A stress free life is one we all dream of. Whatever position of life we are currently in, i’m sure we have all dreamt of that one day where our stresses become distant memories. For Rushy, his life is not completely stress free but like he said to me over the phone “ when I am doing this music ting, is when I am legit stress free.” 

If you look at his recent history, it’s easy to understand why. After bursting on to the scene with “Trippidy Trap” in early 2019, Rushy’s stock has been rising. The West London rapper has opened a lane for himself where he is able to come with clear delivery over the top of melodic/poppy instrumentation. His ability to attack melodic beats has been the key to Rushy’s success over 2019 with live performances for Boiler Room and Carhartt illustrating him as a credible performer, not just a hitmaker. 

Since the turn of the New Year the question has been “where is Rushy’s project?” With rumours and murmurs giving the hint that something was in the works but nothing confirmed, the people grew more and more impatient, Rushy knew what he was doing though. “Stress 3” was always going to take some time to make and considering it was his first mainstream project, he did not want to disappoint. 

From the intro we are reminded of the punchines that made us fall in love with Rushy in the first place, “Came from the dirt it weren’t easy/Think shits easy peasy?/I put my face on You-Tube/nough people wanna see me.” The word play already sets the tone for the rest of the “Intro” which is a pulsating 3 minute depiction of Rushy’s life right now. 

If you are wondering whether the Rushy you heard from early 2019 still exists then S3 Way is the perfect reminder that he has not gone anywhere, but “Stress 3” illustrates Rushy’s versatility. Songs like Harder and Big Vibe show that even when the tempo is slowed down Rushy can still bring through that clarity and melodic flow. “Streets Again” demonstrates Rushy’s ability to discuss a topic so smoothly that you forget that these are real life stories he is addressing. “Faces” is a track that will definitely demand some wheel ups when we’re allowed back in the dance. 

I got the chance to speak to Rushy over the phone about Stress 3, the UK music scene and what his plans are going forward, peep the interview below. 

Safe man, thank you very much for sitting down with me and having this interview, congrats on the tape bro, I been listening to it, it’s hard.
Appreciate it man, 

Congrats, I know this is your debut tape, how does it feel to drop it?
It feels good man, it feels good that I have finally done it you know what I mean. A lot of people have been like, “why hasn’t he dropped a tape yet? Where is the tape?” Especially since I came into the game, but it was good to finally drop it and get it out of the way. 

I get you, especially coming off the back of success like of “Hi Bye!” and “Trippidy Trap” - you did really well with those - so was there a pressure when it came to creating this tape?
I wouldn’t say pressure because I don’t even feel like pressure when I am making music. I know that Trippity Trap and Hi Bye had a certain sound and I know that my other tracks are not the same sound. For example, I have some tracks that are that vibe and then I have some that aren’t, so when I released the other ones, I am not expecting them to do the same thing as the tracks previous. I just know that they are brining in another type of vibe to the audience.

I get you, what was the inspiration behind the tape? Did you go in with any idea or motif or did you just intend to make great music?
Nah the music was already made, not all of it but majority was. Then I was just chilling with my boys one day and my boy just came out with “Stress 3, it needs to be called Stress 3” and then from there I just said “Yo, that’s it.” Once the name was down, I could pick out some other tracks because I could see what tracks matched the vibe. In my head I was always thinking “yeah that is what this tape has to do for us now,” like when I am doing this music ting that is when I am legit stress free so it just made sense. 

That actually leads nicely to my next question, on S3 Way you discuss family and the lack of care towards your Mum, have you found it hard navigating more success, looking after family and concentrating on the music?
Not really, you know what it is - it’s just me and my Mum that I live with and she supports what I do. We are just both taking it in while it comes kind of thing. It’s jut us two more time and I got her. 

