Ian McQuaid
The Guardian
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Past articles by Ian:
'I have to confront it': Shocka, the grime MC who came back from a breakdown
He was playing arenas with rap trio Marvell – then lost it all. Now, after a powerful freestyle about the Grenfell tower fire, Shocka is back, and preaching a message of self-care → Read More
inside the viral world of afrobeats dance routines
In one week a video of a dancer called Prinny doing a routine to Drogba had been ripped and re-posted thousands of times, and racked up over 15 million views on one Facebook video alone. → Read More
Everything Is Recorded review – Richard Russell's XL supergroup shines
The label boss’s project with Sampha, Giggs and other guests proves a tightly drilled gospel and trip-hop experience on stage → Read More
Nipsey Hussle: Victory Lap review – west coast rap at its finest
Ready for a victory lap? Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle. Photograph: Record Company Handout In what might be rap’s longest promo campaign, G-funk revivalist Nipsey Hussle has been announcing the imminent arrival of his debut album, Victory Lap, since 2012. The album release date has shifted from 2013 to 2014 to 2016, to 2018, while Hussle has been making his name from a steady stream of… → Read More
Shirt: Pure Beauty review – 90s east coast rap influences on his sleeve
Jack White’s Third Man Records is known for releasing classic blues albums and lo-fi garage rock, so Pure Beauty, the debut album from New York indie rap veteran Shirt is, on first glance, a surprising left turn. Scratch the surface and it makes more sense: Shirt is as much of a revivalist as White is. Sonically lodged firmly in the 90s, Pure Beauty (the title a giveaway as to Shirt’s “real… → Read More
tim and barry tv is coming back!
After an eight-year absence, the grime-video-kings are making a welcome return to showcasing the best young talents. We caught up with them to ask why now, and get an exclusive first glimpse at what the duo have got planned... → Read More
10 UK rap artists to watch in 2018
FACT picks 10 grime and UK rap artists to watch in 2018, from B Young to Zone 2. → Read More
The 10 best UK rap tracks of 2017
Ian McQuaid picks the 10 best UK rap tracks of 2017, featuring music from IAMDDB, J Hus, Octavian and more. → Read More
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie review – new-school rap star taps up old-school stagecraft
The 21-year-old Bronx rapper incites moshpits and stage diving with a battery of earworm hooks – and gets a cameo from Stefflon Don → Read More
Vince Staples review – big fish of rap hooks leaping crowd
Kentish Town Forum, London The LA rapper cuts his hypnotic choruses with racial commentary while flinging about the stage with enough energy to inspire the mosh pit → Read More
cult ghanaian club tune finally gets proper release
Word of mouth afro-grime-acid-pop banger finally sees light of day thanks to Ransom Note, and you can listen to it here first. → Read More
the new doc celebrating london's underground rap music scenes
Nathan Miller's new film LDN spotlights the musicians making waves outside the traditional methods of the music industry. → Read More
why this is such an exciting time for the afrobeats scene in the uk
Inevitably as the broadsheets finally allow grime a seat at the top table, the streets have started bumping to a whole new sound. → Read More
jayhood is the best dj you’ve never heard of
He’s a legend in his native New Jersey, he’s got millions of streams without ever releasing a single, and now he’s finally getting his dues, as a retrospective, career-spanning record is set to drop. Get to know. → Read More
The future of pop culture: robot performers, an avatar Drake and a Kanye West superstore
AI, VR and smartphones are changing the way we consume culture, but what comes next? From film to visual arts, we explore entertainment’s new frontiers → Read More
Skepta on grime: 'People are catching on. There's a revolution happening'
Grime is going global and the MC is leading the charge with a self-released, Mercury nominated album. He explains why he’s avoided the mainstream → Read More
meet the icelandic composer working on the 'blade runner' sequel
We sit down for an exclusive chat with Jóhann Jóhannsson to talk about the pressure and honor of following in Vangelis’ footsteps on the most anticipated sci-fi film of the decade. → Read More
meet the icelandic composer working on the blade runner sequel
We sit down for an exclusive chat with Jóhann Jóhannsson to talk about the pressure and honour of following in Vangelis’ footsteps on the most anticipated sci fi film of the decade. → Read More
all hail the king of dancehall doodling
As a new book gathers a treasure trove of the Jamaican artist’s imagery, from bawdy newspaper cartoons to iconic cover art, we speak to its author and editor to discuss the history and legacy of Wilfred Limonious’ work. → Read More
Shaking things app – how smartphones revolutionised Nigerian music
You don’t need a record company or a promo campaign to reach the huge audience of the Nigerian diaspora – just a WhatsApp account → Read More