MAT LLOYD

Super stoked to be back on Comedian and Podcaster Michael Dryburgh: Mix Tapes With Mike! This time talking the top ten greatest hiphop lyricists, trust me it wasn't an easy list to put together!!! 

So if you fancy listening to two blokes talking about hiphop, good tunes, me using the word 'like' way too much, and Mike's amazing production values, this is the episode for you!!!  

Listen here https://link.chtbl.com/VoJA8oUQ

This is from the first time I visited the VANS Europe HQ back in early 2017. I’d been asked to write a spoken word piece on the history of a Tribe Called Quest and I was flown out to the Switzerland headquarter to perform it on stage in-front of the whole VANS HQ team. I couldn’t tell anyone (not even my team at VANS) or share what I was doing as the shoe wouldn’t be released until the following year.

I put a lot of time, research and mental energy into the pice as I really wanted it to be perfect. I had three weeks to create it and I really think I didn’t listen, read or watch anything that wasn’t ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ related for that whole time.

I remember getting super stressed out when creating the piece and after a couple of weeks working on it and a few sleepless nights in a fit of desperation I rang my friend Nick @retailwhore on instagram (who also worked at VANS). I told him what I was doing and that I needed to read him the piece and get his opinion or my head might explode! I knew he’d give me an honest answer whether I liked it or not. When I’d finished he said in typical Nick fashion “It’s fucking amazing!” and I new I was on the right track.

The actual day of course went really well and despite all the sleepless nights, anxiety and nerves I got a standing ovation which i will never forget. The photos are from after the performance when I could finally relax and have a well deserved beer. Sometimes when everything feels too much or your head feels like it might explode, pick up the phone, it really is - good to talk.

PS. Here's a video of a live performance I did in London of the piece when the collection finally launched - Beats Rhymes and Phife Live in London

World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. Its purpose is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the original UNESCO declaration says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements".

So to help celebrate #WorldPoetryDay here’s one of my all time favourite performances from Lemon Andersen that introduced me to the work of Etheridge Knight and what would become one of my favourite poems.



This is from Def Poetry Jam season 1 back in 2002, the full title of the Poem is 'DARK PROPHECY: I SING OF SHINE by ETHERIDGE KNIGHT'.

Stoked to receive these photos from Friday nights performance at TOWER London thanks to my good friend and photographer James North http://jnorth.co.uk/

Not sure what we were doing here, but the blond is Hannah

I recently got to sit down with my friend Hannah Bailey for an upcoming episode of 'The Skateboarder And...' podcast.  If you missed the first episode of series two, I got to hang out in artist Mr. Browns studio and talk skateboarding, hip hop, creativity and his new album of course.  

Since I've been doing the podcast I've met a vast array of talented people, many of whom I'm glad to say are my friends, discuss their passions, choices and how they made time to make things happen.  The people I've met have inspired me, I definitely don't think by latest book would have come about if it hadn't been for sitting down with photographer Ben Gore for the first episode of series one. 

 One of the recurring topics in each episode is 'side hustle'. What I mean by that is, no matter what the persons job, family situation or cash flow, they find time to focus on their main passion/gaol.  And by focusing just a little at a time, day by day, week by week, their main passion in some cases is becoming or has become there full time occupation.  They find time.

When I met Hannah to record for the podcast it was at a House of Vans fund raising event for Skateistan.  Hannah who works for Skateistan as their Communications manager had organised the fundraiser which included an exclusive screening of their new animation "Her Story", a showing of the Highsnobiety documentary about Skateistans Skate School in Johannesburg "The Skateboard and The City" and the UK PREMIERE of all-girl feature length skate film Quit Your Day Job Vid.  It was a really positive night for Skateistan, female skateboarding and just skateboarding in general.

Of course on top of co-ordinating all of this she gave me an hour to chat about skateboarding, her career choices and how she ended up living in Berlin and working for Skateistan.  Another person whose positivity and drive inspires me to keep pushing forward.

Hannah's episode will be out in March however fear not the next episode of 'The Skateboarder And...' podcast will be available on the 1st of January.  Till then you can listen to the teaser below: