Meet The Artist: Interview with Fliptrix

Southeast London-born rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur Fliptrix has been killing the game ever since he first set foot on the scene back in the mid-2000s. Asides from being one of the most legendary solo artists in the game, he’s also one-quarter of the UKHH supergroup ‘The Four Owls’ and Founder/MD of the biggest UK Hip Hop label High Focus Records. Bringing conscious wordplay, streetwise lyrics, high-energy delivery and a multitude of unique and distinctive flows, Fliptrix is unlike any other that’s ever done it in the UK Hip Hop scene. His journey has taken him to every corner of the globe, seen him collaborate with a long list of like-minded emcees and producers, but most importantly, champion and nurture some of the finest artists to ever do it in the UK including, Verb T, Jam Baxter, Dirty Dike, Onoe Caponoe, Coops, Leaf Dog, BVA and many more… Big Owl is now back on the map after a short hiatus and releasing some of the best UKHH music to come out in recent memory, such as ‘Mantra No.9’, ‘Eden’, ‘SM58’ and ‘So Clear’ and we had the amazing opportunity to catch up with Fliptrix to discuss his album ‘Mantra No.9’, his musical roots, creative process and his perspective on the current state of UK music…

Introduce yourself to those that don’t know…?

Fliptrix: “What’s good! I’m Fliptrix a.k.a Big Owl. Lyricist, father, herbalist, entrepreneur, High Focus Records founder and intergalactic cosmic warrior.”

What was early life like for Fliptrix? When and how did you get into music?

Fliptrix: “I first started listening to Hip Hop when I was about 12/13. My best mate's older brother put me on and I fell in love with it. At 16, I first found out about UK hip hop, you know, Low Life Records, and all the classic names like Jehst, Skinnyman, Taskforce, and Klashnekoff. That’s what initially inspired me to write lyrics, and then a big group of my mates got into it, and everyone just started freestyling. We’d go to a friend’s house, have a few beers, whack on DJ Premier beats, and rap together for fun. Interestingly though, I was the only one to carry on doing it, which was a shame as there were some great emcees amongst us.”

What kind of US Rap were you listening to early?

Fliptrix: “The 3 ‘Bigs’ were a huge inspiration for me; Big Pun, Big L, and Biggie. Obviously Wu-Tang, and The Fugees as well;‘The Score’ was a BIG inspiration. Then you know a bit of the more hardcore hip hop groups like Non Phixion and Jedi Mind Tricks.”

When did you decide to start High Focus, and how did you go about setting it up?

Fliptrix: “When I get into something, I’m 100% dedicated and I go tunnel vision. I’m a positive guy, I’m into manifesting my own reality and living a life that makes me happy. That mindset initially led me to put out my first album ‘Force Fed Imagery’ in 2007 via a friend who had a small label called ‘Renegade Artistry. In 2010, I released my second album ‘ Theory of Rhyme’ but there were no realistic record labels on the horizon at that time. Around that time I was chilling and recording in Jehsts’ studio with Chemo now known as Forest DLG / Telemachus. As Jehst had collaborated with me on the album and ran YNR productions I pitched the album to him but his schedule was already too hectic for the next year, so that wasn’t a possibility. He then suggested for me to start my own record label and that’s when something clicked in my mind.”
“I collaborated with a friend who designed the HF logo and once that was done I started conceptualising everything. I linked up with a PR team which was actually run by an artist called The Last Skeptik, and we did a decent job in putting the record out and it was received very well. I really enjoyed the role of running a label and people around me saw that I had made my own platform, put out a decent album and it was making waves.”
“Around that era I was hanging around with Jam Baxter, Dirty Dike, Leaf Dog etc. Once I’d started the label, Baxter and I connected and we agreed to release his debut album on HF. A couple months later a similar thing happened with Dirty Dike, Leaf Dog, and from there Verb T signed. Shortly after The Four Owls were born, and then a lot of history was made!”

High Focus is in a strong place right now, and we love the current roster of artists on the label! How have you adapted to the times?

Fliptrix: “We want to bring through the new generation, and we’re always on the lookout for artists that fit the mould. Artists like Renelle 893, CMPND, Verbz, TrueMendous, Sparkz. As time goes on some of the OGs have got more into the releasing side and become more entrepreneurial which we fully back. The more platforms and labels pushing good music, the more widespread it is, the bigger and better the UK Hip Hop scene will become!”

What can fans expect to hear from the complete body of work in relation to sound and features?

Fliptrix: “Obviously, it’s my ninth album (hence the name Mantra No.9) which is crazy in itself. Throughout my career, I’ve made certain bodies of work, and on this journey, I’ve really come to learn what I enjoy making and what resonates most with the fans; and for me, it’s that classic boom bap sound. To be honest, that’s what I love creating and recording, and that’s what made me fall in love with the music in the first place. On my last couple of albums, I’ve experimented with different sounds, but I wanted to create a classic album and bring it back to something more timeless. I’ve kept a lot of the production and features High Focus native, with features from the likes of Onoe Caponoe, Ramson Badbonez, Coops, Verb T, The Four Owls, Leaf Dog, King Kashmere, Jazz T on cuts and production from Forest DLG, Mr Slipz, Illinformed, Leaf Dog, Pitch 92, and so on… It’s a future classic and one of my best albums for real.” Mantra No.9 is now available to stream below:

What about the concept behind the album?

