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Micky Grim is an artist from Nottingham that has been dropping mixtapes since 2004 and collaborated with many artists, producers & DJ's. He has featured on many US released mixtapes and even did a project with well respected US DJ’s DJ Rated R & DJ Diggz. He has also is working Mykal Million on a new project and is set to collaborate with Dipset’s 40 Cal, D-Block’s A.P and Pottersfield’s St. Laz. Tricksta hooks up to ask the questions…
When did you start making music and was there a person or artist that inspired you to start writing songs and hit the studio?
I used to freestyle with my friends playing about when I was younger until I heard the Naps it was written album, that inspired me to start writing raps and think about content in my rhymes then when I left school the older man around me were already tight rappers and used to cipher all the time so I got a lot of my inspiration from them they brought me in, linked up with the people at the community recording studio and we formed a group of us called the ballygang consisting of me, milz, cizi grim, f.l.o and b.g, dropped a now classic mixtape in 2004 (the ballygang mixtape) and I aint stopped since
Let’s talk about your latest project, its sounding really tight. Who features on it, who dealt with the production and how long did it take to make?
Big talent small city the latest project is produced by kimbo hareez one of the best producers in the country in my opinion. He delivers a powerful whole new sound on homemade production his work rate is crazy and so is mine so in the space of a couple of months we made around 30/40 done tracks plus an EP so we chose the best 18 and ran with those, I got the ballygang members to feature on there and a couple of Nottingham artists - Tileasha a singer featured on the wifey track and marvin brown who I work with a talented versatile reggae artist with his own studio so he engineered and I recorded the whole thing there and also Talapton another rising reggae artist who I linked with through kimbo on the fu** it all track and a few guest appearances from overseas on real rap a track an artist called mailman from Canada put together featuring me, 40 cal from dipset st.laz pottersfield and mailman himself also a collab with a.p a d-block member and featuring streetz a fiery u.k based new jersey rapper also on the ballygang camp
How would you describe the music that you make? I know it’s hard to compare yourself to other artists and styles, but what kind of vibe is your music on?
The sound I'm coming with on this mixtape is fresh its a whole new sound fairly different to my old mixtapes the content is similar but its a fresh sound we're heading into 2012 and instead of moving with the times or in the past I’m looking to the future, the music is raw straight from the left side of the chest ,that feel music in which you can relate to, it can be played in your iPod on the way to work in your car on road or in the club its all about versatility I try bring something new to the table everytime I drop something new. I listen to a lot of music myself and can honestly say there aint any artists I can hear coming like me right now as for the style its definitely got that urban u.k music sound to it its sounding real futuristic but raw at the same time
What do you enjoy the most about the whole process of recording and writing music? Is there something that you absolutely love and is there anything that maybe you don’t like doing as much?
I love writing music it don’t matter if I’m broke with 25p in my pocket or if I won the lottery tomorrow I would still sit down and write music, its my passion it takes my mind off things in the outside world kind of like meditation for me I like recording in the studio if I was getting paid to do this I would probably live in the studio I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been in studio recording all night came out and seen people going to work and kids going to school but at the same time its all hard work and then once the project does drop the promo work kicks in and I have to burn thousands of discs an promote the project but its what I chose to do and the minute I decide I don’t like something I might push it to the side and start slacking on it so I gotta treat everything the same to stay on top of my game.
Are you releasing your music on your own label or do you have a team that is aiming to help you get signed to a major?
I’m just putting music out independently looking for a distribution deal or to talk to some labels I got a buzz like this by myself so with something powerful behind me I feel I could make a major impact on the game so a label or something behind me would be a big step
How are you getting your project out there? Do you have a distributor involved or maybe some shops/websites stocking & supporting your music?
Promotion is the hardest part of it all I pay my own studio time write my own music and have a designer (humble designs) we invested in a cd burner so I buy my own discs burn them myself get the covers pressed and get out there with the discs on the roads myself I have no manager or label behind me so it makes things a little harder but like they say hard work always beats talent if talent don’t work hard. I get support from some big websites including ukrapmusic.com and robeworld.com also a Notts based hip hop website getnottz.co.uk I drop cd's in the independent shops myself and they go like hotcakes so I gotta stay on top of things
Getting radio play can be hard for unsigned Hip-Hop artists, but have you had any radio play and if so what DJ’s and stations have supported you?
Nottingham has a local station 97.5 Kemet FM with a banging hip hop urban show on Monday evenings 7-9 called the ms tempz show hosted by ms tempz, I get a lot of play on there and also the urban prime time show on Saturdays show on Saturday afternoons I’ve been on the ms tempz show had interviews and teared the booth with live verses on various occasions.
Do you enjoy playing live? Have you done many gigs and what kind of artists have you supported or played alongside?
I’ve done most of my shows with our people smokes and bluntz another Nottingham hiphop collective we're part of we've opened up alongside u.k artists such as sway, lethal b and done shows with Birmingham artists b6 slash I’ve done club performances but also bigger things such as the royal concert halls with smokes and bluntz for the raw talent tour.
Let’s talk image and branding for a minute. Some artists spend lots of money on artwork and other acts aren’t that interested. How important is image, artwork and branding to you?
image says a lot sometimes but if you watch my videos you'll see I just do what I do I’m happy in a hoodie or a tracksuit that’s what I wear everyday I aint the type to go spend £1000 on a 1 nice outfit for a video that I wouldn’t usually wear to make people think I’m something other than what I am, people say to me they can imagine how I look just by listening to my music and that’s how I like it, as for artwork that’s a must if a cover don’t stand out or isn’t of good quality people may doubt what’s behind the artwork before they’ve even heard it which aint a good start
What was the last album you brought and apart from Hip-Hop what other genres of music do you listen too?
I like to support music being a musician myself so I like to go out my way to buy albums and get the full worth out of them read through them see who produced the tracks or whatever, by sitting down and taking time to read through you can interact more with the artist the last album I brought was marcberg by roc marciano it was a banging album it just don’t feel the same to me playing a good album off a blank disc with a photocopied cover, albums aint what they used to be its all downloads now but that’s what it is u gotta keep it moving the game is constantly changing. I’m a through and through hip hop head I listen to it all day everyday but it helps as an artist to listen to all sorts of music which I do from jazz, classical old music right up to grime and dubstep I just love music.
Have you got any videos on You Tube and have any ever got played on TV Stations?
I’ve got a lot of good quality videos on YouTube just go on there type in micky grim and you’ll see. Visual is an important part of your career as a musician nowadays its so easy to make a video and post it on YouTube as an artist you've got no excuse not to, chances are if you make a banging track with a video the video will get heard much more than the tracks as more people are online nowadays.
So what does the future hold for you as an artist? Have you got any big plans that you can tell us about before you go?
The futures looking bright right now I’m in as good position because I’m not tied down to some label who isn’t supporting me its all on me I’m a free agent right now, got an e.p produced by kimbo hareez ready and done a couple new tracks for our second mixtape which I can tell by hearing so far will be better than our first, plus the ballygang projects and a d-block 2 Notts mixtape which will be our camp collab'ing on tracks with some d-block members which is a big look also doing a lot of work with mailman in Canada and opium from pottersfield on that international link up, so I’m just starting really you’re going to hear a lot more from me this year.
Interview by Tricksta
www.ukrunnings.co.uk
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