MIC CHECK WITH ROME AND ROSÉ
A few weeks ago, one of our dedicated writers, Sik, caught up with rising South London rapper Rome and Brighton producer Rosé ahead of the release of Rome’s latest single, ‘Nevrr Built in a Day'
Rome is a rapper from South London characterised by his playful lyricism and wavy flow. Some of his hit singles include fan-favourite ‘Vexed’ and most recently ‘Alhamdullilah’. Rosé is a London-based producer who has worked with everyone from Prinz to his latest collaborator, Ethan Constantinou.
Read our conversation with Rome below;
Sik: Thank you Rome for accepting to chat with Kids These Days.
Rome: I'm Rome. I'm a South London Rapper. We weren't built in a day; you know how it is.
Rosé: I'm Rosé. Mixing engineer, producer, co-producer for some of Rome's stuff. I'm from Brighton originally.
Sik: How long have you been in London for?
Rosé: About five years now. I went uni for three years and I've been in this flat for about two years.
Sik: You guys went uni together right? What did you study?
Rome: We did music sound and technology. When I first started I was rapping over flint beats. When we were in the uni music studio together we would make beats. I figured out I wanted to do music, so from there, I started rapping and now I do production as well.
Sik: How long have you been producing?
Rosé: consistently 3 years, but really 6/7 years.
Sik: How old are you now?
Rosé: 22. I graduated last year. I started producing in like year 11 though.
Sik: How have your styles developed?
Rome: That's a great question. You start Rosé.
Rosé: I'd say for you, you started rapping over flint beats, but I think influences from different types of UK music have developed your sound and the artists you like have progressed over the years. You've taken sounds from different genres and really done your own thing.
Rome: He said it better than I could. Me and Rosé, we came from like a Travis Scott base. Everyday we'd link up and listen to Travis Scott. But over time, Rosé introduced me to loads of different shit. How many times he's put me onto stuff. Techno shit, trance shit, ambient shit... All different kinds of stuff. Through that, we started making different kinds of beats. From there, we were just learning.
Sik: Was there a big music scene in Brighton?
Rosé: They don't listen to rap down there too much, a lot of indie music. Living in a predominantly white area, especially. There was Ocean Wisdom, he was hard. From there I kind of got into it fully. Rizzle Kicks is from Brighton.
Rome: I grew up on Grime. I used to watch Rinse FM on a Sunday. Grime show. I know Radar Radio fucked up but back in the day with Snoochie Shy. It was crazy. That era was amazing. Sir Spyro, Rudekid, Teddy. That era was special. My goats are Skepta, Ghetts, and President T. When I first heard President T I laughed. "What did I order? Wing and a fries/ somebody tell these guys." I checked him out fully and realised he was hard. That song with him, Big H, and Bossman Birdie, crazy. After 2017, I kind of stopped listening to grime though.
Sik: Are there any people you want to work with?
Rosé: WondaGurl. She’s done everything. Travis, Drake, BNYX.
Rome: Yeah, BNYX is hard. He used to do this thing called Split Minds, where he made a Kaytranada type beat, and since then I’ve been following him. He’s hard. Fred Again too.
Rosé: Fred Again is hard. I was gassed when I used the same studio as him. He’s hard.
Rome: Different producers have different sounds. Even a Mac Demarco, hard. Tom Misch, hard. Stupendous drummer.
Rosé: For me, growing up in an indie music place, I like a lot of these guys. Lots of them are inspired by hip hop as well.
Rome: Spyro would be hard to work with too. Teddy Bruckshot, crazy song. One of the best grime songs of last year. That kinda sound is hard. Dubstep was born in Croydon I think, and I’m from Croydon. That kinda sound was crazy.
Sik: What about rappers or singers?
Rome: Jim Legxacy. He’s hard. Potter Payper, Nines, Fredo Cench. Even Len, Lancey Foux… Kanye West even. Sainte, Sam Wise, Ashbeck. Them man are hard. The UK is so big.
Rosé: That’s what I like. America tends to rush that one genre, but the UK has so many different types, we branch out so much more.
Rome: America’s amazing as well. Summrs, Autumn, them man there are hard. Tyler’s hard.
Rosé: Yeah one of the coldest rappers/producers.
Sik: What would you say to people that want to do what you do?
Rosé: Stay consistent. Every time I take a break, I come back worse. Also, listen to lots of different genres. Really just consistency.
Rome: Stay resilient. We don’t always have the answers but keep going.
Rosé: Reach out to everyone as well. You never know who will answer. You have to know people and make answers.
Rome: Be outside. Like you. You shouted me for this. What would you say? For you as a journalist what would you say to people?