ScHoolboy Q | Viper Magazine: Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014

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EDITOR LILY MERCER

DEPUTY EDITOR LAURYN TOMLINSON

DESIGN SUGAR CAT. JAMA LITTLE. DWAYNE MILLER. KONRAD ZIEMLEWSKI

PHOTOGRAPHY SAVANNAH BAKER. SAM BAYLISS-IBRAM. DARREN BLACK. SAMUEL BRADLEY. VERENA STEFANIE GROTTO. MEHDI LACOSTE. JESSICA LEHRMAN. EDDY LEONARDO. DON LIM. VIC MENSA. NOLIS. MARK PEACE. FLAVIEN PRIOREAU. RYAN WARNER.

ILLUSTRATION OH DEAR. ILL JILL. QUIRKSVILLE. EDDIE RUXTON.

CONTRIBUTORS A+C:STUDIO. AYISHAT AKANBI. CLAUDIA ARACH. BETTINA ARMANDI-MAILLARD. SAVANNAH BAKER. PAULINE BRISCOE. NATASHA BUCHANAN. ASIA BURRIS. JOHN CHRISTOPHER. LORRAINE DUBLIN. LUCY ELLIS. LISA FARREL. ALISONN FETOUAKI. BRYAN HAHN. DAISY HARRIS-D’ANDE. DOMONIC MARTEN. NASIR MAZHAR. CHRIS MENDEZ. NICOLA MOORES BRITTIN. SIMONE MUSU. BEN NIESPODZIANY. DAVE NOBLE. KELVIN NGUYEN. THOMAS USHER. SAM WILSON.

MODELS BIGGIE. HEE-WON CHO. CHARLIE DENIS. FLUTURA GJYSHINCA. GOLDIE. JAY. JOE. RASTAMOUSE. THASIA.

THANKS TO AKEEM, RAY ALBA. BEAR. FUN CHEUNG. EDGAR HOTEL PARIS. MR. MUTHAFUCKIN EXQUIRE. BRILLIANT GARCIA. JENARO GOODE. CODY KAZARIAN. MICHAEL AND ALISON LYNCH-BELL. LOUISE MAYNE. JAY ROEDER. SOPHIE AND BIGGIE. STEVEN. TEALER. DANIEL WEINER. KEN WHITTAL. NONI YOLANDE.

VIPERMAG.COM A MERCER PUBLICATION

EDITOR’S LETTER I know what you’re thinking, what a dirty minded magazine. But let me explain why the sex issue is oh so necessary...

If you know me, you’ll know I’m female. I’m also Caucasian. And at the age of 12 I bought The Source and was introduced to a whole new world. Unfortunately the glossy world of noughties rap I’d discovered wasn’t welcoming to me. I didn’t care, but recall awkwardly flicking through the seminude spreads featuring video vixens, wondering if my new favourite discovery was actually a men’s magazine a la FHM or GQ. Flash forward a decade or so and I weirdly find myself as a media type person working in the hip hop industry. And spare the odd cringe DM from a rapper that hasn’t met me, I don’t feel objectified in this career at all. But I do feel sad when I see it happening to other women. Like when I left an A$AP Rocky show because I was embarrassed by the twerking contest on stage. It wasn’t just the caveman behaviour, deep fried mac & cheese was calling me. But I do lose respect every time I see a man sexualise a woman for fun. You won’t find many references to the word “twerking” in this magazine because that existed in dancehall a long time. And for that, we thank dancehall music That leads us to the sex issue, it’s not an angry feminist rant about men being dogs and how strip clubs are evil. But it is an intelligent take on sex through a female’s eyes. Not all of the features are on some nympho shit, we felt dirty when we thought about objectifying the men. But that didn’t stop us discussing the evolution of men’s sexy nature in how men got sexy. With a love of sex that often appears in his lyrics, ScHoolboy Q is the perfect cover star. The photo shoot and interview took place in Paris ahead of his sold out show. Fellow T.D.E. artist, Sza, joins him in the issue as she discusses gender and love. The issue is packed full of beautiful and talented women, with Tinashe, Chynna and JunglePussy all appearing. Alongside Q, Vic Mensa, Cozz, Jonwayne and Phaze are just a few of the featured artists in the issue. Not to mention art and photography from Brilliant Garcia, Savannah Baker, Jenaro Goode and Jay Roeder.

XXX Lily Mercer @lilymercer

CONTENTS 12

28

20 SHOTS

SUNNI COLON

16

30

THE QUESTIONS

BLACK MACK

20

34

VINSTAGRAM

PHAZE

24 JON WAYNE

38 SEE SEE TV

26

40

DENZEL HIMSELF

JUNGLE PUSSY

48

52

COZZ

RAP ROMANCES

REJJIE SNOW

58

64

70

HOW MEN GOT SEXY

SCHOOLBOY Q

44

SZA

80 BONBON

86

94

LIVE FROM DEATHROW

JAMAICA

100

106

108

TINASHE

NASIR MAZHAR

CHYNNA

112

116

120

LET YOUR CHAIN HANG LOW BRILLIANT GARCIA

124 JAY ROEDER

JENARO RAHEEM GOODE

126

128

129

THE BATTLE OF THE TELL-ALLS

STOCKISTS

SUBSCRIBE

CONTRIBUTORS MARK PEACE MARKPEACED.SQUARESPACE.COM @MARKPEACED PHOTOGRAPHER - COZZ

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO? “LOL IF U MEANT TO FUCK TO, IT WOULD BE LED ZEPPELIN ‘I CAN’T QUIT YOU BABY’.”

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? “AT THE MOMENT I GOT THIS THING FOR TEYANA TAYLOR , BUT I DON’T KNOW IF SHE’S CONSIDERED A RAPPER.”

ASIA BURRIS @ASIAEVOLV WRITER -CHYNNA

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO? “BY “SMASH” YOU MEAN PARTY, RIGHT... LOL MY FAVOURITE PARTY SONG WOULD HAVE TO BE ANY SONG OFF OF YG’S NEW ALBUM, IT BRINGS OUT MY INNER GANGSTA.” WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? “I’M A SERIOUS KENDRICK LAMAR FAN. HE’S PROBABLY THE SEXIEST TO ME. HIS OVERALL SWAG IS APPEALING, AND HE HAS EFFORTLESS STYLE. PLUS, HE’S FROM CALI, SO THAT’S ALWAYS A PLUS FOR ME.”

FLAVIEN PRIOREAU FLAVIENPRIOREAU.4ORMAT.COM PHOTOGRAPHER - SCHOOLBOY Q

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO?

“AL USHER ‘LULLABY FOR ROBERT’ - BOGDAN IRKUK REMIX. FOR ME THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT SONGS FOR FUCK, BUT THIS ONE IS ON MY FAVORITE. I’VE DISCOVERED IT AT A PARTY IN BROOKLYN AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO PARIS WITH ME.” WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? “I DON’T KNOW WHO IS THE SEXIEST RAPER BUT FOR ME THE THE COOLEST RAPPER EVER IS ACTION BRONSON.”

CONTRIBUTORS

SAM BAYLISS-IBRAM SAMBAYLISSIBRAM.TUMBLR.COM @SAMBAYLISSIBRAM PHOTOGRAPHER - TINASHE, NASIR MAZHAR FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO? ‘OOCHIE WALLY’ BY NAS.

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? NAS.

JUSTIN AND ANDRE, A+C STUDIO FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO? MISSY ELLIOTT - ‘MELTDOWN’

FAVOURITE SONG TO SMASH TO? MISS PRADA - ‘BIG DICK’

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? LIL’ KIM - I USED TO BE SCARED OF THE DICK, NOW I THROW LIPS TO THE SHIT, HANDLE IT LIKE A REAL BITCH.

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST RAPPER EVER? LISA LEFT EYE LOPEZ OR VANILLA ICE CIRCA 1990’S

20 SHOTS

ONE CULT FILM

20 ICONIC SCENES

NATURAL BORN KILLERS, 1994. OLIVER STONE

THE MISSY ELLIOTT CHAIN

Illustration by Oh Dear Words by Thomas Usher

THIS SUCCESS, COUPLED WITH HER WILLINGNESS TO PLAY TO THE IMAGE OF A HIP HOP CARICATURE, RESULTED IN SOME JEWELLERY OF GADDAFI-ESQUE PROPORTIONS

M

issy Elliott is the first cartoon lady of hip hop. She has taken the term ‘larger than life’ and wrapped it in a diamond encrusted fat suit. She emcees with noises that don’t make sense but are so catchy you scratch your ears for weeks after. Like Busta Rhymes in the nineties, she was pure hyper-coloured, hip hop cliche, all bombastic lyrics and bold primary colour schemes, and we loved her for it. Her reign at the top of the game stretched from the late nineties through to the mid-noughties, coinciding with Timbaland’s absolute dominance in the charts.

Let’s be real, he could’ve recorded Gwyneth Paltrow screaming her favourite quinoa soup recipe into a box of Frosties and it would’ve topped the charts for seven weeks.

This success, coupled with her willingness to play to the image of a hip hop caricature, resulted in some jewellery of Gaddafi-esque proportions. Usually most artists have just one signature chain they are known for, but Missy took it to the next level by having two signature chains, both as extravagant and self obsessed as each other.

The first, and lesser known, is her purple diamond encrusted ‘Cancer’ chain, in recognition of her zodiac star sign.

Usually worn for public appearances rather than in videos, it’s one of those pieces that is so powerfully shiny and diamond beleaguered that it looks fake, only for you to realise that Missy Elliott has so much money that she can afford to buy things that are so expensive they look fake. Why? Because money, that’s why.

The second and more ubiquitous chain is the one that can be mostly spotted draped over a garish Adidas two piece in videos and promotional shots. This one really takes the limelight in terms of ego, because it is a diamond encrusted image of her own face. Yes, at the end of a chain that looks like a solid gold marshmallow twist lies the bejewelled outline of her own face circa the ‘Miss E... So Addictive’ album cover. The outline on the chain even features her wearing earrings, in a jewellery moment so meta that the creator of the chain probably committed hari-kiri from overthinking the design.

It really does takes a superb level of self-love to think that your insanely expensive necklace could only be bettered by a picture of your own head. Even the king of vanity, Kanye West, has the image of Jesus as his chain piece. But Missy, being the loveable yet borderline mental character she is, somehow pulls it off with style. It only serves to accentuate the cartoonish image she presents of herself in her videos, and reinforces her larger than life persona that we know and love.

THE QUESTIONS What do you smell like right now?

My own personal mixture of PLAY by Givenchy and $5 White Linen which is an African Oil you get on the street.

How would your last partner sum you up in three words?

“A Fucking Asshole.” I would describe her as “A Fucking Whore,” so touché.

What’s the most troublesome thing you did as a child?

When I was a kid, I ran away from home on my skateboard with a screwdriver for protection.

Who’s the weirdest celebrity you ever had a crush on? eXquire doesn’t crush, he fucks. Nah real talk, I don’t know, nothing too weird.

Maybe Kathy Segal the lady who played Peggy Bundy on ‘Married With Children’.

Is that weird though?

Ever punched a stranger?

Yes. A few times actually.

What’s your most embarrassing fear?

I’m afraid of Blackface, like the old racist ‘Minstrel Show’ shit. That creeps me out.

What sound do you hate?

Not to be nasty, but I don’t like the sound of ass hitting my thighs during sex, like that loud “plap plap plap” sound.

I be thinking, “Can we quiet the cheeks down?” just a notch.

Which character trait of yours do you hope your child doesn’t inherit?

Probably my stubbornness, my social anxiety and depression.

What’s your favourite sea creature?

Seahorse or Electric Eel. The worst thing about drugs is…

They suck people’s souls out from them and make them believe they’re worthless with or without them. They cost too much money when your broke. They provide a false sense of strength or escape. Worst of all they kill people. Rest in peace Ease Da Man.

Photo by Jessica Lehrman

WITH

MR MUTHAFUCKIN’ EXQUIRE

THINGS RAPPERS SHOULDN’T DO...

DATE OUTSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY Illustration by Eddie Ruxton Words by Chris Mendez

TODAY’S RAP ARTIST IS MULTIFACETED. DRAKE SINGS, B.O.B PLAYS THE GUITAR, LIL WAYNE SKATES (LIKE SHIT) AND MACKLEMORE MARRIES LESBIANS. Although these things are in fact difficult, especially with the whole celebrity thing keeping them busy, rappers can’t seem to figure out something that has been around since the beginning of time. Love. Yeah, Love. You know, like that annoying, off-key Keisha Cole song, yeah, that kind of love.

Although you hear the stories of the wild nights and sexual escapades, you must remember, that isn’t love. I’m talking about that fart in front of him love; the real shit. With the exception of T.I and Tiny’s pistol packing, drug smuggling, VH1 relationship, there haven’t been many ride or die relationships in hip hop. You’re probably reading this saying to yourself – “What about Jay and Beyonce?” – Well guess what, they’re practically immortal so “Ride or Die” doesn’t apply.

Now I know this has been a recurring issue that nobody can quite understand but let’s break it down. Rappers are ambassadors. They promote lifestyles and hope to use their words and actions to persuade and encourage the public. Some rappers have a niche, which creates complete transparency. For example, Curren$y’s niche is marijuana and there isn’t a soul who can deny that. You can argue that 75% of his content revolves around pot culture. However, the other 25%, which we can call the grey area, consists of general rapper shit. Now correct me if I’m wrong but 100% of that grey area is the word “BITCH”. It’s not breaking news. Rappers objectify women.

Here’s where we figure out the issue at hand…

Like I said before, rappers are ambassadors so let’s let that marinate and move on to the next example. For this one, we’re going to take a trip to Russia and talk about one of their ambassadors who also happens to be their president, Vladimir Putin. As you may or may not know, Vlad is known to be kind of a dick. He excels in many things such as security, drinking vodka and housing American whistle blowers but he is NOT good at loving the gay community. Not even a little bit. Not even more than Chick-Fil-A. Let’s begin the experiment. If you were Sir Elton John and you were in need of a fat check you would go to your manager and ask for some shows. If your manager were smart he would probably keep you away from Russia. Why? Because as an ambassador of something that is AntiLBGT, Vlad would be a horrible host. That was easy right? Let’s circle back and get to the bottom of this. Girls, especially those who date rappers, have the worst management. This is because their management is usually their friends. These friends encourage rapper relationships, which usually end up with the question “Why did you let me date him?”

I’ve been around my fair share of rap artists and I’ve only seen a few successful relationships within that business. These are usually because the person the rapper is dating is also in the industry. This ‘industry’ person understands what rappers are ambassadors of; ESPECIALLY that grey area we spoke about earlier. Remember how I said Beyoncé is immortal? That’s because she understands that the majority of this objectification towards women is an act and pays the bills. So why aren’t rappers good at love? Because they usually date mortals. If you rap, get yourself a Beyoncé or a Tiny…I like option 1.

VINSTAGRAM VIC MENSA WITH

VIPER GAVE VIC MENSA A DISPOSABLE CAMERA ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO LONDON FOR A VINTAGE TAKE ON INSTAGRAM

HANDS IN THE AIR NOW...

WE READY

CANT WAIT TO BE BACK IN LONDON

LOVE THESE GIRLS

CAN U SPOT ME

TURNING UP

NANDO’S ON

DECK

“SO BAPY JESUS RIGHT NOW, IT’S CRAZY”

“LDN FRIENDZ”

JONWAYNE THE SEX SYMBOL OF STONES THROW RECORDS ON HOW HIS QUEST TO GET LAID LED HIM TO A RAP CAREER Words by Thomas Usher Photography by Mehdi Lacoste

J

onwayne really doesn’t seem interested in the bullshit. I first spot him browsing through the book section of Brick

Lane’s Rough Trade Records. He’s here to do a Q&A, after a viewing of Stones Throw Records’ new feature length film, ‘Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton’. This is only his second time in England and yet his fan base is growing exponentially with each visit.

After stealing the show at Giles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards in March, he’s here headlining his own gig, and it’s proving popular. “I tried to get some friends in myself but even I couldn’t ‘cause it sold out months ago” he says. “Shit’s got crazy over here since my last visit.”

After his Q&A session, he ambles back over to the book section to continue browsing while we talk. So what does he read on tour? “At the moment I got this Ray Bradbury [classic Sci-Fi author] book of short stories on my iPad I’m reading a lot, it’s good onthe-road stuff.”

It seems fitting that an artist many consider to be the future of hip hop knows a lot of good Sci-Fi and when asked about the future of the written word, he’s equally forward thinking. “I see a probability of a resurgence in the written word and rappers are gonna be the ones to bring it back because the public doesn’t trust nobody else. Nobody’s gonna listen to an 80 year old whose won the Pulitzer [Prize] except other 80 year olds who read that shit, rappers are known as the poets now.” With Dizzee Rascal recently being included in the national English syllabus he may have a strong point.

As we talk, I can’t help but notice how each question is answered in that same distinctive yet nonchalant baritone he has on tracks. At some points he seems to meander through an answer but then at others, he’s as concise and punchy as his lyrics. When I ask him how he first got into writing he again cuts the bullshit with a naked level of honesty; revealing it was all simply to impress a girl. “When social media was blowing up, I saw she liked poems and I was like, ‘Shit I can do that’. Then I noticed I could do it and it was easy, so I kept on doing it. All this was around the same time I stopped doing sports...so it was a very neat transition from physical violence into mental violence.”

Now slightly older and wiser, he’s ready to make a different kind of transition. Having been a part of a golden generation of LA based beatmakers that include Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer and Daedelus, the release of his first LP, ‘Rap Album One’, is set to place him alongside his peers; transitioning him from local cult classic to globally reknowned name. Although naturally prolific in his output -he’d released three mixtapes prior to his first album, ‘Cassette’ 1, 2,& 3 on Stones Throw in the space of a year - he remains humble in light of the increased recognition. “I expect too much out of myself to be complacent in anything I’ve already done. Like, right now what I make I think is perfect, but as soon as it comes out I find something wrong with it and have to go make something else. I think it’s expected of me to keep feeling that way in the future, to keep all those vices at bay that can make artists be less than what we expect them to be.”

