Off The Block Magazine

Our interview with @skepta is now online 💨 Hit the link in our bio to hear the rapper-turned-filmmaker give our Editor-in-chief @francesco__loybell his thoughts on his latest project, the beautiful short film ‘Tribal Mark’, alongside producer Adam Strawford. Photo: @harry_moor3

Mura Masa and Off The Block Present: Demon Time, Retrospective It’s difficult to have a conversation about music and nostalgia without Alex Crossan (@the_mura_masa ) inevitably coming up. Crossan has delved into the intricate theme on numerous occasions throughout his discography – though perhaps nowhere as holistically as his last studio album, Demon Time. Yanking listeners back a couple of decades to the rose-tinted, sweat-covered euphoria of the early noughties, the work is by no means a gimmicky imitation of a now much-cosplayed era. Rather, it is a sonic exploration of the way in which an aesthetically sensuous (and sensual) era embedded itself in the mind and soul of someone growing up within it. As Crossan himself says, “I personally really hate the term Y2K. I think it flattens quite a complex feeling and culture down to an aesthetic thing. In popular culture, the late ‘90s and early ‘00s were very optimistic. You could imagine a future that was interesting, and I think that that doesn’t really exist now. I decided I wanted to make something that was fun, hedonistic, imaginative and optimistic in a way.” Two years to the day since the release of what is perhaps Demon Time’s most nostalgic track — the much-lauded update of iconic ‘04 banger ‘Baby Cakes’, featuring @pinkpantheress @0800shygirl & Lil Uzi Vert — Off The Block has teamed up with Crossan to curate a comprehensive retrospective of album’s making. From conception to release, the zine sees Crossan guide us through the project step-by-step and song-by-song, leaving no stone unturned. From in-studio anecdotes to personal inspirations to unused album artworks, this is a unique and in-depth exploration of what it actually takes to make a hit album, straight from the horse’s mouth. Because, at the end of the day, we could all still do with a little Demon Time in our lives 😈 Head to to grab a copy now, or hit the link in our bio Creative Direction @offtheblockmagazine Art Direction and Imagery @oliver_jvbelll Editor-in-Chief and Interview @francesco__loybell Cover animation @liv.dugdale.art

Ethereal yet psychadelic, tantalisingly other-worldly yet satisfyingly local - John Glacier’s (@johnglacier ) stunning debut project ‘SHILOH: Lost For Words’ is nothing short of a masterpiece. For the second cover of our new book, ‘We Are Here, Here We Are’, Off The Block’s Editor-in-Chief @francesco__loybell meets the brains behind one of the best releases of the year. Young people and the arts have long been neglected, both in the UK and further afield. The ludicrous notion peddled by the British government that creatives should retrain as a way of surviving the economic devastation of Covid-19 was, for many, the straw that broke the camel’s back. In a bleak and unforgiving year, it was the arts after all that provided much-needed respite. In lieu of meaningful financial support, and with Brexit threatening to further upend the creative industries, we find ourselves at a peculiar Catch 22. At a time when creativity is needed most, it is also the most at risk it has ever been. Unfortunately, we are here. In this issue, entitled We Are Here, Here We Are, we try to focus on this duality. On one side, these pages stand as a vehicle for young people to express themselves about the world in its current state: where we are, how we got to this point, and where we might be going. On the other, it is a statement of intent – a demonstration of the ingenuity today’s creative world has to offer. Through music, fashion, film, art, photography, and writing, we hope that the issue will both demonstrate and celebrate how, now more than ever, creative minds are indispensable, the key to a future less bleak. Here we are. 10% of profits from each issue will go to @thefelixproject  - a fantastic organisation that helps provide free hot, healthy food to children, families, and homeless and vulnerable people in London. Head to their website if you would like to donate further or help raise awareness. Photography - @jessicaelizaross Fashion - @brydieperkins Words - @francesco__loybell Hair - @abitofjaz Makeup - @psychwitch_ Type - @lucyevafl Special Thanks - @bricks_photostudio and @limitedmitch Creative Director - @oliver_jvbelll

