Kate Tempest
Kate Tempest is a poet and rapper from SouthEast London.
As well as writing and performing poetry as a solo artist, she also fronts the hiphop inspired live three piece Sound of Rum – who have recently signed to independant label Sunday Best. Their first single Slow Slow will be released early 2011, with debut album Balance following in April 2011.
Kate has played gigs at every festival going, including Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Reading and Leeds, the Big Chill and Latitude as well as having gigged all over London, in venue’s as grand as the Barbican and KOKO and as humble as Deptford’s Birds Nest Pub.
She has supported artists from across the music board, from legendary puck poet John Cooper Clarke, to afrobeat legend Femi Kuti, as well as touring the UK with label mates Dan le Sac v’s Scroobius Pip.
Kate’s debut spoken word release Broken Herd – a limited edition boxset – came out in December 2009 on PureGroove Records and sold out within 3 months. Her second spoken word release Patterns – an independently produced and published book of poetry and CD of live performance – sold out of its first press of 100 copies in 2 weeks. The second press will be out early 2011 and available from Kate at gigs and also on the Sound of Rum website respectfully.
Here are some quotes from other people about what Kate does…
“Didn’t I warn you about this rapper?” – Dan Carrier, Camden New Journal
“that’s an incredible track… desperately need to download more tracks from Sound of Rum, love that.” – Huw Stephens about ‘Cannibal Kids’
“a fly Janis Joplin backed by a jazz combo.“- Daron Billings for gigjunkies.com
“The first few times I saw her [Tempest] she was annoyingly good. She doesn’t seem like she has the right to be so intelligent and insightful and have the ability to craft it so well. She just strolled up and looked like a kid that’s rolled in off the street – but then to spit with such intensity.” – Scroobius Pip
“I had KateTempest in several times on my BBC radio one spoken word show and she has been the highlight of my listening this year. She has no right whatsoever to be as good as she is. It astounds me. Her writing is epic, her delivery piercing, and with the addition of her band Sound of Rum her potential is realised. Inspirational.” – Scroobius Pip
“Her works are truly of upliftment and betterment.” – Roots Manuva
“With astounding flow, lyrical maturity and sound social awareness for a 20 year old, Londoner Kate Tempest is one of those music makers that instantly prompt you to stop whatever you’re doing and reconsider whether you should bother carrying on with it at all, such is the extent of her politically coherent, poetic talent. Tempest really is a fiery hot prospect, having played various underground acoustic gigs with her band in and around London and beyond, and is set to drift further towards the mainstream, kind of whether she wants to or not. Sometimes I’m just phenomenally chuffed to be able to include stuff like this on New Noise.” – John Hillcock, XFM
I saw you at the Spike and was impressed. Included you on my Agit Disco selection See agitdisco.com
Now we are doing agitdisco as a book with a free sampler CD. Can we include your great track ‘Southeast’ on the sampler please? I played it once on Resonance as well I dunno if you heard.
Hope all is well with you and you are getting the recognition you deserve.
Best
Stefan
hi, i’m a drama student from hampton college peterborough, we’re devisin a piece based around “adults are obsolete” is there any chance you could send me a copy of cannibal kids so we can take some ideas from it to create a piece of drama, cheers.
hey kate love your stuff. saw you at sunrise years ago – blown away.
325 magazine no 8. is now out and we wondered if you were interested in taking some and distro-ing it at gigs etc. check it out and if you like it, let us know.
respect
oscar
Heard you by accident on Radio 4. I’m in my 60′s and know nothing about hip hop but I think you are a brilliant poet. Been checking you out on YouTube. Superb.
Greetings Ms Tempest
Heard your stuff on Bespoken Word the other night & was blown away. Fantastic!
Will definately be listening out for more in future
G.
One word: genius.
Hey Kate, was at a protest today and I heard a fucking wicked tune and jotted down the lyrics. It went “Cannibal kids want to be kings”
Wicked song, good luck on your album and just know talent never gets ignored.
Hi,
I love your work, particularly ‘Balance’
Please tell me where I can find the words to that poem and others?
Many thanks,
Star
So much passion. We need your insight and honesty to shine out for us in the darkness of these Endtimes. You make launguage sing.
Hey Kate, so, i’m craving ur song icarus, and i tried to buy it from Amazon but i live freakin’ Slovakia with a US computer, and so fer some dumbass “geographical’ reason it wont let me DL it…….grrrrrrr. Is there any other way i can get the mp3? Pleeeeeese pleese please? You prolly think i’m lying, but i’m not, and i’d be super happy to get my hands on that song at least (i like all ur stuff). *_* thx.
Really loved ‘Balance’. It was very moving. I will be getting the album.
Thanks
Listened to some of your music and i think its incredible. can’t find any of your lyrics anywhere though?
Please could you forward this email to Kate Tempest. I am a literary critic and I would like to write an academic piece on your poetry. How can I get a copy of your poems? I just discovered your work. You are an immense talent. I want to do my bit in spreading the word about your extraordinary talent.
Best,
Claudia May
hello your poetry is wicked and i have started writing and it helps me thought everthing carry on cus i think you are amazing …
Kate! I just discovered you, now here’s a REAL example of a Light Warrior ess. No faux new age love’n light here but the real raw deal. Blessings sweetheart! We commend you!
i just hope you realise how brilliant you really are.
I heard Cannibal Kids on Late Junction, rap and hip hop not generally my scene. Incisive! made my eyes water. Brilliant poet.
Hello,
I am the crying snot monster you encountered at the Brighton Hammer and Tongue last night.
I am sorry for releasing my enthusiasm for your work all over you like that. I only found your poem renegade a couple of days ago and confess to knowing nothing more about you.
I was a Buddhist Nun for a long time and due to a long line of incidents now find myself a mother. I was trying in my own snotty way to tell you that I appreciate greatly your clarity of thought and your passion for the small ordinary people. I am also very very happy to see someone has a platform to express these things and be appreciated for that.
I was very moved by your poem a little more than the average punter due to being someone who actively has dedicated their life and heart to helping people and who has been bullied and attacked for that… this might explain a bit http://www.xtranormal.com/profile/7243705/
Anyway… Thank you again for doing what you do I will pass on your amazing work to all I feel will enjoy it.
All the best,
Andrea.
Fantastic performance in Dublin last Saturday. I was enthralled by you and your creativity. As a school Deoputy Principal I was with the school group. Amy Talbot
Hi Kate , being one of the older generation it took me at least a minute to understand where you are coming from and watching your video was insperational , so you now have a 60 year old fan , spookey ! It was a pleasure to meet you at Charles De Gaul last night Im the one who pestered the barman to open up again . Very kindest regards to you both Andy Peaple
the words you channel
shivver through me
tip of the hat
light warrior
indeed
….power up
9 Trackbacks
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[...] As well as writing and performing poetry as a solo artist, Kate Tempest also fronts the hip-hop inspired live three piece Sound of Rum – who have recently signed to independent label Sunday Best. Their first single Slow Slow was released early 2011, with début album Balance following shortly after. Kate has played gigs at every festival going, including Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Reading and Leeds, the Big Chill and Latitude as well as having gigged all over London, in venue’s as grand as the Barbican and KOKO and as humble as Deptford’s Birds Nest Pub. She has supported artists from across the music board, from legendary puck poet John Cooper Clarke, to afrobeat legend Femi Kuti, as well as touring the UK with label mates Dan le Sac v’s Scroobius Pip. Link to Kate Tempest [...]
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