Joe Blow is a South Wales Legend. He has a huge catalogue of material and he is a favourite of ours at Urban Culture Wales. In his latest release Fuck SMK he is at his best. The video is quality, features an awesome special guest and the tune is a banger. Joe Blow is an all round quality Welsh artist. Check out Fuck SMK below:
Jason Machlab had the chance to ask Joe Blow some questions on our behalf. Here's how it went:
Your bio says you got started taking bookings when you were 16. What’s the story of how you started making music?
I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. In 1986 my older brother introduced me to Run DMC and it just called out to me: everything from the raps, the DJs, the breakers and graffers, even down to the clothes; I just knew Hip-Hop was something I wanted to be a part of. I started writing rhymes over Public Enemy and Ice-T instrumentals when I was about 13. I loved Rakim, he was my favourite
rapper and I used to copy his flows and rhyme schemes until I worked out how to do my own.
Once I had gotten to a decent standard I decided I wanted to record myself, but studios weren’t readily available in 1991 unless you had deep pockets. I managed to save up and buy a set of turntables with a mixer and a four-track tape recorder off my cousin. I had no idea what I was doing. Even though I literally taught myself it was all trial and error. In 1994 I came across Grassroots Studio in Cardiff and met two amazing producers: DJ Guy and Q. They worked there as engineers and they taught me how to record and produce music. It was not long until I would be taking my DAT recordings to London’s Music House and cutting my own dubplates.
Now around this time Jungle had exploded and Hip-Hop wasn’t getting much attention in the clubs, so I passed a Jungle mixtape complete with my own tracks on it to a local promoter “Lion King” who ran regular events at Cardiff’s Hippo Club. To cut a long story short they loved it, and I bagged myself my first booking in a club.
Looking back, this was when I realised I wasn’t going to be just a Rapper as I loved DJing and production just as much. I decided that I wouldn’t limit myself to just one genre of music.
In your own words, what are your lyrics about? What do you like writing about?
It really depends on the genre of music that I’m writing to. If its hip-hop or grime it could be geared more towards story-telling or deeper subject matter. I find myself writing a lot about the environment that I live in and everyday things that I see that inspire me. I do love to write braggadocious party bars as well but I tend to leave them to my Drum ‘N’ Bass tracks. It really all depends on my mood as well and where a beat takes me. As long as it sounds good I’m putting it out regardless.
What’s been the defining point in your career so far?
When I decided to drop my solo Hip-Hop EP “Smoking Skills” on vinyl back in 2008, I was unsure as to how it would be received and it was the first time it was just me on show as an MC and solo artist.
I was used to being in Hip-Hop groups (HSG ,Squid Ninjaz ,Undecorated Veteranz). I wasn’t used to the limelight & amp; I wasn’t sure if people would like it.
Stagga convinced me to put it out and I’m glad I listened. It received rave reviews and
I got interviews from magazines such as K-mag, DJ mag and Hip hop connection and it got a few plays on BBC Radio 1xtra and Radio 1 as well.
That gave me a massive confidence boost, and after that I went on to record 2 more solo Hip-Hop albums that also received props right across the board.
Stagga always encouraged me to believe in myself and be a visionary when it came to music. He was a massive influence on me and helped me develop myself as an artist throughout the time that we worked together. If it wasn’t for him, I would not have achieved half of what I have.
How would you describe the South Wales rap scene?
It’s very healthy at the moment in terms of artists releasing quality music, but I would like to see more opportunities for artists in terms of backing from the Government, more Nightclubs and commercial radio stations to help develop artists and give them a platform to be heard from. Obviously at the moment there are no events happening due to Covid but pre-Covid I think Cardiff always struggled for venues that were happy to put on urban music events. The Hold-Up have put on amazing Hip-Hop events for a number of years, always promoting local acts alongside some of the
biggest headline names in the scene.
