Latest / You Call That Radio? / 'Neither Collar Nor Crown' w/ Vagrant Real Estate

Transcript

'Neither Collar Nor Crown' w/ Vagrant Real Estate · You Call That Radio?

• 0:05
  Speaker A: To the world. And to the world.
• 0:08
  Speaker B: Good afternoon and welcome to season five, episode 24 of you call that Radio's audio podcast. I just thought I'd pop on and do a quick introduction because I've already heard this interview, this conversation with Vagrant Real Estate, which I really enjoyed, but unfortunately my microphone was playing up a little bit for the first five or 10 minutes, so I tried to edit it and I've decided just to scrap the first 10 minutes because it was. My microphone is just distracting. So what we're gonna do is just go to 12 minutes into it, if that's all right with you, because that's what's happening. I'll tell you what happened in the first 10 minutes. I was just lit. All right, mate? And he was like, I'm alright. Are you alright? And I was, you know, the usual kind of stuff, the usual pleasantries. And we were talking briefly about his incredible album Neither Color Nor Crown, which is available on all platforms under the name Vagrant Real Estate. It's an exceptional album, very ambitious. It takes. He makes all the music, the beat side of things, and then he gets collaborators in. Many emcees involved, many singers involved, some from a folk trad background, and there's lots of samples from yesteryear, Scottish samples. So it's a really interesting project. So we talk about that. We talk about just Scottish culture, the importance of collaboration, the mystery of Mogh.
• 1:51
  Speaker B: The Charlie Manson's beach ball incident. There's. We talk about the California scheming film which is coming out next year, featuring the story of syllable and brains pretending that they were American when they were actually for Dundee. We talk about BBC Radio Scotland, we talk about Scottish accents, the curse of Scottish accents, the Aberdeen music scene and much, much more. That the little clip of a song you heard there was from the album featuring Bems. So we'll just go back into that song, which finishes with a feature from Soleil of Dos fame. Brilliant band shoutouts to Dos and Bems. And that's you pretty much up to date in what's going on. Thank you to the patrons at patreon.com forward slash. You call that radio. For continuing to keep the show going. And yeah, I think you'll enjoy this very talented guy. This is vegan.
• 3:26
  Speaker A: To the world and to the world and back. Just like that.
• 3:36
  Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
• 3:38
  Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Look, look. Okay, Trousers where the ankles are. That's the new way. Full nights at Track Street. I'm dressed in two ways. Late night, stressed out. I ain't even slept for two days. Cold out here in the fiasco like I'm l mans are busy selling drugs but me I had to digress Just from the Lord they left my life and the hot mess like him happiness was starting I wasn't found here Funny how much a brother's life can change in one year left my girl at the time sugar took to suicide Money had to multiply mind working overtime who God bless no man curse shame on the whole world if it ever fails to see your world now for real I swear f that was a match damn they lost my mind like a pledge during the dark man gripping for my older friends who really helped me build again Now I got the strength to face you brothers like I'm Daniel in the lion's den Let me tell my story from no matter how big it is Let me be great and show you the mind of his genius Dark complexion come from Roy yeah I'm Nigerian Nubian soon to be reigning supreme again Never beg for a hand out never have my hand out the for me were the heart is that my life was just departed But I'd rather see the world burn than see another tenfold I'd rather die to see my family go yeah to the tails and rags to riches and feel the pain of when I take the glitches when I glisten me I'm on a mission shit's never ending like I'm in some CR position nothing is impossible I'm taking like a metronome got this brother shook and out of bouncing like a tennis ball lady spill I take the numbers I don't have control pride got me acting like a IM hey I love my brother yeah man I'm still here putting in work for that lazy like I'm sincere to be Sincere it's been 10 years since I put pen of paper I made a but now I'm older floors got colder since sky's a limit my I don't told you never sleep on the big step I fit all the jokers out the deck and now I'm sailing through with all hands on deck.
• 5:31
  Speaker C: I'm going to tell you right now I kill you today and to me that's really important to have something like this as a blessing Bring community to the forefront Love thy neighbor look after your pon farm put your letter in the D BE S1 after.
• 5:51
  Speaker A: Those people.
• 5:52
  Speaker C: In the cloud and I count your healing mass it's not a question where you come to it's a question of your class Cause these yuppies insurance and tides you don't care about your leaps and chains the two busy fucking genocides and drops and bombs on waves.
• 6:11
  Speaker B: The.
• 6:11
  Speaker C: Size of time are on our side. Fuck out of you. Fuck it out.
• 6:31
  Speaker B: Vrant Real estate, BS and dos. Does that make a bit better.
• 6:38
  Speaker D: Send them. Yeah, I think we're good.
• 6:40
  Speaker B: Was it. Was that. Was that. Was that crackling? Could you hear me crackling?
• 6:43
  Speaker D: There was a little crackle coming through. Yeah, my s. Yeah, yeah, okay.
• 6:47
  Speaker B: Yeah, a few people saying shout outs to. Shouts to my sound engineers, Mary, Ali and my pet rocket. Make is good. All right, we're sorted.
• 6:57
  Speaker A: Cool.
• 6:58
  Speaker B: Right, so do you know what? I've got a fancy webcam that's crackling. Look at this fancy. I've got a fancy microphone, but that only works with the desktop and the fancy camera only works with the laptop. So I'm trying here. This is why this is just me confirmed that I'm not going anywhere this week. I'm staying here when he fixed my studio set. But every time I get it fixed, there's always another issue. But, yeah, a brilliant track from the album. Let's talk about Bems, who is. Because dos, if you don't know DOS already, he's. Well know them by next year, they're. They're gonna be huge. Bems is already there. You know, he's. He's. He's playing everywhere.