I wanted to ask you about your flow, it’s catchy. Like bro, honestly. The intro, after only a few listens I am just catching on to it immediately. But you’re also very honest with it, how do you balance both of those?
I feel like it’s just very natural to me. The thing is I listen to a lot of different kinds of music, so when I am listening to.. For example, I like more American beats but then I like the way a UK artist attacks a beat more time. Then there are also some Americans that I like just for the way they do certain tings, so I think all of that just came together. When I make my music, all I care about is making it sound sick and I don’t want to sound like I am trying to be American. I want it sound British, I want my music to sound like me. When I am spitting my bars, I am not trying to twang my words like an American would do it, I would rather twang my words like a UK artist would. I just feel that made the flow become what it is and gives it the type of bounce we listen to in the dance. 

You have this way of making real life stories sound so smooth on a track, I can tell a lot of these experiences you are talking about are very real to you, is that something that you purposefully do or again is that just natural to you?
Yeah it’s more natural because I would have some tracks where I am not even talking about things that are like not that deep.. You see some things i’m speaking about are maybe deep but I am not saying it in a way that’s deep, I am saying it in a fun way. Then there are some tunes are just straight vibes and then there is nothing to them type of topics, they are just happy topics, happy situations. 

What did you want people to take away from the tape? Like what are the things you’d like people to leave with once finishing listening to the tape?
I’d say, just the versatility that I have. It’s not just the trap flow or the Trippity Trap music, that’s not all I do, that’s not even one of the main things I do to be honest. I just make music. If I like the beat then from there I just make the music. I am not a lyricist like that, I don’t write bars without beats. I am more of a beat vibe guy, if the vibe is right then the tune will come out right. If it’s not right then it’s not going to happen, do you know what I mean? 

No I completely get you man. What are your thoughts on UK music right now? I think you have come out in a time where there’s a lot of us, there is a lot of competition but it’s healthy, I think it’s one of the best eras for UK music in my opinion. Even thinking about yourself, there are so many fresh young artists coming up. We got a lot of older which is sick but the new ones are just mad.
I think personally it’s in a good place. The only thing I would say is people here need to start moving like they do in America as that is the only way we will grow. You see like how in America, someone in New York will be popping off because the whole of New York is supporting them. In the UK, you may be from somewhere but the whole of your area supporting you is nowhere near the same scale as the whole of New York supporting you or something. Like the whole of London and other places need to support their own. I feel like everyone coming out now, everyone is hard. I don’t even take it as competition. I just take it as I have my place and they have their place. You never even know, it could switch around one day, they could be on top and i’m below them. But it’s not a competition, it’s not a race.

Obviously COVID-19 has thrown a lot of uncertainties but if we were looking into a crystal ball what would be your plans for the next year?
I just want to do as many shows as possible. I want to do all the biggest shows that I can do with bigger crowds, I want to do shows on holiday, travel, stuff like that.  

God willing man, I hope that for you… 
Yeah man, I just want to continue doing shows and making music. 

As Stress 3 was an EP, what’s the plan now? Another EP then an album? Are you in Album mode right now? I know you said the one thing you want people to take away is the versatility, do you think you are setting yourself up now for the first album? 
See me I am the type of guy that just makes music innit. I don’t feel like I am one of those guys that sits down and says “yeah album mode” - not yet anyway, I have not got to that point where I have thought like that. I’m not saying I won’t make music that starts to make more sense in a tape if you get me, but I don’t have no album in my head right now. It’s just like “yo, I’ll keep releasing music when I feel like it’s right, it’ll just come.” It could be a couple months, it could be a couple years, but there will definitely be bare music in-between before an album. It’s just the body of an album, I am unsure about that yet. 

As much as I am fan, take time, you are on an upward trajectory and I know when you get there it will be right. 
Thanks man. 

Then lastly, it’s the visuals man. We got one for Big Vibe, have we got anymore visuals coming?
Yeah definitely there is more visuals coming. I don’t have exactly which one yet, I don’t know but i’m saying one or two more from the tape and then straight on to new music.

Oo, okay, say no more. Make sure you come back to Wordplay when these tings are about to release.
100%, you’ll get the heads up. 

Thank you man, thank you for your time, take it easy.
Much love bro, appreciated.