Shifty – Face Of the future?

Shifty has worked with the best in Grime and has been linked to some very influential people. With the upcoming releases of several e.p’s, I felt it only right that I catch up with the Manchester sensation to see what the latest is.

Mo-Mo; Thanks for taking some time out to do this interview, firstly, Who Is Shifty and what are you about?

Shifty; I’m a 21 year old artist from Manchester and basically my music is about me and what I go through in life, everything that runs through my head. I’m a grime emcee but I can do hip-hop, I’ve also done funky and bassline. Anything and everything, I can jump on anything really but grime is my thing.

Mo-Mo; So, you’re a versatile artist?

Shifty; I’ve done loads of different genres, not just grime. I’ve done rap, hip-hop, funky house, bassline, grime, acoustic sets where people were just playing the piano, guitar, recorders. Anything that makes sound and I’ll jump on it. It’s part of been an artist and not just an emcee.

Mo-Mo; So have you got any mixtapes coming out?

Shifty; Yes, called Graveyard Shift. It’s got 18 tracks and it’s all my new stuff, hopefully people will hear it and just realise. (laughs)

Mo-Mo; Which artists can we expect to feature on Graveyard Shift?

Shifty; Well, (laughs), my CD has got Ghetto, Devlin, Trauma, Wiley, Slayer, Wrigley, Trigga and myself. I could have got more on it but I thought I would keep it limited this time and then next time I can make it even bigger with more and different people.

Mo-Mo; Is there anybody else you would like to work with?

Shifty; (laughs), I don’t even know because I don’t sit down and think like that. If I’m ever around an individual and I hear them doing music and I like they’re sound then I think oh my life, that’s me. That’s just how I am.

Mo-Mo; Who are you feeling in the West Midlands scene?

Shifty; Trauma, Trilla, Stayfresh – they are really good and Vader. I think Trauma is the best though, I said that from time. No disrespect to any other emcee but Trauma is the best in my head and in my ears. I haven’t heard anyone doing what his doing!

Mo-Mo; You mentioned you have worked with Wiley, what was that like?

Shifty; It was really good because he knows what he’s doing. Wiley is a big man but he can relate to everyone in every situation, Even when your in studio, he can help you with your flow. He can just help you in any way that you need help, even just to talk to.

Mo-Mo; What is your opinion on the Manchester grime scene?

Shifty; It is very different to the Birmingham and London scene, very different. You wouldn’t even know there was a music scene going on in Manchester! The thing that keeps Manchester going is the Internet, word of mouth and tracks on people’s phones, there isn’t anything really solid. It’s hard because London have got everything already there, they don’t need to go anywhere else. There are some London artists and Birmingham artists that listen to our music and want to collaborate, but it is harder for us. However, once you get in there, it is harder to not do anything, know what I mean? There are a few of us, like me, Slayer, Wrigley, Rio, Dready, Plat’num, Trigga and a couple others that are keeping it together and building something solid, we are getting somewhere, it’s just a longer process. It’s hard to get to the top but once you get there, it’s good.

Mo-Mo; You mentioned it’s a lot harder to break through, would you want the support of another person to push you forward or would you want to do it on your own? For example, Wiley helped Chipmunk.

Shifty; If I’m real, what it is with me, I would prefer to do it on my own but it depends who the person helping is, if I know what they’re about and they’re going to be proper with they’re money in helping me. I’ll get involved but I wouldn’t sign my life away, for me to get involved with someone they would have to be serious, very serious.

Mo-Mo; What would happen if you and all the main artists in Manchester got together collectively and started something?

Shifty; You just answer that question and write something crazy! (laughs), Because, you know what would happen! It would be a very, very good thing. It has been talked about but what it is is that not everyone can get on easy all the time, so things don’t run how you want them to run. We have tried it before, we had a group called ‘The Team’, but it didn’t fully work out, it just went to pot. Everybody is good with each other but we just couldn’t agree on things, but there are a few individuals that could do it and make something massive happen. Definitely!

Mo-Mo; So could we ever see a Shifty – C4 connection?

Shifty; Me & Wrigley were basically together anyway, from when we first started music. So, deep down, even though we’re not a crew, we kind of are a crew. Anything I do his involved with, anything he does I’m involved with, even if we’re not there. I’m backing C4 and they’re backing me. I’m not in them but I’m with them, so perhaps you might see a shifty – C4 project.

Mo-Mo; The West Midlands and London have got successful music labels, is there anything like that in Manchester?

Shifty; In Manchester, right now, there’s nothing like that but there is people who are doing their thing. I would say that the people in the best position are Plat’num, they have had their tracks featured on the TV and they have become a brand name, don’t forget they are a pop group. We can and will do it but it’s just going to take a while. When we have done it we can pass it along and just hope the youngsters don’t mess it up. London has got it though! Wiley, Westwood, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1xtra, Rinse and everything else, they just play Grime and everything all day. Manchester has got Peace FM, it’s a good radio station but it’s not enough to push a city.

Mo-Mo; You have been working with Trauma on a recent project called ‘Birminchester’, how has that been? What can we expect?

Shifty; Really Good! His a muppet though, (laughs), No, No I’m only joking, (laughs), It’s been really good. It’s definitely going to go far! Me and Trauma are like the same person but from two totally different places and when we come together it’s like we have known each other for years, everything we do we just catch joke, never argue, it’s good times all the time, especially in the studio. Me and Trauma went to the studio last week Thursday, by the next day we had 12 tracks recorded! I said to Trauma, ‘Imagine if we were coming studio two or three times a week and doing that’, We would have loads of albums for you!

Mo-Mo; Woah! So the work rate is high!

Shifty; Very! (Laughs), It’s out the window that! That’s ran off that window has! (Laughs), all I do is get up and do music. I live, breath and eat music.


Mo-Mo; What’s still to come from Shifty?

Shifty; I’ve got my CD ‘Graveyard Shift’, mine and Traumas ‘Birminchester’, (laughs), you have to put loads of laughs though, like ‘mwahahahaahahahahahaha’ with colours around the words so that it stands out! I have got more things coming but no names yet, I have got loads of material but I’m just working on one thing at a time.

Mo-Mo; Would you say your already there or still progressing?

Shifty; I’m not a big headed person so even if I was there I would say I’m not, you know what I mean? I always look up and see more, I’m not there yet. I have still got loads to do. Obviously, I can be there but I’m not yet, definitely not yet. There is a lot more to come from Shifty. Others have been doing it for years, Wiley for instance, look how long his been doing it for! When Wiley was first spitting I was in primary school. I’m definitely still progressing but I will be up there soon.

Mo-Mo; Thank you Shifty

Shifty; It’s ok sweetheart (laughs)

In my opinion, Shifty has the ability to go far with his music. His mannerisms, and personality has definitely shone through this interview. The ability to have fun whilst still been informative, he is a determined and hard working humble character and i wish him the very best with his music.

Check Shifty on twitter; @ShiftyM21