Speaking of vices (this is the Sex Issue), I move the conversation on to the kind of vices that he might run into on tour. Interestingly, even with something as excessive

NOBODY’S GONNA LISTEN TO AN 80 YEAR OLD WHOSE WON THE PULITZER PRIZE EXCEPT OTHER 80 YEAR OLDS WHO READ THAT SHIT, RAPPERS ARE KNOWN AS THE POETS NOW.”

as groupies he remains staunchly matter of fact: “It’s part of the life, man. But I used to detest those who took advantage of people who wanted to have intimate relationships and what not.” So what’s changed since then? “I realised on tour that you don’t really have the opportunity to meet those on a similar level, the only people I’m gonna meet are people who have been to my shows. It can get lonely... but there are just certain ways to deal with it.” Fittingly, after giving what is probably the most philosophical justification of banging groupies ever, he also has some considered musical choices he likes to listen to when he is spreading the Jonwayne love. “I like listening to ambient music like Tim Hecker, sometimes y’know, some soul music... Dutch Robinson’s tight.

Oh I did it to Nick Drake [Folk Legend] once, that was tight.”

As I leave, Jonwayne is still browsing through the book section in his trademark shorts and sandals searching for an uncut copy of ‘The Art of Field Recording’. Later that night he’ll rock the same nonchalant look as he rips through his sold out show at Birthdays.

You might expect that an artist as unpredictable on record as Jonwayne would have some kind of elaborate stage get up, but then I guess he’s not interested in the bullshit. souncloud.com/jonwayne @jonwayne

DENZEL HIMSELF

Photos by Ryan Warner Words by Shola Timothy

SOUTH LONDON’S MOST POETIC YOUNG LYRICIST ON GENDER AND GEOGRAPHY Strolling through the shadows of a place once iconic, I scan the dockside for a kid who looks like Denzel Himself. Known until this moment through authenticity alone, I saunter through a populous London Southbank looking for the rapper. Faster than expected this approach pays off, as I notice a certain youth gazing contentedly over the Thames, emitting that certain scent of ingenuity. As I near the scene, my declarative “yo” seems like a party during prayer. Though as he turns around, his expression casually, quite charmingly, electrifies. “I’m Denzel.” Holding a skate deck in one hand, he goes for handshake instead of fist bump, the first of a few quaint details.

Soon after, we arrive at a Mexican cooking hut, minds distracted from the grilling of an interview. We start with pulled beef as I push forward my first question why rap? Pause for chew. “Probably Odd Future, the spring of 2010” he says, “they were more tangible than the stars.” He chuckles at the poetic potential of this first riposte before I question, “was there a particular track, a sonic epiphany?” “You know” he sits up...

“Tyler’s D.I.Y. attitude made me see things differently - I connected with OF’s cult spirit, that sense of selfreliance and aggressive desire, regardless of the musical direction.” Throughout the lexicon of game changing hip hop, stalwarts such as The Diplomats, Kanye West or Rick Ross have inspired others through hustle, and not sound. Denzel is keen to harness this determined energy, and use it as a backdrop for his unique sound.

“

I SEE MY GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION IN THE REALM OF CHANCE, SO I’M NOT NECESSARILY A FLAG WAVER.

”

Four releases to date, Denzel’s Oxford-precise pronunciation makes for an invigorating and thorough flow. Asked if this is consequence of upbringing, or a desire to be all the way British, he responds “Fables.

My mother used to read me Aesop, and then I have this thing where I’m almost obsessive about etymology, the origin of words.” Addressing the partisan element of the question he muses, “I see my geographical situation in the realm of chance, so I’m not necessarily a flag waver.”

It seems as though national pride is fairly irrelevant to Denzel, though there is no question the refined nature of his English curiously contrasts vernacular norms.

Recent servings of music including ‘Selsie’, ‘Nobunaga’ (featuring Piff Gang’s Milkavelli) and ‘Young Insolent’ are very much like Michelin suppers; The produce is rare, the delivery sharp - and his growing list of patrons are hungry for more. I ask “How would he define his style?” He sips. “‘I’ve called it ‘Pleasure’, a cohesive collection of songs and visuals, produced entirely by myself.” I discover more bows to his arrow when he reveals a thirst for film, previously enriched by a college class where he would borrow tools to learn after hours.

“I don’t know if borrow is the right word” he jokes. “In terms of who I’m working with, [that’s] my creative partner Gabriella Skies. Together we work under the moniker ‘Brxtherhood’. Also my best friend Myylo Whyte.” Illustrative of a versatility blossoming, Denzel produces one track on the upcoming Hawk House EP ‘A Handshake For Your Brain’. It’s a piece he describes as “funny, relatable and thought provoking.”

As we go in with more tacos and a couple of Cubaneros, I tell Denzel I’ve caught him not being a typical rapper and posting music from other genres on his Twitter feed.

Does he yearns to work with more contrasting musical flavours? “J*DaVeY from Los Angeles...and Gwen Bunn, a beautiful auteur would be my dream collaborators.”

I’m keen for him to speak about a musician from the past. Placing the habanero sauce for thought he quips “Kurt Cobain, just to talk to him.” When I bring to his attention he was born while Mobb Deep were releasing ‘The Infamous’, and that they too were 19, he cracks a blended smile of innocence and confidence. The most important caveat in hip hop, ‘good enough, old enough’ continues to ring true.

The echoes of his debut Slocal performance in March could be heard for weeks in the cave that is the Internet.

Asked whether that has amplified his desire to perform, or propelled him back into the lab, he says, “My cave is my front room and I love creating, but I can’t deny wanting to get out there and do it again.”

With space to share a cross border pudding (NY cheesecake), we dip into the field of Sex for this issue.

Adorned in coloured sticky gems and party cones [as baphomet horns] for the shoot, Himself caricatures perception, and illustrates his belief in a slim binary for gender, lyrics and lifestyle. “The message is duality of polarity, the co-existence of seemingly opposing ideas.” In 2014, when thugs of yesteryear proudly flaunt tapered leathers and pastel colourblock, it’s a meaningful statement of intent. By pushing the boundaries further, Denzel shuns the new found sartorial uniformity and challenges perception refreshingly. “I’ve got bars, but I want people to know nothing else matters, and that they can do this too.”

souncloud.com/denzelhimself @countZelda

SUNNI COLON

SUNNI COLON THIS PRODUCER AND SINGER FROM LOS ANGELES IS ATTRACTING ATTENTION

There’s a place in California that’s always warm and cloudy. It’s both beautiful and dirty. Refined and raw. It can be as sensual and inviting as a James Turrell designed room, as brightly intricate and layered as a Murakami painting, or as bare and thought-provoking as a Daniel Arsham sculpture. It is in this metaphysical space that you will often find Sunni Colón meditating.

Inside this complex space, Sunni Colón Thierry Tetsu, or Kayce (if you know him like that) receives inspiration for the melodies and words that have his name buzzing in the offices of ever cool independent record label, Kitsuné plus Roc Nation. Although he classifies them as demos due to a lack of proper funding to mix and master them at the time, his tracks have all the makings of a new timeless genre of music; picture Gorillaz and Musiq Soulchild working on a mixtape of original music together for their first crush in high school. Sunni’s musical compositions aren’t tailored for moments like a first dance at a wedding or making love, but rather capturing the emotions behind those moments so they can fit into any of them. Speaking of his music’s

relation to sex, he says, “”I think [my music is changing the taboo of sex]. I think it will. I make love to all of my music. My music simulates sex and sex simulates my music.”

Sunni has taught himself every instrument he’s had a chance to get his hands on, facilitating his experimental growth from a beatmaker at the age of 13, to now composing his own symphonies of love at 23. Living alone and broke since 17, Sunni resorted to selling “mostly weed” to pay for his undergraduate civil engineering and ethnic studies degrees. Under the stress of barely getting by on foodstamps, his melancholy and cryptic music reflected the mental and physical strain. But nonetheless, he continued to hone

Photos by Don Lim Words by Bryan Hahn

the skill of translating his emotions into meaningful music, repressing his most creative ideas until he was “stronger.”

Now, instead of loops, he’s graduated to developing living and breathing entities whose duality and emotions echo in your mind. If you listen to ‘1000 Roses’ with your eyes closed, the distant synthesizer helps you visualize falling rose petals, while the descending piano chords and cutting string melodies act as the thorns. On ‘Jezebel’, you can picture the underwater piano theme congealing into the life blood of a robot that’s pumped throughout, by a mechanical heartbeat pulsing from a TR-808.

As more and more strangers on Tumblr bombard him with probing questions, especially when he takes down older songs on SoundCloud to make room for more, he preserves a thin air of mystery. After years of keeping to himself, he guards his psyche by creating a Venn diagram-like relationship between his personal life and the form of his creative expression, the overlap being his music.

While most artists aspire to reach rockstar status and everything that comes with that, Sunni opts to use the title of porn star. At least, that’s what he tells girls his profession is when he first meets them. For him, it’s a “powerful way of saying, ‘Fuck it’.” Based on the adult film actors he’s met, he admires them for not only getting paid a lot for something they thoroughly enjoy, but also for their indifference towards those who judge. He admits, “I’ve never had sex with a pornstar… at least not that I know of.” After a polite laugh he continues, “But I’ve had sex with girls who have become pornstars.” soundcloud.com/sunnicolon @sunnicolon

MEET THE PRODUCERS :

BLACK MACK LONDON’S OWN BLACK MACK ON HOMETOWN’INFLUENCE AND WORKING WITH HIS FRIENDS, KING KRULE AND RATKING Firstly, briefly introduce yourself. What’s your name? Where are you from?

My names Mack, I’m from South East London and proud of that. There’s strong sounds emanating from this area at the moment and it’s important to appreciate that when in the past we’ve perhaps been underrepresented, when the North, East and West have had their shine.

How would you describe your style of production?

My style of production is an amalgam of all my influences to date. I try to knit together the reference points of the sounds that have given me ‘that’ feeling over the years. Whether that’s hip hop, r&b, jazz, which mostly revolve around playing, recording or sampling, up to the the more electronic end of the spectrum in sounds like grime and house; where I just create dubs and edits for myself to bump or for big systems. In that respect, it’s all an extension of me. Trying to reimagine these experiences through my vision, with that comes my own aesthetic.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

The Sub Luna City beats we did are getting nice response since the tape dropped.

The most popular individual works are the series of RATKING freestyles with Wiki and Hak over my beats. I’ve been putting out intermittently on SoundCloud and shit over the past 18 months and theres more in the archive.

We record ‘em every now and then when a cypher pops off, NYC or LDN. So yeah, either those or the beats and tapes I done with PXSH6XD and Lofty of Metro Zu. What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

RATKING’s ‘So It Goes’ ‘cause it’s the title track off what I think is the coldest

hip hop record to emerge in a minute. As a hip hop head, I’m hella proud to have been involved. It’s so original, so fresh. To have any input whatsoever was dope, I just tried to contribute that grimey edge cos thats what we do best in London.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music? Why is that?

I think it’s brilliant. I’m currently writing my thesis on something that explores this topic a little. Without going too deep, I just think without that accessibility brought on by technology, we wouldn’t be enjoying half the incredible music that we do now; a key example being the grime music that inspired me to get producing way back when. That wouldn’t have been conceivable, achievable, transmissible, let alone nearly as innovative, if the kids pioneering it didn’t have the tools that were newly available to them and so readily accessible. That said, I do sympathise with the notion that just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. There’s so many out there right now who just pick up Traktor and think they’re a selector, or crack a copy of Fruity [Loops] and call themselves producers. The same way i see these wasteman commandeer a point and shoot, start papping and suddenly they’re photographers! Where’s the art, the context, the vision? You ain’t done the education, nor the work. These cats just live off their image and their Tumblrs and it’s suffocating the field.

What influences you as a producer?

Sounds, images, experiences, they all inform the ideas. I’m really a music freak, so I draw a lot from what i’m listening to, whether thats new or old. Next would be visual elements. With all of us the visual representation of the sound serves a primary purpose to convey the concept. Personally, this manifests as scenarios

or visions in my head that push forward the music, which are in turn usually inspired by my experiences, perhaps places I’ve travelled to, clubs i’ve been, the girls I seen, the shows we played. Always trying to reflect these sonic notions with graphic elements.

How did you begin making music? Was it a particular influence or circumstance?

I always had a sound system and records at the crib from young, which was my mum’s and her friends. She’s just a passionate listener, really into all sounds but particularly jazz, soul, funk, rare groove, lovers rock, reggae, R&B and hip hop. That rubbed off on me, I been into it since birth, so i guess it can be traced to her. I got in to making my own shit with some friends, we used to emcee, rap and do little sets and shit. I used to DJ, the natural progression was to start constructing our own riddims and I caught the bug, it went from there.

working for a respected independent record label. We released music by the likes of Omar and Zed Bias, as well as a bunch of really cool funk, jazz and soul music. I did that for a while until I was about 18. Then I worked with some promoters bringing a lot of artists we liked to London, the likes of DOOM, Ghostface Killah, Flying Lotus, Freddie Gibbs, Questlove, Bonobo. Now I’m at university, I study music culture so that encompasses a hell of a lot, but I always try to relate it to what I’m into.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

Anything Jay Dee, Madlib, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Scott Storch, Heatmakers, Wiley, Davinche, Kode9. That was my come up, 2002 2008.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

The instrumental makes the track, regardless; that’s been clear to me from early. If the beats fuego, 9 times out of 10, the track is fuego. I been a freak for instrumentals since grime took a hold and all them Limewire riddims were commonplace, so you had to dig deeper. I ended up with a sick collection though. The same way with hip hop music and the whole beat culture.

Instrumentals weren’t particularly easy to come across, unless you copped singles, 12”s and promos. But people like Premo, RZA and Jay Dee gave the beats prominence in their own right. I’m a straight beat junkie.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2014?

We put out the Sub Luna tape to kick off 2014, we got some more coming from that by way of solo mixtapes for Rago and Jadasea and maybe some instrumental bits. Jesse James Solomon too, that’s the fam. Me and Edgar also got some heaters we made last summer on Remy Banks upcoming project, keep an eye out for that. The RATKING LP literally just dropped so cop that!

We’ll be supporting them on some European dates too. On a personal level, I got my first 12” coming hopefully this summer, which I’m hella excited about ‘cause I got a good label and solid people behind me. I think me and Archy [King Krule] are finally gonna press up our own things too.

Were you ever involved in any other musical projects besides what you are doing right now?

I got kicked out of school when I was 15 and semi-blagged my way into

soundcloud.com/blxckmxck, @blxckmxck

MEET THE PRODUCERS :

Photos by Nolis

SMOKO ONO INTRODUCING THE CHICAGO PRODUCER WHO HAS PRODUCED SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE SAVEMONEY TRACKS

Firstly, briefly introduce yourself. What’s your name? Where are you from?

How would you describe your style of production?

My name is Smoko Ono AKA Flex Da, Situation. I’m from Chicago, Logan Square to be specific. I would say my style of production is feel-good, wet, tropical, space-trappin’, turn-up shit.

What would you say are the most popular beats you’ve created?

‘Feel That’ by Vic Mensa, ‘W$GTM’by Dally Auston, ‘Good Shit Talkin’ by Tris J featuring Sir Michael Rocks, ‘Pass the Flame’ by Jarred AG, Saba and Sterling Hayes’ and ‘False Gods’ by Jarred AG featuring YC The Cynic.

What is your favourite song you’ve worked on and why?

All the new shit I’ve been making; but it’s not out yet. From what’s released, hands down has to be ‘Feel That’. Vic and I were in the studio at like 2am and came up with the idea to make a turn-up track. Vic freestyles the whole thing and we were like, “Dammmmm! This shit is stupid hot.” The vibe and creative energy were there. Another reason I love it is because people go crazy at shows when they hear it.

Do you think that production software becoming more accessible to just anyone is a good or bad thing for music? Why is that?

I don’t think its a bad thing for music that software is becoming more accessible for people, because creating music is a beautiful thing and everyone should be able to experience that. It’s just what you do with that software, and if what you make is some hot shit. Competition is just gonna get tougher and artists really have to stand out with their own style.

What influences you as a producer?

What influences me as a producer is to see how many people hit me up saying they love my beats and all the positive feedback I receive. Also I would say the lifestyle of a producer/artist traveling the world with your friends is dope.

Especially hearing your songs being played in front of sold out shows, or hearing people sing along to a song you produced when they barely speak English.

How did you begin making music?

I started off playing the violin in a youth orchestra when I was about eight years old, then I got introduced to making beats by my older head John John aka Jrive. John and I were playing basketball, probably the first day I met him and we were talking about music. He told me he makes beats and has a little studio and asked if I wanted to learn. I was like, “Helllll yeah I want to learn!”

Everyday I used to hit him up to make beats with him, until my parents brought me a keyboard and Reason software for Christmas, I was about 17. Shout out John John for introducing me to producing.

What draws you to creating instrumentals?

The whole creative process of making a beat. Just locking yourself in the room and zoning out to the sounds and all the energy and emotions you might be experiencing that day and just create away. Making beats is the most relaxing thing to do and a great way to relieve stress or anything your dealing with at that time in your life.

What, for you, is the perfect beat?

My perfect beat would be that one beat that wins me a Grammy or Oscar, but in the meantime any beat that makes someone feel excited to hear it and brings out some sort of intense emotion.

Can you tell us about any projects coming in 2014?

Working on a lot of stuff right now. I’m linking with a lot of dope artists, well-known artists actually, and making a compilation tape called ‘Smoko and Friends’ but that won’t be out ’til Fall. I already have a few singles off that project on SoundCloud. In the meantime, working on ‘Slackin and Mackin Vol 1.’ and continuing work with Jarred AG, my brother who has some dope stuff coming out. Dally Auston’s new project is coming out soon, plus creating music and traveling with Vic Mensa. You’ll definitely hear a lot from me in 2014, I promise you.

NEW PHAZE A PIFF GANG ODYSSEY

Shirt by Stussy

Photos by Eddy Leonardo Words by Ben Niespodziany

THE LONDON RAPPER WHO IS FLYING FROM THE PIFF GANG NEST TO LAUNCH HIS SOLO CAREER Ever since dropping their debut, ‘Piff Breaks and 808s’ back in 2011, Piff Gang have continued in their own lane. Or rather, they’ve continued orbiting around inside their smoked out spaceship. The green-thumbed MCs talk Grey Goose, girls, and ganjah over heavy-bass and slow-rolling instrumentals that are sure to melt listeners into couches and rocking chairs. In a city famous for grime and jungle, the London rap crew continue to smooth out their city with an endless supply of lifted flows.

