Touching Bass: Rapid

Whether you’re aware or not, it’s worth admiring what Ruff Sqwad did for grime. Without their chronicles of Tower Hamlets inner city life, I’m pretty sure I would of been stuck miming Phil Collins lyrics that had been nabbed from my mum’s obsession with Smooth FM. Yes, Dizzee and Wiley are always brandished with the title of forebearer, but Guns & Roses – the seminal double mixtape from Tinchy Stryder and the mandem – formed an unforgettable crux in the Eskibeat timeline. Behind much of that production was Rapid, the producer from Poplar whose fiery and gritty creations formed the backbone for the group’s 140BPM antics. After White Label Classics filtered nostalgic memories from the early 2000s around the press, Rapid took to his own instrumental project back in 2013. Now, he’s ready to release his 2014 effort Turning Point which is typically more vocal led. Before cracking on with this week’s mix, peep some chat about Tower Hamlets, the White Label Classics cover and Afrobeats.

Noisey: Apart from the result of that Arsenal game, how are you doing man?

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Rapid: Not bad. I’m getting on, just looking forward to making music and things with my business are looking bright.

Your business?

I’m providing education about the music industry to 16-24 year olds in the surrounding boroughs. Key skills, maths, English, employability and a bit of economics. Basically we want to nurture more business people because not everyone is an MC or a DJ, but we want to work with people working behind the scenes. Things like A&R, PR and marketing. Hopefully, our music will be able to reach a commercial level in a shorter time span. It’s New Build Creative Resources.

If only someone had thought of that idea when grime was just popping up. It would have changed the game completely.

Most definitely, but it’s better late than never.

Definitely.

We’re still learning and we haven’t got it perfect but we’ve got about 25 students.

That’s a good look for people in East. I’m from Tower Hamlets myself.

Yeah?

Yeah, one time we played football together.

What, at Bartlett Park?

Yeah, the Field Of Dreams.

Yeah, LOL.

What sticks out from your times growing up in Tower Hamlets?

Hanging around on the streets and the youth clubs. Not having anything to worry about and hanging about from AM to PM, checking girls, playing beats, causing trouble. That’s both Bow and Poplar.

It was such a ripe environment for music…

Most definitely. For us, it was the radio stations and going from Bow Linc Centre on the decks to travel to the Globe in Beckton and all of those places.

For sure. But moving on to the EP, what made you want to take the music in that direction?

Followers and fans were asking me about my solo stuff and music that I made years ago. That way I knew people were still interested in what I was doing. White Label Classics did really well and people really grew to that. After that, I thought about giving people something vocally. Ruff Sqwad aren’t really together like that. We’re together but doing all our solo stuff. The sound of the EP is very Ruff Sqwad but influenced by traces of trap and Afrobeat too.

It’s important that you keep in touch with both time eras. So Dirty Danger’s also got an EP out soon, was the similar release date something you talked about?

Not at all. I didn’t have a clue that he was releasing it a similar time but we’re doing it for different labels. RS Entertainment is my label and this will be the first release from it.

Are you looking to work with other artists on the label then?

Working with different artists from a different spectrum. I’m looking to sign producers from house and Afrobeat. One of my favourite artists at the moment is making Afrobeat, he goes by the name of Wizkid. He’s banging out the right melodies.

In terms of your old school African music heritage, what kind of stuff were your parents playing?

Back then, it wasn’t even called Afrobeats. It was called Highlife with artists like Daddy Lumba. But I’m an old soul and I’ve seen the music change over time. Before Afrobeats, it was Highlife and Hiplife. I love what Afrobeats has turned into though; I go out to some of the nights hosted by DJ Abrantee in the O2. If it was on now, I’d just be dancing to it.

Just skanking out…

Skanking! I’m on it.

Noisey aren’t ready for that.

Not ready!

I briefly want to go back, but do you remember the scenario when you made “Pied Piper”?

I was probably in my mum’s living room and making a beat. I remember finding this sound on Fruity Loops and I just started freestyling, as in playing with different melodies. There was something about it that was really African but it was a very weird tune to me. To me it was just something simple and as the years go on, people are still playing it.

Growing up, Ruff Sqwad was the first real thing I connected to because of your locality and the type of music. Guns & Roses was a massive turning point for me.

Thanks man. We just hope the legacy can continue with the new music we bring.

For the mix, what vibe did you go for?

I didn’t go too far back but I just wanted to show some stuff that I’ve done in the past three to four years mixed with tunes from the EP. There were tunes that were good but weren’t pushed out there too much because I didn’t do a video or a massive EP campaign. I just wanted to blend both worlds on here.

Finally, that cover for White Label Classics was shot in Mile End.

Yeah, near the go-kart track, but I don’t even know if that was there.

Not even the football pitches were there. But do any of you guys talk about those outfits you were wearing?

Oh dear. We were just hungry Africans and we’d been doing this shoot for RWD magazine. They had these free clothes from some American basketball teams or something. Being hungry, we were just like, “free clothes? Let’s get our hands on that”. What I wore was what could fit me but back then everything was worn a bit baggy, but it felt good. The fact that was free made it even better. Maybe they just knew that 10 years down the line, people would laugh at us because my shorts were extra, extra big. They look like trousers. Then I had the fat t-shirt that comes down to my shins. Everyone looks alright, but when I look at me I laugh. I wouldn’t change it though.

Them times I was still wearing Lot 29 tracksuits down Roman Road with the Looney Tunes characters peeling off. It’s all good.

Good times.

Follow Errol on Twitter @errol_and