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By Scott Brown

The De La Soul way

You could be forgiven for mistaking the groundbreaking 'hip-hop' trio De La Soul as finished, dormant or on hiatus, but the Grammy Award winning threesome are still kicking and they're touring the UK this summer.

Under the pseudonyms of Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove and Pasemaster Mase, the boys from Amityville, New York, haven't been in the recording studio for four years since the release of their seventh album The Grind Date, but it hasn't dented their reputation and they're keener than ever to show that they've still got it.

Built on the blend of eclectic sampling with quirky and surreal lyrics and held together with a reliable cocktail of smooth hip-hop and garage beats, the threesome are entirely unpigeonholeable. Most noted for their contribution in the creation of the jazz rap genre, the pioneers themselves have irked at the suggestion of being known as a largely hip-hop act. Call it East Coast rap, alternative hip-hop or neo-hippie, but don't you dare call it regular, straight down the line 'hip-hop'. The problem is that they're just too darn clever and inventive to be tagged with just one genre. It's just not the De La Soul way.

But, ironically, it was their synonymously hip-hop playful use of words and dexterous quirks that made their 1989 debut album '3 Feet High and Rising' so outstanding. With smash hit singles such as 'Me Myself and I' and 'Buddy' they established a strong cross-over appeal, represented by their award from NME as album of the year.

They've continued to ride a wave of critical praise since then and they've cemented their place in history as urban music icons of their generation, having a profound impact in the genre by influencing the likes of Camp Lo, Black Eyed Peas and Digable Planets.

Catch De La Soul on a five day stint from Monday 25 - 31 August at the Jazz Caf 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1. Adm: £32.50 adv or £40. Doors open at 7pm. Info: 0870 060 3777 / www.jazzcafe.co.uk

By Joe Henegan.

Time for Estelle to Shin

UK urban music hit its commercial nadir a few years ago, when record labels refused to see the genre as an innovative and viable contender in the cut-throat world of the pop charts. So, within the space of a few years, you had artists like So Solid and Ms Dynamite hit the top of their game and then disappear completely. The same fate awaited Estelle, when in 2004, she released her critically acclaimed debut, '18th Day' only to then fall out with her label, which wanted her to go in a more rock-oriented direction.

But Estelle, being the hustler that she is, refused to give up. She packed her bags and moved to the states where she was promptly signed up by John Legend's Home School Label. Having collaborated with a hit list of serious American hip-hop stars, including Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Will.i.am to name a few, Estelle returned to the UK only to drop the biggest tune of the year so far, 'American Boy' which landed at the number one spot.

Estelle has made one hell of a hot comeback disc; sexy, vivacious and fun. Her new album Shine hops from genre to genre taking in lovers rock, hip-hop and neo-soul. The lyrics, all of which are penned by Estelle, retain that sassy, badass outlook of a London rude gyal who shouldn't be messed with.

By Diriye Osman

Size in a New Form

He exploded onto the music scene ten years ago with the release of New Forms, an album that transcended the drum n bass genre that it spawned from by blending Jungle, Electronica, Jazz, soul and hip-hop and has consequently influenced all styles of electronic & dance music.

Yes, Roni Size emerged from the same thriving, creative music community in Bristol with an experimental D.I.Y ethos that would also see  kindred spirits and peers; Massive Attack and Portishead go on to have successful careers.

Upon release in 1997, 'New Forms' was widely acclaimed by critics even moving Rock orientated Magazine Rolling Stone to label it "the 90's answer to the Sergeant Pepper ", in the process helping Drum 'n' bass reach a wider audience. This culminated in 'New Forms' winning 1997's Mercury prize beating the likes of Radiohead, Primal Scream and two of Size's dance music peers, Chemical Brothers & Prodigy who had also gathered extensive media attention and chart success that year.

To mark the release of the original and acknowledge  the rapid  advances of music technology, Size, who has returned to re-edit 'New Forms' and bring out his live band to perform the album, says the generation of those who missed it will be able to appreciate the album with the new coat of armour that he added to the original tracks. "I think fans of the original version always appreciated what we did with the technology of the day, this latest version shows what is possible now."

With three brand new tracks including the single 'Don't hold back' added to the original thirteen album tracks,  the listener can look forward to an expanded and more contemporary sound to the live performance and album re-release.

With glowing praise from critics and fans referring to witnessing Roni Size live as "spiritual experience", this represents a great opportunity for music lovers to catch a pioneer of dance music with a very special live band accompanying him in an intimate setting before the festival season starts.

By Shaun Cronin.