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If you have more than a passing interest in Grime
you would no doubt be familiar with the distinctive sound of Bruza. Kane caught up with the gravel voiced MC in Bruzas hometown, and the unofficial capital of Grime, Walthamstow to find out more....
So what are you up to at the moment?
Just finishing off the album, ‘The Tales of the Underdog’, as well as bringing out some mix tapes, doing something with The Lordz coming out later this summer, Triple Threats camp, but they’re part of the Aftershock camp. My people are The Hooliganz, watch out for them.
No individual artist, just general.
Yeah, they’re all screaming the name.
About 3 years.
Yeah, well I’ve been touring now, and doing this thing for about 2 years. Well not exactly any official tours but a lot shows all over the UK, and places like Sweden and Norway.
We’ve got some more coming up this year as well, I’m going to be playing at V Festival and Rise in Finsbury Park. And a few others.
Bestival last year was wicked, proper, it was really mad thousands of people jumping around, really feeling the response from the crowd which was a bit surprising considering the nature of the festival. (Notting Hill) Carnival was pretty big as well, it was at the ‘Rampage’ stage, and it literally was a rampage. That was proper live, there was a festival in Peckham last year that stood out as well.
Erm..I’ve been quite fortunate I suppose where that’s not happened to me. I mean you get places where there’s only like five people turn up which obviously isn’t great and there’s not much I can do about that, but I still give it to them. It don’t matter if I’m in front of ten or ten hundred people I’m still gonna give it to them.
Ha,ha, boy many things. You’d be surprised how often I get asked that question. I used to box a lot and you know..
Well y’know back in the day, but it’s more to do with my style, it just sounds hard I ‘spose.
Yeah I do.
All my life, always lived in the ends, been here (Walthamstow) ever since I was born.
Drum & Bass, Jungle a bit of Ragga. I used to spit on Rinse FM when I was a lot younger, but it wasn’t anything serious just a fun thing, ya get me.
Yeah Drum & Bass was, and in a way, still really is my thing. People like Skibbadee, MC Det, Shabba, Navigator all these sort of MCs’, Randall, Mickey Finn, DJ Brockie. All those tape hustlers. I used to go to a lot of the raves, Drum & Bass, man I used to love it! Proper, I used to listen to nothing else.
Yeah like some Indie, or that Grindie stuff. But there are all sorts of different artists I like. I don’t really consider myself strictly Grime.
Yeah, it’s called So Real. I’ve got influences from all sorts of music as well as what we’ve spoke about, Bashment, Reggae, House..
Yeah I like some House, there’s some good tunes coming out. A big one out at the minute called ‘I don’t want nobody’ I don’t know who it’s by.
He smiles, looking slightly sheepish
Yeah. Erm, that was just a promotional thing, a hype thing it never got released though. Weren’t ever gonna come out.
We didn’t actually meet, I just did a few bars and that was it, not a lot of people know about that to be honest.
There’s loads..erm
Bob Marley, my older cousin was in The Wailers. I like a guy called Trick Daddy from the South, I like him he’s got a lot of character. And I wouldn’t mind doing a tune with Oasis.
In their old days they were proper, the first two albums were proper. But not now, if we could do a time change and them days were now then yeah definitely them. When ‘(Whats The Story) Morning Glory’ was out I was well into Oasis! But not now..
Did he? That’s just politics in’it, trying to get a few peoples votes.
Erm..no, but I will do now.
Basically I’ve got a lot to say about my experiences in the UK, living in London as a Black British boy. All I’m saying is that people will be able to relate to what I’ve got to say, not just Black, White or Asian people but people in general. My area is completely mixed, if we look now around us now you’ll see, and I can relate to all these people. The way people are and the way the world is at the moment, I’ve got something to say about it.
Bruza's So Real EP will be released in August
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© ukhh.com 2006
Bruza Interview
Generally, but I’ve had some good shows up North as well, Birmingham and Nottingham were live. Birmingham is crazy, we’ve got a new artiste coming through from there, De-velopment, he’s got some crazy stuff coming through. Manchester, Brum, Notts I’m getting love from all of them.
I wasn’t too bothered about Hip hop to be honest, well I did use to listen to Hip hop but I didn’t have the tapes and stuff. Lyrically there was (and is! Ed.) more to it but if you wanted to go out it was all about going to Jungle and Drum & Bass rave, ya get me, that’s where it really went off. Nice days.
That’s it. They were talking about their pain and that’s important.
Yeah all the people who have supported me, the Aftershock family, Radio 1xtra, Choice, Kiss FM all the stations that have supported me and also watch out for ‘Tales of the Underdog’ out early next year and the Mixtape in August.
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