Last week, I ventured to go see Ed Sheeran in concert (for the second time) and discovered the amazing talent of Rizzle Kicks. Now let me start by saying, when I first heard their stuff, I was not the biggest fan. However, after seeing them as a supporting act for Ed, I am a huge fan of these incredible performers.
Rizzle Kicks are a hip-hop/rap duo from England, originally from Brighton, who create oddly catchy tunes and embody one-of-a-kind stage charisma. Jordan and Harley began rapping and recording covers of their favorite artists back in secondary school, where Jordan rapped and Harley sang vocals on some if his tracks. Their partnership instantly clicked and from there they formed Rizzle Kicks. "Rizzle" forming from a nickname given to Jordan and "Kicks" coming from their love for English football. From here, they began putting their work on their Youtube channel, creating a sensation of buzz on the internet.
In 2010, they recorded a demo of their first single 'Down With the Trumpets,' that shortly followed with a music video. They persistently continued to contact record labels and finally, someone caught notice of their channel. They signed with Island Records, a subdivision of Universal, later that year and their career took off.
The boys released a promotional single in early 2011, 'Prophet (Better Watch It)', which did decently well on the UK Charts. While recording their first studio album, the boys began opening for big UK acts, such as Dizzee Rascal (a well-known rapper in the UK) and The Streets at festivals around the nation. They finally released "Down With the Trumpets" in the Summer of 2011.
Here are the boys performing 'Down With The Trumpets' at BBC Radio's Big Weekend
The boys old school sound and catchy beats would soon catch on to the public, as their next single "When I Was a Youngster" landed at number 8 on the charts. Their debut album, Stereo Typical, dropped in the Fall of 2011, peaking at number 5 on the charts and later went platinum.
Up to now, the boys were establishing a decent fan base, but it was after their third single, 'Mama Do the Hump,' that they began to gain renown attention. After the single dropped, a dance craze known as "The Hump' broke out all over the UK, allowing the single to peak at number 2 on the charts. 'The Hump' was all over; TV personnel, other musicians and even the general public would post videos of their twist on the dance move.
Here are the boys performing 'Mama Do the Hump.' You can see the boys busting out the moves during the chorus.
However, their biggest success was yet to come. In August 2011, the boys collaborated with Olly Murs, an English artist who got his claim to fame on the hit show The X Factor, on a track called 'Heart Skips a Beat.' The trio earned a number one single and a massively huge hit.
Here are Rizzle Kicks and Olly Murs performing 'Heart Skips a Beat' for Children In Need. The boys enter about 2:30 minutes into the video.
Now a huge British success, the boys have collaborated with big names such as Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Foster the People. In March 2012, the boys went on their first headlining tour, selling out the entire tour, including two sold out shows in London; they toured again in the Winter of 2012. In between the tours, the boys were asked to play at huge festivals throughout the UK, playing on some of the biggest stages in the world and sharing the same stage as some of the biggest names in music.
Here is a fan video of the boys performing 'When I Was a Youngster' at Wakestock 2012.
Currently the boys are supporting Ed Sheeran on his US Tour.
Like I said earlier, the boys songs are a hit or miss for most people, including myself. However, once you see them live, it is impossible not to love them. They bring so much energy to their performances and really get the crowd pumped. When I saw them open for Ed in the beginning of February, there was not a single song where the crowd was not jumping or throwing their arms up; half the people did not even know who they were. They run around the stage, jump on the speakers and bust out their own little, cute dance moves, adding a great amount to their performance. I caught myself numerous times with a huge smile on my face because that is the impression they leave on you. Definitely check these boys out and look for a new album later this year!
