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Thread: What did you think of the Culture Show on BBC2?

  1. #31

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    No problem with the presenters, both were at least knowledgable about the subject.
    The rapper - Its not my thing; that said he was truly awful, cringe making. I thought it was a shame that the Bunnymen didn't get any airtime.

  2. #32
    Senior Member Howie's Avatar
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    Wink It’s a joke

    Riuven: I can’t believe people were shocked at my act. It’s a joke
    Jan 22 2008
    by Greg O'Keeffe, Liverpool Echo

    Greg O’Keeffe talks to underground Scouse rap star Riuven about his rise from college fine art student to performing in front of thousands on a historic night for his home city



    HE IS the mysterious local rapper who went from internet phenomenon to performing at Liverpool’s Capital of Culture launch.

    Eyebrows were raised when Riuven was chosen to rap on stage at the ECHO arena, alongside Mersey music legends like Ringo Starr and Echo And The Bunnymen.

    But the self-proclaimed Toxteth ‘kidder’ knows his controversial performance – which sparked a barrage of complaints to Radio Merseyside and the ECHO’s letters page – has only fed the word-of-mouth buzz which has seen his website receive millions of hits.

    The 24-year-old’s act is a colourful caricature of Liverpool scally culture – full of tongue-in-cheek references to our nightlife, gangs and sense of humour.

    Riuven’s first song The L.I.V became a hit via his MySpace page and was quickly downloaded to thousands of mobile phones across the city.

    The track rapidly achieved cult status and led to growing curiosity about the musician behind the song, which boasts of stealing cars ‘round Seffie Park’ and fighting with ‘goths’ outside well-known city centre club The Krazy House.

    Now the budding hip hop star, who hit national headlines last year with a scathing rap about Lily Allen, is on the brink of releasing his debut album in March.

    Riuven, real name Robert Morris, developed his chav-alter ego observing the bravado, attitude and antics of scallies from around Lodge Lane where he was raised.

    But he honed the larger-than-life persona when he was sent to Childwall’s prestigious King David School by his parents.

    “I was probably the scally of our school in the sense that not many lads from Toxteth went there,” he says.

    “But I got into King David because I’m Jewish. I was lucky enough to get a great musical background and learn to play the drums to a high level.

    “The scally persona is just something me and my mates have always found funny and joked about.

    “We used to have parties, where we’d have a drink and listen to hip hop and there would always be a mic being passed around.

    “One time I got on it and discovered that I had a bit of a flair for rapping and it went from there. Before that I'd been musical, but I’d drummed in indie bands and stuff like that rather than making beats.

    “At the same time I was trying to decide whether to study fine art in college or just go totally for musical production. I tried to do both for a while but my tutors said I had to choose, so I went for the music.”

    Soon, Riuven - in all his trackusit and baseball cap-wearing glory - was born (the name chosen from a deliberately misspelled version of the name Robert in Hebrew, Rihuven).

    With the help of his mates, Morris recorded an early demo of his anthem to scally Liverpool The L.I.V and then left the rest to an unusual promoter ...

    “My sister had a version of The LI.V. on her phone and she used to go to the Brookhouse pub on Smithdown Road quite a bit,” he says. “She would play it to her mates while they were in there and soon people were starting to ask her to send it to them. “Before long it was getting blue-toothed around the city. I’ve got her to thank for that.

    “I think most people realise that Riuven is a joke. He is a caricature of an unemployed scally who smokes weed all day and goes to town fighting the goths and causing trouble. The idea was to have a laugh and not glorify things like that.

    “It has an element of social commentary on a city where many teenagers pass the time joyriding, taking drugs and generally misbehaving.”

    The satirical nature of his character was lost on the people who watched Morris perform The L.I.V at the televised 08 launch in the ECHO arena.

    Radio Merseyside DJ Billy Butler received complaints for playing a Riuven track and listeners called phone-in shows to argue Riuven showed Liverpool in a bad light.

    Sounding genuinely baffled, Morris says, “I was shocked that people didn’t see it was a joke, especially Scousers. People were reading far too much into it.

    “If Riuven was serious, it’d be an outrage. But we’ve got to be able to laugh at people like that.

    “There will come a point when I’ll move away from the spoof. I can’t see the Riuven character lasting indefinitely because I want to put more of myself into the music and make it more real.

    “But I’m pleased people think it’s funny and it’s just about what Liverpool means to me. It’s my slant on the Capital of Culture.”

    Morris was amazed when the character, which started out as a classroom joke, led him to performing at the 2008 launch.

    He says: “Performing in front of that many people was boss. I’m proud of this city and playing a part in that night meant a lot.

    “In the practice bit before the main show me and my mates ran on stage and started dancing with Ringo Starr. The night was unforgettable and it was the best I’ve ever rapped.”

    Source: Liverpool Echo

  3. #33
    Steven
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    Not shocked *Bored* is the word I would chose.

  4. #34
    Senior Member SteH's Avatar
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    Transcript of Riuvens Radio Merseyside interview from the weekend here

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/conte..._feature.shtml

  5. #35

    Default posh lad

    lets face it he's a nice posh mossley hill jewish boy pretending to be a scally, hangin wid da homies ,let's ask him what his dad does for a living, doctor dentist crack dealer, take your pick. not a big fan of rap, but seen and heard much better on the liverpool scene...try Homegrown Music Kensington for real talent

  6. #36
    Senior Member SteH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveFaragher View Post
    lets face it he's a nice posh mossley hill jewish boy pretending to be a scally, hangin wid da homies ,let's ask him what his dad does for a living, doctor dentist crack dealer, take your pick. not a big fan of rap, but seen and heard much better on the liverpool scene...try Homegrown Music Kensington for real talent
    He says he's from Lodge Lane/Toxteth but all the evudence from his youtube stuff points to Ullet Road/Aigburth - like you say just pretending to be a scally, I'm not really offending at all now to be honest knowing its a charicature no point denying idiots like he portrays exist. I agree with you Steve he's not that good a rapper either.


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