OneTaste Presents: The Lyricist Workshop.
Date: Tuesday 19th May 2009
Time: 3:30pm-6.30pm
Venue: Gibson Show Rooms
OneTaste, London's leading music and spoken word promoters have teamed up with renowned UK rapper and lyricist, Jehst and rising poet and writer Kate Tempest lead aworkshop for songwriters, rappers and poets. Focusing entirely on lyrics, how they're used with music and how to communicate exactly what you mean through words and prose, this workshop will cover everything from concepts to style, phrasing to delivery.
Jehst and Kate will be performing, talking from experience and leading practical exercises and individual surgeries so that each person will leave the workshop with improved work and fresh insight into their own lyrics.
Jehst
Born in Kent in the summer of '79, Jehst spent his childhood in Sussex before moving to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire as a teenager. Fueled by the bleak reality of smack infested post-industrial North he re-located to London, making his vinyl debut in 1999 with the highly acclaimed "Premonitions" EP, launching the self-financed YNR Productions label from his University halls of residence. From this point on there was no turning back.
Jehst began collaborating with other artists on the label, contributing both production and guest vocals to subsequent releases. His profile was further raised when he put in an appearance on Task Force's "Voice of the Great Outdoors" EP released onLow Life recordsin 2000, before dropping his second solo outing on the same label the following year. Entitled "The High Plains Drifter", this four track (plus skits & instrumentals) EP delivered a range of music moods and lyrical content. Jehst followed this up with a couple ofHarry Loveproduced bangers:"Staircase 2 Stage" which teamed him up with NYC underground heroJ-Zone, and the autobiographical "Alcoholic Author" (marking his welcome return to YNR Productions) in 2002. Throughout this time Jehst was a pivotal member of the legendary "Champions of Nature", the 7 man super-group who released 2 EP's and the classic summer jam "Salsa Smurf" on their own C.O.N Artists label before licensing the 12" to Wordplay/Source as the lead single from the "WordLab2" compilation.
Restless as ever, Jehst switched his focus back to solo material, rounding off the year with the club smash "People Under The Weather" (feat.Asaviour) on Low Life, accompanied with a full length CD of his collected works "The Return Of The Drifter". With all of this under his belt, not to mention contributions to the classic albums "Biro Funk" by Braintax and the long-awaited "It's All Happening Now" fromLewis Parker, Jehst has established himself among the lyrical elite.
With live performances as strong as his discography Jehst has torn-up shows all over the UK and abroad along side the likes ofNon Phixion,Q-Bert,Atmosphere,J-Zone,Mr Lif,De La Soul, More Fire Crew and Big Brovaz. His on-stage A-Team consists of label mate (and long-time bredren)Asaviourand UK under-18's DMC ChampionDJ IQ.
Kate Tempest
www.myspace.com/katetempestwords
Kate Tempest(formerly Excentral Tempest)is a rapper, poet and playwright from South London. She was 16 when she first picked up a mic, and since then she has gigged and recorded extensively, making a formidable name for herself across the spoken word, UK Hip hop and London live music scenes. She has won rap battles (Rollercoaster at Mass in Brixton) and poetry slams (the Nu-Yorican Poetry Caf Slam in New York). Gigged at the biggest music festivals (Glastonbury, Big Chill, Supporting John Cooper-Clarke at Leeds Carling Weekend) and the smallest ones (TheBig Green Gathering, Antic Banquet). Shes performed everywhere, from squat parties and protest marches (Reclaim the Future, Reclaim the Beach, and The G8 and G20 protests) to pre-show foyer gigs at theatres (The Theatre Royal, Bath) and intimate little poetry cafs (Green Note, Camden, Sanctuary, Brighton).
Renowned for her passionate delivery and intelligent content, she has been played by Rob Da Bank on Radio One, and invited in for a session on BBC6 Music by Steven Merchant. Scroobius Pip says: I had Kate Tempest in several times on my BBC Radio One spoken word show and she has been the highlight of my listening this year. She has no right whatsoever to be as good as she is. It astounds me. Her writing is epic, her delivery piercing, and with the addition of her band Sound of Rum her potential is realised. Inspirational.