Zino Vinci, is an artist from Newham who’s work explores different themes such as friendship, romance and social issues. But this project specifically is an elevation of what makes him as a rapper so engaging to listen to. His most recent project ‘Rap Is Art Vol 1’, exclusively on SoundCloud, has made a statement and has become popular with many rap fans. Its release reflects a time where it seems that hip-hop music is losing popularity in the mainstream and consumers no longer seem to find value in its art. This mixtape reiterates the importance of this form, and acts as a new life to Vinci’s musical career so far. Within this interview we discuss their inspirations, hip-hop’s importance and his experiences within the music industry as a rap artist.
What were your first interactions with music?
Zino: From my parents, I'm Nigerian and they played a lot of Nigerian gospel music. I’m from a really small tribe in Nigeria called Isoko, so they played a lot of the music from there. It stood out to me because the language isn’t similar to what you would necessarily consider a Nigerian language to sound like. I always thought that was so beautiful. I have my older sister as well who is five years older than me and she played a lot of grime, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Beyonce. So it was a weird combination of a lot of songs. At this point, I wasn’t even listening to music, I was more so just hearing it in passing. I was playing wrestling games and listening to heavy metal. My friend told me about Drake and I thought he was really cool. Chief Keef was about for me during this time, and Meek Mill. Then I discovered a song called ‘Yonkers’ by Tyler The Creator and that was the first song that made me want to go and actually listen to music.
I really do hear the Drake influence, especially in this mixtape. What inspires you as a rapper?
Zino: As a kid I always thought you had to be the baddest gangster to be a rapper and then you realise it's more so about expression and storytelling. I would see artists like Childish Gambino showcasing how you could be yourself and be the coolest rapper. Being a rapper is one of the coolest things you can be, every archetype of person deserves to be represented.
I would get DM’s from younger people saying how they used to be afraid to share their love for comics and then saw me doing it and now feel more confident in showing that side of themselves. That’s what inspires me to help people be more confident in expressing themselves with who they really are.
I think that’s the most amazing thing about rap music, it's so interactive. You can know so much about your favourite artist about what they believe and love.
Do you ever worry that people who listen to your music may know too much about you?
Zino: I’m a pretty open book. I don't feel like there is anything I really have to hide. With music there’s always a new story to tell. I think that everyone is along for the journey. Kendrick Lamar has the ‘The Heart’ series. I think it’s so beautiful how you could listen to ‘The Heart Part One’ and hear him discuss how he’s an underground rapper trying to make it. Then ‘The Heart Part Two’, he’s talking about how they think he’s Tupac. ‘The Heart Part Three’, he’s talking about how he’s that guy. I, as a fan, was along for that journey. I was like 10 years old saying that Kendrick is the guy and now I'm older I was right. But I was along for the journey and I'll be there for the rest of my life.
I think it’s crazy, because I would be talking to people and they mention something about me and I think “how do you even know this”? And they respond “you said it five times in a song”. Sometimes when you write these personal songs, it’s like you're in a trance you don't realise, it just flows out. To you, it's a common thing, but for someone else that’s new information. That made me realise that everything you say on a song is really important. I get that in hip-hop Hip Hop there are filler lines or you may inflate something. But people are listening to everything you're saying. Especially if you sell yourself as a lyrical artist.
Why did you decide to call this mixtape ‘Rap is Art’?
Zino: I grew up in an era where every other rapper had a remix to ‘Black and Yellow’. We grew up on ‘Aint on Nuttin’, everyone was on the remix. That is an element of hip-hop that was just gone. But I was listening to the Fakemink song and I thought it was so cool, I thought the beat was incredible and I really enjoyed the cadence. So I rapped on it.
I already had an idea of a tape and calling it something beautiful, like ‘every bar’s a brushstroke’ or something art related . Me saying ‘Rap is Art’ is like me saying “of course I’m an artist because rap is art”. When he [Fakemink] said “I'm not a rapper, I'm an artist”, it triggered something in my head. I just thought it was a bit mad coming from him. We know what it is though. I have never heard a painter say “I'm a painter not an artist”. It doesn't make any sense to me. Rap is a highbrow artform at its finest, it shouldn't be seen in any other light. I love hip-hop, it changed my life, it changed so many lives. It's one of the reasons why so many people care about music. Everyone has had a period of time where they were feeling low and they had a hip-hop anthem. I wanted to make the most hip-hoppy beautiful SoundCloud tape ever!
Shot by Lovell Small
What’s your favourite song?
Zino: I love ‘ZSL Freestyle’. That’s my favourite one right now.
