Hailing from East London, Chinese-Nigerian rapper DI-VINCENT is one of the city’s next breakout stars, read on to find out why…
What five words define your sound?
Style-bending, electronic, nostalgic, feel-good, London.
Tell me something unique about your creative process
I like to ‘evoke the muses’ before engaging in long creative processes. I believe an important aspect of artistic creation comes from a source that is ‘otherworldly’.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
‘Near Miss’.
What inspired you to make that song?
Panicking about where life’s journey was headed and feeling lost. Wanting to do something about it but feeling like the urgency was missing and too many obstacles were in the way. At the same time, I wanted to write a song that deals with it in a lighthearted way. The song was originally the second song from a two-part record, the first being ‘On The Verge’ which will be released later this summer.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
I’m quite reserved in my everyday life so I guess a lot of what I do creatively has a sense of vulnerability to it. If I incorporate melodies into my writing there’s definitely an emotive side that likes to take lead. I decided early on that since my family name means ‘water’ in Chinese, I should be like water and just flow when it comes to writing to music, through that I’m always challenging myself to be more vulnerable!
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
The best experience would have to be at Printworks. The worst experience is probably one of those gigs I’ve had to go to alone and ended up getting the night bus home feeling drained AF.
What is your favourite song to perform?
‘The Remedy’
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
Kanye West, ‘The College Dropout’
What’s the meaning behind your name?
Di-Vincent is my middle name. The ‘Di’ is from 弟弟 which means youngest son. The ‘Vincent’ is named after my grandfather who was also a writer. Altogether I take it to mean something like ‘Little Vincent’.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Looking out the window of my 9-5 office.
What’s success to you?
Success to me is digging deep and pulling out gems. Performing to big crowds and feeling the connection. Being able to fulfil my creativity as I feel we’ve only just scratched the surface.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Living in China for a few years really made me leave my ‘bubble’ and evaluate the direction my life was going in. I had conversations with myself that really helped turn a tide in terms of self-confidence and belief. The glow-up is real.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
Stay in touch with me through social media @divincent_ and don’t be afraid to drop a message if you’d like to get in contact. Also follow me on streaming services for my latest releases and my full discography!