• 7:40
  Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, it's amazing that, like, I. So I first came across Bems, it would have been like 2018, something like that when he had just. He had just released like tracks on Soundcloud and it was really early on and. And then it was for, I think 20, 20, 2021. Met him in person and we did Coldest Winter Freestyle at the Up To Standard studios in Glasgow. And from then I knew that he was like gonna go clear because it's there. The energy that he has with everybody is always like. It's just so great to be around. And he's always championing everyone else and like putting people on and. And yeah, really just wants to see everyone succeed and do well. So, yeah, he's someone that I really, really respect and admire and he was one of the last ones actually got the verse in for, for the album. We were just having to basically get our schedules lined up and I think in the end he was abroad and then he was back in Glasgow for like a day and then he was leaving again the next day. So he was like, if you can get down, then we'll get in and get the studio. And yeah, it was class, but I Mean for that I was expecting him to give me like a 16 bar. I'd kind of left roughly that in the. The demo and I think he recorded about like 70 bars and was like pick what you like out of that. So yeah, big up Bams like he's. Yeah, he's a legend.
• 9:02
  Speaker B: Big up Bames. The, the. He's got. He's got a kind of star. Call this Queen. Yeah, I kind of charisma but he's just sort of.
• 9:10
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 9:10
  Speaker B: And the work rate. Exceptional Shout out bs. You mentioned up the standard there. Just, just. That's just made me think. I seen a clip there of Sherlock. I've got a new thing coming out called up to Live and Sherlock. Sherlock's. Do I seen a clip on. On social media that is. Looks like Sherlock's got a jazz band behind him or something. That's going to be. That's a great idea. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
• 9:37
  Speaker D: Yeah, I think it's really cool. It's definitely. Yeah, it's always. I think it elevates it definitely when you've got that live band performing with the mc it definitely takes like a certain level of skill to be able to pull it off. Which I mean Sherlock definitely has like to be able to. You've got to be really comfortable in how you perform and, and the ability. But yeah, that'll no doubt be. Be sick. I'll definitely be checking that out.
• 9:58
  Speaker B: Yeah. The, the band thing. I know that there's a lot of people who are kind of skeptical of hip hop with. Not just hip hop with Scottish accent. We'll get into that in a minute. That's kind of worms. That's another kind of. But just people that maybe didn't know get hip hop. You know, obviously as a hip hop fan you, you forget that there's people that just. They've never really taken to it and then when you. You seen bands like you know, Stanley OD and Hector Bessar and you know, loads of great bands have came through since. Yeah. Shout outs to Matt winning album of the year as well. If you know, on our drums from a former band member winning Scottish Album of the Year. And yeah, there's something about by having the bass, the drums, guitar or whatever, it may be that people are more open to open minded to it because I don't know, it seems to have more. The format has more context to them or something.
• 10:59
  Speaker D: Yeah, it's definitely an interesting one because yeah, I mean we've done so we do out. We. We put on shows up here. For like, some of the, you know, like local hip hop acts. And then we've done ones bringing guys up from the central belt. And the last three years we've done shows in collaboration with the Jazz festival, the Avenue Jazz Festival. And every year we have people who come out of that show and they say, if you would. If I saw a poster for like a Scottish rap thing, there's no chance I would have gone to that. But then they've seen it at the jazz show with like a live band and the MCs and they absolutely love it. So it's like. Yeah, I think it's like some. For some people it is like, that's like. It's like a naughty word or like, whatever, where they're like, oh, I don't know, I'm not like, that's. That's not for me. But then, yeah, they'll come along to an event like that where it's a bit more kind of almost accessible. Like you say, it's got that additional context that they can kind of frame it around rather than it being like a DJ or. Which is not to say there's any like, you know, that one's artistically better than the other. It's just that I think, yeah, that it's a very fringe thing, the thing that we're passionate about.
• 12:04
  Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And. And with the, The Scottish accent. Let's talk a little bit about that. Because there is. There's a prejudice towards the Scottish accent and it's really strange. We know we've talked about it before, you know, Scottish poets. It's fine to be a poet in a Scottish accent. We've got many successful comedians and singers, but for some reason, when you put a banging beat behind it, people are just a little bit skeptical. At first, yeah.
• 12:34
  Speaker D: At first, yeah. And, yeah, I mean, I think it just is. It just takes time, to be honest. Like, I think it's, you know, there was. It wasn't that long ago that the guys down south and, you know, England and like the, the grime artists and stuff were getting like, oh, it's, you know, what is this? It's a pale imitation of what's happening in America. And then it took a wave of guys to break through and now you've got enormous acts. I mean, if anything, there's an argument to be made that the UK scene is probably more active with, like, fresh new ideas than is coming out of America at the moment. And I think that it's just that it's like Scotland is that bit behind England. Which was behind America. So we're just X years kind of behind on that. That journey and we still haven't had like a, you know, breakout record. And that could come, you know, that could come from someone like a Benz who's already like, really, really high up in the scene, or it could come completely out of left field from somebody completely new. But, like, it will get to that point, like somebody will do that. And then I think it just starts to open it up more and people get more comfortable with hearing it. And I think a lot of the time it is. It's definitely. And I think it's across music in general. Sometimes the attitude in Scotland is a bit like, oh, what are you doing that for? Or like, you know, trying to do something that's maybe like better and better than yourself, whatever. Then you get to a certain level and then people start to be like, okay, right, we're gonna back. We'll back this guy. And I think that's kind of just where it will be with hip hop. It'll just take a record, you know, a couple records to. To really sort of cross over. So, yeah, just. It'll take time for sure. But it's. Yeah, it's a funny one.
• 14:10
  Speaker B: Well, there's a. There's a film that, you know, we had a. I had a Q a with dad McGarvey that I hosted last week and something came up. This quite an interesting thought. Is that colorful California scheming?
• 14:26
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 14:29
  Speaker B: With syllable and brains and so we've had both syllable and brains on this show. Both telling their side, which is a. We bit different, as you can imagine, a lot of times past. But so with James Mavoy, we've got to hope that there isn't. They're going to. It's going to be a good advert for Scottish Ship. It could go. It could go either way, though. Let's not kid ourselves on. But I'm just hoping that since the guys are very passionate about rapping, for anyone that doesn't know, did you want to tell the story for it so that I'm not talking?
• 15:03
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 15:04
  Speaker B: What happened?