Reminiscing about the time we asked @mollymatalon and @cahlinetompkins to pap each other around new york for @offtheblockmagazine print book and they fucking KILLED it haha One or my favourite commissions @oliver_jvbelll and I have ever done, still makes me laugh now. Only ever been seen in print until now. Accompanying text below: “Earlier this year, we invited photographers Molly Matalon and Caroline Tompkins to shoot each other across New York City, playing on the aesthetics of imagery one might usually associate with gossip magazines and tabloids. We wanted to subvert the voyeuristic and often mysogynistic gaze of the paparazzo’s lens, instead giving agency over the image back to the subjects. The collection of images aims to touch on various photographic tropes long-employed by paparazzi photographers: wardrobe malfunctions, out-on-the-town glam, the morning after/walk of shame, and a general voyeurism of quotidian activities like getting coffee, a newspaper, on the balcony, and so on. We hope the playful sense of fun imbued in this shoot goes some way in reinventing a genre of photography that, for many, has come to symbolise intrusion and objectification.“ Fashion by the legend @chapmannewnum

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE To celebrate the arrival of spring, we present this fashion editorial inspired by nature and British Romantic poetry. Photographer: @lovelyboy.xyz Stylist: @macfaul HMUA: Lauryn Brown Model: @elizabeth.ojay EP: @scarlettanderson_ PM: @sarahdiness Photo Assist: @arthur.finch_ Styling Assist: @niamhcorryjones Agent: @777castingmanagement EQ: @123londonltd Lab: @econe_lab Prod Co: @thespoonstudios

@tpskorby shot in London by @lovelyboy.xyz ❄️

@emilywoodmakeup is what you might describe as a tour de force. Kind, effervescent, passionate and articulate, she is an individual in the truest sense of the word, fiercely honest and introspective, and unafraid to question her own thoughts and rationale. This individuality has bled into her art, through which she has amassed a significant following online and beyond, her self-applied makeup tutorials — often using bold colours and unorthodox techniques, captured in places of natural beauty — garnering a cult following on TikTok and Instagram. In an industry and art-form often dominated by traditional aesthetic and beauty standards, Wood’s followers clearly resonate with the self-fulfilling approach she takes to her makeup, the freedom with which she works an inspiration to the thousands watching, a reminder that the process itself can be as beautiful as the outcome, and that conformity is not always the only way forward. Here, our Editor-in-chief @francesco__loybell chats to Emily about her love for makeup, the way her art and her mental health interact, and the radical freedom her craft has, after a number of years, brought to her. Head to our website to read the full piece now. 📸 @frankie.markot

Some faces from this year’s annual @basementapproved cup 🏆 a day of community and football for all ages, with @talk.nice.studios taking home the big one. Proper. 📸 @oliver_jvbelll

wake up babe, new @ilselena just dropped 🍯 Quick chat with the British-American artist behind summer bop ‘sweet like honey’ on our website now. Link in bio as usual. Photography @oliver_jvbelll

Best thing out of Hounslow since Bend it Like Beckham. From west London to the world. Dear everyone…meet @xadiboi Link in bio for full conversation. Website finally alive. Perfect. Photography @benxcole Fashion @slimeysabs Words @_oll.io #OffTheBlock #WeAreHereHereWeAre

Who needs the Avengers when you have @nine8collective ? The West London collective, featuring @lavalarue @macwetha @boneslimbone @nasty.nige and LorenzoRSV (@biig_piig and @nayanaiz were busy fighting evil elsewhere) have quickly become one of the capital’s most authentic creative groups, channelling a DIY mentality in anything they create. Illustration taken from our book, ‘We Are Here, Here We Are’. Illustration @teva.d Photography @the_lizard__queen Styling, Hair + Nail Art @aanaya.d MUA @sogolmakeup Fashion Assistant @iiimanesayo @hiromi_taylor Creative Direction @oliver_jvbelll Editor-in-Chief @francesco__loybell

With an undeniably ethereal feel to her voice, this year has seen @ri.mon continue her emergence as one of the freshest artists to come out of The Netherlands. Drawing from an eclectic range of sonic influences, from Gil Scott-Heron to Ari Lennox to Nipsey Hussle, and a huge talent for visuals to boot, this is an artist from whom you never quite know what to expect next. Our book, ‘We Are Here, Here We Are’, is available to buy until Friday 18th February from the link in our bio. Photography @zacharychick Fashion @kamranrajput Words @laurakhamiss Hair @sharonrobinsonhair Makeup @maha.gram Special thanks @kimberleyhallnorfolk @wilsonj09 @hal_.9000