Barely Legal | Viper Magazine: Autumn Winter 2016

BARELY LEGAL

£13 UK $22 US ISSUE VII

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P Y R E X S T I R S

P Y R E XS T I R S . C O M

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LILY MERCER

DEPUTY EDITOR LAURYN TOMLINSON

CREATIVE DIRECTOR HYPEMARI

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ollie Adegboye, Bryan Allen Lamb, Karina Bath, Conor Beary, Savannah Blake, Vincent Chapters, Jimmy Cortez, Modern Filth, Mr Ghostrain, Ellington Hammond, Johnny healthy, HypeMari, Jessica Lehrman, Edd Leigh, RICK ‘INDIGOCHILDRICK’ MULLINGS, Chloe Newman, Mark Peace, Elizabeth Wirija

WRITERS

Yemi Abiade, Rachel Abrese, Yassmine Benalla, Anastasia Bruen, Milica Cosic, Nathan Fisher, Gyasi WILLIAMS-KIRTLEY, Giovanna Mae, BETH MARSHALL, Chris Mendez, Jimmy Ness, Ben Niespodziany, Darius Pleasant, Thomas Usher, Ricardo Miguel Viera,

STYLISTS

DESIGN ADEFE + SUGAR CAT

ASHA ANGULLIA, AlexIS KESTA, Alize Demange, GABRIEL HARVEY, JAKE HUNTE, ABIGAIL SINCLAIR, Claudia ROSE Walder

MUA + HAIR PALEXIS DOLMAN ENNY BLACK, NINA FAY ROBINSON,

ILLUSTRATOR

FASHION EDITOR

ADEFE, BC BUTTA, ILL JIL, EDD LEIGH, SHEDRICK PELT, PHARAOHDRAWS,

IZZY LO STEVEN

MODELS

ONLINE EDITOR YEMI ABIADE

David Drayton @AMCK, Phoenix-Blu @Select + Shawn Golomingi @Nevs, Maddie Seisay @ Nevs Model Agency

THANKS TO CANELA THE DEER, COFFIN ON CAKE PR, COLDGAME KELV, ELLINGTON HAMMOND, FABRIC PR, FLATBUSH ZOMBIES, JENNIFER HORTON, JOSS MEEK, MATRIX ARTISTS, MEYHEM LAUREN, Patta, SHIREEN FENNER, Sole DXB, TEN LETTER PR, WIRED PR, 8dix

VIPERMAG.COM | A MERCER PUBLICATION

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PHOTO BY VICKY GROUT

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to Viper’s seventh edition: the Barely Legal issue!

Within the theme of this issue, we chose to explore a variety of topics on the brink of legality. Follow us, as across these pages, we’ll be exploring the grey areas of the law that fascinate us the most, from the dark backstreets of Ghana’s sex trade to the hazy medicated world of the American prescription drug industry.

In addition to these serious topics, we delve into the fashionable world of Dutch clothing brand Patta, who recently opened a store in London’s former sex district, Soho. Looking at the global aspects of legality, we delve into the emerging hip hop scene in Dubai, a place where the majority of the average rapper’s hobbies are outlawed. We also look at the effect a prison sentence can have on a rising rapper’s career.

Many of the artists featured explore a variety of illegal activities within their music. Out of them all, it’s fair to say CASISDEAD does it with the most style. After all, he does have a bar about having “15 years in the fridge, sitting next to a cheese slice.” Robb Bank$ and Money Making Nique are equally strong contenders, with lyrics littered with weapons and drugs. All three feature alongside Nina Tech; a female whose name is slang for a gun, 67; a crew with lyrics that could inspire any budding trap star, plus countless musicians that aren’t yet legal to drink in the U.S. We believe the best things in life are worth waiting for. So though this issue arrived a little later than expected, we’ve been spending the time working on PYREX STIRS, our new event. Keep an eye on pyrexstirs.com for information on live shows and late night parties taking place across London.

I hope you enjoy the issue!

Lily x Lily Mercer @lilymercer

For more information on Viper visit the website www.vipermag.com and @vipermagazine

CONTRIBUTORS

EDD LEIGH

CHLOE NEWMAN

ILLUSTRATOR, RAP SUPERHEROES

PHOTOGRAPHER, GOLDLINK

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? GOING TO CHEAT A LITTLE BIT AND PICK TWO OUTLAWS - THELMA AND LOUISE FROM RIDLEY SCOTT’S THELMA & LOUISE. TWO WOMEN, THROUGH LITTLE FAULT OF THEIR OWN, CAUGHT IN A SPIRAL OF CRIMINALITY AFTER THE MURDER OF A DRUNKEN WOULD-BE RAPIST. THEY GO ON THE RUN, STICKING A MIDDLE FINGER TO SYSTEMIC PATRIARCHY ALONG THE WAY AND GO OUT, LIKE TWO BADASSES, ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? I’M GOING TO GO WITH A FICTIONAL ONE, IT’S GOT TO BE O-REN ISHII FROM KILL BILL, I LOVE HOW POWERFUL SHE IS. THAT SCENE WHERE SHE SLICES BOSS TANAKA’S HEAD OFF AND GIVES THAT SPEECH IS ONE OF THE BEST SCENES I’VE SEEN IN A FILM.

ADEFE ARTIST, RAPPERS IN JAIL + RAP CHAIN WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? HAS TO BE THE BOY JEAN- MICHEL BASQUIAT, HE WASN’T THE WORST CRIMINAL WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. BUT WOULD BORROW AND SOMETIMES STEAL OBJECTS IN ORDER TO PAINT ON THEM AND SELL THEM FOR MAJOR PROFIT. WINNING.

VINCENT CHAPTERS CLAUDIA ROSE WALDER OLLIE ADEGBOYE PHOTOGRAPHER, 67, NHC + PATTA

STYLIST, GIRL ON THE TRAIN

PHOTOGRAPHER, CADENZA, GALDEM

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? MY FAVOURITE CRIMINAL, PROBABLY PENGUIN, HE WAS A SAVAGE.

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? MY MUM.

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CRIMINAL? PABLO ESCOBAR - SUCH A POLARISING FIGURE. (AN INCREDIBLY VIOLENT) MAN OF THE PEOPLE.

14

THE GOODS

22

RAP PETS: DEER SQUAD

26

20 SHOTS: SHOTTAS

28

RAP CHAIN: PRODIGY’S UZI

30

THE QUESTIONS: MEYHEM LAUREN

32

THINGS RAPPERS SHOULDN’T DO

34

VINSTAGRAM: ELLINGTON HAMMOND

40

NINA TECH

CONTENTS

42

MARCO MCKINNIS AND CALEB STEPH

44 67

48

CADENZA

50

BIZNESS BOI

53

FKI 1ST

54

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

60

MONEY MAKING NIQUE

64

RAPPERS UNDER 21

68

COMBAT JACK

72

RAPPERS IN PRISON

76

T.F. + TRAFFIC

80

PROSTITUTION

84

NEF THE PHARAOH

90

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

96

GOLDLINK

102

RAP SUPERHEROES

108

CASISDEAD

114

ROBB BANK$

120

ICU

128

ROJO

132

GIRL ON THE TRAIN

138

GAL DEM

142

PATTA

146

SOLE DXB

148

8DIX

150

GRAFF CITY

152

FIRM FASHION

154

RACHEL NOBLE

156

STOCKISTS

THE GOODS

FUCT SSDD X NEIGHBORHOOD NHFU WARRANT DOORMAT WE KNOW, WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A DOORMAT LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE! THE ‘COME BACK WITH A WARRANT’ DOORMAT IS HIGHLY DESIRABLE AND SUPER FITTING FOR VIPER’S ‘BARELY LEGAL’ ISSUE. FOR WHEN YOU NEED TO ADD A LITTLE EXTRA EDGE TO YOUR HOME DECOR, OR FOR WHEN YOU SIMPLY DON’T HAVE THE WORDS WHEN THE AUTHORITIES COME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR. CREATED BY JAPANESE STREETWEAR COMPANY NEIGHBOURHOOD, THESE PIECES ARE A STAPLE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD PUSHER. FUCTSTORE.COM NEIGHBORHOOD-STORE.JP

WORDS BY BETH MARSHALL + ANASTASIA BRUEN

EASTPAK BAGS THE PINK EASTPAK BACKPACK IS THE PERFECT PIECE FOR EVERY MISSION THIS WINTER HAS TO OFFER. THE ICONIC BRAND IS KEEPING IT CRISP AND CONCISE WITH THIS NEW COLOURFUL VARIATION OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. MEANWHILE THE CAMO BUM BAG IS THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE ROAD MAN IN YOUR LIFE. EASTPAK.COM

RAP TOP TRUMP CARDS FEATURING THE ARTISTRY OF 32 ‘BIG HITTERS’ FROM NINETIES RAP, THESE TOP TRUMP CARDS NECESSITATE KNOWLEDGE ON ARTISTS ANYWHERE FROM SNOOP DOGG TO JAY Z, VANILLA ICE AND MC HAMMER. WITH COMPETITIVE CATEGORIES SPANNING FROM LYRICAL ABILITY, IMPACT, CRIMINALITY AND BLING, THESE CARDS ARE A MUST FOR ANY GAMES NIGHT. RAPPERTRUMPS.COM

COKE MAGIC TEES DITCH THE TYPICAL ‘ROCK TEE’ AND GET YOU A COKE MAGIC TEE. SHOWCASING VINTAGE WEAR OF ARTISTS WHOM YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE OF NAMING AND KNOWING AT LEAST FIVE OF THEIR TUNES. WITH T-SHIRTS FEATURING LEGENDS LIKE LAURYN HILL, DMX, WU TANG CLAN, BIGGIE, R. KELLY AND WHITNEY, THIS COLLECTION IS SURE TO SAVE YOU FROM BEING SPEECHLESS NEXT TIME YOU’RE ASKED “OH, I LOVE THAT BAND….WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG?” www.cokemagic.com

RYAN HAWAII CUSTOM CLOTHING

FOR DOPE CUSTOM CLOTHING, RYAN HAWAII IS THE MOVE. WITH ANYTHING FROM SMALL AND DELICATE TRADEMARKING TO PROVOKING SPRAY PAINTED CAMO JACKETS STATING “MONEY IS POWER… AND FREEDOM”. WITH CLOTHING CUSTOMISATIONS DEPICTING HAWAII’S AUTHENTIC AND ORGANIC VISION, THESE ARE PRODUCTS TO GRAB WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE. CHECK HIS ONE-OFF ITEMS ONLINE. ryanhawaii.co.uk

GUCCI MANE X STANCE SOCKS FOR ANY GUCCI MANE FAN, HIS RECENT SOCKS COLLAB WITH STANCE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ROCK AND REPRESENT. WITH TWO SEPARATE DESIGNS, THE ‘GUWOP’ SOCK FEATURES AN ILLUSTRATION OF MANE HIMSELF, WHILST THE ‘BRRR’ SOCKS DEPICTS THE ATLANTA RAPPER’S ICONIC FACE TATTOO. PUT A LITTLE ‘GUWOP’ PREP IN YA’ STEP. AVAILABLE IN-STORE AND ONLINE. stance.com

UMBRO X HENRY HOLLAND BRITISH DESIGNER HENRY HOLLAND, FOUNDER OF ‘HOUSE OF HOLLAND’, HAS UNITED WITH UMBRO TO BRING YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED WHEN IT COMES TO FOOTBALL/ STREETWEAR CHIC. INSPIRED BY BRITISH HERITAGE, THE COLLABORATION FOCUSES ON CREATING PERFORMANCE WEAR GARMS AS LIFESTYLE PIECES, BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN THE TWO DISTINCTLY SEPARATE CLOTHING STYLES AND ACTING AS A REFRESHING NEW FASHION PROPOSITION. WWW.HOUSEOFHOLLAND.CO.UK

FILLING PIECES ‘FILLING PIECES’ WHOSE MOST RECENT COLLECTION FOCUSES ON ‘EMBRACING CULTURE, DISCOVERING REAL VIBES AND BEING BASED ON PURITY AND HUMANITY’, HAS A GOAL… TO CREATE. WITH FOOTWEAR PIECES AS ORIGINAL AND DISTINGUISHED AS THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO FIT, THESE GUYS ARE PROVIDING THE RESOURCES TO KEEP IT STEPPING RIGHT IN 2017. fillingpieces.com

RAP PETS COLDGAME KELV +

DEER SQUAD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIMMY CORTEZ When did you and Deer Squad first meet?

I first met Money on July 28th 2016, that’s the same day I saw Canela as well.

I was at my cousin Ken Polo’s house playing 2K, but when I left his house there was a doe standing at the front door. I was excited to see her and Ken Polo came out with some bread and started feeding her, then I started recording him and posted it on Snapchat.

I hopped in my car and went to my house which is right around the corner, and when I pull into my driveway there’s a huge buck in my backyard. I walked up to him to see if he would run away but he didn’t, so I went inside and grabbed him an apple, club crackers and some bread. He was eating good, that’s when I made my first video.

We were friends on sight, he even brought his whole family to come eat. Ever since then I’ve been feeding Money and Canela’s Squad whenever I get the chance to go home. We have a great connection, we are fearless and [have] got that trust in each other.

What’s your favourite thing to do together?

We usually just chill outside - I feed them and they hang around and eat delicious snacks. It’s cool observing them and talking about it, I think it’s funny how close I’ve gotten to the deer and they’re wild. I like to play basketball with them, but they know I’ll beat them every time so they don’t even bother coming close to the court anymore.

Describe Deer Squad in three words.

Fearless. Loyal. Phenomenal.

How would Deer Squad describe you in three words?

Genuine. Friendly. Clutch.

What’s the meaning behind your slogan ‘Everybody Eats’?

‘Everybody Eats’ is a term I use to express how important it is to make sure the ones around you are being treated well. Whether it's family, friends, people in need, or even stray animals. If I have something to offer to the world, I feel that it's vital for me to share it.

I'm always willing to help whether it's food, advice, helping someone with homework, or just helping my community. The way I think about it is if I have it and my brother doesn't, then him and I are splitting it 50/50. @COLDGAMEKELV everybodyeatsfoundation.org

20 SHOTS

ONE CULT FILM 20 ICONIC SCENES

SHOTTAS, 2002 CESS SILVERA

THE INFAMOUS

UZI CHAIN Illustration by ADEFE WORDS BY CHRIS MENDEZ

Back when rappers either wore discrete chains or sixfigure Cuban links, there was actually a middle class in the rap jewellery category. The late 1980s and early 1990s were all about your weight in gold. How fat is your rope chain? How many rope chains do you have?

The Native Tongues-led movement of the early 1990s acted as the transition and the switch from gaudiness to consciousness happened faster than you could say ‘wooden beaded Nefertiti necklace’.

With rap music slowly crossing over, there was no longer the need to flaunt your worth; rappers were on Saturday Night Live, Billboard covers and movie screens. But what about that small period after the conscious shit but before the Hollywood shit?

That dark, brief period of the golden era that never lost its ties to the streets. That era between solidmahogany Africa pendants and platinum. It didn’t last long, but if there was one group that perfectly embodied it, it was Mobb Deep.

Well before you could walk into Supreme and buy a 14k-gold Uzi pendant and before ‘rapper’ Lil Uzi Vert was even a thought, there was a not-so-lil Uzi carrying, rap slinging fellow from Queensbridge by the name of Prodigy. You may also know him as one half of that Queensbridge duo I just mentioned in my opening paragraph: Mobb Deep. They aren’t considered so relevant nowadays. Why? Some may say because their aggressive and blatantly violent style became outdated. My hot take is, their G-Unit signing is to blame and the evil power of the spinning G-Unit chain cursed them eternally (shrug).

Mobb Deep led the third wave of rappers to come out of Queensbridge (after Shan and Nas) and provided a much more villainous soundtrack to hip hop during the mid-1990s. The Mobb was a fresh intermission from the smooth poetic styles of Nas, the articulated mafioso flows of B.I.G. and JAY Z, and the philosophical gangsta rap of Wu Tang.

Havoc and Prodigy made straight up murder music and, like most pendants in the rap game, P’s Uzi piece exemplified his music.

Gold and solid - just like the duo’s first two major label LPs - Prodigy’s infamous Uzi chain was an unapologetic reminder of the climate in New York City streets circa the mid-nineties. While positive and conscious East Coast rap faded and West Coast gangsta rap ruled the airwaves, the Mobb, along with other Queensbridge up and comers, reminded the world about the harsh realities of life in Queens. What, did you think that because Tribe started to wear dashikis and ivory beads that the streets were more peaceful? It was the hard beats and even deeper scriptures coming from the likes of Mobb Deep, Onyx, Smif-n-Wessun and Diggin’ In the Crates that kept this realistic and vivid look into the rap world afloat.

It was details like the fully-retractable clip in Prodigy’s gold Uzi pendant that kept the grit alive.

One that, when removed, could stash illegal things.

It was lyrics like, “It’s P live and direct, stab ya neck.

Ice-pick bloodied up ya whole entire shit. Live shit 1-9-9-6, ask your bitch. My crew run wild, snatch chains and bracelets” that created the perfect balance of fear and allure.

Maybe a piece of metal like P’s Uzi chain could never exist in the hypersensitive rap world of 2017.

Maybe I’m being insensitive and a rapper glorifying a machine used to murder is in fact TOO polarizing.

Maybe even without the obnoxious, borderlineincriminating chains, rap is still as reflective and true to the streets as it once was and what I’m really missing is the media’s negative view on it. Maybe that friction is what provided such a rebellious vibe. Maybe I just fucking need old Mobb Deep to return, and writing about this awesome and functional firearm-pendant is making me miss the good ol’ days.

BRB, bout to hit up my jeweller.

THE QUESTIONS What do you smell like right now?

Palmer’s Coco Butter and Issey Miyake is gently splashed on my radiant flesh. The combination is a quite heavenly aroma.

How would your last partner sum you up in three words?

Warrior of lust.

What’s the most troublesome thing you did as a child?

I liked throwing things.

Who’s the weirdest celebrity you ever had a crush on?

Nothing weird about it but I’ve had a crush on Rosario Dawson since Kids...shout out to her facial features.

Ever punched a stranger?

It’s happened but unfortunately it’s usually someone you know that steps out of line.

What’s your most embarrassing fear?

Bees get me shook I’ll keep it 100.

MEYHEM LAUREN

Photo by ALEXANDER VIEIRA

Bees get me shook I’ll keep it 100 What sound do you hate?

I hate the sound of someone rapping off-beat.

Which character trait of yours do you hope your child doesn’t inherit?

I have a short attention span and a lack of patience.

Hopefully when I have a child he or she is designed better.

What’s your favourite sea creature?

King crab legs are the superior form of crustacean.

The worst thing about drugs is…

That they often make the addict delusional. I know drug addicts who believe their own lies and focus more on getting high than raising their children. @MeyhemLauren soundcloud.com/meyhemlauren

“READ UP ON YOUR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AND RAP ABOUT IT LATER”

THINGS RAPPERS SHOULDN’T DO:

Illustration by Shedrick Pelt Words by Chris Mendez

JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO ACKQUILE POLLARD, OR AS HE PROBABLY SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN GOING BY, BOBBY SHMURDA, WAS SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR DRUG, GANG AND GUN CHARGES. IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICK; ONE MINUTE HE’S ON TOP OF THE WORLD WITH A CERTIFIED HIT, AND THE NEXT MINUTE HE’S UNDER ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE AND INFAMOUS INVESTIGATIONS IN THE HISTORY OF RAP MUSIC. So, what went wrong? It’s simple: that same drive and determination that propelled him to the top also led to his downfall. The rough streets of East Flatbush will show you enough hardships to never want to return, but it will also be the backbone of your persona on your records. All of this comes as no surprise since the 22-year-old rapper had just launched a career founded on lyrics that acted as cookie crumbs, leading the feds to his doorstep; a career that heavily relied on actual experiences lived

by Shmurda.

Bobby’s one and only hit single, ‘Hot Nigga’, was an instant success, but it wasn’t supposed to be. The song got popular after its initial release and surprisingly picked up steam via the social media video sharing platform, Vine. His famous hat throw in the video is what helped the song become popular, while ironically the lyrics he raps during this exact moment in the video probably became equally popular with law enforcement. “Mitch caught a body ‘bout a week ago!” Shmurda spits, as his New York Knicks hat goes flying in the air. The GS9 front man doesn’t stop there – he even points out the different types of artillery he and his squad are using. The song mentions the use of different firearms, such as AR-15’s, 9 millimetres and M16’s.

So why is this a thing? Why was a young rapper singled out and investigated when there are thousands of hip hop artists incriminating themselves on records hourly? Because Bobby was dead ass!

Cops aren’t as dumb as they seem – especially not NYC cops. When shootings, robberies and gang

violence happens in a small neighbourhood like East Flatbush, there are only so many suspects.

When those suspects shoot a video in that very neighbourhood, namedrop other suspects whom detectives are already chasing - and admit to crimes on camera, it really does become a walk in the park for police.

At that point, how easy is it to obtain a warrant? As easy as it was to find Bobby. When you have cameras following you, information on a public forum and a trail behind you, posting up at a wellknown recording studio with your whole squad, who are also at large, is a detective’s dream.

Although Bobby stayed true to the streets and never changed his content for anybody, maybe he should have just replaced names, events and dates for his own sake. Then again, did he ever think that his hobby would become his life? Did he think that his method of confession would go viral and be projected for the world to see? Probably not, but there’s still a good lesson here.

So, what should rappers never do?

Incriminate themselves on records. Stop making it so hot! Just don’t! Read up on your statute of limitations and rap about it later. Besides, “When I was pushin’ weight back in ’88” sounds a lot smoother than “I been selling crack since like the fifth grade.”

See you in 2023, Bobby. Hold ya head! #FreeGS9

VINSTAGRAM

BY ELLINGTON HAMMOND

LONDON

13th September 2016

PHOTOGRAPHER AND FLATBUSH ZOMBIES DJ, ELLINGTON HAMMOND, SHARES PHOTOS HE TOOK ON THEIR EUROPEAN TOUR STOP IN LONDON LAST YEAR, FOR VIPER’S VINTAGE TAKE ON INSTAGRAM blog.ellingtonhammond.com

NINA TECH

PHOTOS BY BRYAN ALLEN LAMB WORDS BY MILICA COSIC

It's almost a cliché to point out that being a young female rapper in today’s society comes with difficulties on the road to the top, but Chicago MC Nina Tech has already proven herself to be unique. “I wish to be like that, [the way] Nicki Minaj is such a business woman. She has her fingers in the pot, all around,” Nina says grinning, perched by her bed in her room at Purdue University, Indiana.

Between studying for an engineering major and rapping, Nina Tech is determined to succeed in her studies while making her mark on the music world. She’s influenced by current affairs, her upbringing in Chicago and her mom. Referring to her mother in many of her answers, it’s easy to see how the elder Tech has a massive and positive effect on her daughter, steering her away from the difficulties and dangers that come with life in the city.

Dropping her first video, the sweaty, aerobics inspired, ‘Nina Knapsack’ quickly followed by the tracks, ‘Now You Know’ and ‘Winning’ in the months that followed, the outgoing rapper has shown no signs of slowing down since she supported Playboi Carti at his first headlining show in Chicago for Red Bull Sound Select. Viper speaks to her about her hometown’s influence and what keeps her focused.

Your debut, ’Nina Knapsack’ came out in 2016, what’s your take on the success of the song?

Honestly, I took a chance when I did it. I was hoping people would accept it because it isn’t anything like the typical music videos rappers create. That’s what I wanted mine to be like, I didn’t want it to be the same as any other video like waving guns and jumping around. The fact that people are really accepting it and liking it makes me both happy and excited!

How did you come up with the concept of the workout video?

