The streets gave birth to hip hop, and the streets are where it lives. But the corporate world stole rap. Now Akala’s stealing it back. In 2006 Kingslee ‘Akala’ Daley, 23, redefined hip hop with his debut album “It’s Not A Rumour”, and the revolutionary, trance sampling underground smash hit “Shakespeare”. The album received critical acclaim from the British press and earned Akala the Best Hip Hop Artist award at the 2006 MOBO awards where he beat out U.S. heavyweights Kanye West and Busta Rhymes.

Akala’s unique sound smashes through current rap conventions by drawing on a spectrum of influences from Gil Scott Heron to Siouxie and the Banshees, from electro to punk, guitar rock and beyond, and as a result its appeal extends far beyond the narrow hip hop scene into a wider musical sphere as evidenced by his acclaimed live performances. In 2006 he opened up for acts such as Richard Ashcroft, DJ Shadow, Jay-Z and Christina Aguilera, had stand out performances at the O2 Wireless Festival and The British at MIDEM showcase and headlined his own 20-date UK tour.

Akala is scheduled to appear at a number of events and festivals over the summer, including Glastonbury, while his follow up album, “Freedom Lasso” (due for release in September 2007) is already being talked about as one of the most anticipated indie releases of the year.