Bashy: Bish Bash Bosh > <

Wed, Jun 3 2009

Bashy: Bish Bash Bosh

Bashy is one of the UK's latest bad boys - in the urban music scene, anyway. Despite only just releasing his debut album this week, he's been creating something of a stir in the underground for a while, and could soon be hitting it big in the overground too.

His debut recording, 'Catch Me If You Can', is Bashy's first official album release, but he's been turning heads in the grime scene for years. And it was in 2007 that the MC-whizz really made people take notice - when he dropped that inspirational track 'Black Boys'; a lyrically conscious track about the promotion of positive black role models.

The track made people take notice across the board too, with rumours that Ofcom had banned the pro-black grime track for being racist - a rumour, we should add, that was never confirmed. It did, however, spawn a whole movement of pro-black tracks, with a host of UK talent appearing on a 'Black Boys' series. TY, Swiss, Skepta, Ghetto and Skinnyman are just some of the artists who lent their vocals to Bashy's social stance.

This notoriety - whichever way you wish to look at it - really propelled Bashy into the star-studded status he's got now. And it was this recognition that led to an exciting offer from Noel Clarke - writer, director and lead actor of the box office smashes KidultHood and AdultHood.

Clarke asked Bashy to become the music supervisor across the whole Adulthood project. His track, 'Kidulthood to Adulthood', became the lead single off the project. And Bashy became a leading light in the mainstream grime scene.

Now, having been up and down the country playing to loyal fans and new audiences, Bashy is set to to go with 'Catch Me If You Can', from which fans will have already heard the lead single, 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?', plus pre-album taster, 'Ransom' which features Scorcher and Wretch 32, in an epic video that will keep you hooked throughout.

Rivmixx gave Bashy a call last week to chat about the 'Ransom' follow up; his life after bus driving; and being a former Brit school student...

Caragh: I've just had a listen to the album. It's just slightly more commercial than we think people will be expecting...

Bashy: "You think it's commercial?! Serious? I don't even think that when I listen to it, I dunno!?"

C: There's quite an eclectic mix on there though, and there's a few dancey beats...

B: "But do know what, have you listened to my other stuff? Chupa Chups mixtape - eclectic mix right? Bashy.com - eclectic mix right?"

C: 'Catch Me If You Can' seems more dance orientated?

B: "No! Ok, there's 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?', that's obviously dance orientated, what's your other dance picks?"

C: Well, there's 'Copycat', that's a little bit dancey. And 'She's A Gangster'.

B: "So cool, three tracks might be dance, but there's 17 on there."

C: On 'Before Before' you're describing your musical influences and your life before your music took off - how much has your life changed since quitting your bus driving job?

B: "Well, you know - I get recognised even outside the country. Not even here, like when I went to Nigeria. It's nuts, I mean its unreal! But I suppose I'm not even as busy as I was when I was driving the bus and doing the music."

C: Looking at Bashy.com and your blog, itsbashy, you just seem to be using the internet well. Is that intentional?

B: "I love the Internet coz it cuts out the bullshit. It's not like the label telling you what to do, or throwing tens of thousands of pounds into someone's promotions. If you think "I wanna go see Bashy today", you hit Itsbashy and it's all there. And I've always got something new to say on my blog, it's always fresh and it's really me."

C: We were expecting a 'Ransom (Part 2)' on the album, but it's missing - so is 'Day Before I Die' the follow up?

B: "Nah, it's not the follow up, 'Ransom' has a journey that will supersede what people think it's going to be. I'm not sure when it's coming, it'll be when it needs to be."

C: The album features N-Dubs, Wretch 32, Scorcher, Jamelia, H-Boogie - some big names. How did they come about?

B: "I just went to artists I wanted to work with and naturally it happened. I thought of people's voices as I was writing the track - I could hear a few certain people sitting on it. So with Zalon on 'Sorry' I just though "Yo! Zalon will sit hard on that!" And I just worked with people that I thought were really talented."

C: So 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' is the first single off the album. The video is quite catchy too - busy, colourful, fast-moving. Did you have much to do with the artistic process?

B: "I'm involved in all I do. It's fun init, it's like an extension, a hobby. I get to put my ideas in there and take their input and create an end product. Each time I come it's been different. 'Black Boys' - different. 'Kidulthood to Adulthood', different. 'Ransom', different to the previous. And now 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' I'm doing my thing and creating my own sort of energy."

C: Do you feel your time at performing arts school has given you an advantage over other artists, or do you feel you've had to compensate for that in the grime arena?

B: "What I talk about is real, [so yeah] I would talk about the BRIT school in my bars. I think everything has helped me in my life. I'd rather be real than have some formulated track."

C: You've had clashes with Wiley and Ghetto, do you think clashing is as important in grime as it is in hip-hop? (Watch Bashy and Wiley talking about their clash here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdTl2zOrqPI)

B: "We're all cool. We all support each other and the scene's moving in a positive direction."

C: But as an art-form, battling is a huge part of hip-hop, is it as important in grime?

B: "I think that grime/MCing has a competitive nature, which naturally can lean towards battling. I think it's healthy sometimes. If there was gonna be a negative outcome then it's long init. I'd rather just concentrate on being positive and making music that's gonna change the face of the Earth."

C: So, there's Bashy music, fashion and acting now. Your clothing line, Bish Bash Bosh is about to launch and you've just completed two plays?

B: "Yup. I'm going on a national tour of one of them [the plays] in October. That's Marcus The Sadist. I can't wait for that still. It's gonna be a good look man."

Written by: Caragh Logan