Rising Rapper Anine Talks “Rosetta Stone”, Collaborating With Swarmz & Polo G, His Journey So Far & More!

Anine, pronounced A9, is a British Nepalese rapper-singer songwriter from the south of England. Having only got 3 singles behind him, he’s already had some major music wins in his career including his feature on the Plug Talk album with Telescope alongside Polo G and Swarmz, plus his solo release Rich Forever alongside his latest offering titled, Rosetta Stone.

The rising rapper made his debut with Telescope featuring Swarmz and Polo G, the record has accumulated over 2 million streams on Spotify and was featured on one of the most notable releases in 2019, The Plug’s Plug Talk album. Standing out from the crowd with his captivating melodic rap-R&B and Trap influenced sound, the depth and emotion that he injects in to his music is a clear effect of being brought up in poverty in Nepal and being motivated by his Mum’s struggle to overcome life’s challenges. 

Now back with his brand new single Rosetta Stone, we caught up with Anine and asked him a few questions…

Taking it back to the very beginning, I read you grew up in Nepal? What was it like growing up there?

It’s a beautiful place and most of my family all live there but it’s a third world country with a lot of political issues, so there’s not many opportunities for young people like me, so my mum moved to the U.K. hoping for a better life.

Tell us a bit about how you began your career in music, what motivated you to start rapping? Was music something you were always around from a young age?

Growing up my mum used to listen to a lot of Nepalese and Indian music, so that’s what I predominantly heard. But, when we moved to the U.K. I wasn’t able to attend any schools at the time because I was so young, so my mum used to leave my sister and me at the youth centre whilst she went to work. The estate we used to live in had a lot of Caribbean people, so at the youth centre they would play a lot of Reggae, Garage and UK baseline. I used to try and rap at the youth centre, I was probably like 5 or 6 but that’s how I managed to learn English and it just stuck with me ever since.

Were there any specific artists or albums that you listened to growing up that you drew to for inspiration?

Growing up I listened to a lot of Grime, but once I heard Future and Drake make songs that incorporated singing that really inspired me to concentrate more on my melodies. But grime really taught me how to flow on a beat on time because it was so fast, it’s easier for me to now range and hit different speeds and pockets. 

Describe your sound using only three words…

Rap, Trap and RnB.

Your debut was on ‘The Plug’ album alongside Polo G and Swarmz on “Telescope” – which is an insane way of introducing yourself to the world! Tell us how this collaboration came about?

My manager reached out to Sean who’s an engineer and co-founder of Plug Records and once he tapped into the music they really liked “Telescope” and added it to their album. Which was good because it was the first time, I got to experience first-hand how the music industry works and how important having relationships is. 

Working alongside two hit-makers, Swarmz and Polo G – How did you find this experience? Was it daunting or was it something you learned from?

I actually had no idea they were going to add Polo G and Swarmz to the song but it was a good opportunity to be able to showcase my talent and create a collaborative sound with other artists which you’ll defo hear more of in the future. I enjoy working with people it’s like a sport to me –  makes me want to go harder!

Your sound is very much Trap-influenced, would you say this is your niche? Or could we potentially hear you on a different genre one day?

Trap music is what I heavily listen to that’s why it comes out in my music, but I’m comfortable with other sounds so I’m always exploring other lanes. I wouldn’t ever want to be boxed in one lane, but I wouldn’t ever want to come across non-authentic. Trying to find the balance is what I’m working on. 

What is the aim for you musically? With only 3 singles behind you, your name is already becoming reputable!

My aim is to keep developing my sound and creativity so I can make the best quality music and solidify my position. I want to be a U.K. household name, someone who shapes and pushes the wave sound to the next level but not as an alternative. 

You have just released your brand-new single “Rosetta Stone” – What was the inspiration behind this tune?

I just wanted to give people that raw hunger sound, plus it’s just how I was feeling at the time! 

Creatively, what’s your process like? What do you tend to lay down first?

I lay down the melody first and then I add and develop the words and content around it, it’s usually very mumbly and not on time in the beginning but I just keep spraying it again and again until it’s perfect to me.

Can we expect any more collaborations coming?

100%, maybe even a collaborative project who knows I’m just getting started!

What else can we expect to hear from you this 2020?

2020 I’m going to release my first ever EP, so I got hella music for the streets!

Keep up to date with Anine via his Instagram here.