Britain’s hip hop scene no longer struggles to find its own voice. Once a parasitic underground imitation of its American counterpart, the genre now boasts a number of household names that break up the predictable list of superstars from the other side of the Atlantic.
“I would love to be looked upon by others in the same likeness as Jay Z. But I know I’ve got a lot to prove to claim that status here.”
The 28 year old rapper grew up in Tiverton Estate, a notorious battleground in London’s ‘post-code war’ and like many other British rappers, music was his escape. Even so, Wretch 32 has refused to leave the area where he and his four sisters were brought up by their mother after their father left home. With a third album on its way, he is keen to build on the success of Black and White that produced his first number one single, “Don’t Go”, and three other top five singles.
“My forthcoming album Growing Over Life is a progression from where ‘Black and White’ left off. Each album describes the stages of my life where I’m at, the growth and I think this album definitely shows that lyrically and musically.”
Released in August 2011, many commentators claimed Black and White to be the soundtrack of the London riots. The rapper attended the same school as Mark Duggen, the 29 year old man that was shot in the chest by specialist firearms officers on 4th August 2011 in the back of a minicab. The death sparked four days of rioting across London and rappers like Wretch 32 came under heavy criticism for allegedly supporting the rioters.
“This whole situation is very difficult for me, because I understand the frustration but I also see exactly how crazy it is.” He commented at the time. “He [Mark Duggen] was cool- he used to go to my school.”
Over the last two years the reconciliation process has been dogged by petty scapegoating and inaction, with many affected businesses claiming nothing has been done to help them. When asked about why so little had been done, Wretch was understandably hesitant to comment.
“I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend I know the answer. Your guess is as good as mine.”
Wretch 32, born Jermaine Sinclair, was a defiant voice in the troubled summer and he stood up for his community after criticism from observers like David Starkey who claimed “the whites have become black.” Wretch’s unifying qualities are in his blood. In 1985, his father took part in the infamous Broadwater Farm race riots and Jermaine’s christening was subsequently featured in a BBC2 documentary about how the community rebuilt itself after the trouble. His family still joke about how his birth was a turning point for the area.
“We’ve all come a long way and things certainly have gotten better but I don’t think we’re there yet.”
The conversation turned to Wretch’s involvement with London 2012. He was one of the many important faces of the Games, taking centre stage in Addidas’ advertising campaign throughout the Olympics. When asked about Britain’s reaction to the Games, especially Mo Farah’s famous victories, he gave a typically positive response.
“I would like to think it’s a glimpse into our multicultural future where we’re living in peace and harmony despite of our political, racial and religious differences.”
Music, however, is clearly the main driving force behind Jermaine’s achievements.
“When I started making music, it meant more to me than fighting and all those other things. It made a lot more sense to pursue making music because it was potentially a job, potentially a career. My desire has nothing to do with money. I couldn’t care less what I’m paid, honestly. I got into music because I wanted to vent.”
It took Wretch 32 a while to get noticed but his strong musical foundation forged in London’s grime scene in the 90s has helped him perfect the art of commercial music creation.
“It definitely makes the process easier having built up a strong relationship [with grime MCs] over the years. For example with producers, from experience I know who I work well with, whom to go in with to produce good music.”
The constancy in production remains a subtle attribute to his work. Jermaine’s first studio album, Wretchrospective, was largely mixed and produced by J.F.L.O.W.S who went on to produce a large part of Black and White. He is has stayed true to this principle for Growing Over Life.
“This time round I’ve worked mostly with the same producers as before, as well as some amazing new talent bringing a fresh new feel like Knox Brown and KZ.”
Albums aside, mixtapes have always been a way for Wretch 32 to experiment and keep his name out there.
“I still think making mixtapes is important for me. I don’t really gain anything from doing it these days but it’s a way of saying thanks to my fans for their support. There’s a difference between the mixtapes and albums. In a nutshell, an album is better produced, better quality, mixed and mastered with the hindsight of performing it and a mixtape is mostly made up of freestyles, over a next artist beat, with no restrictions and a lot of the time given away for free to showcase talent and build a fan base.”
Away from music, Jermaine is a big Arsenal fan and having his track “Blur” on the FIFA 13 playlist was a big moment.
“It’s definitely up there with winning an award. I never would have dreamed in a million years that I’d have a song featured on one of my favourite computer games. You’ve actually given me an idea to frame my FIFA game and hang it on the wall!”
Wretch 32’s story certainly is not over. As a successful, intelligent, young father; the community work in the estates he roamed as a teenager is becoming increasingly important.
“I never set out to be a role model in the beginning. It’s great to be someone that the youth can identify with and be inspired by. You lot are the future, in the present, so try your hardest to make history. People that make a difference are never forgotten.”