Awate
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Awate is a rapper and producer from Maiden Lane Estate in Camden. Honing his craft from the age of 12, he made a name for himself at the legendary hip-hop spot, Deal Real at the age of 15. Awate learned from mentors such as Poisonous Poets rappers, Stylah and Lowkey, BBC 1Xtra's DJ Semtex and one of his heroes, Yasiin Bey.
As a refugee from Eritrea via Saudi Arabia, Awate's lyrics are a complex train of thought on subjects like self-esteem, racism, pride and class.
Building a reputation as an electrifying and engaging live performer, Awate has toured worldwide with Lowkey since 2010 and has supported the likes of Jay Electronica, Ghetts, Big Daddy Kane, and Blackstar (Mos Def & Talib Kweli).
He has also headlined and performed regularly at The Roundhouse as a Resident Artist at the iconic venue.
Awate's long awaited first release, 2016's 'Shine Ancient' EP was premiered on Complex with features on Noisey, Huck, AFROPUNK, OkayAfrica and premiere's on BBC 6 Music with Gilles Peterson, Jamie Kennedy on Radio X as well as support from DJ MK and Shortee Blitz on KISS.
2018 will see the release of Awate's debut LP, 'Happiness'.
Awate
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18 May, 2018
The Great Escape: Friday 18th May
The Great Escape festival will take place at multiple venues across Brighton, from Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th May, and a great many Primary Talent International & Decked Out artists will be taking part.
Friday 18th May
...Kawala
...Pale Grey
...WWWater
...Denzel Himself
...ABQ
...TOUTS
...Canshaker Pi
...EERA
...Ten Tonnes
...BLOXX
...Nilufer Yanya
...Ama Lou
...Kioko
...Awate
...Dylan Cartlidge
...Art School Girlfriend
...Ebenezer
...Sports Team
...Malena Zavala
...Slowthai
...Connie Constance
...Avalanche Party
...Yellow Days
...Bad Sounds
...SASSY 009
...Sorry
...Erol Alkan
...Esther Joy
...Cowboy RhythmboxFor further information, consult The Great Escape website.
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20 Mar, 2018
Awate: Press Features & Interviews
Awate debut album 'Happiness' is discussed in these features.
www.m-magazine.co.uk/features/interviews/interview-awate
www.cultivationuk.com/2018/03/16/awate-cultivation-interviews
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20 Feb, 2018
Awate: Spotify 'Alternative Hip-Hop' Playlist
Awate is the face of Spotify's 'Alternative Hip-Hop' playlist, which features his tracks 'The Ghetto' & 'Guillotines'.
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20 Feb, 2018
Awate: Interviewed On BBC Radio 1Xtra
Awate was interviewed by Semtex on his show on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
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16 Feb, 2018
Awate: New Album 'Happiness' Released Today
Awate's new album 'Happiness' is released today, and he is interviewed in Noisey.
www.noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/j5bgdg/awate-happiness-album-police-court-cases-activism-interview
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20 Jan, 2018
The Great Escape 2018
Brighton's The Great Escape festival, will take place at various venues around the city between the 17th-19th May. Many Primary Talent artists will be participating, as follows:
...Ama Lou
...Awate
...Bad Gyal
...Benny Mails
...Denzel Himself
...Ebenezer
...FREAK
...Girlhood
...Joy Crookes
...King Nun
...MoStack
...Mist
...Pale Waves
...Promiseland
...S4U
...Sports Team
...Ten Tonnes
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19 Jan, 2018
Unsigned Music Awards 2018
Many Primary Talent International artists have been longlisted in the Unsigned Music Awards. The shortlists will be announced on 7th March, and the final winners at an event at the Brighton Centre on 16th May, as part of the opening ceremony of the Great Escape Festival.
Best Male Solo Act
...Benny Mails
...Col3trane
...Puma BlueBest Female Solo Act
...Bryde
...Joy Crookes
...Lyves
...Ray BLKBest Songwriter
...CarmodyBest Urban Act
...Awate
...Benny Mails
...Dave
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06 Dec, 2017
Awate: Debut Album & Roundhouse Show
Awate releases his debut album 'Happiness' on 16th February on Quite Defiant Records. He will play the Sackler Space at London's Roundhouse on 22nd February.
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08 Nov, 2017
Awate: New Single & Video 'Jewels'
A quick-witted and crisp '70s throwback, Awate's Jewels video takes viewers on a blaxploitation-inspired escapade.
Directed by Saoud Khalaf, the film includes dramatic martial arts, spy equipment, rolling papers used as ninja stars and a shining Black Power fist. Its themes reflect battles Awate faced whilst creating his debut 'Happiness' LP, a project he wrote whilst on bail.
'Jewels', the first single from 'Happiness', builds on the rapper's reputation for witty, sophisticated hip hop. It featured as The Line of Best Fit's 'Song of the Day' and DLSO's 'Tracks of the Week'.
The song has also received praise from the Independent Music Podcast, Sonic Mag and the Heart to Art Podcast, with radioplay on KISS, Pyro, Fubar and Triple J.Fresh from supporting Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli in October, Awate drops the video right before his size? Session on 9th November, at the retailer's brand new Camden store.
With striking lyrics, psychedelic beats from producer, Turkish and visuals like these, Awate has firmly placed himself as an artist to watch for 2018 - being announced as one of The Great Escape's 'First Fifty Artists' for next year's festival.
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31 Aug, 2017
Awate: New Video For 'Displaced'
"'Displaced' is my ode to my estate, Maiden Lane before they tear it all down. I'm a refugee and wanted to show how it felt growing up in the estate, being chased and told I was an alien. The suit was inspired by Afronauts and Power Rangers and the intro was a reference to Mr. Bean. The backstory is that the version of Eritrea that my parents struggled for, that never was, actually existed on another planet. That's where my papers come from."
Awate will be on tour around the UK with Lowkey in September and opening for Black Star in London on 20th October.
'Displaced' is taken from the 'Shine Ancient' EP.