Kano (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Kane Brett Robinson better known as Kano and also known as Kane O, is an English
rapper and actor
. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica
. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y. (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) Crew.
, representing Chelsea F.C.
, West Ham United and Norwich City
by the age of thirteen, but in the end he abandoned his sporting ambitions in favour of a musical career. His cousins Jonathan Fortune
and Clayton Fortune
play for Charlton Athletic
and Aldershot Town
respectively. Kano first became known on the UK grime
scene for his work with his original group, N.A.S.T.Y Crew, which included members such as Ghetto
. From this springboard he was signed as a solo artist and began work on his debut solo album.
Rap on the underground
scene on Flava F.M as a youth after a couple of years he was scooped up by N.A.S.T.Y. Crew (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) who are an east London-based Grime crew . N.A.S.T.Y Crew was founded by Marcus Nasty with the original and most popular line up consisting of Kano, Jammer, D Double E, Ghetto, Stormin, Mak 10, Sharky Major & Hyper . N.A.S.T.Y Crew had one of the most popular shows on pirate radio station Deja Vu on Monday nights from 8pm to 10pm, the sets featuring established and up and coming special guests such as Dizzee Rascal
, Durrty Goodz
, Wiley
etc.
Kano used the crews underground popularity as a springboard and left N.A.S.T.Y. His first solo track was "Boys Love Girls", which was produced in 2002, was later taken to a studio and remastered by Dizzee Rascal
. Kano first became known in the UK grime scene for his work with his original group, N.A.S.T.Y. Crew. From this springboard he was signed as a solo artist and began work on his début solo album Home Sweet Home
. In 2004, Kano released his debut solo single, "P's & Q's", on a 12" vinyl only release, which was an underground hit, marking Kano out as a rising star. He went up against Wiley on Lord of the Mics 1 in one of the most recognised grime clashes, despite only being 17 at the time and after being persuaded by Jammer, a well-known grime MC and producer.
In March 2008, Kano parted ways with record label 679 Recordings and is currently unsigned. Kano stated that he wished to go back to his "grimier roots" and resume making the music that made him well known. The claim was carried out on what was his next album project, which was called '140 Grime Street'. In early May 2008, he released a mixtape entitled 'Mc. No 1'. He is now signed to Bigger picture music.
In 2011, Kano appeared in Channel 4's TV drama Top Boy
.
to model for their Spring/Summer collection, but declined in order to begin recording and touring commitments. Shortly afterwards Kano released his debut solo single, "P's & Q's", on a 12" vinyl only release, which was a massive underground hit, marking Kano out as a rising star.
In 2005 Kano released his second single, "Typical Me", his first full single release. "Typical Me" reached #22 in the UK Singles Charts. It remains Kano's highest charting single to date. The video for 'Typical Me' was directed by Andy Hylton (http://www.andyhylton.com). The third single, "Remember Me", fared less well in the charts, only reaching #71. Two weeks later, on 27 June 2005, Kano's highly anticipated début album Home Sweet Home
was released. The week his album was released, it was the highest new entry, debuting inside the UK top 40 at #36. In September 2005, the fourth single "Nite Nite" was released, featuring Leo the Lion
and The Streets
. "Nite Nite" hit #25 in the UK charts, spending six weeks altogether on the top 75.
Shortly after the release of "Nite Nite", a promotional video for "Reload It", which featured live performance clips and backstage footage, was released to UK video station, Channel U
to promote the album further. In December 2005, Kano released a remixed version of album track "Nobody Don't Dance No More" featuring new artist Katie Pearl, as a download-only single. The track was also featured as a b-side on CD: 2 of "Nite Nite". On March 13, 2006 Kano released the fifth and final single from the album, a double A-side of "Brown Eyes" and "Signs In Life". The single was released on a vinyl format only, and included a free sticker, which made it ineligible for chart inclusion.
Home Sweet Home gained Gold status in the UK. The album was well reviewed across the British press, most notably in The Independent
and The Observer
, two of the UK's major newspapers. Many artists in the UK and in America expressed positive views of the album, including Busta Rhymes
, Nas
, RZA
, Jay-Z
, Andre 3000
and Chuck D
of Public Enemy.
