[INTERVIEW] J-RACKS ON HIS NEW SINGLE ‘HAAKASAN’
Who is J-Racks?
J-Racks is a musician from South East London who takes pride in working hard and working towards seeing his people win.
What is your earliest memories of music?
Probably ’21 seconds’ by So Solid. I think everyone knew the song at the time, I remember just constantly hearing it everywhere even though I was only a small child.
How has growing up in South London influenced the music you create?
It’s definitely made my music more raw and hard hitting. There’s a certain feel to some tracks that I’ve made that you will associate with the area. There’s also a certain swag that most people from South have and I think that has transferred into my music.
How would define the music you make to someone who’s never heard it before?
It’s a very stylistic and in your face type of music, but with that being said, if you take a step back and listen to the production, along with certain lyrics which contain substance, you’ll realise that there’s a lot of musical elements involved that you may find in less aggressive genres.
How did the video for ‘Hakkasan’ come about and was the video shot in New York?
I was actually out there shooting a video for a different track but whilst I was there, I wrote the track ‘Hakkasan’ and thought we might as well shoot the video for this now too. It wasn’t a pre-planned video, we went to Times Square and linked up with some dancers we met on a previous day. So big up Jo Kenzo and Sha Davia Cah; they came through and did their thing.
Euphoric films have been responsible for a lot of your video production. How did that partnership come about and how do they bring your hard-hitting lyrics to life?
First off big up Euphoric Films because they’re actually my people, I mess with them hard. I wanted to do a scene at the Swiss Alps and my UK director couldn’t fly at the time. So I watched a few videos from over there and their one stood out, so I reached out to them and made it happen. It’s very easy working with them, I come with my ideas and they help me bring it to life.
Which artists would you like to work with in the future and why?
I like Ray BLK, I’ve been following her for a while now. I think she’s a very good musician who can produce melodies that relate to my story and when I’m creating an album, she’ll be one of the first people I reach out to.
What is the most important song you’ve created to date and why?
‘Free Flow 1’ because it managed to bring me an extra layer of exposure that I wasn’t accustomed too. Big thanks to Snoochie Shy for supporting that record before it even came out.
So, what’s in store for J-Racks in the near future?
More music, more music and more music. I have a few live shows booked in supporting some well known artists as well so yeah, I might see you there!
Any last words?
Yes! Thank you Viper Magazine for taking your time out to have this conversation with me, it’s been a pleasure and big up Lily Mercer all the time, if you know then you know. Bless up!
