02/03/2022

Neto: So tell us your story, how did your journey begin and how has it landed in music?

Fems: I was born and raised in Lagos Nigeria, moved to England in my teens and am currently living in Brighton. I had early experiences with music in different forms while at school. I played the saxophone in my school band, i was part of a dance and a rap group but that part of me never left with school. I moved to England fully after and my college [in London] and uni [in Brighton] years were spent living for others, I had no knowledge of self and no clear dreams/goals in life. I did what I thought society wanted me to do, went uni for my parents, listened to hip hop and Afro beats cos that’s what my people did, I was a “Christian” cos that’s the religion I was born into etc… Subconsciously I had accepted to live like this until I graduated uni and when I did, I felt my life had now begun. I stopped living for people. I decided to continue living in Brighton after uni, I quit my job at carpet right and started doing research into myself, my history and life in its different forms not just the things I was exposed to. I started to really ask my self what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be in life, and over the course of about 2 and a half years music kept raising its hand as the answer, those were my happiest times growing up, whenever I did anything music related, so I decided to pursue a career as an artist, cos I genuinely believe all humans need to live doing what they love and if I can get paid from it even better.

Neto: After this decision was made, what did you do to persue this dream and career?

Fems: So in about 2018 I bought myself a saxophone and started practicing again, around the same time i also started freestyling more with my boy Mili [Papa Mili], who I met in my final year of university (2016), he had already decided he wanted to be an artist and was in the early stages of his dream, already in the studio recording songs. So for a few months I’d pull up at his yard (house) and just freestyle with him, and help him conceptualise some songs. I wrote my first proper lyrics sometime in about 2019, but didn’t actually go into the studio for the first time till 2020.

Neto: And which artists would you say have been influencing you your music?

Fems: My musical influences has changed massively over time, I have still kept some from my years of not “living for myself” cos my people know great music, I can’t lie. I can go on for ages about the plethora of music that influences me currently, to be more specific I will narrow it down to the artist who I think have had the most influence not only specific to the sound I make but also my approach to the music business/industry & my life. The ones who have impacted way I think and the views I have or have had, I’ll split them into those based in Africa & based outside of Africa.

• My African based influences are mostly Nigerian and they include: Fela kuti, Wiz Kid, Burna Boy, Seun Kuti, Santi , Manu Dibango (sax), lagbaja, King Sunny ade

• My Non African based influences are: Kendrick Lamar, Dave, J.cole, Kanye West, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Lauren Hill, Sade, J hus, Pa salieu, Masego, Mac miller, Venna (sax), knucks, Skepta

Neto: In this extremely well influenced and prolific journey thats still in its early years, what would you say have been the been the biggest achievements along the way?

Fems: I’d say my greatest achievement currently is finding and accepting myself and who I am and where I’ve come from and owning that and living it daily. In terms of external achievements, me and my boy Mili created a musical platform called 'Wavey Sessions' which has been received amazingly by the public, we released 3 music videos and got booked & performed at 3 gigs. One being a freshers event for the university of Brighton at the biggest Club in Brighton (shoosh) all within our first year of releasing music, also one our second wavey sessions got a radio play on platform B radio, a local radio station in Brighton and two reviews from Mixtape Madness on our first and second wavey sessions release. Personally, i'd say my work rate could also be considered an achievement, within my first year of releasing music I released 4 solo singles, one solo music video and 1 solo lyric video & 3 joint singles (wavey sessions) and 3 joint wavey sessions music videos. Also my first single and video of 2022 is out. Which puts my solo tally to 5, and the visuals is already performing better than the solo video I released last year. So I would call the progression and consistency an achievement.

Neto: Well put. So tell us about 'Word To Ali' and the message behind the song?

Fems: Word to Ali was the third solo track I released last year, the song is inspired by the sample at the start of the studio version of the track which was Muhammad Ali talking at the end of fight with George foreman. It drove me to write a song about fighting and what that means to me, with lyrics I explain how fighting can be positive and not always violent, how to me a fight is pursuing your dreams, learning about your history, defending your family etc.. but these are all positive fights. I felt that message needed to be expressed, one for me to give the public an idea of my drive and direction & also to let the people know you shouldn’t be afraid of a fight, as there’s more to the word, "Fight".

Neto: Which I guess is the perfect segway into the chosen location for the video and how its creation with the band came about.

Fems: The performance was done at south coast gym based in lancing East Sussex, who where very kind enough to let me use their gym and space for the shoot. I decided a boxing ring would be a perfect location for the performance to pay homage to Muhammad Ali who inspired the track. I was lucky enough to get access to some musicians based in Brighton through my mate Ollie [Guami] who's the drummer. I called up Nico, a guitar player who I also knew from Brighton and Ollie called up Mirisi [keys] and established Brighton/ South African Musician and Luke [Bass] another Brighton based musician who was a friend of Ollie. They’re not quite my band, but we’re kind enough to get together for this project as they though it was a good tune, we all only had one rehearsals a day before the shoot and thankfully we were able to gel together and make magic.

Neto: Thank you very much for your time!

Word to Ali

I know I'll be the greatest

Even when I'm past 50

I'll still have the bars with me

Bet I keep it steady

With the jars of weed

Bet I still love to read

Bet I still bet on me

I'll do this till I'm in the cemetery

And if legends never die

Yeah I'll do it when I cross the line

Leave my body do it with my energy

Inspiring remedies

Through lyrics and melodies

That's success

I give thanks cos I'm blessed

I know there's always some with less

I hardly worry bout the stress

I live life I express, Yes

Freedom is the truth I chose, yes

Free the mind, free the soul

See freedom's dying on the roads

See freedom's dying in the law

Have to pick your battles

And your wars

For my freedom

I'll fight till I'm dying

And fighting isn't only violent

While you listen I'll define it

Fighting is

Sacrifice for a better life

It's turning dreams to reality

It's discipline and consistency

It's defending your family

It's making beauty out of tragedy

It's turning Cassius into Moe

It's realising you are more

Yes I'm not black I'm a moor

It's getting back up if you fall

And never staying on the floor

Lending a hand to the poor

Making a stand for a cause

See these are the fights I applaud