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UK Apache soon came across the work of a teenage Shy FX, in particular the Goodfellas-sampling "Gangsta Kid," and in 1994 they booked some time in a studio in Victoria. "Original Nuttah" was what emerged, and within months it was in the UK Top 40.Yet, as "Original Nuttah" peaked, UK Apache walked away. Why?"I felt people were trying to cheat me—I was confused and angry and I had no one to trust. It was too much pressure, so I stepped away," he says. "Major labels wanted an album, but it was a total mess—I'd fallen out with everyone. That was the start of my journey into Islam. Initially I was praying, studying, and performing 'Nuttah,' so I was doing the call to prayer at my masajid [mosque] in Tooting. During the day I was doing 'Allahu-Akbar' and at night singing 'na-ni-ni-whoa'—I lived that life for many years."UK Apache may have left the music business behind, but he's aware that "Original Nuttah" is as much of an anthem now as it was in 1994. Taking the vocal melody, he's reimagined it as "I Was a Nuttah," a conscious reggae take on the original, with lyrics reflecting his age and faith.UK Apache performing a sample of "I Was a Nuttah" for VICE"I wrote 'I Was a Nuttah' because the message of unity, peace, and Islam is bigger than me, or any of the negative 'Original Nuttah' stuff. Its message is universal. For example, it talks about respecting youth—youth clubs have closed down, the cost of studying has gone up, the government want young people to be slaves, and in debt all their lives. It's madness," he says, shaking his head.
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