Kojo Funds is all about positivity right now

Hi Kojo, the video for "Stallin" opens with a really powerful message. Who were you trying to reach with that statement?

It’s directed at the young people out there right now. The ones with something very great and positive ahead of them and it’s basically telling them to make wise choices.

What motivates you to share a message like that? Sometimes it's easier for an artist to stay quiet on the big issues.

As I was saying before, I have experienced a lot of things, even before music. The struggle is real. I’ve lost a couple of friends to negative things – and they were young. With the young ones out there right now, what’s going on is getting too much. The message to let them know that the opportunities they’ve got are really special. Coming from me, the young people see me as a role model. So for me to say it, to tell them to be careful, I hope they will take it in more.

Have people approached you for advice? What do you tell them?

Yeah, 24/7. I tell them to stick to their vision. Do whatever you wanna do, but stick to it and stay focussed. Everything will come if you stay calm and believe in yourself.

The London music scene has been so strong in recent years. Do you think it's uniting people from a community aspect as well?

Yeah, most definitely. Especially if everyone starts coming together. If we all stick together, all help one another out. The more we do that, the more the scene will grow. It can go worldwide. Right now everyone’s doing positive things and of course that helps.

"Do whatever you wanna do, but stick to it and stay focussed. Everything will come if you stay calm and believe in yourself."

Who were you looking up to in the music scene as a young guy?

When I was younger I was sticking to the roots, like Giggs and Kano and Dizzee. But obviously my Mum and my Dad, they are Caribbean and African so they were playing all different music – the afrobeats and the reggae and that. The Bob Marleys, the Damien Marleys, the Wizkids and that. I’d be listening to that. That’s who was inspiring me when I was younger.

Way back before music you went to live in Belgium to play football... Did you have a choice to make between sport and music?

Do you know what’s mad, when I was playing football, I knew nothing about music. I was just kicking ball. I was one foot in the street and one foot on the football field. I had to ask myself if I was gonna keep playing football if it wasn’t gonna go the way I want it. So I left football behind. I started doing negative stuff. The music came later on.

"No one wants to talk about negative things anymore. Everyone’s just trying to make a living and better themselves."

There must've been a moment when you decided to leave negative things behind and to try and make it in music. Can you remember that moment?

Yeah, I can. It was my friend’s party. When we gathered around, they kinda freestyled on beats. They’d play any instrumental and they’d start freestyling. One time they asked me to freestyle. They were like “nah, Kojo, you can really spit.” I was like, “yeah it’s just a fun thing” but they told me to take it serious.

One of my boys had a studio, he was a producer at the time and he said “you know what, come to my studio” and let’s lay something down. I said no. but the next day I wasn’tt doing anything, so I went. I recorded the first song I ever made. It was a hit on the afrobeats uni scene.

I saw you re-tweeted Chipmunk saying “I don’t believe a lot of rappers”. Why do you support that statement? What does that mean to you?

Where I come from… it’s real out here. And a lot of these rappers nowadays, they’re talking about what they’re doing, what’s going on in their ends but the real ones, they’re trying to get out. They’re trying to make a living for themselves. For you to be talking about what you’re doing and it all being negative stuff… let’s talk about what you wanna do instead, let’s talk about what’s coming in the next five years. Some of the things they are talking about are pointless. No one wants to talk about those negative things anymore. Everyone’s just trying to make a living and better themselves. So I don’t really believe most of these rappers about flipping this stuff and all that.

Do you feel like it slows the scene from getting a mainstream audience?

Yeah, it does. No one wants to hear that man. If it’s for the street, it’s for the street and that’s cool. But if you wanna blow up in music, let’s talk about some positive things. Me, I just talk about my experiences.

You’ve picked up on some classic tracks and used them as a sample, or used their lyrics. I especially wanted to talk about Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go” on "My 9ine" and why you brought that back…

That one, that’s a hit man. I remember when I was younger, I was in my cousin’s house in my living room. I can’t remember how old I was but MTV Base was on and I was glued onto the TV. That song stuck with me for the rest of my life. So I thought, if I’m making a sweet song, why don’t I just use that because it’s so catchy. I tried it and it worked.

What’s coming up for the rest of the year?

I’m just working. I can’t lie, I’ve got a lot of bangers there. I’m just gonna flood scene and surprise people. I don’t wanna talk too tough, but it’s something to expect. It’s real great music which is coming.

Follow Kojo here. 

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