Genre-blending, Artistic Identity and Reviving Grime: an Interview with £Monzo

Anna Kerr: The first song I heard of yours was Pgg Freestyle, and I was like ooooh. Is grime coming back? What’s drawing you to the grime sound at the moment, when it’s a sound that you don’t hear as often now, particularly in the mainstream? 

£Monzo: Well, I grew up on grime – so it’s just a sound that resonates with me. I feel like sometimes, it’s good to go back. A lot of my songs have an old-school feel to them – and when it comes to the UK scene, why not go old-school as well? That’s how I feel with grime. And it’s coming back – slowly, slowly, slowly. 

AK: I love the new song – I’m a DJ and I’ve also followed Lamsi for a while, so I was really excited to see this crossover. How did you and Lamsi link up? 

£Monzo: It was off the back of Pgg Freestyle, actually. We were both tagged in the same post, or something like that, and he reached out and was like, Pgg sounds sick – I’ve got some beats, do you wanna hear them? 

S.I.T. was actually within the pack of songs he sent me. So, that’s how we collaborated – it was like, alright cool, you’ve got the music, let’s go – you’re making music I like, I’m making music you like, let’s do it. 

AK: Obviously Lamsi is a producer, but he’s also DJ – I was wondering if you’ve been influenced by the DJ/party scene? Is that something that has come into your music at all? 

£Monzo: I do really like the DJ scene – I used to DJ myself, for a long time, actually. So for me, it doesn’t feel like it’s anything out of the ordinary – Lamsi DJing, or even right now, the resurgence of female DJs [that I’ve seen]. When I see all of that, I’m like okay, cool. I really like this scene, I like to enjoy myself, I like the party scene. So, it just kind of slips into the music. 

AK: Who would be your dream collab? 

£Monzo: It varies for different genres. If it’s grime, Skepta, of course. If it’s hip-hop, definitely Lil’ Kim. For Afrobeats, I’d say Burna Boy. 

AK: Do you find that exploring these different music styles allows you to express different aspects of your artistic identity?

£Monzo: Yeah, definitely. I like to be free, I don’t like to be boxed in. When people are boxed in, they aren’t allowed to spread their wings and be fully creative. So, I absolutely love to explore different genres and not stay in one lane. 

Music is fun. Music is meant to be enjoyable and evoke different feelings. So, I like to put that in my music. One minute, I like to be in a happy mood, and the next minute, I’m in a more aggressive mood. It’s expressive – I don’t like to be one thing. Most of us are multi-dimensional humans, and it’s good to express all the different sides. 

AK: Sometimes artists, especially women, can be forced to fit into boxes. Have you found it challenging to be multi-faceted and express the different aspects of your identity in your music?

£Monzo: Personally, no. Although, sometimes it does take a minute for people to understand the range of styles I make, or for them to gravitate to one style [I make] or another. I just feel like people should listen to what they like. If you like the grime sound of my music, listen to that. If you like the hip-hop side, listen to that. Gravitate towards what resonates with you.

AK: What and who has influenced your sound? 

£Monzo: Definitely my upbringing. I grew up in a musical household – everyone listened to different types of music. My dad listens to West African music, my brother listens to grime and drill, and my sisters listen to R&B. I can just be around them and they’ll inspire me and introduce me to different sounds. 

Also, just living life in general – being around different people and seeing different things. That inspires the music too. 

AK: Who are some artists that are inspiring you at the moment? 

£Monzo: Right now, I like the Dutch artist Frenna, Bree Runway and Doja Cat. 

S.I.T is available now on all streaming platforms.