MIST DISPLAYS A VIGOROUSLY LIVE PRESENCE

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Zekaria Al-Bostani

Mar 16, 2018

Rated

Whilst we are now no strangers to the thoroughly detailed trials and tribulations that Birmingham’s own MIST has been subjugated to in his rise towards UK Rap stardom, something remains intriguing about his presence. What we are not so familiar with however, is how the raw vulnerability of ‘Diamond In The Dirt EP’, essentially a self-addressed open-letter fuelled by anguished musing, can be delivered and consumed as a jubilant, triumphant, self-assured resurrection. Tonight we’re in for a celebration.

When the curtain falls in London, on what is the 6th stop of an 8-city sold-out UK tour, we’re faced with a stage that appears inhabited by marijuana plants and makeshift hanging tube lights, all imprisoned by huge angled steel structures on either side. Following a spirited 10-minute hype-up from long-time collaborator, producer, and now artist in his own right, Steel Banglez, what ensues is a minute-long David Attenborough-esque clip of a gas-masked MIST sauntering around a grow-house. Out floats the man of the moment, clothed in a fresh all-white tracksuit, crooning out his earnest bars to the melodically desisting, MOBO Award winning, ‘Hot Property’, the final single release before he goes into ‘Diamond In The Dirt’s ‘Game Changer’. Mist doesn’t even make it through the first verse before the track is pulled-up and he starts again. Such is the case for most of the night.

The mood is then momentarily abridged with the bleaker, 2016 ‘Sickmade’ cut, from the ‘M I S T to the T’ EP, and ‘DITD’s potent ‘Fountain’ featuring Haile WSTRN, before it’s again transformed to borderline mania with the arrival of, now well-solidified Birmingham duo Lotto Boyzz, setting it off with ‘No Don’.

It’s after this d-tour however, when the thematic sophomore EP, which saw MIST enter the UK Album charts at No.4, bares its scars for us all to see. There exists conflicting experiences, as portrayed through ‘On It’s (featuring Nines) simplistic yet telling “I’m tryna get used to the glamour, half of my G’s locked up in the slammer” to the verses on the melodious pop-friendly ‘Wish Me Well’ featuring Jesse Ware. It’s an endless contemplation of past grievances and encounters, all of which prove to be the deep dark foundations for what MIST and the Sickmade team can proudly brand as a soaring career. Soon after this declaration of what can only be described as a vigorous presence, the arrival of MoStack amounts to a similar response as he hops his way on stage running through a vocal-rupturing rendition of ‘Liar’ and a shoulder-rolling ‘No Words’.

What follows seems like an assemblage of greatest hits, from bass-ridden iPhone raising ‘Ain’t The Same’ to a 4-times wheeled, jungle-evoking ‘Moshpit’, in which MIST is not only joined by a re-emerging MoStack, but also an extremely concerned venue-manager, for just a moment. Each time it’s wheeled, out crawls a head-shaking, profusely sweating man calling it a night. The pinnacle although, is met with Lethal Bizzle’s cameo kung-fu kicking ‘Pow’ performance, before leaving MIST to drop his final few bangers.

It’s this moment before the finale however, when the journey and what it represents comes ever so apparent. Those four resolutive keys signaling the beginning of Karla’s back, are the last orders bell as the party draws to a close. The venue is still rammed to its fullest, floor and balcony as MIST wraps the night up with a confetti-soaking ‘Game Changer’. Whilst seemingly a cheerful character on and off camera, his buoyancy is no longer to be mistaken for vulnerability. MIST has yet to reach his pinnacle in this scene, and with a debut studio album in the works, it’s edging closer.

M HUNCHO – ON HIS TERMS

“When you talk about growth, you know…we went from a bird to an Eagle…”

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Zekaria Al-Bostani

Feb 11, 2020

It had been six days since the release of M Huncho’s project, the third and final instalment of a loosely linked trilogy of works. It began with 48 Hours, 2018‘s mellisonant introduction to who would then go on to become the convener of his own ‘Utopia’, in 2019. Thus, we finally meet 2020’s ‘Huncholini The 1st’. Despite the astonishment of securing a Top 5 project on an extremely competitive release week, the success of this mixtape may have seem pre-ordained. Why? Numbers look after themselves. That’s not the concern. It’s clear to see from afar, the impenetrable fort that we had envisioned two years ago has now come to fruition. It’s his army, his sounds and on his terms.

“A very diverse crowd listen to me…people from all ethnic backgrounds. I just feel like I’m as genuine as I can be…” Huncho begins as we sit across from each other, cameras rolling…mask firmly in place. “The fans, I think they take to me because of the way I represent myself and the way I handle myself. The music as well…it’s very relatable to all different types of people working in all different fields. Working or not, it’s relatable in some type of way.” His strong tone becomes slightly more genial when speaking on his fans. They represent a new wave of listenership in a scene and genre which is now finding its own. It’s transcending languages and borders, with an array of conclusive, harmonic, sparkling sonics descending onto the rainy battlefield that is ‘Huncholini The 1st’. Production credits expand widely with frequent collaborators including ADP, Pyroman and of course, long-time ally, Quincy Tellem. Yet Huncho’s weight on the tape is as forceful as his presence. His style is congruous; some may deem it repetitive. The truth is however; it’s a sound that depicts a prominent gravitating stature. The army is growing strongly and welcomed or not, its marching is being heard.

Having established an understanding as to ‘the what’ behind this force, taking into consideration the consistent growth Huncho has seen over these past 3 years; from musical works with stronger impact; sold-out tours and chart-invading records, we begin to discuss the why. “I just keep going. I haven’t taken it all in. The people around me will take it in. They’ll be happy, proud, etc. For me I don’t really take it in until I feel like yeah…right now I’m still on a mission. I’m not gonna look back at it until the mission is accomplished.” I ask what the mission is.

“The mission is growth in general, musically and personally. That’s the mission bro. Becoming a better artist. Creatively, going in a different direction to what other people are doing. Just being a pioneer in what I do.” His tone shifts as he declares with poignancy… “I just feel like right now, I’m the only person that has pioneered my own sound. I feel like I’ve got my own sound. I feel like I was the first person to do the sound that I do. I feel like my lane is different to other people that do something of the same sort. I have different variations, you know what I’m tryna say?”

It’s like being a King. Before Henry the 8th…he’s the 8th bro, you get it? Before, there was just Henry, the first.

Whilst on a surface-level, his reasoning and agenda may seem self-serving; musically, it can be argued that it’s in actual fact, the righteous role of royalty, of a king, leading his own men through the gates into a utopia of generational well-being. “I feel like breaking down the doors is the best thing to do…because there’s only so far you can take it. You have to make sure there’s someone form the next generation, that can take it further than where you took it. That is the plan bro. You can take it as far as you can, but with the right advice and teaching the next generation how to manoeuvre, you can enable them to take it way further than where you took it.”

The journey could not have been a smooth one up to where Huncho now stands. It’s spoken about schematically but consistently throughout the project, swiftly brushing his pen over challenges and demons faced throughout. His answers face-to-face however, are as fleeting yet insightful as those in his lyrics. “There’s a lot of different types of demons, you know what I’m, tryna say? That’s a conversation I normally keep to myself. To the people that will listen or read this…it’s just about being more headstrong in what you do. If you always think about your life as a mission, demons won’t get to you…and if they do, there’s always gonna’ be a way you break out of it. It’s just a phase.”

Thus we move to the ‘how’. The answer? Telling his stories and being of growth. The musical growth speaks for itself, ‘Utopia’s fourth track ‘Birds’ serves as a prologue to what can then be considered the epilogue the fourth track of ‘Huncholini The 1st’, ‘Eagles’. Huncho clarifies the premise of the project definitively through this as well as introspective switch up entering the second verse of the latter track. It’s seasonal.

“It comes from the fact that I done Birds from Utopia. The introspection, that comes from the other side…” as he begins to elaborate on this artistic intricacy. “When it gets to the second verse of Eagles in general, it’s going into a deeper topic. We’re talking about death, mental health, etc. So I just feel like the inspiration actually came from Birds. We’re talking about growth. The whole tape is about growth in general, that’s the deeper root of it.

“When you talk about growth, you know…we went from bird to an Eagle bro….you know what I’m tryna say? In the wild, in wild life.”

Huncho, never one to engage in exhaustive feature artist lists on his projects continues to maintain his selective process with ‘Huncholini The 1st’ offering just three. We begin to wrap up after talking about the few carefully crafted features on the project; the seemingly unstoppable Nafe Smallz, D-Block Europe and of course, Headie One, his somewhat of an industry counterpart, the two experiencing parallel growth throughout recent years.

“I done that in Paris, around Fashion Week times last year…” he tells me while talking about the kinetic ‘Head Huncho’. “Working with Headie is fun as well man. Its mad relaxed. Headie don’t even smoke, but he just always looks or seems like he’s high…” laughingly. “Naturally he’s a very funny guy. I’ve known Headie for a long time in the music thing. Our come up as been at the same time and we’ve watched each other grow more importantly, so working with him is pretty natural. I was on his first tape, the One, so yeah man.”

“We’re in a good space right now. Even right now, the way we’ve started the year, I’ve dropped my tape, Hus dropped his tape, WSTRN dropped some music. Different Genres. We’ve started off the year strong, collectively, even though we’re all individuals. We’ve started off the year very positively and last year, 2019, ended on a high note. It was good to take off from that high note, instead of setting the bar low. The UK scene is growing in general and I’m just happy to see everyone doing their thing.

We end on somewhat of an imperilling statement from M Huncho, as he continues his campaign for mayorship, rising to the throne of his Trapwave kingdom…”They can expect a lot from me this year. To the people that are still sleeping on me, they can either sleep or never wake up I will not be disappointed. We got bigger and better things to come.”

Until next time. Huncholini.

LIVE: HERE STANDS THE TRUE POWER OF J COLE

The power is there, so are the people, it’s time to take the chains off.

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Daniela Monteiro, Photography by Jamie Drew

Oct 17, 2017

Ever since the beginning of the campaign for J Cole’s fourth studio album, ‘4 Your Eyez Only’, it was evident that the focus had shifted from the story-telling, individualist, journey-driven approach of 2014’s ‘Forest Hills Drive’, to a societal one. Not to detract from anything that the third album brought us in terms of insight and self-awareness, but this album, seemingly told a different story.

This story is an organic one, and it sees Cole dive head-first into rap-activism. From his first-hand experiences of Ferguson, to the production of the 4 Your Eyez Only Dreamville Film, and everything in-between, it’s all been happening in America and beyond, both right now, and before.

So when J Cole arrives in London nearing the end of the European leg of his ‘4 Your Eyez Only Tour’, the stage is set. Performing two packed-out shows at The 02, the stage immediately captures our attention – a prison cell block, ringed in barbed wire, and guarded by towering lights and CCTV cameras. Following the ramped up opening performances from his Dreamville entourage; Ari Lennoxx, J.I.D and Earthgang – the mood bleakens, although maintains an underlying hint of anticipation. Cole’s arrival is met with screams as he is marches down the prison hallway, chained up. They open the gates, uncuff him, and we are welcomed by a, now 32-year-old, man, sporting a bright orange prison jumpsuit, under one spotlight, released onto the stage, howling out the pain of several-hundred years of struggle through the rough vocals of For Whom The Bell Tolls.

The somber mood is then transformed into the aggressive rockstar-esque energy of ‘Immortal’, and back down again, as the elegant almost calming delivery of J Cole’s poetic monologue-type verse ending the song becomes the welcome to the show. It’s after this introduction, with the third track ‘Déjà vu’, that we are really exposed to the perfect harmony of the vulnerability and belligerence that J Cole delivers during the tour and the album itself. Although seemingly a perfect balance, in hindsight and considering the tone and message of his dialogue throughout the show, the aggressiveness seems birthed through this susceptibility to those who suffer from a ‘Vile Mentality’. From explaining the story of a 17-man armed swat team invading his home in North Carolina which inspired ‘Neighbours’, to the delineation of the mind state that plagues the young minds of Black communities, this mentality is not something that one couldn’t appreciate.

Under the spotlight, as the same live instrumental band that have been with him from the first tour play softly in the background, you can appreciate this live-for-the-moment mentality, but you’re constantly reminded that you can’t live by it forever because of where it’s derived from. Cole sums up this message with ‘Change’, another cut off the album, accompanied by Ari Lennox, who brings a groovy-tone to the show, setting up perfectly his next set of the night – the ‘day one’ hits.

After parading into an acapella verse of ‘Lights Please’, with each word exemplified by fans, Cole skips into a crowd bouncing rendition of ‘Neighbours’ after having DJ Dummy reverse the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ instrumental from ‘Born Sinner’, his second studio album, and home of one of his biggest singles to date, ‘Power Trip’. All of this before he is met by a roar of screams after the first note of ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ drops, before ending this slight detour from the album, with an acapella second-verse of ‘Can’t Get Enough’.

It’s the moment before the finale of ‘No Role Modelz’ however, and watching Cole prance around the stage screaming about his domestic desires with ‘Foldin’ Clothes’, is when the irony hits you. Whilst it may seem humorous, (the humour being something he acknowledges himself before breaking down the deeper significance of love and relationships), he’s doing it on a stage set up as a prison yard, in a jumpsuit, and just a few songs away from being re-incarcerated.

It’s here that stands the true power of J Cole.

Cole has an ability to scrutinize and address issues that plague minority communities, and apply them to the majority, whilst maintaining unprecedented hooks and flows, entertaining his fans and putting on one of the shows of the year. His preciseness in dissecting the effects that his stardom, fame and fortune has had on his ability, and it’s influence is evident. The power is there, so are the people, it’s time to take the chains off.

KEYNES WOODS AS KONGO KANE

“I constantly feel like I have something to prove.”

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Alex Thompson

Jul 13, 2020

It’s mid-June and the pandemic that’s sweeping the world has accelerated across North America. Kinshasa-born Toronto-based artist Keynes Woods has retreated back to Ottowa. The port of call after migrating from the DRC at the tender age of 8. “That’s why I came back to Ottowa, I’m just gonna take care of myself a little while.” He begins, talking over the phone, as we discuss the highs and lows of a lockdown-existence. “A lot of people are under pressure to do this and that. Take this time to cool it. I do feel that pressure (to be productive), but at the same time I need to remind myself that there’s two sides to the coin. You shouldn’t force yourself to do certain things. Just take it easy, be nice to yourself.” It’s a time of comfort-seeking and familiarity, perhaps contributing to the lack of breakthrough artists this year. Yet, it’s their music, their art, their existence that provide us with a sentiment of solace and hope. Keynes is no exception.

Back in February, Keynes Woods dropped what was his first EP, Kongo Kane, a 5-track self-referential nod to his alter-ego, rapping his way through immersive sonics, flexing his versatility and energy. As impressive as the EP may have seemed, it appears to be the proverbial first dip in the pool. Right when I put it [Kongo Kane] out,  I started working on this next tape and I’ve just been tryna’ figure out what direction I’m trying to go in”  he explains. “My career path has just been super interesting. I had such a high point at a very early stage in my career…” referring to his 2018 amex Colours performance. “I had a high point at a stage where I hadn’t figured everything out yet. The EP was a culmination of the dopest songs I had with my home producer Rekk [Channing “REKKZONE” Anderson]. That collection was like a year or two of music we had. We put it together and figured out the narrative around it. The commonalities. We built a world around that and put it out.”

Throughout Kongo Kane, semantics of self-discover, realisation and duality unveil themselves. They’re reflective of your suspected ‘starving artist’ yet carry themselves confidently with a sense of antagonism. Keynes both questions and feels himself. He has high and he has lows, but throughout, you can hear the progression. This idea of opposing forces provides the foundation of his new video Tim Burt, which was filmed earlier this year in London. “That was the name of the beat [Tim Burt]. Thematically, we were going for a mood. The song’s supposed to give off the Tim Burton feel. I got in the studio, Rekk was playing some shit, you know how it is man, drinking, smoking… whatever. Tim Burt came out of that. The director, Tim Burton, had more influence on Rekk than me.”

“I’ve been to London before…” reflecting on what had been his biggest production to date. “When I started making music I knew I wanted to have epic videos. I used to try to figure out how to do that myself. Paying to rent a camera, finding the right people to put stuff together, but with this, it was like, ‘ok now you’ve got like a team of people that are really interested in what you’re doing.’ Everyone coming together, the set was just crazy. Having a stylist, makeup, that whole experience. Just making that video was an ‘oh wow’. From running chasing people around to this? Know what I mean. Ok, literally just making that video felt like an accomplishment for me. It turned out amazing too.” The video depicts Keynes playing two different characters, leaning heavily on his ability to perform as not only a rapper, but an actor in his own right. “Honestly, at first, I wasn’t fully sure. They presented me with a completely different treatment than I had in mind. The director wanted me to like act a bit more and show a different side. He wanted it to be very movie like…So I had to take the chance and try my hand at a little bit of acting, so there’s the two characters. There’s the one Keynes, then the other one who’s kinda just like the regular me. It was pretty fun to do and I’m glad we went in that direction. Pushing some of my boundaries and trying new stuff which I always like. It’s very dark, moody, and cinematic. Dope ass video.”

Most notably upon review however, are the consistent traces of aggression throughout Keyens music. I questioned it’s source. This is something I’m actually tryna change now, I hope I don’t lose that in the music, but I just feel like….I honestly constantly feel overlooked. I constantly feel like I have something to prove. Especially when I started this stuff, I never had that much support. Having a constant chip on my shoulder. Which again is a pro and a con. You don’t wanna be that dude where people fuck with you but you still feel some type of way. That aggression comes from having a constant chip on my shoulder and having something to prove. When you feel special, it’s like, ok lemme show you.”

So what’s next? Keynes made it clear from the offset his next project is not one for the shallow listener. We can expect a lot more deeper cuts and a variety of producers. He’s working his way, patiently, as made clear through his parting words. “I just wanna be really good at what I do. Just to have that creative freedom. I look at others who are just able to live, make the type of stuff they want and impact the world in different ways through their work. I look at the people who have given me that and opened my eyes to stuff that I didn’t even know. That’s what I wanna do.”

JORDS: ALMOST AN ADULT

“This is like me becoming the person I’m meant to be.”

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Frederick Sisted

Apr 25, 2020

There are rappers and there are poets. True poetry is being thrusted, tumbling or leaping from life’s jagged edged cliffs into the ocean abyss of emotion and knowledge, only to emerge with rare gems of literature, art or rap. Though the journey is far greater and misunderstood, it’s innocent. It’s reflective in nature, it’s the adolescence of art. The righteousness of these poets stands in their return. Their return to their loved ones, their paper and pen, themselves.

So when Croydon born and raised artist Jords raps “Me, I‘m just tryna’ take the crown and then go home”, in the newly released lo-fi introspection that is Mrs Chambers Kitchen 2, the sequel to his 2016 pensive sermon, his intentions are set clear. Those of a poet. That is not to say however, his experiences lack. At the subtle age of 16, Jords found his rap career incited with a Wretch 32 freestyle, and before long, standing alongside the ‘Rated Legend’ that is Cadet, at one of his video shoots. It was from here the dice dropped and Jords plunged in head first before surfacing with the soulful, silken triumph that is his hit single ‘Glide’, performances around the country, and of course, his record deal with Virgin EMI / Lost Ones which will see the release of his debut album, Almost An Adult.

