Karl Hinds, also known as R.A.W, is a British rapper and producer, and founder of the record label Assassin Records.

Career

Hinds' first single was "Roughneck Sister Sue", released in 1993 under the name of R.A.W. The track found some underground success but was not financially profitable for the label. Subsequent singles included "Cock Out & Ride" and "Feelin (Gal A Fuss)/Zero", and by the time Hinds had produced and released his fourth single, the label had been established as a

drum & bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

record label. Hinds subsequently released 20 singles through Assassin Records, all under different aliases. In 2000, Hinds's record "Don Gramma" was nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Single 2001, and won the award for Best Video of the year in the UKHH Awards. Hinds then opened a sister label, Ill Flava Records, focusing on hip hop.Kwaku (2001)
Karl Hinds "Relate to Me"
, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', 2 June 2001, p. 42, retrieved 2011-01-01 Ill Flava released its first album in 2002, Hinds's debut LP ''Hindsight'', which featured

Blak Twang Blak Twang (born Tony Olabode in England), who also uses the pseudonyms Taipanic and Tony Rotton, is a British rapper who grew up in Deptford, Lewisham, South-East London. Blak Twang is world-renowned for his live performances, and is also resp ...

, Estelle,

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the w ...

, and Seanie T. After touring the UK for two years, Hinds toured Europe in 2003 with German producer

DJ Dynamite A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

. In 2004, he released his second album ''Have Patience'', from which the most successful single was "Lets Av It" featuring

Skinnyman Skinnyman (born Alexander Graham Holland, 9 November 1974) is a British rapper who was born in Chapeltown Leeds, Yorkshire and moved to Finsbury Park, London at a young age. He grew up on the Six Acres Estate next to Andover Estate. Among his ...

Awards

*UKHH Awards **2001, Best Hip Hop Video - "Don Gramma" (Winner) **2001, Best Single - "Don Gramma" (Nominated) **2001, Best Newcomer - Karl Hinds (Nominated) **2003, Best Single - "Get To Know Me" (Nominated)

Discography

Videography

References

External links

Ill Flava Records website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinds, Karl Living people Black British male rappers English male rappers People from Ilford Rappers from London Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people)