Described as 'one of the most vital voices in MC culture', Gloucester vocalist and poet Rider Shafique is on his way to Australia.
Rider will be in Australia with producer Monkey Marc and Jamaican hip hop artist Fyah Roiall for their joint Vital Sounds tour that will touch down at Island Vibe Festival as well as other performances.
A prolific and versatile MC, Rider is passionate about championing individuality and culture. Part of his Australian voyage will include a 4,200km tour of the remote central desert of Australia, visiting the Indigenous communities of Lajamanu, Kiwirrkurra, Elliott, Ampilawatja, Papunya and Santa Teresa.
Here, Rider shares with us his various thoughts on a range of topics, from his experiences working with Monkey Marc to the ever-evolving role of music as a political platform.
What have you been up to in 2019?
I actually started the year in Australia touring with Sam Binga. I’ve been constantly recording and planning my visit to Australia with Monkey and Kim.
I’ve started my radio show/ podcast I-MC where I interview other vocalists and MCs about culture, identity and the music industry, which I am really enjoying. My voice was on the UK Apple advert, so I have been getting quite a bit of recognition and have been keeping busy performing at different festivals and venues with quite a few of my different projects.
Prominent experiences growing up that have shaped your worldview and the artist you are today?
My whole being and existence shapes how I view the world. My spoken-word piece ‘I-Dentity’ explains that well I feel.
How did you come to work with Australian producer Monkey Marc?
I think we had spoken on social media initially. Maybe Pinch had mentioned me, I’m not sure. But Marc approached me to feature on his track with Ninjaman, which I did. Then I came out to Australia and we spent some time together at gigs and at Monkey's studio. I really like Marc’s production, so hopefully we will do lots more in the future.
You'll be in Australia with Monkey Marc and also Fyah Roiall for a number of shows including Island Vibe – what are you looking forward to about Island Vibe in particular?
I like seeing new places and taking music to new audiences, creating good vibes and making new connections.
I’ve been so busy here in the UK getting prepared that things still feel a little surreal, so I’ve not really had time to focus on any particular gig or event. But as soon as I land and connect with the crew, I’m sure there will be lots to look forward to.
You'll also be touring the country visiting remote Indigenous communities – why is this important to you and what will you be sharing with the people in central Australia?
These are the original people of Australia, so when visiting their land it is only right that I show them respect. I’m honoured that I have the opportunity through Marc and his connections that I am able to visit these communities and hopefully build and create with them.
I hope to share my life experience with these people, share music, share thoughts and generally just do what feels right in respect to all of our cultures and build upon our commonalities.
Tell us more about your 'I-Dentity' project?
I wrote 'I-Dentity' the spoken-word piece around 2015. That piece turned in to a 45-minute theatre play that I toured around schools in the south west of the UK. While writing the play I was making sense of my identity, my upbringing and lots of other things that have happened both to me, my family and many others.
So many people related to my message and thanked me for articulating the way that they had felt. I decided to use my platform to really celebrate all the greatness that surrounds me by documenting the stories and experiences of people that have historically been overlooked by the mainstream and by creating the things I longed for from my perspective. Not a white Eurocentric perspective that dominates most things we see.
At a time of great turmoil in England with the Brexit situation, how has the role of music evolved as a tool for empowering the disenfranchised?
Black music has always done that globally.
Where it is very hard for the common man to get into the institutions to discuss politics or to be heard in the sense of making decisions and making change, music has always reflected the voices and perspectives of the inner cities and working class people. I’m not sure the role of music has evolved, the sounds may have.
What have been some of your most disliked trends in hip hop over the years?
I believe everyone has the right to express themselves however they feel fit, within reason. What I possibly dislike is that what we are being told is hip hop in my eyes isn’t actually hip hop, and I also dislike the fact that attention is not given to a wide range of hip hop acts in the same way it is given to certain others. We do see a full picture, there’s no balance.
How are you going with that debut solo album we've been hearing so much about?
It will happen, ha. . . nothing before its time.
Rider Shafique 2019 Tour Dates
Sat 12 Oct - Gap View Hotel (Alice Springs)Fri 18 Oct - Max Watt's (Melbourne)
Thu 24 Oct - Sideway (Canberra)
Fri 25 Oct - The Factory Floor (Sydney)
Sat 26 Oct - Island Vibe Festival (North Stradbroke Is, SE QLD)
* all shows part of Monkey Marc's Vital Sound tour