We were brainstorming ideas at my friend Killavesi’s house and her mom had the two-piece that I wore in the video… I stole it and honestly thought it was so cool that I should wear it. Then the question arose; how would I use this in a music video? My friend Maiya was like, ‘you should do an eighties [inspired] music video’, which really interested me. So from there we contacted the director, Matt Gottesfeld and he loved the idea. He by chance had the perfect space - the all white wall - so we got some dumbbells and tried the concept!

Killavesi is your best friend who appears in the video alongside yourself and Maiya. Was she always there for you in regards of your career?

Oh yes! When I started rapping it was myself, Killavesi and Maiya. We were a rapping collective, but eventually we branched out because we had different styles. Maiya is more of an artist than a rapper so she doesn’t rap any more.

But myself and Tyler (Killavesi), were a duo for a while but decided that our sounds were really different. We’ve since become solo artists but she is still very supportive of me, just as I am of her. From the beginning when I decided I wanted to be a rapper, it was with her and she has always stuck with me 100%. When I told her I wanted to be a rapper, she was really surprised but look at where we are now!

How did you get the inspiration to start rapping?

Well, before I started rapping I wrote poetry. I was always too scared to actually do it… to put it out there and do open mic [nights]. My friends were extremely supportive of me but the prospect of open mics being face to face was quite intimidating. My poems are really personal but rapping in a way enables me to do poetry on a less personal note. Also, my friends and I were always listening to instrumentals, we had a thing for songs without words, just because we really liked them. We had the idea to put our own words over them. When I started rapping and recorded my first song, it was so much fun, it made me want to keep doing it! I just knew… I gotta do this.

Many of your lyrics are quite explicit, is there anything in particular that made you write these kinds of lyrics?

Honestly, the reason I write these kinds of lyrics is because most of the things are true to my life. It’s really fun to express myself, and it’s also a way for me to talk about my surroundings, like talking about guns and violence. I am really surrounded by that. So, writing about this is a depiction of my environment.

It’s just really another way of me expressing myself.

I know that in Chicago where you grew up, Nina Tech is slang for a gun. How did you come up with that name?

My real name is pretty complicated and people tend to have a hard time saying it. Ever since I was young, I wished that I had a simple name that anyone could say if they read it. One time, I was listening to a song and the person rapping said something about Nina Tech. And, immediately I thought that it sounded really cool. For a while I went by Nina [then] added the Tech because I felt like it made my name sound cooler.

Speaking of Chicago, it’s a tough place to grow up with lots of pitfalls and violence. How did you avoid it and survive in the city?

Music. That is what I spend my time doing instead of doing something that I know I shouldn’t be doing. I go to the studio, I record, I make my music and my videos. I’m also in college and focus on my music and school. I keep my head on straight and my mom is really supportive of me. She’s especially supportive of my rap career, which is something a lot of people don’t have. It’s so easy for me to not get caught up in everything around me because I have the support system at home.

Do you think social media has an effect on what you rap about and your perception of the world?

I see a lot of the reactions that people have to my music through my social media. It shows me whether what I am doing is something that is attracting people or is something that people do not like. My social media allows me to grow as an artist and it helps me get tougher skin because if I want to be in this music business, I do have to have tough skin. Also, my social media shows me what is going on in the world around me. Lately there has been a lot of police brutality and it makes me want to rap more and make more music in order to build up a platform so I can speak out. So I can help and have an influence on someone.

You’d say that you are very aware of current affairs. Does this encourage you to be the person that you want to be when rapping?

I really want to use what’s going on around the world as a way to gain influence so I can actually help people like me. There are a lot of people who came from the same place that I came from and have the same struggles as I’ve had. It would be nice to show them that it’s not all bad, that things will get better. Even if I can be an inspiration for one person, it’s something that I want to do.

Do you think your young age has been a help or a hindrance in your career?

I know I am pretty young and that the fact that I am starting so young is even better. It gives me time to get to where I need to be and it makes me more relatable. People around my age have a hard time listening to those who are older than them and authority figures because they don’t understand, they don’t know what they’re going through. They were my age at a completely different time and I feel like I’m significant because of my age. A lot of people who I’m trying to influence have been through what I have and are most probably living a similar lifestyle to myself.

Looking at your Twitter, it shows that you are very flamboyant and outgoing, would you say that you are a feminist?

I don’t know if I would exactly label myself as a feminist. The way I feel about things is that everyone should be able to do whatever they want. If you want to wear the shortest dress or free the nip, do it! If you want to cover yourself from head to toe, do it! I feel like it’s no one’s place to tell anyone how they should and shouldn’t live their life. And, I feel like this happens to everyone, not just women, but it is especially impressed upon women to be a certain way. I feel like we should be able to do whatever we want. So, I do not know if I would say I am a feminist, but I am for women. I want them to be able to be 100% themselves at all times.

Would you say that you have any constrictions in what you create?

I have two, the first being that I am still in college. I have so much to juggle like classes and exams, so I have to make time to go to the studio and do shows.

And this makes it harder for me to create and drop things as consistently.

But, beyond this I still do it. Also as a woman, sometimes people do not take me as seriously as they would a male rapper. I’ve had a lot of male producers and rappers act as if they want to work with me, but it was just in the effort to get on another level with me. There are a lot of women who’ve made their way to the top by being promiscuous and doing that, but that’s not me. I’m a real artist and I’m about the music. I’m about my business. Sometimes when males comment on me in that way, it really upsets me because it makes me feel as if I am not taken seriously as an artist. If I was a male, they wouldn’t do that.

Overall, how would you describe your work?

It’s my surroundings. It’s me having fun with my work. I really just say what’s on my mind. I don’t really think too hard on it, I don’t try to force it or force myself to be anybody that I’m not. I don’t try and say things that I know other people would want to hear. I make music that I like and it just so happens that others like it too.

@ladyninatech soundcloud.com/youngninatech

AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER? A profile on Marco McKinnis and Caleb Steph

by Gyasi Williams-Kirtley

It’s 11pm. After several drinks and a very deep, life-changing conversation with Caleb Steph - a 17-year-old rapper from Virginia - I am crying uncontrollably.

Christmas lights hang above our heads and the mood is a thick, murky green, like the bottom of the ocean. It feels as if the weight of the world lifts from my body as Caleb speaks. His round face and peach fuzz could fool anyone into assuming his intellect matched his boyish looks, yet Caleb and his musical counterpart Marco McKinnis have wisdom beyond their years. The backyard party we occupy is swarming with sweaty youthful bodies. Some are friends.

We – all drunk – are just happy to be alive and scream it at the top of our lungs in the form of Lil Wayne lyrics.

Caleb has dreams bigger than himself and protects them at all costs: “I kept my family out of the loop with the music I made, I would trap myself in the room.

They weren’t familiar with the people I knew or how big I was getting. Since I was young I always knew I would get to this point, but not so soon.”

When you get big, fame can spell trouble. But a higher power watches over both Caleb and Marco. They’ve gained success outside of their Virginia home and caught the attention of major labels, Grammy Award-winning producers and major magazines. They attract good energy like a magnet and unlike most teens who live to play, Marco and Caleb live to work on their musical craft. During Marco’s music video shoot at YouTube’s New York City HQ a few days earlier, a joyful spirit flowed through Marco under blue and red light, and he transformed from a hyper teen into a suave, focused young man. After a few takes, I noticed the apparent differences between the two boys.

Caleb wears a very laid back and reserved outer cloak in front of most people, but his inner shell is that of a mischievous, kind-hearted teenager – though you wouldn’t find a young man so humble and thirsty for knowledge. Marco, on the other hand, is like a male peacock - his majestically coloured feathers constantly sway back and forth, even when he’s unaware of their movement. He later explains that he’s very in tune with something he calls ‘the spirit’, in reference to otherworldly things, although I begin to think ‘the spirit’ is actually more in tune with him. Both young men are beyond gifted in more ways than one. Caleb has been cultivating his lyrical talents since his debut as the rapper Kid C, while Marco was previously signed to a dance management company in Los Angeles.

As I was speaking to Caleb, Marco interrupts our conversation to ask Caleb to come back to the party outside. Caleb postpones the offer and replies: “I gotta be the big brother of the group.” Marco echoes: “You don’t gotta be the big brother, you just gotta be the leader.” Caleb replies: “Same shit,” to which Marco follows: “Naw. Little brother can be the leader. It don’t matter…”

This simple exchange of words defines their relationship. Marco is his brother’s keeper. The same goes for Caleb. Earlier that day I asked Marco what it’s like to be Caleb’s friend. He instantly corrected me, almost offended: “That’s not my friend. That’s my brother. What is it like being his brother? Being his brother… that man is annoying sometimes. He think he know everything. We’re a couple months apart. I learn stuff from him. I feel like I was born with him. We almost went to jail together.”

“We went to this house party,” Marco begins to explain. “Ain’t no music playing.

Ain’t nobody dancing. I’m real outspoken, I’m like, “ain’t this supposed to be a party?” We go in the kitchen - mind you, we’ve been in the party for like fifteen minutes - and there was this girl. She was like “party over, everybody get out.”

I was eating the chips. I’m not about to leave while everybody else leaving, it’s too chaotic. Next thing I know I hear this crazy rumble - [people] started coming my way, they squished us into the door. I see people tryna jump out windows.

They shooting! I hear the dude who threw the party like, “everybody get out my house”. I hear glass breaking. We been in this party for twenty minutes and it’s getting shot up. I go back in the house, I’m in my alert mode. “Yo where my brother at? Caleb, where you at?’ I don’t give a fuck who shooting.”

Both young men are sleek and well-polished, much like the signature black Dr. Martens boots laced to their feet. I begin to think that the boots are both fashion and necessity the more I speak candidly with them. Each step for these young men is through invisible mud; their boots sloshing through thick statistics, adversities and fears they must overcome.

“I don’t feel like a boy, but I don’t feel like a grown man,” Marco tells me. “I feel like a young man. I feel like I’m growing into a man but I’m not there yet.

There’s so much to being a man; responsibility, accountability, common sense. There’s a lot of things that go into being a man.”

Being a man, according to Marco, is being able to admit things to yourself, like insecurities. “I used to be insecure. I never thought I was ugly but I was like, I’m not attractive. That was like middle school into high school. I don’t know why I was like that, I used to be scared to talk to girls anyway. Just talking to them.

I had to learn to love myself. Like “yo, you ain’t ugly bruh. Come on man, you better stop.””

Insecurity can be a young person’s worst enemy. An adolescence full of constant moving made it hard for Caleb to trust his peers, making him somewhat antisocial. He tells me that Marco helped him to open up. He has since developed a high self-esteem and speaks to me about the importance of self-confidence.

“That’s how I got to this point. Talking to myself in the mirror– like, “you that nigga, don’t let nobody tell you different. You that nigga. Everybody love you, remember that”. That’s why I’m here right now. I boost my own confidence. I don’t need nobody for that. As a young man I’m ready to work and reach my full potential. I know that’s a long process but I’ma get there. I’m growing. Music is just one thing. I’m tryna master a bunch of things, [but] music has always been a way for me to say how I felt. Whatever I talk about in my songs, I’m saying how I feel. Right now I’m just caught up in the loophole of, “this is a job for you… make money doing what you love”. I’m a teenager, I go through teenage things.

Girls, problems with parents. It’s even more intense now.”

Marco and Caleb are growing like grape vines. As they grow, they latch into each other, feeding off their collective energy. It’s rare that a relationship blooms so fruitfully. It’s rare to see a brotherhood among young black men – or maybe we as a public have been blind to the thought of its existence. Nonetheless, Marco and Caleb are an example of brotherly love. They are the products of hip hop and RnB music… the love children of soulful sounds. Their refreshing styles cannot be duplicated by the industry and it’s only a matter of time before their baby steps towards heaven reach cloud level. @marcomckinnis soundcloud.com/marcomckn @CALEBSTPH soundcloud.com/calebsteph

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH Wirija

The evolution of hip hop has seen the genre take many forms since its beginnings in New York City in the 1970s. Currently, it seems the most popular movement to derive from hip hop is Atlanta’s sub-genre, trap, with many local artists building cult followings around the world.

Such is the attention that trap is currently receiving, it has stretched all the way across the pond and found a second home in the UK, with various British acts gaining deserved attention for their achievements. A group that has epitomised the recent growth of the UK’s trap scene is South London collective, 67, whose rise to recognition has taken many by surprise, especially as it’s coincided with grime’s resurgence.

2016 marked the year of 67’s first nationwide tour, in addition to releasing their third project, ‘Let’s Lurk’, capping off an astonishing period for the crew. Viper took some time to talk to LD, Dimzy, Monkey & Liquez of 67, to explore their thoughts and feelings on the journey so far.

Your project, ‘Let’s Lurk’ dropped in September. What can listeners expect from you in 2017?

LD: More energy, you get me? Different types of beats.

Dimzy: More energy, new flows - everything’s new man.

Where do you hope this year will take you?

Monkey: Worldwide or suttin’, innit.

LD: Right now, we’re stuck in the UK, [but] we’re trying to travel the world.

Dimzy: We’re trying to branch out to Europe, America, Asia, Africa, everywhere.

Has the creative process changed for ‘Let’s Lurk’ compared to your previous projects?

LD: The first project was more us sitting down together, making tracks. The second project was more of the same thing, just different types of beats. But this one, everything about it was wild.

We were starting tracks on Monday and finishing them two weeks later on. Everything’s wild, just bare things put together.

Are you getting to the stage when you’re beginning to feel pressure when making and releasing new music?

Liquez: Nah, no pressure.

LD: Pressure is what will break you.

Dimzy: If we just keep what we’re doing, there’ll be no pressure.

When you began making music as 67, did you believe you would become as popular are you are now?

Liquez: We thought it was a possibility.

Dimzy: We thought it would be a possibility, people were telling me, but…

LD: You don’t see it.

Dimzy: You have your doubts, there’s always a doubt.

Monkey: You don’t see it until it pops up.

What would you consider to be your most surprising moment so far?

LD: When we see things, like people who are big in the industry - well, not big like that, but big enough - tweeting your bars or tweeting your track, like, “Yo! This one”, that’s suttin’.

And how far do you feel you can go in terms of your success in music? How far do you want to go?

Liquez: As far as it can take us.

Dimzy: There’s no limit.

Do you think that sometimes the quality of your music can be overlooked because of particular content?

LD: Yeah. Some people don’t understand our slang. They believe we’re trying to say suttin’ negative.

Monkey: They just think we’re cursing or saying suttin’ rude.

LD: They just don’t understand that it’s the realness.

How do you think you can change people’s opinions?

LD: If they keep listening, trust me, they’ll end up singing along somehow. I’ve seen us change people into fans of ours, people that used to say we’re just talking nonsense - OK, but you’re singing our song now.

You worked with Giggs on your single ‘Let’s Lurk’, one of your higher profile features; can we expect to see more of the same in the future?

LD: Features just come, we don’t force it. If we like someone, they wanna work with us and we wanna work with them, it’ll happen, we don’t go looking. We get some people asking, [but] I don’t know how to say ‘no’, so I just end up parring.

Considering the thriving UK scene right now, do you view music as competitive?

LD: It’s not really a concern.

Dimzy: We’re in our own lane trying to master what we’re doing.

You’ll only have that problem if you’re always watching what other people are doing. We don’t do that at all.

You’ve mentioned in the past that you see 67 as a brand; how much have you got planned in terms of expanding the brand outside of music?

LD: Right now there’s clothing and we’re trying to sort out a media company between us. Apart from that, we’re just trying to do it slow, really. We’ve got people that do film; right now a couple of them are in training.

What would you say has been your proudest moment so far?

LD: The billboard.

Dimzy: Oh yeah, the billboard. You see the billboard, yeah? That made my day.

LD: [The billboard] in Brixton. We were actually driving through Brixton, got the little WhatsApp, just drove there quickly to see it.

I held up traffic mad, had cars beeping at man, guys are just there snapchatting it. It was proper, still.

67

PHOTOS BY VINCENT CHAPTERS WORDS BY NATHAN FISHER

@Official6ix7 6ix7even.com

PHOTOS BY OLLIE ADEGBOYE

MEET THE PRODUCERS

CADENZA Firstly, briefly introduce yourself.

My name is Oliver and I’m from Acton, West London. I’m starting to realise that not having a style is my style in a weird way, although there are common threads I like to come back to. Jamaica has been a big influence on my production in terms of where I borrow my sounds and vocals from, and equally UK underground music is prevalent in what I do.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

I think ‘Gyal Town’ was probably the one record that really made people’s head turn. I made that with my mate Michael on a late night at a friend’s studio who let us use it after hours (shout out TMS). We had never made music together but I knew I wanted to

make a footwork type record and everything just clicked that evening. I was going to festivals and hearing it go off and that was the first time I had that feeling of satisfaction - like I had finally made something which connected.

What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

I would have to say ‘Where I’m From’ with Kiko Bun. It was the second record we made after doing ‘How Many Times’ so we knew we connected with each other. We did a week at my studio in London just fleshing out little one minute demos and we made five. The week after, we flew to New York to really produce them up with Ticklah and this band called The Frightnrs.

The Frightnrs replayed the sample and tracked a new rhythm section in Ticklah’s basement in Brooklyn and then we headed to Tom Brenneck’s studio. Tom has worked on some unreal projects from the Black Keys through to Charles Bradley so to have him grace us with some riffs was really special. Once it was finished, Island pressed it up on to 7” so it’s a real moment in time for me that I can look back on and actually hold like, “I made this.”

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music?

It’s 100% good. Music is all about trial and error. Even though I was classically trained, production was a new thing for me and I had to learn by just figuring it out.

There are no rules when it comes to you making music and so when you make production more accessible to everyone, people are going to come at it from all different angles because they have no one telling them not to.

What influences you as a producer?

Personally, I like music that scares me a bit. It needs to be bold and dangerous. When my brother first took me to Mass to see DMZ, I was so nervous walking up the spiral staircase. I could feel the bass pounding my chest before I had even got into the room and the sounds were all foreign to me and I liked that feeling of being unsettled because it forces you to think about what you are hearing in another way.

How did you begin making music? Was it a particular influence or circumstance?

I started on FL Studio just making weird 16 bar loops

because I couldn’t figure out how the sequencer worked.

I then moved on to Acid Pro 4 which is when I would make loads of different 16 bar loops and feed them into Acid to sequence them all. Acid is where I fell in love with sampling because the time stretching was so good.

I remember making this killer edit of Barrington Levy’s ‘Vibes Is Right’ and thinking I was about blow up the rap game the next day. I need to dig that out actually.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

I spend a lot of time writing with artists I’m producing for, so it’s really great to take time off from that and just work on beats again. Sometimes you’re working on a track and you come across a sound which grabs you and you just have to close the project and get the idea down quickly or else you’re gonna forget it.

Were you ever involved in any other musical projects besides what you are doing right now?

Not really - I love collaborating with other producers so I’m always setting up time to do that but usually it’s just me.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

The perfect drum beat is the opening loop from Tha Rayne - ‘Didn’t You Know’ Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2017?

I have something coming very soon with Allan Kingdom called ‘Vibes’ which is dope. Then there are a few records in the vault with AJ Tracey too… @cadenza cadenzacadenza.com

Firstly, briefly introduce yourself.

I’m Andre Robertson from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My production style is a blend of RnB and classic hip hop. I love mixing different genres too, I’ll blend some country tunes with RnB and add hip hop drums to it. I’m always looking to push the limits.

What would you say are the most popular beats you've created?

My popular beats would be PARTYNEXTDOOR’s ‘Don’t Know How’, Eric Bellinger’s ‘Lay Up’, Ye Ali’s ‘TrapHouse Jodeci’, and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s ‘Don’t Run’.

How did you begin making music? Was it a particular influence or circumstance?

I began making music on the Playstation back in 2001.

My grandma bought me this video game called MTV Music Generator. After school, I would go straight home and turn the game on ASAP! I would practice my craft everyday. Starting early was definitely a plus for me.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

Seeing how people react to my creations keeps me motivated. Every year the sound gets better. I love putting out quality music for fans to take in and enjoy.

Were you ever involved in any other musical projects besides what you are doing right now?

I’ve worked a lot with Trae Tha Truth and Mistah Fab who are amazing artists. They were some of the first artists in the industry to believe in my sound. I’ve worked with Eric Bellinger, Wale, Kevin Gates, Young Thug, Yo Gotti and many more.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

The perfect beat is something simple, yet complex. A perfect beat doesn’t need 100 sounds to make it full and complete. It just needs to have meaning, soul and real emotion behind it.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2017?

I’m working on new music with Ye Ali, Charlie $tardom, Eric Bellinger, Zendaya, Jake & Papa, Amir Obe, 6LACK and more.

PHOTOS BY KARINA BATH

M E E T

T H E

P R O D U C E R S

What is your favourite song you've worked on and why?

I have two - Charlie $tardom’s ‘Like I’ and Ye Ali’s ‘Rodeo’. Those were fun to make and the vibes are incredible.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music?

Yes, production software is easy to obtain in today’s world. Back in the day you had to spend thousands of dollars, nowadays you can just download a DAW online and start making beats instantly.

It’s a good thing in my eyes. More and more people are allowed to be creative and make a living off it. So I commend it! @Bizness_Boi soundcloud.com/BiznessBoi

PHOTOS BY MODERN FILTH

MEET THE PRODUCERS F K I 1ST Firstly, briefly introduce yourself.

I’m FKi 1st and I make music. People call me “1st” because what’s better than being first? I’m from Atlanta, home of the sauce. I’ve always looked up to Lil Jon and The Neptunes, so take that and add an ounce of weed and Backwoods… there’s my style.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

2 Chainz’s ‘Watch Out’, Jeremih featuring Lil Wayne’s ‘All the Time’, Post Malone’s ‘White Iverson’, Young Dro’s ‘FDB’.

What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

Travis Scott ‘Drugs You Should Try’ is my favourite song I have ever produced. Travis has actually said that it’s one of his favourite songs that he’s ever made. It shed light on both of our lives at the same time, so it’s definitely a song that means a lot to both of us.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music?

I think all the access is good for people who are already into music because it helps them create easier. But it also makes it hard to be original these days, because literally anyone can download sounds and make beats. Either way, good music will always last. The amazing thing about it is that kids can get into making music so early now. They can be experimenting for fun while they’re young and by the time they get older, who knows where it can lead with what they create.

What influences you as a producer?

Experiences with new people. Positive people who are smart and experts in their field - you can learn so much from being around professionals. And I like traveling, you never know what can happen. Last time I was in London, I linked up with an artist named Donae’O and we made some amazing new music.

How did you begin making music?

My parents introduced me to George Clinton and I always wondered how he made his music. All the sounds, the way he put it together, it was crazy. Then later I got into Timbaland, Lil Jon, watching DJs and the way they were able to control the crowd. I wanted to be able to do the same thing. One of the first times I felt that was with Travis Porter’s ‘Bring It Back’ in the club. I always wanted my name to be up there with the greats, I hoped I would be able to influence someone like those people influenced me.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

For me, anything could create a spark. It could be one line in a movie or something in the soundtrack. I actually love orchestra soundtracks to movies, especially old movies like Carrie. I definitely think movies are great for inspiration.

Were you ever involved in any other musical projects besides what you are doing right now?

I always like collaborating on the EDM side, it’s a different place I get to go to. When I work with guys like Mayhem, Diplo, and Flosstradamus, it’s a 50/50 thing. They bring something, I bring something and it becomes magic.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

Flutes. Beats. 808s. Claps. And that’s it.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2017?

