NEXT UP: An interview with upcoming artist, LECS BLVCK [@LecsBlvck]
Earlier this week I caught up with promising new artists Mabutho Mkoba, more commonly known as Lecs Blvck. He is a 20 year old from Coventry who is currently studying at Birmingham University. A man of many talents, when he’s not studying Lecs is putting serious work into his music, and his clothing brand, Solsupply.
After being put onto his work I was immediately engaged to his track ‘No Lie’. With this track he ventured into a area of underground music which is very hard to create a professional and distinctive sound. But, unlike when listening to similar sounds there was something about this guy that really stood out to me. Whether it was his individuality or just his sound in general that engaged, I knew I had come across someone with serious talent. It was at this moment that I got in touch with him and decided to learn a little bit more about him.
RG – Represent Grime
LB – Lecs Blvck
RG: What influences your sound and style of writing?
LB: Artists like Kendrick Lamar, King Krule, Frank Ocean influenced me when it comes to lyricism and paying attention to the content of my language and playing with it. Other Artists like Tory Lanez, Bilal etc helped me to pick out a bit more vibe in it which touches your soul when listen to melodies.
RG: Who did you grow up listening to?
LB: I was exposed to everything from a young age, from rock, pop, rob, hiphop etc. Mainly from the age of 15 my cousins put me on a lot of stuff and allowed me to open my mind a little bit more, they put me on on the whole TDE crew, Odd Future, Flatbush Zombies, a bit of grime, mainly Wiley, The Underachievers etc. From there I built on it and started listening to a lot of King Krule. Now I still listen to all of them but mainly trap, i’d say since this past year Mike Ray put me on that due to his upcoming project ‘Trap Ba$in’, which is a different kind of trap. Remember it’s TrapBa$in, not just trap.
RG: Where did your inspiration come from for ‘No Lie’?
LB: ‘No Lie’ is based on a true story, all my songs are based on true stories and events that took place. For ‘No Lie’ I just wanted this girl to know how I feel, since I’m not so good at expressing myself in person I put my feelings into a song dedicated to her.
RG: When was it you decided that music was your direction? Was it your passion for music? Personal experiences?
LB: Music was always going to be my direction from the age of 11 – 12. Whether I make it, or not I was still going to do it as it allows me to express my feelings. There’s certain scenarios that you can’t just talk about normally.
RG: Do you solely work on music? Or what were you doing before you started making music?
LB: I am a Uni student right now, and I own my own clothing brand called ‘Solsupply’, so I do everything I like pretty much.
RG: Did you see yourself in this genre? Is there any other genres or ventures you’d like to move into?
LB: I wouldn’t say I am in any genre I’d like to think of my self as a open artist for now. If I have a feeling in my heart I do it, if you look at other music I have done I always switch it up depending on my mood and how i am feeling. I want to stay true to myself, and express myself.
RG: If you had the choice of one artist who would you like to work with?
LB: That question is too hard for me to answer i have one too many.
RG: When do you like to write music and how do you write?
LB: I write better under pressure. If I know I have a studio session tomorrow, the closer I am to the hour the better I am.
RG: Without it sounding too cliche, how do you get in your ‘zone’ when writing?
LB: I picture myself back to what happened and try to see how everything was around me, then i write it down.
RG: Do you have any interest beyond music?
LB: I’m into fashion as I have my own clothing brand called , Solsupply. Thinking is one of my favourite hobbies, I’m always deep in thought.
As you can tell, Lecs is an extremely creative individual and has a lot to offer, not just musically but in a variety of art forms. I advise everyone to check him out and not to sleep on him. You can follow him on his social media accounts at the links below.
Instagram: @lecs_blvck // @solsupply
Twitter: @lecsblvck
