OC Jigga

Where are you from and what was it like growing up there?
Myatt's Field, SW9, Brixton, London - life could be tough growing up I ain't gonna lie but at the same time it ain't all bad in the concrete jungle - nowadays people make out its all guns n stuff but there's a lot more to it than that - sure I had friends and famz shot up, locked up and pass away but at the same time a lotta people I came up with are making something of their lives - you gotta stay on your toes still tho - it's like they say, if the feds don't get you the brothers will.

How did you get your name and is there a story behind it?
Its more a bloodline thing - before you ask I ain't bitin off Hova or nothing like that - s'like my big brother Jigs is locked up right now so since then I been known as Jigs or Jigga round the way, then I'm reppin OC so its like OC Jigga, that's me.

Was there a situation or a person who inspired you to rap?
Wouldn't say there was one single situation, more a few things that came together - my brother Kush has always been on this rap thing, then my boy DVS blew up with the whole PDC movement, plus I known Logic from days so I guess it was a thing where so many people around me were involved that it just kinda came naturally.

Tell us about your latest release.
Well its called the "True Stories Mixtape" and its basically like the end product of the last year's grind I been putting in on the recording circuit, so features a whole load of South London rappers I worked with in that time - L.Man, who’s blowin up right now, my PDC fam Logic, Quinney, Cerose and Nathan Heights, plus Hypes among others. Even though its a mixtape I wanna stress its all original beats so its not like I just nicked the hottest Game or 50 beat to spit over! Production is proper hip hop and comes from DowntownSoul fam so Haka, Julio Shanakee, X-Ray and Dixie's got a coupla tunes on there as well. Its out now on DowntownSoul Records at a load of London and Reading stores so readers make sure you go cop it!

What do you prefer: playing live, recording in the studio or battling?
That's a hard one still - like most artists I love performing live to a crowd - that's a real buzz, but at the same time, I love recording in the studio - I go into another dimension in the booth man! writin some hot bars to a beat then gettin a song recorded - that's still live for me.

How would you describe your personality?
I call it "laylow" man - its like a chill vibe in whatever I'm doin - otherwise I like gettin out there promotin myself, playing footy, chillin with a chick, loosing up my muscles y'know, holler at the man dem - straight keep it movin.

How did you go about setting up independently?
Well by the end of 2006 I had a whole load of tracks done so was looking at how to get my name out there when my brother Kush got me the link with Wuz at DowntownSoul. He had a company set up, packaged my tracks as the True Stories Mixtape and we just run with it from there.

What's your favourite clothing label?
Well I been known to rock Armani lol but really its whatever fits best y'know - if anything I want my music to define me not my clothes!

Forget the budget, what would be your dream collabo?
Its been said before but I gotta say Pac still y'know, Hova - those guys are legends so that'd be a dream come true - apart from that no lie, I'd love to do some more tracks with my boy Silent, he's on lockdown right now but his bars are powerful...

With so many artists out there, what are you doing different to get heard?
First off I'm tryna do things as properly as possible - I mean obviously I ain't got no major label budget behind me but if I don't take myself seriously then there's no way other people will. It's like with the True Stories mixtape - we linked Tricksta and Park Street PR to do proper promotion for us - s'like if we can get some peas together to do this professionally then people are gonna take us more seriously, and that's definitely been the case, so that's my approach. Beyond that I just be on the grind for real - I try to work harder than like 99% of these rappers - just out there meeting promoters, linkin producers, sellin cds, doin open-mics, gettin my name out there - all that stuff - paying my dues basically!

Now is your chance to get something off your chest! Anything gettin ya down or any opinions you need to voice?
Aight then lol ! First off I'm young and single, roll in roll out ma! Other than that I can't complain - I wake up everyday and hear the birds sing so life's good for real! Oh yeah shouts to OC all day, shouts to Haka, Wuz, Julio and the whole DowntownSoul fam, Eth-neezy ya feel me cuz ? Shouts to Shootin Star (Extremists) up in the lab right now, hold tight Silent on lockdown, shouts to PDC, the whole London and UK hip hop scene - not forgetting Kut Loose and The Urban Shop - big up yourselves and thanks for the support !

interview by KUT LOOSE