Artist: DJ Ironik

He’s without doubt one of 2008’s hottest newcomers. Yet, despite high-profile appearances all over MySpace, MTV Base and, more recently, Radio 1 and The Sun, what do we really know about DJ Ironik? Emmanuel Ezugwu joins some of the UK’s biggest stars to go Head2Head with the DJ/ producer and MC…

At the photoshoot, on location in London’s nocturnal hotspot Kabaret Prophecy, our suited up, 20 year-old cover star is busy following the directions of our photographer. Having forgotten to bring our own music, we’re instead relying on the vintage sounds of Bob Marley tinkering out of a mobile phone loudspeaker to liven up the mood. But if Could You Be Loved was an attempt to rouse DJ Ironik from his self-imposed cocoon, we needn’t have bothered. After all, it’s the DJ/producer/ MCs laid back, chilled and gentlemanly swagger that has turned him into a female heartthrob. His estrogen-filled fanbase is only one side of his ever growing popularity though, as tracks like underground smash Stay With Me has grabbed the attention of an entire nation... We get Cameo, Semtex, JME, Tinchy Stryder and more to delve into the heart and mind of the UK’s latest Top-5 getter!

EE: You’re a producer and an MC, so why call yourself a DJ? Were you just trying to be ironic?
[Laughs] Well obviously my first role was as a DJ and it is still my main love. I was always called DJ Ironik until I started the producing and then eventually went into MCing. People call me Ironik or DJ Ironik.

DJ Semtex: Lupe Fiasco said some people thought he was crazy when he came up with his name. Luckily for him, it worked out. Is Ironik the most productive name you could have chosen?
Well, one day, when I was at school, everyone had tag names and I wanted my own one so I just looked through the dictionary for the weirdest name. I just came across ‘ironic’ and changed the c to a k. It’s whatever it is.

EE: You were DJing at TwiceAsNice parties when you were 13. How did you get in?
Exactly. Because I was DJin’, they didn’t have no choice really, but once when I went to DJ in Brighton, the security wouldn’t let me in because I was too young. That was the only time I remember not being allowed in and I’ve been DJin’ since I was 12.

DJQ: What made you go from DJ to producer, and which do you prefer, DJ, producer or MC?
I started off DJing and then I got into producing. But then I saw that everyone was MCin’ and I got jealous [laughs] and decided to do it myself. I had a lot of practice from hearing them guys, but DJin’ is my first love. I love being in the club and playing the tunes and everyone’s going crazy, I love that.

EE: You’ve had over 2 million views on MySpace, but what made you want to set one up and get it so big?
I saw JME’s page first. That was the first thing I saw, and I wasn’t too interested in it. Then, when I started producing and MCing, I made one and started adding loads of people and my friends got onto it. When I signed up to it I don’t think it was as big as it is now though.

EE: Hustle is a lot. How long were you the No. 1 unsigned artist on MySpace for?
I should have still been there, but they took me down after a while. I think it was for about three months and I was getting 15,000 views a day, which is crazy.

JME: In the last issue of RWD, I read you messaged Christina Milian. Did you hear back from her? What other famous girls have you messaged and how far did you get?
Nah I didn’t, but I messaged Jazz from Black Buddafly. She messaged me back and said she likes my music and she was hot still. That’s it really. The only other famous person I’ve messaged on MySpace is Sean Kingston because I saw a video clip of him and he said how he got signed on MySpace and that he checks his messages everyday. But he never got back to me, so I think he lied a bit to his fans (smiles).

EE: There are also have a lot of “unofficial sites” lurking about...
In a way I like it because they want to be me, but in a way I don’t because when I make my own page and comment people back, they think that it’s not the real Ironik. So I guess that’s good and bad.

Tinchy Stryder: Do you think you look like TI.?
Nah!

Bryn Christopher: Who would play you in a film?
That’s a tough one. Who do you think could play me?

T.I.?
[Laughs] Everyone thinks that, but he’s older then me, so maybe someone a bit younger. Maybe Bow Wow could play me.