• 15:07
  Speaker D: They're from Dundee, I think Dundee originally, if I'm not mistaken. And they basically weren't getting the traction in their kind of hip hop careers. So they pretended that they were American and then. Yeah, basically then found success and it kind of grew and snowballed and snowballed until they were kind of struggling with the level of success that they were receiving for this kind of like caricature that they were putting on and not being able to be performing as themselves. So, yeah, it's a really interesting kind of take on. On that of like, if you're not. All that's necessarily changing is the kind of accent and stuff, just how it can be more accessible to the outside listener. Yeah. But I'm definitely interested to see how the, how the sort of film's been put together. I was actually speaking to Syllable the other, like, the other day. I'd sent him through the album in advance and yeah, he was like, really rating it. So I'm. Yeah, I'm keen to see. See how the film. How the film does.
• 16:01
  Speaker B: Please be good. Yeah, please be good. But yeah, the guy, the guys, they love the hip hop and they've got a lot of respect for other people in the scene. So I'm hoping. And James McAvoy, he. He knows his stuff, so hopefully that this, this could be a good opportunity for anybody who's got some good music ready to go.
• 16:25
  Speaker B: For whether it's negative or positive. There's going to be a spotlight on the country at some point. Yeah, I don't know when it comes to. It says 2025 there, but I've not heard.
• 16:35
  Speaker D: Yeah, I'm not sure is.
• 16:37
  Speaker B: Is happening any minute now, any day now. So. Yeah. And who do you think. Who do you think would. We've already mentioned Bems is anyone else that you think could take the. The torch, steal the torch off the English grime MCs and put a bit of Scottish at popping them up.
• 16:58
  Speaker D: I mean, one of the. The sort of MCs and also like MC producer duos that are really great at the moment is AJ47 and Corin. I think they're doing it really, really well where it's, it's. It's very sort of like distinctly Scottish, but the. The way that they're kind of also bringing in that, um, sort of there's like UK underground rap kind of sound that's really, really kind of like on fire at the moment. So definitely that could potentially, you know, I can see that slotting in with how that sort of scene is exploding at the moment. But yeah, as I say, I mean this. It's. At the moment guys seem to just come out of nowhere and will be massive. I mean, they're like the. As an English guy, but that SD kid is now like, he's on every like, mainstream news like page because of the Timothee Chalamet thing and stuff. So it's like, I think definitely with the way that the Internet is now and like Especially like tick tock and stuff. In the space of a year, you can just become like, you know, the biggest name without even having to really do shows or anything like that. Just by putting out music that connects in that way.
• 18:06
  Speaker B: Of course, you've got on the album a legend. MOG is on the album. How did you. Not always easy to get hold of. It's more, I think four numbers for him.
• 18:17
  Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. No, so MOG was like, I mean, probably to me the like the all time greatest in terms of like Scottish mcs. And I think you'd be probably hard pressed to find somebody who knows Scottish rap and would like maybe disagree with that. And I produced a couple tracks on his album X last year, I think it was. And yeah, he just. I thought he would make sense for that record. And yeah, like you say, he just like, doesn't exist. Anyway, I had to. So it was actually word through the Sons of Scotland. I. I reached out to him. I think it was on Twitter possibly. And so I said, I know that you've got that connect. Can you kind of like pass this on? And yeah, that was, that was how that kind of like came to be. But yeah, I mean, Mog again, like, MOG sent me some like, really, really kind messages about the record and the song and like how gassed he was to be on it. And I was like, you know, you're. What are you talking about? Like, you're Mog. Like, this is. I am gassed. I have you on this. Like, so. Yeah, wild.
• 19:20
  Speaker B: Well, that's the thing, cuz. Mog's not on social media. I don't. He doesn't. I think that's why he's so. And I think you make a good point. I think everybody who knows about the culture here in this country would say he's the best. And I. And I don't think anyone would have a problem when I'm in. S the best because he not online. He's not gassing himself up.
• 19:41
  Speaker D: He's not.
• 19:42
  Speaker B: He's not having fallouts. He's not arguing.
• 19:46
  Speaker D: So, yeah, yeah, it's that like, undeniable thing, isn't it? It's like you don't, you know, you don't need to be the loudest person in the room if you're, you know, the work speaks for itself. And yeah, that's definitely the case for him.
• 19:57
  Speaker B: I think I got a message the other day for someone looking for Mog. Richie. Richie was looking for Mog because recorded some songs in his studio and then didn't Leave a phone number. So he's got. I've heard them. I've heard these songs. I have to give them to mog. But it's like you just put the bat signal up.
• 20:21
  Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
• 20:22
  Speaker B: Message a few phones, put the word that. So this is the way I'm doing. I'm putting the word that. Mark, if you're watching, you've got. You've made some bangers and you may want to hear them. Richie.
• 20:33
  Speaker D: I hear. It's like. I think I've heard stories of like, Jay Z where it's like Jay Z doesn't have like a number, so it's like you can't contact him, but he'll find you. I think that's like MOG here. It's like. Yeah, you'll just. He's just aware and he'll. Yeah, yeah.
• 20:48
  Speaker B: But. Yeah.
• 20:50
  Speaker B: Did you go to the aerospace gig?
• 20:53
  Speaker D: No, unfortunately. I've been kind of like on and off sick from this most recent tour that I had. But it's. Yeah, it seems to be smashing it. And I mean, on the. I'm seeing all the reels and stuff he's been putting up, like, he's really been getting around, like outside of just being in the cities.
• 21:08
  Speaker B: Yeah. For people that don't know, aerospace is from Washington D.C. and there was an Instagram glitch for some reason has reel started popping up in Scottish Instagram and everyone sort of just started interacting. Him and Superman and the beat brought from over and he's played, I think, with Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen. The wheels, the views are great. So that's aerospace spell.
• 21:33
  Speaker A: We.
• 21:33
  Speaker B: We did try and interview him last week, but there was a technical hitch and neither of their webcams went on. So I just cut it short after 15 minutes. But we're going to do it again. We're going to do a recap of each student once he gets back. But yeah, if you check out aerospace. Wait, that's a I R O A space. Because it's just. It's just an interesting story. He's a. Scott, he's a Scottish. You don't know. Yeah.
• 22:00
  Speaker B: So that you. We've got. Oh, I wanted to ask you about the. So the kind of this. So when you're trying to get your album out there, how are you feeling about.