There’s a lot coming up; New 2Chainz, Post Malone, Justin Bieber. My next project, ‘First Time for Everything Part 2’ on Mad Decent. Roy Woods, Zuse, Njomza, Blackbear, Larry June, Zooly Beat Squad and Zooly the Label. @FKi1st soundcloud.com/fkimusic

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL PHOTOS BY VINCENT CHAPTERS

29th august 2016

LONDON

CARNIVAL; TWO DAYS IN LONDON WHEN EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER. ALL DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE, RACE, CLASS, SHAPE, SIZE - WHATEVER SEPARATES PEOPLE DAY TO DAY IS PUT ASIDE FOR THE VIBE. GIRLS WINING WITH POLICE, PEOPLE SMOKING, DRINKING, BUMPING INTO PEOPLE THEY HAVEN’T SEEN IN YEARS, MEETING NEW PEOPLE... IT’S A SPECIAL TIME IN LONDON WHEN THE CITY REALLY GETS TO EXPRESS ITSELF. EVERY YEAR AFTER THE MUSIC HAS STOPPED AND THE CRUSHED CANS OF RED STRIPE HAVE BEEN SWEPT AWAY, THE MEDIA PRODUCES THE CARNIVAL CRIME STATS IN ATTEMPT TO GET IT SHUT DOWN. THE STATS ARE ALWAYS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. LAST YEAR THERE WERE 454 REPORTED ARRESTS OUT OF THE ESTIMATED 2 MILLION ATTENDEES. BARING IN MIND THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THE UNOFFICIAL PARTY SPONSOR OF CARNIVAL - LAUGHING GAS BALLOONS - WERE OUTLAWED, THIS WAS INEVITABLY GOING TO LEAD TO MORE ARRESTS. IN GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL THE SAME YEAR, WHICH HAS AN ATTENDANCE OF 135,000, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS WERE 75 WHICH WAS CONSIDERED A SUCCESS. BASED ON PERCENTAGES, IF CARNIVAL HAD THE SAME CRIME RATE WE’D BE EXPECTING 750 ARRESTS AND BE HAPPY WITH IT. IT COSTS THE POLICE £7 MILLION TO STAFF THE EVENT, BUT CARNIVAL GENERATES £93 MILLION FOR LONDON. YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON VIBES. VINCENTCHAPTERS.COM

MONEY MAKIN’ NIQUE PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HEALTHY WORDS BY RICARDO MIGUEL VIEIRA

Standing out as a rapper in Atlanta is no small feat.

Planted in the deep south of the U.S., the city already harbours a solid score in hip hop history, as younger generations continue to push its creative boundaries to unforetold levels. The South’s bass-heavy, synth beats loop endlessly on the radio, all while emotionallycharged spitters like Future, Young Thug and even Migos champion the charts. The region’s signature trap sound is traceable beyond Georgia’s state lines, as producers and rappers from both sides of the coastline pick on the sub-genre’s foundations and spin them on their own terms. Truth be told, ATL’s sound has never been more ubiquitous.

Money Makin Nique, however, doesn’t pander to Atlanta’s hyped momentum. Instead of looking for a place to fit in among the crowd, the 26-year-old MC, hailing from the city’s west side, aims to outshine it by focusing on the street tales that nobody is talking about. “A lot of the time people come to Atlanta wanting that club shit you can dance and swag on. But when you look at the scene, who can you really say is a well-known lyricist? There hasn’t really been a lyricist since maybe Tip, Young Jeezy or Ludacris. OutKast [are] from a whole different generation. I’m aiming to be at the forefront of the new age and showing people that I’m coming from all those guys.”

Nique is chilling at one of his teammates’ cribs in Atlanta as we chat over FaceTime. It’s a late September afternoon and he’s gorging on a box of take-out noodles, explaining: “This is my first meal of the day, I’ve been running around like crazy lately.” As he describes the apartment, which he reveals has a built-in studio one of the very few in ATL - he displays the jazzed-up energy he finds important to fuel his creativity. “I might just come over and play some video games or talk with the team. It doesn’t always have to be necessarily about music, but that vibe encourages creativity and that is very necessary.”

From a young age, Nique found himself in the sort of environment he sought inspiration from, as he grew up

in a household where rap music was not only pervasive but also held a pivotal status in his family’s life course.

As a teenager, his mother embraced rapping during hip hop’s early days and eventually found herself dealing with a sought-after label contract. Though the deal never happened, later these steps triggered Nique’s conscious forays over rhymes and beats. “I’ve been writing rhymes since I was eight years old and I can’t even make that up. I had a notepad where I’d scribble rhymes and then rehearsed and rapped over beats.

It was legit. But the decisive moment when I knew I wanted to do this for life was around 14. I was going to concerts that young and I would see the crowd getting crazy when somebody came on stage and I’d think, ‘man, that’s love, I want that’. There’s no feeling like rapping and having an entire room knowing the words, line-for-line. It’s almost like a high.”

Nique’s body of work has established him as one of Atlanta’s emerging street rappers. Efforts such as his brilliantly raw 2013 debut album ‘Guyana Gold’ or 2014’s hazy EP crafted with Johnny Cinco, ‘The Extra’, garnered Nique some deserved notoriety for his lyrical prowess, but also his soulful beat selection and braggadocios rhythms. Likewise, his upcoming album, ‘Bring Money Witchu’, is set to become an unhindered reflection of Nique’s blistery experiences in ATL’s underprivileged district. Moreover, he says it will elevate his mind-set to a new degree, explaining: “A year ago somebody told me that I don’t get personal when I rap, that I’m just proving that I can rap and he wants to hear what’s on my mind. So, that’s exactly what I’m doing with this new project; I got more personal, telling people what’s going on.”

Dominique, as his mother would call him, exudes a mindful, humble tone that seems blatantly opposed to the gutsy flow he pours into his rap. It’s a sort of nonchalant yet down-to-earth posture that comes out as both personal and artistic features. Nique reveals, “I’m the type of person that thinks about everything in great detail. I do a lot of things for perspectives.

On a more sombre note, Nique speaks of a tragic incident that he was informed of prior to our interview. “Thirty minutes ago I got a call where I was told somebody I’ve known since middle school got robbed and killed yesterday. It’s like people are dropping like flies. I had a couple of people dying on me already this year. I mean, why is everybody dying? These are good people that don’t necessarily deserve to die. This pushes me to make a song acknowledging the way I’m feeling in terms of what’s going on. So, I rap about what I know and see, whether it’s someone going to jail or being killed.”

Representing Atlanta has always been the plan. Raised on the west side, where hustling blends with the locals’ West Indian cultures, his sound embodies the daily grind in the impoverished neighbourhoods of his upbringing.

But as he introduces a new layer of introspectiveness to his work, he muses on the liability that come with his life-as-it-happens street portrayals. “I think a lot of rappers wanna glorify street life and the things that go on with it, but they don’t want be 360 about it. You gotta show the ills of it too. You may talk about the lifestyle, but also have to speak about sitting on that courtroom with your mother crying while you’re stripped

away for years from everything and everyone who loves you. You have to act in perspective because it’s the kids who listen to the type of music you’re making and I accept that responsibility, I think more artists should too. I still try to add something that might not be what you need to hear, but at least it’s going to give you a realistic perspective of what I’m talking about. This all ties back to my personal beliefs; I don’t do anything for no reason.”

Thankfully, Money Makin Nique snubs the prospect of ‘Bring Money Witchu’ losing the braggadocios, laid back tinge exhibited on past projects. He intends to create a perfect cornucopia of his personality by drawing more of his life’s cards on the lyrics, explaining to Viper that the album has an overtone that alludes to the adult entertainment scene in Atlanta, saying: “Anybody that knows me will tell you that I have an undying affection for strip clubs and the whole culture of exotic dance.”

Nique suggests that his future album is going to be a powerful project due to the shifting gears in his lyrical assertions, it encompasses a long period of hefty challenges and dive-ins outside of his comfort

“ANYBODY THAT KNOWS ME WILL TELL YOU THAT I HAVE AN UNDYING AFFECTION FOR STRIP CLUBS AND THE WHOLE CULTURE OF EXOTIC DANCE.” zone. Overcoming the hurdles of stepping out of his own bubble to reach out to other artists has been his most important lesson, disclosing: “Being anti-social, especially within the music industry, has been the one thing I had to get over. Anybody that knows me will tell you that I don’t like people. I don’t want to seem like an asshole, I just like being alone. But I had to learn to reach out to other artists and actually call and text people and follow up and be like, “hey man let’s do this song” or “I’ma come over this day and just do a song”. Luckily, I’d say the

majority of the newer music I’ve been doing has actually been with people I’m regular friends with in real life, so it isn’t that much of a hassle.”

A place in the history books with a respected family name that lasts generations are two of Money Makin Nique’s ultimate intentions. But through his artistic growth, he discovered that, in order to win, he’ll have to rely on a squad of his own. ‘Bring Money Witchu’ may just be the upcoming checkpoint on Dominique’s run for greatness but he’s learning to trust the opinion of others. “There’s a lot of stuff that will never see the light of day because I’m overly critical with myself. My team, though, may say that I need to put it out and I’ve been learning to trust their opinion. You need people behind this, you can’t do it without a team genuinely dedicated to what you’re doing and sticking to whatever it takes to see you win.”

Here’s to seeing Money Makin Nique win.

@mOneyMakinNique soundcloud.com/moneymakinnique

RAPPERS UNDER 21 ILLUSTRATIONS BY PHARAOHDRAWS WORDS BY YEMI ABIADE

Hip hop has always been a young man’s game. After all, in the late 1970’s when the genre was in its infancy and DJ Kool Herc was rocking parties in the Bronx, the potent fervour of the emerging scene was thanks to the vibrancy of New York youth. Not only did they give hip hop a face in its embryonic stage, they took it from borough to borough, and later state to state, as the genre established itself in America’s mainstream consciousness.

Going forward, youngsters continue to be staples in the game. LL Cool J was a full blown star by the time he was 18, Special Ed was the Youngest in Charge and A Tribe Called Quest had dropped two all-time classic albums by the time they hit 21. Lil Wayne reminded you that the youth had something to say in the early to mid-2000s, making waves at 14 with the Hot Boys and producing content that catered to a new audience in hip hop.

In the UK, two of the grime scene’s seminal bodies of work, Dizzee Rascal’s Boy In Da Corner and Kano’s Home Sweet Home, were produced at the ages of 18 and 20 respectively, capturing what was so exciting about Britain’s newest genre in its early years.

Wherever real movements were birthed, the youth were - more often than not - championing the cause and letting the world know.

Fast forward to the present day and the youth are still very much the heartbeat of the game, providing wide and varied narratives on the lives they lead. The age demographic of 21 and under is a formative and impressionable one and rappers are there to offer a model for style, substance and influence. Whether it’s for the mainstream or the underground, the partygoers or the head-boppers, all bases are covered amongst the new generation of rap kids.

For the Barely Legal issue, Viper have collated a selection of artists under the age of 21 - the legal U.S. drinking age - that are currently making waves in this thing we call rap.

Novelist You may recognise this young man as the cover star of our SS16 issue, but we’re including him again because he really is that good. In the UK music scene, which is arguably the most exciting it has been for a decade, 20 year old Novelist has curated a lane all of his own.

A disciple of grime, the South London rapper and producer has gone above and beyond, even creating his own genre, Ruff Sound. Minimalist and menacing synths, backed by hard-hitting drum sequences, N-OV’s beats are a throwback to the early days of the grime scene but with a unique, modern twist. All while showering man down with soliloquies of life on road and ways to get dough. The Lewisham don is well on his way to becoming a UK music icon.

Kodak Black Before his recent incarceration, Kodak Black was one of the hottest new names in the game. The 19 year old from Florida was literally everywhere and won the world over with a slew of successful mixtapes ‘Heart of the Projects’, ‘Institution’ and ‘Lil Big Pac’.

His stories of street life and hustling are relatable for those in similar shoes and, when you scratch a little underneath the surface, there’s a sense of purpose to better himself and those around him. Among his hits, 2015’s ‘Skrrt’ is the most memorable, with an infectious hook and Kodak’s comedic screechy vocals.

We’re already looking forward to more bangers from the young star once he’s released from prison. Free Kodak!

Lil Yachty Atlanta has a new prince in Lil Yachty. The 19 year old, also known as Lil Boat, has been making waves [pun definitely intended] since his debut mixtape, ‘Lil Boat’, was released in Spring 2016. His voice, in addition to his eye-catching fashion aesthetic, is like no other rapper in the game, with discernibly playful and giddy vocals on every track he hops on. Almost childlike in his approach, his method has won over the new generation of rap fans. Since his debut, Yachty has gone from strength to strength, landing show-stealing collaborations with Young Thug, Chance The Rapper and Post Malone. With an admirable and never-ending workload, we’ve only witnessed the very beginning of his sail to the top.

Bishop Nehru It’s hard to believe that Bishop Nehru is still only 20 years old, considering he made his debut with ‘Nehruvia’ at the tender age of 16.

Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, expanding his sound from traditional boom bap beats, a nod to his home state of New York, to incorporating more musical elements into his artistry. Let’s not forget 2014’s ‘NehruvianDOOM’, his collaboration with rap legend, MF DOOM. You definitely get the feeling that you’ve grown up watching Nehru blossom into the artist he is now. Big things are still on the horizon for the young rapper, as he aims to put New York firmly back on the map.

Divine Council This Virginia group is easily one of the best things about the new generation of rap. Consisting of $ilkMoney, ICYTWAT, Lord Linco and CYRAX!, the Divine Council are on deck to infect your earphones in a number of fiery ways. Backed by the bouncy sounds of Chicago producer, ICYTWAT and several glorious visuals, Richmond MCs, $ilkMoney, Linco and CYRAX! provide turn-up music for Internet babies. Having released their debut EP, ‘Divine World’, earlier this year, which banged from start to finish, they stunned fans in September with an Andre Benjamin feature on the remix of $ilkMoney’s ‘Decemba’. Judging by their videos, there’s a strong sense of brotherhood between the Council members and you get the feeling that they have each other’s backs no matter what. The collective offers the game something that no other artist can. We can’t wait to see the Divine Council conquer their divine world.

Kodie Shane The first lady of Lil Yachty’s Sailing Team, Kodie Shane is the Bonnie to Yachty’s Clyde, in a sisterly way. She hasn’t been around for long but the rapper/singer has shown her talents in a big way. Appearing on Yachty’s ‘Summer Songs 2’ mixtape back in July, she stole the show with a verse on ‘All In’ and the Atlanta girl hasn’t stopped since.

Prior to that, she dropped her ‘Little Rocket’ EP, a project that served as an introduction to her angelic vocals, particularly on standout track ‘Losing Service’. Following up the EP with ‘Big Trouble In Little Jupiter’, her career has only just begun, but the world is already Kodie Shane’s oyster.

COMBAT JACK PHOTOS BY JESSICA LEHRMAN WORDS BY LILY MERCER

REGGIE OSSÉ HAS HAD ONE OF THE MOST ENVIABLE CAREERS IN THE RAP INDUSTRY. COMING UP AS A YOUNG ATTORNEY DURING THE GOLDEN AGE OF RAP, HE’S WORKED WITH HIS FAIR SHARE OF ICONS, FROM JAY-Z TO CAPONE-N-NOREAGA. BUT IT’S HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DAME DASH THAT TRULY STANDS OUT, AS HE EXPLAINED WHILE SITTING DOWN FOR THIS VIPER INTERVIEW.

In a time when everyone seems to want to be in the spotlight of their chosen industry instead of behind the scenes, Ossé’s story is an inspiring one. Starting out interning at Def Jam Records, he eventually became responsible for their legal department, before entering into a managing editor role at The Source. The author of the definitive book on hip hop jewellery, ‘Bling’, today he’s responsible for one of the best rap podcasts on the Internet, The Combat Jack Show.

In this profile, Reggie Ossé tells Viper about his climb to the top, why a bank robber was his favourite interview ever and why he had to hang up on Dame Dash…

Have you ever had an interview that was just really bad?

My worst interview was with somebody who I thought had the best story; French Montana. [He] has, I think, one the greatest stories that spans the globe with regard to the history of hip hop. He’s a guy who was born in Morocco, migrated to the States and came up during the Max B wavy mixtape era, [then] got shot in the head. I just remember asking him, like… “French, talk about when you got shot in the head, like give us that experience, walk us through it” and what his response was… “it hurt”. I was like that… “that’s it?!” [laughs] And then I get it, like there’s a difference between a lot of legacy rappers or celebrities or artists that I interview who really have this rich story and feel like time is trying to pass them by and they want to make sure that their legacy is preserved.

And new artists that are just getting money so they can’t really see the importance of documenting and making sure that their legacy is preserved because they have to get money right now. No shots at French but you asked me and I’ll be honest, that was my worst interview of all time.

Hip hop has always been about storytelling and it’s therapeutic to hear people telling their stories and in some way getting over some things through that.

Because when we get to hear your stories, it’s another way to endear yourself across that line between fan and celebrity. You endear yourself as a human being. We all go through the best and worst of times and when we can hear the worst of your times and how you have persevered, it’s inspirational to us.

You were originally an attorney before becoming a journalist, do you think that there’s a lack of people understanding the legal side of working in rap music?

I mean we’ve always lived in a microwavable era, like pop entertainment is microwavable but never has it been so immediate [with] all these amazing devices where you can access anything within a minute. I don’t want to be the older guy that says “back in my day this and that”, but we live in an age where the audience right now doesn’t even know the importance

of buying music. Music is free. So in this age, where you look on screen and your peers pop out of nowhere to being a top guy in hip hop, that seems the only route. It seems like becoming an attorney, a doctor or a stockbroker, whatever other job or trade - that seems like an out of the way journey when everything is immediate through your keyboard. Do I want to explain the value in that? No. I mean, I don’t want to say that it’s a bad thing but we could use more doctors and lawyers and architects as opposed to rappers, I mean the game is so congested right now.

I once read about this guy, I can’t remember the guy’s name, which is my point. He engineered more than 30 of the biggest hip hop classics of all time, I think it was five Biggie songs and like every East Coast rapper that you could think of, he’d worked with them. But I’d never heard his name, a studio engineer who in actual fact played a bigger part in hip-hop than most people that’d had a one hit wonder.

Right. Well was he happy in his anonymity? I mean everyone’s different, some people thrive to be in the limelight, some people are very, very happy to be behind the scenes. I’m happy between both.

At what point did you get out of the legal system and get into journalism?

Was it something you’d already thought of?

I never purposely aimed at becoming a journalist, I’m still kinda like, really?

When I first came into the music industry in late ’89 or ’90 and I interned at Def Jam, my two groups of super stars were the rappers who were big at the time; Public Enemy, LL Cool J, EPMD; and The Source Magazine staff. The Source Magazine staff, they were actually more super heroic to me because they were like me, they were the peers. Now they were drafting incredible stories about our superheroes. So in a sense back then I kind of had this longing to be a part of The Source team, but then I went on to have a wonderful career in the music industry as an attorney that spanned about 15 years. Then in 2003 the music started to change, the business model started to change, the money started to change and also to me being an attorney was always forced. Even though I was fortunate enough to work in the culture and the industry with the music and the people that I wanted to work with, the head of an attorney was still an unnatural thing to me; I think I’ve always been more of a creative. Forcing my way through this legal practise, I was very good [and] I enjoyed my career but I stopped when I couldn’t fake it anymore, I felt like a fraud.

It’s like, I don’t want to be that guy. I’m also irresponsible and impulsive, at certain points I’m getting up by this stage and I’m shutting everything down with no plan B. They say when you close one door another one opens; I closed my door and within three months I landed a book deal [with] ‘Bling’, the hip hop history jewellery book. When I started doing research for that book I delved online - I had never even been online before, not to that extent

“MY MOST TROUBLESOME CLIENT, WHO ALSO ENDED UP BEING MY GREATEST ASSET, HAS ALWAYS BEEN DAMON DASH.”

- and discovered the world of blogging and online journalism. I thought, this is much more refreshing than print publications at the time, so I just started blogging to create a sense of distance between me as a former professional in the music industry and someone that’s emerging as a writer in the blogosphere.

So I created this name, Combat Jack, and the more prominent my sources became, the more people that were like, “Reggie what are you?”, “WOAH it’s Reggie!” So one thing led to another, but eventually I got tired and the think pieces of the mid 2000’s started dying down to content aggregation. I got tired of writing, someone offered me a job at an online radio station, I started doing that, which became a podcast so all of this is all unintentional, it’s all just...it’s fate, it’s destiny, it’s honouring what’s calling you even if you don’t know what’s calling you.

This is a cheeky question that you might not want to reveal but as an attorney, who was your most troublesome client?

My most troublesome client, who also ended up being my greatest asset, has always been Damon Dash. Always. From the age of 19 when I started working with him, up until recently when he’s been on ‘The Combat Jack Show’, Damon is one of the smartest people I know, so smart! Damon is uber competitive but I think this thing happens when, after he’s conquered everyone that there is to be conquered, he’s like “well how can I combat myself?” Damon has always kept me on my toes and without Dame I wouldn’t have been part of the whole Jay Z, Roc-A-Fella movement which has helped my career tremendously.

The two times Damon appeared on ‘The Combat Jack Show’ have changed the trajectory of the show altogether. The first time he came on the show, I think at the time we had a net monthly listenership of 5,000 downloads and listens per episode, Damon comes on the show and hits 100,000, then the average drops to 25,000. The second time Damon comes on the show, the show jumps up to 200,000 for that episode and it lands at 75,000. So every time I’ve been affiliated with Damon, or I’ve worked with Damon, it has benefitted me tremendously. I owe so much to Damon but I’m not going to hold my tongue. He’s also been the most troublesome person I’ve ever worked with.

The thing about Damon Dash, is that I do feel like he is purely him. I know he doesn’t compromise for anyone.

He has not changed. So there’s a story, I don’t think I’ve said it, think you might be getting an exclusive. When we were working on ‘Reasonable Doubt’, he knew Biggie, knew Mary J. Blige, he paid them out of his pocket so they could appear on ‘Reasonable Doubt’, ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ and ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’, so when it came time for me to put my lawyer head on, I was like “Dame, where are the clearances from the labels?” We had no clearances from the labels and ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ with Mary J. Blige was slated to be the first single. So I call Universal, Mary was working on her second album and I call them [to] get a license for them to allow her to be on Jay-Z’s album. Everyone I would speak to would say “Who is Jay-Z? What is Jay-Z? What the eff is a Jay-Z? Why should Mary J. Blige be on Jay-Z’s album? You should forget it.” It was a flat out no. So I knew a higher up friend of mine at Universal, senior VP, he was like a break-in-

case-of-emergency sort of ally. So I call him and I’m like “listen, can we get Mary J Blige to be on this album?”. He says to me ‘because of you, she can be on the album, but she can’t be on the single, she can’t be on any video and her name can’t be publicised, she can just be on the album”.

So I think it’s a win because we get to keep Mary J. Blige on ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’. I tell Dame, Dame’s upset because he’s like “no I spent a lot of money, I’m about to release the first single, we have to have Mary J. Blige on the first single”. So I set up a conference call between my PR, my connect and Damon, the guy says, “Damon, hi how are you? Reggie is a friend of mine, I heard you’re working on this project, we don’t know what a Jay-Z is but you guys can have Mary for the album, no singles, no album, no video!”. And Damon says to my friend, “so what’s your title?” My guy says, ‘Senior VP’, so he’s like, “oh so you don’t even own this company, so Reggie has me talking to a peon and I got a peon telling me that I can’t have Mary J. Blige on an album…” and I had to hang up the phone! I had to hang up the phone because it was damaging my relationship and it did damage my relationship, but I just wanna say I’m telling this story because I want to reiterate Damon has never changed. He’s been that same asshole since the start.

I wanted to ask about the people that you’ve interviewed on the show because I like the fact that they’re not always musicians. So when you had Chaz Williams on the show…

Chaz Williams was one of my favourite interviews of all time.

I find it fascinating that not only was he, like, a bank robber, but he also spotted flaws in the system. I mean, didn’t he get himself out of his case?

