VERBZ & MR SLIPZ INTERVIEW: Hailing from Croydon, Verbz has rapidly established himself as one of the most exciting rappers in the country, celebrated for his effortless flow and deeply introspective lyricism. His undeniable gift has allowed the young MC to make substantial waves across multiple scenes, proving his versatility and skill. Complementing this lyrical mastery is Mr Slipz, a Brighton-based producer who has become a prolific force on the south coast.
Known for his signature laid back jazzy sound, coupled with an unmistakable attention to detail and a coveted ‘that’ crusty lo fi sound, Slipz provides the perfect sonic backdrop for Verbz’s rhymes. As they continue to drop compelling projects and solidify their status as a dream team, we sit down with the duo for VIPER Magazine to discuss their collaboration, their craft, and the sound defining the next generation of British Hip Hop. Get familiar…
What five words define your sound?
V: Insightful, Reflective, Chaotic, Nostalgic, Classic
S: Boombap, Lofi, Raw, Rugged, Dusty
Tell me something unique about your creative process.
V: Sometimes I write songs to no beat, then kinda just see what fits afterwards, it keeps things interesting. Sometimes it really doesn’t work though. Sometimes I don’t write anything for ages, then write a whole EP in a weekend.
S: I dunno if anything I do is unique to be honest. I guess I don’t really work in one set way. I use a lot of different samplers in different ways all the time, so I just try and keep it fun.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
V: Verbz & Mr Slipz bits aside (love ’em I do), I’d prolly say one of the many soppy joints I’ve made over the years, ‘The Low’ is a good one. I’d show people that because I feel like it’s quite raw and a bit of a deeper insight into me. I made it at a bit of a turbulent time, I think it showcases my versatility.
S: There are a couple songs I like more than others, but nothing I wouldn’t want them to hear! If I had to pick a song of ours, I’d go for ‘Gutter Tales’ We never play it live ’cause the second verse is cursed and V can’t seem to remember it…
What inspired you to make that song?
V: A lot of reflection to be fair, shitty mental health, a lot of ups and downs in a relationship, too much pub, sesh, the usual. I don’t think I could put it down to one singular thing, I think sometimes certain songs are simply created out of how you’re living at a point in time. I made a whole EP off that title track ‘The Low’. Big ups everyone that contributed!
S: I found an old keyboard on the street and had just got the SP-303. I started with the drums and then used the little keyboard to come up with the piano chords which I recorded onto the pads. Added a bass and was just re-sampling everything in the SP-303. It set the tone for what Verbz then added to the track and the vibe he went with.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
V: I think a lot of my music is quite vulnerable as it is, I don’t know if I’ve reached a point in my career where I’ve been my most vulnerable yet though, there’s always more to do. I’ve been writing some stuff that I’ll let go soon which I feel might be close. Worst experience I’ve had on stage, I don’t have many surprisingly, maybe forgetting bars, or hosting a two hour DnB set and needing to hit the toilet from the very start all the way through to the end [laughs]…
S: I agree with V. I think we put a lot of our genuine selves into the music which basically means it’s as honest, open and vulnerable as it can be… Opening for Talib Kweli, Onyx, GZA, KRS One and playing great shows are up there with my best live experiences. Worst was a long time ago when we played in at a pub called The Windmill in Deptford where we hadn’t slept for two days prior. Those days are behind us now though. Shout out to everyone that was there.
What is your favourite song to perform?
V: ‘The Rain’. It always gets a good reaction from the crowd. I feel like the structure of the tune and the way Slipz built the atmosphere in the production makes it really engaging for the crowd to experience. Shout out Riah too! She kills it on the Chorus. It’s especially dope when we do a version that goes from the OG into the Alix Perez remix, people never expect it.
S: I like playing the classics because they always get a good response but it’s also nice to play new and unreleased stuff. That’s kinda the only way we can see natural / unbiased feedback…
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
V: Vanilla Ice ‘To The Extreme’… [Laughs], nah I dunno really, I’d say it was a culmination of stuff that I listened to as a kid and through my teens. Artists like Klashnekoff, Joe Black, Bloc Party, Skepta, Nas, Skinnyman, Kode 9, Benga etc. I wish I had a more interesting answer, the truth is I was just a kid who always loved music and it wasn’t until my friends started spitting and making stuff that I thought lemme have a go, then it went from there.
Shout out Brockwell Park benches, my homie Max Wray Easton too; me and him first started making stuff together and our old YouTube channel is still up there as I can’t delete it since I forgot the password, so if you wanna go have a laugh you hopefully don’t know where to look.
S: A lot of my friends were making beats. I was always a fan of Hip Hop, but when I started living with some homies way back, Brad aka “Diverse Concepts” made beats. He kinda got me into it along with a few others and once I got into digging never stopped. Now it’s basically like eating food. I have to make beats. If I don’t I can get a bit fed up and sad. Honourable mentions – Kan kick, Afta 1, Premier, Madlib, Hi-Tek, Jeen Bassa, Eric Sermon, Tom Yum, Aim…
What’s the meaning behind your name?
V: Ahh its mad dumb, I was young and getting acquainted with the ganj lets say, so I was like Herbz, Herbaliss, Verbaliss, Verbz. The evolution. Slipz got his name being the Slipperiest man in Somerset…
S: It’s a long story. Shout out the day ones and Jaime Taylor.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
V: Probably something else that’s creative I hope, otherwise I don’t think it would be looking good. Or Maybe shit would be even better than it is now FFS.
S: I always wanted to do Marine Biology, but I’m just not academic at all. If I had the mindset back then that I have now I think I could have worked hard and maybe got close I love the ocean. It’s a whole different world, super silent, and no human beings. To be honest, I would probably be skating more and would have leaned into a culinary career as that’s what I did from 17-30. I stopped to focus more on music and have more time to create. I’m real happy I did that, it’s just the best outlet.
What’s success to you?
V: Being able to gain new experiences, travel and connect with people through your passion. Bit a money and all; if you can earn off your passion, that’s the dream.
S: Finding joy in something and still being open to developing and failing which in turn leads to growth. Finding harmony between your personal life and passion always helps.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
V: I wouldn’t say anything has forced me to change direction, no matter where I am, I still keep at it. A few situations over the years made me look at things a little differently though and make changes for the better.
S: Going sober has played a big part. It’s seen me to deal with things that I ran away from for a long time. Rather than carrying all that baggage around with me and putting it into every experience I have, I’m now facing it and trying to dig deep to become a better person open to new experiences. This helps me to exist in a much clearer place in my head and has truly been so beneficial.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
V: Instagram: verbzyygram FB: verbzyybook Twitter: mrverbzyy Fax: +44 23 9084 7895
S: @mr_slipz on Instagram, email me at mrslipz123@gmail.com or catch me in a record shop near you!
Photo by David Campbell
