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. 

0121 THE RISE OF BIRMINGHAM PT:2

“The focus is finally here, and so are the right players to maintain and amplify that attention”

Aug 11, 2017

One of the most striking things about the key players in the Birmingham Grime scene, has been their ability to manoeuvre through years of musical and cultural development. The artists who have survived these lengthy periods, have done so by embedding themselves into the crevices of the streets that this music belongs to. Whilst remaining influential and akin to the rising stars on the frontline, these players hold themselves in high regard despite the humbleness they seemingly display on camera.

After several discussions with the artists who could be regarded as the spine of this growing scene that is Grime, it has become increasingly clear that the idea of ‘making it’, the purpose, isn’t necessarily what we all deem it to be. That is however, not to belittle the achievements and future ambitions of these artists.

A conflicting concept of hunger vs contentment is mirrored throughout their thoughts and opinions especially when it comes to addressing the London Complex – a concept that some have already dismissed. The overarching belief is that, Birmingham, along with all the other UK cities contributing to the scene, is doing exactly that, contributing. The capital city no longer feels like the yard stick by which artist should be measuring themselves against.

In Part 2 of the #0121TheRiseofBirmingham series, we converse with Tazzle, Infamous Dimez and Scorpz, to get their views on the scene and where they stand in their respective careers today.

Tazzle

“It’s been a long journey, almost 10 years since I first started getting into it.” Tazzle begins to reflect as we sit down after he wraps up a 3-hour session down at Prime Studios, Digbeth. “That was when the Grime scene really began to pop, and for me, I’m lucky in a sense. For every stage of progression that Birmingham Grime has gone through, I’ve been there and seen it.”

“In my opinion, in terms of talent, Birmingham will be beyond London, if not already”

Talking at a very exciting time for Birmingham as a scene, it’s clear Tazzle feels a similar way to how the majority of artists are feeling at this moment. “It’s a very exciting moment here. We’re fortunate enough to be in positions where we have a chance to go onto mainstream platforms, festivals, shows, getting access, and it’s a blessing to be there, as a key player or even a potential key player. The focus is finally here, and so are the right players to maintain and amplify that attention”

“In my opinion, in terms of talent, Birmingham will be beyond London, if not already” he answers confidently with little show of hesitancy, when quizzed on the tendency to compare Birmingham’s scene with London. “If you’re talking infrastructure, radio, labels etc, then of course, it’s understandable, London is the capital, the origins and where attention is drawn to, but in terms of content, nah. When you are in cities like here, or even surrounding areas, and other cities like Wolverhampton, it’s easy to get that London Complex, but we can see the development. You don’t have to physically go somewhere to impact the market. It’s about having the right brand, believing in it, and marketing it well.”

With Tazzle focused and working towards good quality music, it’s clear that his visions are set for the scene as a whole. It’s not necessarily about viewing cities in different lights; it’s about the art itself. “Respect the artists, and the city will grow.”

Infamous Dimez

Whilst the spotlight is being shared by a handful of Brummie MCs, one could argue that it’s those artists lurking in the shadows of the scene, who are more privileged. Given their extended time in the scene, it has given them to opportunity to see everything, every first, every development. Originally from Birmingham but now Wolverhampton-based, Infamous Dimez is an artist who proclaims this. His time is imminent, and it’s long over-due.

“Being on 1Xtra this year, for the Wolves takeover, that was one of the biggest things for me so far. I’ve always wanted to be there at one point, because I could go in there and bar. A lot of people aren’t too aware of me being able to spit, but I can spit.”

We meet up in the middle of Digbeth’s infamous Custard Factory, an area synonymous with the old school, Grime and live music events that Dimez was so privileged to experience. “It was in this place, where we’re sitting right now, where it all happened,” he reflected. “Birmz is Grime, Rainbow Venues, the first time they got Ghetts down here. These are the things I’ll never forget, I was there. A couple of years back, when Grime was still, you know, Grime…” nodding profusely. “With no disrespect to those doing it now, there was so much culture, clashing, so much for us to get hold of.”

Know who you are, who you’re creating for and what you represent. Your brand isn’t just a name, it’s everything about you.

