Vagrant Real Estate - Neither Collar Nor Crown (Album)

Vagrant Real Estate is a music producer and DJ from Aberdeen, backed by the likes of Ministry of Sound, DJ Mag, i-D Magazine, Complex, Hypebeast and the BBC. He has been independently releasing music with a range of artists both locally and internationally, from UK rap heavyweights Leaf Dog and Manga Saint Hilare to rising stars including namesbliss, Ledbyher and BexBlu.

A co-founder of Aberdeen’s top hip-hop platform HOURS and alt-rap supergroup It’s Leftfield, Vagrant’s work has racked up millions of streams across all platforms, been played by the likes of BBC Radio 1, 6 and 1Xtra.

His tireless work ethic and consistent quality has landed him accolades such as BBC Radio Scotland’s Top 25 Artists To Watch, Runner Up for Best Hip-Hop at the 2024 Scottish Alternative Music Awards, and Artist of the Week in national newspaper The Scotsman. His production work has also seen him collaborate with a number of high profile brands, including Red Bull, KFC, Toddla T's Steeze Factory and DaMetalMessiah.

Upon the release of his next project, we felt it important to catch up with guy and pick his brains! So let’s meet the man…

How long have you been making music and how did it come about?

I've been releasing music since 2017 when I put out my first instrumental beat tape - I first started working in hip-hop when I got really into sampling and the art of it, looking into records that can been used and seeing how they had been reworked and recontextualised for rap. I bought joblot records off ebay and would mess around making my own, and went from there.

What artists and producers were influential in your formative years and who are you currently feeling?

My influences starting out were definitely the chipmunk soul style producers - Kanye, Just Blaze, and then of course J Dilla and Madlib. From there I then got more into the sample heavy work of artists like Avalanches, DJ Shadow, Fat Boy Slim and Daft Punk - bringing two or three or more different samples together and finding a way to have them all fit together.

At the moment I'm really into the Dave album, I think it's the best body of work he's put out - the lyricism is top tier, and I love the James Blake influence through it. Through the writing of this album I've also been delving more into artists closer to home, and I've got James Martyn and Martyn Bennett on repeat.

So… the new project, ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ - How’d it come about? 

It initially started as a sampling exercise - Scotland has been active in hip-hop since the 90s, but I hadn't really heard much from the production stand point that looked back at the long history of music from the country. Once I started going through traditional and gaelic music for inspiration it quickly became clear a full project could be possible, and then I thought that bringing together a roster of all Scottish musicians across genres could be a cool concept that hadn't really been done before.

25 featured artists seems like monumental task to choreograph. How long did the project take from creation of the first beat to getting masters back?

I definitely underestimated the effort that would be involved, hahah! From the first beat I made to the last vocals being in, the process was around two and a half years - some of that was due to changes I was making where songs would be cut or redeveloped as I felt they weren't strong enough, and some of the time was just aligning with different artists' schedules. I felt quite lucky in that I didn't have a set deadline in mind, so was able to give the project the time it needed to get everything in line - I wanted it to be right rather than rush it out and wish I'd had x person in or that y beat could have been better.

The album itself is not your typical rap album. It’s very unique and has a very natural flow and story to it. How did you create that sound?

For this album I wanted it to have a live feel, drawing on the rich history of live music in Scotland, with the folk influences and a focus on live instrumentation. I worked with a number of musicians to record live instruments in, and also wanted to have more hooks and vocalists involved so that it wasn't strictly rap bars all the way through. Spoken word and poetry is also a huge part of the country's heritage, so wanted to blend that and show the through line with hip-hop lyricism. 

The vocal samples and skits really pull the project together and switch it up with bits of humour. Were these post production or tricks you’ve had up your sleeve that’ve finally found their homes?

The vocal samples are always a favourite part of mine - it's like a little nod you can put in and almost have a voice with as the producer. I found them just through trawling videos and films as part of the research phase of the project - something would catch my ear and I'd be sure to save it, and then they kind of naturally found places where they lined up with something mentioned in a song's lyrics or themes.

As we’re approaching the end of 2025, what’s been you highlights so far?

2025 is the first year I've had a proper festival run through the summer - performing as DJ for namesbliss and Kryptik, I got to play the likes of Boomtown and Outlook, travelling to Croatia, the Czech Republic and Ireland, all places I'd never been before. To be able to have done that from music that I started off in my bedroom is a dream, and they were all unforgettable experiences.

What’s next on the horizon?

I've got another project (just with one MC this time around!) that should be coming out first quarter of 2026 - that's another one that's been taking shape in the background, and I'm hyped for it to drop. 

One piece of advice you’d give any up-n-coming producers?

Put the work out! You can endlessly edit, tinker and tweak mixes and instrumentals and get in your own way - at a certain point you need to be able to walk away from a piece, and if building an audience is the goal, you don't want your hard work to just sit on a hard drive forever.

Where’s the best place to keep up to date with your journey?

My website vagrantrealestate.com has all the latest news updates, show info and back catalogue - you can also find me on instagram at @vagrantproducer.

Any shout outs?

Just a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the album - those who were first in and had patience with me as the rest of the project came together, those who made space in their intense schedules to record for me, and Lewis who did the mastering for putting up with my constant requests, changes and adding of parts, hahah!

Neither Collar Nor Crown is available on all major platforms but the best way to show support is direct purchase via Bandcamp where you can buy the digital album, or splash out and pre-order the super smooth green marble vinyl!