Words by Lily Mercer Ex-husband, father, rap legend. Step into Nas’ world. It’s the last days of the London Olympics and Nas is in town. Tomorrow he’ll witness the USA men’s basketball team win a gold medal. But today he’s in Hackney, Dalston, to be exact, explaining why 2012 was the right year for him […]
adidas Originals NMD Launch NYC.
nomad noun “A person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer” New York City was the setting for the NMD launch last week. The latest trainer to be released by adidas originals, the NMD is a new silhouette designed for a nomadic lifestyle with no boundaries. Taking place on December 9th […]
Clash Magazine: Mac Miller: Hip-Hop’s New Heavyweight Cleans Up *Cover Story*.
Words: Lily Mercer Photography: Liam MF Warwick Mac Miller is one of the most likeable rappers on the planet. Unless you’re a rap purist, in which case you probably frown at his back catalogue of happy-go-lucky hip-hop. But Mac’s grown up. The last year has seen him move city, overcome a drug addition and indulge […]
Dazed Magazine: Kali Uchis.
Read the article here.
VIPER MAGAZINE: EARL SWEATSHIRT + VINCE STAPLES.
Words by Lily Mercer Meet Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples, two cult Los Angeles lyricists that stand out amongst industry peers jumping on trends to capitalise on rapid success. Or as Earl poetically describes it, “Fishy niggas stick to eating off of hooks.” Both MCs are dedicated to the art of rap with lyrics far […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: RAEKWON
THE CHEF REFLECTS ON WU TANG FOLKLORE ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX’ Words by Lily Mercer Raekwon’s always had style. His alter egos Lex Diamonds and The Chef conjure up illusions of a drug king pin wearing silk shirts in his mansion, and even dressed casually for our interview he […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: MICK JENKINS IS TORN…
Words by Lily Mercer Mick Jenkins is torn. He’s searching for a solution to stop white people using the N-word at his shows. “What’s been the biggest conflict I’ve faced in life? I have two actually.” he says adding, “Probably jail, I went to jail for 34 days. It was just a marijuana charge, apparently […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: MILKAVELLI.
THE PIFF GANG + CULT MOUNTAIN MEMBER ON HIS SOLO DEBUT Words by Lily Mercer As one of the most promising rappers in the UK, Milkavelli’s heavily tattooed appearance and lyrics full of London slang have people wondering, “Who the hell is this guy?” Viper talks to the only rapper we know with both Queen […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: DEJ LOAF.
Words by Lily Mercer There are few people out there that can claim they’ve been name checked by Drake, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Kylie Jenner in the last month, but Dej Loaf isn’t most people. While the saying, “My life has changed over the last couple months,” may be commonly used, for Dej Loaf, it’s […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: PEN + PIXEL.
Words by Lily Mercer It’s hard to name an era of album art like the one defined by Pen and Pixel from 1992 to 2003. Anyone that grew up within that era was left with an unhealthy of expectation of cover art; if it didn’t have diamond lettering and at least one Champagne bottle then […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: COZZ .
THIS SOUTH CENTRAL ROOKIE IS ONLY TWO TRACKS IN TO HIS CAREER AND ALREADY MAKING NOISE Words by Lily Mercer LA’s current scene is buzzing, from popular kids like Black Hippy to loveable rogues in Odd Future. There’s a strength in the scene that hasn’t been seen since the G-Funk era. But it sounds nothing […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: KALI UCHIS.
SINGER, SONGWRITER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR. KALI UCHIS CAN DO IT ALL. Words by Lily Mercer In the world of popular music, it often seems like there are two opposing types of female artist. You have the mannequin-perfect, triple-threats with the skills to break into a choreographed dance routine without breaking a sweat. And then you have […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: IAN CONNOR.
FROM A$AP MoB TO TUMBLR, THERE’S NO ESCAPING THIS GUy. BUT WHO IS IAN CONNOR? Words by Lily Mercer A lot of people have been asking “Who is Ian Connor?” How does that question affect you? I don’t know, I just brush it off really. Do you ever give a fake job title? Yeah all the […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: RAP’S ANIMATED ICONS.
WITH ITS ADULT AND EXPLICIT CONTENT, RAP MUSIC HAS HAD A LONG AND UNLIKELY BOND WITH CARTOONS. Words by Lily Mercer In the nineties, RnB and rap music went sentimental. With samples from Annie appearing in Jay Z songs and a Rugrats Movie soundtrack including Blackstreet, an unexpected crossover was taking place. Hip hop artists […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: REBORE COUTURE.
FAUX DESIGNER KILLED THE FASHION LOGO Words by Lily Mercer Fashion relies on a snowball effect. You see something, you like it, you adopt it, you spread it. You probably infect around 10 people with the bug, who in turn probably infect 10 people. And before you know it, you’re all sick of whichever trend […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: THE SOUND OF CHIRAQ
THE MID-WESTERN CITY OF CHICAGO HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED AS A CITY BLIGHTED BY VIOLENCE. AND IT IS VIOLENT, BUT BENEATH THE SURFACE THERE’S A SOULFUL SCENE PEACEFULLY CO-EXISTING WITH THE ROWDY DRILL SCENE. Words by Lily Mercer Christened “Chiraq” by locals, Barack Obama’s hometown bears more than a passing resemblance to the Middle Eastern country […]
VIPER MAGAZINE: RAP MERCH.
DO HIP HOP CLOTHING LINES STILL HAVE INFLUENCE? Words by Lily Mercer In the nineties, rappers realised their influence stretched beyond music and branched into the world of fashion. After years of designer brands copying hip hop street style, it was a natural move as simple merchandise expand into full-fledged clothing lines. In fact, fashion […]
RWD Mag: With the unbeatable success of rappers like Drake, has rap gone soft?
Words by Lily Mercer Remember when rap was overtly masculine? In comparison to previous generations, today’s chart topping MCs are more like RnB singers. Drake is the pioneer of this Lenor scented scene but he’s not alone. The rising popularity of rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper also suggests a less rugged overall sound in the Hip Hop […]
Clash Magazine: Is Waka Flocka Flame The World’s Friendliest Rapper?
Words: Lily Mercer “Most artists run away from fans. I gravitate towards them cos they’re the people that got your life goin’ round.” A decade ago, Mike Jones gave the world his phone number, more recently Mr. MFN eXquire did the same via his blog. But one rapper gets closer to his fans than any […]
i-D Online: i-Ntroducing – Darq E Freaker.
Words by Lily Mercer South London’s Darq E Freaker is not your average Grime producer. Working with Footsie, Tempa T, Big Narstie, Lady Chann and Fool’s Gold rapper Danny Brown, this 24-year old has built a cult following in just three years. Primarily considered a creator of Grime beats, Darq E has built his name […]