4:52pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
By Melanie Dakin
Rap artists are mostly associated with serious attitudes and bling but now there’s a new breed of rap artist that’s putting humour and good causes before an over-inflated ego and a stash of cash.
Dotstar is giving something back by supporting the fighting against poverty charity Action Aid heading projects and campaigns for their youth charity Bollocks to Poverty.
“I enjoy making music, says Dotstar. “I make party music. The type you’d play before you go out or enjoy with friends. It’s not all about serious topics; sometimes people just want to have a laugh.”
Hackney-born 19-year-old Azeez Adeshina Akinpelu, aka Dotstar, moved to Edgware aged eight and a year later he began MCing with his schoolyard crew at Edgware Primary School, before moving on to Saint Mary’s Secondary School in Hendon.
Known as Dot back then he wrote lyrics and played at youth clubs until he got spotted aged 12 by hip hop/grime label Skata Records.
“I was in this talent show in South Kilburn,” he recalls. “I jumped on stage and got recognised. Then we put out these mix tapes and since then I’ve been upping the levels with production and solo material.”
Dotstar’s levels got seriously upped when he landed an album deal with Sidewinder Raw Entertainment, who kick-started his catchy, funky house single Stick Up into one of the biggest dance anthems to hit the sizzling summer of 2009. The song began life as a dance-off with friends and was first recorded on a homemade video shot at Stanmore College. A slicker version of the song, with a suped-up video shot at Kentish Town Studios, went on to receive over a million YouTube hits and chart the top ten on MTV Base.
After hooking up at the age of 14 with heavy weight grime artist Flirta D, the creative young artist has been hard at work in the studio. His latest single She’s Killing Me, shot at Pineapple Studios, is a tongue-in-cheek production with clever lyrics and an infectious electro bass beat.
Although music is his “first love”, Dotstar is studying broadcast media at Brunel University in Uxbridge, which no doubt helps with those all important production values. Image is important to him, but so is recognising the hard work that put him where he is today.
“I learned everything from the people around me. The support I’ve had from Skata is what’s got me where I am today.”
In the coming months Dotstar has confirmed touring dates across Europe and will also be performing in Nigeria as well as Ghana and Uganda.
She’s Killing Me is out on September 13, Details: www.myspace.com/officialdotstar
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