Aitch's Learning Curve

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.

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.