Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Interview with Musician, Writer, Poet and Creative Artist - Baby Panna

/ By Freya Devlin
Interview with Musician, Writer, Poet and Creative Artist - Baby Panna

EJ Salako got the chance to speak to Baby Panna at Victorious Festival 2021, where he discussed his music, poetry, creative process and future goals.

What sort of music do you make?

I do all sorts, to be honest, I do a bit of hip hop, but it's more alternative, more experimental. I write poetry as well and I’m working on some indie rock music as well. So, it’s everywhere, a bit of everything.

What influences you to make music, and what influenced you to get into music?

My main influence was Kendrick Lamar I was like 12 on YouTube and I found Good Kid Maad City on an upload, I heard it and the poetic nature of it, the interludes,  it opened my mind up to new ways to make music and I was in love with from there. My biggest influence is Kendrick, Kanye, Frank Ocean, the versatility, and the artistry that they show is something I want to emulate.

When you’re writing your own music, what is your creative process?

For me I think my process changed a lot during the lockdown, at first, I would be like “I want to make a banger so I can make peace” so I’d structure it like that you know. But now I just try and whatever I feel goes on the paper and I try and edit it as little as I can, try and keep the original beat, because I want to keep it as raw and as me as possible. So that’s me right now.

Which one of your songs is your personal favourite?

Right now, I’ve got one for life and one for listening, I think right now “Murder She Wrote Live” I really enjoy doing that, it gets the crowd going. But personally T1GR355, one of my most recent releases, it’s really close to poetry, and I focus on poetry a lot right now, so I love that.

Future goals, where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years, do you have an end goal?

3-5 years I think right now I’ve got a lot of rap music, I’m working on a poetry mix, and an indie rock tape and in 3 years that will all be out there. I think that’s when I will be able to confidently say people know who I am as an artist. I’m just trying to show I can do all these things, so that’s where I want to be in 3 years’ time just have people kind of get a feel for me as an artist and I wouldn’t say I have an end goal I think for me it’s just finding a way to have my creativity fund itself, that’s my goal.

Watch the video interview here: Baby Panna Inside Story Interview at Victorious Festival 2021

Check out Baby Panna's showcase here: Baby Panna Jeeni Showcase

21
Oct

Interview with Hip Hop Collective Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is a hip hop collective from Portsmouth, EJ Salako got the chance to interview members Kizz, Blessed and Sinsink at this year's Victorious Festival. The group create hip hop, UK rap and freestyle music. Taking influences from many artists including Eminem and Mic Righteous. They discuss their competitive side with each other and how it motivates them to keep creating better music. And their creative process of linking up in their home studios to write and produce new tracks. “We’re not trying to be like anyone else, we just trying to like ourselves” – Blessed. EJ asked the three to share each of their favourite tracks: Kizz’s favourite solo is a track called “Ride On My Ones”,  and his favourite group track is “Curb Stomp”. Blessed favourite solo is "Vandross" which was featured on BBC Radio Introducing. And his favourite group track has to be an unreleased one that hasn’t got a name yet. The track samples Dmx shortly after he passed away, with a respect to him because he was a huge influence on them as rappers. It will be released on their upcoming album, Sinsink’s favourite solo is a song called “Hey Babe” because it always gets people moving on the dance floor. His favourite group track is another unreleased one with Tommy Brown titled “Saucy”. Closing the Interview Kizz and Blessed shared their future goals with us, “As much as I’d love to be at the top of the scene but not only that in 5 years I want to be exactly here with these exact same boys, doing exactly what we do, that is 100% it, we are a family” Kizz Blessed continued “We’re lucky enough to be where we are already and just keep going man. We’re pushing the boundaries each time we do an event, each time we host our own event or we put a track out. It’s really about putting Portsmouth on the map and being recognised. When one of us succeeds we all succeed.” Check out the full video Interview here: Word of Mouth Inside Story Interview at Victorious Festival

13
Aug

Jeeni hits £100K of its funding target in 3 days

Jeeni has reached a whopping 67% of our Crowdcube funding target in record time, thanks to nearly 100 investors. Check out our pitch here and join in the fun. ttps://www.crowdcube.com/companies/jeeni/pitches/qD0WNq Jeeni is the ethical online platform dedicated to supporting unsigned musicians and performers by helping them reach a global fanbase. over 2,300 brilliant artist showcasesover 2.7 million audience outreachbuilt-in marketing tools for successkeep 100% of everything earned through the platformGRAMMY award-winning supporters No other streaming service helps like Jeeni Jeeni gives artists a built-in fan database to communicate and market to anyone who votes for them or likes their work. Safely, legally and all opted-in. With FREE marketing reports for all campaigns. Jeeni has a track record of success. Jeeni creator Mel Croucher founded the UK videogames industry! Now he has created the Jeeni platform, complete with all the tools, marketing and fan outeach that new talent deserves. He is joined by GRAMMY-Award-Winners and celebrities, including Roger Watson, the ex-boss of Arista Records, responsible for selling over 500,000 records. "We’ve all made it to the top, and now we’re giving something back to a new generation. We’ve got the experience, they’ve got the talent. Now we’re giving them all the tools they need to showcase their work on Jeeni, and get properly rewarded for their efforts, as well as own a piece of the action too.”Roger Watson, Jeeni Check out our pitch here. https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/jeeni/pitches/qD0WNq

04
Jun

Legendary Teddy Hayes has joined the Jeeni advisory board

We are proud to announce that the legendary Teddy Hayes has joined the Jeeni advisory board. Teddy is an Award-winning producer, film-maker and composer, working alongside the likes of Quincy Jones and Roberta Flack. Teddy pioneered the concept of creating new wealth for music artists by monetizing their fan base. His London-based talent company DaBlockOnline offered a win-win solution for everyone involved in the entertainment industry, creating a platform that gave both signed and unsigned music talent a chance to benefit from new technology. Teddy says, "The evolution of Jeeni is remarkable, and because I have already been through this process and experienced all the challenges, I know I can add value to the team. I want artists to get the recognition they deserve and earn cash in the process, but I also want to offer an opportunity for music companies to retool their thinking and create new products designed to increase sales and earn profits from a new segment of the marketplace.” Teddy Hayes Born in Cleveland Ohio, Teddy grew up with neighbour Bobby Womack, and hung out with Quincy Jones among many other music legends, before becoming tour manager for Roberta Flack. Quincy’s friend Pete Long (who discovered Luther Vandross), gave Teddy the chance to turn his talents to theatre writing which set him on the road to stardom in his own right, directing music videos, and writing and producing musical theatre. As one of the founding directors of Hip Hop in 1979 in New York, he achieved a place in hip hop history with his rap band The Funky Constellation, that produced the break beat sensation “Street Talk (Madam rapper)” promoted early on by Russell Simmons, the record mogul and creator of Def Jam Records. An accomplished singer and composer, Teddy was the main producer and creative force behind the sell-out hit theatre show “I Remember Marvin”, about the life and music of Marvin Gaye. He recently penned a book called “The Guerrilla Guide to Being a Theatrical Producer”, a how to manual designed to help people understand and enter the world of commercial theatre.  In 2019 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 40 years of pioneering work in the arts, and Jeeni is privileged to benefit from his experience and vision.