The Courageous Thoughts Of London Rapper Natty Wylah

Nam June Paik might have simultaneously pioneered and warned us of the future of technological communications. His first installations lassoed the TV screen, satellites and cables together to immortalise 3-D emblems. Nam helped coin the term ‘Video Art’, which would influence modern forms of communications today such as video-calls, memes and gifs. When his dear friend Joseph Beuys passed away in 1986 he replicated the ancient shaman tradition practised in Seoul, which was a ritual to guide spirits to heaven, in a 1990 performance titled ‘A Pas de Loup’. He celebrated his friend with portraits, melding his signature use of TV’s to make the performance in line with his artistic style. Although Nam knew technology couldn’t bring his friend back to life perhaps he gained some comfort out of immortalising him through the use of technology. The limitations of technology?: at times we have to relinquish control and ownership of our identities as our own images or ‘Selfies’ become immortalised online leaving a stubborn digital footprint.

For this editorial, Photographer Ganesha Lockhart fuses concepts by Nam retrospectively with an 80’s Neo-soul visual lacquer reminiscent of Nam’s 1974 ‘TV Garden’ exhibition. Part of Nam’s work centred around the future use of technology with art so this editorial rightfully features burgeoning Rap Artist, Natty Wylah, who uses several technological mediums to his advantage but is in no way tied down to them. You see, Natty is astutely aware of his reality whether it is a figment of his imagination that pours out in his music or the ‘real-life’ experiences he wants to create when performing on stage. In this interview we had the pleasure of asking a series of burning questions about his career, advocacies and the Nam-inspired shoot.

1. How was the vibe on set for this shoot and is collaboration important to you as an artist?

The vibe on set was very relaxed, in the basement of an unnamed bougie location so pretty mad settings. Collaboration is pretty essential to the way I work - theres always an element of collaboration no matter how far down the line. I've just started getting into my own production and becoming more autonomous but even still, it's a collaboration between my mind and the 1's and 0's!

2. This shoot was inspired by the artist Nam June Paik. Had your heard of him before and what do you make of his work?

Nam June Paik the G. I've been attracted to his work since I first fumbled across it years ago at art school, his view on technology was so much more optimistic than the view I hold and I really respect his vision. In many respects the internet has democratised the world, so you cannot take that away from it. Paik's use of the screen definitely pre-cursored; I wonder if he would of dreamed the screen would be as ubiquitous as it is now.

““I love to be moved so if in anyway by sharing my thoughts Is returning the favour then I’m playing my part.””

3. What do you think is missing in Rap/Hip-hop music at the moment and what makes you unique as an artist?

Hard to say what's missing in a genre because the 'Rap/Hip-hop' that I grew up listening to was different to what some might call 'Rap/Hip-hop' today and is also different to what 'Rap/Hip-hop' would have meant in the 80s’ when it was hatching in the states. There's some stuff that's just come into my orbit from the US that's got a real fresh feel to it, Griselda: them man are doing it with substance, I was excited by it and have just started digging into their sound. Lyrically saying something, provoking shit rather than just having a vibe, time and a place but for me lyrically stuff needs to be able to stand up. I am unique in the sense that I have my own particular cocktail of influences, musically. Every person has their story to tell and my story telling naturally will be seasoned by my experiences.

4. You have a very jazzy/ambient sound with powerful lyrics, what do you want people to feel from your music?

I want people to see it - it's quite visual, to feel the colours.

5. Who do you make music for?

For me, myself and eye.

6. Musically, what sounds would you say sum up growing up in North-West London and have you noticed any changes from your younger days?

Growing up in London, school times year 7, 8, 9 strictly grime really with the odd US hip hop bits - the beautiful thing about grime was it was on the cusp. The internet hadn’t proliferated to the state it is now, it was still dial up and that so this allowed the movement some incubation, meaning that whatever was happening locally would be what would be transferred to you via bluetooth! We had Flirta D, SLK, Ribz, I remember a few Swarvo tracks and Pase! My friend Dorien's older brother was Vandal and many MC's would pass through his - and through him we'd get fresh bits, fresh off the Sony Walkman phones lol!

7. You’ve addressed important themes in your music including identity, social issues and death (Your single, 4 Siblings being an example). Do you think being personal allows you to push the envelope with your music?

Yeah I mean poetry, it's emotional… and it's cathartic for me. It's my way of processing. Sharing these things can be helpful for others too. I love to be moved so if in anyway by sharing my thoughts Is returning the favour then I'm playing my part.

8. We’re curious about the flag spotted on your instagram that fuses the Chinese flag with the English flag. What was the concept behind this?

Haha yeah! I think flags are sick, I love a good flag (Bhutan might be one of my favourites) they harbour identity, also the iconography, the colours, the fact they're sown with fabrics, flown as signifiers of land. They hold much conceptual value. In 'Whoami' (produced by Srigala who is also of mixed asian heritage) I talk of how I'm not 'from England, I ain't from China, so fuck off with your labels' in response to being racially profiled and pigeon holed. It's an on going issue for many people, but I wanted to play around with a hybrid flag, fusing St. George's Cross and the Chinese stars, and I used the moon to represent the feminine (my mum) also representing dreamworlds which I get down with. I wanted to create a striking image using the St. George's cross as it doesn't hold many good connotations for myself personally. However, it's the country we live in merged with the stars from a land which is far from me, my mothers motherland, but does it belong to me too?

““In ‘Whoami’ I talk of how I’m not ‘from England, I ain’t from China, so fuck off with your labels’ in response to being racially profiled and pigeon holed.””

9. You come from a creative background, your mother was an abstract painter, how has this influenced your creative process?

Mama was a painter, she was feisty, fierce and fucking talented, I feel proud to carry on the legacy. I definitely think it's given me a depth to the way I think about what I do. It's an art to me.

10. How important do you think technology will be for creatives in the future?

Looking like technology is gonna be the main event - screen life. I don't know if people realise how important real life interactions are and the quicker we can get gigs going again the sooner we can return to church. Our version of church, personally that's how I see it, it's a spiritual thing. There’s so much inspiration and uplifting I've experienced through live music. Dance. Endorphins. Love. Vibration. Technology threatens to outdo the fear filled worlds that lives outside our screens, and I hope people can wake up to the danger we face in losing eye to eye, soul to soul contact.

““I am unique in the sense that I have my own particular cocktail of influences, musically. Every person has their story to tell and my story telling naturally will be seasoned by my experiences.””

11. The outfits you wore for the shoot looked very comfortable and some of the designs were very intricate, what’s your dream outfit for a performance/tour?

Couple wavy bits in there shouts out Femi ( stylist) , I'd want to have something that makes me feel powerful, loose and playful.

12. Tell us something unique about yourself that might surprise people?

I can read 3 types of german hieroglyphic dialects.

Follow Natty Wylah on Instagram nattywhynot

Credits

• Photography: Ganesha Lockhart

• Stylist: Femi Ayo

• Set & Art Direction: Sheena Brobbey

• Interview & words: Funmi Olagunju