Lewisham’s 28 year old Rapman, who has proved himself time and time again as one of the best Rap story tellers of our generation. The UK rapper recently linked up with SBTV and Mens suicide charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) for their International Mens Day Campaign‘#Dontbeastatistic campaign. Following on from his latest project the ‘Real Raps’ mixtape, the track ‘Rollarcoaster’ has gained over 30,000 views on SBTV’s Youtube channel and grabbed the attention of mainstream media platforms The Metro, BBC News and PR Week as well getting respect from UK Music Peer Stormzy. We sat down with Rapman to find out the inspiration for the hard hitting track and the fans reaction to a change in subject matter.
Talk to us about your attachment to male suicide and making ‘Rollercoaster’. How did this come about?
Well basically I was a part of the charity called HOPE which Jamal Edwards reached out to
me about. He then wanted to do another one and he recommended male suicide awareness
and we spoke about it, and I told him “Rahh… a friend of mine was contemplating
committing suicide so I could probably write a mad ting to that there.” So we kind of spoke
about it briefly and then that was the end of it and nothing was set in stone, but then when I
went away, I just thought about it and I dunno’ I just got the beat and just started writing
the song. I wrote the song and I recorded it and months after I showed it to Jamal. He
had forgotten about it and he was like “Rahh… that’s mad.” We then basically decided to
reach out to the charities and the CEO of CALM, she proper loved the song and said she just
wants to back it and push it as much as she can. So that’s how that came about.
How relevant is a track like Rollercoaster to your area and friend group?
Rollercoaster doesn’t connect to any sort of area it’s for any sort of person. Rollercoaster is
literally about ups and downs just like the title says. So it’s not specific for any area. As I said
earlier, my friend who is close to me is from the area but other than that there isn’t really
any specific place that came to my head when I wrote that song. It’s a song that everyone
could relate to. Like everyone’s had hard emotional times.
What was the public’s reaction to “Rollercoaster”? What kind of response were
you getting on social media?
It’s been mad. Mad like, it’s been crazy. Like obviously I’m getting tweeted love and how
they like it and all that but it’s the DM’s that I have been getting. I’ve been getting DM’s
from fans like saying how they are contemplating suicide and this song’s making them think
they should think of another option. People proper telling me their stories like I’ve been
getting essays! People on my Instagram are telling me how no one would ever know it or
think they were suffering from depression and someone Dm’d me saying “I never met you
before but I just thought I could say it to you” confiding in me man, telling me their
struggles. Someone else said they didn’t think there would ever be a song talking about
suicide. So yeah the reactions been good man it’s been powerful.
What are your thoughts on UK music today, Genres such as Rap and Grime?
I think it is good man, I think the level of music is high. A lot higher than it has been over the
last couple of years but its good I feel like it’s a youngers game though. So like if the music
you’re making isn’t really targeted towards the teenage or school kids then I don’t know
how far you can get. I feel like it’s definitely a youngers game but the music industry have
got some real talent going on right now.
Storytelling can be expressed through creative writing, poetry etc. why did you choose rap
as your medium of expression?
Well I’ve always been into rapping. I’ve been rapping from time so it only made sense like
that’s the way isn’t it, I didn’t come into the game to be a storyteller, I just came into the
game to make music and I rapped so it just came about. When I told one story the reaction
was so powerful and that’s just how it came about that’s all it is.
Being a Storyteller rapper, what place do you think storytelling has in today’s music game?
I don’t know, to be honest you know I think people like it cos’ its different but I don’t think it
can really go too far in the UK rap industry. I just don’t think it can. It’s like a movie, you
watch a movie right? Once you seen it you seen the twist, how often do you watch that
movie again? Like you might watch it again in maybe six months down the line or maybe a
year later, but it’s not something you keep going back to watch. That’s why I think my views,
aren’t the lowest, but aren’t the highest either. I don’t think there’s really a place for it in
the UK rap scene, I think people love it, people enjoy it but I don’t think it can really go to the
next level. That’s my personal opinion from my experience cos’ I have made some mad
stories and I still feel like they aren’t really getting the ratings they deserve. Like I said it’s
more of a teenage game, a younger game so I don’t know.
Do you have any industry support?
Know what? These are probably the best questions I have been asked in this industry you
know! “Do I have any industry support?” NO. NONE. When I say literally ZERO! The ONLY
person in the industry who kind of basically is pushing for me to get there is Jamal Edwards.
And even he can only do so much but he’s a proper fan of like my type of music, he loves
story telling songs. But other than that nah man I ain’t got no industry support. I don’t really
chat to all the rappers to be fair. Couple of them follow me on twitter and all that but I’m
kinda’ like anti on all the fake friendships and all. But I really ain’t got any industry support
really, that’s probably why I am so low compared to what I should be.
With the success of “Blue Story Trilogy” how much pressure were you under to deliver
something better?
I can’t even front like after the ‘Blue Story Trilogy’ that’s when I started to get a little fan base
and everything I put out afterwards it just wasn’t getting the same love! I don’t think I’ve
done anything better than Blue Story Trilogy. People still call it my best work! It probably is
my best work cos that was probably the easiest to write as it was my background you get
me?
It’s my life there, but its mad pressure man cos’ I realise that that type of stuff is what my fans want from me.
Literally people now still want another blue story like I’ve done other stories about love and
hope and such and such, but people want street stories. That’s the youngers game it’s what they want. So I still feel pressure now to write something connected to the story.
From your collaboration with King Zion, “My Ends” released in May 2013, how do you
think your music has changed/developed since?
That’s like one of my favourite songs. I still love that song but I don’t think it’s really changed
that much. In that I am basically telling a story about my ends. I am still working with Zion.
My music has been my music, I make music that I want to hear cos’ I don’t feel like any
other rapper makes the type of music that I make, so if I want to hear a story through rap,
I’ve got to say it myself and if I wanna’ get something off my chest I would express it through
my music. So as I said I don’t feel like my music has changed cus’ I’ve never been changing to
suit the industry. I might have given them more stories than what I can write cus’ that’s what
they want but I actually like the stories as well so it’s all good. I feel like it might have gotten
a little bit better if anything.
What projects are you working on right now and what future collaborations do you see for
2016?
Well I am in the middle of writing a lot of songs but I am also planning to start an online drama
type of musical theatre show. Basically kind of like Blues Story but it will be musically
performed live at the theatre, so I am trying to do that. I am also trying to do a six track EP,
all telling one story, all connected to each other, but before I do that I need to get my
followers up! So I need to be basically putting out music regularly, but I’ve got a lot of
projects that I am trying to get off the ground for 2016, not all straight
music.
Words: Chandni Guram – @Chandni_Guram
The CALM campaign #Dontbeastatistic aims to raise awareness for Male suicide rates which, in the UK, are three
times more than women’s. The emotional video was released on the 9th of November International Men’s Day.
Follow Rapman on Twitter at @RealRapman to keep up with his Musical journey.