As Sheffield-based rapper ‘Vard’ releases his anthem Major Sound today, we do our due diligence to find out more about the dopest MC to come from the north.
Hip-Hop‘s 50th anniversary has been full of celebrations and surprises galore. The UK has also been at it, marking the island’s love of the genre through performances and new releases.
In the spirit of fresh finds, we unearthed Vard, a rapper whose appetite for flow and chorus is but another appendage of his skill. We caught up with the wordsmith in hopes of finding out more.
You’re from Sheffield, what’s the Hip-Hop scene like there?
Vard: “My era in Sheffield was more so involved with grime. Our grime scene was huge. However, some of the older generations were more involved with hip-hop and there are a couple of notable names from the Sheffield scene like Hoodz Underground and NoXcuse.”
Where did your love of Hip-Hop start and what elements of the culture inspired you?
Vard: “As a young child, I would watch channels like MTV, MTV Base, and Kiss. MTV would typically play re-runs of videos from the early to late 90s. Kiss would play more recent music from the early 2000s from artists like Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Nelly etc. Also around the same time, my friend Olis’s dad, who lived across the road from me, was a DJ and would always play the latest Tim Westwood compilation albums. I guess these were all my first introductions to hip-hop.
My teens were when my love of grime first started, so naturally I and my friends were more drawn towards that. We had a local crew called Hoodlumz. Our sound was mainly grime music over Mr Snowman and Ruff Squad instrumentals that we would download from Limewire as YouTube hadn’t blown up just yet.
READ MORE: Review—New Finds: Vard – ‘Major Sound’
However, as I got older, an artist from London called Giggs had just started to blow up across the country. He was a UK road rapper and did covers of varying hip-hop beats. This is when I became more acquainted with hip-hop instrumentals and slowly discovered more underground music. The first major underground project I listened to was Prodigy’s HNIC, followed by Roc Marciano’s Marcberg. His album blew me away.”
Can you recall when you began spitting and what was the result of your first round of bars?
Vard: “I first started writing lyrics around 10 – 11 years old after hearing Oxide and Neutrino’s 2001 album Execute, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until grime started to develop in the early 2000s (2004-2006). My friends from Sheffield formed the crew Hoodlumz that I previously mentioned and I started writing more songs from then on.”
You frequently travel to the States. How has it changed your perspective on the game?
Vard: “I decided to start travelling to New York to network and get a real feel of where hip-hop music began since it is such a significant part of my life. After visiting Marcy and Brevoort projects in Bedstuy with local friends and receiving positive feedback on my music, I knew this was something I wanted to continue doing for the foreseeable future. New York is now like my second home and the goal is to keep working hard out there, progressing within its scene.”
Hip-Hop is different to other genres of music. What parts of the game influence you most?
Vard: “Overall I just enjoy the whole process of being creative with music. From writing a song, collaborating with producers, location scouting, and co-directing my videos, to meeting other artists and studying the greats. Films like Kidulthood also sparked my interest in acting which I’d like to try and pursue in the future.”
‘Major Sound’ is a great song. What’s it about?
Vard: “I wouldn’t say Major Sound has any type of concept. Whatever energy the instrumental gives me at the time influences how I write for it and I knew when I first heard it that I just wanted to go in HARD!”
What’s your take on the direction of the UK scene?
Vard: “I feel the scene is in a very healthy place and is only going to get bigger. Growing up, we watched the American scene a lot more, but now, I feel most of the states and Europe are now watching us. I’m excited to see where it’s headed and hopefully to be a part of it. Onwards and upwards! “
Most of your work is without features. Do you prefer that and why?
Vard: “My whole discography as a child is mostly with other artists. So now, I made a conscious decision to try and showcase myself as a solo artist. Also, I only try to collaborate with other artists if we have a genuine connection or friendship. I feel the music is always better when it’s like that.”
What producers are you currently working with?
Vard: “Currently, I’m working with my brothers Parma Lupara from Toulouse? France, Lyve1oh from Brooklyn USA, and Hozay from Bristol, UK. All three are incredibly talented producers.”
Your album ‘Mental Clarity’ dropped last year, can we expect a follow-up?
Vard: “I don’t want to say too much, however, I’m always writing songs and producing music. I’m working on a couple of projects and hopefully will start releasing them next year. Soon come!”
You can keep up with Vard by following him on Instagram and subscribing to him on Spotify and Apple Music.
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