Aitch's Learning Curve

November 22, 2021

Aitch's learning curve clearly reigns higher than most — with witty lyrics and clever hooks, the UK rapper stands out. Since causing a commotion in the UK music scene, he's gone on to do an amass of things, received accolades, and has put out some heaters in the meantime. But he won't tell you that, he lets his music speak for itself and the rest will follow. While being unintentionally illustrious, he's able to let the listeners produce an idea of who he is.

As he transitions from undeveloped caterpillar to butterfly, he isn't afraid to spread his wings. With ambitions towards branching out to music, videos, and fashion, his main concern is sharing a more personal side to himself. His true commitment to rap, comedic timing, and an uniformed flow reveals that the 21-year-old musician has and will continue to display to the world that his sound is truly universal as he has already surpassed 1 billion global streams.

Interview by Tiana Randall
Photo courtesy of Universal Music

In his world, there are not many rules, which attests to the chaotic and sub-dimensional imagery linked to his music. His music videos serve as an oculus to his stream of consciousness. In some ways, Aitch's music is the equivalent of a coming-of-age film, as he's developing within his music and cadence. His latest projects have felt like a constant yet transitional celebration of feeling solidified in oneself and assured the world.

How're you?

Yeah, I'm fine. Absolutely fine. I'm happy to be here. Happy to be in New York.

I'm aware that you may have a hard time moving around in the UK, without getting noticed. What is it like having that happen in such a short amount of time? It must be crazy to go over to your old hood and get recognized. But, on the flip end, what is it like coming over here and moving around freely? What do you notice that's different?

Yeah, it's sick. I like coming over here and not being noticed as much. It's a good vibe. I feel it's nice being able to just come out the hotel, and walk to the shop and not be recognized. But it's good. Obviously, when I first blew up, it felt good to go back to the ends and have people recognize me. It's just always good to get acknowledged for your work.

When you get recognized, what's the first thing people say? And what do you think that says about you?

It depends on who it is or what kind of person it is. Sometimes people just scream and stand there speechless. But some people just straight ask for a picture. Some people will ask for a picture and just take one.

A lot of people know me for different reasons. Obviously, I would say my music is my biggest kind of like platform. But you know, I have people come up to me all the time and just tell me that like they love my Instagram. Like "I always watch you on Instagram." They don't even mention the music. But I don't really think about it too much, If I'm honest. If they're just showing in love, they must like something I do. And I suppose that's all that matters.

So starting out making music, what was the first thing you were playing with? So a lot of people were playing with like MPCs, garage brand, Abelton, etc. What were you making music on?

To be fair, when I first was rapping, I would just stand there and rap with the beat on my phone, and get someone to film me on an iPhone, and put it on YouTube. That's just how I would do it. I didn't actually know nothing about a studio, until maybe a year after I started rapping. And then I went to my first studio, and I've been with the same engineering producer ever since. So I actually can't answer that question. I don't know anything to do with those kind of things.

What music did you listen to growing up?

I always liked 50 Cent. I'm not just saying that because i'm in New York. I was a big Wiz Khalifa fan at some point. Also people from the UK, bare people from the UK.

What was the first album you fell in love with, and how does that reflect the music you make now?

The first album I fell in love with was definitely 'Get Rich or Die Trying.'

What? You were probably like nine.

I literally was! But, I don't know if it reflects my music. I don't really think my music sounds like 50 cent's. But he was just an influence to me just to even start rapping. Just the fact of like, he was "the guy" and I just wanted to be "the guy" when I was younger. Do you know what I mean?

Do you listen to any music in secret?

I don't really have any guilty pleasures like that. Maybe just something like old school, Manchester music, like Oasis, you know about Oasis? You heard 'Wonder Wall?' They're from Manchester in it. I just listen to rap music. But, there isn't any out-of-the-box music that I listen to that I feel like I can't listen to it in front of anyone else.

When you're making music, do you start with the beat first or do you hear like a type of flow that you want to try? Or is it like lyrics that you have on your phone?

Nine times out of ten, I'll just go into the studio, listen to beats, and then like when something clicks, I'll just like start writing. But I used to just write the whole song in my house and then go to the studio and just record the song. I don't do that anymore. I'm not home enough to write at home. So yeah, the beat first.

What did your parents think when you were first rapping?

They found out by accident. I didn't actually tell them. Obviously, the whole ends was just posting it on Facebook. So my mom seen it on Facebook and was like, "oh, that's you?" And then that was it. They weren't unhappy, they were just like " Wow, we didn't know this. Why didn't you tell us? "

Were you saying rude things in those videos, and she wasn't upset?

