Currently receiving production from J ROKKA 1, one of the funkiest men on planet Earth. Stray is a master, representing Tasmania. Anorak (1 Man Army Records, known for breakcore but also makes psychedelic chill out) and Dan Just Dan. Has also received production from Imaginary Forces (currently cementing legendary status) and Chris Thomas PI. Candlelight was produced by Grafic (of Sparxillva) and Pandemic.
KP and Sparxillva are DA Q and DA 8, cos the q ball and the 8 ball are the b all and end all. Remember dat.
KRS1, Eminem, Killah Priest, Cypress Hill, Redman, Gangstarr, Snoop Dogg, Lao Tzu, William Blake, The Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Task Force, A Tribe Called Quest, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, De La Soul, Massive Attack, Run D.M.C., Guru, Nirvana, Gravediggaz, Big Pun, Redman, Universal Soldiers, Skinnyman, The L.O.X, Bob Marley, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Toots and the Maytals, The Celestine Prophecy, 1984, The Power of Now, Bringers of the Dawn, The I-Ching, Wayne Duberry, Dan Dreamweaver Hurring, Emma Hurring, Susanna Lafond, Paradox, Ant Armageddon Assassin, Mike Stanton, Masuda, Trevor Abbas, Colin Powers, UK Hip-Hop, 2012, mayan philosophy, taoism, the tao teh ching, conscious Hip-Hop, CTP Pixie,Craig Body English Synchro Rider Reynolds - the list is endless.
Sounds Like
UK Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Dub-step, poetry etc... A poet who flows, people have told me I sound like Lynton Kwesi Johnson alot recently but I’m not even as familiar with his work as I should be, and a while ago people used to tell me I sounded like The Streets but that was only because me and Mike Skinner are both English MCs that don’t shout. I think the people who have most influenced my sound are the Wu Tang Clan, Taskforce, KRS 1, A Tribe Called Quest, Gravediggaz, Public Enemy, Redman, Universal Soldiers, Skinnyman, De La Soul, Jimi Hendrix, Big Punisher, The Roots, Non Phixion, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Gangstarr, Nirvana, Rza, Braintax, Gza, and Portishead. The Pointless Vandalism collaborations (see Stonerboy Records in my Top 24) are largely influenced by Nirvana, The Doors, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Dr Dre.
Dubstep poetry and UK Hip-Hop, all honest and emotional outbursts from the Hip-Hop Bard of a real life Stonehenge attending Druid Order with assistance from the Synchromystickz, and production from the likes of Appleblim, DUB FX, Defazed and J Rokka.
Kev the Poet aka Knowledge is Power aka Know Peace the Hip-Hop Bard. A multi-media writer and performer - primarily writing philosophical essays and performing Hip-Hop and poetry. He is also a member of the Synchromystickz, a group of diverse poets which formed in Bristol rapping primarily over dubstep.
KP is an initiated Bard of a Druid Order, working with the Druids to organise performance spaces in Stonehenge. He has performed in venues as diverse as St James' Church where William Blake was baptised to the SE1 Club for the Synergy Project.
He is as likely to shout about the war for oil as he is likely to shout about experiences and equally likely to whisper about spiritual experiences and love.
The Druid Order he became affiliated with, The Loyal Arthurian Warband, has a long history of being on the front line of Direct Action activism. Most of these events happened in the early nineties. In 2007 he fulfilled what he saw as an "unwritten duty to my Order and an unwritten duty to the trees" and travelled to Tasmania to live with eco-activists at a logging blockade, he spent 3 months in the Upper Florentine rainforest where some of the oldest hardwood trees, some of the oldest beings, on the planet were being logged to make chip-board and paper. He has written two articles about his experiences.
http://people.tribe.net/knowledgeispower23/blog/2bf1e8bb-1373-4e08-bd0b-7fa4e8b09d58
and
http://people.tribe.net/knowledgeispower23/blog/977be00b-e48e-407d-b6a4-9362a359e435
His politics also made him particularly sensitive to the erosion of our civil liberties, politics is another subject that plays a major role in his lyrics. He cites influences as diverse as Public Enemy, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, the Wu-Tang Clan and Bill Hicks as his influences.
