Biography:
"El Rehema is an up-and-coming Bradford-based rapper/producer dropping his second EP #EternalJourney in February 2013 - date to be confirmed. Refusing to confine himself in a box, he describes his music as human music mirroring the social conditions of people the world over. He bases his subject matter on personal experience, from spending his formative years in the Democratic Republic of Congo to ...tackling issues such as teen pregnancy, among others."
I caught up with El Rehema to try and find out more about what has been the driving force and influence behind his music as well as hearing first hand what his upcoming EP #EternalJourney has in store for his broader audience. He also happens to be my brother and I do feature on some of his songs which is about to be released later in February 2013. This is just an opportunity for you guys to find out more about him. I'm very excited to use this platform as a way of elevating and appreciating upcoming talents, and simply ordinary individuals who are inspiring many in their field of profession. This is just the beginning, so watch this space. Inspiring Thursdays! :)
1. When
and how did you discover music? And what made you want to pursue it?
Music
discovered me before I discovered music. I was born in the Democratic Republic
of Congo where music is so ubiquitous it forms part of everyday life. I can’t
even remember what my earliest memories of music were because for most people
in Congo
there’s no such thing as life without music. Music and life are interwoven; in
life we listen, sing, and dance to music; in music we are obsessed with life
stories. I think that’s what makes music such a universal art; there cannot be
life without music and vice versa. As to what made me want to pursue music, the
simple answer is that I never wanted to pursue music as a career. I probably
still don’t want to pursue music as a career. It’s music that is pursuing me
and I am simply obeying the call.
2. What
is it about Hip Hop that captivated you?
Hip
hop is an African-American invention that has become a global phenomenon. It
has become a culture over the years through its commercial appeal but what
captivates me is its origin. It has its roots in rapping, which was a form of
storytelling used by slaves to educate and/or pass down stories about their
ancestors. Today, rapping is still about storytelling but only a few artists
dare to use it as an educational art. I don’t want to preach to anyone
listening to my music; I want my music to become the catalyst to meaningful
conversations and dialogues while at the same time entertaining people. KRS 1 said it best, “Hip is the knowledge,
Hop is the movement”.
3. Who
are your top 5 musical influences?
I
think putting numbers to my influences will be unfair because I have listened
to a lot of artists from many genres over the years who have all influenced me
in different ways. Congolese gospel played a big part in my early years;
Ndombolo and Gaou in my early teens; rap and neo-soul in my late teens.
Currently, J Cole and Kendrick Lamar are two of my biggest influences from
mainstream rap but it was watching Bow Wow’s ‘My Baby’ video at the age of 13
that made me start writing. I found it fascinating that someone so young could
be a rapper.
4. What
is it about their work that inspires you?
To
me J Cole is the complete rap artist. He produces about 99% of all his tracks
and is incredibly skillful with words. Kendrick Lamar is similar to J Cole in
the sense that he built up a fan base and courted major record labels by
releasing free mixtapes and touring. Both of them have created niche markets
within the hip hop sector in the sense that they’ve created their own lanes on
the hip hop motorway. In terms of content, Common’s album “Resurrection” has
probably had the biggest impact on the way I structure my music.
5. If
you had to categorise your music, what genre would it fall under apart from Hip
Hop.
I
would categorise it as “human music” because I write on issues that mirror the
human condition such as spirituality, war, love, peace, and life, among others.
If you listen closely to my music, there’s a particular emphasis on human
relationships towards nature, towards God, and towards other humans.
6. So
tell me, how did Eternal Journey come about?
The
idea for Eternal Journey came to me when I was listening to a CD full of beats
that Ashley had produced. This was on the day that England played against Spain
in Wembley back in 2011. We were driving back up to Bradford
when I started listening to them and at the end I felt like I’d just been taken
to a journey. I immediately got hold of my phone and started writing the
concept to the album that will be released soon. I even named some of the songs
that night.
7. If
you could choose one song from the album that speaks to you, which one would it
be and why?
All
of them speak to me. Every track resonates with me deeply and my hope is that
it will do the same with anyone listening to them. But if I was to choose one,
it would have to be VirtuousAnimal because that was the first track I wrote for
the album and it shaped my writing process.
8. What’s
been the response so far from your latest two singles ‘Afterlife’ &
‘Nostalgia’?
So
far so good I would say. If I had enough spare time I would spend it on
promoting the tracks but unfortunately I’m leading an extremely busy life with
work. I’m relying heavily on word of mouth and local radio stations so on the
front people have been very receptive.
9. What
is that one message you want your listeners and broader audience to take away
from this album?
We
must all learn to be aware of what’s going on around us. As Erich Fromm once
said, “awareness is the key to social and individual therapy”.
10. Finally,
looking ahead. What’s in the horizon for El Rehema? What are your hopes and
ambitions for your future career?
Lots of love,
Fufu
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