On 23 March 2006 Kano performed at Anson Rooms in Bristol
for MTV2's Spanking New Music along with JME, N-Dubz
and Unklejam
. He performed tracks such as "London Town", "P's & Q's", "Brown Eyes", "Me & My Mic" and tracks from the Beats & Bars mixtape. Kano confirmed on the show that his next album was to be called "London Town".
music. The compilation included contributions from other popular grime artists as well, including Wiley
, Dizzee Rascal
, and Lady Sovereign
. Kano performed a verse on the track, “Destruction VIP,” and was featured on three other tracks, including “P’s and Q’s.” Kano has been hailed as one of the artists particularly standing out on Run the Road due to his seemingly effortless rapping skills.
was released, Kano put out a mixtape (simply called 'Mixtape' on the front cover) for promotion. This included new material such as I Write Bars Till The Milkman Comes, the track Layer Cake (inspired by the film Layer Cake
) and also Kano's own versions of hip hop songs including Jay-Z's Public Service Announcement, Nas's Black Republican and Kanye West's My Way Home. The mixtape also included a preview of Buss It Up, a song which featured on the later release London Town
.
London Town
was released on September 10, 2007, preceded by the single, "This Is The Girl", featuring Craig David
, on August 27. Along with Craig David the album features collaborations with Gorillaz
member Damon Albarn
(of Blur
), Kate Nash
, and Vybz Kartel
.
After the release of the album, Kano toured the UK as well as performing the whole album at the Jazz Cafe in October 2007 alongside a live band. Kano also sold out London Astoria in the same month to put on an entertaining show also promoting Tinchy Stryder
on his tour.
hit the shelves. Despite the fact that Kano had said he wanted to go back to making grime music for 140 Grime Street
, in MC No. 1 he used all American hip hop beats for the songs, yet it was still well received by fans.
140 Grime Street
was released on 29 September 2008 through BPM (Bigger Picture Music). The majority of the album was produced by Mikey J, with Wiley
and DaVinChe
supplying two beats each, and Skepta handing the production for the song These MC's. The album featured guest appearances from Ghetto
, Skepta, Wiley
, and Mikey J. The first single released was Hustler.
Kano's new single, "Rock N Rolla" from his untitled album was first premiered on Radio 1xtra DJ, Mista Jam's radio show. The single was officially released in October. The video for the single has since been released.
The second release from Kano's 140 Grime St is called "More Than One Way" that had another premier on Mista Jam's 1xtra radio show. The video was also released on Kano's official YouTube page. The track was written for a campaign to promote the Diploma and was given away for free exclusively from The Diploma website (http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/kano). The music video was made with the help of Diploma students from all around the country. The TV ad shows Kano walking through a crowd of students whose Diploma qualifications pop up in bubbles above them. The tasks students helped with on the video related to the course they were studying for. Creative and media students helped in producing the video and construction students helped make the set. Kano said in interview for the Sunday Times that he wanted to “inspire people, but not in a way that’s patronising and preachy”.
Kano provides vocals on the third Gorillaz
studio album, Plastic Beach
. He collaborates with fellow British rapper Bashy
on the track "White Flag".
at number 45 making it the rappers fourth successive album to chart within the Top 50. Lead single "Upside" (featuring Michelle Breeze) was released on 23 August 2010.
(Music of Black Origin) Awards, winning the award for Best Newcomer. He also won an award at the first Channel U
"Best of British" Awards. On New Year's Eve 2005, Kano was announced as one of "London's Heroes of 2005" by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
. He was also nominated for a BRIT Award
for Best Urban Act in January 2006. Kano made a small cameo appearance in the new British film, Rollin' with the Nines, and is a playable character in the game Def Jam: Icon
, the only British person to have yet been featured.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rapper and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y. (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) Crew.
Early life
He attended Langdon Secondary School achieving a diploma in graphic design, having a flair for visual communication and graphic publicity. However In his younger years Kano was a promising footballerFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, representing Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, West Ham United and Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
by the age of thirteen, but in the end he abandoned his sporting ambitions in favour of a musical career. His cousins Jonathan Fortune
Jonathan Fortune
Jonathan Jay Fortune is a professional footballer.-Charlton Athletic:After coming through the Charlton youth ranks and two loan spells at Mansfield Town, Fortune made his Charlton début during the 2001–02 season and became a regular figure in the Charlton first team...
and Clayton Fortune
Clayton Fortune
Clayton Alexander Fortune is an English football defender now without a club after being released by League Two side Aldershot Town at the end of the 2010–11 season....
play for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
respectively. Kano first became known on the UK grime
Grime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
scene for his work with his original group, N.A.S.T.Y Crew, which included members such as Ghetto
Ghetto (rapper)
Justin Reginald Clarke Samuel , better known by his stage name Ghetts is an English grime artist from Plaistow, Newham, east London of African-Caribbean and Ghanaian descent. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra...
