Bruza’s cockney and boisterous delivery has set him apart from all the other mc’s in the grime scene. Bruza is the forefront artist on Aftershock records with producer Terra Danjah (produced for the likes of Kano, Roll Deep and Sway amongst others), Triple Threat and El Rae. In 2005 Bruza’s stock has risen considerably with appearances on the likes of Sway ‘Up your speed remix’, Mike Skinners ‘Get Out my house’ and his own solo tracks ‘Get Me’ and the new single ‘Doin Me’ both gaining major airplay across the airwaves and on Channel U.
Speaking to Bruza. I could see that he’s exactly how I would have imagined him as, A Cocky Cockny who’s very ambitious and intelligent. Pyrotechnicradio.com caught up with Bruza in a chip shop in Walthamstow to see what he’s got lined up, keeping it British!
Pyro: Wassup bruv, what’s been going on?
Bruza: Yeah good mate, a lot of things happening, I’ve got a lot of things coming up in the pipeline, firstly you’ve got ‘Doin Me’ the new single that’s getting pumped around on radio and on channel U, 556 is the voting number, we’ve also got that releasing at the end of November, so were just getting it promoted and doing a couple of PA’s up and down England, I’ve got a launch party as well that were gonna do for the ‘Doin Me EP’, and then at the same time as that singles coming out we’ve got another mixtape, the ‘Doin Me mixtape’ which has got various artists on there get me.
My album is more or less completed as well, it will come out early summer but before then your gonna hear an Aftershock album which is completely finished, we’ve got various artists on there, you’ve got the likes of Wiley on there, Bashy, you’ve got the Devil Mans from Birmingham, Sadie’s on there all the in camp people El Rae, The Hooligans.
Pyro: When is the Aftershock album coming out?
Bruza: Probably From new year to spring, March, them times there. Where talking about calling it ‘Shock to the system’ but whether we go with that or not hasn’t been confirmed, that’s gonna be massive get me, that’s gonna be the biggest album of 2006, the biggest album you will hear and I’m saying that confidently.
Pyro: Have you got a title of your album.
Bruza: ‘Movin and Bruzin’ at the minute, that explains the whole album, everything I’ve ever been through is on there, why I’m called Bruza, where this came from you will find it out on the album
Pyro: What producers are you working with for album
Bruza: Production wise is mainly in camp, of course Terra Danjah, you’ve got Target on there, Scandalous Unlimited and that more or less covers it all, but your gonna hear people on there that you would never expect to hear with me, you know them ones Big Big producers, but I ain’t saying no more until next year and that.
Pyro: Lately I’ve heard you feature on a lot of tracks, who’s been your favourite artist to work with?
Bruza: The likes of Sway, he’s got an ‘Up your speed remix’ with me and Triple Threat on there, that was fun. I enjoy working with everyone it’s all different. There’s loads of artists I haven’t even worked with that I’m feeling as well get me, there’s artists that aren’t even in the grime scene that I’m feeling, in the UK I’m feeling everyone doing there thing and keeping it original, whoever is keeping it original I big you lot up.
Pyro: You seem to get a lot of love from your fellow mc’s and artists, whenever I interview Sway he says your one of his favourite artists, Mike Skinner always bigs you up, why do you think that is?
Bruza: I think it’s because anyone can relate to me music, parents come up to me and say your Bruza, my kids really feeling you and it’s the other way around like kids will say my Dad’s feeling you get me, it’s one of them things, I’m trying to get out to everyone, it’s not just for kids or just adults or just black people or just white people it’s for everyone get me, don’t matter what you are.
Pyro: So what sort of artists are you feeling at the moment?
Bruza: There’s people in the UK hip hop scene, whatever you want to call it, it’s just British anyway, Poisonous Poets, your Klashnekoff’s, Sway, loads of people and them man I rate them because they’ve been doing work for a long, long time Skinnyman who else, Roll Deep, Fire Camp they murked Best of British it showed what work can achieve, as long as your working hard, I ain’t got specific favourites as long as you’ve got something appealing then I’m feeling you, if your original and your working hard I’m feeling you.
Pyro: Any last words, any shouts?
Bruza: I just wanna say a big, big massive shout out to everyone who is fully supporting the grime scene the Channel U’s, 1xtra, yourselfs, the magazine’s, Touch, Rwdmag, What’s Popping, LB TV, Lord of the Decks, all the DVD’s, Risky Roads all of them I want to big up, you man are keeping the scene moving as well as the artists so it’s all a work together ting in our own different ways, everyone who’s supporting big up. Also Hooligans are coming for everyone, there microphone hooligans, you’ll hear a couple of them on my mixtape and The Lords, there coming as well, your gonna hear a lot of stuff, it never stops.
-The 'Doin Me EP' will be out the last week of November and will feature 'Doin Me', 'So Real' feat Krucial and Triple Threat and the 'Doin Me remix' feat The Hooligans.
-Aftershock's album will be out the beginning of 2006.
Words, Matthew Power