Wasup Wordplay, thanks for taking the time out for this interview. You all cool?

Yeah, I'm all good ya know, I'm There innit

So for those who don't know who is Wordplay?

Boy, well, to those that don't know me.
I'm another rapper, another face you may or may not have seen around the circuits, I've been working to get my name out there for a minute now. I kind of came up in that "Deal Real" era when Doc Brown was hosting the open mic in Carnaby Street, and 50 was just dropping "In the club".
That would have been the first time anyone would have seen me perform live on a hip hop level. Prior to that Id been drawn in by the garage hype, slyly, but not enough to feel any real loyalty to the seen. When I started rapping I was known as Tao and wordplay was more like a description for my style. Then when names were flying around, that's the one that stuck.
Musically I represent where I'm from definitely, and my influences are clear. Lyrically I'm about attacking a track whether that means coming hard on a beat or just coming with sincerity. I want to get my particular message across in a way that isn't gonna send people to sleep.
My flow is sharp, very syllable based, and I rhyme a lot. But I think that's just because I like shit to be symmetrical, and in my mind that's like summitry in bars. If you feel me?.

Yeah totally man. So When did you first experience a love for spitting?

Err, experience "a love for" it.
I think I enjoyed it before anything, I've always needed to express myself in extreme ways, growing up I learnt to keep most of my shit to myself, but I was always looking for outlets through some physical activity, or through performing to express myself emotionally. Like I said before, Id spat bars initially on some garage/grime level but Id never had any kind of real love for it.
It was a boy I knew ‘Lowkey’ when I was around 17/18 who really showed me the potential hip hop had to express the specifics of how I was feeling, up until then I hadn't been surrounded by anyone that talked about anything but the same shit. He continued to do a lot for me, rap wise, from keeping at me to come to open mic nights, to constantly come with new material. I was still on road everyday doing mildly productive shit. He was like almost a year younger than me an already showing that drive and determination to make it in the industry.
But I think it was probably the first time, whenever it was, that I was able to, like, properly articulate the way I was feeling inside, to a room full of people, have them all relate to the way I felt and let me know I wasn't crazy. When that room erupted at the end, I know that's when I first "experienced" a love for spitting

Yeah that must have been some experience. So what have you brought out so far? Any albums or mixtapes?

Yeah, in 2006 I released a MixTape called 'Words of Advice' which was put out under Cannon Studios, it was a short CD, E.P. like, in that it started out as 9 tracks and 1 was added, making it 10 in the end. There was an unmixed version I gave away, and more mixed version I sold personally.
Kind of like Joe Buddens 'Half way House', it was I guess supposed to be a bridge between what I had been doing alone and what Id started working on with another west London rapper named 2Flames.
We recorded a number of tracks together along with a producer from Brixton, who also produced a 6 Track E.P. of mine called "Life Behind Scars".
That featured a crazy track with me and Lowkey rapping over a Gill Scott Heron sample at a funky house tempo. I was looking forward to the reactions from those releases but before we had any mixes my producers suffered some hard drive failure, so, with no adequate back ups, I was left with a bunch of mp3 cuts of songs that I've got no real idea what to do with!
To cut a long drawn out story short, I ended my professional relationship with those individuals and put that work behind me.
Since the end of 2007, beginning of 2008 I really picked it up a gear, I just realized I need to run at my pace for now, if I'm not satisfied with how fast things are moving then its up to me to make the change.
I Jumped on everything I could, and came as hard as I could consistently. Features of mine are everywhere right now, from Australian radio jams to projects like the Mongrel Album "Better Than Heavy" being released in January, and everything in between (look out for some official dance hall collaborations).
I’ve learnt a lot in the last two years, now apart from carrying around DVDs an burning copy's of all the sound files after each session, there are a lot of other little issues in the process I’ve realized I need to take personal account for, whoever I'm working with. I can’t expect my work to be on anyone else’s priority but mine, so that's what it is.
With my latest release, I’ve kept control of the whole process and it think it shows, its the first time I’ve known when I have or haven't been doing what I needed to do to meet my deadlines, an who to motivate when shit hasn't been moving.

Listening to your tunes it’s clear that you talk about real things, such as poverty, crime and real stories. What made you go down this road?

