Looking for a bit of inspiration?
Then check out FUGATIVE, 16 years old and already one of most exciting, upcoming names in British music.
FUGATIVE (real name Harry Byart) blasted on to the music scene in early 2008, with his massive urban hit, It’s Summertime. The song, taken from his debut album, Prince of the Playground, stayed in the urban chart Top Five for an incredible 17 weeks. His follow up single, Jimmy Shoe, went onto receive over 1 million hits on YouTube.
FUGATIVE calls his self-created, unique sound ‘Hip Pop’ – Hip Hop with a pop twist – and his latest ‘set up’ single, SupaFly, entered the UK National charts at #37 whilst notching up 700,000 YouTube views.
As well as being a stellar performer, FUGATIVE is also a gifted songwriter, instrumentalist and producer. With an instinct for good business, FUGATIVE has already set up his own label, Runaway Productions, clearly a young man very much in charge of his own destiny.
FUGATIVE explains: “I started out writing, producing and recording everything by myself in my bedroom. I didn’t have anyone there to help or guide me. I just got on with doing it on my own. And that’s why I like the idea of encouraging young people to get creative and show more enterprise by taking part in PhoneBrain.
It was one of FUGATIVE’s bedroom demos that found its way to legendary rap impresario Kirk Burrowes (founder of Bad Boy Records together with P Diddy) in the USA and led to FUGATIVE striking a deal with Burrowes along with a record deal on Ministry of Sound’s label imprint Hard2Beat.
So, when he’s not studying for exams, FUGATIVE is busy travelling back and forth to Atlanta in the USA, where he’s been recording material for his new album (due for release in 2010) – working with producers Cutfather (who has also worked with Jordan Sparks, Kylie, Pixie Lott), Young Lord (Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Lil Kim, G-Unit, Puff Daddy), 88 Keyz (Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo, Kanye West) and Dirty Bird (Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne), as well as writing collaborations with Soulshock & Karlin (JLS – One Shot) and Pam Sheyne (Christina Aguilera – Genie In A Bottle) amongst others.
Fugative’s new single, Sticks & Stones, is due for release in April 2010.