via liferecorder

We touched base with British rapper Nick Brewer early last month. He was fresh off of the release of his latest EP, Warning Light, which features collaborations with Tink, Stormzy and Ruby Maze. On Wednesday night, the artist followed up with the premiere of the video for the lead track on the EP, “Jet Li,” and it did not disappoint.

Between the dark, fragmented visuals, Brewer sits in a dilapidated empty room spitting game confidently from a lone chair in the center of the frame. As he raps, digital augmentations of the video in technicolor flash across the screen in an attempt to play tricks on the viewers’ mind. At certain points, Brewer stands and stares straight at the camera as martial artists dance and fight around him.

The track was named after Jet Li, the famous martial artist and actor. It makes sense that Brewer chose him as the icon to model his track after—Jet Li is the full package. Brewer makes the case that listeners should pay attention to his work because like Li, his art is not only aesthetically stimulating but also original and thought-provoking. He’s got rapping chops with the brain power to back it up. “Remember me, don’t forget me,” Brewer demands. Not only is the track lyrically powerful, but it has club banger potential.

Brewer has nabbed collaborations from artists like Little Simz, JP Cooper and George the Poet this year and even co-signs from Billboard, Hypetrak, Complex and Earmilk. 2015 has just begun, and so has Brewer. We’re pretty excited by this video, and by everything else that the artist has in store for us this year. Do you agree that Brewer is one to watch this year? Watch the video for “Jet Li” below and let us know what you think:

The post New Video: Nick Brewer – “Jet Li” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

25 year old Essex rapper, Nick Brewer recently released his lyrically brilliant 3rd EP ‘Warning Light’ . He modestly describes this piece of work as “different than anything he has ever done. This EP is more of where I started, I included a lot of my earliest influences.  It’s a bit more grimy and upbeat than my previous EP ‘Four Miles Further’.”

Nick, you started at ‘Flat 10’ then to ‘Four Miles Further’  Where are you as an artist with ‘Warning Light’? 

I’m still developing as an artist. In ‘Four Miles Further’ I showed a more laid back introspective side of myself. That is a very big part of who I am, but I don’t want to be known for just that. With ‘Warning Light’ it is more upbeat and grittier. I purposely caught people off guard. I wanted to showcase the whole picture of who I am as a artist. It’s important to develop all aspects of my character musically.

The first released single  “Jet Li” is telling of the rappers transition, it doesn’t sound like anything he has done before. Nonetheless, over the more contemporary beat Nick still has an underlying message.

The hook is a catchy phrase “They say they get me but they don’t get me though” what does that sentiment mean here? 

I was kind of taking a nic at myself in a lighthearted way. I think people don’t know how to take me at first because I don’t fit easily in any box. People are like, ‘Is he just another white rapper?  Is he a poet?  Do I want to like him?’  Naturally people like to familiarize and compare, people don’t know what category they want to put me in. The vibe on the track came from more of my earlier influences in hip-hop.

Who are some of your early influences?

Nas. He was the first rapper I really got into. I feel like with ‘Illmatic’ he was able to paint such vivid pictures in such a poetic way. The way he writes and the images always stuck with me and challenges me. Also, Common and Eminem.

Although ‘Warning Light’ sounds different, you still charge the listeners to think. Most of your music delivers a message lyrically, does this come naturally? 

Thank you. It took me awhile to get to this point. As I’ve matured I’ve taken note on how lyrics have impacted my life, especially when I was younger. I still remember lyrics I memorized as a child. When I began rapping seriously, I understood  it could be such a powerful tool. People are literally listening to the lyrics and what we say. It’s not just a melody.

You have the intimate track “Me and My Pen” with Tink and several other collaborations on this project. How did the collaboration with Tink come about?

She is crazy talented. You never know when you reach out to an artist how its going to come out. She sent it back and she added so much to a track that I already liked. On this EP I also have a guy  MC Stormzy on the track “Warming Light”.  All the collaborations I do are organic, that’s really important to me.

The EP features include Barney Artist, Ruby Maze and Jarreau Vandal. Be on the look out for Nick Brewer’s debut album in 2015. He is also in the midst of planning his first headline tour. Check out his new EP HERE https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/warning-light-ep/id930848604

The post Interview : Nick Brewer Talks Lyrics and New EP “Warning Light” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.