Interview Time: Lowkey
Lowkey Where does the name Lowkey come from?
I’m called Lowkey because it describes me, I am low key. Loki was also the Norse god of mischief. I had to battle someone called Loki for the right to use the name at open mics.
Do you think were you have grown up has influenced your understanding of street life?
It’s not just the area, it’s also the people I've come into contact with and whose lives I’ve seen including my own experiences. Personally, until I reached my teens I was quite sheltered but then I lost my innocence quickly because of things that happened to me and certain things I saw. The state of our streets is not something that you can understand.
“Key to the game” vol 1 was produced in a month. Were some of the tunes pre-written? It’s an impressive turnaround time, is this the way you like to work?
I wrote all of the tracks quickly. I find I write my best verses when they come naturally, I wrote the verse to the Mad World Remix on my way to college in about 10 minutes.
Are there any books you have read which have inspired or influenced you?
I don’t read as much as I should but I couldn’t put down Malcolm X’s biography. That changed my whole way of thinking.
Do you have a personal insight into the affects of crack cocaine?
I am not able to give a personal insight into crack cocaine as I have not taken it and I never will. People on crack are shiesty motherfuckers who will rob their own mothers. The only thing I can say is that I did have a friend who became a crack head, I saw him deteriorate and eventually die.
Lowkeys thoughts on the future...
I think the future will bring more war and destruction, however I think people are slowly becoming more open minded. UK Hiphop is a perfect example of a musical art form that many people misconceive as just black kids with guns swearing and pretending they’re gangsters. As a rapper people automatically try and stereotype you as the same as what they see in the mainstream. The people who have those misconceptions are slowly becoming a minority as the future is far from black and white.
Are there any other artists you would like to work with?
Other than artists I am already linked with such as Skinnyman, Mystro, Doc Brown, Caramac, Reveal, Spellz, DJ Snips, Wordsmith, Antiheroes, Insight, Nutty P, Sivey, Fusion… I’d like to work with Big Pun and Big L (in heaven) Ali Vegas, Saigon, Cormega, Kool G Rap, Louis Logic, Immortal Technique and from the UK some youngsters who are on the come up.
Any message for Westwood?
Please support and play my tunes and other UK Hiphop tunes. To be honest I wouldn’t know whether you really were supporting UK Hiphop as the last time I tuned into your show all I heard was Lil Jon who personally I can’t understand.
The sample in the tune “been a long time” where’s it from?
The sample in the tune “been a long time” comes from a Sam Cooke tune from my mum’s record collection. I brought it to DJ Snips and he sampled it, we’ve just recorded a remix with Doc Brown and Reveal from the Poisonous Poets which is heavy.
What musical influences have shaped Lowkey...
I would say Spellz my best friend, Mystro is heavy so is Doc and so is Reveal but really Big Pun and Big L taught me how to rhyme especially the albums Capital Punishment and The Big Picture. I wasn’t actually aware of UK Hiphop until I was part of it. My parents had eclectic tastes in music which made me appreciate, even though I’m Hiphop through and through, lots of different types of music.
Your profound insight into the current political scene worldwide is staggering; would you care to expand on this?
Thank you. Politics is something that the government does not want society, especially young people, to take an interest in because as soon as we do, we start to question and this is dangerous for those in power. Especially for women who I think generally would be better politicians than men. The media is programming our females to value looks and material wealth over intelligence and this is terrible. A lot of people will refuse to hear the other side of the story. Saddam Hussein needed to be taken out and he’s needed to be taken out longer than I’ve been alive, even though our government had material motives for his removal it doesn’t they were wrong to do so. However the trickery and deception they have used to justify the war is unacceptable and in my view power should be with the people and it is not. When a country goes to war against not only its people and the United Nations wishes we have to question whether we live in a democracy or are we being hypocritical in labelling one man a tyrant when there is a far larger monster, just a different shade of skin and religion dictating proceedings telling us what is wrong and right to do. This man obviously lacks basic world knowledge. In the words of the great Immortal Technique “Capitalism and Democracy are not synonymous”.
Do you have a message for the youth?
If you want to be an MC then be aware that it is a very crowded profession and there are already many people out there, furthermore if you do want to be an MC don’t rap with a fake accent, rap the way you talk to your mum.