Killa Kela Interview
made before his performance in Punkt/Warsaw on 21.09.2002

All right, here we go. So, first of all, good to have you here in Warsaw. By the way, how many times have you visited Poland so far?

Well, basically, I came here in 2000, it was 2000 with Vadim and the Russian Percussion. Yeah, it's me, Mr. Thing, Blu Rum 13, John Ellis and...oh yeah Vadim. It's that, yeah. For me at the time it was like one crazy track, because like five shows in one country and no motorways, know what I'm saying? But at the same time, you know, we're set for this, know what I mean? 2002 is here and you're gonna be seeing more of me.

Nice one. Now, taking a peek at the polish beatboxing scene, what can you say about it?

Ehm, I've only seen a few people, I've not seen a lot of beatboxing just yet. There's some stuff coming up tonight, which I'm expected to be surprised about, should be dope. I'm looking forward to seeing some new styles, some new ish, and I was hoping to get my ass kicked, so let's do it, know what I mean?

Killa Kela. Where did you get your nickname from?

Killa Kela. Well, Kela, K-E-L-A, the second part of my name, was what I used to write, grafitti when I was younger. And it was more of an alias more than anything, because, you know, I really like design-work and stuff and I was also an emcee at one stage, then went out of that and, you know, everything. Since I was little I was a beatboxer, ehrm, I say beatboxer, made sounds with my mouth. So basically, it's just like, it was kinda like my alias. And Killa? This came from, hmm you know Swollen Members? Yeah? Prev One, the emcee from Swollen, he was also Rocksteady Crew, he was like yo...and that's my first time I did it, it was with them guys...and they were like "Yo, you're a killa every show, we'll call you Killa Kela"

So, how many hours a day do you practice?

None.

None? So you just prepare stuff for your shows during the weekend or on the road?

No, actually, I do so many shows, it's like I practice when I'm at shows, know what I mean? Yeah, and it works for me, because, you know, erhm, being the human voice, you know, I can't walk around the house doing it. I wouldn't submit, like huge amounts of time with it, I just do it, know what I mean? It just happens, like singers, just walk around singing or doing it in the bath or whatever. That's basically what I do.

I know you get this question a lot of times, but here it comes: Since when have you been beatboxing?

Well, I've beatboxing since I was like really young, I can't remember the time that I didn't do it. Maybe 6, 7 years. The first time...

...when you realized you were making sounds. When was that?

I don't know, but it's vivid, really vivid. I was like playing toys, like making soundtracks, know what I mean? Very vivid. My mom and dad always told me to shut up. And my dad used to...my dad was a drummer, he played the drums. And I'd always see him, you know, when he got the drumkit out, he'd play on it. He'd never let me touch it. He'd always play out in the backyard and he'd lock me in the house, so I'd watch him do it right there. And then, like, my mom would play his music in the car when we were going somewhere or...My mom listens to a lot of soul music and stuff. So that was my inspiration. I dunno, there was always something in me that was like, you know...loved the voice. Especially in soul music, how they can change up, kill it, roll it. And it's like...I really felt that. It was like...I don't know what made me conclude to this, but I didn't really understand what gave them the energy to sing, know what I mean? So I guess it was something, I really...just tested and tried that myself.

Where from do you get ideas for your covers? I mean we don't usually listed to Britney... [laughter]

It's multivocalism, man. It's trying to take different inspirations and move it into areas for people, not just hip hop, you know. I love hip hop to bits, and hip hop is my body and spirit but at the end of the day it's like, you've got to get more people into hip hop. I want girls to dance to my shit [laughter]. Yeah, I want people who are into hip hop, to be like 'yo, he's doing drum&bass, he's doing this, he's doing that. He's covering that, he's copying that, he's made sounds that sound like that. You know, that's because beatboxing is a hip-hop-classed instrument, multivocalism is a music-classed instrument. That's what I do, know what I mean? And if I can stand up alongside a philharmonic orchestra and be my own instrument, that's what I'm looking to do.

They say that the mouth is the most underappreciated instrument...

Mouth is a terrible thing to waste, ladies and gentlemen... [laughter]. It's the original instrument, know what I mean? First instrument. You know, in the age of technology and electronics it's sometimes good to go back to the organic, and recreate things to sound like electronic as well as doing the original organic. Plus finding the extra stuff that makes the voice what it is.

What was the most difficult moment in your career? The biggest challenge.

My biggest challenge would be...being from England and beatboxing.

Why is that?

Because, it's not an English sport and there's an element of an underdog. You know, that you have to prove to people, that you're good enough to do this and...

...not from the States?

Yeah. You know, in England drum and bass is huge, not so much hip hop. It's like, hip hop is big in America and it reflects society. We, as people, in some respects have love for the music, but we don't live it in a social environment, know what I'm saying? With d&b in England - it's everywhere, it's socially there. It's like you could go past a car, it's banging drum and bass. You go past a shop - d&b, garage, you know, that kind of thing. Hip hop too, but you know, there are some things that have, like a natural home, which is drawn by thirst, know what I mean? So I think to myself: "Why isn't my beatbox classed as d&b beatbox?" As much as any other kind of beatbox. That's why I call it multivocalism, cause, you know, put it alongside singers, put it alongside these people.

Then it's something like ventriloquism?

Hmm, exactly, my philosophy exactly. There are certain elements in beatboxing and multivocalism that are much in the similar vein as ventriloquism. Like, let your tongue do the talking. You do the beat with your lips, you do the talking with your tongue, you use the voice box to do the basslines and speech, so that's basically it. You've been doing your research, bro... [laughter]

Alright. Well, being British, what do you think of Monty Python?

