Skinnyman Interview interview 0210 added 17.06.04 words: Nikesh technical: QED I literally ran into Skinny, going from the shambolic Roots Manuva set to watching Insight get into a cypher with an incredible yout. Someone stepped on my foot, I looked round. It was Skinnyman. I took my MD disc and... Yo, Skinnyman, what are you up to at the moment? I’m just chilling at the moment, chilling at the Dedbeat festival in the midnight hour. You’ve just put out “Fuck the Hook”, so what’s next for you? Umm, I couldn’t even say. I guess the next thing is choosing a single to put forward from the album, which is “Council Estate of Mind”. When’s that out? I’ve been told by Joey Braintax that he should expect to put it out in sometime around June. Tell me about the album. The album is my means of expressing myself through a council estate of mind, through the urban surroundings that we face. Whether the failure in the education system or whether it’s harassment from police, whether it’s the alleviation through drugs to escape the harsh realities of the pressures of the urban ghetto developments. Whether it’s through the means of experiencing crime, poverty… it’s just dealing with the ground level of your average council state of mind as a means of deterrence from crime and boredom. I’m just trying to give people a little bit of hope with my first offering. How long has this album been coming? Well, Skinnyman’s been a long time coming. But this first album, I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself as to what it should and shouldn’t be. What I did was give a fair representation to what I feel is relevant and what’s going on around the council estates. Who handled production on the album? On the production, I was graced by a young man named Adam M, who’s a new producer who seems to have the gift for that sound. And he was discovered by myself. He was my A&R man’s very own son-in-law and I discovered. It’s mad to say that his dad discovered me and I discovered him. He’ one of my favourite producers at the moment. I also got DJ Flip producing on there, Baby J. Production from Stoned Soldiers. A varied range of production on there. A lot of people who have already worked with you on 12s and stuff… Yeah, I’ve kept it tight and community-homeknit. Community is very important to me because community is your surroundings and your surroundings is everything that you have amongst you. So community is absolutely essential to me. "...This means I’m trying to rep as many places as I can, turn up to as many events as I can and do as much as I can within one’s lifetime for the cause I believe in..." You’ve done a lot of touring, especially on the Free Skinnyman tour and whatnot, do you wanna talk about your dalliances with the tour. Yes, well, the unfortunate laws of this country still detain people for personal usage of cannabis, which has detained me a few times over the years and it has become a problem. I do consider the creation and preservation of life a blessing. And everyday I would like the opportunity to give back what I can the most. The way I do this is through my rap lyrics and my music and now I’m trying to give as much as I can every single day, every minute of the day, rather than being detained in custody. This means I’m trying to rep as many places as I can, turn up to as many events as I can and do as much as I can within one’s lifetime for the cause I believe in. A lot of the kids who are banged up for selling small amounts of weed, what’s your message to them. I’m not one to be hypocritical nor patronising towards them. Everybody has an individual circumstance and to reflect upon a whole generalised people in there for cannabis, personally I don’t think cannabis should be illegal so it’s sad that anybody should be detained for cannabis. It is a profit-making business and if you’re not paying your tax contributions to the country you live in and you get caught doing that illicit trade, no doubt you will have to be detained. "...I’m just trying to give people a little bit of hope with my first offering..." What are your thoughts on the UK hip-hop scene at the moment? Same as they ever were. I’m checking everyone I possibly can. Mr Blobby, Geri Halliwell, any UK rapper… Bob the Builder on the remix. Thank you… I’d like to say that it is my sound-minded responsibility to ensure the better upbringing of consciousness and righteousness for the next generation. One love, one mud… peace, Skinnyman. With such incredible records like "Fuck The Hook" and "I'll Be Surprised" out, his first album is saliva-inducingly anticipated.   - Nikesh Shukla   Related Links: Original Skinnyman interview by Fraksha Creatures of the Night review Low Life Records Self Destruct Music The Mud Fam EP Review