I ask about the supposed inconsistency of the scene as a whole in Birmingham, and his wisdom and experience shines through, providing an insightful input. “It’s not about what artists are bringing, it’s about what people are accepting…in my opinion. People have achieved greatness in a short period of time because they’ve given the public what they wanted. It’s a balancing act, not about conforming, but creating…and be quick with it, really quick. I’ve seen it happen. You can be the shit on Friday, and a nobody on Sunday.”

Scorpz

“Livewire was a movement, originally, it was Me, Hecki and Choppa, you know, when it got serious, and to be honest, a couple man were more on it than others” Scorpz begins reminiscing after I ask him how he started. “Dapz was always on it 100% fully focused, Choppa as well. Some of us weren’t as consistent, but I feel like now I’m addressing that.”

Fast forward to 2017, Scorpz has made quite the name for himself, and recently dropped an extremely strong project in ‘Bits and Bobs’, leading with the single, ‘Deebo’. “That’s mans surroundings sometimes. Theres stages where things are happening and it’s not as bright outside… but then there’s also tunes like ‘Due Time’ as well; it’s still for that street element”, he responds when quizzed on the aggression of his latest efforts. “The concept of it was basically, bits and bobs of me, what I do. Each song was a bit of me and then I followed that up with ‘Views’, even though ‘Views’ was technically done before that project, it got resurged into life, play-listed, sync deal, everything.”

It’s becoming increasingly clear when looking through the eyes of various artists that Birmingham is perceived as a working project, almost a future hub of the Grime scene. Scorpz’s opinion is no different. “I definitely see us as a leader and with a bright future as a city. We ain’t stopping, and if none of us are stopping, it’s not gonna’ fall flat. Even if a few of us make it, it will build opportunities, it will build belief. It will make those younger artists who have an inherently negative view, as if to say, “ahh I’m from Brum I can’t make it”.

If more of us make it, it will happen. Belief is necessary, you have to believe in yourself.

Having recently been named a part of Birmingham-based Punch Records’ Next level programme, Scorpz is hoping to build strong relationships and perhaps more excitingly, build a project that could be coming towards the end of this year. “With Bits and Bobs, I didn’t fully understand what I was going into. Now, I get it, I know what they want. I know what works and what energy to go with. Give it a few years and I’ll get there. I’m excited.”

0121 THE RISE & RISE OF BIRMINGHAM MC’S

“I’m spitting for Birmingham. Someone’s gotta’ show identity from our city.”

Jul 28, 2017

The national explosion of Grime is undeniable to practically anyone remotely interested in music, from the invasion of the Official UK Charts to taking over mainstream Summer festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds. It was in the early to mid-2000s although, where we began to see the first traces of Grime music seep through the veins of major cities outside of London in the UK.

Birmingham’s Grime scene has been on simmer for years now, but the cultural mixing-pot of this younger city, bursting with younger people, is about to boil over, and what is emerging as a result is a line-up of the most ravenous, sharp and ferocious talent that the UK currently has to offer. Yet, whilst this new wave of artists is only now seemingly heading to the frontline, in reality, 0121 has had the presence of a heavyweight in the scene for 10 years or more.

Mike Skinner’s 2003 EP, ‘All Got Our Runnins’, featured a handful of Grime MCs on remixes, while the historic 2006 Lord of The Mics clash between Skepta and Devilman, brought about the London-MCs stinging ‘Nasty’ anthem, and has till now, racked up over 11 million YouTube plays. In fact, it’s almost as if Birmingham’s own have developed a taste for stealing the spotlight in prominent moments of greatness. A year prior to the rising of the infamous Rainbow Warehouse live Grime events in Digbeth, south of the city centre, came what was considered of the scenes most flipped instrumentals, ‘Woooo Riddim’, produced by S-X. These footsteps of a Brummie producer have been inflated by one of the hottest producers in the game right now, Swifta Beater, who is responsible for some of the most listened to tracks in the scene from JME & Giggs’ ‘Man Don’t Care’, to Kano’s ‘3 Wheel-ups’.

