Thursday 22nd April 2021 – The world’s first plant-based grime track, made using the audio frequencies emitted by plants, has been released to celebrate this year’s World Earth Day on Thursday 22nd April.
‘Vegang’ is the first of its kind of collaboration between UK vegan grime acts – legendary MC, P Money and sibling and producer duo Star.One – who partnered with Subway UK and Ireland, to record the plant-based beat.
Using a pioneering technology, PlantWave, P Money and Star.One tuned into nature at an urban farm to record and sample audio frequencies emitted by various plants.
PlantWave technology works by capturing audio frequencies when electrodes are placed on the plants. The electrical variations in the plants, are then converted into specifically designed musical instruments, to create sounds.
After selecting a range of leafy greens with Subway, including lettuce and rocket, the naturally talented musicians took the plant sounds back to the studio, where Star.One who have partnered with the likes of Big Narstie, Stormzy and D Double E, laid down the melody, before P Money, who most recently worked on Dizzee Rascal’s latest album penned the lyrics.
Inspired by his own ‘going green’ story, P Money’s lyrics celebrate the vegan lifestyle and Subway’s extensive plant-based menu, including the T.L.C. (Tastes Like Chicken), Meatless Meatball Marinara and the Plant Based Patty, this World Earth Day.
A behind-the-scenes video, including footage from the urban farm and studio has been directed by Jamal Edwards MBE - best known for founding SBTV, the pioneering online music and culture platform.
Launching exclusively on TikTok for World Earth Day, Thursday 22nd April, first of its kind grime track will also be available as a sound for users to create their own plant-based beats.
Ahead of the launch, P Money said: “Before Subway invited us to the indoor farm to record the plant-based beat, I couldn’t process the fact that a plant can make a sound but it’s actually mad! The bars in this track are about my journey to becoming a vegan and I’ve tried to incorporate the whole message behind what we're trying to do with Earth Day and raising awareness. At the end of the day this is what we're about."
Star.One also commented on the collaboration: “This wasn’t something we’d done before but we’ve remixed the plants melody with our own vibes, to create the first ever plant-based grime beat! You have to kind of move with the times these days because people are demanding more vegan options, and so the fact that Subway are getting involved is wicked.”
Angie Gosal, Marketing Director at Subway UK and Ireland, said: “As more people champion plant-based lifestyles, we’re excited to be involved in the release of the first ever grime track made from plant sounds! With our ever-expanding vegan range, World Earth Day felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate Subway now having one of the biggest and tastiest plant-based menus on the high street, to offer you even more choice.”
With one of the largest plant-based menus on the high street, vegans and non-vegans alike now have an even wider and tastier choice at Subway, as the new vegan T.L.C (Tastes Like Chicken) Sub and Vegan Double Choc Cookie were added to the plant-based menu earlier this year, alongside the popular Meatless Meatball Marinara - which won PETAs 2020 award for Best Vegan Sandwich - the Plant-Based Patty, Vegan Toasted Bite and crispy Hash Browns.
Lyrics to Plant-Based Beats by P Money and Star.One:
CHORUS:
Used to speak on the regs
Now I chop it up with veg
No more getting up vexed
Fresh mind when I get out the bed
Now I’m researching the web
Got all of the vitamins checked
“How do you do it” they said. “VEGAN TINGS” what I said.
VERSE 1:
Let me start by saying this is not a preach
This is my story so let me speak
Had a few health issues, stomach was peak
Waking up like I was getting no sleep
That’s when I got told that my diet was weak
Way too much meat and it needed tweaks
Vegan for a day turned into a week
Then I switched up the milk, I was getting in deep!
I was dropping that ‘this’, I was dropping that ‘that’.
I was pestering JME’s life with tweets
Got a whole shopping list, followed it to the tee
When I got to the till bare bags was peak!
Then I thought ‘hmm you know what.. nothing good for you is cheap’
Used to eat a plate full and just wanna sleep
Now I feel like I got energy for the week
I was cheffing up fruits. I was cheffing up leeks.
I was cheffing up greens. Curry and chickpeas.
I was feeling elite. I was stuffing my beak.
Now when I get the bread, it’s the one with the seeds.
Was blending banana, spinach and leaves.
Really pumping iron, flexing.
Gotta big up my son, ever since he was young
I could actually see that he did it like me.
VERSE 2:
I can’t lie it was hard at first,
That’s why I researched so I didn’t put a foot wrong.
On the road man used to have nothing good on.
Now I got Subway, “can I get a footlong!”
I didn’t wanna grow food ‘cos it took long.
Now I got time and space, I’m good don.
Soon my answers gonna be my garden
When they asking where I get my goods from
Just worked out, I did the planning
You ain’t know what you missing if you ain’t had it.
My son’s a future hero, what I tell him
Because being vegan is doing bits for the planet
Because being vegan is doing bits for the planet
This food that’s not contribute to the gasses
Now I celebrate Earth Day with the masses
Ain’t just about recycling packets
Better quote that or put it in brackets
I didn’t follow anyone because I’m no sheep
You gotta do it for yourself,
Or that’s for the animals
Or you wanna go clean
Or you just wanna do it for the whole week
My gym friends thought they couldn’t get protein
So I said “what you know about protein?”
Said it ain’t always greener on the other side
There ain’t much greener you can show me!
‘Vegang’ Plant Based Beats is available from 22nd April on Subway’s Tik Tok @subwayukireland TikTok.
To find your nearest open Subway® store, visit www.subway.com/en-ie/.
-ENDS-
Video download link: https://we.tl/t-GeGsXBFoOr
Behind the scenes video download link: https://we.tl/t-Ouwji6MBpD
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/8MwNJknDIDQ
Behind the scenes video link: https://youtu.be/Fxo_7hZZNW0
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For more information about this press release please contact:
Grace Flynn, grace.flynn@teneo.com, 083 358 3550
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About the Subway® brand:
The Subway® brand is the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 42,500 locations in more than 113 countries. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, the Subway® brand was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. That partnership marked the beginning of a remarkable journey, which has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business. In 2017 the Subway® brand embarked on a sugar reduction programme and together with our beverages partner PepsiCo/Britvic, we have taken out 4 billion calories from our GB customer’s annual consumption, per store, this means almost 2 million calories annually have been removed. This represents an overall 30% calorie consumption reduction from drinks sold in Subway® stores.
In the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, nearly 300 million calories have been removed from our Irish customers’ consumption from Subway® stores (ROI & NI). Per store, this means almost 1 million calories annually have been removed. This represents an overall 15% calorie consumption reduction from drinks sold in Subway® stores (due to different product mix). We are constantly looking at ways that can reformulate our menu to offer customer a choice of foods that are the best they nutritionally can be at an affordable price.