He was a bank robber, one of the most prolific in American history, in the history of American crime. Once he got arrested, once the F.B.I. realised who he was and incarcerated him, he must’ve escaped prison at least five to eight times.

Then once they got him and compounded him with a life and a half sentence, he found a way to master the legal system and whittle his way down, like I think he had to do 18 years.

Wow. From 150 years to 18 years. And Chaz is older than me, Chaz was born in the early 1960’s. He experienced true racism, true American racism at an early age and the genius in him at four or five years old said to him, I will not be able to make the living that I want to [by] following the rules. His story says to me, he was a criminal, he was somebody that broke the rules so magnificently that had he had the opportunity to grow up in another environment, would [he have cured] cancer? You know what I’m saying?

That’s true.

You know; would we still be using petrol to fuel our cars? He’s a genius and that says to me, how many more geniuses are overlooked because of circumstance or colour of skin, or religion, or sexual orientation, or gender?

BEHIND THE BARS ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADEFE • WORDS BY DARIUS PLEASANT

On August 22nd 1992, following a performance in Marin City, California, a suburb of the city of San Francisco, Tupac Amaru Shakur was arrested.

The arrest came as the result of an altercation in which Shakur drew his legally registered .38 caliber Colt Mustang. According to witnesses, the pistol was mistakenly dropped and fell to the ground. This would have been the end of the situation, but upon being recovered by his half brother Maurice Harding, a bullet was withdrawn from the chamber, killing six year old Qa’id Walker-Teal.

Initially, because the prosecution could not gather enough evidence to prove it had happened otherwise, the charges against Shakur were dropped. Following the dismissal of the charges though, the mother of the deceased filed a wrongful suit against Shakur.

The suit was eventually settled outside of court and all charges against Shakur were formally dropped. As per the case with most rappers though, the incident was not his first run-in with the law - and would most certainly not be his last - but it was enough to garner serious national attention, thus giving the media an opportunity to portray yet another rapper as a cold-blooded criminal.

In the years following, he was involved in several other cases and despite his reputation - which had the potential to influence the prosecution every time - he avoided any serious jail time. A year later however, in New York City, Shakur was arrested again. This time he was accused of sexual assault.

The charges were enough to see him sentenced anywhere from one and a half, to four and a half years in prison.

After serving eight months in Clinton Correctional Facility, he

was released on $1.4 million bail, paid by Death Row Records’ CEO, Suge Knight. On October 13th, the day immediately following his release, Shakur hit the studio and began recording his fourth studio album.

Three months later, on February 13th 1996, after just 14 days of recording time, Shakur released ‘All Eyez On Me’. The album was critically acclaimed and sold more than 300,000 units within the year, his biggest commercial success yet. Though he wasn’t alive long enough to see it, as he was murdered later that year - 20 years ago last September - Shakur remains one of the few hip hop artists to serve a bid in a correctional facility that would lead into the peak of their career.

While many rappers have found themselves in similar situations, the effect it’s had on their music careers - like the reasons that they are serving time in the first place - vary a great deal. Crazy Titch, government name Carl Dobson, was a big name in the UK grime scene both before and after his prison bid. Despite his unfortunate fate, like Shakur, his career would ultimately find itself immortalised through his music.

In November 2006, Titch was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison. The harshness of his sentence was due to his involvement in the shooting of a producer, which was the result of a dispute over song lyrics. Despite going to prison early in his potential career, his influence in the genre would continue as an artist. While in jail, Titch was able to record and release, both instalments of his ‘Crazy Times’ mixtape series. Though neither was commercially sold, or had any critical acclaim, both were enough for him to continue to be recognised as one of the greats in the scene today, despite being incarcerated for a decade.

Fans can often be the ones caught in the crossfire. C-Murder, the brother and label-mate of rap icon Master P, was involved in a slew of violent crimes in his early years. After a previous incident, which later resulted in a no contest plea to an attempted second degree murder charge, he was involved in yet another second degree murder. Both events took place at a nightclub, but the latter resulted in the death of a fan.

Prior to his arrest, C-Murder, real name Corey Miller, had an established career, having released four studio albums through No Limit Records. After the incident, facing years of imprisonment, he was sentenced to life in prison, but his career was initially unaffected. While incarcerated, C-Murder released several albums and mixtapes, even one ironically enough with the fairly fresh out Boosie Badazz. Boosie proved some artists’ careers still survive jail time, others however are not so lucky.

K Koke is a prime example of a rapper whose troubles with the law, have allowed him to experience both the peaks and valleys of the rap game. Due to the success of his mixtape series, ‘Pure Koke’, Koke was signed to Roc Nation in 2011.

His signing marked the beginning of a defining moment in his career. However, just months later he was charged with attempted murder. According to the charges, he was one of five people responsible for the victim being sent to the hospital with a near-deadly gunshot wound.

He was later acquitted of all charges, but the ordeal would ultimately hurt his reputation. Once the situation seemed to have blown over, K Koke was dropped from Roc Nation. Due

to his prison bid, Koke’s debut album had been delayed, and thanks to his charges, he was barred from even visiting the United States. To this day, he continues to record and despite a healthy career in the UK scene, his time in jail has most certainly restricted his global reach.

Snoop Dogg is living proof that if a jury decision won’t cause your music career to wane in success, it can have the potential to boost an artist. As one of the most important living rappers of his generation, Snoop has steadily put out music for 25 years.

Beginning his career as a discovery of Dr. Dre, he featured heavily on the N.W.A icon’s debut solo album, ‘The Chronic’.

There was nowhere for him to go but up - he had even begun recording his insanely successful debut album, ‘Doggystyle’.

All was going well for the 19 year old, until Snoop and his bodyguard - who supposedly pulled the trigger - were charged with the murder of a rival gang member. The fallout of these events led to one of the most iconic criminal cases in rap history; it’s hard to forget the scene of Snoop performing his song inspired by the incident, ‘Murder Was The Case’ in a wheelchair at 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. He ended the set repeating “I’m innocent” before walking off stage.

After three years of litigation, Snoop was acquitted of all charges. Shortly after, he released his second studio album, ‘The Doggfather’, a highly successful sophomore effort. To this day, Snoop continues to expand his career, even beyond music, launching tv shows, adult movies and even dog food.

Snoop has easily become one of the worlds most recognisable.

pop stars, seen as somewhat of a family man despite his previous brushes with the law. For some artists, returning to music following a criminal investigation isn’t always as easy as it was for Snoop Dogg. If we’ve learnt anything from decades of rappers facing run-ins with the long arm of the law, it’s that a jail sentence can be deadly for an up and coming rapper’s career.

A perfect example of this is Shyne. Born Jamal Michael Barrow - now known as Moses Michael Levi - Shyne is BelizeanAmerican royalty. He’s also a great case study when it comes to having a successful career then watching it all come to an abrupt stop in a court of law. After receiving comparisons to the late, great Notorious B.I.G early on in his career, mostly due to the sound of his voice, he was signed to a multi-million dollar deal on P. Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment record label.

After only a year - a very prosperous one at that - he was involved in a shooting in a New York City night club. With the release of his debut album right around the corner, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and went on to serve the maximum sentence. To make matters worse, on his release from prison, he was deported out of the United States back to his home country of Belize. Though Shyne would eventually re-locate and continue to release music, his prison sentence and later work as a social activist would ultimately outshine

his music career.

Before Buju Banton was arrested he’d enjoyed a stellar career reaching far beyond his native country, Jamaica.

Though initially criticised for his violent lyrics, in later decades he was known for songs promoting peace. Influenced by the crime throughout his community, he eventually attempted to reduce gun violence through songs such as ‘Murderer’, dedicated to local musician Pan Head. In the noughties, Buju was a household name in reggae having been in the game for over 20 years. He even won a Grammy the day before the second round of his infamous drug trial. The trial, ultimately the final blow to his career, centred around a 2009 charge in which the DEA seized a large amount of narcotics from Banton. After the initial trial, which was declared a mistrial, the second took place two years later and Banton was found guilty of possession with an intent to sell. For these charges, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Though he hasn’t released any music since his sentence began, he’s due for release from prison in 2018.

In 2016, rappers stayed caught up in criminal cases, some pf which may ultimately affect their long-term careers. As 2016 came to a close, sentences were handed out to Brooklynnative, Bobby Shmurda and his GS9 crew following 14 arrests.

The charges ranged from possession of drug paraphernalia to conspiracy to commit murder, with some GS9 members arrested receiving sentences as high as 98 years in prison.

While Shmurda, who was most certainly at the peak of his career prior to his arrest, was sentenced to seven years for conspiracy back in October, other members were less lucky; two other members of GS9 arrested alongside Bobby have been sentenced to over 90 years in jail.

Another rising rap star who is also finding his way into shoes similar to Bobby’s, is Kodak Black, who spent much of 2016 under the watchful eye of the justice system as they continued to find open cases on the rapper, adding to the length of his sentence. Kodak was originally picked up on a slew of charges, some of which include false imprisonment and possession of marijuana. He accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to a year on house arrest with five years probation. Interestingly, the judge expressed recognition towards Kodak’s rising status in the music world, allowing him to tour internationally while on probation.

However, once the court had made its decision, with an immediate release date being issued, it was discovered that Kodak had existing warrants in the state of Florida, where he was being tried, as well as in the state of South Carolina. The judge ordered him to remain in prison until those warrants \

were settled. This case goes to show that no matter the circumstances, the justice system will always have rappers and ultimately their careers - by the balls.

Such has been the case with other prominent rappers at the height of their careers. Max B was sentenced to 75 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to murder charge. In 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to serve a year at Rikers Island on a concealed weapon charge. Gucci Mane, after a slew of other legal issues, was sentenced up to 20 years for possessing a weapon as a felon, though he would only serve a year.

Jail time and incarceration are two facets of life that are almost unavoidable for criminally-inclined hip hop artists. The lyrics they rap about and ultimately make a career out of, are often based on real life events and sometimes in these situations, criminality can seem the only option. However, the choices they make early in life have the capacity to affect their music careers. As the countless examples show, jail time will not always make or break an artist. Some prevail and others fall victim to their circumstances, but one case can change the outcome of an artist’s career forever.

As we’ve discovered, the effect is more often a negative one.

That uncertainty, like a verdict in court, can change the fate of a life forever.

T.F + TRAFFIC PHOTOS BY MARK PEACE WORDS BY YASSMINE BENALLA

“[SCHOOLBOY Q] CAME AND GOT ME FROM THE PEN AND ASKED ME TO BE ON [‘TOOKIE KNOWS II’], SO I GOT ON THE TRACK.” - TRAFFIC

SCHOOLBOY Q’S LATEST ALBUM ‘BLANK FACE LP’ PROPELLED TWO ARTISTS, TRAFFIC AND T.F, TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE GANGSTER RAP SCENE, WITH THE TRACK ‘TOOKIE KNOWS II’ INITIATING THEM INTO THE MAINSTREAM. THE TRACK’S CONCEPT AIMS TO MERGE MUSICALITY WITH CRIMINALITY, STEMMING FROM TRAFFIC AND T.F’S LONG TIME ASSOCIATION WITH LA GANG, THE CRIPS. Traffic and T.F formed their relationship with ScHoolboy Q in the streets of south Los Angeles where the artists grew up. So much so, Traffic and T.F’s trademark backflips - as seen in the behind the scenes footage of the Blank Face tour - were created with ScHoolboy Q in their teenage hangouts.

This highlights the bond which has seen ScHoolboy Q accelerateTraffic and T.F’s success in the hip hop scene, not least because of their shared upbringing in an underprivileged background. Indeed, Q’s influence on the artists’ musical success has allowed their long relationship with crime and punishment to come to an end.

In the visual for ‘Tookie Knows II’, Traffic and T.F convey their criminal tendencies by looting a pawnshop and using the stolen cash to buy luxurious goods on Melrose Avenue. Following this, the police raid their neighbourhood, arrest the men and put them in jail, where they dress in blue prison garms synonymous with the Crips.

The video is a rare glimpse into Traffic and T.F.’s personalities as by and large, they still remain under the radar. But with the boys currently on tour, we were lucky enough to catch up with them and gain more insight into their lives. Allow Viper to introduce you to Traffic and T.F…

There isn’t too much information about you online. Could you briefly introduce yourselves?

TRAFFIC: Traffic is a humble person, a real person, a funny person, a whoop your ass person, a family orientated person, a people’s person, an outspoken person, a street person. This the real nigga type of shit.

T.F: I’m TF, from South Central. I’ve got a YouTube page, ‘WestSideBunk’, you can type that online and find all my shit that is online. I got a few joints on Worldstar, a few features with some peoples and all that: YC Creez, T-Swishers and, of course, Traffic and ScHoolboy Q. What’s your relationship with ScHoolboy Q and how did this lead to your feature on the album?

TRAFFIC: I’ve known Q since we were kids. We grew up together, I stayed down the street and he stayed across the street and we got family on the block, you feel me? That’s how I know him, then he came and got me from the pen and asked me to be on the track, so I got on the track.

T.F: Me and Q grew up in the same area, we grew up in the same section. So, it was only right for some shit like this to happen. You

know I didn’t know it was gonna be this big.

We was just chilling, he had a video shoot with A$AP Ferg and I hadn’t seen him in a minute so we talked it off for a minute. He was like ‘yeah man come through’ and we ended up at the house. He played a beat and that shit ended up being ‘Tookie Knows II’.

How does the ‘Tookie Knows II’ music video reflect on past experiences? Have you experienced a situation like this before?

T.F: That whole three video series was a true story for all of us. It probably wasn’t right on the nose, but that was a true story.

TRAFFIC: I’m fresh out of jail, I just got off parole and that’s the life and environment you actually live in jail. The police will whoop your ass. They will disrespect you. You gotta fight back, you gotta be strong. That’s just the life.

How would you describe your childhood?

TRAFFIC: It was kinda cruel shit I ain’t gon’ lie. My pops was on heroin, my mom had 10 kids, my grandmother stayed with us, her father stayed with us and his wife, plus my auntie along with her kids, with like seven kids until they had to move. So it was deep as a motherfucker, it was hard. Then when

“[THE ‘TOOKIE KNOWS II’] VIDEO SERIES WAS A TRUE STORY FOR ALL OF US. IT PROBABLY WASN’T RIGHT ON THE NOSE, BUT THAT WAS A TRUE STORY.”

- T.F

my pops left and shit, it was really hard so I just started doing me.

T.F: Everything scandalous - [laughs]… next question.

What’s the most illegal thing you did growing up?

T.F: I never did anything illegal, ever. [Laughs] TRAFFIC: [Laughs]… Pick up guns.

Are you new to hip hop?

TRAFFIC: No. I grew up on hip hop, listening to Tupac, Biggie, you know everybody. I like hip hop, even RnB - SWV, Escape, all them type of people, you know. Music had an effect on my life but I never thought I’d be rapping.

T.F: I grew up listening to hip hop. Wu-Tang, N.O.R.E, Biggie. I grew up listening to that shit on top of listening to West Coast. I made my first song in 2006. I didn’t take it serious until 2012.

Explain your dedication to the Hoover Crip life.

TRAFFIC: We have this relationship where we’re in the same turf so we get along together, so that’s like the second game. All my brothers from Hoover, I’m the only one that’s not so, that’s just how it is. We get along with them very good, they all my niggas.

How long have you both known each other?

T.F: I grew up with Traffic. We went to middle school together. That’s my boy.

TRAFFIC: We was little youngsters fucking up the street doing backflips.

Going to school everyday together and shit, you feel me? We’d be getting into it with rival gang members, we’d be fucking them up getting into it with them. T.F used to wonder off to places and do him, you feel me? We all just used to do us and eventually we grew up, started going to jail and missing each other so it be like I be out here, he be out you know, then when we linked up it was all love. You know he was the first nigga I thought about when I got out of jail, like, ‘bro what’s up with the rapping’?

You sound like you’re in a war, will this war last forever?

TRAFFIC: Hopefully not. We are in a war. It’s something within ourselves, you feel me? It’s not really in our colour and that shit is stupid because if you wanna put a colour on something then think about your kids, you feel me? Or think about your family members man. It shouldn’t be about no colour, no race, no nothing. That shit eventually gets stupid. I feel like I’ve been tricked. Even though, you know, it is what it is. I ain’t gone be a bitch about it because I already did it you know, but I’m just saying we should find other cop-outs.

What doors have opened for you since the collaboration with ScHoolboy Q? TRAFFIC: Shit, a lot of doors! I been doing the gangin’ features, I been working on my EP, that shit’s coming along good. A lot of doors have opened for me. I’m doing a show with a country singer, her name is Justine Blazer. I’m doing some shit with Mark Steele. A lot of people I can’t even remember right now – oh Joey Bada$$. A lot of shit going on right now.

T.F: Since we’ve been on tour I’ve been networking with people. Of course, Joey Bada$$ – I’ve been travelling with him, I fuck with him every day. I met a few people in New York, me and Traffic just did a collaboration which will open a few doors.

Do you think to be a rapper in hip hop you’ve got to have real street experience?

TRAFFIC: You should, because if not then basically you lying. For me, I really lived that shit and I’ma really go out there on the street and see for myself as I always have since a little kid, you feel me? I was always the type of lil nigga who wanted to go out there by myself, I didn’t want nobody to go with me to do shit. Even though my mama would always tell me like ‘you gotta let me know where you at’, I be tryna get some money ya feel me.

T.F: Well if you rap about street shit I would hope you have street experience. If you just on some rap shit then you don’t need no street experience because you can just rap about whatever shit the next motherfucker doing. If you tryna be a street dude, then I hope you’ve gone through some street shit.

What projects are you currently working on?

TRAFFIC: I’m working on my EP right now, it’s gon’ be called, ‘The Day I Die’, and the mixtape called, ‘Traffic: The Talk of the Streets’, so I got some stuff going on, I’m just, you know, posting.

T.F: I got some shit up man, I been collaborating with a few people since I been on the road and they got shit going on. I really don’t wanna go in too much depth with this right now, you know, because shit might change. A song might not make the album or shit might get cut so I don’t really wanna throw shit out there until it’s final.

Describe your creative process when writing lyrics; are you in a bathtub like Rev Run typing on a BlackBerry?

TRAFFIC: I’m actually anywhere. Sometimes if I ain’t got my pad with me I keep saying it over and over in my head until I get to my notebook and write it down. I do that shit anywhere; I could be on the toilet thinking of some shit like, ‘oh shit…’ you feel me [laughs]. Or in the bathtub – you’re correct about that but mainly on the bus or just sitting down or something.

T.F: Most of the time when I write I gotta be in the car. I gotta be driving. That’s when I’m most creative – when I’m by myself and I just have a beat playing and I just bend corners. You know slide through the city. I never have time to write anything down because I’m always in the car. So, I’m most creative when I’m not writing because it’s just the first thing that comes to mind.

How do you try to bring something different to the LA Rap scene?

TRAFFIC: To me, because I don’t even know if this versatile, this shit that I be doing because I don’t want them to keep expecting the hype, it’s not always gon’ be like that; the extra aggressive Crip. Or nah, I talk about real life street shit, even shit for the youth, you feel me? I make shit for everybody – females, old people, anybody who can relate to it.

You feel me? I make that kind of music.

T.F: Well you gon’ be different regardless. Even if you’re doing the same shit you’re still gon’ have your signature sound. As far as being different I just like to keep my shit raw you know, everything scandalous and that’s what’s gonna differentiate me.

Does anything about being in the spotlight frighten you?

TRAFFIC: No, it did at first but no, because I’ve prayed for it, you feel me? Even though I don’t like the spotlight, I’m getting used to it. That’s why I wear my shades because I don’t like looking at the people. So yeah, I do sometimes but I’m getting used to not doing that shit.

T.F: Not really. I never really seen myself being in the spotlight but if this is what I’m gon’ do then this is what comes with it, then this is what it’s gonna have to be. I don’t have to be in the spotlight, I could do what I’m doing and not be in the spotlight so I really don’t know. It really don’t bother me.

@im__TF @Traffic5150 https://soundcloud.com/blamekansas

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BC BUTTA WORDS BY RACHEL ABEBRESE

The use of rhetoric within the Wyclef production, along with the visuals from the music video, really brought focus to the line, ‘Cause he’s hungry and the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man for a little bit of money…’ This statement, seeking to explain the many and varied reasons for prostitution, still resonate today in the ongoing debate of prostitution and its legalities.

In most parts of the world the practice of sexual relations in exchange for a payment in all its various forms is illegal, yet the actual act of prostitution is legal in the U.K. However there are several activities closely linked to prostitution, such as soliciting and the running of brothels, that are still prohibited. A sensitive subject, and one that affects almost all cultures, it raises the question of why we avoid talking about the matter.

In July 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement that Britain was to receive a £33 million boost to tackle modern-day slavery, a wider category some might say prostitution falls under. More specifically, the prime minister stated the funds would be directed at people along well-known trafficking trade routes in countries such as Nigeria. Thousands of women are led into danger everyday as they travel from the West African country into Italy with the assurance of a prosperous future. These vulnerable targets are eventually awakened to reality, only to find themselves becoming victims of a deep and dark sex trade industry which can be nearly impossible to escape from. Although this problem has brought to the attention of the media this year, the trafficking of sex workers between Italy and Nigeria is an ongoing difficulty which actually

goes back almost 30 years. During the 1980’s many impoverished Nigerian women found themselves facing a stark choice between prostitution or obtaining a working visa to travel to Italy for informal and physically demanding work harvesting fruit and vegetables. Not only was prostitution deemed more lucrative, it was also a faster and, for some, easier way of making money during a time when there were very few options for women wanting to rise up from poverty. The lack of opportunities saw many women consciously choosing less moral ways of generating an income to fund a normal lifestyle, although nowadays fewer and fewer Nigerian women are aware of what they are signing up for.

The issue extends to other countries in West Africa, with Ghana also facing problems tackling this illegal activity. As it stands prostitution is a criminal act in Ghana, however this does not diminish the number of young girls I have witnessed first hand gathering on the streets of Accra in the late hours of the evening looking for sex work. After driving past the same streets while away in Ghana during the summer, I wanted to understand why girls close to myself in age were using their bodies in exchange for a small payment of the local currency. Following a few attempts to gain a further understanding into the reasons behind prostitution in Ghana from the sex workers themselves, I slowly began to understand that anybody who had questions surrounding their activity could be seen as a threat or danger. My next point of focus was the local people, and through them I slowly began to draw some conclusions that differed from thoughts that I had previously read.

“AFTER LEARNING THAT GIRLS COULD CHARGE HIGHER RATES BASED ON THE USE OF PROTECTION IN GHANA, I BEGAN TO SEE HOW SAFETY ISSUES THERE COMPARED TO THE U.K.” It seemed that while ministers in the U.K were working to tackle sexual exploitation in Ghana, some of these same ministers were known to be high-paying clients for prostitutes, putting into perspective the issue of corruption that the country faces.

To make matters worse, I grew to understand that these were not one-off instances but rather that sexual relations between prostitutes and ministers were a regular occurrence. Unlike the sympathy that is shown to a greater or lesser extent in the British newspapers about prostitution, it seemed that in Ghana a negative stigma had been attached to prostitutes, which went some way to explain the standoffish nature I experienced whilst being in their midst. When I did get a chance to speak to these girls, they mainly tended to blame the breakdown in families as the cause for prostitution. If married men were not content with their sexual relationships with their spouses and the prostitutes were available, then why would they feel like victims in the situation? After learning that girls could charge higher rates based on the use of protection in Ghana, I began to see how safety issues there compared to the U.K. Until recently, the NHS have been majorly responsible for the control of medical outbreaks such as HIV that are related to prostitution, however the health of sex workers is now at risk with cuts in NHS support services. Despite prostitution being legal in the U.K, there is no doubt that globally the use of sexual activity to gain a form of income is frowned upon no matter which part of the world you live in. Not solely confined to prostitution, there’s no doubt that women hold a level of power in the availabilities of their bodies and how this affects the way they are perceived by different circles within societies. Even though there are organisations in the U.K assisting with the safety of prostitutes, it begs the question whether the barely legal act should, or could, be stopped altogether. Even in countries where prostitution is illegal, how can the issue really be tackled when the people involved in running the country are breaking the very own rules they have enforced on their fellow citizens, to cater for a short-lived moment of pleasure?

