to their songs. “When I was a Youngster” is a song on the album that tells about their childhood dreams. It explains that they had no idea where they were going to end up, but they are still basically little kids at heart. These two young men are fresh faces to the hip-hop scene and are on the fast track to fame.
Copy Editor
Who wouldn’t want a little more British in their lives? Add some brilliant rapping and the upbeat sounds of the trumpet to a British singing duo, and you’ve got Rizzle Kicks. These two 21-year-old rappers/singers from Brighton, England put their extremely creative and talented minds together to form incredible music. In the beginning of 2013, the duo went on a US tour, opening up for fellow singing Brit Ed Sheeran. Anyone in the crowd, whether they had heard of the duo or not, was in love by the end of their set.
This tour exposed Rizzle Kicks to the American public. Jordan “Rizzle”Stephens and Harley “Sylvester” Alexander-Sule both started participating in workshops at a charity called AudioActive based in Brighton. They both ended up attending school together where Jordan studied Media and Harley studied Theater. Jordan began to create his own mix tape, which consisted of him rapping over his favorite artists, and asked Harley to collaborate with him.
The two noticed how well they sounded together and, in 2008, Rizzle Kicks came to be. Rizzle Kicks became a hit on Youtube and were signed to Island Records in 2010.
The creative lads released their first official single in June of 2011. The song called “Down with the Trumpets” eventually hit #4 on the UK Singles Chart, and remained on the top 40 for 13 weeks. Harley and Jordan went on to release two more singles called “When I Was a Youngster” and “Mama Do the Hump.” A week after their second single, they released their debut album Stereo Typical. “Mama Do the Hump” went on to create a dance called “The Hump”, contrary to its scandalous connotation, which is actually just an innocent dance move, which quickly spread across the UK.
Stephens and Alexander-Sule give classic hip hop a modern twist. Stereo Typical has beats that get any listener up on their feet. Each song has a fun sound without being anything close to a boy band. Rizzle Kicks is the farthest thing from “bubblegum pop.” Their music has its own unique sound that is rarely heard.
Throughout the album, it’s a refreshing twist to hear their thick British accents as they rap. Lyrics on the album are original and have depth, unlike the typical American rapper who incorporates drugs into their lyrics. It may be exhausting the same lyrics about love interests, but the boys give a fresh take on the subject.
But girls aren’t the only topics they choose to discuss through their music, there is much more to their songs. “When I was a Youngster” is a song on the album that tells about their childhood dreams. It explains that they had no idea where they were going to end up, but they are still basically little kids at heart. These two young men are fresh faces to the hip-hop scene and are on the fast track to fame.
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