KANO: Home Sweet Home

Kano has picked up a MOBO award for best new comer in 2005. At the end of 2005, Kano was forced to reschedule the London leg of his nationwide tour due to concern from Police about gang violence. He was told to pay a staggering $12,600 for extra security. He thought it would be counterproductive for him to have all that security because they would only make the atmosphere tense. He complained of victimization and charged that the police never made such demands on groups like THE STREETS or COLDPLAY, both white groups.

Anybody who has heard any track from this young rapper will have no doubt that British rap scene has come of age and has a bright future a head. Born Kane Robinson (1985 ) in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” /><st1:City w:st=”on”>London</st1:City>, he grew up in the <st1:City w:st=”on”>London</st1:City> borough of <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Camden</st1:City></st1:place>. <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place> considers his childhood to have been fairly regular. <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place>’s musical curiosity began at an early age as he grew up hearing a lot of his mum’s Reggae collection. Following this, he became interested in Hip Hop, Jungle and Garage.
 
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He has a diverse range of musical influences but when asked to name one, <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place> hesitates, before saying: “I haven’t really got an idol, only my mum and my family.â€?
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Having played football for top <st1:country-region w:st=”on”>U.K.</st1:country-region> club Chelsea FC in his youth, was music the only career that <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place> really wanted to pursue? “It kinda is, yeah,â€? he says. “I wasn’t one of them people at school who was like, ‘I wanna be this and I wanna be that.’ I never said that and I still never say that. I didn’t really have long-term goals like that; music is kind’ a the only thing.â€?
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In his early teens <st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City> was a promising footballer, even signing schoolboy papers with <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Chelsea</st1:City></st1:place>, but in the end he decided his passion lay with music and abandoned his sporting ambitions. his first track being “Boys love Girlsâ€? <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place> is known within the UK Grime scene most notably from his past as part of  “N.A.S.T.Y Crew.” He decided to branch out and begin work on his debut solo album. He is signed to 679 Records.
<st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>
Kano
</st1:City></st1:place> released his debut solo single, “P’s & Q’s”, as a 12″ vinyl only release. This was a massive underground hit, garnering further interest in the MC. In 2005 <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place> released his second single, “Typical Me,” his first full single release. “Typical Me” went on to become a considerable hit, managing to make #22 in the official <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>UK</st1:country-region></st1:place> charts. It remains <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place>’s highest charting single to date. <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City></st1:place>’s third single was “Remember Me”. It fared less well in the charts, only managing to scrape the <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>UK</st1:country-region></st1:place> top 75 at #71. His album “Home Sweet Homeâ€? has received many excellent reviews from many different magazines and Newspapers, most notably The Independent and The Observer, two of the <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s major newspapers. Many artists in the <st1:country-region w:st=”on”>UK</st1:country-region> and in <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>America</st1:country-region></st1:place> have confessed to being fans including Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon and Chuck D of Public Enemy fame. Rumors also surfaced in 2005 of Jay-Z wanting to sign him to Def <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>Jam.
</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p>

<st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>
Kano
</st1:City></st1:place> has picked up a MOBO award for best new comer in 2005. At the end of 2005, <st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City> was forced to reschedule the <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>London</st1:City></st1:place> leg of his nationwide tour due to concern from Police about gang violence. He was told to pay a staggering $12,600 for extra security. He thought it would be counterproductive for him to have all that security because they would only make the atmosphere tense. He complained of victimization and charged that the police never made such demands on groups like THE STREETS or COLDPLAY, both white groups.
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Even as <st1:City w:st=”on”>Kano</st1:City> begins to make his mark on the <st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:country-region w:st=”on”>UK</st1:country-region></st1:place> music scene, he still finds the time to pursue regular teenage interests. “I just do normal things. Sometimes I go raving or the cinema. I play football, but a lot of the time I’m in my house watching Telly,â€? he confides, referring to TV. “Most of the time though, I’m writing lyrics. So when I’m off work, I’m not really off work ‘cos I’m writing lyrics.â€?
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<st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:City w:st=”on”>
Kano
</st1:City></st1:place> is now working on his second album and if it’s anything like the first one, them we are in for a treat.<o:p></o:p>

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Speaking Truth To Empower.â€? To contact The Black Star News write [email protected] or call (212) 481-7745. Subscribe to this newspaper and advertise to build power.

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