East London rapper, JMC, knows a thing or two about what fruits hard work and determination can bear. From a troubled upbringing on the street of Hackney’s notorious Holly Street, the 29-year-old is now on the verge of releasing his debut album, Safe Craker, which features some of the biggest names in American hip-hop. Here he tells Dionne Grant why looking further than the UK is the key to success.
You were brought up in Hackney’s notorious Holly Street, how much has your upbringing shaped your chosen career path?
It has done a lot for it. I loved music and got into rap from an early age, but my area was deprived and opportunities in music were minimal, so I knew I had to work extra hard to make this. The area was a lot worse than it is now it’s only because of the media’s recent interest that would make you think that things have gotten worse.
When you were 21 you experienced the full extent London’s growing knife culture when you were stabbed, almost fatally, near your home. What did that experience do to you?
That was the turning point for me really. After seeing what that episode did to my family I realised that I couldn’t stay in the area and live like that. At the time I was an inspiring footballer and I had a lot of other things going on so it was decision time.
Tell me about your decision to move Stateside
It was a decision I made to get my career off of the ground. I had remixed Lemar’s song, 50/50, for Sony and they were saying that there was a possibility that they might use it, but they came back at the last minute and said that they had decided to go with a standard industry producer even though they knew that what I had created was better. They allowed me to release my version on my own back and I sold out. This country is a prime example of stifling talent. Even though they know you’re good, they still have this thing of holding you down and turning you away.
Why do you think that is?
I think that this country would rather lose people they know as opposed to people that they don’t know. It’s an institutionalised thing. If you don’t embrace their culture, they’ll let you go.
How is America different?
They’ve obviously got a larger population, so there will be twice as much positive people over there than we have over here. I also think that America is more embracing of the music that we put out. They live for R‘n’B and hip-hop out there.
Would you agree that both Estelle and Dizzee Rascal are prime examples of that?
Most definitely! It just goes to show how fickle the industry is over here. All of a sudden Estelle is getting non-stop plays and Dizzee Rascal is spending six weeks on the top of the charts. If America hadn’t embraced them, would the UK have? It’s like America gives it the stamp of approval.
You got your stamp of approval from rapper Styles P when he came over to the UK. Tell me about that story.
Yeah, I hooked up with him in the studio and we put our heads together. We bonded, did a track. The next month he saw me in the States and he realised how much I really wanted it. From there I got introduced to Sheek Louch and we recorded a track, ‘That’s Gangsta’. I also managed to hook up with Remy Martin (Terror Squad) before doing some work with Cassidy who features on my new track, ‘They MC’.
What advice would you offer people who believe in their talent but are having trouble getting the major labels to take notice?
Everyone’s journey is different. Dizzee Rascal didn’t have to go out there and collaborate with anyone to make it big, but his case is different to mine. I’m doing this thing independently. I don’t have a label to fall back on, so if I pick the wrong collaboration, that’s me down the pan! I would advise anyone who isn’t getting any response from the labes to do what I have done and do it yourself.
They MC is out on digital download on 25th August, with Safe Cracker the album in shops 29th September
www.myspace.com/jmcvault