Earlier this year, Amnesty International adopted a policy to call for the worldwide decriminalization of prostitution involving adults, since the illegal nature of the work makes it harder for these women to report attacks or receive medical attention. “This policy does not argue that there is a human right to buy sex or a human right to financially benefit from the sale of sex by another person,” Amnesty said. “Rather, it calls for sex workers to be protected from individuals who seek to exploit and harm them and recognises that the criminalization of adult consensual sex work interferes with the realisation of the human rights of sex workers.”

Prostitution, as we often hear, is the world’s oldest profession, so perhaps it makes sense for society to collectively figure out a way to make it safer than to pretend it doesn’t exist.

NEF THE PHARAOH PHOTOS BY HYPEMARI WORDS BY ANASTASIA BRUEN

WHETHER IT BE THE HYPHY RAP MOVEMENT, FACIAL TATTOOS OR THE WEST COAST SLANG THAT SEEPS INTO HIS SPEECH, OAKLAND BORN RAPPER NEF THE PHARAOH MANIFESTS HIS SURROUNDINGS INTO AN ARTISTIC MOVEMENT. It’s 10am in the Bay Area and Nef and his twoyear-old son are enjoying a calm morning together when we call him. Nef soothingly describes the day they have planned; cartoons and playing in the park. The tone of the young rapper’s voice holds a sentiment of warmth, juxtaposed with the vivacious energy of a rising star. At 22 years of age, Nef’s list of achievements matches that of a much older artist. He’s a father, an entrepreneur and most forwardly and ferociously; an artist.

Following the late summer ’16 release of his mixtape, ‘Fresh Outta Space 3’, Nef’s excitement is to be expected: “‘I got great feedback, you know I got one of the top hip hop albums on iTunes and Tidal, I dropped it at the right time and gained the right amount of exposure. You know, I was just saying the other day, every step that I’m taking is happening at the right moment of life, like I’m not going too fast, I’m not going too slow, we’re doing everything precise.” Nef’s excitement also stems from national attention being brought back to the Bay Area for the first time in a decade. We ask if he feels empowered in representing and he energetically responds: “It feels good. It feels like recognition is finally coming back to the Bay Area, we’re finally getting the shine we deserve.”

Signed to E-40’s ‘Sick Wid It Records’, Nef has just finished touring with G-Eazy on the ‘Endless Summer Tour’. He describes touring as being with “[My] big brothers, it was a fun experience. It was our calling and it was what we were there to do.”

On his own 2017 tour, ‘Changuary’, Nef remarks, “(It was) my second solo tour, the first one was pretty cool; we went to Canada and did sold out tours there, but this one we just came and we

hit the right moves, we had all the right merch, every show was sold out. I think we only did like ten days, but they were some of the best ten days of my life.”

Following Nef’s recent touring experience, the emcee explained the effect it’s had on his music and mindset, stating: “I had never been outside of the Bay Area, I was 21 years old and I never travelled anywhere until G-Eazy took me on tour with him. It was a kinda 360, from being trapped in the Bay Area to travelling all 50 states of the US and then travelling [to] other countries in the world. It just made me open my eyes and realise that there is way more to life. There [are] different kinda struggles, no matter what colour you are. Everyone enjoys music, no matter what kinda music - as long as it’s good music that people can understand and relate to.”

Suddenly Nef’s energy ramps up from the previously pacifying fatherly tone, as if freshly learnt cultural lessons suddenly permeate his mind and reignite the vivacity of being on tour.

When asked to recall the most eye-opening experience on the road, he’s quick to tell me it’s the mythicism of racism, saying: “Everybody’s not racist - they loves us.” He continues to describe how “The Bay Area is one of the most diverse regions you’ve ever been to, we have white people, we have black people, we have green people, blue people, purple people, it’s very diverse. But racism is still alive in the South, it’s still alive in the US. I was expecting to witness some of that, you know I kinda did witness a little bit here and there in states like Texas and those real Deep South states, but other than that it’s kinda dying out. No one cares what colour you are, the love is just unconditional - it’s all about just loving another human being.”

Nef’s perspective of the world is positively uplifting, with the sense of a seasoned individual fused with the energy and hopefulness of a young soul. When asked about the notion that, in order to rap, you must first live and experience

the world, Nef is grounded in stating: “[Living] definitely takes a toll on the body of artwork you put out, as a musical artist we could take it back to when I first started rapping back in 2004/2005 - I was very irrelevant, I was young, I didn’t know a lot. Every other word was a cuss word, it was very ignorant rap, but today I can touch base on [personal struggles]. I’ve been in a situation where I never had food in my stomach, I’ve been hungry, I’ve had to go out there and get it. Then I’ve been in situations where I’ve made a way for myself and I’m financially stable. Now I can support my family, I can support my little one and you know, it all takes time due to life. To observe and report, that’s really what I do, I just sit down, I observe, I obtain the knowledge - bad or good information - [then] I go back to the studio, get it together in my head, then report to the people. I report to the fans and I give it to them straight, raw. You know I don’t chase it, I give ‘em life.”

It’s this profound way of thinking that enables me to suggest his role of ‘Cultural Script Writer’ and the playful nature of Nef is exposed. He agrees, “Yes Ma’am,” adding his own subtitle: ‘I’m kinda like The Crocodile Hunter - Steve Irwin. You know how he would go out, he’d mess with things,

and be like,’ OH CRIKEY, HE ALMOST GOT ME ARM, DON’T FUCK WITH THOSE!’ You know like, Steve Irwin said, ‘Don’t fuck with those hippos’, so I’ma not fuck with them. He saw it before, basically, so I’m like the urban crocodile hunter.”

We ask the self-proclaimed ‘Urban Crocodile Hunter’ which defining moments in his life have pushed him to culturally report or represent so intensely. He affirms: “Right now - I feel like, the time of the world is better than any time ever.”

Nef acknowledges the freedom of today’s times, “You can be [whoever] you wanna be today, you could even be a fucking clown. Donald Trump won the presidency - he’s a fucking clown and he’s president. You can do anything right now. I’m just thankful to be alive, that I can narrate a verbal report to the people about the times that are going on today.”

Nef continues to explain the orientation of his work as directly influenced by the Bay Area. He explains: “My music always sets me back to the best time of my life, which was 2004-2007 for the Bay Area, that was the Hyphy movement. It was fun fun fun, with a capital ‘F’, Spongebob sort of fun, you know, it was the best time of my life.

“I’M LIKE THE URBAN CROCODILE HUNTER”

The way of the Universe is that fads come and go into style, then a couple years go past and they come right back into style. You see it with kids everyday, basically what I do with my music, there [are] already fads that come into style, with all different types of genres of music and I’m that artist that’s gonna bring a fad back into style. I’m stuck in that Hyphy movement, that pure fun, stupid, ignorant. The kids today aren’t used to it, ‘cause they’re born in 2000, so really in the prime time of the Hyphy movement they were still a child. So now that I’m bringing it back, it’s kinda new to them and really, it’s old to us, but they LOVE it!”

Also, impacting the artist’s fierce ascent is the mentoring from Bay Area legend, E-40. However, Nef’s maturity doesn’t seem solely down to E-40’s guidance. I ask him about the mature mind he holds for such a young cat in the rap game, “It’s really where I’m from, you have to be aware of your surroundings, you have to be on your toes 24/7.

I’m an intelligent human being, but the lifestyle I’m in, we have tattoos on our face, gold grills on our teeth and people judge us by our covers. You know, I dropped out in 11th grade, but if I was to go back to school right now, I’d only have 16 more credits left, I’ve always been a straight A student.”

He admits that book smarts aren’t guaranteed to aid your survival in the adult world: “But it’s not the fact that it makes you smarter or dumber the more you obtain the school knowledge, it all depends on how you portray this knowledge that you obtain in the real world. ‘Cause that’s all that’s gonna matter in this real world, you’re not gonna have teachers in a classroom to hold your hand.

You’re gonna have your basic multiplying and dividing, you’re gonna know your history. Every now and then you’re gonna use the basic things you learned in school, but you gotta amp them all the way to times ten when you’re out here in real life. I feel like the Bay Area already does that, one year in the Bay Area is [equal to] three years somewhere else. We move so fast.”

At this moment, Nef’s son interrupts to update us on how his day is going - he’s watching Paw Patrol and he needs to express it. The minute Nef engages with his boy, the ecstatically energised character mellows into a voice that speaks pure unconditional love and care. He reveals the most fulfilling part of his lifestyle is, “My son’s face when he hears my music. His face lights up and he just smiles from ear to ear. He says, “That’s Daddy”.

He jumps all over the room, he just becomes an exuberant young toddler, just excited to hear his father. He’s very intelligent too. I put him on a song on my mixtape and when he hears himself he’ll say, ‘Ohhhhh daddy that’s me, that’s me daddy’; he loves it.” Nef admits, “he knows (all) the songs; good words and bad words unfortunately. I have to monitor that. But it’s dope. Every time he hears me come on the radio - I got this song with Dev, it’s damn near a house/pop/dubstep - every time he hears it, he goes crazy, he knows my voice. He’s been in the car when I’ve had music low and he’s been like, ‘turn it up daddy, that’s you’. I’ll be like, ‘No it’s not’ and it turns out it’s my song.”

Nef defines himself and his rise as being a product of his environment. “I took my situation, I took my downfalls and I overcame them. You know I was always the black swan, I was always the underrated, you know the runt of the litter. I’m the best product of my environment. Everything people said I couldn’t do and everything they thought I couldn’t do, coming from where I’m from, I’ve done it. I’m living proof.”

On highlights of his career so far, I ask Nef to describe the emotive process when Drake summed him up on stage on the ‘Summer Sixteen Tour’, he states: “The emotions, really before I’m about to go on stage, the best way I can explain it. You know that feeling you get when you’re about to fight and your mouth gets watery, your nerves get bad and you wanna run away - that’s the feeling I have and I always hit first. What I mean by that, is that I go on stage and go crazy, I have the mentality that I know I’m gonna win this fight, I’m not gonna lose. I’ma come up victorious, and as a champion. And right there, that was like one of the Championship fights for the belt, when Drake brought me out.. and I won. So, it was dope”.

He humbly reveals, “The hardest thing I had to overcome as an artist and a human being was the anxiety. There’s a moment of your career when you’re travelling up this mountain. It’s like right before you’re about to go on a rollercoaster. The anxiety was so hard, I felt like the walls were closing in. I felt like I was dying, I felt like I was losing air. I finally realised that everybody was there for me, everybody was showing me this unconditional love and it was too much for my body; when really, it wasn’t too much. I just had to sit and channel all this emotion I was feeling into my music and into my performance. Now when I go on stage, it’s just dope. I put on a show.”

Finally I ask Nef about the anxiety he mentions, was it a fear of failing? “No,” he states. “It was the anxiety of the come up.” It’s this very statement that illustrates Nef perfectly. A testimony to his ever strenuous, increasing momentum, his game and his artistic expression. Defined by his current journey and his pursuit of the desire to “make waves, not ripples.” @NefThePharaoh

soundcloud.com/nefidelaphante

PRESCRIPTION

DRUGS ILLUSTRATIONS BY ILL JIL WORDS BY LILY MERCER

Years ago I wanted to write about rappers evolving from drug salesmen into drug consumers. Nowadays that seems barely shocking - rappers have been getting high for decades! But what is interesting is the rise of prescription drugs in the hip hop community. Once the allure of rich Beverly Hills housewives conjured up in Bret Easton Ellis novels, these days Xanax and Valium are being quoted by rappers as much as hip hop staples like weed and Hennessy.

The evolution from pusher to addict has always fascinated me. They say that drug dealers who stay in the game too long end up addicted to their own product. The mystique of drugs has always been scintillating; how close they can bring you to danger, the gamble of dabbling with them while hoping they won’t corrupt you. It’s interesting how the anti-drug attitudes that rappers were known for in the days of the crack epidemic have warped to such an extent.

When you examine how things have changed, there are several significant turning points related directly to music. Saying that, the climate of rap has always been dictated by social developments in America, especially when it comes to how the government’s laws affect the masses.

So how did recreational prescription drug use become so common in America? Nixon and Reagan’s “War on Drugs” was hugely influential in the rise of prescription drugs. In fact Diazepam was the topselling pharmaceutical in the United States from 1969 to 1982, with peak sales in 1978 of 2.3 billion tablets.

Back to the point, prescription meds have been commonplace across American social settings for decades. Bret Easton Ellis’ vapid Los Angeles

housewives embody prescription drug use in the 1980s. While Ellis brought a somewhat glamorous image to today’s prescription pills, rather than 1978era Diazepam or 2000-era favourite, Vicodin; it is Xanax, Valium and Percocet that nowadays are the pills du jour. All encouragingly washed down with lean as seen by Atlanta rapper Future’s 2016 hit, ’Perky’s Callin’’; which includes the simplistic hook, “I can hear the purple callin’, I can hear the xannies callin’, I can hear the perkys callin’.”

The success of ‘DS2’, an album that could be considered a diary of drug addiction and pain, shows that Future is not alone in his feelings. Fans could relate - or at least understand - his vulnerability, which was expressed in somewhat poetic tones, with lyrics like “Baptised inside purple Actavis.”

Fundamentally, drugs have always been a simple way of numbing emotions as well as physical pain.

Our human inability to deal with our issues correlates with the high rates of consumption by young adults.

Boredom is also to blame for recreational drug use thanks to a lack of opportunities for young people, leading to a deficiency of ambition. Likewise, the accessibility of drugs in America mean it’s often easier to get drugs, plus they’re more lucrative than employment. And those that take financial advantage of the abundance of narcotics are vilified for it despite selling drugs being, in some ways, the only option besides poverty.

Many rappers have combined prescription drugs with employment. Viper’s 2014 cover star, ScHoolboy Q, has been open about his past selling OxyContin, otherwise known as “Hillbilly Heroin.” Many of his songs address the lifestyle that comes with selling prescription pills, including criminality and addiction.

His lyrics speak directly of the hold drugs have had over his life, even outlining why he gets closer to drugs while closing himself off from others, “Prescription drugs, show me love / Percocets, Adderall / Xanny bars, get codeine involved /Stuck in this body high, can’t shake it off.” These are lyrics from ‘Prescription’, on which he also says:

“PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, I FELL IN LOVE MY LITTLE SECRET, SHE GON’ KILL A THUG MY BODY NUMB, SHE LIKES TO GIVE ME HUGS I LOVE HER TOUCH, I GET A RUSH WHEN SHE DON’T COME AROUND, I START TO GO NUTS.”

The cosy cocoon of being high has been expressed in countless poetic ways. However, the dark side of drugs is not always shown at surface level. Several peers of ScHoolboy Q have expressed how prescription drugs have positively helped them explore their creativity, including Danny Brown. The Detroit rapper wrote much of his early material on Adderall. He even coined the moniker, “Adderall Admiral,” featuring a song of the same name on his album, ‘XXX’.

world, having been mentioned on songs countless times. Duran Duran, U2, B-Real and Soulja Boy have all released songs with Xanax in the title, just to demonstrate how widespread use of the drug is. Xanax snuck deeper into the mainstream realm in recent years, receiving name-checks from artists like Chris Brown and Kanye West who rapped on ‘No More Parties in LA’, “If I knew y’all made plans I wouldn’t have popped the Xans.”

Likewise many artists have let their love of Xanax be known to their listeners, particularly Chicago rapper and producer, LUCKI, formerly known as Lucki X, who has been an advocate of Xanax for much of his career.

On one of his best songs, ‘Xan Cage’, he opens up to reveal his dishonesty towards those closest to him, spitting, “

This mainstream appeal is potentially where the threat of prescription addiction becomes more widespread. In 1999, Eminem became one of the first rap artists to openly discuss his use of prescription drugs. Several years later he spoke honestly on his reliance towards pills. At the peak of his addiction, the Detroit rapper took up to 60 Valium and 30 Vicodin pills a day. In the documentary, How To Make Money Selling Drugs, Eminem addresses his pill addiction and how close he came to death when he overdosed on methadone in 2007. “The doctors told me I’d done the equivalent of four bags of heroin,” he said after the experience. “They said I was about two hours from dying.”

My mother found my stash if she knew she’d understand / Lie to her say I sell ‘em she said don’t end up in jail / That motherfuckers askin’ me like what would you do different? / Jus probably take less and never look up in the mirror / Now motherfuckers asking me like why you actin different? / Then have a heart to heart but by the morning I forget it.”

Interestingly, the drug is super popular in the music

Eminem reveals he was taking Vicodin, Valium and Xanax and any other drug in pill form that was being

offered to him, provided it was in the same family of opiates. While being interviewed for the documentary he also admits that he didn’t think he had a problem because he wasn’t “out there shooting heroin.”

Adding, “I don’t know at what point exactly it started to be a problem. I just remember liking it more and more. People tried to tell me that I had a problem. I would say ‘Get that fucking person outta here. I can’t believe they said that shit to me. I’m not out there shooting heroin. I’m not fucking out there putting coke up my nose. I’m not smoking crack.”

Though many of these drugs act as synthetic versions of illegal drugs like heroin, their reputation is less tainted than illegal street drugs meaning many don’t view the addiction of prescription drugs the same way. In fact, many users of prescription pills can’t afford to continue taking them long-term as they are often three times or more the price of the illegal drugs they’re mimicking. In How To Make Money Selling Drugs, one young Oxycontin user recalls his friend telling him that he should do heroin instead as it’s cheaper. This sad truth, added to the fact that legal prescriptions are hard to get, means that many people that get hooked on pills later succumb to the cheaper illegal drugs that have the same effect as the prescription drugs.

Rehab centres have begun to deal with more prescription pill addictions in recent years. Likewise, we’ve seen more public figures come forward admitting to prescription drug addiction, including Mac Miller, Gucci Mane and Macklemore.

In mtvU’s “Half of Us” campaign, the latter outlined his addiction to Oxycontin, which he called one of the “most intense” drugs he’d used. “It’s synthetic heroin, that’s the definition of it,” and “[I saw] the grip that it had, just doing it for five or six days, sweating through my sheets and coming off of it shaking.”

In March 2015, Chance the Rapper tweeted, “Xanax the new Heroin. Don’t let em fool u.” On his Grammy Nominated 2016 mixtape, ‘Coloring Book’, he opens up about addiction on ‘Finish Line / Drown’, saying “Last year got addicted to Xans / Started forgetting my name and started missing my chance,” proving that even successful people can still be held back by addiction. Following the release of the mixtape, he opened up more to GQ, saying of his life in LA,

“I was Xanned out every fucking day. I was just fucking tweaking. I was a Xan-zombie.”

Criticism of drugs in rap reached an all time high in 2015, when rising Atlanta rapper and producer, OG Maco, called out Future for making addiction desirable. His disapproval came prior to the success of ’DS2’, the second instalment of an album literally named after the cocktail made when codeine syrup is poured into Sprite. Considering the barely legal connotations, it’s notable that the album topped the charts.

Just days before Future released the album, Maco tweeted his regret that one of his favourite musicians had “destroyed countless lives by making it cool to be a drug addict.” The statement later transformed into a Twitter beef, which failed to address the wisdom of Maco’s words. Future has indeed made it cool to be a drug addict. No one at the time seemed to be concerned about that besides Maco. [Future and OG Maco eventually made up by the way - just in case you were worried about how that ended.]

One of my most memorable memes, since swept up in Internet tumblrweed, was relating to the fact that Future has been crying for help for years now and we’re too busy partying and screaming “It’s lit,” to hear his pain. Now, Future may actually be dealing

with his own issues perfectly well, and maybe we should be minding our own fucking business instead of judging.

But there’s a lot to be said about the clown facade that many are putting on when taking drugs to mask their problems.

In no means was OG Maco preaching about drug use, as a former advocate of lean himself, he’s seen the darker side of codeine use.

Instead of an attack on Future, his intention was to confront a culture that prides itself on being sedated.

Long-term lean users, like Lil Wayne, have publicly suffered seizures that are believed to be brought on by drinking codeine syrup. Not to mention the tragic loss of A$AP Yams, co-founder of A$AP Mob, who passed away in his sleep in January 2015. New York’s Chief Medical Examiner’s office determined his death an accidental drug overdose due to opiates and benzodiazepine, likely due to mixing codeine and Xanax. Shortly after, OG Maco, a friend of Yams, tweeted “Put the codeine down. Put the Hi-Tech down. Put the Qualitest down.

Put the Actavis down. Please.” Though Maco quit lean years before Yams’ death, he’d experienced his own overindulgence, occasionally drinking one pint in just a day. But it began to affect his commitment to music, with Maco admitting that while recording early songs, “I’d be drinking from the cup right then, but I would realise my timing was off.” Adding, “I couldn’t stay on the beat — and I hate metronomes, the little fucking noise gets on my nerves, and annoys the shit out of me — so I wouldn’t record. I’d just wait until tomorrow.”

Lean prices have escalated a great deal over the last two decades. Today a pint can cost as much as $3000, as the popularity of the drug escalates. Family favourite The Simpsons even made reference to cough syrup, showing how commonplace recreational lean use is. The active ingredients in cough syrup are alcohol, codeine - which triggers the same brain receptors as heroin and promethazine; which has drowsy effects. Relatively safe in small doses, the guidelines stated by The Food and Drug Administration are “one teaspoon every four hours, no more than six doses in a day, with further consumption leading to a high.” So not one pint per studio session then.

Lean isn’t hard to come by, provided you have a doctor’s prescription, plus it’s inexpensive when purchasing with an insurance card, making it readily available and as casual as drinking a cocktail. Its roots go back to the 1950s when blues musicians in Houston, Texas would mix cough syrup with beer. Later, various other drinks were used instead of beer, with users finally settling on fizzy drinks like soda. Diagnosed for common coughs, getting a prescription for the syrup wasn’t difficult, making it readily available for recreational users.

Though lean’s usage was primarily spreading across the Texan city of Houston, today it’s as common in cities in neighbouring states like Georgia and Florida.

The majority of rappers from Atlanta are regular users of lean, bragging about how many ounces they have in their cup. Like any other drug, users develop a tolerance to lean, leading to withdrawals when they decide to stop sipping. Former users that gave up the drug have reported “heroin-like” withdrawals. Even before quitting lean, the side effects can be ugly, with bloating and stomach upsets linked to using the drug. Danny Brown spoke openly on the experience when he stopped drinking lean in 2015, saying “You can’t hold it. It’s diarrhoea. But then, the other side is if you drink too much, you become constipated and you can’t take a shit. That’s why Gucci Mane’s belly was like that, it wasn’t that he was fat, it’s that he was bloated.”

While on the surface xanax, valium and codeine cough syrup all seem to be dominating the prescription drug landscape, there’s a far bigger threat making an impact on the prescription drug industry; fentanyl. Created by Paul Janssen in 1960, fentanyl is a potent, synthetic opioid pain medication with a rapid onset and short duration of action. According the National Institute of Drug Abuse, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The drug is regularly prescribed to patients in chronic pain, or those recovering from surgery. In the UK, where prescription drug abuse is far less common, fentanyl is classified as a controlled Class A drug.