. From this springboard he was signed as a solo artist and began work on his debut solo album.
Rap on the underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene on Flava F.M as a youth after a couple of years he was scooped up by N.A.S.T.Y. Crew (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) who are an east London-based Grime crew . N.A.S.T.Y Crew was founded by Marcus Nasty with the original and most popular line up consisting of Kano, Jammer, D Double E, Ghetto, Stormin, Mak 10, Sharky Major & Hyper . N.A.S.T.Y Crew had one of the most popular shows on pirate radio station Deja Vu on Monday nights from 8pm to 10pm, the sets featuring established and up and coming special guests such as Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
, Durrty Goodz
Durrty Goodz
Durrty Goodz is an English grime artist. Mahorn was signed to Polydor Records in 2005, but left due to a lack of creative control....
, Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
etc.
Kano used the crews underground popularity as a springboard and left N.A.S.T.Y. His first solo track was "Boys Love Girls", which was produced in 2002, was later taken to a studio and remastered by Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
. Kano first became known in the UK grime scene for his work with his original group, N.A.S.T.Y. Crew. From this springboard he was signed as a solo artist and began work on his début solo album Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home (Kano album)
Home Sweet Home is the 2005 debut album from London rapper Kano. It includes the singles "P's and Q's", "Typical Me", "Remember Me", "Nite Nite", "Brown Eyes" and "Signs in Life". "Don’t Know Why" samples the song "War Pigs" by metal band Black Sabbath....
. In 2004, Kano released his debut solo single, "P's & Q's", on a 12" vinyl only release, which was an underground hit, marking Kano out as a rising star. He went up against Wiley on Lord of the Mics 1 in one of the most recognised grime clashes, despite only being 17 at the time and after being persuaded by Jammer, a well-known grime MC and producer.
In March 2008, Kano parted ways with record label 679 Recordings and is currently unsigned. Kano stated that he wished to go back to his "grimier roots" and resume making the music that made him well known. The claim was carried out on what was his next album project, which was called '140 Grime Street'. In early May 2008, he released a mixtape entitled 'Mc. No 1'. He is now signed to Bigger picture music.
In 2011, Kano appeared in Channel 4's TV drama Top Boy
Top Boy
Top Boy is a British television drama series, which was first broadcast on Channel 4. The four episodes were broadcast over consecutive nights, from 31 October to 3 November 2011. Set on the fictional Summerhouse housing estate in Hackney, North London, the series follows the lives of a group of...
.
N.A.S.T.Y. Crew
Kano is fondly remembered by fans who listened to the original line-up of N.A.S.T.Y. Crew on pirate radio. However the crew eventually lost many influential members due to the in-house fighting that caused the departure of Jammer, D Double E, Footsie and Monkey.Home Sweet Home
In 2004, Kano was approached by Hugo BossHugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
to model for their Spring/Summer collection, but declined in order to begin recording and touring commitments. Shortly afterwards Kano released his debut solo single, "P's & Q's", on a 12" vinyl only release, which was a massive underground hit, marking Kano out as a rising star.
In 2005 Kano released his second single, "Typical Me", his first full single release. "Typical Me" reached #22 in the UK Singles Charts. It remains Kano's highest charting single to date. The video for 'Typical Me' was directed by Andy Hylton (http://www.andyhylton.com). The third single, "Remember Me", fared less well in the charts, only reaching #71. Two weeks later, on 27 June 2005, Kano's highly anticipated début album Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home (Kano album)
Home Sweet Home is the 2005 debut album from London rapper Kano. It includes the singles "P's and Q's", "Typical Me", "Remember Me", "Nite Nite", "Brown Eyes" and "Signs in Life". "Don’t Know Why" samples the song "War Pigs" by metal band Black Sabbath....
was released. The week his album was released, it was the highest new entry, debuting inside the UK top 40 at #36. In September 2005, the fourth single "Nite Nite" was released, featuring Leo the Lion
Leo the Lion (British singer)
Leo Ihenacho, also known as Leo The Lion is an English singer, songwriter and actor achieved critical acclaim and widespread success as part of The Streets,with Mike Skinner....
and The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
. "Nite Nite" hit #25 in the UK charts, spending six weeks altogether on the top 75.
