Island Life presents George the Poet and J P Cooper, Scala

This is the first Island Life gig in a new series to be put on by Island Records, when two of their new signings, George the Poet and J P Cooper, will co-headline Scala on Monday 13th October. Island promotions are always successful showcases of exciting talent, from their 2009 run at Shepherd’s Bush Empire with Grace Jones and U2 to Mac Miller’s Brixton gig last year.

George the Poet (real name George Mpanga) is at the forefront of spoken word performance today, blending poetry and rap with a distinct urban vibe. He became a YouTube sensation with over half a million views, and has since appeared on Radio 1 and supported Nas on tour. He began writing social and political performance poetry whilst studying at King’s College, Cambridge, developing out of his rap and grime beginnings growing up on the Stonebridge Park estate in Harlesden. He is passionate about the power of poetry to provoke thought and motivate young people rather than rapping for entertainment’s sake. His poetry, most famously My City which went viral during the Olympic Games, discusses the realities of London living.

J P Cooper is a soul musician from Manchester who shares strains of label mate James Morrison’s vocals, but with more haunting heartache echoing from his guitar. Cooper’s debut Island release, Keep the Quiet Out EP, went straight into the top 5 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart and he has subsequently sold out a national tour and will release his first album this year. He is a talented live performer, having travelled the country promoting his three previously self-released EPs. 

This gig promises to be a combination of soul, rap and poetry to please the most eclectic of musical tastes. Neither artist can be neatly categorised and the pleasing result of their different styles and genres should make for another amazing Island night. Tickets are on sale now.