Fliptrix: “I’ve been on a long journey my whole career, and even when I was making my third album ‘Third Eye Of The Storm’ when I was making tunes like ‘Paradise’, I REALLY wanted to find paradise. On the gatefold vinyl artwork I had an image where I was in the city, in the matrix, with all the CCTV cameras, and all the unhappy people wearing suits going to work and everything was burning down and as the imagery went on it showed me walking along the beach surrounded by nature. I was looking for that paradise, and now I live off grid in the mountains, I finally feel like I’m here. So this album is a reflection of my current state of mind and my surroundings. The rocks that feature on the front cover of the new LP are right behind my house. I’m really living the life I’ve always wanted too, it’s like a nine year manifestation out of the matrix and into paradise.”

What is your favourite single out of all the releases from the album?

Fliptrix: “I’d say, ‘Eden’ is probably my favourite from the new album so far! That was the first song I wrote after returning from a year hiatus from writing. The beat from Illinformed is a straight classic, and the lyrics are some of my favourites from all of my new songs. The writing on ‘Eden’ are the type of lyrics I love writing, you know, the ones that mean something deeper than what’s on the surface. The kind that you have to listen to over and over again to peel back the layers.”

What are your views on the progression of UK Hip Hop since you first came onto the scene in the mid-2000s?

Fliptrix: “I mean it’s epic to see what’s happened, and how far it’s come. It’s kind of hard to see it sometimes, as I’m so immersed in the scene. Sometimes I wish I could take a step back and look at what’s going on. But yeah, it’s going well for the HF artists and I’m really happy with where I am in my career, because I’ve been doing it for so long.”

Do you think the music scene is over-saturated in some ways? if so, do you think it’s a positive or negative?

Fliptrix: “Firstly, I don’t think that it’s oversaturated, but it’s definitely saturated. Generally speaking, I think it’s a positive and beautiful thing, as back in the day you could have incredible musicians and emcees who didn’t necessarily have the money to go to a recording studio and get their music released. So back in the day, there were probably thousands and thousands of incredible artists who never even had the opportunity. Whereas now, pretty much everyone has a chance. You can get a mic for around £100, you can get your stuff on Spotify for £30 a year, and you can even get your song professionally mixed and mastered online these days.”

What made you move away from the UK, seeing as you’re so involved in the music scene?

Fliptrix: “After the world flipped on its head in 2019, I knew it wasn’t going to be a quick thing. After thinking about solutions to turn a negative into a positive I asked my wife if she wanted to go on an adventure and she agreed so we bought a motorhome. I literally packed up my studio / house and hit the road all within a couple of weeks. We ended up driving to Portugal and falling in love with the country. Man, it’s like coming back in time here, the place has a much slower pace of life, people are more happy, way less crime, no CCTV, everyone uses cash for everything; it’s such an abundant country, there’s water everywhere, everyone grows food, all my electricity comes from solar panels, all my water comes from a well, all my heating comes from a fire, and I’ve got loads of fruit and nut trees planted around. Essentially nature is providing all the essentials for us to survive and thrive! It’s a lot of work but I’d rather put the graft for myself than be stuck in the system.”

How do you motivate yourself when you’re feeling uninspired? what do you do to kick yourself back into action?

Fliptrix: “I don’t force it, ever. It comes in waves. As I was saying before when I had a year break I was just living life and absorbing everything like a sponge. The first track I wrote after my hiatus was ‘Eden’, which I fully gassed with. Then I started making more music and I just like really fell in love with the creative process again, and it was hugely inspiring. For me, writing music is a deep thing - it’s like a spiritual connection. When I really get in the zone it feels like I’m really channelling it and I’m just creating. However, I think time in nature, music and my favourite herb are my three biggest inspirations. I just let it come to me.”

How would you describe your new album in three words?

Fliptrix: “CLASSIC. INSPIRATIONAL. NATURAL.”

Will we hear music from The Four Owls again?

Fliptrix: “We’re making a new album at the moment! It’s still early but we got like 5-6 finished songs, and other guys have verses on beats. We’re in the creative process right now, so, hopefully, we’ll have some singles ready for everyone soon! With the Owl’s music, it’s strictly top quality so our mantra is ‘straight quality over quantity’. You don’t get too much owls, but when you do, you know it's gonna be classic!”

For you personally, what makes a good body of work? What makes a good album?

Fliptrix: “I think something that’s cohesive, that you can listen to from top to bottom without skipping. Something that’s intellectual, that says something worthwhile and most importantly, something that provides an abundance of vibes.”

Top 5 UK Rappers of All Time?

Fliptrix: “Skinnyman / Jehst / Chester P / King Kashmere / Ghetts.”

if you could collab with any artist in the UK as of now, would it be?

Fliptrix: “Greentea Peng. I wanna try and make that collaboration happen soon! We’re on a similar wavelength with our view of the world, she’s not a rapper but her style has a hip hop vibe to it, I’d say she’s definitely influenced by it, we’ve recently connected as she lives out in Portugal too so hopefully I can make it a reality for my next project.”

What advice would you give to a young aspiring MC looking to come up in the game at the moment?

Fliptrix: “The main thing is self-belief and dedication to your craft. If people around you don’t believe in you, don’t listen to them. Follow your dreams and visualise what you want to achieve. Do it because you love and enjoy it. That’s why High Focus Records exists; because I love music and I love doing what I’m doing; it brings me joy. If you love your work then you will never work a day in your life. There’s a point for everyone where you have to juggle a 9-5 etc…, then there’s a point where it nearly becomes possible, and then there’s a point where you have to take the plunge. And when you do that, you’re telling the universe that you're all in. Only time will tell from there!”

what’s next for Fliptrix?

Fliptrix: “The new album ‘Mantra No.9’ is out now, then I’m hitting up Brighton, Manchester, London, Bournemouth and Bristol for the album tour so try to get down to one of my shows and experience my vibe live!”

Be sure to follow Fliptrix (a.k.a Zander) on his social pages:

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