Now with it’s own defined sound, Birmingham’s new generation of Grime artists, from Jaykae and Dapz On The Map to Lady Leshurr, have made incredible leaps and bounds for the genre and scene in the UK’s second city. The same manner in which the diverse demographics of this city lend to the unique fusing of sounds amongst the raw talent that there is to offer, Birmingham has delivered some kind of ineffable intensity to the game, that arguably, London, the city known as the birthplace of Grime, hasn’t delivered.

Regardless of these efforts however, it’s no secret that Birmingham has, musically, remained beneath the shadows of The Big Smoke up till now. As you explore the emotions and streets of 0121 through the organic, contentious abilities that these artists bring, you can’t help but feel as if the energy in every bar being spat, originates from a place of grievance, frustration, almost animosity. It’s the London Complex – the idea, better yet, the assumption, that one can only go so far, or develop to a certain point, in this city, until they can no longer progress without making the big move. It’s not a new thought, but in recent times, it’s seemingly losing its eminence amongst the local artists’ thought process, seeing the international heights that their very own have achieved from their back yard.

Birmingham is on the rise, and it’s time to show it. In Part 1 of our new series we speak to Tempa and Dapz On The Map ahead of MADE festival.

Tempa

Tempa’s recent release of ‘Gimme Respect‘ coupled with the long-term artist-producer relationship he shares with Swifta, has truly allowed Birmingham’s Tempa to put his stamp on the scene, declaring his presence and what’s to come. “Gimme Respect was for everyone, it represents everyone here (in Birmingham), and we aren’t just talkin’ to the listeners, it’s aimed at the industry as a whole. Give us respect! Give me respect! Everyone that is spitting, and putting in actual work, and getting the ball rolling” Tempa explained in my recent #0121TheRiseofBirmingham sit down with him.

When questioned on his opinions towards the London Complex however, his tone opposed the view that has kept so many artists from outside of the big city restrained for so long. “You don’t need to be there initially. Nothing is stopping you from becoming established before taking it to the next stage, your music and your hard work will do that. It’s just when you have to do certain things, for example, attending an interview on 1xtra.”

Birmingham is on the come up. We’re building, everyone is building.

Birmingham compared to London, may be regarded to be a city low on infrastructure and resources when it comes to supporting up and coming artists, Tempa doesn’t disagree. “Definitely. We need more things going on, more radio stations that are willing to play Grime and urban music, more people that are willing to be part of the scene. There’s enough MCs, but we need others, we need the whole machine. We have MADE festival coming up, and it’s good for Birmingham, but we need more like it. It goes to show, people enjoy this type of music, we need it to be showcased more like this. Birmingham is on the come up. We’re building, everyone is building. Scorpz, Dapz, JayKae, Lotto Boyzz, MIST, Choppa, everyone. It’s time. I’ve been away for a while and because of that, my next project is most likely going to be a mixtape, a longer project with more tracks, and I’d go very heavy with the collaborations. There will be something this year.”

Dapz On The Map

“JayKae had a show at Stormzy’s Merky Festival in Ibiza and he pulled me through, the experience was amazing, it was a taster of what’s to come for me” Dapz reflected as we began our hour-long conversation covering everything from his early beginnings, deciphering bars from his latest single ‘Mini Valet’ and the upcoming project, ‘Champion Settings’.

“I’ve been on music since young, man, but 2009 was when I took the brave move to do it full time. It gave me the energy, the juices I need now. It was almost like every 2 years was a big step, the next stage. 2011 was when I started to incorporate the singing into my music, with Okay. 2013 was the tour and Magaluf with Skepta. 2014 was Froggy (ft. JayKae). 2015 was Murdah. 2016 I had the headline show in my hometown. Every one year something has happened. 2017, what I’m about to do this year, it’s not over yet.” And it’s true, Dapz On the Map, is a real contender for the 0121 crown, managing to engage his growing fan base with a string of bangers.

However, it was with the 2015 effort ‘Murdah’ when he realised the potential of this aggressive sound, tapping into a new, Grime-centric fan base. “…What I failed to realise during that time was that by doing all of these tunes, I gave them all my powers, and I didn’t have anything to follow each one up with. There was no project. The momentum was there, but there was nothing to fall back on.”

