A classically trained pianist and self taught rapper, E.N.V is definitely unique; currently planning his US and European tour and picked to perform at the grand final of London’s Best Dance Crew, RWD catch up with the eclectic lyricist…

Hi E.N.V, what have you been up to this week?

WOW. Another crazy week for me really. It goes from one extreme to another…There I am sitting at my desk working my normal 9-5 job and then in the evening I’m guest hosting and performing at a music showcase in the West End. Then back to my desk, then into the recording studio. It’s mad, but I love it.

Are you aware of the female MC in Manchester called Envy? Have you ever spoken to her? Is there an ongoing court case over your name?!?

I am fully aware of Envy. She’s pretty cool, great style and creative flows. I have never spoken to her and there is no court case over our names. My name is pronounced as it looks in initials so E.N.V

We like your flow, how did you first get rolling in this game?

I first started out thinking I was a superstar DJ [laughs], but as I grew up and went to more and more clubs and raves I knew I wanted to be the guy hyping up the crowd and taught myself how to MC and write lyrics.

Which MCs made you pick up the mic? Who were you listening to? Who inspired you?

Skibadee and Shabba used to smash it every time for me, but what really inspired me was raves like MC Convention that allowed fresh and unseen talent to be exposed like MC’s Flyte & Curse. Also more mainstream artists like Eminen, Jay-Z and Missy Elliott have shown how you can mould you own niche in the music market so my influences have come from all over the world.

How do you describe your sound and your flow?

My sound is a mixture of dark and dirty basslines with strong hook lines and positive lyrics. There are also hints of rock/rap, dubstep and classical instrumentation in my work. With my flow I play on the fact that I used to be a D&B MC and switch between rapping and mcing throughout my tracks, just to get it that extra bit of originality. My lyrical content is inspired by my own life experiences and also reflects relevance to what’s going on within society in the present times, my reasoning behind this is to engage with my audience and to inspire them too.

What was it like when you heard your music on the radio?

It’s so weird. At first I was like… ha my music is on the radio and then I started comparing it to what it was played after, and at what time it was aired. It’s a great feeling but it really makes you aware that your stuff is out there!! Daunting, but great. Big thanks to KISS FM all the stations that have played my music.

Tell us about London’s Best Dance Crew and your involvement in that…

London’s best dance crew is a competition that has been going on for a few months now. Setup by Investor Simon Vandi and two aspiring dancers Gene Takooree and Alyx Davey back at the start of the year the show has grown rapidly and the feedback has been amazing. The competition was set up to give young dancers a chance and a platform to display their talents and I was selected by a panel of over 50 individuals from different works of life including, producers, journalists and A&R guys to perform at the grand finals on 30 April 2010. For more information and tickets please visit londondsbestdancecrew.co.uk

What makes a good dance crew?

A good dance crew for me is a crew that can take music and bring it to life. They can take lyrics and express them through motions and visually deliver the message an artist is trying to get across with more impact, precision and dynamic, in addition to being strong, disciplined and able to work as a team they should also be able to play on the perception and emotion of the audience.

What do you think about British music right now?

British music right now is booming. There are so many fresh and new artists out there like Tinie Tempah who are blowing up right now and established artists like N-Dubz who are representing worldwide. Adele, I love too and she is also about to take on the American music market.  She smashes it every time. There are so many Artists that I would love to collaborate with in the future, in addition to the British Artists I mentioned before. I think me and GaGa would definitely take it to another level.

Why would you say E.N.V. is different?

E.N.V is different because of my determination to succeed. As society has changed and so has the industry I learnt that if this was the career I wanted, I would have to go out there and make it happen and that’s what I decided to do. I set up my label, produced track after track and seized every opportunity I could to get my music out there and its finally paying off. I’m a classically trained pianist and started this at the age of five. It has played a massive part in my life and music career and I love the fact that there are not any other artists playing the piano and rapping currently out there, it’s great.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I’m working on my new album and am producing and writing for a few other artists too. I am also planning my US and European Tour.

Tell us about your album/ video plans?

My new album is currently well underway and features all my latest material. The album itself includes a variety of different music genres and some big remixes which will be announced soon. I’ve got some great collaborations going on and my new single Disposable People will feature X-Rated and Anonymous, and the dance crew Masquerade will appear in the music video. Most importantly I would just like to say thanks for everyone that is behind me and for their on going support, thanks to all my fans that come to my shows and finally thanks to Simon Vandi for taking his time to believe and invest in me.

For more information visit MySpace.com/envmusicuk & env-music.com

For more information email mailto:info@env-music.com

For bookings email bookings@env-music.com

London’s Best Dance Crew will take place on 30 April 2010.

For more information and tickets please visit londondsbestdancecrew.co.uk

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