Wordsmith

Certified Banger: Yo Wordsmith! What’ve you been up to for the last couple of years?

Wordsmith: To be honest, just working hard on my grind, trying to make ends meet and get some music out there. CB: So your album is going to be out soon, tell us some more about that – a lot of people are anticipating it. What can we expect? W: The official release date is March 2nd. It's been a long time in the making but on the whole its 18 of my favorite tracks. All in all it’s a solid piece of work and big steps have been made since my earlier releases. S**t’s Banging. Buy It!

CB: Do you have any guests on there? Who has done the production?

W: Expect a few notable appearances from the likes of Genesis Elijah, Supar Novar, Dubbledge and Skribblah, plus a look at F.L.I.P family member Big Ben. Production is heavy from Show n Prove, Apa-Tight, Chemo and Caruana and my tour DJ Race provides all the cuts. Coalition Business indeed!

CB: Which tracks should we look out for particularly? Which are your favourite?

W: Apart from the party joint ‘Slip and Slide’ and the 12" track 'They Don't Seem To Care', my personal favorite is ‘The Bad Guy’, produced by Show n Prove. It addresses some of the issues I have had to deal with and the attitudes towards me. It's a no holds barred track, love me or hate me, I'm here to stay… so f***k you. Also take a look at ‘The Coalition’ just for sheer weight of numbers and talent.

CB: Is it coming out on Son or have you moved label? Can you discuss that?

W: Son records feels like a long time ago, are they even still releasing s**t? Apart from my past catalogue that is?! Nah for real... I severed ties with them and now I'm with up and coming label Def Ethics. They used run Hip Hop down in Brighton and featured some heavy US artists like Tim Dog and KRS. They took me and Genesis on tour and after that I signed a deal for this album. So there you have it, trust me they have big plans for the future!

CB: You’ve achieved something near to legendary status in the UK without having flooded the market with product. With fewer releases than a lot of artists, how do you think you have managed that?

W: You know what... I've had a few high profile collabs and affiliations that helped project me into the spotlight. My music was always aimed at the underground and apart from ‘The Roadman Showcase’ I featured on loadsa different mixtapes. It ain't an ego ting but I always felt I came with something different to all the other heads on the scene. I'm glad people appreciated that, I've always been my own man, I spit the shit I'd wanna listen to.

CB: Do you know about the Wordsmith from the US? He’s just signed a distribution deal with Dented to release material in the UK. Is the fact that you share a name going to be a problem? What’s going to happen there?

W: No comment. But A.P's name might crop up in a lyric or two. The irony is at one point Dented were gonna be handling my distribution - now that would've been confusing.

CB: On the lead track of your 12” EP ‘They Don’t Seem To Care’ you talk about certain social issues that really need tackling nationwide. How can we, as a country, continue to tackle the issue of lost childhood and all that goes with it?

W: More needs to be done for sure. I work with kids and see how detached and despondent they can get when there are troubles at home or in school. Music and sport are great tools to help motivate and focus young minds. I'm just trying to connect with the youth by sharing my own life experiences. I feel like I've been down a lot of the same roads and made it out the other side, while a lot of my friends haven't. I don't believe any child is inherently bad they just need pointing in the right direction. Violence and weapons are a whole separate story. The government needs to stand up and deal with it before it gets outta control. We as public entertainers have an opportunity and responsibility to discuss these problems! ‘Never Would've Thought’ off the first EP is F.L.I.P’s message about the negativity of violence and gun crime.

CB: You obviously aren’t afraid to tackle a range of issues. What should the balance be in Hip Hop – all party? All serious? How do you feel as an artist who does both side by side?

W: I like diversity, in my opinion you can like De La Soul and Necro. There's a time in life for fun and a time to take note. I wanna do songs that encompass both. Hip Hop gives me the chance to relay a whole lot of information in just one verse, so on an 18 track album this was my chance to cover all the angles. I'm never gonna be a one dimensional rapper.