Shortly after the release of "Nite Nite", a promotional video for "Reload It", which featured live performance clips and backstage footage, was released to UK video station, Channel U
Channel U TV
Channel AKA is a British digital satellite TV channel, owned by Mushroom TV Ltd, available through Sky within the UK and Ireland on channel 370...
to promote the album further. In December 2005, Kano released a remixed version of album track "Nobody Don't Dance No More" featuring new artist Katie Pearl, as a download-only single. The track was also featured as a b-side on CD: 2 of "Nite Nite". On March 13, 2006 Kano released the fifth and final single from the album, a double A-side of "Brown Eyes" and "Signs In Life". The single was released on a vinyl format only, and included a free sticker, which made it ineligible for chart inclusion.
Home Sweet Home gained Gold status in the UK. The album was well reviewed across the British press, most notably in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, two of the UK's major newspapers. Many artists in the UK and in America expressed positive views of the album, including Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
and Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
of Public Enemy.
Blowing Up Road
In 2005 the East London, East Ham UK Grime/Hip Hop (Grip Hop) artist, Kano released "Blowing Up Road". The former N.A.S.T.Y (Natural Artistic Sounds Touching You) crew member has been consistent ambassador of Grime.Beats And Bars
Towards the end of 2005, Kano released a mixtape, Beats & Bars, which was only made available at his concerts. This included underground hits and showcased Kano's ability to rap over hip hop beats and grime instrumentals.On 23 March 2006 Kano performed at Anson Rooms in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
for MTV2's Spanking New Music along with JME, N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
and Unklejam
Unklejam
-Background:Unklejam's name is taken from Funkadelic's 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You. Their sound is a mixture of Electro, R&B and soul with influences ranging from P-Funk to Prince and Sly and the Family Stone. The band were signed to Virgin Records....
. He performed tracks such as "London Town", "P's & Q's", "Brown Eyes", "Me & My Mic" and tracks from the Beats & Bars mixtape. Kano confirmed on the show that his next album was to be called "London Town".
Run the Road
Kano’s music was also featured on Run the Road, a compilation containing sixteen tracks of the best of 2004’s grimeGrime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
music. The compilation included contributions from other popular grime artists as well, including Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
, Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
, and Lady Sovereign
Lady Sovereign
Louise Amanda Harman , better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is an English rapper & grime artist. She is noted for her professional success in performing styles of music generally dominated by males...
. Kano performed a verse on the track, “Destruction VIP,” and was featured on three other tracks, including “P’s and Q’s.” Kano has been hailed as one of the artists particularly standing out on Run the Road due to his seemingly effortless rapping skills.
Mixtape and London Town
Before London TownLondon Town (Kano album)
London Town is the second studio album by Kano, released September 10, 2007. The first single, featuring Craig David, "This Is the Girl" was released on August 27, 2007, the second being "Feel Free", featuring Damon Albarn. Guests include, other than David and Albarn, Vybz Kartel, Kate Nash and Leo...
was released, Kano put out a mixtape (simply called 'Mixtape' on the front cover) for promotion. This included new material such as I Write Bars Till The Milkman Comes, the track Layer Cake (inspired by the film Layer Cake
Layer Cake
A layer cake is a pastry.Layer Cake may also refer to:* Layer Cake * Layer Cake * Layer Cake, Soviet Sloika design for nuclear-weapon test Joe 4...
) and also Kano's own versions of hip hop songs including Jay-Z's Public Service Announcement, Nas's Black Republican and Kanye West's My Way Home. The mixtape also included a preview of Buss It Up, a song which featured on the later release London Town
London Town (Kano album)
London Town is the second studio album by Kano, released September 10, 2007. The first single, featuring Craig David, "This Is the Girl" was released on August 27, 2007, the second being "Feel Free", featuring Damon Albarn. Guests include, other than David and Albarn, Vybz Kartel, Kate Nash and Leo...
.
London Town
London Town (Kano album)
London Town is the second studio album by Kano, released September 10, 2007. The first single, featuring Craig David, "This Is the Girl" was released on August 27, 2007, the second being "Feel Free", featuring Damon Albarn. Guests include, other than David and Albarn, Vybz Kartel, Kate Nash and Leo...
was released on September 10, 2007, preceded by the single, "This Is The Girl", featuring Craig David
Craig David
Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...
, on August 27. Along with Craig David the album features collaborations with Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
member Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
(of Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
), Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, and Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
.
After the release of the album, Kano toured the UK as well as performing the whole album at the Jazz Cafe in October 2007 alongside a live band. Kano also sold out London Astoria in the same month to put on an entertaining show also promoting Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
on his tour.
MC No. 1 and 140 Grime St
In 2008, Kano no longer was signed to 679 Recordings and had posted all new freestyles on his Myspace page. Soon after in April, he released a mixtape called Mc No. 1 for fans before his third album 140 Grime Street140 Grime Street
-External links:* http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/7224/Hustler-Kano-Is-Back-On-140-Grime-Street.html...
hit the shelves. Despite the fact that Kano had said he wanted to go back to making grime music for 140 Grime Street
140 Grime Street
-External links:* http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/7224/Hustler-Kano-Is-Back-On-140-Grime-Street.html...
, in MC No. 1 he used all American hip hop beats for the songs, yet it was still well received by fans.
140 Grime Street
140 Grime Street
-External links:* http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/7224/Hustler-Kano-Is-Back-On-140-Grime-Street.html...
was released on 29 September 2008 through BPM (Bigger Picture Music). The majority of the album was produced by Mikey J, with Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
and DaVinChe
DaVinChe
DaVinChe is a British Record producer and songwriter from South London, England.His notable works include Kano’s “Brown Eyes" and "P's and Q's” and Tinchy Stryder's “Something About Your Smile” and "Breathe".-Biography:...
supplying two beats each, and Skepta handing the production for the song These MC's. The album featured guest appearances from Ghetto
Ghetto (rapper)
Justin Reginald Clarke Samuel , better known by his stage name Ghetts is an English grime artist from Plaistow, Newham, east London of African-Caribbean and Ghanaian descent. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra...
, Skepta, Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
, and Mikey J. The first single released was Hustler.
Kano's new single, "Rock N Rolla" from his untitled album was first premiered on Radio 1xtra DJ, Mista Jam's radio show. The single was officially released in October. The video for the single has since been released.
The second release from Kano's 140 Grime St is called "More Than One Way" that had another premier on Mista Jam's 1xtra radio show. The video was also released on Kano's official YouTube page. The track was written for a campaign to promote the Diploma and was given away for free exclusively from The Diploma website (http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/kano). The music video was made with the help of Diploma students from all around the country. The TV ad shows Kano walking through a crowd of students whose Diploma qualifications pop up in bubbles above them. The tasks students helped with on the video related to the course they were studying for. Creative and media students helped in producing the video and construction students helped make the set. Kano said in interview for the Sunday Times that he wanted to “inspire people, but not in a way that’s patronising and preachy”.
Kano provides vocals on the third Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
studio album, Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
. He collaborates with fellow British rapper Bashy
Bashy
Ashley Thomas , better known by his stage name Bashy, is an English recording artist and actor. He rose to prominence in 2007 after the release of his controversial track "Black Boys".-Early life:...
on the track "White Flag".
Method To The Maadness
Kano's 4th album, "Method To The Maadness", was released on 30 August 2010 and charted in the UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 45 making it the rappers fourth successive album to chart within the Top 50. Lead single "Upside" (featuring Michelle Breeze) was released on 23 August 2010.
Not 4 The A List EP
In September Kano announced a 4 track collaborative EP with producer Mikey J. The EP was title 'Not For The A List' because Kano didn't want anything to stand in his way when it came to making the music. Part of the EP was to make 1 track a week and release it to a DJ to play on radio. Also making sure it was a different DJ each week that spans a timeline of 4 weeks. The first track was titled 'Random Antics' the second track was titled 'Alien' and featured SBTV founder Jamal Edwards first label signing Maxsta. The third week was a track titled 'E.T' and this track featured Wiley, Scorcher & Wretch 32. The 4th track was delayed due to the length being 7 and a half minutes. The DJ had to get permission from his boss to play it. The track features Ghetts. It is expected Kano is using the EP to build a buzz up for his 5th studio album which is most likely to be released in 2012. On 13 November 2011 Kano announced via Twitter that he is releasing a mixtape some time in the same month entitled 'Girls Over Guns' he said this mixtape will appeal more to the ladies than men. Kano is releasing a mixtape called Jack Bauer 2.4 as the follow up mixtape to the 2010 edition. This mixtape is targeted at Kano's male audienceActing
Kano has acted in some short films, and played the major role of Sully in the 2011 Channel 4 drama Top Boy.Awards and achievements
In 2005, Kano was nominated for 4 MOBOMobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
(Music of Black Origin) Awards, winning the award for Best Newcomer. He also won an award at the first Channel U
Channel U TV
Channel AKA is a British digital satellite TV channel, owned by Mushroom TV Ltd, available through Sky within the UK and Ireland on channel 370...
