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  Kano Interview
interview 0335 added 17.09.05 words: Darkling Dami
technical:
QED
‘Home Sweet Home’ is East
London for Kano and things
are kicking off big right now! Four Mobo nominations aside, Kano
aka Kane Robinson is just getting us warmed up for the future of
Kane’s World. We sent along our top gal Darkling Dami who caught
up with Kano, and eventually got chatting to Kane, very nice
indeed!
So start
off by introducing yourself
 Kano: Oh I hate doing that, (laughs) I’m k, I’m K.
Your K…
(giggles).
K: Yeah K.
Anything
else or just simply that, I’m K?
K: Yeah I’m Kano.
It seems
like with what you’re doing you have been influenced outside of
hip-hop so who would you say your influences are?
K: Well I would say that my biggest influence, to tell you the
truth is the mcs from the garage scene that I came up listening
to as well, like Heartless Crew and all of them, Pay as you Go,
D double E. Outside of that I would say a lot of reggae, my
parents are from there so I used to listen to that. Hip hop as
well just everything really- little bits of rock music as well.
just everything!
“…you can
only stand out by being unique from everyone else. So it did
play a big part in….. me…”
Any good
pirate stations out east?
K: Yeah there’s good pirate stations there’s a lot…. Rinse , I
started on Flava then I went to De’ja vu then there’s Mischief.
Yeah there’s a lot….. There aint none in East Ham though.
I don’t
know much about East Ham but from what I’ve seen it seems
there’s a lot going in East London in general. Do you think that
being from there is a reason you’re influenced in the way that
you’re doing what you’re doing?
K: Yeah definitely doing what I’m doing ‘cos mcing was and is a
big thing and there’s a lot of people out there, a lot of
competition and you’ve got to be different from the next one, so
that’s how I’ve come about by trying to be different from
everyone else because there’s so much going on and you can only
stand out by being unique from everyone else. So it did play a
big part in….. me.
“…I don’t
wanna be defined by one word or just do one thing…”
So here is
the question you’ll probably hate- can you define what music it
is that you do. I know everyone always wants to put labels on
people’s music. Personally I still regard it as hip-hop but what
would you say?
K: I don’t know…., I don’t call it grime but it’s just……UK music
man! I don’t really like to put a label on it you get me? And
sometimes it’s hard to describe. But sometimes that’s good in a
way because you can just be open with it and you can experiment
with it and do whatever. That’s why I just call it music in
general. I don’t wanna be defined by one word or just do one
thing. I couldn’t really describe it.
“…we’re
just trying to break free of that box and do what we feel and
make music we feel like making…”
With the
whole concept of grime, do you ever feel that you’ve been put
into that kind of box where it’s like “inner city kids doing
their thing”?
 K: yeah it is, It’s just another box you get me? So im not
really feeling that cos that just holds you back. We’re just
trying to break free of that box and do what we feel and make
music we feel like making and that we are interested in whether
it be influenced from other music or not. We don’t just wanna be
called grime and be put in that box.
When you
say “we” who are you referring to, members of your crew?
K: I’m talking about all the mc’s and producers who are part of
the scene. I think there’s a lot of talented people around and
all these producers they don’t make only one type of sound. They
could make all sorts and all these mcs it’s not like they can
only spit on one type of beat I think they’re talented enough to
jump on whatever and just experiment and do whatever we feel. I
don’t think you can just label us one thing.
Is there
anyone out there that you really want to work with right now?
K: (thinks)….. Not really but there’s people out there I
would work with, rappers like Klashnekoff… maybe Skinnyman.
What
rattles you enough that would get you spitting controversial
lyrics?
K: umm...
From what
you’ve been saying it’s not enough for an mc to just get the
crowd hyped up anymore, they’ve actually got to be saying
something as well. So what rattles you?
K: …… Just everyday life whatever that be; I went out one day
and I had a madness in the club and I come back and I wrote
“Typical Me” or I might be having a conversation with a friend
and just write a song from it you get me? I just write from
whatever I’m thinking, I’ve got songs on the album that are
thoughtful songs that are deep, where I’m just thinking to
myself. I’ve got a song called “sometimes”. And that’s where I’m
just going through my thoughts. I would say that most of my
music comes from stuff that I went through and some of it from
what I was thinking at the time.
“…I would
rather just be normal and walk down the street and no-one knows
who you are and still be able to do your music at the same time
but obviously it don’t go like that…”
OK so what
have you been through that’s really made you the person you are
today?
