Akala - Shakespeare

Akala - Shakespeare image

Released 3^rd July 2006

Kingslee "Akala" Daley continues his genre-bending skill at combining tight, clever and funny lyrics with a fluid fusion of musical styles with the release of new single "Shakespeare’", out on Illastate Records.

On "Shakespeare" Akala busts out the level of lyricism that skyrockets him beyond the reach of any contemporary. Over the grinding breakdown of Tomcraft’s trance smash "Loneliness" he spits lyrics that bend the laws of street linguistics from slang to poetry to science and back again into the manifesto for tomorrow’s hip hop. It is, like he says, ‘Shakespeare with a twist.’

A masterclass in quickfire MCing and top-notch production, "Shakespeare" maintains the energy and urgency of Tomcraft’s original whilst adding the infamous Akala ‘bounce’ - as anyone privvy to his recent incendiary live shows will bear witness.

The track came about in a pretty unconventional way. ‘I don’t drink much,’ says Kingslee, ‘but the last time I got drunk was about a year and a half ago. Some mates persuaded me to go to a big house night. I knew I could only stand it if I got really drunk. We were on the dancefloor and Loneliness, by Tomcraft came on. I started to rap freestyle to the pumping beat, comparing myself to a modern-day Shakespeare. I didn’t remember any of this in the morning. But one of my mates was like, ‘Oh my God, you came up with some really cool stuff. You’ve got to remember it.’ He had to buy the track to remind me. Gradually, it came back, and I realised it wasn’t that bad.’ In fact, it was so good it’s made it onto the next single…

Akala (a Buddhist term meaning ‘immovable’) has had a cracking year so far. Following the release of last year’s seminal singles "Bullshit" and "Roll Wid Us", he released his critically acclaimed debut album "It’s Not A Rumour" in May, which won rave reviews in the national press. All the fuss has led to a Akala being invited to support Kelis at Hammersmith Apollo in June.

The reverberating bassline from "Loneliness" works unimaginably well with Akala letting rip on his latest poetic offering. As the self-proclaimed ‘black Shakespeare’ Akala introduces a further alias and delivers a host of skilled hype-building one-liners. The remix sees Skinnyman backing him up for a punchier double rework…

And, lest you’re wondering, any comparisons to the bard himself should be taken with more than a pinch of salt. As Mr Daley says : ‘No more tights, now jeans saggin’ / If I say so myself I’m much more handsome.’

Live:
17th June - Old Trafford supporting Richard Ashcroft/Razorlight
22nd June - Notting Hill Arts Club
23rd June - O2 Wireless Festival
28th June - Hammersmith Apollo supporting Kelis