You know what, can I be honest? I've probably never seen it once. I've never seen it.

Damn, you should...

That is really something I need to work on...as a beatboxer. Yeah.

Have you ever had second thoughts in your career? I mean like "Fuck this, I should've become a lawyer..."

To be honest man, it's really dull and very boring of me, but in the cold light of day, I quit college to do this. I have no regrets, other than "I wish I could go faster". Because, you know, everyone has their days, like "oh shit, can I really do this, can I really handle this task today?" But that's like any job, you know what I mean? I'm on a mission and, it's like, that is the shit that I do.

Nice one. Now, have you ever been annoyed by people asking you to drop a beat? Do you get that often?

Only sometimes. Sometimes, after shows, when your throat's like khhh. But no, not hugely.

Any tips on vocal scratching for newbies?

Vocal scratching, how to start? I'll only give you the basics, cause basically, anything other than the basics is me telling you my style of doing it. So, it's like a scratch dj, you can show somebody how to scratch, you can't show them style, know what I mean? But basically, the whole idea, the whole thing with vocal scratching is - you are taking the muscles of your neck, tightening and using the mid of your voice box to make a pronounced sound that sounds like a scratch, yeah? You know, like for instance, you say a word...a-weh-word-a-e-weh-word...you know what I mean? You're tightening up the chords and you do the words.

Now some shit about the Permanent Marker. It hasn't been released in Poland, yet...

It's on its way though. It's coming out in October.

Do you think beatboxing belongs in the studio or rather in the streets, where it used to be?

It belongs in your heart, your soul and at home. You know it's all about different areas, you know what I mean? There are some things that don't sound anything like a beatboxer, there are sounds that do, you know what I mean? You've got to put it into peoples' minds and let them know that you created this in the first place, you know. The whole concept of my album is ten ways to use your mouth, you know, there some tracks which are just me, some tracks are like me with instruments, me singing. It's like live shows as well as features, it's all sorts of things going on in there. And for me it's an up-to-date look of where beatboxing or multivocalism is now. It's ready for the next stage. You know, I wanted to make it as much of a reflexion of European beatboxing as Killa Kela beatboxing. I want to say that everyone could be proud of it, like "Yo, this is from us". It's nothing like Rahzel's album, it's nothing like Scratch's album, it's something that's like a mix of like all sorts of music combined with all sorts of elements, combined with young dashing English beatboxer! [laughter]

You mentioned Rahzel so now's the hard question. What's up between you and Rahzel. Ehm, many people say that you two should do a battle and decide who's the better one and...

Who's the batty one? Did you say 'batty'?

Whatever, you decide... [laughter]

I think the question...I don't know, man. There's nothing going on between me and Rahzel. It's all good. The man's the vet, you know what I mean? The veteran, an oldschooler, a figure head in the movement and it's like, what he does is incredible. There are only two things that bug me about the whole situation, with regards to Rahzel's mentality. And also for other beatboxers, too. And that is, you know to be satisfied with yourself as an icon, which he is, you know what I mean? You know, he repeatedly says: "I'm the best, I'm the best, I'm the best..." People are gonna then turn around and they're gonna question it, like "are you the best?" and then look for other people that are, are the best, because you know, you don't take people's word for it. So, whether it's bout me that they're saying: "No, Kela's the better than that", or "no, no Saian Supa Crew is better than that", "no Scratch is better than that", "Kenny Muhammad", whatever", you know. They're all gonna say the same thing. And if he keeps on doing that, keeps on saying "I'm the best", he has to be prepared to get tested, you know what I mean? Because that's human nature, that's a competitive level, whether it's an athlete running around on a track or a beatboxer on stage, saying "I can do better than you". You know, he's gonna get tested so he needs to stop doing that and look at what actually he has got. Which is an incredible fan base and a lot of talent. On another level it's like important for other beatboxers to find their own style and keep working on their own style. It's like, I know I'm not there yet, so how the hell can anybody else be, including Rahzel. If he wants to stay in the game, he's gotta keep on coming out with new shit, not the same shit he's been doing for seven years. And it's the same with me, and it's the same with everybody. But the most important thing is to have your own defined style and that way, nobody can turn around and say "You and Rahzel, you and Kela", because it's like, well, we're so different. You'd never know, you know what I'm saying? It's like putting Eric Clapton up against Jimmy Hendrix. It just don't work, you know what I mean?

Any clubs in London, you'd like to recommend?

I recommend Deck FX in Brixton, DFX, the Bug Bar in Brixton, there's Kung Fu. But more importantly, outside of London, there's The Fat Club in Bristol, which is incredible. There's The Junction in Cambridge, which is amazing. There is The Bongo club in Edinburgh, which is wicked, there's the Zanzibar in Liverpool which is the best, and there are....Alright, enough.

Any afterthoughts for this interview, word for Polish beatboxers?

Afterthoughts, word for polish bboxers? You heard the word, absorb and be nice. You know, just work on some things, cause, you know, Europe ain't on ketchup...They say the best writers are in Europe, the best breakdance crews are in Europe, all the best like, d&b - Europe. All the best, you know what I mean? All the best to everybody, just make sure you hold it down. To everybody out there - just keep doing your thing and let's just make it work for 2002, yeah?

Thanks for the interview. Nice one.

Nice one, thanks.

PHOTOS :::...

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Two on-stage pics of me and Kela after his show in Punkt club / Warsaw. Below are Kela's greets to Zegar: