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Thought it only right to show you a picture of the place we now call home! If you're ever in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, pass by for some of their Coconut Salmon. It's possibly some of the best fish I've had!

Today's show was another heavyweight one and really was the key to the New York Underground. Last night, Producer Kasey went to a club called which is known in the city as the spot for up and coming black music talent. It's apparently a bit like the Jazz Cafe in the UK - a great live music spot where up and coming talent can rub shoulders with some of the best established talent. , and passed through the show:

Plus we had a D&B in NYC round table with visiting Brit and Valve Soundsystem head honcho Lemon D, NYC D&B DJ Empress (and before you ask, NO! I won't give you her number or 'hook you up!' - do it yourself!!), D&B MC legend and son of Afrika Bambaataa TC Izlam and DB from Breakbeat Science - the US' leading Drum and Bass shop.

We spoke about the emergence of Drum and Bass in the USA, how the scene is going and the kind of people that are in it and to finish off, Lemon D jumped on the decks and blessed us with a big mix with TC Izlam dropping science over the top. While the mix was big in the end, it was a very impromptu mix - he had come strapped with some big Lemon D dubplates but unfortunately we have no turntables at Negril - we're strictly CD decks baby! Instead, Lemon had to go through my laptop and pick out his selection and then burn a CD. The wonders of modern technology eh?

Check the photos and as a little extra treat, Hear Lemon D from New York below

Big shouts to DJ Empress' Dad, the US radio legend who was in attendance and had some fantastic feedback for me. Thanks Dan! Tomorrow is my last show and we've got a nice few surprises up our sleeves. Sad that it's nearly all over but looking forward to getting home and getting some sleep - NYC is definitely the city that never sleeps!!

Another major league show if I may say so myself! We had the crown prince of Dancehall in New York passing through and dropping a mix - Mr Bobby Konders. Che'Nelle also blessed us with her presence for a little chat and got mobbed for autographs in the process by the high school kids who passed by the Negril Village (shouts to Grady High School!),

I managed to fail my RZA challenge to go to Jamaica Queens (home of 50 Cent) to the Coliseum mall and find a copy of Shogun Assassin but in fairness, it wasn't my fault the coliseum didnt have any kind of DVD stores!

And I broke down Cipha Sounds' comedy night that we went to on Tuesday night. Here are the flicks from that:

But my highlight of the show was when Next Selection head honcho, man behind the success of Cassie and all round R&B star Ryan Leslie passed by
but he didn't come alone - he brought his new signing Uness who also blessed us with an electro acoustic EXCLUSIVE!
Hear the Ryan Leslie and Uness interview & song

Also - big props to Online Dan and Andy P for this:

Check out where we've been and what we've been up to - 1Xtra Christmas in New York stylee!

What a full show we had today! Wow! Had the most guests EVER to pass through one of my shows today - that's the beauty of being in New York!

First off was Pittsburgh Slim - a new up and coming emcee who was signed to Def Jam by Jay-Z himself. His style is a little different to a lot of other rappers that are out there at the moment but I really like what he's doing. The producer Ski is the one responsible for putting him on and if you know your HipHop history - Ski is also the producer responsible for the majority of Jay-Z's first album "Reasonable Doubt" and responsible in part for actually putting Jay-Z on (one of Jay's first appearances on record was on the - a group produced by and featuring Ski). If you're over 18, you can check out the video for his new single 'Girls Kiss Girls' by clicking

Next up was the UK's own Ben Westbeech who felt so good today (sorry about the pun) because he was laden with shopping bags - trust me he had taken full advantage of the exchange rate! He was over here in NY doing a gig at the famous Knitting Factory - a place many an up and coming artist has performed in New York. We were blessed with a sick live acoustic performance of the Sting classic and inspiration for my whole week out here - "Englishman In New York".

Last to pass through were the New York Grime Crew "First City" (hold tight for a future post all about the NY grime scene and mine and producer Kasey's night at the Concrete Jungle club). They're really repping the grime sound hard here in New York which is slowly growing and gaining prominence. to link them and hear their live performance and interview!

But I've missed out the heaviest hitter!



The man with the biggest slow jam of 2007 J Holiday passed through the show and we chatted about the R Kelly tour, his album, the inspiration behind the music and I managed to gently coerce him into dropping an accapella of his hit 'Bed'
Hear J Holiday talking to me during my second live show from New York

Listen again to the show here - what's your highlight?

Had a really good time doing my first live radio show from the Negril Village Restaurant in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Played the interview I recorded with Estelle over dinner which sounded great and we had a guide to the borough of Brooklyn courtesy of up and coming emcee Kel Spencer but the undisputed highlight of the show was when the soul sensation Eric Roberson passed through the Rhum Lounge and blessed us with a live PA - including a rather sick freestyle.






If you missed the show click here and listen again at any time before Christmas Eve but I had to give you a chance to hear this at any time:
Hear Eric Roberson's sick freestyling on my first live show from New York

Deal is though, I want some feedback! Did Erro smack it or what?
Tomorrow's show is gonna be packed - got the UK's own Ben Westbeech; up and coming new emcee Pittsburgh Slim; New York grime crew (yes, there's a small burgeoning grime and UKG scene in NY) First City Grime and the one and only J Holiday passing through the show. I'm off now to get some kip - going to check out the NY Grime scene later tonight! Will report back tomorrow.

As promised, here are the photos! More bloggage to follow later...

Long day today. It was kicked off with a production meeting in the morning with the entire 1Xtra in New York team then after a quick breakfast of coffee (I am getting into the swing of the way New Yorkers do it!) First Class Amit (as he will now be known) and I hit the road to complete some of the challenges that Rza from the Wu Tang Clan had set me on last wednesday's show. I was really excited as it meant my first ever ride in a New York cab and I have to say, they're a lot more comfortable than you think they would be - but all the cab drivers are CRAZY! 40 and 50 miles per hour through rush hour traffic...! My tip - don't look through the windscreen, look to the left or the right then it doesn't seem as bad.

2 challenges complete and 3 NY cab rides later, I was having a nice dinner with Estelle - but not before I managed to get some great photos from my journey through Manhattan:

Click any of the photos above to see more. I'm loving NYC right now!! Apparently the weather forecast for tomorrow night is heavy snow. Will this stop me getting any more of my challenges completed? Keep it locked to the blog to find out (and for more photos and videos from NY)

I'm writing this out on my blackberry whilst on the flight into the big apple (don't worry, it's in flight safe mode) and if I'm honest, I'm a tiny bit peeved! I'm flying out here sitting in economy. Now, economy is never a problem for me, just usually a problem for the person I'm squashing sitting next to however, when I'm the only person in my team sitting in economy because everyone else got upgraded for free in one way or another then I think I have a right to be!! Producer Kasey and Bad Boy Dari are living it up on leather couches in premium economy while Amit is currently rubbing shoulders with Shaggy in First Class. That man is so lucky, if he lost a fiver, he'd find a grand!

Moral of the story - don't check in to a flight on time, wait until right at the end when economy is full and they have to seat you in the better seats!

Joking aside I'm really looking forward to touching down in New York - all of the in flight movies and TV shows I've watched so far seem to have something NY in them so that's just adding to the excitement! Got a pretty packed weekend preparing and getting stuff together for next week's shows so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. I'll keep you up to date with all the shenanigans, happenings and my thoughts right here via the blog.

Thoughts after the flight:
1) When did aeroplane food actually get good? I just had some chicken with white wine sauce and it was really nice. I'm impressed!
2) Superbad and Knocked up are both great laugh out loud funny films. They both will be added to the collection and if anyone from the Apatow production team are reading this and need an overweight black british guy in his early twenties to be in one of their future films; holla at me! Although knowing my luck after the flight seat fiasco, they'll holla at Ace, Bigz or Big Narstie!!
3) X Files + Lost + Heroes x The Matrix = Bionic Woman. When it comes on the TV in the UK, watch it. Michelle "Zoe Slater" Ryan is 100% believable as an american with super human strength and she's proper baadass! Anthony Truman will be kicking himself!!

**UPDATE** - We managed to snag ourselves a cheap limo to the hotel so the natural balance is restored!! (dont watch the ashy hands!!)

My hotel room is lovely and I'm opposite a good cheap diner that's open 24 hours. That's food covered...!

Tomorrow is the first day of work so I'm off to sleep. I'll keep checking in with you every day with updates, photos, videos and more.

...on my show, here's a few records that definitely deserve web attention!

First up, 3 Face from South London's record "Different World". It's been floating around for a while but think it's gonna be getting an official release soon. Really good Motown sample (is it the Temptations?) and some lyrics that I think most hard working people can relate to:

Is this something that floats your boat? Or are you a little bit darker?

Burial's "Archangel" is a record that manages to be electronic and really soulful at the same time - really something that if you were to hear randomly on the radio, you'd have to stop to listen to it.

It's getting love across the board from 1Xtra, Radio 1 and even 6 Music and for those people who text the show asking for more info about it, Burial's myspace - feel free to let him know where you heard it and who sent you there!!

More to be added...
...until then, let me know what you think of those two records? Do they deverve more rotation on the show?

The Diva's latest blog post - thought it was worth sharing with y'all. I'm a sucker for these behind the scenes type videos.

Sad news reached me last night that Pimp C from legendary group UGK had passed away apparently of natural causes in a hotel in Hollywood. UGK never really made it huge internationally and to the casual hiphop fan, would be best known for appearing with Jay-Z on Big Pimpin and to UK fans for appearing with Dizzee on Where's Da G's. With Bun B he's heralded by many as the inspiration for many southern rappers. He was only 33 years old.

As a mark of respect, thought y'all would appreciate watching my favourite UGK video - and it's a recent one I posted here earlier this year. With Outkast it's International Players Anthem:

As a kid, I took about 6 months of keyboard lessons but quit when I wasn't progressing fast enough. Don't get it twisted, I had skills - my teacher was just taking the urine in putting me in for my grade exams. Seeing this makes me wish I'd have stuck at it. I can play the drums and was in a band at school (and the school band - man was big like that!) but I've always wanted to be able to play the keyboard/piano or guitar. Even more so when I see this:

Any skills you wish you had?