What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

Ive been freestyling and kicking raps since high school, but only started writing and recording songs last year in the summer/fall.

I actually started my music journey as a DJ about 3 or 4 years ago after being introduced to the festival scene.

I played house music for a year or two and then got pretty deep into the Drum N Bass scene both as a DJ and an MC.

Really cut my teeth there playing shows all the time and getting my mixing and cutting skills up, as well as being the resident MC for a local crew I picked up my quick flows and lyricism through freestyling

My sound eventually progressed into the deeper aspects of bass music, often in the 70-85 bpm range reminiscent to my hip-hop roots. Started to mix a lot of hip-hop and grime in there, and that’s kind of how I fell back in love with hip hop.

Eventually, I wasn’t into the parties as much and really trying to focus on my self as an artist, and realized that hip-hop was the best medium for me to truly speak from the soul and spread my message

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

My most recent drop is coming out Friday July 16, called “TEST MA STYLEEEE”. Its one I recorded last year that didn’t make my forthcoming EP’s but is a bouncy banger nontheless! Hard bass-guitar driven boom bap beat and some swift expiremental flows.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Musically im influenced by so many genres. 90’s/boom-bap hip hop is my roots and will always be my main influence of my music style and really my lifestyle. Its steezy, its soulful, its technical and conscious, but overall got that easy swing to it.

Other than that, UK music in general whether it be soundsystem music, grime, hip-hop, im a MASSIVE UK music fan and it totally inspires my music. Big reggae and dancehall fan too, and of course underground electronic music.

Non-musical influences would be skateboarding and it’s culture, and im stoked that my first music video will be shot at a skatepark with the homies

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

I don’t claim to re-invent the wheel per-se but I feel like my style is unique in that it is bringing true lyricism (both conscious and technically) with an undeniable old school flare, but with a modern edge to it. I keep it fresh and keep the production tight but really holding the foundational aspects together.

While, subtle I also feel like my style is quite a hybrid of the top styles and I never really feel like I fit into a specific mould. The beats are organic with old school aesthetics, but always beefed up to a modern standard. Im super picky on clarity and effects in my mixes, and I try to talk about stuff that isn’t the same old content you hear in most rap, exploring personal issues, political, spirituality/consciousness.

My later releases have a lot more expiremnetation and bringing in some of my other influences outside of hip hop and I cant wait to share!

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Albums: Joey Bada$$ – 1999, Thievery Corporation – The Richest Man in Babylon, Mos def & Talib Kweli – BLACKSTAR

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

Oh man. If you asked me this a year ago I would say live without blinking an I. My ethos was I am only making music so I can perform it live for a long time, I truly LOVE performing live. However, since ive switched from the DJ and MC hat to the creative hat, I think that’s starting to change. The quarantine helps too, but I’ve become a lot more of a hermit as of late and really enjoy writing and recording by my self. I love the crisp sound of my condenser mic in my treated room, with all the levels perfect in my ears. And the satisfaction of nailing a take the exact way you had it in your head. Ima go with studio. But I also haven’t played live in a while so I almost forget the feeling, but I know it is seriously incredible.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

Oh my god so many ridiculous club dj stories, twacked out people at festival crowds, ridiculous gigs that I wanted to cry about. There are so many. BUT ill give you one that is most recent, and tied into my next EP dropping in a couple months.

I was living at my parents house for a month in May while transitioning into two places, and I have no where at all to work on music there. So I was basically using my car as a mobile studio… So one day I was about 5 mins away from my parents place parked on a gravel road in the rural area looking over a nice pond. It was honestly a dope lil view. SO I pulled up the beat and began working on my title track “TIMELESS”. I sparked up a lil doobie and got in the zone!

I wrote it and was feeling stoked so I recorded my self on my phone doing a demo take of it. I was so into it like spitting full tilt hand motions and everything, and I hear a little tapping on my window. It was a cop

He was asking me what I was doing etc etc, and noticed it smelled like cannabis. He then saw my pipe and asked me to step out the vehicle. I was so scared cause he said they were doing a cannabis investigation had to search my car etc.

Luckily since I wasn’t idling or anything I just got a small ticket for having cannabis within reach.

I went home and realized… I recorded the whole encounter lmao and he tapped on the window right before the 2nd part of my verse.

So I have a pretty sick sample that im tossing in the tune :p

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Definitely some of my unreleased shit. Working with soul and r&b vocalists, reggae vocalists, electronic producers… making some tripppppy stuff too 😀

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

TIMELESS EP out August/September (straight boom bap vibes)

Lofi/vibey melodic EP after that

Psychadelic inspired ep after that

Loads of singles. The vaults getting pretty big and ive been on a creative tear lately 😀

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

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