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Ghostpoet Interview
RnB/Hip Hop | Monday 22nd August 2011 | Osh
The London-born singer and producer has recently been nominated for the 2011 Mercury prize, an award for outstanding newcomers. We caught up with him for a chat...
Hi, this is Grace from The Guestlist Network and I’m sitting here with Ghostpoet!
Hello.
Okay, so as you know, the London riots have been going on. You’re signed to Brownswood and I heard that they were hit...
Yeah, yeah.
Is that affecting you at all?
I’m not completely sure regarding myself, as I know that Brownswood lost a lot of stock. I don’t know how much you know or what people know about the label but the Sony plant was where PIAS distributes the stock. PIAS is like the biggest distributor of music in the UK and Ireland, so a lot of record labels had their music there, like Brownswood. So, yeah. A sad time, a very sad time.
Is it going to affect your album?
I think we were fortunate enough in changing. We had, like, a new batch that we were printing up: about 3000 or something like that. It would have been there but there was an issue with the printing or something like that.
Wow.
That was luck, you know? Of course you got digital nowadays so hopefully that will benefit everybody who has been affected, so... It’s sad but what can we do to keep going, innit?
Keep supporting the labels.
That’s it. Keep supporting little labels because for a lot of little labels it potentially could be the end of the road for them because of this. So, you know, you just gotta keep supporting. Yeah.
On to good news now: you got nominated for a little something!
Yeah! Something, something...
Something small.
Pluto, Saturn? MERCURY! Yeah! Yeah, yeah...
How does that feel?
Really good. Really, really good because... It’s amazing really to be connected with something like that and in the same group as, you know, the likes of Adele, James Blake, Metronomy... It’s crazy. Really, really, really, really encouraging for me.
What are you going to do if you win?
I can’t think that far ahead!
You have to think that far ahead; you’re nominated!
I think if I win I will jump in the Thames, that’s my plan. I think just being part of it and being nominated for me is amazing and if I could just push ahead and do something with it and, you know, better my career, then so be it. Win or not, I’m a winner!
Some of the people who are watching may not have heard of you. Could you describe your music?
I would say it’s experimentalelectronic hip-hop with dashes of music that I love, you know, like indie music, folk music, dance, trance... Everything really. It’s mixed up in its own little mixture really.
I was going to say like how do you bring it all together because there is a risk that (not that it’s a bad thing) it could sound like ‘Numb/Encore’, but you kind of make it work.
Thank you, thank you. I would say I just don’t really think about it really; I don’t really think, ‘Will this mix with this?’ It’s kind of whatever will work for that particular track, and put it in there... I don’t think about it and I’ve always wanted to make sure that what I put in is everything that I love. I don’t like being stuck in one particular genre. I try as much as possible to bring as many sounds as possible into any one tune, so I guess that’s how I do it.
When you were coming up as an artist, were people treating you differently because you mixed stuff together?
Um, not too much because when I started making tunes I was making grime tunes, so...
Old school!
Yeah! So I used to do that but at the same time, even when I was making grime tunes, I was using everyday sounds in my tunes so... People liked it! They thought it was a little bit odd in places but I just did my thing and didn’t really care what people were thinking really!
Okay, I have a quick question. Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam: how the hell did you come up with that?
That came about when I had to come up with a title after the album was completed. It was kind of an analysis of the album, like summing up the album, and for me I thought, ‘What were the emotions that was coming from it? What was the overall thing about it?’ And for me it had a lot of melancholy and grey and blues and, you know, the idea of being in the blues and down-and-out and stuff like that. So, that’s how the ‘blues’ and ‘melancholy’ parts came in. And I thought to myself, ‘What other things associated with that in my life?’ And it’s food; I like eating food when I feel down or not myself. Jam and peanut butter are the things I like... I was just trying to be smart!
It is pretty smart! Everyone I know who has heard of it thinks it’s amazing!
Cool. Thank you, thank you.
Your new video came out; it’s quite creative and a bit different. How did you come up with the concept with that and does it match up with the song?
Yeah, I guess so. The producer-director was kind of, like, ‘the mind’, kind of came up with the initial idea... I said I liked it but there were a few things that I wasn’t sure about so we went back to the drawing board, and back and forth really until we came to a conclusion when we were like, ‘Yeah, this is what it should be’. Yeah, I knew I wanted to make something that was an advance from the last video and something different as well. I want to be as creative as possible in my visuals as well as my music. It came out really well. Thanks to everyone involved! A lot of people gave a lot of their time to do it.
Last time I checked, 9, 000 people had watched it!
Wow, that’s a lot of flames!
Another thing: I’ve heard you are partly Nigerian?
I am! Partly. Sliced down the middle.
I am fully Nigerian! What did your Nigerian parents think when you wanted to do music?
My Dad’s Nigerian. He always, like every African parent, wanted me to do something serious.
Like medicine or law?
Architecture, even. When I first started making music it was tough because he didn’t quite understand where the end game was, you know what I mean? Just like any good parent. They want you to be successful and make something of your life and I think, him as well, there are many many parents who just feel music is not like a standard nine-to-five job where you know you are going to get a certain amount to take care of yourself and your family. That was understandable and, yeah, it was difficult, but such is life; you got to do what needs to be done.
Would you encourage young people to go for music?
If that’s their passion. If it’s what you really want to do then yeah. I feel that you gotta be happy, you know what I mean? You gotta do something that you can wake up in the morning and want to do. It’s difficult; I’ve worked in a lot of sub-jobs that I never wanted to do but I had to pay the bills. If you have the opportunity where you get to do what you want to do it’s worth it. You may not see the rewards in the beginning; it may take a long time but it’s satisfying to do what you want to do!
Right! I’ve been on Twitter. Do you love Twitter?
Twitter! I’m partial.
Have you been on Twitter lately?
I’ve been on today.
What is the best tweet you’ve seen recently?
I’m not good at these kind of things! I couldn’t tell you! There are a lot of funny people. I am attracted to the people who write clever things in the 140 character limit. It always makes me laugh out loud in the oddest places which can be a bit awkward. If it’s funny, it’s funny!
For example?
I really like Michael Pain. He’s really funny. He’s really clever with his words; he always makes me chuckle. Maybe not broadcastable, but check him out!
I’ve also read on Twitter that you’ve become a vegetarian. Why?
I have. I wouldn’t say vegetarian; I’m eating fish. It’s fish and veg, not meat. Meat is cut out because, I dunno... I thought it would be difficult but it’s pretty simple really. I’ve been doing it for a week now and, yeah, I’m enjoying it. It’s making my brain think a bit differently. I’ve got recipes that I can eat and go to places that I know I can eat from so, yeah, it’s time for a bit of change. I’m going on tour soon so I need to be eating a bit more healthily.
Getting up in the gym as well?
Come on! I’m trying. I’m trying to. The gym is literally down the road from me!
You could practise by walking to the gym everyday?
I could do a few sets everyday. This could be a good idea. I could try that one.
Ok, another random question: If you were invisible for the day, what would you do?
I would try and get on airplanes so I could fly around the world for free.
Nothing naughty?
Look at this face! Come on! Airplanes! So I could go all over the world, innit. You obviously have to find a spare seat and not obviously be near people because if they were to touch you that would freak people out. You gotta be really carefull about it. Fly free!
Where would you go?
I would go, I would gooo...
Nigeria?
Maybe. I would go to Cuba! We need to invent an invisibility machine.
Ghostpoet. He’s a rapper and also an inventor of the invisibility machines! If you were stranded on a desert island with someone, who would you want it to be?
I would invite Spike Lee. Can I do TV characters?
Yeah.
Del boy because he’s funny, and for a desert island you need a chef, innit, so Jamie! Jamie Oliver. That’s the one!
Okay, can you give us an exclusive?
I made a demo track today... That’s an exclusive if you want it to be an exclusive!
What is it called?
‘Hampton South’. It was made in Southampton when we went there for a gig, and I work with like a live band for my live shows so we collaborated on stuff as well. So it was made there, and I called it ‘Hampton South’, and made the demo of it today. I’m hoping I can get it ready in time for the tour and then when we go to Southampton we will play it there!
Exclusiiive!
Eeexclusiiive.
You’ve been touring all summer, haven’t you? Glasto? Latitude?
It’s been a lot of gigging, a lot of festivals, a lot of fun; more to come. We did Big Chill last week, then Bestival soon... Lots of others I can’t remember right now. We’ve got a tour; we’re going off to Australia, and a European tour after that, so a lot of stuff!
Cool! Thank you very much Ghostpoet!
You’re welcome, you’re welcome. Thank you very much!
The winner of the Mercury Prize will be announced on the 6th of September. Meanwhile, Ghostpoet will be performing at festivals in Europe. Visit www.ghostpoet.co.uk to find out where you can catch him.
