With our latest Issue 124 on stands, the nights getting longer and May warming up nicely we return to Cafe Koko in Camden on Thursday 18th May for a night of live music & DJs with great food and drinks on hand. Sign-up now via the form at the bottom of this article.
Acts including Ashnikko, J HUS, Lady Leshurr, Tom Grennan, Masego, Jarreau Vandal, Knucks, Big Zuu, Sampah The Great, Poppy Ajudha, Greentea Peng, Jammer, Skepta, Frisco, Sneakbo, Sam Tompkins & many more have all previously graced the Clash Live stage. So far this season we have hosted AntsLive, Br3nya, BZ, Zakhar, Jaydonclover, Psi.ko & Tommy Saint.
Running monthly, the series returns for 2023 with fresh energy and enhanced settings at Cafe Koko in time for spring. Bringing together industry favourites for an invite-only cultural celebration. This is generally speaking the last chance to catch some these acts this year in such an intimate environment. As always space is extremely limited, sign up for the free ticket lottery now via the form below for your chance to attend.
BAWO
West London’s very own Bawo simply does not miss. The rapper’s slim but immaculate catalogue is rooted in individuality, with the rising artist developing a voice of his own. With eyes firmly set on him, West London’s rap talent Bawo has recently released the much anticipated EP Legitimate Cause. The 7-track release comes shortly after the latest single & video drop ‘Not Just Yet’.
Throughout Legitimate Cause, Bawo proclaims how serious he is taking his music career, making it clear that his intentions are to continue his journey through the ranks as one of the UK’s most exciting new prospects and we are very much here for it.
The themes explored through the artwork are tongue-in-cheek references to Bawo stepping into the professional phase of his career. Returning to London after a triumphant UK tour we are excited to host. Bawo on a Clash Live stage.
BERNA
Born in Cape Town, raised in East London by his Congolese mum, and now based in Essex, Berna was only 16 when his legendary [email protected] freestyle went viral.
He then became the youngest rapper to ever go on Fire In The Booth and holds a unique place within the scene, having received such prestigious accolades so young. He rapidly rose to prominence due to his impressive flow and wordplay and is known for never shying away from a freestyle. With clips across [email protected], Daily Duppy & Mad About Bars racking up numbers.
Overnight success comes with its growing pains, but now, still only 24, Berna has arrived into his most content and confident era yet and has shed a lot of grief over the past years through his music. Influenced by Meek Mill, Chip, Skepta and Ghetts, Berna was raised on the greats, which has hugely impacted his style today.
Stating he’s an older man stuck in a young man’s body. Hungry as ever to make his mark, his forthcoming project EAST2ESSEX will place him centre stage. Entering into a new stage of his life and looking forward, his new music reflects where he is now, relishing opportunities to express himself and spreading good vibes.
LOST GIRL
Rising force Lost Girl went viral with her performance of Yxng Bane’s ‘Rihanna’, scoring millions of views.
The follow up single ‘I Won’t Give Up’, her first true release was equally as potent as you could wish for. Dipping back into her childhood for an immaculate UKG throwback. Lost Girl isn’t just about moving back – after all, she’s moving forwards at some speed. Her latest single ‘Trust Issues’, produced by KXVI (SZA & Future) and Skeyez (D Block Europe) marks her arrival in the R&B era having made a name for herself within the Garage scene.
‘Trust Issues’ marks a shift in ‘Lost Girls’ sonic and taps further into her emotions, allowing the singer to be more vulnerable than ever. Deservingly having her time in the spotlight, her recent covers of Stormzy and Chris Brown went viral, with the latter receiving a co-sign from Chris Brown himself.
Growing up, she found it hard to express her feelings, but everything began to make sense when she discovered music. Still, early on in her career, she has huge collaborations under her belt and is known for her incredibly infectious hooks on songs with the likes of Hardy Caprio, Ivorian Doll and BackRoad Gee.
Lost Girl has found her voice through music and her love of content creation and offers an unapologetic and unfiltered version of herself at all times. 2022 was a defining year, having built up a dedicated following in the process with the intent of paying it all forward. During Black History Month, she was featured on TikTok’s Black Queerness Panel to celebrate Black LGBTQIA+ trailblazers & joined a panel at The Ultimate Seminar to share advice with other young creatives wanting to break into the music business. Her fanbase is more engaged than ever, and she is laying the foundations for 2023 to be a game-changing year.
G!FT
South London rapper G!ft releases his highly anticipated new track ‘Wanna Chill Baby?’ along with visuals, via Columbia Records UK. The track is the first of a series of what G!ft calls the “creative freedom of speech” sounds he aims to share.
G!ft began teasing the track across social media platforms earlier this year, and immediately received requests for the full song, garnering over 2,000,000 views on the teaser on Tik tok alone. Directed by Donprod, the visual for ‘Wanna Chill Baby’ follows the rapper on a late night ahead of a party.
The last two years have been a progressive journey for G!ft. Having his finger constantly on the zeitgeist has meant he has regularly explored genre’s, pulling from his early musical influences like 50 Cent and Jadakiss, who are clear inspirations on this track – forming his now signature Lo-fi nostalgic hip-hop sound. Since releasing his first track independently in 2018, G!ft has rapidly ben building an audience on his platforms, racking up 300K+ views across videos on his YouTube, 20M views across TikTok content, 10 million+ streams across catalogue and over 2M views across his social content. 2023 is set to be a big year for G!ft.
EVENT DETAILS:
CLASH Live “Next Wave” @ Cafe Koko
Thursday 18th May 2023
Ground Floor, 74 Crowndale Rd,
London NW1 1TP
Doors: 7.00pm – 12.00am
Confirmed RSVP is essential for entry & please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