CB: You never seem to resort to half-arsed rhymes. How long does it take you to write and perfect a track? Are you a perfectionist?

W: Definitely a perfectionist, some of the tunes were written on the spot in the studio whereas others can take time. I'm kinda erratic, but when I'm in a zone a sick 16 bars can take a few minutes. If it aint right then I'm the first to notice, I take it away and work at it until I'm happy.

CB: I’ve heard you’ve got another album’s worth of material ready to go. Can you give us any more details on that?

W: A collection of rare and unreleased tunes will be dropping shortly after the album called 'The Roadman Chronicles’. It's a bit more raw than the album. The bars are fire. Production from all the usual suspects with a couple a gems on there, trust me.

CB: What are you going to be up to once the album is released? A tour? Singles? Featuring on other tracks?

W: All of the above in abundance. Keep your eyes on my blogspot for more tour dates and releases.

CB: Finish us off with some wisdom you’d like to impart to a people group of your choice. Also add in any big ups and plugs!

W: I called the album ‘In Pursuit of Harmony’ because its all about balance. For any up and coming artists: work hard, don't take no for an answer, hone your skills as practice makes perfect. Be yourself and follow your own path. Focus on the originality you have within yourself... Big ups go to all the contributors to the album and Def Ethics for putting it all together. Also my little boy Kaylen for keeping me focused.

‘IN PURSUIT OF HARMONY’ - GO BUY DAT!

Joker Starr

Certified Banger: Can you tell us your necessary background details so we can build on basics for the rest of the interview? For example: who you are, projects you have worked on, people you have worked with.

Joker Starr: My name is Joker Starr Supercilious, the baddest emcee you might not know too well. I have a colourful CV of people I have worked with so let’s start at the beginning: I will give the main names because I have worked with a lot of people - Soliheen and James Yarde are my producers and mentors, DJ Dynamite of Dynamite Deluxe in Germany, Seanie T on the Dark Horizon mixtapes, DJ Blufoot's ‘Ablution’ album, Keith Lawrence's ‘Coming True’ EP, production credit on Ty's ‘Upwards’ album, collaborations with Fallacy, Genesis Elijah, Terri Walker, Estelle, Sway, Micall Parknsun, Jehst bla bla bla the list can go on and on and on - Google it!

CB: What are your current or upcoming projects? ie albums, singles, tours, guest spots…

JS: Next thing coming up from myself is the ‘Northborough Estate Project’ which is a mixture of freestyles and original music featuring mainly artists and producers from Slough, and a few people that have given me help over the years like Genesis Elijah, Beat Butcha, Micall Parknsun and all the people that taught me my craft. It will be a nice follow up to the last mixtape I released a while back. The aim is to release it on my own label Flukebeat in 2009 ahead of my debut album which will follow later on in the year. I am also involved in a few YNR project being released 2009 as well so it’s looking like a promising year and aint nothing even happened yet.

CB: How would you describe your sound? Is there any one track that would best define your style?

JS: I asked my boy Ice what his opinion was as I was answering these questions and he said "Hmmmmmmmm. It's the s**t, got everything that you need. The truth and all ting”. Micall Parknsun said "I would say it's a combination of ill humour and character which no one else has. Too many man being clones with they lyrical". Keith Lawrence said "Joker Starr came to my attention when he put out his debut single 'Raw Spittage' a couple of years back. I felt his crazy anarchic flow and said to myself I'm gonna work with him". My opinion is my sound is lyrical, my sound is energy, my sound is soulful and my sound is hip hop. The tune that sums that all up is 'Raw Spittage' because there was nothing like it when I came out and has not been replicated since because people can’t do it. The baddest. Period.

CB: Who have been your biggest musical influences and which Hip Hop artists have inspired you? Which are your favourite albums? What music were you brought up on?

