Kano

The king of grime is back!

The last time we saw London wordsmith Kano his debut album - 'Home Sweet Home' - loved by fans and critics alike, had sold over 100,000, he's sold out the Astoria and picked up a Brit nomination & MOBO award along the way. X-Cel catches up with London’s ‘King of Grime’ to find out why he loves this town.

Of all the clichés thrown about in this business, “It’s all about the music,” has to be one of the most hackneyed. And yet Kano really is all about the music. He clearly isn’t in this for the cash and, in person, he doesn’t emanate the brash arrogance that is the stock in trade for most MCs. “I’m not that open a person,” he says softly, “I’m not that talkative, I’m quite quiet, shy even. Music is my way of doing everything.” Clad in regulation leisurewear, his mild brown eyes rarely look up and engage. Diffident but articulate, street-sussed but quietly ambitious, Kano has a bigger vision of what his music could be than most of his garage-schooled peers with their arcane London rivalries. Where others have tried in vain to turn underground garage into chart-fodder, Kano shakes off musical straight-jackets and embraces an unforced pop sensibility.

At only 22 he’s come a long way from pre-teen years when scouts from Chelsea and Norwich were sniffing around a juvenile football prodigy called Kane Robinson; a long way too from adolescence when he was a ubiquitous presence on London’s garage pirate radio stations. After throwing down some lines on Mike Skinner’s, ‘Fit But You Know It’, Kano went on to sell over 100,000 copies of his debut album ‘Home Sweet Home’, won a 2005 MOBO for Best Newcomer and was nominated for a Brit.

He has a following, you see, the underdog quietly recognized for talent and hard work. Averse to hype and gimmickry, he toured the world and now his second album, ‘London Town’ displays much more of him than he’s willing to reveal in person. It took over a year to put together, with tunes gestating for weeks on end until it felt right to lay them down with his producers Mikey J and Fraser T Smith. “I go all the way when I express my feelings,” he explains, “A lot of artists, some of their best songs come when they’re feeling vulnerable. My favourite song by 50 Cent, the ultimate bad guy, is ‘Many Men’ where he’s talking about being scared of dying. With me it’s not about getting into character for songs; when you get an album from me you learn a little more about me, not Kano the artist, but the real me.”

WIN A COPY OF KANO’S LATEST ALBUM “LONDON TOWN”

X-Cel has copies of Kano’s latest album ‘London Town’ for ten lucky readers who answer the following question:

KANO won a MOBO Award in 2005.
What was this for?

Please send your answers on a postcard with your name and contact details  to the following address:
X-Cel Competitions, SR Media, 101 Southwark Street, London. SE1 0JF

KANO TOUR DATES:
Be sure to catch the lyrical charmer at one of these intimate venues while you can!

September
26th   Sheffield, Plug
27th  Bristol, Academy
28th  Cambridge, Junction
29th  Leeds, Met Uni

October
2nd   Nottingham, Trent Uni
3rd  Southampton, Uni
4th  London, Astoria
5th  Liverpool, Academy
6th  Glasgow, The Arches
www.ka-no.com