• 22:11
  Speaker B: Trying to get traction with. Because obviously Radio Scotland's been in the news this week with the fact that they've cut four shows to kind of go towards a more easy listening, mainstream thing. Have you had any joy with. Obviously, Phoebe does a great show. And Introducing the Stephanie, I think it is, but be better. So have you. Have you been getting any airplay and stuff like that?
• 22:35
  Speaker D: Yeah, so, I mean, yeah, like. So Phoebe has been a big sort of like champion of my stuff for a number of years. She's always been sort of supporting through the. The Introducing Portal when I've been submitting pieces and yeah, we've had, I think, plays for the last four weeks. Um, we've had like three tracks played off the album. Um, and then we also got played on Radio 1 by Jess. Is that on her show? That was the Go with the Flow record, which, yeah, was sort of picked up again through the Introducing Portal. So, yeah, it's difficult. It's. It's definitely like. It's tougher to get your stuff out there, but it's definitely utilizing the tools that are available to you. Like, obviously, the Introducing Portals and is a fantastic thing for anyone who's just starting out to be able to get stuff out. It doesn't need to even be necessarily like a released track. You know, if they. If they like it and it's us and the music is good, then generally they'll play it. And yeah, Phoebe and Stephanie do an amazing job. Champion and new music coming out of Scotland. So, yeah, it's, it's. It's just like researching what's available and, and trying to reach out and get a. A relationship with these people and see. And then, yeah, if I'm like seeing them at places like A Wide Days or a Pitch or a Samas or whatever and, and going up and sort of like making sure to say thank you and I'm appreciative of the support because it goes a long way and I know that for a lot of people that can be. I mean, it is. It's a. It's a massive deal to get played on. On radio. On the Friday night show with records that you've made. It's a great feeling.
• 24:09
  Speaker B: Yeah, it's actually on FM radio. Your friends, random people could just be listening and a taxi. And there's something that. That's where the. The magic of radio still lies. And hopefully the backlash is going to stop them making too many changes because appealing to younger audiences, mainstream commercial, classic hats and all that, it's just. It's not needed for a station like Radio Scotland. It would be really good. And I'm not talking about just new, obviously, that my favorite show is introducing because it always makes me happy to see my friends or whatever getting a spin. They're buzzing off it. It helps Their fans get excited by it and hopefully new fans come in as hopefully introducing here to stay and hopefully they. They do. They. They walk it back a little bit. I think they started doing a little bit of a U turn where Rod show getting. He's getting a mixtape show now as well. But yeah, it's Radio Scotland. Let's not try and make another radio or another Clyde. I mean, I don't know what's your equivalent up north, but I'm sure he's got something similar to Clyde, which is the worst commercial. Sorry, Clyde, but it's really bad and it's just really annoying fake accents and then really loud fast adverts and then it's the worst music you've ever heard this repeated on every hour. And we can't. Radio Scholar doesn't need to do that. It shouldn't do that because all you're going to do is lose the. The loyal listeners that you already have. So come on, don't do that.
• 25:51
  Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely.
• 25:53
  Speaker B: So we've got. So also I wanted to. Because you've got, you know, rappers. We could. Jackal, Mog, Dos Bems, Mad at the Gore Chef. The rapper. Full focus is incredible as well. Take Lloyd. Brilliant. Carpenter's there at the end. You got Jinx. It's just good. It goes on and on. It's a kind of. It is like a who's who from all the generations. So when you're. When you're. Did you use Jackal as the. The sort of. The host, for lack of a better word, to tell the story of the album? And at what stage does the. At what stage does the. The rappers get brought in and how much do they know about the project? What's the conversations like?
• 26:40
  Speaker D: So, yeah, so, I mean, yeah, Jack is definitely the sort of central pillar to the album. He's the. The sort of, like, thread that's coming through it all and connecting it. And then, yeah, the. The other sort of artists are pulled through for specifically what I. I thought that they would be able to end that. What they did bring to the records to like elevate and enhance it. I mean, there's so many artists and incredible MCs that aren't on this album. And that's just because it didn't necessarily make sense. Like, I didn't want to get people on a record just to have them on a record. It had to make sense and fit rather than just like throwing, you know, X MC on YB and then it's, you know, you don't get that same kind of Feeling. But, yeah, for the most part, it was reaching out to people. I basically gave them a kind of rough outline of what the album was about. So it's very, you know, it's about, like, identity in Scotland experiences and of being Scottish and being. Being here, but also leaving it fairly kind of, like, loose. I didn't want to rein people in too much and kind of allow them to do what they. They were sort of wanting to do. And then a lot of the times I was sending them bits through, especially like the ones with Jack on it would be.
• 27:49
  Speaker D: A demo with a open section that would have Jack on it. So then they're kind of like bouncing off of each other and then. Yeah. So, like, somebody would, like, go with the flow. Jack had done the first verse and then Catherine put the hook on it and then Jack sort of followed on from Catherine's hook. So it was still quite a sort of collaborative with the different. The artist kind of like. But vibing off of what each. Each. Each other was putting down.
• 28:13
  Speaker B: And the. The other one, I was sort of. As well as the. The MCs, there is a lot of singers as well. And one. There's a couple. Fiona.
• 28:29
  Speaker B: So Fiona is a very interesting artist. Sent me some music maybe eight, nine years ago. And I've always found it really interesting stuff. So it was great to see F on it. And Best Girl Athlete who, weirdly, we've only played Aberdeen once and it was with the amazing Snakeheads and Best Girl Athlete. It was a long time ago, but, yeah, I've not really heard for Best Girl Athlete for a while. So how did that come about?
• 28:58
  Speaker D: Yeah, so that's actually. Basically I had gone back. I was going back through sort of like records and. And compilations and things from artists from Scotland and from Aberdeen. And it was on a compilation. I think it was Letters. Letters from Aberdeen. That's on Band Camp. I think it's maybe the. Yeah, 2014, maybe something like that. But there's. It's basically sort of like letters being read out from loved ones to loved ones with musicals of accompaniment. And there's one of them is a basketball athlete track. And it has this beautiful guitar and vocal kind of like playing through the back of it.
