The Locksmiths are a London-based duo comprised of Zushi and Syxx. We’ve been big supporters of these guys since we first came across them back in..well to be honest I can’t even remember, I just know we’ve always been fans. The boys took some time out to answer a few questions we had for them, and gave us a really interesting look into their daily lives, and why and how they make their music. If you’re a fan of Mr 13, Akala, Ruthless, A.C then chances are you’ll appreciate these guys. Even if you’re not, this is a good interview with some very hardworking dudes.Thanks once again to the Locksmiths dudes for doing this. Bless.
Words: Aimee
1) Who are, how would you describe the Locksmiths to someone that didn’t know you?We go by the name of The Locksmiths, we are a hip-hop duo from West London, who very hard working & passionate about the music we make, and aim to deliver and show that in everything we do.2) What originally got you into hip-hop, what were your influences?
Zushi: I originally got into hip hop via my uncle, who was a DJ & had a vast record collection with many genres, but it was mainly hip-hip at the time & that’s were I 1st started to get into it. Plus I was just interested in the whole culture of hip-hop, it just kinda suited what I’m about. My influences include many artists from A Tribe called quest, Nas to Missy Elliot, plus I was also into graffiti from young which had me roped into the whole hip-hop movement.
Syxx: What got me into hip-hop is the art form and how you can express yourself, and get anything you want from your mind, in a creative way.
My influences in terms of artists are, KRS 1,Busta Rhymes and Method Man.
3) Was it always your intention to do it as a team, and not solo?We would say yeah, I mean in the past we’ve been in various groups. In the end it just ended up being us to which just seem to work, and from then it’s just been family. Plus we do so much together as in run the business as well as being good mates, it’s all just natural to us now. We hardly even get to write with each other these days as much as we talk all the time, but yet when we do write and put a track together, it matches perfectly. Some things were just meant to be, real shit lol.
4) In recent years, UK hip-hop seems to be moving away from the roadman, ‘gangsta’ content in favour of more intelligent, realist subject matter. From your point of view, what would you attribute to this? AND how do you think The Locksmiths fit in to this?
3) Was it always your intention to do it as a team, and not solo?We would say yeah, I mean in the past we’ve been in various groups. In the end it just ended up being us to which just seem to work, and from then it’s just been family. Plus we do so much together as in run the business as well as being good mates, it’s all just natural to us now. We hardly even get to write with each other these days as much as we talk all the time, but yet when we do write and put a track together, it matches perfectly. Some things were just meant to be, real shit lol.
4) In recent years, UK hip-hop seems to be moving away from the roadman, ‘gangsta’ content in favour of more intelligent, realist subject matter. From your point of view, what would you attribute to this? AND how do you think The Locksmiths fit in to this?
Zush: Would have to say a few. We’re already doing this and being real through music, and there are a few that are starting to click on that too. There’s more to hip-hop than image, so slowly more real subjects and artists are being brought to light. But I do still think a lot of artist are still on a next ting and unfortunately that’s where most of the light gets shone.
Syxx: We’ve never portrayed to be anything than who we are, we always kept it real to how we live, and how life is around us, so subject matters & good content has always been a main focus to us.
5) You guys have been pretty prolific this past year, it seems like you guys really stepped up your game. Your work rate has been crazy; so give us a little more incite to a typical Locksmiths day?Zush: Well my day is all about work, I mean we’re both 9-fivers ha, full-time plus we both run an events company “Team Sa’real” (Quick Plug lol) with another mate so the work rate is always 24/7. All we do is apply that some work rate that we have to something we have a passion for which is music. Plus we still enjoy making music, so after a hard day of making money & slaving away it’s like meditation writing & going to the studio, and as for putting things out consistently, we already work hard so music just gets thrown into the mix.
Syxx: Typical day for me is juggling my day job like Zush said, with dreams of leaving it and doing music as a full time job. I try to inhale as much music as I can as it helps me keep my sanity and keep creativity following. As much as work and family life takes up the majority of my day I still try to write as much music as I can to or from work and during my break.
6) Can you tell us more about The Red Tape collective?Zush: Yeah our boy Mr 13 came up with the idea of putting on a few artist which were us, Mr 13,Big Frizzle & Wordplay. Then there was a few more features from around the way on a EP to make a collective of tracks, which was already bless because we had been doing tracks with each other already. It was just a thing of doing 1 or 2 tracks/vid with all of us on it, I.e “Ignorant” & “Fire” both produced by Nutty P, who was live on production and it was great to work with the man himself.
Syxx: We enjoyed that project, I think some of our best material was done on “The Red Tape”.
7) Your latest EP ‘The Story of the Unknown EP’ is a really diverse release. I mean ‘Hell Break Loose’ and ‘Behind Closed Doors’ could be on different EPs, but still are both firmly Locksmiths’ tracks. Was this intentional to demonstrative your diversity, and is that why you used so many different producers?Yeah defiantly, it instantly shows our diversity in music & how we approach it. I mean like we said a lot of our life is in our music & a lot of our life is ups & down. I mean one minute we can be in the studio making “Hell break Loose” *no pun intended lol* or on stage, than snap, within an hour we’ll be back to reality, dealing with shit at work and family life “Behind Close doors”. That defiantly gets shown in our music all the time ’cause that what it i for us, and it’s nothing for us to put different tracks on the same project like that, because that’s just how our day or week is. A project almost represents a day or a month in the life of The Locksmiths. Using different producers is just our way of bringing out different emotions, the ones we have on the EP are the main ones we tend to work with anyway so it was just us displaying what we do.
8) Keeping it closer to home, what’s your local scene like?
8) Keeping it closer to home, what’s your local scene like?
Syxx: Every area has it’s positives & negatives, ours is getting better on the positive in term of music & people working together, so we just try to stick to the positive ones & get work done.
Zushi: Yeah, our side of the boarder is slowly but surely getting better. I mean there’s always been man doing their thing, some have stopped, some are still doing it like us, and I guess it’s just about keeping it up and getting that light over here.
9) What are your plans for the New Year?Zushi: A lot! A nice few new ideas & projects, I think more importantly we have a plan now, so we know exactly what we’re doing & what need be so it’s all about getting it done.
Syxx: Keep being consistent & keep working on getting the name out there.
10) Shout-outs?Zushi: Yeah shout-out to everyone that has been supporting and helping us on our journey, like yourself who enjoys our music & keeps pushing it, bless up.
Syxx: Shouts to the Team “Team Sa’real”, our sponsors The Ink Parlour/Team Tip & Also check out www.teamsareal.com for our events & adventures company & get involved. New Mixtape “The Sa’real World” coming real soon.
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