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On: The Real Heat You do not want to fuck with The Real Heat. This hardworking London trio makes tough, dirty pop music and are anything but timid. “Our sound is a mix of electro, rock'n'rave, soul and whatever else we fancy at the time,” they told us. “We call it Grit Pop!” Shaki, Zaza and Suki have spent the last year adding glamour and Grit to Europe’s best parties and they’ll be doing the same to the pop charts before long. Here they tell us about their influences, proving themselves as producers and starting a label... The Real Heat - Hearts Not Innit [mp3] The Real Heat - Stand & Deliver [mp3] The Real Heat On: Influences: Shaki: 2Pac, MC Det, Neneh Cherry, Peaches, N.W.A, Luke [of 2 Live Crew], Lady Saw, The Real Roxanne, MC Lyte. Suki: When i was growing up my mum was into Ten City, Technotronic and stuff like that so I'd say that whole 80s club scene has been a big influence on us. But being a kid growing up in the 90s I was big on Brit pop and started listening to bands like Oasis, PJ Harvey and Garbage. In rap I'd say my biggest influences are Mary J Blige because she sings all over sick hip-hop beats and Lil’ Kim because she is so ballsy and sexy at the same time. …On: Make-up in the studio: Suki: The hardest thing we've had to face is proving ourselves as female producers. People are so used to the ‘male producer/female vocalist’ roles. We’re a girl band writing our own music and that’s almost unheard of unless you’re a guitar band. I find, in a studio environment, whenever there is a female in the team she's expected to be a tomboy, not wearing make-up, and she is treated like one of the lads, but if you know me then you'll know I don't go anywhere without my full whack of make-up even when in the studio. I feel good when I look good and if you feel good you can do good. I don't see why women should have to hide their sexuality in order to be taken seriously in any business. Although saying all of that being a woman is nothing new and I'm sure things are better now then they used to be so we try not to keep going on about it. …On: Submissive little ditties and setting up a label: Shaki: I’m a vocalist so rapping, ranting and singing is one in the same, it’s just the way it comes out at that time. Suki: I wouldn’t say we are rappers as such as we mostly sing, but the rapping is just another form of singing anyway, so it started with the singing then experimenting with that we started rapping. Shaki: Women are writing their own raps about things that affect us not submissive little ditties that some bloke told them to sing. Suki:: There are loads of us that have something to say and a lot of people that want to hear us. I try not to question it just enjoy it. All: We have just started our own label Real Hot Records which will have its first release later this year, that’s keeping us really busy. We are touring and have a few dates around Europe so the plan is to show America what we've got next. Posted by: Scott 06/08/07