Urban Vault caught up with Southwest, UK based Sudanese emcee Blak-Ram to ask him some questions about his latest track CRUISE CONTROL, featuring Hip Hop legends El Da Sensei & Sadat X & more…

BBC Radio Bristol’s August 2019 Artist of the Month: Blak-Ram is following up on his EP ‘#Make Sudan Great Again’ released at the tail end of 2019, with a hot new track called ‘Cruise Control’ featuring two legends in the Hip Hop game: El Da Sensei of The Artifacts and Sadat X from Brand Nubian.

The song is dedicated to the late Daniyel Artis aka D-Natural, a producer and a talented musician who passed away earlier this year from undisclosed causes. His beat and production style was inspired by George Clinton and heavily samples an eclectic mix of ’70s funk and soul.

What is your name?

My name is Blak-Ram.

Where are you from?

There are two places that I call home Sudan and the Southwest of England.

Tell us about the Hip Hop scene in your region?

The scene is booming in both places there are a lot of artists and it is sometimes hard to get your voice heard in the ever-saturated scene.

Tell us more about your latest single ‘Cruise Control’ which you recently released featuring El Da Sensei and Sadat X?

Cruise Control is an old school throwback vibe. The instrumental was produced by my friend and talented musician Daniyel Artis who sadly passed away earlier this year, on February 02nd so it is a tribute to him and his legacy. Before his passing I told him about my plans to get legends El Da Sensei and Sadat X on the track we met in London at one of their shows in Brixton, they laced their bars and fire hook making ability and I dropped my bars. I adjusted my verses a few times until I was happy with the song.

Who else have you collaborated with so far in your career?

I have some friends Bilzee and Layi that I collaborated with way back in the day, the tracks were covers over some well-known beats, so we did not really have permission to distribute them without getting copyright strikes. I hope to work with them again over some real projects with original beats. More recently I have an unreleased song coming very soon with Ramey Dawoud, another skilled rapper of Sudanese descent based in Kansas City Missouri. I can’t say much more than that, but that it is an emotional song.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

I would like to collaborate with more legends like Ras Kass and my rapper friends and peers in both of the places I call home.

What inspires you when you make your music?

I have a lot of inspirations when making music either, I have a story to tell or there is a social theme or topic that I have to address. Sometimes I just wanna spaz out and drop hard-core bars. Sometimes I just hear a beat and vibe to it and let it guide me. I also enjoy video game music, so Hip Hop beats that sample video game music are always welcome.

How have you ended up in the music industry?

Have I ended up in the music industry?… I don’t know yet I have not been booked for many shows and am still trying to get my foot in the door. But I suppose I just wanted to record music and share it with the masses and not just friends and family.

What do you think of the music industry in 2021?

The music industry is complicated there’s a lot of politics involved and good networking skills will take you a long way you need to know the right people and be organised with how you market your music you have to be prepared for rejection even at a micro-level. Long gone are the days when you dropped an album performed or gave a demo tape to someone well known. It’s about streaming playlists and social media, performing definitely helps but how do you get booked if people don’t know you it’s a catch 22.

What have you got planned for 2021?

In 2021 I have to turn my EP about the Sudanese Revolution Make Sudan great again into a full fledged LP including the track with Ramey with a different name. A Mortal Kombat soundtrack is on the way and I’m just opening the door for any requested features.

What’s your favorite track at the moment?

My favourite track at the moment is probably Full Circle as Nas was able to reunite the Firm and reconcile with Cormega which was a beautiful moment in Hip Hop.

What do you do when your not making music?

When I’m not making music, I’m hustling or seeing friends and family my hobbies are video games, drawing, and working out when I am able to.

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

It is pretty awesome that your blog Urban Vault is showcasing a lot of awesome underground music and giving people well-deserved shine, thank you for the interview and I hope to showcase more music your way, peace!

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

Salute

Blak-Ram ft. El Da Sensei & Sadat X – Cruise Control via iTunes/Spotify

www.facebook.com/BlakBatterinram
https://twitter.com/Blak_Ram
https://instagram.com/blak__ram
www.facebook.com/ElDaSenseiArtifacts
https://twitter.com/eldasensei
https://instagram.com/senseifromnj
www.facebook.com/SadatXMusic
https://twitter.com/SadatX
https://instagram.com/sadatx