The Singaporean Eminem

Rap music has got attitude and doesn't take any prisoners when it comes to the lyrical content. The genre originates from the mean streets of America's ghettos in LA and Compton in the 80s, when the likes of NWA and Dr. Dre started talking about life on the street and gangsta culture. One thing is for sure, you would not expect to see this style of music in the paradise tropical setting of Singapore, but there is one artist hoping to change all of that.

His name is name is ShiGGa Shay and he has got the rap skills that have drawn comparisons with another American rapper, Eminem. In his homeland very few people listen to this genre of music but he hopes that with perseverance he can revolutionise the sound and get people talking about Singapore rap in a positive light.

The up-and-coming starlet has been spitting verse for over 10 years and when asked how he got into the Singapore rap scene, he said:

“There isn't really a rap scene. I basically started putting out music when I was 14 [on MySpace], and slowly people started listening and catching on to my style and it slowly grew from that.”

“There isn't really a rap scene. I basically started putting out music when I was 14 [on MySpace], and slowly people started listening and catching on to my style and it slowly grew from that.”

With his new album on the way he has a hope bubbling beneath everything he does that it will be a turning point in Singaporean rap music. He wants to change people's perspectives about what good music sounds like and momentarily forget about the mainstream pop sound for a second.

He said: “I really hope that when people talk about Singapore next time they don't just think about Singapore as a port for trade they think more about the artists.”

Regarding his comparisons to Eminem, he is obviously flattered but wants to create his own persona saying: “I'd take that as a complement. Eminem is one of the artists I started listening to at a young age so being compared to him is like an honour more than anything else.”

Girls Generation

Girls Generation are a girl group who formed in South Korea way back in 2007 and have been flourishing into pop stars ever since. These are not your bog standard teenage girl group who disappear overnight, like so many before them who do not possess the talent to engage an audience for very long. In 2013 this international girl group proved they are more relevant than ever, with the release of their new album “I Got A Boy” which hit the top spot on the Taiwan-Singapore billboard chart.

The kind of success and longevity the band has achieved is no fluke. It is established on hard work and a catalogue of top songs which people want to revisit again and again, no matter how many times it has been played on the radio. They have been compared to the Spice Girls in the past, and Girls Generation know a thing or two about ‘girl power'.

Having gained some notoriety in early 2009 with songs like "Into the New World" and "Kissing You" the girls really hit the big time with their massive hit single "Gee". On the back of this Girls Generation went from being relative unknowns in their home country of South Korea to household names on the national stage. The song received numerous accolades in the national press and was voted as South Korea's 'Song of the Decade' in a recent poll.

After this prodigious beginning the group set their sights on even bigger goals and growing their fan base into other countries. Because of this determination, they have gone from strength to strength and sold millions of records to their adoring public. And the sales figures never lie. So far they have sold well over 4.4 million albums and 30 million singles which is a staggering amount by anyone's standards.

When this 9-strong group of vocalists (Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun) combine their talents, they have the ability to enrapture a whole nation. And Singapore is one place where they have a unique and strong following.

THE SINGAPORE ST. JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL

If you were to try and convince a friend to go to a music festival in January, they would probably look at you with some amazement. Because everybody knows that Festivals are for the summer months and not the depths of winter, right? Of course this depends on what part of the world you are in. But stereotypically, festivals are associated with the months of May, June, July and August.

But in Singapore they have thrown out the rulebook as some of the best festivals are held in the most uncommon of months. For example, on the 26th of Jan 2013 some of the world's elite bands from the world of Indie and dance will make a journey to an Indie Rock Festival which is creating something of a buzz with music lovers across the world, particularly in Europe. This is the third successive year that the ST.

JEROME'S LANEWAY festival has been staged in Singapore and it keeps getting bigger and better.

The organisers obviously want to keep things fresh and new which is why they change the location every year to some exciting venue in Singapore. This year's festival will change its address to one of the region's most famous landmarks, namely The Meadow at Gardens By The Bay. According to a website spokesman this is “to accommodate the fans in an ambient environment that will maximize the experience and create a greater dynamism.”

The line-up has some established names as well as some of the most exciting new comers on the indie rock gig circuit. Laneway will have killer tunes and indie anthems on every stage with an epic array of talent. There is no taste that has not been catered to, with a delightful mix of ground-breaking acts, which is designed to be enjoyed by real music lovers.

So here is the line-up: ALT-J - BAT FOR LASHES - CLOUD NOTHINGS - DIVINE FITS - GOTYE - JAPANDROIDS - KIMBRA - KINGS OF CONVENIENCE - NICOLAS JAAR - OF MONSTERS AND MEN - POLICA - REAL ESTATE - TAME IMPALA - YEASAYER

V Presented by KU DE' TA and Grey Goose

At KU DE' TA Club Lounge, Marina Bay Sands, 8 June 2013

Featuring Shortee Blitz (UK), Singapore, 9 May 2013

KU DE' TA and Grey Goose will be presenting a brand new series of parties that aim to inject vitality into the clubbing scene in Singapore and bring a night of world-class entertainment right to your doorstep. Enter V, a symbolic and avant garde night of pure and distilled pleasure.

A modern twist to the word, ‘vie', meaning life in French, V presents a larger than life experience with a strong emphasis on entertainment by only the top DJs of mainstream music from the most musically influential corners of the world. The new V series is an evolution of the highly lauded Blue Velveteen Sessions, featuring past international acts such as Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode, Toolroom Records' princess of house music Gina Star, and Shakira's official French DJ and NRJ Radio resident Morgan Nagoya.

In his first appearance in Singapore, DJ Shortee Blitz (UK) will be stepping up to the plate and kicking the series off with a bang as with the first edition of V on Saturday 8 June 2013. Touted as UK's #1 hip-hop and club DJ and one of the urban scene's most popular personalities, Shortee Blitz's signature skills of cutting, scratching, mixing and consistently rocking the dance floor has earned him his own shows on London's Kiss FM for over twelve years and MTV Base. With his ardent support and contribution to the Hip Hop scene, he has been lauded with nominations for Best Radio DJ (U.M.A.) in 2007 and received the Best DJ award at the MOBO Awards in 2003, subsequently being recognised as UK's Best Hip-Hop DJ and Best Hip-Hop Personality.

Along with being a past main resident DJ at MOS (UK), Shortee Blitz has brought his innovative style to UK, Europe and around the world including Switzerland, Dubai, Kenya, New York and Australia, as well as regularly holding summer residencies in Ibiza and Cyprus. He has been invited to play for the biggest Hip Hop stars in the world including Jay-Z, Estelle, Mariah Carey, MTV Annual parties, Princes' Trust Urban Music Festival, just to name a few.

Experience a series of parties like no other with the first edition of V, featuring one of UK's biggest Hip Hop personalities Shortee Blitz, supported by KU DE´ TA

Resident DJs Yafifth and Suren.

V Presented by Grey Goose

featuring Shortee Blitz (UK) at KU DE' TA Club Lounge

Date: Saturday, 8 June 2013

Time: 9pm till late

Cover Charge: $38 (includes 1 drink)