HKB FiNN

HKB FiNN (originally Huntkillbury Finn) is an underground rapper, poet and percussionist from London, UK. A purveyor of sophisticated poetry and Jazz-rap musicology, this literate, political and musically conscious artist is a longstanding member of the bohemian/alternative Rap movement in Europe.
A regular performer at Poetry cafes, Jazz concerts and Classical events, he has spearheaded a style of Hip Hop which draws its musical narratives from West African, Afro-Latin and Jazz traditions as well as blurring the lines between spoken word artistry and Rap.
HKB FiNN was born Andrew Ward on the island of Malta to parents in the British military but spent his early years in Kingston, Jamaica. On arrival in the UK in the early 1980's, he began to hone his performance and writing skills in London's Reggae circuit. He later moved over to Hip Hop and formed Katch 22 with DJ Mad Marga in 1989. The crew were signed to independent label 'Kold Sweat' in 1990 and completed 3 albums ( Diary of a Blackman living in the land of the lost, Dark Tales from 2 Cities and Non Conformist Rituals) before the label folded in 1995.
From 1996 - 1999 FiNN performed with a number of bands and ensembles in Jazz, Classical and World music before going solo in 1999 with the release of his 'Mummy's Little Soldier EP' on SON Records. He shortened his name to HKB FiNN in 2002 before releasing his debut solo album: Vitalistics on SON Records. He toured the UK extensively before setting up his: 'Organix' Club event in Hoxton,London (2003-2004) and worked with several local artists.
From the monthly Organix events came new material and a new found confidence in percussion. In late 2004, HKB FiNN released his second album: Acoustic Afro Hip Hop on his own imprint and later partnered with fashion chain: Savage to distribute the CD. Over the next few years as his cult fan base grew, HKB FiNN began mixing more West African music, more Afro Latin and more Afro Caribbean sounds with Jazz flavoured Hip Hop to create his soundscapes and became a fixture in the UK's growing Poetry scene.
By 2005, Organix moved to the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton where HKB FiNN & his musicians would continue to develop new material, hone their stage shows as well entertain a captive audience.
In 2006 his 3rd solo album: Spoken Herbs featured notable duets with Jazz Vocalist: Cleveland Watkiss and his album won MojoMagazine's Urban album of the year category. Whilst FiNN was on tour in Brazil in 2007, he began to write songs on the road and add these to his concert repertoire. The town of Recife had a profound effect on this Poet who sighted the seaside town as a place where he reconnected with his inner joy. This led to the creation of a new album and by 2008, his 4th release: Light In The Shade of Darkness became his first album written completely on the road and also featured Atlanta born vocalist: Crystal Night.
In 2008 he formed the HKB FiNN Ensemble and spent more time on the road. The Organix Club nights came to a close as he was spending more time away from London. With an ever expanding cult following across the world, FiNN has performed in over 25 countries and collaborated with a number of European Jazz bands.
In 2009 he became obsessed with early Blue Note recordings and wanted to capture the energy of his band in a similar way. His love of Rudy Van Gelder's work with Miles Davis, Grant Green, John Coltrane and more recently Christian Scott, inspired the him to make a record that relied less on modern mixing techniques or the layering vocals in the studio but instead would rely more on the strength of the compositions and the energy of the band.
This process resulted in his fifth album: Natural Eloquence in 2010 and it became his first record where he composed and produced all of the music and lyrics. He continues to write and tour and is planning on returning to the studio in autumn 2011.
HKB FiNN is an underground artist from London who explores the connections between cultures and bridges the gaps between Jazz,Hip Hop & World Music. He is a quintessential modern Poet and a joy to hear.
Discography
Vitalistics (2002)
Acoustic Afro Hip Hop (2004)
Spoken Herbs (2006)
Finnstrumentals Vol#1 (2006)
Light In The Shade Of Darkness (2008)
Natural Eloquence (2010)
Quotes:
"Exceptional" The Sunday Times
"Great Soundtrack" The London Paper
"Ernest spoken word" The Guardian
"Wonderful" The Arizona Sun Newspaper
"Ruminative & poetically insightful" Mojo Magazine
"Music for people who aren't afraid to think for themselves" Blues&Soul Magazine
"A fabulous mix, inspiring and tasteful" BBC Radio South