Interview With Spoken Word/Rap Artist ‘Untold Poet’.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hello, I’m an upcoming Spoken word Rap artist from UK, Essex going by the name ‘Untold Poet’.

I grew up in a small town called Leigh-on-Sea and fell in love with song writing when I was around twelve years old. 

How did you come up with your artist name? 

My reasoning for my artist name Untold Poet’ comes in two parts. Untold, because everything I have to say is untold until I say it. Poet, because although I do classify myself as a rap artist, a strong influence on my music resides from poetry, hence ‘Untold Poet’

How long have you been in the music industry? 

I’ve been in the music industry for quite some time. I started in a band back in 2000 where we went on to have some success. We supported the likes of Labrinth, The 1975, Nothing But Thieves just to name a few and got to perform at venues such as the O2 Indigo Rooms and O2 Islington. I did however take a long break when the band went their separate ways and I only became a solo artist end of 2019.

How did you get started in the music business in the first place? 

So back in 2000 me and a friend decided to start up a band called ’New Subjects’. It consisted of me – Rapper/Frontman, Johnny Thorpe – lead singer/guitarist, Ben Maskell – piano player and Matt Richards – drummer. Our genre was Acoustic Rap and that’s how I started making music.

How would you describe your latest single? 

My latest single is a laid back Jazzy vibe titled ‘Don’t Understand’. It’s a piece more on my spoken word side as I delve into world issues and things in todays society I just don’t understand. To quote a lyric: “Predjusim, world hunger and poverty just a few underlining things in this world that bother me, I just don’t understand it”.

When can fans expect the visuals for the single?

There’s a lyric video available now on Youtube here,  I think that’s all the visuals I’ll be doing on this release.

Who are your inspirations in the music industry?

Many artist’s influence and inspire me so to name just a few I’d have to go for: Tupac, Method Man, Kano, Drake and Justin Vernon.

How do you go about writing a song and what is your process?  

My normal approach to writing a song is listening to various beats until I feel an emotion and the lyrics just flow naturally. I’m a big believer in not forcing out the words as I feel this loses the authenticity in the music. 

What is the concept behind your forthcoming project if  working on one? 

My main project at the moment is my Visual EP titled ’Start To Speak”. It will consist of five music videos incorporating acting parts in between each one to create a short feature length film. The whole concept is resilience, determination and to have a positive mindset. We started filming last Saturday, where the scene was me playing a piano on the beach at sunrise. There’s already behind the scenes footage over my socials if you wanted to take a peek.

What are must haves when your in the studio working?

A clear plan of the process, when I hit up the studio, I generally have everything planned and ready to go. Yes, I will tweak things with the producer but I like to have a clear plan so I’m not wasting my time in the studio. When I’m in my home studio a good cup of tea is always needed!

What is the best piece of advice in this business you actually followed?

Never get dis-hearted with negative comments or constructive criticism. Music is very subjective so just remember your music isn’t for everyone. As long as you enjoy the process and the music, that’s all that matters.

Will you be collaborating with any other artists in the future?

I’ve got a few collaborations in the pipeline but one for sure that will be released as part of my visual EP will be with Marz Fay, a poet singer/songwriter from London.

What artist have you had the pleasure of working with and  what was it like?

The only artist I’ve worked with on a collaboration to date is Megan Rose. It’s always a vibe working with someone else on tracks. It’s interesting to hear their ideas and bounce of each other. Megan Rose was great to work with, she brought her own originality and it worked really nice on the track we made titled ‘Pieces’. We went on to film a music video for the track which is out on YouTube now. 

Name an artist(s) that you would love to work with?  

Would love to work with Drake, Berwyn Berwyn, J Cole, Jonah Lucas, Kano just to name a few!

Do you think your music is mostly enjoyed more for the beats  or for the lyrical flow and content?

I’m big on lyrical content, as much as I love a good beat, I want the listener to hear the words I’m saying and hopefully relate in a way that makes their day better. So lyrical flow and content.

What area do you need to improve on in regards to your  career? (Example: Better production, Delivery, Stage presence, etc…)

Marketing!

What’s your all-time favourite song? 

Bon Iver – Holocence

What was the last album you listened to?

It’s been a while since I listened to a whole album, I think it was Kanye West – Dark Twisted Fantasy. 

Your favourite artist of all time and why?

Drake, every track is delivered on point. The lyrical content beside the beats his team come with are both catchy and well put together.  

Whose your favourite five artists right now? 

Berwyn Berwyn, Scribz Riley, Loyle Carner, Justin Vernon and Kano.

How do you feel about the current state of music? 

Looking good to me. A lot of well-known and upcoming artists killing it at the moment. 

Any dream award shows you hope to one day play at?

Would love to play at a Brit Award show.

What is your main goal as far as music?

Just for people to enjoy my music. It’s never been about money or fame for me, I just enjoy the process and reactions that music brings.

Who would you say your music relates to the most?

I try to inspire people within my lyrical content, so I guess people who want to feel inspired.

What separates you from other artists? (What’s makes you different?)

My use of spoken word and merging the rap genre has created an original sound not heard like others. I think this separates me from others, alongside the lyrical content I deliver.

When your not in the studio, What do you like to do for fun and relaxation?

Writing music lol, I enjoy traveling and extreme sports such as snowboarding, skate boarding. Sometimes a Netflix night is needed though!

If you could work with any producer who would it be?

Scribz Riley would be one.

What’s the biggest highlight of your career thus far?

Performing at the O2 Indigo rooms.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Expect to see a few more singles and collaborations dropping throughout the year. My next release is set for 23rd April titled ‘Harvey Dent’. It’s more on my rap side and hits hard. Also, my visual EP will be coming out later this year so keep an eye out for that!

Where can the fans check out for your music?

I’m across all social media platforms, Instagram being my HQ. You can check out my official website here.

Support this artist by using the links below:

• Instagram
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Link