Feature

Mr Hudson: Go West!

For a change this month we welcome a little Q&A conducted by one of our readers and fan of none other than the inimitable Mr. Hudson - so, it's a slap on the back from B&S for reader Lawrence Gichigi... Suppose it's Kanye next time young man?!...

Mr Hudson an ordinary man? Hah! Hell No!! After being signed by multi-platinum selling rapper/producer Kanye West, he has become FAR from ordinary. In-fact almost reaching the realms of extra-ordinary whilst being at the centre of constant conjecture and attention.

Hudson holds the accolade of being one of the only artists from the UK that prestigious West has had the inclination to work with, so it could be said ALOT is riding on Mr H. But with his debut solo single 'Supernova' shooting to the number two spot in the UK Chart, and the forthcoming album 'Straight No Chaser' expected to do just as well, any straggling doubters must surely now become devout believers...

Law: You performed at both Wireless festival and Love Box festival this summer. How did you find it?

Mr: I love London and I love festivals. Both were highlights in my year.

Law: I didn’t picture you as someone to jump off stage and get intimate with the crowd but you did! Do you feel like crowd interaction is something that’s lacking with many performers?

Mr: The important thing for me is that it has to be real. It shouldn't be staged so if I want to jump in to the crowd I will.

Law: By now the entire world knows Supernova by yourself featuring Kanye West. What was the dynamic like in the studio and on set?

Mr: Filming the video was fun. Spending the day on the top floor of a hotel in Beverly Hills with a bunch of models was living the dream. I could get used to it but unfortunately it only happened once.

Law: It was a lot of fun recording the track.

Mr: We had to drag Kanye out of the booth because he wanted to record more and more.

Law: Your song has just hit top 10 in the charts. How does that feel. Any plans to celebrate?

Mr: I’m going to have a banquet with the band and crew.

Law: Now you’re signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D Music label and constantly in the public eye - is it a strict diet, personal trainer and banning yourself from the local fish‘n’chip shop?

Mr: Still going to enjoy my fish and chips, you can't take that away from me!

Law: So, Straight No Chaser is the name of the LP. Can you briefly explain the title?

Mr: I just wanted to kick the world in the nuts.

Law: There appears to be a pattern lately... Your debut album, Kanye’s last record and Frankmusik’s 'Complete Me' all built around heartache and heartbreak. Do you think gloom is the new cool. Or is there now more freedom to write from the heart as oppose to what people want to hear?

Mr: It's a recession so most of the time people want to hear upbeat stuff. I think it's brave to make the music you want to make.

Law: What are your hopes for the album? Any more high-flying collaborations in the pipelines?

Mr: I want the album to do well enough so we can travel the world playing our music. I'm always interested in collaborating with people. I'll keep you posted.
Words Lawrence Gichigi