Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/972912
So you started performing at the age of thirteen, what inspired you to start pursu- ing a musical career at such a young age? I dunno it was just my love for music, it was my best form of expression, so it was just a good way for me to express myself really, and I kinda just honed into it and that's how it goes and I never let it go, to be honest. The album Trap Nominated is a banger and it went down well with fans. Were you expecting this kind of success? No I wasn't, it wasn't something that I had planned for a long time so I wasn't re- ally knowing what to expect, I kinda just started working on it in my room, at my old apartment back then. I kinda came up with the mixtape, most of it within a week. So I didn't really expect much from it do you know what I mean? It was just a relief, a lot was happening at that time it was like a concept to take, at that time it was just easy to get a concept of tunes that were on the same wave, do you know what I mean, and just put them together, so that's what I was talking about something influencing me. But I didn't ex- pect it to do what it did to be honest, which is probably bad to say. Not to say that I had low expectations for it but I didn't plan too much. And one of your songs obviously discusses EU politics, do you think that kind of uncertainty in your music reflects Britain's current political issues? I think it does, I think Britain's is in a very unique place when it comes to politics and just the whole EU situation. I think they kind of underestimated what they were get- ting into. And I think it just proves, that it doesn't matter what position you're in, and how important your position is or your job people make mistakes, people rush into things. I don't think that that whole thing was very well thought out and I think that was kinda displayed to the public. Like usu- ally mistakes happen behind a closed door and they try to fix it. That was just a public array of adults just abusing their power. Now we're just in a position where we still have to outsource so much work and products and talent and health and staff from Europe, and they just have the upper hand, because they have the leverage now. Like as well as before, we were part of the European Union and we had some kind of leverage now it's just on our own and everything we need from them they can leverage that against us, cos we're not tied into them anymore. So what do you think you bring that's spe- cial to grime and rap? I bring the alternative like I feel it's very introspective when I rap, and I tell people about things that I am feeling. I might be aligned with a lot of other artists and be seen as similar, but I know I've always got like a flip side to what I say, and I just show people like a different angle on a lot of the same subjects. But even though I touch on a lot of things that a lot of people wouldn't, I know I can be vulnerable in my music, maybe sometimes too vulnerable, but it's part of my character now. You've recently become a father, how are you handling fatherhood, do you think you've settled right in? It's a breeze, it's natural. It's a lot easier than a lot of people think. A lot of people say it's about parenthood in general, it's just about being with the right person and you're never going to be financially ok. Like if you're rich growing up you're rich. But waiting to be financially ok, there's no such thing because there's never a number that's ok when it comes to financing. Because a lot of people think 'Oh I need a quarter of a million in the bank before I have a baby or a hundred grand or I need a house before I have a baby.' That's ok but you don't know when these things are gonna come. So when you have the right person in your life, it's just there, you have a kid. Obviously, have your life planned and don't rush any- thing. But there's a lot of things people wait for and a lot of things that have got a lot of people apprehensive, but kids man I feel like I was very fearful but I had nothing to be scared of, like now that I am a father and my daughter's in my life I just realize there was nothing to be scared of, and I think we project our fears a lot more than we need to when it comes to parenthood. What's next for you? Next for me, is to conquer the UK and just branch out more in terms of live shows. So I just wanna get performing more around the country. I say conquer, I mean I just want to go out more and perform more and just be more consistent with my music man. 2018 / ISSUE 107 37 HIP HOP & RNB " I KNOW I CAN BE VULNERABLE IN MY MUSIC, MAYBE SOMETIMES TOO VULNERABLE, BUT IT'S PART OF MY CHARACTER NOW. " TE dness has made serious waves in the grime and rap scene this year, with his laid back and spur of the moment approach to music. He refuses to limit himself to one genre and ventures out into the alternative. The rapper's versatility and vulnerable approach to his lyrics are carried through a mixture of killer beats and bass. Guestlist catches up with TE dness to talk fatherhood, Brexit and UK Grime. follow @TE_dness Claudia Rivas | Guestlist