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Can you introduce yourself because I’ve never heard of you before?
OK…No problem. My name is Inja. I’m a diverse blend of Urban cultures representing worldwide music. I’m from a crew called Delegates of Culture. I’ve got my solo project that’s about to drop called The Suffering in silence LP. You can check for that out over at www.inja.co.uk. Yeah I deal with business…
How did you come up with the name “Inja”?
Well “Inja” is short for “Injanuatea.” Yeah it’s Injanuatea because, supposedly, I come up with some bright ideas and I can get people out of various situations and hard times…hehehhe.. So hence Injanuatea which I just had to shorten to “Inja” because it’s easier for people that way.
Can I have some feedback on the CALM Urban Games?
I thought it was heavy man! I was just real happy to be performing along side people like: Jehst, Blade, Yungun, Phi Life, Skinnyman – yeah it was all Dred – it was heavy. It was a nice outdoor event…a little rain didn’t scare the people, they held out and I enjoyed my show. It was cool.
What did you think of the age-range because it did span from 2 to like…92?
Nah well that’s good man. That’s just proving that it doesn’t matter what age you are and that you don’t have to be a specific age to like good music.
How did you get involved with the event?
Because I’ve done varous bits of work with DJ Nappa, he got in contact with me because the promoter told him that he needed to fill a fifteen minute slot and my name cropped up. So yeah I just had to handle my business.
How much notice did you get for that?
Three days…nah probably less than that but it was cool.
And who was your DJ? Scuff or scoff or something?
Yehyeh; DJ Skuff. He’s actually an emcee as part of The Delegates of Culture too. Normally I work with a female deejay called DJ Kapyper part of a group called The Associates along with DJ Scully, 279 and DJ Pogo. Normally she works with me but she had a prior engagement that day. So I had to just draft in one of my boys from the crew, get them to come and deal with it for me – which Skuff did more than capably.
One thing I noticed about your set was you had this really exaggerated gasping in your flow. Was that intentional?
‘xplain that! Explain that because when I read that in your email, I was like “Hmmmm, what does he mean by that?”
Well every couple of lines you’d go huhhhhhhhf [well how do you write a gasping noise?]
Ah right! Well basically…I’m a chronic asthmatic blud. I can’t breathe at the best of times. And my problem is, I like to rap. Heheheheh. So in order to get those lines out I’ve got to do that gasping. So yeah it’s because otherwise I can’t breathe. I have to take my inhaler before a session, after a session – and sometimes during a session. But I was alright that day. I’ve got a lot to say and only so much breath with which to say it.
I thought that was by design like people like Chip Fu ‘n all that – but regardless it worked out for you.
Yeah basically it’s because I’m a chronic asthmatic hehehe. I’ve had about five or six attacks already this year so I’ve got to try and hold it down.
And staying with the breathing thing, one thing I noticed about the whole line up of the day was how pro-weed it all was. You, like everybody else, had your own pro-weed song. Were you surprised by how that became the emphasis of the day considering the official cause of the event? And don’t you think that it’s a bit of a contradiction?
It is a bit of a contradiction in itself but what you have to understand, when it’s common ground for everyone there, they’re going to bring it up – especially when you’ve got police around. Everybody hates the police anyway so when they see people with weed, people are like “Well you can’t actually do me for this anymore so I’m gonna shove it in your face.” So y’know…I know it’s a bit of a contradiction in itself but it all stands to reason.
When you’re pissed off, what do you turn to first? Would it be to your friends? To the music? To weed? What?
I turn to music. Bwoy! I turn to my music-making equipment to make music. Also, being a chronic asthmatic, I can’t smoke as much weed as I used to. Sometimes when I’m pissed up and if I decide to have a spliff, I’ll have an asthma attack so that can’t work… I have to take it easy…I’m very limited these days hehehehe.
And what do you aim to gain from making music?
For people to hear it.
Got any specific message or agenda to get across?
Na; just make good quality music and I hope I come across with clarity. Why you laughing at me hehehe? You’re giggling! I’m trying to do a serious interview here and you’re giggling at me?
nah! It’s just that so many emcees have these huge over-arching agendas and big concepts and from the sounds of it, you’re not like that at all. You just want to try everything?
Me? Yeah I just want to make music, it’s as simple as that. I’ve always made music. I come from a musical background. I couldn’t even put myself in a “Hiphop” category because I just love music. When my album’s done, you’ll be able to tell the diversity – or maybe you were able to tell the diversity from the tracks I did at the weekend?
Speaking of the tracks you did at the weekend, what gave you the idea for the track Badness?
What gave you the idea for that question?
Do you mean Badness or actually Troubles go?
The one about the woman who gets attacked?
