Close your eyes for a second (well you can’t because it’s a blog post). Imagine a Young Thug-esque’ enigma situated in East London… Long hair, lean drinking, pill taking, trap beat murmuring and dabbing in a West Ham jersey rapping all with a cheeky cockney twang? You probably couldn’t. Neither could I. Hence why I thought it was a perfect time to open the doors to Lancey Foux. In a scene like the UK’s you can definitely expect a figure such as this to polarise the masses, whilst introducing you to his last release “PINK”. A self proclaimed EP.
V: So Lancey, you’re from London, what area of London are you from?
L: East London, Newham.
V: So what was the process in choosing to make the music you do, and not the grime Newham is known for?
L: All my music is based on feelings, so depending on how I feel on a specific day or moment in my life helps create the music. Of course I grew up on grime, Crazy Titch was from my area, Ghetts etc.
These are people I grew up listening to, but as I grew older I became comfortable in a different sound. I started listening to Gucci Mane and them vibes. I became comfortable in that sound but I would never change my accent or slang.
V: If you were me and you had to describe Lancey Foux to someone, without playing them your music, what would you say?
L: I’d say he’s a dickhead man. Nah, I’d say he’s mad but he knows where he’s going, he’s got a goal.
V: What’s your recording process like?
L: At first the recording process was very erratic, like I would get the beat and say “we need to record now, get it done”. “Think She Love” was the first ever song I made.
V: What’s the process like now?
L: It’s still a minimum writing process, as I’m not a good writer. I came up with a process where I pick the word I want to use at the end of the sentence, like “round”, “count”, then I’ll freestyle the rest.
V: You’ve got a good relationship with Trapstar, what’s that like?
L: They take care of me properly. I’m loyal to them, I couldn’t have a relationship with another brand like I do with Trapstar.
V: How did the relationship come around?
L: I took a picture in the Trapstar store last year. People knew about me but the internet didn’t. My friend tagged the picture to Trapstar, then they asked me to model for the new collection. After modelling we were cool and I thought that would be it, but things built from there.
V: People see music as a past time, is this a focus for you and a goal or is it just something you’re doing on the side?
L: I know what I can be, and what I’m capable of, but there’s some obstacles.
V: What obstacles?
L: I do the music for me, I wouldn’t go out of my way for a specific sound. Someone like Stormzy for example, everyone can relate to him, that’s how his success shows. Some of the stuff I’m saying, people won’t relate. I’m in my own world.
V: I can see your visual influence being similar to Killa Ki, is he an influence to you?
L: He was the man. Killa Ki was keeping it so real, everyone knew what he was about. He was so confident he could do and say what he wanted. Definitely an influence for sure.
V: What was your favourite tape growing up?
L: Killa Ki had ‘Love Kills Slowly’, also Giggs had ‘Walk In Da Park’, the SN1 Tape as well. Those lot were crazy.
V: How do you feel you would be marketed by a label?
L: I have no idea. I just do whatever. The whole maths behind it, I don’t understand. I do me.
V: When are we going to get a visual from you? There’s lots of content on Soundcloud and blogs, when can we expect one?
L: Oooh, you might get one this year.
V: Why is it taking so long?
L: I spend so much time watching videos, they’re proper important to me. I don’t want to have a standard video, it means too much. When a visual from me comes out, it’ll be my selling point. I watch what all my brothers and sisters are doing in the scene, and I don’t want to seem rude, but it disappoints. I’m not doing a one shot, one performance video, it needs to mean something to me.
V: What is it you dislike in the videos you see?
L: Showing the money, cars, girls is all cool but I don’t want to see that shit no more. Back when Michael Jackson released the Scream video on the year I was born, imagine seeing that back then and now visuals to this day aren’t even close to that and that’s 20 years ago. Visuals are important, that’s how people see you as a complete artist. Not just a good rapper, or write good hooks, I want to be a complete artist.
https://twitter.com/lanceyfouxx/status/649288501213687808
V: On the flipside, are there any videos you grew up on and said you needed something like that?
L: Yes, yes yes man. Jamiriaquai was the man. He did simple things but they were out of this world at the same time. That’s what I need, it meant something to him.
V: If you had to make a four track EP with some UK artists, who would you pick?
L: I wouldn’t want to do that, but if I had to. First track would be Swift and Blade Brown for sure.
Second, just me and Jamiriaquai, couldn’t have no one disrespecting the tune like that, just me and him. The third would have to be just me and A2, yeah just me and him. And the last track would be me, Ms Dynamite and Lisa Mafia for definite.
V: You like to rap about being under the influence, is it an importance for you?
L: I stopped taking all of them, the pills, the Xans. I can just about smoke a fag.
V: Was that a conscious decision in terms of your health?
L: People may think I have a reckless attitude, but I actually read a lot about these things and the long term effects they have on you. I don’t have an addictive personality so the fact I can say no I don’t need these, is for the better.
Follow Lancey on Twitter here.
Words by @upinthev