Clash hosted our monthly Next Wave Live showcase at @cafekokocamden, with G!ft (@giftfds), Lost Girl and Berna providing the evening’s entertainment. G!ft is the South London polymath unwilling to compromise his autonomy. Steadily building his sound since 2018’s trap number ‘Zonin’, G!ft’s coquettish but deftly-layered bars explore situationships and the sybaritic highs and lows of life in the fast line. With a sound that vacillates between the off-beat rhythmic propulsion of ‘Déjà vu’ and the pop-leaning euphony of his most-streamed track, ‘if I knew how to save us’, G!ft is bridging melody with a mercurial energy. Just before his set at Cafe KOKO, G!ft shared his favourite track to perform, the importance of building palpable connections with the audience during live shows, and his release plans for the remainder of 2023. Our ‘Next Wave’ live series is a hallowed event and incubator for artists the Clash team are tipping for breakthrough glory. Bawo, FelixThe1st, Kwaku Asante and Mnelia will perform at the next showcase on Thursday June 29th hosted by @azcaptures in association with @payyourshooter . Click the link in our bio for details on how to secure your tickets.

Clash hosted our monthly Next Wave Live showcase at @cafekokocamden, with @lostgirl.official, Berna, and G!ft providing the evening’s entertainment. Reading’s Lost Girl may only have a handful of releases to her name since she debuted in 2020, yet her artistic output is already multifarious. Whether she’s cooing her way through melancholy on midtempos like ‘Trust Issues’, or trading snarky comebacks and anthemic highs with BackRoad Gee on the garage-inflected ‘Rockabye’, Lost Girl’s burnished epigrams are universal and inviting. With the promise of a new era on the horizon, trust Lost Girl to be the confidante you can rely on to soundtrack your lovelorn blues.  Before her set, Lost Girl talked pre-show rituals, her upcoming project inspired by her time recording in LA, and the festivals she’s hitting up this year. Our ‘Next Wave' Clash Live series is an incubator for artists the Clash team are tipping for breakthrough glory. @_bawo, @felixthe1st_, @kwakuxasante and @mneliaa will star at the next party on Thursday June 29th hosted by @azcaptures in association with @payyourshooter . Click the link in our bio for details on how to secure your tickets.

The Most Iconic Glastonbury Moments 🎪 Since emerging in the late summer of 1970, @glastofest has become one of the most treasured success stories within British culture and entertainment. Climbing its way onto one too many a music fan’s life-long bucket list, the festival has become notoriously out-of-reach for those who aren’t aware of the who, when and how’s of securing tickets. Growing from a small gathering of 1500 people to attracting hundreds of thousands of festival goers from across the globe wasn’t possible without the incredible amount of musical talent that has headlined over the years. In anticipation of 2023’s imminent start, we rounded up some of the most iconic moments to ever grace the farm. Are there any we missed? Let us know below 🔽 #glastonbury #glasto

Clash cover star Pharrell Williams presents his debut collection as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton Menswear at Paris Fashion Week. In anticipation of his runway debut, Skateboard P has officially launched his @skateboard Instagram account to give a behind the scenes preview as to what he’s been cooking up. It features a golden LV monogram skateboard, brown leather jackets with “PUPIL KING” lettering and even Pharrell’s entry card into Louis Vuitton’s Parisian office. The Virginia Beach-born artist has proven himself to be a hip-hop renaissance man in the vein of legends like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Fab 5 Freddy, proving that the culture is one that spreads far beyond beats and rhymes. Making his mark across everything from music and fashion, to film and furniture, his creative impulses can’t be contained by labels or expectations. @pharrell continues to prove that the way forward is to follow our passions, embrace our differences and trust our feelings. Watch the show live today at 20:30 BST for the full unveiling at @louisvuitton #lvmenss24 #louisvuitton #pharrellwilliams

Decoded: Che Lingo (Part 2) “It’s a fortification album…” @che_lingo is the focus artist for Episode 7 of our interview series, Decoded. Filmed in-studio, we invite a CLASH co-signed artist into the studio, dissecting their latest work through a thoughtful interrogation of influences, themes and iconography. Earlier this year, Che released his sophomore album, ‘Coming Up For Air’, a 10-track collection documenting a turbulent period in his life, where he dealt with familial loss, injuries, relationship struggles and financial burdens. For part two of our conversation, the South London artist speaks on the emotional upheaval that formed the basis of his most discursive work, and the intentional use of voices and anecdotes that prepares the listener for a voyager’s journey through treacherous waters. Watch Part 2 in the link in our bio 🔗

Congratulations to Central Cee & Dave on “Sprinter” taking 1st place in the U.K. chart race for a second week 🏁 The song marks a milestone for the pair as it became Cench's first number-one single, and broke the record for the biggest streaming week for a rap song in UK history, opening with a huge 13.4 million streams. Back in 2021, we had @centralcee in the Clash studios shortly after the release of his breakout mixtape “Wild West”. While his ascension may have been a surprise to the rest of us, for the man himself, “it wasn’t a shock because I knew it was going to happen,” he tells me before admitting: “Millions of views though? I didn’t expect that”. This was no fluke or a product of luck. But the result of years of hard-work and dedication to his craft. Independence has always been a fundamental part of the journey, not just in terms of recording and publishing but also in his approach to building his profile. We questioned his decision to not include a single feature on the tracklist – something that goes against what has become an industry norm. “It weren’t really a decision at first. I was just in the studio by myself because I don’t know any other people that rap like that,” he explains. “When I came up with the blueprint before I put ‘Day In The Life’ out, features weren’t part of the plan. I wasn’t relying on any big features to build my buzz. So when it did well and certain people were hitting me up, I was just turning them down for the time being because I don’t see the need in these forced features”. Resisting the urge to work with artists that the average fan may consider bigger than himself is a testament to his character – refusing the short-term gain in order to stick to his own long-term plan. Just a couple of years later, he joined forces with one of the UK’s biggest rappers to deliver a record shattering collaboration. Hit the link in the bio for the full interview 🔗 #centralcee #ukrap

