Deeper Than Grime: GFrsh Interview

“She’s begging me don’t leave, we sleep together but we don’t sleep…nah…” With the recent release of his brilliant version of the ever so popular; number 1 Wretch 32 single ‘Don’t Go’ feat. Josh Kumra, there’s no stopping this rising star in the game right now. With lots of projects to look forward to including his ‘Fire in the Booth’ video and his very much anticipated EP ‘Purgatory’, I caught up with Gfrsh as we sat down and discussed his music career thus far….

As a child what could you see yourself doing when you were older? Did you always want to go down the music route?

No, not at all I wanted to be a stock broker, but being bored of education lead me into pursuing music. Obviously being in education since the age of three years old, to since I think at the time I was about nineteen it’s a really long time. I must admit though I took education so seriously that it just became a lot and I wanted to do something else and just channel my energies into something different.

Who would you say has been your role model or mentor?

Artists that are successful like the obvious ones such as the Jay Zs etc, then separate to that the business people that are successful as far as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and there was a guy called Carl Cushnie but I think he got done for something and went to jail but he is still my role model, because he was a black man that did well and got to the top really. I would say success is my inspiration so anywhere I can find it, whether that be a footballer has made it or the woman that wrote ‘Harry Potter’ it all inspires me…

What about a UK musician if you had to pick one that truly inspires you who would it be?

If you’re talking about a musician that I aspire to their achievements then I would probably have to say Tinie. He’s like my label mate, friend and all the rest of it, but obviously what he’s done is a lot so he inspires me to surpass his accomplishments in the friendliest competitive way.

Out of the two, Ambition or Talent what matters to you the most for success?

I think ambition is more important, talent is the foundation and ambition is the drive. Without talent ambition wise you’re still going to make it in something because not everything you do you have to have a talent in. There are some things where you can learn to do but when it comes to having talent with no ambition nothing’s going to happen.

What don’t you own that you would love to possess at this moment in time?

Time. I wish there were way more hours in the day, I try to sleep less but that doesn’t work. I even got to the point where I bought a book about dreaming to try and control my subconscious more and use the time in my sleep because I just don’t have enough of it.

Could you tell us about your biggest expense or extravagance that you have?

I think my chain is the biggest extravagance, because it’s the most pointless it just serves no purpose. At least when you spend 10, 15 grand on a watch at least it tells the time but a chain does f*** all. Honestly if I didn’t rap I wouldn’t have it because it’s a waste of money really.

In your opinion what would you say was the difference between a mixtape and an actual album?

In my opinion there isn’t that much difference apart from the fact you take more time to create an album. You concentrate on the conceptuality of things more than with a mixtape, with me I’ve always used original material for both a mixtape and album. For most people the difference is that on a mixtape you would use beats that exist already and on an album it would be an original production. So really the only difference is time and who you’re making it for as an album is for a wider audience.

Tell us about your career progression right from your 1st mixtape down to your most recent?

The first one was just called ‘Frsh’, it was a collective mixtape that I made with ‘Frsh Entertainment’ then I had a mixtape called ‘On the Town’ that I did with ‘Lefty’, then I had one called ‘Oh S***’ that I did with ‘Feng Shui’ which was their production and mainly me on it. ‘Mr Big Willy Fly S***’ was the next one, then I had the mixtape called ‘Legoman’ and lastly I have my ‘Defeaturing GFrsh’ mixtape. The main thing is that the difference between all of them is progression and I think that’s why a lot of people have followed me throughout my come up. Obviously I was rubbish at the beginning to comparison to how I am now; so the jump in progression is so apparent that it feels like more of an achievement for people who have seen me right from the beginning.

So if my sources are correct, I believe you just did a ‘school run’, tell us a bit more about that?

Basically my old school asked me to come back to speak with their music and film society about what I do as I am a musician plus I’ve got ‘Frsh Productions’; where we produce all of my and other peoples videos. So I just had a talk about that with them and they were asking me questions and I was answering them – it was just good to be back there. For me that school did a lot for me so it was definitely a big thing for me to go back there.

You’ve also got a documentary that’s suppose to be coming out soon, tell us a bit about that also?

In the times that we are at now with music everything is about content, activity and the internet. Artists have been brought closer to their fans, so they want to give them more of an insight into their personality outside of the music etc. So I just want to give them that for whoever cares and for whoever doesn’t care, don’t watch it (laughs).

What current projects are you working on right now?

Well my EP ‘The Purgatory’ is done now; it should be out in a few weeks. Currently I’m working on the ‘Legoman 2’ mixtape and some other mixtapes which will be announced and just to put out my singles for next year. I’m slyly working on my album but not taking it too seriously at the moment as when I feel I have done everything I want to do underground first then I will pay more attention to that.

What is your greatest achievement in life so far?

Probably getting signed, because it was like ‘rahh I actually done it’, as it’s quite an unlikely thing to do obviously now in this day in age it’s more likely. Even if there’s like 20 artists that are signed in the UK urban scene there’s still hundreds out there that aren’t. So it feels good to know you’re one of those 20 I suppose.

– Do you think it was a particular single you did that reached out to the label that made them want to sign you?

I think it was just all the work I did collectively and people talking about me. The main thing isn’t even your past it’s what you play them as your future that seals the deal because your past could be a one off.

On a ‘Madness Scale’ – with sadness being a 1 and madness being a 10 where would you say your life is at so far?

5, because I’ve got a lot of work to do, it’s a madness because I’m in that in between stage of you haven’t made it but your signed. It’s not even really about just crossing over; it’s about making it – making money. Getting a cheque isn’t making money from music, so I feel like I’m at that stage where I’m in purgatory. That’s why I called the EP ‘Purgatory’ because it is that in between stage.

Lastly tell your fans where they will be able to catch you in the following weeks/months?

Just catch me online www.gfrsh.com, subscribe to my YouTube because that’s where all the videos will be coming out, there’s going to be loads that’s Gfrsh TV and on Twitter @Gfrsh.

Any last words……

It’s a Madness!….Mixtape Madness.

G FrSH had decided to give back to the fans by releasing this recent mixtape “Defeaturing” with DJ King. With 42 tracks listed on the mixtape this should hold everyone over until the release of his upcoming album.

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