“I can’t go back, I‘m in too deep. I’ve got to keep working.”

Having heard the Anthony Hamilton sample of ‘Better Days’, from the atmospheric 2003 album, Comin’ from Where I’m From, Jords proceeded to construct the beat, before writing and recording his earnest yet audacious vocals, creating ‘Glide’. “We were just sitting on it for time, we didn’t really know what to do with it. I’m more of a project person. I don’t really do singles like that…”  beginning to recount the story. Though calm, as we sat across from each other, his energy was beginning to seethe. It was then, he mentioned the passing of his Grandma, almost admissively, and how this served as a catalyst to release it. “Life is short man, we had a bit of a fuck it moment, so fuck it…let’s just release it. Since then, it’s really done amazing things for me to be honest, it’s really changed everything for me. The trajectory just changed. Even if ‘Glide’ hadn’t come out, we’d still have the same project that we’re working on now. It’s the same thing, just on a bigger scale now, because it did come out.”

However, it isn’t the passing of a loved one that is to be conceded. It’s the acknowledgement and acceptance of bereavement, growth. The idea that they fly whilst you’re falling, but living in the hope and belief that better days do lay ahead. The opportunity to become who you are meant to be, the adult, the soul within. Such is the senimal in Jords new short film, Almost An Adult. The project vividly illustrates 4 tracks from the upcoming album of the same title, journeying through grievance, faith, love and purpose, eclectic in sound and emotion. “This is most me it could possibly be.” He gleams proudly. “I’ve got production on most of the songs, I’ve been there from the making of every song from start to finish. It’s full length. I’ve worked on it for a long time and I’ve put a lot of effort into it. It’s very eclectic, but this is like me becoming the person I’m meant to be. I just wanted to bring everything together.”

Almost An Adult is the journal. It depicts the right of passage of Jords the boy, the man, the poet. His musicality has been flourishing ever since it’s inception. Smooth on the surface yet littered with pain, conflict, growth beneath. So it goes, it’s time to bloom.

JAYKAE ON A KNOCK DOOR RUN

The underdog story from an underdog city.

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jamie Drew

Dec 20, 2017

Thursday night in London

It was almost 5.30pm when I strolled out of the Live Nation office into Angel Central, just 2 minutes around the corner from the Islington 02 Academy, the venue for Jaykae’s London stint of his ‘Where Have You Been?’ Tour. By chance (honestly) I ran into Despa (Jaykae’s Manager), DJ Free, and the man of the hour outside the venue. We greeted each other, ensuring I was still down to cover the Birmingham Show, and then he asked what I was doing tonight. Next thing I know, I found myself backstage debating the size of the guest list with a stern-faced promoter rep. It was brutal, and tough to make the cut.

Jaykae, the Brum Town Captain, first announced his tour and EP not long after we featured him in #0121TheRiseofBirmingham over the summer. It’s been little over 4 months since then, but it’s seemingly been the most triumphant, progressive months of a solid year for 0121, as well as for the man himself. 10 years in the game and now, the iTunes charting EP, the tour, and the many other wins have finally arrived. It’s December, and a cause for celebrating the victories of a city.

After breaking the bad news to Jay that there’s no Footlocker nearby (he had copped the wrong shoes from his yard), I ask him how the performance in Manchester went the previous night, his insouciant reply – “Yeah it was sick ya know”. As he roams around the cramped backstage area in a long blue trench coat, you would think it wasn’t a sold-out Grime-scene frenzy that I later found out it was (or that he was pissed off at there being no Footlocker).

Murkage Dave, long-time artist and collaborator on the first single ‘Every Country’, who had arrived just after us, assures me that Manchester was in fact, a shutdown. He explains why the set-list was key to the performance, about it’s ability to load up for a big finale, before likening it to intercourse, the first of several epic analogies he would drop this tour.

“‘Moscow’ is the track where I get mad, that’s the first one where I go for it.”

“You know what it is, I have to brace myself…” Jay explains. “When its half an hour set, you can belt it. But for this, like an hour or so, I have to pace myself. ‘Moscow’ is the track where I get mad, that’s the first one where I go for it.” 

The conversation about set lists continues for a bit, as do the guest list dramas. But ears spring up when there’s mention of Lotto Boyzz and MIST coming to perform two tunes. Little did we know, that wasn’t even the half of it…

Whilst Jaykae is doing his sound-check, I take the opportunity to ask Murkage Dave about the Giggs Xmas dinner that made everyone in attendance the target of envious Instagramers. He tells me it was a good night, and the simple fact of looking at where Giggs has come over the past 6/7 years ago to now, made it even more special. It’s been a huge year for him, but I didn’t get quite get the industry gossip I was hoping for.

Straight after, a few of the Birmingham crew arrive. Dapz (another star of the #0121 series), Anthony (his manager) and Scorpz all in attendance. It feels like a city takeover. The vibes and excitement are already in the room, and by the time I get kicked out of the backstage area, it feels like half the city is down here, and rightly so.

For a Grime MC who’s had this heavy, almost bullish, presence for so long in the scene, the recent success is both more compelling and influential for both spectators and artists alike. It’s an underdog story from an underdog city. This is most certainty the picture painted throughout the ‘Where Have You Been’ project. ‘Knock Door Run’, the third track on the EP, exemplifies it perfectly. Growing up in an environment where the path is pre-determined and only the context/situations may differ (Grew up on knock door run… now when I knock your door won’t run). This menacing declaration ingrained into the melodic descents of the instrumentals on this track, amid moments of lyrical wit, reinforce the melancholic, almost submissive mentality of a gifted soul in a place of peril. (Not to say it’s a major 3rd-world type place, I mean, he said it himself, “This is Brum town not Beirut”) It’s a mind-state to escape, something, which Jaykae has done so successfully, although, traces of this mentality continue to expose themselves through his almost nonchalant, relaxed character. In and amongst Grime Royalty, perhaps, then, he should be considered one too.

By the time Tana comes on stage, the venue of a couple hundred is getting rammed. I’m standing in the cornered off VIP section at the bar with Anthony, I grab a drink (the first of many that night * gulp *), and ask him how the upcoming Dapz project is looking. He doesn’t give away too much, except for the fact that the track list keeps extending. What was before a 6 track EP is shaping up to be a full-length album… but it’s not an album. He lets me know that ‘Champion Settings’, Dapz’s follow up to 2017’s ‘Spring Clean’, will be out early next year. If ‘Mini Valet’ is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

I step outside to escape the heat for a minute, and catch up with some familiar faces. We all head back in to find Young Smokes on stage giving his utmost energy to shut it down, always. Then, I see Wretch 32 appear at the front door, I rush outside like the fan-boy I am to greet him before giving the most casual ‘sup’ I could have ever delivered. An issue discussed earlier on in the night, was the fact there there’s only one entrance into the venue, Wretch questions me and the bouncers about how he’ll get in. I put the AAA pass on his wrist, tell him to hood up, and follow me. This is my moment of fame, escorting Wretch 32 through the crowd to backstage, that is until we get there, and find out his wrist band has fallen off. Turning into a moment of shame, I spend a panicky 30 seconds scrimmaging on the floor with my iPhone torch, only to find it back at the front door. We get him in and I go to the bar, tell my boy what happened, and we order another double.

By the time Dapz takes to the stage and performs an unreleased cut, ‘Off To Work’ most of the room is buzzing. We’re stood at the bar still, and Jammer is there in a duffle coat, sunglasses on, causally rolling up. I approach him, say hello and spew out my admiration about a talk he did at a music seminar a few weeks back. He thanks me, we fist bump, and then I move on. Mad.

Just after 10pm Jaykae hits home. His arrival is greeted with a jubilant response, almost ceremoniously, as if to say, “I’m here now.” As he dives right into my favourite cut off the project, ‘Headache’, I can’t help but realise the power of his music. It’s supposed to be an industry night, and, although the room is dotted with industry players, it is his game.

The opening lines of the EP set the tone. He’s tearing away from the old ways, saying goodbye to people, shedding his skin, a rebirth, a new man. His sharp aggression is ever-present however, clear from the self-referential “I should probably pull up on certain man that are toothache/too fake”. It’s rooted in the pain and anguish experienced, something shared and vividly detailed in the first few minutes of the project, with mention of intoxication, emotional instability and grievance. It’s safe to say said energy is channelled into one heck of a performance. The energy levels he brings, especially towards the end of the set, are equal to, if not, above and beyond those that Lotto Boyzz, MIST, MoStack, Wretch 32, and dare I say it, Stormzy, all bring to the stage. Not to detract from their solid performances that is. All of them are met with unbearable screams and screeches.

By the time Stormzy has declared Jaykae his favourite MC and broken into ‘Big For Your Boots’, I see the venue manager warn Despa there’s just 20 minutes until curfew. We still have three major tracks to play, not to mention the multiple wheel-ups, and I’m pretty sure by the time we are finished, it’ll be well over curfew. But if the mainstream media are unable to mitigate the impact and influence of this culture, what chances has a venue manager surrounded by the culture’s children got?

I see Jamal Edwards in the back so I go say wassup to him quickly before the finale, and after Stormzy disappears backstage, it’s on. The moshpits for ‘Pull Up’ and ‘Toothache’ are wild. The raw rage of the tracks transforms the floor into a jungle for a few minutes. The crowd is sweaty, beat up, and left ready for more at curfew when he waves goodbye, and disappears until tomorrow.

We hop outside, still wavey. Stick around for a while, and then dip out. Birmingham is next.

Friday I’m in Birmingham.

The previous night had left me hanging more than the deceptive cadence dropping us into the first verse of Kanye’s ‘MBDTF’.  Regardless, I got ready and headed back to Brum. It was the homecoming show and at 3pm I found myself outside the venue, freezing cold but there were already a couple of girls waiting in the queue. I gave Anthony a bell, he told me to come round the back and that I should be ok to come through. Luckily Despa was driving out as I walked in, thank god. I had insufficient energy or too much ethanol to deal with bouncers today. We shook hands through the window, asked if all is good, then continued on.

Once inside, I post up in a warm, cosy production office for the next hour or two where we talk a bit about the previous nights show, industry politics and before long, the evening ahead. Whilst sound check begins, I chop it up with Murkage Dave, we’re sitting in a small dressing room below the stage, the noise from above is unbearable as we exchange stories of the previous night.

“I was aware of Jaykae, a fan of his, and I reached out to Despa.” Dave begins to explain how ‘Every Country’ came about. “We’re both into the introspective vibe, he goes hard, but he’s got that side to him, so that’s where we connected. Skepta must’ve sent him that vibe, he sent it me, and I came with the hook and sent it back.  We did do one session in the studio in Brum when I came up, where I added a few bits in.”

He delivers it in a different way on that record, the vocal is usually quite aggressive, this one he pulls back a little.

I continue to ask him about the highlights of his year before he tells me this tour has been amazing, and hearing a crowd sing back a hook that he wrote in his underwear sitting on his sofa at home, is crazy.  I tell him I think it’s the pinnacle of performance, when an audience repeats your lyrics. He concurs and drops another gem. “Studio is like a war of attrition, like trench warfare. You got your lines, picking a man off, taking a couple meters a day. Stage is like headshots bruv, (Mannering a sniper) just lenging a man down.”

6pm hits and the queue is all the way across and down the street. After checking it, we come back inside, warm back up and Dapz drags JD aside for an impromptu photo shoot. I quickly ask him what his favourite track off the EP is – he tells me – ‘Anymore’ ft S-X, explaining as he’s walking down the corridor, that it’s the one that took the longest. Tana is due on stage shortly and the 1400+ crowd begin to flow in.

I sit down with legendary Birmingham producer, now artist, S-X, in the second dressing room, with a couple other man inside with us. Given his highly established presence as a producer, I ask him if he always wanted to do his own show as an artist – he explains, rather subtly that he always wrote for people, and when he dropped ‘No Shoes’, “then I just started doing it more. Just having fun man but its working out quite well.”

“Full creative freedom,” is his response when I ask what he’s found different about becoming an artist over the producer. “I know exactly how I wanna make the beat and how I want to sing it”

Young Smokes arrives and I’ve never seen such a big entourage. The corridor is jam-packed and the ceilings are vibrating aggressively. It gets hot in the dressing rooms, plastic cups and bottles of Belaire signify the arrival of YASeeN RosaY, who I catch up with after he performs his track ‘Let Me Go’ with Jay on stage.

8pm. I head back into Jaykae’s dressing room after having a quick look from the stage. It’s busy, almost show time. Food is being laid out as I catch Jaykae’s eye and ask him if he’s ready. He looks me dead in the eye, nodding and goes back to chatting with the lads. He’s ready. He doesn’t want to talk about it, you can tell. He’s in the zone, enjoying the last few moments before show time.

I overhear two of his boys having a heated, passionate discussion about Jaykae’s music.

“Have you ever had a toothache blood? It’s pain. He’s spitting pain.”

As plates empty and drinks begin to flow, a flurry of emotional, motivating lines and talks fly across the room. The focus shifts to ‘Moscow’, the latest single from the project. The video recently hit 1 million views with what has proven to be a prolific concept, “Moscow man. All the big rappers are giving it the clean as well,” he humbly reveals.

The time is near, as Jay steps out of his dressing room to take a peak inside the fire exit door to the packed-out main room. A few minutes later we’re queuing up behind him at the stage door. He seems calm, calculated, and his head begins to nod as the football-type chants blast from the speakers. The crowd are rumbling, and you can feel it. There’s silence behind that door. The dark, murky, cold ‘Headache’ beat drops and he bounces his head more, bringing the mic up as he steps serenely out onto the stage, and starts barring.

There’s a lot of man on stage and most are kicked off. I make the cut, standing next to Despa on the side of the stage thinking, ‘damn, you put this sh*t together’. I look out to a full main room at the Institute, the crowd is bouncing, lights flashing, bars blaring, it’s incredible. Murkage Dave and S-X join on stage for their respective tracks before YASeeN Rozay bounces out, first to sing his melodious hook and chorus on ‘Let Me Go’, and again during ‘Pull Up’ to spray the front rows with a bottle.

Between those two moments we find ourselves talking again down in the dressing room. Yaseen is waved and it’s a convo I’ll never really forget. Bottles in one hand, Instagram in the other. “Yoo, this tour is a Mazza. It was sick fam.” I challenge him to rank the 3 shows he’s just done. “Manny was sick fam, shutdown. I wasn’t expecting it. Then we got down to London. Got there… 100k lineup. MIST, Mostack, Lotto, YASeen RozaY, that was 70 out of the 100”. The room fills with laughter, he then tells us to listen to the project in a year, and you’ll see how good it really is. “Jaykae is a grime legend bruv. Trust me.” We head back out to catch the final few tracks.

Next thing I know, we’re on ‘Moscow’. Jaykae is joined on stage with Bowzer, suited and booted, looking like McGregor and Fury, then comes the real moment. ‘Toothache’ drops, Despa, manning the stage door all night, urges everyone to run up to the front on stage, it’s something like the scene out of 2 Fast 2 Furious when they open the garage gates and 1000 cars come speeding out. We all rush up, jump around and go bar for bar as he spits his realest sh*t. A moment to never forget.

YASeeN Rosay with a custom bottle

After the show, the changing room is like a eulogy for 5/10 minutes. Quiet. I can’t help but feel we were just taking in what we had just witnessed. A home-town shutdown. Not even just the night. That was the pinnacle of the year, the year Jaykae’s had, the year Birmingham has had. It’s an emotional moment. After those few minutes, the locker-room type vibes begin to kick in. More drinks, more people, more life.

After such an incredible year, it’s difficult to refrain from contemplating what could succeed it. 2018 is truly now set-up for the taking. Opportunities lay ahead, and the flight won’t take off until Jaykae is on board.

The night goes on, and Bowzer tops it off correctly.

“We’re in the premiership now lads. And we’re third from Top. We’re coming for that top spot. ‘To the brummiesss!’’

J HUS UNLEASHES FRIENDLY FIRE

Did you see what J Hus did in Birmingham?

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jamie Drew

May 09, 2017

At 9.19pm, the time had come. Calm, humble and smiley as ever, rocking an Armani buckled belt, with a fresh monkey on his feet. Days away from dropping his first studio album, ‘Common Sense’, in a rammed up Birmingham venue, screaming bar for bar to an enthralling reception – J Hus took to the stage opening up with the first track from the ’15th Day’ project, ‘I’m Coming’. This entrance, followed by ‘Playing Sports’, made it clear that this was going to be a special night. Because the real beauty of attending a show at this stage of an artists career… is that the people who are there, actually know it’ll never be the same after this.

J Hus the seemingly camera-shy, most definitely humble, yet arguably, one of the top talents in the UK scene, has already entered the UK Top 20 Singles charts, amassed tens of millions of views on YouTube, and is headlining his first ever tour across the UK.

Earlier in the night, supporting the man at his stop in Birmingham in a fully packed out venue, were the cities own Lotto Boyz, opening up with ‘Bad Gyal’ and later joined by another 0121 talent, Jae Kay. Nadia Rose soon followed tearing it down with cuts from her ‘Highly Flammable EP’ and wrapped up her set with the infamous shelling that only ‘Skwod’ and ‘Crank it (Woah!)’ can give.

Taking it back to almost 3 years ago in late 2014, J Hus first made his first real entrance onto the scene dropping freestyles across LinkUpTV, GRM Daily and SBTV amongst others. They were hard, raw, and gave you a feeling that there was something special about to happen.

Fast forward to 2017, and tonight soon after his entrance on stage, he’s spitting one of those infamous GRM Rated freestyles that first put him on the radar. Lit by yellow stage lights and seemingly paying homage to the platform that also first caught my attention, J Hus is later joined on stage by Dave, diving into ‘Samantha’ to a huge response. Up to this point, the vibe and energy mirrored his persona – relaxed, controlled and undoubtedly ready for more.

After fusillading some new exclusive joints from his upcoming album, including ‘Clartin’ (most definitely a certified, shirt off, knees up, confetti gun banger) and ‘Plottin’, (which in his own words is “a garage kinda ting”), Husla gave the fans what they truly came to see, hype. From the ‘Liar Liar’ remix, to ‘Lean & Bop’, to ‘Dem Boy Paigon’, his arsenal was non-stop with bangers, loaded with the sound of Afrobeats, to Grime to UK rap.

If it was unclear before then, it’s well known by now that J Hus, musically, does not only what he wants, but has also paved the way for the genre blender era. J Hus was one of, if not, the first to do it, yet more impressively, do it impeccably. And doesn’t it show? His sound has given him universal appeal, and has taken him into contention for the crown, with ‘Common Sense’, only days away from release, it is bound to deliver more than anyone can expect.

