Artist Spotlight: Nino SLG

Anyone who is a regular reader of me knows that I uphold a certain cynicism when it comes to the direction of the UK rap scene. Commercialism increasingly rears its hubristic head, egged on by social media’s hollow encomiums, depleting the authentic nuance that raised the scene to its current giddy heights. Due to this, it’s increasingly refreshing - almost cathartic - for me to stumble upon a young artist who defies the temptation of trend and sits atop the humble pedestal of individuality. A seat on which Nino SLG perches. 

Fresh-faced, spirited and intrepid, the teenager balances college with spreading his message of musical purity, tackling personal and societal strife with gentle acquiesce. Championing the Real Rap sound is sadly often devoid of the hype and adoration that Drill continuously accumulates, Nino pushed an agenda of honesty and creativity on last year’s EP State Of Mind. Picking up from where he left off with his first release of the year Young, Wild and Ruthless, the songwriter and poet has the potential to rejuvenate the UK scene.

I sat down with the young rapper to discuss his upbringing, his style, his outlook on the UK rap scene and his multi-industry aspirations.   

Who’s influencing you? 

My main inspiration is Kanye. Also Kendrick, Jay-Z, Stormzy, Dave, J Hus and Knucks. I’ve done my research!

How has your experiences and childhood shaped you into the creative that you are now? 

I’m the oldest son. Being the oldest son in an African household means you have a lot of responsibility and you have to have a certain maturity to you. My parents installed that maturity in me, and mixing that with my background in poetry, which led me to be the person that I am. Most of the things that shaped me were in the family home. They gave me a purity to focus. 

You’ve come a long way in a short space of time; I’ve seen you labelled the future of Real Rap. How does it feel to be so highly thought of, is it pressure or do you cherish it? 

It never gets to my head, I’m quite humble. I use it as motivation. I just stay who I am. I don’t take it in too deeply because I’m not satisfied with where I am right now. I know I’m in a great position but I’m gunning for more. I’ve just got to keep my head screwed on. 

A lot of UK rappers in your generation are leading to the Tik Tok Drill sound. Why have you opted to stick with your guns and go in the Road Rap direction? 

I’m not hating on that genre, I feel it a lot, but for me I want to make music from a more sincere place and stick to my lane. Maybe it’s not prevailing as much as the Tik Tok sound, but as long as people can relate to it then that’s what I’m here for. 

What do you think of the direction that the UK rap scene is heading?

You could say it’s becoming more fun. The youth are becoming more involved. I see it as a positive thing, we are straying away from constant conversations of violence, and Drill as a genre is becoming more light. It’s allowing people of different backgrounds to be involved. It’s beneficial for everyone. I’m just trying to find a place where I can have fun with my music while being sincere with it. 

You’ve been in the industry for more than 18 months now, how are you finding it? 

The system has been nice to me so far. I’ve got people around me who protect me. I’m already battling college right now, can’t be fighting with the industry as well! It’s treating me fairly well. 

Do you find it intimidating being so young in comparison to the ‘competition’, the other rappers within your sound? 

I think it makes it funner. They have more experience and more things to talk about. It makes me want to transcend. I think that’s how it should be; it should never be jealousy, only more motivation to do better. 

One aspect of your music that has really impressed me is your lyricism. When did you start writing and how have you progressed as a writer?

I started writing poetry in year eight. Towards the end of secondary school I started getting into rapping. I’ve put in the hours with writing, it’s helped me deliver what I want to say the way that I want to. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t started with poetry. 

Is poetry something you want to pursue in the future?

I have too many dreams. I want to be an author, screenwriter, poet, actor, director! There’s so many things I want to do. 

One thing about your writing that sets you apart is the topics that you handle. You don’t shy away from talking about societal issues, mental health, etc. What led you to focus on these issues?

These topics are considered taboo and they shouldn’t be. It’s about relatability and also about honesty. When you feel these things, you expect other people to support you and continue with you on your journey. I’m just striving for positivity. I hope I can lead other people to that. 

How has your sound progressed since last year’s EP? 

I know the sound has changed but the audience can’t see it yet because I haven’t released that much lately. I’ve gotten into some new sounds, hopefully people can see it towards the end of the year. I’m enjoying the direction I’m going artistically. I can’t wait for people to hear what I have in store.

Young, Wild and Ruthless was a great showcase of what you can do artistically. What were you trying to convey with the track?

I wasn’t really trying to gain anything with that track, I just wanted it to be out in the world. At the time, there were family matters that I touch on, prayer, religion, financial issues - I just wanted to put a lot of honesty into that track. I wanted it to be relatable to the people in my community and the area that I live in. 

How do you plan on taking your artistry to the next level?

I think I’m quite versatile. I’m going to branch out with features, genres and projects. There’s so many different things that I want to do. I want to delve into more instrumental things too, I’m learning guitar right now and I play piano so I really want to implement those things into my music. 

Who’s your dream collaboration? 

I would love to work with Andre 300, he’s just crazy creative. 

If you were introducing a new listener to your music, what track would you play them? 

It’s between Prison Walls and London State Of Mind. LSOM is more of a depiction of my community. I’m going to go with Prison Walls though, it’s got the melodic singing, the instrumental stuff. I think it’s pretty much me. 

Where do you want to take this? 

I want to be the most respected artist. Hopefully music takes me into other ventures like film and fashion.