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Rapper and musician Berwyn is as soon as once more on the Mercury Prize shortlist, this time for his debut album, Who Am I. It’s a exceptional work, the place his highly effective, socially astute lyrics simmer in a concoction of R&B, hip-hop, metal pan and Latin guitar. There’s even a nod to Irish ingesting songs.
Born Berwyn Du Bois in Diego Martin, a city west of Trinidad and Tobago’s capital, Port of Spain, he migrated to Romford, England, aged 9. He’s had a proper to stay in Britain since 2021, for which he needed to write a letter reasoning why he needs to be permitted to remain, which influenced the choice model we hear on the album, “Pricey Immigration”.
“You give me a stomachache,” he raps, “You made me really feel like a fugitive and a runaway/ I hate you for placing my mom away in Holloway/ You made me look within the mirror in horror/ You took away my tomorrows/ You made me despise the individual standing in entrance of me.”
Berwyn was first shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2021, for his mixtape Demotape/Vega. He was notably eligible as a consequence of a change made after a marketing campaign by Japanese-British artist Rina Sawayama, who objected to the rule that stated nominees should have been resident within the UK or Eire for greater than 5 years.
Learn our Q&A with him under:
I’m a busy thoughts, so I in all probability stopped desirous about the Mercury Prize two days after the shortlist was introduced. I’m undoubtedly disillusioned it’s not a stay ceremony. I don’t have any edge, in any other case! I checked the bookies and I’m like, second to least favorite. However I’m nonetheless excited and grateful.
My method to the album was very calculated and meticulous. I sat down, wrote some phrases on a whiteboard and went from there. One of the vital essential [elements] on it’s liberation and freedom, whether or not that’s pursuing it or attaining it. They’re notches within the backbone of the album, and I needed to inform a narrative in an summary means, being liberal in my decisions in style, in lyrics, every part. Religion comes into rather a lot. For me it’s a very powerful factor on the planet. If Apple sells know-how, I promote religion. It’s in my storytelling, it’s the human expertise, an instinctive response we now have to the world round us.
“I Am Black” got here to me whereas I used to be within the bathe. I began singing what was in my head, obtained out and opened up my laptop computer. The primary half was written then and there, after which the second took one other 9 months.
My immigration expertise undoubtedly nonetheless impacts me – it’s going to take years of remedy to get by way of that. I take into consideration the way in which it’s affected my friends. It’s caught with me. It’s probably the most essential tales on the album – there’s additionally a personality on there, “the fugitive”, so I attempted to specific the fugitive mentality that lingers by way of life and alters or dictates the way in which you see issues. I perceive what it means to be completely restricted and disadvantaged of your freedom, your humanity.
I really feel like hip-hop was once this actually liberal area the place you’d combat towards the institution. However hip-hop has left its golden period of liberalism, so I’m utilizing my very own narrative to attempt to reinstate that, and I hope that people who find themselves trans, or migrants, or girls, may discover issues to narrate to, whereas I inform my very own story.
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There’s quite a lot of individualism and opportunism within the music trade. I’m so pleased for [former Mercury Prize-shortlisted artist] Raye, for what she’s achieved. She’s waving the flag proper now, her story is one among ‘don’t surrender’, and he or she’s so gifted – she’s facilitated an area the place she will be able to shine, and boy, she’s shining. She is testomony to hope, perception, religion, true artistry, story-telling, and standing for one thing larger than your self.
Immigrants are the go-to scapegoat for every part that’s improper within the UK. If the financial system improved I’m certain we’d see a lower in scaremongering [from politicians and the media]. This sounds bizarre, however I used to be virtually relieved when the UK riots occurred. Individuals droop their perception of racism within the UK, in any other case, they act prefer it doesn’t exist, or they doubt it. It’s someplace between doubt and denial. So the riots reminded us that [racism] remains to be very a lot right here.
I’m a junkie for politics, I’d prefer to be [a politician] in the future. I can’t see myself dancing on a stage over the age of 35, that’s unusual. I used to be going to do psychology at college – I really snuck into lectures for 2 weeks, and I’d sit within the library and write every part down from psychology books. I needed to flip down quite a lot of alternatives due to my immigration standing on the time – an unconditional college supply, an audition for The Lion King within the West Finish…
I’m seeking to get into my subsequent undertaking. I used to be talking with Fred Once more [who produced the song ‘Neighbours’] about some concepts, getting right into a studio and simply enjoying music, seeing what occurs, so I’m taking a look at methods to facilitate that.
‘Who Am I’ is out now. The Mercury Prize 2024 winner will probably be introduced tonight in a particular broadcast on BBC 4
