13 October 2016

The Collective of London Youths Bringing a New Era to the Creative Arts

Introducing House of Pharaohs

[H]ouse of Pharaohs have an energy about them that is undeniably electric to be around. They’re comfortable and confident in what they’re doing – bringing positivity and charisma in equal measure.

Hailing from South London – “Peckham, Catford, Camberwell, Brixton, Kennington, everywhere and anywhere South” – HOP is comprised of Sam Wise, Mally, Bandanna, Blaze, Kevin Taylor, Danny Stern, AJ YoungSoul and manager Gaïus Mavila, all aged between 16 and 22. They are artists, models, videographers, clothing designers and, on top of that, they’re making some of the most original sounding UK hip-hop around at the moment. And as soon as you’re done reading this, go and watch all their videos.

 

“It was never primarily about music at all. We’re friends more than anything else and we all kind of met individually. So we came together but didn’t do it with a plan. It was just to chill one summer as friends,” says Mally. “We were just socialising together and the skills that we have manifested themselves. About a year in, it became HOP.”

AJ YoungSoul wears jacket by maharishi

“It was never primarily about music at all. We’re friends more than anything else and we all kind of met individually. So we came together but didn’t do it with a plan."

Blaze wears jacket by Tonsure | hoodie y-3 | trousers Sam Thompson & George Oxby | trainers Gourmet

That was around three years ago and the collective is growing at a steady rate, democratically and with intention. “Everyone’s free to do what they want and bring their own flavour to the whole thing. It’s all come about organically. It’s just what we’re comfortable with. When people talk about an aesthetic, it’s not something we even noticed,” says AJ.

Kevin Taylor wears jacket by Stone Island

"When we call a meeting it’s very structured. Everyone’s seeing that it’s not a game no more. We can actually do something.”

Sam Wise wears jacket by Stone Island

How will they deal with the inevitable growth they’ll go through, both individually and together? “It’s just about being prepared. Preparation is the key to everything.” Blaze, the group’s youngest member, puts it best when he says, “the structure we’ve given ourselves has contributed to us working well together. When we call a meeting it’s very structured. Everyone’s seeing that it’s not a game no more. We can actually do something.”

Gaïus Mavila wears jacket by Craig Green

Mally wears shirt by Dsquared2 | 
t-shirt Aries | 
trousers Dior Homme

Inevitably, social media and technology has been key to HOP sharing and spreading their idea. “Good content will spread – if it’s good enough people will speak about it and share it. Gone are the days when you had to go to A&R and give a man your CD and hope. We’re our own brand, we’ve got direct access,” says Danny. But all in good time. “Sometimes if you plug too far ahead, there might be a variable that you’ve not catered for,” says AJ.  “But we don’t push things in people’s faces,” adds Mally. “We just say, ‘it’s here, you can choose it.’”

Danny Stern wears hoodie by Champion | dungarees Stone Island

“Good content will spread – if it’s good enough people will speak about it and share it. Gone are the days when you had to go to A&R and give a man your CD and hope. We’re our own brand, we’ve got direct access.”

Bandanna wears jacket by Martine Rose | top Umbro Pro Training | trousers Christopher Shannon

Gallery

House of Pharaohs play their debut headline show at Brixton Jamm this coming Saturday. 

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