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  K*NERS Interview
interview 0536 added 04.10.07 words:
Fraksha
technical:
Spoon
K*NERS is on a mission to school the youth, men and women nationwide with his Rock/Ragga influenced Hip Hop on his new mixtape, funnily enough named ‘The Schooling Mixtape’.
K*NERS has been creating heat on the scene for a few years now, bringing the Bristol sound to London and back again, getting acknowledged by big UK acts as well as big US labels. He still holds down a 9-5 and still isn’t signed but gets press from all over the place: Touch Magazine to The Guardian. This guy is one of the hardest working rappers in UK Hip Hop.
I managed to get a copy of the mixtape before interviewing the man himself, so taking a couple of weeks to get to know the beats, the lyrics and the vibe of the mixtape; I was ready to get the interview down. I wanted to speak to K*NERS about the mixtape, the state of Hip Hop at the moment, music downloads and Semtex.
So what have you been up to since we last spoke?
I wasn’t really feeling the scene that much, thought the whole Hip Hop game was uninspiring. There’s been a decline in UK Hip Hop, no Skinnys, Jehsts, Roots Manuvas, TY’s, Blak Twangs, where have they all gone? I found it hard to get inspiration, so I left it alone to pay the bills.
How did ‘The Schooling Mixtape’ come about?
Like I said before, I was uninspired. Hip Hop was all the same thing; cars, why I’m hot, the same videos. It was rubbish. The mixtape is all about schooling people; kids, men and women. It’s not all about guns or violence, how many girls you bang or how much money you have. It’s a bit deeper, a deeper side of me, I’ve always had it but sometimes you got to give them what they want to hear and allow them to come in. Its like what Jesus did, I’m not comparing myself to Jesus, but he had to show people what he had to give, it’s that kind of mentality.
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Am I threat to the industry? Hell yeah I am! The more you try and stop me the more I take it and do it myself. You best join rather than hate.
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What artists can we hear on the mixtape?
Me, One Mike, Riko, Tarantino, DJ Green Lantern, Semtex, Joe Spesh, SAS Dipset, Mike GLC, Mr Tib2s, Tiger T, Nesha, Massive Attack. I’ve invited guest artists who I’m feeling, rather than using a strictly Bristol crew.
What’s the vibe on the mixtape?
Growth and schooling. Every track has a message, even though it never started off like that. My album is out next year called Bristol Grammar, there’s a school in Bristol called Bristol Grammar and kids go back to school in September, so I just went with the mood and it made sense.
 When is it released?
There’s no official release date nationwide, but in Bristol it is out just in time for St Paul’s Carnival, 15th September. I’m working on a distribution at the moment, so it gets the exposure that it deserves. It will be available from Dark and Cold, Deal Real, MySpace, most Hip Hop shops in Bristol, Rooted Records, My Yard, and all local spots. If you’re out of the city, then look me up on MySpace.
SafeSoul:On the mixtape there is an interview with you and Semtex, its apparent that he’s given you a lot of support, how does that feel?
It was hard to get stuff played to be honest. I kept sending records but still wasn’t getting played; Semtex has high standards and will only play tracks that carry heat. Once I gathered heat my tracks were getting played. Special thanks to him, because not only is he playing my records he’s also part of Mercury/ Def Jam UK, so it’s like a step up the ladder. It’s ok that your mates tell you its good but they aint going to buy you’re records! London’s giving me love, 1xtra, Rodney P and Skitz, local radio stations; Passion, BS1, DJ Fagan, Styles, The Homies. Even Mary Anne Hobbs from Radio 1 has been supporting me; she heard the interview with Semtex and was feeling it. Choice FM, Kiss, national stations! I must be doing something right!
Do you feel you’re more UK Hip Hop than just Bristol Hip Hop?