A 2016 BBC documentary Smack in Suburbia, explored the effects of addiction in the the state of Ohio, reporting that the United States is in the midst of a heroin and opiate epidemic. Other states are also experiencing epidemics, with newspapers reporting that Maine was seemingly close to setting a new record for “overdose deaths in 2016 because of increased abuse of fentanyl” according to Dr. Marcella Sorg, of the University of Maine Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, “Data from Maine’s chief medical examiner indicates there were 189 drug overdose deaths in the first six months of the year, a 50 percent increase from the same period last year.”

Small steps are being taken to address the rise of recreational prescription drug use in the U.S. Having taken place in Delaware, National Drug Take-Back Day already gave people a safe way to dispose of unwanted pills in their homes. According to authorities, most prescription drug abuse is due to users obtaining them from the homes of families and friends. Similar amnesties are going on across America, including Arizona. In the run up to being elected President of the United States, Donald Trump spoke on the role that prescription drugs play in the heroin epidemic, with plans of rolling out a multipoint plan to combat drug addiction.

It’s unclear why addiction rates are so high right now but America’s reluctance to address the epidemic it’s facing suggests the industry may be too lucrative to shut down.

“BUT THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF HIP HOP, THAT IT IS SUBJECTIVE. ALL THESE PEOPLE MAY BE MAKING MUSIC IN DIFFERENT STYLES BUT IT’S THE SAME ESSENCE.”

GOLDLINK PHOTOS BY CHLOE NEWMAN WORDS BY YEMI ABIADE

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW GENERATION OF RAPPERS, THOSE THAT CAN TRULY SAY THEY HAVE ARRIVED WITH SOMETHING FRESH AND NEW TO OFFER THE GAME, FEW NAMES SPRING TO MIND. BUT THEN NOT MANY ARTISTS ARE GOLDLINK, A CREATOR WITH BOTH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE IN ABUNDANCE. HAILING FROM VIRGINIA, THE 21-YEAR-OLD IS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE EMCEES IN THE GAME, UNAPOLOGETIC IN HIS QUEST TO MAKE YOU FEEL THE GROOVE. HIS MUSIC IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER RAPPER, CAPTURING YOU IN A WAY THAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS EUPHORIC. However, as we begin our Skype chat with the somewhat direct question of how he would describe himself, ‘Link is composed and humble in response: “I’m someone who is constantly growing, but also quiet. A quiet, growing nigga! I’m growing into a man and into myself, my beliefs and my views and that translates to the art as well.

So I’m growing in all aspects – spiritually, mentally and emotionally.”

This takes me aback initially, considering the very brazen nature of his music, but as we continue our conversation, I discover an individual who is incredibly comfortable in his own skin. One whose easy-going nature has been ingrained into him by his life experiences and the sounds he shares with the world.

GoldLink has had a busy few years, from dropping his most recent project, ‘And After That, We Didn’t Talk’ in October 2015, to touring the world and being named one of XXL’s Freshmen Class of 2015 an accolade that gathers more weight each year. A personal highlight came recently in London, when he was one of the headliners for the inaugural AFROPUNK festival in the UK’s capital. Being one of the few American artists to take the stage in London for an event which celebrates black culture throughout the world proved a blessing and a unique moment of cultural diversity.

Reflecting on the event, he expresses his appreciation, “I thought it was amazing and it meant the world to me. Just seeing black people and people of all types of races together. [Seeing] an American festival come to London and being one of the first artists to do that was dope to me. The aura was great and the vibe was just so exciting and optimistic.”

His inclusion as one of the headliners served as a nod to his artistry and the music he has cultivated. Referring to his sound as ‘future bounce’, it’s a colourful blend of upbeat, funky and vibrant production that unleashes something in you. You have no choice but to get up and dance until you can’t anymore, with ‘And After That, We Didn’t Talk’ tracks such as ‘Dance on Me’ and ‘Unique’ capturing the radiance and pure charisma of the music perfectly.

Speaking on the sound he creates, GoldLink contemplates: “I just know what I liked when I heard it. “I know that at the time it was being created, I knew that there was nothing like it and I knew that anybody that creates something new is going to stay here for a very long time.

So I pre-meditated being an innovator.” He continues, “I tried to go as left as I possibly could while everybody was going right, then it turned into a natural progression and something I could hone and understand for myself. I would call the sound ‘future bounce’ just because it easier to identify with, there’s a bounciness to each song, whether it’s slow or fast and it’s very forward in its style.”

When his sound is stripped down we discover the angst of a young man navigating his way through life, relationships, internal and external struggles - a major juxtaposition against the musical backdrop. His 2014 debut, ‘The God Complex’, addressed many questions he had about life and, even judging from the title, you got the sense of a young man who had extreme confidence in himself. ‘And After That, We Didn’t Talk’, marked a continuation in the narrative of interpersonal relationships, on the verge of breakdown. But what does GoldLink think of his musical progression since bursting into the scene? “I’ve been more conscious of the impact of what I’ve done, more conscious of the world around me and the message I’m trying to spread. “‘The God Complex' was a statement that needed to be said when I was 19, and I said what I had to say as aggressively as I wanted to see it come across. So I was very proud of how it came out artistically.”

He continues: “But I’m as proud of seeing that growth from 19 to 21 years old, being able to mature and making a statement for the person the tape was for on ‘And After That, We Didn’t Talk’, without being disrespectful. I’d probably say the intro was something that stood out, just for the fact that it was a good parallel for me personally between the first and second tape and continuing that narrative.”

But this narrative is not all GoldLink is passionate about. On the song ‘New Black’, taken from ‘AATWDT’ he explores the plight of black people in these increasingly volatile times. Using his position, ‘Link highlights the injustices that have been dealt to the black community all the way to the present day, both by themselves in the form of black on black violence and external forces such as the police. It serves as a sort of wake-up call for black people – as much as we decry, and rightly so, the police killing us, we also have to acknowledge that the violence amongst us is just as toxic. For GoldLink, addressing these issues is something he feels he has to do, explaining: “I think I’m a forced activist, or a young nigga turned activist! I do feel responsibility to speak but I want to be able to tell the story as realistically, accurately and creatively as possible. That’s my job.” He later adds, “I come from a background of poverty so I wouldn’t feel right about not speaking about those things and experiences, because they made me the man I am today. For me, it’s a civil duty.”

However, he doesn’t feel artists should bear the same responsibility to use their platform to talk about these issues. “They don’t have to if they don’t want to. Artists are associated with celebrities but at the end of the day, when you strip that away artists, by pure definition, are people who express themselves through art. When did they become political leaders? An artist’s job shouldn’t come with that, it just happens to be that way because of society. But that’s not part of an artist’s job description. If you want to be an activist with it, then that’s great, but if not, you shouldn’t be ridiculed for it.”

“THERE’S A REVOLUTION RIGHT NOW AND I TEND TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THAT.”

The age-old phrase ‘real hip hop’ has undoubtedly pleased or even angered many a rap fan and the conversation takes an interesting turn when I broach the subject with GoldLink. I attempt to describe what it actually constitutes when he asks me and even I have trouble before he takes over: “I don’t even know what it’s defined to be. It’s so subjective; I think real hip hop is anybody who’s good and gives a fuck about hip hop. For example, Eric B & Rakim and old Nas is true hip hop to me, but at the same time Gucci Mane in his ‘So Icey’ days was true hip hop as well, in the same way that Three Six Mafia and ‘When The Smoke Clears’ is. 8Ball & MJG! Young Boosie before he went to jail, Max B! All true hip hop to me. People don’t even know that Dr. Dre took that West Coast sound that’s so famous from the South and made that shit into what we call real hip hop today, [yet] Southern music is usually deemed less intelligent music.

“But that’s the beauty of hip hop, that it is subjective,” he continues. “All these people may be making music in different styles but it’s the same essence. The way that Nas represented Queensbridge is the same way Boosie represented Baton Rouge. Like, when Gucci did the ‘My Kitchen’ freestyle, that was one of the worst shot videos of all time, it still did so well because people could see the essence of hip hop and what we love about it.”

GoldLink has gone on record saying 99% of rappers lie in their music, a statement I was curious to learn more about. He explains, “All the people I just named are authentic, 100% of them. They were real and that’s why I gravitate towards them. But if you listen to a nigga like Yung LA, it wasn’t the saaaaaame when he rapped. When you hear T.I. rap, T.I. is tight. Yung LA was my favourite rapper for about three months, then when he was running around yelling ‘Tough Gang’ and niggas ran up on him and whooped his ass, that took away from the authenticity. I don’t mind people not telling their stories when they rap, that’s fine with me. But it’s when people lie.”

He goes on to say, “Rap is a form of poetry and so is storytelling, but if a nigga is rapping some tough shit and he gets ran up on, you find out he’s a liar. People die over things others glorify and even OGs have told me this. It’s upsetting and offensive to them for niggas to profit from shit that they’ve done. And it’s easy to point those guys out. If you come from that kind of background, there’s certain shit you don’t talk about or glorify. And then when niggas do, that’s when things start to not add up.”

Despite his very colourful views on the game, GoldLink is in no doubt that hip hop is in a good place, led by a generation of innovative artists such as himself. “It’s kind of a transitional period happening right now. There’s Masego, Anderson .Paak, Tunji Ige, Michael Christmas. Isaiah Rashad and Domo Genesis dropped two of the hottest albums last year and they’re under the age of 26. There’s a really good revolution right now and I tend to pay more attention to that.”

At the end of it all however, GoldLink is happy to be in the position he’s in, able to capitalise off his real passion: the music. He mentions work on a new project, but that it probably won’t see the light of day until later this year.

He is taking his time with it and enjoying the path he’s made for himself in the meantime. “That’s another thing that’s subjective, but to me happiness is being able to do what I love, get paid to do it, be black and alive. If you talked to me and any of my friends in high school, we would probably see me now as a hero, making money and rapping. It’s falling in love with the right person and having a family, loving God. That’s happiness, for real.”

He is grateful of his journey in life, conscious that it could have gone a completely different way and even has a few words of advice for his younger self. “Man, there’s like two ways because, on the one hand, I would tell my younger self ‘nigga keep doing what you doing, it’s going to work out’. But then on the other hand I would say ‘nigga, skip all this shit, go to school, focus, don’t talk to these bitches, leave these lame niggas alone, ain’t shit out here for you’. Mainly, I would tell him that; these bitches ain’t going nowhere and these niggas are lame, you need to go home.”

Whether you’re with one side or the other, follow GoldLink’s advice, because it might take you places. @GoldLink goldlink.info

ILLUSTRATIONS by EDD LEIGH WORDS by JIMMY NESS

YOU DON’T NEED MARVEL OR DC TO BE A SUPERHERO FAN, HIP HOP HAS BEEN TIED TO COMIC BOOKS SINCE DAY UNO. FASTER THAN A FOE’S BULLET, SMARTER THAN A CROOKED COP WITH THE ABILITY TO LEAP OVER HATERS AND SCOOP YOUR GIRL, MCS BOAST SPECIAL POWERS MINUS THE CAPE.

Hit play, pause in disbelief and you’ll witness enough uncanny sagas to mystify Stan Lee. On primeval hit ‘Rappers Delight’, former pizza boy Big Bank Hank launched comparisons by stunting on Clark Kent. “By the way baby, what’s your name? Said I go by the name of Lois Lane. And you could be my boyfriend, you surely can, just let me quit my boyfriend called Superman.”

Almost four decades later, we’ve remained covert fan-boys. Heroics and villainy surge through rap’s multiplex of wild deeds, messianic ambitions and cinematic showdowns. Among those unconsciously mimicking printed protagonists is Atlanta’s hit-making overlord Future. Whether poised as a double cupped Yahweh or 808 incubus, the masked avenger narrative remains. Like 70 years of nerd lore before him, Future’s story and perception reflects humanity’s triumphs, struggles and terrors.

MCs outstep the ordinary to snatch respect, adoration and wealth.

Their names trigger a variance of mystique and believability. Akin with David Banner morphing into the Hulk, almost every hot spitta has an alias to channel their power. Quincy Matthew Hanley sounds less like a library warden under his crippy hippy pseudonym; ScHoolboy Q. Radric and Torrence aren’t names to fear, but Gucci Mane and Boosie Badazz have handled more artillery than Tunisia. Play rapper word association and specific attributes leap to consciousness. Lil Wayne – facial tattoos and drank, Cypress Hill –Latino pride and weed, Young Thug – weirdo genius. Some artists went full nerd when choosing their titles; DJ Clark Kent, DJ Green Lantern, Grandmaster Flash, Jean Grae and Big Pun all borrowed namesakes from panelled characters. One slick nom de plume isn’t enough though. Alter egos are as common as regrettable tattoos, platinum teeth and video vixens. Wu Tang Clan are the best example - each verbal assassin has a hero equivalent, most notably Ghostface Killah conjuring Tony Stark on wordplay master class Ironman.

They’ve made comic books, video games and movies. RZA bought an impenetrable truck and $20,000 suit with bulletproof briefcase to realise his Bobby Digital ego. Yes, you read that right.

Forget flying, walking through walls or invisibility though; there’s no better talent than harnessing the future. You can’t defeat someone who knows your every move before you do. Humanity is obsessed with predicting its outcome, but it’s perpetually one step ahead. For every crystal ball hack, there are a million suckers leaking £1.99 per minute. Become the future and you’ve entered the realms of omnipotence… or at the very least, toll call mastery.

Perhaps Nayvadius Cash knew this when he chose the prophetic moniker. While some artists are strictly #noncanon, there’s magic to our Promethazine fuelled hero and his Freebandz contingent.

Dungeon Family honcho Rico Wade says Cash divined the name “Future” from a song. Others claim it was because he knew he was going to be “the future of rap.” But none of that really matters.

What’s certain is the life of Pluto’s coolest inhabitant mimics any well-thumbed classic.

Cash’s history encompasses pathos, tragedy and prosperity in the ideal heroic formula. Like Peter Parker superseding bullying to become Spiderman, Future’s origin is as important as the music itself. We’ve been using back-stories to appeal to human psychology and explain universal mysteries since humans began crawling from swamps. Why does a snake have no legs? Why is the sky blue?

Why does Wiz Khalifa giggle at the start of each verse? Humans also relish a tale of struggle. From the social pariahs who united as X-Men to former weakling Captain America, these are the tales that resonate. A gripping character needs a background myth involving danger and adversity. We’re drawn to those who use their abilities to transcend their environment. We like to witness the anguish, so we can join the celebration. If you escaped what Jigga escaped, you’d be in Paris getting fucked up too. Everyone knows the survival anecdotes - 50 Cent caught nine bullets, Boosie dodged cancer, Fetty Wap lost an eye, Kanye produced a whole Tyga album. Like crusaders of the caped and microphone-wielding ilk, Future’s path from underdog to absolute also begins with hardship.

The Adderall android was raised in ATL’s own pre-gentrification Gotham; Kirkwood. Violence is a perennial chapter in the Eastern suburb’s annuals. In 1864, the Atlanta brigades began a conflict that triggered countless civilian and military deaths. Almost 40% of the city was eventually levelled when the Union destroyed a munitions train, damaging anything within a quarter mile. The civil skirmish is still marked by a sign on Memorial Drive proclaiming “Battle of Atlanta began here.” Cash’s childhood was also marred by strife as his family succumbed to crime for survival. Parts of Zone 6 neared third world conditions following crack’s venomous debut and the murder rate soared. With Future’s mother as one of few with a legal occupation and still struggling, he chose narcotics as his escape. The six-foot-two former basketball player quit school, instead flitting between jail and chasing a street hustle.

While Future was narrowly avoiding stick-up kids, cousin Rico Wade was remodelling Southern rap. Named after Wade’s dank Lakewood Heights basement, the Dungeon Family includes cult collectives OutKast, Goodie Mobb and Organized Noize. Out of darkness came a collective more potent than The Avengers, with an additional Wolverine. The Family’s undiluted country aura created vital records, influenced countless generations and finally moved attention below the Dixie. The collective was fully established and dividends were flowing in when Future and Wade crossed paths. Initially suspicious of the lanky extra-terrestrial asserting relative status, Rico didn’t bring Cash on board until their second introduction at a family funeral.

Acting as the Ra’s al Ghul to Future’s Batman, Wade mentored his younger relative. The beat maestro saw potential in the dreadlocked Bruce Wayne and invited him beyond ATL’s destitute corners.

Future began visiting the Dungeon studios at 17, where he was a shy and occasionally unwelcome presence. Some assumed he was another vulture aiming to gorge on free Sour Diesel and a groupie or three. Cash silenced doubts through becoming a recording booth fixture and spent hours absorbing game. Recording as “Meathead,” a name referring to his large cranium, pre-superstar Future was less formidable. Originally part of Rico’s six-man group, Da Connect, his pre-autotune voice bares similarities to Andre 3000. The sextet released an EP, including Cash’s trials with melody, derived from his mother’s favourites Luther Vandross and Barry White. Da Connect was short-lived, but Future was determined to exceed his surroundings.

Nayvadius became a recluse and spent 2010 in a sonic bat-cave, often avoiding sunlight for 24 hours. The evolution had begun. He

“RZA BOUGHT AN IMPENETRABLE TRUCK AND $20,000 SUIT WITH A BULLETPROOF BRIEFCASE TO REALISE HIS BOBBY DIGITAL EGO.”

ditched Meathead and named himself visionary. He released four mixtapes during 2011 including the original ‘Dirty Sprite’ and ‘Free Bricks’ with Gucci Mane. The first hit arrived when Cash co-wrote and performed on Georgia rapper YC’s certified gold ear-worm, ‘Racks’. With success came a new challenge. YC was celebrated as rap’s next stalwart and Future predicted as a one-hit quitter. But he wasn’t the meek teen studying in Dungeon Family studios anymore. Nayvadius had hit infinity. He was still poor, still an underdog, but inspiration was in overdrive. Future Vandross relives this moment during ‘Jealous’ - “Haters coming faster than I ever seen them come before. Racks on racks, they say I was a one hit wonder. Where I go, to the top where I belong, I’m from the corner slanging stones. Twenty mixtapes in a year, you know the type of shit I’m on.”

Phase one in the Future Space Opera was launched. Next came a deluge of bass testers. Drake leapt on ‘Tony Montana’. Fans eviscerated vocal chords reciting choruses to ‘Same Damn Time’, ‘Itchin’ and ‘Birds Take A Bath’. Southern Kang T.I. laced ‘Magic’ with one of his slickest verses, fresh out of prison orange. Recite, “FYI, I’m flexing y’all, Game A1 professional” twice daily and you’re halfway to the Atlanta Hawks roster. When Future’s debut, ‘Pluto’, descended in 2012, any sceptics were drowned in purple Actavis. The hood tropes are there, but under dope boy bravado is a singular perspective. Future’s melancholic warble conveys emotions mostly ignored by other rappers. The bionic crooner was lonesome during ‘Turn On The Lights’, triumphant on ‘You Deserve It’ and purring the vocoder blues to ‘Permanent Scar’. The ATLien preached success, but with it came emotions experienced by someone who’d suffered. Whether robot, spaceman or superhero, this was a creature you could emphasise with.

The myth doesn’t end there. Protagonists need a catalyst to provoke action and restore order. Nayvadius met his Catwoman in Ciara and stalked the family ideal, leaving the Peach State for LA. Paparazzi snaps from fashion shows and shopping jaunts capture an idyllic and flawless-skinned union. Future also pursued the Billboard as industry honchos attempted moulding our prototype into a radio drone during sophomore act, ‘Honest’. It filled label pockets, but the urgency was gone. Weaker songwriting and forced features catered to pop fans rather than trunk shakers and booty wobblers. Contentment doesn’t make for intriguing material, artists and their supernatural offspring are most fascinating under duress. If Superman’s life was as perfect as his hair, we wouldn’t be interested. When Future’s relationship caved and ‘Honest’ evoked indifference, it was the necessary call to arms. In a recent interview with MTV News, Nayvadius mentions feeling uncomfortable in Hollywood. “It’s a dream to come from, where I come from and say you have a house in Beverly Hills, but I’m not happy, like this is not who I am. I don’t like walking outside and walking my dog, this is not what I do.” Phase 2 started. Future ditched the NASA suit and went super-villain. The next run is one of the best in rap history.

‘Monster’ was the announcement. It opens with a primal scream and ends with reclaiming his true beloved, Codeine. Whether pharmaceutical or physical, Future embraces his base desires.

The reborn Future Hendrix represents all of the depravity you merely dream about. ‘Monster’ is for every time you wanted to punch your boss, kick a cat, pop a Xanax and throw a stack. Next came ‘Beast Mode’, sprinkled with Zaytoven’s keyboard genius and arguably the most musical of his recent output. Another

hurdle came when Future’s DJ, Esco, was incarcerated in Dubai on marijuana possession. He went away for almost two months, with important hard drives in his custody. The delay didn’t dull the venom. ’56 Nights’ is trenchantly wicked and Esco, now free to enjoy it. Listening to ‘Never Gon Lose’ is like secretly rooting for Darth Vader to pulverise Skywalker.

Like the cartoon baddie, MCs rebuke society and flaunt in full view of public disdain. If you’ve got a tender spot, Eminem, or Tyler The Creator have body slammed it. The Horrorcore subgenre exists to make your skin crawl. Society doesn’t want them, so it’s time to embrace and enjoy. Here’s a gun in my grip, a blue flag in my pocket and me posed with three honeys on your son’s bedroom wall. Cam’ron laughing in Bill O’Reilly’s face on Fox News is a legendary moment because a) it’s hilarious, b) it’s a vivid “fuck you” to authority. Destined for prison or a grave before birth, many spitters rebel just by existing. Others are more overt in their villainy. Kool Keith created an elaborate backstory for the murderous, time-travelling gynaecologist, Dr. Octagon. The UK’s own MF Doom is rap’s finest adversary. With a metal mask comparable to Marvel’s Doctor Doom, his outlandish rhymes and quirky persona live among the best comic anti-heroes.

Villains dodge ethics and accept immorality, but like the greatest baddies, Future’s personality isn’t monochrome. We understand the rationale of those on the left hand path, even if we wouldn’t act the same. When fans demanded another full length, Future replaced the lovesick ‘Honest’ with ‘DS2’. Repeated listens unveil the incentive for his devilry. Whether rebelling against Hollywood, his failed union or burying dark memories, he discloses several motivations. ‘Thought It Was A Drought’ is an ode to limitless intoxication filled with misdeeds aplenty, yet selfreflection subsists. “Had to do what I had to do to get where I’m at. Niggas know I ain’t lying, Niggas know I ain’t lying. There’s a lot on my mind, there’s a lot on my plate.” The twelve nihilistic odes are infused with regret. Listening to Future’s open display of his bent morals is like witnessing a Shakespearean tragedy; in both we’re aware unrelenting gratification comes with personal cost. Yet, Nayvadius will never again go Hollywood. He mingled amongst the civilians, but some aren’t built to play nice. “Tryna make a pop star and they made a monster,” the bullet-scarred badman asserts on ‘I Serve The Base’. Future rebuked the mainstream and ducked career catatonia in process. Listeners feel superior to criminal misdeeds, but goddamn they seem fun. ‘DS2’ rapidly hit billboard peak in the states without cloying attempts at winning pop hearts. Few would survive the moral decay of ‘Stick Talk’, yet we’ve all screamed “I can’t believe the blood ain’t on my shirt!”

The array of releases continues and three pole positions in six months the result. His Drake collaboration ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ topped the Billboard charts with iTunes exclusive ‘EVOL’ following soon after. With ‘Purple Reign’ and ‘Project E.T’ impacting months later and two new projects upcoming, only true devotees can keep pace. There’s whisper of over-saturation and Fire Marshall Future losing steam as peons ransack his style to karaoke minor hits. Yet, the Purple Phoenix will rise again. Nayvadius isn’t just an auto-tuned croak or unparalleled debauchery. He’s a creative Galactus. Like their caped brethren, the best artists inspire and succeed long after adversity, retirement or death.

