Anyway, back frrm the griddy ciddy, and it was ace, as ever.
Here's some pix of what went on over there...And may I say, the UK/US connection is pretty strong right now. Met up with Sir Matthew Mason, he of ex-RWD fame, Dave Stelfox and, as previously mentioned, Jump Off's Harry and Plan B. Didn't get chance to see them, but Estelle, Futurecut, the yOyO lot and other peeps were all over in NYC this past weekend too.
Had lots of conversations about LDN V NYC and while I love this city (no Fedde Le Grand), New York has a whole lot to offer. It's Sunday night, and people go out, even though they've been out all weekend, adn they'll probably go out Monday too. It's not a thing. I feel like, perhaps because it's just easier to travel around, people seem to do so much more. Coffee, hang out, drinks, dinner, dancing...it's never particularly planned, people just do it. And I like that muchily. Also love the whole NYC networking thing - need to get hold of a rapper or sanger? Someone will hook you up with a number or email within three seconds. People are very, very quick to offer a hand if they can help. Here? Not so much. The general ideology appears to be, if I help someone, they might be either able to help me, or help hip hop in general. We need a whole lot more of that attitude in the underground scene. Instead of blocking, get unlocking, people.
Anyway, random jetlag thoughts over...here's a bit of what happened, visually.
Lil Mama at the photoshoot - she's a cool young woman, and, man, has she lived a life in her 17 short years (actually, she looks more like 27, but you can't come between a girl and her 'stage-age' knarmean?)
Fat Joe stopped making it rain for a minute to come say hi to Lil Mama. Not sure if he just happened to be passing the Jive offices (we were shooting in the lobby cos it was raining outside), or what, but he literally came in and said 'Lil Mama, what's good?' And then waddled off again. 
Plan B gets his guitar on at Hiro. It was a good reception, especially seeing as they don’t know me and they don’t know the songs,” Ben Drew told me backstage after the show. “I’m not worried about doing a Coldplay and breaking the US, I’m just more about getting new fans; whether that’s from Germany, Australia or America. My shit isn’t that easy to get your head around, if it was I would have done it in the UK already.”After performing a storming set – including a brand new, never heard before track, Love Goes Down, Bizzle filled me in on his forthcoming second record, which he promises will be quite different from the debut. “On my first album I ignored a lot of my singing talents, so the next album I want to bring that up. I want there to be more of a balance of the rapping and singing. But,” he warned me, “there’s no way I’m going to sell out. Drew is currently working with his band at the moment, and is keeping an open mind as to who may produce the as-yet-untitled sophomore set. “I want to get the best person for the job, but I won’t know who that will be until the tracks are done. I reckon I’ll do a lot of the production myself.”
Work done, it was time to hand to the country - Poughkeepsie dontchaknow. There was even a dog to complete the party. Now, I'm normally not a dog person - got bitten by my aunty's one when I was little - but Lil Louie is about the best dog ever. And he's a Bull Terrier. 
So anyway, dog in hand, we get upstate and it's pure nature. Frogs...
Fires...(my daze, it was cold the first night. Them mountains aren't about being hot)...
And raving in a barn (shout outs to DJ Flora!!!)
A two-hour drive back, and the weekend was over. Still, squeezed in Sway, cocktails and a $9 hairwash and massage on Sunday night, a manicure and pedicure, The Delancey Bar and Lit on Monday and then some fresh coconut milk and mixtapes on Canal on Tuesday. Another fairytale in New York.....
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