Find footage of the infamous ‘Lord of the Mic 1’ (see below) and you will see a young 17 year old boy rap the grimey underpants off a stuttering Wiley. The boy was called Kane Robinson, a.k.a Kano. This was a memorable step in the rise of Kano from the underground London grime scene to the big label success of albums ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘London Town’.
Raised in the heart of East London, he flourished in the pirate radio scene with his sharp, lightning lyrics and sturdy self confidence. He became the star of N.A.S.T.Y crew (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) alongside fellow artists D Double E and Ghetto, before breaking with the outfit to pursue a solo career in the shape of debut urban classic ‘Home Sweet Home’ on the ‘679 Recordings’ label. Two years later he released an R’n’B meets Pop take on London life. The album, ‘London Town’ shot to success with guest vocals from Kate Nash, Damon Albarn and Craig David.
The release of his third album ‘140 Grime Street’ marks Kano’s journey from the early days and is also his first record under new label ‘Bigger Picture Music’. He sees the album as a return to his roots, “I’m going back to where I grew up” insisted the smooth talking Londoner. The album features Wiley, Skepta and old friends Mikey J and Ghetto, who produced a large chunk of the LP. Pleasing for fans is the news that the album will be toured extensively within the UK and Europe through traditional venues as well as clubs.
Listen to ‘Hustler’ by Kano, from his latest album ‘140 Grime St’ –