Urban Vault caught up with Norwich, UK based emcee/producer COLL to ask him some questions about his music, collaborations, and inspirations

Influenced by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Wretch 32 & Timbaland to name a few. Norwich based MC/Producer COLL has been making his way up the ladder slowly but surely over the last few years. Having released 3 mixtapes and 1 LP since, since 2014, COLL has managed to receive support from Urban Vault UK, BBC introducing, Link Up TV and Complex UK to name a few.

He has supported acts Lethal Bizzle, Grime legend Sway, Hip Hop legends Jungle Brothers & in 2015 received a spot at the ‘BBC Radio 1’s’ Academy in Norwich. After releasing 20 freestyles for 20 weeks straight on his Youtube in 2016 COLL went on to have live shows for ILUVLIVE London with a full band, The Princes Trust & Epic Studios. On December 19th, 2017 COLL released the catchy and smooth single ‘Take it slow’. His second single ‘In My Lifetime’ was released on February 11th, 2018 via an exclusive premiere by Urban Vault UK and reached over 4,000 views in its first week. COLL will be releasing his first EP ‘Blue Magic’ on March 29th, 2018.

What is your name?

COLL

Where are you from?

Norwich

How old are you?

25

How long have you been making music?

5 years

How many songs albums have you released to date?

I’ve released 3 mixtapes and 1 LP so far, the first one was ‘Train To Success’ in 2012 then ‘Threextape’ in 2013 but my first official release was an LP called ‘TRU Life’ back in 2014. I have since then released a few singles every year after this while I honed my craft.

Can you tell us about your new song ‘In My Lifetime’ the background, and inspirations behind it?

My new song ‘In My Lifetime‘ is the second single from an EP I will be releasing on March 29th called ‘Blue Magic’. The song was inspired by real events that have taken place in my life so far. I wanted to get a few things off my chest and managed to do it well this time around as sometimes it is hard to show that side of me.

How have you ended up in the music industry?

I started making music as a hobby when I was at college and before I knew it I was playing shows regularly, supporting big acts in Norwich and getting radio play on a regular basis. Once I saw the reaction I received, I started putting all my time into music and learning about the industry because I realized how good I was at making music.

What did you think of the music industry in 2017?

2017 was a great year for music all around. I saw so many artists make great songs and I think the UK industry had a strong year. There was so much diversity and I really liked seeing that.

What have you got planned for 2018?

I will be releasing my EP ‘Blue Magic’ in March and I will also try to make a music video for each song over the next few month. The EP is special to me because I have spent a lot of time on it over the the last year, producing and writing and making sure I say everything I want to say on each song. I am hoping to be at a few festivals as well this year as that’s something I haven’t done much of yet. The main thing for me this year is to get my music out there and perform as much as possible because its what I love to do.

What inspires you when you make your music?

Family and life events inspire me the most its all about telling a story for me. Since the birth of my daughter in May 2017, I have been more inspired than usual too.

Who have you collaborated with so far in your Career?

I haven’t had many collaborations so far but hopefully this year I can start collaborating with different artists, locally and nationally.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

There are so many artists I’d like to collaborate with in the future but my top 5 are Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Dua Lipa, J Hus, and Logic.

What’s your favorite track at the moment?

‘Big Shot’ by Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott on the Black Panther soundtrack

What do you do when your not making music?

I’ve just recently become a father so most of my time is spent with my daughter and my family. If I’m not at home producing or writing I might occasionally see a few friends or hit the gym. I also coach a local team which my nephew plays for every week because I’ve always liked football.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook

In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault and what we’re trying to do?

I think Urban Vault is a great blog and I really like the approach you take and the artists you feature on your blog. I like how you give new artists a voice and a platform.

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music…

COLL – In My Lifetime via iTunes/Spotify

http://colltheking.com/
www.facebook.com/Collmusic/
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https://instagram.com/colltheking/