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  ReggiiMental (of Gnostix) Interview
interview 0382 added
20.02.06 words:
Madrox
technical:
QED
Evening Reggi, you're a part of the Midlands crew Gnostix, and also a solo MC in your own right. You've been doin your thing for sometime now. Yet, as I often find myself saying in these interviews... a lotta people won't know who you are.
So, for the un-enlightened amongst us, would you care to state your name, where your from and what your about?
 Ok, from the top - Mc from midlands collective, ReggiiMental aka Jimmy B-Boy. Residing now in Derby originally from Tamworth. Did a little work with the Deprogrammed unit and to date thats the only way I can put it so you may know me. Also dropped an album entitled 'Wordz from tha Regiment', toured it as much as we could and from then, to now, here we are.
Ok, excellent. Folks here may know of Deprogrammed from the Alex Blood interview posted on this site not so long back. That aside, you mention your solo. How was that as an experience for you? Did you find it easy working alone for the first time? Or harder?
Working alone, its nice to be honest in respect to the fact that the only person accountable is me. Saves all that petty bickering over whos pennies is whos!
“...Working alone, its nice to be honest in respect to the fact
that the only person accountable is me. Saves all that petty bickering
over whos pennies is whos...”
Haha. The root of all evil. How did the tour go? Where was your favourite place? and of course...least favourite? Any memorable encounters?
 Yeh, best I guess had to be back here in Derby with the Tsunami Fundraiser. Things like turning up late to gigs is our forte, so we did a few lock in shows gettin wasted till stupid o' clock. After some bad press from previous
gigs (See You Must Learn), it was nice to take some new material about the place. Peeps rapping your lyrics at your show is the most memorable ish I guess...
Word. That must be a great feeling. How's the new material going? Are you planning another album? EP? or a new fangled mixtape for folk? What kind of things can we expect to hear?
Nuff things are in the pipeline and plans change on a day to day if you nah mean ! I guess just recording and trying to avoid another LP until the times right. At present I’ve got some EP ish lined up with some guest producers like Joe Rizzle, Raze and the Coventry Outfit the 4thFront. As said tho that’s all preliminary and in good time...
Awesome that’s good to hear man. So who else have you been working with on your journey's so far? Anyone in particular you felt you've really learned from?
Defo man. Everyone I meet in the scene is mad knowledge just to be around. I guess UK being small you can find almost anyone in the scene and no doubt everyone is looking at it from a different angle. On the Who, We done worked with Baby J, SonnyJim, Lotek, Tricksta, Cipher (MD7), Oshin (57th Dynasty) plus a few more who id consider mad knowledge.
“...Things like turning up late to gigs is our forte, so we did
a few lock in shows gettin wasted till stupid o' clock...”
Thats quite a formidable array of people. So your working on tracks right now, been working with some top draw UK acts, got yourself to yourself and got your head cleared. What’s next? Where do you see yourself aiming to be in say... 5 years time?
 That’s the hard part. Truth be it, I’m a realistic man who works his nine five and got mortgage and what not to hold me down, for real. If the money and time is right I’m looking to take the fall and make this hip hop thing work full time. I’m estimating about 3 years before that goes down.
3 years? So what will you be doing in preparation for this? I've heard of MC's who saved and saved for ages and then done a promotional rush. And other MC's such as myself stagger out what we can when we can. Do you have a game plan? Video's perhaps? Any specific collaborations?
As said man, the time and money need to be right. Yeh, I got plans for Videos and shit but the way things are right now its like we ain’t looking to make it big, just big enough to eat I guess. I’d rather get a deal than have to run my own shit like how it’s going now!! Too an extent there ain’t no game plan. It just feels like instinct to jus keep doing what I can. I’m still always capable of nine fives but to make the hobby into the jobby is the dream.
Haha "Hobby into the jobby", golden! It ain't always easy man, as you'd testify to yourself. Do you feel that, coming from the Midlands and not being born in the Big Smoke has had any bearings on your situation? What are your views on our (Midlands) scene as it stands?
There are some setbacks, but hey London has it poppin, and not because they rhyme better than us but just through the straight business attitude they kickin down there. Right now Mids is sounding great so I guess we just gotta get our business game to catch up.
“...Everyone I meet in the scene is mad knowledge just to be
around. I guess UK being small you can find almost anyone in the scene
and no doubt everyone is looking at it from a different angle...”
Amen to that man. What kinds of themes have your songs of late been running along? Anything been sticking out to you specifically as needing to be written about? Or have you just been letting the dice fall, so to speak?
Women, money, life in general, life in detail, attitudes, day to day things. I’ve always been a fan of that emotional heart felt rap, so I guess we all aim to be as receptive as possible to what’s going on around us.
Do you have any currant influences in or outside the scene musically? Anyone that’s been grabbing your attention?
 Stephanie Mckay at the moment. I’m into everything really, and I mean everything. Right now I been playing some simply red and Curtis Mayfield . Like the new Oasis stuff and almost anything real thats playin on the radio right about now.
Wicked. An eclectic taste indeed. Ok to wrap things up. Where can we see you on tour? Where can we peep what your doin at? And is there any last words/shout outs/whatever you'd care to give to anyone?
We gonna be gettin on road after the new material hits the street, but for now we got some residency @ Bullit, Tamworth and no doubt catch me @ Susumi every first week of the Month on some live ish. Shouts to Joe Rizzle, Bigga, G.N.O + Fam, DJ's like Cro and co, hhb Radio, Ukhh and all who know I owe them one! Free downloads available :
www.gnostix.co.uk, WFTR now available on Digital Distribution.
Ok. Top class my friend. I look forward to hearing the new material. Thank you for your time man. Peace.
“...I'm a realistic man who works his nine five and got mortgage
and what not to hold me down, for real. If the money and time is right
I'm looking to take the fall and make this hip hop thing work full time...”
-
Madrox
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