After dropping their sixth mixtape, ‘Pizzy’, late last year, Piff Gang’s seven MCs are turning their attention to solo work. Much like Wu-Tang Clan and even A$AP Mob (who are fans of PG), solo projects are essential to differentiate between the personalities in the crew. Phaze What is one of the best known rappers in the group. Calling from Chicago via Skype, we chat about his upcoming projects, London’s perception of weed rap and his favourite wrestlers.

But, as is human nature, we begin talking about the weather. The snow has finally disappeared in Chicago, Phaze states he doesn’t know how he would handle the snow. “Yeah, but London has that fog.” I say. “We call it the Sahara Sand here. It’s crazy. Probably full of government chemicals and shit.” Phaze responds.

He reflects on the developments of the past year, which he says have been, “Mad busy, recording constantly. I’ve recorded like 80 tracks.”

“18?” I ask.

“No. Eighty. Eight. Zero.” It’s very loud in Phaze’s crib and arms constantly appear, making Skype cameos as they pass the rapper monster doobies. Phaze tells me he’s been recording non-stop these past two to three weeks. “I’m working on a little EP before the full tape. Three or four tracks called ‘Groupie Idol’. I’m turning it into a short film trilogy, three songs on some old school Sticky Fingaz shit.”

While the EP is around the corner, the full tape, which should be out in “six or seven months,” will include a combination of home studio sessions with producers as well as recordings from various locations throughout London.

“It’s all angles,” he says. “I’m trying lots of different methods. I’ll have a period where I’m in the studio every day for weeks, then I’ll take a break and just listen. The whole point of recording so many songs is to get in the right spirit.

So there’s shit no one’s gonna hear and shit you will definitely hear.”

Phaze and his crew have just returned from a show in Paris, performing with Araabmuzik. “He turned that club into a zoo.” A few days later they open for Yung Lean on his European tour. Although they still perform together, the group members are currently recording independent solo projects.

“It’s just that time,” Phaze explains. “It’s happening naturally.” The independent tip is showing promise: Phaze has a vault of tracks, Young Skout is recording in the States, Queens rap collective, World’s Fair have reached out as fans and inhouse producer Budgie collaborated with The Alchemist on an instrumental gospel project called, ‘The Good Book’. Naturally Phaze is proud, “That shit was crazy,” Phaze says. “Budgie’s on his job. And that deluxe edition comes with a G-Pen too!”

I ask him if it’s been hard to gain attention in the States. “I don’t think we ever set out intentionally to do it,” Phaze admits, “but the support has grown organically. We mirror a certain lane in the US that didn’t exist before we came up. Now we’re makin’ waves.”

Hoody by ALIFE

“WE MIRROR A CERTAIN LANE IN THE US THAT DIDN’T EXIST BEFORE WE CAME UP. NOW WE’RE MAKIN’ WAVES.”

When asked how his hometown views Piff Gang, he’s perplexed. “That a difficult fucking question,” he says, taking a drag from his gigantic spliff. “How does London view us? They’re fuckin’ with us, but it’s kinda like anywhere else: you have your supporters, your critics, your haters. We get love from artists we support and love. We have those co-signs, we got real fans, so anyone else, fuck ‘em.”

Phaze’s personal favourite Piff Gang tape is their first release, ‘Piff Breaks and 808s’, he says without hesitation. “The tape’s raw, it sounds raw. It wasn’t mixed well, but we got some heaters on there. All that shit was in-house.”

With this issue of Viper titled the Sex issue, it’s only right to find out his views on sex. “Sex is powerful,” he says. “Sex sells. Lust slyly runs the world.

The women, or the clever women at least, know how to use their power and appearance to find themselves in great positions.”

The rapper’s influences are varied as he avoids listening to a great deal of modern rap in favour of more tropical vintage sounds. “I’ve been bumpin’ old shit. Snoop’s ‘Doggystyle’, Reggae recently, [ScHoolboy Q’s] ‘Oxymoron’, Kali Uchis.”

Phaze is a huge fan of wrestling, with his Twitter biography reading, “Trying to headline Wrestlemania.” He reveals that he’s about to cop the “XXX jersey that says Wrestlemania 30 on the back.” When asked if he has a favourite wrestler, he hesitates, “Just one?!” “I can’t do just one, but I’ll give you my favourite from three eras. The old school Hulk Era, has to be Ultimate Warrior. The next era,

I’d choose Bret Hart over Sean Michaels. And then the Attitude Era is either Stone Cold or The Rock. I mean, shit. At the time, I’d say The Rock, but now it’s Stone Cold. He’s good for business, plus a lot more drugs and stories.” Days after this interview, Ultimate Warrior passed away and Phaze commemorated him with a tattoo on his leg.

He takes a while to decide on what his Wrestlemania entrance song would be, eventually settling on a Piff Gang track, “It would have to be ‘Bow Down’, our first big Piff Gang single. We wanted to impact on some ignorant shit.

It’s smooth, it just makes sense. If I wasn’t rappin’, I’d be trying to wrestle somewhere. That’s the truth.”

As the interview winds to an end, he has some final words and shout outs,

“Shout out Lily, of course. Be sure to check out ‘Groupie Idol’ coming soon.

These Piff Gang projects are coming, ‘bout to flood the whole game. Shout-out to The Undertaker. I hope he continues his streak.”

Following the interview, Wrestlemania 30 marked the first time in 13 years that The Undertaker lost. With Ultimate Warrior gone and The Undertaker no longer on the throne, now is the time for Phaze and Piff Gang to form their own posse of weed-smoking, power-bombs, body-slamming the rap world both in own city and worldwide, until the whole planet is rocking with glazed eyes. soundcloud.com/piffgang @phazewhat

Words by Thomas Usher Art Direction by Quirksville

Britain has the most CCTV cameras per person in the world. But why are the British so voyeuristic?

According to a report by the British Security Industry Association, there are between four and five million CCTV cameras in the UK. We have more cameras per person than any other country in the world, working out at roughly 12 and a half humans per camera.

That is a lot of surveillance, especially if you think about the fact the average population of a UK town (for example Norwich) is only between 300,000 and 400,000 humans. With those numbers in mind, you can already begin to imagine a terrifying dystopian future where CCTV cameras become autonomous and crave a family-friendly city with great access to the countryside, then rise against the lowly people of Norwich; easily destroying them with their 10 to 1 numerical advantage.

Other than a rise of murderous and grainy visuals, these numbers also give rise to interesting questions that are uniquely British, the most pertinent one being: why do we like looking at each other so much? What is it that is so pleasurable about watching each other, especially as some of us are just sitting around eating Pom Bears most of the time? Whether we were aware of it or not, we have become a nation of voyeurs. Britain is now technically the most voyeuristic place in the world, which seems at odds with the Victorian-era sensibilities we seem to carry around our necks as a national stereotype. In other words, if we’re meant to be a bunch of posh, frigid prudes with bad teeth, why is it we have become so dedicated to something that is traditionally viewed as seedy?

There are a number of elements that have contributed to this tidal wave of voyeurism, and the recent information explosion is one of the most significant. 90% of all information in the world has been created in the last two years. The irrevocable tidal wave of the internet has swept up everything in its path, and is only going to continue to grow. This increase in information has left us with a sense of knowledge entitlement.

The Internet has given us the idea that all knowledge should be immediately at our fingertips. Have you ever been left frustrated when you google some obscure MC and his picture wasn’t right at the top of the searches with every single lyric he ever wrote? Most of the time if what you’re looking for isn’t on the first page, you just think “Fuck it, MC Cornflakes probably doesn’t even exist!” In the same vein, this level of control over information has lead us to the point where we want that level of control in all aspects of life. Instead of accepting limitations, we

become indignant at the slightest barrier to what we want to know. An increase in voyeurism is almost bound to occur in this environment. We feel like we should be able to see everything at all times, and feel affronted; even fearful, when we can’t.

When this trickles down and manifests itself in our sex lives, we can begin to see how porn got so popular. It provides control, as you are able to see all types of desire manifested at any time and from any angle.

Being an old fashioned pervert back in the day was tough. You needed a great pair of binoculars, a heavy trenchcoat and probably a 40 a day cigarette habit to master the heavy breathing essential to be a true sex offender.

Plus if you got caught everyone thought you were weird and assumed you lived with your mum. Now Lonely Dave can do away with the sweaty palms and Marlboro Reds because he has a fibre optic connection and Pornhub. Lonely Dave can have any type of voyeurism experience he wants. He can live stream a woman from Japan eating fish with dildo chopsticks and bash off till he goes blind and that’s OK because it’s in the privacy of his own home, and he has what is in modern terms considered a ‘healthy love of broadening his sexual horizons’. In the UK 8.5% of all searches on Google are porn related. So that means almost ONE IN TEN searches are for porn. That’s more than shopping, news and even all social media combined.” If anything, people would think he was weird if he didn’t watch porn.

But why is Britain in particular so voyeuristic? One of the reasons porn may be more popular in Britain is because of that cliched ‘stiff upper lip’. You get the impression that we are somewhat more sexually reserved than our American or even European cousins, and find that voyeurism is the best and least conspicuous way of expressing our repressed desires. According to a recent study by Pornhub (yeah, they do research), the most searched term on Pornhub in England is ‘British’. This says to me that what we really want to do is just to have sex with each other. Even when we are faced with the legions of Japanese Dildo Chopstick videos, Lonely Dave actually just wants to see Diedre from next door’s tits, but is relying on porn because he is too reserved to make it happen in real life. Which is almost endearing in a way, if it wasn’t about people wanking.

Moving away from wanking but sticking with the wanker theme, we could also attribute our obsession with reality TV as another factor driving our voyeuristic tendencies. Before Big Brother came out, reality TV wasn’t a concept we knew of.

Davina McCall hadn’t even been built yet!

SE

ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE BRITISH SECURITY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, THERE ARE BETWEEN FOUR AND FIVE MILLION CCTV CAMERAS IN THE U.K

EE SEE TV Now we are inundated with every type of reality TV programme, from that one where they chucked some confused posh idiots in the middle of a barren wasteland to that one where they chucked some confused posh idiots in the middle of a barren wasteland in Chelsea. Flavor Flav even got one called ‘Flavor of Love’, in which female contestants were filmed battling it out to gain the ultimate prize of being Flavor Flav’s wife.

Seriously, it happened. Not only was it was a TV ratings success, it also managed to pull off the astonishing feat of crushing Flavor Flav’s tenuous credibility whilst simultaneously putting back womankind’s fight for equality 50 odd years.

The consistent success of reality TV programmes like ‘Flavor of Love’ and ‘Made In Barren Wasteland’, sorry ‘Made In Chelsea’, has normalised

voyeurism to the public. CCTV is not only a security tool, it is now an entertainment instrument. Things like porn and reality TV have become so widespread that it is making voyeurism a part of British culture and something we are known for globally, like the Daily Mail website, or battered Mars Bars. Again this normalisation of voyeurism is compounded by the aforementioned information explosion. We have so many choices of voyeuristic experience to pick from, whether it be the softcore reality TV programmes or the really pornographic and hardcore Flavor Flav stuff. We feel entitled to know about and see everything in our domain, so it feels strange and scary to us when we can’t. Our British reservations in regards to sex have only made us more willing to fulfill our desires in private. Now it’s easier and less demonised than ever.

JUNGLEPUSSY Photos by Jessica Lehrman Words by Lauryn Tomlinson

J

unglePussy is a glorious bundle of contradictions. Even in the notoriously explicit world of hip hop, she has one of the most explicit names going and some of her videos are enough to make Lil’ Kim blush. Yet despite all this, she’s a devout Christian, doesn’t partake in alcohol and even her infamous name has a far more innocent meaning than anyone would imagine - referring to her love of leopard print. She has often spoken of her bemusement at the hype her name creates, stating in an interview, “I could’ve sworn there was the Pussycat Dolls and Josie and the Pussycats, but nobody objected to their names. I mean, Dick is the name of many men across the world, and it’s also slang for penis.

Pussy is the same thing.”

I WANT MY FEET RUBBED, LOBSTER, GOOD LOVING, BUT MY IDEAL GUY WOULDN’T ASK ME, HE’D KNOW

I’ve pretty much been in love with JunglePussy from the moment I was aware of her existence - from her outrageous and super-sexual video outfits to immensely quotable lines that feel like a call to arms for every bad bitch out there.

My personal favourite, ‘Picky Bitch Checklist’, contains such gems as, “I’m not boujie, I’m selective” and “if you’re fucking with a bitch like moi, all you have to do is shut the fuck up and look sexy.” Her twitter account also serves as an insight into the mind of a bitch in charge, including my personal favourite soundbite: ‘BRAIDS TOO TIGHT TO SUCK DICK RN SRY TRY AGAIN LATER’. But she isn’t just a bossy rapper with a Twitter account (hi Azealia). This protege of Theophilus London has already supported two of hip hop’s reigning queens, Lil Kim and Erykah Badu, but 2014 looks to be JunglePussy’s headlining moment. And what better moment for Viper to meet this sexy rapper than for the Sex Issue?

We got into bed with JunglePussy to see what makes this Brooklyn badass tick.

You come across as a real alpha female in your music, do you think the average guy is intimidated by you?

I recently found out they are. I thought I was mad chill.

Although your lyrics can be quite explicit, rap music in general is full of sexually explicit lyrics - do you think it seems more shocking coming from a woman?

It’s not shocking at all. Everyone loves acting brand new. There were genius

It’s hard to help someone love themselves because most times they don’t want to hear it from you. It’s a long process...a day by day journey of accepting one feature at a time. Love your eyes because you can see.

Love your skin because it protects you. Love your limbs because they move you. Love your life because it’s exclusive.

‘Picky Bitch Checklist’ gives us an extensive list of your ideal man, how true to life is that?

Picky Bitch Checklist is real. I want my feet rubbed, lobster, good loving, but my ideal guy wouldn’t make me ask; he already knows. what I need.

What’s your ideal date?

Link up in the afternoon when the sun is shining and the air is chill. Dancing through the streets heading where the wind takes us.

What are the best and worst pick up lines you’ve ever heard?

Worst: “Let me be your Jungledick” Best: TBA

You come across as a real alpha female in

Do you think the name JunglePussy has

your music, do you think the average guy

altered how people see you, and do you view

is intimidated by you?

it as a help or a hindrance?

I recently found out they are. I thought I was

It’s the greatest experience ever. I believe in my

mad chill.

mind, body, and soul. I know who I am so it’s

interesting to see how people treat me. I get to

Although your lyrics can be quite explicit,

learn so much about people that way.

rap music in general is full of sexually explicit lyrics - do you think it seems more

You speak about your Christian beliefs a lot,

shocking coming from a woman?

does your song content get brought up by

It’s not shocking at all. Everyone loves

Christians you know?

acting brand new. There were genius female

All Christians love me!

entertainers in the 1930’s such as Lucille Bogan and Bessie Jackson whose lyrical

Although you have never been a stripper, a

content was even more explicit than it is

lot of your lyrics and your styling seem to

now. We’ve always had a voice, some just

celebrate strippers - do you spend time in

choose not to hear.

strip clubs?

Not really but I support women who do what

Do guys ever take tips on how to impress

they do to survive.

you from your songs?

You’d think they would right? Guys are

You have a great deal of body confidence,

dumb like, ‘hello...I make it so easy to let you

what advice would you give to women who

know what I want, just press play’.

have low self esteem?

What’s the best way for a guy to get a girl into bed?

Eye contact, open ears, open mind and respect.

How good do you think you are in bed?

A dream come true.

Do you have a signature move?

I like to learn new tricks.

Where’s the wildest place you’ve ever had sex?

I’m a virgin.

What is the most impressive thing a guy has ever done in the bedroom?

A girl has made passionate & patient love to me...

If you could give all male readers one tip on how to please their lady, what would it be?

Ask her what she wants. Get in her mind and find out her fantasies. Women want their dreams to come true. soundcloud.com/junglepussy @JUNGLEPUSSY

COZZ THIS SOUTH CENTRAL ROOKIE IS ONLY TWO TRACKS IN TO HIS CAREER AND ALREADY MAKING NOISE 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 like the G-Funk era. And that’s a good thing. YG has brought the West Coast sound back in a modern day way, while Nipsey Hussle and Dom Kennedy have built solid roots in their city. But the new kid making a name for his hometown is Cozz.

H

ailing from Inglewood, South Central this 20 year old MC appeared out of the clear blue sky with ‘Dreams’. The song is an aspirational anthem detailing the life he aims to avoid as he describes the reality of his father’s blue collar life. The video drifts between gritty footage of his friends shooting dice and HQ snapshots of Cozz floating down the street.

His debut release was followed by ‘I Need That’, an upbeat criticism of everyone from Instagram hoes to his friends that think he’s “getting white” like his high school peers. It’s hard to get a clear idea of an artist from two songs but his clear, confident delivery leave you craving more.

The pitch of his voice is similar to Eazy E and he bears a flow that hark back to LA’s golden era, but his music possesses an unmistakable fresh quality. Cozz lies somewhere between Kendrick Lamar’s conscious wisdom and ScHoolboy Q’s reportage of gang warfare. With lyrics publicising, not glorifying life in his hometown; “Still leave the crib and make sure I don’t forget the knife. The knife got me feeling like I’m Superman but praying I don’t run into a Crip tonight.” It’s time you learn about Cozz.

Words by: Lily Mercer Photography by: Terry Richardson

Photos by Mark Peace Words by Lily Mercer

Where did you come from? You literally released ‘Dreams’ and everyone was like, “Who’s Cozz?”

I started rapping at 16 and I’m 20 now, In between 16 and now, I’ve kinda been doing little petty recordings, I never did no shows, never released no music, anything. In December we actually really got serious, me and my little team, The Committee. I recorded my demo, took it up to Interscope.