Mad scenes ensued with the last two songs of the night, where J Hus got ‘Friendly’ with the crowd, leaning over barricades, shirtless, hands grabbing all over him, before finally asking “Did You See What I Done?” complete with a standard reload…or two (of course).

What we should have been asking however, was not what J Hus had done so far. He’d already proved himself, but what we really wanted to know was what was he really about to do? With the energy on the night so right and the vibe undisputed throughout his performance, everything leading up to it has made it abundantly clear –  that this album isn’t going to just be his first studio album – it’s going to be a statement. It’s going to put a stamp on the game. J Hus is here.

TUNING IN WITH CRAIG DAVID: 22

How do you make people feel? That’s the legacy you leave here.

AAA Pass

By Sunjay Kohli

Nov 13, 2022

It’s the year 2000. The world has entered a new millennium wide-eyed and optimistic. London saw the grand New Years opening of the Millennium dome (now the O2 Arena), Sydney held host to a delightful and dramatic Olympic Games, Euro 2000 was played out across Netherlands and Belgium and Destiny’s Child conquered charts across the UK and stateside. Little did we know however, the impeccable rise of a 19-year old Craig David from Southampton was imminent. It was the beginning of a journey that would propel him to global superstardom, a truly zero to one hundred ascent, which would have us tuned in for the next 22 years. 

“That journey feels like only yesterday when I released my first album Born To Do It…” Craig began, reflecting reverently. 22, the title of Craig’s now 8th studio album, holds symbolic meaning of not only his years in the game but an introspection which may not have been so forthcoming until now. “22 years. We’re releasing another studio album, that’s career. Also, if you’re into angel numbers, 22 is a very powerful symbolic number of foundation, being of service and using a platform. Which I now realize as a journeyman…who has learnt a few things along the way…that I use this platform to help rather than frivolously throwing it away.” 

Following Re-Rewind, the definitive 1999 UK Garage collaboration with Artful Dodger, the turn of the new millennium witnessed Craig David reveling in the chart success of his debut album Born To Do It, featuring two number one classics 7 Days and Fill Me In, a whole host of other Top 10 tracks and with the album going onto sell 7.5 Million copies. The success was undeniable but seemingly more spiritually taxing than one may have thought, Craig expounded upon this. “Up until around 16 it was a very ‘normal’ life, living in the council flat with Mum…then when the album went it was zero to hundred. Number one all around the world, three nights at Wembley Arena, traveling, meeting people, Destiny’s Child and Mariah Carey go from being posters on my wall to coming to my shows. Despite the grandess of the experiences, the same questions apply under the hood. Ok, is it defining myself by numbers now? I questioned it all.”

Such remained the case upon the release of Craig’s second album ‘Slicker Than Your Average’ two years later in 2002. The album went on to sell almost half of his debut with 3.8M, by any means no mean feat, especially in today’s era. “In my head, that was unbelievable, but the label at the time were like, we projected more, you’re on the decline… So I took that on board as ‘this is a failure.” He continued, “…And that’s a good example of how the nonsensical stuff happens early doors and they define everything by the numbers. I started to unpack that and realize, actually it’s about doing the thing I always loved, making the music and speaking my truth. Do the right thing and the right thing shall follow. It’s all innate inside of you but becomes more apparent when you live life.”

“We’re all spirit underneath the shell. When are you gonna lean in and see actually your body, mind and soul are all intrinsically connected as one? If you’re willing to lean in and look for answers, you start to get profound teachings…”

Fast forward to 2022 and we’re now tuning into 22, a musical landscape carrying both nostalgia and new-found craftmanship from a host of artistic brilliance. From the familiar harmonizing opening on Teardrops to the big hitter Pop & Dance collaborations with MNEK, Duvall and Galantis, all threaded together with a unmistakeable R&B foundation, ushered in by a new generation, Nippa, Muni Long, Isong, not to mention appearances from KYLE, Gracey and legendary Wretch 32. It’s the journey of Craig’s sound, music, career and it runs parallel with the journeyman’s journey itself. 

Speaking of Nippa, having set alight what he coined the ‘Hood R&B’ scene, most notably with Situation, the young Tottenham native has excelled with his work on 22 featuring on the track G Love carrying a braggadocios, classy yet profound swagger, complimented by Craig… “I had heard of Nippa, I was aware of his tune Situation. I loved his swag. So Hip-Hop and R&B. So 90s. So we met for the first time [At a BLXST show], we exchanged numbers, and then the next thing you know we got in the studio. I played him the hook of G Love and I wasn’t sure if he was gonna be fully about it, but he got the memo, he understood.” Their work together didn’t end with the track however, as Nippa also accompanied Craig on his UK arena tour throughout the first half of 2022. “To bring Nippa onto an arena tour and to see him excel in front of that many people, especially London, two nights at the O2…I felt so proud of him when he came on with that swag. My mom met him at one of the shows and she said he reminds her of me when I was younger, same energy, same passion.”

The euphonious foundation of 22 however laid firmly in the hands of producer and songwriter Mike Brainchild. In the lead up to production, Craig had invited a few producers to work with him but Mike seemed to have the key. Mike’s understanding of the assignment and ability to stack harmonies, create space and push adlibs as part of the topline melody evolved into him becoming the main producer on the album. “He understood the R&B that I grew up listening to…” Craig explained. “…But at the same time he had the sensibility to be like ‘we don’t always have to make it throwback’. Once we connected we formed a really good relationship and he’s a really good friend now. He’s really talented. I hope people recognise him as the Rodney Jenkins of the UK.”

“How do you make people feel? That’s the legacy you leave here. Not the number or amount of sales.”

The most wholesome sentiment of this project however, is that it comes full circle. It signifies the beginning and end, the return to the reason. Realizing we had all the tools at the start but just not the experience. “If this album means anything to anyone who was there the first time round…” Craig imparts… “When you had your little Walkman player, with the bass boost button, headphones on, just gassed in your own world, if we could fast forward 22 years and you can put this album on and you can get lost in a world that’s magical, creative, inspired, your worries have gone for an hour, then my work is done here. It’s a feeling thing. Not a thinking thing. Hear the tunes and hopefully you feel how I felt.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT TIMING WITH NSG

People are invested in the culture. Culture never dies out. It can never ever die.

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Zekaria Al-Bostani

Mar 05, 2018

Less than a year ago back in June 2017, a little-known 6-part group from Hackney in London, released their melodic ‘Yo Darlin’ featuring Geko. It was a hit, captivating the scene and homogenising a genre-blending era into a worldwide vibe. However, what was seemingly like instant overnight success to some, was in fact, a much more complex by-product of over 4 years of musical exertion, cultural fusion, and eventually, a blooming sound. Now, in 2018, the chart-infiltrating NSG are back, pushing up their game and timing their break out.

As they huddle up in their home-borough of Hackney, I remind NSG of the time we caught up a few months ago at Lotto Boyzz’s London show. The first time the 6 popped up on my radar however, was back in 2016 with their track ‘We Dey’, an upbeat effort with pertinent subject matter, but arguably, an elementary delivery which has since been finely sharpened . With smiles on their faces, they take a minute to reflect on what has been a crazy 2 years, as Papii Abz begins, “I like that…we’re trying to display our growth right now, and I feel like we’re doing that, from back in 0-16 to now, it’s been proper growth”. “Yeah, and we were expecting it to be honest bro”, Kruddz the beaming spokesperson of the group adds, “If you don’t expect growth you’re not gonna’ grow. If you don’t have that mindset how are you gonna’ progress?”

The gravity of NSG’s work catalogue only becomes evident when I ask them if they expected it all to happen as fast as it seemingly did. “I don’t even think it was that fast, 5 years or so it’s been since we started” Mojo, the groups so-called ‘adopted one’ states. “To us, we don’t see it as happening so fast, because we’ve been doing it for such a long time. The audience might see it as quick but…”, “…the grind has been there from early” Abz finishes. “We all met in secondary school, but grabbed one along the way (all pointing and laughing towards a contesting Mojo). He had something going on but we brought him in”.

The six, half originating from Nigeria and half from Ghana, (hence the folk-tale NSG stands for Nigeran Slash Ghanaian), were ‘literally just mates in secondary school’ as Kruddz explains. Whilst each of them had a love for music, it was the general life experiences and time they spent together that formed the now fundamental gelling of culture and opinions that built the grounds of their global approach to sound. Whilst music was always there, NSG explain it was a movement before it became the prominent factor. “There was so much different music, a blend, that we were listening to back then and were influenced by” Kruddz describes, rolling his hands in the middle of the grouped up members.

There’s so much influence, but I feel like the two main, the two most important influences are the African one and the Caribbean one – Kruddz

So what musical influences first impacted them? Papii Abz tells me, “A lot of African music, Caribbean, Hip Hop, but we grew up in the UK as well. Skepta, Giggs, Wizkid, Davido…and R2Bees as well. Especially in Hackney, there’s a heavy Caribbean influence…and then you’ve got American music, Hip Hop, everyone was on that.”  Mxjib jumps in with “Vybz Kartel”, contributing to our discussion of artist influences, before looking back down and scrolling through his IG, or trading stocks and shares, I couldn’t really tell which – “There’s so much influence, but I feel like the two main, the two most important influences are the African one and the Caribbean one. That’s what’s strongest.”

And it’s telling, whilst the NSG sound has remained consistent, their delivery, sharpness, and overall presence has not only shifted up a gear, but has flourished into a leading, barrier transcending genre. You can’t put a label on it. It’s world music. ‘Thank youuu’, the group applauds my meagre attempt to define it, as Kruddz expands it, “You’ve got it spot on. People call us afro-beats, afro-swing, other stuff. But I feel like we’re doing world music. We’re not trying put ourselves in a box, – we’re doing music, I want everyone in the world to listen to the music, so don’t put me in a box. You know sometimes genres die out, they have a phase, know what I mean, I’m not that kind of artist, we’re worlds artists.” 

It’s at this point, when addressing the genre-blending-topic, that I angle for some more insight on NSG’s opinion, as an embodiment of the sound that is currently dominating the UK charts and scene right now, what about the future. Is it probable that such a sound could have a lasting-impact in the next 4-5 years? “The only reason I can really see that sound having a lasting impact…” Kruddz answers “…it’s not necessarily about the beats and production staying the same, but it’s the aspect of culture. People are invested in the culture. Culture never dies out. It can never ever die. Afrobeats won’t die. Culture will never die. You might hear J Hus on a different sounding beat, but you still know this is J Hus. He’s influenced by his culture.”

Speaking of the Hus, a notable connection with NSG is through his long-time collaborator and producer, Jae5. Having started producing over 10 years ago, 2013 was when he first linked up with the sextet. Labelling him a legendary family magician, Kruddz and Abz describe their first collaboration as an afro-bashment joint, they worked on it 5 years ago and it was their first song that was engineered by Jae5, “We’re around the same circles, we hear stuff, and we’ve been saying it for time, J Hus is different, a superstar man. He’s proving to the world he’s different. We’ve seen the come up, when Jae5 first started working with Hus in 2014. Jae5 is different, and that combination is just…*head shakes*.” OGD, the groups’ producer, nods in approval, slouched in the corner, riding the wave.

‘Yo Darlin’ was conceived in early 2017, after the group went on tour with Geko. “It was so sick…” Abz begins to recount, sunglasses on, smile glowing. “…it was our first…our first tour basically, and it was just the experience that you’ve got fans in places you’ve never been before, through music. Cardiff, the first day, sick. Big up Geko. Before this we was just doing uni bookings and that.” Dope, as perhaps the quietest member perched in the middle, concurs, “The track was just an idea we had already…” OGD continues smirking, “…and we just sent it over to Geko, after the tour. Just thought f*ck it, might as well put Geko on there.”

They collectively continue to explain the process. “The melody just came to us from messing about in the booth, it was a vibe. Everything we do is about catching vibes. If it’s catchy it just stays. Every song we record, we’re confident will be good, but that one, it was different, Abz saw the vision.” Papii Abz recalls, “when I first heard it, you know, I saw the email and heard it, I was like yooo, this is the one. Then I put it in the group chat like yo, this is the tune.” 

After the track had been released, a month later saw NSG perform at Wireless Festival, followed by receiving bigger airtime as they hit the UK Top 30 Indie Charts. To date, the track itself has amassed 13 Million YouTube Views and almost 10 million Spotify streams. With the seemingly overnight success off the back of this one track, it hasn’t frustrated their intrinsic artistry given the years of graft that came before the current success, from shut down shows, to collaborations with Liam Payne – intact it can’t be disputed. Just as ‘Yo Darlin’ was the breakthrough track for most listeners with their finger on the pulse, ‘Pushing Up’ their latest single featuring Not3s, is attracting even more first-time NSG listeners. As Mxjib so eloquently explained earlier, it’s progress, it’s growth, and you can’t complain if you’re growing.

Kruddz delves deep in on the sound, as the topic of their 2017 debut EP, ‘Grown Up’ is brought up in our discussion. “I feel like if you listen to our verses, you can hear we all do our own thing, and they’re all pretty much different. There’s no pressure following the success of ‘Yo Darlin’, we just go with how we feel and it fits. I feel like you don’t usually hear that with groups, I feel like groups, most time, they all have a similar flow, but when you listen to us its different. For a first project to put out there I feel like it was a strong, solid project. Basically we tried to show how versatile we are. It was a stamp…. It’s not ahead of our time but, you know, it was more futuristic. That’s what that project was, I feel like, we’re probably gonna’ do other stuff, but I swear to you, about two years down the line, someone will pick up on that project and say ‘wow, this was like a mad project, this project fits in now’, what’s happening now. That’s why it’s called ‘Grown Up’, that’s what happened.”

“Do what you do, do you, and do you the best you can. That’s all it is fam” – Papii Abz.

We swiftly move onto where they are now, with the new single and their time in the studio with Not3s. “The collab with Not3s on that Pushing Up was the most natural organic collab ever…” Mojo begins to tell me, as Abz continues, “we had a session with a producer called IO. We went to the session, a beat was played and we were vibesin’. Everyone laid out their verses, then we were just chilling like, we need a chorus ennit. MJ was like, ah this sounds like a Not3s song.”

“There is so many studios in the building, any artists could go there, so we didn’t know what was going on or who was in the building, nothing…” as Kruddz begins to wrap up the story, “a week after this session was the Not3s tour, but we didn’t know he was in the building at the time. So boom, we had the song, sounded like a banger, we were all looking at each other like ah we need a chorus, chorus,. Then all of a sudden, someone walks in, guess who it is? Not3s.”

It seems the stars have aligned, and so have the collaborations, as they emphasise that it’s been as organic as it can be. The ‘Pushing Up’ track itself, already over a million views deep, is clearly next up for NSG in what is starting to look like a string of 2018 bangers leading up to a new project and eventual headline tour. Expect everything, and then more, is the message I received.

Given their worldwide musical influences, from French Rap collective Naza, to UK’s Mostack, the gauged interest they have enticed from industry and listeners alike, and not to mention the overreaching universal sonic and soulful appeal, 2018 is set to be pivotal for NSG. Their upcoming singles, timings and rollouts have never been of so much importance, given the wave they are currently riding. Although, such a challenge seems not to phase a young Hackney-based international movement, in their own words…

“We’re free to do what we want, independent. Its our moment. Offers, there’s been many, but we’re just waiting for the timing. It’s all about timing.

You’ll feel it, it’s the energy, in the world.”

IN THE CUT WITH 169

“UK music wasn’t where it is now. Now I feel like we’re at the top, we set the sound.”

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jordan Tyrell

Aug 22, 2019

“Dave sent me the Ruff Sqwad sample.” [Smiling]. He was like…yeah man, do your magic on this, he gave me an insight as to how he wanted it to sound, but he already knew that I knew…‘cus we were on the same page. We knew how this needed to sound. Then when AJ got on it, that’s when I was like yeah, this is gonna be proper, proper man.”

It’s mid-July and the heat is on in the capital. Tyrell, better known by his inconspicuous ‘169’-producer tag, is slouched sideways in the conductors’ chair. We’re in Fraser T Smiths’ West London studio spaceship. The lights are dim, an aura of greatness lingers, plaques hug the walls and No.1 single/album awards stand firmly in the absence of their devisors. Adele, Amy Winehouse, Stormzy, to name a few. 169 wraps up the chronicle of the making of recently reignited Thiago Silva, “Big up to Dave for even performing that, at Glastonbury, cus it’s still quite an old song, and its Glastonbury, that’s the big moment, so yeah man.”

It’s been an impregnable couple of years for the South London native. With production for everyone from Craig David to Headie One, a UK No.1 rap record with ‘Funky Friday’, countless engineering and mixing credits, not to mention, his own singles and EP release. He’s in full motion and the energy is clean. Nothing about his demeaner, his words, his work, depict trouble. “I don’t wanna turn down any opportunities man, and that’s just the best way, I think, to navigate, in this industry, just pushing forward…” he begins. “I don’t go in with every and anyone. You gotta be choosy, but at the same time don’t be too picky because you know, that person that you turned down could be the next biggest artist off that one song that someone else may have thought wasn’t it…” 

…But you can hear the sound, you can hear the vision.

Music, undeniably in his bloodstream before birth, with the industry involvement of his father to the seemingly destined multi-track recording keyboard in his family home, inevitably culminated into the man sat before me, steering a culture’s sound. “Reggae was the biggest sound in my house. Beres Hammond, Barrington Levi, I make sure that’s still in my rotation.” Describing his early relationship with music before recounting those small yet indispensable steps into creativity…“Then I was like, let me try and make my own music, so I switched up from the keyboard and went onto FL Studio. I thought… this could be something if I keep working at it. I met a couple guys from school who had the same mindset, same vision, and it just continued going throughout school, literally.”

Despite the early musical upbringing, the idea of production being a worthwhile pursuit wasn’t always the mentality for 169. By aged 18 however, following the making of ‘Thiago Silva’ during Sixth Form, both him and by that time, frequent collaborator, Dave, were ready to take it to the next level. “We both have a friend in common called Kyle Evans…” speaking on the foundations of his relationship with UK golden boy Dave. “You’ve probably seen his name around; he’s producing with Dave now as well. We used to go to the same primary school, then he went onto a different secondary school but we still kept in touch. We’d link up after school… but Kyle introduced me to Dave. He was like ‘yo this guys a serious rapper, you need to link up with him.’ By these times, he had a couple of videos out in the streets so people kind of saw what he was about, so we tried something. Initially, it didn’t really work out, but you know, what does innit?”

“He was a huge influence on me. It was highly collaborative between him and me. He was the first artist I met up and worked with properly. So we were kinda developing the sound together. It wasn’t like I brought all of me and he brought all of him. We’re tryna merge something special. We made it something unique.”

