Interview: Cappo

Cappo, aka Paul Adey is 24 years old. He was born in Cotgrave, Notts on the anniversary of the first day of the Second World War. In his lyrics he tells us: "I take aggression out on the mic, I cause collateral damage, I make walls and buildings collapse surrounded in panic."

Cappo's producers, The P Brothers told LeftLion back in September that they spent longer on production of his debut album Spaz The World than on anything they have ever done before. They say that Cappo is heavy, that if he was on a graph he would be off the scale.

Spaz The World was highly rated by many. Tim Westwood and John Peel are fans and have had him in to Radio One for sessions. He has supported heavyweights on tour from Public Enemy to Roots Manuva. Now more than ever there is a feeling that his time has come...

What's your favourite film?
Right now it's got to be house of 1000 corpses. It's amazing! There really are 1000 corpses in it. The other one that stuck with me is Irreversible 2 The Terror. I watched The Shining recently as well. I don't really like horror films, but they're the ones that stick with me.

What are your ambitions?
To work with and to stay up with the greats. To be true to my traditional ways and to build something for my seed to live from. I want them to have something there whether it be collateral or just pride.

What have you got coming up?
Styly Cee has an album coming out and I feature on a track. I'm on the Freestyle Frenzy on Joe Buddha's new album. I'm on a couple of tracks on ED209's Superexstatic EP.

I'm on the new EP for Apocraphe with Scorzayzee.  I've hooked up with A bomb and Eyes of Man to do a track with them. I'm trying to work with Defecis and do another track with Rob Life after the success of Seven Deadly sins.

I've done some beats for Cmone's new material for Outdaville. I'm trying to work with Mr 45 on some new tracks and I've been working heavy with Zero Theory, the Landscape Gardener. Its called the Get Out...

I rap about Edgar Cayce on a couple of tracks on Spaz The World. He was a guy from about 100 years ago who could fall into a deep sleep and go into this massive hall, which was full of files called the Akashic records. He claimed that he could pick any folder from any shelf and find out anything. He actually cured himself of a life threatening throat disease by going back into his childhood and learning the science. He was smashing it!

Do you go to hip hop gigs much?
When I'm watching rappers I find it frustrating because I just want to get up and perform. I'm trying to do as many gigs in as many places as I can, but I want to still have a home to go to at the end of it all. Touring can be soul sapping! It's the way to make your money, but when you do your town is gone and time passes by without you.

What's the weirdest gig you've ever played?
There was one in Amsterdam in a giant church when I was touring with Styly Cee. It was in the centre of the city near the red light district and was a mad place. When we got to it, we were looking around for a club, but the label manager told us it was the church. It was illuminated in these freaky purple and green lights. We went in there and blasphemised that night!

What process do you go through to write lyrics?
The process differs. Sometimes I'll put a beat and play it and write as many verses to it as I can. Then I'll take parts of the verses and put the different parts together so it's got more impact.

How would you describe your sound?
Warts and all human rap rooted in Nottingham.

What's the biggest compliment you've been paid for your music?
It was when I rapped with Chuck D in Cambridge. We were supporting Public Enemy and afterwards we were in the crowd watching them. We were near the stage and he brought me up and let me spit a verse or two. It was their beats and I was freestyling to it.

What other stuff do you listen to or are influenced by apart from hip hop?
For my next project I want to use women's vocals. I'm working on sampling Ricky Lee Jones, Vicky Sue Robinson, Judy Tzuk. I love listening to Cilla Black albums and Suzanne Vega. I like to work with family groups. I feel like the music's tighter with those for some reason. That's the kind of thing I look out for when I'm digging the crates.

What is the best beef you have seen between two rappers?
Kool Mo Dee and MC Shan. The P Brothers would play old Zulu battle tapes when we were on our way to a show. They were amazing! They used to come out the hardest I've ever heard emcees come out. They're probably the most powerful tapes in hip hop.