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Zuby Interview
interview 0502 added 20.03.07 words:
J~Bright
technical:
Spoon
Hailing from Oxford University, and causing a stir amongst critics is the cosmopolitan-influenced newcomer Zuby.
Taking his inspiration from the UK, the US, Saudi Arabia and other regions, Zuby combines an affable style with an intellectual viewpoint, and, already with a video completed as this is being written and a fan-base ever growing, J~bright talks to a potential star in the making…
Zuby thank you for talking with us. First and foremost can you tell us briefly about yourself?
Sup? My name is Zuby and I’m a 20 year old rapper currently studying Computer Science at Oxford University. I refer to my style of hip hop as ‘commercial underground’ because I’m equally influenced by both sub-genres. I can deliver infectious hooks and memorable punchlines, but I can also drop some serious knowledge on you.
What seems to stick out particularly would be your background. I understand you grew up jumping between Saudi Arabia and the UK before finally settling into Oxford University. How would you say you have been influenced by this concoction of experiences and how does it most poignantly show within your music?
I lived in Saudi Arabia for 19 years and I’ve been flying back and forth between Saudi and the UK since I was eleven years old. It’s influenced me as a person because I’ve been around so many different cultures, places and people since I was really young and so I have a wider perspective on the world than most people my age. I think that experience is conveyed through the maturity and thoughtfulness of some of my lyrics.
 You were educated in an American school - do you take a lot of inspiration from the other side of the Atlantic? Are there earlier UK acts that have stood out in your eyes as being particular influence?
I am heavily influenced by US hip hop because it’s what I’ve mainly listened to. Honestly, I didn’t listen to that much British hip hop until about a year ago. Maybe the occasional song, but compared to US rap I’ve only gotten into UK rap relatively recently.
An obvious question would be regarding your accent. Do you find that fans, maybe amongst the more grass-roots segment, welcome this change of tack for a performer labeled as a UK artist, or do you come across a degree of cynicism?
Ha ha! I get asked about my accent all the time, that’s why I addressed it on my song ‘The Movement’. It’s funny because to most Americans, I sound British, but to most people here I sound American. I’ve had people initially knock me for ‘trying to sound American’ but once they learn about my background and realise that it’s my real voice, then it’s cool. I think you’d have to be extremely closed minded not accept it. Personally, I think my accent is a valuable asset because it gives me a more unique sound.
Do you encounter a lot of prejudged opinions on yourself because of your background, positive or negative? How have you answered these?
Oh for sure. It depends on which fact someone finds out first; that I’m a rapper, or that I go to Oxford. If I tell someone that I’m a student at Oxford University and then say that I’m a rapper, they’ll normally think that it’s a joke, or assume that I must be wack. If I introduce myself to them as a rapper and then say that I also go to uni in Oxford, they say “Oh, Brookes right?” (no disrespect to Brookes!) It used to annoy me, but now I just find it amusing how most people jump to conclusions because it says something about them, not me. I’ve got twelve A* GCSEs and 4 As at A-level. I’m not the stupid one. It’s like you see a big black guy walking down the street in baggy jeans and a hoodie and so that means that he can’t be intelligent?
 You've said previously that you single-handedly sold over 1000 CDs of your ‘Commercial Underground’ CD in the space of 8 weeks. A very admirable achievement - what prompted you to choose this route? Was it a 'moral' choice or simply a case of needing to support yourself alone?
What happened was that I released ‘Commercial Underground’ expecting to sell loads of copies over the Internet because I had like a zillion ‘Myspace friends’, but I quickly realised that it was a lot harder than I expected! I’m not someone who sits on my butt waiting for good things to happen, so I stuffed my backpack with CDs and hit central London almost daily during the summer. I was selling 30, 40, 50 CDs a day out there by myself and I had some crazy experiences. Some people thought that I was mad famous or something so I often found myself surrounded by tourists, signing CDs, shoes, handbags, whatever! I’m still on the grind, but I don’t have much time for it in uni.
What other aspects of a career as an artist are you looking to capitalize on? 'Thumbs in many pies' as it were?
I’d like to start up an official label in the future but right now I’m just working on building up a buzz as an awesome rapper. Currently I’m doing everything, I write, I promote, I organise my gigs and I sell my CDs personally. I’ve gotten this far solely because of my own efforts and because of the love I’ve received from my supporters.
I understand you already have a small but focused movement of fans backing you up. How has the general response to your work grown since you started? How have you expanded your work upon reaching each milestone?
Yeah, I have fans! I prefer the term supporters though because ‘fans’ makes it sound like they’re below me. The response has been incredibly positive and it’s been positive from a very broad range of people. I’ve performed live in England and in Saudi Arabia, for every type of crowd you can imagine; kids, adults, hip hop heads, indie fans and everything in between. It’s really encouraging and I’ve realised that I appeal to a wider demographic than most rappers because my music is entertaining, but at the same time my subject matter is positive and introspective. A kid will sing the chorus of ‘Steppin 2 Me’ even if they don’t know what ‘dreams are all recurring like it’s ten over three’ means.
Could you tell us a little about your Uni life? How would you say your busy education has affected your music and vice versa? Are there any obstacles that might otherwise hinder either aspect of your life, and how have you dealt with them?
 Oh man, Oxford is HARD! I’m not going to front; it can difficult to balance the academic work with my passion for music. I can be in a Compilers lecture and I’ll be daydreaming about performing to the masses, or I can be in a Computer Security class and I’ll be thinking up the best metaphors ever. I’m an extremely determined person though, so I can progress in both.
A rapper in Oxford University, would you say you've been going against the grain there? What has been the general reaction from the University, if any?
Chyea! Zuby is an anomaly but I’m in a beautiful position where I can make history for both Oxford and hip hop and most importantly, be an inspiration to lots of young people out there. Recently, drunk students keep walking past me saying ‘I’m down with Zuby’, so it’s definitely catching on!
Do you perform at the University?
I gig in Oxford city quite a lot. I’ve performed at some of the individual colleges but haven’t yet performed for the university as such.
You've had gigs in London playing at some very upmarket clubs in Mayfair? Is this the sort of set-up you would hope to work within regularly?
I enjoy performing to any crowd as long as they appreciate my music. That can be in a bougie club in London or on a street corner, I really don’t care. I just want people to hear me.
You're currently shooting a video for your single, ‘Steppin' 2 Me’. Could you tell us a little about that?
I know that lots of people love that song, so I’m making a video to get it out to a wider audience. It’ll be my first music video so I’m really excited! It’s going to be very unique and will capture my current reality. Don’t expect a generic rap video.
Who would you say are your heaviest influences?
Nas, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco and 2Pac are some of my musical influences. I also admire people like P.Diddy, Jay-Z and 50 Cent as entrepreneurs. I never hate on another artist because I think that you can always learn from someone else’s success if you research what they went through to reach that position.
Are there any MCs or producers, UK and US that you would particularly like to work with in the future?
 Anyone that I’m a fan of. My first collaboration ‘Start All Over’ featured a dude from Brooklyn called Webbafied who’s actually one of my favourite rappers, so that was cool. I met Genesis Elijah when we were both on the CD hustle last year and I’m looking to feature him on a future track. Also, if Premo, Just Blaze, Dre or Kanye wanted to hook me up with some beats, then I probably wouldn’t say no…
Now that your initial musical offering has been spotlighted, where would you like to see your work go next? Any particular subject field that is close to your heart?
I’ve actually already written and memorised my next album. It’s going to be incredible, trust me. My flow has stepped up, my lyrics and rhyme schemes have improved and the production is insane. ‘Commercial Underground’ was tight but it was an introduction to Zuby the rapper. Some of the songs on there I wrote and recorded just to prove to people that I can spit. My next project will be more of an insight into the mind of Zuby.
Any shout outs you'd like to give before we end....
Firstly, a big shout out to God for all the talents that he’s blessed me with. Shout out to UKHH.com for giving me this opportunity and for supporting my music. Much love to my whole family, I appreciate your support always. Big up to every single person who has supported me and bought my CD, to every radio and club DJ who’s played my songs and to every promoter who’s helped me to get shows. Shout out to every artist who’s reached out to me and to everyone on the grind trying to realise their dreams. If you are down with Zuby then shout out to YOU. Peace.
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J~Bright
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