JS: Biggest influence have to be my mother, friends, the streets, being poor, being hood rich, learning music, knock backs, little sucesses. In hip hop my influences had to be people in my circle like Scankman, Dark Angel, Dre Milla, G-Man, Soliheen. I aspired to be in the posistions Blak Twang, Mystro and Roots Manuva so in that respect they pushed me to get my game tight indirectly. Seeing how well Sway is doing is making me say i can reach his heights but with my own sound.

My favourite album has to be Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele, near perfection.

I listened to loads of music as a kid. It varied from what MTV was showing in the 80's because it was a rock and dance channel and Yo MTV Raps was on 1 time a week so I used to get the video out and record it when it came on so I could see the rap music videos over and over again. Also the parties my parents used to take me to had a lot of soca and african music so my upbringing was quite varied.

CB: What is your earliest memory of anything Hip Hop related? First rap track heard? First time you rapped?

JS: Mums bought me a radio Christmas '89 and Max LX & Davey J changed my life on Kiss Fm, that’s my earliest memory. As for the first tune I heard I was probably listening hip hop before I even knew what it was, I got tapes upon tapes but I am gonna say it was probably a tune by Caveman UK ledge. First time rapping was learning ‘Dre Day’ lyrics with my boy and we used to record ourselves rhyming the tune like it was ours. I still got the tapes at home in a safe place.

CB: Where are you from? Can you tell us a bit more about the Hip Hop scene there?

JS: Slough Town, outside of West London. It’s a shame because its a place full of talent but there is also a lack of drive and determination to be successful. So you have a lot of rappers and producers but they all in their bedrooms. Joker is their hero.

CB: What about the Hip Hop scene in general, UK or worldwide – where do you think it's headed? Are things good/bad? What are your current philosophical thoughts on the current trends in rap music?

JS: Hip Hop is where it is always been. The trend is the same, what people doing is the same, the only difference is that you have a lot more people who can’t produce or rap becoming the sound that is being recognised as the main music makers when they are not musicians. Music is more accessible now and easier to make. The channels to get your music heard are also more vast, inclusion of the internet also means that where quality control was handed to the DJs to take care of and the street, a tune can become hot because it just get nuff hits on Youtube and that. Over saturation of rubbish music is the problem not hip hop itself. Tradition routes of success becoming less relevant is the problem not hip hop, hip hop is fine it’s just the people in it.

CB: What process do you go through when writing a track? Do you start with a beat, a concept, a lyric that you thought of in the shower? What happens next?

JS: The process is to have no process, no limits to what can be attained and how it can be achieved. I do whatever i have to do to complete the song. Which ever method feels appropriate for the circumstance. I aint really a fussy guy when it comes to writing lyrics.

CB: Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years, 10 years time? Is it an achievable goal?

JS: Running my label, putting other artists on. I may have a family of my own them times so teaching all off them to be the baddest emcee's in the world but obviously they wont be as good as me will they. Still making them bangers and mash records for you and your blogger friends to write about.

CB: What do you say in reply to this recent comment: "UK Hip Hop is wack. It's just corny people on the scene... In my opinion it's just rubbish. People are just lost and confused following fashion and trends".

JS: Whoever said it is right in some ways but I will tell them this. I will eat your up for breakfast, a lot of rappers over here are good lyricists but I suppose lack the X factor that make a good rapper a great emcee. But I would eat most if not everyone for dinner coz I’m HUNGRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!

CB: What do you think about Obama's election and Dizzee's appearance on news night?

JS: Dizzee. For f**ks sake. SHUT UP. They should have asked someone who can talk properly. Media did that on purpose; wanna show black young males as bumbling ignorant idiots. Think your smart don’t ya!

CB: Any last words?

JS: Check out www.suspect-packages.com for my records, my myspace www.myspace.com/jokerstarr. Go download my mixtape for free @ http://www.flukebeat.co.uk/ and check out some of the people on my ‘Northborough Estate Project’:
www.myspace.com/dicec1
www.myspace.com/dansolo303
www.myspace.com/theopn
www.myspace.com/dexterrortry
www.myspace.com/soliheen