Koder is a Grime MC known for his high energy bars and creative lyrics. Choosing grime over a football career, Koder has made a name for himself on the Lord Of The Mics DVD series. He is Grimes rising talent. Koder will be performing at the Inside Music launch party in Shoreditch on August 8th. I sat down with him to discuss his music and what he has coming up next.
How did you get involved in the Inside Music Launch Party?
Twitter and my manager tweeted about Inside music and I had DM’s (direct messages) talking about the line-up. Love the people so it was something I wanted to get involved in.
How did you get your start in music?
I had older cousins that were making music. One was a Grime MC and the other a Jungle MC and kind of listening to So Solid and Ms Dynamite verse on ‘Envy’ was a proper strong influence for me. Early Double E, Wiley, Dizzee Rascal just kind of made me feel I want to do that. But back then you didn’t really see anyone you just heard the voices on radio so you kinda had to picture what they looked like in your head…you had to create that look. The obviously video came along and we saw what everyone looked like. I was glad I grew up in the age where we didn’t know what everyone looked like.
So Wiley and Ms Dynamite were your inspirations?
Wiley, Dynamite, Dizzee Rascal, So Solid Crew were strong influences growing up.
So from looking up to them, how did you initially make your first track?
I used to get the speaker and get the mic next to the speaker and it was on straight riddim. It was a riddim that DJ Mondie made years ago. Wrote lyrics and put them on there. I’ve never been to a recording studio, so I thought how someone would record a song and I just done it from there. From scratch, improvised.
What is your next project?
Next project is called ‘The Calm’. It has eleven tracks on it. It will be out on the 12th August and it is absolute steam. Its steam! I just want to give something back to the people who have supported me and been loyal and finally put another body of work out.
Are they any collaborations on the mixtape?
It has producers on there – Wise, Wonder, G-tank and Mali but no features. I wanted to showcase what I could do by myself. I can do the hooks I can do everything really. My last body of work was ‘Space Shuttle Business’ which came out in 2010 were now in 2013 so I’m ready.
Why has three years passed since you last release?
I was in a hyperbolic time chamber where I had a fight with gravity and when I realised I could define gravity, I realised I could fly I thought I would give them the mixtape. (His says all this with a straight face)…But the mixtape will be pushed online. I just want it to be heard. My songs to be heard and to put across my message.
So as a grime artist, what do you think of the current state of grime?
I would say that my video out now ‘Avenger’ it’s in the spirit of getting grime back. It’s in your face, it’s aggressive, ferocious. It’s intimidating. Grime is not the same as it was in 2007 but everything has to move forward. Grime is becoming more accepted in places like Europe. MC’s have commercialised the sound more. But when you have an over ground, you need to have an underground as well. I wanted to put out something which is more for the underground grime.
Would you ever like to cross over to commercial success?
100% yeah course. But I’m just pushing the underground right now. We live in an age where pop is not a genre. Pop is anything that is popular so if I make a trap tune and it gets a million views on YouTube it’s a high chance it may chart, then all of a sudden it could be trap pop. I love the age that were in because people get behind it and make it popular so pop no longer exists.
Anything you would like to say to the Flavourmag readers?
I’d like to say persistence breaks resistance. You are the person you see in your dreams if you believe and never give up and thank you to Flavourmag. And keep reading Flavourmag because it’s got rhythm it has got timing.
Follow Koder on Twitter @Officialkoder
Tickets for the Inside Music Launch Party can be brought here http://insidemusic.eventbrite.co.uk/
