UK
Wretch 32’s ‘Rapthology, Lessons in Life and Lyrics’ Book Gives a Masterclass in Lyric Writing
U.K. rap pioneer, Wretch 32 — real name Jermaine Scott — has released a book entitled Rapthology, Lessons in Life and Lyrics under Stormzy’s #Merky Books umbrella. Wretch’s music career started in 2006 when he dropped his debut project, Learn From My Mixtape, and since then, the Tottenham-born rapper has been been a key staple in British music. And while his music has resonated with rhyme fans across the country since his first stamp on the scene, critics, labels, and execs alike have struggled to box him in. It’s too easy for the latter to label him as a grime MC — this is down to Wretch’s involvement in the grime collective The Movement with fellow rappers Ghetts, Devlin, Mercston, and Scorcher — as his experimentation with different sonics, have allowed him to tap into ra...
Apple Is Reportedly Interested in Buying Manchester United
Apple, which is currently being ran by Tim Cook, is reportedly interested in buying Manchester United F.C. after the Glazer Family recently announced that they are now open to offers for selling the club. With United now available to buy, reports have stated that the world’s largest tech company may be interested in acquiring the club for £5.8 billion (approx. $7 billion USD). Buying Manchester United would be a first for Apple, as the California-based firm has never owned a major sports team, however the commercial opportunities that United can provide are a major factor in Apple’s interest. If United was to be purchased from the Glazers, the deal would almost certainly become the most exepensive sale of a football club in history, with the current world record being the £4.25billion (app...
The Glazer Family Is Now Open to Selling Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, have said in a recent statement that they are considering selling the club as they “explore strategic alternatives.” The Americans bought the club in 2005 for £780m (approx. $1.34bn) and this new move towards possibly selling the club has followed years of protests from fans against the ownership. A statement from the club said the board will “consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club a sale, or other transactions involving the company.” The statement continued by saying that it will “include an assessment of several initiatives to strengthen the club, including stadium and infrastructure redevelopment and expansion of the club’s commercial operations on a global scale” to enhance “the long-term success of the...
Fenway Sports Group Has Put Liverpool F.C. Up for Sale
The owners of Liverpool F.C. have said that they are open to offers, implying that the club is now up for sale. The Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which also owns the Boston Red Sox, acquired Liverpool in 2010, with the club then going on to win the Premier League in 2019-20 and the Champions League in 2019. In a statement, FSG said: There have been a number of recent changes and rumors of changes in ownership at EPL clubs and inevitably, we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group’s ownership in Liverpool. “FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it is in the best interests of Liverpool as a club. FS...
Raleigh’s Iconic ’80s MK1 Tuff Burner BMX is Back
In an era of flying “cars” and seemingly-on-steroids electric “hyperbikes”, Raleigh — one of the world’s oldest bicycle makers — has dug into its archive to release a fully pedal-powered, ’80s-cool, limited edition Tuff Burner BMX. Founded in Nottingham, England, in 1887, the heritage British brand knows a thing or two about bikes, and the new BMX is inspired by one of their most popular models — the MK1 Tuff Burner. The bike arrives in a bold combination of blue and yellow, with pops of chrome and black, and includes very ’80s-appropriate five-spoke wheels, top tube, handlebar and stem pads. Priced at £600 (just under $700, today) and proving that ’80s nostalgia is alive and kicking, it took less than three hours for the pre-sale to sell out. This may or may not be down to the popu...
Nike Football’s New ‘Footballverse’ Ad Shows What Would Happen if Brazllian Ronaldo Faced Kylian Mbappé
Just in time for the start of the Qatar World Cup, Nike Football has just presented its latest advert, and it allows fans to see what would happen if old-school legends of the game came up against the stars of the present. It beckons the question; who has ever wanted to see what would happen if prime Ronaldinho came up against Mbappé, or if Brazilian Ronaldo faced up against Portuguese Ronaldo? Well, Nike is now giving you the chance to see what could happen if the latter ever did come to light. There have been incredible football ads over the years — cast your minds back to the 2010 Nike World Cup advert for proof of that — however, this latest movie from the football retailer breaks boundaries like never before and features stars such as Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Van Dijk, 1998 and 2002...