Yeah you know what it is?
Its like that Joey lyric "I know now that his is my own style and I cant rap that other shit I don't know how!"
I’ve never written another way, even when I started out on a grime/jungle tempo; my bars were based around a personal experience, or factual story. Music’s always been a release to me and that release comes through expressing how I feel and why I feel like that. In my eyes my words are my most effective way of communicating that message.
I remember when I went to visit my pups once, he said "don't be afraid to get your point across, music shouldn't always be easy top listen to". I took a lot from that. When I make songs I always try and pin point what it is I actually want to communicate to my audience, and then I work out the most effective way to do that. My music’s not always easy listening but, you have to get your point across. There's no point in being "out there" to the extent of turning people away.
I think one of the problems with artists that talk about "real things" is that, where as a more shallow artist might pride themselves on there ability entertain or cater towards their audience. With a lot of what people call "Conscious" artists which is dumb name anyway, but with a lot of deeper artists, there ego, or their own insecurities lead them to defend their lack of appeal on the fact that people don't appreciate the reality of their work.
But as performers and entertainers, which unless this is just a hobby for you, you need to except you are; your desire as a lyricist is to say what you want to say, and have that be appreciated.
Your job though, is to do it in as entertaining a way as possible...
People say shit like "I rap about real life, so it's nothing to write a hundred bars!" and yeah I hear that. But honestly I'm drifting in and out after the first 16 without a hook. I rap about myself and my feelings on my surroundings at a base level and that's a pretty self centred subject. So I’ve learnt my job is to make that reality as appealing and entertaining as the fantasy fuelled bullshit were competing with. Otherwise, we all know what’s more genuine but in an entertainment industry where its our job to reach as wide an audience as possible, there's no competition. I don't respect the lyrical ability of certain artists but I do respect their ability to entertain and cater their points towards their audience.

Rah, Yeah that’s a lot man. So what are your feelings on the more straight forward artists that rap about the negative things such as how many people they have killed and how much money they have?

My feelings are a lot on that. I’m not as militant with my dismissal of that "type" of rapper as most people seem to be, particularly artists making more uplifting music. Maybe it’s because I don't set out to make positive music, my music's not all positive and it definitely isn’t all peace and love. But the way I see it, people are angry, and they have a right to be angry, and to voice that emotion. There seems to be enough people that relate to there struggle, either that, or a bunch of people flirting with a fantasy they have about the streets? I don’t know?
Either way my issues lie more with the Cameron's and Games of the Industry.
When like with the rapper Game you've got a grown man, who at 18 is on some "Change of Hearts" dating show acting not so g'ed out, and that's at 18. But then by 25 is selling some fantasy of a "Successful" life gang banging to a generation of kids. Who in effect, really are living the realities of a life at 12/13 that he claims to represent and stand for.
Its not just rap artists though, you take some one like Pete Docerty, who got like 11 gcse's, 5 A*, didn't take drugs until he was 18 and yet remains a figure head of wasted generation of children and young adults who's genuinity in a way surpasses that of their idols. There are, literally little kids on the corner with crack in their mouths and teenagers they're selling to abusing the drugs. But these grown men both with well paying careers, are happy endorsing the continuation of our captivity. Because that's what it comes down to. Were slaves to this shit, and your either part of the problem or a part of the solution. Id rather do bad shit and promote positivity than speak only negative shit and never do anything positive.

Yeah I totally agree on that point. What projects have you been involved in so far? Who have you worked with?

I’ve been involved in a bunch of projects. I've been working with some Australians trying to get in on that overseas market. They've got a pretty tight seen over there and the way I see it they don't really need any more artists, but I’ve been well received. I'm working on some stuff with a producer out in Jamaica Queens, he’s been setting me bangers for a minute, but he’s got a studio out there and I'm hoping to get over there soon. Like I said before I'm featuring on  a bunch of projects.
Look Out for Insanes release, the remixes of the LowKey album, The Producer AZ's debut mix tape, an everything else you see my name on.
Support The Mongrel album as well, its a lot musically, a great album. I'm a Friend of LowKey’s and was lucky enough to have been involved with the project pretty much from the off. Love to everyone involved, I feature on a few tracks in one form or another, shared the stage with the Reverend and the makers a lot over the summer, and am able to say I've been blessed to have worked with Musicians like John McClure, Andy Nicholson, Matt Helders, Drew McConnell and Joe Moskow among others (Shout outs to Nutty P an Adaggio the "gangster" violinist, zoop zoop!).

Who do you feel you have learnt the most from so far?

I’ve learnt a lot of different things from a lot of different people. If were talking about the game of Rapping, lyrically, and just terms of the overall process, then Lowkey definitely. Id be lying if I said anyone else, he was my introduction into this side of the game and has done most of what I'm doing now. I see it like I've been lucky to have such an able influence around me, but also I mean we knew each other before the game, and its been good too be able to take advice or ask for the opinion of someone who I don't have a relationship with built souly on the business, but who still understands and is a part of it.

What are you working on at the moment? Anything big?

Yeah I'm just about to drop a CD that'll either officially be called Emotional Victory or Double Negative I'm not even shore yet, until the labels need to be printed I'm not sure. But That should be a good look. My fans are p-a-t-i-e-n-t and I love them, but they deserve more from me and its definitely coming, my work rates up. This CD will feature original production from SBFK, Celos Beats, Beetroot, Dirty Sweet, AZ, The Synthesis and a few others. Its looking good. Not the happiest of Cd's, but I was in a dark place when I was writing this one, I couldn't write for a while, an the day I felt I could, I wrote the intro. The rest was what I hadn't been able to get off my mind or chest for few months.. Production wise, its a lot sharper, I’ve still tried to keep it straight hip hop. It's still quite raw but, its not 'life behind scars', some of the production is quite big and there a couple of bangers on there but lyrically I'm still attacking my verses. After that I want to drop an album around spring time next year since I'm playing the catch up game right now, but I'm receiving beats all the time for that so if your on your producer grind holla at me.
Between now and then I’ve got a feeling Ill drop something else just to bridge the gap. I’ve been working with a lot of different artists recently so I might do a kind of Tor 'Beats International' and drop a CD of collaborations. We’ll See

What's your feeling on the whole Uk music scene and how it is so unrecognized?

Its heartbreaking in a way, you cant be a bitch about it, it is what it is but I remember in 2004/5 I was still relatively new to the scene then an it was buzzing, like I wasn't a naive youth, but I felt the energy and I could of been shore everything was about to take off. Around exactly the same time though, I think the business realized it wasn't going win its battle with the Internet. The entertainment industry as a whole took a beating and as a result a number of labels dropped there less profitable departments. That mixed with the climax of hip hop music and it slipped into a decline of pop popularity were big blows. But I wouldn't blame the UK music scenes lack of recognition on that alone.
I think especially for "urban" acts or specifically grime and hip hop artists, where as in say the united states where an artists validity and credibility may not be as called into question, or where say a rapper like Cassidy might claim he’s a hustler, and people in his neighbourhood just by the nature of the hood choose to disagree, there are still another 50 states where his credibility comes under less scrutiny.
Not to mention an entire planet of unconnected fan base that's been spoon fed American culture for generations. Where as here, it's nothing for me to phone a couple people and get a good idea of the "perceived" credibility of your content. It makes it hard for anybody to have credibility or to keep any in an industry where your fame comes a long time before any kind of fortune, and you become a target in an era where nothings a secret, and video phones are as common as the haters that are whipping them out.
Also though, and people disagree with me but I personally cant forget that these genres are considered black or "nigger" music (Mobo Awards) and so are never going be excepted by a large sector of the UK market. Urban sais a lot, in that its seen as inner City music, and one thing about the City is its every man or women for themselves.
So unlike with the Indy scene where for example at a show I did in Sheffield recently as part of the Reverend and the makers gig, 1500 people screaming "Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!" because they love and show love to their own people, Inner City's aren’t like that. You won’t get 1500 Londoners to shout like that. You might get them to shout "fuck tony Blair!" but not London.
I blame a lack of unity for our lack of recognition. Were so small, a bunch of crabs in a tiny bucket, every ones beefin with someone’s someone. So I cant work with so and so because they shanked so and so.
It’s like my bars on alphabet assassins "when we work with wunanova we win win" its some corny shit but its true. The industry is holding us back and the odds are against us but if we have that unity, then there efforts can't be so effective in my eyes.

At our site we offer support to the younger generation of artists. Have you got any advice to put forward to them?

Yeah. I was going to say pick a new career but that's not even true.
For one thing, it doesn't have to be a career, it can a be hobby and you can stay creative keep it as an expression of yourself rather than having to cater for other peoples tastes.
But if you are looking at making a living through being an artist. Do it, Go for it innit!
Spend your life being as happy as you can. Do as little as you need to do in order to be able to do as much as you want to do.
I’m that guy that went for it, I really believe there's no business like show business. Artist are a class of their own, and to spend your time around other artists, travel a lot, be away from the bullshit, you'll either love it or hate it, there’s a lot of egos, but some people cant do anything else, I personally don't want to do anything else. What ever you do if your dancer, or a singer, or a painter even, definitely don't lose faith. If you do that you’re finished already. But just know the game, life, whatever it is, your going to pretty much get back what you put in. So as far as any control you have, your destiny is in your own hands.
Way I see it, if you keep running towards a position your going to end up nearer to it, if you stand still you wont, don't hate on people trying to give a 100%. It’s easy to criticize or find fault in or take the piss out of anyone that's giving it there all, because its an extreme action, but anything less as an artist wont cut it. Fuck people that hate you for that because there going to hate regardless, and the people that show love are usually going to continue to show love whatever they say, don't lose focus.
Also appreciate every performance, you don't know how much that show means to your audience, that little talent show might be the only live show they get to see or, fuck it can even afford to go to at the moment, so give them what they deserve, then go an at smash it in front of thousands, and when you get out there you best lose yourself in the moment For real.

Yeah so that’s the words from the man that done it people! Take advice.
If you was to choose anyone to collaborate with who would you choose?

Dead probably Johny Cash, or Nina Simonne, they both came hard. But alive, I think Mary J bilge because I know wed have people in tears with that banger. That would be beautiful.

What have you learnt from your experience of being a artists in the scene?

That rap is the one of the hardest sectors of one of the hardest industries to break into! Least appreciated most taken for granted, it’s easy to get a lot of hate and not as easy to get the love. There are egos every where and you need to have some form of one to succeed that’s why mangers are good, because otherwise shit would break down believe that. Good managers are driven but don't mind sucking some bum and taking shit, where as artists are the opposite, it's a hard game but persistence pays.
Oh yeah an pretty much all really talented people have serious psychological issues Believe that to.

Right were getting to the end of this interview now, would like to say a big thanks for wordplay taking time out to spend with us! Any last words before we finish man?

Go Safe, stay creative and support live music

All the best for the future man!


Links
www.myspace.com/wordplayuk

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