• 29:36
  Speaker D: And yeah, basically I wanted to use that as the sort of like bedrock for Mayday and Sangu, who's an amazing poet from Aberdeen. She performed her piece this is How We Live at the sort of. As the outro of that song. And I wanted to kind of combine those two elements. I felt like it, like, fit really really well. And yeah, reached out to sort of Charlie, who's best girl athlete's dad and a co writer with her. And again, yeah, he was like, really, really buzzing to see it be used in that way. And May was really, really pleased with how it came out. So, yeah, I was like. I was really happy with how that came out. And yeah, best girl athlete. I mean, it's not necessarily as active now, but it's still like an incredible musician. So what I would like is maybe people would listen to the album and then go back and, you know, check out her. Her music and that and discover that because, yeah, she's an incredible talent.
• 30:27
  Speaker B: Absolutely. It was a. A venue. I don't think it's there anymore downstairs.
• 30:31
  Speaker D: Yeah, it's closed now. But yeah, it was great venue.
• 30:35
  Speaker B: It was a lovely venue. Everybody was so nice. They bought a T shirt office so they could frame it. It was like all the. All the bands were all in T shirts, almost like a. You know, the way a football. A football club. And I just thought it was really cool. And then I think I heard with. I'm. I'm not anywhere near Aberdeen, but I heard that it was a new people moved in and complained about the noise after moving next step and, you know, they. People.
• 31:01
  Speaker D: Yeah, typical. Yeah, yeah, we've had a couple of those up here and yeah, yeah.
• 31:06
  Speaker B: How has the Aberdeen scene doing? How's it. I mean, obviously it's a tough time for musicians in general, but how's Aberdeen coping with the current landscape?
• 31:16
  Speaker D: Yeah, I think it's. It's definitely a sort of like transition. Transitionary point, I think, especially in hip hop. It's. It's been a bit sort of quieter the last sort of like year or so. I think, like, a lot of the bigger names have kind of stepped back a bit and are maybe more in a kind of writing phase. And I think that's true of like, Scotland in general. But, yeah, I think there's still a lot happening. There's a lot of amazing things to go out and do and see. I mean, we had the. The. The BBC Trad Awards where at the Music hall over the weekend, which I think is the first time it's been here in like six years. And there's always live music happening in the likes of, you know, like Drummonds Tunnels. Cellar has like, good shows on and stuff as well. So, yeah, there's a. There's a lot happening. You maybe just need to be sort of like consciously looking for it and seeing things happen. But there's definitely a sort of like a. Still a sort of like, thriving indie music scene.
• 32:14
  Speaker B: With us. This is sort of a late contender for album of the year. And obviously people have already made their album of the year, less probably. I mean, I'm seeing these publications bringing it. They must have written this stuff in September, you know. So what have you got an album of the year? Would you. Is there anything. It doesn't be Scottish. We don't need to keep it to Scotland. I'm just saying, like, is there anything that's released it for you this year in general.
• 32:45
  Speaker D: I mean, so. I mean, I'm a huge Bonaver fan, so the Bonaver record that came out this year, I absolutely loved. The Dave album is amazing. Really, really good. Just the level of lyricism in the production. One of the. I mean, not in terms of, like, a song over an album. There's Tummy Tuck by Faraz, who's an Abedonian artist, which came out, and that is like, an unbelievable record. I think that's so, so good.
• 33:14
  Speaker D: But, yeah, it's difficult. I mean, yeah, there'll be ones I'm kicking myself that I'm completely forgetting about. That's right, yeah.
• 33:20
  Speaker B: Yeah. Well, I'm gonna try and make. I'm gonna put that on the list. Hold on. I've not actually heard that yet. For us. Tummy Tuck.
• 33:27
  Speaker D: Yeah. So it's FFer4z. We've. We've had him at a couple different. Of the hour shows that we run up, up here. And yeah, he's an excellent, excellent performer and just.
• 33:39
  Speaker B: Yeah, sorry, smell that again. Spell that again.
• 33:42
  Speaker D: So fer. And then the number 4Z.
• 33:45
  Speaker B: All right.
• 33:46
  Speaker D: And the songs, Tummy Tucks. Yeah, it came out March 1st.
• 33:49
  Speaker B: Nice one. Yeah, got it.
• 33:51
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 33:51
  Speaker D: He's got a number of different records that have come out and, yeah, it's fantastic artist. Just like, good, good vibe.
• 33:57
  Speaker B: Yeah, man. I'll check. I'll check that out. It's quite difficult doing the. Like. I've got a wee radio show sometimes do called Current Signals. So my plan is. Is to just. I usually just pick about 40 songs and do two shows. And then last year I done a top 10. But the problem is when you do, like, you know, anyone that does an album of the year and doesn't mention Dreams are Mental, I hate them. So. So by doing an album, an end of your list, you might think you're helping, but you're actually just pissing people off.
• 34:30
  Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're making friends with, like, 10 people and then the other thousand are all good stuff.
• 34:37
  Speaker B: And the people that used to get at the top 10, most of them don't give a. Yeah. I don't even know you. So they're like, they're not even your friends. You've just made the enemies and no new friends.
• 34:48
  Speaker D: Paulinatini and that. And never, never see it.
• 34:51
  Speaker B: Well, Paul Natini bought me a paint. He, he, he might.
• 34:54
  Speaker D: Yeah, there you go. There you go.
• 34:56
  Speaker B: Although he's kind of got the, the Mog mystique about him as well. He just kind of disappears and comes back.
• 35:01
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 35:02
  Speaker B: Then he having a pain and, and, and the last pub you'd ever expect and then he, then he vanishes again.
• 35:07
  Speaker D: Yeah. I know a lot of my friends who've like stayed in Glasgow have got amazing stories of him. Yeah. Operating in a pub at like 2 in the morning or whatever and then, and then disappeared into the mist. But I've, I've not had that, that blessing yet.
• 35:21
  Speaker B: Yeah, well, I mean if you, if you go to Glasgow, if you hang around long enough, he will tell.
• 35:24
  Speaker D: He'll appear.
• 35:25
  Speaker B: He will appear eventually.
• 35:26
  Speaker D: I.
• 35:28
  Speaker B: Another Scottish legend in the news today is Sully Manson. Have you heard about this?
• 35:32
  Speaker D: Yeah, beach ball. Yeah.
• 35:35
  Speaker B: Yes, the beach ball. Barbara Strand Effect. The beach ball edition for anyone that doesn't know. Right here for I Love Sh. Mansion. By the way, I just want to clarify. This is not. No hate. No. Hey, love. Love Garbage Love. Charlie Mans. I think she's an important voice and she's, she's spot on with everything from, you know, Palestine to Spotify to. Yeah, great singer. But come on, Shirley, maybe a slight error of judgment here. She said that she was going to get her people to beat up the beach ball guys. This guy, I thought, I thought at first the guy throwing a beach ball on the stage and I was like, go on yourself. Don't. She's in Australia. Scottish last in Australia. Don't throw a beach ball. How dare you. How dare you, Sully Manson. But then I seen an interview with the guy and heard some more and it seems like the guy was just in the crowd holding a beach ball.
• 36:31
  Speaker D: Yeah, the clip I saw, he was just holding it. And it was also like, not even like one of these enormous ones you see bouncing around. It looked like something you could. A basketball you could hold in a hand. So it did seem like, yeah, maybe not the best way to have handled that.
• 36:44
  Speaker B: And she, she said, you use are. We're not circus performers. I'll get my people to, to get you. I'll get the crowd to get you. I'll You've got a small. That just wan. And the guy, the guy's called Gig Pig and he apparently goes to all the gigs and all the festivals as a character and everyone loves him. And that guy went. He asked the sound engineer. No, yeah, the sound engineer for the set list. He went, oh, I need the set list for this one. And then he went home and he listened to Garbage. And then he went and did interviews and he says, here, don't. Don't give her any hate. Just maybe take a beach ball to the next gig. And he did. So Melbourne last night. There's about 50 beach balls in the crowd and then it's Sydney tonight. I don't know what's going to happen tonight.
• 37:31
  Speaker D: It'll be raining them. Yeah, they'll be. They'll be selling out all over at the moment.
• 37:36
  Speaker B: Yeah, well, maybe. Maybe she did invest in big beach.
• 37:40
  Speaker D: That's the thing.
• 37:40
  Speaker B: Maybe she. Some shares and beach bogs and she doesn't actually. Yeah, there's always. There's always a reason. It's all something good on to. Have you seen what I'm. I'm going to watch? I'm in part three, the. The P. Documentary yet. Have you. Have you watched.
• 37:56
  Speaker D: Oh, yeah, I finished it a couple nights ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 37:59
  Speaker B: So I'm on episode three. I fell asleep during episode four, so I need to catch the last one. Yeah, Wild. Wild.
• 38:08
  Speaker D: Yeah, it's. Yeah. Unbelievable. Like, and even just the, the fact that there's. That he had people filming days before his arrest, like, even that suggests that like down at the Wire he was like, oh, this will still be a redemption thing. Still going to find a way out of it. And, and I mean, in some ways he did like a very, very, like, light sentence for the things. But yeah, it's a. It's a fascinating watch. But yeah, I mean, I do. I also just rate 50 cent. His level of like, pettiness is brilliant. Like, I think I saw a thing about. He's like. He sold it to ABC because that's the network that you'll be able to view in prison. So it's like better chance.
• 38:51
  Speaker B: Yeah, that was his. That was his interview. That was the reason he agreed to be interviewed by abc because that's the only channel.
• 38:59
  Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
• 38:59
  Speaker B: Yes. Yeah. He's. He's asked his favorite hero and he goes, I don't have any heroes. Who's your favorite villain? And he's like, I like Diddy. Yeah.
• 39:10
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 39:11
  Speaker B: He just, he wouldn't let it go. And yeah, I mean, if you think of all the things he's done to J over the years and did he. To actually get a Netflix contract and then make. Probably. Which will go down in history is one of the biggest because this he's covered ever. I mean I'm only an episode. I've still got one more episode to go. But he's pretty much covered every single rumor I've heard, whether it's true or not.
• 39:34
  Speaker D: Because it has that like whole episode on Tupac and Biggie. Like it fully goes right into the details of that.
• 39:41
  Speaker B: It's a phenomenal hour of television. Just the editing on it. Because obviously as a. As a fan, I have heard these stories before, but there was some new footage, there was some new insight from people. And what was interesting about it is it's the first documentary that's came out that people seem to be comfortable about talking about. Did they know? Yeah, because. Because previously in the past it would either. You know, people didn't want to ruin their career by. By alleging. We should say that everything's alleged, but. Well, I don't know if you see a legend anymore. He's pretty much been proven to be ranging and he got 50 month and with time served. So he's out soon. But it looks like there's going to be. I mean it was. It's money. And also Donald Trump said that he might give him a pardon because they're good friends.
• 40:32
  Speaker D: Well, I mean I. I remember seeing a video couple Halloweens ago where he was dressed as the Joker and it was like. Like just sort of passerby in the street in New York and he was like dancing around his car in the Joker and like full character screaming and it's like. Yeah, that's not a. That's not a sane guy. Like there's some. There's there's a darkness in there, like. And then. Yeah, all this stuff has come out and.
• 40:57
  Speaker B: And then you see.
• 40:58
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 40:58
  Speaker B: When you look back at the. When you think about it, I mean I was too young to really see how inappropriate was. Did he dancing just after his friends died. But the memes have been incredible this week we. Did they coming out. I think it was that an award ceremony or something? Was it an award ceremony? Not sure. But a big live television moment where he came on stage with Sting and he's just dancing around.
• 41:23
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 41:23
  Speaker B: And. And nobody thought that was strange, you know.
• 41:26
  Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. That's definitely kind of parlayed it into just becoming like a global star and. Yeah. Right off the back of the. The Biggie stuff is just. Yeah. It's like, scary. And I think that's one of the things that's interesting, the documentary is that kind of the way that Diddy portrays it is he would have you believe that him and Biggie were like, you know, brothers, and they were that close. Whereas the documentary definitely kind of frames it as more kind of like artist manager relationship. And Biggie kind of had him at little bit of an arm's length.
• 41:57
  Speaker B: Yeah. As well. Man. It's. Well. Well, the good. The good thing is, is that unfortunately a lot of my musical heroes turn out to be eventually. But I never liked Diddy, so I don't need to separate the art from the artist with this one because it never. It's just. I was never. I mean, obviously, respect to Biggie. In fact, the older I get, the more. The more respect I have for how difficult his rhyme schemes were for such a young man.
• 42:26
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 42:27
  Speaker B: To be doing that. But, yeah, the rest of it, you know, I never really get into the mace stuff or the. The rest of the Bad Boy. I didn't really like the. The Bling Bling. The. The Boston. It's the same with 50 Cent. That first album's incredible. And then after that it became. I feel a wee bit like it was just showing off about how much money. Yeah. So. But, I mean, that's not probably. That's a nice way to sort of sort of finish the show a bit as well as they kind of talk about your influences because obviously as a producer, you. You might see the Bad Boy thing is slightly different. The. Because obviously I hear a lot of producers saying that it was of its time, it was groundbreaking beats. But I just never really connected with him as well.
• 43:07
  Speaker D: Yeah. I think. I mean, it was definitely like a formula where there's some of it where it really connected. I think, like, More Money, More Problems is like, brilliant. But then that. There's definitely elements of that where it was just. It's like, you know, boilerplate cookie cutter of just like. Yeah. Taking a disco tune, slapping it with it with, like into it into a rap track and sort of pumping it out just to try and keep that sort of money tap turning.
• 43:33
  Speaker D: But, yeah, I think it's like anything, isn't it? It's a. It's definitely like. It can. A formula can become quite old quite quickly. So there's like some of those records that are great, but then also, I'm like. With Mormon. I think it's the. It's the. The sort of the alchemy of somebody like Biggie on that, like when he comes on that record, he's just spelling his name. And I know it's been, like, said a thousand times by, like, those are different people who speak about it more articulately than I would. But, like, all he's doing is spelling his name, and it's so sick. So it's like that. And he would. I mean, I want it, like, I don't know if he was 20, 25, 20. You know, it was young when. When he passed, like, and you forget how young these guys were. And it's. Yeah, it's a real shame to see where that could have potentially gone, to have that level of talent on display at that age. Yeah, yeah.
• 44:23
  Speaker B: And Tupac and Buggy were friends. Yeah, it's just. You just got, you know, and it's also Suge Knight as well, you know. Yeah, he's. He was no angel in this either. But, yeah, it's. It's horrible to two phenomenal artists just. Just get taken. A sheer great jealousy, actually. Jealousy. What, what. So what producers got you on the path? What ones got you into making music? And what. Who did you look to and who. Who you still inspired by? What's the. The vibes?
• 44:57
  Speaker D: So to begin with, it was definitely the likes of kind of like the earlier Kanye and just Blaze. Like, I really like that kind of like the soul sample style where I. It's been, like, pitched up, but definitely more kind of manipulated. Guys like 9th Wonder doing that, like, amazingly well. When I started out producing, it was, yeah, seeing videos on YouTube of. Of these guys, like, making beats and then seeing how they were kind of forming the original records. So, yeah, I used to. I would start buying sort of job, lots of records off of ebay that I. It would just be random, whatever I was getting. And then going through and trying to kind of like make very poor imitations of stuff like that. And then, yeah, had the inevitable producer, like, Dilla phase of becoming. Absolutely.
• 45:45
  Speaker D: Yeah. Like Mad Lib and. Yeah. And I think.
• 45:52
  Speaker D: Yeah, it's still guys that I'm, like, really, really impressed by. I think I also look a lot at the likes of, you know, like, your kind of like Avalanches, DJ Shadow, even like a Daft Punk and like a Fat Boy Slim, they wouldn't necessarily be kind of like hip hop inspirations, but the way that they've approached sampling and things like that, I think, you know, like, some of the Fat Boy Slim sampling is outrageous. Like, some of those tracks that have, like, four completely separate records that all fit together in the way that they do, like, I think that's up there with some of the best kind of hip hop sampling that there is.
• 46:26
  Speaker D: So, yeah, those would be the names that kind of like jump out initially and then. Yeah, that. And then, I mean, it was guys like Eeks and like Jai Zoo and stuff who are doing it in a more sort of like, local basis. And then I think being from Scotland as well, you have to shout like Hudmo. Like, I was kind of like teenager starting to get into producing and he was all over Jesus and like Cruel Summer and stuff, which was like absolutely mental that he was from just down the road and then he was all on these enormous records. So, yeah, that's a huge inspiration for sure.
• 47:00
  Speaker B: And you. I seen you mentioned about the fact that you were kind of. For this album, you. You were create digging and trying to find those old Scottish songs. If. What. What was that experience like? Because you're. You're obviously, I would imagine that you're looking at these songs through a completely different lens from you, maybe songs that you've heard before. I'm a bit. Something a bit more obscure. So what was, what was that like?
• 47:28
  Speaker D: Yeah, it was. It was definitely interesting because, I mean, a lot of it was.
• 47:33
  Speaker D: It was. It was trying to sort of track down records and researching through different kind of like archives online that would have listings of a kind of, you know, a label that had put out very, very niche music, you know, a number of decades ago and like tracking down bits and pieces. And a lot of it was, yeah, just like ordering, you know, something from like, somebody on ebay in like, Germany that's got like a copy of something and then listening through it and finding bits and pieces to kind of work with. And yeah, it was, it. But it was. It was interesting. And I discovered a lot of music that I just absolutely love now in general. And it made me go back and revisit a lot of, like, Scottish acts that I'd maybe spent some time away from. So, yeah, it was like. It was a really like, at the core of it, that was just something I did for the passion of it and. And loved it. And this kind of album came as a sort of like. As an offshoot of that.
• 48:25
  Speaker B: And you've already got another album in the works, I understand. I read you got a wee piece in the skinny. I read that interview. And you. You're waiting on a. An artist from down south or something.
• 48:37
  Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. So there's a. Yeah, that'll be kind of like at the moment, aiming for sort of like March, April time, but yeah, that's like a smaller. A smaller sort of project. Kind of like be like eight, nine tracks, primarily just me and one mc. And then we've got a couple of the little features on there. But yeah, there's some really exciting stuff on that. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that sort of coming out. We'll be. Yeah, seeing what we can do with that in the new year and then sort of push on from there.
• 49:03
  Speaker B: Amazing stuff, man. Well, the album is out@vagrantrealestate.bandcamp.com if you want to support local music, unless you live far away, then support really far away music and on all the streaming platforms as well. Where? Just everywhere.
• 49:20
  Speaker D: Yeah, everywhere. So my website is vegan real estate.com that has all the latest sort of news and articles and everything will get kind of like archived in there. Vacant real estate on all. Yeah, your Spotify band camp, Apple Music and then, yeah, Vagrant producer on Instagram, Twitter, all the. All the good stuff. Everywhere. You'll find me everywhere.
• 49:41
  Speaker B: I'm so happy. Dope. I never made it as I'd been. Huge debt for those sample clearances.
• 49:46
  Speaker D: Yeah, Big up. Come on, man. That's a og. Yeah, yeah.
• 49:51
  Speaker B: Absolute pleasure you're back in the west coast anytime soon.
• 49:59
  Speaker D: Yeah. Hoping to get through. No, I don't think. I think, yeah, just all I would say is go through the album. All the features are like linked in there. So, like go into the features, check out their discographies and yeah, you might find something that like you. I've. That'll absolutely blow you away because there's a lot of incredible, incredible talents that I've been lucky enough to work with on this. So, yeah, man, just. Yeah, Happy hunting.
• 50:26
  Speaker B: Have we've got the Fiction burn Supper on 31 January. In fact, I'm launching my book plug for me.
• 50:35
  Speaker B: So, yeah, we're going to do. It's kind of. It's the 15th year we've done it, the Alternative Burn Supper. It's. We have a bit of poetry about a comedy about live music, but we've always been bringing the. The hip hop through because obviously hip hop is poetry as far as I'm concerned. So, yeah, if you're available Saturday, 31st January, Slay Glasgow, maybe you could do something, get involved.
• 50:59
  Speaker D: Yeah, it sounds sick. Yeah, yeah.
• 51:01
  Speaker B: Just because it does. Seems like it's. Because that's what we try to do. We try to have a. We nod to the past but bring it up to date as well. So, yeah, man, if you're Available. We can talk about that offline, but an absolute pleasure. Go and check out the ch. I think I've got one more song that we to play us out. As long as I haven't downloaded the same song twice, which may have happened as well. Let me just double check this.
• 51:26
  Speaker B: Okay, cool. Go for that.
• 51:28
  Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is features. It's the sort of party cut track off of the album. It features Jackal, Profocus, Cryptic, Mog and Jinx and yeah, every one of them going absolutely crazy on it. So, yeah, cheers for having me on. I really appreciate it. And to anyone who goes and checks out the album. Yeah, thank you. And let me know. Let me know your thoughts.
• 51:50
  Speaker B: Nice one, mate. All the best.
• 51:55
  Speaker E: Abedine. And I'm battling demons stuck in the habit I get a bladder than pleasing I've had it really thought he's getting the thought on the heat that they're actually decent competing with me Are you actually steaming? I'll leave you B and beaten by the gabatoni your beats with the way that you speak in the place that I've lived with the fathers from Eden I'm a heathen, you couldn't hack half the situations I've been in I mean it, I keep it casting the acting you play man I've seen it a million times before Pull the bull from your eyes with a violent force Make a mind contort the only game I play is survival sports how much knowledge can a mind absorb? I'm fighting wars in my mind I'm the lord I'll be hearing the future I'll be seeing the times before I'm the cock that killed the dinosaurs I'm.
• 52:33
  Speaker F: The source console dead fake trying to fuck with my template I just woke up in stolen castle with a headache Pray until my pen breaks then take a segway if you have to call yourself the best you're not the best mate. Hit, take, press, enter, dead center etc expect my next level to get clever I will Heads Ever the best ever My pen never detects error you couldn't outrap me if you were working together. My craze ranges and changes upon a daily basis and my mental health takes me to mental places stasis we lost one of bros cuz he overdosed and my muka had his dose forced till he coma toes got me questioning the holy ghost like God only knows hold my wares I grow colder as I grow wiser Better if I go my hands on whoever's responsible for Tis no leaving the hospital though no believe in.
• 53:15
  Speaker G: It either cataclysmic damage in your district swagger and bringing you the part of mischief that's my characteristics rappers get stranded with my cannibal instincts man like cryptic out matching these misfits I'm in the premier league, you paralympic I'm mixability, stamina and fitness in it for the art or you're climbing up your instas I respect, respect the craft there is to start they don't get the message it was sent from the start felt from my heart Represent yourself who you are instead of just pretending can't tell them apart Genuine talent getting kept in the dark R sailing you generic and degenerate stars Restless shark from a depths are charging I'll be finishing my sense and.
• 53:55
  Speaker H: Pain in the yard Western temperament Eden but a resident intelligence renders me the emperor in my element I r with the pelman are prevalent any sentiments are relevant and men don't want to wrestle with the elephant Prep a settlement, keep me abreast of the developments you can refer to me as your eminence. Get on your begging knees and revenants peasants revel in my elegance I sell them my accelerants and send them either peril as my delegates Bum like a bunch and thump like a trunch and hunt Unless somebody was cutting your punch and subtle destruction maybe even brought their guns in Sergeant Hudgin through the bloody dirt in the dungeon running I'm mucking anybody can get hot when I'm hunting Hunting substance not a one that you're gupping and puffing mucking My drug is nick clubbing, thugging mother and young engine woman I'm no dumb and n with my slutting I keep it cunning driver crumbing try and find what I can conjure and summon.
• 54:38
  Speaker I: This is the squad that got the biggest of bars I'm giving the props the pro Jacko, cryptic and mog are giving the God spitting that hot signature sauce Just listen and watch. You didn't have permission to talk we did it bubbling like a simmering pot living in sports with the criminals plot as little kids we were taught to spit on the cops what awfulness we didn't adopt. It isn't crime if you didn't get caught that's undeniable to those that's undesirable maniacal, high on post and holding others liable. Just know our brothers try and stow to rise above all the pitch in the shite see as it drips for the pipe I'm choosing a different life in a dark tunnel and I move to the twinkling light try and not lose it as I loosen my grip on the right pushing the split that I like music uplift when enlightens I use the gift of insight to do what I think is the right thing.
• 55:26
  Speaker E: Okay, this is our.