Enter ‘Spring Clean’, a collection of all his big tunes, released and done with time to create his new project, ‘Champion Settings’. There’s a prominent line in ‘Mini Valet’, where Dapz says “…from Oxygen rooms to in the o2”. It screams loud for Birmingham, in fact it feels like Dapz is firmly putting Birmingham on the map. “I’m all about speaking for Birmingham fam. I appreciate everyone, but with that, it’s kinda like if you’re not from Brum, tough luck. You don’t know about Oxygen Rooms if you’re not from here.”

“I’m spitting for Birmingham. Someone’s gotta’ show identity from our city.”

In a similar fashion to Tempa, Dapz agrees that whilst the music industry infrastructure of Birmingham is lacking, there is no stopping an artist from elevating in their hometown. “It’s down to the artists’ mind state”, he calmly explains. “If I was from London, I probably wouldn’t have stood out like I am now, and it would’ve taken away form the nostalgia of what I do. I’m not going to change the way I speak or deliver myself or move differently, it’s organic.”

On appearing live at MADE Festival 2017, which has seen consecutive growth each year in both size and artists, Dapz is clear about what it means to bring the local music scene to a festival stage; “MADE festival is the biggest Birmingham has to offer, so to be on the main stage of my city, it’s an honour.” Speaking prior to his performance at MADE, Dapz has one clear statement – “I proclaim this, I’m trying to be a pioneer for my city. I’m so glad they see what we see, and best believe I’m going to go in with it.”

Made Festival, Birmingham

Dapz On The Map, Murkage Dave, Jaykae, Despa, Lotto Boyz Lucas at Made Festival

Dapz On The Map & Jaykae

Goldie backstage at Made Festival, Birmingham

Goldie

Despa Robinson

Goldie

Jaykae & Dapz

Jaykae

Jaykae

Jaykae

Jinx, ReadTheTitle, Lotto Boyzz Ash

Lotto Boyzz

Lotto Boyzz

Tana & Lotto Boyzz Ash

DJ Kingpin

It’s evident that the current state of Birmingham Grime is one to be rivalled, and the talents emerging are not to be dismissed in the face of London acts which have achieved international stardom and success. Yes it’s about Grime, but in the words of Dapz, “a good song is a good song”. Pigeon-holing everything we do can limit creativity. It’s an exciting time for Birmingham and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Part 2 coming soon #0121TheRiseofBirmingham

0121 THE RISE OF BIRMINGHAM PT:3

“We’re getting clued up down here, so it’s time to start taking us very seriously.”

Aug 23, 2017

Whilst it’s evident Birmingham is rising, it’s important to ask – in comparison to what exactly? We’ve already established that London, although once was, is now no longer the benchmark to which we should be measuring against. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the place and power is irrelevant to Birmingham’s story, far from it.

Following our in-depth conversations throughout this journey, it’s clear to see the way in which an artist’s perspective develops over time, and ultimately differs, depending on the space they are operating in at any given moment of their career. Those at the top seem to think the time for a competitive mind state, required for progress, is over, and now, it’s more of a collaborative one – between both the statesmen and also the states themselves.

If the first two parts of #0121TheRiseofBirmingham gave us an insight into the history (heart) and the driving force (spine) behind what is the ever-growing Birmingham scene personified, part 3 brings us the mind, the head of the pack, the front line, and it highlights the direction that the scene is heading in.

In the final part of #0121TheRiseofBirmingham we converse with two of the most prominent acts in the scene to date, JayKae and Lotto Boyzz.

JayKae

Following his appearance on Lotto Boyzz ‘Birmingham’ and within days of the release of his Skepta produced single, ‘Every Country’ featuring Murkage Dave, we sat down with Birmingham’s own JayKae. “I feel like I’m just dipping my toe into the water, I don’t feel like I’m doing what I could be doing…” JayKae begins. Yet he’s one of the first names that comes to mind when you talk about Birmingham Grime. “I’ve got a lot more releases to come, and I’m you know, just starting to pick it up again, getting people aware and interested.”

Considering his current position in the scene, JayKae’s success is far from an overnight story. Looking back to his days with Invasion, he pays homage to it as a learning experience, considering it all part of character building. When I ask JayKae how it all started, he reflects, “I was clashing people, in the park, it was like that for months. One day I went down to this set, and when I got there it was like, Lady Leshurr, Dapz, Tazzle, Hitman, Vader, different DJs. All these Invasion people that you might not even been aware of. I went down there, and I just killed it. After that, I was in, and it just went from there.” 

Whilst the collective itself may have suffered significant losses with the departure of JayKae amongst others, it’s evident that the same collective spirit that made these artists gravitate towards each other, is still very much present in the scene today. “I’m following everyone bruv. People that are just starting, on p110, like RK, and others, to people that have been in it a while, like K2 and Tana. Young ones coming up. And then there’s Lotto, MIST, Tempa, Dapz, Safone. There’s chances and opportunities from music that we dreamed of, where we can live off music, that weren’t an option a couple of years ago.”

“We enjoy doing music, that’s what’s kept us going for so long, but now its like a whole different ball game.”

It’s at this point we switch up the focus from what’s going on in Birmingham, to where the city finds itself situated in the bigger picture. The recurring theme throughout this series has been the comparison to London, yet contrary to popular belief, a handful of these 0121 artists don’t perceive London as a direct opponent, but more so, as a general competitor. “When I first got into it, it was more like, we were trying to get noticed by the Londoners, the DJs and the channels that were up there. Causing as much noise as we can until they clock us… but then it got to the point where it died down, down there, and we are the guys now, everyone was watching Birmingham.” 

At this point JayKae paints a clearer picture of how the scene should be examined, “I think the whole game has evolved now, ‘cus people like Stormzy and Skepta have brought a new audience to the scene, which helps everyone. It is back in London now, but it wasn’t before. But we’ve proven ourselves. Now its up to us to see how far we can take it.”

Further emphasising the fact that it’s not necessarily about bypassing London on the way to international success, JayKae expands on it, ”Look at the Hip Hop Scene back in the day for example. NY used to have it, then it was down South that had it. Now Toronto is on fire. I just want Birmingham to be respected and have people like ‘yo, theres some heads down there and they know what they’re doing.’ I want us to chart. I want us to do what London has already done, going Number 1, doing worldwide tours, etc. right now, we don’t really have that here, that person to look up to. We are the people to do it, and then the younger ones coming up, they will surpass us at some point.”

As we wrap up our conversation and Jamie starts taking shots of JayKae, Despa Robinson (his manager), hints that there’s a big secret to be revealed next week. As I scroll through Twitter the following week, I see nothing but JayKae’s name on my timeline featured alongside one of the highest rated US television drama’s, Power. His well-known anthem, ‘Toothache’, is featured in one the final scenes in an episode, resulting in a new level of hype and progress for Jaykae. This is the time where he’s mobilising and capitalising on everything. As the tune is playlisted on radio and Spotify, he makes the announcement of his first headline UK Tour, the Where Have You Been Tour. After all of this, his final words in our interview really strike home…

“Just take note and just listen to what we’re doing down here, ‘Cus its not a joke. It might have been a joke a few years ago, but it’s not that now. There are businessmen now; people are starting to learn what labels can offer you, ways to push yourself independently. We’re getting clued up down here, so it’s time to start taking us very seriously.”

Lotto Boyzz

In the final interview for #0121TheRiseofBirmingham we head to Aston, Birmingham to speak to arguably the hottest in the game right now, Lotto Boyzz. In fact it’s in this very building that Ash and Lucas first met and began to experiment with music almost 7 years ago. The past couple of years for the Lotto Boyzz have been exceptional, releasing a string of hits from ‘Hitlist’, to ‘Bad Gyal’ to their biggest hit to date ‘No Don’. We sit down to talk, just as they wrap up the new remix in a studio session minutes before.