When I speak to Sway or Million Dan, they all say to me ‘I am Bristol’. But I don’t see it as I work 9-5, I aint got time to go to all those industry shows. I can’t get to Kung Fu or Jump Off because I’m based down here so I don’t really see the love! When I go to Deal Real or Dark and Cold, there is bare love, they appreciate the man. Task Force, Chester P, they love it when I’m about. I must have done something right to get that acknowledgement. As Bristol goes, I get love but there’s the whole over thing of everyone else trying to get love. It takes a lot of work, a lot of money, business sense and networking to get where you want to be. I’m only a quarter of where I want to be. People in Bristol think I’ve made it, they think I'm signed, but I’m not! I work a 9-5; I earn a little change here and there but that all goes back into the music.
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People in Bristol think I’ve made it, they think I'm signed, but I’m not! I work a 9-5!
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What artists are you feeling at the moment?
L.Man, Sway, Klashnekoff… I don’t really want to say the names that everyone says so who I’m really feeling is MC Buggsy, Tiger T, those two are the ones to watch. Kano, Ghetto, I wasn’t really feeling the whole Grime movement but they’ve shocked me.
 Do you feel that UK Hip Hop is becoming more and Grimier?
My ethos when I came into this was to be able to play my tune next to an American artist and hear my English accent. Grime has elevated the game, industry cats have noticed this. Kano, Dizzee and Wiley have all been signed by big independent labels that have worldwide distribution and can travel around the world doing shows. Grime has helped and is easier, I feel, to relate to it than US Hip Hop. I class myself as an alternative artist. My producer, One Mike, is from a Rock influenced background and I’m from a Ragga background. I feel like I can break the charts, but still be real. A lot of artists are jumping on what’s hot at the moment; Akala, Lethal B, they’re jumping on the whole Indie Band thing. But you got to understand that the only people that will still be there is Arctic Monkeys and Dizzee. Bristol needs something new and fresh and I feel I’ve got the sound to take it forward.
Where do you see UK Hip Hop in 5 years time?
What artists put in is what they will get out. I had a break last year, I did no work so you didn’t hear from me, this year I’m doing work so you’re hearing from me. Don’t start bitchin’ if you see a next man getting further than you, he’s obviously putting the work in. Music downloading has opened up the game; the industry has had a slap in the face. You don’t need to be signed anymore to sell records. MySpace and You Tube has also changed the game. You can now make a tune in 5 minutes, upload it, hit some forums and there you go!
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Let’s bring Bristol forward, there’s a void in the scene right now, lets take it up and make it ours.
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 What do you think of the game at the moment?
I want to get Bristol know in the UK, we don’t get the love. There was the whole thing with Sway where he had a problem with Bristol and I tried to sort it. I try and contact him now but he doesn’t answer his calls. I hope it’s all good and doesn’t think ‘Bristol is K*NERS town so F*** K*NERS.’ The more we join and unite the more we we’ll get known. I’ve been approached by Akon's label to sign a management deal but I thought to myself I’ve got to this point with by myself with Cristal City then what have you got to offer me? I said to them lets do a Cristal City deal and they didn’t want to know. I saw it as if they we’re just jumping on something that was hot. Now I can’t leave my management, my team who I work with just so I can link with Akon and Fat Joe, I can’t do that. Where does that leave me if doesn’t work? Right now I am strictly Bristol. Let’s bring Bristol forward, there’s a void in the scene right now, lets take it up and make it ours.
Where do you see yourself and Cristal City in 5 years time?
An established label with hot Bristol acts, but open to any acts in the UK, if you’re hot then send me something! Contact me through MySpace, I manage it myself so holla at me. I am looking at acts right now to sign; I can’t do it on my own. Let’s be a family and get together, push Bristol forward. Me, Sir Plus and Kelz can’t do it on our own. I’ve been approached by video directors and they talk to me on a level then I try and make contact again and they just ignore me, what do you call that? They’re trying to shut us down. Am I threat to the industry? Hell yeah I am! The more you try and stop me the more I take it and do it myself. You best join rather than hate.
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Safesoul
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