It’s very easy for artists that start out on talent shows to fade into the background but that’s not an option for 15-year-old rapper Amos. After reaching the semi-finals of The Voice Kids season 4 he’s released nunneries freestyles on social media, a powerful musical statement to the current prime minister, and now his brand new single Rock With Me.
I caught up with the budding talent to talk about his inspirations, next steps, and finding that rapper/school-life balance.
The Floor: So of course a lot of people recognise you from The Voice Kids, how have things been since the show?
Amos: Things are going well! Things became more serious for my career, it wasn’t or isn’t just a thing I did for fun it’s more than that now. When you’re on the voice, if you don’t do anything after it people aren’t gonna care about you, so obviously, I just had to keep that momentum, posting on Instagram, posting freestyles. I’ve been doing freestyles for a long time since like year 7, I started in school with my friends then lockdown hit. Then I recorded one freestyle and it went off.
You’re 100% right to use it as a springboard and I’m glad you’ve kept the momentum going. It’s great that you were able to perform your lyrics on the show; I only recently found out that you co-produced No Violence Ting too. Has it always been a rapper/producer thing for you? Urm nah I’ve always produced and then when I was on the voice they gave me the opportunity to do what I wanted to do really so I took it and yeah.
That’s so good, do you reckon you’d carry on producing or be involved in the process going forward?
Nah definitely, I’ve been producing a bit because over lockdown I had to find something to do to make the most of my time so I was producing. I was also doing freestyles on Instagram and TikTok andI was learning how to mix them and I thought it shouldn’t be that hard [to produce] because I learnt how to do that so yeah in the future I’ll do some more.
It sounds like you’ve been given some good guidance from the show and beyond. Have you received any advice you think you’ll hold on to during your career?
Yes, someone DMed me and sorry I don’t remember their name right now but they DMed me basically saying use what you have and be creative with it. Because when something happens like lockdown you just feel like doing nothing but you know you can make the most of it and that’s what I did.
Of course, your journey didn’t start on the voice, so what made you want to start making music?
My brothers and cousins would rap, not seriously like for jokes init, and I just warmed to it and went from there. So I’d rap and stuff at school etc. and when you’re getting the feedback it makes you feel like oh, I could actually do this? So that’s kinda how that started.
Okay, so it was quite casual for you, started with family and made your way to primetime TV! Speaking of family, can I just say your mum’s reaction when your song got played on the radio was too cute, is she your biggest supporter?
Yeah, my mum is very supportive you know, from like the jump. I know it takes a lot of trust - I’m still in school, doing school and everything so for her to still support me in music and school you know all of it together it’s mad, yeah man. A beautiful thing for sure.
Tell me a bit about your latest track Rock With Me:
It’s a vibey song, you’ve just gotta vibe to it, literally. I made the song when I was on The Voice actually and I was in a good mood when I was on the voice man.
I love that you just seem happy to be making and releasing music. The music video was a testament to that - but was it all acting or were they your actual friends in the video?
Yeah, my actual friends are in the video. I definitely still have time for them but obviously, there are some times like literally yesterday my friend had a birthday thing and I couldn’t stay for long because the next day I had studio. So it’s like obviously, I’m working but I’ve still gotta have fun in a way.
Exactly, and I’m guessing all that work is towards your EP coming out this year, how is that going?
Yeah, I’m in the studio nearly every week and it’s mad because I live like an hour away from London and that’s where the studio is so I have to be going to London then back to where I live. Then London and back to where I live; on top of that I’ve got school. It’s a bit mad but it’ll be worth it by God’s grace.
How have you enjoyed the creative process, besides leaving birthday gatherings early and the long journeys?
I don’t normally write, I‘ll be honest, I don’t really like writing because for me it’s school; but lately, I haven’t had a problem with it like I’ll be in the studio and write a track kinda quickly so it’s been good. Sometimes I just record a bar, think, record again, think, record another bar, and yeah just keep doing that and get through the track.
I hear it, quite a few artists are known to do the same. We’ve heard you performing over mainly UK Rap/Drill beats, will we get more of the same on your EP or any surprises?
There’s a lot of different things that you haven’t really heard from me that’ll probably be on the EP. Some stuff is completely new because obviously, people have heard me on drill and trap, beats but haven’t heard me on RnB and those other genres of music. I’ve got a lot of different work that hopefully we’ll put on the EP.
Nice, have or will you produce any tracks yourself?
It all depends because basically, I think of things but I just don’t know how to deliver them. So giving my opinion and going “oh do this” is kinda easier, with me doing it I find it a bit harder so yeah. But there’s gonna be a track on the EP co-produced by me.
I saw that you did a freestyle to A1 & J1’s Latest Trends, who would you say are your peers right now/ who should anyone looking for the next generation of talent listen to?
A1and J1 - before Latest Trends we had some conversations, hopefully, we can work together that would be sick. Ah, I’m trying to think now but there’s a lot of people, DC3, too many. There’s a lot of cool people out there.
Nice, it’s always good to have people similar to you that you can look to and be inspired by for sure. Are there any maybe older or even new-gen artists that inspire you?
Polo G inspires me. One of his songs, Wishing for a Hero really motivated me. Deno, because he came up when he was so young. I feel motivated by that and I feel like it relates to what I’m trying to do. Chunkz, Deno, probably A1xJ1 because they’re also young and have done what I’m trying to do right now as well.
Comments