IT’S GONNA BE A NEXT TING!!!-THE REVIEW

There has to be a strong whiff of boldness in the air, to hold an event on a weekday, with term time well underway and no flyers printed …undeterred ,Guvna B and The Blackgrape family did exactly that last night!

NEXT TING 140 the brainchild of Isaac Borquaye(Guvna B), was put together in a bid to unite the scene and its followers with their intrinsic common love – Jesus and the Gospel expressed in Grime.

*CATCH GUVNA B @ JAZZ CAFE DEC 9TH*

As the crowd began to huddle outside the prestigious BLACKGRAPE venue, there was a buzz in the air of excitement and anticipation for what was about to go down .NOTHING like this had been done before for this particular genre and so sceptics and doubters were not far off , however the crowd represented a NEXT generation of Christians who truly love the Lord with  all their hearts and simply wanted to show their love and support the gospel music scene that seeks to cater to them and their peers .

Close to 15 emcees were drafted in  for this debut event, which enabled ministries from all over the capital to come under one roof..and minister as ONE.

PRAYER was the first agenda of the night , held in high regard as a necessary requirement for the smooth running and success of the event. FOR WITHOUT HIM WE ARE NOTHING!!!!!

The night kicked off with the first set of mcees(DJ SELENKI:EJIRO,MIGHTY,BARNEY,ICIE &LDUBZY) going back to back with LDUBZY leading the way forward as the KING of stage presence and crowd hype…(I do sometimes  wonder how does he jump that high????!lol)

The crowd already amped were more than ready to receive and support the mcees and their constant calls to hear them shout -NEXXXT TIIIING!!!!!!.This was a indicative of  a crowd that had chosen to  throw away typical  insecurities of screwfacing and wall hugging associated with this particular genre, and instead had chosen to become one with the event in participation. (WE LOVE YOU CROWD! YOU MADE OUR WORK EASIER:)

Next ..the OPEN MIC section unveiled some  HIDDEN GEMS of talent, as member of the crowd and previous selected individuals showcased their talents .Rappers and mcees mounted the stage lifting up Jesus aswell as delivering a barrage of verbal assaults against  the kingdom of darkness!!!!(watch out for HUSKY NOV 21ST!!)

One participant in particular had people calling his name before he was even seen to be in the building -BOOST-part of the Armageddon camp (COME ONNNNNNNN!) tore down the BLACKGRAPE walls with his hardcore, christocentric delivery!(Watch out for a special interview with him coming to you straight from ICIESWORLD!)

BOOST!

ARMAGEDDON -get to know!!!!!!!!

As the next 2 sets emerged with  power house teams consisting of the likes of  Brewer,Cdot,Faithchild ,Guvna B,DDT,Astar,Mystma,Lady Preacha ,Presha J and Franklyn…….the rafters were definetely feeling it as wheel up, upon wheel up had the crowd in a frenzy!!This was not just about hype shouting ..this was a delivery of thought out ,holy spirit crafted wordplay ….and the crowd were loving it!!!

As the night came to a close ,to ensure the nights message was not lost Guvna B slowed things down and took time to explain the vision behind NEXT TING ..backed by his MC family ,each mc on the bill came forward to explain what NEXT TING 140 meant to them personally.This was a truly defining and impacting moment of the night and created the balance needed of entertainment and a presentation of the gospel  as each mc used the opportunity to sow the seeds to any potential non-believers who attended.

Bibles provided  FREE by WESLEY OWEN were then offered to the crowd as an invitation to get to know about the GREATEST KING THAT EVER LIVED was extended!!!!

FINALLY for all those who couldn’t hear lyrics above the grime base and 8bar crowd recital , acapellas were requested from each MC  to close the night…….and my gosh what a closure .EACH bar delivered ,held gems of wisdom and wordplay that were like darts of truth in the hearts of men.

Special guest JAHAZIEL ….set the mic a blaze with a surprise acapella packed with scripture and guidance that any parent would be proud to give their child in CD format!(buy the album READY TO LIVE)

To close the night in true family style ,special guests EDDIE KADI and MOBO AWARD WINNER Yolanda Brown ,thanked the audience for coming and congratulated Guvna B on all his efforts.

A massive shout out to UPRISE TV always on standby!!!Also to Triple O…..we had your back in prayer!!Bless MAN -We had the crowd shouting your name!Tryumf -when 2 BECOME 1 ..we understand:)lool,GABZIS ABOUT next one yours!!..SELENKI& COSMIC -so much respect and gratitude for your giftings!!

There are not many GRIME events in LONDON(actually none at all anymore!!!)that end without a stabbing ,that have people coming out of the venue smiling,that have  people ACTUALLY ENJOYING themselves inside !!!….But ‘Next Ting’ has set a stone in history that will surely be built on , with PART 2 looming around the corner end of JANUARY….the UK Gospel scene seems very healthy at the moment and set to go from strength to strength!!!

SING IT WITH ME: ‘The SCENE is alive ..with the sound of Musiccccccc!’

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A *SPECIAL THANKS*- BLACKGRAPE MUSIC VENUE,for its management team,staff and security team -thank you for having us!!

If you need somewhere to eat , just chill or hold an event like this one ,pop on down to BLACKGRAPE,the venue is immaculate, the food impeccable and the atmosphere incredible: http://www.blackgrapelive.com/