[@mowgs97] has had his epiphany, now he’s coming for the crown

WORDS + INTERVIEW BY BEN TIBBITS

Congested and commercialised, UK Rap finds itself in relatively unknown territory. With Drill now one of the most popular genres in the country, the thin line between flourishing and floundering is at its most precarious. This is the moment for the next generation of stars to shepherd the scene into more creatively copious land.  

An essential piece in UK Rap’s chess game with itself is Birmingham’s Mowgs. Labelled the movement’s new Prince, the rapper is a shining light in the complex battle for Road Rap resurgence. Having developed an incredibly loyal following since his emanation five or so years back, Mowgs has since been in continuous limbo, whether with the industry, his peers or his past. Following initial acclaim for his 2019 tape ‘Roll the Dice’, Mowgs struggled in the evolution of his sound.

Caught between his musical roots and his fervour for success, the period that followed saw the rapper’s releases receive tepid reactions, as he tried to, somewhat, facilitate to the masses rather than make the music that he loves. After an internal and external battle within many aspects of his life, Mowgs has overcome the anchor of egoism weighing down his stylistic metamorphosis, and hatched into an unparalleled driving force destined for rip-roaring anarchism against the apathy creeping into the edges of UK Rap. 

“I’m in this for the long run; the quicker you blow, the faster you fall” he remarks over our zoom call. I find Mowgs to be a subtly eccentric conversationalist, with honesty within himself always the main objective. Living it up out in Dam, sampling the local delicacies, it’s clear that Mowgs is a rigid character with a strong morality; an enveloping focus on his art and what he desires to achieve with it. He tells me he’s only been serious about music this past year, which makes me ponder the heights he can now reach with a revitalised mindstate. 

Mowgs truly is in a league on his own. Although often compared to Ice City legend Nines, which can be argued in terms of tone and charisma, Mowgs is defiant in his unique sound, declaring that “ain’t no one influencing me”. His new album ‘Bare Necessities’ – out on May 6 and featuring the likes of MIST, Rimzee and Country Dons – sees Mowgs at his nonchalant, grounded and polished best, with the tightly-woven project showcasing the rapper’s depth of character, musical attentiveness, and natural gift of encapsulating listeners of all backgrounds. 

GUAP sits down with Birmingham’s finest to discuss the ways in which past turbulence has shaped his character, his upcoming album, and his on and off relationship with the city he has called home for much of his life.

Who’s influencing you at the moment? 

When I started out, the names influencing me were Potter and Nines, but now I think I influence myself. I’m always thinking about how I could be better. A lot of kids message me telling me that they look up to me, so it’s more like I’m the influencer nowadays.

Who are you listening to? 

It’s not a competition for me, but at the same time, I need to know what everyone’s dropping. I’ve been listening to the same stuff as everyone else – Potter, Nines. Lil Baby too, I fuck with that American shit. 

What made you start rapping? 

I was in the T and I phoned my bro and told him I’m going to start rapping, it was a decision like that. Fast forward a couple years and I’m here.  

When was the moment you started taking music seriously? 

I can’t lie, I’ve only started taking it seriously in 2022. This is the first time I’ve dropped a tape in 4 years. Now, I want people to listen to what I’ve got to say, I want people to listen to me. 

What changed your mindset about music? 

This shit could change my whole family’s life. I’ve seen it change people’s lives. A lot of people have had the kind of fan base that I’ve got and then not been consistent. It’s now or never. When people hear the tape… it’s going to change. Real Rap is due a comeback. When a lot of youts rap these days they come up with flashy videos but I’ve documented my come up, like a storyline. A lot of these rappers don’t have a story behind them, They are doing their first video, dripped out, three Rolls Royces – a lot of people don’t relate to that. People relate to pain more than litness. I always tell kids who want to start in this game to start small and build a solid fan base before anything else. 

There’s the issue with authenticity too, if they are acting like something that they’re not then it’s difficult to believe in them or the words they are saying. 

It’s real. If you go back to the first video I ever made, I’m in the Bando wearing a Nike Tracksuit. There’s nothing special about it.  As time goes on, you see me growing and growing, whereas with a lot of these artists you don’t see the growth, they are trying to look like they made it straight away. Rap isn’t about flashiness, it’s about realness. 

What do you think of the direction that the UK rap scene is heading? 

I think right now, if you are not a diamond in the dirt, you aren’t going far. It’s too saturated, everyone sounds the same and is doing the same stuff. No one is themselves no more. I’m not on that, I’m in my own lane and I’ll keep doing my own thing. I’ve got a core listening base and I’m happy about it. I dropped a tune on my own channel and hit over 600k already, which made me realise that people actually fuck with me. A lot of rappers don’t take risks. This year I’m making it happen for myself. 

How has your childhood and previous experiences shaped you as a person and a musician? 

