Artist Interview

Raine Love Interview

Three Grammy nominations with her hit song ‘Time Will Tell’ and yet her ego is nowhere to be found. Does she realise her songs nearly kicked all the other songwriters out of the park? Does she realise she’s a lyrical genius? Raine Love lives a private life attends college undertaking 4 A levels, writes music and still has time for a love life, This girl is definitely in a league of her own. No wonder she has no time for celebrity drama.

Raine Love exploded into the Hip Hop scene with her fresh lyrics, the girl the block image and her work ethic.  This buzzing 17 year old catapulted into the music scene when we thought Nicki Minaj was at her A game and was untouchable. Miss Raine Love is sure to give Nicki a run for her money! Love’s music goes from inspiring the nations through bluntly revealing all life lessons, to revealing all about her life in south London. At the age of 12, Love started to record herself rapping over to well-known songs and since then her subscriptions have been on the rise from the hundreds, to the thousands even into the millions. Her most well-known cover to Drake’s song ‘Worst Behaviour’ Left all viewers shocked with the musicality of this teenager. From YouTube, Raine love signed to Young Money. Even though Raine Love is dedicated to her teenage life, she wants to get a degree in English as well as rising up and up in the music industry. Raine love sure knows what she wants. She is still currently working on her album ‘Tick Tock’ which is going to be the first chance to show her versatility.

So Miss Raine Love where did your passion of music come from?

Well, this may sound cliché but my love for music came from my dad actually. (Laughs) he used to sing to me in the morning, in the afternoon, in the night but can we bear in mind he can’t sing but that sure didn’t stop him. He also had a drum and guitar and I remember I used to come home from primary school and sit there and listen to him playing the guitar whilst I attempted to play the drums, which I was really bad at actually but don’t worry I progressed over the years!.And yeah the loves been there ever since.

So where did your love for hip-hop and rap come from?

In my household we listened to all kinds of stuff, from hip-hop to jazz, old school RnB to classical. I love artists that create good music. But my love for Rap and Hip-hop started when I fell in love with all the hip hop artists out there such as Tupac, Biggie, LL Cool J, Run DMC, TLC. But yeah the day I started my own hip hop stuff was when I decided to fuse my love for poetry with a beat and then BAM. I was spitting bars like I was a pro. Poetry and music were my talents.

Since you grew up in a musical household, can you play any instruments?

Ahhhhhhhh I knew you were gonna ask me this. Yes I do actually... I was taught the play the drums as a child but then I taught myself the piano and guitar. It’s all about feeling the music and picking up the timings. I think that even in the womb I was making my own beats! (Laughs) all up in my bones!

I don’t think you realise your talent, like you’ve got crazy flow, what made you start to do covers of other artists’ songs?

Well thank God for technology; YouTube literally is the best way to showcase your talent out there let me tell you! You can be free and that’s what made me decided to start doing covers. I decided to see if I could change parts of artist’s songs with my own lyrics to see how others liked it and how they’d respond. I decided to bring a bit of the south London swag to my lyrics with the hip hop conventions out there.

I know you’re undertaking A Levels and you have a love life.You have an up and coming music career-How do you manage to do everything?

To be honest I have no idea, I guess I must think I’m superwomen. I study from the morning till noon and then I hit the studio and sometimes Miquel comes to meet me whilst I’m recording and yeah. Sometimes Miquel comes to meet me whilst I’m I wouldn’t have it any other way to be honest, I’m still a teenager so I want to make sure I have a normal life and not get sucked up into the celebrity lifestyle. I need to stay grounded.Like I’m from the streets and I’m proud I’m not going to be an artist and pretend I didn’t go to a nursery, primary school and secondary school in south London. I’m quite proud to say.I was born and raised in south London and I’m gonna to keep coming back to my roots. As the streets are what have inspired me and motivated me to do better. So I’ve gotta juggle everything to prove to everyone I can do it and will never forget where I came from no matter my success. Yeah I may dress smart sometimes but I will still happily trek down to the grungy parts of London because it’s a part of who I am and I’m never gonna forget it.

Miss Raine Love, so how are you finding working in the music industry and who have you met?

Do you know what? It’s a lot of hard work but its pleasurable in the end especially as you know that your song will touch the hearts and hopefully relate to others , I guess that where I get my drive from. Well I’ve met quite a few people as I’m currently signed to young money Records. So I have met artists such as Nicki Minaj, Drake, Chris Brown, Omarion, Jhene Aiko and so many other people I have been blessed to meet. The other day , I got to tour with Trey songz it was crazy.

So what does your family think of you being a young rapper. Do they appreciate your talents or do they wish you had gone down another road?

Well, I’m from a very strict background. My parents lived in a different country and we’re brought up to fight for what they believed in and are strong believer that knowledge is power and education is the key to success. They didn’t necessarily think I would become a rapper but I am quite into my studies. So they thought that I would be typical and go to uni do a course and then get a job. They never thought I would become an artist and sell records. I am very blessed to have such a supportive family they respect my choices and strongly believe that I can get my education as well as be an artist. I think I can prove to young people that you can follow your dreams but also the importance of having a backup plan. If God forbid my music career was not to work out I’ve still got that piece of paper that has my qualifications on it.

So, which artists do you admire and  why, and  how  have  they influenced your work?

Well where do I start (laughs) well... I love artists that create good music, doesn’t matter what genre, just pure talent. I like artists such as Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Beyonce, TLC, Run DMC, Tupac, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Pavarotti. I adore so many artists to be honest simply because there all different and different things influence their music.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time and what would you have like to have achieved?

Hopefully I would have passed my A Levels, finished my album and be working on my second and, hopefully touring as well as juggling getting my degree. I also hopefully see myself still with Miquel as he’s the Ying to my yang (laughs) okay that just sounded proper cringey. But yeah I just want to make the most of my opportunities and do the best that I can. I also hope to start writing my own books and giving back to the community through giving talks,and performing to the generation of today. Let’s face it being successful in south London is a struggle as we rarely have anything for motivation and if I can help change that then that’s what I intend do to.