Yehyeh; that one’s called Troubles go. Well basically it’s a story about my friend’s little sister who is now fucked up because of some guy that she thought was very nice. It was some guy she thought she could help and change when really we all knew from the start that there was nothing she could do for him. But she lied to herself to the point now where she’s fucked. She was a dancing scholar and now she can’t even dance because she’s just busy hooked on everything… So… True story…
Wow! Heavy…Pfffffff…
What d’ya say after that eh? Heheheheh.
So is that what the album’s going to sound like – like a lot more personal than the norm?
Well the album’s very personal because it’s my project and it’s going to be personal to me whatever. But overall, it’s for anyone to get whatever they want out of it. There’s stories on there, there’s all-sorts on it. To me, it’s what I believe is a well-rounded album.
Can you tell me a bit about These “Delegates of Culture” chaps because I got one of those Headcleaners CDs a few years ago and even then, I was none the wiser as to what DOC are: a label? A Crew? A religion?
Deleghates of Culture is a ten-man crew based in Cambridge. We’re called “Delegates of culture” because we represent the various cultures. We’ve got a Scottish member, a member from Up North, there’s like three-or-four various English members – and then you’ve got like me and one of the old, now ex-members who are from Jamaican descendents…Then you’ve got a Yugoslavian member and a Canadian member too. So basically, when we come together we delegate cultures. Originally it was ten members but now we’re down to about seven. The members who are no longer with us are Mad Prolific, Ninko and Ill Seer. Ill seer mainly isn’t with us because being Canadian that’s where he had to go back to and so now he’s based over there with his wife. The other members that are still in the crew and actively working are: AxWax, Cris Groove, Dr Skuff, S-Class, B109, Toeman and myself Inja.
Have they got anything coming out soon?
What the Delegates? We’ve got a couple projects on the line. There’s going to be a Rawganics EP which is going to have tracks from The Delegates which I’ve been told are Literature and Word Association. There’s a project on the go with The Untold who are a crew from London who are extremely ill. That’s Compound Profound and Dan Shaw.
And coming back to your album, who’s handling production on that?
OK… I’ve got one production from Nap, one from my friend Skuff, one from Toeman, one from my friend Melody – who have I missed out? Oh yeah,a guy called Prophesy from London who is one of the fucking sickest producers in the country – that’s with Napa being THE sickest producer in the country. And then, all the rest is myself.
And what style are you aiming for? You say you want to try different styles of music but what would you say was the predominant influence on the production?
Well…Bwoy! Everything! I couldn’t say specifically that I was influenced by this or that. My musical taste ranges from Reggae to drum and bass to hiphop to soul to R&B to fucking Heavy Metal to Country & Western – or whatever you call it these days? Jazz, Salsa – everything man! I listen to everything. Everything inspires me.
Who do you want to listen to your music?
Everyone. I’ve made an album that I personally think everyone should be able to listen to and find something they like in it. Because I’m not sticking to any one formula throughout, I think that it will hopefully appeal to everyone; fingers crossed.
What are your hopes for “The Future” by which I mean the next couple of years?
My hopes for the Future? WORLD DOMINATION!! Nah I’m kidding. Fuck it, I’m plotting like Pinky & the Brain right now. My hopes for the future is for people to be able to hear my music. And for people to be able to hear my music I have to get it everywhere for everybody to be able to hear it. That’s the aim.
Are you on a label at the moment or strictly DIY?
I’m completely independent. My label is called Injanu Records.
And are you happy with that status?
Yeah for the minute. It works for me – not that I’ve done anything yet but it’s all about to happen. For me it works.
And finally, anyone you want to biggup on this world-wide basis? Any words of wisdom?
© CD Goldie for ukhh.com - 2004
interview 0239 added
26.09.04 words: Sumo Kaplunk technical:
Spoon
No
doubt many up-and-coming UK emcees would have sold their grandmother in order to have been in the fortunate position in which Cambridge’s Inja found himself at the CALM Urban Games. It’s not everyday that an unknown emcee gets the opportunity to be the penultimate act on such a high profile bill and therefore have the likes of Jehst, Yungun and Blade as your warm-up men. I’d never heard of Inja until that day and his performance that afternoon made me want to know more. After hitting up the Rawganics and Delegates of Culture websites (to which he’s affiliated) Illseer and co kindly hooked me up with the man’s digits and here’s the resulting interview. It’s short and sweet but rest assured, when this guy blows up you’ll be back for more.
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I’ve got a lot to say and only so much breath with which to say it
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Because it seemed quite personal and it’s quite a dark story?
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a little rain didn’t scare the people, they held out and I enjoyed my show. It was cool
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Many thanks to Inja for doing the interview. Please check out those links he mentioned to keep up to date with his and his peoples’ manoeuvres.
Related Links:
photo's © Wayne Pilgrim for CALM or Mr Quiz