Date: 2nd May 2006
Place: By email
You worked on BBC 1Xtra for a while - how did you get involved in that?
Well I started on pirate radio way back in 98/99 and gradually built up my show until is was as good as it was gonna get on pirate. It just so happened that as I was thinking about stepping up in the game I got a call from the BBC who said they had heard the show and wanted to try some pilots for their new black music station (which was then nameless). I done a few pilots and they loved it, then when I was 18 I became the first DJ to sign up to what is now known as 1Xtra.
After winning Best Radio Show in 2005, why do you think the show was stopped?
I personally think it's a combination of reasons. I'll state a few but I don't really want to go to far into the details. Firstly the station has a much more commercial sound than when I was there and when it launched, it seems to be going in a Kiss 100 direction so far as being really accessible in the day and not that much less accessible in the evening. Also the acts I was playing three or four years ago are now mainstream, at least so far as 1Xtra is concerned and I feel like they don't have the time to develop acts any more which is what I was doing, the acts now all seem to be established and no one is taking the risk of playing something groundbreaking and new.
You seem pretty happy since then - what kind of opportunities do you think are going to come out of the show ending?
I'm a free man, how could I be anything other than happy. I done a fair bit of thinking when the contract at the beeb ended and I see it as more of a blessing than a hindrance. I get a lot more work offers now than i did at 1Xtra, i think this is because people are slightly intimidated and afraid to approach you if you work for the BBC, i'm now writing for a load of the top hip-hop press, working on television ideas, new mix cd's and production, the gigs are coming in thick and fast including my new residency at ministry of sound, which i'm just loving. My management team is stronger and i'm a lot more focused on where i need to be in the next four years.
Other than hip hop, what genres of music are you interested in? Did you have any involvement in these when you filled in for other shows on BBC 1Xtra?
I'm a big fan of most black music, but it's the older stuff that really gets me. I played some other music on 1Xtra but it wasn't really my cup of tea, i prefer being in control of the playlist and if you're doing daytime radio then it's very unlikely that you'll get that control. The stuff i like is soul, funk, rare groove and jazz...the classics i guess.
What is the significance of 'Excalibah' as the name you're represented by?
I think that names gain their significance as time progresses and 'the artist' makes his statement on the world. I could talk about being chosen to lead and unite the UK hip-hop scene but that'd be poppycock. It's a name i got in school and then it meant nothing at all, however nearly 10 years later it stands for breaking and discovering new UK talent, pushing the scene in new directions and all the history i have behind me now.
You started your career as a DJ around 1999, but how long have you been interested in DJing?
I guess i got interested in it when i used to listen to Westwood and go and see him play in Tottenham. It was probably around 98, with me actually really making my first moves in 99.
What can be expected on the UK Dubstates mixtape CD - is there a similar sound throughout, or are a lot of the tracks different?
It's all very different but with a cohesive feel, thanks to our incredible hosts... The idea behind it is that it's all your favourite uk emcees dropping lyrics on some of the biggest and best US beats out there. We've got Sway, Plan B, Shameless, Taskforce, Lethal, Swiss, Lowkey and a load more all doing their thing
Do you think it's your strongest mixtape so far?
Hmmm, maybe. I can only hope so actually, it would be terrible if something i done in the past was better as i believe we should all keep advancing and improving as we get older and learn more skills.
You've also got a more recent CD for Shameless that you worked on with DJ Skully and DJ Tommy Sparks. How did you three get together?
Well me and Shameless have been mates for ages now, since primary school. The other two are both label mates, we're all on DAT SOUND and we share the same manager so it was only natural for us to hook up and get together to mix the offcial Dat Sound compilation.
Who else have you worked with, and who has been your favourite?
I've workied with so many people in so many different capacities thats it's hard to pick and choose. I enjoyed working with Mc Trip (Spitkingdom) in the lab and i've enjoyed working with Rodney and Skitz and Semtex in the clubs and on radio. I'd say the best people to work around are those close to you, they can tell it how it is man, instead of having you sit in the studio working on something thats terrible, they'll tell you as soon as they walk in!!
You've been involved with hosting radio shows and club nights, mixing, producing, theatre... what is your favourite part of your music career?
It's all one big adventure really isn't it, i take it as it comes and i try to direct it in the direction i want to go it...I enjoy all aspects of it as i'm not stacking shelves or working in a warehouse, i'm actually earing a living off of music. I guess the theatre is fun as it's one of the most challenging aspects of my career so far but the radio is my passion.
Finally, there are several young DJs appearing in Orkney. What advice would you give them in pursuing a career?
I know it's been said before, but be you and be unique and don't expect anything to come easy, if you set your mind on something and follow through with the actions to make it happen it will, trust me. Peace.