K: Just everything that I’ve been through growing up…… just
everything. Certain friends I’ve got, seeing people go one way
or in the wrong way, having role models in the family that go
the right way.
So what
have you enjoyed most about your success so far?
K: I would say travelling, just getting on the bus and driving
up and down, performing in front of different people who love
your tunes. I done a tour with The Streets, the last tour and I
would say that’s been one of the best things, and we went to
France as well.
Where
about in France?
K: Just touring, In France it was nice….nice. We went Paris.
“…but
really you have to be smart in whatever you do. You can’t be on
the street and be dumb anyway…”
Does the
prospect of being famous when you look at someone like Michael
Jackson seem scary?
K: (laughing) I don’t think I’ll ever end up being like
Michael Jackson…. But yeah it does, it does. It doesn’t affect
the way I behave but certain things always stay at the back of
your mind. I don’t really like it to tell you the truth. I would
rather just be normal and walk down the street and no-one knows
who you are and still be able to do your music at the same time
but obviously it don’t go like that. But yeah unfortunately
things can happen and people can become too into it but I’m not
like that.
So you
would never do Big Brother then?
K: (laughs) I wouldn’t do the Michael ting. No I wouldn’t
do Big Brother.
You were
obviously a high academic performer and now you are a credible
artist what is your view on some young people these days playing
dumb to get themselves more street cred?
K: I think that’s stupid (laughs) I think that’s stupid
‘cos all of them people they respect on the street are smart.
The ones that do do their street thing are smart. Obviously the
ones that end up nowhere on drugs or in prison are just dumb.
But really you have to be smart in whatever you do. You can’t be
on the street and be dumb anyway. But I would say if you wanna
be an mc and you wanna take it further it helps to be
academically smart. There’s a lot I’m still learning about the
music industry and there’s a lot I will learn through the years
but I think school does help. I think it does.
“…I wanna
be remembered just for my good lyrics being smart and being
creative and hopefully for just being a leader and not a
follower…”
Could you
see yourself, take P-Diddy as an example, doing the whole
business side of things but still do the music as well?
 K: Yeah it is something that I would like to do. Definitely..
definitely. I would like to do the whole label thing and sign
artists and all of that. I’d like to write for other artists. I
would like to do a lot of stuff outside of MCing. But I will
always continue writing. I’m always progressing. I think that
the day you stop progressing is the day you should stop MCing.
What have
we got to look forward to from you- your albums coming out tell
me about that.
K: My albums coming out I’ve got a mix tape that I’ve been
working at that’s just been finished so I’m gonna be pushing
that on the underground. Maybe a couple more videos coming out,
and a tour- that’s what I really want just my own tour, after
the albums out, I just wanna do a tour over the country.
Sounds
like you’ve got the travelling bug.
K: (laughs) but I hate it as well I don’t like the actual
travelling, I just like getting there and being there I don’t
like the process.
So any
time for ladies?
K: (sighs) A little bit…. (Laughs) A little bit
always got a bit of time.
Is it the
whole groupie thing?
K: Nah. Im not feeling that at all, it’s overrated.
“…let’s
see how’s Kano different to me?… Kano’s more cocky, more
cheeky…”
You seem
like quite a grounded person what do you want to be remembered
by?
K: I wanna be remembered just for my good lyrics being smart and
being creative and hopefully for just being a leader and not a
follower.
So I’ve
heard from your biography that you’re quite an introverted
person and quiet is that true?
K: A lot of people say that I’m quiet may be when I’m around
different people I’m quiet When I’m with my friends sometimes
I’m not quiet then. But yeah I’d say normally I’m quiet. On the
stage though it’s a different story.
So would
you say that Kano is your alter-ego then?
K: No it ain’t it ain’t, it aint my alter ego. Let’s see how’s
Kano different to me… Kano’s more cocky, more cheeky.
Who am I
talking to now, Kane or Kano?
K: You’re talking to Kane.
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I don’t
know you but I like you Kane. What star sign are you?
K: I’m a Taurus but I’m on the border between Taurus and a
Gemini.
Oh you’re
on the cusp. Ooooh see….Do you wanna big anyone up?
K: …….. um…. not really (laughs).
You are so
cheeky (laughs) -not really! No problem then. So is there
anything else you want to tell me?
K:….. um… No not really! (laughs).
Overground: Home Sweet Home, album go get it peeps.
Underground: Watch out for them mixtapes.
-
Darkling Dami
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