Formerly obtaining as a music promotions company in the name Kush Promotions, holding frequent events bringing some of the largest names in UK Rap/Grime music to the North East, CUSH:UK is a revaluated organisation which wishes to break further boundaries as an underground radio station initially.
Due to personal priorities, new visions and adapting to the current situation everyone is battling through, the alteration is proving to pay off. As Kush Promotions, fans, music lovers, may have been expecting to see shows scheduled for the future but that can’t be promised. This is the main reason as to why the change has occurred, although, perhaps going forward there could be the potential of hosting shows again under the new name of CUSH:UK. However, this may be expected in more of a takeover role at festivals rather than a separate event – how in which they were held in the past.
As stated, CUSH:UK host four editions every week via TS1 REGGAE RADIO on spreaker.com or available to playback on Apple Podcasts as well as differing platforms such as iHeartRadio and Castbox for those that may not be able to access the main two. The CUSH:UK Takeover Show has been running since early March 2020 and has gained rapid reputable success by drawing in listeners from all over the globe.
DJ Turtz
Bursting onto the scene at only the age of 16, DJ Turtz holds a large passion for Grime rhythms as well as Jungle, DnB, Bassline and Garage vibes, all of which are within his variation of mixes. Turtz has a whole wealth of experience too performing at many events supporting the likes of Jaykae, Big Zuu and Mic Righteous.
Having already produced an array of tracks for fungiFerg such as ‘For the People’ and ‘Sound’, Turtz has teamed up with Prod Rage to form the duo, Baked Goods, where they will be working on a wide range of genres in forthcoming projects.
Every week he has a fresh mix for his Tuesday show ‘Turtz Live In The Mix’. A huge future ahead, remember the name, DJ Turtz.
Prod Rage
Nick Baker, owner and founder of Kush Promotions from the very start, not only has he personally ran the company’s online social media pages keeping everyone up to date with the latest music far and wide – promoting, he also produces, makes beats, mixes, masters and engineers tracks taking up a large proportion of time.
Nick was at the forefront when it came to organising events with plentiful connections local and further afar. Going by the name of Prod Rage within his music productions, involvement within this aspect of music has always been consistent from himself with tracks dating back to around 2013 with the ‘Movements’ album by Teesside Connection and perhaps even longer ago.
At this moment he continues to run the now – CUSH:UK page on all socials in partnership with everyone involved acting as admins/editors whilst working his daily job, producing music and being a role model for his family and friends. He teams up with fungiFerg to deliver their show every Thursday as they bring in rising talent and some of the largest names in the industry for interviews.
Recently he has also been creating many instrumentals for different artists whilst engineering tracks from past interviewees to make up EP’s as part of the collective Baked Goods with DJ Turtz.
DJ V8
DJ V8 of TS1 REGGAE RADIO presented us with the platform to create The CUSH:UK Takeover Show.
He prominently spins Reggae/Dancehall vibes from all over the world mixed in with his urban twist. He has gathered a multitude of connections from all over the world, large performing artistes to upcoming talent in which he has helped by promoting their riddims to a worldwide audience.
fungiFerg
Hailing from Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside, UK, fungiFerg is an industrious independent artist who expresses his raw feelings and opinions with no dilution amongst resonating bars. His love for music arose from playing the guitar aged 11, then evolving to penning bars around his late teens – firstly experimenting upon Bassline riddims. Promptly following was his debut freestyle release via Big Scene TV, next, he commenced his journey within a pioneering multi-genre group named Teesside Connection. Ferg’s friendship with fellow members would flourish which ultimately aided and led to the formation of Kush Promotions where he performed at events as a resident emcee, supporting and sharing the same stage as: Scorcher, Jaykae, Mic Righteous, P Money, Big Zuu and more.
Ferg prominently creates tracks atop of Grime and Rap instrumentals, however, he also adapts to a plethora of differing genres such as: Garage, DnB, Bassline and Reggae. More recently he has ventured on Drill beats with his first distinctive release in this manner being ‘Northern Fella’ – engineered by $.O.N.N.Y.
fungiFerg contributed to the debut album ‘Movements’ from the collective Teesside Connection in 2013 and 2014/2015 saw himself and a selection of artists from the pioneering group create Gang:Greenz where they released ‘The Green EP’. Both bodies of work blended a surplus of Hip-Hop, Grime, Reggae and DnB sounds which have been persisted with to present day.