Enter the breakthrough. It’s September 2016. Fresh out of Sixth Form both 169 and Dave found themselves at a crossroads, seeking jobs and apprenticeships, wondering what’s next. Dave, following the release of ‘JKYL+HYD” a few months prior, drops his first full-length project, ‘Six Paths’, a six track EP, co-produced by 169 and Fraser T, blueprinting his musical ability, mature perspectives and all-around willingness. The following month, ‘Wanna Know’, the fifth track on the EP, is picked up, remixed and dropped by none other than October’s Very Own. The rest, as they say… “It was almost like a miracle. Literally like, God working in mysterious ways.” 169 recalls the emotions, his tone lifting and his excitement perpetuated. “Out of nowhere Drake jumps on a track that you produced in your bedroom, Dave’s on it. Everyone’s eating, your family, your bros, so it was that moment I knew it, like yeah this is going to be something serious. The next day, Fraser called me, ‘cus we’d already been talking and working on Dave’s project. He called me and said; ‘yeah I want to offer you a publishing deal’. Contracts came through, then yeah, this is me now, this is my career.” His expressions are gleefully youthful as I ask if they expected the track to do what it did. “We thought it would be big, but we didn’t think it would catch the likes of Drake. [Grinning]. At that time, I think we were the first to get a Drake feature in the UK. One of the first innit? So it was a complete shock to all of us. Then it actually happened, like literally, honestly, it brought tears to my eyes man because that’s a life changing moment, serious ting.”

Fast-forward to 2018 and the duo have created a palette of colourful, chrome-plated bangers. However, arguably the most prominent would be that of ‘Funky Friday’, Dave ft Fredo. Not only was this Dave’s first No.1 record, but also the first pure UK Rap Record to debut at No.1 in the charts. 169 speaks on the records conception somewhat modestly. “That was very much a big collaboration between me and Dave and making sure it sounded exactly how he wanted it to sound. It was very much so his idea initially and he came to me ‘cus he knew I could get it to a point where it could commercially, be something sick. So it, for me, ‘Funky Friday’, as much as it’s a big song, a No.1 tune, I’d say, it was just something to show people that I am here, I’m about, we are around, we’ve been collaborating for a long time and its gonna be like that for a long time and yeah man, it was a moment.”

“Getting the No.1 was important to me because it showed me, that I am capable of big things.” Molly, his manager walks in and is greeted warmly, he apologises and continues…”Producing on a mass level. This is something I can take international, this is real, this is no game. Big up Dave, really appreciate everything he’s brought me into. That’s my brother right there, for real.”

Whilst maintained, the air of humility is quickly overshadowed with a voice of confidence, mastery, when quizzed on the ability to encapsulate culture into sonic form. His motivations speak loud enough for his ambition.

To a certain extent, I feel like at the time we came up, UK music was not where it is now. Now I feel like we’re at the top, we set the sound.

“I just love making music, and anything that sounds good…” he expands, “there’s no other motivation for it man. I just open my laptop and its however I’m feeling, I just get on it. And just that drive to push the envelope, like what’s new? What’s hot? What’s not been heard yet? How can I improve on it? How can I incorporate different elements? Let’s say like, Gunna, his Atlanta sound, everything they’re doing right now, how can I add drill to that? How can drill be bigger than it is now? Why is it not as big as it could be? Those are the questions you have to ask when you’re about to make a beat or when you’re in a certain room with a certain person.” His response echoes that of Headie’s when speaking on the experimental approach to genre blending and sounds. Headie of course, being no stranger to experimentation, lays a drill flow on a trap beat or vice versa, not to mention his most recent effort, ‘Both’, a certified banger sampling 90s dance singer Ultra Nate. Thus our conversation flows to none other than the track that kick-started 2019, ’18HUNNA’.

“[Laughing]. That beat, I actually made it for myself to go over. Then I realised this is not my tempo… its very different. So I just had it as a beat, somebody could do damage to this right now. So we got in with Headie One, happily. ‘Cus you know at the time he was quite in demand, everyone wanted to work with him but we made it happen, we got in. I played him a couple of beats. Upon meeting him at first, he wasn’t really the most social person, but when he heard that beat, lit up, changed the whole vibe, and he wrote it in like 10 minutes. It was crazy. Crazy! He knew it was something special, something different. Dave loved it when he heard it. He was in the next room with Fraser. I was in here with Headie. Back to back in rooms at the same time, it was crazy.”

So whilst 169 productions continue to dominate playlists, the artist is also developing a strong prominence. ‘Seasons’, his debut EP released last year prefigures 169 as a future contemporary R&B star. The moody project withstands the erosive, bass-heavy glacial nature of ‘By Your Side’ ft Tekks Sinatra to the tropical intensity of ‘Squeeze’. “For me, being an artist was always there, that’s how I started…” he begins calmly, as we begin discussing both his and his peers artistry. “I would do anything. I will mix, I’ll produce, I’ll record, I’ll do everything I’ll sing, I’ll write, its cool. I’m always gonna take each and everyone of those things to the next level.”

“I had a sound that was special and could be developed. I wanted there to be a start point for people to hear the journey, like yeah he’s here now but where’s he going to be in the next three years? How’s he gonna sound there, and what’s he gonna be going through. It’s me documenting my life.”

I challenge him as to his ability to balance a potentially contradictory existence in both production and artistry. His response is simple, unravelling. “PARTYNEXTDOOR showed me it can be done. He wrote ‘Work’, at the same time he’s got a song with Drake, ‘Recognize’. He’s got his own EP out. If people wanna push you to be the biggest artist in the world then you will be, but if not, you can still be the guy with a large following that’s making music people love. For me that’s equally as good. It can work out man, it just needs to be executed properly.”

“Producing I’m tryna be the best. Singing, artistry, I’m tryna’ be the best. If one overtakes the other, then I guess that’s fate, that’s God’s plan.”

To be conducting the UK’s sound, amongst other noteworthy UK producers mentioned including Nyge, iO, Banglez, to name a few, at such a young age, speaks volumes for 169’s musical dexterity, but also his connection to culture. He identified and captured a sound, before catapulting it internationally. “The production game, initially, is where things started to pop off, it was very much all afrobeats, which is all good, ‘cus you know that’s the sound, that’s the UK sound, nobody can take that from us now, but I’d say now, its moving towards trap, a bit more of the Atlanta sound, and its gonna shine through. You’re going to see people like M Huncho become the biggest, or guys like UKNWN and INFAMOUSIZAK (Who is featured on his most recent record, Shine) …” making his predictions for future waves.

As our studio time concludes, 169’s ambitions for the forthcoming years are clearly mapped out, from continuing to top the charts, developing his music, more international collaboration, more live shows and of course, high up on the agenda, cracking America. His energy is focused; his mind is set and his parting words, something to live by.

“Energy is something that’s real, its out there, you can feed of it. Music is always that thing that brings it out, and changes the vibe, the mood. And even for me myself, energy is important to keep positive. This industry can get mentally taxing, so you always have to be positive and try and keep your head straight.”

HEADIE ONE KNOWS NOTHING ELSE

“At times, I do feel lucky to have escaped yeah. Definitely, ‘cah it could’ve gone left. Easily.”

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jordan Tyrell

Jul 01, 2019

On January 3rd 2019, Headie One dropped ’18HUNNA’, featuring Dave. Following a sturdy string of releases in an extremely progressive 2018 for the Tottenham-raised artist, from Kenny Allstar’s ‘Tracksuit Love’ to of course, ‘Of Course’, ’18HUNNA’ accelerated Headie’s presence in the game. The video not only propelled his meme-worthy entrance to the masses, but the track entered the UK chart at No.6, being the highest position a UK Drill artist has ever charted, a monumental collaboration of straight bars over a chrome-plated 169 beat.

Now, with six full-length projects under his belt, three of which are joint projects with fellow drill MC RV, a top 10 single and an upcoming mixtape this summer entitled ‘Music X Road’, it appears Headie is preparing to become the one.

“It’s been a little while still…” Headie begins finishing munching through a bag of Strawberry Haribos, sporting a light grey Gucci tracksuit, as we sit perpendicular in a clinical Sony Music boardroom. Talking on his recent music releases, aside from March’s Drillers X Trappers ll with RV, a feature riddled drill paragon, we agree it’s been a quieter year thus far than the previous. “I think that’s the longest I’ve gone without having nothing building, no music or nothing. Obviously I’ve been working in the background…”, leaning back.

Despite the noticeable gap between ’18HUNNA’ and the most recent single, ‘All Day’, another Champions League-eqsue drill track created through Headie and M1onthebeat’s artist-producer chemistry, his work ethic should not be challenged, though I am sure to question it’s origination. “Its just me, I like to move ennit…” he explains apathetically. “I don’t really like sitting still. I’m always up to something, even when I’ve been quiet. Yeah, definitely.”

“I feel like when we did the first Drillers X Trappers, it was a little while ago, and it was like, raw…” as we begin to touch on the development of his sound throughout the past few years. “…But then I feel like the second one was a bit more… for now, more of the time, know what I’m tryna say? It was almost like a more modern version of the first.”

Despite his unspoken claim to the drill scene’s throne, Headie’s versatility is becoming ever-more prominent. Most recently with 2018’s ‘The One Two’, flexing between autotuned trap-wave cuts such as ‘Traces’ as well as the projects intro, to straight barring on’ Work’ ft K Trap and the infamous ‘Match Day’ ft RV. “I just vibe to what I hear, literally like sometimes I come out the studio with some completely random sounds, each time…” addressing this sonically fluidity. “I go through little phases innit, ‘cus my music changes according to what’s happening. Literally, there’s nothing to it. I’m just going with the flow”.

“RV, in the studio, that’s my guy man. In the studio we bounce of each other nicely ennit, he’s very lyrical, he’s proper, he can go forever. It’s good to be in that environment with him and bounce off his energy and that.”

Whilst the recent triumph of ’18HUNNA’ manifested from a combination of lyrical ability, flows and strong production, the successes also lay in the intersection of UK drill’s amplitude and undertone of social commentary with melodic, hooky, US-infused trap. The joining of these are key to Headie’s progress as he explaines, “I listen to a lot of trap music. I started to realise, when I first started to do drill, they were both kept apart, one way or the other, but I just felt like, why? What’s wrong with putting like a trap melody on a drill beat? Or putting a drill flow on a trap beat, as long as it sounds good. Yeah literally, that’s it. So I started experimenting with it, and just managed to kind of turn into one. This was like 2014. I used to listen to like Young Thug, Future, all these guys, then drill started coming out a bit more, so I started try and merge it together.”

We then detour onto Dave, as Headie explains his admiration for what the young superstar has now achieved. “No. 1 song, No. 1 album, it’s inspirational innit. I feel like guys like Dave are important ‘cah they’re making it doable. Showing that it could be done. Then that’s motivating the people coming through, to do the same.”

I wasn’t expecting the reaction to 18HUNNA nah, I was a bit taken by the reaction and that, but yeah man, it was lit still.

The unavoidable was then touched on. A strong contender for meme of the year, Headie’s entrance in the ’18HUNNA’ video. I put it to Headie that, so clearly, the humour channelled through his unstirring facial expressions and demeanour is a key part of his image. Not to mention the bar describing the lavatory mishaps of his ‘young boy’. His reply? “Come on..” with a wry smile.

Our conversation moves onto Headie’s background, and the ‘infamous’ Broadwater Farm housing estate in Tottenham he has emerged from. “I feel like growing up in the estate is like the biggest influence ‘cah, that’s what influences everything..” he exclaims with a sigh, chest out, voice louder. “All my experiences innit, that I speak about. Literally, the type of music I make, the lyrics, it all comes from life experiences where it’s obviously affected by the place you grew up. It has a very big part to play.”

“At times, I do feel lucky to have escaped yeah. Definitely, ‘cah it could’ve gone left. Easily. I had so many close calls like, so you just gotta look back and be thankful that, that things turned the way they are innit.” He laughs, almost in disbelief. The monologue continues,“I feel like, it’s almost mad how that situation can turn into music ‘cah before, that (road) was all I really knew really, that was life. Day to day, morning till night, round the clock, either, I was in jail, I was out probably risking things that would put me back in jail, round the clock, 24/7, that was life, normal to me. I didn’t know nothing else. So when I started going to the studio it was still like that, that was just life, studio was just like a, nothing basically.”

“So, when I started moving in a positive direction and getting positive feedback, it still wasn’t the primary focus, it was just something on the side yeah. I didn’t even really think about money from it, that wasn’t my focus, it was just go studio, people say it sounds good, the mandem like listening to it themselves, so we just go and make it happen.” His focus shifts from the negativity of his past to the difficult transition periods that all self-sufficient creatives have encountered at some stage. “Then obviously, when I started getting more and more recognition, you could kinda tell ‘cah the attention started to split. It became a challenge to… to balance them both. So that’s when I knew, its probably getting a bit more serious ‘cah, it was almost like, day to day decisions had to be made. I mean, I need to be in the studio, but I need to be at somewhere else the same time. Its clashing, you know what I’m tryna say. That challenge went on for a long time.”

“This is… (sighs heavily) up until very recently if I’m being honest yeah. Until it wasn’t a challenge no more, until it was a no brainer.” He relaxes, sipping on an empty Fanta can.

However, for a UK drill artist, it’s no secret that crossing over from road to music doesn’t come without its challenges. The most prominent on our agenda was that of authority interference in the culture. In March 2018, Headie’s concert at the Barbican Centre was shut down by the metropolitan police. It’s a hot, but not a new topic right now, given the recent Skengdo and AM incarcerations as well as Krept & Konan’s Ban Drill campaigning. He breaks down his take on the situation. “It’s not really rocket-science is it. I don’t think you need to think into it too deeply. Its not everyday that you get certain individuals…doing big things…” he begins, confident, beady-eyed. “Cah, like, when you see someone that, five years ago, was in the Old Bailey, the biggest criminal court in the country, and then 5 years later, he’s in… Kensington doing interviews… you know what I’m tryna say? It won’t sit nice. It will make someone feel like they haven’t done their job properly. That’s where, people try to test you innit. Make you slip up.”

“I feel like, by all of these shows getting shut down, and these risks and assessments and all that, that’s what it’s all about really, just a test. It’s about how you take it, if you turn it into a positive or a negative. It’s very demotivating if someone’s tryna stop your money, tryna stop your progression…”

I question how he deals with it. He shrugs the question off – “Fuck it ennit (laughingly) What can you do? Just keep tryna’ get there, and when they don’t get shut down, then we shell it down. Make them know that they should have let the other ones happen. You do that enough then…” he lets off the Headie smirk once more.

So what’s next for Headie? Alongside the newly announced tour, the upcoming ‘Music X Road’ summer mixtape will undoubtedly prove to be a definitive moment for the rapper, despite how tight lipped he was about it. With recent chart successes of Dave, MoStack and more, it’s potentially his time to cash in. “We’ve been working for a long time, ‘cah I know, I’ve seen a few people say last year was like continuous, it’s not been the same this year but its for a reason innit. So I feel like, the storms about to start. Soon. My end goal is to…there’s no limit, no roof. You just go, to break, do things nobody’s done before. Make it happen.”

HARDY CAPRIO: FROM A BOY TO A MAN

“People are always going to remember how you made them feel…That’s all we have.”

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Harry McCulloch

Apr 11, 2020

“The common belief is that you are either a dreamer or a realist. But idealism and pragmatism aren’t as far apart as one might think.” By now, we’re familiar with the story of Hardy Caprio. Raised in Croydon, New Addington to be specific, 9 miles south of the capital, and now synonymous with delivering some of the UK rap scene’s most elite. The balancing act of dreams and reality manifested into an accountancy graduate collecting his degree with a million streams to his name, hours before flying out to perform his now BPI Gold certified hit singles, Best Life, Rapper and Unsigned. This isn’t the introduction to Hardy Caprio, this is his realisation, his process and his manifesto. From a boy to a man in front of the whole world. 

For a Croydon rapper, having a breakout song being as cheerful as Unsigned is near unprecedented. Though, on deeper review, the verses are interchangeable with tracks one may expect to receive, laced with an undertone of competitiveness, almost even aggression. The braggadocio veils pain. He’s dancing in the rain. It is therefore understandable that the ‘9 Months’ Hardy had retreated allowed him to reposition his now clear intent. “Since I’ve had my breakthrough, [Unsigned], I’ve had a lot of singles that have lasted in the clubs and done what I wanted, but at the same time, I’ve never felt that I was where I wanted to be…” as he began to explain. “Guten Tag kind of repositioned me, it put me back where I wanted to be. I don’t want to be one of those people that floats from single to single. I want to have an impact, because, when I was younger, I was listening to people like Skepta, and that’s what had me going, what I love. The energy, people bringing their own uniqueness. There’s certain moves that I’ve done in my career that I would say are safer than the moves that I would have taken if I still had that energy I had when I was younger. I love Best Life, I do, but that’s one of my happier songs, I wouldn’t make that all the time, I wouldn’t want that to be my career.”

“I’ve been fortunate enough to use my position to change my life, my family’s life. So I wouldn’t say I regret any of the things that I’ve done, because naturally I have to think of myself as a person, and those around me as well.”

Whilst the impact and influence of those preceding Hardy undoubtedly served an inspiring motive, the motivation is a little more profound than the desire to emulate their successes. It lays in the cruelty of his boroughs’ disparity, a narrative we’re all too familiar with. “Croydon’s a borough…” Hardy deciphers with discernment. “So when you’re seeing all these artists from Croydon, we’re all from very different parts of the borough. All of these areas come together. They all have internal problems like any area. So, being from there, you have to be able to carry yourself. Another thing is, if you’re from this borough, and you’re not from like Purley or Shirley, you’re poor. So you want it. We’re all poor but we’re close enough to success, so that disparity, and being able to see the disparity, provides a drive in itself. There’s one thing being the working class, and there’s another thing seeing the middle class when you’re working class, and I think that’s what makes us want it so much.”

Then comes the process. Meticulous in nature. The pragmatism isn’t only enforced by time, but also by precision. It’s the belief that the time that Hardy spent dedicating himself to the music was filled with parallel levels of attention his art is now garnering. “I’m a  pragmatist. When I first started, I said I’m gonna give myself a solid year, a solid attempt, and just try my best. If I don’t get 100,000 views this year, I’ll quit. I have a mark, and if I can’t do this, I’m calling it. I want to end gracefully.” He continues…“Unsigned was going to be my last attempt, I was like ‘Bruv, if Unsigned doesn’t work I don’t actually know what will work.’ A lot of people in music say, ‘Ah, I just stopped caring and then it worked.’ With me, no, I cared about these 3 minutes. They’re perfect, you’ve hit the nail on the head, this is going to be the one. And if it wasn’t the one, bruh  I’d be an accountant right now. We definitely believed in it, and after that, life changed quickly.”

