Inja

The bassline Michelin man

Inja cooks it, chews it up and spits it down mics into sweaty crowds most days before you’ve even thought about getting up for breakfast. His day jobs cover residencies at two of the UK’s largest dubstep and drum n’ bass nights, he hosts the UK and World DMC Championships, tours with hip-hop legends Taskforce, drum n’ bass guru DJ Die and between June and September, will mostly be seen smashing the headline spot of legendary Chai Wallah festival stages as part of the ‘Bioviolence presents The Skuff and Inja Show’. This man doesn’t sleep. He performs, and loves it. With Inja’s third album release it seems his stage show presence has been swallowed in massive mouthfuls of drum step, dubstep, drum n bass, hip-hop, reggae and funk. ‘Bass Music / Escapism’ is more than a music album. It’s a sixteen-track journey. A journey through the raves, festivals, carnivals and stage shows of Inja’s daily routine. Into the sweet, unadulterated blast of pleasure known to us as Bass. Undoubtedly man’s finest invention since the wheel.

Words: Dan Prince

 

Welcome back to DMC bro. Your massive mouthfuls of drum step, dubstep, drum n’ bass, hip-hop, reggae and funk are legendary on the scene – what artists were you listening to as a kid that sent you dance music’s way?
 
“The Prodigy and mainly early rave tape packs. I was going to places were Mickey Finn, DJ Hype, Nicky Black Market, MC Stealy, Hyper D, MC GQ, Pure X, Telepathy were on.”
 
What was your first big break into the music industry?
 
“Emceeing alongside Stevie Hyper D.”
 
Hip Hop Connection once said you had “emcee skills faster than a speeding bullet” – what MCs over the years have you given heads up to?

“Loads innit, from Snoop Dog to Hyper D, to Cyprus Hill, Taskforce. All the UK classics – these are the emcees I’ve liked since getting into this style of music.”
 
Tell us about the ‘Page To Performance’ organisation you are involved with…
 
‘Page to Performance’ is a not for profit organisation with the central aim of bringing poetry to life and engaging people with this art form. It’s a collective of artists – spoken word, emcees, DJs, dancers. We run loads of workshops in schools, youth centres, all that kind of thing. Recently run a tour as part of the Sydney Poetry Slam.”
 
Your press company announce the new album ‘Bass Music / Escapism’ as a sixteen-track journey; A f*cking loud journey best made with your head placed neatly between two subwoofers, eyes closed.” Would you care to talk us through this most excellent long player in your own words – what are the highlights on your third album?
 
‘Well, for me the highlights span from ‘Transformer Bass’, ‘Rip out the Sound to Float with Me’ and ‘Misplaced Thoughts’. It’s been a real creative experiment this time, mixing so many different genres of music. I just started realizing there was this big gulf between my life as a performing emcee and a recording artist and this is pretty much a bridge – bringing the stage to my album fans and all that live shit and then bringing my hiphop / chilled down side to the people who know me from drum n bass and dubstep raves. I’m excited.”
 
What can we expect from the ‘Bioviolence presents The Skuff and Inja’ live shows during 2012-13?
 
“A monster magnificent display of musical destruction that’ll make you spaz out to a cranked up speaker. Yeah, that’s it!”
 
You have been the DMC Championships host for a few years now, what competitors have stood out for you?
 
“Shifty, Switch, JFB. Yeah.”
 
What are your turntable skills like?
 
“I can hold it down! You know, gimme a few minutes practise and all good – I ain’t got DMC skills but I can make it work!”
 
What’s your big tune at the moment?
 
“Currently, Drake – ‘The Motto’. been feeling that for a while. Love the beat, I try not to listen to what theyre saying but I’m in love with 808’s, its my favourite drum kit.”
 
You’ve toured the world with the Skuff and Inja Show – where has really blown you away?
 
“Doing the shows in the UK with Taskforce is amazing, they still have such a huge following and it turns into a moshpit central. The Skuff and Inja Show is different ‘cos it’s not just a UK hip hop show but lots of styles of UK music so you get a really big music – China was amazing, Australia too. Geneva is always a wikid crowd but honestly it’s so good doing UK shows – getting home and having home crowds is wikid.”
 
What is the best live gig you have ever performed at?
 
“Gotta be Chai Wallah’s festival tent with the Skuff and Inja Show at Glastonbury and Bestival.”
 
Not many people know this, but Inja is really good at?
 
“Cooking, I’m fking amazing!”
 
What live shows are you looking forward to the most in 2012?

“Bioviolence presents The Skuff and Inja Show in Belgium this month and looking forward to killing some shows with DJ Captain Crunch and regularly murking shows with Dj Die – love em all.”
 
And finally who are your musical heroes?
 
“Tom Jones? Capleton? Erm, Snoop Dogg? I’m happy with them.”

 

Bass Music / Escapism track list:

1. Bass Music Intro
2. Transformer Bass (prod. Ritchie Spits)
3. Fat Love (prod. Bioviolence)
4. Rip Out the Sound (prod. Bioviolence)
5. March (prod Bioviolence)
6. Pepper Sauce (prod. Edsik)
7. Gone with the Wind (prod. 184)
8. Middle Finger Salute ft Skuff (prod Bioviolence)
9. Summer of Love (prod. Nutty P)
10. Escapism Skit
11. Miss Placed (pod. Inja)
12. Float with Me (prod. Mr Constant)
13. Looking Good (prod. Chairman Maf)
14. Daddy Cool (prod. Wizard)
15. Night Falls (prod. Inja)
16. You First (Dedication to Little) (prod. 184)

Hear Bass Music / Escapism Here:
http://soundcloud.com/injamusic/

Hear Pepper Sauce Here:
http://soundcloud.com/injamusic/sets/laters-later-01-10-2011/%22%3E

Watch the Pepper Sauce video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-jiNCKeIBo&feature=youtu.be

Watch the Laters Later video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQGNg-i1Rs4&list=UUqLLrHw4qjGN99m7QSuYV8w&index=3&feature=plcp

Watch the Fat Love video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL22jq62LJ0&feature=youtu.be%22%3Ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL22jq62LJ0&feature=youtu.be

Watch the Someone Like You Remix video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB8d8G87ChM&list=UUqLLrHw4qjGN99m7QSuYV8w&index=1&feature=plc

inja.bandcamp.com
injamusic.com
Facebook: Inja
Twitter: Injamusic