Interview with Boomstick - Hip Hop Highlights part 2

The Skinny: You have been writing/MCing since you were seven years-old. What influenced you to start at such a young age?

Boomstick: "I would say that I started writing at about seven/eight, on and off. It's not like I've written every day since, and it wasn't really anything serious back then. I would usually write bits of raps about cartoons and kids in my class at school... Everyday kids' stuff. It was my Uncle Dave that introduced me to hip hop really, when I was a kid he's take me out in his metro, and we'd be listening to like, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B and Rakim, or Run DMC and NWA. Just classic shit. But it was Naughty by Nature's OPP that made me want to pursue it on a more permanent level. Plus, as a kid I had Attention Deficit Disorder, and couldn't concentrate in school, but with hip hop it was different 'cos it was something that sparked my imagination. Also, I had a rough childhood, so it was an escape more than anything else. Whenever I acted up at home, my Nana would gimme a pencil and some paper, and I would sit and either draw or write raps. Then I'd take them into school the next day and show the kids in the playground. I'd hate to think the sorta shit I was writing then, ha-ha."

The Skinny: Although you were born in Inverness you were brought up in Middlesbrough. What was life like for a Scottish lad growing up there?

Boomstick: "To be honest I moved down to Middlesbrough when I was just a toddler so it was fine. But even though I lived there from a young age my upbringing was always quite well balanced between the two. I've always considered Scotland my home, and knew that when I was old enough I'd move back. I moved back to Inverness about five/six years ago, I've now been in Glasgow for three and a half. I can't see myself living in England again. To be honest, I've moved around a lot in the past few years, and finally feel settled. Glasgow's a cool city, and generally a friendly place to be."

Skinny: How did you first hook up with Versatile and Redragon?

Boomstick: "Versatile is one of my oldest and closest friends from Middlesbrough. We met when we were about 12/13 through a mutual friend, and clicked straight away. I was already MCing then, but it wasn't till we were older that V started DJing. We used to have recording sessions in his loft, and talk about starting a group. So naturally, when we formed Project Mayhem, he was always gonna be the DJ. He's sick, and it seems that he gets better every time I hear him. I met Redragon at Inverness' first open mic hip hop night about five years ago. He came over and introduced himself and we started spitting. The next week he brought in the first beat he ever made. I loved it and asked if I could use it. Ever since then he's been my producer. He knows my style inside out, and has an amazing ability to harness many different musical influences, but at the same time, remaining completely original. I feel both V and Redragon compliment each other nicely, and together help to create a huge part or our sound."

Skinny: You changed the group's name from Spirits of Vengeance to Project Mayhem. What were the reasons for the change?

Boomstick: "Yeah, well Spirits of Vengeance was me and Redragon, he made the beats, and we would spit over them together as well as doing various solo work. After a while we had a few technical problems, and the project was put on hold. Then Redragon felt he was drawn to producing more than MCing. Soon after, me and V decided to start a new project, still utilising Red's production skills. And as V brought another dimension to the group we needed a new name that represented the overall feel of the music. I was watching Fight Club a few nights later, and after watching the chaos and anarchy David Fincher portrayed in the movie, I felt that sort of Creative Destruction was a perfect metaphor for our music."

Skinny: Not so long ago you moved from Wanted Records to Dropzone Records. How have you settled into your new home?

Boomstick: "Really well, me and Eastborn have a great working relationship, and have a lot of the same views on many subjects. I think it's paramount when signing to any label that you feel that you can communicate freely, and make decisions together, rather than being forced into situations you are uncomfortable with. Also, East is a genuine fan of the music, which means when it comes out, he'll push it more than anyone. Dropzone have shown us love since day one, and have opened so many opportunities for us, I can't see us leaving any time soon. I still talk to the boys from Wanted, mainly Verse One and Blunted. Blunted actually produced the track Wasps' Nest off our forthcoming EP. I enjoyed my time at Wanted, but felt I needed to go in a different direction, so I left. It wasn't till a year later I actually signed to Dropzone. There's no bad blood between us at all."

Skinny: You recently did a gig in Germany with Eastborn and Dead Residents. How did this go down?

