23/02/2022
Local legends are back!! 🌻 🕺
Introducing Tom: a driven, freestyling MC who is making a splash in the hip hop world. As an ex dancer this new creative venture allows him greater freedom and to make mistakes, and to turn it around with flair. Finding something that makes him feel totally at peace on stage has meant that his mission has really clicked into place: to bring clean, uplifting hip hop to the music world.
Part of duo -Coates, and signed with Rat Records (playing at Cosies on the 16th March), he believes that hip hop needs to move with the times. Although its undergoing a revival from its hay day in the 90’s, all the racism, homophobia, sexism and inauthentic shows of violence have got to go, and in its place lyrics that support hip hops true purpose of bringing people together.
Whilst Tom doesn’t want to taint his art form with it, it’s of course sometimes impossible to detach from social and political affairs. We spoke about Covid, charity shop price rises, masculinity, Prince Andrew, protests, efficiency, mental health. The systems broken, but we still to connect as human beings.
However, the people who spread this message are so often underpaid. 8000 streams on Spotify is equivalent to just £20 for the artist. Buying vinyl helps. Venues paying their musicians properly (like they do in Norway) also helps. Still, a shocking 80% earn less than £10,000. A world where at an auction people clap the money spent over the art is totally twisted. As a system, we need to give artists more status and respect.
Nevertheless, Tom is clearly going somewhere. He speaks of side hustles that have helped him through but ultimately the dream is to be able to live off his art. Experience as a part time barista and the ability to trip words off his tongue has culminated in the dream of owning a hip hop cafe on the beach. I’ve no doubt he’ll do it. One day he’ll chance on a random bar and one of his tracks will be played, and he’ll know he’s finally made it.
Listen to this clip for Tom’s commentary on music, his path, social issues, and a really ridiculous story about a frog. It’s actually really funny.
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