Afrikan Boy: Now you’re signed, has your label tried to make you change your sound or style in any way?
Nah they haven’t. They’ve let me do whatever I want, which is good. Obviously it’s my music and they’ve let me do my music how I want it. The label has added a more commercial appeal to my tracks, but that’s it really. Apart from that, it’s all my sound. I was lucky in that labels all over the world wanted to sign Stay With Me, but I felt that Asylum were more like a family. Other record labels just wanted to get the track out, but with Asylum I felt more at home. Being signed to a major record label has been my biggest achievement and I didn’t think it would happen.

EE: So how come you always seem to be wearing sunglasses?
[Laughs] That’s my look now, that’s my trademark. It’s funny because if go out without my glasses, I don’t get recognised.

EE: Why do you think gun and knife crime is a problem affecting so many teens?
I'm not even sure I’ve got the answer to that. It's just standard that so many of my generation feels like they have to carry weapons. It's a knock on effect. Ultimately it's to protect themselves because the streets are so dangerous. That much is true and most of the publicity of crime is based around the younger generation, but I do think that it does also involve the older side too. I think this has been going on for years.

EE: How you finding the groupie luv? Any stories to tell?
[Laughs] Not really, but it is crazy. We do some events sometimes where the girls go wild. Like, I went shopping the other day and I was catching a cab outside and this girl came running and screaming and literally jumped onto me. My security had to grab her off. There are some crazy girls out there. I’m 100% single, but I ain’t really though because I’m married to music.

DJ Cameo: Which UK artist has influenced you most?
There’s a lot of UK artists that when I hear them it makes me want to work harder, like Chipmunk. His work rate is high for a guy that is still in college, so when I hear the tracks he’s doing, it makes me want to work harder and go in the studio and do more work. When I was growing up and through producing I listened to a lot of UK music like Wiley, Tinchy Stryder, Dizzee Rascal and all of them people. Now, I find myself listening to artists like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco as well. I haven't really been influenced by anyone, but I definitely listen to that sort of music and get a vibe off it.

EE: Stay With Me has been adopted by people who have suffered from the effects of gun crime. How was the track created?
The producer, Sparks sent it to me by MSN and as soon as I heard the chorus it just touched me. It made me think about all the people that have passed away and everyone who I had lost. I thought of my little sister and I wanted to give it a different appeal; like I wanted to talk about if my little sister were to lose me, how would she feel? But then also saying that I would always be there for her regardless. So basically anyone can relate to it.

EE: Your mum is your manager. What would you say are the pros and cons of having a Momager?
The benefits are that she will never try and rip me off [smiles]. She loves me, so anything she does is for my benefit. It does cause a lot of arguments, tension and disagreements in the house because we are family, but in the long run it’s good. The worst moments is when me and my mum argue as I feel like it’s my fault sometimes.

EE: If you could 'stay with' one person for one night, who would it be?
Mariah Carey, even though Nick Cannon took her. She’s beautiful and her voice is just beautiful.

EE: You’ve collaborated with Wiley, NY and Chipmunk. Who else would you want to work with?
I am close to the people that I work and collaborate with, but I am open to work with anyone really. I would like to work with N-Dubz, Soundbwoy Ent., Kano, Kate Nash and Adele. I like some of the indie groups that are out there at the moment. Amy Winehouse too, her voice is heavy, she great.

T Magic: What were the biggest obstacles getting into the industry and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest obstacles is probably that there’s a lot of haters around you all the time, but what I do is look past it.

Hattie: If you edited RWD, which five acts would you include?
Mariah Carey, Amy Winehouse, Wiley, because he makes me laugh in his interviews, The Queen so I can talk to her and Usher.

EE: Tell us about the album, which is coming later this year?
Yep. It’s going to be very versatile and there will be a lot for the girls in there!

Stay With Me is out 23 June (digitally) and June 30 (physically)

RWD Magazine

MySpace.com/djironik

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