This blog is no longer being updated as i have a new flashy website!!! Please go check it out and say hi!!!

www.MatLloyd.com 

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

Stoked to have a piece in @saraprinslooart amazing ‘Its Okay Zine’ that’s raising money for suicide prevention charity Papyrus UK , the first print sold out in 48 hours but don’t worry you can pre order the next print HERE!!!  

"PAPYRUS recognises that children and young people are among the higher risk groups in England when it comes to suicide. As many of our members have been touched personally by a young suicide, we do all we can to raise awareness and mitigate risk of suicide among the under 35s.

The latest episode of the 'Skateboarder And...' podcast is with skateboarder, founder of the ‘Family of UK Skateboarders’ and now published poet Mr. Tony wood.

Not only did we chat about his new collection of poetry ‘Procrastiskate’, we also talked Jeff Jones boards, Steve Caballero, cowboy boots, Guns & Roses, paddling pools, skateboard collecting, life before facebook groups, Rom Skate park, Colchester bowl, Mike Vallely, breaking ankles, Nick Zorlac, turning up to the Death Premier a week early, political correctness, writing poetry and so much more. Grab a beer, sit back, relax and enjoy!

To find out more about Tony’s book check out his publisher on instagram @shookbop or order direct via www.shookbop.com and the artists who contributed can be found on instagram via @jason_hillbilly_cheverall @frizzwizard @danbryantauthor

To find out more about Tony Wood…well you’ll have to find him on facebook….

Episode cover photo by @The_slimmingworld_skateboarder

Stay up to date by following us on instagram @skateboarderand or by joining our Facebook page www.facebook.com/skateboarderandpodcast

All music is provided with permission by Mr. Brown @westaytrue his music is available from all good record stores, iTunes, Amazon and direct via www.westaytrue.com

Stay safe people!

In these strange times we can all feel a bit isolated and in need of a smile or two! My old partner in crime Matt Frodsham and I have been working on a little project that will be released this Thursday which will hopefully make you smile and hopefully make you laugh too.

Why Thursday the 14th? This marks one year since skateboarder Ben Raemers tragically took his own life. His family and the good people at The Ben Raemers Foundation want this day to be full of positivity and have launched #SMileForRaemers Hopefully we can all do our bit to spread some positivity and keep smiling!

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

Great little wrap up video from last Saturdays Pio Jam Jam Live stream!!

"The first online Pioneer Jam Jam (Open Mic) - Featuring Bjorn Felle, Mat Lloyd, Kaspar Berry Rapkin and Alex Laurance. "

I'll be the featured artist tonight on the very awesome Trouble Tongues hosted by Sonny Green from 7pm!  You can watch live via their instagram @TroubleTongues

Dropping this Friday the 3rd of May - ‘Short Poems Mixtape’ really stoked how it’s turned out and looking forward to sharing it! More info to follow!

Original 📸 by James North

Couldn't be more honoured to headline one of my favourite poetry nights in London -  'Trouble Tongues' on Thursday the 2nd of May!

I honestly owe a lot of my recent output and the release of my latest collection 'Short Poems' to the energy and vibes I've experienced at Trouble Tongues that really have stoked my creative fire (as cheesy as that might sound).

Come down and check out an awesome lineup including my old homie Black Score!

Sign up on the night from 7pm, entrance is FREE!!

Some students represented the sentencing of idiot and used handcuffs to do this as well as prison bars and chains. A lot discussed the subject of consequences and the repercussions of your actions as well as the characters situation. The current issues of UK knife crime, gangs and youth violence came up when analysing the poem as a class. Described by them as a dark and deeply emotional as well as a poem which could be used to inspire others and conveys a very important message. A lot of our students thought that alcohol was most probably to blame for Idiots actions, as well as bad impulses and peer pressure from friends. A lot of the work made had links with the miss use of alcohol and the sadness and brutality of death. I think a lot of our students related to the poem and we thank you for writing such a raw and realistic piece of work. I hope it inspired my classes and makes them question the decisions they make in life." Sara Prinsloo

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'.

Available for the first time on Amazon is my second collection of poetry 'The Cracks and Curbs EP'. Originally published in late 2015 and reissued every year since, it’s previously only been available from this website and from my own hands after gigs. Last year when I sold the final copies of the latest reprint I decided it was time to let someone else handle the distribution of future copies so I can focus on new work.  I am truly humbled by everyone whose purchased a copy of 'The Cracks and Curbs EP', but if you missed out now's your chance to get a copy:

Get on Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1796638587
Get on Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/1796638587
Get on Amazon France https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1796638587
Get on Amazon Germany https://www.amazon.de/dp/1796638587

Why Amazon now?

Amazon has changed the level of support it givers authors through it's publishing platform. 'Demo Tape' my first collection netted me £0.23p per sale, and the only way this could be improved was if I hiked the price of the book up. With Amazons new setup I can keep the price at £5.99 and still get a respectable amount per copy purchased. It also means everyone who missed out on 'The Cracks and Curbs EP' or just wants to check it out can now get a copy across the world and Amazon handles the publishing, printing and delivery!

What's next?

I'm extemely lucky to have an 8 page feature in the new 'Foundry Magazine', mad props to editor Domonic Gibbon for making it happen. Get your copy from https://www.foundrymag.co.uk