Printworks London was lit up on 1 October as Tinie, Krept & Konan, Raye and Ms Banks brought the energy to this exciting venue and blasted out their beats and rhymes to thousands of people across the web. This was the ultimate launch party of 2020 with positive vibes and non-stop music.
Apprentice Nation’s favourite artists not only pulled out some incredible performances for this free live stream concert, they also poured their hearts out; sharing stories of their own career journeys and offering invaluable and inspiring advice on how to stay motivated on your chosen path.
CHECK OUT THE EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS
If you want to know what other tips, advice and secrets the artists shared, then read on…
TOP ARTIST TIPS
Tinie wants you to get in touch with him! Yes, you heard that right! He knows the importance of mentorship and said:
First and foremost hit me up – now more than ever, we live in a direct world – if you want to get mentorship or learn something from anyone, there are a million videos you can watch online but then you also have the luxury of being able to message the person directly.
Raye reminded us to channel kindness and love through everything you do. She also revealed that her biggest pinch me moment was meeting Beyonce on the red carpet of The Lion King. Raye wondered to herself How did a little girl from Croydon end up here. It blew me away. Her secret? Hard work, persistence and a lot of patience.
Krept & Konan took us through their decade in the industry, from school days to present day. Their advice for building a successful brand?
Find the thing that you love doing at the start and then master that, work on that, turn that into a business, maximise it the best you can and branch out after that.
Ms Banks went back to the old school and gave us a taster of how she spelled her name out in her first ever grime flow! She also had some sound advice for when the going gets tough:
Believe in yourself, be kind to yourself, like I always say if you had a friend that spoke to you the way you speak to yourself then would that person be your friend? If the answer’s no then you definitely got to check how you deal with yourself.
You’ve heard what the artists had to say. Why not take to your own stage and GET INVOLVED NOW
THE PERFORMANCES & MORE TOP TIPS FROM THE ARTISTS
Hosted by the brilliant Sian Anderson from BBC Radio 1Xtra, the show kicked off with Raye’s chart hit Natalie Don’t followed by the super catchy Cigarette. After a stunning performance with her band, Raye caught up with Sian to talk about the ups and downs of her journey in the music industry so far. Not only does Raye know the importance of working hard and staying focussed, she also advised viewers not to let the no’s squash you or change your direction….I had to grow a thick skin and patience beyond anything I could ever see myself needing.
Her key piece of advice for working in the music industry?
Be kind to everyone, you know. Be kind to John in the corner. Because you know, one day John is gonna be running the gaff.
Thanks for the tip, Raye!
Next up were Krept & Konan, delivering their South London rhymes with attitude and grit. Sashaying down a darkly lit passageway at Printworks, the duo performed ‘Wo Wo Wo’ and ‘I Spy’ with their DJ, bringing their underground vibes to the stage. They talked to Sian about missing performing live and the secrets to their success:
‘We focussed on being project-based artists; investing in our own shows to be sure that people kept coming back again and again.’
But it’s not just about the music with these guys; they knew they needed to build a brand. They like to go beyond everyone’s expectations ‘jump in with everything headfirst and learn to swim when you’re in the water!’
So what did they say is the secret of duo success?
‘We’re actually friends. We focus on the same goal. We split everything down the middle, there’s no arguments. We’re in this together.’
Ahhh, feeling the love guys!
Ms Banks brought the rhymes with her hot performances of Novikov and Snacks. She also opened her heart to Sian, talking about how hard it was growing up in the end and how it ultimately made her stronger; she knew she had to work hard to get ahead in the game.
So many people come from different backgrounds, it made me work hard, made me stronger
Ms Banks told Sian she was inspired to get into music by her family and artists such as Lil Kim Ms Dynamite, Foxy Brown and whilst she reckons her first song was really whack, we don’t believe that for a minute!
Knowing how important it is to have a mentor, Ms Banks spilled the beans on Nicki Minaj:
You need guidance, especially when you’re on a mission. If you have someone that is wiser than you and can guide you, then you have more of a chance of achieving your dreams. Nicki was brutally honest with me and said that as a woman you’ve got to work ten times harder in the business’.
And now (in between texting and messaging her mate Nicki!) Ms Banks is ready to support to those following her into the industry:
I deffo wanna help others. There weren’t many people I could speak to when I was coming up in the industry. I really wanna be that person for the next girls; the next generation has to do better than the last.
WE LOVE YOU MS BANKS!
Then it was time to cue the music once again with chart-topping, Brit-award-winning, multi-platinum selling, Tinie! He performed More Life; the perfect song for these crazy times and then revisited his first smash hit Pass Out. What a privilege to see this star in action.
Tinie revealed that he’s been making lots of music during lockdown and working on being a great dad. He’s gonna make sure that next year’s even crazier.
Like the other artists, he feels the responsibility to be a mentor:
I think mentorship is very important. I signed Not3s from quite early on…obviously I believed in him as a talent but I also did feel like I wanted to give someone something that I didn’t have and that’s another artist that had been in the game for a few years giving me advice.
Tinie also highlighted the need to have a good mindset and surround yourself with the right kind of people:
Mindset is everything; the people you choose to be with and surround yourself with; people who can help you to navigate all the BS you’re gonna go through from when you’re sixteen.
APPRENTICE NATION ALUMNI & HOSTS
Sian not only caught up with all of the amazing artists, she also spoke to a few Apprentice Nation alumni and webinar hosts:
Amani told us all about how he’d taken advantage of the amazing opportunities that Apprentice Nation has to offer, building his skills to help him in his career. He also highlighted how you can EARN AMAZING REWARDS by taking part in the programme.
Nana took part in Apprentice Nation in 2019. And guess what? She’s now fully fledged apprentice – nearly 2 years into her apprenticeship within the financial sector.
FIND OUT MORE about Apprenticeships on offer at BT & WhiteHat
Rashan advised young people to take part in Apprentice Nation to help SHAPE YOUR FUTURE.
Jess reminded us that everyone has a super power and special gifts; Apprentice Nation is here to help bring them out.
Don’t forget, you can get access to FREE WORK & LIFE TRAINING right now, featuring artists from the livestream and other special guests.