Scorcher is almost a decade strong in the game and his musical prowess shows no sign of waning.
Bursting on to the grime scene in 2005 as a fresh-faced MC, Scorcher soon built a reputation for being a menace on the mic. From cutting his teeth on pirate radio, churning out a slew of mixtapes, and the infamous clash with Boy Better Know; the north Londoner soon established himself as one of the genre’s leading MC’s and producers.
As part of elite crew The Movement with fellow grime geniuses Wretch 32, Ghetts, Devlin and Mercston; Scorcher has seen his status further solidified.
With a recent MOBO awards nomination under his belt, a record sitting in the top 10 iTunes hip hop chart and a new EP on the way, Scorcher talks to GIITTV about monetising grime, industry recognition and not doing a Drake.
Congratulations on your MOBO award nomination for best video Work Get It. What did that feel like?
It was nice to be acknowledged. To be honest the main thing for me was: this was something we did totally independent. Me, my manager, my friend was the director and my friends [Wretch 32, Ari, Mercston] were on the song. For people to acknowledge that and like it was sick.
How does industry recognition compare to that which you receive from the fans?
There is no industry without the fans so how could you ever put the industry first? I’m a creative so the first thing for me is to make music that I enjoy and then have like-minded individuals support it.
But there must be an accolade that you would love to have to your a name?
For me, doing something like Jools Holland would be sick. His thing is just based on creative, good music. You could have the biggest buzz in the world and still not be able to get on there.
You’ve been in the game for a long while now. Do you ever put stuff out and worry about how it will be received?
I wouldn’t say worried, but there are times when I try something new and I wonder how the fans will take it. Like No One Else is nothing like Work Get It – it’s the complete opposite. I was kind of wondering how people would take to it, but the feedback has been good. People like it.
As an artist, how hard is it knowing that no matter how much love you get in streets or on the internet, that will not necessarily translate into sales?
I’ve been making music for long enough to accept certain things. For me, just make the music you like and figure out how to sell that rather than make music with a buying customer in mind because at the end of the day: people are going to give you what they’ve got to give.
If people were millionaires they would just buy your records, but maybe they can’t afford to buy your records. Maybe all they’ve got to give you is a YouTube hit, and I’m happy with that. I’ll take whatever support fans have got to give.
Why do you think “urban” music like grime sees reluctance from fans in terms of financial support, when fans of other genres happily purchase singles or even albums?
You need to remember that grime is still in its infancy. This isn’t hip hop or pop or rock. This is actually new credible English music. It’s a music that started out as free. It was never based around buying. Grime started out on pirate radio stations and people spitting over vinyls and people clashing in public. The challenge now is us finding our place and getting people used to paying for it.
What is the creative process for you? Does someone send you a beat and you vibe to it or do you have ideas kicking about in your head and get a producer to build a beat around that?
The first thing you said. I find it more authentic making music that way. Some one can send me a beat; I listen to it and then bang! It just put’s me in a frame of mind totally different to how my day has been or just gets me thinking a certain way.
What’s your favourite type of producer to work with then?
I like producers that are a bit crazy and like their own thing. People who are not really in touch with what’s going on are best. If he’s in his own world, he can only make music that exists within that world and not someone else’s. Him giving me that gives me the platform to take people somewhere else. Guy’s I hope you don’t think I’m trying to make you lot sound mad. [Laughs]
It should be cool, you haven’t said any names…
It’s nuts, sometimes you will get the phone call before they email the beat over, and they are just explaining it, giving you a mood, a feeling, a vibe. Sometimes I have to say: “I’m on it, but it’s mad what you’re saying.” [Laughs]
1 of 1 is your latest EP, and we’ve already heard Work Get It and No One Else. What’s the vibe, and what’s the name about?
When I started getting near the end of the EP, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to call it. I was trying to figure out what to call it but couldn’t come up with anything. One day, I can’t remember who the rapper was, but he said the phrase “1 of 1” and I was like that’s what it is. Each record is literally a one off. They are each so different to each other, and I guess the only thing that links the project together is me. I even got Funny Tummy to do the artwork which adds to the 1 of 1 feeling.
A lot of artists get itchy feet after a while and look at casting their net further afield and set their sights on conquering America. Do you have any plans to do the same?
You have to deal with first things first. It’s not even about conquering America. I just want my music to go wherever it can be heard. Whenever I hear guys saying: “I don’t even care about England I just want to blow in America” I find that mad because they live here. It rains on you everyday [laughs] this is where you’re from. I don’t get it. I see it as one step at a time. First of all I just want to make music my peers like and then see it spread and grow.
So what about with your acting then? You played Kamale in critically acclaimed channel 4 drama Top Boy, but many of our British actors have had to go abroad to really make a name for themselves?
I look at it the same way. You always need a base, a platform to work off. I think it’s disrespectful to certain art forms when people think they can just go straight to the top. Do you know how much time certain people have spent honing their skills. I’m happy to start off with the smaller roles in the smaller pond of England and build upon that.
With that said I would love to see myself acting in any country in any industry. I can’t really see myself doing Bollywood though [laughs] but I’m open.
You’re having a launch party at Jazz Café 24 November for 1 of 1. Are you bringing out anyone special?
Do you know, I always when find people ask who I am doing shows with, or who’s on my project the strangest question in the world. I think artists lean on other people too much and their albums are like compilations. My approach is: this is what I’m doing, and if you would like to come it would be cold because there’s other things that come along with it.
But since you ask, I might as well say that G Frsh will be there. We have a big record together. I actually need to stop calling it a big record – what I really mean is me and my friends like it.
So come to the show and see me and my guests [laughs].
And finally, after being in the game for so long, what else have you got to push the boundaries and take your music to the next level of epicness?
It would be great to get it to epic to begin with! I’ve been playing around with vocals lately. I can’t sing – don’t worry I won’t be doing a Drake anytime soon .[laughs] But there are ideas that I haven’t really ventured into before so I’ll be looking more at that.
No One Else is Out now and 1 Of 1 available 24 November 2014. You can buy tickets for the launch party at Jazz Café 24 November here
@scorcherslife
