Critique: Music.

"I love the crackle on the old vinyl."

When it comes to music, the demand to hear storytelling lyrics and hard hitting wordplay via the lesser known artists is generally favourable; this is without necessarily being focused upon melodies, catchy hooks or the verse-chorus-verse arrangement, which is typical of the mainstream chart appeal.

I didn't really discover a distinctive sound in music until my mid-teens, where I began to uncover a belated interest in the late 1980s/early '90s "Golden Era" of Hip-Hop. This was particularly influential in my early poetry writing at college; artists such as Tupac and Nas made me realise that there was a very fine line between poetry and lyric writing.

From thereon, I delved deeper into the Hip-Hop culture and started listening to Independent acts such as 7L & Esoteric, Immortal Technique and

Jedi Mind Tricks, which I admired for their aggressive, uncompromised rhyme styles.

I think it is ignorant of anyone to be specific to a single genre when it comes to defining their Music tastes, considering that the culture is so diverse these days. Which is why I have also developed a strong admiration for Melodic, Punk Rock and Ska; Heavy Metal; and Piano Jazz (to name a few other styles).

(If you're interested in viewing my photography from live music events, please visit the Gallery.)