Koinz

Where are you from and how did you get in the game?


I'm from Croydon and at first I was a DJ. I liked the music and I started spitting some bars and it went from there.


Tell us how you got the name Koinz?


Because I've always had money, I've always had money from school and that.


How would you explain your music/style?


I might be spitting the same or whatever that everyone else spits but
the way I spit is different. I'd say my style if different because I
don't sound like no other guy and I don't want to sound like no other
guy. If anything I want people to sound like me!


Before you got in the game what artists where you listening to?


Back then in 2004 I was listening to Wiley, So Solid, Styles P back in
the day D Block, Ruff Rydaz. The thing is I listen to all music,
whoever is big at the time I listen to their music. You have too; I
have to know who is good around me.

You mentioned earlier that you were a DJ, where you a club DJ, or on station?


Basically I started DJing in my bedroom everyone would come round. Then
there would be parties on my block. I just thought DJ's don't get the
pull up do they? It's the MC, so I though ‘raar' I want to be the guy
that gets the pull up!


You've just released your album ‘Chasin Paper' tell us about? Who did the production?


I'm chasing money, money makes the world go around and I'm going to get
that. The crew I'm in is called Kekkle and there's a member called
Mendull he made most of the beats. All my beats I want them to be
in-house I don't want to be spitting on other people's beats, if I like
your beats then yeah, but mostly Mendull makes my beats.


Do any of your Kekkle crew members feature on there?


From Kekkle there's Grotty, Locksman, Suspect and JMan.


Are Kekkle based in Croydon?


Yeah they're originally from Croydon but now they're based in Hastings.
I used to live in Hastings but I've moved back to Corydon to be with my
family.

Do they have DJ's, producers and artists?

Kekkle has everything they've got producers, graphic designers,
rappers, mc's. Everything to do with music Kekkle has it. If you're
from Croydon you wouldn't think that people from Hastings are like
that. When I met them, I realised that these guys are more serious than
people that I've know that have been doing music for 10 years. I tell
you watch out for Kekkle in 2010! Kekkle are going to do something big
I can see it.

Where can people get ‘Chasin Paper' from?

You can get it from http://www.badnessrecords.com/ you can get it from iTunes, You Tube. You can get my stuff from anywhere! Just type in Koinz and something will come up.

The album is out on Badness Records how did you hook up with them?

It was madness actually. I was in the studio doing Grime, that's what I
used to do before. Tempman was in the studio, and he was doing a tune
so I said let me write a bar and spit it to you. I did it and he was
feeling it and DJ maxim said to me we should get you on Badness
Records! It just came out of nowhere that was it. (Laughs)

How long did the album take to put together?

About 3 weeks.

You said you used to do Grime is ‘Chasin' Paper' a Hip Hop album?

Yeah it's got the Hip Hop vibe; there are couple tunes on there that I
would say are Grime. Obviously I can't leave Grime, I'm going to do
little Grime mixtape soon but predominantly the album is rap.


Why did you make that transition from Grime to Hip Hop/Rap?

Well you see with Grime it's more about the flow and the quick bars.
With rap it's calmer and you can say what you want. From about 2004
till 2009 I was doing the same sort of music so I just thought let me
try something new.

So what concepts are you rapping about?

I did a tune about my daughter, a tune about life you know? Everything that's around me I don't want to be one dimensional.

What other material have you had out?

I did a couple Grime mixtapes called ‘I do this ting' they're out and
about you can get them on the Badness Records site. My
new mixtape is called ‘Ard work pays' that's nearly done just need to do about 3 more tracks for that. Two mixtapes in 2 months isn't bad!

Would you call ‘Chasin' Paper' an album or mixtape?

The thing is its good enough to be an album, but I would say it's a
mixtape beacsue it only took me 3 weeks to do. When I do my album I
want a good six months to a year of hard dedication to it. Thing is
I've only been rapping for like 3 months! I'm still learning everyday.

Have you been getting any support from Radio DJ's, Mixtape DJ's etc?

To be honest everybody is feeling it. Most people were surprised
because obviously everybody who knows me they know me as a Grime guy. Then when I dropped this it was like, ‘Raar! I didn't know you could do that!' So yeah I'm getting mad love for that.

You said you're working on another mixtape, what other projects
will you be working on th - Badness Records Ltd