Urban Vault Interviews - Franklyn

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

Franklyn is an 18 year old artist, who is also a fashion, art and literature enthusiast. Born and raised in East London, his initial inspiration and musical influence stems from grime. Since then, Franklyn has grown to diversify his musical interest and the music he produced is now an amalgamation of all different genres. Franklyn is a dynamic artist as he addresses serious social issues and real life topics, while retaining the ability to keep the fun in music.

What is your name?
My name's Franklyn. My actual name is Franklyn Addo, but for music I'm referred to as Franklyn Music. I couldn't be bothered to think of an alias. I'm a simple guy.
How old are you?
I'm 18 years old, I turned 18 in July. It's slightly annoying because all my friends are much older than me!
Where are you from?
I'm from East London, Hackney, but I'm currently residing in London Bridge on campus at University.
How long have you been making music?
This question is always interesting because I realise I've been making music for much longer than I feel I have. I've been making music seriously for about 3 years, but I've always been lyrically inclined, I've been writing lyrics since about 10 years old.
How many songs / albums have you released to date?
My first and most popular mix tape "Just Being Frank" was released on December 1st 2010, which was quite a while ago. The title was a pun on my name. It had 10 tracks on it, all of which were completely original. It was executively produced by the MOBO award winning Victizzle, and also features production from a team called "The Confectionery" and one of my favourite producers, "Alfa Mist". It also featured verses from artists such as Guvna B, Lola Godheld and Brewer.
The mix tape is available for download here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/9i25nx
My second mix tape was released in April 2011, and it was entitled "The Remixtape". This was me experimenting solely for the love of music and writing. I wrote and recorded the whole mix tape within two days, and filmed the whole writing and recording process. It was great fun. It features remixes from some of my favourite artists, including Lupe Fiasco, Nas, The Beatles, Ludacris, J Cole and Adele, whose song "Hometown Glory" was covered.
The mix tape is available for download here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/vcxo3v
I'm currently working on my next mix tape "Just Being Frank 2" which will be the biggest and best yet to date! We've almost finished recording it and I can honestly say I believe I've outdone myself. Can't wait to show the world.
Can you tell us about your latest Adele remix 'Hometown Glory', the background and inspirations behind it?
My "Hometown Glory" was a product of the creative process of making "The Remixtape". Brewer wand I were in the studio, put the beat on and fed off each other's energy to produce the lyrics in about 20 minutes max. I feel like the song is such a classic and I hope we did it justice!
How have you ended up in the music industry?
My journey into the industry has been weird because I've never actually envisioned myself within the music industry. I've always been an academic so I assumed that given my African background, I was confined to taking the traditional route of simply going to university, getting a graduate role and working in my field. I've always done music as a hobby, but doors have continuously opened for me so I made a transition from doing music solely as a hobby to actually putting my heart and soul in it. As I've released music, more and more opportunities have risen for me and I'm grateful that my music is actually being received well. It's a humbling experience.
In terms of the actual story, I met Victizzle when I was like 15 and gave him a copy of my poorly home-recorded and low quality compilation CD. He listened and had faith in me as an artist and invited me studio. Since then, I was on one. It helped that we had many mutual friends, and he took me under his wing.
What do you think of the music industry in 2012?
Hahahaha this question! I can give you a dissertation on this subject! Put simply, I have ambivalent feelings towards it. On one hand, I detest it for embracing such nonsense at times, some consumers have become very fickle and enjoy superficial music with no substance. On the other hand, I see an inspiring amount of up and coming talent who actually have something constructive to say and genuine talent, such as Alfa Mist for example. So I remain somewhat optimistic.
In terms of what I listen to personally, I listen to people like Kendrick Lamar whose talent is undeniable and offers me food for thought as opposed to maybe someone like Gucci Mane, no offence. One thing I've realised is that everyone plays different roles and there is space for everyone. We need our party music as much as we need our thoughtful music. There's a time and a place for everything.
Who inspires you when you make your music?
I'm inspired mainly by God, my experiences so far and stories. I enjoy reading, which is probably reflected in my tendency to tell stories in my songs. I'm also quite compassionate (although some may beg to differ), so I empathise with people in negative situations and try to depict their emotions in songs. In terms of musical inspiration, Kendrick inspires me with the complexity of his flows, Kanye West inspires me as he's not confined creatively, he simply makes what he likes, and Slum Village inspire me because they make real music. It's great stuff. My list of inspirations go on forever though.
Who have you collaborated with so far in your Career?
I've collaborated with Victizzle of course, Guvna B, Brewer, Lola Godheld, Cadet, Barney, Alfa Mist, Paigey Cakey and an up and coming singer called Lauran.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
If there were no limitations, I'd work with Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Curtis Mayfield and Kendrick Lamar right now! Realistically, I'd like to work with a new up and coming singer called Melissa Steel, a fresh rapper called PW, I definitely want to do something with George the Poet and Mikill Pane.
What was the first album you bought?
The first album I actually purchased was "Chicken and Beer" by Ludacris. I think it might even be a mixtape. My favourite purchases since then include Tinie Tempah's "Discovery" and Ed Sheeran's "Collaborations EP".
Whats your favorite song at the moment?
I can never answer this question! There's so many. I think it has to be "Acura Integurl" by Frank Ocean though. I'm learning it on piano.
If you had to sell your music collection tomorrow, what album would you leave in your draw?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Undoubtedly. No second thoughts.
What do you think of TV music talent show competitions?
I think they're a great platform and opportunity for aspiring artists, but I definitely think they're not for me. I'm not sure why, I'd just rather toil for it. I think that anything that happens too fast may lack longevity.
What do you do when your not making music?
Too much. I write for The Guardian, I study Sociology full time at the London School of Economics and I work part time at a department store. Apart from that, I'm also a family man so I try see them as much as possible and I also make time for my girlfriend. I'm at university from Monday to Friday and I work Saturday and Sunday so there's no free time. Literally.
Whats your favorite Fashion brand?
Probably Versace, but I can't afford it. Maybe one day ay? Apart from that, I'm not really a brand guy, I enjoy vintage clothes and basics like tapered trousers. If I had to choose a brand it would probably be G-Star because my favourite Jacket is from there.
Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
Not at the moment, although my shoulder tattoo is being designed by an excellent artist called John Chan. I may have just sparked World War III by revealing that though, my mum might read this interview and go crazy! Sorry Mother! I remember I got my ear pierced without asking when I was in like year 8 and I had to hide it. In the end I decided it wasn't worth the punishment and let the piercing close.
How many pairs of trainers do you own?
At one stage I had quite an obsession with trainers and bought quite a few. So in total maybe about 20 pairs or something. I only wear about 5/6 regularly. I've got four pairs of black vans, I'm not even sure why. There will be a time when I splash out on trainers once again, I just need to take care of music for now. I think my favourites include my Jordan 3's, my Nike 6.0's, my blue Nike Toki's, and my Adidas Nizza's.
How many hats do you own?
About 5. I used to be a hat fanatic but I figured mature girls might prefer a low cut skin fade sort of thing. So I started parading my cube head and gave many of my hats away.
Whats your favorite takeaway?
My favourite take away… has to be Chinese from Great Wall in Homerton, Hackney! Yes! I'm not really a take away guy though. I prefer restaurants and fine dining. Love a restaurant called Rodizio Rico and also a nice burger place called Hache in Camden.
How many followers do you have on twitter?
Something like 1,500.
In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault?
Urban Vault is a platform for artists like myself and they help support our vision and dreams! Excellent site, keep it up!
Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music....
Thanks for having me!