My homeboy had an internship and so he showed some dude named Tunji up there and he really rocked with the music so then we just got started and we shot the video, put it out and bam. It’s been happening really fast, it was brand new for me. Everything that’s been happening is brand new.

That’s the old school way, going to a label with a demo, I like that.

Yeah, I’m tryna do it old school, I’m a nineties baby [laughs].

You’ve garnered a lot of attention with only a couple of songs out, how long have you been making music for?

It’s been like four years, at 16 I wasn’t even recording, I was writing, I was trying it out. I probably started recording at 17 with some dude in my house, he used to bring his equipment and I was recording in there. It was really just a hobby. I started to get serious, serious, last year. So like three years.

Which producers do you work with?

I started working with my homeboy Meez, he’s the dude that produced ‘Dreams’. He’s the first producer I ever really worked with, like going to his house and vibing out. Before that I was looking for beats on YouTube

and the website where you can buy beats, I was tryna buy beats and stuff like that. But I got a producer I worked with Meez like I said, and other producer named Dom, they’re the only two I been working with. Meez produced pretty much my whole mixtape and then Dom got a few on there, like two songs.

When are you looking to release the project?

Early June, it might get pushed back a little bit but we’re pushing for June.

The ‘Dreams’ video is equal parts gritty and poetic. How did the idea for you to float down the street come about?

That was the director’s idea, John [Merizalde], he’s a real smart dude, he really was into it and he loved the song so he gave his all to it. I told him I didn’t want it to be like no regular video, I’m an artistic dude myself, I didn’t want it to be a regular unoriginal video in the hood. So I told him, “Any ideas you got, I’m down, I’m listening.” We all plotted on it, me and my team and him, we came up with the ides and it worked out, it came out perfect.

It’s got the qualities of an anthem, was that the intention when you were writing it?

Not even, when I heard the beat I was in Meez house and we were making a beat and the first thing that came to mind was “Always had dreams of being rich huh?” So I was like, I’m gonna run with that, and I wrote it in two days. I was just in my zone, I was really in my feelings and I was just writing. I recorded in one take and it was magic, it’s crazy how it came out.

“Y’ALL GON’ SEE. IT’S GON BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT IT’S STILL GON’ BE LA AT THE SAME TIME.”

‘I Need That’ came shortly after, which sounds very different, were you eager to display your range?

When you hear the tape, there’s a lot of diverse shit in there. ‘I Need That’ was perfect because we felt like it shows a different side of me. It’s not all gon’ be strict hip hop, I’m really trying to show my diverse side. The next thing’s gon’ be real hard too. The whole tape, I ain’t tryna brag but I feel like it’s gon’ be the best tape this year.

Your city has a rich rap scene from the 90s, who’s your favourite MC from that era?

Cube, Ice Cube. He was one of my favourites growing up, the whole N.W.A., the whole movement was dope from Eazy E to Dr Dre. Snoop Dogg too, one of my favourites from LA of all time.

LA’s current scene is back in the spotlight. What do you think you can bring to the scene?

I think I bring a breath of fresh air, I’m brand new and I feel like my style is brand new - I don’t know what to call it to be honest, it’s my own style. Somebody gon’ have to make up a name for me. Y’all gon’ see. It’s gon be something different, but it’s still gon’ be LA at the same time. I don’t know what to call it though, you gon’ have to do that, it’s your job.

Your view of LA life is probably very different to theirs being only 20, you’re not a Section 80 kid.

Right, I’m fresh out of high school. Our situations are definitely different from Kendrick and ScHoolboy’s.

How old are they, like 27, 26? They got six years on me, so it’s kinda the same but not really. I’m gonna bring a different view on things. And like I said, I grew up in South Central but I went to a predominantly white school so I’ve definitely got two sides of the fence that I can talk about, which is dope. Like if you heard on ‘I Need That’, “Went to Mira Costa, so the homies think I’m getting white.”

What’s your drink of choice?

Hennessy but right now I’m on the broke side.

Hennessy is my preference but right now we drinking E&J, that’s like the cheap Hennessy. It still works though, fuck it! The Erk and Jerk, it’ll get you to’ up.

This is the Sex Issue of Viper by the way.

The Sex issue? Why am I in that? I’m sexy? [Laughs] I fuck with that, put me in the sex issue, I love it!

You don’t have to get naked, it’s fine. But has rap music affected your view of women?

Hip hop ain’t really done nothing for me with women, I don’t listen to the songs and like take heed, I got my own perspective. My mom taught me, I got the upmost respect for women but I feel like there’s women and then there’s bitches and then there’s hoes.

They all got their categories, so in songs when they say bitches, they mean bitches and that’s what I mean.

I’ll call a woman a woman if she a woman. But there’s bitches out there and hoes too, you gotta keep it real.

COZZ LIES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN KENDRICK LAMAR’S CONSCIOUS WISDOM AND SCHOOLBOY Q’S REPORTAGE OF GANG WARFARE I feel that though hip hop is misogynistic, women usually spend more money on releases and tickets to see their favourite rappers. Do you have a strong female following?

I get a lot of support from my female fans, they support the music, they love hip hop. And I’ve noticed the females listen to better music, they bump J.Cole and Kendrick and they really listen. I love the women, they’re a big part of the music industry.

Who’s your favourite female MC? It’s either between Lil Kim or Lady of Rage. But there’s someone I’m not thinking of. Nicki’s probably the biggest female artist but she’s not my favourite. It would be between Lil Kim and Missy Elliott.

Missy and Lauryn Hill are the greatest female artists in my eyes.

Oh shit, Lauryn Hill! I’m glad you said that, Lauryn Hill’s my number one.

I listen to her like on a daily, she dope as fuck.

Do you have plans to release any other project later this year?

Right now we’re calling it a tape but it’s probably gon’ end up an album, it’s album material. I won’t give too much away because we got a situation but

I really can’t talk about it. You gon’ hear about it but it’s probably gon’ be an album, fuck a mixtape.

Are you still recording more material?

Oh yeah, I’m recording right now, the album’s done, we just gotta tweak up little shit. I’m still recording, just stacking up my tracks, trying to go to another levels with my music as a lyricist. You gotta stay working, it’s easy to get in but staying consistent is when you really keep it. I’m just tryna stay consistent and make the best music I can, be the best Cozz I can be.

I’ma have a lot of material, I’m not sure what I’ll do after the album yet, it’s great enough for me to chill on for a minute.

Any plans to take a break soon?

We finna take over, I’m tryna get to the top off top, so right now we’re just in that process of making that happen.

I saw a tweet about a song called ‘Cody Macc’, is it coming out soon?

Yeah that’s the next visual and everything, that’s my favourite song, I listen to it like it ain’t me. It’s not my favourite, but one of my favourites. We bump that shit like we ain’t make the damn song. @cody_macc

Words by Lauryn Tomlinson Graphics by Quirksville

EVERYONE HAS THEIR FAVOURITE HIP HOP COUPLE AND FOR THE MOST PART IT’S A MATTER OF TASTE. DO YOU PREFER THE GORGEOUS SHINY DUOS OR THE RIDE OR DIE COUPLES THAT HELD EACH OTHER DOWN OVER THE YEARS? AND HOW WOULD YOU EVEN QUANTIFY WHAT MAKES A RAP COUPLE GREAT? QUITE OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BOIL DOWN TO WHICH CANDY BARS ARE COMPARABLE TO AND WHETHER YOU WOULD BEAT OFF TO THEIR SEX TAPE. VIPER INVESTIGATES...

JAY Z AND BEYONCE

Obviously these guys are the Homecoming king and queen in the high school of hip hop, the ones everyone aspires to be like that seem to exist on a completely different plane from us mere mortals (although recent events have brought them somewhat closer to mere mortal level). And a bit like Homecoming kings and queens, the older you get, the less you want to be them. Don’t get me wrong, obviously they do have a glamour that appeals to everyone but the older you get, the less you revere the cool kids from school.

IF THEY WERE CHOCOLATE...

After Eight chocolates. They are undoubtably delicious and pretty classy, but they aren’t something you would necessarily buy yourself. Like they way you would listen to their albums or rip them from a friend, but not necessarily buy them.

THE SEX-TAPE TEST Despite their recent need to ensure everyone knows what a hot sex life they have, I have precisely 0% interest in seeing a sex tape from hip hop’s golden couple, though I’m sure many male readers will disagree. Apart from my strong desire to never see Jay Z’s mug contorted into an O-face, these two seem a bit too clean and sterile to produce anything hot.

NAS AND KELIS

If Jay and Bey are the homecoming king and queen, Nas and Kelis would be the kids who skipped the prom to make out and smoke weed in the back of her dad’s car.

They were what the golden couple would’ve been if they didn’t give so much of a shit.

Without a doubt this was my favourite hip hop couple ever; their collabs were great, they looked amazing together, and every picture you saw of them looked like they were five seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off. Even their acrimonious split and Nas’ problematic lyrics in ‘Bye Baby’ have not dampened my love for these guys. R.I.P. to one of the greatest rap couples of our time.

IF THEY WERE CHOCOLATE...

An amazing limited edition Kit Kat, which was one of the best chocolate bars you ever ate, but has now been discontinued.

THE SEX-TAPE TEST In the same way that the video for ‘Milkshake’ was one of the sexiest, despite Kelis being not only fully dressed, but wearing jeans, this couple didn’t need ‘Drunk in Love’-style revelations about their sex life for us to know how much they were getting it. Their sex tape would blow Kim and Ray J out of the water.

FUTURE AND CIARA

Possibly the best looking couple in hip hop, I’m counting on these guys to repopulate the earth with impossibly attractive children. The pair of them are so deeply gorgeous they almost don’t look real, but they are and they have just gotten started on the repopulating the earth thing. They also get extra props for hanging out with Future’s three other baby mamas, showing that baby mamas don’t have to equal drama.

P DIDDY AND CASSIE

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

This pairing has never quite sat right with me, probably for the very shallow reason that Cassie is an 11 out of 10 on the hotness scale and however attractive Diddy might be, he’s clearly punching. I sometimes think it may, for the first time in history I’m sure, be a case of an unattractive older millionaire attracting a beautiful young woman, but I’m a sad, cynical human being. And despite all the engagement rumours, they’ve both stated that the massive diamond ring he gave her via Instagram was actually just a standard gift.

A galaxy bar - delicious and luxurious sure, but not the most exciting bar on the shelf.

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

THE SEX-TAPE TEST You would have to be asexual to not want to see this couple’s sex tape. It is a great sign of how attracted they are that he played the hot guy in her ‘Body Party’ video, and the chemistry they have is so great you almost want to excuse yourself from their presence.

SWIZZ BEATS AND ALICIA KEYS

A chocolate bar that’s been around for ages but recently had a revamp, like a dairy milk bar with oreos.

THE SEX-TAPE TEST Apparently these guys already have a sex tape? As much as my journalistic curiosity makes me want to see it, the disparity of this couple means it wouldn’t be easy viewing.

This is an odd one as although they’re both pretty attractive (well she is) and their hook-up legend is riddled with scandal, I find them the most boring couple in hip hop. Pretty crazy considering their life together has resembled an issue of OK magazine in many ways. It might be that the subsequent whitewashing of their affair (while he was married with a new baby) to ensure Alicia didn’t look like a home wrecker, has made them shy away from being remotely interesting. If that’s the case congratulations to them on a job well done!

PAPOOSE AND REMY MA

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

A Twix - they’re delicious, classic and are sweetly caramel as well as hard biscuit.

One of those fruit bars that your mum tries to convince you is candy but you know better.

THE SEX-TAPE TEST Of everyone on the list, this is the sex tape I would least like to see. It would be purely missionary with lots of hair-stroking

NELLY AND ASHANTI

Even a cold robot-heart like mine can’t fail to be melted a little by Papoose and Remy Ma. Getting married to your partner as they begin a jail term is some real ride or die shit, and Papoose’s dedication to keeping her name out there has helped maintained her fan base while she’s been in prison.

Let’s just hope that when she’s released this year, their love will continue, we don’t need them to be the rap game Winnie and Nelson Mandela.

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

THE SEX-TAPE TEST In an interview from prison, Remy said “After I get dolled up and lay down some records and my voice is out, I want to get away and get my back blown out for like a week, mess up the hair and make-up that I got done. I have been in prison for a while.” So yes.

For their genre of R&B/hip hop, these guys were the Jay Z and Beyonce of the early noughties, there is absolutely no denying it. Ashanti was the vocalist everyone wanted on their hooks, and (rightly or wrongly) Nelly was making all the club hits. Ashanti’s thighs were (and still are) regular visitors in many guy’s spank banks and, unlike Jay Z, girls were mentally undressing Nelly constantly. Despite their break up, their recent interview for Fuse has given me hope that rumours of a reconciliation might be true, I mean who flirts with their ex like that?!

T.I AND TINY

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

IF THEY WERE A CHOCOLATE BAR...

Something like a Penguin bar, a childhood treat that you’re always happy to revisit.

One of those weird combinations that somehow works, like Pretzel Flips

THE SEX-TAPE TEST

Apart from T.I. being put in a Special Housing Unit after being caught getting some during a prison visit, these guys actually have a sex tape.

And according to Tiny herself, on a scale of one to ten it was, “fifteen...real nasty.” Excuse me while I do some research...

You would have to be crazy to not want to see this sex tape, especially if it was made at the peak of their hotness.

T.I and Tiny has got to be one of the only couples in hip hop that have people like ‘he’s going out with her?!’; the anti-Diddy and Cassie if you want. But you’ve got to respect any couple that can maintain a relationship over 13 years and six kids, however much we hope those kids get extra helpings of his genes over hers (sorry Tiny). It always worth remembering that when they got together in hazy days of 2001, she was Tiny from Xscape and he was some any rapper who was essentially her arm candy.

THE SEX-TAPE TEST

SPECIAL MENTION: RIHANNA AND DRAKE

If they were a chocolate bar, they would be something that had been advertised relentlessly but doesn’t actually taste of anything. If you want to see a Rihanna sex tape, just watch any of her music videos.

Tracksuit by Soulland Bracelet and Rings by Black Scale

REJJIE SNOW

Photos by Verena Stefanie Grotto Words by Lauryn Tomlinson

Art direction by Verena Stefanie Grotto Photo Assistant: Simone Musu Styling by Ayishat Akanbi Fashion assistant: Kelvin Nguyen Make up by Natasha Buchanan using Mac Cosmetics

IRELAND’S ONLY RAP EXPORT IS REJUVENATING THE UK HIP HOP SCENE

Rejjie Snow has one of those buzz-worthy names that simply knowing, earns you credibility. Barely out of his teens, Snow’s managed to built a cult following with his dark, hushed rhymes and striking visuals. ‘Lost In Empathy’ is one such example, as he is chased through a barren wasteland wearing red. Abstract lyrics explore racism through the eyes of an albino.

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ith poetic lines like, “Flirting with the moon because she’s gorgeous” Rejjie is sure to appeal to fans of MF DOOM, Tyler the Creator and Captain Murphy. Speaking of the latter, many got the false impression that Snow was Flying Lotus’ mysterious masked alter-ego when Snow drunkenly tweeted that he was indeed Captain Murphy.

Though Ireland isn’t exactly known for it’s vibrant rap scene, Rejjie is the first to emerge from the emerald isle. His accent still garners attention, but laces the track smoothly, evident on ‘Black Pancakes’, which sees him telling the story of an awkward run in with a transvestite. Not your traditional subject matter. But Rejjie’s far from traditional, hungry to push the boundaries of hip hop in the UK and globally.

Rejjie Snow is the second act for Alex Anyaegbunam and it looks set to completely eclipse the first. In 2011 he released the critically acclaimed ‘Dia Dhuit’ under the moniker Lecs Luther, but the subsequent ‘Fish & Chips EP’ was indefinitely postponed while he moved to Florida on

a soccer scholarship, then studied in Atlanta before returning to his native Dublin.

Whether this American detour had any influence over his rebranding is debatable, but he has since re-emerged as the Rejjie Snow we know today - the undeniably rare combination that is world class rapper from Ireland.He’s already performed live with an impressive roster of artists including MF DOOM, King Krule and Kendrick Lamar. Pretty impressive considering he’s still not legally able to buy alcohol in the U.S. Luckily he is in London, the city in which he currently resides.

You can often find him wandering through East London with talented rap friends like Jesse James and Piff Gang’s Milkavelli not to mention Sub City Luna members, King Krule and Black Mack. But it’s just as likely to find Rejjie in Paris and Rome, as he disappears to Europe on a regular basis, taking inspiration from various cities.

Signed to Kaya Kaya Records, an imprint of cult record label XL, Rejjie is about to become a lot more popular on both sides of the pond in 2014. Meet Mr Snow…

“SOUNDS ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR OWN WAY YOU KNOW, BUT TO ME, BEATS ARE EVERYTHING. IT’S THE BUTTERY ESSENCE OF MUSIC.”

For those of us who might not know, who is Rejjie Snow?

Rejjie Snow is the alter ego of Alex Anyaegbunam. He is a guy who even in his shy tendencies is capable of adapting to anything and doing anything. To put it simply - I just do what I want, when I want, I just find speaking my peace is more suited to Rejjie Snow.

Where does the name come from? ‘Snow’ is historically the surname given to the bastard child...

Yes that’s very true. The name came from a guy who is not only an inspiration of mine, but was a true visionary in his field and his name is [artist] Dash Snow.

Your music has a dark side to it, do you like playing with moods and atmosphere?

Yeah, I mean if you’re not tapping into your moods and speaking on

your actions then realistically, the music isn’t ever gonna be coming from a pure and honest place and I guess that’s pretty crucial s the listener will always be more connected to the music. I wouldn’t generally describe my sound as dark, as I’ve got so much for people to hear, but I would say it’s very crude and brutal in the words and undertones I sometimes use.

What attracts you to a beat?

Everything man, ‘cause to me sounds are all beautiful in their own way you know, but to me, beats are everything, it’s the buttery essence of music.

You’ve been out in LA recently, were you working out there?

“IF YOU’RE NOT TAPPING INTO YOUR MOODS AND SPEAKING ON YOUR ACTIONS THEN REALISTICALLY, THE MUSIC ISN’T EVER GONNA BE COMING FROM A PURE AND HONEST PLACE” Yeah, some guys wanted to shoot a video so they flew me out and we made some good shit and I made some good friends. LA has a really nice vibe but somewhat superficial, but whatever, I’m into it nonetheless.

