UK Rhymer Of The Month: G FrSH

[NelsonG]

By Joseph "JP" Patterson

G FrSH… G FrSH… Well, his name pretty much says it all. The self-proclaimed “flashy African” is a British-bred rapper of Nigerian heritage, one who is far from humble when it comes to talking about his mula. The Tinie Tempah-collaborator rocks his jewels (fit for Gucci Mane) and imported high fashion garments with pride – and he lets you know it, too. But his aim is simple: motivate the hustler, regardless of how they get it in. G FrSH’s flow is laid-back, which works well with his gruff voice, and his wordplay is laudable. Listen and learn…

I am… G-FrSH, and I represent that big willy fly s--t! [Laughs] Nah, I’m a rapper from south London, reppin’ FrSH Entertainment and Disturbing London but, most of all, just good music. I grew up listening to a wide variety of artists, from Bros to Wu-Tang Clan to So Solid, but I never really had an interest in music until relatively later on in life. I enjoyed listening to music purely from a consumer perspective and I liked it mainly for the way songs made me feel without over-analyzing them. Looking back, and from the perspective of a musician, I probably liked people like DMX for his rawness and passionate delivery, Jay-Z for his articulated cool, and Tracey Chapman because she's just incredible and has written some of the most beautiful songs ever.

My music is… Is very much a street sound, but with an artistic consciousness. I’d sometimes describe myself as a ‘flashy Affy’ (flashy African), as a lot of people would describe my music as ‘blingy,' but my music has a variety of facets once you delve in. My music represents mine and most people’s personalities, in the sense that there are a lot of sides to us as human beings and I bring out all those sides and feelings in my music – from being seemingly obsessed with material things to understanding their insignificance. Obviously, first and foremost, I hope they enjoy it and have fun whilst listening. I hope that my music inspires and motivates people to do more and want more for themselves.

I’m currently listening to… Nearly everyone I’m rating from the UK music scene is on my mixtape. As far as music as a whole, I admire anyone putting in the necessary work in. My favorite track at the moment is “Love Me” by Lil Wayne, Future and Drake. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Afrobeat music, because I’ve just came back from Nigeria and it’s really big over there. I’m rotating Skepta, Yungen, Blade Brown and Fekky’s mixtapes right now. Album-wise, it’d probably be Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city.

My competition is… Everyone! [Laughs] I mean, if I didn’t think like that, then I should be doing something else. I respect and admire everybody for the things they do really well, but this is the wrong business to be scared of anyone. The whole thing is based on competition. Once you’ve lost in your head, then you’ve lost everything. And it really is that simple.

UK rap is… Is in a healthy position. There are plenty of artists, and a lot of new music, which I think is important. I think if I could change anything, it would be to reduce the amount that comes out – possibly by having a harsher and more shrewd A&Ring aspect to what individuals are doing in the game. I’d step up the product and presentation of everything, because I think that’s really important. For me, I always present things the way I’d like the end user to value it.

My favorite release so far has been… It's really hard picking favorite tracks as an artist because, without sounding cliché, they are our babies. My favorite tracks are usually whatever the most recent song is.

My new CD is… Is called LegoMan II, which is the sequel to LegoMan I. The thought process behind the mixtape was for me to continue where I left off with LegoMan I, and where Purgatory deviated from slightly. I wanted to continue on that path but with a more clubby, up-tempo element, and specifically aim it at a wider audience. Less of the trap talk and more of the identifiable stuff! I just wanted as many people to enjoy it as possible.

My plan for the future is… To drop more singles, with aim of dropping a new album next year. I want to push things forward and gradually take the steps I need to get to where I want to be. Onwards and upwards, as they say.

RapFix's 'UK Rhymer Of The Month' is a column by UK-based music journalist, Joseph 'JP' Patterson, designed to give us a closer look at hip-hop across the pond. Stay tuned.

[url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2013/05/03/uk-rhymer-of-the-month-g-frsh/]View the full article[/url]