Most pressingly, however, is the idea of finding your own lane. Our conversation begins to shift gears as we delve into the commonality of contemporary life, our descent into a dystopian-esque existence. A commonality Hardy is breaking away from, clear from the opening seconds of his contemplative, emotionally-connecting return, ‘9 Months’, captioning a label’s desire to have him create the type of ‘Summer Banger’ that initially broke him into the scene. He’s prudent, deliberating his presence and his self with the lines ‘Nah, I’m not a role-model, Nah, I’m not a martyr, Nah, I’m not a drill yout, But I’m not Akala’. He continued, making his thoughts crystal. “Where social media connects us and we’re always seeing each other’s lives, it’s easy to see something work for someone else and then think ‘I need to be doing that’, then distracting yourself. I can be a victim of that even now. You’ll have people in your ear. You gotta be strong headed and say I need to do what I personally enjoy. There’s always going to be a counter argument, but no-one lives in your shoes. No one else has your career when you go to bed bro, you make your mistakes and you feel the ramifications. Time tells the most, time is the most revealing. I’ve always taken my time because no move is better than a bad move. If you feel you’re in this microwave music era, then you will be in that.”

“People are always going to remember how you made them feel, how did the last song make them feel. That’s all we have. We have 3 minutes to capture the audience, and let them know who we are.”

And so, we are left with a new Hardy. His sound has matured, it’s sophisticated, nostalgic yet  fresh. His latest, XYZ, featuring none other than the breezy SL, demonstrates it. Having the audacity to flip Minnie Riperton’s ‘Lovin’ You’ on a rap song is one thing, but the audacity to do so is almost disregarded as a noteworthy risk, given the delivery, the flows and not to mention the brazen storyline of the visuals. We wrap up with the following, as I ask what the goal is. It’s safe to say, Hardy Season has landed. “Take over the world. That is the best way I can phrase it. Just take over the world. This is like my third year probably, and I’ve changed my life over like 2 songs a year, so just imagine what happens when I do like, 10, or more. I found myself, musically. As a person, and now is just the best time to showcase that at the start of the decade. I’m not putting Henny in a super soaker no more, I get hangovers bro. You just gotta’ make it a movie, make life a movie.”

Listen to AAA Pass Episode 4 with Hardy Caprio now

FRASER T SMITH ON A FUTURE UTOPIA

The light is being turned on. So change must come from that.

Shots

By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by James Taylor

Nov 29, 2020

Have you ever heard the name Albert Woodfox before? Albert Woodfox was the longest-serving isolated prisoner in US history. At age 26, Albert entered a 6×9 feet cell, which he would not leave for 23 hours a day, for 43 years. Despite his conviction being overturned three times, it was met with consistent appeals by Louisiana state officials, keeping Albert in solitary confinement at the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as, ‘Angola’, named after the former plantation occupying the land. 

The prison itself has also been nicknamed ‘The Bloodiest Prison in America’. Why? It’s haunting past on the grounds of which it’s built and it’s symptomatic present, evidenced by the case of Albert and so many others. An agonizing truth for millions suffering under a regime of oppression, capitalization and supposedly, democracy. A democracy which is under threat, debilitating itself from the inside, yet we keep on going. The conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people allows us to. The most extraordinary thing about Albert’s story? Despite his physical limitations, shackles and chains, he was free. In his own words, he had achieved ‘mental, emotional and philosophical freedom.’ The ability to control his environment and move his values and beliefs from within himself to outside himself, all from within his 6×9 foot cell. Should we take anything from his story, it should be that there is hope.

“Well, the questions came first…” Fraser T Smith recounts on his attempt to reach Albert Woodfox. “I had come to the end of these three amazing records (Made In The Manor, Gang Signs And Prayer, Psychodrama) and great experiences and everything else. I really wasn’t sure what the next move was.” He recalls absorbing all of the year’s happenings and more as the catalyst for the founding of the 12 fundamental, philosophical questions, serving as the foundations of the new project. “Something told me that  these questions would be great if they were answered by some amazing people, I could have fun making the music that, for me, was so personal that maybe I hadn’t put onto records before. So that really appealed. I came up with the concept that we’re going to do the record [12 Questions] and one of the questions was, What’s The Cost of Freedom?” 

Fraser T Smith

“We tried so many different ways to get in contact with him.” He continued, after recalling coming across Albert’s story in a newspaper.. “I felt weird to even ask any of his time, you know, this record is super important to me, but he was so gracious and such a wonderful human being. He suggested that I come out to New Orleans. So I flew out, pre lockdown, and sat like we’re sat now, in his front room, and talked to him for two hours and recorded it and it’s just an absolutely life changing conversation, you know, to see how someone like Albert has been locked up for so many years, just has no resentment and has no negativity and is all about the future and positive and how his story can help change the terrible things that are still going on and in the judicial system in America, and how that can translate around the world and to such a positive human being. And then truly interesting then, feeling that we were moving into or at the time we were moving into the first lockdown and how his words are so positive, you know, in terms of being able to free yourself, in your mind, even though you may be locked up in a cell 23 hours a day, you know, he made the conscious decision to be free. I think he said at the age of 43 or so. So essentially 30 years of solitary confinement where he felt free because he chose that.”

And I think that that conscious decision to choose, what you want to do is so empowering. 

The ability to look inwards for the solace we crave during times of distress is both admirable and pertinent. That search is one we’re all familiar with and for some, music is the answer. Such was the case for a young Fraser who had discovered his affinity for music at a young age. “Music was the thing that just always, I could just lose myself in it, and then got my first guitar, quite young, and just used to love playing that and, and just music was just really like my life. Growing up, It was always a place that I could go that would give me solace from whatever was going on, you know, it’s when you grow up. Things can be pretty tough. So it was always like a place that I could just lose myself in and it’s still the same now.” At age 14, Fraser attended school with Tom Rowlands, one part of a British electronic duo, Chemical Brothers, hailing from Manchester, someone who seemed to influence a young Fraser greatly with musical talents. “He was an amazing guy to introduce me to artists. He introduced me to Public Enemy, Jimi Hendrix, New Order, Joy Division, you know, just giving me vinyl. And I’d go home and just, like, ingest this amazing music and you know, growing up, as a kid round here, there’s not a lot going on culturally. So I think you’re even more receptive to all this amazing music that you’re hit with. And you, you don’t really understand where it’s been made. Or you can’t just at the time, I couldn’t just go and Google Public Enemy to kind of get a feel, but you just got this, this sense of like, power and an unease and unrest, you know, and, and then obviously, the older I got, the more I learned about, you know, these amazing artists and, and became like, very inspired by the stories.”

The result? A production career spanning over two decades (and still going strong) with countless collaborations with artists from Adele and Sam Smith to Stormzy and Dave, all culminating into his new home. An old converted barn-turned prodigious studio out in the sticks, playing host to some of the biggest names in music, period. The move marked the end of a chapter for Fraser, as he wrapped up what had been a trio of groundbreaking UK albums; Kano’s Made In The Manor, Stormzy’s Gang Signs And Prayer, and of course, Dave’s Psychodrama. “I think good things come in three…” explaining “…so those were the three albums for me creatively. I just felt like I didn’t want to repeat myself. And I think that studios have their time. You know, maybe this is a studio for the rest of my life. I don’t know but I definitely feel you can evolve by changing your physical location. So we decided to move out of London. And, yeah, we’re here out in the country.”

I love London and it is great for getting things done. But I think for absolute creativity, being a bit close to nature is really good.

I put it to Fraser that the idealism of escaping into nature requires a different level of intuition within artists. With great art, comes greater vulnerability, and this is something Fraser is no stranger to. Vulnerability is the one thing that an artist maybe needs in order to elevate their music to heights that can reach depths of people. It’s a trait that Fraser has long identified and highlighted as “key”, as we begin to explore the concept. “Vulnerability keeps you grounded and enables you to see things as they really are. And I think that in itself is very humbling.” He continues before comparing the experiences he’s had with the likes of Adele… “If you speak to someone and they’re maybe having delusions of grandeur where they feel maybe their place which is bigger than where they actually are…I smell trouble at that point. Because you sort of hit the glass ceiling. Whereas the thing is that the majority of artists, great artists that I know, constantly beat themselves up and are constantly measuring themselves against the greats of today. And then even if you get to that point, then…legacy. Look at Adele, well, I know I would be saying, ‘Well, yeah, I’ve obviously, you know, done pretty well. But, how many records did Ella Fitzgerald make? Or Carole King or whoever the people were back in the day?’”. 

Adele worked for just one short week with Fraser on the creation of Set Fire To The Rain, however, his relationships with Kano and Dave had manifested over a number of years, over 17 for the prior and the space of two EPs and of course the album with Dave. “I really think Made In The Manor (2016) opened the door for artists like Stormz and Dave, and J Hus to just come through in terms of being introspective and being able to be heartfelt on bars.” Paying homage to Kano’s critically acclaimed 2016 album before delving into his relationship with Dave. “I think the relationship that we built over the two EPs (Six Paths, 2016 and Game Over, 2017) was incredible and led us into the album feeling very relaxed around each other.” The pair have not only created a timeless masterpiece in Dave’s debut album Psychodrama, but have been able to take it far beyond the scenes’ ears onto the 2020 BRITs stage with that iconic performance of Black, delivering arguably the most pertinent political speech a British artist has ever given. “I’m going to push him but I’ve always got his back…” Fraser continues. “I think that that leads to special music. That’s really what it is in the studio for me, you know, you have lots of fun, and loads of jokes. But ultimately, that you’ve got each other’s back, you’re there for each other. And I think that’s such a special thing”

Dave has also lent his voice for the main focus and reason we had joined Fraser at his home, 12 Questions, the debut project from Fraser’s pseudonym, Future Utopia. Most striking about the last single, ‘Children of The Internet’ featuring the 22 year-old is his ability to pick up and dissect this subject matter of society and the social dilemma. The juxtaposition is noteworthy and speaks to Dave’s individual maturity and complexity. “Every amazing creative is able to just see what’s going on around them and just take those elements and put them into great art. You know, Dave’s just such a great example of a great artist that does that.” delving into the project. The concept of the project was Fraser posing 12 universal, urgent, human-based questions to some of the most creative minds across music, art and culture. Other guests on the project include Arlo Parks, Bastille, Easy Life, poet Simon Armitage, Kano, Kojey Radical, Tom Grennan and Tia Carys — the latter two featuring on the album’s lead single Do We Really Care? Pt.1. 

“So the idea of 12 Questions is to ask the most incredible minds in poetry, rap, activism, singing… to give me and everyone that’s listening their interpretation of these big, deep, far ranging questions. I didn’t want to feel like this was a classic producer record where the temptation is, for people to think that, you know, I’ve called my friends in and, you know, I’ve got Stormzy and Dave, and all my other friends on the record, to do their thing, but this is more of a concept.” Fraser explained, which is more than a fair assessment of the project. It’s an unorthodox artistic mirage of exciting newer musical acts from Arlo Parks and Jelani Blackman, peppered with amazing abstract art from the likes of Katrin Fridricks to poet laureate Simon Armitage. Not to mention the profound presence of former black panther Albert Woodfox, voicing the narrative of a soul pounding Freedom featuring Kano. “ I think that it gives us such an incredible insight into the way that we’re all living in the modern world.”

This project could not have come at a more befitting time with these 12 questions addressing everything from freedom, fear and faith to connection and division, aligning to all that we have endured in 2020. As different events unfolded across the world from the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement and the untimely, tragic passing of George Floyd and countless others, to even the US Presidential Election and its potential threat to democracy, it felt as though a light was being shone on our trails, exposing them for what they are. “I think that the negative sides of our planet are being exposed. From far right facist movements, lack of fairness, kindness and equality, diversity, it’s all being exposed. The light is being turned on. So change must come from that. I think that you have to stay positive.”

By putting the lights on it does show us how far we’ve got to go. 

If anything, this past year has shown us how fragile our mere existence on this planet really is. The way in which we have been “living” has been paused, and we live in hope that huge change is imminent. The work an artist can offer is not only escape but also documentation, commentary, an insight into something that may, with hope, turn on the switch. With which, we leave on Fraser’s parting words… “Change must come and with hope comes change. The hope is that on a deep level, people connect with the questions and answers and that it can help raise debate, argument, enlightenment and consciousness. The questions are designed to do that. In a gentle, deep, immediate or philosophical way. If music can help to do that then it’s mission accomplished, on whatever level.”

ENTERING THE NEW WORLD WITH SWINDLE

“We’re literally healing ourselves, with vibrations. Music is one of the last pure human things we do on earth.”

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jordan Tyrell

Nov 21, 2021

Have you ever felt an unattainable longing for something, some place, that may have never existed? A deep seated, firmly rooted incompleteness, that for lack of a ‘home’, has become familiar. A place with walls so tall we can’t climb, writings upon which we can’t comprehend. ‘No Black, No Irish’. Emblematic of a post-war Britain, a herd-like mentality, divisive in nature and damaging at its core. No, this is not simply the oral testimonies of generations past woven into our communal experience. This is real and it’s consequential. Thus, when one of the many roses to blossom from the gentrified paves of South London exhales a pain-filled falsetto “for our own, we still got so far to go”, you can’t help but feel it.

“The only time I left my house in that whole period of lockdown was to go to protest with Joel [Culpepper]. That was my guide.” Swindle begins. We’re at the producers’ home studio, discussing what he refers to as an essential track to the intent of The New World. No Black No Irish, a socially-potent yet emotionally crippling conversation between Peckham-born, Catford-raised Joel Culpepper and Irish singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre, recounted over beautiful and bare instrumentation. “When all this was going on, I just got in the car and drove to London and I was just there. This was at the front of our minds.”

The infamous Real World studios held host to what was essentially a week of healing. The New World. A whole album, screaming vicariously through the voices of UK black music’s avengers, conceived in just one, intense, spiritual, poignant week. Seemingly biblical. “When we were at the studio, the dynamic between Joel and Maverick was great to watch. Joel really speaking his truth, and in Joel’s words, Mav leaning in and listening. Not interrupting. Listening like a true ally. I guess this song is the manifestation of that conversation and that dynamic between them. The title was Joel’s idea. A lot of people would not be on that, but not Mav. He time and time again proves himself as a real one. The conversation is so polarising people were not ready to have it. I know we all were losing friends at that time. It was that time. So those connections became that more important.”

Back in 2007 however, before these paved-over injustices began to surface so prevalently, Swindle self-released one of his earliest projects, The One-Fourty Mixtape, an ode to the BPM of Grime and it’s rise in the early 2000s, riddled with Grime artists from D.E.velopment, to Big Narstie and Ghetto (now Ghetts). Whilst it was the first project to allow his musical roots to branch out of his area in South London, it would soon set the foundations for him to build what is now somewhat of a musical manor. Filled with artistic influences and sounds of all genres, something attested to the greats, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, George Benson but also, just as much to his father’s influence. “That influence came from my father, a guitarist, a Jazz, Soul, Funk enthusiast, to say the least, so we grew up on good music. He installed that in us. I’m one of four boys so we all had that musical education from the beginning. It’s always been there.” 

“I feel like even when I’m trying to make genre specific music, funk is almost at the pace of my heartbeat…If I press a key it just feels funky. I can’t escape it. I think it’s ingrained in us as people actually, I just want to keep that tradition going.”

It wasn’t until the dubstep-pervaded year of 2013 however the world heard the first official Swindle album, Long Live Jazz, via Deep Medi. The 13-track album fused his love and passion of Jazz with the synths, bass and swagger of a seemingly improvised yet technically brilliant body of work. Yet it was 2015 when somewhat of a shift occurred. Peace, Love & Music was an album made predominantly on tour, manifesting from the copious travelling Swindle experienced thanks to his DJing. “Instrumental music really travels and there’s no language barrier…” he explained. “I was travelling out of the country every week, sometimes more. I would find myself in the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, America, Brazil. And I would always ask myself why I get to go to these places. Music has brought me to these places so I must have a duty to use those situations to give back to music.” The concept then plays on the few similarities we have, around the globe, transcending all of our differences. The fact that some things just keep us all in common. “There’s certain grooves that just move every human. There’s certain emotions that string us all together and for me that’s peace, love and music.”

If Peace, Love & Music was all that remained right with the world, then Swindle’s 2019 No More Normal was prophetic in title and nature. Prophetic in the sense that 2019 seemed to set in motion a string of forlorn natural, social and political events that, although supposedly nose-dived us into a dark abyss, would eventually shape our now new world. Having travelled so frequently, it was time for Swindle to stay ‘home’ this time. “It had been a long time since I had sat down in one place to make music. I also started with this concept of it being a scrap or story book and each page is by a different artist.” The album elevated Swindle to the next level and therefore the relationships he had developed with particular artists over the years simultaneously. “I feel like I had matured as a persona and thus a musician and producer.” 

Both Joel Culpepper and Shoreditch-raised Kojey Radical are artists that feature multiple times on The New World. Each has their own musical relationship that has evolved through the years with Swindle. “Seeing growth in artists has become one of the most satisfying things about making music for me now..” He expanded on the topic. “I spent years travelling as a DJ, making beats for the club and the height of satisfaction with that is getting a reload. Now, working with artists and playing a small part in them eventually getting a deal or playlist or headline show, that’s the new reload. Being able to contribute and add value to their journey is something I pride myself on.” 

“It’s just honest music. They say real recognise real. But it’s true. When you hear music that really sounds like someone’s expression, you just gravitate towards it.”

Though the signs may change and those writings on the wall may have been painted over with thick layers of empty vows and promises, economically and politically driven legislation and manifestos, the truth is the walls remain, tall as ever. The mention of the name George Floyd brought goosebumps to the room as we sat eye to eye. The tragic passing, murders, of so many lives at the hands of those here to protect and serve, a pandemic and natural disasters of all kinds, sweeping the globe and everyday political threats to ‘democracy’, 2020 onwards has felt dystopian. Thus The New World is what we all yearn for. “It was totally a response to what had happened. And I was saying that in the title of No More Normal…” Swindle preaches, as we talk on the new project. “Those events unfolded and honestly it hit me hard. It brought up lots of past trauma. I’ve dealt with lots of aggressive and violent racism growing up you know, not just subconscious but in your face people chasing you down the road, graffiti on the walls, people getting beaten up, that all happened on my doorstep as a kid.” 

So how did it come to fruition? Following the deep and necessary reasonings Swindle had over the phone with his fellow musicians from Joel to Joy during the first lockdown period, he sent out the text for everyone to gather at Real World studios and learn to create again, but more importantly, how to enter The New World. The process, seemingly a truly healing one. “Before Real World, I was spending my days pacing up and down, looking out the window and ultimately preparing for war. That’s what had happened in the past. Then going there and doing that thing. People really cried in the studio, we had deep conversations, and I hear it every time I play the album. I hear it in the subject matter of the songs, I hear it in the playling, I hear it in the performance. It’s just the purest, most honest hyper-collaborative natural record I’ve ever been a part of.” The result? A profound, poetic 9-scriptures long mythological masterart. Visually and sonically sculpted out of the skies into and through the souls of some of the UK’s heavyweights; Joel Culpepper, Knucks, Maverick Sabre, Greentea Peng, Akala, Ghetts, Poppy Ajudha, Daley, Kojey Radical, JNR Williams, Loyal Carner and Joy Crookes. Honourable mention for the album’s closing soulful sequence, How I’ve Been, featuring the latter 4 artists.  

“We’re literally healing ourselves, with vibrations. Music is one of the last pure human things we have on earth.”