Who’s your favourite person to make music with?

All my homies man, they are making some of the best music, not only in London but in general. Shout out to Sub Luna City and Jesse James and al the homies making good shit for themselves and winning.

What was your favourite album growing up?

Madvillainy for ever, and also reading the bible as those words were really crazy.

Which rapper has most influenced your career?

Charles Bukowski At what moment in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?

When my mama said I was too old to suck the milk out of her titties. I know if I made it as a musician no one could tell me shit.

What do you want your listeners to take away from your music?

To take the coal from the fire and say to themselves, ‘look this wasn’t for you, and the apple tree isn’t green it’s actually a yellowish purple’ soundcloud.com/rejjiesnow @rejjiesnow

Hat by Fendi Shirt by Les Benjamin’s Necklace: Stylist’s own Rings: Rejjie’s own

SZA

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SZA of We’ve all heard a story of heartbreak accompanied by wails. Fuck, many of us have wailed among with them following a failed relationship. But sometimes we have to wipe away our tears, get over the bullshit and say no wailing. Sza is the poster girl for this mind state. With her big soft curls and those dark brown freckles, she looks as cute as a button. But she’s not; her dry sarcasm will cut you like a blade.

TDE

Photos by Jessica Lehrman Words by Lily Mercer

We’ve all heard a story of heartbreak accompanied by wails. Fuck, many of us have wailed among with them he first time I heard Sza, I knew she was different. I mean what Is Child’s Play a criticism of assumed gender roles in society? following a failed relationship. But sometimes we kind of RnB singer takes her name from a member of Wu Tang Yeah for sure. My older sister, she’s the Barbie person, I’ve never been and a away sharp implement?

Withget lyrics like “life a suburbanand kid, say into no Barbies. I had one American girl doll, an Annie doll and she was have to wipe our tears, over theofbullshit existentialism. I ain’t never care much for esoteric shit,” she skirts a gift; it wasn’t something I initiated. But I always wanted the Dream wailing. Sza is the postertheories girl for this Us mind With her bigand I liked the pink convertible because I thought that was ill! through philosophical like they’re Weeklystate. references.

House I was more into cars than I was dolls. So I’d literally be dismantling soft curls Much and ofthose dark brown freckles, she looks as cute as a her early EPs were produced by Felix Snow, who provided them all the time. fantasy backdrops for her blasésarcasm lyrics aboutwill perception.

Her take button. But she’s not; her dry cut you likeona blade.

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the female image is interesting and we get caught up in many theories Were you a tomboy growing up? relating to the stereotypes of women. She manages to do it with I’ve ever called myself a tomboy. When my dad talks to anybody he’s excellent humour, including lyrics like, “I am not human, I am made of like, “She was a tomboy her whole life.” I feel like even that’s super The first time I heard Sza, I knew she was different. I mean bacon, fairy tales, pixie dust; I don’t feel.” Sza’s view is enlightening and specific. I’ve always been comfortable, put it that way. I like to dress to many of her peers infrom the music industry. comfortably, I don’t like to be constricted in anything. If you look too what kindrefreshing of RnBin comparison singer takes her name a member of cute that day then you have to be really svelte and on top all day; you Wu Tang Her andtales a sharp implement?

With like “life act as anti-love stories, as she openlylyrics mocks former lovers ofhave to keep your clothes clean and tuck your butt in. and any time spent mourning them. But her toughness masks a a suburban kid, existentialism. I ain’t never care much for vulnerability as she admits to being a very sensitive person. Though Do you think there’s still standards of femininity in todays world? she’s”easy categorise as an RnB philosophical singer, Sza takes influence from like I think it’s the standards that we set. I was on Instagram just lurking esoteric shit, shetoskirts through theories many different genres, running through power ballads, synth-pop and I was noticing there’s this whole Instagram culture where girls they’re Ussongs Weekly references. and everything in between. With two Eps behind her, she’s are just naked. They’re naked every day, in heels. You wonder if they recently released her debut album ‘Z’, her first project under her label, do it for other women or for the men that stalk them, because I stalk Top Dawg Entertainment. Home to Black Hippy and Isaiah Rashad, women on Instagram all the time. I stalk naked women on Instagram T.D.E. is for many of the strongest rap different. releases in the Ipast and Tumblr every day just because it’s awesome, number one. I think The first time I responsible heard Sza, I knew she was mean few years, including Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ and most girls follow other girls that are super perfect, it’s weird. I don’t what kindScHoolboy’s of RnB ‘Oxymoron’ singer takes name from a label, member of if it’s a gender thing because I feel that men are starting to dress . As the her only female signed to the she’s know the baby sister of the family. and live to impress other men and women are starting to dress to Wu Tang and a sharp implement? With lyrics like “life ofempower women instead of dressing to create envy.

Viper talksexistentialism. to Sza about being a part of T.D.E. and hercare viewsmuch on being for a suburban kid, I ain’t never a female artist in today’s industry...

esoteric shit,” she skirts through philosophical theories like they’re Us Weekly references.

Gender lines are blurring, what once appealed to just women, now appeals to men too.

I think so too. It’s weird because mean are into more androgynous girls.

There’s definitely still the man that likes the textbook ultra feminine girl that has her nails and her toes done, her eyebrows waxed and her hair laid to perfection. Like I still exist. Even looking at Lupita; she’s bald and tall, doesn’t have any boobs and she’s stunning to everybody. That’s testament to it, now I feel like shit’s changing.

The ‘Babylon’ video explores the tough subject of suicide.

I feel like ‘Babylon’ had an entire interpretation and a life of its own. I had a contest on Twitter and I was asking people what they thought the video meant and what they thought the song meant. It was so interesting to see where they took my life, they took it really far but it’s interesting, I learn a lot through the way other people see me or people hear my music or interpret what I’m saying. It makes me second guess what I really think about myself, like, “Maybe that is what I meant, I don’t know.”

Who were your quirky, out-of-the-box inspirations?

Bjork for sure because she’s super ambiguous. She’s a gorgeous woman but you rarely see her in a beauty shot and when you hear her, she doesn’t sound like for example Sade. [Sade] sounds like an angel and looks like one, even though that might have been by default. But Bjork, her voice is jarring, stunning and she’s doing all these vocal acrobatics and she’s not really worried about sounding pretty. People say, “she sounds like an animal” or whatever, but she’s one of a kind. She’s the first of her kind and totally set a tone in terms of expectations for what music could sound like, where it could go coming from women.

How did the concept for the video come about?

That video came out of my subconscious 100%. I think I came up with the treatment on a whim, in the middle of a conversation. We had talked about all these other ideas for the video and randomly I was like, “I think we should do this and that and I wanna shoot it this way, at this location” and that’s what we ended up doing. We didn’t make a shortlist or anything but I think it spoke from a different place. I’m pretty lighthearted but I think I deal with my own self-loathing and depression in my own way.

I’d rather let my subconscious speak for me than speak for myself most of the time.

Did you always have such uniqueness?

I think for a while I wanted to sound like my peers but that’s really nervewracking and stressful. It’ll make you very paranoid and it’s not fun. I feel like with everything else happening, when people start to scrutinise other things, all you have left is your music so if that can’t be fun, then I don’t really understand what you’re doing it for. So I have to ignore people to some point when it comes to the way I sound. I want to still be able to have fun and surprise myself, instead of trying to fit into what other girls and guys who are popular sound like.

You write about things a lot of female singers wouldn’t. Do you feel you represent an underexposed group?

I was sitting in the kitchen and my mom was like “you represent a group of girls that aren’t usually represented.” And I was like, “Who do I represent mom?” And she was like, “You’re the regular girl’s best friend.” I feel like that’s so funny, you never think about how you see yourself or how other people see you. But I think my whole obsession with being comfortable, from the way I dress to the way I am. I couldn’t start off setting a standard that I couldn’t upkeep. I’m very lazy and I have no discipline and if that means I have to go to the gym every day and get Saran wrapped, nipped, tucked, facials and spend money on shit I don’t care about, I could never maintain that. I could be cute for a full month but I probably could never maintain a legitimate beauty regiment, it’s just easier this way. And I never knew that people felt the way I did so it’s kinda cool I appreciate it.

“I’m running water by the way, not peeing.”

Your hair is building a fan club.

It’s so funny because I feel like there’s so many girls that have been wearing their hair this way forever. It’s awesome that people think my hair is cool but if you look at my homegirls, we all have the same exact hair. We’re all just a bunch of Chia Pets roaming around the world. I appreciate that people appreciate my hair.

How did you feel about the Vogue blog post about your hair?

That was the craziest thing, I couldn’t believe that they were serious. You guys like my hair, you really wanna talk about it, are you sure?

What do people think of your sexuality?

I’ve attracted a plethora of lesbians from all corners of the earth. It’s awesome because they’re so chill and I’m chill. I think everyone just assumes that I’m probably a lesbian and we should all unite together and I’m not mad at that. It’s so interesting to see who your music speaks to.

Because there’s always a lot of specifically lesbians and I always wonder why is that? But I’m down for it either way.

I LEARN A LOT THROUGH THE WAY OTHER PEOPLE SEE ME OR PEOPLE HEAR MY MUSIC OR INTERPRET WHAT I’M SAYING. IT MAKES ME SECOND GUESS WHAT I REALLY THINK ABOUT MYSELF, LIKE, “MAYBE THAT IS WHAT I MEANT, I DON’T KNOW.”

soundcloud.com/justsza @sza

I think your music speaks to a man though. I don’t get a lesbian vibe.

Because of the aesthetic. On my tumblr I get messages all the time and they’re just like, “I heard that you’re a lesbian. Is this true? Because if so that’s pretty awesome.” And I’m always like, I don’t know what to say! Do I now go into a rant or do I say thanks for my lesbian bros?

I say don’t piss off the lesbians.

[Laughs] Don’t piss off the lesbians. No they’re awesome, a lot of my friends are lesbians so I think that’s probably why too. I don’ t give a shit who buys my music as long as they enjoy it with me and enjoy it responsibly.

Would you say you’re anti-love?

I always had pretty dysfunctional relationships with men and just in general. I think love is such a weird ass concept. It’s almost like it comes in all different shades of colours depending on who you are and where you’re from and your social background and the shit you were raised on and all this shit. I used to want to be in a relationship, all I wanted to do was be somebody’s wife. I wanted to be the perfect girlfriend and someone that people would look at like, “Oh she’s such a good girlfriend. Look at all that grey she’s wearing and how plain her hair is, isn’t she trustworthy?” All those things I wanted to be and I just stopped caring when I realised that love is

low-key fake. It has nothing to do with anything. If you fuck with somebody and you respect them and like them as a human being, then I feel like you can probably have a successful relationship.

Like my parents are weird, they’re friends and they go back and forth all the time and it gets weird. I’m not anti-love but I’m not a super love-advocate either.

Your lyrics make you seem like you’re not vulnerable but ScHoolboy Q called you sensitive.

I am extremely sensitive, but I’m the type that if you pinch me I’ll probably kick you in your fucking throat. But cry while I’m kicking you; I’m like aggressively sensitive.

You seem like you’re not that interested in love.

I’ve always been addicted to the people that could never love me.

My older sister just couldn’t stand me her whole life but I followed her like a little duck around the house. She’d be like, “Oh my god, get the fuck away from me!” But I just wanted to be her favourite.

And my Nana’s the same way, she’s my favourite but she’s the most non-loving person ever. She’ll make you the best grilled cheese ever but if you try and hug her, she’d be like “Get’on, get off me.”

But in turn, I’ve always loved people that are super dry and stoic for some reason. I think I’m just a masochist and I love the feeling of chasing somebody who does’t give a shit about my feelings.

Maybe it’s the fun of the challenge?

It is but sometimes you watch the tables turn and things get different and people grow. I’ve heard that I can be really cold, which is weird because I don’t feel that way. A lot of my friends say I’m pretty abrasive and when I’m over something, I’m really over something. I have no problem never talking to someone ever again in life at the drop of a hat for no reason.

What’s your star sign?

I’m a Scorpio unfortunately.

You seem to fit perfectly into the dynamic of Top Dawg Entertainment.

They have a similar dynamic as my Nana and sister; they’re very dry. They don’t show you that they care about you by telling you nice things but they’ll make sure that you never want for anything or ask for anything. Or make your favourite producer surprise you or something like that. They’re very clean people, you just know what it is, very honest, upfront. I think similarly to how I feel about my sister and my Nana, I’ve always been drawn to people that are very blunt and cut and dry. But they’re good people. They’re like your family family, not just people that you know on the street that are kinda cool, tell you what you wanna hear, laugh with you and tell you that you’re pretty all day. They’ll tell you if your hair is fucked up, if your song is wack.

Do you enjoy recording with them because you know them so well?

Especially with Isaiah, we lived together for a summer and got super close as brother and sister. It was super easy to do stuff on record together because we knew each other a lot better and that nervousness wasn’t there. Hanging out with the other boys and them cracking jokes on me and making me feel weird, it got easier to record with them. Because everybody is an artist and everybody’s got their insecurities and their feelings of trying it out and figuring it out. It’s got really natural in terms of us making music together.

I’D RATHER LET MY SUBCONSCIOUS SPEAK FOR ME THAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF MOST OF THE TIME.

HOW MEN GOT SEXY WHY ARE WOMEN NOT ALLOWED TO TREAT SEX THE WAY MEN DO? OR DO THEY? Photos by Charlotte Rutherford Words by Lily Mercer

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The use of sex to sell everything from cars to socks is no longer shocking, especially if you grew up in the nineties.

But as someone who did grow up in the nineties, I find it interesting that people are so Goddamn offended by female nudity being used for the sake of it. Personally I like the beauty of a nude woman and have no problem with seeing it a few times a day. But it did make me wonder, why do we always discuss the over-sexualisation of women? What if the problem is actually the under-sexualisation of men?

Personally, I’ve been sexualising men as for long as I can remember. I grew up with posters of rappers decorating my bedroom walls, though at the time didn’t realise attraction equals sexual desire. At the age of 12, my grandma came to visit and her jaw literally dropped at the sight of a topless Tupac standing middle finger up, blunt in hand, gun tucked in his belt buckle. The poster, one of my favourite Shawn Mortensen photographs, didn’t even appear shocking to me.

I was lucky enough to live through the era of hip hop artists objectifying themselves, as well as the video hoes. Beginning in Tupac’s reign, the trend continued long after his death.

Remember LL Cool J in the waterfall in the ‘Paradise’ video?

Who was that for?! The same question applies to the David La Chapelle image of Tupac nude in the bathtub, all Snuffalufagus eyes and no clothes. No one really noticed at the time, but the turn of the millennium gave rise to rappers becoming sex symbols. Ja Rule was a pioneer as he softened his sound and threw a Christina Milian hook on that bitch. Women in the music industry got in on the act of male sexualisation, with Mariah’s video boy in the ‘Sweetheart’ video remaining in many female fantasies decades later. (Daaaaaaaamn)

Exploring this way of thinking, I realised that there is an unnatural balance between how both genders are sexualised by the media.

The last few decades have seen little change in how women are objectified by the media (if anything I’d say there’s a reduction) but a huge increase in the objectification of men. With small signifiers appearing in the nineties, such as the Chippendales and the Diet Coke adverts, right up until the modern day literary phenomenon that is Fifty Shades of Grey. Naturally the rap industry plays a role in the developments, because everyone knows that the best trends start in the world of hip hop.

Female rappers led the trend for exploiting men in a similar way to their historical exploitation of women. For example, Lil Kim’s ‘Suck My Dick’, which very literally says, “If I was a dude I’d tell y’all to suck my dick.” A verse on the track begins with the words, “All I wanna do is get my pussy sucked,” as she goes on to tell a tale of extortion and exhibitionism. Missy Elliott too has played the role of the dominatrix over the downtrodden woman. Few RnB singers have sung about men in a predatory or derogatory way, besides in reference to being two-timed. In fact, it tends to be masculine women that are able to sexualise

rowing up I’d always heard about ‘the over-sexualisation of women’. Apparently a huge problem, it appears that people are really, really concerned about the fact that the media sells sex in order to sell everything else. Entire essays have been dedicated to the terrible problem of nude women on billboards.

Particularly the Hello Boys Wonderbra advert of the nineties, AKA the OJ Simpson of female objectification. The advert was made an example of because it appealed to men, rather than the women that Wonderbra were supposedly selling bras too.

Having caused several car crashes, the ad demonstrated the dark side of selling products via the means of sexual desire.

““THE LAST FEW DECADES HAVE SEEN LITTLE CHANGE IN HOW WOMEN ARE OBJECTIFIED BY THE MEDIA, BUT A HUGE INCREASE IN THE OBJECTIFICATION OF MEN.”

HAT -VINTAGE FROM VEGAS TROSUERS - A CHILD OF THE JAGO

SPECS - VINTAGE TROSUERS - A CHILD OF THE JAGO

“IT TENDS TO BE MASCULINE WOMEN THAT ARE ABLE TO SEXUALISE MEN WITHOUT BEING VIEWED AS CRUDE.” men without being viewed as crude. Women are traditionally viewed as demure and innocent, which clashes with the (traditional male) idea of passion and drive. This could explain why women are considered unequal in their careers, often being paid less because of their reluctance to ask for a raise.

Women are traditionally timid creatures and men are predatory.

It’s unlikely these stereotypes will ever change. But the gender barriers are expanding in ways that mean the stereotypes are archaic in today’s world. Women have been privately preying on men for decades. In the western world, it’s no longer taboo for a woman to enjoy sex, but it is still taboo to for them view sex in a typically masculine way. Women aren’t expected to have as many sexual partners, pick up people for sex or watch porn the way their male counterparts are. Some men even consider it wrong for a woman to cheat, even if her partner regularly does. Females aren’t expected to approach a guy first, even if she’s into him. Many men consider it a turn off to be approached by a woman. However, dating apps such as Tinder have changed this, as it allows women to meet men in their local area . With secrecy and proximity considered, Tinder acts as a hook-up service for those that don’t like their liaisons to be public affairs. It also takes care of those lonely nights.

