Framework: Scorcher

As part of Black History Month, Mixtape Madness are profiling influential figures who have pushed forward UK rap and Black British music to greater heights in a series called ‘Framework’. These people are key cultural touchstones who continue to strive for greatness in their field, and this piece focuses on an undisputed legend of the game, Scorcher. Earlier this year, I caught up with the artist following his historic MOBO win for Best Grime Act.

Hailing from North London, Scorch has been consistently firing in a career that spans multiple decades. From cult classics like ‘Sandpit’ to legendary freestyles and mixtapes, his work rate is undeniable and demonstrates itself within his fiery microphone presence. As part of The Movement, a UK rap supergroup that pushed forward the genre through top tier lyricism, this was an artist who was flourishing and relentlessly levelling up. 

There were times following The Movement’s disbanding however where UK rap became more commercial and over produced, leading to music that was built for charts without any real substance. All the greats from our scene at that time were guilty of falling into this, as Scorcher tells me, ‘In that time period where I was making music for labels and for legit radio. As an artist I was stagnating and as an MC I was regressing.’

Troubles with the law and as Scorcher calls it, ‘Enforced hiatuses’, somewhat curtailed this momentum throughout his career, albeit whilst still releasing stellar music and maintaining a cultural impact. With that being said, his latest run since returning from prison has been nothing short of spectacular. There is a fire in his belly and an undeniable ferocity that is inescapable in his work. 

“When I had to take an enforced break from music and I was so removed from what was going on, it was like someone hit a reset button for me.” he states, “That’s born from self reflection as an artist and where I’ve gone wrong and the mistakes I’ve made. I put my energy into what I wanna do instead of complaining. I’m concentrating on what I’m doing. You can sit down and be angry at the world or you can reflect on your shortcomings as a man and a father, and that’s the path I chose.”

It was Scorcher’s kids who relit the fire and opened the door for this career renaissance. “The age that my kids are at? Man can’t be shit, bro. It’s bigger than me. If I’m being shit then that’s mad for my kids. It might sound trivial but it’s a big driving force.” This drive and hunger to prove himself in a time where his contemporaries are slowing down or are no longer relevant really comes across in his delivery. Last year’s Voice of the Streets Freestyle with Kenny Allstar makes this apparent from the off, showcasing relentless, high quality rapping across 8 minutes. When he looks at this stage of his career, Scorch drops a football analogy:

“I’ve been on a Ross Barkley ting. I was in Nice not really pulling up any trees, come back to Luton in the trenches – Lewsey Farm, if you know you know. Next thing you know? Champions League. It’s the humility to take a step back and realise that I’m not above the culture.”

Speaking to the artist, what was most striking was his grounding in authenticity. There was a transparency to how he spoke about his dealings with the music industry and what makes this ‘new prime’ different now. “My music has always been a reflection of myself but certain times it’s only been a small percentage,” he tells me, “Now I’m back to being fully myself, raw and uncut. This is just coming from a pure place of passion.”

That passion has really begun to shine through across the past 12 months. Scorcher is at a place where he is making music for himself and is unperturbed by what others think or the size of his audience. This comes from a place of experience and is testament to his longevity in the game. This know how and observation has fed into his new calling card, ‘ADMD’ meaning, ‘All Dorks Must Die’, referring to the music industry and ulterior motives of people outside the culture infiltrating it. 

“People that aren’t on the frequency and don’t understand the culture should not be impacting the culture. People are so impacted by the numbers and people in ‘clever’ meetings that people are trying to influence what is going on in those spaces so they can get a big advance. I get all this because I did some of this myself. I pulled myself out of there because it’s not my frequency and it goes against my code. 

How can people outside our space cancel Wiley in the space that he invented for all of us? He’s our goat. It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know anyone in my life who feels that way about Wiley. The dorks have taken over and whatever that is, I don’t want to be a part of it.”

Scorcher believes this outside influence has led to a growing trend in the UK rap scene of ‘disposable music’, as he states on ‘Ain’t Settling For Less’, an outstanding collaboration with Jordy. “I can’t tell you if my music is disposable or not,” He states, “What I can tell you is that any time I touch mic, it’s a work of art, bro.” That statement is hard to argue against given the run he finds himself on, culminating this year with a historic MOBO win that felt like a career defining moment.

“It’s not about what it means to me, bro. It’s about what it meant to everyone else. I could get this level of appreciation from the people by just being myself. I wasn’t there with my brand manager, I was there with my bredrens I’ve known for 30 plus years who were there when I was writing my first lyrics. It felt like as much a win for them and a win for authenticity as a win for me. I’ve been nominated before but none of them felt like this nomination. It was real love and that’s what’s sick.”

Freed from the constraints of the industry and delivering quality music from the heart, Scorcher is in the process of redefining grime music at a time where others have deserted the genre. This is a man firing on all cylinders and not only keeping up with, but leading the next generation of artists, as demonstrated with his work with RB. So what is next in a career that has been reignited so successfully?

“I’m going to be the first one to show people that you can be at the top level with grey hair. I thought it was done for me after going to jail in my 30’s. It’s not cool. There’s not a lot of people who can kickstart their career in their late 30’s and go again. When my greys come through I’m gonna keep them and show you guys that I can really do this, wizard style, Gandalf ting.”