This album and it’s accompanying visuals truly serve as the healing, breathing and being. Past, present, future. From Blow Ya Trumpet’s tongue-in-cheek ridiculously bar-ridden verses from Knucks, Ghetts, Akala and Kojey to Loyal Carner’s unaccustomed double-time rapping. It’s the new writing on the wall, with instruments fallen from the skies. Enter The New World. A world in which we fight for and we make. No More Normal has been said, has been done. Change is happening and it’s uncomfortable. There’s a fire burning through the world. And the outcome depends upon us. It’s our time to rise.  For the night’s darkest hour, is when the light of day is closest. 

EMELI SANDÉ: HER VERSION OF EVENTS

“You have to go through those perceived failures to really appreciate it on a deeper level.“

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By Sunjay Kohli

Photography by Jordan Tyrell

Nov 30, 2021

The beginning of November and winter is coming. It’s a brisk but blue-skied afternoon in North London. Sun rays are skimming over the greenery as we stray 8-deep through the pathway of Clissold Park. Emeli leads the way, scouting backdrops to fit her bright Paris-green and white jacket. Almost two years to the day since the release of her last studio album ‘Real Life’, Emeli Sandé debuted her new single, Family. It marks the beginning of a new era, sound and rebirth for the acclaimed singer-songwriter. Created in her own space, at her own time, fortuitously, during what has been two of the most trying and terrifying years the world has had in recent eras. It’s the first from a new project by Emeli, an opportunity for self-reflection, resilience and empowerment. It’s her guide to the freedom we’ve all been seeking.

“I feel very blessed to have had music in my life over these past two years especially…”, Emeli begins, reflecting over the lockdown periods. “…Something to focus on, something to channel energy into. I’m just looking at life with a whole new frame of gratitude.” By the time lockdown had come around, the reset had already begun for Emeli. Having left the label she had been at for over ten years, started working with a new management team and publishing company, the global phenomenon award-winning multi-platinum superstar we know as Emeli Sandé became just Emeli, herself and felt a sense of ‘relief’ in her own words. “I was in a rush. In this chronic panic without knowing it. You think you’re doing a great job, getting things done, ticking things off, but really you’re just not quite letting things sink in. I feel quite changed now. A lot calmer. I feel like I have a lot more self-awareness in certain ways.”

Though things may have been somewhat calm in the Aberdeenshire village she grew up in, they certainly weren’t by the time her debut album Our Version of Events hit stores in early 2012, sprawling with classics from Heaven and Daddy to Clown and the choir-backed smash single Next To Me. The album, which received critical acclaim went on to debut at Number 1 and sell multiple-millions of copies worldwide. The journey there however? A far cry from that attention and success. During her medical degree, Emeli spent a year in Madrid working at a hospital placement. She flew back to London to perform at an ILUVLIVE show, one which seemingly went more to plan than she may have thought, as she recounted… “For me it was a disaster. Nobody was listening. It was around the same time Chipmunk was coming out so it was mainly more like a rap crowd, then I got on stage singing a Nina Simone song acapella…” laughingly, “…really not reading the room at all. Nobody’s listening, I just felt so disheartened. You have to go through those perceived failures to really appreciate it on a deeper level.” 

“That’s part of it. Even though sometimes those nights can be heartbreaking you have to go through it…But it will get to a point where you will be respected by an audience and you can grow one.” 

Despite countless of those empty-London venue nights, her wait was worth the struggle as it would just so happen on that fateful night at ILUVLIVE, Shah Khan, more commonly known as Naughty Boy was in the crowd… “He approached me and said ‘that was amazing’..he was like ‘come to my car and we’ll just play you what I’m doing’. He was just about to release Black Boys (Bashy) so it was an amazing time. It was me and my sister in the back of his car, Natty was there too, and we were just listening to music.” The pair struck chemistry instantly and began working together. Before long, Emeli received a beat whilst she was in Glasgow. It was the beat for Diamond Rings which she sent back down to Naughty Boy before he then sent it over to Chip. The rest as they say… “It hit the charts… and that’s how I got my first publishing deal, that was really the moment where I felt ok finally I’ve got my foot in the door. And that’s his [Naughty Boy’s] special talent, he really does know how to spot talent when everyone else is kind of blind to it, he really sees people and sees their potential.”

From then onwards, Emeli’s impact on music and culture was felt far and wide. Her work as a performer and songwriter was recognised beyond the realms of her village life in Scotland and saw her grace some of the biggest stages across the globe from the 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony to the White House for Obama. In November 2016, she released her second studio album Long Live The Angels which was again met with critical acclaim. Moreover, from that breakout track with Chip, her connection to the UK rap scene is one she continued to develop, collaborating with Bugzy Malone, Giggs, Professor Green and as of late, Jaykae. “It’s always been a part of my journey…” she explained. “Especially since I moved to London. From the support that 1Xtra showed me even when I just had piano demos, I always felt embraced. Even though I am a bit of an outsider, I’ve always felt embraced, encouraged and really supported by the UK rap scene.”

However, multiple BRIT Awards, Ivor Novellos and countless other recognitions later, the polarity of her worlds was discerned. “It was quite weird to go from this shy girl who had a couple friends to suddenly, everybody knows your name and also with the quiff and everything, I looked very different to how I naturally do. So I always felt like to be Emeli Sandé…I had to be different to who I actually was. Whereas now I feel like I can be myself and hopefully people will still enjoy the music.” 

Thus we arrive in 2021, and though initially unintentional, we’re awaiting a new body of work, a new expression and a new space in which Emeli’s listeners can rid of the anxieties the past couple of years have brought us. It begins with Family, the long-time collaborator Henri Davies produced track, a spiritually energising sanguinity in which Emeli leads the way, exposing, or perhaps, embracing the inner shine in somewhat of a more earthly, humanistic manner. The second and most recent single to then emerge is Look What You’ve Done, as Emeli depicted how it came together. “Naughty Boy was working with Jaykae on his album, and we were working on a song on his album called Friend Like Me, so they came to the house so I could record my hook. Jaykae is so cool, he’s the coolest guy ever. I was just playing some new music and on Look What You’ve Done, there was this gap that was just the piano middle 8 part. He was like, who’s on that…” 

The track, embodied by a (late) Luke Biggins directed video was one which Emeli remains grateful for. “I’m so happy that we all had that energy together because it was such a natural day. There was a warmth and passion.” It was also the first piece of music Emeli had produced that was released, harboured in a nostalgic garage vibe. “That song started on piano, in Switzerland. In my room I just had this amazing view of the mountains and was playing this riff over and over. I’ve always wanted to produce and say this is who I am. Often sometimes in the studio, especially as a woman if you say you want to produce then people don’t give you the room to do it as yourself. Henri always gave me that extra boost to have that reassurance. Then Darren Jones added additional production to it. It feels nice, this is what I wanted to sound and feel like.” 

So what can we expect from the forthcoming fourth studio album of Emeli Sandé? Certainly the work of a more free-spirited, meditative artist. This is her own territory, whereby she has complete artistic control. The ability to further connect and embrace an audience with a space, a stage, for them to do the same. Connect, as she so eloquently put during our parting words, passing those gems onto the next generation… “It would be a shame to lose the connection to who you are actually singing to. I would recommend going on stage and facing the audience. It can be really daunting. It sharpens your sword a bit. It brings it back to what you’re actually doing and it gives you more of a unique expression. Be who you are, express and be what it is, keep pushing through because eventually it will be acknowledged.”

BUGZY MALONE: REAL, RAW AND UNABATED

Perhaps now it’s no longer King of The North, perhaps now, it should just be…King.

Oct 22, 2018

Earlier on October 4th, the militant Bugzy Malone released the contentious yet bona fide visuals for ‘Done His Dance’. The track, which sits at a critical energy-shifting point of Bugzy’s debut album ‘B. Inspired’, is an instrumentally suspenseful narration on the gang lifestyle so integral to his story. The video was swiftly removed due to the allegedly perceived depiction of gratuitous violence, before being recently re-uploaded and censored accordingly.

So when Bugzy emerged on stage during the second night of his 12-date B. Inspired UK tour at London’s iconic Printworks, the video displayed on screen was a statement of intent, met with astounding applause and appreciation. Bugzy’s relentlessness and disregard for the industry’s invisible hierarchy is fuelled by a refusal to be underestimated. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s unabated.

With 3,000 already on his side, Bugzy aggressively jumped into the 2017 ‘King of The North’ EP’s ‘Aggy Wid It’ before an equally belligerent ‘MAD’ ended, and the bright white lights were shone onto the crowd who were thoroughly thanked by the proud yet humble Mancunian. He aptly then broke into the infamous ‘M.E.N’, following a roaring reception during the chorus of lead single ‘Run’ featuring Rag‘n’Bone Man, one of which would warrant superstardom status.

Bugzy’s practical disbelief of what has emerged from a situation that may have ended so differently was illustrated by the shaking of his head at the end of ‘Memory Lane’, a track inspired by the fall of his uncle sampling Oasis’ Wonderwall.  The bright lights shone again, as those headshakes of disbelief quickly turned into nods of acknowledgment and encouragement.  Bugzy then proceeded to run through consecutive new cuts from the album before the skittish energy of ‘Die By The Gun’ blasted down the long and narrow walls of Printworks.

The hour plus set was topped off with appearances from Kojo Funds performing ‘Who Am I’ ft Bugzy Malone, as well as the man of the hour being joined by Not3s for his hook on ‘B. Inspired’s ‘Heart’. Fellow Mancunian JP Cooper also graced the stage with flawless vocals of ‘Ordinary People’, all of which topped off what was a spirited and asserted performance.

The infiltration of Bugzy Malone into London and the scene as a whole is something he has spoken on with great intensity and confidence. Whilst Manchester is a city of immense musical talent, Bugzy is the most prominent for this culture. ‘B. Inspired’ marks his fourth consecutive UK Top 10 project and confirmed that he is one of the biggest artists in this genre of music. The trials and tribulations of his upbringing and the barriers he has conquered to crack an industry that was not on his doorstep, have only enhanced this tireless pursuit to the top.

Perhaps now it’s no longer King of The North, perhaps now, it should just be…King.

BREAKING DOWN THE BUSINESS OF STRAWBERRIES & CREEM FESTIVAL

Strictly Business

Jun 07, 2018

2018 marks the 5th anniversary of one of the most invigorating and thriving festivals on the UK calendar, Strawberries and Creem. From running small but successful club nights to identifying the unpenetrated potential of delivering diverse urban-orientated music to discontented demographics of Cambridge, the small team of 7 behind this now mammoth festival has achieved a lot.

Curated by the youngest festival team in the UK with an average age of just 24, this year they are bringing the likes of global superstars such as T-Pain to some of the UK’s most exciting talent out from Not3s to Ghetts and more grace the stage of Haggis Farm, Cambridge. Here’s the story of how they did it.

So it’s been said that part of the motivation behind you guys setting up Strawberries & Creem festival was the frustration at a lack of diverse music in the town. But why a festival? Why not an online platform or something else?

Strawberries & Creem Festival was actually born from running club nights for Cambridge University, Anglia Ruskin and local Cambridge residents – it was an organic progression. When our founding father Will Young returned back to his hometown of Cambridge from Manchester University, he saw that the city was lacking in a diverse, credible night life. In his first year he linked up with fellow founders Preye and Frazer (who were freshers at Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin respectively). Together they put on successful nights playing Garage, Grime, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats and Dancehall. I (Chris Jammer) joined later that year and by March 2014 we were running 2-3 club nights for around 200-400 people each week. We decided that month to put on a ‘Garden Party’ at the end of the year to celebrate our one-year anniversary and named the event ‘Strawberries & Creem’, as our club nights were originally called ‘Creem’. We managed to book David Rodigan, Shy FX and Jus Now and the Festival was born from there.

The event was a bit of a horror show to be honest, but we believed the idea had legs, and when we returned from the summer holidays later that year, the plan was to host the event again, but bigger and better. So in a nutshell it was all organic! We never thought about online platforms etc. We just wanted to build on the foundations we had started as freshers. We are all partyers at heart, I don’t think anything else would have worked for us!

What’s the set-up of the team, how do you work together and how challenging is it to put on this show?

The core team this year has grown to 7, however Head of Operations Louise, and I, are the only full-time members of the team. Louise is wonder woman, dealing with all the nitty gritty elements of the festival as our Event Coordinator and Head of Operations. She effectively puts the whole thing together from the toilets to the stage construction, as well as keeping the finances and the group’s often overly ambitious plans, in check.

I look after the revenue side of the business overseeing sales, marketing, sponsorship and the general creative direction for the brand. There is a lot of cross over between myself the rest of the team but we all have our areas that we are mainly responsible for.

Preye (while somehow managing to hold down a full time job at Columbia Records) is mainly responsible for the music and booking the line up. He is also very active on bringing in new brands and partners to collaborate with.

Similarly, Will also plays a big part in sponsorship but his main role this year has been business development. He has expanded the company by creating another festival called the Cambridge Club, which takes place the day after S&C, on the same site. We have Gabrielle headlining this year alongside Trevor Nelson and ‘Craig Charles Funk and Soul’ which should make for a really nice Fathers Day excursion! Will has also been instrumental in our latest venture – the ‘We Love Food Series’, 4 food festival taking place in Spitafields market across July.

Sam Mellor is our head of marketing and he looks after the day-to-day content we produce to help sell out the events. He manages to do this in his spare time while working during the day at Just Park. Frazer, works very closely with Sam here doing a lot of the content for social media as well as being in charge of our wide network of reps and pushing sales in the local Cambridge area.

Finally, Our newest recruit Tunde has been instrumental in providing some much needed structure as well as heading up our influencer guestlist. We all meet most days after everyone has finished their respective jobs, which allows us to keep coordinated and on top of what each other are up to. It means very long hours but we are all very good friends, and (most of the time) it doesn’t really feel like work, as we all enjoy what we do.

The challenge is really finding the time/manpower to construct a lot of plans and ambitions we have, particularly while trying to crack on with our day jobs. Going forward we are looking to employ a lot of the existing team full-time and also bring on a few new additions. It’s crazy to think we work effectively all year for one weekend so there is a lot riding on the success on each event. It is a challenge, but we love it to be honest.

Cambridge is obviously renowned for its academic-orientation. How do you feel this, perhaps accompanied by the social structures and demographics of the town, have contributed to 1, the lack of this musical diversity, and 2, how things like your festival are being received?

Moving up from London to Cambridge for University, I think myself and Preye noticed the massive cultural difference between the two cities. The White British population of Cambridge is 73.5% compared to London, which is only 59.8%. We both have Afro/Caribbean Heritage that has heavily impacted on the sound we chose for our club nights and Strawberries & Creem. When you add the fact that there isn’t a huge ‘party culture’ within the city, you may expect us to be fighting an uphill battle with how the festival was received in the city.

We’ve been fortunate with the rise in the popularity of urban music over the last few years. I remember when we first booked Skepta back in 2015, of lot of the University had no idea who he was. It was only after his release of ‘Shutdown’ and his appearance on stage at the Brits with Kanye that our tickets sales started to pick up. Combined with Mungos Hi Fi and General Levy on the bill (both of whom had played in Cambridge several times before) we were fortunately able to sell out much quicker than expected.

We’ve often found that Cambridge has previously been slightly slower to pick up the emerging talent coming out from around the UK. This impacted our decision on when to book acts. For example, J hus was one of the first names on our provisional line up for 2016. However after some debate and market research we decided we would be better off booking him a year later. It worked out very well as he was the artist on everyones lips in the summer of 2017. This year we have seen that more and more talent from London has been picked up in Cambridge earlier than it previously was, with emerging acts such as Kenny Allstar and D-block Europe being incredibly well received by students in Cambridge. I think it shows the evolving taste of people in the area, as well as the continued rise of these urban artists. We like to think we have grown with the sound and the culture, and want to continue to be a pillar for this kind of music that we love and have grown up with. Having said that, we want to be more than that too, and continue to book artists outside of this ‘sound’ (the House Gospel Choir, Heidi and Max Chapman for example) to continue to differentiate ourselves from other Festivals.

And where do you see this change heading in the future?

I expect this trend to continue as long as the urban sound stays commercially relevant. I think it is also down to us as a platform to keep pushing emerging artists who we rate highly. I think a number of people in Cambridge have used Strawberries & Creem as a discovery platform on a number of occasions for new music. It’s important for us to really sell each individual artist on our line up, so people are aware of the talent we are bringing to the city. We publish individual artists biographies and links where our consumers can listen to to the line-up prior to the Festival, which we think is an important and personal touch.

Now the majority of us live in London having left University, I feel we also need to be aware of our market so we can analyse trends, and try and stay as relevant as possible. Frazer still DJ’s weekly in Cambridge so has an insight to what sound the students are feeling. It’s all about keeping our ear to the ground and making sure we are in touch with our market. Having said this, we are very proud of the brand we have created and are unlikely to stray too far from the original music policy we created five years ago (an eclectic mix of credible music that celebrates heritage and champions future).

You’ve obviously had some amazingly huge headliners, from Skepta, to Nelly, to this year, with Not3s and T-Pain. Did you have experience in the industry before and how have you found your experiences in organising the event change over the last few years?

Prior to launching Strawberries & Creem, Will had a number of years experience in booking talent for events, both in Manchester and Cambridge. Before launching the first festival he had put on shows hosting the likes of Lethal Bizzle, Tempa T and Ms Dynamite, as well as artists across other genres such as Kidnap Kid, Cyril Hahn and Artful Dodger. This gave him good relationships with a few agents, making it easier to secure acts for the festival. A big breakthrough for us was booking Grandmaster Flash in 2015, our first international act. Since then we have always looked to bring in a nostalgic act from across the pond with Nelly, then Shaggy and this year T-Pain.

Since starting his job at Columbia, Preye has also been instrumental in making this process easier for us as he works with artists, management and agents. He builds relationships that can directly benefit the festival. As we have grown in size we are now often approached by artists and their teams to play at the festival. This is a great position to be in and a real reminder of how far we have come as a festival. The remainder of the team have just grown into their roles as the festival has grown year on year. We have taught ourselves, made a fantastically large number of mistakes, but are just keen to keep learning and get better. We only have an average age of 24, so I have no doubt we have a lot more to learn!

And dealing directly with the talent, how have you found that experience? Could you share any crazy/wild/inspiring stories about any of the headliners/performers?

Dealing with artists is always an interesting experience and we often have to jump over a number of challenging hurdles to ensure they are looked after properly. However, they are the stars of the show – and we know they need to be accommodated correctly.

There have been a number of incidents when an artist’s rider has not been 100% to their liking and they have threatened not to go on stage. One time this meant we had to chop up towels to make the specific number of 12 handkerchiefs one of our headliners required.

One story which impacted us as a team was last summer when Wiley arrived to the festival 4 hours early! We were well aware of previous stories of last minute cancellations, not to mention him tweeting a week before that he was cancelling his next show due to a sore throat which left us all in panic mode. I am pretty sure I saw Will well up when he saw that tweet!