Traditionally women are supposed to sit back, look pretty and shut the fuck up. We’re not supposed to be predatory, which is why dominant women have often been considered undesirable.

I mean, the whole world’s watching The Muppets, screaming, “Kermit, get a backbone and leave that pig!” But for decades, the media’s spotlight has been filled with women that go against the expectations of female characteristics. Madonna is an example, as the release of her ‘Sex’ book acted as a rabbit hole into the world of eroticism for many young women at the time.

Though extremely graphic, it was a view of erotica through the eyes of a woman. It also played with more daring styles of sex, including threesomes. Featuring Naomi Campbell and Big Daddy Kane, the book and music video were extremely risqué at the time. Mr Kane took things a step further, appearing on the cover of Play Girl with only a heart shaped box of chocolates to protect his modesty. I can’t think of many of today’s rappers that would have the balls to do that, excuse the pun.

Writing in 1975, feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey defined “the male gaze” that dominated cinema and how the director has traditionally catered to a heterosexual man’s desire. Though far less prevalent in modern pop culture, the female gaze has crept into TV and cinema, through shows like Sex and The City and Girls. Not to mention music videos, the best example of which is 2014’s Jennifer Lopez video, ‘I Luh Ya Papi’, which begins with a direct quote, “Why do men always objectify the women in every single video? Why can’t we for once objectify the man?” Followed by Lopez sitting on a bed, a man laying on either side of her. Though her tactic is more of a response to gender imbalance, rather than her feeding into female desire, she makes a good point. The only downside is that this blatant objectification of men for the sake of it can sometimes look a little like retaliation for the sexualisation of women.

The female gaze had a moment of extreme relevance in the nineties, with the release of American Gigolo, plus the notorious Diet Coke ads, one of the best examples of the random sexualisation of men. The ads marked a point when not only did Coke know they were targeting young career women, but they also knew that those women appreciate an attractive, semi-naked man in the commercial. That generation of women are now our aunts and as their nieces, we’ve definitely inherited their predatory nature. Calvin Klein also knew, casting male model Travis Fimmel in an underwear ad that launched his career, and a million teenage girl’s fantasies. Interestingly, Klein continued to use males in his ads, with footballers Freddie Ljungberg and David Beckham appearing in later years.

Though females like Megan Fox were also featured, they didn’t appear as regularly in campaigns as their male counterparts.

The appearance of The Chippendales, a troupe of male strippers, was the first suggestion that women desire nudity the same way men do. From humble beginnings in 1979, they can still be found performing in over 100 cities a year. One thing The Chippendales proved is that women desire striptease in a very different way to men. For a start, women made it a group event, usually a hen night or birthday. Interestingly the events weren’t marketed to solitary females, it was about strength in numbers. Very different to how men are comfortable visiting

the strip club alone. For women, it was about hooting and hollering at the strippers, decidedly male characteristics.

It could almost be said that women attending these events were emulating the actions of their male counterparts.

The Athena posters of the eighties are another example of teenage lust, this time catering to both men and women. The posters are great demonstrations of the differences between nude photos catering to both genders. While the men were symbols of masculine strength and protection, the female models were faceless blondes grabbing their asses. Interestingly, this is unlike porn which boasts a market of porn “stars.” Most men have a favourite female porn star, or several, whose films they watch over others. Though many women watch porn, few have a favourite porn star. There’s a sense of detachment from the real people for women, while men tend to have more of a connection with their favourite adult film stars.

The exception to this rule is James Deen, who’s been referred to as “The Ryan Gosling of porn.” Proving himself to be more feminist than the average male, he reflected on porn that caters for women and how detrimental it is to gender equality, saying “My theory on porn for women is it’s just porn. Why is there porn explicitly only for women? By saying there needs to be porn for women, you’re basically isolating women as a gender, and saying, ‘This is how women should think. This is how their sexuality should be.’” Perhaps this attitude is why he’s become the thinking woman’s porn star and even branched into the non-sexual film industry.

Speaking of which, it’s been said that Hollywood’s A1 actors have been forced to beef up as they risk losing out on roles in an era of action blockbusters dominating the ticket office.

The highest paid male role in Hollywood are predominantly comic book remakes and action films like Pompeii. The star of the latter, Kit Harington, admitted that he only works out because of the roles he plays. While Michael B. Jordan of The Wire and Fruitvale Station said, “You’ve gotta be ready to take off your shirt,” when discussing how to break into the industry.

The fact that the beefcake male aesthetic is considered more desirable at this point supports the theory of the growing sexualisation of men. It seems that directors finally understand the power of heterosexual female desire, as well as male desire.

The sex toy market for women has also begun to outnumber the male sex toy market. Though the sex doll toy is still largely supported by males, there is an increase in dolls available for women. The range of dildos and vibrators continues to grow, with the most expensive vibrator in the world priced at $7 million, featuring over 1,000 diamonds plus pearls and sapphires. Sex shops are extremely common in the UK now, with over 350 Ann Summers shops located in London, selling vibrators, costumes and other sex aids.

The sex industry rapidly infiltrated the British high street, having crept off the dirty streets of London’s Soho onto the touristy streets of Oxford Street. In the summer of 2013, soft porn was everywhere as Fifty Shades of Grey was read in public by women all over the city. The book sold more than 70 million copies in the US within the first eight months of it’s release. It’s since been translated into 52 languages including and Mandarin and Mongolian. It was one of the first books of its kind to be read openly by so many people, particularly women. Nowadays there’s not a huge difference in the numbers of men and women watching porn, with it reported that one third of visitors to porn sites are female. The numbers of women watching porn are on the rise, even outside of western countries. According to The India Today Sex Survey in 2013, 35% of women in India admit to watching pornography. a significant rise from 13% in 2003. But men and women are aroused by different things, for men it tends to be much more graphic and visual, while for women, it tends to be subtle and verbal. This partly explains the sensational success of Fifty Shades of Grey.

A further avenue to explore, which related to the growing sexualisation is the increasing global violence towards women.

Much like the way the lion enjoys chasing the gazelle, the flirtation between men and women is often based around the male ability to overpower the female. Their physical strength is symbolic, from the Christian tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold of their home following a wedding to the image of Tarzan carrying Jane through the jungle. And though men are not necessarily always stronger than women, they do often have the advantage when it comes to strength.

The statistics of women in violent relationships with men have always far outnumbered those of men at risk of abuse from their female partners. The battle of the sexes continues.

“IN THE WESTERN WORLD, IT’S NO LONGER TABOO FOR WOMEN TO ENJOY SEX, BUT IT IS STILL TABOO TO VIEW SEX IN A TRADITIONALLY MASCULINE WAY.” Photos by Charlotte Rutherford Styling by Savannah Baker Hair by Dave Noble using Bumble & Bumble Makeup by Nicola Moores Brittin Models - Jay at AMCK, Charlie Denis, Hee-Won Cho Biggie, Goldie, Rastamouse

JACKET - A CHILD OF THE JAGO

Photos by Flavien Prioreau Words by Lily Mercer

S

cHoolboy Q may not seem like the most obvious choice for the cover story of Viper’s Sex Issue, but he’s the perfect subject. With some of the most sexually charged lyrics heard in rap over the last few years, he takes more influence from Too Short than the average California rapper. And he’s the coolest Quincey since Mr. Jones.

Having released music as ScHoolboy Q since 2008 when he dropped ‘ScHoolboy Turned Hustla’, he followed up the mixtape with 2009’s ‘Gangsta & Soul’. His first album, the independent release on Top Dawg Entertainment, ‘Setbacks’, came in 2011 and its follow up, ‘Habits & Contradictions’ in 2012. His latest album, ‘Oxymoron’ acts as a snapshot of the pitfalls of our times, as he addresses the problems with potentially the greatest drug epidemic affecting our generation, prescription pills.

Born in Wiesbaden, southwest Germany, to a mother and father in the army, Quincey Hanley was unique from the day he entered the world. His surname was chosen at random by his mother following his parent’s decision to separate, and shortly after he moved to Texas with his mother before they settled in South Central Los Angeles. We meet in Paris on his first day in the city. Tonight he’ll perform to a sold out crowd in a 19th Century theatre in the 11th arrondissement, but right now he’s talking sex with Viper.

“Q, how do you feel about being our cover star for the Sex Issue?” I ask. “That’s tight! The naked girls though, that’s crazy. I didn’t know nothing about that!” he says in response to the news of two semi-nude females on set. Sex is a popular topic in ScHoolboy Q’s lyrics, but not the dominant theme. “I mean, I’m not a homosexual so I like to have sex with pretty girls. Anytime I see a pretty girl I wanna have sex with her but I don’t get that wish all the time [Laughs] So I put it in my lyrics a lot.” But unlike many rappers, he seems to avoid objectifying women for the sake of it. In fact, he prefers to rap about pleasuring them, “Yeah, I love women, I love women.

You gotta be nice to women.”

FIGG GET DA MONEY, SHOOTING’ DICE, WHAT THEY HITTING FOR? HOOKERS OUT TO SELL THE PUSSY, MONEY TRADE FOR INTERCOURSE EVERY CORNER - LIQUOR STORE, LAUNDROMAT, LIQUOR STORE EBT ACCEPTED MORE CHURCHES ‘CROSS FROM MOTELS, LORD KNOWS PUSSY SELLS CHURCHES ‘CROSS FROM MOTELS, LORD KNOWS PUSSY SELLS

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‘Oxymoron’ seems conceptual in places, with songs like ‘His & Her Fiend’ and ‘Grooveline Pt. 2’ touching on experiences related to drug addiction and prostitution.

Q’s narrative is that of a pimp, as he sings, “Will you sell that pussy for me?” But he admits that the experiences are vicarious, having never been a pimp himself. “Nah, I grew up around them. Like Figueroa, the block I grew up on, is known for pimping and prostitution. You can walk up the street any time of the day and see girls walking up and down, like prostitutes and pimps. I never been a pimp like I say, I just tell a story, what I’ve seen.” And if you listen to it, you can tell it’s me just painting a picture of where I grew up. It’s not just

to say his child has passed away. The tenderness Q shows towards his own child, sat on his lap, in that moment is enough to make you shed a tear. I did the first time I heard it. Not since Scarface on ‘This Can’t Be Life’ can I recall a rapper admitting he cried while reflecting on the loss of a child that wasn’t his own.

to degrade women, it’s picture painting.”

He agrees that the references are more reportage than glorification, saying, “I’m not encouraging nothing I do but I definitely don’t glorify nothing I do.”

he responds, “Yeah, but it’s not even how people really think it is. Bloods and Crips don’t get along, but Crips kill more Crips than Bloods. Crips beef with more Crips.

My hood beef with all Crips, there’s not many Bloods around us where I’m at - it’s mainly Crips there and we get into it with Crips.”

Hometown storytelling has always dominated his music, as is evident on ‘Setbacks’. Over the course of three verses, ‘Cycle’ details the life of a child gravitating towards gang culture, leading up to his eventual demise. But the most heartbreaking tales are those Q’s experienced first hand. On ‘Blessed’ he describes the moment a friend called

Another personal experience Q reflects on in his music is the gang culture of LA and his own role as a Hoover Crip. For many ignorant to the relations between Bloods and Crips, he’s added a new level of understanding. When I point out that many outside of the US think Bloods and Crips will kill each other on sight,

He describes the way of life for those caught up in gang culture, “If you a stand up dude you’ll be alright. Mistakes happen, people get killed, people don’t get killed, people go to jail for life, some people don’t. Some people do a lot of time,

come out, never see ‘em again, they on a whole new page. Some people go to jail back and forth, back and forth, and then you got some people like me.” In a hotel room in Paris, a topless model waits in the background before being motioned to lay alongside Q, he’s come a long way from Figueroa Street. Embarking on his first world tour at the age of 27, he’s got a lot to be proud of. “I’m the only one from my hood to do this, to be successful. The only one. The first one. Like how Snoop is the first Crip to come up from his hood, then there were others that came, you know what I mean? I’m the first so it’s cool.”

It was widely reported that ‘Oxymoron’ was a tale about Bloods and Crips. But Q explains how it evolved into a personal statement about his life. “When I first started making the album, that’s what it was about. But I ended up switching it and it was more so about me as a person and about how everything I was doing wrong, was trying to justify good for my daughter.

I was selling dope or robbing somebody or whatever, I was doing it to survive and help my daughter out. You know what I’m saying, it was a good deed.”

HAD GLAD

A

LITTLE IT

AIN’T

DAUGHTER A

BOY

KNEW SHE’D BRING ME JOY SO I NAMED HER JOY KISS HER ON THE HEAD THEN I KISS HER LIPS THEN I KISS HER CHEEK LAY HER DOWN TO SLEEP His four year old daughter, Joy, is referenced on countless songs in his back catalogue. And when she isn’t mentioned, she appears on the recording or in the video. A portrait of her wearing a balaclava was the cover art for ‘Oxymoron’, his debut album on a major label. She also opens the album, saying, “Hello” in an adorable voice, before announcing “Fuck rap, my daddy a gangsta,”

Being a rapper and a responsible father must be difficult at the best of times, but Q seems to manage it. He knows his subject matter isn’t child-friendly but believes it depends on the individual listening. “I don’t want kids to listen to my music. If you under 15 or 16, I don’t want you to listen to my music unless your parent is cool like me. My daughter can listen to my music ‘cause I’m her parent and I know how I’m raising her.” Admitting that he’s very honest with her, he says, “It’s different with me. But on the whole, I wouldn’t want kids to listen to me.”

The bond between the two is evident, not to mention the obvious pride Q has in his daughter. In response to a question about Nas’ song ‘Daughters’ and the difficulties men have in raising girls, he says, “I mean that’s his opinion, I’m looking at it in a different way. Why my daughter can’t be like my homie? I mean I’m not about to be one of those fathers that’s like sheltering my daughter. If you wanna go out, go out.

If you got a boyfriend and your shit is together, hey you got a boyfriend and your shit is together. At the end of the day, I met my daughter’s mother in high school, we

YAK! YAK! YAK!

had a kid together. You never know what can come out of that so I’m not gonna shelter my daughter from anything. She wanna talk

about whatever, whether it’s sex whatever, I’m with it.”

I ask if he’d be concerned if she dated a rapper and he says, “Of course, but if that’s what you wanna do, hey,” then observes that not all rappers cheat. Rather than finding the experience of raising a daughter off-putting, he says he wants more daughters, “I only wanna have girls, no boys. I wanna have at least five kids, five or three kids and I want them all to be girls.” It’s refreshing to see a rap artist expressing love for his children, knowing that it does absolutely nothing to diminish his masculinity. If anything, it accentuates it.

Along with Joy, his Hoover roots keep Q grounded, even when working with local legends that he grew up listening to.

‘Oxymoron’ featured a couple of G-Funk era favourites, but he admits to wanting one more; the D.O.G.G. “I wanted Snoop, hopefully that can happen. But I had Kurupt on there, Suga Free, I’m glad I had those two on the project. I wanna work with Snoop Dogg still, I wish he’d been on the album. Him and DāM-FЦПK.” Conversation turns to growing up in LA during the riots, and whether he’d witnessed the destruction. “Yeah, kinda.

I witnessed it but only briefly, I only remember small bits because I was so young. But I remember little parts of just being outside and seeing the corner on fire. Seeing people running up the street.

That’s all I remember ‘cause they kept me in the house but it was going on so long that you had no choice but to see it eventually. But the mayhem, I don’t know, I just remember little pieces.”

“I’M THE ONLY ONE FROM MY HOOD TO DO THIS, BE SUCCESSFUL”

His view on the cause of the riots, the LAPD’s attack on Rodney King, is interesting, especially the way he touches on people’s indifference to situations that affect us today. “It was straight race, if you wasn’t black, it was like... I mean I wouldn’t ever want nothing like that to happen to a race right now. If you not black, beat ‘em up type shit, that’s stupid. It

when the plane went missing? Why the people

was so young but from what I think, it made

in Nigeria that had they kids kidnapped, that

it better. People were just like, I think that was

I just been watching on the news, why we

the last straw, at least for LA. But there’s always

not rioting about that? Why we rioting over

gonna be racial tensions somewhere, it is what

a regular average Joe? ‘Cause he got a gang of

it is. There’s always something.”

The cause of the tension must have had an

to see how the voices in the west coast’s rap

was stupid then, the riot. There’d been so many

effect on the community, causing racial

music seem to be a lot more conscious than

things that had happened besides Rodney

tensions between those affected and those

their nineties counterparts. And with Snoop

King. I’m talking about why people didn’t riot

that weren’t. I ask if the tensions continued

Dogg roaring instead of barking now, even

when 9/11 happened? Why people didn’t riot

throughout his childhood, “I don’t know, I

G-Funk is feeling irie.

money out of being beat up anyway. Dude that didn’t even fight for himself, a drug addict.”

With Black Hippy flying the flag for Los Angeles in the the 21st century, it’s interesting

schoolboyq.com @ScHoolBoyQ

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TINASHE

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HER BLACK WATER EP TURNED HEADS GLOBALLY BUT AMERICA’S QUINTUPLE THREAT IS ONLY JUST GETTING STARTED

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inashe is a bonafide star. She’s the kind of woman that will excel in life, not only due to her talent but also her graceful determination.

A skilled singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and producer, she began her career as a child, appearing in TV movie Cora Unashamed at the age of five, followed by The Polar Express. Her last role was in Two And A Half Men during her teens, before she turned her full attention to music. “I kinda went on hiatus if you will, so that people knew that music wasn’t just something I was trying to do for fun.” During this hiatus, she joined a girl group and toured with Justin Bieber, a process that only confirmed her desire to be a solo artist.

Aged only 14, the process prepped her for life in the music industry and on the road. And having dropped out of school shortly before, she was determined not to go back, saying, “I’m the type of person that’s only Plan A, no Plan B.” Her bravery and confidence paid off, as prepares to release her debut album later this year with features from A$AP Rocky and Future. Her biggest track so far is the club anthem, ‘2 On’, featuring Viper’s cover star, ScHoolboy Q. Tinashe is a Zimbabwean name, meaning “God is with us” in Shona, the language of the largest ethnic group in the southern African country. Her ‘Black Water’ EP was self-produced in less than a month, shocking by anyone’s standards. But Tinashe’s determination and reassurance make her not only one to watch, but one that will undoubtedly push the boundaries of RnB music today. It’s rare that a singer-songwriter is able to produce their own instrumentals too, but hopefully Tinashe will inspire more young women to learn the technical side of the music industry. Though she plans to return to acting eventually, expect to hear a lot more from this quintuple threat before you next see her on the big screen.