PHOTOS BY MR GHOSTRAIN WORDS BY LILY MERCER

THE MANY FA C E D DEMI GOD.

CASISDEAD

FEW ARTISTS CAN CLAIM TO BE AS CAPTIVATING AS CASISDEAD. ARGUABLY THE BEST RAPPER IN THE UK - SOME WOULD SAY IT’S NO CONTEST. AT THE VERY LEAST HE’S THE MOST VERSATILE, A RARE GEM IN MODERN RAP, EXPLORING LINGUISTICS AND EXPERIMENTAL SONIC BACKDROPS.

CASISDEAD may not be a household name but that’s set to change.

The Tottenham MC had a busy 2016, even after appearing on two tracks on Giggs’ Summer LP, ‘Landlord’. After teaming up with the cream of the British music scene, all aspects of his career so far suggest he’s about to impact on UK music in a big way.

Appearing on the scene in 2013, CASISDEAD has built a steady, loyal fanbase through a solidly British identity. He effortlessly pays homage to the MCs that came before him, while possessing a unique charm that’s drawn a cult fanbase in droves. Name-checking everything from Eastenders characters to local BMW car dealerships, he’s so UK that most of his references go over the heads of many that haven’t connected with English pop culture. Testament to his position as the next British MC to make an impact, he’s already worked with UK music’s elite, from Tricky to Katy B, Giggs to Chase

“SICK OF THESE SYCOPHANTS - SICKENING. SICK EM’ WITH SIX STAFFS.“

and Status; and that’s in 2016 alone.

The year marked a change in direction from the sound of his Number 23 album, released in 2013. Standing out from the UK rap soundscape at the time, CASISDEAD delivered distinctly hip hop flows over grime beats crafted by industry veterans like JME and Faze Miyake, along with mellow cuts from The Purist, a collaborator of Danny Brown, Roc Marciano and Action Bronson.

CAS’ latest project, ’Commercial 2’, was released in 2015, exclusively on cassette with a limited press sold via his website and priced at just 1p. Displaying a more mature sound than his 2013 album, the follow up featured an assortment of 1980s electronic instrumentals, including a couple of familiar songs from film scores. The sound led one fan to comment, “It’s a bit too commercial,” which amused CAS,

considering the title. The mixtape celebrates his love of nostalgia, while confirming that he was probably born in the wrong era of music.

Standing apart from every seminal UK rap album ever released, ‘Commercial 2’ sees CAS embellish the eighties sounds with raps as gritty as everything he’s previously delivered. Over the beats, he relays tales of his near-death experience, the death of his abusive uncle and the prison sentence his friend is currently serving. Amongst the instrumentals are songs prominent in the soundtracks of two of his favourite films, ‘Drive’ and ‘Bronson’, both directed by Kavinski, a director he admires. The follow up single to ‘Commercial 2’, ‘Before This’, produced by LATER, conjured up a similarly nostalgic feeling, seeming to confirm the direction CAS is stepping in musically. It’s a sound that suits him, while setting him firmly apart from other MCs in the UK. Despite his talent, the question remains, is CAS’ lyrical content too dark and controversial for mainstream success? When you look at the MCs that “make it,” they tend to be softening their sound for the general public. The idea of CAS’ toning down his content for the charts is ridiculous and unlikely to ever happen. Plus would that kind of success even appeal to him? Probably not. On ‘Get It’, a song with Faze Miyake he raps, “No airplay cus my dialogue’s too informal.”

While CAS is highly intelligent and in possession of wide vocabulary, it never feels like he’s showing off with his wordplay. He’s experimental with flow patterns and rhyme schemes, sometimes using simple techniques to demonstrate an effortless way with words. Case in point, the opening 4 bars of 2015’s ‘6PM’ on which he spits, “6PM GMT / I’m in a sick BM on DMT / With your BM and she got PMT / But she still gon’ blow like TNT.” When I’m putting someone onto a rapper they don’t know, I rarely recite lyrics in order to prove my point but on the off-chance that I do, that one seems to convince them about CAS immediately. It just goes to show that flamboyant hyperbole isn’t necessary in order to rap good.

Anyone that’s ever listened to me rant about the laziness of Big Sean ending every line with ass on his ‘Mercy’ verse (and sympathised) will immediately understand what draws me to CAS’ lyrical prowess.

What’s most refreshing is the fact that he manages to display his skill at wordplay without ostracising the less intelligent listener.

As a writer, I appreciate Jay Elec’s high-brow wit and appreciate that there are rappers promoting intelligence when ignorant people insist it’s all drugs and violence. But there are times when listening to someone rap like they swallowed a dictionary can be a little too heavy. Though he may backflip through a verse, CAS lyrics are never so flamboyant that they leave you feeling dumb.

Following the release of ‘Landlord’, Giggs and CAS teased plans to release a collaborative project. It’s a winning combo as despite many differences, their subject matter is often shared. Lyrically, they’re almost a rap yin and yang with CAS’ complex lyricism intertwined with Giggs’ one punch bars.

Though briefly signed to Dirtee Stank, CAS has remained an independent artist since the deal ended. With countless bookings up and down the country, in addition to festival bookings across Europe, being unsigned obviously suits him. It also allows him freedom when it comes to the music he creates, as seen with his

collaboration with LATER, a song than many London MCs may have been anxious to make.

With a deep back catalogue, there are many impressive verses that display his strength as a rapper, including ‘Lyrical Combat’, featured on Giggs’ album, ‘Landlord’, on which he raps, “Sick of these sycophants - sickening. Sick em’ with six staffs.“ It’s the kind of lyric that could be in an A-Level poetry anthology, a perfect example of sibilance.

Despite a demeanour that scares some people, CAS always displays his sense of humour, all the way down to the visuals he puts out, like ‘Leon Best’ when he raps his verse to the McDonalds Drive-Thru order slot. Likewise, the moment he wakes up in bed on the B&Q sales floor in the ‘What’s My Name’ visual will have you giggling as soon as the penny drops. All of CAS’ videos are self-directed, and he’s shot a few for others, including Giggs’ ‘501 (Hollow & Heston)’.

His own visuals are innovative and inconspicuous thanks to his decision not to reveal his face.

With this anonymity, he lies at the opposite end of the spectrum of the UK’s most famous face, Kate Moss. Both notorious for rarely doing interviews, the supermodel and CAS share this rejection of media attention. Prior to appearing in these very pages, CAS has only ever given two interviews and the lack of regular snapchats from him only adds to the allure. The average rapper with his experience and fanbase is at risk of overexposure in the digital era, so he takes pride in his elusiveness, spitting on his Summer ’16 hit, ‘Before This’, “I don’t have snapchat / I’m not easy to contact / I’m old school like that.”

The comments on his YouTube videos display many fans’ obsession with the mask. Potential brief glimpses of his mask-less face are studied and discussed, on the rare chance that his identity will be revealed. These days, CAS switches up masks a lot, although the metal face is the one most synonymous with his identity. Recently he’s been wearing the flayed skin mask in addition to the prosthetic tattooed face seen in these pages, which many mistake for his real face. People often ask why he wears the mask at all. “No face no case” is an overused phrase but seems to be, quite simply, the reason for CAS’ anonymity.

Present at every live show he does, The Dead Team are a huge part of CAS’ musical output. More a family than a group of friends, he’s known them for years. One member of the group is a blood relative, his brother Mason. The Dead Team appear on stage with him at every show, leading some people to think CAS is a collective. The real collective is coming soon however, as Mason and fellow Dead Team member King Rico join CAS to make The XXIII. The trio dropped a stunning visual for their song ‘Weekend’ in late 2016.

In addition to The XXIII, more solo material from CASISDEAD is on the way, along with more directing work. But we’re hoping the final line delivered on ‘Commercial 2’ comes true sooner rather than later, “The album is coming, let’s keep things short.”

@casisdead imreallydead.com

“6PM GMT / I’M IN A SICK BM ON DMT”

ROBB BANK$

Jumping On and Off the Grid with 2PhoneShawty: Speaking with Robb Bank$ PHOTOS BY RICK “INDIGOCHILDRICK” MULLINGS WORDS BY BEN NIESPODZIANY Staying in the spotlight and remaining in the public’s image; these are things that certain artists crave and other artists avoid. For some, like Floridian rapper Robb Bank$, it’s both. The 22-year-old underground sensation started gaining attention around the same time that he was able to legally drive a car. From the jump, he found himself in the limelight both publicly via shows as well as through Internet fame, in particular thanks to Tumblr. Don’t forget, his first Twitter handle was TumblrGod. Entering the scene back in 2012 with the mixtape ‘Calendars’, Bank$ was still a student in high school. At a time when the phrase ‘cloud rap’ was at its peak and Bank$ was rhyming over production from Clams Casino and SpaceGhostPurrp, he fit perfectly inside a new wave of Internet rap, Tumblrsphere talents before Pokémon references and weed sack selfies oversaturated the market. Bank$, not quite 18, was fresh and enticing with a mouth full of gold and plenty of content to relate to. Expressing love for the anime Naruto, the relaxed music of Sade, and crafting an unofficial tagline, “I Think I Might Be Happy” (taken from the show Skins), Robb Bank$ continued to highlight his own unique yet familiar character for the world to see. Appealing to weed heads, comic nerds and gun-toting lean fiends alike, Robb Bank$ crafted his image online. That being said, the artist is notorious for taking breaks away from the rap game to clear his head, to rebuild his brand, to breathe.

We speak with Bank$ on the phone via a Fort Lauderdale number, several months after he turned 22 and dropped ‘C2: Death of My Teenage’. ‘C2’ is a self-released mixtape that acts as the follow up to ‘Calendars’, the project that started it all four years ago. Though plenty of content has been released and plenty of hiatuses have happened in the between time, ‘C2’ comes across as closing an early chapter and opening a new one.

“It was a learning process to be honest,” he tells us about ‘C2’. “The name alone is a sequel to my first mixtape so I had to put myself back in that same mind frame that I was in when I was 17, going on 18. That’s a hard thing to do. During that time, I was nobody when I did ‘Calendars’. It sort of happened over night. I was thrown into rappin’ while I’m still goin’ to high school. I’m goin’ to alternative schools, getting’ kicked out and I’m doin’ shows for $1,000. At that time, that was a lot of money for me, at 17, girls around and shit.

My mindset at that time was real crazy, so I had to sort of throw myself back into that to make the same type of music I was making back then, to give it that nostalgic feel.”

The time between ‘Calendars’ and ‘C2’ is massive, full of mixtapes, EPs, his debut album (‘Year of the Savage’), music videos, tours, international trips, substance experimentation and breaks from music. In those four years, Bank$ released songs with Sir Michael Rocks, Denzel Curry, Pouya, wifisfuneral and more. He ended his teenage years and entered his twenties. He worked constantly and effectively to help spread his sound to a larger audience

with his solo releases cultivating a loyal following that needs no introduction. When the spotlight and the attention got to be too much, Robb Bank$ would jump off the grid, clear his head and handle his life on his own terms.

Although ‘C2’ dropped prior to our talk, Bank$ has plenty of content planned for 2017, including a U.S. tour followed by shows in Asia and Europe. In October, he tweeted in all caps, “DEATH OF MY TEENAGE TOUR REALLY FINNA B A MOVIE DOE.” In our interview he expands,“I got a bunch more projects to drop,” he says. “I got like two or three more ready.” He hints at upcoming projects like ‘No Rooftops 2’ and ‘Never Comin’ Down’, as well as executively producing for plenty of his fellow artists. Shortly after our conversation, he made the major announcement about his signing to Cash Money Records. “You gotta keep working,” he says, “staying consistent. I took a little bit of time off just to make sure I got the whole game plan ready.

It’s just time to put it in motion now.” The quiet time Bank$ spent between his debut solo album and the recent ‘C2’ was almost a year exactly. While a year off might not seem like a great deal of time, it’s becoming more and more difficult to step away from the spotlight when the internet craves and constantly demands content from their favourite artists.

“I did that a couple times where I had to escape,” Bank$ says. “It just got to be too much. Like I was sayin’, I got into it when I was 17, I was a kid so everything was on the Internet.” In that sense, he says, he started out as a child star. “All the pressure,” he continues, “niggas hatin, know what I’m sayin’? People just wantin’ a lot of music from me at unreasonable times. That’s why I dove off some times, I’ve done a lot of hiatuses in my career. I stopped making music for a while, I contemplated not doing music no more but that was all just growing. I grew up in front of everybody. Everybody got to see me fucked up.”

While ‘Calendars’ acted as his debut back in 2012, it was his project ‘Tha City’ that followed in 2013 when all eyes were on Bank$. Still a teenager at the time of the release, full of critical acclaim and media attention, he was also consuming serious drugs, which eventually led to a hiatus. For a year, he took a break from recording music, releasing nothing in 2014. But no matter how long he would go without it, he always found himself returning to the recording booth. “That’s my first love,” Bank$ says, “at the end of the day, since the beginning. Since I was a kid, moving down to Florida and getting into all types of shit. I didn’t know what I wanted to be.

I knew I always wanted to be a rapper, but I didn’t think it was realistic. I was down in Florida, I was doin’ bad ass little shit, being a bad ass little kid, I had no connection to the music world, besides my father and me and him wasn’t speaking. We still don’t speak to this day. For that to happen, it was crazy. [Music’s] something I’m always gonna go back to. That’s the only thing that catches innocence for me.”

Following his first initial hiatus, he returned full speed ahead in 2015 with two EPs (one with rapper Chris Travis) and his debut album, ‘Year of the Savage’, an album he had been discussing years prior to the actual release. After signing a distribution deal with 300 Entertainment last year, Bank$ aka 2PhoneShawty (also the name of a song and an EP) finally released his debut album, amidst numerous projects and singles. Fast forward to the autumn of 2016 and Bank$ has delivered two additional mixtapes: ‘No Rooftops’ and ‘C2: Death of My Teenage’. He’s had an undeniable vision from the jump and has always kept true to his form.

Outside of the hip hop realm, Bank$ has previously said he was working on an anime. But he tells Viper it’s not the time for that right now. He explains that he’s waiting for the right moment to drop it, “Anime is something real near and dear to me. The only thing next to music that I have a true love for is anime. I grew up on it, something I’ve always loved, I just gotta wait for the right time to put it out. It’s all about timing. My job ain’t done yet as a rapper. I gotta keep feedin’ my little cult, my fans, the music before I branch out, but it’s something I’m gonna do in the future.”

“MUSIC’S SOMETHING I’M ALWAYS GONNA GO BACK TO. THAT’S THE ONLY THING THAT CATCHES INNOCENCE FOR ME.”

“ANIME IS SOMETHING REAL NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. THE ONLY THING NEXT TO MUSIC THAT I HAVE A TRUE TRUE LOVE FOR IS ANIME.” Although our phone conversation takes place between Fort Lauderdale and Chicago, I remind him that this is for the cover story of a UK publication.

Having performed in London in 2015, I ask him about his experience in Europe. “London’s fly as hell, I love London. I’ve actually only ever been once. I had a show sold out, that shit was fire as hell. I went to a little party afterwards, they was playin’ all types of grime music, it was real cool, real colourful. I loved it out there, the shows were real - the energy out there reminded me of the energy back home. All the kids was real turnt. I went to Sweden or some shit.

I went to Germany too. They don’t even really speak no English and I’m rappin’ and they know the words, but they don’t know English. That shit is amazing.”

He adds that the shows out in Europe were more energized, void of an audience with folded arms and serious faces. “I hate that type of shit,” he says.

“That happens a lot in Florida. When I first started, people knew I was from Florida, so when I had shows, 90% of the people in the crowd was a rapper or a producer or sum’n, so they ain’t gonna turn up too, they thinkin’, ‘That should be me up there.’

[A] lot of hatin’ ass shit, but you gotta have some haters to know you’re doin’ all right.”

As we finish the phone interview and wrap up our conversation, Viper asks if he has any closing advice for artists working on their craft. “Don’t ever stop, man. Just gotta keep going and gotta keep believing in yourself. Always be aware. Don’t ever be a nigga that’s in the dark or a nigga that’s clouded by his own ego or his own fame ‘cause that can cloud your judgment and you can’t see. Sometimes you won’t be able to see what’s right in front your face or the next move you gotta make. I always try

to stay aware of what my status is, what I’m doin’, what people are thinkin’ of me. A lot of people say you can’t think about that and it doesn’t matter to them, but that matters to me. It matters what people are thinkin’ of the music and the visuals and shit like that. That’s my advice. Just always be aware of your craft and the impact you wanna make and the impact that it’s makin’.”

Bank$ closes out the call on a thankful note, “Shout out to Viper Magazine and Lily Mercer. Shout out to them for real.” while also reminding the world of his present and his future, “‘C2’ out now. ‘No Rooftops 2’ on the way. ‘Never Comin’ Down’ on the way.

That’s it, man. Shouts Florida forever.”

Despite the past hiatuses and breaks from music and though two projects were released last calendar year, it seems certain that Bank$ isn’t going to take another break from the spotlight any time soon. @RobbBanks DeathOfMyTeenage.com

ICU

David wears Cap + Jacket by Maharishi TShirt by Wood Wood Trousers by Carhartt Boots by Stone Island Shadow Project

Shawn wears Jumper by Liam Hodges Trousers by Maharishi Trainers by Nike

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David wears Jacket by Stone Island Trousers by Mohsin

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Shawn wears Stone Island Shadow Project

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PHOTOGRAPHER - HYPEMARI ​S​TYLIST - ALEXA KESTA STYLING ASSISTANT - ASHA ANGULLIA PHOTO ASSISTANT - DAISY STEEL HAIR + MUA - ALEXIS DOLMAN

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G A L

D E M HAMDA WEARS COAT BY MARR LDN, JUMPER BY KILLBABE, SHORTS BY BLITZ AND BOOTS BY KILLBABE

LYDIA WEARS DRESS BY ADAM JONES, BOOTS BY LAMODA LOLA WEARS CAMISOLE BY BLITZ, CHOKER BY LAMODA, JACKET STYLIST’S OWN, TROUSERS BY JAYNE PIERSON AND SHOES BY UNDERGROUND. HAMDA WEARS JUMPER BY KILLBABE, COAT BY MARR LDN, SHORTS BY BLITZ AND BOOTS BY KILLBABE

LYDIA WEARS SHIRT BY BLITZ, CORSET BY NICELY DAMAGED AND JEANS BY MISBHV HAMDA WEARS COAT BY MISBHV, BRA BY KIM WEST, JOGGERS BY KILLBABE AND BOOTS BY UNDERGROUND. LOLA WEARS CHOKER BY NICELY DAMAGED, DRESS BY BLITZ AND JACKET BY MISBHV, BOOTS STYLIST’S OWN.

PHOTOGRAPHER: OLLIE ADEGBOYE STYLIST: ALIZÉ DEMANGE STYLIST ASSISTANT: ABIGAIL SINCLAIR MUA: NINA FAY ROBINSON

PHOTOS BY VINCENT CHAPTERS WORDS BY RACHEL ABEBRESE

Tell me about your role in Patta?

My name is Guillaume Schmidt, they call me ‘Gee’. I’m one of the co-owners and founders of Patta in Amsterdam. Patta was founded in 2004 so we’ve existed for 12 years now. I mostly do marketing, art and creative direction.

We aren’t a huge team, the core is about six people but we’re probably 15 in total, all based in Amsterdam.

How did it all start?

It kind of started as a pure sneaker store; we did a lot of parallel imports.

We bought sneakers in the U.S [and] shipped them to Holland so we had different styles to what other people had. That’s basically what our store foundation is built on - just having stuff that other stores didn’t have. We went to New York and bought a lot of stuff over there - went to Brooklyn, went to the Bronx, went to Harlem - we went to wherever we had to go to buy those sneakers and we also did a lot of stuff in the city itself. I used to work at a record shop called Fat Beats in Amsterdam but there was a Fat Beats in New York, there’s one in Los Angeles and one in Tokyo. From that we already had a lot of contacts with people in other cities worldwide, and through those contacts we got to know other people who were interested in selling sneakers, having boutiques and that type of thing.

Would you say that because of this, your brand is quite heavily influenced by music?

Our backbone is in music, so I would say that ultimately when you have a store or brand I guess it’s always more than just a window where you can buy product. It’s always a little bit more than that. Our base was in hip hop music and from that a lot of different interests sparked. I was doing a lot of MCing and organising parties. Edson, my business partner, is also a DJ and a lot of the guys that worked at our store were young DJs and guys that were involved in the music scene.

You recently opened a flagship store in London’s Soho. Why did you decide that London was the next stop for Patta?

We have a lot of customers that come from the UK and for some strange reason whatever we do, whatever we make - whether it’s the clothing or the style or the vibe the brand transcends - works really well with what people like over here. We love the energy of this city, the energy of a lot of the people who work here have, it’s just very vibrant. London was the perfect choice for us.

When you say you like the energy of people here, is that mainly musicians?

It’s different. It goes from musicians to creatives to people who work in stores. It goes all over.

Is there anyone in particular from London who you’ve formed a good relationship who has helped out with the new opening in London?

Well we’re working with Damo, who had a consultancy type agency when we met him which was called Second to None. It was him, Sam and Bakar.

Those guys helped us during our first pop up shop here in London and Damo is the store manager for the new store. That’s basically how we work with people. A lot of the people who work with us in our store or for our brand, we stay working with and people hardly ever leave from our company. It’s a family driven company and we work the same with people that we know outside our borders. Whether they work for Patta or not, we try to build relationships with people. From those relationships, a lot of fruitful stuff comes.

How different is the London store from the Amsterdam store?

We’re still making the same type of product but it’s just that the demographic of the person that will be buying it will be different. It’s a little bit more developed [in the UK]. This is a bigger city, there are more people so we have more people to offer our stuff to. Also how people are used to

fashion and street culture and that type of thing is quite developed in this city and that is very much to our advantage.

The store is in Soho, what are your reasons behind being close to the other streetwear brands?

For us it’s very important to be around our peers because we want to be where the heat is. They are not here by accident. It’s just a hub where you need to be if you want to be a recognisable brand. Obviously, you can go to East London. There are good stores there as well but we just want to be in the centre and be the centre of attention.

One thing I think you do well as a brand is the model casting for your various campaigns. Do you work with agencies or specifically scout people yourselves?

It’s very organic. Most of the models we work with are just people who are close to our surroundings so it’s kind of handed over. We have a young guy who is a stylist, he knows young kids who come from specific areas and he’ll be like, “Yo…this could be a good model.” The son of a woman we worked with ages ago, her son is growing up now and we were like, “Yo you wanna be our model?” The other guy is a tattoo artist who we’ve known for years. We just kind of keep it close to ourselves so if you see someone in our photoshoots, it’s never a stranger. It’s people that hang with us, people that chill with us so that makes working easier. In that way, it’s not even work anymore.

It sounds like you enjoy many aspects of your job but what would you say is your favourite?

My favourite is connecting all of these dots. For me I don’t look at things like fashion, music friendship and art as being separate. All those things are like one big hub. If I get to meet a person like Eamon or Ajay who is going to do a video for us, he got to know Vincent and he was like, “Yo I really like what you guys are doing and this is the type of work that I did, is there something that I can add onto it?” We look at his work and we think, hey this guy has something so let’s try it out. It’s also trying to be a platform and trying to be a means to an end for people. As long as it’s in our path and it fits the brand, I like the challenge of challenging people to do better stuff, to push boundaries and to expand and not think small.

Do you think that the digital age has sped up the process of your brand developing?

Well I think we were a little bit before that. We began in 2004 so I guess we were in the middle of the beginning before it really became big. I think we eat from both sides. In the end, it’s about skill and the digital age is good but it’s a lot of surface as well. As long as there’s stuff behind it that holds weight then it’s cool. I think if you’re wise you can make it work for you. The important thing is that you can actually do something.