THE KNIGHTING OF A HIP-HOP BARD
MARCH 27th - The Spring Equinox, 2006...
I'm Kev the Poet aka Knowledge is Power aka KP the Hip-Hop Bard.
I am a writer, rapper, a poet and an English Literature and Philosophy graduate. After taking my friend Susanna's advice (because my intuition and series of beneficial coincidences were leading me closer and closer to him) I met the guy who calls himself King Arthur. This is the man who stands to get voted as an MP in Winchester on several occasions and publicly supports various road protests in medieval garb. "Who cares what he believes" some of you might ask, "he's clearly insane" yet more of you might say. More to the point 3 Druid orders in England accept him as the current incarnation of King Arthur. Druidry is a pagan practice that involves a worship of nature and particularly in Enlgand the celebration of the Sun on ceremonial days such as the Summer and Winter Solstice. "Who cares what they believe" some of you might ask, "they're clearly mad as well". Well I don't care, the original King Arthur may be a myth, in which case there could be no reincarnation. But the fact is that before he had the support of Druid Order's he was sleeping in a hammock in the woods and campaigning for opening up Stonehenge to the British Public. The fact is that he was camping in and under trees during road protests and he has made efforts and sacrifices for the sake of the trees of England. Due to these facts regardless of his rather widespread reputation as a drunk and a lecherous old man he has earned my respect. He has earned it because anyone can make sacrifices with back-up and support but he did it before he had any of that. Besides, name me a man that isn't lecherous and I'll name you a man who hides his lust well.
Shortly after Susanna had told me about King Arthur at the Synergy Centre (a community arts centre set up by the club night The Synergy Project) in Camberwell the day before New Years Eve 2005/06 I bumped into one of her friends who happened to live round the corner from my parents. This friend of hers Steph is has a practical understanding of spirituality and shamanism. The first time I popped round to see Steph there it was, the book about this Arthur Pendragon and his history. Two days later I'd finished it and knew that we would meet.
I originally thought that the events so far were leading me to interview Arthur for my friend's internet radio station. Not so. After meeting Arthur in Avebury on the weekend nearest to the Spring Equinox I thought that I could convince him to come to Bristol for an interview. Not so. With no fixed abode and no method of contact the only way to organisie it was to meet him at Stonehenge on the actual day of the Equinox and try to do the interview there. Arthur and the Druids would be camping all night, getting on the mead (fermented honey, tastes a bit like Sherry but it's even nicer!) and what Arthur likes to call 'Druid Fluid' (that would be Cider or Mead, the phrase works as well for either.) I didn't know how I would manage to get to Stonehenge, I didn't own a car, or a tent, or a sleeping bag. But I have good friends and there was a momentum building. So I didn't expect NOT to get to Stonehenge, I just didn't know how it would happen.
I didn't bring a dictaphone or a Mini-Disc player with me. I knew that there would be no interview in Stonehenge, I even turned my phone off and took the battery out because the less interference I got during my first time in Stonehenge the better.
I didn't bring a dictaphone or a Mini-Disc player with me. I went to Stonehenge for the Equinox and was raised as a Bard and Shield Knight of the LOYAL ARTHURIAN WARBAND. (By "I was raised", I mean I was Knighted and given a title.)
Now I'm not going to expend too much effort explaining about the rank of a Shield Knight because that would simply be inviting criticism and responsibility, although I will say that it is a recognition of an original incarnation. An unexpected honour? Or simply tosh? It's impossible for me to talk about being Knighted at a ceremony celebrating the return of the sun without alienating people who don't give a shit about anything they haven't seen on Television! So I'm not going to try. Susanna, the only female Battle Chieftain in Arthur's Warband had recommended that I get Knighted for a while, but we both knew it was Arthur's decision (although she probably had an idea what his decision would be.) I just wanted to interview the man until it actually got to the day, then I was just curious about the whole ceremony. He chose to raise me as a Bard and a Shield Knight. I was reluctant for weeks, my strongest intuition was that I HAD to talk to Arthur, I wasn't sure why but the first time I heard about him I knew I needed to talk to him. But the intuition whether or not to pursue getting Knighted wasn't as strong. I was scared at what the responsibility would entail. It was not until I heard with my own ears the oath which one takes that I knew I had to. Funnily enough Kat and Clare thought they had come to Stonehenge more or less solely to watch me get raised as a Bard but had actually come to get raised as Warrior Priestesses, both of them. Funnily enough I was more sure that Kat would get Knighted than I was that I would get Knighted!