On the Drum ‘N’ Bass front, Sticky Lemons are probably the longest running event and an integral part of the Cardiff DnB scene. They’ve put on some crazy line-ups over the years, always supporting local MCs. Traumatik and Skamma were always on their line-ups and are both now successful artists in their own rights.
I started to promote my own DnB events in 2014 as Circle Eight to help build a platform for local artists in South Wales, as I felt that there were so many talented people who were not even getting a look in. I never dreamed it would become as successful as it did. I knew once we sold the Vaults out a number of times that this was going to be something that I’d be doing for a very long time to come.
Any stories from the road?
The second time I played Boomtown I met a guy who introduced me to DMT. That shit was life changing, I’m sure I met God or seen some sort of supreme entity, it was insane. I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since. Usually I’m of the opinion that what happens on road stays on road, and I could tell you a few stories from the Squid Ninjaz days when we were promoting our debut Hip Hop Album “Revenge of the Blowfish” but I don’t want to incriminate any of the lads especially 4Dee he was a right naughty little bastard and the oldest as well, he should have been
setting a better example. They were fucking mental times but we were most definitely living our best lives.
How has the scene changed since you started?
It has changed massively; when I first started out people used to look at me like I was insane. There were no white rappers back then, only Vanilla Ice whose credibility was shit. There were no other kids in my hometown of Barry who rapped either, apart from my old mate Paul Hawkings aka 2phat. We used to make pause button mix tapes in school when we were about 14.
We used headphones as a mic plugged into a ghetto blaster to record our bars. It wasn’t until the late 90s that events like Higher Learning started happening at the Toucan club in Cardiff and the scene started to really develop. Obviously there was a scene before that, but I saw a community build off the back of those nights. That was a golden era for Hip Hop in Cardiff.
Which artists do you find exciting right now?
There are so many talented artists popping up locally right now so it’s really hard for me to name everyone I’m feeling. Magugu is killing it right now, that man’s work rate is phenomenal. He actually inspires me and his music is sick the guy is a pioneer at what he does. Skamma and Endo are absolutely smashing D’n’B at the moment and putting things out with Shabba D on the Higher Level imprint. Murkage Local and Fernquest are always on my Spotify playlists on repeat & Junior Disprol is dope as fuck as well. If you haven’t heard Def Valley yet you’re missing out big time. Diskrete is probably my favourite local producer his music is insane; I love everything he does.
If you’d never been a rapper, what would you have ended up doing? What are your other interests?
I loved boxing as a kid and Mike Tyson was my hero. I wanted to be a famous fighter just like him but as soon as I hit the clubs as a DJ and the partying and stuff started happening, I found out I had no discipline at all and I was never gonna succeed in that line of work ever. I still like to train now and again and put on the gloves for the occasional charity Boxing match but that’s as far as it goes.
I’m now living the boxing dream through my son Roni who is an amazing amateur boxer. He’s just turned 16 and is much better than I ever was at his age, I believe he could go all the way if he stays disciplined.
What do you appreciate in life?
My attitude is gratitude, I’m thankful for everything that I have. I’m not rich in money but I am rich in love and family, my children and my fiancée are my world. I always try my best to be loving and kind towards people (unless were clashing on the mic then it’s anything goes) and generate good vibrations as I believe your life is a reflection of your thoughts. I always stay positive as it helps me channel positivity into my life. I truly believe if the human race understood how powerful our thoughts are no one would even think a negative thought ever again.
What’s next for you in 2021?
I’m just gonna keep making music. I’ve been releasing music for so long now that it’s just the norm for me it’s just something that I have to do. Hopefully lockdown will be over soon and I can get Circle Eight back up and running, and throw the biggest rave Cardiff’s seen in a long time. I really need a rave in my life right now, but until then I’m just going to have to leave you with my latest D’nB release, “Fuck Smk Pt2 “produced by Erbman. It also has a couple of special guest appearances in the
video.
Interview by Jason Machlab.
Check out Never Left below and follow Joe Blow on Bandcamp to find his huge catalouge of material.
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