When I first started rapping I was always under the conscious rapper banner. I never liked it. Because I thought it was too restricting. I prefer being called a “woke” rapper because that is just me being aware of social issues. Conscious feels like you know the answers to everything and for me and my music, I’m talking about different antidotes. When I did the ‘ZSL Freestyle’ I was just talking my shit, I’ve never done that before. In the past I was more so, “I can't say this, they’re going to say, you can't do this”. But I have grills and chains in all my videos. I dress in streetwear. I can look any way I want and still be aware of social issues and injustices and still be Z Saint Laurent. I played it to some of my female friends and they loved it. Z Saint Laurent is a different era I'm going in. Right now I’m trying to find the balance in having fun lyrics as well as informing people about life and my perspective.
Through the production choices it felt like you were drawing two worlds together. Showcasing the shared history that both Black Brits and Black Americans have through music. Was this by intention?
Zino: Of course, Black Americans were so impactful with so many things. Hip-hop is a genre that was birthed by Black Americans. I even have an interlude by Sharloola who is an amazing poet. And she talks about how it was birthed by hundreds of years of oppression in America. Of course we have parallels, similar drum patterns back in Africa or sonics in Jamaica. But if we’re talking hip-hop it's a Black American thing. I will always be thankful to that part of that diaspora for making this a thing and welcoming so many people into doing it.
There are also some really vulnerable moments in this project. On songs like ‘Immortalised’ and ‘Don't lose your soul’. You discuss your relationship to the music industry. Why did you decide to include that?
Zino: When I first got into the music industry I didn't necessarily know what I was getting myself into. If you're a young person and they give you money to do the thing you've been hoping your whole life to do, you assume it's going to be one way and it isn't like that. This isn’t a unique experience either, I've spoken to different artists and they have said the same thing. You think, “perhaps if I make the best music then I will be the best” and that’s not the case. As a human it can be really disheartening putting all your effort into something and not receiving anything back. Especially when people are like “you're going to be the best, trust me”. And I trusted it and it's not paying me back. There’s people who are working 9-5’s making music and now you're asking for more shifts because music isn’t working as much as it used to. Now you're stuck in a loop of hating your job.
Zino: The past year I didn't really enjoy rapping. I felt like it was more of a job. I saw it as a means to an end, rather than being inspired to make some music. I’m in Newham, East London. That's the poorest part of London and one of the worst places to live according to some statistics. I personally love it. I'm not leaving but it puts a lot of things in perspective. I don't want my mother to keep working as hard as she does, I don't want my dad to be working this hard. I want some sort of relief and I think that this is the avenue to get it. I love rap and I want to make an impact but bills have to be paid. You do not want to be impoverished for the rest of your life especially when you're so close. I can’t quite now im far too deep in it.
Do you think making this mixtape has changed your relationship to making music?
Zino: Yes. It does make me cringe a bit when people say that ‘CEO of my friendship group’ is their favourite song. I made that song in 10 minutes in my boxers. But it’s nearly 10 million streams so clearly it connected with a lot of people. To me, it was a song of the time and I was very young, but I always wanted to be known for making tasteful music that made people think about how I pieced things together. I always wanted to be a rapper’s rapper. So when your biggest song doesn't reflect that you can feel eh. But I made it at the end of the day so I can't really complain, can I?
On Shot by Lovell Small you discuss the consumers of rap music and how they may perceive it. How at times the people listening to the music may not fully understand it. Why did you choose to address this? Zino: I love ‘ZSL Freestyle’. That’s my favourite one right now.
Zino: I was being mad woke in my own way. People ask me why I do the illuminati sign. But it’s not the Illuminati sign, it's the Roc nation sign . This is black excellence to me, Jay Z is a rapper who started off selling drugs, found his art form, and gave opportunities for other black people to do the same thing. That’s how we got J.Cole! I always thought it was weird that anytime a black person does anything the devil did it. Why would the illuminati pick a random rapper in New York to represent them? Even the ancient aliens theory. The idea that Africans are too dumb to make pyramids. I just think it's so dumb, it diminishes everything that Africans or Black people did and do. Also, a lot of the fans care more about sonics over character. I just feel like I can’t listen to someone who in their sane mind is a bad person. That doesn’t align with me.
What is next after this mixtape?
Zino: We’re doing another EP. The working title is ‘The Odyssey’. I started ‘The Odyssey’ before ‘Rap Is Art Vol.1’. There are a lot of introspective songs. I think being a woke rapper is so cool, I'm talking about subject matters I've never spoken on before. I have a song called ‘Long sleeved T-shirt’ and it speaks about self-harm and what comes with that. The long sleeved t-shirt could be used to cover up their scars but this long sleeved t-shirt can also be a metaphor for so many other things that we put up against to cover our scars. I’ve never written about things like this. ‘Rap is Art Vol 1’ is like the baby brother of what the next tape is going to be.
