Klashnekoff, the already legendary emcee from the depths of North-East London, is known to all UK Hip Hop fans for his massive single ‘Murda’, released in 2003 on Kemet Entertainment. He was kind enough to give the following interview with the UCL Urban Music Society following a performance of his recent hits, during which he was unfortunately let down by technical problems due to the club’s substandard sound system and incompetent techies…



Klash: No-one can’t see the promoter, you should record all this s***. You got Klashnekoff pissed today, all this s***. What university is this?

Sly: University College London. Near Euston

Klash: Let’s get it f*****’ poppin’, ain’t no stoppin’, body parts I’m droppin’, I’m lock stockin’. Sorry I’m going like a madman but I’m pissed off. Like I said, I had to leave my son to come to this jam. Big up Mr. Decks, my official Terra Firma DJ.

Sly: I feel for you man but you gave it [you did your best given the circumstances]…

Klash: No its okay, don’t feel for me ‘cause I enjoyed it at the same time ‘cause I vented out anger at the same time, despite the problems, you know what I mean? Have you got a light on you? When the security comes in we might get kicked out ‘cause we’re blazing green [smoking herbal cannabis cigarettes]. My greens stinks.

Master: How old are you?

Klash: How old am I? No comment.

Master: How did you get started in hip hop? What made you first pick up a pen and rap?

Klash: What I would say to people is that when I was at school, rap was the thing to do, like emceeing is the thing to do now, you get me? I did it ‘cause enough people were doing it, you get me? Obviously, I enjoyed hip hop music, I was into N.W.A, Fresh Prince, I go back to people like Phase One, later on people like Wu-Tang, who were very influential to me, and really and truly for me it was just a means of expression, to express my problems and them things.

Master: But when you wrote your first lyric, what encouraged you to think, ‘I want to write more’? What did people think, ‘cause your first lyric probably wasn’t the best lyric in the world…

Klash: Yeah, one of my first lyrics was ‘Pik-a-tee-Peter pik-a-tee-Piper picked the pepper from the tree, I diggety-drop styles like my name was Brandon Lee’. Also, ‘What’s the flavour, quick drop the flavour like Quaver, left Home and Away but now I’m back to be your neighbour, so g’day, my style’s f*****’ A, It’s the Legionaires comin’ off like the Krays, I’m Ronnie, He’s Reggie, ha ha ha, I riggedy-rocksteady, I get my props like Eddie, I’m narrow, parrow…’ You know, one of them old s*** ones, but really and truly, for me my first love was acting. People like Eddie Murphy, you know. So it wasn’t really about hip hop, it was more like I just wanted to be an actor, be a performer, and I saw man in school getting girls, doing shows, you know what I mean? When I see certain mans getting girls, getting props and that, I won’t lie, I got caught up in the hype as a kid, I just wanted to be down. But then the mans that I wanted to be down with in the school, they didn’t want to be down, you get me? They were properly up their batty, up their noses and that, you get me? I left it for a while, ‘cause them man made me feel like I didn’t want to do it, I ain’t going to lie. And I left it for a while. Years even.

Master: At what age did you start and then stop again?

Klash: Started rapping when I was about 12 or 13. Stopped, started up again when I was about 17 until I was about 19. Stopped, and then started up again when I was about 20-something. You can work out my age from that. I’ve only been in the game for about the last two years, two and a half years.

Master: So its been a quick succession?

Klash: Definitely, definitely.

Master: At the moment you talk about jankrow [untranslatable], about the life you live. Have you thought about writing more about conceptual stuff, out of body experiences and that?

Klash: Definitely. Yeah, man’s got all those lyrics ‘cause I’m not not one dimensional. As a person, I like to keep an open mind, I like to be able to talk to everyone and anyone, you know what I’m saying? So I’ve got those lyrics, but when you start out and you’re good, you’re like, what’s that man from Star Wars? Anakin, the young Jedi, you’re like a young Jedi with enough power, and as soon as you’ve got power you’re going to f*** about. Excuse my language, you can edit it out. You’re going to mess about, you’re going to levitate tables, you’re going to fly in the air you know, do stupid s***. But when you get older, you want to heal people. You get me, it’s like I could chat all day about the circumference of the Moon, within the square root, all that s***. I leave that to all them intelligent cats, I call it mental ejaculation, or mental masturbation rather. Where you’re just so nang [talented], and all you’re doing is spitting lyrics that only illuminati will get, you know? Only people with an IQ of a million, so you’ve got to speak to the average man, and talk on his level.

Master: What do you think of mans like Ras Kass and Pharoahe Monch? Do you rate them?

Klash: Standard, standard [absolutely]. Ras Kass, Pharoahe Monch, Killah Priest, um… MF Doom. I like Cannibal Ox, Wordsworth, RZA, you know. I like all the other one’s, the Method Mans and all the obvious ones, but they’re like the thinkers, that’s what does it for me.