In 2018, he released the solo ‘HIGH’ EP under the production of Stylistic Flow, DJ Turtz, Robbie Teeze and 40 whilst Stylistic Flow and Prod Rage mixed and mastered the project. A quintet of reputable tracks including ‘Get Wise’, ‘Smoke and Smiles’ and ‘Sound’ established a solid platform for his upcoming work.
31st December 2019, fungiFerg released an EP named ‘Gengar’. Prod Rage, Robbie Teeze, Stylistic Flow and DJ Turtz were involved in the engineering of nine potent tracks. Four featured verses were provided by: former Teesside Connection member – G Rhyme General, Mic Righteous and legendary North East rappers Just B and Smooth Jezza.
‘For the People’ which stars on the EP, produced by DJ Turtz, epitomises his ethic and appreciation to all of those who have supported his craft, the thriving movements, and reinforced messages. It is dedicated to those with alike mindsets. In a recent conversation with Ferg he said that: “if it wasn’t for fans and those that support, us artists wouldn’t be in the position that we are”.
Throughout 2020 the North East native stepped up and conveyed his versatility by dropping five tracks, all oozing with plentiful variations. Three singles and two collaborative pieces coming from Zico MC and Precinct Phantom. Whilst grafting to improve his own ability, fungiFerg has been networking with other artists and spinning their music alongside Prod Rage on The CUSH:UK Takeover Show. Furthermore, Ferg and the CUSH:UK team connected with the likes of: Ruku G, Grim Sickers, Manga Saint Hilare, Rick Fury, Just B, Sox, RobRez, Shogun and many more gaining invaluable insights first-hand in an array of interviews airing live on the show.
Kickstarting 2021 with a featured verse on the track ‘I’m Working Here’ from Rick Fury’s latest album ‘Return of the King’; there is a great deal more in store for the year! Continuing with the same ethos will ensure further evolutionary strides are taken full advantage of. Watch out for fungiFerg.
Smooth Jezza
A veteran and legend within the North East music scene, long time brother of those involved in CUSH:UK and previous organisations, now presenting the ‘RRR’ show alongside Danny Riley. Jezza has collaborated with numerous artists over his time but most notably, THIS BE THE CLICK with Dubs and VAMPHIGHER LIFE – a combination of Dubs, BEN and Thunder H (H Man).
Accomplishing mass amounts throughout his career in music such as picking up the winner of UBeat Music Awards rapper of the year in 2016 and being a nominee for single of the year in the annual awards prior to that. Releasing innumerable bodies of work consistently, making a living outside of the music industry in barbering, there is still a great deal that will be accomplished and there will not be any stoppages what so ever as he and everyone involved continues to rise to the top.
Danny Riley
From the depths of Newcastle, local legend and supporter Danny Riley ensures to bring you a wrath of Reggae vibes, local hidden gems in amongst the North East, mixed with the UK’s freshest Hip-Hop hits and world wide bangers! Danny thoroughly knows his stuff attending an immense amount of gigs local and all over the nation whilst recording a plethora of sets which he has documented upon his YouTube channel. Teaming up alongside Smooth Jezza, he loves to drop an exclusive now and then over on their weekly show so make sure to check it every Saturday, ‘The RRR Show’.
Jake Emery
Website moderator and structurer, media personnel, dealing with all inquires revolving interviews, future events and much more and huge fan of many differing genres within music from local artists and afar. Having attended a range of shows organised by Kush Promotions, then starting involvement within by working from April 2019 in the build up to the Big Zuu event at World Headquarters, making people aware to the gig and carrying out tasks to help out in amongst. Completing the same again for the Mic Righteous gig in the following month of May.
Around about a year following those events, May/June 2020 with the revaluation of the organisation starting to occur, it was proposed that multiple online roles would be needed fulfilling. Falling at a pretty perfect time due to the closure of education centres it proved to be an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge whilst learning along the way. Studying a media and journalistic course at university, like Turtz who is also embarked on his own university journey, and the whole team, there will only be room to improve upon and create new skills in the process being amended back into the project. Ultimately looking to contribute in any way possible to help better oneself and the whole team.
CUSH:UK 