Urban Vault Interviews - Mista Flix

Urban Vault caught up with UK emcee Mr Flix to ask him some questions about his music, inspirations & collaborations...

Mr Flix is a South London based artist who grew up on Hip Hop from an early age. Whilst many around him worshipped the commercial scene, Flix stayed true to the foundations of real hip hop, drawing influence from the likes of Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique. Now he looks set to write his own chapter in the musical world, with insane flows and metaphors which would leave Mensa scratching their heads, he is about to arrive and stay for good. Flix is currently working on his upcoming EP "Conceptualized Deciet" with Hip Hop super producer Stealf.

What is your name?
Mista Flix
How old are you?
25
Where are you from?
South London
How long have you been making music?
Iv’e been involved in music for the last 10 years in some capacity and I used to battle more than making actual tracks, ive been laying tracks down for the last 7 years or so, but only wanted to start releasing work this year.
How many songs /albums have you released to date?
I have just dropped my debut EP “conceptualized Deceit” which features 5 tracks ….. “Don’t Wake Me” Feat Loop Genius and Roskrypz, “Regret Forever”, “Lyrical Symphony”, “Dark Thoughts (Conceptualized Deceit) and “When you see me comin” Feat St Laz and there is much much more planned to come this year.
Can you tell us about your new song/album, the background and inspirations behind it?
I had been working on another project and had been chatting to producer Stealf, I asked him to bring some of his experience to a particular project I was working on and he gave me some positive feedback about my work. Stealf was already putting out a number of EP’s and we figured it made sense to get something cracking and it worked out real nice.
How have you ended up in the music industry?
I have always been involved in music, but my personal opinion is that the market is saturated with artists who are putting music out there for the sake of it, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t get their careers started, but I believe an individual has to be ready in order to give themselves the best possible start, and where I started off in the battle scene I needed some time to adapt to the recording side of things and make sure I could structure my work properly.
What do you think of the music industry in 2011?
The music industry in general is somewhat a difficult place for anyone who claims to be a true Hip Hop artist. With digital downloads and endless piracy issues, the physical “sale” of records/albums is almost a spent force. This has forced a more commercial orientation amongst most genres and made individuals more inclined to try and make money from commercial endorsements and high profile tours. Personally I would like to see more attention paid to the underground side of things, as for me that’s where the real talent lies, but I would never want to see the underground commercialised to the level of the mainstream, not because I don’t want to see underground artists making money, but because I don’t want to see what I class as the only “pure” form of Hip Hop diluted.
Who inspires you when you make your music?
I am inspired by many people, both famous and personal to myself. But the main inspirations are the people who are closest to me, and the people who have always believed in me and supported me, they know who they are and they know I love them for it. In terms of musical influences I am inspired by anybody who puts time and effort into their work and makes the listener really think about what is being said.
Who have you collaborated with so far in your Career?
I recently collaborated with a fairly diverse mix of artists on the Ep, I bought in Loop Genius because he has a great passion for music and he will always work to get the right result, and I started chatting to Roskrypz after hearing his album and his smooth style and delivery was something that really appealed to me. The last artist I collaborated with was New York’s St Laz and that was really cool, that dude is really on his game and gets a lot of love from the Hip Hop community in general, I had always planned to work with some of the US artists as I believe the Uk and USA artists aren’t as different as some claim and that we can all bring Hip Hop together if we work towards the same goals.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Wow …. This is an endless list !!!! ….. there are a few UK artists that I am really feeling right now and I will definitely be making enquiries soon, amongst them would be the likes of Late, Cyclonious and Clas-sick as I feel they have the right attitude towards the UK scene and have the same goals in mind. Across the pond there has been some solid dialogue going down with some pretty big U.S artists but I’m going to have to keep this one quiet right now as there are still a number of things to be worked out. But in an ideal world I would love to feature on a track with someone like Vinnie Paz and Immortal Technique …. But that would be a long way down the line.
What was the first album u brought?
Ummmm ……. I remember being given a copy of 2pac’s “Greatest Hits” when I was around 13, which really changed my perspective on music as a whole, but I think if I remember correctly the first album I ever bought was something related to Thunderbirds when I was about 5 spending my Christmas vouchers lol … not sure if this counts ….. so we will go with the 2pac answer.
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
Tough question for many reasons, none of my favourites are particularly new tracks but I am going by what I listen to most right now and that would have to be Vinnie Paz – Same story, I am in awe of people who can get that much feeling and emotion across into a song, and if you can relate to it as well, then this really is a special song.
If you had to sell your music collection tomorrow, what album would you leave in your draw?
Selling my music collection would be a traumatic experience as listening to music is just as important to me as making it, I listen to parts of my music collection everyday with no exception. But the one album I would miss most would without a doubt be my copy of Wu Tang’s “Enter The Wu Tang” (36 chambers), this album not only is a brilliant album but it brings back so many memories of the days when I would sit in my friends car and spit rhymes for hours whilst listening to that album, I couldn’t ever let that go.
What do you think of TV music talent show competitions?
Honestly ? … I think they are a waste of time and money, however they do provide entertainment value at the same time. But for me the whole idea of dangling a big industry sized carrot in front of people and watching them scrap for it, whilst humiliating many people along the way who are just trying to gain some feedback is a bit savage and I do honestly believe that you will appreciate your career more if you work for it instead of have it handed to you amongst a shower of glittering confetti. Sorry Mr Cowell but I think you should give it up.
What do you do when you’re not making music?
I’m a very social person, I constantly have people around me, if I’m not making music with someone then I’m watching films or playing cards or out at a gig somewhere with someone else or just chilling with my family.
What’s your favourite Fashion brand?
I am a big fan of Nike’s Jordan range, and have gone to some extreme lengths to get my hands on some of their stuff, right down to pairs of Jordan socks !!! …. But in all honesty If I like the look of something then its gonna go in the wardrobe regardless of label.
Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
I am a tattoo addict, I will run out of skin before I finish all of my tattoo ideas, I have a no tattoo’s on face policy …. But apart from that anything goes even right down to tattoos I have on my feet !! My tattoos tell a story of my life and will continue to do so, in my opinion I think that as long as you think carefully about what you want and use an artist you trust then tattoo’s are the ultimate form of expression.
How many pairs of trainers do you own?
I own a ridiculous number of shoes and trainers, more than I possibly need. I have shoe cabinets, storage cupboards, wardrobes and most of my loft filled with excess clothes and it includes bags of shoes/trainers, some still in the box !
How many hats do you own?
Not as many as I used to as I now have nephews who are growing up with the same tastes as me and every time they visit or vice versa I seem to end up with one less !!!, I still probably have 30 or so knocking about, but I have always been known for my hats and I will definitely be expanding my collection shortly.
What’s your favourite takeaway?
This is the ultimate question for me as I am a massive food fan ….. it has to be a toss up between Chinese and a GOOD curry. On the one hand there is nothing better than crispy duck pancakes to accompany a nice sweet and sour chicken, but on the other hand I love my hot food and I would class my self as a seasoned Veteran in the world of curry !!
How many followers do you have on Twitter?
Not as many as I should !!! …. With so many pages like Facebook and Myspace and Reverb nation which offer you the chance to fully profile yourself and interact with communities I have always found Twitter at the bottom of my social networking list, but I am working on this as I would like to be able to interact with as many Hip Hop fans as possible throughout my personal journey through Hip Hop.
In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault?
Urban Vault understands real Hip Hop and supports the best talent in the UK right now ….if you love Hip Hop check it out !!!!
Thank you for your time and may u carry on making dope, fresh music....