Sly: At the moment, UK Hip Hop is felt by fewer people than UK Garage once was. That’s partly due to the fact that Garage blew up so quickly. Why do you think this is?

Klash: To be honest, I’m not an expert on UK Garage, but a similar thing is now happening to UK Hip Hop, its creative innovation, always taking it to the next level. With [US] Hip Hop its stopped now. Its champagne, blunt-smoking, slapping booty, rump-shaking music, you get me. [US] Hip Hop has become the new pop music, where as with Garage they were new and hungry. But British music goes through changes, you know what I mean? Whether its Acid or Jungle or Garage or Grime. Now we’ve got American and Jamaican influences, plus with the English background. We’ve got creative hunger now like they had in America back in the day. All different styles, that’s what UK Hip Hop’s got now, you know.

Sly: Are you feeling Old School Garage?

Klash: I’m feeling all kinds of music that’s good, be it classical or whatever. Apart from Calypso.

Sly: Your new album has just come out on Kemet. But a lot of people will have already copied or downloaded your tunes. Do you you resent this or are you pleased that the gospel is being spread?

Klash: In terms of sales I’ve done better than most newly signed artists. But I don’t mind ‘cause I’m still broke now, but I used to be really broke. I bought about two records as a kid, I copied most stuff. So I’m happy as long as its getting out there, we have such a hard time getting heard. It’s a blessing when I get heard. But if I get signed, then go out and buy it.

Master: How do you write lyrics, do you write them on road [out and about], or in the studio as they come to you?

Klash: To be honest, most of my lyrics I’ve written on my jacks [on my own], in my yard [at home].

Master: So without lots of people around?

Klash: Very rarely have I written stuff with producers and other people around. I usually just get a beat and meditate in my yard. But I can do whatever you know, write it in the studio, whatever.

Sly: Do you write better when you’re lean [under the influence of cannabis]?

Klash: Back in the day, I used to write lyrics when I wasn’t lean. There’s a balance. It hinders and sometimes it harms. Too much of anything is abuse so its just like, bun [smoke] a little spliff, take a couple of pulls, but don’t rely on it, rely on yourself, ‘cause that’s where its coming from. It just enhances any feeling, so if you’re mad, it’s going to make you feel really mad, if you’re sad it’s going to make you really sad. I do enjoy bunning and writing, but you have to be able to do it when there’s no draw. It’s hard sometimes, addiction’s a m***********.

Master: Tell us about Terra Firma.

Klash: Terra Firma’s my crew. It’s a crew of emcees, the main emcees right now are Kyza Smirnoff, Skribbla Dangoff and a guy called Diamond Ruff. And my deejay Mr Decks. I describe us as the superheroes of the rap game. As well as being nang lyricists, we’re here to save lives as well. Terra Firma means solid ground, like the foundation of life.

Sly: Is there a desired effect you want to have on your listeners?

Klash: Yeah, to make them think, question things, to have open minds. But to be honest, most of the stuff on my first album were just things I wanted to get off my chest.

Sly: Have you got any plans for the near future?

Master: I heard there’s going to be a Terra Firma album dropping soon…

Klash: Just rumours. There’s going to be a Terra Firma mix CD. But too many mix CDs have too many tracks: all quantity, no quality. We’re about quality control, good, timeless music. Its not just about spitting thugged out lyrics, ‘cause that’s just a momentary thing. When people listen to music, its like eating a meal, and if you keep feeding them the same old thug lyrics, that’s like eating eggs and bacon every day, eventually their heart will collapse. Its about nourishing food. Planting yams, guasaba, bananas, rice and peas, salt fish.

Master: Thanks for your time.

Klash: Its okay, big up to mans dem. Big up UCL Urban Music Society. This is Klashnekoff, very pissed off at another show.

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Daubs MySpace

a good read...shows uk keepin it real too..

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Daubs MySpace

werd...klashnekoff is real...he writes some of the deepest shit fo sho...

props on the interview too...he sounded pretty pist...lol...

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Living Legendz

I Promise Alot...But I Deliver Alot More...

...Topicals...

What Is Life?

Dark Disguise

Yeah theres loads of reall niggas down in the US....but since I moved here I have to admit that UK underground hiphop and rnb...have an amazin message....My favourite Rap underground in UK is Klashnekoff and rnb in UK has to be Anton....normaly people only heard "Thank You" but he got some other shit

In the USA best rapper IMO "Immortal Technique" because of his lyrics and also rnb - 786....THYERE SICK....anyways peace

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www.soundclick.com/dollaback

I sort of know a member who interviewed immortal tech
il get him 2 sort me out wiv an interivew

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