How do you feel that people are shocked you produced the EP? I think people always just expect someone to be one dimensional when actually there’s many different dimensions to people. The fact that I have a home studio and I am creating all the stuff in my room, I think it makes people definitely realise that you aren’t limited necessarily in doing one

thing and you can definitely branch out, there’s nothing holding you back but yourself.

For your age you seem very professional and based on your writing abilities, I assumed you were older than you are. There’s a mature side to your writing which you describe as dark.

Yeah, definitely. It’s interesting because I’ve been in the professional business since I was like five years old, so I think professionalism in general is something that I’ve learned over the course of my life and my parents definitely taught me how to be professional. Being on sets and working in an adult environment as a kid can kinda make you be more mature in a sense. I think it’s exciting.

It’s lucky that you’ve got supportive parents and that it worked now!

Yes! So it’s working out hopefully.

It’s nice you have your parents living in your house. Especially since you can work from there with your home studio.

Yeah, they’re like my biggest fans and it’s really important to have that support system because it’s instilled a huge sense of self confidence. They never doubted me or told me that it was a bad idea or not to do it, they always told me I can do whatever I want, so I was like, “Yeah, I can!”

Chance the Rapper remixed one of your songs, was that a surprise?

Yeah, I was happy he reached out, he loved the song, he loved the track. It was cool to be able to hear his take on it and I loved the verse. I loved it, like this is awesome.

Any news facts about Tinashe?

I’ve never eaten Kiwi.

It’s a shame there’s not one in the fruit bowl.

‘Cause you would make me eat it right now? Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a Kiwi. I can’t remember eating one. But I typically don’t like anything green, that’s another random fact. The only like green things I like are Avocados. I love a good Guacamole.

“HER ‘BLACK WATER’ EP WAS SELF-PRODUCED IN LESS THAN A MONTH, SHOCKING BY ANYONE’S STANDARDS.”

soundcloud.com/tinashenow @tinashe

Styling by Nasir Mazhar All clothing by Nasir Mazhar Make Up by Pauline Briscoe using MAC, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown Hair by Lorraine Dublin using Morrocan Oil and Mizani for Aveda

NASIR MAZHAR

Photos by Sam Bayliss-Ibram Words by Lily Mercer

THE LONDON BRED FASHION DESIGNER MIXES A STREETWEAR AESTHETIC WITH HIGH END SEX APPEAL

W

hen I first came across Nasir Mazhar I, like most London girls, thought, “Who the fuck is this guy and how did he infiltrate my brain?” Inspired by decades of London dance music; from Acid House to Jungle, Garage and eventually Grime, his designs are so original that once witnessed, you’ll beg, borrow and steal to get your hands on them.

Though he missed out on the nightlife of the eighties and nineties, the native East Londoner grew up in the mist of the nineties UKG scene, which is evident from his aesthetic.

Influenced by the era of gelled-down baby hairs, off-key Moschino and gold hoop earrings, Nasir has created a solid fashion label with collections catering to men and women. In 2009 he showed at London Fashion Week for the first time, in a presentation of his headpieces and hats. At the time I was assistant to Sharmadean Reid, who’d launched WAH Nails only a few months before and my task was to glue rhinestones onto a set of four inch acrylic nails worn in the show. Five years later, we catch up to discuss his expansion and inspiration, plus Tinashe who he dressed for this issue.

When I first came across your work, you were making headpieces only. How did you expand to full clothing collections?

Really slowly. I started making sculptural, one-off headpieces, then started to introduce more wearable styles. Once I had built a small team and with lots of help from interns, the collections got bigger and started to include the headwear, backpacks, gloves, purses, all sorts of accessories. But just making accessories wasn’t enough to tell the whole story, I really wanted to be making full looks. So for SS12 we made two full looks for the collection just to test ourselves, and also the press and buyers. We got a lot of really positive feedback and were really happy ourselves, so we decided the next season we would introduce ready-towear in a mixed men’s and women’s presentation. From there it just grew and grew and now we show full collection on both the men’s schedule and women’s during London Fashion Week.

How big is your team? It must be a lot of work producing 4 collections a year!

Yeah, believe it’s really tough. There’s four of us full time, and then we have interns. Our work patterns are really hardcore.

You’re one of the few London-bred designers showing at LFW. How did the city prep you for this career?

It’s hard to say. Personally I make clothes that I like to wear. And what I wear now, I pretty much wore the same since I was a teenager. Where I was growing up, everyone was into the same thing there wasn’t really diversity in style or music. You listened to garage and RnB and you wore tracksuits in the day and something smarter if you were going out. I don’t think the city prepped me on how to start a business or make a career out of something or anything like that. I think it introduced me to the world of all things I love still love now all the things that inspire me.

East London is full of a mix of cultures. Did growing up there introduce you to the traditional styling of different ethnic groups?

Definitely.

What’s your background? Does your own family heritage inspire you much?

I was born in Leytonstone, east London and we’re Turkish Cypriots. My parents moved over around 1974. My dad was at university studying textiles in Istanbul and my mum was still at school in Cyprus, but the war broke out in Cyprus so they decided to leave everything and move to London. My parents are warriors and that really inspires me.

A lot of your pieces take inspiration from street culture, such as the hoodies and sweatpants. Who do you design for?

I really hate to describe who I design for. There honestly isn’t a specific person, it’s for whoever likes it. Whoever wears it can turn it into what ever they want.

There’s a rude girl aesthetic to the styling with baby-hairs & braids, etc. Do you like to design for tough women?

I suppose the aesthetic I like is quite tough but I don’t like to define it.

Your womenswear has a strong “Fuck-me” vibe. Does sex inspire your designs?

Definitely.

Your models are some of the most spicy faces in London. How do you find them?

Lots of them are friends, Sam who shot Tinashe for this issue has helped lots. Anna Trevelyan who I style the women’s shows with and Matthew Josephs who helps with the men’s have both help loads. Since we have been doing runway, we’ve also been working with File and Parade and JN Casting to help cast the shows.

Do you prefer to use real people you know rather than professional models?

Yes its all about real people with personality. Men’s agents get this. We cast from agents as well and the men’s ones have a really good diverse mix but the women’s agents are stuck in the past. They have 80% tall, skinny white girls with no shape and then 20% other. Personally it’s all about the other. Big up the others.

What do you have planned for the future?

Let’s see what happens. I’m happy in the direction we are going. Apart from business I’d really like to make some music. I’ve wanted to for years but that desire is getting stronger. nasirmazhar.com @nasirmazharldn

MY PARENTS ARE WARRIORS, THAT REALLY INSPIRES ME.

CHYNNA DON’T MISTAKE THIS PHILLY NATIVE FOR JUST A PRETTY FACE, SHE’S GOT SOME OF THE HARDEST RHYMES AROUND Words by Asia Burris Photography by Samuel Bradley

“How can something so gangsta be so pretty in pictures?” The line spit by Jay-Z on ‘That’s My Bitch’ fits rising emcee Chynna flawlessly. After hitting the music scene less than a year ago, 19-year-old Chynna Rogers has already made a steady name for herself. From joining Marino Gang to being one of the faces of some of today’s hottest streetwear lines, the stylish and street-smart rapper has learned to merge two of her biggest interests – music and fashion. Having not yet reached the legal age of 21, Chynna has made herself at home in the world of hip hop.

including a Busta Rhymes instrumental and a rapid flow dropped on numerous tracks, ‘Chinois’ is a compilation of trap and vintage rap. Tracks like ‘No Smoke’ undoubtedly cause mosh pits, while many blunts have surely been rolled to ‘Hall and Oates’. After ten solid tracks, the vibes become infectious.

Despite growing up in Philadelphia, Chynna admits she doesn’t hold a typical Philly flow. However, rap has always been incorporated into her life, with some of her influences including Cam’ron, Mobb Deep and 90’s era Jay-Z. Her sound is not only a combination of impressive and effortless lyricism, but it is a type of introspective rap that will drag you in for more.

After releasing ‘Chinois’ in 2013, Chynna linked up with her Baltimore homies A$AP Ant and DJ Nick to join forces with their Marino Gang label.

Siblings Ant and Nick both have strong ties to the music industry. Ant is a member of the A$AP Mob and Nick is the official DJ and curator for all things Marino Gang. Chynna, the only female on a roster of five, seamlessly fit in with the team

ALTHOUGH SHE HAS NEW HEIGHTS TO REACH, SHE IS NOT TRYING TO BE THE NEXT BIG “FEMALE RAPPER,” BUT THE NEXT BIG RAP ARTIST FULL STOP

It’s been some time since we’ve had a female rap artist come out and rhyme about things other than men, money, and how good they are in bed. The idea of what a female should represent has been masculinised by common trends and simply bad taste. I’m not saying that hip hop has horrible female artists. In fact, Nicki Minaj is a personal favourites right now, since her new music is taking us back to the 2009 ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ days when she would spit straight bars. But after listening to Chynna’s debut EP ‘Chinois’, I didn’t get a Nicki vibe, or a sense of any other rapper for that matter. It was something new, something refreshing in her lyrics that caught the ears of many, including online publications like Complex and New York’s HOT97 radio station. With some old-school production,

after dropping ‘Free Crack’ on Nick’s ‘The Big Payback, Vol.1’ mixtape which also featured A$ton Matthews, Butch Dawson, Retchy P and more.

Fast forward to 2014 and Chynna has already released the official ‘Free Crack Remix’ with A$AP Ant and A$AP Twelvyy plus her latest offering, ‘Glen Coco’ where her dizzying, raw flow and open honesty shines through strongly. Both tracks surfaced on the net and immediately hit numbers, with ‘Free Crack Remix’ nearing 30K plays already.

It’s evident that people have their ears open for Chynna, but she doesn’t photograph half bad either. Prior to taking the rap approach, the longbraided artist began modeling for rising fashion brands, including Babylon Cartel and AnmlHse, who are known for their strong connection to

Photographer’s assistant: Sam Wilson Styling by Luci Ellis Makeup by Daisy Harris-d’Ande

music. Outside of streetwear, Chynna has also landed shoots with H&M and New York Fashion week features for Alexander Wang, Maison Margeila, and Isabel Marant. Her ties to the fashion industry have opened doors to a variety of contacts and an even larger audience.

As a female, it’s been thrilling to see Chynna consistently build her career over the past year to make a name for herself in such a maledominated industry. A few weeks back Ant brought her on a stage full of male rappers during a show in New York. Without any instrumentals or backing, Chynna naturally ripped through a vicious verse that had a venue full of viewers in awe of her crazy flow and unique style. Although she has new heights to reach, she is not trying to be the next big “female rapper,” but the next big rap artist

full stop. Unlike some artists, Chynna isn’t tweeting every minute of the day or posting tons of selfies, but the people know – she’s always putting that work in.

In the midst of creating her next project, Chynna has been traveling back and forth to London, working with Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke among others. Although there’s no official name yet, the forthcoming release is set to have a conscious trap feel, mixed with the original Chynna that we know and love. As the project drops, we can only expect more amazing things to fall in line for the rising rap artist. More shows, more magazine spreads and much more growth.

The opportunities are bright and endless for Chynna Rogers. soundcloud.com/chynnarogers @MadeInChynna

THE IDEA OF WHAT A FEMALE SHOULD REPRESENT HAS BEEN MASCULINISED BY COMMON TRENDS AND SIMPLY BAD TASTE.

LET YOUR CHAIN HANG LOW VIPER TAKES A VIEW AT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHAINS AND SEX

CHYNNA Photos by Samuel Bradley Words by Lily Mercer

CHAIN - AMBUSH BIKINI - DIMEPIECE LA FUR - VINTAGE

THE TIE HAS LONG BEEN A SYMBOL OF MASCULINITY IN THE WESTERN WORLD. BUT LET’S EXPLORE THE GOLD AND PLATINUM CHAINS SO COMMON IN THE WORLD OF HIP HOP D

on’t judge me, but I’m a fashion school graduate. And while studying Fashion Theory in cultural studies, I was intrigued by Freud’s concept of the tie as a symbol of masculinity. The world is full of signifiers, nature especially; go to any park and see how many phallic symbols you can see.

And I’m not implying that parks are biological pornography, but it soon becomes understandable why these signifiers extend to our clothing and other aspects of our appearance.

The theory of the tie as a symbol of masculinity is a Freudian theory based around his work on the Interpretation of Dreams. In the early 20th century, he published work that stated, “In the dreams of men, one often finds the necktie as a symbol for the penis; this is not only because neckties hang down in front of the body, and are characteristic of men, but also because one can select them at pleasure, a freedom which nature prohibits as regards the original of the symbol.” Freud was a simple man, he understood that penis shaped things often make people think of the penis. And when people are thinking about penises, they will be subconsciously drawn to penis shaped objects. And though he eventually uttered the contradictory quote, “A cigar is sometimes just a cigar,” he knew that tie always means penis.

Thinking for a second of the Jordan Belmont’s of the world, the guys never seen without a tie; just in case you deign to take them for a non-tie-wearing chump. Or even (gasp), a man with a small penis. I mean everyone knows, the bigger the tie, the bigger the penis, right?! But how are men that don’t wear ties supposed to advertise their masculinity? The rap world has asserted the chain as the tie’s equivalent. Then diamond encrusted it. And with that, the game got switched on some Ludacris shit, because chains are a lot more exciting than ties. As are cars, guns, and just about everything else that can be considered a signifier. I mean, we’ve all seen an old man driving a sports car to reinforce his masculinity. Now let’s look at how the chain became a symbol of masculinity.

In the ways that ties are considered an arrow to the penis, long chain necklaces have the same effect. Prior to the commercial age of rap music, chain pendants rested on the chest. But the golden era saw money flood the industry and many rappers chose to flaunt their wealth by increasing the weight and length of their chain. Ostentatious displays coupled with exhibitionism as the shirts came off and the chests were oiled up. In the early noughties, you weren’t really a rapper unless you had a platinum chain, a throwback jersey, sweatband and a bottle of Cristal.

You’re also not really a rapper unless you objectify women at least once a year, just ask Future and Kanye West who even managed to objectify their wives while supporting Freud’s theory! The pair recently released a video for ‘I Won’, which is inspired by the concept of women being trophies. Players are encouraged to throw chains at women, who become trophies once they’re successfully laced with a rap chain.

Huffington Post critiqued the music-video-turned-computer-game, saying “Behold, the 8-bit version of objectification, in which players attempt to acquire a trophy wife, by chucking gold chains at bikini-clad women, turning them into literal trophies.” Gigwise failed to hide their contempt with this sarcasm filled review, “Now, you too can turn grown adult women into inanimate objects with the ‘I Won’ video game! To gain points, carelessly toss chains at bikini-clad women as they saunter across the beach, and turn them into a gold cup. Brilliant. Play it below, if you really hate yourself/women that much.”

Freud’s original theory of desire, he argued that though these symbols reflected sexual desires, it was wholly repressed. He believed that people used symbols of sexuality subconsciously because their superego won’t let them show outwardly what they want to do so it’s suppressed and comes out in another form. In this scenario, it’s very uncommon for

rappers to repress sexual desires, which suggests that it’s a conscious not a subconscious thing. But saying that, it’s unlikely that rappers view their chains to be replicas of their penis, but the power and attraction linked to the chain was likely to be seen as an extension of the penis.

There are many lyrics reinforcing this concept, however, and many post-Golden age examples. On B.o.B.’s ‘HeadBand,” 2 Chainz brags that his “Chain hang to my ding-a-ling.” Naturally he has to say that line twice; they don’t call him 2 Chainz for nothing! While everyone’s favourite nonsensical rapper, Lil B gets straight to the point on his awfully named song, ‘Violate That Bitch’, saying, “Looking at my chain bitch, sit down and ride this plank.” With RnB singers gravitating to the aesthetic of rappers, it makes sense that they feel it reinforces their masculine traits. Chris Brown makes one of the most direct references to the chain as a symbol of masculinity, saying “looking at my chain, but all she really want is my semen” on ‘Bitch I’m Paid’.

The females in the industry weren’t going to miss out. Rappers like Lil Kim, Trina, Missy Elliott and Da Brat were never seen without their jewels. This was during the era that the term “Bling Bling” entered the Oxford Dictionary. Chains worn by women had a slightly different purpose, as an arrow to the breasts. Rarely as long as the chains of their male peers, the pendants still drew attention to their breasts, acting as a symbol of femininity. While calling the rap chain a symbol of fertility would be a slight stretch of the imagination, it’s interesting that these concepts have not been considered until now; the jewellery worn by rappers is seen as an accessory of no real importance. To take the elements of rap jewellery one step further, Freud’s theory of penis envy could be applied to the females wearing chains. With penis envy being used to explain why women are attracted to stereotypically masculine, penis-shaped items like guns and cars, it could be said that women wearing long chains are mirroring men that are advertising their penises. With reinforced masculinity holding such importance in the hip hop industry, penis envy could be applied to many aspects of the industry.

Psychology’s evolutionary theory could also be considered in this case, and the act of ‘peacocking’ - decorating yourself to attract a mate. Pointing expensive metal and jewels at your genitals is a pretty good example of ‘peacocking’. Likewise, body art and piercings are seen as a way to decorate your body to attract sexual attention. Interestingly a study in 2013 found women with tattoos aren’t seen as more attractive but are viewed as more sexually available.

Chains have long been a symbol of affection, as jewellery tends to be given to a loved one. Puppy love romances are often defined the minute the male in the relationship gives his chain to the female to wear.

Let’s not forget the biggest example in the music industry... when Jay Z and Beyonce made it official when he said, “Got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain.” More recently Khloe Kardashian let the French cat out of the bag, wearing a delicate gold chain with Mr Montana’s birth name written on it. This is a sign of ownership and can be quite crudely viewed as putting your penis on a girl, showing everyone that she’s yours.

