Keri Hilson

I first encountered Keri Hilson, like most people, through her collaboration with Timbaland on the number one single, “The Way I Are” in 2007. Her sweet and smooth voice on the track crooning, “I like you just the way you are,” encouraged anyone from club-goers to radio listeners to sing along to every word of the massive R&B, pop hit. Then came her next big collaboration with Neyo and none other than Yeezus himself, Kanye West, on “Knock You Down.” The track was another massive chart success and definitely created more hype around Keri herself, being the lead act on this track instead of a featuring artist. Her song writing skills are second to none and I think she is completely underrated as an artist! I saw Keri Hilson in Birmingham in 2011 and her live performance definitely lived up to her mainstream success… It also showcased how well her writing talent translated into her stage presence - she had so much energy and her voice was pristine. Her songs were also blended together really well, it didn’t come across as a succession of separate and jolted chart hits, but she delivered her material in a very cohesive and polished way. I hope she comes back to the UK soon as I will definitely be seeing her again!

Probably Paul Wall’s single most prominent piece of mainstream exposure to date came via Kanye West’s now-classic Late Registration joint ‘Drive Slow’, and in many ways, that’s fitting; Wall’s style of flow and general approach to his rhymes is laid-back, restrained and well measured. It’s actually in stark contrast to his appearance; with his diamond-studded grills adorning his teeth and baggy clothing, he looks more like some kind of millionaire skater kid than a rapper, but that’s just one of the contradictions that makes Wall’s music so intriguing; his deep, casual delivery is one of the most arresting in rap’s recent history. He’s continued to write and record over the past decade, remaining a favourite with the critics, even if his commercial performance hasn’t matched up to that. Last year’s #Checkseason saw Wall debut a dramatic new look, having lost 100lb since 2010; his signature style remains, though. It’s the same when he performs live; he doesn’t bring the same kind of flashy behaviour that so many of his peers do, but he’s so subtly arresting as a performer, it doesn’t matter - he’s one of the most underrated rappers on the live circuit today, with fans waiting with bated breath for a UK return.

He’s probably not by any means the closest thing that hip hop has to a household name, either in his native United States or anywhere else for that matter, but that’s not to say that Slim Thug - or Stayve Jerome Thomas, to give him his full name - hasn’t met with some serious success in his career; back in 2005, he dropped his debut album Already Platinum, and whilst the titular prophecy did not ultimately end up coming true - instead, Thug will have a gold disc hanging on his wall at home - the album did enter the U.S. albums chart at an entirely respectable number two, helped in no small part by the collaborations that Thug had been part of on the charts to that point, especially Mike Jones’ ‘Still Tippin’ in late 2004. Since releasing Already Platinum, Thug has made three more solo records, with the latest, Boss Life, dropping late last year. He’s perhaps better known, though, as a member of Boss Hogg Outlaws, with whom he’s served up four full-length albums and toured extensively; Thug’s signature energy and aggressive flow are a huge part of Outlaws’ live shows, and he continues to hit the road with them sporadically today, especially in their native U.S.

Danileigh was so great. She always bring a lot of energy to the stage. The setlist was a good mix of new and old songs. Highly recommend seeing her live. She is also a super nice person to meet.