Boomstick: "It was such a great experience. Hamburg is a beautiful city, and the people are so friendly and hospitable. They wouldn't let us pay for anything. They rented us this brand new flat to stay in, it was crazy. The gig went down a storm. The crowds over there go wild - it was all filmed for a DVD which should be out soon. Unfortunately we travelled overnight and none of us had slept, which meant I couldn't perform as well as I'd wanted, but they showed us love anyway. It was funny, right at the end of Eastborn's set, the whole place blacked out. It was good meeting Dead Res. I'd been listening to Junior Disprol for years, so to finally meet him was wicked. Him and Chud are two of the funniest people I've ever met. We had such a laugh. East already knew them, so he introduced us. We all clicked straight away, and are gonna be working on some new material together in the near future."

Skinny: Your about to release the Creative Destruction EP, your first Dropzone release. What can we expect from this?

Boomstick: "When we formed the group I knew from day one that I wanted a nice balance of rhymes and cuts; so when writing the songs, I would arrange them in different ways to allow V to come in and rip it up. So when you hear the EP, you feel the DJ is as important to the track as the MC. And of course, the beats create the overall backbone. The EP is the product of a lot of hard work and setbacks. We originally recorded a year ago, then the studio lost all of my vocals, then Redragon's PC died, and took all of the beats with it - which in a way was a blessing in disguise, because it enabled me to add some fresh material. The EP has eight tracks, six vocal and two scratch interludes: features a nice mix of bouncy and raw tracks, some conscious, and some just all out head-nodders. The EP also features some UK and American MCs. We're all really happy with it, and hope that when it's released people give it a chance."

Skinny: You are also working on an album?

Boomstick: "Yeah, we have just started working on our debut LP. It will probably be about 16 tracks long; we don't have a title yet. We're all really excited about it. I already have about five beats for it, but have only written about half a track. At the moment we're just trying to concentrate on getting the EP out. When that's released we can focus solely on the album and live performances. I already have a few artists in mind to feature on it. Also myself and Spitfire are trying to get an EP done, and I'd like to do a mixtape at some point this year. It's just a case of finding time for everything!"

Skinny: If you had to work with one artist, producer or DJ, who would it be?

Boomstick: "That's a tough one man, but if I had to choose one it's probably Ill Bill. We got to support him recently at the Cathouse; he was such a cool guy in person, really down to earth. For me he's just the ultimate MC - flow, lyrics, delivery, mic presence, he's got it all."

Skinny: Within the Scottish scene, who stands out for you?

Boomstick: "Hmmm, there's a lot of talent in the scene just now, but for me the people that stand out are Eastborn, Awesome Wellz, Blakhart, Jee4ce, Great Ezcape, Scotland Yard, Bigg Taj, Respeck BA. I cold go on all day really, the scene up here is the strongest I've seen it. Plus there's so many new acts coming out all the time, it's hard to keep up."

Skinny: In general, what do you think of Scottish hip hop at the moment?

Boomstick: "Like I said before, there are a lot of talented acts in the scene. I think it's about time the rest of Britain took notice. People often talk about UK hip hop but only listen to English artists. Ireland and Wales also have a lot of top quality artists. To be fair though now, I think people are starting to appreciate regional accents more. If you hear someone with a broad accent on a track you often consider it more original and feel drawn to it more 'cos it's unusual. Whereas when I was starting out, if you didn't have a cockney accent you were considered shit. Now people are more open minded towards it because they want something new. It won't be long before people are checking for Scottish artists, the way they do for Klashnekoff, and Foreign Beggars."

Skinny: What next for Project Mayhem?

Boomstick: "Well, we've got the album next, also the label are in the process of arranging more shows overseas for us. Other than that, there are a few side projects we are involved in separately, some various solo work, live performances, interviews, collabs, photo shoots, promotion, generally just getting stuck in this year. Trying to make the most of it musically. Just keeping busy mainly, and trying to build a solid name for the group."

Skinny: Any shout outs?

Boomstick: "Yeah, firstt thanks to you, and Bring Da Ruckus for having me, Eastborn, Versatile, Redragon, Spee 69, Tank, Zeeny, Bright Sparks, Scotland Yard, if I've forgot anyone, sorry, I've got a shit memory. Peace"