Rap Game UK winner Graft has linked up with MTV and Reebok for a cold new series called My City, My Sound.
Hailing from Chapeltown in Leeds, Graft has worked hard to put his city on the map with sick rhymes and the inspiring themes in his music and now Graft stars in episode three of My City, My Sound where he takes us on a journey to his hometown.
Talking about growing up in Leeds, Graft says, “Chapeltown has its own musical identity with sounds like Grime, Rap, Bassline, House, Garage, Reggae, R&B, Soca, Dancehall and Bashment. Being around these genres of music and Caribbean culture from an early age has really influenced me as a person as well as an artist. From the way I write lyrics, my flow, certain slang or Patois I use in my songs, how comfortable I am on a range of different tempos, all the way down to the choices I make when composing beats and the sounds I like to use”
“Growing up In Leeds, artists from the city like Dialect, Gadget Boy, J.O, Zen, P Solja, Crawler and YB inspired me”
Chapeltown is one of Britain’s oldest black communities and as well as showing us how his hometown shaped his music, Graft also offers us insight into his formative childhood years too – visiting Chapeltown Road in the film and showing off his favourite restaurants.
On his partnership with Reebok and MTV, Graft said, “My personal manifesto is very much about the unlimited potential of life. Whether that be; musically, financially, spiritually or physically, I am motivated by the endless possibilities of life. Collaborating with Reebok and MTV aligns with my manifesto because it’s three brands coming together creating a sufficient and memorable impact.
“Although Graft (GCO), my brand, is the smallest out of the three at present, collaborations like this are the building blocks to help formulate my brand in becoming one of the biggest brands in the world! Grafter’s Collective Only…”
Each episode of My City, My Sound showcases a different artist and their hometown. The first episode featured Alica Masa from Marseille in France.
Watch Graft’s episode below.