So CHOZE, tell us a little about yourself, where your from? When did you first become interested in music? When did you start rapping?
I’m an alternative lyrical artist that was born and raised in south London. My first interest in music is when I discovered Michael Jackson. I remember like it was yesterday, Michael completely demonstrated to me that to be a complete artist you need to show your ability on and off the record and that’s when I knew that music was going to be in my heart forever. But honestly I first started to rap when I saw oxide and neutrino on tv. Neutrino being a relative to me made me feel that this form of artistry can turn into reality and when I witness him being number 1 on the uk charts, it was at that point the influence that pushed me to pick up the pen and start to craft raps together.
Whose music did you grow up on?
So solid crew, roll deep, wu tang clan, public enemy , the prodigy, massive attack to N.E.R.D. Reason being their movement made me more intrigued. I love the way they believed in their sound and didn’t care about other people’s negative opinions towards them. They stayed tunnel vision and that’s what’s inspired me today.
When it comes to your lyrics, what motivates/inspires you?
Life situations basically. I’ve been through a tough time in my life time but instead of taken that aggression into physical demonstration, I use that energy to write my lyrics. Which is funny because that’s when my best work comes out (honestly lol) when I’m slightly annoyed about a particular moment in my life, I just write to I can’t write no more.
What do you look for in beats you’re selecting?
Characteristics. Mainly if an instrumental has layers and different chapters as it goes through the timescale that what attracts me. It makes me feel I can tell a story with a subject matter easier rather then a loop. Don’t get me wrong I love a good loop but I prefer a beat that grows through the motions if you know what I mean
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
Playing in front of 4 thousand people in Hammersmith Apollo or racking 250k views on YouTube. Those are some of my biggest accomplishments as a independent artist. I never take this game for granted so any accomplishment is a blessing
Besides music what other hobbies do you have? Please tell me about your typical day
Writing mainly and a 9-5 lol. I got to keep active in order to keep the dream alive. Also speaking to my team every single day on how we can continue to make an bigger impact then the last 1. Always planning and taking action into our new ideas so technically my other hobby is still music lol to some degree
Whats the best piece of advice that has been ever given to you?
You fail when you quit. If you keep doing what your doing, you keep getting what you get. You have to keep pushing, no matter what obstacle you’ve been placed in. If it was that easy everybody would be becoming an all round inspirational musician. When you have darks day, look back on how far you come from and remember when the going gets tough, the tough gets going!
How does it feel when you perform live? Describe your live performance
It’s what makes me fully come to life. I just feel electrified when I touch the stage in front of a crowd and perform my music. It makes me feel empowered but also makes me feel like Ive escaped from any bad scenario that puts me in a dark box. I feel I’m in a safe bubble ready to set the stage alight which makes me feel more then happy inside.
What are your thoughts on how things are going in the music industry right now?
I think it’s a brilliant time to be independent and share your music. The reason why I created “DIY” because I feel what time to be an artist where you can do everything by yourself without being exploited by labels or feel that you can create your own label. There are no boundaries anymore which I feel will make it easier to share your music around the world e.g Spotify, YouTube etc. Obviously the residuals are not the same like 20 years ago but it will demonstrate to the world, what are you in this game for? For the money? Or for the fame? Or for the music?
What are your plans for longevity in this business of music?
Continue working on the brand. I feel the audience is taking the brand very serious due to the hard work and continuous products we share to the masses. Now it’s time to hit the world with our inventions and build a bigger community to support the brand and its message
If you could work with one person who would it be?
Kanye West. I just think he’s an absolute genius when it comes to music. He’s ideas are just second to none and I would love to collaborate with him one day. I can’t lie I’m a big supporter of his work and I hope we cross paths one day with respect for each other’s work
Thank you very much for your time CHOZE. Anything else you want to add? How can your fans get in contact with you?
Instagram - chozeofficial
Twitter - chozeofficial
Facebook - chozeofficial
DIY is out now on all streaming platforms and watch out for the video “wink wink”