J Hus Explains To Clash the Inspiration Behind “Did You See” After recently returning from a 3 year hiatus, the Stratford star has laid the groundwork for his much anticipated third studio album with two new singles. It’s Crazy became Hus’s 13th UK Top 40 entry when it debuted at Number 15 and Who Told You with superstar Drake would also become his first Top 10 single since Must Be peaked at Number 5 in 2019. To show the journey, we are throwing it back to 2017 when we had J Hus come in a black Benz and leave in a white one to perform “Did You See” for the very first time. @theuglygram was unfortunately one of the many artists plagued by the infamous Form 696, making a headline show in his home city impossible. Nothing stopped him attending one of our pop ups and jumping on stage however. Watch the full film on our Youtube, 🔗 in bio. #JHus #UKRap #afrobeats

Clash Live: Guvna B Tuesday July 4th brings @guvnab to the @metropolisstudios stage in partnership with the good folks at Avirex, and you’re invited. @avirexusa_eu will be styling Guvna with one of their signature jackets and looks for his performance. His latest album “The Village Is On Fire”, is an emphatic 12 track affair, boasting moments of urgency and palpable depth, while dipping into the East London communities that made him. The London artist has really been through it. A racist attack left him with sight difficulties for months, and the lacklustre response from the Met Police compounded his feelings of trauma. Slowly recovering, he put his faith in music, constructing the album to detail his experiences. Join a modern UK rap legend for an intimate experience, free for fans and guests to attend. Space is extremely limited and the demand is high so we are running a ticket lottery format. Enter via 🔗 in our bio

On the opening track from his debut album, Jordan Edward-Wilks, better known as Jords, calls on the spirit of his “ancestors” to guide him through the forces that cloud his journey. Older, wiser and battle-hardened, @jordsonline uses the technicolour palette of Jamaican history – reggae-fusion, colonial rebellion, swaying bodies, mythic folklore and machismo – to paint a parallel picture of contemporary black identity in flux. For this month’s PLTFRM feature, the Croydon artist speaks to Clash about the inter-generational cycle of grief and trauma informing his latest masterwork, the tangible display of Jamaican tradition and mythology found in the accompanying short film, and why he creates with the intention of opening doors for next-gen rappers coming through. Click the link in our bio for the full feature or visit ClashMusic.com… --- Interview: @shazzasherazi Photography: @sophiemayanne Fashion: @sabrinasoormally Styling Assistant: @anathecoolcat

“I’m changing in radical ways…”   @GracieAbrams has yet to find her final form. As an artist, as a person, she’s engaged with evolution, perpetually moving through different phases and chapters. Fans have been enraptured by her journey – dedicated to honesty, she’s given them more, much more, than may have expected.   In this intimate cover interview Gracie Abrams sits down with Clash to look back on her journey, offering startling revelations about her rise. A wonderful songwriter, she holds true in her dedication to the truth. As she puts it: “I feel like I can finally freefall…”   Available to buy in Clash 124, our Gracie Abrams cover interview is now online in full. Hit the link in the bio or visit ClashMusic.com to read it now. Words: @zoya.shxikh Photography: @Lindsayellary Fashion: @kattypaldos Creative Direction: @rbpmstudio Hair: @bobbyeliot Make-up: @loftjet

“I’m changing in radical ways…”   @GracieAbrams has yet to find her final form. As an artist, as a person, she’s engaged with evolution, perpetually moving through different phases and chapters. Fans have been enraptured by her journey – dedicated to honesty, she’s given them more, much more, than may have expected.   In this intimate cover interview (and above digital cover to celebrate the release) Gracie Abrams sits down with Clash to look back on her journey, offering startling revelations about her rise. A wonderful songwriter, she holds true in her dedication to the truth. As she puts it: “I feel like I can finally freefall…”   Available to buy in Clash 124, our Gracie Abrams cover interview is now online in full. Hit the link in the bio or visit ClashMusic.com to read it now. Words: @zoya.shxikh Photography: @Lindsayellary Fashion: @kattypaldos Creative Direction: @rbpmstudio Hair: @bobbyeliot Make-up: @loftjet

“I’m changing in radical ways…”   @GracieAbrams has yet to find her final form. As an artist, as a person, she’s engaged with evolution, perpetually moving through different phases and chapters. Fans have been enraptured by her journey – dedicated to honesty, she’s given them more, much more, than may have expected.   In this intimate cover interview Gracie Abrams sits down with Clash to look back on her journey, offering startling revelations about her rise. A wonderful songwriter, she holds true in her dedication to the truth. As she puts it: “I feel like I can finally freefall…”   Available to buy in Clash 124, our Gracie Abrams cover interview is now online in full. Hit the link in the bio or visit ClashMusic.com to read it now. Words: @zoya.shxikh Photography: @Lindsayellary Fashion: @kattypaldos Creative Direction: @rbpmstudio Hair: @bobbyeliot Make-up: @loftjet