When he arrived backstage our whole game plan changed. We turned our only dressing room into Wiley’s own private area, (thankfully Shaggy came with his own tour bus). We had to make a few trips to Nandos and restock on specific drinks that he requested on the day, however him being there so early really changed the atmosphere backstage for the better. He was really happy to engage, take photos and do interviews, which set a precedent for other artists backstage. It was also a great testament to us that the only other UK festival he came to that summer was Glastonbury too. Big up Wiley…

What have you learned from doing it yourself? Would you recommend independence is the way forward? And have you received interest or support form any majorly-backed corporation?

Doing this ourselves has been such a blessing but as you can imagine has come with some real challenges. I would most certainly recommend others to remain independent for as long as possible as I am a firm believer that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. If you had told me 4 years ago when we put on our first festival for 800 people that in 4 years time we were going to hosting 18,000 people over a weekend I would of thought you were crazy. However remaining independent has allowed us to maintain creative control and build the festival as we see fit, not adhering to conventional norms and allowing us to set our own trends and direction. I think with independence also comes an element of respect and credibility – we have been forced to grow up ‘business-wise’ very quickly, and have had to take any falls on our own.

We have done this without any hand-outs or financial backing, relying and believing in our product to make ends meet. This has often left us in a position where we couldn’t pay ourselves due to cash flow issues but we are still alive and kicking, that is what matters!

This year we have been approached by a few big corporations about acquisition and investment however we’ve all felt that it was too soon to give up complete control just yet. I suppose there will come a time where we have to weigh up what’s best for the company in the long term. For the time being though, it is ours.

Now, music of black origin/urban music, is infiltrating the main stream more and more. This is great for the industry all round, but how has it affected you guys, if at all, and how do you compete for the festival-goers money with other festivals who are also bringing through the big names of the game?

The rise in popularity has been both a good and a bad thing for us. It has firstly increased our market as more people especially in the Cambridge area are becoming accustomed to the music that we have championed since day dot. However the challenge now arises from the fact that we have to be more creative/clever with whom we book for a few reasons. Firstly the price of the artists has shot up enormously.

Being independent we don’t have anywhere near the budgets of some of the major festivals like Wireless and Lovebox, which can sometimes limit our options (not that we would change one name on the line-up this year). The Stormzy’s and Skepta’s of the game are now out of the question for us despite booking Skepta in just our second year. We have had to be brave on a number of occasions and book artists early, trusting Frazer and Preye’s ears about how well they think an artist is going to do in the months leading up to the festival. We were really lucky with J-Hus, securing him straight after our 2016 festival before he dropped his mercury nominated album ‘Common Sense’, which made him one of the hottest properties for the summer of 2017. Similarly this year with Octavian, we managed to book him a few weeks before his Drake ‘co-sign’. We are buzzing to see him this year

We also have to try and stand out somewhat for the crowd and book artists that aren’t all over the summer circuit. We were fortunate enough to book T-Pain on a UK Festival Exclusive which has been a real USP for us this year, giving people a reason to come to us rather than staying in London and seeing similars faces play closer to home. This also pushes us to develop other areas of the festival in terms such as our onsite content and exclusive areas around the festival. We want to be an adventure playground for 18-26 year olds rather being a big concert in a field. We are also one of the only 18+ festivals in the UK, which impacts the vibe on the day too.

What can we expect for the future of the festival and you guys?

There is a lot in store for the development of Strawberries & Creem and our company as a whole. We will definitely look at expanding across two days in some capacity as it makes a lot of economic sense and we feel that the demand is there now.

There has also been some discussion about using the brand for other events in different locations or even starting up completely different festival under the same umbrella and benefiting from the economies of sales and the 5 year experience we’ve gained. All of this depends on how things go this year and if we can afford to grow the team to expand the business. As a group we are a really tight unit and have developed a strong friendship off the back of working together, so I expect we will continue to grow as a group. We all buzz off each other and are constantly thinking of new ideas for the direction we want to take the festival in and the company as whole.

I think our aim over the next few years will be to grow the festival capacity and create a mainstay of the UK festival market, with a recognisable brand that is on the tip of everyone’s tongues as summer approaches each year. We can only pray…

Strawberries & Creem takes place on Saturday 16th June 2018 at Haggis Farm, Cambridge. Final tickets are available from: www.strawberriesandcreem.com

AAA PASS: BREAKING BREAD WITH BLADE BROWN

“I came in the game to showcase the voice of the voiceless”

Oct 08, 2019

At 2.34pm I got the text from Dejon. 

“Roll for like 6.30 and you’ll be good.”

In true industry fashion, we arrive late, and in truer show night fashion, they’re not ready for us yet. A couple of crew members, staff and management are loitering outside the stage-door entrance. By the time our names are checked off the list, and we’re marched down the three flights of stairs underneath the O2 Academy Islington, the sun has set. Summer months have now officially fleeted, it’s cold out, yet it has dawned, this is the first ever headline show in London for Blade Brown, the epitome of a UK rap veteran. As early as the internet allows us to date back, his ‘Nothing Long Volume 1’ tape released in 2004 started off a career obverse to the project title. Deep footprints last longer. Thus, despite his intermittent MIA status throughout recent years, his troops have been ready. They’ve been eagerly awaiting his return to, although seemingly congenial, what is really the UK rap battlefield. Now, with a brand new tape and a three-city headline tour, he’s back, bigger and better than ever.

It’s 7.38pm, and Blade emerges from his dressing room, sporting the new Man Utd away top and training jacket. He’s doing a pre-show backstage photo-shoot for Soccer Bible. He greets us at arms length, standing firmly, Givenchy sliders in place, before throwing a few poses to the shooter. His demeanour may seem apathetic as he’s observed and Instagrammed by a few of us, but he constantly checks in with the cameraman to ensure he’s getting the shots required. One of his boys peeps his head out of DJ JoceWavy’s dressing room and shouts “Wish I could be you when I’m older.” He lets off a wry smirk, before being handed the home shirt. You can hear the boys inside the dressing room, there’s an air of ebullience. He slips back in to change. A few more snaps and it’s done. We’re guided into the adjacent room to set up. The mirror lights are bright and the black leather sofas slightly rugged. He joins us a couple of moments later, in a filled out LV black T-shirt, before taking the double sofa.

“They don’t ever usually let me do this…” he begins so nonchalantly as I take a seat opposite. All phones are on silent, whilst a couple of cameras click away. “My first ever headline show in London, it feels good man. Obviously, in the last year or so, I’ve made that conscious decision to take music more seriously, so now I’m starting to see the benefits and rewards. There’s obviously a lot more to do, but it feels good right now.” Now being 5 years after ‘Bags X Boxes 3’, released in 2014, it’s fair to say ‘good’ is an understatement. Etta James wouldn’t get a look in. It’s been a long-time coming for Blade to advance to this level, a territory where true artistic individualism and integrity allow you to shine in the deepest, darkest and oldest of trenches.

Most impressive about of this fourth quarter however? Perhaps the ability for ‘Bags X Boxes 4’ to perpetuate the long-serving rawness so captivating for some, and so revealing for others, whilst drafting in new recruits, from K-Trap to LD to Asco and more. Blade is reaching further-afield, and he’s doing so without jeopardising his value. “To be honest with you, because of the length of the break that I took out of music, I felt like I kind of owed it to the people that were waiting for the tape. For the fans…” he speaks candidly. “I could easily gone the chart route, tried to make some music to make some money, it’s not me, but its what everybody’s doing. So I just made sure this tape was raw, and you now, I’ve made them wait so long, so I just had to go super raw, there’s not even one commercial song on there. Music like that lasts longer and stands the test of time. My core fan base is more important for me than commercial success.”

“I think every few years, naturally, my perspective on life changes, ‘cus you experience new and different things. I feel like it always reflects in my music, as you grow as a person. I hope that’s the kind of message that gets across.”

We move onto the project itself. ‘Bags X Boxes 4’, the fourth and final instalment of an epochal series. It’s sharp, it’s clinical, it’s omniscient in perspectives and sounds. His confidence is firmly rooted, he stands tall atop a vexed, dense catalogue and you can hear it. It’s in the opening lines…”Memoirs of a trafficker, Who’s trappier? Money hidden in Africa.” It could be perceived as hyperbolizing, but once Blade lifted his resting arm to his chin, the watch-face exhibits otherwise. He’s aware of his ancestral being, his track record and his presence. “I started it and scrapped it maybe once even twice. I had a few songs and was like nah I don’t like these let me scrap them. Then I probably had a base of around 7 to 8 songs, in 2017 maybe. A friend of mine came to studio, listened and was like, nah this ain’t it bro. (Laughing) So I scrapped it again, you know what I mean.” His laugh gets louder with each word.

He continues, “I had to really step away, outside of the bubble I was in, and just think, like, what do I need to be doing here, what do the people need to be hearing from me in this day and age. I feel like I got the first few tracks done, found my way, got a good solid base and then to finish up…We went to a studio out in the countryside, out in Oxford, and stayed there whilst we were recording. That’s where I got most of the tape finished. Locked in, no distractions.” I ask how frequently he depends on friends to lend ears to his work, ensuring nothing leaves the Blade camp that doesn’t reflect him accurately. His response, fluently articulates his life laws as though they’re second nature to his existence. “I only keep those kind of people around me. I learnt that through life. There’s nothing worse than having yes men around you, it will lead you astray, and it’s more damaging that it is helpful.” The vibe in the room dejects slightly. He looks up. “It might feed your ego, but when it comes to actually getting real life shit done, you gotta’ have real people around you.”

It’s almost time for the Hennessy bottle to be popped before stage time, so I quickly ask how it was collaborating with Giggs once again on the fiery ‘Block’s Hot’ back in July. “Collaborating with Giggs again was good man, it was something people have been waiting on for a very, very long time. We’re always quite competitive when we get in the booth and stuff, a little friendly competition and stuff but we are tryna go for each other’s neck. It’s always good getting in the booth with Hollowman.” 1-0 Blade?

We follow him into his dressing room. It’s dimly lit but the air of excitement kicks in once again. Laughter erupts and voices natter over one another. There’s two of his boys on the sofa, two on the dresser. The topic of conversation switches from a recent show in Amsterdam to AJ Tracey’s huge upcoming nights at Ally Pally. Cottons takeaway is laid out on the table, quarter jerk, chicken burger and 2 x mac n cheese. A clothes rack with football shirts lines the wall into the shower room. Blade is the quietest. He grabs a plastic cup and the bottle, pouring himself a drink. He leans back against the dresser and joins in. Guv walks in and daps everyone up before disappearing again. By this time the show is approaching. The bass from the stage upstairs is kicking through the floors. We head up out the back entrance and hang outside. Security are on crud and the loud was loud, so we make our way to the front and jump in to watch the room fill to the brim.

9.23pm.

Full it is. The stopwatch projected on the screen above the stage hits zero and the lights drop out. DJ Klipa lets us know. The trap revolution is about to be televised. Red spotlights float the stage and Blade emerges, arm swinging, Intro blasting. “They’ve been locking us off for time but we’re here now!” he exclaims. His stage presence is dominating, marching up and down reciting the memoirs of ‘Bags & Boxes 4’. We’re taken from the melodic rainfall keys of ‘Break Bread 2’ to the room-shaking bass of ‘Littest N*ggas’, recited lyric for lyric by a brim-full floor and balcony as directed by Blade’s rising microphone. Youngs Teflon and Mental K join Blade on stage soon after his own entrance to perform ‘Triple Threat’, an impervious back and forth off the project between the trio.

He looks comfortable and in control. Despite the trials and tribulations his career and progress may have faced, it seems as though now’s his time. Ground has been taken on the battlefield, and as he commands his way through the project his words from earlier in the night ring truer than ever. “What has kept me going through all the setbacks and adversities you face in music, in life, sometimes when you put years and effort and a lot of time into something, its hard to just let it go to waste.”

“Certain things happened on the previous attempt at a tour and we lost a lot of the momentum that we had, with ticket sales and stuff like that, so even when we was coming out to the shows and stuff, some of them were half empty cus of these push-backs. That kind of stuff made me wanna’ not even do music anymore. It put me off. But then its like, you take a step back and look and its like, you know what, you cant really let things, other people or outside influences stop you, so…”

Indeed… The trap revolution will be televised.

AAA PASS: A NIGHT WITH MADEINTYO

“I couldn’t tell you when it was going to happen, but it happened for me.”

Mar 25, 2019

It’s just after 8.45 pm and MadeinTYO is perched on the sofa arm in his dressing room. He’s wearing white tube socks and a pair of scuffed red and white Nike high-tops which are firmly planted on the edge of the table. Hennesy and coke in one hand, his other reaches out to greet the additional five or so people that just walked into an already cramped room. The sense of serenity is infectious, he’s over in London for the opening night of his first European tour. o2 Academy Islington is the venue and it’s only 15 minutes before he’s due on stage but the greetings have only just begun.

“I’m bless. I’ve been saying that a lot, but I really am,” he begins, looking down, as the room clears to just a few. Cameras flash and polaroid photos are handed around. The tour manager is in and out. “I was talking to one of my friends in the crowd, that I haven’t even met, and she did a drop for me that I use in all my music. I got this drop in like 2013.” MadeinTYO (pronounced made in Tokyo), is a part of a born-in early 90’s Atlanta rapper generation, thus somewhat duly introverted. Although a significant portion of his life was spent living in Japan, “there’s moments where you’re like, yo, these are like my first shows out here, of many, and erm, I’m happy, I don’t even know like, how to react to it. It’s like starting the tour over again, but it’s just a different vibe. It doesn’t even matter if it’s like 5 people showed up, like yo it’s five people, five kids, in Europe that you don’t know that love your music, so, I’m happy.”

An internet era of Hip Hop may well be dependant on virality, however, the success stories of MadeinTYO’s already enviable-catalogue are just as enticing. He recalls asking his mom, politely, to be quiet cooking whilst he finished off the rest of the record that was set to change his whole life – ‘Uber Everywhere’. That was 2016. Now, 3 years later and half way around the world from his LA residency, he’s gearing up for the stage, breezily.

He takes a sip. “Man you know what, I used to talk about music and wanting to do it, and I think I kind of manifested it with a lot of God and a lot of my mom praying. I couldn’t tell you when it was going to happen, but it happened for me. I dropped the ‘I Want’ song, 10, I wanna’ say 10 or less than 15 days, it was just everywhere, all the blogs you could think of. Then later I dropped Uber right after that. Everything was like a snowball effect, everything just started going up for me.” Having stuck with producer K Swisha since Uber,  the pair have ended up having the plaque-earning ‘Skateboard P’ (ft. Big Sean) and ‘Ned Flanders’ (ft A$AP Ferg) he explains; “Man plaques in general,  I never thought you would have a gold record or a platinum record, all of that is like a reach for me, I just wanna’ put music out, I just wanna’ put music out, and my friends like it, its cool, they hit me up.”

I don’t know how to act right now.

Laughter bubbles over in the room when reminiscing on his 500 followers days. “Nah for real, I used to be like it’s lit when I cracked 100 likes. And it was a good moment for me at that moment to where I can appreciate every level of it. 100 people or 1000 people.” Moments hit you, he says, before whispering bringing the room to utter silence “I don’t know how to act right now”.

Yes he may now be on his way to international superstardom, but this superstardom subsides to his pure humility and vulnerability. The moments he speaks so profoundly of happen daily. Riding in a car with his son with the next car along full of kids blasting his tunes. He doesn’t know how to react. He’s slowly learning. Embracing it. He doesn’t see himself as big as they see him, but he understands the necessity to break the ice, the divide.

There’s a seemingly untainted balance from his adolescence to adulthood through to now parenthood, as a father of young ‘True’. It’s a transition that one could only experience through experience. You go from “worrying about yourself to another person, knowing you gotta’ get home” as he put it. There was intermittent eye contact with the room. “Alright look so, the only way to make you guys understand that, you know when you miss somebody that you talk to or whatever, imagine like, it will never go away.” 

There’s a knock at the door. A few more bodies arrive outside his dressing room door. It’s getting uncomfortably warm as the mirror lights get brighter. His voice crescendos over the rumble as he passes his iPhone to the tour manager before telling him the passcode. “It’s Ferg. I forgot he texted me saying he’s linking with Rocky and wants to come through.” Disbelief strikes the room. “What…A$AP?” peeped a voice in the corner. There’s a glimmer of excitement amongst a few. He clocks it. “Yeah I knew Ferg was gonna’ come but I didn’t know Rocky was too.”

“Always when I leave, I have that feeling” he continues, “It’s literally like, it’s so pure. It’s so like, you’re a child, you know that. You know they just hope that they’re good. Having a kid makes me want it more. His life depends on if I’m successful. So it’s like, the pressure is on, even more, where that’s the only motivation you need.  People seek motivation everywhere, but I just look at a picture of my son and say ‘we gonna go get it today’.  We working on music today, this is my job. It was fun at first, all just fun, but now it’s a job too. This really my wake up put the uniform on lets go.”

He hops off the sofa arm and fixes himself up as his winsome comical vulnerability surfaces. “Nah ‘cus this chick I was kicking it with once had a moment like that” he magnifies. The story perks up ears, “We’re not ever… I’m not ever bringing Rocky around you again, I get it but damnn, I hope the conversations about me or.. at least something” he says tittering.

9.06pm.

It’s almost showtime. We disappear for a few minutes into the adjacent MadeinTYO dressing room. By the time we come back, they’ve made their way up four flights of steps to stage level. We rush up not to miss the moment. Woolly hat, shorts and Polythene jumper all still in place. Cup still in his right hand, and a mic in his left, he’s standing behind the black curtains, giving a little “oohh” into the microphone. The crowd noise bursts. He turns around and gives a silent child-like giggle. He’s unphased.

‘Outstanding’, a cut from the debut studio album ‘Sincerely, Tokyo’ released back in October bumps as he bounces onto stage. For such a compact venue, he’s dwarfed by the occasion. The project is weightier than his previous bodies, yet still seemingly shy of a status-solidifying body of work, completely definitive in sound and nature. The powerful production of hard-hitters ‘Chucky Cheese’ and ‘Ned Flanders’ assist in carrying the album to a noticeable piece and most definitely sets him off the mark in the run up to future drops.

“I got to add more people, with a verity, from Roy Wood$,  Tinashe to Blood Orange to Ferg” he nods when talking about the album. “A mixture of those people, to this next album. I’m happy if people love this album because the next album is gonna’ be way better.  Already right now from different people I’m working with and talking to, I’m…excited. Oh Tokyo has a song with this person or he has this vibe or I’m always gonna’ work with K Swisha. Actually his birthday was yesterday. I’m excited, I’m excited to work on more music.”

ASAP Ferg pulls up 10 minutes later. Himself, his chain, his girl and a beefy ASAP mob member all huddled between the black curtains to the right of the stage. He’s peering through a swarm of snapchat flash lights as ‘Chucky Cheese’ lights the place up. The ground starts shaking as “I Want” bursts through ear drums. ‘Uber Everywhere’ set the “throw a party” vibe TYO had talked about.

