Mezmah, a rapper and musician from the United Kingdom, creates music that reflects a fusion of styles. His upbringing in both the United Kingdom and Africa has created a distinctive style that reflects his multifaceted musical upbringing. In 2017, he started writing and recording his stuff, and now it has been featured on major Hip Hop websites like The Word Is Bond and UK Hip Hop Talk and on major New York blogs like OnTheSceneNY and Canadian blogger Eric Alper and on major London radio stations like Soho Radio. Since then, the UK rappers’s career has gone from strength to strength, culminating in the signing of a management contract in 2020. As time passes, the UK rapper’s name will become more ubiquitous within the thriving UK rap scene.
In his reflective tune “Like The Letter A,” British rapper Mezmah pours out on wax his thoughts on the world and how he manages to stay true to himself despite the chaos. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
MEZMAH: I come from the UK, from a town just outside of London but London’s also where I’ve been in part over the years. You can even throw Kenya into the mix, my country of birth and where I consider the place I hold the fondest memories from.
My journey in music all got started out of boredom honestly. I’d love to sit here and tell you some crazy, exciting story but that’s just it ultimately. I used to come home from college on days where there wasn’t much going on and mess around recording myself on free software and some skype headphones over my favourite rappers instrumentals. Of course I sounded terrible (no you cannot check out my myspace page fyi) but as I kept doing it as well as having stories to tell myself, this all just made it so it came at a perfect time to gel that together. Shout out Audacity too, I dont think enough people pay homage. Alot of peoples first free recording software
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
MEZMAH: All self taught, through trials and tribulations. I feel rappers don’t get formal training, all that really lies in finding your own voice and sound through experimenting, which was the case with myself, and even then you’re still trying to find new creative ways to sound different. I will say though, my Mother used to drive me around playing old school R’n’B music on a cassette player when I was young and I feel that exposure at such an early age definitely helped shape my understanding of how good music should sound and resonate with people
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘MEZMAH’?
MEZMAH: I’m heavily influenced by US hip hop, but at the same time coming from the UK, with a scene thats thriving more than it’s ever been, I’m influenced by that too and the artists from both genres and regions. You hear it across my songs. That being said, Notorious B.I.G, for sure, my number one influence. He’s the one that made me love rap in the first place and as a kid I would stand in front of the mirror lip-synching to his songs. After that, I’d say Big L, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake make up the remainder of my main influences to date, both stylistically and subject wise. I know this isn’t a musical one, but Banksy is one of my biggest overall influences just in terms of art and creativity. You see that in the way I carry myself
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
MEZMAH: I’d say relatability first, introspective and nostalgic. Alot of my songs, whilst I’ll be telling you my story, I also like to tell stories from the lens of other people. Say for example, I have a song called Smoke + Mirrors, about domestic violence my neighbour used to go through a few years back, which I’m sure speaks to many people all over going through it. My sound’s a combination of melodic, conscious and cross continental hip hop, taking the best of those three and meshing them to create what you hear on my songs
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as HIPHOP?
MEZMAH:
Most definitely. I know I started emulating the artists I mentioned above in terms of style, whilst trying to incorporate my own voice and accent into it. Since then and over the years, I then learnt about how to structure a song, matching your lyrics and vocals to the vibe of the beat, be it an emotive or uptempo one, and then slowly get to a place where I have my own style. I also learnt how about incorporating different flows, melodies and inflection so I match the production. There’s even been a moment where, in my quest to try be as distinct as possible to others, I used to purposely pitch up my voice and keep it that way throughout, but that sometimes doesn’t help you find your sound because you can go too extreme and it doesn’t end up sounding natural, which was the case with me. I think you know when you’ve found your style once people start attributing you to it and I see it now. It’s definitely been a journey for me.
6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
MEZMAH:
It depends on the artist really. I’m all for the different kinds of music and I think thats what makes the art so great. You feel upbeat, you got music for that. You want music to help you get over something you’re going through or to take you to back to a certain time in your life, you’ve got that too. My music personally is an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment, however I also do combine that with themes like cultural and social issues. Being that I’m in this genre, which symbolizes a social way of life depicting reality and tackles issues around the world, I definitely feel I have a responsibility in the back of my mind to cover some of that. I tend to shy away from politics and anything spiritual though because whilst that can be intertwinned with the rest, I feel it’s not for me to rap about and there’s a seperate space for that. It gets tecky.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
MEZMAH:
Yeah I feel it does. It’s a process thats far from where I want it to be still but with each step, I can look back and think to myself I’m at a place where I previously wanted to be in. That’s fufilling to me. Like I said, I’m nowhere near where I want to be but I can at least acknowledge that I’m moving in the right direction given all the things that have happened since I began, like this interview for example. I don’t expect something more, because when it’s your time it’ll be your time regardless, but I envision something more. I believe that good things do come to those that wait but only provided you’re still chasing it though, and I’m definitely continuing that
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
MEZMAH:
To be honest, its a combination of those processes. Either I listen to a beat then write to it based on how the instrumental sounds or I have lyrics already written that I then look to match a beat to. It really depends.
The Ideas come from different places, like say when I’ve just gone through them or seen someone else go through and feel like talking about it, or even remembering something that happened before. That’s really how it goes.
9. What would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
MEZMAH: Career wise, being featured in prominent music blogs not just in the UK but across the world like the States has been a proud achievement so far. It’s another sign for me that I’ve moving in the right direction. There’s been a few others like being played on the radio last month, being approached by a PR company last year, all significant points in where I’m looking to go. I thank all those people who liked my music to do that
10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
MEZMAH: Absolutely, it’s always crucial for fans to understand the real story and message behind the songs, that’s what draws them in. It’s why I say relatability and introspection are amongst the key elements in my music. You’ve got to believe that’s what I’ve been through cause only then can you really relate and connect to it. That being said, of course everyone is also free to interpret my songs in their own personal way because we all have different perspectives and something I say might be viewed in a different light. That’s something I can respect. I think my whole image as an artist being anonymous too makes it so it does leave the room open for interpretation.
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