PREMIERE: AKS - Interview & Up & Up (Heavens Above) (Single Release)

It’s been a long 4-year stint since South London Hip-Hop artist, AKS, released his sophomore EP Train of Thought, seeing the likes of BBC 1Xtra, Earmilk, HipHopDX, DJ Booth and the MOBO Awards among the tastemakers who added their plaudits for the seminal record. The offering went on to earn the rapper two nominations at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards (Best Record, Best Urban Act) as well as giving him viral moments with his Chas Appeti directed visual efforts for singles ‘Stay with Me’ featuring Sincerely Wilson, and title track ‘Train of Thought’, both being picked up by UNILAD.

Now with the close of 2020 fast approaching and against the backdrop of the current world climate the “three-letter man” returns with his new soul infused single ‘Up & Up (Heavens Above)’, an aspirational offering appealing to each of our underlying ambitions.

The first single taken from his forthcoming project ‘As Plane As Day: Departures & Arrivals’, which concludes the wordsmith’s three-part ‘Modes of Transport’ series, the record sees the rapper award himself production credits under the veiled moniker #3Letters.

We sat down with AKS to talk hip hop with him.

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

I’ve been making music since I was a little boy to be honest. My father used to be a budding musician, so if it wasn’t him keeping us up all hours as he was practicing playing scales on his Sax, or encouraging us to tinker on the Piano we had in the living room of our flat; it was the vinyl he’d fling on just to chill to. I remember him sitting me and my younger siblings down to learn the theory of music what seemed like all the time; LOL! I always fronted like I hated it, but I’d sit at that piano and work out my own songs to play and sing; the reality is those were the beginnings of my love for music itself. Fast forward to my teenage years and I discovered Hip-Hop (Nas) & what was early Grime (So Solid etc) and I’m like I want to do that! The rest is history, as they say.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

There are so many artists that inspire me across many genres and scales of success. Che Lingo just dropped a brilliant debut album in The Worst Generation, and having been a bystander watching his growth to see him begin to get wider acclaim is crazily inspiring to see and definitely feeds into my will to keep delivering.

In terms of dream collaborations though, I gotta say that both Common and Kano have had the biggest impacts on me as an artist! Something about what they and their levels of lyricism just resonate with me. If I could get a beat from the Kanye of old, and hop on a track with those two; I’d envision we’d create magic!.

3. Tell me about your creative process when you make music, do you have a particular routine or do you just write/create when the feeling takes you?

My process isn’t that methodical to be honest, albeit that I’m finding that I can actually turn it on when I need to. I only really tend to do that if I’m collaborating. I generally have quite firm ideas of topics and emotions I want to explore and write about. That may have come out of a conversation or just feeling something in my usual day to day. I’ll have that as a loose theme…and then I just allow myself to live in that emotion for a while, and channel it to make a beat, or let it outpour on something that I feel fits the mood. I’m quite an emotive rapper so it’s all about conveying that emotion as authentically as I can.

4. How would you describe your sound?

Emotion driven and soul infused Hip-Hop. Bordering on Neo-Soul. They used to call us backpack rappers, then it was boom-bap or alternative Hip-Hop. The terms keep on changing to be honest…So I’ll just keep baring my soul, the listeners will get it.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

I’ve had few moments which stand out to me. Stepping out on stage at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards at Troxy to play a song I wrote trying to convince audiences and predominantly my girlfriend (now wife) to “Stay with Me “, felt like a poignant moment and the culmination of so much.

Beyond that though, when we sold out the Bus Stop EP headline show only to have Young Guru pass through. I spent a good part of my younger years idolising Roc-a-fella and wanting to build something that resembled that model of success within the music industry. Having someone who was part of the fabric of that outfit, step in the building, shake my hand and lend his support so early on helped me feel like anything was possible.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

I’d say not to be afraid of being authentically you. So many people try to fit into moulds of what they think will be popular; and some even have success with it. But being able to wake up every day and give the world who you authentically are, is a different kind of freedom. The best looks I’ve ever gotten all happened when I stopped second guessing myself, threw caution to the wind and stepped with authenticity.

7. Are there any artists on your radar at the moment that we should check out?

My favourite artist at the moment is Samm Henshaw. He doesn’t seem to miss, ever.

I’m a massive fan of an artist called Iyamah, who’s just dropped a new EP, Truth 2. She’s a great example of British Soul and I expect big things to come from her as time goes by.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

I already spoke about Che Lingo’s new album. Peeps should definitely make a point of going to check that out.

I’ve got a playlist called “On My Travels” of all the songs I’m currently feeling. It’s pretty much all the neighbouring artists who’ve been sources of inspiration during the last couple of months. Check that out if you’re looking to discover some new talent.

Beyond that though I’m shaking a leg to Burna Boy, daily!

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

I’m a tech geek, so if I’m not making music you’ll probably find me tinkering with code or some new home automation device. I think my wife is kill me if I keep buying stuff for the house that we “don’t need!”…but I’m like “It makes our lives easier! See u just press a button on your phone! Lol!”

10. Name Three things you can't live without when you’re in the studio?

· A Hard Drive
· A Backup Hard Drive
· My Phone (signs of a social media addict)

Words - Ed Lindsay