Issue 105 / November 2019

So, Nutribe is a feeling?
D: It’s a way, it’s a ness.
Y: I can make a track by myself, that’s Nutribe. I could make
pottery, that’s Nutribe. Doesn’t matter what the instrument is, it’s
the expression that’s within in it.
Are each of you bringing a certain style, or have a certain
musical responsibility? Is it very much a socialist sort of make
up to the group?
Y: We all have unique tools, but we’re all happy to give opinions
on each of them.
S: It all comes together in the expression.
D: I view it as a kitchen. If we were
all head chefs on day one, it wouldn’t
work. You need the Sous-Chef, the
porter. We switch roles. And whoever
is more active on a certain topic, we
just roll with it.
Listening to the likes of the Wu-
Tang Clan, there’s a strong feeling
that every member is jostling for the
mic, wanting their moment. Were
these influences prevalent in your
early days, and how did you break
from the more self-promotional
display?
Y: We do have tunes where each
of us have our time to shine. But,
you know, it’s not like one of us would be like, ‘Yo, it’s my time’.
Rather, one of us would be like, ‘Yo, it’s your time, we want you to
take the lead’. As much as we all shine together, there’s a certain
time when one of us has got something special, and we want to
highlight that.
D: Our music isn’t something we’re specifically trying to get out,
it’s just what we do, how we step. We don’t bring each other
down on that; we big each other up all the time. It’s not fake.
What would be the point? I know mans is going to spit fire bars,
why would I dash the mic from him?
S: Even back in the day when that competitiveness was there, I
still believe in the Wu-Tang’s language, it’s like a sparring match.
It’s not a bad thing.
Would you say your style derives from freestyle?
S: Most of our songs are written verses, but we write in very
“We’re part of so many
communities, our
identities are complex.
We’re a reflection of
many, not just one”
different ways. We incorporate that into our shows a lot. Usually
we have a whole track that is just freestyle. We do write though,
whether it be through voice notes, or notebook and pen.
D: Because we all project the same thing, we don’t need to be
in the same place to write. Even without a topic, we can gel our
words together.
So it’s almost like a subconscious being; one of you could write
a few lines, and the other will naturally have the hook, or the
harmony
D: It’s the ness. Once again, it’s the ness!
S: We know the lifestyle innit, and we live the lifestyle of Nutribe.
We’re in that; it’s not a choice. What
we talk about, it’s all within that. The
cohesiveness is embedded in that.
Was there a moment where you all
collectively understood the ness?
S: Before we made music, we were
already creating together, dancing
together. I think the ness was
something that was visible to others
before it was visible to us. Other
people could pick up on the energy
between us.
Can other artists be part of the
ness?
Y: Yeh. But other people think that
they can’t be part of the ness as much as they actually could
be. They might see an aesthetic, and not feel a part of it, but
we understand it in a different way. It’s not how you dress, it’s
how you think, your way of being. Anyone can be a part of it; it’s
open.
S: I think just being around the ness, you become subject to the
aura of the ness. If we’re here just nessin, then ness with us.
Y: It’s not exclusive.
A lot of your raps have a distinct colloquialness. Do you think
you benefit from having the Scouse accent in a rap game
dominated by southern accents?
D: Yeh, 100 per cent.
Y: It’s very stylised, unique in its own way.
D: Even without music, Scouse captivates an audience, just
talking. It’s a recipe isn’t it?
Lately, so much of language seems bound up in charged
rhetoric for negative purposes. Do you think it’s important to
use language in a celebratory way?
Y: I think it’s important to be honest. You can write, see negativity
and reflect on that. Everything you create, you can reflect on and
learn more about yourself. As an outsource, everyone likes to
hear positivity. Why wouldn’t they? People like to see three MCs
having a good time, chatting goodness. Not your typical moody
language.
S: I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary to emit positivity for an artist.
I’d agree it’s all about being honest. You shouldn’t be trying to
control your expression. I don’t think people should try to be
positive, I think we just are that way. I wouldn’t write something
and think, ‘Oh, that’s not positive enough’. It’s where we are at.
Does the mix of music, writing and dance help sculpt your
style?
S: Out of all of those there, the one that we’re doing is movement.
The broader term. This is all movement. It’s the first thing you do
in your life. Without movement, there can’t be language.
Y: Everything is intersectional. Everything affects the other, you
know, connecting those dots within yourself. You see that in
yourself. There are times where I’ve written a verse, dancing
around at the same time; I can see the similarities in the way the
words and my body move.
So, do you have to see Nutribe to get Nutribe, to understand
the ness?
Y: Best way is to be around it. The more you get, the more you
get.
S: It’s just a higher dosage.
Y: Some people are fluent in music and get the whole picture
from just listening to it.
S: It can depend on the person, though. But sometimes you can
bump into people and…
Y: …and they just get it!
S: They just get it. !
Words: Elliot Ryder / @elliot_ryder
Photos: Michael Kirkham / @Mrkirks
Sittin On The Step by Nutribe features on Future Bubblers 3.0
compilation, which is now available on Brownswood Music.
FEATURE
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