Behind the Scenes – Knowledge is Power Project.

This project has been three years in the making. After the release of Dicemans debut solo album the Power of Now produced by J.Depina and myself we embarked on our second album Powermoves. 
Then the pandemic happened. My life changed there and after loosing my job my circumstances changed. Diceman also invested in equipment. Drum machine after drum machine, exploring production and building his skills and experience of the tools that make this music. 

For years even before I was part of the picture. He had this vision of having all the equipment and tools to be a fully independent force. This was not an investment just for himself but for his crew too, the Legion. 
I came along and showed him how to do it. 

Over that time I continued to release more projects with TR Love, Si Spex, Tha 4Orce, A.dee and Chucky Smash. While doing that me and Dice always communicated. Things were going slow in my opinion and the energy from Dice needed a spark. Something had to happen to kick start a new chapter. Dice always kept writing lyrics and would call me all the time over the years spitting bars and explaining them. 

Many years before I met Dice I knew the Producer and B-Boy Maurizio the Nextone. I spent a lot of time with him, at his studio Beats for Life and watched him work. He has an incredible history and story. My gut was telling me that if I put Mauri and Dice together I think we can produce something very special. All of us have our own stories and been on our own journeys. We all know what its like to the underdog and overlooked. We all have a fire in a belly.

We all have plenty in us and plenty to prove and goals to achieve. I set up a meeting and introduction to everyone and also a time we can listen to Mauri’s music and select music to put an album together. I know Mauri very well and I know he knows where I’m coming from when I say this. Mauri makes music every day. A listening session could be long and can for days if he wanted too. So my idea was to keep it short. My mindset was pick the beats Dice write the album, record it lets get it out and keep it moving. 

We picked the beats, I left Mauri and Dice to form a friendship and build a working relationship. So they can see what they can create together. 

This didn’t turn out how I planned. Dices circumstances changed. We are all grown men and have our own responsibilities. Depression is no joke. Loosing motivation is a killer. It has a knock on effect and when you got productive people like Mauri and myself it has an impact. We need each other to be motivated. Otherwise once that high and excitement of creating is gone its painfully draining. 

This was addressed and we had a meeting 6 months ago addressing everything and being as clear and honest with each other as we possibly can. It was not a pleasant meeting at all. Our aim however was to get everything out in the open and get back on track. 
I had actually flown to New York to finish off the last 4 songs recording them at Dice’s House of Bars. The footage you will see in the footage below is from October 2023. The footage of Mauri is from 2011 filmed in Italy. 

I decided to release some of this footage to really address the place we are in right now. I had to create a film to inspire my brothers and really put out into the world the real truth that artists deal with behind closed doors. 

Action was required. This film is solely my opinion. Both Dice and Mauri did know this was coming.

Birthday event Aug 10th – Hockley Social Club

For my birthday I created this film from last Saturday’s event. I would really like to thank my friends James Sparra, Andy Higgs, Sean Bowditch, Casz, Fade, Monique, Mike Richards, Steve Bridger and Keith McKenzie for the music.

Stuart Myers delivered some beautiful photographs. Thank you to everyone who made the effort and joined us on Saturday the 10th. Those that travelled from out of town, I really appreciate you all.

This is a gift to the team at Hockley for always supporting me and the things I do. I wish the people of Birmingham could see and appreciate the long lineup of DJs and selectors who don’t get the acknowledgement for the years they have put into it, especially when some of these people were so instrumental and key to some incredible times in this city’s musical story. They are part of the history and fabric of this city’s history.

I’m glad and proud to say to this day after 30 years to Dj alongside people I have never once fallen out with. We have all been friends since day dot. That says a lot about their character. Good people.

Enjoy drop a comment. Look forward to seeing my parents and having some home-cooked samosa.