“When it was time, we set up a mind-set where we said to ourselves, ‘listen, if we’re gonna’ do it, we do it properly. By all means’”, Ash begins, as he reflects back on the moment they first started to take their journey into music to the next level. At that time, Ash and Lucas came to the attention of then promoter and now manager, MafDotYou. It was the catalyst that gave them the charge to step their game up, “Maf heard some stuff from us, and he decided to put us on some of his shows. That’s when it got a bit more serious, we started getting more gigs and the gigs got us out there a lot more.” Lucas continues, “We had this car that was moving, we were pushing it but we didn’t know which direction to go in. Maf came in and said ‘listen, let me take control of this car’…, all of us worked as a unit to get the car moving. We had no direction, we were on autopilot, but he brought guidance to the movement.”

After Maf joined the pair, the release of ‘Hitlist’ and ‘Bad Gyal’, catapulted them to widespread popularity. Objectively speaking, Ash explains how, “It takes someone else to recognise what you have, for you to understand. When you’re in it, you just don’t see what’s going on on the outside. Maf helped us see that.” After ‘No Don’, Lotto Boyzz started receiving offers from various labels. It was a deal with Pitched Up/Columbia that ultimately felt like the right one. “The deal itself came in after ‘No Don’” Ash continues, “from ‘Hitlist’ there was offers on the table, but we took our time, and made sure, all three of us, understood what was best for us. The people at Sony are good people, and I never feel uncomfortable around them”.

When it comes Birmingham, Lotto Boyzz are singing loud and proud about their city metaphorically, but also, literally, with the release of their single ‘Birmingham (Anthem)’ featuring fellow 0121 MC JayKae. Ash talks about how the whole thing came about, “It was definitely planned. We were kinda’ saying thank you. In Birmingham, we don’t understand the power we actually have. We are so underrated in a sense. We see how good London’s doing and think negatively about ourselves. But music is music, if it’s good, they will support you. There’s never a point where you should feel underrated” speaking on the release. It helped us to set in stone, like, this is where our sound is coming from.”

“Lotto Boyzz is from Birmingham. We did it in our way. It’s that Afrobashment sound, mixed with Grime, with our flavour, our spice…”

From a similar perspective to JayKae, Lotto Boyzz seemingly agree that whilst there is a huge amount of focus on the Birmingham scene right now, it’s less about competition between the cities, but more so about collaboration. “I love London, the UK, so I’m looking at the UK. It’s not a thing like, London is doing so well, lets focus on Brum for a minute now, its more of a collective thing like, ‘hey look, London, I’m from Birmingham, but we’re trying to get UK music as a whole popping’”.

The pair were also willing to offer their criticism to the scene however. “In a way, we should take a leaf out of London’s book” Lucas explains. “When something comes out, they are so quick to embrace and support it to help each other grow, they work together. Here, it seems like everyone is trying to do their own thing instead of building together. If we built together, a lot more would be rising a lot faster. In Brum, it seems that people are more likely to just work in their circle and they are scared to go out of it. Sometimes you have to go outside of your circle and link up, its networking. Grow someone else’s sound, which in turn, will grow you. You’re not just gonna’ work with anyone, but if you see something rising, don’t be scared to give it a push. Be open minded.”

Ash purposefully expands, “We want to be in a position where we can help people grow. Be the direction. But we need to get ourselves in that. Yeah, we’ve got Lotto Boyzz records. We’ve been working on it, but me going to someone now and signing them doesn’t make sense yet. I haven’t made it yet. When I get to a place where the name Lotto Boyzz is an influential thing, a brand itself, that’s when I can start helping people how I want to.”

After what seemed like an extremely in-depth talk, they finish up with the mention of a project that will soon be pleasing our ear drums with their trademark sound which they describe as “Afrobbean, the African bongos, the Carribbean steel pans, mixed with that UK *aggressive grunt*”. 

Ash and Lucas soon head off to a 1Xtra show broadcasting live from Birmingham. Hosted by DJ Target, they premiere their ‘No Don Remix’ featuring Chip & Not3s, whilst joining them on air are JayKae and Lady Leshurr.

The Rise of Birmingham is happening now, and mark these words, the 0121 is not playing.