Jayce-Ebony Bell talks to rising rap star Mo Stack.
East End Grime artists such as Dizzie Rascal, Wiley, Lethal Bizzle and Kano have paved the way for a whole new sound that is turning the UK urban music scene completely around. The new stars include Skepta, Section Boyz, Chip (formally known as Chipmunk), Fekky, Hus, and the man that Kanye West has described as “the new king of rap” – Stormzy.
But as we enter a new year there’s a new name to contend with. The buzz around North Londoner Mo Stack is getting so loud that we can’t ignore it. His music videos are receiving over a million views; his iTunes sales are rocketing; and he accompanied Stormzy on his sell out tour Live In Flesh.
I was lucky enough to get an invite to the show when it was on at KOKO in London, and was blown away by the effect Mo had on his audience. Just look at my raw video below to get an idea of the energy he inspires in his fans.
Convinced that Mo might be the next big thing in urban music, I caught up with him afterwards to ask some questions.
Where did the name Mo Stack come from?
I was actually called Lil Mo. Obviously you grow up and you’re not little forever. So I dropped the Lil cause I’m 6ft tall, and added Stack cause I’m trying to stack my money.
So is it all about money then, or do you have a passion for music?
Yeah, money definitely makes the world go round. But I will say that I am very passionate about music. I always started and stopped because I was distracted by the streets. I have autism so I don’t have the best of speech. My pronunciation sounds muffled sometimes. I thought it would hold me back. But talent speaks, and I’m a talented man from Hornsey. I enjoy music. I come from a big family. One of my uncles is a DJ playing reggae music; the other is a DJ who plays house music. My sister sings. It was only right that I became a rapper.
What the fans want to know is do you have a girlfriend?
Nope, I’m single at the moment, man.
Ok, what’s your type?
A beautiful female who can hold a good conversation. Someone with character.
How did you find going on tour with Stormzy?
That was a really good experience. I do shows on main stages and in clubs. But not in big arenas like that. The tour was sold out so I was able to perform my songs to people who may not have listened to any of my tracks before. I created a new buzz. I had people dancing and singing the lyrics to my songs. It was a great feeling.
What was the best night of the tour?
For me it was the London show: total shutdown. Stormzy had the whole of the UK rap scene there. The crowd in the pit were dope. They knew every lyric to every song. At one point I stopped and they sang a whole bar!
I was lucky enough to attend the show and the crowd definitely enjoyed it. What song do you think is the crowd pleaser?
In my opinion, my song ‘Stop Lying‘. Hands down. My song ‘Nobody’ also gets the crowd going as well. That is the song that got me noticed. A lot of people can relate to it. The lyrics are not deep but my fans rap it with such passion. Everyone gets out of their seat for it.
You have a song that is getting a lot of airtime with Tinie Tempah and Sneakbo. How did that come about?
Tinie reached out to me as he said he wanted to do a mix tape. Tinie is on the level where I want to be so I definitely wasn’t going to refuse his offer. The song is getting played on all major radio stations, which is a blessing. We shot the video in Amsterdam, which was a new experience for me. Have you seen the video? It’s a good watch.
Final question, what is your favourite lyric and why?
This is a no brainer. It’s “I’d rather be rich, not famous.” That’s one of my favourites. But to be honest I can’t really pick one – I love all my lyrics.