No, she wasn't upset. I suppose I was just I was a kid growing up in it. Like, that's just what happens. everyone's been a kid before.

They say you learn all your bad words from your parents.

That's true! Maybe, my mom and dad are to blame then. But yeah, no, to be fair. Like my mom and my dad are from the ends as well. It's not like some shocking thing.

Since growing up in the ends, what is the craziest life change that you've seen that you would've never imagined?

Wow. I suppose the biggest life change is not even money, just living certain experiences. And then just growing that mindset where like you realize that it's not good to be in the ends all the time. So I feel like the biggest life-changing thing is just having your eyes open to other parts of the world. And just seeing that it's not all just about where you are from.

People who grow into a lot of success often say "people think I've changed, but it's usually the people who have changed around me." And they start treating you differently. Have you experienced that?

Yeah, definitely. All the time don't get twisted. I definitely have changed, but not in a bad way. Everybody has to. If I never changed, I'd still be in the ends now. Like I wouldn't be sat here talking to you. I've not forgotten where I've come from. I'm still the same person. You know what I'm saying? You need to change to just elevate.

I would say I blew up and I was literally like from 16 to 21. So I was just like naturally growing up anyway. I was just naturally changing whether I've done music or not.

I've not forgotten where I've come from. I'm still the same person. You need to change to just elevate.

As people grow to know you in the US, what do you think it is about you that makes you or your music familiar and translate so well here?

Oh, I don't know. That's a good question. To be fair, I'd probably say that it's the difference between someone like me and someone from America that is making American people gravitate towards me. People are fascinated with the UK thing like we are fascinated with the US. Because I don't know what it's like growing up here or anything like that. I don't really know.

I think it's because you're funny, whenever you rap it's has a comedic aspect to it.

Yeah. I suppose in that sense, I am like a certain artist that is always just being myself. I feel like I represent that well. So, people who don't necessarily feel comfortable in their own skin, they might listen to me. I feel like it's acceptable to be comfortable here. So I suppose that is a similarity that I've got with everyone. Thing. That was my favorite. You're doing videos in the streets. Yeah. That always

Do you think you'd ever move to America?

Yeah. One, maybe one day. I miss home a lot. But I feel like maybe just once I've completed everything that I need to complete and I'm happy and I'm satisfied, I will kind of like sort like move over here and just chill out. Yeah, I don't think I'd like to continue my career over here. I think I'll always go in back and forth. And then when I'm like retired, maybe just finish off n the USA.

So you've been recently doing a lot of crazy videos concept. Do you usually come to people with the treatment or do they come to you? How does that relationship start?

Nine times out of ten, I work with the same person when I do my videos. His name is KC Lock. I suppose I don't come with the treatment. He will come to my house and then basically he just says like, "what's going on?" And then I'll just stand there, walk up and down the kitchen, and just brainstorm, and tell him everything that I want. And then he'll go away, write a treatment based off what I've just said. And then he just brings all the ideas to life. So it's sick, the learning curve one was quite easy because the video is just an explanation of everything I'm saying. So it kind of like represents just what's going on in my head. That's what the 'Learning Curve' video is, it's just like an insight to my mind at the time.

Do you think you'd ever do a short film?

One day. Yeah, we actually film everything like all day, every day. Like my guy Kelvin, he's always next to me with a camera. So one day all this, like in three years all the footage will get put somewhere. There'll be a short film. Might be a long film, but yeah.

So with this new music, what are you, what is the intention behind that? How are you progressing in your music through this new project?

I think I'm just kind of like getting more of a message across. I feel like my downfall when it comes to music is that people don't know about me too much. Obviously, I made bangers for the clubs, but I feel like I'm just a little being a little bit more personal on this new album.

Do you think that's intentional?

No, it's not intentional. I don't like try to not speak about myself. It just that it just must be more natural to me to go into the studio and try and make something that the clubs like. And I just feel like when something works for you so much, why would you change it?

And do you wanna brand into anything else? Like clothing?

Yeah, definitely. I wanna do loads of things. I'm kind of just trying to take everything in my stride right now. I'll be happy once I put the album out. And then I reckon like, after my debut album I'll move on to a couple of other things. Like every now and again, like I said, acting, clothing, give it a little minute, and then come back and do my second album.

This is Aitch's world. What does it look like? What's going on? What are the rules? Who's in charge?

Well, I'm in charge. There are not too many rules. The big, main rule is if you're just not nice to people you get put in jail. Yeah. That's my rule.

Well, it's just me on a beach. And then, I've got a device that can pick people from the last life who I want to come and see me for the day. And they can spend 24 hours with me. And then once the 24 hours is up, they leave. The sky's pink. I'd have to think about that question to be fair.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: