|
|
|
Mic Concise - The Influential One
Tell us more about Mic Concise? My full name is Ansumana Bai Marrow. I’m 22 years old, and I’ve been rapping for coming 6 years now. I used to do GCSE music and really enjoyed producing and writing music. I’m very much a conscious head when it comes to hip hop, I must admit I was inducted in the school of battle raps, but am aiming to graduate from the school of conscious raps. It doesn’t mean that there is a solid white line that divides the two, and Talib Kweli is perhaps the prime example. I’m a logical and structured person and I would like to think that I bring an air of order to the group, and a bit of vibrancy to the album.How did you come to be part of the group? My story begins at college where I first met Pique (the ‘Fifth’ member of Stone Circle). I used to see him writing everyday, during breaks and lunch, whenever and wherever! Anyway, I heard his stuff and was inspired, he told me I could do it if I put my mind to it, and here I am six years later. Nuff Love PQ! Anyway, also at the same college were Nine Lives and Manifest, who had already formed a group called ‘Irrational’. These guys had already been rapping for several years when I met them. You can imagine how I felt around these people who I deemed to be semi-pros, while I was still rapping simplistic rhymes! Nine Lives displayed a tremendous act of faith in my abilities and asked me to join Irrational! I was chuffed. Over the next 3 years I was continually inspired by the uncanny ability of Nine Lives to truthfully express his thoughts and emotions. As for Manifest, he just kept me on my toes, always doing something new and constantly experimenting. About a year later Irrational picked up a new member, Braynz, and a new form, and around that time the group name changed to Stone Circle and also got picked by Social Misfit Entertainment to became part of Social Misfits – courtesy of a hook up from Juicy of Da Essence. What is the significance of your emcee name, your alias name, the name of the group and the album’s title? My full name stage name is Mic Interface Concise. ‘Concise’ because this is what I aspire to be in my music, especially when it comes to conscious and political material. Whilst in my battle raps I try to keep my rhymes punchy and sharp. ‘Mic’ because it’s my ‘first name’, and secondly because the mic is the tool of my vocation. Finally my middle name ‘Interface’ because I believe I’m delivering a message through my music, and because I want to be used as a Godly vessel, having a positive impact. Having explained the reason for choosing ‘Interface’ I suppose my alias ‘Influence’, is kind of self-explain explanatory.What are your hopes for the album? Earn our stripes, build the name, get the experience under our belts belt, make new contacts and connections. Maybe in the process pave the way for some future collaborations. Oh yeah, and earn some cash! It’s all good admiring the finished product, and remembering all that we have been through to make it happen, but if it doesn’t amount to anything, it’s just gonna be another CD. I want people to look back at the album and so yeah that was the debut album for Stone Circle, it was a solid offering and it laid the way for the future they were going to have in the future! Tell us about the solo cut you provided on Infrastructure? Yeah, I worked with the talented Mark Mclaine aka The Silence on "UK Underground". I felt that the track had a certain vibrant energy that reminded me of the energy of the hip-hop scene. So I set out to try to capture and explain it, the dedication of labels, the politics, the love and hard work of independents record labels, individuals and groups such as the Social Misfits. With this track we wanted to create a tune which could be played at hiphop spots like Subterranea, WKD, Scala etc and a tune that all the hip hop heads could nod and rap along to, united in the appreciation of its contents. There’s a lot more of this to come, as The Silence and Mic Concise are currently working on a joint project at the moment, so stay tuned for more! Outside Stone Circle what other activities are you also involved in? I love Formula One and athletics, especially the sprints. I also have an interest in economics, politics and development. I’m currently working on some other stuff with some other artists. Life’s more fun if you’re busy!!! So whats your opinion on the current climate of hip-hop, and most especially the hip-hop scene in the UK? Hip Hop in the UK is growing, but then again I suppose every generation in the UK says that, it’s also about to blow. Either way hip hop is definitely becoming more main stream across the world and in the UK. Especially as the establishment don’t really differentiate between people who chat to garage and hip hop. But it’s all good and it all love, because it raises the level of publicity for all of us. Stone Circle is like no group out there at the moment and I think that time and response will carve out our image and comment on our contribution. You guys managed secure the appearance of one of UK’s hottest hiphop names, tell us how that all came about? Karl Hinds is an artist who needs no introduction. With tunes like "Don Gramma" and his hot album he has paved the way to becoming one of the UK’s Van Guard. Rolling with personalities like Blak Twag and Seanie T, Karl Hinds is the third member of the ‘Rottenous Family’. But it’s not by association that he classed a great artist. Karl Hind’s accessible flow and engaging content coupled with his production talents, and ability to market his skills, has resulted in great acclaim. On top of all that he’s a nice guy, who has his head screwed on the right way and he’s feet firmly planted on the ground. It was a pleasure to have Karl Hinds feature on the album. I recall seeing him at The UK Hiphop Awards last year, we got chatting, he blessed me with a promo-copy of his debut album, I raised the idea of him featuring on our album, he immediately said yes, and the rest is history. It was a pleasure having him on the album, I hope in the future we get to do some more work together and to build on the momentum that is gathering in the UK hip hop scene. If you could only recommend one song on the album which one would it be and why? Man, that’s a hard choice. The choice would be a tight one between 3 so I’ll tell you about each and you take your pick. The first would be, "This Is Me". I mean the chorus is bliss, the verses are pristine, and the production is tight. It’s all you could ask for! The lyrics tell you something about Stone Circle, not just as a collective group, but it also provides a snap shot of the characteristics of individual members. I could talk all day about this tune but I won’t, I’d rather listen to it instead! The second would have to be "This World"! The rhymes are fly, and the chorus is soooo hypnotic! I was feeling the tune when I wrote it, I was feeling it when I recorded it and I’m still feeling it now. It’s metaphysical, like we were reading a rhyming fantasy book or something, but it also has a hint of battle in it. This tune clearly shows the strength of SC, our imagination, ability to flow, and what I call the head-nod factor. And finally I would have to give you "Stress". The Mexican guitar, the bassline, the rhymes! Wooaah, Pres’ got busy on this one! The scenario is set and the mood is made tangible through heartfelt lyrics from Nine, Manifest and Braynz talking about the ups and downs of young love. We performed this tune at the UK Hip Hop awards, and I must admit I enjoyed every bit of it. I’m only on the chorus, but I think that this is none the less a very nice Stone Circle track.
|
|
|
In
your own words, tell us about the formation of Stone Circle?
