GET FAMILIAR: KLEINE CRACK
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and let us know what you do?
KLEINE CRACK from ANNA (Antwerp), I do music with SLAGTER my producer.Y You could say its evil & dark but it's for you to decide.
How did music enter your life?
My parents of course. They both love music and my father used to play music himself and he also owned a club before i was born in the 80s, so there was always music in the house.
What records did you listen to growing up?
A lot of trip hop , funk, boogie, reggae when I was young but also a lot of rap music too I started listening to boombap like everybody because in my neighbourhood people were listening to it too.
When I got into finding my own music I got into different styles of rap like southern stuff.
Who did you look up to when you were coming up?
I was a big Snoop Dogg fan and G-funk fan when I was getting into rapping myself but then I got to know Lord Infamous and everything changed.
You have a real Memphis sound going on - what attracts you to this aesthetic?
Yes definitely! The sound aesthetic, the rapping skills and the way they played with the darker themes. All the horror movie stuff - it's more interesting to me then rapping conscious bars and my favorite thing about Memphis rap is the cowbell sound.
So on this latest project, who did you work with?
SLAGTER for the beats as usual but i got some cool features too like Faberyayo, Rico, Ray Fuego, Roi, 100GEN, Esumi & Kleine Kova. Kova, Roi & 100GEN are from my crew VHS.
Slagter is the main. beat maker on your projects. Beat-wise there’s a lot of cowbell action going on referencing back to classic Memphis music by Tommy Wright III and Triple 6. How did you guys meet? Was Slagter already making Memphis type beats before you met? How does your process in the studio work?
Yes Slagter ONLY, we love cowbells we both do, we met through the tattoo shop Brabos Hand Tattoo shop we both had mutual friends there. We also both love memphis rap, and when i decided to do the memphis inspired stuff in dutch, I asked him for beats and right away he knew what to do, and from there on we just perfected our sound. We used to work from home so he makes a lot of beats he sends them to me and then I make tracks on them.
Yes Slagter ONLY, we love cowbells we both do, we met through the tattoo shop Brabos Hand Tattoo shop we both had mutual friends there. We also both love memphis rap, and when i decided to do the memphis inspired stuff in dutch, I asked him for beats and right away he knew what to do, and from there on we just perfected our sound. We used to work from home so he makes a lot of beats he sends them to me and then I make tracks on them.
You release music on Faberyayo’s label Burning Fik. Tell us how this came about. How did you meet Faberyayo? How is it working with a label?
Faberyayo contacted me through a guy from Antwerp, Faber asked this guy if there are any interesting rappers here, and the guy gave my name. Thanks Maurice!
Faberyayo contacted me through a guy from Antwerp, Faber asked this guy if there are any interesting rappers here, and the guy gave my name. Thanks Maurice!
Dutch HipHop heads are psyched to see a part 2 of Opgezwolle’s ELEKROSTRESS on your album, featuring Rico. Can you tell us how the connection with Phreako Rico and the making of this sequel came about?
I'm so excited for this one, Faber & Abel asked me who I would like to work with for the album, and I told them Rico & Sticks, so they asked them both. I made a couple of songs for both, and rico took 2. I made ELEKTROSTRESS 2 but didn't ask him yet if I the title could be that. I had it in my head, but when it was finished I asked him, and he agreed so for me it's a big thing. I'm a huge fan of Opgezwolle
I'm so excited for this one, Faber & Abel asked me who I would like to work with for the album, and I told them Rico & Sticks, so they asked them both. I made a couple of songs for both, and rico took 2. I made ELEKTROSTRESS 2 but didn't ask him yet if I the title could be that. I had it in my head, but when it was finished I asked him, and he agreed so for me it's a big thing. I'm a huge fan of Opgezwolle
Collaboration has always been a key part of mixtape culture, who would you like to collaborate with?
Ideally I would love to collaborate with Lord Infamous (RIP), Koopsta Knicca (RIP), Tommy Wright III, DJ Paul, Juicy J, Megan Thee Stallion, Xavier Wulf, Kanye West. These artists come to mind first.
Tell us what VHS (Vampieren Heksen Spoken) is?
VHS has no fixed meaning, I use Vampieren Heksen Spoken now cause I like it we used a couple of other also like VLEESHUIS or VOL HAAT de STIJL
the members are Slagter as the producer and then the rappers Kleine Crack, Kleine Kova, Parsa and Roi. We also have some affiliated members such as as Buonic, Nightvision, Lord Wiskers, Margre and Esumi.
VHS has no fixed meaning, I use Vampieren Heksen Spoken now cause I like it we used a couple of other also like VLEESHUIS or VOL HAAT de STIJL
the members are Slagter as the producer and then the rappers Kleine Crack, Kleine Kova, Parsa and Roi. We also have some affiliated members such as as Buonic, Nightvision, Lord Wiskers, Margre and Esumi.
KLEINE NOVA and ESUMI are holding it down for the women in VHS. Can we expect solo material from them any time soon?
Yes, definitely Kova just had 1 year anniversary for her EP MOORD IN ANNA, she's working on a new one ATM. Esumi has been doing a lot of solo stuff on her own. hopefully we can do a VHS release for her too!
Yes, definitely Kova just had 1 year anniversary for her EP MOORD IN ANNA, she's working on a new one ATM. Esumi has been doing a lot of solo stuff on her own. hopefully we can do a VHS release for her too!
Who's your favorite woman rapper from Memphis?
PRINCESS LOKO (RIP)
PRINCESS LOKO (RIP)
What does the future look like for you?
Probably messed up, but for my career I think it's going well I'm gonna keep making music. I do my own thing with SLAGTER and I really want to get my stuff to America. I think the time is coming that people don't listen to language anymore. So if the sound is strong enough people will like it.
The cover art for your projects have a specific esthetic. Who is the artist behind it?
Bubonic, Ben & Pixel, Crunkle Benzo just a couple of his names, he's a graphic designer and teacher in Sint Lucas Antwerp. He contacted me, but I know his work already, so it was a perfect match for this type of music. I'm really happy we have him.
Bubonic, Ben & Pixel, Crunkle Benzo just a couple of his names, he's a graphic designer and teacher in Sint Lucas Antwerp. He contacted me, but I know his work already, so it was a perfect match for this type of music. I'm really happy we have him.
Releasing on Halloween is quite the choice - why did you choose this day?
It's not the first time i been doing it for 3 years , its fits my whole aesthetic.
So you know next year halloween something is gonna come from me or VHS.
Did you dress up for Halloween and if so as who?
This year I didn't dress up as someone we just had some scary outfits me and Parsa dressed the same we had a cool mask from Atelier Richard. No shirt full of blood!
This year I didn't dress up as someone we just had some scary outfits me and Parsa dressed the same we had a cool mask from Atelier Richard. No shirt full of blood!
Words by Passion Dzenga