For the record the ceremony was great, the statements, proclamations and speeches had a good balance of informality and reverence. Which is what I like about being a Druid the most, the fact that it's informal and practical. They don't just talk about the land and mother nature, they bury themselves in Camp Camelot and stop roads from being built through the land and mother nature. Respect. But there are other places to look to read about Druidism, I'll write the stories that I think no-one else will, I'll attempt to bestow legendary status on those I believe deserve it but when I think someone else can tell a story better I'll let them.
Let's not think KP needs bringing back down to Earth, I'm the same man I was before I was officially recognised as a Bard. But the mission of a Bard is to tell his or her truth and record the stories and opinions of the people which I honestly believe is what I've been doing with my lyrics and essays with or without recognition since... well since I was 11.
KP - Your Hip-Hop Bard, Shield Knight, and Druid.
"What happened in William Blake's time when there was a revolutionary spirit certainly amongst the poets of the time, a whole group of people gathered around Blake at that time. They actually helped him in developing a vision of Albion that was based upon it's ancient traditions. The whole subject of Blake and his poetry is linked to Druidism very directly in the sense that William Blake was considered the Arch Druid of the Isles by all the Druid Orders - at that moment you have a Druidic revival - a renaissance." - Tim Sebastian, R.I.P. Secular Arch Druid of the Secular Order of Druids
Post - Script
For some reason everybody is more impressed when I tell them that Arthur Pendragon's Sword is the Excalibur, the sword from the movie of the same name. Exactly the same sword.
A lady friend of Arthur's saw a sword in the window of a blacksmith's from the back of Arthurs bike (did I forget to mention that he's an ex-biker? Actually sod the 'ex', he's a biker - tattoos 'n' all and his motorbike is his steed.) They wandered in and he was told by the blacksmith who made the sword for the movie that unless the 'Once and Future King' proved he was there he could not relinquish the sword. Arthur had recently changed his name by deed poll, he had the documents and he walked away with the sword. I love true stories
For more true tales of the Hip-Hop Bard check...
http://people.tribe.net/knowledgeispower23
_____________
Love, gratitude and appreciation
Your Hip-Hop Bard and Shield Knight, Kev the Poet
The Highjinks and Capers Society
http://www.belowthebelt.bravehost.com
KPs CD 'So Nang (Quite Delightful)' is available from THC Society on http://www.kevthepoet.bravehost.com
Get about 33 KP tracks from here...
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Kev the Poet aka KP The Hip-Hop Bard's Friend Space (Top 40)
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Hey Kev the Poet aka KP The Hip-Hop Bard, just wanna let you know our NEW E.P. 'The Making' is out November 30th, samples of the Tracks are on our myspace or check out www.thebeatpoets.com
We're setting off into the sunset on a mini tour of the south west in December and we'd love to see you at one of our shows.
The Bell, Bath, Wednesday 2nd December Dartington College, Totnes, Thursday 3rd December Eden Project, Nr St Austell, Fri 4th December
It'll be the last chance to catch us play before we go into hibernation to record our new album at the beginning of the new year...we may even give you a sneaky taster of what's in store. So please come down and experience us lifting the roof in a proper stomping party style.
THIS FRIDAY!!! Weapon of Choice Magazine Launch party at the WoC Gallery!
Even though the magazine has been in circulation and available online,
we thought we'd host a little party at the WoC Gallery in celebration
of launching ISSUE 1.
With live painting from some of the
magazines featured artist's such as ANDY COUNCIL, DYLAN SHIPLEY & LORENZO! And of
course your chance to pick up your FREE copy of Issue 1!
Online Now!
![BF-Recordings [BF-DB001 OUT NOW]](http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/72/s_99810241159f45de859d506d40c9d6fb.jpg)
