PERRY TALKS ‘CHRONICLES OF SLIM’ AND MORE [@mpslimzy]

Perry’s quick-witted bars and smooth flow on ‘Chronicles Of Slim’ is only the start for the emerging East London rapper, and we got the chance to find out all about it + more.

Nicole: Tell us who you are and what you do?

Perry: My name is Perry, aka MP Slimzy, and I’m an artist from East London and a producer.

Nicole: Talk me through the start of your music journey as an artist. How did you know this was something you wanted to do seriously?

Perry: Initially, I was playing drums; I’ve been playing since I was three years old. I played in churches and stuff like that, and I also played professionally. But when I started college and met my friends, that’s when I knew I wanted to take music seriously. Me, Venna, Jada, and Jvck James all just like made music with each other. It’s amazing making music with them. I feel like that’s also how I got my sound.

Nicole: What would you describe your sound as, and what has helped influence/mould your sound?

Perry: I just feel like my sound is the new wave in terms of a new alternative hip hop: it’s different, it’s vibrant, and it’s real music. Like I’m bringing that authenticity to the music side of things in terms of rapping and where I’m from as well. It’s like my language and how I communicate music out into the big world. I’m just doing my thing.

Nicole: You dropped your first single, ‘Bill It In Here’, earlier this year. The feedback has been crazy; everyone has been loving it, including me. What was the process like leading up to the release of it? Were you nervous to see what people would think of it?

Perry: I was nervous because there’s nothing like ‘Bill It In Here’ in the world: I feel like it’s a very original song. So, I was a bit nervous about how it would be perceived, but I always know I’m on the right path when I make something different because that’s my key. Every time I go to the studio, I aim to make something different to what I’ve previously made, and that was the second song I made. And then we made a video for it, which was mad authentic because me and my boy Delizah just went out to Forest Hill to film it. It was a sick experience!

Nicole: When you dropped your first single, ‘Bill It In Here’, did you already have the idea of dropping your project, ‘Chronicles of Slim’ later on in the year? Or did it kind of just randomly and naturally happen, like timescale-wise?

Perry: So, initially, I already had the project ready; I literally stayed in the studio for like four years, just practising my craft and making tunes along the way. And then I picked out the best ones, and just ran with it, to be honest. I feel like each year on the project is really different.

Nicole: Okay, so we have to talk about ‘Chronicles of Slim’, your debut project, in more detail. I love it! My favourite song on there has to be ‘Presh-ah ft Venna’. But how did the name come about for it?

Perry: So, with Chronicles of Slim, obviously it’s my story, and Slim is my alter ego. That’s who I tap into when I’m making music, and all my boys call me Slim like that’s my ‘also known as name.’ And I wanted to tell a story on this project about the experiences that I go through, just day to day. So, that’s how the name Chronicles of Slim came about. It’s just a story of who I am, based on what I do.

Nicole: What did ‘Chronicles of Slim’ mean to you when you were making it, and what does it mean to you now? Has the meaning of it changed for you?

Perry: It’s the same thing, if I’m being honest. That is a chapter of my life, so it will always be with me. I even got it tattooed on me because it’s a part of me and it’s who I am.

Nicole: What was the process like making ‘Chronicles of Slim’? What was your favourite song to write on there?

Perry: ‘Slimz N B’ is my favourite tune because it shows me and, like, my character. Like, my friends would describe me as very bubbly and as someone who doesn’t take life too seriously. I just live my movie, so that tune feels like I’m just living my movie in the best way. But when I first made it, I didn’t like the tune, but then my boy Jackum was like, keep making it, keep going. And then, when I finished making it, I was like, yeah this is my favourite tune. It was crazy.

Nicole: So, we have to have to talk about the features, Venna and Knucks. They’re two incredibly talented people who we all know and love. Venna also executively produced your project. How did the features come about?

Perry: Venna is my broski: I’ve known him for time. We went to college with each other, so we’d been making music for time, so that was always going to happen in terms of him executing my projects because I don’t trust anyone more musically than V. And Knucks has known me since I was young as well; we used to go to studio together back in the day. Knucks has been supportive from time, and he knew that I started rapping, and then that’s how that came along.

Nicole: So, it was a very natural and organic process then, like feature-wise.

Perry: Yeah, exactly. Especially with this being my first project, I wanted to use my people around me and my circle. That was important to me because they know me better than any other producer. I wanted to work with people who know me and what I’m trying to do.

Nicole: What can we expect to see you doing next year?

Perry: So next year, just expect the unexpected. Next year, I want to take it up another level. I want to show more of my visual side. And I want to enhance my sound, so we’re just really going to take it up another level, to be honest. 

Nicole: What artists and songs have you had on rotation?

Perry: Honestly, my new stuff and Venna’s unreleased stuff! Just know he’s going to drop a mad ting, so keep your eyes peeled for him! I will always sing his praises highly. Jada as well; that’s my sis, she’s coming through too. She’s going to drop more soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that. It’s all unreleased stuff, to be honest, like I listen to a lot of me and my friend’s stuff. I listen to a lot of old-school stuff as well, like, old-school hip-hop and old-school R&B.

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