“It’s so dope to be able to throw a party, and you know that’s how I look at shows. Those people are out there, I walk out and they’re going to be happy I’m there. Who doesn’t like walking into a building and its people that love you. There’s so much negative stuff going on, so when you get the positives, every night, like yo there’s more than 100 people, more than 100 people that are ready to see me. That’s cool. That’s cool. And then like then not only that but like Europe, what! It’s the same thing if a European artist came to LA and did a show. Like you know, Stormzy (pointing at the poster behind him) comes to the states and does a show, that’s an emotional moment. Like LA sold out. NY sold out. And you’re from London. That is like amazing. So even to do shows, its amazing…” he exclaims passionately.

10pm strikes. ‘Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2’ drops and MadeinTYO gives a tribute to the late Yams. Rocky arrives solo and joins Ferg et al behind the curtains. We greet each other with the nod shoulder bump combo. He’s hooded out under the vest, with a blue Bart Simpson etched woolly cap. Comfy. Ducking constant calls with is iPhone in hand. ‘Plain Jane’ drops, the Mob and it’s entourage rush the stage to a roaring reception. Rocky joins Ferg and TYO dancing on stage before falling back to the stage side. Greeting MadeinTYO and his crew one by one as Ferg approaches the barriers. The lights are blinding.

You can’t help but be startled at the stature of company young MadinTYO not only keeps but creates with so early on in a hopeful career – 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Big Sean, A$AP Ferg, just to name a few. The most important thing, the relationships, the collaborations, the conversations, they feel natural, organic, somewhat refreshing to an industry riddled with in-house plants. Perhaps such cases are the truly concealed silver lining of a Soundcloud rapper generation. It’s growth. Outdoing yourself every time.

There are beads of sweat dripping from a now jacket-less Ferg, as Rocky embraces him and they roll off stage and out the back after a few goodbyes. 10 minutes later MadeinTYO closes his first European show. He’s followed by 15-20 off the stage and down the stairs straight back into the dressing room onto his sofa arm chair. He pours a fresh Henny and Coke and hops up to change his shirt. There’s an air of jubilation though it remains as calm as the pre-show vibe. “Having ya’ll pop up. Like, shit was dope. Shit felt like even if I wasn’t here, like, really like, it’s like the culture here.” MadeinTYO breaks into a semi-monologue. The room fills up more. “It’s super dope. And I was seeing kids with Places + Faces T-shirts in the crowd, its fire. I didn’t tell them to do that, I swear…” the room laughs.

Energy flows throughout the night until it was time to dip. Paris is next up before the rest of the European tour. Until next time Tokyo.

THE RISE & RISE OF KENNY ALLSTAR

Oct,02, 2018

“I came in the game to showcase the voice of the voiceless”

Earlier in 2018, the justly self-proclaimed ‘voice of the streets’, Kenny Allstar was 15 tracks deep into the creation of his upcoming debut studio album. Having requested the presence of well-entrenched producer Nastylgia in the studio, Kenny leaned on his long-standing relationship with Headie One and what emerged has already proven to be a triumphant lead single, ‘Tracksuit Love’.

The culturally fitting single precedes an album 25 years in the making – ‘Block Diaries’. Set for release in October 2018, it is a sonically clenching ensemble, fashioned out of grime, trap, afro-swing and drill, with each component weaving you in and out of 17 chapters, embroidered with 25 of the UK’s most lyrically and rhythmically potent talent. Kenny Allstar has reached a climactic point of his eventful yet short journey, and with the announcement of a BBC 1xtra residency and the imminent arrival of his much-anticipated project, it’s time for Kenny to take the stage.

“I think around the time of 9 or 10 years old, I was infatuated with a lot of radio…” Kenny begin, tapping his spoon on his teacup, as he reflects on his humble journey up to today. Though only 25, his contemplation and recollection of his childhood experiences paint a picture of a somewhat serendipitous yet laboured rise to the top of his game. “As opposed to doing like what a lot of other kids my age were doing, trading Yu-gi-ho cards, Pokemon cards like, watching TV programmes and dissecting it in school the next day…’cus I come from a family that didn’t really have much, I couldn’t afford to indulge in them kind of things. So I spent a lot of my time listening to radio. We didn’t have TV but we had radio. Kenny continues…”There were certain personalities I would hear on the radio, especially on a Saturday night. I would always just remember like, some of the best frequencies were like Radio 1. So I would hear, Tim Westwood into Chris Goldfinger, then Pete Tong, Judge Jules, and that was like, always the weekend thing for me.”

However, it wasn’t until a small while after his initial infatuation with radio that Kenny began to be influenced by an array of genres to explore his own potential to be in radio, a choice that would see his rise to the spotlight of a culture. “When I started learning about those FM frequencies I started getting into pirate radio, so then it extended to like listening to Deja or Rinse, or ‘cus I’m from South, OnTop FM was like the station. Then I would start getting into and learning about more UK music. Before that I was listening to bare US stuff. I remember one of the first albums that my mom got me was an Obi Trice CD…and she herself was really into Reggae and Dancehall. There was a lot of Beres Hammond, Barrington Levy, The Wailers, Bob Marley, Kevin Lyttle… So in the mixture of all of that, and music was such a big part of everything, ‘cus remember we couldn’t watch things, so we always had music around the house.”

“I was always trying to learn certain things in secondary school,” Kenny candidly responds when I quizz him about how he took the step from simply a consumer of music to producer. “When it got to like year 10, and I was going through those crucial stages, like teenage, puberty all of that yeah…when all of those things started to happen and I was getting a bit more independent growing up, that’s when I wanted to get into trying to not just listen to it but dabble in it.”

Then begins the grind. Whilst his, along with many other’s humble beginnings from arguably desolate inner-London neighbourhoods ironically prove burdensome, there is undoubtedly a propellant for the destined. Such was the case for Kenny, as what follows was the establishing of his ‘voice of the streets’ persona in the UK black music scene. The building of several platforms including the infamous Mad About Bars, not to mention the huge amounts of content curated and provided for influential platforms including BBC, all became part of his earliest steps into the industry. “There was like a youth club around the Ladywell area, which was in like a shed behind…a woman that actually ran a studio. So, everyone would go to her studio, like P Money, you know, big guys in Lewisham, MC culture. They would go there, but the studio was at her house. Behind it she had the shed and weren’t doing nothing with it. My bredrin Rick hit her up and was like yeah we wanna do this radio thing. Then she set up this Grime online station, and that’s when I started DJing, playing for a lot of the MCs around the area. Bare man would just come there on a Friday night. At that stage, I think I was in like year 10. I was just mixing up the styles, it was just fun, it was a vibe. It was just a hobby, at that stage, like, I knew I wanted to get in it, but at that stage it was just early doors. I had a good friend who was doing the producing side of things. I used to help him a bit, ‘cus I didn’t really have the patience to be behind the keys. I knew what sounded right in my mind, but didn’t have the capacity or patience to you know…programme the beat. So I’d just be like, ‘yo like why don’t you just change the drum pattern on this beat or why don’t you just turn up the 808 on that beat.”

I put it to Kenny that even then, he was picking up A&R skills that would prove so fundamental to the curation of ‘Block Diaries’ years later and he expressively places down his cup, and concurs. “Yeah! ‘Cus remember when you don’t have nothing visually to look at a young age, you rely on these more than you rely on these,” gesturing to his ears then eyes. “It was more like, I was poor. I couldn’t afford a telly, so sound was everything at that age. And that’s quite a delicate age. You’re going into school and everyone’s got a whole different culture, you know, learning about so much, but you’re not the cool kid, and it’s embarrassing to say ‘I can’t really get involved in this conversation because I don’t have a telly.’ Little things like that, like that’s embarrassing.” It’s those formative moments without, that shaped Kenny’s vision within, “I remember those kind of moments. Getting bullied because…you know little moments like that. They definitely did fuel me. That’s why I get this work ethic of, not sleeping and not slowing down, being last one to go bed and first one up…that mentality is in me because of little things like that.”

Before long, Kenny who had still not reached 18, was talking his way into presenting on De Ja without having to pay subs, one of the pioneering pirate stations of it’s time in the Grime scene. “So this is where the gift of the gab comes in…” he proudly states laughingly, “…mans a good talker innit. I remember talking to the programmer at the time and I was like, yeah can I do the shifts that no-one else wants to do, just to get on. The first time I went to the station meeting, I met all these bigger DJs that were like all mad older than me and I think I even lied about my age. I was definitely not 18. They were trying to get into a wider time frame in terms of broadcasting. So there was a Friday, Saturday , Sunday, and there was a 7-2, it was mad long, but I was like yeah I’ll do it. There was one show on Friday and I was meant to go college, but I didn’t turn up to college, I bumped it to go and do that first shift. Obviously the station didn’t know that, ‘cus man lied about my age. So I went and done the shift anyway. Then on the Saturday I would go back and do it. Then my mom found out that I was leaving the house in the morning and she was just not feeling that. She stopped me from doing it. But I’ll never forget, De Ja 92.3, it was sick. I had that breakfast show, it was a moment, and I just wanted to say that I’d been on De Ja. Cus you know like, especially ‘cus grime was such an important genre. I felt like, to be part of that grime legacy as a DJ, you’ve gotta have been on either Rinse or De Ja. You gotta say you’ve been on either of those two stations. I know I can. Now looking back on it, I just wanted that moment. So that was when I first like, got into radio.

I always tell people like, put all the music aside, I am a DJ and I wanna’ make it on radio. 1xtra is the station I’ve always wanted to make it on.

Kenny has taken it from De Ja, to now taking over the coveted 9-11pm Friday night slot on BBC 1xtra, replacing Dj Semtex. After honing his craft for 9 years, and working with the UK’s most formidable talent from Ghetts, to M Huncho, Mike Skinner and more. Without doubt his hard working attitude and inherently championing personality has brought him here. “I think the 1xtra journey has been a bit of a bitter sweet, because erm…remember being 9, listening to Tim Westwood, Pete Tong, Chris Goldfinger, Judge Jules, Annie Mac…all these important names in our culture. It was beautiful. That would’ve been the pinnacle of my career full stop. I always tell people like, put all the music aside, I am a DJ and I wanna’ make it on radio. 1xtra is the station I’ve always wanted to make it on. So when I was 18 I first went to the network and I was doing Xtra Talent, again, I was influenced a lot by dancehall music. My mom is a big advocate of reggae and dancehall music, so I started off on the network playing that. I was doing Xtra Talent, doing mixes for Seani B…any opportunity I could take to get on the network I would try that. 18 to 25, like it’s been such a journey. I’ve been trying to get onto that network for the last 6 or 7 years it’s been…crazy. And because I wanna be on the network so bad, I’ve not given up, even up to now, people say to me, rah 7 years trying to get on one station, that’s a bit mad. But I just wanted to know that one day, you know when you just go on the website and you just see your face…and you just see your own show, that was like the goal. So even now, it’s amazing because I’ve got so much content on their channels, and the residency every month. But the goal was getting my own show. It’s such a ground-breaking moment for someone who’s pushing music that they wouldn’t put on BBC.” Deservedly congratulations are due on his recent milestone.

It would be impossibly not to touch on a highly pertinent topic hitting mainstream media as of late. The same media-houses and establishments that are supposedly beginning to embrace black music and culture, have been slandering and condemning it, in particular, drill music, and it’s supposed societal impacts with regards to violence and crime. I propose to Kenny that as people of a culture, there’s utmost certainty that rising crime and violence rates are a result of the social and economical environments those affected are in, as opposed to their intrinsic behaviours and influence of aggressive music. His take is of a similar discourse, “I think at this point, we’ve become a scapegoat. I mean…I watch Netflix everyday. There’s a section on Netflix called ‘Violent Dramas’. You can check it out. Check out all the categories. You get the dropdown menu, under Dramas, there’s ‘Violent Dramas’. Let’s look at some of the most popular video games in this country and stateside, whatever. Call of Duty, GTA, Halo. These are all…these are all video games that insight…War. Forget even just violence, war” he exclaims vigorously, as the emotion in his speech and demeanour became prevalent.

“You get billion pound corporations using violence as a way of selling things, now you wanna go into music, rap music, a form of expression. From the beginning of rap music, or Hip Hop in general, this genre is meant to be a genre that was built on being expressive. So therefore, even when US music was just selling off the HMV shelves in this country, and 50 Cent and the bullet holes on his fucking album cover, all of that shit was flying off the shelves. The news was nowhere to be found then. There might have been some news stations that might have said ‘yea ok well, blah blah blah’ so the companies just put a little parental advisor sticker on the CDs or 18+ on the video games.”

Now what is so sad for me…is that when it comes to our own…these are young people coming from deprived areas, finding opportunities to make legitimate money! … I don’t understand why that is now a problem.”

His tone is controlled with emphasis and eloquence.

 “Why the media are gonna scrutinise some of these young people. You know, I’m not a politician so I can’t tell you about unemployment rates or all of these things, but one thing I can tell you is that a lot of these young people…they don’t get taught certain things in school. They don’t even get taught about how to pay taxes. They don’t get taught about certain business or how to be an entrepreneur. So a lot of these young people look at rappers and think ok cool, this is a nice way of you know, being able to just pick up a pen and paper, write, go into a studio and boom. Some of these guys sell millions of records and are starting to make millions of pounds.

So we’re at a stage where it’s sickening to know that our media are starting to scrutinise these young people and say that the content’s negative…when I’ve just named two mediums that everybody…ok let’s not push it and say 80% of people that I know, especially young people, you know 15-28 or 5-30 whatever, they use Netflix and play video games. The authorities don’t go HAM on them but they go HAM on young people trying to better themselves.”

I put it to him that such reason could be race or class and he responds with omniscience, “I don’t see colour too much on it, because the lines are starting to get blurred. Even if you wanna focus on race like…lets say, drill music yeah. Ok. Lets say 80% of drill musicians are black, but 80% of the consumers are not black. So its one of these things where, they fear what they don’t understand. From the government to the police force to the people that just want to have opinions on drill music being negative. These people in higher up positions, labelling are young men as criminals, it’s kind of sickening, because we don’t know what some of these people do on their own time. But us, over here, on the streets of London, we’re not going over to parliament and saying “well, look at some of you lot, what you lot into.” Cus if we knew some of their whatever, we’d probably be like wow, alright then.”

I go into some of these youth centres and initiatives and they’re telling me in a years time we’re not gonna be open Kenny

“I’ve held back on talking about this because it does get under my skin, because, you see when I’m on the BBC or Boiler Room, Mad About Bars, whatever, whatever platform I have. I bring these youths from out of the blocks to express themselves on a microphone. They get millions of views and then they tour the country. That’s me doing something positive for some of these guys. Some of these guys have no opportunity. I go into some of these youth centres and initiatives and they’re telling me in a years time we’re not gonna be open Kenny. But again, why? Why don’t these major news outlets, Sky or daily mail or whatever, why don’t they go and speak on the positive aspects of what these people from the streets do? Stormzy just done the scholarship for Cambridge, why are we not documenting that, and giving my man a pat of the back. Krept and Konan, who came form the streets of Thornton Heath, yeah, where the crime rate is high, these man have opened a restaurant in their own community. They come from the same genre, rap music, trap music, yeah, that these lot are trying to break down. Lethal Bizzle, Dizzie Rascal, Wiley, all millionaires. They all come from hoods. They come from communities that these lot are trying to deprive.”

He sums up his extremely cogent monologue with a sensible proposition to the current issues the scene is facing.

“So here’s my answer to anyone who’s gonna ridicule drill music. Always look at two sides of the story. Instead of backing these youths up against the wall and stopping them from being expressive, and making money legitimately, you need to look at yourselves in the mirror. Cool, some of the contents harsh, we’ll just look at it, we’re not gonna stop what they’re doing, but if there’s certain things that are being said, that are so raw and unacceptable, then you can strike that. Like on YouTube, you get strikes for certain things, you strike that. You give a reason why you’re striking it, then maybe, cool. But don’t stop them. ‘Cus when you’re start doing that, what else is left for them? A lot of these guys that have made certain mistakes can’t go and get a job anyway, because they’ve got a record, for the smallest things too!”

“A lot of artists have said some raw things on my platforms, and I have no regrets. I know what I came in the game for. And if I’m the last one left, I don’t care. If every DJ takes their bags and runs because they’re getting pressured by police or whatever, I know where I come from and I’m proud of what I’ve done for a lot of these youths.”

I came in the game to showcase the voice of the voiceless.

Despite still being so young, his demeanour and voice on this issue strikes a nerve, and mirrors that which a political figurehead would be proud.

Wrapping up our conversation to talk about ‘Block Diaries’ the album, consisting of a line-up riddled with talent from 67, to Not3s, to SNE, Abra Cadabra, Belly Squad, M Huncho (who was the lead for the second single, ‘Solo’) it is a journey in itself. The opening tracks set the fresh, clean cut, primed scene for the ‘Block Diaries’. Che Lingo, SNE, TE Dness and Suspect with Nafe Smallz then respectively bring about a stint of emotion and despair with their tracks, ‘All You Need’ and extremely fitting entitled ‘Cocoon’, before an aggressive, drilly, dark prequel to a resolutive ending. The sounds and content harmonise with the track-list structure, down to the BPMs. It is an amazingly, coherent yet versatile body of work, expertly curated.

The reason it’s called ‘Block Diaries’ is because a lot of the most significant moments of my life happened in the estates that I came from.

“Curating has been a goal of mine since 2011…” Kenny begins telling me “…When I was trying to come up and an up and coming DJ, and trying to find ways of showcasing rappers. I used to come across all these great rappers on my journey and I always used to think to myself, why don’t I just build a project with all my favourite MCs. ‘Mad About Bars’ for example, that started because I wanted to crate a playlist of all my favourite MCs. That’s why you can’t submit to be on there, it’s like one of the only platforms where you actually can’t pay to get on it. If I like you, that’s it. I rate these guys, I just wanna’ hear them. The reason it’s called ‘Block Diaries’ is because a lot of the most significant moments of my life happened in the estates that I came from. I was always around high rises. I always remember waking up, stepping out, and just seeing communities of people, loads of windows, tower blocks. That’s where the inspiration came from. The Diaries part, because when I grew up, I always used to write what I was going through in a diary. You can’t speak to everyone about your personal life. I felt it was healthier to release it than keep it bottled in so I used to write in a diary.”

“See the way you just described it, that’s exactly how I want everyone to listen to it. I come from the days where, when you brought an album out, there was always a story. With compilation projects its very hard, ‘cus everyone’s got different rhyming styles, not everyone can on cue get the concept, so I was like, I’m a voice, so if an artist cant really capture the concept then maybe I can speak my way to guide the listener. That’s why it is like that. And the way I consume music is in genres, I listen to my playlist and everything has to be like in an organised way. That’s my musical OCD. It has to go slow, and then fast. Same with my DJ sets. It’s cohesive. I miss that. UK rap, I think we’ve lost that, sonically.”

‘Block Diaries’ is out 5th October, you can pre-order it here.