"Best of British" Awards. On New Year's Eve 2005, Kano was announced as one of "London's Heroes of 2005" by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
. He was also nominated for a BRIT Award
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for Best Urban Act in January 2006. Kano made a small cameo appearance in the new British film, Rollin' with the Nines, and is a playable character in the game Def Jam: Icon
Def Jam: Icon
Def Jam: Icon is a fighting game, and is the third in Electronic Arts's Def Jam-licensed hip hop video game series. The game was developed by EA Chicago, developers of Fight Night Round 3 and is the first Def Jam game not to be developed by AKI Corporation. Unlike the previous games in the series,...
, the only British person to have yet been featured.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| 2005 | Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home (Kano album) Home Sweet Home is the 2005 debut album from London rapper Kano. It includes the singles "P's and Q's", "Typical Me", "Remember Me", "Nite Nite", "Brown Eyes" and "Signs in Life". "Don’t Know Why" samples the song "War Pigs" by metal band Black Sabbath....
|
36 |
| 2007 | London Town London Town (Kano album) London Town is the second studio album by Kano, released September 10, 2007. The first single, featuring Craig David, "This Is the Girl" was released on August 27, 2007, the second being "Feel Free", featuring Damon Albarn. Guests include, other than David and Albarn, Vybz Kartel, Kate Nash and Leo... 679 Recordings 679 Artists is a Warner Music Group-owned record label based in London, England.... |
14 |
| 2008 | 140 Grime Street 140 Grime Street -External links:* http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/7224/Hustler-Kano-Is-Back-On-140-Grime-Street.html... |
48 |
| 2010 | Method To The Maadness
|
45 |
Mixtapes
- 2005: Beats + Bars
- 2007: Kano Mixtape
- 2008: MC No.1
- 2010: Jack Bauer
- 2011: Girls Over Guns
- 2011: Jack Bauer 2.4
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK IND UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
|||
| 2004 | "P's and Q's" | — | — | Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home (Kano album) Home Sweet Home is the 2005 debut album from London rapper Kano. It includes the singles "P's and Q's", "Typical Me", "Remember Me", "Nite Nite", "Brown Eyes" and "Signs in Life". "Don’t Know Why" samples the song "War Pigs" by metal band Black Sabbath.... |
| 2005 | "Typical Me (feat. Ghetts)" | 22 | — | |
| "Remember Me" | 71 | — | ||
| "Nite Nite" (feat. Leo The Lion and The Streets The Streets The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The... ) |
25 | — | ||
| 2006 | "Brown Eyes" / "Signs In Life" | — | — | |
| "Buss It Up" (feat. Vybz Kartel Vybz Kartel Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:... ) |
— | — | London Town London Town (Kano album) London Town is the second studio album by Kano, released September 10, 2007. The first single, featuring Craig David, "This Is the Girl" was released on August 27, 2007, the second being "Feel Free", featuring Damon Albarn. Guests include, other than David and Albarn, Vybz Kartel, Kate Nash and Leo... |
|
| 2007 | "This is the Girl This Is the Girl "This is the Girl" was the first single from British rapper Kano's second studio album London Town and the first from R&B artist Craig David's fourth studio album Trust Me... " (feat. Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... ) |
18 | — | |
| "Feel Free Feel Free (Kano song) "Feel Free" is the second single by British rapper Kano from his second studio album London Town, after "This Is the Girl". The song features Blur and Gorillaz member Damon Albarn... " (feat. Damon Albarn Damon Albarn Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur... ) |
143 | — | ||
| 2008 | "Hustler" | 163 | — | 140 Grime Street 140 Grime Street -External links:* http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/7224/Hustler-Kano-Is-Back-On-140-Grime-Street.html... |
| 2009 | "Rock N Rolla" | 44 | — | Non-album singles |
| 2010 | "More Than One Way" | — | — | |
| "Get Wild (feat. Aidonia and Wiley)" | 136 | 9 | Method To The Maadness | |
| "Upside (feat. Michelle Breeze)" | 98 | — | ||
| "Spaceship" | — | — |