Children of Zeus Are Born Again
The term “good things come to those who wait” isn’t used enough, especially in the world of music. We’re currently living in a time where everything is demanded instantly; music, with visuals, have to be dropped weekly to garner eyes and engagement and mixtapes are gradually dominating popular music more than ever before. In increasingly impatient times, it’s rare that we come across contextualized and soulful music, written from the heart and for the heart. It’s even rarer to build a solid discography that’s jam-packed with substance, and songs that become a part of your everyday life and routine. But for Manchester’s soul and hip-hop duo, Children of Zeus, quality over quantity is everything. Comprized of Tyler Daley and Konny Kon, the two friends used to make their own solo music with o...
PinkPantheress Releases Romantic Cut “Do you miss me?”
Breakthrough pop songstress PinkPantheress has released a new single “Do you miss me?”. Since jumping on the scene, the young star has been known for her innovative approach to fusing pop, bedroom pop, dance and hyperpop and more. With production from Kaytranada and phil, the new cut adds to her catalog of soft yet upbeat tracks. Harboring a romantic cadence, the song’s feeling of longing centers around a past lover and the feelings that still exist. “We don’t even get in fights / Went downstairs to make a coffee / In the morning how you like / Ha, ah, yeah / All I wanted was to scream / When I saw one of her messages that popped up on your screen,” sings the UK-native in the first verse. Even though the song meditates on a past relationship, the lyrical repetition and pulsating beat from ...
K Trap Enlists Skepta for a Hot Remix of U.K. Drill Heater “Warm”
Hot on the heels of his recently-dropped mixtape, The Last Whip II, Gipsy Hill rapper K Trap is already back with a new five-star-rated remix of his hit single “Warm.” The single was a project highlight from his 2021-released mixtape Trapo, and it went down as arguably, the best U.K. drill record of the year. Hypebeast sat down with K Trap back in September, and when commenting on “Warm” he said: “The song was trending a month ago and it came out last year — it still feels like a new song now. That song has told me to make whatever I want to make and to go with what I believe is hard.” And with that being said, the track has now been even further revitalized with a fresh verse from U.K. rap and grime star, Skepta. Skepta — who recently launched his new Big Smoke Corpo...
Stormzy Teams up With adidas Football to Launch New #Merky F.C. Initiative
U.K. rap and grime star Stormzy and adidas Football have just announced the launch of their collaborative venture #Merky FC — a careers program that is committed to enhancing and protecting diverse representation in the football industry. Stormzy — who is due to drop his third studio album This Is What I Mean on November 25 — has a number of non-music ventures, such as #Merky books, which is a publishing imprint that gives both establishing and rising Black authors the platform to succeed. In addition to this, Big Mikey also has his #Merky Foundation which each year, financially supports Black students to allow them to attend the University of Cambridge — one of the U.K.’s most prestigious schools. With this being said, Stormzy’s latest initiative will now see the life-long Manch...
Dance Music Represents More Than 25% of U.K. Top 10 Tracks In 2022
The results are in: the U.K. loves electronic dance music. In fact, they love dance music so much that it accounts for over 25% of the country’s Top 10 tracks this year, according to a new report from record industry trade group BPI. The report concluded that the genre is second only to pop music, which can arguably be categorized as dance these days. BPI’s report suggests that 26.1% of all tracks in the U.K. Singles Top 10 this year are considered dance music. This is an 80% increase from 2021. “Britain has always excelled at dance music, so it’s gratifying that the genre’s renaissance is powered in part by homegrown talent, including breakthrough artists LF System and Eliza Rose, who have both spent multiple weeks at number o...
Here’s 5 Tips to Help You Level up Quickly in ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2′
Last week, Activision released its highly-anticipated sequel to its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise. C.O.D. fans have been patiently waiting for a revitalized version of the game since its first revival in 2019 and now the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game is officially out for the world to enjoy. Since its release, Activision has announced that its worldwide sell-through for the first three days passed $800 million USD, which is more than the previous record holder: 2011’s Modern Warfare 3, managed in five days. The game has been thoroughly enjoyed by players since its release with its fast gameplay and multi-player features and professional U.K. streamer, BennyCentral, thinks more of the same. Speaking to Hypebeast about Modern Warfare 2, he said: “The gameplay pacing is inc...