I come from a broken home. I spent most of my life in hostels all around the country. When I spit, I’m able to tell a story. I’ve seen so much shit in my life, I’ve met so many friends. I’m able to speak for the people. When I was young it wasn’t easy, but it made me into the man I am today. I’ve got two daughters now, I’ve learnt from other people’s mistakes, what my parents did wrong. I’m on the straight and narrow right now and I’m going to show how I’ve grown. I’ve been through a lot in the last 5 years. 

How would you define your own sound? 

I make music for the people that are misunderstood. I make music for the people that don’t have a voice. I want people to think that if I can be a big rapper and get through the shit that I have, then they can too. I make music for the people. For a while I thought I had to make songs that would pop off, but now I know I need to make songs for my fans. I’ve learnt from experience – I’ve seen what’s popping and tried to recreate that and the fans weren’t rating it. I thought my thing died but I started dropping the Real Rap, the real me, and here we are. 

At what moment did you think it’d died?  

I went from getting a million views a month to like 200k in a month. That was because I was trying to cater to a sound that isn’t me. I’ve finally understood what my fans want. The difference is that when I make music now, I actually enjoy the tune, whereas I used to make it and then never listen to it. 

How did you rediscover it? 

Fans kept messaging me and I was reading Youtube comments saying that they want the old Mowgs back. Then I dropped ‘Local Habits’ and it went mad! No promo either, all organic views. 

As an artist, one of the most important things is to exude confidence. How have you managed that? 

When you’re trying to do music, you need to be around people that fully support you. Mental health is a big thing in the music game. I’ve been through a lot in my life that made me strong, so music and the industry never really got to me like that. I just feel that it’s my time, clear everyone is fucking with it. How are people meant to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself? People have told me they are envious of my fan base. I’m not the biggest artist in the world, but man’s happy with what I’ve got. 

To me, you are a bit of a cult figure, everyone knows what you’re about.

Everyone knew I was about, but people weren’t taking me in in the way that I wanted them to. When I first started rapping, I signed a deal with Fredo, Loski and Aitch co-signs and I got shafted. It hurt my confidence and it made me question who I am. Now I can see that I wasn’t taking it seriously enough, I wasn’t dropping enough content. 

What’s your relationship like with the Brum scene?

Brum is a hate city. I love it and some of the people, but no one wants to see you succeed. I had to take it with a pinch of salt. It was only when I started going to other cities that I saw the love. People outside have shown me nothing but love. The hood is 0.5% of your fan base – the hood doesn’t pay for tickets. 

It’s a weird one. There are quite a few rappers doing well in Brum now but it still doesn’t feel like a scene. 

No one’s together. Brum is like Chicago. Apart from me and Mist, there’s no Brum artist’s collaborating. There’s too many egos and it’s too small. It’s not like London. Label’s don’t give backing. There’s nothing here, even P110 has gone to Manchester. I’m lucky, getting out of Brum is hard right now because people aren’t looking at the city right now. I think it’s gone too far to change. I’ve got one foot out the door, I’m trying to get the other.

What do you think about the impact of social media? 

It’s a weird one. When I first started rapping, you didn’t need to be making TikTok to blow. My management, Catalyst, are always telling me I need to post more and be more present, but I live a real life and social anxiety is a real thing, I find it hard to break the barrier. Nowadays to be an artist you have to tick all the boxes. 

Do you think the music gets lost within the social media personality sometimes?

Yeah definitely, everyone sounds the same. There’s no creativity. Apart from Nines, no one sounds like me, and I don’t like the comparison because Nines is Nines and I’m me. Everyone wants to do Sample Drill. It has to be organic for me, there’s no facade. I’m in this for the long run, the quicker you blow, the faster you fall. 

On the project, you didn’t go after massive features, you stuck to artists that are a similar level to you. Why did you choose to do this?

They are just my people. Rimzee is my dog, Country Dons are my dog, Haze Da Martian… I’m just here to make good music – good music sells. I want my music that can have an impact in years to come. 

Who’s your dream collaboration? 

I think I’d go for a singer. I’d go for someone like Jorja Smith. When you hit someone with the hook, that’s when you make timeless music. A singer adds another dimension.

How are you feeling about the album dropping? 

I’ve been working on it for about 3 years. I’ve been about getting all the cogs turning and getting everything together, but I can’t wait for it to drop now. This is what the UK’s missing. No one has heard Real Rap like this. The younger fan base can relate to me. It’s been a story, when I first started rapping, I had nothing. I had £350 to my name to pay P110 for the video. Now I’m doing pop up shops all over the country. 

What are you conveying with the album? 

I just want to show people the levels I can get to. I’m showing people that I’m versatile, how natural I can be. 

What’s next for you?

I want to reach my potential. The next tape is going to be different. I want to do features with different artists, in different countries as well.  I’m here for the long run.