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In A Class Of His Own
CLASS A entered the first heat of Battle Scars Open Mic Contest to ‘make a mark’ and perhaps catch the eye of other artists to collaborate on future projects: yet he won?!
Polite, Focused, Down to Earth are not words which one can usually describe a lyrical champion, but Class A is a ‘new breed cat’ with no time to be egotistical because he’s too busy enthusiastically explaining his logical plans for progression.
So you entered to make a mark, do you want to be known as a battle MC?
I’m not a battle MC. I hate to take another mans ego on stage and crush it. It’s degrading, or it can be if you’re getting no applause, knocked out and suddenly you’re work amounts to nothing.
So is your head getting swelled now from all the love the crowd gave you on the night?
Nah, I’m on a level, there shouldn’t be best rapper titles because everyone’s nice in their own aspects and I’m nice in mine.
What are you working on at the moment? I know you MC at a lot of nights, explain this to me?
It doesn’t matter what the music is, I’ll hype the crowd. At the same time, my MCing is totally separate from my rapping. I hype crowds; I’d never bust a verse when I’m in there as a club MC.
So, for example, can you flow over U.K Garage?
Yeh, I do that, I’ve spent a couple of Summers MCing in Ayia Napa, it’s all part of the training.
So you’re not elitist with your love of Hip Hop?
No, No way, when you narrow your mind to one thing then you’re closing your mind off, and you don’t even know what you’re closing it to. I’m an MC, an MC handles beats by riding them, you write the lyrics they don’t write you, you should be able to deliver over any beat, music is music… within reason.
And what’s your beat of choice?
I’m into 70’s Funk, Curtis Mayfield, James, they’re all the foundation. For me though, Hip Hop is No 1, it’s the future.
Current examples?
Talib Kweli is really inspiring me at the moment, as is a lot of the material on Rawkus. Biggie, he’s the King, always will be. I don’t like all the bullshit in Hip Hop, you have to sift through a lot of shit on some albums, you have to find the real meaning of the album.
So do you prefer conscious artists?
Hmm, you can’t say what it should or shouldn’t be because you’ve got people with no direction but their lyrical construction and delivery are tight so you can’t fault them on that but their topics…. there’s obvious examples…it’s market forces, if you say what people want to hear then you’ll be popular. I wouldn’t talk about things I’m not living, guns and all that.
O.K, Production wise, who have you noticed in the U.K?
Skitz definitely, Some of the Dynasty album, Harry Love is tight and Major who I’m working with, his production’s going to be getting noticed more soon.
As someone who’s on other scenes as well as U.K Hip Hop, what do you think UK Hip Hop can do to entice the under 18’s into supporting it?
The people need to support it, It’s our music same as R’n’B, UK Garage, but if they ain’t getting their moneys worth then they ain’t going to buy it.
So will they get their quids worth with Class A?
I want my lyrics to talk to the masses, 14 to 40 year olds. I’d rather be here for a long while and build up respect rather than being a flash in the pan.
So you’re not money, money mad?
No, it’s not all about that but at the same time I’ve dropped so much for this, I’ve given up a lot for Hip Hop. I need to make some money from it that’s why I MC.
Would you ever full scale sell out?
No, my words are mine, no one’s telling me what to do, say or wear now or in the future.
Would you, not sell out, but use your personal experiences in lyrics or is it all fiction?
My lyric books are my diary, my life goes in, but what I choose to come out is different, some of it’s too personal, I do fiction/stories as well though it’s kind of like a lyrical script or movie or something.
So what for the future?
I want my own night, to help other artists. Something diverse, that hasn’t been done before, proper entertainment as well as keeping up my Mcing residencies and hopefully recording my views and ideas with the right backing.
One last question, Sorry about this, but is it true you’re only 18 years old?? Because we’ve been told that you are…
(Laughter) No! I don’t know who started that rumour, I’m 21.
Thanks for your time, and thanks for representing West London properly in Battle Scars.
I leave the interview reflecting upon how this kid (not 2 be a patronising old cow) is just going for it hard. He manages to MC over Garage yet is enthusiastically showing me his records from Honest Jons, some obscure U.S Hip Hop 12’s, we even got an admission of poetry writing from him, maybe this is the essential ingredient of the future for U.K Hip Hop - breaking down barriers.
Contact Class A at: mastaclassa@hotmail.com
© 2001 ukhh.com
interview 0053 added 25.02.01 words Ladycook