You share similarities with sports brands. Is sport something that is important to you?

We all have sports backgrounds. I used to play basketball, other guys in our team are into football, boxing, Edson is a fanatic runner. Sport is very important to us but we don’t really look at all of those things as separates.

They are all little parts of us as beings. What is important to me, what is important to Vincent, to Tim, what’s important to Edson and all those little pieces together is what forms what we are. You will always see that back in what we say or what we do. From an outside perspective people know that music is very important to Patta. Positivity is very important to Patta.

Self-awareness is very important to Patta. Sport is very important to Patta.

I know I keep saying it but I think it’s very important to have a backbone and that’s something that we continue to make stronger and stronger. We’ve never been a really hype brand ever. We’ve never been all you read about but we’ve been building our brand for 12 years, slowly but surely.

Would you like to be a hyped brand?

No, no, no, no, we’re good like this. I like to win them by the hundred and then those hundred they stay with us, you know. That’s the good thing about us. A lot of the brands that I like or the brands that other people like, you cannot really come close to them. I’m one of the coowners of Patta and someone may think that it’s a big brand but you can still go to the shop on a Thursday and you will see me behind the counter helping you, giving you your bag and taking a T-shirt from you. What other brand would you pop into the store and be able to see the owner? That’s one of our strengths. We are very close to our consumers. We are very close to what you like or what you don’t like. If you don’t like anything about us, you can come into the store and you can actually say it.

Do you think having your base in Europe but having the influences from America has influenced the brand?

Well everything that I like is influencing the brand, so yes most definitely a lot of sports goods have influenced our brand without a doubt. Basketball clothing has but we make a lot of football shirts too. We’re very much European as can be because that’s the kind of stuff we like and that we grew up with. If we do denim Stüssy pants with patches on it, it’s a direct reference to Chippy, which all the street guys where we grew up used to wear and the Air Maxes and the running styles. All that stuff is super European so we take influence from everywhere but we also try to stay very close to what we are and where we’re from.

I know you’ve done quite a few collaborations with other brands. Is it difficult finding the right balance?

I always try to look at what I like in a brand and just add onto that. I don’t really like to take it and then switch it all over so it’s just us. We add on what our energy and our flavour is and we add onto what we like in that brand. There’s no use in adding on and taking over. If you can flip it in the lowest form possible I think there’s a lot of power in that. For instance, when we worked with Carhartt for the first time all we did was discuss what silhouettes we liked and what silhouettes will work when we combine these two colours. It’s just simple ideas and simple executions. I would like to say that everything works out exactly as you want but that’s not the truth.

The truth is that it’s a lot of hard work and it sometimes doesn’t really go the way you want but we definitely make it work.

The theme for this issue is barely legal; do you think that the legalities of drugs in Holland affect you as a company?

No because for us it’s something that we don’t even think about. You can smoke easily in Holland, it’s nothing. It might look like something extraordinary for someone who is not from there but for us we don’t even blink when we think about that, it’s just around I guess. [Laughs] Finally, what is the future for Patta?

Further expansion into other countries and just making sure that we keep doing what we’re doing and stay true to ourselves. We can’t wait, it’s taking too long! www.patta.nl

THE UAE IS DEFINITELY NOT A PLACE YOU WOULD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH HIP HOP CULTURE AND FESTIVALS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FEDERATION HAS A VERY STRICT LEGAL SYSTEM IN PLACE. HOWEVER, SOLE DXB HAS MANAGED TO EASE THE BARRIER FOR ALL THINGS CREATIVE AND, WITHIN RECENT YEARS, THE COUNTRY SEEMS TO HAVE WELCOMED MANY ASPECTS OF THE RAP LIFESTYLE WITH OPEN ARMS.

WORDS BY GIOVANNA MAE

Sole DXB launched in September 2010 as a communication platform for all the latest and relevant news in footwear, fashion and design culture in the Middle East. However, since its inception, Sole DXB has grown leaps and bounds from its humble beginnings to become a highly trafficked and wellrespected platform, approaching the new frontier of product design and brand marketing and compelling others to think differently, create distinctively and communicate effectively.

Sole aims to inspire and encourage growth within the design and progressive fashion sector in the region.

This year, Sole DXB welcomes fellow hip hop heads and festival goers to the ‘City of Gold’. Dubai’s leading festival for all things cool and hip, Sole DXB will take place this year with the support of Cadillac Arabia, Dubai Design District, Lenovo, PepsiCo and Vida Downtown Dubai. The latest edition of its annual event took place in November at Dubai Design District (d3), a popular events space for both cultural and international crowds known for its versatility. With this year’s launch of lifestyle boutiques, art galleries and culinary concepts in its core 11 buildings, d3 is very much equipped for an event like Sole DXB. Headline acts at the 2016 festival included last year’s Mercury prize-winner, Skepta, performing alongside Little Simz, Dam Funk, BJ The Chicago Kid, Diamond D and more.

Over the two-day festival, a series of never-before-seen products were unveiled from a host of participating brands such as Adidas Originals and PUMA Select, along with new additions to the 2016 billing; Level Shoes, New Balance and Nike. The event gave cultural fanatics a taste of footwear,

fashion and great performances. While sneakers are always a major key at the event, highlights included designers, artists, DJs and brands displaying their representation of Middle Eastern urban culture.

Visitors should know that the UAE has a very modest dress code. At Dubai’s malls, females are told they should cover their shoulders and knees, therefore sleeveless tops and shorts are not permitted. The dress code is part of Dubai’s criminal law – yes, I repeat – the dress code is part of the criminal law. However, appropriate clothing is not strictly enforced in public places and it is very common to see people wearing all kinds of outfits at those places, especially in Dubai. So, it’s safe to say the dress code law won’t have a huge effect on how attendees dress for Sole DXB. This wasn’t the first event from Sole DXB in 2016, as earlier in the year they put on a hip-hop history showcase, which unveiled a range of never-before-seen archive photography from the legendary photographer, Lisa Leone. These images were exhibited alongside standout selects from her ‘Here I Am’ book, including those captured on her recent trip to Sole DXB back in November 2015.

Sole DXB is definitely looking like the place to be in November; not only will those that attend get to see a very epic line-up of performances, they’ll also get to purchase and see exclusive items from brands such as Golden Goose Deluxe, Maison Margiela, Joshua Sanders, Pierre Hardy and Rick Owens, to name a few.

8DIX PHOTOS BY DHAMIRAH COOMBES STYLING BY ISABELLA STEVEN WORDS BY YASSMINE BENALLA

ANTICIPATING THEIR DEBUT LONDON SHOWCASE, VIPER SAT DOWN WITH BRITISH FASHION LABEL, 8DIX, TO QUIZ THEM ON THEIR NEW READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION. PRONOUNCED OTTO DIX, LIKE THE ARTIST, 8DIX IS THE CREATION OF DESIGNER DUO, LUCA MARCHETTO AND JORDAN BOWEN, WHO COLLECTIVELY BOAST 11 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY. HAVING WORKED AT VIVIENNE WESTWOOD FOR FIVE YEARS, MARCHETTO’S STYLE IS CEMENTED IN PUNK AND, COMBINED WITH BOWEN’S CRAFTSMANSHIP, HONED FROM YEARS WORKING AT STEPHEN JONES’ MILLINERY, THE PAIR USE THEIR CLOTHING DESIGNS TO MIX POLITICS WITH PLEASURE.

Using their label as a platform, 8DIX promote their ethos of conscious fashion by conveying important messages through fun and playful prints. Since launching with a single graphic T-shirt three years ago, the designers have branched into a diverse collection of casual and high-end statement pieces. One of Viper’s favourites being the ‘Daddy’s Cash’ t-shirt, which light-heartedly plays on the theory that the millennial generation - kids born between the 1980s and 2000s - rely too heavily on their parents’ money. “We are in a period where unemployment numbers are rising like popcorn in the microwave. We are defined as a Peter Pan generation, where, according to American sociologist Kathleen Shaputis, we have tendency for delaying the rites of passage into adulthood.” With a cute balance of stay woke messages and punk feels, 8DIX take away the guilt of splashing out on new garments...

Do you want a following for your style or the overall message behind the clothes?

Both. We always saw the brand as a vehicle to express our feelings as there’s always a culture behind the design.

We started nearly four years ago with one graphic T-shirt and created a style for our customers that was confident and self-assured. The design is just an extension of how we feel, how we live our lives and how we put our pieces together in our collections but I’d never say it was style over substance.

How important do you think sustainability is for fashion brands in 2017?

It’s crucial for two reasons. Firstly, just look at the state of this planet and the rate at which it’s being destroyed.

There are approximately 10,000 species of creatures becoming extinct every year, many of which we don’t even know exist. So, the idea that you want to use precious animal skin for a cuff or a piping boils down to power and greed. Secondly, fashion should be about beauty and about culture. Terror, death and suffering should never

enter this aesthetic. It’s nothing to do with glamour, just really bad taste.

What is the most important piece from the SS17 collection?

The harlequin hoodie is the most iconic. The shape is beyond and the bells on the hood make it really special.

The hood is made up of twelve pattern pieces and we designed a new concept to finish the cuffs. Our idea came from Commedia Dell’arte and the role the harlequin played in it. The harlequin was the clever person everyone thought was a fool, you couldn’t trick him because he always tricked you first. It’s great armour to wear.

You mention the ‘millennial generation’ – are you worried for our generation?

You need to love what you’re doing, take care of it and work hard for it but having money from your Dad doesn’t mean you’re cool or not cool, that all comes down to what you do with it. People think being poor is cool or some kind of trend, but I think struggling with money, finding a place to live and keeping hold of your job especially in today’s climate are all unfortunate parts of being young. Not to mention living with mummy and daddy ’til you’re 35. The landscape is different for millennials and I think living with Mummy and Daddy til they’re 35 has become a high risk!

I heard you’re the genius behind the paper bag trend that went viral after rushing for a fashion week accessory – Did you learn anything from the situation?

Yes! That sometimes you can spend ages to design something, agonising over all the details but in the end, it’s what comes out first that often gets overlooked. Learn to trust your instincts. The same happened to us with our ‘Happy Knee Jeans’.

@8DIX 8dix.com

PHOTOS BY HYPEMARI WORDS BY ANASTASIA BRUEN

With graffiti now being commissioned throughout parts of the city, such as London’s Shoreditch, it feels as though there’s a certain energy in the air; a door opening. It brings to mind the idea that this ferocious, vigorous and resilient art form is much like a wild weed; when in full growth and capacity, the weed blossoms into the most exquisite flower. And an irregular process has begun recently, one which has seen people cultivate this weed to grow instead of immediately destroying the roots at the first sighting. As a result, people have begun to witness this metaphorical flower and its beauty, therefore allowing the ‘weed’ to transcend into the most divine organism it can be.

Considering Shoreditch was originally one of the most neglected parts of the city, the area reclaimed its power, not through investment schemes or corporate building plans, but through art and commentary on the world we all exist within. The colours on the wall and the exposure of visionary, disturbed, dream-like scenarios reveal the treasure the east end neighbourhood has to offer. Shoreditch is communicating and surviving on its own terms.

GATS - an acronym for ‘Graffiti Against The System’ - is a renowned US street artist from the Bay Area. The artist uses his graffiti and poetry to make the streets the starting point of conversation. The unidentified painter risks arrest and social trouble to open up discussions and to expand minds. His main artistic focus is to raise awareness to cultural social standing and current issues such as police brutality, government oppression and even the reclamation of a denied hometown. Thus empowering himself through art under the nose of those trying to control and oppress.

In a recent rejection of the governmental system, GATS and fellow artist, Roberto Miguel, wrote a poem for the East Bay Area. GATS then used the city as his canvas, painting the poem throughout the area with the relevant lines written on buildings that were suitable to the words’ meaning.

The poem read:

The pair then photographed each of the pieces of art, putting all the images together in an exhibition. This illuminated each of the mini messages into one poetic communication: The reclamation of a city, the ownership of space and mental freedom.

Street art requires a certain level of vision to create as well as to view, it necessitates the ideal of seeing beauty in the unorthodox. Much like hip hop it also requires the bravery to speak, to take a stand in your city and state: “I AM HERE, I EXIST”. In an article published by Okayplayer, the author writes of Graffiti artists: “They are the most courageous soldiers in hip hop’s armed forces. If the art of rap was declared illegal tomorrow, half of these folks would quit right on the spot. Graffiti has been illegal since its inception and nobody (I do mean nobody) can stop it! There is something deeply rooted and addictive to the mind’s eye about the combination of style, panache and colourful symbology. Graffiti allows us to honour our fallen warriors and our leaders in ways the mainstream never can and never tries to”.

Graffiti is the last art form that never fails to show the strength and undeniable power of the human spirit and mind whilst reporting on life.

Much like the verbal reportage of insightful artists such as Nas and Tupac, street art maintains this visual representation of commentary and conversation. It signifies an individual response to the world. What could be more empowering than defiantly finding the beauty in the raw, cement walls of your city?

Rather than merely accepting the greyness, you add colour, insight and vision of your own experience, your own personal mind, stating: “I am here and by the power of my own hand through the flow of my own thought and conscious, you will see me”.

FIRM FASHION WORDS BY THOMAS USHER When you think of style, or a collective group of stylish people, then British men surely do not immediately spring to mind. Actually British men are nowhere near your mind when you think of style. In your mind when you think of looking dapper, British men are halfway over the English Channel on an eyewateringly early RyanAir flight to Sunny Beach - with a quite spectacular buzz on for this time of morning - in terms of how far away they are from your mind.

When you think of dressing well, all you can see of British men are stacks of empty pint glasses and the disgruntled looks of waiters and bar staff who have had to endure them loudly talking over each other from 5am that day in terms of how much they affect your thinking. You know in your style brain that they exist because you can see their detritus, but in terms of them actually being there in your style brain, which is somehow inexplicably located in the departure lounge of Gatwick airport on any given hypothetical morning, they are ghosts, wraiths, faint bodily odours at best.

But if you actually turn around and leave the part of your mind labelled ‘style’, which for some reason is located in a hypothetical Gatwick airport, then you’d actually notice that British men, far from being gormless idiots, have been at the forefront of fashion in recent history. From Skinheads to Punks to Rude Boys, British men have not just been at the

cutting edge of style but set the tone globally for others to follow. But then, those trends were a part of a musical scene of some kind, reflecting the communities that a particular genre of music spawned from or flourished in.

What about a trend that didn’t come from any form of inspired cultural background, a trend that came from British men congregating together to ‘taunt’, ‘spit’, ‘fight’ and ‘throw objects’ at each other like bricks, flares and good old fashioned molotov cocktails? Of course I’m referring to the football hooligan, or ‘casual’. It’s birth and initial popularity may have darker connotations than other styles of clothing that British men have helped generate over the years but it was and is still no less influential on how we dress today.

To get an idea of how the football casual look started, picture the scene: a bunch of scary looking men being surly in a dingy pub. “Trev, it’s like every game home and away the old bill keeps pinchin’ us for facks sake. We look like a right bunch of muggy cahnts. What we gunna doo?”

Trev looks around the room, awash with football shirts, shaved heads and forearm tattoos. “Fack, I’ve got it lads,” Says Trev, throwing down his half-drunk pint and smashing it on the floor in excitement, “What about, instead of constantly dressin’ like we’re gunna fackin smash someone’s fackin’ face in, we ditch the footy shirts, get nice haircuts and wear some nice clobber, no supporters colours

an that so we blend in nice an smoothly like.”

“Trev, you fackin’ beauty!”

I mean, that isn’t how it actually started, but the impetus for hooligans to disguise themselves from an ever increasingly watchful police force was a major factor in why young men turned to designer labels to attend games in rather than their local team colours.

Although it started becoming a nationwide phenomenon in the early 80’s, the trend actually started with Liverpool fans in the late 70’s. If you remember, or more likely if any Liverpool fan has brought it up within literally five fucking minutes of conversation, Liverpool F.C used to be quite the success not just domestically but in European football also. ‘Yes,’ any Liverpool fan worth their salt will say almost the instant you discuss footy, ‘Liverpool have actually won the European Cup five times’. But what they don’t mention is that most of those were in the 70’s and 80’s, and also that no one cares about them anymore.

But what those regular European trips did for fashion has gone on to be a mainstay in British culture for decades. Scousers were going to Italian and French away games and coming back with brands like Lacoste, Fila, Sergio Tacchini and Ellesse, names you might recognise as staple ‘lad’ clothing these days but at the time had never been seen en masse in the U.K. It’s hard to believe that people from Liverpool

ever did anything positive culturally for the country (haha just joking they once had that band who did stuff once, can’t remember the name now sorry) but if it wasn’t for them we may never have the unique British style we have today.

As the trend grew in popularity in the 80’s so too did British brands like Lyle and Scott, Fred Perry and Pringle, perhaps compounded by the Heysel Disaster in 1985 and English clubs subsequent five season ban from European football, reducing the chances for guys to go and nick stuff from continental shops.

This ban may have cooled down the fervour for the casual look until the mid 90’s, when bands like Oasis, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses kicked it all off again. It’s then that brands like Stone Island, Burberry and Aquascutum came into play, as the look became more and more mainstream and sanitized. Essentially by the point the police had cottoned on to the whole ‘weekly riots and fighting’ palaver and using things like CCTV and ‘actual police work’ to weed out most of the bad eggs with lifetime bans, the casual look became just another style to appropriate in the ever swelling throng of appropriation that was the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Then the explosion of UK Garage occurred, and although it wasn’t strictly to do with the causal movement, it still incorporated a lot of the brands and styles that it had. The mix

of sportswear and high-end fashion that had been so popular with previous generations casual was made into a hallmark of the Garage scene, where you’d often see people combining Moschino with Nike, Ralph Lauren with Reebok or Armani with Adidas. As its success grew it generated a lot of controversy due to the police shutting down any rave they could, and the demonisation of working class aesthetics using terms like ‘chav’ and ‘pikey’.

Suddenly what was a unique look mostly worn by ravers was now being ridiculed in the mainstream media to the point where Burberry stopped selling their iconic checked print hats and shirts for fear of the damage ‘chav’ culture was doing to it’s brand. This, along with the overzealous focus on ‘ASBOs’ and ‘hoodies’ meant that wearing sportswear would instantly get you a sideways glance in the street.

From the ashes of the ‘chav’ look, which had essentially evolved the casual look, then rose what we know today basically at the ‘Wavey Garms’ style. Due to the recent popularity in what is now called ‘Old School Garage’ and Grime’s steady rise from Skepta doing 16’s in Jammers basement to winning the Mercury Prize this year, it seems the classic Garage raver look of high-end brands and cheap affordable sportswear has risen again. Facebook clothing groups like Wavey Garms and The Basement along with numerous other second-hand stores now sell old Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Prada to a new generation of

young adults who no longer have to worry about being sullied with condemnation from the mainstream press about what they wear.

Grime artists like Skepta and Stormzy as well as programs like People Just Do Nothing have normalised the ‘chav’ look and made it acceptable and mainstream again. To many, it had never really gone away, but in the eyes of what is deemed fashionable it has certainly seen a fall and rise in recent times, and you can trace its influences right back to football terrace wear from the late 70’s.

It seems weird to think that a style born from what essentially was hooligans trying to disguise themselves from police so they could have a fight in peace ended up going on to affect pretty much the whole of not just urban but mainstream British fashion, but then y’know, loads of weird shit happens all the time, like remember the fake mohawk thing that David Beckham brought in mid 2000s? That was fucking weird but we all loved it. Anyway, the point is, that the casual look, now distilled and disseminated in various ways throughout UK fashion, has taken on a new lease of life. What with Grime now becoming a global success and US artists like Drake getting embarrassing Boy Better Know tattoos and watching Wimbledon in Stone Island, it seems that the look may once again not just rise across the British Isles but across the world, too. Which is not bad for a bunch of pissed up British guys looking for a fight.

RACHEL NOBLE LONDON BASED DIGITAL ARTIST, RACHEL NOBLE, SPEAKS TO VIPER ABOUT HER MODERN METHODS OF CREATING ART. How did you get started in creating graphics?

I’ve been making art for a while now as I come from a fine art background. I studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in UCL, which is renowned for fine art but not always so well-known in general. It was an amazing place but I always felt a bit like I didn’t fit in there. I was really quiet and a bit of a loner and just did my own thing. I made friends outside of college who were actually from London and started hearing a lot of music from the London scene, which I never had access to before. When I left, I didn’t feel inspired by the art or gallery scene, it felt a bit dead to me, and making work for a gallery space seemed pointless. So, that’s when I started paying attention to the things I really enjoyed - mainly music! I started going to Tim and Barry’s Just Jam stream every week without fail, began making visuals for them and learning to VJ too. At the same time, I started volunteering in the studio at NTS Radio as a producer, just so I could hear some new things and meet some people.

I was selling trainers part-time, making playlists for the shop I worked in and generally just getting way more excited about music than what was going on in any art scene. These channels of course meant I met so many amazing producers and DJs. Being an artist, it naturally led to collaborations. I couldn’t afford a studio but I still had a laptop and a camera. That’s all you really need, so I started making artwork for EP releases, singles, digital releases, visuals for music and VJing. Music was a great platform for my work to end up existing alongside, it felt alive and exciting. Since then I’ve been steadily building up my network and pushing myself to learn new things every time I make something.

I really love being immersed in music and started teaching myself how to DJ which progressed into a show on NTS Radio. DJing has been an amazing way to make more connections for my artwork too. Everything just happened really naturally, but with a lot of hard work too! I basically just followed my heart and here I am.

What’s your process when creating an artwork and how does it differ when making a video or flyer?

I think it has to exist as a thing in itself more - for me it just needs to have more weight, its own atmosphere or language. It needs to pull you in more. I tend to spend more time with it until it feels ‘complete’. More subtle alterations, pushing things back and forth more, getting the spatial elements feeling right or weird, focusing more on the details. It needs to have multiple levels in the way you see it or look at it. It’s hard to explain how the process might differ, I work quite intuitively most of the time. A flyer is something that has the function of sharing information and promoting an event. It has a shelf life, the text often does half the work for you and most people opt for the simpler edits you do for clarity, so I tend to spend less time on them and just have more fun with it. A video in the same way has a function and has to exist alongside the music and work that is already contained within it. On the other hand, I also think you can make artwork out of anything you make, whether it’s just a flyer or visuals for music.

You’ve worked with a lot of stars in the UK grime and rap scene, are you often fans of the artists you work with?

Totally, it’s a scene I totally love and get a lot of energy from. It makes sense to me, it feels like family. People I work with are often friends first or become friends after. I have a real interest in supporting all the people I work with and it’s often a two-way thing, valuing each other’s creativity and moving forward together.

Is there someone who you dream of creating imagery for?

It would also be amazing to work with Björk - I grew up listening to my mum playing her albums. She’s always way ahead of her time and no one ever comes close to what she does creatively.

Where do you get inspiration from?

I think a lot of my inspiration arises from emotion and intuition. Working out ways to visualise and express sensual, spiritual, emotional, mental states, experiences. Painful, beautiful, ecstatic, nihilistic, maybe they are like extreme states of being that need a way to get out that isn’t too destructive. Hence why I also get a lot of inspiration from music and people who make music.

What’s the end goal for you in your career?

I just want to keep moving forward. I don’t want to stop creating and learning, even when I’m really old. I want to generate energy that continues to make more energy. I want to be able to visualise ideas more clearly and make things bigger and more ambitious. I guess I just want to fulfil my potential and enjoy it along the way. Music and the people who come together to experience and make music will always be a part of that. But I do want to start exploring my own practice as an artist again, maybe even end up with some work in a gallery again and a sunny studio space somewhere warm.

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