This is not to say that the chain doesn’t have other connotations, as it was originally adopted as a statement against slavery. KRS One was often seen with a padlock on his chain, a political protest expressing his own reminder of the human injustice. While this links with the symbol of ownership seen in Jay and B’s appropriation of the chain, the Freudian theory is overlooked.

But it’s always worth remembering, sometimes a gun is just a gun. And a chain is just a chain.

THE GOLDEN ERA SAW MONEY FLOOD THE INDUSTRY AND MANY RAPPERS CHOSE TO FLAUNT THEIR WEALTH BY INCREASING THE WEIGHT AND LENGTH OF THEIR CHAIN. OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAYS COUPLED WITH EXHIBITIONISM AS THE SHIRTS CAME OFF AND THE CHESTS WERE OILED UP. IN THE EARLY NOUGHTIES, YOU WEREN’T REALLY A RAPPER UNLESS YOU HAD A PLATINUM CHAIN, A THROWBACK JERSEY, SWEATBAND AND A BOTTLE OF CRISTAL.

CHAIN - AMBUSH FUR - VINTAGE

BRILLIANT GARCIA THE LA BASED PHOTOGRAPHER KNOWN FOR MAKING WOMEN LOOK LIKE GODDESSES

W

e live in an era which allows you to showcase your amazing talents on the Internet, share it with the world and leave others to be blown away. One individual is doing exactly that, meet the German born, Texas-raised Brilliant Garcia…

Residing in Los Angeles, the visual artist recently launched her website www.thebrilliantstory.com. Aged only 20 years old, she invites us into her world, full of creativity and observation in beautiful forms. The photography and fashion section of her website showcases a selection of images, exhibiting gorgeous goddesses in beautiful sceneries. Using real women as opposed to simply agency models, she’s also responsible for the creative direction and styling of her images.

Garcia isn’t limited to still images, a little over a year ago she directed the music video for ‘Now Dream’ by T.D.E. affiliated, Grammy Nominated duo, THC. Adding an entire dimension to the song, she takes our mind to a place of escapism with hypnotic visuals reminiscent of a kaleidoscope dream. By the end of the music video she leaves us questioning reality.

As Garcia continues to create on many levels, we’re left highly anticipating what she has in store us in the future. We managed to talk to the girl who is Brilliant by nature and Brilliant by name….

You recently launched your website. What’s your story?

My story began the day my mind woke up. I was kind of gliding through life with no worries. Having a solid family, home cooked meals everyday, about to graduate high school and really start my life. Three months before my graduation I lost my mother to a car accident. In that same moment I had to figure out how I was about to survive in this real world without her. Of course my mind was blank, full of questions but I gained some awareness about myself I’ve never had. I started being open to a lot more things. The fear of death was no longer there. I probably had over 1000 thoughts a day. I wanted to know more about everything. I felt like the worst thing that could ever happen to me, happened. So I was ready for change. I dipped to Los Angeles as soon as I got the chance. Been here for about three years learning and creating, trying to show everyone in my life now who my mom was. She lives on through me.

Where is home?

Texas will always be home. Although I was born in Germany and moved every couple of years of my life, the south raised me.

How did you get started working in this field?

I got my first digital camera when I was 16. I’ve been interested in learning ever since but I’ve never taken it too serious. It’s always been a hobby. I never thought of myself as a photographer. Moving to LA, things got real for me when I got into creative direction. I teamed up with Producedbythc after being inspired by their sound, we executed the ideas and dropped our first visual on April 20th, 2013. It got a great response and I was inspired to keep going. I’m now working on a Polaroid and film book which is the reason for all my shoots on the website. Those are the digital images of what direction you can expect in the book.

You direct, style and shoot all your work, where do you get your inspiration from?

When I walk somewhere I’m looking in every direction to see if anything catches my eye. I snap pictures of everything that does. Buildings with amazing architecture, and sunsets often spark some inspiration. On a more relatable note, the main source of my inspiration comes from music.

It really triggers my imagination. I get tons of ideas just from listening to good music.

Why do you direct, style and shoot all your work by yourself?

The process of it is actually a bit different. I can’t take all the credit. Yes I come up with the concept. Buy all the props out of my pocket. Choose model. Location. Book MUA. I’m not a stylist so I don’t have all those plugs yet to pull the things I actually want but I always know the look I’m going for. So I try to coordinate with the model what she already has and what I’m able to pull. That’s why most of my models are covered in things like fruit or fur or fabric because I’m able to creative direct without needing wardrobe. Doing everything makes it easier to express myself and it feels good to not have a middleman.

What steps did you have to take to get to where you are now?

I had to start speaking up and reaching out to people I wanted to work with. I didn’t wait for work to come to me. I had to figure out exactly what I wanted to gain from what I’m investing my time and energy into.

You have to be prepared to always prove yourself and be consistent with what you do. This industry everyone wants to be apart of is cut-throat. You gotta deal with being screwed over, turned down, only being hit up when people need something from you. But most importantly, just learn from everything. Don’t make the same mistakes twice and keep the negative people away from you.

Being a spiritual person, how has that affected your creativity?

Being spiritual has given me the urge to buy lots of books because it creates many questions about who you really are and who you want to be.

It’s almost like once you know how to control your energy or dreams, you want to learn more about it. Then when you start reading self improvement books, they’ll give you extra information that opens new ways of thinking.

That then leads to my thought process. My mind becomes so visual. I start trying to predict things and play them out in my head. That’s when ideas form and so on. It gets deep but spirituality and creativity both go hand and hand.

How do you keep track of your ideas?

I try to write everything down and save reference photos. The best way to

do it, is to execute as soon as you can before someone else does what you are thinking. It happens.

Your work so far has consisted of female subjects, is there a reason why?

Yep, women are already the subject of advertisements and music videos.

However, my approach is to capture a tasteful side of these women. I love the woman’s body but I will not display it the same way a man would. I want to make her look like her higher self. These ladies really trust me with creating what ever I want with their image so I try to manipulate their look. I try to take creative photos of them they could possibly be proud of.

I could shoot men but that’s a whole different process [laughs].

What has been your favourite shoot so far?

It’s close but I’ll base this off of the locations I choose. I’d say my shoot with Laina was the most fun and Aleali’s shoot was my favourite location. We drove three hours just to get those shots.

It’s not so much advice, but someone once told me, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” In other words, keep getting better at what you do.

Don’t stop grinding, there is always room for growth.

Do you have any memorable moments from one of your shoots?

Yes, for a video shoot I had all the models smoke weed over and over and some got way too high. [Laughs] It made one of the model’s really sick during makeup and the scene we were shooting was on the beach at night so it was freezing. She was literally laid out the whole ride to the location and was able to pull it together for the shot. I’m sure no one will ever be able to tell she was in so much pain.

What are your plans for the next few months? Will you be releasing your book soon?

Yes, I will. I have some amazing photos I’ve been holding onto for this book.

I’ve been wrapping up the final stages of producing it and it’s expected to drop before the year is over. I have a lot of video projects coming up with female artists who are new to the scene so I’ll be doing some of their first videos, which is exciting for me. Also, the next few months I’ll be working on the next THC visual. You can definitely be looking out for that.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Words by Claudia Arach thebrilliantstory.com @brilliantvalues

JENARO RAHEEM GOODE

BAYTOWN’S OIL PAINTER

Words by Shola Timothy

O

nce upon a summer’s day in 1929, a young Salvador Dali danced through one of his first interviews. “To paint a picture is either very simple or impossible;” he giggled with ominous nonchalance. Rude. For all the exhilarating flamboyance of Dali, greatness was simply black and white.

Seizing the occasion to paint was another affair. For that, he would summon the purest extracts of his kaleidoscopic delirium. That slick fastening of latent ingenuity with audacious self worth is sewn through the original fabric of hip hop - the thread of choice being lyrics.

Lyrics and a beat. Hip hop is long accustomed to being snubbed as one dimensional by writers who’d struggle to distinguish their spice from seasoning. Ironic, but not any more. That same evaluation is now levelled by a discerning section of its audience. From a lifestyle perspective, rap has really only touched on fashion, a short sell to the plethora of personalities within its ever expanding reach. Viper finds a Dalian disciple exploring art, sex and violence with prodigious dexterity. Decked in that aforementioned fibre of hip hop, we speak to a personality tinted by tales of oil paint - Jenaro Raheem Goode.

I heard echoes of Portugal, The Man when you answered the phone. Speak to me about influences...

My mom will tell you my earliest aspiration was to be a priest - I always knew I wanted to change the world and do something legendary. I’m almost sure intuition is my most important influence. Music actually filled my palette sooner than paint… synesthesia maybe. Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield...Kanye West. I have always listened for colour.

Your admiration for the temperament of Dali is notable. Do you spend time looking at any other artists?

Rarely. But I keep the books of Max Ernst, Jeff Koons and Akira Toriyama. I also connect with Murakami’s surrealist literature.

You deconstruct the female form without losing provocative titillation. You create garish characters that exude unmistakeable beauty. Tell me about your abandon of gender…

Its just never been important to me, whereas sex is real and organic. I have tunnel vision for pure sex, what is tasty… everything is noise.

It’s 3am in London and 9pm in Baytown, near Houston, Texas. Interviewing Goode in the thick of a brand new session, we’re getting the loudspeaker treatment; an inconvenience of the highest satisfaction, as we enjoy the calm orchestra of oil splashing. It’s the middle of the night here.

Yet, your art is juicy… in a hip hop sort of way.

Completely. In some ways I paint against of the stigmas surrounding women in hip hop. It’s like 8 Mile, where Em’ uses his whiteness. I just use the juicy silhouette.

How about three words to describe the piece you’re working on now?

Everything Is Temporary.

What’s next for you?

I currently do craft work at Audi part time, which is dope. I’m so down with its simplicity. Taking more commissions until my first exhibition, which is dropping 2015, three years in the making. After that I have to go to London.

Seems like a method for progress, a personal theme. Tell us a bit about where you originate from, and where you grew up?

Exactly, I rely on possibilities. I’m from Baytown. Lots of open space, I used to skate here a lot. It’s really not the busiest place, but I cherish the tranquility. My roots are St Lucian, so overall, I’m pretty used to simplicity.

Come check in with us when you do.

Squad. thegreatergoode.tumblr.com @jedigoode

JAY ROEDER TAKING TYPOGRAPHY INTO THE MAINSTREAM AND MIXING IT WITH HIS LOVE OF HIP HOP, JAY ROEDER IS ONE TO WATCH Do you view yourself as an artist, typographer or graphic designer?

Hmm, is “graphic-artistographer” an option? I’d consider myself an artist at heart, who’s pursuing graphic design with a focus on typography. In other words - all of the above!

What first interested you about typography?

I have always had an interest in typography and more specifically: hand drawn type. Having worked in the design industry for a while, I always had to sketch my ideas to sell them in. Drawing type lockups and different fonts really honed my skills throughout the years, without me even knowing it. On a side note, I’ve always found the imperfection of hand lettering to be extremely appealing which is why I try to always embrace the imperfections – erasing is overrated!

When do you think you found your style?

Being a perfectionist, it was not until I learned to accept the crooked lines, misaligned type and illegibility, that my lettering took on interest and character. As odd as it seems, creating these imperfections is as much of a craft as striving for perfection. Don’t be afraid to screw things up, because it might be more interesting that way!

Where do you get ideas for your typography pieces?

I pull my inspiration from everywhere, which a lot of times has to do with music, art and culture. I have a list in my iPhone of never ending thoughts and phrases that I plan to draw – all inspired by my every day life. To be specific, I always tend to come back to hip hop, retro technology, boomboxes, Nintendos and tape cassettes, that kind of stuff. It’s very cool to look back on my daily drawings because it tells a story, almost like a visual diary.

What inspired you to illustrate the entire lyrics to ‘Juicy’?

A few years ago I was in the Philadelphia and saw a “T-bone steak, cheese eggs and Welch’s grape” T-shirt. That shirt told me that almost any lyric from the song ‘Juicy’ could be taken out of context and still be recognised.

Feeling inspired, I decided to focus on what I felt was Biggie’s most iconic song and my personal favorite: ‘Juicy’.

Besides Graffiti, the art linked to hip hop is often overlooked. Do you agree?

I think artwork that is linked to hip hop has traditionally been overlooked, but not for long. As younger generations grow older that stigma will change if it hasn’t already. I guess it depends on who you ask. I think the younger generations definitely have an appreciation for it. Hip hop related artwork is here to stay, so get used to it people!

What have been your most popular pieces?

I would have to say the Biggie related artwork has been the biggest source of exposure for me, without a doubt.

What’s your personal favourite piece?

A personal favourite of mine is one of the first lyrics from ‘Juicy’ that I drew: “I let my tape rock ‘til my tape popped.” I remember creating it and feeling like I had finally stumbled across my own style. It was one of the first pieces of hand lettered artwork that I was proud of.

You also do some commercial work, what has been your favourite project so far?

I have been blessed to work with so many amazing clients over the years.

One specific campaign I am very proud of is an ongoing series of artworks I’m doing for the employment website, Monster.com. When the client briefed me on what they were looking for, I knew it was going to be a great fit for my style.

Where would you like your work to take you ideally?

I think my art has already taken me to the place I always wanted to be.

I wake up every day and draw for a living. The line between work and hobby has blurred and I couldn’t be happier. Using the word “grateful” is an understatement.

jayroeder.com

BATTLE OF THE TELL-ALLS

SUPERHEAD

“Confessions of a Video Vixen”, HarpersCollins, 2005

Although ‘Confessions of a Video Vixen’ is pretty much the standard by which all hip hop tell-alls will be judged, it isn’t all music videos and Cristal.

Superhead, a.k.a Karrine Steffans, states very clearly at the beginning that this is a cautionary tale to dissuade young girls from following her path from goody-goody island girl, to teenage stripper to video girl. “The top reason a woman finds herself in a rap video...is a lack of self-esteem. I know it sounds like a cliche, but no one who values, loves, or knows herself would allow herself to be placed in such a degrading position,” she writes in the introduction; and you can’t help but agree. However, another strong theme that comes from this book (perhaps not intentionally) is if you are an attractive and promiscuous girl, you don’t need a job. On first meeting and bedding Shaq, her next meeting with him involved him writing her a check for $10,000 and stating, “I won’t be able to come see you a lot, so I’ll just write you checks to keep you happy.” And that’s just one example.

But don’t worry, there is still the requisite amount of scandals and sexual exploits, featuring a roster of stars that reads like an MTV playlist including Ice T, Ja Rule, Jay Z, Ray J, Xzibit and DMX. Though for my taste the book could be a lot cattier, there were some pretty hilarious moments including her post-coital moments with P Diddy: “After the experience he said, ‘you’re one of the best’. I said the same to him when, in actuality, he was average.” She’s definitely not an entirely sympathetic

character, just as you feel sympathy building for her she’ll do something completely wild and inexcusable, like fucking Fred Durst. And even worse than that, she describes his eyes as “crystal blue, piercing through me and making me want him.” I needed a shower after that entry. However, her scenario at the end of the book, being addicted to drugs and desperate for money helps with the cautionary tale aspect of the story as she states “The same men who gave me thousands of dollars for shopping sprees and fancy sex-capades were now donating two or three hundred dollars to help me in my plight. I was getting less money in my time of need than when I was everyone’s favourite whore.”

Celebrity factor: It has to be a 9/10 but would be the full 10 out of 10 if this was still the early noughties.

Scandal factor: 10/10 - drugs, sleeping with other people’s husbands and tales of an abusive relationship with Kool G Rap - what else could you want from a book?

Overall rating out of 10: 8/10 - marked down for the several incredibly depressing chapters but there is no denying this is the ‘Illmatic’ of tell all books

SUPERHEAD V CARMEN BRYAN TWO OF RAP’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL KISS AND TELL BOOKS GO HEAD TO HEAD Words by Lauryn Tomlinson and Lily Mercer

CARMEN BRYAN

“It’s No Secret”, Bloomsbury 2000

Marginally better known as “Nas’ baby momma,” Carmen Bryan’s book is mostly about being the mother of Nas’ child, plus their on-off relationship.

But the book goes to show that it is indeed quality not quantity, as she famously sleeps with Nas and his rival, Jay Z. Probably the only woman that can admit that she was once pregnant by two of the greatest rappers of all time, Bryan is so brazen, you’re nervous for her as you read about her ducking Nas while in the club with Jay. It’s all very stressful. Especially when you add Allen Iverson into the mix. Yeah, she was fucking him too.

Alongside the three leading men in her love life, Bryan details a career in the industry, including the time she yelled down the phone at Russell Simmons and the way Redman would always bring her weed when collecting his DefJam pay check. Though promiscuous at times, Bryan makes a point to say that she wasn’t 100% in a relationship with Nas while she was sleeping with Iverson and Jay Z. But that doesn’t make it easy, as she finds out when accidentally burning Nas with an out of date condom.

It’s pretty hard to listen to ‘Illmatic’ the same way after reading the extract: “I put Nas’ penis in the cup of water and told him to sit back and soak.”

As far as tell-alls go, this is a good one. We discover that Nas is “a freak,” Jay Z is “huge,” and Iverson is fine with saying, “Nas ever told you, you got some good stuff?” following sex. She also lets slip the secret about a sly kiss she scared with Diddy, then “Puff Daddy.” There’s a few cases of

over sharing, including the description of exactly how Jay Z washes his butt. [He folds a wash cloth in half and pulls it through like floss.]

Alongside the traumatic stories about your favourite rapper, she reveals an interesting story about the occasion Beyonce put it on Nas in the early noughties. Pre-‘Crazy In Love’, Nas reveals the reason he didn’t go there is because of his relationship with her dad, not to mention her not-so-sweet breath. How different things could have been…

Celebrity factor: 8/10. Her conquests are A-List names, but there aren’t many of them. Plus Nas wasn’t yet famous when she met him.

Scandal factor: 7/10. The only real scandal is that she was sleeping with men that hated each other. Had she been less skilled at secrecy, this could have been a lot more scandalous.

Overall rating out of 10: 7/10. If it wasn’t for one of the greatest rivalries in modern music, this book would have been a pretty boring read. Overall it sounds more juicy than it is.

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